Restoration of depressed prostanoid-induced ileal contraction in spontaneously hypertensive rats by dietary fish oil

We have reported that dietary fish oil (FO) rich in n-3 PUFA modulates gut contractility. It was further demonstrated that the gut of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) has a depressed contractility response to prostaglandins (PG) compared with normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. We investigated whether feeding diets supplemented with n-3 PUFA increased gut contractility and restored the depressed prostanoid response in SHR gut. Thirteen-week-old SHR were fed diets containing fat at 5 g/100 g as coconut oil (CO), lard, canola oil containing 10% (w/w) n-3 FA as alpha-linolenic acid (1 8:3n-3), or FO (as HiDHA, 22:6n-3) for 12 wk. A control WKY group was fed 5 g/100 g CO in the diet. As confirmed, the SHR CO group had a significantly lower gut response to PGE2 and PGF2alpha compared with the WKY CO group. Feeding FO increased the maximal contraction response to acetylcholine in the ileum compared with all diets and in the colon compared with lard, and restored the depressed response to PGE2 and PGF2alpha in the ileum but not the colon of SHR. FO feeding also led to a significant increase in gut total phospholipid n-3 PUFA as DHA (22:6n-3) with lower n-6 PUFA as arachidonic acid (20:4n-6). Canola feeding led to a small increase in ileal EPA (20:5n-3) and DHA and in colonic DHA without affecting contractility. However, there was no change in ileal membrane muscarinic binding properties due to FO feeding. This report confirms that dietary FO increases muscarinic- and eicosanoid receptor-induced contractility in ileum and that the depressed prostanoid response in SHR ileum, but not colon, is restored by tissue incorporation of DHA as the active nutrient.     

Effects of molasses grass,Melinis minutiflora volatiles on the foraging behavior of the cereal stemborer parasitoid,Cotesia sesamiae

Olfactory responses of the cereal stemborer parasitoid Cotesia sesamiae to volatiles emitted by gramineous host and nonhost plants of the stemborers were studied in a Y-tube olfactometer. The host plants were maize (Zea mays) and sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor), while the nonhost plant was molasses grass (Melinis minutiflora). In single-choice tests, females of C. sesamiae chose volatiles from infested and uninfested host plants and molasses grass over volatiles from the control (soil). In dual-choice tests, the wasp preferred volatiles from infested host plants to those from uninfested host plants. There was no discrimination between molasses grass volatiles and those of uninfested maize, uninfested sorghum, or infested maize. The wasp preferred sorghum volatiles over maize. Combining uninfested maize or sorghum with molasses grass did not make volatiles from the combination more attractive as compared to only uninfested host plants. Infested maize alone was as attractive as when combined with molasses grass. Infested sorghum was preferred over its combination with molasses grass. Local growth conditions of the molasses grasses influenced attractiveness to the parasitoids. Volatiles from Thika molasses grass were attractive, while those from Mbita molasses grass were not. Growing the Thika molasses grass in Mbita rendered it unattractive and vice versa with the Mbita molasses grass. This is a case of the same genotype expressing different phenotypes due to environmental factors.     

铝箔表面反光特性与轧制润滑条件关系的探讨

铝箔表面的反光率是轧辊表面状态的反映，铝箔表面反光率差和铝箔表面反光率比与轧制的润滑条件密切相关。重点讨论了它们之间的关系。     

轻金属的轧制润滑

由于铝材需要量的迅速增加,导致了铝材轧制技术的诞生.这种情况正与钢材轧制技术产生的情况相似.厚度为200～600毫米的半连续铸锭(为得到优质表面将铸锭铣面)在可逆式轧机上热轧成18～25毫米厚的板料.这种板料或相同厚度的连铸连轧板在400～200℃下温轧成2～6毫米厚的板材,然后卷卷.热轧带卷以高达600米/分的速度在单机架轧机(也可是可逆式的)或二重到四重轧机的串联式轧制生产线上轧到较薄厚度.通常带卷的最薄厚度(罐毛料)为0.15～0.25毫米.更薄的箔材通常是将其毛料退火,然后在不     

我国目前最现代化的铝箔生产车间

冶金部铝加工试验厂位于河北省涿县,是我国又一新兴的铝加工基地,全厂主要生产设备除铸轧机外均由国外引进。该厂铝箔车间将于今年9月试车投产。有两台四重非可逆式铝箔轧机,一台为粗中轧机,另一台是精中轧机     

Note: High speed optical profiler based on a phase-shifting technique using frequency-scanning lasers

We present a high speed optical profiler (HSOP) using frequency-scanning lasers for three-dimensional profile measurements of microscopic structures. To improve upon previous techniques for implementing the HSOP, we developed frequency-scanning lasers and a compact microscopic interferometer. The controller of the HSOP was also modified to generate proper phase-shifting steps. For measurements of step height specimens, the HSOP showed results comparable with a commercial optical profiler, even with much higher measurement speeds (up to 30 Hz). The typical repeatability of step height measurement was less than 1 nm. We also present measurements of microscopic structures to verify the HSOP's ability to perform high speed inline inspection for the semiconductor and flat-panel display industries.     

Photoacoustic technique for simultaneous measurements of thermal effusivity and absorptivity of pigments in liquid solution

A photoacoustic (PA) methodology, in the transmission configuration, for simultaneous measurements of thermal effusivity and molar absorption coefficient (absorptivity) for pigments in liquid solution is introduced. The analytical treatment involves a self-normalization procedure for the PA signal, as a function of the modulation frequency, for a strong absorbing material in the thermally thin regime, when the light travels across the sample under study. Two fitted parameters are obtained from the analysis of the self-normalized PA amplitude and phase, one of them proportional to the sample's optical absorption coefficient and from which, taking it for a series of samples at different concentrations, the pigment's absorptivity in liquid solution can be measured, the other one yields the sample's thermal effusivity. Methylene blue's absorptivity in distilled water was measured with this methodology at 658 nm, finding good agreement with the corresponding one reported in the literature.     

Influence of operating conditions on ceramic ultrafiltration membrane performance when treating textile effluents

This work studies the performance of three commercial ceramic ultrafiltration membranes (ZrO(2)-TiO(2)) treating raw effluent from a textile industry. The effect of crossflow velocity at 3, 4 and 5 m s(-1) as well as membrane characteristics, such as molecular weight cut-off (30, 50 and 150 kDa), on process performance were studied. Experiments were carried out in concentration mode in order to observe the effect of volume reduction factor simultaneously. Results showed a combined influence of both crossflow velocity and molecular weight cut-off on flux performance. TOC and COD removals up to 70% and 84% respectively were reached. On the other hand, almost complete color (>97%) and turbidity (>99%) removals were achieved for all the membranes and operating conditions.     

The efficiency of asset management strategies to reduce urban flood risk

In this study, three asset management strategies were compared with respect to their efficiency to reduce flood risk. Data from call centres at two municipalities were used to quantify urban flood risks associated with three causes of urban flooding: gully pot blockage, sewer pipe blockage and sewer overloading. The efficiency of three flood reduction strategies was assessed based on their effect on the causes contributing to flood risk. The sensitivity of the results to uncertainty in the data source, citizens' calls, was analysed through incorporation of uncertainty ranges taken from customer complaint literature. Based on the available data it could be shown that increasing gully pot blockage is the most efficient action to reduce flood risk, given data uncertainty. If differences between cause incidences are large, as in the presented case study, call data are sufficient to decide how flood risk can be most efficiently reduced. According to the results of this analysis, enlargement of sewer pipes is not an efficient strategy to reduce flood risk, because flood risk associated with sewer overloading is small compared to other failure mechanisms.