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Electrophoresis Apr 2023Identifying significant variations in genomes can be cumbersome, as the variations span a multitude of base pairs and can make genome assembly difficult. However, large...
Identifying significant variations in genomes can be cumbersome, as the variations span a multitude of base pairs and can make genome assembly difficult. However, large DNA molecules that span the variation aid in assembly. Due to the DNA molecule's large size, routine molecular biology techniques can break DNA. Therefore, a method is required to concentrate large DNA. A bis-acrylamide roadblock was cured in a proof-of-principle 3D printed device to concentrate DNA at the interface between the roadblock and solution. Lambda concatemer DNA was stained with YOYO-1 and loaded into the 3D printed device. A dynamic range of voltages and acrylamide concentrations were tested to determine how much DNA was concentrated and recovered. The fluorescence of the original solution and the concentrated solution was measured, the recovery was 37% of the original sample, and the volume decreased by a factor of 3 of the original volume.
Topics: Printing, Three-Dimensional; DNA; Acrylamide
PubMed: 36799437
DOI: 10.1002/elps.202200200 -
Journal of Dairy Science Jul 2021Concentration of milk in the dairy industry is typically achieved by thermal evaporation or reverse osmosis (RO). Heat concentration is energy intensive and leads to...
Concentration of milk in the dairy industry is typically achieved by thermal evaporation or reverse osmosis (RO). Heat concentration is energy intensive and leads to cooked flavor and color changes in the final product, and RO is affected by fouling, which limits the final achievable concentration of the product. The main objective of this work was to evaluate forward osmosis (FO) as an alternative method for concentrating milk. The effects of fat content and temperature on the process were evaluated, and the physicochemical properties and sensory qualities of the final product were assessed. Commercially pasteurized skim and whole milk samples were concentrated at 4, 15, and 25°C using a benchtop FO unit. The FO process was assessed by monitoring water flux and product concentration. The color of the milk concentrates was also evaluated. A sensory panel compared the FO concentrated and thermally concentrated milks, diluted to single strength, with high temperature, short time pasteurized milk. The FO experimental runs were conducted in triplicate, and data were analyzed by single-factor ANOVA. Water flux during FO decreased with time under all processing conditions. Higher temperatures led to faster concentration and higher concentration factors for both skim and whole milk. After 5.75 h of FO processing, the concentration factors achieved for skim milk were 2.68 ± 0.08 at 25°C, 2.68 ± 0.09 at 15°C, and 2.36 ± 0.08 at 4°C. For whole milk, after 5.75 h of FO processing, concentration factors of 2.32 ± 0.12 at 25°C, 2.12 ± 0.36 at 15°C, and 1.91 ± 0.15 at 4°C were obtained. Overall, maximum concentration levels of 40.15% total solids for skim milk and 40.94% total solids for whole milk were achieved. Additionally, a triangle sensory test showed no significant differences between regular milk and FO concentrated milk diluted to single strength. This work shows that FO is a viable nonthermal processing method for concentrating milk, but some technical challenges need to be overcome to facilitate commercial utilization.
Topics: Animals; Filtration; Flavoring Agents; Membranes, Artificial; Milk; Osmosis; Taste
PubMed: 33865601
DOI: 10.3168/jds.2020-20019 -
Environmental Science and Pollution... Jan 2023Moringa oleifera leaf silage and Chlorella vulgaris microalgae mixture used at different levels replacing concentrate feed mixture in the diets of ruminant were...
Associative effects between Chlorella vulgaris microalgae and Moringa oleifera leaf silage used at different levels decreased in vitro ruminal greenhouse gas production and altered ruminal fermentation.
