The Performance of a Diesel Engine Fueled with Diesel Oil, Biodiesel and Preheated Coconut Oil

Fossil fuel crisis and depletion, environmental pollution and ever-increase in vehicle and transportation means have renewed the scientist\u27s interest in the world in order to look for potential alternative fuels, which are attractive such as biodiesel, bioethanol, DME and vegetable oils. Inedible vegetable oils such as coconut oil, Jatropha oil, linseed oil or animal fat are full of potential for using directly or manufacturing biodiesel. This work is carried out in order to study the four stroke diesel engine D240 performance characteristics fueled with preheated pure coconut oil (PCO), Jatropha oil methyl ester (JOME) and compare with diesel oil (DO). The test diesel engine performance such as power (Ne), torque (Me), specific fuel consumption (ge) and thermal efficiency (ηe) is determined, calculated and evaluated while using JOME, preheated PCO and compared to DO. The results show that, power (Ne), torque (Me) and thermal efficiency (ηe) while engine is fueled with JOME and PCO are lower, otherwise specific fuel consumption (ge) is higher than those of diesel fuel, the test engine performance are gained the best for JOME and PCO100. Keywords: biofuel, biodiesel, preheated vegetable oils, engine performance, efficiency, specific fuel consumption.Article History: Received Dec 9, 2016; Received in revised form January 28, 2017; Accepted February 4, 2017; Available onlineHow to Cite This Article: Hoang, T.A and Le,V. V. (2017). The Performance of A Diesel Engine Fueled With Diesel Oil, Biodiesel and Preheated Coconut Oil. International Journal of Renewable Energy Development, 6(1), 1-7.http://dx.doi.org/10.14710/ijred.6.1.1-

A Comparison of Genetic Diversity of COX-III Gene in Lowland Chickens and Tibetan Chickens

To obtain a full understanding of the genetic diversity of the cytochrome oxidase III gene(COX-III)and its association with high altitude adaptation in Tibetan chickens, we sequencedCOX-IIIin 12 chicken populations (155 Tibetan chickens and 145 other domestic chickens). We identified a total of 11 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 12 haplotypes (Ha1–Ha12). Low genetic diversity (haplotype diversity = 0.531 ± 0.087, nucleotide diversity = 0.00125) was detected forCOX-III, and haplotype diversity of Tibetan chicken populations (0.750 ± 0.018) was markedly higher than lowland chicken populations (0.570 ± 0.028). Obvious genetic differentiation (nucleotide divergence = 0.092~0.339) and conspicuous gene communication (gene flow = 0.33~32.22) among 12 populations suggested that Tianfu black-bone fowl (white feather) was possibly introduced from Tibetan chicken. SNP m.10587 T&gt;C affects the specific functions of the COX enzyme. Haplotype Ha3 was found in Tibetan chickens, and SNP m.10115G&gt;A caused an amino acid substitution (Val62Ile) associated with phospholipid binding, while mutations m.10017C&gt;A and m.10555G&gt;A and the previously reported SNP m.10065T&gt;C reduced the hydropathy index to some extent. Together, this indicates that the mitochondrial membrane is more hydrophobic in Tibetan chickens.</jats:p

