scholarly journals Use of synchrotron FTIR microspectroscopy to identify chemical differences in barley endosperm tissue in relation to rumen degradation characteristics

2004 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 523-527 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Yu ◽  
D. A. Christensen ◽  
C. R. Christensen ◽  
M. D. Drew ◽  
B. G. Rossnagel ◽  
...  

Valier (feed-type) and Harrington (malting-type) barley differ in rumen degradation characteristics. Harrington, in contrasts to Valier, exhibits a high rate and extent of rumen degradation, which can lead to metabolic problems such as acidosis and bloat in ruminants. Traditional “wet” chemical analysis cannot detect biological differences between barley varieties due to destruction of endosperm structure during processing. Synchrotron Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy (SR-FTIR) is capable of exploring the chemical makeup of intact plant tissue with high signal to noise ratio at spatial resolutions as fine as 3~10 µm. The objective of this study was to use SR-FTIR microspectroscopy to explore and identify chemical differences in the ultra-structural matrix of the endosperm tissue of the two barley varieties as related to differences in rumen degradation characteristics. The results showed that the infrared absorbance intensity (Log 1/R) of the starch and protein varied considerably between the two varieties, but were not statistically significant. Harrington had a wider range of starch to protein IR absorbance intensity ratio (1.406 to 10.119 vs. 1.419 to 4.274), suggesting that it is more heterogeneous than Valier in endosperm chemical makeup. Valier had a lower ratio of starch to protein IR absorbance intensity than Harrington (P < 0.05), which implies that the starch granules in Valier are more closely associated with the protein matrix. This close association may prevent the starch granules from being rapidly degraded in the rumen. This work shows that the chemical makeup of intact plant tissues can be carried out by SR-FTIR microspectroscopy at ultra-spatial resolution (10 × 10 µm). Key words: Synchrotron infrared microspectroscopy, feed chemistry, barley, rumen degradability

2004 ◽  
Vol 92 (6) ◽  
pp. 869-885 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Yu

Synchrotron radiation-based Fourier transform IR (SR-FTIR) microspectroscopy has been developed as a rapid, direct, non-destructive and bioanalytical technique. This technique, taking advantage of synchrotron light brightness and a small effective source size, is capable of exploring the molecular chemistry within the microstructures of a biological tissue without the destruction of inherent structures at ultraspatial resolutions within cellular dimensions. This is in contrast to traditional ‘wet’ chemical methods, which, during processing for analysis, often result in the destruction of the intrinsic structures of feeds. To date there has been very little application of this technique to the study of feed materials in relation to animal nutrient utilisation. The present article reviews four applications of the SR-FTIR bioanalytical technique as a novel approach in animal nutrition and feed science research. Application 1 showed that using the SR-FTIR technique, intensities and the distribution of the biological components (such as lignin, protein, lipid, structural and non-structural carbohydrates and their ratios) in the microstructure of plant tissue within cellular dimensions could be imaged. The implication from this study is that we can chemically define the intrinsic feed structure and compare feed tissues according to spectroscopic characteristics, functional groups, spatial distribution and chemical intensity. Application 2 showed that the ultrastructural–chemical makeup and density of yellow- and brown-seeded Brassica rape could be explored. This structural–chemical information could be used for the prediction of rapeseed quality and nutritive value for man and animals and for rapeseed breeding programmes for selecting superior varieties for special purposes. More research is required to define the extent of differences that exist between the yellow- and brown-seeded Brassica rape. Application 3 showed with the SR-FTIR technique that chemical differences in the ultrastructural matrix of endosperm tissue between Harrington (malting-type) and Valier (feed-type) barley in relation to rumen degradation characteristics could be identified. The results indicated that the greater association of the protein matrix with the starch granules in the endosperm tissue of Valier barley may limit the access of ruminal micro-organisms to the starch granules and thus reduce the rate and extent of rumen degradation relative to that of Harrington barley. It is the first time that the microstructural matrix in the endosperm of barley has been revealed by using the SR-FTIR technique, which makes it possible to link feed intrinsic structures to nutrient utilisation and digestive behaviour in ruminants. Application 4 showed with the SR-FTIR technique that the chemical features of various feed protein (amide I) secondary structures (such as feather, wheat, oats and barley) could be quantified. With a multi-component fitting program (Lorentz function), the results showed feather containing about 88% β-sheet and 4% α-helix, barley containing about 17% β-sheet and 71% α-helix; oats containing about 2% β-sheet and 92% α-helix; and wheat containing about 42% β-sheet and 50% α-helix. The relative percentage of the two may influence protein value. A high percentage of β-sheet may reduce the access of gastrointestinal digestive enzymes to the protein structure. Further study is required on feed protein secondary structures in relation to enzyme accessibility and digestibility. In conclusion, the SR-FTIR technique can be used for feed science and animal nutrition research. However, the main disadvantage of this technique is the requirement for a special light source; a synchrotron beam.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Feng ◽  
Na Liu ◽  
Peiqiang Yu

