Determination of feed value of cherry, apricot and almond tree leaves in ruminant using in situ method

In the present study, chemical composition and in situ rumen dry matter degradability (DMD) of some tree species (cherry, apricot and almond tree leaves) were determined. Crude protein (CP) concentration varied from 6.76% for almond tree to 2.76% for cherry tree, neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF), from 29.2, 20.8% for apricot tree to 20.8 and 15.8% for almond tree leaves respectively. Polyphenol and tannin composition measured from 3.49, 1.2% for almond tree to 1.51 and 0.61% for apricot tree, respectively. In situ rumen degradability was carried out in three fistulaed Taleshi native male cattle which were incubated at times of 0, 4, 8, 16, 24, 48, 72 and 96-hour. Almond leaves had higher potential degradation (a+b) for dry matter (92.37%) and cherry leaves showed lower potential degradation (84.12%), respectively. Effective rumen degradable dry matter at rate of 0.05/h varied from 69.86% for almond tree to 52.20% for cherry leaves. Results showed that the almond leaves were higher in nutritive value than cherry and apricot leaves. Therefore, almond tree leaves could be used with forage in ruminant diets to reduce cost of animals feed requirements. Overall, it seemed that the tree leaves used in this study, had a higher nutritive value in ruminant’s nutrition, however more experiments are needed for an accurate determination of nutritional values of these resources

I405V and -629C/A polymorphisms of the cholesteryl ester transfer protein gene in patients with coronary artery disease

Background: Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) plays a main role in high-density lipoprotein metabolism. CETP gene possesses several single nucleotide polymorphisms which have been associated with plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations. The aim of this study was to determine the association of CETP -629C/A and I405V polymorphisms with coronary artery disease (CAD) in Iranian population. Methods: The presence of two CETP gene polymorphisms -629C/A and I405V were studied in 187 unrelated CAD cases and 136 controls. All the samples were clinically examined and lipid profile was estimated. Genotyping was performed using polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Results: The frequency of -629C/A and I405V allelic variants were found to be 0.732 and 0.366 in cases and 0.658 and 0.348 in controls, respectively. The frequency of A allele of -629C/A polymorphism in cases was significantly higher than that of controls. HDL-C in AA genotype was higher than CA and CC genotypes in controls. No significant effect of II, IV and VV genotypes was found in lipid profiles. Conclusion: No significant association was found between CETP I405V polymorphism and increased risk of CAD in Azeri population studied. AA genotype of -629C/A increased HDL but the risk of CAD in this genotype might be higher than CC genotype

Ruminal dry matter degradability of treated soybean meal as source of escape protein

In order to study rumen degradation of dry matter for treating soybean meal with black liquor as source of xylose and microwave radiation, an experiment in nylon bag technique was performed. Samples for treating soybean meal for 0, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24 and 48 h in the rumen of three Taleshi male cows were incubated. Soybean meal samples treated with black liquor and microwave radiation decreased water soluble protein fraction (a) and increased slowly protein degradation fraction (b); and treatment with 6% black liquor and 4 min microwave radiation have suitable protection against the soybean meal dry matter degradability.Key words: Soybean meal, black liquor, microwave radiation, nylon bags

Understanding and misunderstanding of neuroimaging: some data from first year undergraduates

• In recent years, neuroimaging research has become a popular and exciting source of news in the press and media but claims are often exaggerated and people’s understanding of the techniques appears poor. • In this study, 207 first year undergraduates in psychology completed a True/False questionnaire in which 28 statements about neuroimaging were presented • Respondents showed a very skeptical attitude to some of the claims made for neuroimaging but showed poor understanding of the methods • 82% correctly judged that neuroimaging could not be used to read minds; 88% correctly thought neuroimaging could detect brain abnormalities; and 77% thought that newspapers and media did not report neuroimaging studies accurately • However, 76% incorrectly thought that neuroimaging allowed us to see behaviour in the brain as and when it happens; 80% incorrectly thought that babies, children and adults could be studied with all types of imaging; 84% incorrectly thought neuroimaging could identify a person suffering from mental illnes

Visualization of the Demon paintings of Iran With the focus on Siyah Qalam

departmental bulletin pape

A Comparative Study of the Representations of 'People Regarded as Oni' in Iran and Japan

departmental bulletin pape

Computational Study of Bovine β-Lactoglobulin Complexes with Fatty Acids

This thesis presents studies aimed at delivering a deeper understanding of protein-fatty acids recognition and dissociation processes using molecular dynamics simulations. The focus of this thesis is on theoretical modeling of β-lactoglobulin protein in complex with fatty acid ligands (fluorinated and non-fluorinated). The dynamics of ligand exit from protein binding site is unclear and it is desired to understand whether ligands dissociate from the protein binding site along a well defined dissociation pathway or through a collection of exit pathways. This computational study of β-lactoglobulin and fatty acid complexes was inspired by recent mass spectrometry experiments using blackbody infrared radiative dissociation technique where the dissociation kinetics of these complexes was measured. Potential of mean force calculations and transition state theory were utilized to compute the dissociation rate constant of β-lactoglobulin-fatty acids complexes. Analysis of the calculated free energy profiles provided a more complete picture of the probable intermolecular interactions. The carboxyl group of the fatty acids interacts with variety of the residues on the flexible loops via hydrogen bonds but it is not involved in the interactions with the charged amino acids. There is a late transition state for the dissociation of β-lactoglobulin-fatty acid complexes and most probably the cleavage of the nonpolar interactions of the fatty acid aliphatic chain with protein residues lined in binding cavity is the last step of the activation process. It is not clear how fluorination influences the stability of protein-ligand complexes. Recently, quantitative investigation of the energetics of β-lactoglobulin complex with fluorinated fatty acids proved that fluorocarbon binding within the binding cavity of β-lactoglobulin is stronger than hydrocarbon binding. MD simulations were performed on β-lactoglobulin-fluorinated fatty acids complexes to probe the nature of stabilizing intermolecular interactions in further details. Analysis of the trajectory files revealed fluorine bonding to the polar hydrogen atoms is primarily responsible for the stabilizing effects of fluorination