Integrated genomic and transcriptomic analysis of polydactyly in chickens

IntroductionPolydactyly—the presence of extra digits—is a heritable limb anomaly observed in several chicken breeds. The Puan Panjiang black-bone chicken uniquely exhibits both four- and five-toed phenotypes, yet the genetic and transcriptional bases of this trait remain unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the genomic variants and gene expression changes underlying polydactyly in this breed.MethodsWe performed whole-genome resequencing (WGS) on 43 Puan Panjiang chickens (22 four-toed, 21 five-toed) and integrated publicly available data from 17 red junglefowl (RJF). After stringent quality filtering, we aligned reads to GRCg7b, identified high-confidence SNPs and InDels, and conducted sliding-window analyses of nucleotide diversity (θπ) and genetic differentiation (F &lt;sub&gt;ST&lt;/sub&gt;) to detect selective sweeps. Concurrently, we carried out RNA-seq on embryonic foot tissues at days 6–9 (24 four-toed, 24 five-toed samples), quantified transcript levels (TPM), and identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with DESeq2 (adjusted P &lt; 0.01, |log2FC|&gt; 2). Fuzzy c-means clustering delineated temporal expression patterns, and enrichment analyses (KEGG, GO) characterized candidate pathways.ResultsGenomic scans revealed 1,339 and 1,035 positively selected genes in five-toed and four-toed chickens, respectively, with 335 shared loci relative to RJF. Top candidates in polydactylous birds included AUH, SEMA4D, and ROR2, while four-toed birds showed strong signals at RYR2, KITLG, and PGR. KEGG enrichment highlighted the MAPK signaling pathway in both groups, and uniquely in five-toed birds, lipid metabolism and vascular signaling pathways (e.g., sphingolipid and apelin signaling). Transcriptome profiling demonstrated that the greatest transcriptional divergence between phenotypes occurred at embryonic Days 8–9, pinpointing a critical window for extra-digit differentiation. Clustering analyses indicated coordinated regulation of genes involved in ribosome biogenesis, extracellular matrix organization, and muscle development across stages.DiscussionOur integrated analyses pinpoint MAPK pathway genes and lipid-vascular interactions as central to extra-toe formation, with the Days 8–9 embryonic window being pivotal. These findings offer clear targets for functional validation and may guide selective breeding for limb traits in poultry

Chemical composition and microbiota changes across musk secretion stages of forest musk deer

Forest musk deer is the most important animal for natural musk production, and the musk composition changes periodically during musk secretion, accompanied by variation in the com-position of deer-symbiotic bacteria. GC-MS and 16S rRNA sequencing were conducted in this study, the dynamic changes to correlated chemical composition and the microbiota across musk secretion periods (prime musk secretion period, vigorous musk secretion period and late musk secretion period) were investigated by integrating its serum testosterone level in different mating states. Results showed that the testosterone level, musk composition and microbiota changed with annual cycle of musk secretion and affected by its mating state. Muscone and the testosterone level peaked at vigorous musk secretion period, and the microbiota of this stage was distinct from the other 2 periods. Actinobacteria, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were dominant bacteria across musk secretion period. PICRUSt analysis demonstrated that bacteria were ubiquitous in musk pod and involved in the metabolism of antibiotics and terpenoids in musk. “Carbohydrates and amino acids,” “fatty acids and CoA” and “secretion of metabolites” were enriched at 3 periods, respectively. Pseudomonas, Corynebacterium, Clostridium, Sulfuricurvum were potential biomarkers across musk secretion. This study provides a more comprehensive understanding of genetic mechanism during musk secretion, emphasizing the importance of Actinobacteria and Corynebacterium in the synthesis of muscone and etiocholanone during musk secretion, which required further validation

Geographic patterns of antibiotic resistance in the human gut microbiome: insights from metagenome-assembled genomes across four Chinese provinces

Next-generation metagenomic sequencing has substantially advanced our understanding of the human intestinal microbiome. Many commensal microbes in the human gut carry a wide array of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), collectively forming the gut-associated resistome. In this study, we investigated the gut resistome using metagenomic sequencing. We collected 119 fecal samples from individuals in four Chinese provinces: Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Jiangsu. By constructing metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) and comprehensive gene catalogs, we aimed to characterize the microbial community structure and assess the distribution of ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs). Our results revealed significant regional differences in gut microbial composition. While Bacillota_A and Actinomycetota were the dominant phyla across all samples, their relative abundances and species-level profiles varied markedly among provinces. Our analysis of ARGs revealed a wide range of antibiotic resistance genes present in the gut microbiota. These ARGs showed uneven distribution across bacterial taxa and among individuals from different regions. For example, ARGs conferring resistance to commonly used antibiotics, such as multidrug agents, peptides, tetracyclines, glycopeptides, and aminoglycosides, were more prevalent in Jiangsu samples than in Sichuan and Yunnan samples, likely reflecting regional differences in antibiotic usage. In MAGs unique to Jiangsu samples, we identified five types of MGEs encompassing 24 subtypes. Among these, transposases (7 subtypes) and recombinases (10 subtypes) were the most abundant. This study offers critical insights into gut resistome compositions and distributions across different populations. Our findings have important implications for public health, microbiota-host interactions, and the development of targeted strategies to mitigate antibiotic resistance

