Mine tailings, waste rock piles, acid mine drainage, industrial wastewater, and sewage sludge have contaminated a vast area of cultivable and fallow lands, with a consequence of deterioration of soil and water quality...Mine tailings, waste rock piles, acid mine drainage, industrial wastewater, and sewage sludge have contaminated a vast area of cultivable and fallow lands, with a consequence of deterioration of soil and water quality and watercourses due to the erosion of contaminated soils for absence of vegetative cover. High concentrations of toxic elements, organic contaminants, acidic soils, and harsh climatic conditions have made it difficult to re-establish vegetation and produce crops there. Recently, a significant body of work has focussed on the suitability and potentiality of biochar as a soil remediation tool that increases seed emergence, soil and crop productivity, above ground biomass, and vegetation cover on mine tailings, waste rock piles, and industrial and sewage waste- contaminated soils by increasing soil nutrients and water-holding capacity, amelioration of soil acidity, and stimulation of microbial diversity and functions. This review addresses： i） the functional properties of biochar, and microbial cycling of nutrients in soil; ii） bioremediation, especially phytoremediation of mine railings, industrial waste, sewage sludge, and contaminated soil using biochar; iii） impact of biochar on reduction of acid production, acid mine drainage treatment, and geochemical dynamics in mine railings; and iv） treatment of metal and organic contaminants in soils using biochar, and restoration of degraded land.展开更多
The periodontium is an integrated,functional unit of multiple tissues surrounding and supporting the tooth,including but not limited to cementum(CM),periodontal ligament(PDL)and alveolar bone(AB).Periodontal tissues c...The periodontium is an integrated,functional unit of multiple tissues surrounding and supporting the tooth,including but not limited to cementum(CM),periodontal ligament(PDL)and alveolar bone(AB).Periodontal tissues can be destructed by chronic periodontal disease,which can lead to tooth loss.In support of the treatment for periodontally diseased tooth,various biomaterials have been applied starting as a contact inhibition membrane in the guided tissue regeneration(GTR)that is the current gold standard in dental clinic.Recently,various biomaterials have been prepared in a form of tissue engineering scaffold to facilitate the regeneration of damaged periodontal tissues.From a physical substrate to support healing of a single type of periodontal tissue to multi-phase/bioactive scaffold system to guide an integrated regeneration of periodontium,technologies for scaffold fabrication have emerged in last years.This review covers the recent advancements in development of scaffolds designed for periodontal tissue regeneration and their efficacy tested in vitro and in vivo.Pros and Cons of different biomaterials and design parameters implemented for periodontal tissue regeneration are also discussed,including future perspectives.展开更多
Biochar addition to soil is currently being considered as a means to sequester carbon while simultaneously improving soil health,soil fertility and agronomic benefits. The focus of this special issue is on current res...Biochar addition to soil is currently being considered as a means to sequester carbon while simultaneously improving soil health,soil fertility and agronomic benefits. The focus of this special issue is on current research on the effects of biochar application to soil for overcoming diverse soil constraints and recommending further research relating to biochar application to soil. The biochar research has progressed considerably with important key findings on agronomic benefits, carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas emissions, soil acidity, soil fertility, soil health, soil salinity, etc., but more research is required before definitive recommendations can be made to end-users regarding the effects of biochar application across a range of soils, climates and land management practices.展开更多
At present, there is little commercial sale of biochar, since farmers find they can not gain a return on their investment in this amendment in the first few years after its application, because of the high cost associ...At present, there is little commercial sale of biochar, since farmers find they can not gain a return on their investment in this amendment in the first few years after its application, because of the high cost associated with large application rates. To overcome this constraint, development of artificially aged enriched biochar-mineral complexes(BMCs), having a higher mineral content, surface functionality, exchangeable cations, high concentration of magnetic iron(Fe) nanoparticles, and higher water-extractable organic compounds has been undertaken by a combined team of researchers and a commercial company. Two biochars produced under different pyrolysis conditions were activated with a phosphoric acid treatment. A mixture of clay, chicken litter, and minerals were added to the biochar, and then this composite was torrefied at either 180 or 220?C. In this study a pot experiment was carried out in glasshouse conditions to determine the effects of four different BMCs, with different formulations applied at rates of 100 and 200 kg ha-1, on the mycorrhizal colonisation, wheat growth and nutrient uptake, and soil quality improvement. It was found that the phosphorus(P) and nitrogen uptake in wheat shoots were significantly greater for a low application rate of BMCs(100 kg ha-1). The present formulation of BMC was effective in enhancing growth of wheat at low application rate(100 kg ha-1). The increase in growth appeared due to an increase in P uptake in the plants that could be partly attributed to an increase in mycorrhizal colonisation and partly due to the properties of the BMC.展开更多
Methane gas from livestock production activities is a significant source of greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions which have been shown to influence climate change.New technologies offer a potential to manipulate the rumen bio...Methane gas from livestock production activities is a significant source of greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions which have been shown to influence climate change.New technologies offer a potential to manipulate the rumen biome through genetic selection reducing CH4 production.Methane production may also be mitigated to varying degrees by various dietary intervention strategies.Strategies to reduce GHG emissions need to be developed which increase ruminant production efficiency whereas reducing production of CH4 from cattle,sheep,and goats.Methane emissions may be efficiently mitigated by manipulation of natural ruminal microbiota with various dietary interventions and animal production efficiency improved.Although some CH4 abatement strategies have shown efficacy in vivo,more research is required to make any of these approaches pertinent to modern animal production systems.The objective of this review is to explain how anti-methanogenic compounds(e.g.,plant tannins)affect ruminal microbiota,reduce CH4 emission,and the effects on host responses.Thus,this review provides information relevant to understanding the impact of tannins on methanogenesis,which may provide a cost-effective means to reduce enteric CH4 production and the influence of ruminant animals on global GHG emissions.展开更多
Meniscus injuries are extremely common with approximately one million patients undergoing surgical treatment annually in the U.S. alone, but no regenerative therapy exist. Previously, we showed that controlled applica...Meniscus injuries are extremely common with approximately one million patients undergoing surgical treatment annually in the U.S. alone, but no regenerative therapy exist. Previously, we showed that controlled applications of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and transforming growth factor beta 3 (TGFβ3) via fibrin-based bio-glue facilitate meniscus healing by inducing recruitment and stepwise differentiation of synovial mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells. Here, we first explored the potential of genipin, a natural crosslinker, to enhance fibrin-based glue’s mechanical and degradation properties. In parallel, we identified the harmful effects of lubricin on meniscus healing and investigated the mechanism of lubricin deposition on the injured meniscus surface. We found that the pre-deposition of hyaluronic acid (HA) on the torn meniscus surface mediates lubricin deposition. Then we implemented chemical modifications with heparin conjugation and CD44 on our bioactive glue to achieve strong initial bonding and integration of lubricin pre-coated meniscal tissues. Our data suggested that heparin conjugation significantly enhances lubricin-coated meniscal tissues. Similarly, CD44, exhibiting a strong binding affinity to lubricin and hyaluronic acid (HA), further improved the integrated healing of HA/lubricin pre-coated meniscus injuries. These findings may represent an important foundation for developing a translational bio-active glue guiding the regenerative healing of meniscus injuries.展开更多