Moringa oleifera leaf silage and Chlorella vulgaris microalgae mixture used at different levels replacing concentrate feed mixture in the diets of ruminant were evaluated using an in vitro gas production technique. C. vulgaris was included in rations at 1, 2, and 3% concentrations. The concentrate feed mixture was replaced by M. oleifera silage up to 100%. Productions of total gas, methane (CH), and carbon dioxide (CO) and ruminal fermentation were measured. Interactions between M. oleifera and C. vulgaris levels were observed for the rate of total gas production, lag time of CH production, pH, and concentrations of ammonia-N (NH-N), total volatile fatty acid (VFA), and propionate. The lower level of C. vulgaris increased total gas production and decreased CH and CO production as well as improved nutrient degradability compared to the other levels of C. vulgaris which showed less improvement in these parameters. The replacement levels of concentrate at 10 to 40% with M. oleifera linearly increased the asymptotic total gas production and degradabilities of dry matter and acid detergent fiber (P<0.05), while the replacement levels of 80 to 100% lowered the asymptotic (P<0.01) for the ration containing 1% C. vulgaris. Rations containing M. oleifera linearly increased the lag time of total gas production (P<0.05), neutral detergent fiber degradability, and ruminal bacteria count and decreased the asymptotic CH and CO production and ruminal protozoal count (P<0.05). For the rations containing 2 and 3% C. vulgaris, M. oleifera linearly (P<0.01) decreased the asymptotic total gas, CH and CO production, and ruminal protozoal count. The lag time of CH production was not affected at 1% C. vulgaris, but reduced linearly at 2% and 3% C. vulgaris. Ruminal pH was not affected by M. oleifera, but was increased by C. vulgaris at 3% level. Overall, M. oleifera in the ration containing C. vulgaris at all levels increased ruminal NH-N concentration; however, C. vulgaris at 2% level and M. oleifera at levels up to 40% lowered NH-N concentration. M. oleifera rations with 1% and 2% C. vulgaris increased the concentrations of total VFA and propionate, whereas these variables were not affected at 3% C. vulgaris level. In conclusion, replacement of concentrate mixture with M. oleifera at 30% level and C. vulgaris at 1% in the diet due to associative effects may improve ruminal fermentation and feed degradability while decreasing CH production.
Topics: Animals; Silage; Chlorella vulgaris; Greenhouse Gases; Microalgae; Moringa oleifera; Carbon Dioxide; Propionates; Fermentation; Detergents; Rumen; Diet; Fatty Acids, Volatile; Plant Leaves; Digestion; Methane
PubMed: 35986854
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-22559-y -
Journal of Food Science Mar 2015Milk protein concentrates (MPCs) are complete dairy proteins (containing both caseins and whey proteins) that are available in protein concentrations ranging from 42% to... (Review)
Review
Milk protein concentrates (MPCs) are complete dairy proteins (containing both caseins and whey proteins) that are available in protein concentrations ranging from 42% to 85%. As the protein content of MPCs increases, the lactose levels decrease. MPCs are produced by ultrafiltration or by blending different dairy ingredients. Although ultrafiltration is the preferred method for producing MPCs, they also can be produced by precipitating the proteins out of milk or by dry-blending the milk proteins with other milk components. MPCs are used for their nutritional and functional properties. For example, MPC is high in protein content and averages approximately 365 kcal/100 g. Higher-protein MPCs provide protein enhancement and a clean dairy flavor without adding significant amounts of lactose to food and beverage formulations. MPCs also contribute valuable minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, to formulations, which may reduce the need for additional sources of these minerals. MPCs are multifunctional ingredients and provide benefits, such as water binding, gelling, foaming, emulsification, and heat stability. This article will review the development of MPCs and milk protein isolates including their composition, production, development, functional benefits, and ongoing research. The nutritional and functional attributes of MPCs are discussed in some detail in relation to their application as ingredients in major food categories.
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Dairy Products; Food Technology; Milk; Milk Proteins; Taste
PubMed: 25757895
DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.12807 -
Journal of Dairy Science Sep 2023The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of varying the ratio of dietary palmitic (C16:0; PA) and stearic (C18:0; SA) acids on nutrient digestibility,...
Altering palmitic acid and stearic acid ratios in the diet of early-lactation Holsteins under heat stress: Feed intake, digestibility, feeding behavior, milk yield and composition, and plasma metabolites.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of varying the ratio of dietary palmitic (C16:0; PA) and stearic (C18:0; SA) acids on nutrient digestibility, production, and blood metabolites of early-lactation Holsteins under mild-to-moderate heat stress. Eight multiparous Holsteins (body weight = 589 ± 45 kg; days in milk = 51 ± 8 d; milk production = 38.5 ± 2.4 kg/d; mean ± standard deviation) were used in a duplicated 4 × 4 Latin square design (21-d periods inclusive of 7-d data collection). The PA (88.9%)- and SA (88.5%)-enriched fat supplements, either individually or in combination, were added to diets at 2% of dry matter (DM) to formulate the following treatments: (1) 100PA:0SA (100% PA + 0% SA), (2) 66PA:34SA (66% PA + 34% SA), (3) 34PA:66SA (34% PA + 66% SA), and (4) 0PA:100SA (0% PA + 100% SA). Diets offered, in the form of total mixed rations, were formulated to be isonitrogenous (crude protein = 17.2% of DM) and isocaloric (net energy for lactation = 1.69 Mcal/kg DM), with a forage-to-concentrate ratio of 40:60. Ambient temperature-humidity index averaged 72.9 throughout the experiment, suggesting that cows were under mild-to-moderate heat stress. No differences in DM intake across treatments were detected (mean 23.5 ± 0.64 kg/d). Increasing the dietary proportion of SA resulted in a linear decrease in total-tract digestibility of total fatty acids, but organic matter, DM, neutral detergent fiber, and crude protein digestibilities were not different across treatments. Decreasing dietary PA-to-SA had no effect on the time spent eating (340 min/d), rumination (460 min/d), and chewing (808 min/d). As dietary PA-to-SA decreased, milk fat concentration and yield decreased linearly, resulting in a linear decrease of 3.5% fat-corrected milk production and milk fat-to-protein ratio. Feed efficiency expressed as kg 3.5% fat-corrected milk/kg DM intake decreased linearly with decreasing the proportion of PA-to-SA in the diet. Treatments had no effect on milk protein and lactose content. A linear increase in de novo and preformed fatty acids was identified as the ratio of PA to SA decreased, while PA and SA concentrations of milk fat decreased and increased linearly, respectively. A linear reduction in blood nonesterified fatty acids and glucose was detected as the ratio of PA to SA decreased. Insulin concentration increased linearly from 10.3 in 100PA:0SA to 13.1 µIU/mL in 0PA:100SA, whereas blood β-hydroxybutyric acid was not different across treatments. In conclusion, the heat-stressed Holsteins in early-lactation phase fed diets richer in PA versus SA produced greater fat-corrected milk and were more efficient in converting feed to fat-corrected milk.