Abstract Background: Synchrotron radiation-based infrared microspectroscopy (SR-IMS) is a non-destructive bioanalytical technique with a high signal to noise ratio and high ultra-spatial resolution (3-10µm). It is capable to explore the microstructures of plant tissues in a chemical sense and provide information on the composition, structure, and distribution of chemical compounds/ functional groups. The objective of this study was to illustrate how the SR-IMS can be used to image the internal microstructures of chickpea seed tissue on a cellular level.Methods: Chickpea seeds (CDC Cory) were collected from the Crop Development Center (University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK). The seed samples were frozen at -20ºC on the object disks in a cryostatic microtome and then were cut into thin cross sections (ca. 8 μm thick). The experiment was carried out on the Mid-Infrared beamline (01B1-1) at the Canadian Light Source (Saskatoon, SK). Results: We obtained the ultra-spatial images of chickpea tissue with pixel-sized increments of imaging steps. The results showed that with the extremely bright synchrotron light, spectra with high signal to noise ratios can be obtained from area as small as 3.3 µm allowing us to observe the seed tissue within a cellular level. Chemical distribution of chickpea such as lipids, protein, and carbohydrates could be mapped, revealing the chemical information of chickpea internal microstructure.Conclusions: In conclusion, SR-IMS can rapidly characterize molecular structure of protein, carbohydrates, and lipids at ultra-spatial resolution.


Author(s):  
Jean-Claude Jésior ◽  
Roger Vuong ◽  
Henri Chanzy

Starch is arranged in a crystalline manner within its storage granules and should thus give sharp X-ray diagrams. Unfortunately most of the common starch granules have sizes between 1 and 100μm, making them too small for an X-ray study on individual grains. There is only one instance where an oriented X-ray diagram could be obtained on one sector of an individual giant starch granule. Despite their small size, starch granules are still too thick to be studied by electron diffraction with a transmission electron microscope. The only reported study on starch ultrastructure using electron diffraction on frozen hydrated material was made on small fragments. The present study has been realized on thin sectioned granules previously litnerized to improve the signal to noise ratio.Potato starch was hydrolyzed for 10 days in 2.2N HCl at 35°C, dialyzed against water until neutrality and embedded in Nanoplast. Sectioning was achieved with a commercially available low-angle “35°” diamond knife (Diatome) after a very carefull trimming and a pre-sectioning with a classical “45°” diamond knife. Sections obtained at a final sectioning angle of 42.2° (compared with the usual 55-60°) and at a nominal thickness of 900Å were collected on a Formvar-carbon coated grid. The exact location of the starch granules in their sections was recorded by optical microscopy on a Zeiss Universal polarizing microscope (Fig. 1a). After rehydration at a relative humidity of 95% for 24 hours they were mounted on a Philips cryoholder and quench frozen in liquid nitrogen before being inserted under frozen conditions in a Philips EM 400T electron microscope equipped with a Gatan anticontaminator and a Lhesa image intensifier.