The high price of synthetic fertilisers and the price barrier for biochar as a soil amendment have encouraged the exploration of using biochar in fertiliser replacement formulations. Biochars coupled with fertilisers ...The high price of synthetic fertilisers and the price barrier for biochar as a soil amendment have encouraged the exploration of using biochar in fertiliser replacement formulations. Biochars coupled with fertilisers can be applied at lower application rates to achieve benefits in plant growth and nutrition, as well as soil biological fertility. It is necessary to evaluate the use of biochar as a fertiliser substitute. Therefore, this study investigated the comparative influences of biochars, including Acacia saligna （AS）, Simcoa jarrah （S J） and Wundowie jarrah （W J）, mineral fertiliser with microbes （MF ＋ M）, biochar-mineral complex （BMC） and their combination on mycorrhizal colonisation, growth and nutrition of wheat in a glasshouse experiment and sorghum in field conditions. BMC ＋ MF ＋ M treatment produced higher mycorrhizal colonisation than MF ＋ M alone, indicating that BMC had a significant role in increasing mycorrhizal colonisation. SJ （treated with acetic acid） and MF ＋ M treatments, as well as AS ＋ MF ＋ M application, showed similar effects on mycorrhizal colonisation, but lower colonisation than the BMC ＋ MF ＋ M treatment. Ovcrall~ the BMC ＋ MF ＋ M treatment supported the maximum shoot, root and total plant dry weight followed by AS ＋ MF ＋ M and WJ ＋ MF ＋ M. The MF ＋ M treatment had the maximum shoot N and K concentrations, while BMC ＋ MF ＋ M application had the maximum shoot P concentration. AS ＋ MF -4- M and WJ ＋ MF ＋ M treatments supported the maximum N uptake by wheat shoots, while BMC ＋ MF ＋ M supported the maximum P uptake. The results showed that biochars and BMCs could increase mycorrhizal colonisation, plant growth and nutrient uptake of wheat, particularly N, P, K, S and Zn. The field experiment confirmed that BMC application at a rate of 300 kg ha-1 could increase the yield of irrigated sorghum on a loam soil and provide better applied P use efficiency compared to a water-soluble fertiliser alone. These results indicated 展开更多
BACKGROUND:Hepatitis B virus(HBV)is encountered sporadically the year round in Bangladesh.It results in a wide range of liver diseases,with asymptomatic acute hepatitis at one end to hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)at th...BACKGROUND:Hepatitis B virus(HBV)is encountered sporadically the year round in Bangladesh.It results in a wide range of liver diseases,with asymptomatic acute hepatitis at one end to hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)at the other end of the spectrum. METHODS:All 1018 individuals of different age groups and sex with varied religious,educational and social backgrounds were tested for HBsAg by ELISA.The positive samples were further tested by ELISA for HBeAg.Before testing,blood samples were preserved at-20℃.The study was conducted in a semi-urban location on the outskirts of Dhaka. RESULTS:Of the 1018 individuals,5.5%tested positive for HBsAg.None were tested positive for anti-HCV.Among the HBsAg-positive population,58.93%were HBeAg- positive and the rest 41.07%HBeAg-negative.There was a male predominance and those who were tested positive were mostly between 16 and 50 years of age.Major risk factors for exposure to HBV appeared to be injudicious use of injectable medications,treatment by unqualified, traditional practitioners,mass-vaccination against cholera and smallpox,barbers and body piercing. CONCLUSION:HBV remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Bangladesh and we have a long way to go before we may bid farewell to this deadly menace.展开更多
Concept drift is a main security issue that has to be resolved since it presents a significant barrier to the deployment of machine learning(ML)models.Due to attackers’(and/or benign equivalents’)dynamic behavior ch...Concept drift is a main security issue that has to be resolved since it presents a significant barrier to the deployment of machine learning(ML)models.Due to attackers’(and/or benign equivalents’)dynamic behavior changes,testing data distribution frequently diverges from original training data over time,resulting in substantial model failures.Due to their dispersed and dynamic nature,distributed denial-of-service attacks pose a danger to cybersecurity,resulting in attacks with serious consequences for users and businesses.This paper proposes a novel design for concept drift analysis and detection of malware attacks like Distributed Denial of Service(DDOS)in the network.The goal of this architecture combination is to accurately represent data and create an effective cyber security prediction agent.The intrusion detection system and concept drift of the network has been analyzed using secure adaptive windowing with website data authentication protocol(SAW_WDA).The network has been analyzed by authentication protocol to avoid malware attacks.The data of network users will be collected and classified using multilayer perceptron gradient decision tree(MLPGDT)classifiers.Based on the classification output,the decision for the detection of attackers and authorized users will be identified.The experimental results show output based on intrusion detection and concept drift analysis systems in terms of throughput,end-end delay,network security,network concept drift,and results based on classification with regard to accuracy,memory,and precision and F-1 score.展开更多
Addition of biochar produced through thermal decomposition of biomass has been seen as a strategy to improve soils and to sequester carbon （C）, but wide scale implementation of the technology requires to devise inno...Addition of biochar produced through thermal decomposition of biomass has been seen as a strategy to improve soils and to sequester carbon （C）, but wide scale implementation of the technology requires to devise innovative profitable solutions. To develop biochar utilisation with an integrated system approach, an innovative program was implemented in 2012 on a 53-ha farm in Western Australia to determine the costs and benefits of integrating biochar with animal husbandry and improvement of pastures. Biochar was mixed with molasses and fed directly to cows. The dung-biochar mixture was incorporated into the soft profile by dung beetles. We studied the changes in soil properties over 3 years. Biochar extracted from fresh dung and from the soil to a depth of 40 cm was characterised. A preliminary financial analysis of the costs and benefits of this integrated approach was also undertaken. The preliminary investigation results suggested that this strategy was effective in improving soil properties and increasing returns to the farmer. It was also concluded that the biochar adsorbed nutrients from the cow＇s gut and from the dung. Dung beetles could transport this nutrient-rich biochar into the soil profile. There was little evidence that the recalcitrant component of the biochar was reduced through reactions inside the gut or on/in the soil. Further research is required to quantify the long-term impact of integrating biochar and dung beetles into the rearing of cows.展开更多