Topics: Female; Cattle; Animals; Palmitic Acid; Dietary Fiber; Digestion; Animal Feed; Diet; Lactation; Fatty Acids; Dietary Supplements; Stearic Acids; Eating; Milk Proteins; Feeding Behavior
PubMed: 37500434
DOI: 10.3168/jds.2022-22934 -
Critical Care (London, England) Apr 2016Dabigatran is effective in decreasing the risk of ischaemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. However, like all anticoagulants, it is associated with a risk... (Review)
Review
Dabigatran is effective in decreasing the risk of ischaemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. However, like all anticoagulants, it is associated with a risk of bleeding. In cases of trauma or emergency surgery, emergency reversal of dabigatran-induced anticoagulation may be required. A specific reversal agent for dabigatran, idarucizumab, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Alternative reversal agents are available, such as prothrombin complex concentrates (PCCs) and activated PCCs (aPCCs). In this review we evaluate the role of PCCs and aPCCs in the reversal of dabigatran anticoagulation and consider which tests are appropriate for monitoring coagulation in this setting. Pre-clinical studies, small clinical studies and case reports indicate that PCCs and aPCCs may be able to reverse dabigatran-induced anticoagulation in a dose-dependent manner. However, dosing based on coagulation parameters can be difficult because available assays may not provide adequate sensitivity and specificity for measuring anticoagulation induced by dabigatran or the countering effects of PCCs/aPCCs. In addition, PCCs or aPCCs can potentially provoke thromboembolic complications. Despite these limitations and the fact that PCCs and aPCCs are not yet licensed for dabigatran reversal, their use appears to be warranted in patients with life-threatening haemorrhage if idarucizumab is not available.
Topics: Anticoagulants; Atrial Fibrillation; Blood Coagulation; Blood Coagulation Factors; Dabigatran; Humans; Thrombin Time
PubMed: 27125504
DOI: 10.1186/s13054-016-1275-8 -
Analytica Chimica Acta Jun 2020We present a novel method for concentration and purification of DNA from biological samples. The method is based on isotachophoretic separation of DNA strands in a...
We present a novel method for concentration and purification of DNA from biological samples. The method is based on isotachophoretic separation of DNA strands in a separation bed made of a disposable nonwoven fabric strip. Application of oxalate as the leading ion prevented corrosion of the carbon anode and also the leading ion was continually removed from the system due to its decomposition into CO at the anode. The fractions were marked by three colored markers of electrophoretic mobility closely surrounding the mobility of DNA. The fraction collection was realized by a centrifugal drain of cut out strip segments. The method was evaluated using two purified salmon sperm DNA fragments of lengths 200 bp and 2000 bp. The results confirmed the high DNA concentrating effect of the method (34-fold increase of the original DNA concentration). The composition of running solutions and voltage program were optimized in order to finish the analysis within 30 min. The optimized method was used to extract, concentrate and purify DNA from a crude yeast cell lysate. The maximum DNA enrichment factor decreased to 12 due to the stretching of DNA zones caused by low-molecular contaminants present in the original lysate. The average recovery determined for yeast DNA was 71 ± 11% (n = 3). The connected elimination of the proteins from DNA zones resulted in the purification factor value of 582 for DNA vs proteins. This demonstrates that the presented method is capable to concentrate DNA from the bulk volume and to further purify it from crude cell lysates using a simple instrumentation and low-cost disposable separation bed.