FABRICATION AND INVESTIGATION OF PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND STRUCTURAL GRADIENTS FOR BIOSENSING

Controlling biomolecule-surface interactions with nano- and micro-engineered surfaces is of great interest in biomedical applications such as tissue regeneration and biosensing platforms. Developing high-performance functional bio-interfaces for cell-surface or protein-surface interactions necessitates optimizing the interface by modifying material surface variables. Surface gradients are a category of combinatorial technique that enables monitoring and high-throughput optimization of biomolecule-surface interactions by providing a gradually varying surface parameter(s) on a small scale and across an extended area length. It is elaborated that a surface gradient not only greatly reduces the required time and labour of conducting numerous separate experiments for producing several distinct samples but also minimises the inter-batch errors associated with. In this context, multigradients are particularly promising for advanced bio-interface optimisation since they incorporate two or more separate gradients that evolve independently across different directions. While gradients have been vastly studied in past two decades, reporting different surface gradients of chemistry, topography, or mechanical nature in either nano or larger scales, there have been few studies on multigradients, due to the limited operational flexibility required for generating more than one gradient on the surface. First, plasma technologies were explored for establishing a suitable fabricating method for generating spatial variation of surface chemistry along a direction. Both the mask-assisted static and maskless dynamic deposition were examined via two different plasma technologies, namely atmospheric pressure plasma and low-pressure plasma. Depending on the electrical conductivity of the chosen substrates and the nature of the coatings, different surface characterisations were performed on the generated samples. Surface chemistry, surface morphology and wettability properties of the treated surfaces were mainly investigated. As a result, two chemistry gradients were reported; first, an oxygen-functional chemistry gradient deposited with a single-step approach via a programmed corona discharge based on the polymerisation of HMDSO with varying flow rates of oxygen. The chemistry gradient consisted of 7 deposition conditions spanning between mostly organic and inorganic coating also exhibiting the surface energy gradient along a polyethylene foil with length of 10 cm. The surface morphology was also altered as oxygen level was increasing, leading to mild gradual surface roughening. Second, a nitrogen-functional chemistry gradient with the specific feature of enhanced water stability was reported via polymerisation of ethylene with gradually varying ammonia flow rates using a mask-assisted static deposition approach with low pressure capacitively coupled radio frequency plasmas. A smooth coating exhibiting a chemistry gradient consisted of four deposition conditions, and a subsequent surface energy gradient was achieved along 1 cm width of a 2x1cm Si chip. Following that, a versatile experimental setup was presented for developing the next class of surface gradients, the structural or topography gradients, which benefited from a rational design and soft lithography. As a result, a total of 4 topography gradients were reported, two of which were stochastic density gradients and the other two being periodical nanocluster density and periodical size gradients. The gradient was formed based on time-dependent incubation of the functionalised material surface with the chosen precursor and electrostatic interactions between the two. The main experimental inputs were the precursor flow rate, dimension of the experiment chamber and dimension of the substrate. For material surface functionalisation, various classes of chemistries were employed, including aminosilane monolayers, cross-linked plasma polymer, and copolymer templates for developing either stochastic or periodic arrangements of the surface features. The kinetics of incubation of each functional surface was monitored with real-time QCM before gradient formation allowing a prediction of surface coverage and all the generated gradients were investigated for their surface morphology. The obtained micrographs and the respective experimental plots and theoretical fittings confirmed the successful formation of stochastic and periodical topography gradients. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) studies revealed the high potential of gold nanocluster density gradients for SERS-based biosensing applications. However, despite exceptionally strong SERS signals recorded on the nanoparticle density gradient (generated on the plasma polymer template), the SERS response diminished at some spots along the surface, revealing a noncontinuous SERS variation. Meanwhile, gold domes did not demonstrate any enhancement as a function of size variation. Wettability analyses were performed selectively on the stochastic gold nanoparticle density gradient utilizing both the experimental sessile drop method and theoretical modelling to investigate the probable wetting regime. The theoretical modelling indicated good agreement with the experimental WCAs and indicated Wenzel, full wetting regime.As the ultimate objective, an orthogonal surface gradient was presented. The approach was based on depositing the previously reported nitrogen-functional chemistry gradient in a perpendicular direction over the unidirectional stochastic gold nanoparticle density gradient. As confirmed by XPS and ToF-SIMS, the surface chemical composition was retained after coating and did not change due to the presence of the underlying conductive gold nanoparticle layer. The surface morphology was significantly altered after being coated with the top plasma layer, demonstrating an overall decreased roughness variation compared to the unidirectional nanoparticle density gradient. Furthermore, the surface wettability variation was significantly lower when compared to the wettability variation scale of the integrated unidirectional gradients