Subtropical recent alluvial soils are low in organic carbon(C).Thus,increasing organic C is a major challenge to sustain soil fertility.Biochar amendment could be an option as biochar is a C-rich pyrolyzed material,wh...Subtropical recent alluvial soils are low in organic carbon(C).Thus,increasing organic C is a major challenge to sustain soil fertility.Biochar amendment could be an option as biochar is a C-rich pyrolyzed material,which is slowly decomposed in soil.We investigated C mineralization(CO_(2)-C evolution)in two types of soils(recent and old alluvial soils)amended with two feedstocks(sugarcane bagasse and rice husk)(1%,weight/weight),as well as their biochars and aged biochars under a controlled environment(25±2℃)over 85 d.For the recent alluvial soil(charland soil),the highest absolute cumulative CO_(2)-C evolution was observed in the sugarcane bagasse treatment(1140 mg CO_(2)-C kg^(-1)soil)followed by the rice husk treatment(1090 mg CO_(2)-C kg^(-1)soil);the lowest amount(150 mg CO_(2)-C kg^(-1)soil)was observed in the aged rice husk biochar treatment.Similarly,for the old alluvial soil(farmland soil),the highest absolute cumulative CO_(2)-C evolution(1290 mg CO_(2)-C kg^(-1)soil)was observed in the sugarcane bagasse treatment and then in the rice husk treatment(1270 mg CO_(2)-C kg^(-1)soil);the lowest amount(200 mg CO_(2)-C kg^(-1)soil)was in the aged rice husk biochar treatment.Aged sugarcane bagasse and rice husk biochar treatments reduced absolute cumulative CO_(2)-C evolution by 10%and 36%,respectively,compared with unamended recent alluvial soil,and by 10%and 18%,respectively,compared with unamended old alluvial soil.Both absolute and normalized C mineralization were similar between the sugarcane bagasse and rice husk treatments,between the biochar treatments,and between the aged biochar treatments.In both soils,the feedstock treatments resulted in the highest cumulative CO_(2)-C evolution,followed by the biochar treatments and then the aged biochar treatments.The absolute and normalized CO_(2)-C evolution and the mineralization rate constant of the stable C pool(K_(s))were lower in the recent alluvial soil compared with those in the old alluvial soil.The biochars and aged biochars had a negative priming ef展开更多
Sandy soils, typical of Australia's west, either have little or no habitat protection for microbes including arbuscular mycorrhizal(AM) fungi, which are essential for nutrient cycling. To minimize this problem, th...Sandy soils, typical of Australia's west, either have little or no habitat protection for microbes including arbuscular mycorrhizal(AM) fungi, which are essential for nutrient cycling. To minimize this problem, the application of organic matter, such as humus-rich composts, is necessary during vegetable crop production. This study aimed at determining the effects of humus-rich composts on either indigenous or inoculated AM fungal colonisation in roots, lettuce(Lactuca sativa L. var. Quechua) growth, and soil fertility improvement. Four different humus-rich composts with varying humus contents were applied at the same standard rate to lettuce grown under glasshouse conditions for 10 weeks after sowing and compared with two low-humus composts and non-amended soil(control). Humus-rich composts significantly increased lettuce shoot growth, root growth, and AM fungal colonisation in roots. Humus contents in the composts were also correlated with lettuce shoot and root growth. Soil dissolved organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, and fertility were increased with the application of humus-rich composts. These humus-rich composts, especially the compost of higher humic acid with and without AM inoculation, might have a significant role in sustainable vegetable production, for example lettuce growth. Overall, the results indicate that supplementation with humus-rich compost is highly beneficial to enhance soil fertility and potentially maintain the sustainability of vegetable production.展开更多
Fabric outer appearance is influenced by various fabric structures. In this research work, the physical properties of plain and twill were analyzed. Physical, mechanical and other aesthetic properties are also tested ...Fabric outer appearance is influenced by various fabric structures. In this research work, the physical properties of plain and twill were analyzed. Physical, mechanical and other aesthetic properties are also tested and the finding results are also compared between two samples. After testing the samples it is found that rubbing fastness remains unchanged for plain and twill fabric. Abrasion resistance, pilling, crease recovery and cover factor were evaluated for twill and plain structures using ISO 12945-2, ISO 12945-1 and ISO 2313 methods respectively. Abrasion resistance and pills property are not good for twill fabric in comparison with plain fabric but crease recovery is better of twill fabric.展开更多
Background： Pine bark is a rich source of phytochemical compounds including tannins, phenolic acids, anthocyanins, and fatty acids. These phytochemicals have potential to significantly impact on animal health and ani...Background： Pine bark is a rich source of phytochemical compounds including tannins, phenolic acids, anthocyanins, and fatty acids. These phytochemicals have potential to significantly impact on animal health and animal production. The goal of this work is to measure the effects of tannins in ground pine bark as a partial feed replacement on feed intake, dietary apparent digestibility, nitrogen balance, and mineral retention in meat goats. Results： Eighteen Kiko cross goats （initial BW = 31.8 ± 1.49 kg） were randomly assigned to three treatment groups （n = 6）. Dietary treatments were tested： control （0 % pine bark powder （PB） and 30 % wheat straw （WS））; ] 5 % PB and 15 % WS, and 30 % PB and 0 % WS. Although dry matter （DM） intake and digestibility were not affected （P〉 0.10） by feeding PB, neutral detergent fiber （linear; P= 0.01）, acid detergent fiber （linear; P= 0.001） and lignin digestibility （linear; P= 0.01） decreased, and crude protein （CP） digestibility tended to decrease （P=0.09） as PB increased in the diet, apparent retention of Ca （P= 0.09）, P （P=0.03）, Mg （P= 0.01）, Mn （P= 0.01）, Zn （P= 0.01） and Fe （P= 0.09） also increased linearly. Nitrogen intake and fecal N excretion were not affected （P〉 0.05） by addition of PB in the diet, but N balance in the body was quadratically increased （P〈 0.01） in the 15 % PB diet compared to other diets. This may be due to more rumen escape protein and less excreted N in the urine with the 15 % PB diet. The study showed that a moderate level of tannin-containing pine bark supplementation could improve gastrointestinal nitrogen balance with the aim of improving animal performance. Conclusion： These results suggest that tannin-containing PB has negative impact on fiber, lignin, and protein digestibility, but positively impacted on N-balance.展开更多
In this paper,we propose a fifth-order scheme for solving systems of nonlinear equations.The convergence analysis of the proposed technique is discussed.The proposed method is generalized and extended to be of any odd...In this paper,we propose a fifth-order scheme for solving systems of nonlinear equations.The convergence analysis of the proposed technique is discussed.The proposed method is generalized and extended to be of any odd order of the form 2n1.The scheme is composed of three steps,of which the first two steps are based on the two-step Homeier’s method with cubic convergence,and the last is a Newton step with an appropriate approximation for the derivative.Every iteration of the presented method requires the evaluation of two functions,two Fréchet derivatives,and three matrix inversions.A comparison between the efficiency index and the computational efficiency index of the presented scheme with existing methods is performed.The basins of attraction of the proposed scheme illustrated and compared to other schemes of the same order.Different test problems including large systems of equations are considered to compare the performance of the proposed method according to other methods of the same order.As an application,we apply the new scheme to some real-life problems,including the mixed Hammerstein integral equation and Burgers’equation.Comparisons and examples show that the presented method is efficient and comparable to the existing techniques of the same order.展开更多