Therapeutic application of quercetin in aging-related diseases: SIRT1 as a potential mechanism

Quercetin, a naturally non-toxic flavonoid within the safe dose range with antioxidant, anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory properties, plays an important role in the treatment of aging-related diseases. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), a member of NAD+-dependent deacetylase enzyme family, is extensively explored as a potential therapeutic target for attenuating aging-induced disorders. SIRT1 possess beneficial effects against aging-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Huntington’s disease (HD), Depression, Osteoporosis, Myocardial ischemia (M/I) and reperfusion (MI/R), Atherosclerosis (AS), and Diabetes. Previous studies have reported that aging increases tissue susceptibility, whereas, SIRT1 regulates cellular senescence and multiple aging-related cellular processes, including SIRT1/Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 and SIRTI/PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β mediated oxidative stress, SIRT1/NF-κB and SIRT1/NLRP3 regulated inflammatory response, SIRT1/PGC1α/eIF2α/ATF4/CHOP and SIRT1/PKD1/CREB controlled phosphorylation, SIRT1-PINK1-Parkin mediated mitochondrial damage, SIRT1/FoxO mediated autophagy, and SIRT1/FoxG1/CREB/BDNF/Trkβ-catenin mediated neuroprotective effects. In this review, we summarized the role of SIRT1 in the improvement of the attenuation effect of quercetin on aging-related diseases and the relationship between relevant signaling pathways regulated by SIRT1. Moreover, the functional regulation of quercetin in aging-related markers such as oxidative stress, inflammatory response, mitochondrial function, autophagy and apoptosis through SIRT1 was discussed. Finally, the prospects of an extracellular vesicles (EVs) as quercetin loading and delivery, and SIRT1-mediated EVs as signal carriers for treating aging-related diseases, as well as discussed the ferroptosis alleviation effects of quercetin to protect against aging-related disease via activating SIRT1. Generally, SIRT1 may serve as a promising therapeutic target in the treatment of aging-related diseases via inhibiting oxidative stress, reducing inflammatory responses, and restoring mitochondrial dysfunction

Molecular Cloning, Expression Profiling, and Marker Validation of the Chicken Myoz3 Gene

Myozenin3 (Myoz3) has been reported to bind multiple Z-disc proteins and hence play a key role in signal transduction and muscle fiber type differentiation. The purpose of current study is to better understand the basic characteristics of Myoz3. Firstly, we cloned the ORF (open reading frame) of the Myoz3 gene. AA (amino acid) sequence analysis revealed that the Myoz3 gene encodes a 26 kDa protein which have 97% identities with that of turkey. Expression profiling showed that Myoz3 mRNA is mainly expressed in leg muscle and breast muscle. Furthermore, we investigated Myoz3 gene polymorphisms in two broiler breeds, the Yellow Bantam (YB) and the Avian. Five SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) were identified in the YB breed and 3 were identified in the Avian breed. Genotypes and haplotype were constructed and their associations with carcass traits were analyzed. In the YB breed, c.516 C&gt;T had a strong effect on both shank bone length and the * value of breast muscle, and the H1H3 diplotype had the highest FC compared to other diplotypes. The markers identified in this study may serve as useful targets for the marker-assisted selection (MAS) of growth and meat quality traits in chickens

Genetic diversity and phylogenetic analyses of 11 cohorts of captive rhesus macaques from Chinese zoos