Topics: DNA, Fungal; Isotachophoresis; Saccharomyces cerevisiae
PubMed: 32408953
DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2020.04.029 -
Water Research Sep 2018The much over-looked element in new sanitation, the transport systems which bridge the source and treatment facilities, is the focus of this study. The knowledge of...
The much over-looked element in new sanitation, the transport systems which bridge the source and treatment facilities, is the focus of this study. The knowledge of rheological properties of concentrated domestic slurry is essential for the design of the waste collection and transport systems. To investigate these properties, samples were collected from a pilot sanitation system in the Netherlands. Two types of slurries were examined: black water (consisting of human faecal waste, urine, and flushed water from vacuum toilets) and black water with ground kitchen waste. Rheograms of these slurries were obtained using a narrow gap rotating rheometer and modelled using a Herschel-Bulkley model. The effect of concentration on the slurry are described through the changes in the parameters of the Herschel-Bulkley model. A detailed method is proposed on estimating the parameters for the rheological models. For the black water, yield stress and consistency index follow an increasing power law with the concentration and the behaviour index follows a decreasing power law. The influence of temperature on the viscosity of the slurry is described using an Arrhenius type relation. The viscosity of black water decreases with temperature. As for the black water mixed with ground kitchen waste, it is found that the viscosity increases with concentration and decreases with temperature. The viscosity of black-water with ground kitchen waste is found to be higher than that of black water, which can be attributed to the presence of larger particles in the slurry.
Topics: Models, Theoretical; Rheology; Temperature; Viscosity; Wastewater
PubMed: 29793163
DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2018.04.064 -
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Jan 2022To clarify the characteristics and interannual variation of air pollution since the implementation of China's clean air actions, hourly in situ measurements of six...
To clarify the characteristics and interannual variation of air pollution since the implementation of China's clean air actions, hourly in situ measurements of six gaseous and particulate criteria pollutants at 100 sites in Shandong Province were studied during 2014-2018. General decreasing trends in the concentrations of PM, PM, NO, SO, and CO were observed, while O increased continuously. In 2018, the annual average PM, PM, NO, SO, and CO concentration in Shandong was 50, 100, 35, 16 μg m, and 1.5 mg m, representing decreases of 39%, 30%, 24%, 73%, and 35% from 2014, respectively. These decreases occurred throughout the province. Seven "2 + 26" cities (in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and its surrounds) in western Shandong had higher average concentrations and greater reductions than other areas. In contrast, O concentration rose, with occurrences of the 90 percentile of all daily maximum 8-h averages increasing by 12% from 159 to 181 μg m, during 2014-2018. From May to September, O pollution dominated as the sole primary pollutant on non-attainment days, and PM contributed to more than 90% of polluted days in wintertime months. Population exposures were investigated based on high-resolution monitoring data and population distribution, and high exposure to pollution was displayed. The population-weighted exposure to PM in Shandong was 50 μg m, a decrease of 33%. Eighty-nine percentage of the provincial population was exposed to PM > 35 μg m, while for 99.2% of population in the seven "2 + 26" cities, PM exposure exceeded 50 μg m.
Topics: Air Pollutants; Air Pollution; China; Cities; Environmental Monitoring; Particulate Matter
PubMed: 35064834
DOI: 10.1007/s10661-022-09769-0 -
Water Science and Technology : a... May 2023The effects of operating pressure, feed temperature, oil content of feed solution, and membrane surface flow rate on membrane flux, concentration multiple, and average...
The effects of operating pressure, feed temperature, oil content of feed solution, and membrane surface flow rate on membrane flux, concentration multiple, and average particle size of oil droplets in the concentrated solution during the single-stage membrane concentration process were investigated. The experimental results show that within a certain operating range, the membrane flux increases with the increase of operating pressure, feed temperature, and membrane surface flow rate, while it decreases continuously with the increase of feed oil content. Optimal conditions for single stage concentration based on membrane flux, concentration factor, and average particle size of oil droplets in the concentrated solution were determined. Then, on the basis of single-stage membrane concentration conditions, three different pore size separation membranes are combined in different ways. After concentration through multi-stage membranes, the particle size of the oil droplets in the concentrate is greater than 20 μm, which is beyond the particle size range of the emulsified oil, and the concentration of the oil in the concentrate is 20-30 times that of the original oil. The method can realize the recovery of oil resources in the emulsified oil-containing wastewater.
Topics: Wastewater; Oils; Technology; Temperature; Membranes, Artificial
PubMed: 37186616
DOI: 10.2166/wst.2023.111