Excess nitrogen(N) fertiliser use in agriculture is associated with water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.While practices and programs to reduce N fertiliser application continue to be developed,inefficient fer...Excess nitrogen(N) fertiliser use in agriculture is associated with water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.While practices and programs to reduce N fertiliser application continue to be developed,inefficient fertiliser use persists.Practices that reduce mineral N fertiliser application are needed in a sustainable agricultural ecosystem to control leaching and gaseous losses for environmental management.This study evaluated whether fully or partially replacing mineral N fertiliser with zoo compost(Perth Zoo) could be a good mitigation strategy to reduce mineral N fertiliser application without affecting wheat yield and nutrition.To achieve this,a glasshouse experiment was conducted to assess the complementary effect of zoo compost and mineral N fertiliser on wheat yield and nutrition in a sandy soil of southwestern Australia.Additionally,a chlorophyll meter was used to determine whether there was a correlation between chlorophyll content and soil mineral N content,grain N uptake,and grain protein content at the tillering(42 d after sowing(DAS)) and heading(63 DAS) growth stages.The standard practice for N application for this soil type in this area,100 kg ha^(-1),was used with a soil bulk density of 1.3 g cm^(-3) to calculate the amount of mineral N(urea,46% N) and Perth Zoo compost(ZC)(0.69% N) for each treatment.Treatments comprised a control(no nutrients added,T1),mineral N only(100 kg N ha^(-1),T2),ZC only(100 kg N ha^(-1),T7),and combinations of mineral N and ZC at different rates(mineral N at 100 kg N ha^(-1)+ ZC at 25 kg N ha^(-1)(T3),mineral N at 75 kg N ha^(-1)+ ZC at 25 kg N ha^(-1)(T4),mineral N at 75 kg N ha^(-1)+ ZC at 50 kg N ha^(-1)(T5),and mineral N at 50 kg N ha^(-1)+ ZC at 50 kg N ha^(-1)(T6)).The T6 treatment significantly increased grain yield(by 26%) relative to the T2 treatment.However,the T7 treatment did not affect grain yield when compared to the T2 treatment.All treatments with mineral N and ZC in combination significantly improved the 1 000-grain weight compared to the T2 treatment展开更多
An indoor and a grazing experiment was conducted to determine how estimated feed intake and digestion by grazing goats consuming concentrate, bahaigrass pasture, and mimosa browse changed with body weight (BW), level ...An indoor and a grazing experiment was conducted to determine how estimated feed intake and digestion by grazing goats consuming concentrate, bahaigrass pasture, and mimosa browse changed with body weight (BW), level of supplementation, and forage chemical composition. Twenty four Boer wether goats were assigned in a completely randomized design with repeated measures on the following 3 treatments: concentrate, mimosa browse, and bahiagrass pasture. Internal markers used to estimate both dry matter (DM) digestibility (DMD) and DM intake (DMI) included acid detergent lignin (ADL) and acid insoluble ash (AIA). Marker-derived estimates of DMD and DMI were compared with DMD measured by total fecal collection or directly measured by in vivo feed intake rate. Both ADL and AIA-based markers in mimosa and bahiagrass diets were similar from those derived by in vivo DMD;however, AIA-based marker in concentrate was under-estimated (P in vivo DMD in mimosa and bahiagrass, although AIA concentration in mimosa seemed to be low compared to others. All markers yielded feed intake estimates that differed from those derived by ADL (P in vivo control, with ADL (P in vivo intake methods for digestibility studies. Both ADL and AIA occur in common forages at readily measurable levels and laboratory procedures are not difficult or time consuming. Therefore, both ADL and AIA have possible use in digestibility studies where other methods may not be applicable.展开更多
There are several ways that can be used to classify or compare iterative methods for nonlinear equations,for instance;order of convergence,informational efficiency,and efficiency index.In this work,we use another way,...There are several ways that can be used to classify or compare iterative methods for nonlinear equations,for instance;order of convergence,informational efficiency,and efficiency index.In this work,we use another way,namely the basins of attraction of the method.The purpose of this study is to compare several iterative schemes for nonlinear equations.All the selected schemes are of the third-order of convergence and most of them have the same efficiency index.The comparison depends on the basins of attraction of the iterative techniques when applied on several polynomials of different degrees.As a comparison,we determine the CPU time(in seconds)needed by each scheme to obtain the basins of attraction,besides,we illustrate the area of convergence of these schemes by finding the number of convergent and divergent points in a selected range for all methods.Comparisons confirm the fact that basins of attraction differ for iterative methods of different orders,furthermore,they vary for iterative methods of the same order even if they have the same efficiency index.Consequently,this leads to the need for a new index that reflects the real efficiency of the iterative scheme instead of the commonly used efficiency index.展开更多
The inevitable gap between in vitro and in vivo degradation rate of biomaterials has been a challenging factor in the optimal designing of scaffold’s degradation to be balanced with new tissue formation.To enable non...The inevitable gap between in vitro and in vivo degradation rate of biomaterials has been a challenging factor in the optimal designing of scaffold’s degradation to be balanced with new tissue formation.To enable non-/minimum-invasive tracking of in vivo scaffold degradation,chemical modifications have been applied to label polymers with fluorescent dyes.However,the previous approaches may have limited expandability due to complicated synthesis processes.Here,we introduce a simple and efficient method to fluorescence labeling of polymeric scaffolds via blending with near-infrared(NIR)quantum dots(QDs),semiconductor nanocrystals with superior optical properties.QDs-labeled,3D-printed PCL scaffolds showed promising efficiency and reliability in quantitative measurement of degradation using a custom-built fiber-optic imaging modality.Furthermore,QDs-PCL scaffolds showed neither cytotoxicity nor secondary labeling of adjacent cells.QDs-PCL scaffolds also supported the engineering of fibrous,cartilaginous,and osteogenic tissues from mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells(MSCs).In addition,QDs-PCL enabled a distinction between newly forming tissue and the remaining mass of scaffolds through multi-channel imaging.Thus,our findings suggest a simple and efficient QDs-labeling of PCL scaffolds and minimally invasive imaging modality that shows significant potential to enable in vivo tracking of scaffold degradation as well as new tissue formation.展开更多
The objective was to evaluate the use of condensed tannin(CT)-rich ground pine bark(PB)in grain mixed diets on meat goat growth performance,blood metabolites,and carcass characteristics.Twenty four Kiko crossbred(Capr...The objective was to evaluate the use of condensed tannin(CT)-rich ground pine bark(PB)in grain mixed diets on meat goat growth performance,blood metabolites,and carcass characteristics.Twenty four Kiko crossbred(Capra aegugrus hircus)growing male kids(BW=36.9±2,5 kg)at approximately 8 months of age were assigned randomly to 2 treatments with 3 replicates per treatment and 4 goats per replicate.The goats were fed grain mixed diets composed of either 30%bermudagrass hay(BGH)plus concentrate(control)or 30%PB plus concentrate.Diets were fed at 1.2%of BW.In addition,all goats grazed a crabgrass/bermudagrass(CB)-based pasture.The feeding trial lasted for 55 d.Using ground PB as a supplement did not negatively affect BW,average daily gain(ADG),carcass characteristics,meat pH,and meat color compared to the control diet.Plasma gamma-glutamyl transferase(P=0.03),glucose(P<0.01)and Ca concentrations(P=0.04)were higher for PB than for BGH,respectively.The 30%PB supplementation does not negatively affect animal performance,blood metabolites,and carcass parameters.展开更多
文摘Mine tailings, waste rock piles, acid mine drainage, industrial wastewater, and sewage sludge have contaminated a vast area of cultivable and fallow lands, with a consequence of deterioration of soil and water quality and watercourses due to the erosion of contaminated soils for absence of vegetative cover. High concentrations of toxic elements, organic contaminants, acidic soils, and harsh climatic conditions have made it difficult to re-establish vegetation and produce crops there. Recently, a significant body of work has focussed on the suitability and potentiality of biochar as a soil remediation tool that increases seed emergence, soil and crop productivity, above ground biomass, and vegetation cover on mine tailings, waste rock piles, and industrial and sewage waste- contaminated soils by increasing soil nutrients and water-holding capacity, amelioration of soil acidity, and stimulation of microbial diversity and functions. This review addresses： i） the functional properties of biochar, and microbial cycling of nutrients in soil; ii） bioremediation, especially phytoremediation of mine railings, industrial waste, sewage sludge, and contaminated soil using biochar; iii） impact of biochar on reduction of acid production, acid mine drainage treatment, and geochemical dynamics in mine railings; and iv） treatment of metal and organic contaminants in soils using biochar, and restoration of degraded land.