Rhesus macaques are raised in almost every Chinese zoo due to their likeability and ease in feeding; however, little is yet known about the genetic diversity of rhesus macaques in captivity. In this study, a 475-base pair nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial DNA control region was obtained from the fecal DNA of 210 rhesus macaque individuals in captivity. A total of 69 haplotypes were defined, 51 of which (73.9%) were newly identified. Of all haplotypes, seven were shared between two zoos, and 62 haplotypes (89.8%) appeared only in a specific zoo, indicating a low rate of animal exchange between Chinese zoos. Moreover, there was a relatively high level of genetic diversity among the rhesus macaques (Hd = 0.0623 ± 0.0009, Pi = 0.979 ± 0.003, K = 28.974). Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that all haplotypes were clearly clustered into two major haplogroups—Clade A (southeastern China) and Clade B (southwestern China)—and each major clade contained several small sub-haplogroups. The haplotypes of rhesus macaques from the same zoo were not clustered together for the most part, but scattered among several subclades on the phylogenetic tree. This indicates that the rhesus macaques in most Chinese zoos may originat from a diverse collection of geographical areas. Our results demonstrate that zoos play an important role in the conservation of the genetic diversity of rhesus macaques, as well as provide useful information on the genetic management of captive rhesus macaques

Polymorphisms in the Perilipin Gene May Affect Carcass Traits of Chinese Meat-type Chickens

Improved meat quality and greater muscle yield are highly sought after in high-quality chicken breeding programs. Past studies indicated that polymorphisms of the Perilipin gene (PLIN1) are highly associated with adiposity in mammals and are potential molecular markers for improving meat quality and carcass traits in chickens. In the present study, we screened single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in all exons of the PLIN1 gene with a direct sequencing method in six populations with different genetic backgrounds (total 240 individuals). We evaluated the association between the polymorphisms and carcass and meat quality traits. We identified three SNPs, located on the 5′ flanking region and exon 1 of PLIN1 on chromosome 10 (rs315831750, rs313726543, and rs80724063, respectively). Eight main haplotypes were constructed based on these SNPs. We calculated the allelic and genotypic frequencies, and genetic diversity parameters of the three SNPs. The polymorphism information content (PIC) ranged from 0.2768 to 0.3750, which reflected an intermediate genetic diversity for all chickens. The CC, CT, and TT genotypes influenced the percentage of breast muscle (PBM), percentage of leg muscle (PLM) and percentage of abdominal fat at rs315831750 (p<0.05). Diplotypes (haplotype pairs) affected the percentage of eviscerated weight (PEW) and PBM (p<0.05). Compared with chickens carrying other diplotypes, H3H7 had the greatest PEW and H2H2 had the greatest PBM, and those with diplotype H7H7 had the smallest PEW and PBM. We conclude that PLIN1 gene polymorphisms may affect broiler carcass and breast muscle yields, and diplotypes H3H7 and H2H2 could be positive molecular markers to enhance PEW and PBM in chickens

Genomic data for 78 chickens from 14 populations

Background: Since the domestication of the red jungle fowls (Gallus gallus; dating back to~10 000 B.P.) in Asia, domestic chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) have been subjected to the combined effects of natural selection and human-driven artificial selection; this has resulted in marked phenotypic diversity in a number of traits, including behavior, body composition, egg production, and skin color. Population genomic variations through diversifying selection have not been fully investigated. Findings: The whole genomes of 78 domestic chickens were sequenced to an average of 18-fold coverage for each bird. By combining this data with publicly available genomes of five wild red jungle fowls and eight Xishuangbanna game fowls, we conducted a comprehensive comparative genomics analysis of 91 chickens from 17 populations. After aligning ~21.30 gigabases (Gb) of high-quality data from each individual to the reference chicken genome, we identified ~6.44 million (M) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for each population. These SNPs included 1.10 M novel SNPs in 17 populations that were absent in the current chicken dbSNP (Build 145) entries. Conclusions: The current data is important for population genetics and further studies in chickens and will serve as a valuable resource for investigating diversifying selection and candidate genes for selective breeding in chickens.Peer reviewedAnimal Scienc