基金This manuscript was in part supported by National Institutes of Health grant 1R01DE029321-01A1 to C.H.L.
文摘The periodontium is an integrated,functional unit of multiple tissues surrounding and supporting the tooth,including but not limited to cementum(CM),periodontal ligament(PDL)and alveolar bone(AB).Periodontal tissues can be destructed by chronic periodontal disease,which can lead to tooth loss.In support of the treatment for periodontally diseased tooth,various biomaterials have been applied starting as a contact inhibition membrane in the guided tissue regeneration(GTR)that is the current gold standard in dental clinic.Recently,various biomaterials have been prepared in a form of tissue engineering scaffold to facilitate the regeneration of damaged periodontal tissues.From a physical substrate to support healing of a single type of periodontal tissue to multi-phase/bioactive scaffold system to guide an integrated regeneration of periodontium,technologies for scaffold fabrication have emerged in last years.This review covers the recent advancements in development of scaffolds designed for periodontal tissue regeneration and their efficacy tested in vitro and in vivo.Pros and Cons of different biomaterials and design parameters implemented for periodontal tissue regeneration are also discussed,including future perspectives.
文摘Biochar addition to soil is currently being considered as a means to sequester carbon while simultaneously improving soil health,soil fertility and agronomic benefits. The focus of this special issue is on current research on the effects of biochar application to soil for overcoming diverse soil constraints and recommending further research relating to biochar application to soil. The biochar research has progressed considerably with important key findings on agronomic benefits, carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas emissions, soil acidity, soil fertility, soil health, soil salinity, etc., but more research is required before definitive recommendations can be made to end-users regarding the effects of biochar application across a range of soils, climates and land management practices.
基金supported by Ven Earth LLC,San Francisco,CA,USA and the Australian Research Council
文摘At present, there is little commercial sale of biochar, since farmers find they can not gain a return on their investment in this amendment in the first few years after its application, because of the high cost associated with large application rates. To overcome this constraint, development of artificially aged enriched biochar-mineral complexes(BMCs), having a higher mineral content, surface functionality, exchangeable cations, high concentration of magnetic iron(Fe) nanoparticles, and higher water-extractable organic compounds has been undertaken by a combined team of researchers and a commercial company. Two biochars produced under different pyrolysis conditions were activated with a phosphoric acid treatment. A mixture of clay, chicken litter, and minerals were added to the biochar, and then this composite was torrefied at either 180 or 220?C. In this study a pot experiment was carried out in glasshouse conditions to determine the effects of four different BMCs, with different formulations applied at rates of 100 and 200 kg ha-1, on the mycorrhizal colonisation, wheat growth and nutrient uptake, and soil quality improvement. It was found that the phosphorus(P) and nitrogen uptake in wheat shoots were significantly greater for a low application rate of BMCs(100 kg ha-1). The present formulation of BMC was effective in enhancing growth of wheat at low application rate(100 kg ha-1). The increase in growth appeared due to an increase in P uptake in the plants that could be partly attributed to an increase in mycorrhizal colonisation and partly due to the properties of the BMC.
文摘Methane gas from livestock production activities is a significant source of greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions which have been shown to influence climate change.New technologies offer a potential to manipulate the rumen biome through genetic selection reducing CH4 production.Methane production may also be mitigated to varying degrees by various dietary intervention strategies.Strategies to reduce GHG emissions need to be developed which increase ruminant production efficiency whereas reducing production of CH4 from cattle,sheep,and goats.Methane emissions may be efficiently mitigated by manipulation of natural ruminal microbiota with various dietary interventions and animal production efficiency improved.Although some CH4 abatement strategies have shown efficacy in vivo,more research is required to make any of these approaches pertinent to modern animal production systems.The objective of this review is to explain how anti-methanogenic compounds(e.g.,plant tannins)affect ruminal microbiota,reduce CH4 emission,and the effects on host responses.Thus,this review provides information relevant to understanding the impact of tannins on methanogenesis,which may provide a cost-effective means to reduce enteric CH4 production and the influence of ruminant animals on global GHG emissions.
基金supported by NIH grant 1R01AR071316 and 5R01DE029321 to C.H.L.
文摘Meniscus injuries are extremely common with approximately one million patients undergoing surgical treatment annually in the U.S. alone, but no regenerative therapy exist. Previously, we showed that controlled applications of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and transforming growth factor beta 3 (TGFβ3) via fibrin-based bio-glue facilitate meniscus healing by inducing recruitment and stepwise differentiation of synovial mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells. Here, we first explored the potential of genipin, a natural crosslinker, to enhance fibrin-based glue’s mechanical and degradation properties. In parallel, we identified the harmful effects of lubricin on meniscus healing and investigated the mechanism of lubricin deposition on the injured meniscus surface. We found that the pre-deposition of hyaluronic acid (HA) on the torn meniscus surface mediates lubricin deposition. Then we implemented chemical modifications with heparin conjugation and CD44 on our bioactive glue to achieve strong initial bonding and integration of lubricin pre-coated meniscal tissues. Our data suggested that heparin conjugation significantly enhances lubricin-coated meniscal tissues. Similarly, CD44, exhibiting a strong binding affinity to lubricin and hyaluronic acid (HA), further improved the integrated healing of HA/lubricin pre-coated meniscus injuries. These findings may represent an important foundation for developing a translational bio-active glue guiding the regenerative healing of meniscus injuries.
基金Anthroterra Pty Ltd.,Australia and Australian Minerals Fertilisers Pty Ltd.for funding as well as the Royce family of Moonyoonooka near Geraldton,Australia for the use of their farm for the field experiment
文摘The high price of synthetic fertilisers and the price barrier for biochar as a soil amendment have encouraged the exploration of using biochar in fertiliser replacement formulations. Biochars coupled with fertilisers can be applied at lower application rates to achieve benefits in plant growth and nutrition, as well as soil biological fertility. It is necessary to evaluate the use of biochar as a fertiliser substitute. Therefore, this study investigated the comparative influences of biochars, including Acacia saligna （AS）, Simcoa jarrah （S J） and Wundowie jarrah （W J）, mineral fertiliser with microbes （MF ＋ M）, biochar-mineral complex （BMC） and their combination on mycorrhizal colonisation, growth and nutrition of wheat in a glasshouse experiment and sorghum in field conditions. BMC ＋ MF ＋ M treatment produced higher mycorrhizal colonisation than MF ＋ M alone, indicating that BMC had a significant role in increasing mycorrhizal colonisation. SJ （treated with acetic acid） and MF ＋ M treatments, as well as AS ＋ MF ＋ M application, showed similar effects on mycorrhizal colonisation, but lower colonisation than the BMC ＋ MF ＋ M treatment. Ovcrall~ the BMC ＋ MF ＋ M treatment supported the maximum shoot, root and total plant dry weight followed by AS ＋ MF ＋ M and WJ ＋ MF ＋ M. The MF ＋ M treatment had the maximum shoot N and K concentrations, while BMC ＋ MF ＋ M application had the maximum shoot P concentration. AS ＋ MF -4- M and WJ ＋ MF ＋ M treatments supported the maximum N uptake by wheat shoots, while BMC ＋ MF ＋ M supported the maximum P uptake. The results showed that biochars and BMCs could increase mycorrhizal colonisation, plant growth and nutrient uptake of wheat, particularly N, P, K, S and Zn. The field experiment confirmed that BMC application at a rate of 300 kg ha-1 could increase the yield of irrigated sorghum on a loam soil and provide better applied P use efficiency compared to a water-soluble fertiliser alone. These results indicated
文摘BACKGROUND:Hepatitis B virus(HBV)is encountered sporadically the year round in Bangladesh.It results in a wide range of liver diseases,with asymptomatic acute hepatitis at one end to hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)at the other end of the spectrum. METHODS:All 1018 individuals of different age groups and sex with varied religious,educational and social backgrounds were tested for HBsAg by ELISA.The positive samples were further tested by ELISA for HBeAg.Before testing,blood samples were preserved at-20℃.The study was conducted in a semi-urban location on the outskirts of Dhaka. RESULTS:Of the 1018 individuals,5.5%tested positive for HBsAg.None were tested positive for anti-HCV.Among the HBsAg-positive population,58.93%were HBeAg- positive and the rest 41.07%HBeAg-negative.There was a male predominance and those who were tested positive were mostly between 16 and 50 years of age.Major risk factors for exposure to HBV appeared to be injudicious use of injectable medications,treatment by unqualified, traditional practitioners,mass-vaccination against cholera and smallpox,barbers and body piercing. CONCLUSION:HBV remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Bangladesh and we have a long way to go before we may bid farewell to this deadly menace.
基金The Taif University Deanship of Scientific Research supported this endeavor(Project Number:1-443-4)for which the authors are grateful to Taif University for their kind support.
文摘Concept drift is a main security issue that has to be resolved since it presents a significant barrier to the deployment of machine learning(ML)models.Due to attackers’(and/or benign equivalents’)dynamic behavior changes,testing data distribution frequently diverges from original training data over time,resulting in substantial model failures.Due to their dispersed and dynamic nature,distributed denial-of-service attacks pose a danger to cybersecurity,resulting in attacks with serious consequences for users and businesses.This paper proposes a novel design for concept drift analysis and detection of malware attacks like Distributed Denial of Service(DDOS)in the network.The goal of this architecture combination is to accurately represent data and create an effective cyber security prediction agent.The intrusion detection system and concept drift of the network has been analyzed using secure adaptive windowing with website data authentication protocol(SAW_WDA).The network has been analyzed by authentication protocol to avoid malware attacks.The data of network users will be collected and classified using multilayer perceptron gradient decision tree(MLPGDT)classifiers.Based on the classification output,the decision for the detection of attackers and authorized users will be identified.The experimental results show output based on intrusion detection and concept drift analysis systems in terms of throughput,end-end delay,network security,network concept drift,and results based on classification with regard to accuracy,memory,and precision and F-1 score.
基金funded by the Linkage,Infrastructure,Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) grant from the Australian Research Council (ARC) (No.LE120100104)supported by the ARC (No.LP120200418),Renewed Carbon Pty Ltd.of Australiathe Department of Agriculture,Australian Government’s Carbon Farming Futures Filling the Research Gap (No.RG134978)
文摘Addition of biochar produced through thermal decomposition of biomass has been seen as a strategy to improve soils and to sequester carbon （C）, but wide scale implementation of the technology requires to devise innovative profitable solutions. To develop biochar utilisation with an integrated system approach, an innovative program was implemented in 2012 on a 53-ha farm in Western Australia to determine the costs and benefits of integrating biochar with animal husbandry and improvement of pastures. Biochar was mixed with molasses and fed directly to cows. The dung-biochar mixture was incorporated into the soft profile by dung beetles. We studied the changes in soil properties over 3 years. Biochar extracted from fresh dung and from the soil to a depth of 40 cm was characterised. A preliminary financial analysis of the costs and benefits of this integrated approach was also undertaken. The preliminary investigation results suggested that this strategy was effective in improving soil properties and increasing returns to the farmer. It was also concluded that the biochar adsorbed nutrients from the cow＇s gut and from the dung. Dung beetles could transport this nutrient-rich biochar into the soil profile. There was little evidence that the recalcitrant component of the biochar was reduced through reactions inside the gut or on/in the soil. Further research is required to quantify the long-term impact of integrating biochar and dung beetles into the rearing of cows.
基金the BARC(Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council)for awarding a postgraduate scholarship with research support to the first author through the NATP(National Agricultural Technology Program)Phase-ⅡProject。
文摘Subtropical recent alluvial soils are low in organic carbon(C).Thus,increasing organic C is a major challenge to sustain soil fertility.Biochar amendment could be an option as biochar is a C-rich pyrolyzed material,which is slowly decomposed in soil.We investigated C mineralization(CO_(2)-C evolution)in two types of soils(recent and old alluvial soils)amended with two feedstocks(sugarcane bagasse and rice husk)(1%,weight/weight),as well as their biochars and aged biochars under a controlled environment(25±2℃)over 85 d.For the recent alluvial soil(charland soil),the highest absolute cumulative CO_(2)-C evolution was observed in the sugarcane bagasse treatment(1140 mg CO_(2)-C kg^(-1)soil)followed by the rice husk treatment(1090 mg CO_(2)-C kg^(-1)soil);the lowest amount(150 mg CO_(2)-C kg^(-1)soil)was observed in the aged rice husk biochar treatment.Similarly,for the old alluvial soil(farmland soil),the highest absolute cumulative CO_(2)-C evolution(1290 mg CO_(2)-C kg^(-1)soil)was observed in the sugarcane bagasse treatment and then in the rice husk treatment(1270 mg CO_(2)-C kg^(-1)soil);the lowest amount(200 mg CO_(2)-C kg^(-1)soil)was in the aged rice husk biochar treatment.Aged sugarcane bagasse and rice husk biochar treatments reduced absolute cumulative CO_(2)-C evolution by 10%and 36%,respectively,compared with unamended recent alluvial soil,and by 10%and 18%,respectively,compared with unamended old alluvial soil.Both absolute and normalized C mineralization were similar between the sugarcane bagasse and rice husk treatments,between the biochar treatments,and between the aged biochar treatments.In both soils,the feedstock treatments resulted in the highest cumulative CO_(2)-C evolution,followed by the biochar treatments and then the aged biochar treatments.The absolute and normalized CO_(2)-C evolution and the mineralization rate constant of the stable C pool(K_(s))were lower in the recent alluvial soil compared with those in the old alluvial soil.The biochars and aged biochars had a negative priming ef
基金funded by C-Wise, Western Australia, who also supplied the compostsfunded by the Foundation of China Scholarship Council (No. 201406995065)+1 种基金supported by the Western Australian Fellowship Program funded by the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Office of Science, Western Australia, ARC Linkage Grant (No. LP140100046)the University of Western Australia
文摘Sandy soils, typical of Australia's west, either have little or no habitat protection for microbes including arbuscular mycorrhizal(AM) fungi, which are essential for nutrient cycling. To minimize this problem, the application of organic matter, such as humus-rich composts, is necessary during vegetable crop production. This study aimed at determining the effects of humus-rich composts on either indigenous or inoculated AM fungal colonisation in roots, lettuce(Lactuca sativa L. var. Quechua) growth, and soil fertility improvement. Four different humus-rich composts with varying humus contents were applied at the same standard rate to lettuce grown under glasshouse conditions for 10 weeks after sowing and compared with two low-humus composts and non-amended soil(control). Humus-rich composts significantly increased lettuce shoot growth, root growth, and AM fungal colonisation in roots. Humus contents in the composts were also correlated with lettuce shoot and root growth. Soil dissolved organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, and fertility were increased with the application of humus-rich composts. These humus-rich composts, especially the compost of higher humic acid with and without AM inoculation, might have a significant role in sustainable vegetable production, for example lettuce growth. Overall, the results indicate that supplementation with humus-rich compost is highly beneficial to enhance soil fertility and potentially maintain the sustainability of vegetable production.
文摘Fabric outer appearance is influenced by various fabric structures. In this research work, the physical properties of plain and twill were analyzed. Physical, mechanical and other aesthetic properties are also tested and the finding results are also compared between two samples. After testing the samples it is found that rubbing fastness remains unchanged for plain and twill fabric. Abrasion resistance, pilling, crease recovery and cover factor were evaluated for twill and plain structures using ISO 12945-2, ISO 12945-1 and ISO 2313 methods respectively. Abrasion resistance and pills property are not good for twill fabric in comparison with plain fabric but crease recovery is better of twill fabric.
基金support from the European Union through a Marie Curie Initial Training Network(PITN-GA-2011-289377,LegumePlus)
文摘Background： Pine bark is a rich source of phytochemical compounds including tannins, phenolic acids, anthocyanins, and fatty acids. These phytochemicals have potential to significantly impact on animal health and animal production. The goal of this work is to measure the effects of tannins in ground pine bark as a partial feed replacement on feed intake, dietary apparent digestibility, nitrogen balance, and mineral retention in meat goats. Results： Eighteen Kiko cross goats （initial BW = 31.8 ± 1.49 kg） were randomly assigned to three treatment groups （n = 6）. Dietary treatments were tested： control （0 % pine bark powder （PB） and 30 % wheat straw （WS））; ] 5 % PB and 15 % WS, and 30 % PB and 0 % WS. Although dry matter （DM） intake and digestibility were not affected （P〉 0.10） by feeding PB, neutral detergent fiber （linear; P= 0.01）, acid detergent fiber （linear; P= 0.001） and lignin digestibility （linear; P= 0.01） decreased, and crude protein （CP） digestibility tended to decrease （P=0.09） as PB increased in the diet, apparent retention of Ca （P= 0.09）, P （P=0.03）, Mg （P= 0.01）, Mn （P= 0.01）, Zn （P= 0.01） and Fe （P= 0.09） also increased linearly. Nitrogen intake and fecal N excretion were not affected （P〉 0.05） by addition of PB in the diet, but N balance in the body was quadratically increased （P〈 0.01） in the 15 % PB diet compared to other diets. This may be due to more rumen escape protein and less excreted N in the urine with the 15 % PB diet. The study showed that a moderate level of tannin-containing pine bark supplementation could improve gastrointestinal nitrogen balance with the aim of improving animal performance. Conclusion： These results suggest that tannin-containing PB has negative impact on fiber, lignin, and protein digestibility, but positively impacted on N-balance.
基金We are grateful for the financial support from UKM’s research Grant GUP-2019-033.
文摘In this paper,we propose a fifth-order scheme for solving systems of nonlinear equations.The convergence analysis of the proposed technique is discussed.The proposed method is generalized and extended to be of any odd order of the form 2n1.The scheme is composed of three steps,of which the first two steps are based on the two-step Homeier’s method with cubic convergence,and the last is a Newton step with an appropriate approximation for the derivative.Every iteration of the presented method requires the evaluation of two functions,two Fréchet derivatives,and three matrix inversions.A comparison between the efficiency index and the computational efficiency index of the presented scheme with existing methods is performed.The basins of attraction of the proposed scheme illustrated and compared to other schemes of the same order.Different test problems including large systems of equations are considered to compare the performance of the proposed method according to other methods of the same order.As an application,we apply the new scheme to some real-life problems,including the mixed Hammerstein integral equation and Burgers’equation.Comparisons and examples show that the presented method is efficient and comparable to the existing techniques of the same order.
基金M. S. A. Khan thanks the Australian Government for providing postgraduate degree scholarship under its Australia Awards ProgramThe Sir Eric Smart Family contributed funds for this research through the Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western AustraliaThe salaries of S. N. Jenkins and I. S. Waite were partially supported by RnD4Profit-14-1-022-Waste to Revenue: Novel Fertilisers and Feeds, Australian Pork Limited, and Australian Government (Department of Agriculture and Water Resources) as part of the Rural Research and Development (R&D) for Profit Program。
文摘Excess nitrogen(N) fertiliser use in agriculture is associated with water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.While practices and programs to reduce N fertiliser application continue to be developed,inefficient fertiliser use persists.Practices that reduce mineral N fertiliser application are needed in a sustainable agricultural ecosystem to control leaching and gaseous losses for environmental management.This study evaluated whether fully or partially replacing mineral N fertiliser with zoo compost(Perth Zoo) could be a good mitigation strategy to reduce mineral N fertiliser application without affecting wheat yield and nutrition.To achieve this,a glasshouse experiment was conducted to assess the complementary effect of zoo compost and mineral N fertiliser on wheat yield and nutrition in a sandy soil of southwestern Australia.Additionally,a chlorophyll meter was used to determine whether there was a correlation between chlorophyll content and soil mineral N content,grain N uptake,and grain protein content at the tillering(42 d after sowing(DAS)) and heading(63 DAS) growth stages.The standard practice for N application for this soil type in this area,100 kg ha^(-1),was used with a soil bulk density of 1.3 g cm^(-3) to calculate the amount of mineral N(urea,46% N) and Perth Zoo compost(ZC)(0.69% N) for each treatment.Treatments comprised a control(no nutrients added,T1),mineral N only(100 kg N ha^(-1),T2),ZC only(100 kg N ha^(-1),T7),and combinations of mineral N and ZC at different rates(mineral N at 100 kg N ha^(-1)+ ZC at 25 kg N ha^(-1)(T3),mineral N at 75 kg N ha^(-1)+ ZC at 25 kg N ha^(-1)(T4),mineral N at 75 kg N ha^(-1)+ ZC at 50 kg N ha^(-1)(T5),and mineral N at 50 kg N ha^(-1)+ ZC at 50 kg N ha^(-1)(T6)).The T6 treatment significantly increased grain yield(by 26%) relative to the T2 treatment.However,the T7 treatment did not affect grain yield when compared to the T2 treatment.All treatments with mineral N and ZC in combination significantly improved the 1 000-grain weight compared to the T2 treatment
文摘An indoor and a grazing experiment was conducted to determine how estimated feed intake and digestion by grazing goats consuming concentrate, bahaigrass pasture, and mimosa browse changed with body weight (BW), level of supplementation, and forage chemical composition. Twenty four Boer wether goats were assigned in a completely randomized design with repeated measures on the following 3 treatments: concentrate, mimosa browse, and bahiagrass pasture. Internal markers used to estimate both dry matter (DM) digestibility (DMD) and DM intake (DMI) included acid detergent lignin (ADL) and acid insoluble ash (AIA). Marker-derived estimates of DMD and DMI were compared with DMD measured by total fecal collection or directly measured by in vivo feed intake rate. Both ADL and AIA-based markers in mimosa and bahiagrass diets were similar from those derived by in vivo DMD;however, AIA-based marker in concentrate was under-estimated (P in vivo DMD in mimosa and bahiagrass, although AIA concentration in mimosa seemed to be low compared to others. All markers yielded feed intake estimates that differed from those derived by ADL (P in vivo control, with ADL (P in vivo intake methods for digestibility studies. Both ADL and AIA occur in common forages at readily measurable levels and laboratory procedures are not difficult or time consuming. Therefore, both ADL and AIA have possible use in digestibility studies where other methods may not be applicable.
基金We are grateful for the financial support from UKM’s research Grant GUP-2019-033。
文摘There are several ways that can be used to classify or compare iterative methods for nonlinear equations,for instance;order of convergence,informational efficiency,and efficiency index.In this work,we use another way,namely the basins of attraction of the method.The purpose of this study is to compare several iterative schemes for nonlinear equations.All the selected schemes are of the third-order of convergence and most of them have the same efficiency index.The comparison depends on the basins of attraction of the iterative techniques when applied on several polynomials of different degrees.As a comparison,we determine the CPU time(in seconds)needed by each scheme to obtain the basins of attraction,besides,we illustrate the area of convergence of these schemes by finding the number of convergent and divergent points in a selected range for all methods.Comparisons confirm the fact that basins of attraction differ for iterative methods of different orders,furthermore,they vary for iterative methods of the same order even if they have the same efficiency index.Consequently,this leads to the need for a new index that reflects the real efficiency of the iterative scheme instead of the commonly used efficiency index.
基金This study is supported by NIH Grants 1R01DE029321 to C.H.L.
文摘The inevitable gap between in vitro and in vivo degradation rate of biomaterials has been a challenging factor in the optimal designing of scaffold’s degradation to be balanced with new tissue formation.To enable non-/minimum-invasive tracking of in vivo scaffold degradation,chemical modifications have been applied to label polymers with fluorescent dyes.However,the previous approaches may have limited expandability due to complicated synthesis processes.Here,we introduce a simple and efficient method to fluorescence labeling of polymeric scaffolds via blending with near-infrared(NIR)quantum dots(QDs),semiconductor nanocrystals with superior optical properties.QDs-labeled,3D-printed PCL scaffolds showed promising efficiency and reliability in quantitative measurement of degradation using a custom-built fiber-optic imaging modality.Furthermore,QDs-PCL scaffolds showed neither cytotoxicity nor secondary labeling of adjacent cells.QDs-PCL scaffolds also supported the engineering of fibrous,cartilaginous,and osteogenic tissues from mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells(MSCs).In addition,QDs-PCL enabled a distinction between newly forming tissue and the remaining mass of scaffolds through multi-channel imaging.Thus,our findings suggest a simple and efficient QDs-labeling of PCL scaffolds and minimally invasive imaging modality that shows significant potential to enable in vivo tracking of scaffold degradation as well as new tissue formation.
基金Funding was provided by the George Washington Carver Agricultural Experiment Station,Tuskegee University.
文摘The objective was to evaluate the use of condensed tannin(CT)-rich ground pine bark(PB)in grain mixed diets on meat goat growth performance,blood metabolites,and carcass characteristics.Twenty four Kiko crossbred(Capra aegugrus hircus)growing male kids(BW=36.9±2,5 kg)at approximately 8 months of age were assigned randomly to 2 treatments with 3 replicates per treatment and 4 goats per replicate.The goats were fed grain mixed diets composed of either 30%bermudagrass hay(BGH)plus concentrate(control)or 30%PB plus concentrate.Diets were fed at 1.2%of BW.In addition,all goats grazed a crabgrass/bermudagrass(CB)-based pasture.The feeding trial lasted for 55 d.Using ground PB as a supplement did not negatively affect BW,average daily gain(ADG),carcass characteristics,meat pH,and meat color compared to the control diet.Plasma gamma-glutamyl transferase(P=0.03),glucose(P<0.01)and Ca concentrations(P=0.04)were higher for PB than for BGH,respectively.The 30%PB supplementation does not negatively affect animal performance,blood metabolites,and carcass parameters.