2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 951-958
Author(s):  
Tianhao Liu ◽  
Yu Jin ◽  
Cuixiang Pei ◽  
Jie Han ◽  
Zhenmao Chen

Small-diameter tubes that are widely used in petroleum industries and power plants experience corrosion during long-term services. In this paper, a compact inserted guided-wave EMAT with a pulsed electromagnet is proposed for small-diameter tube inspection. The proposed transducer is noncontact, compact with high signal-to-noise ratio and unattractive to ferromagnetic tubes. The proposed EMAT is designed with coils-only configuration, which consists of a pulsed electromagnet and a meander pulser/receiver coil. Both the numerical simulation and experimental results validate its feasibility on generating and receiving L(0,2) mode guided wave. The parameters for driving the proposed EMAT are optimized by performance testing. Finally, feasibility on quantification evaluation for corrosion defects was verified by experiments.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satish Kodali ◽  
Liangshan Chen ◽  
Yuting Wei ◽  
Tanya Schaeffer ◽  
Chong Khiam Oh

Abstract Optical beam induced resistance change (OBIRCH) is a very well-adapted technique for static fault isolation in the semiconductor industry. Novel low current OBIRCH amplifier is used to facilitate safe test condition requirements for advanced nodes. This paper shows the differences between the earlier and novel generation OBIRCH amplifiers. Ring oscillator high standby leakage samples are analyzed using the novel generation amplifier. High signal to noise ratio at applied low bias and current levels on device under test are shown on various samples. Further, a metric to demonstrate the SNR to device performance is also discussed. OBIRCH analysis is performed on all the three samples for nanoprobing of, and physical characterization on, the leakage. The resulting spots were calibrated and classified. It is noted that the calibration metric can be successfully used for the first time to estimate the relative threshold voltage of individual transistors in advanced process nodes.


Nanophotonics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 2569-2576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu Li ◽  
Lihui Pang ◽  
Qiyi Zhao ◽  
Yao Wang ◽  
Wenjun Liu

AbstractTransition metal dichalcogenides have been widely utilized as nonlinear optical materials for laser pulse generation applications. Herein, we study the nonlinear optical properties of a VS2-based optical device and its application as a new saturable absorber (SA) for high-power pulse generation. Few-layer VS2 nanosheets are deposited on the tapered region of a microfiber to form an SA device, which shows a modulation depth of 40.52%. After incorporating the microfiber-VS2 SA into an Er-doped fiber laser cavity, passively Q-switched pulse trains could be obtained with repetition rates varying from 95 to 233 kHz. Under the pump power of 890 mW, the largest output power and shortest pulse duration are measured to be 43 mW and 854 ns, respectively. The high signal-to-noise ratio of 60 dB confirms the excellent stability of the Q-switching state. To the best of our knolowdge, this is the first illustration of using VS2 as an SA. Our experimental results demonstrate that VS2 nanomaterials have a large potential for nonlinear optics applications.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 168781402098732
Author(s):  
Ayisha Nayyar ◽  
Ummul Baneen ◽  
Syed Abbas Zilqurnain Naqvi ◽  
Muhammad Ahsan

Localizing small damages often requires sensors be mounted in the proximity of damage to obtain high Signal-to-Noise Ratio in system frequency response to input excitation. The proximity requirement limits the applicability of existing schemes for low-severity damage detection as an estimate of damage location may not be known  a priori. In this work it is shown that spatial locality is not a fundamental impediment; multiple small damages can still be detected with high accuracy provided that the frequency range beyond the first five natural frequencies is utilized in the Frequency response functions (FRF) curvature method. The proposed method presented in this paper applies sensitivity analysis to systematically unearth frequency ranges capable of elevating damage index peak at correct damage locations. It is a baseline-free method that employs a smoothing polynomial to emulate reference curvatures for the undamaged structure. Numerical simulation of steel-beam shows that small multiple damages of severity as low as 5% can be reliably detected by including frequency range covering 5–10th natural frequencies. The efficacy of the scheme is also experimentally validated for the same beam. It is also found that a simple noise filtration scheme such as a Gaussian moving average filter can adequately remove false peaks from the damage index profile.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Giganti ◽  
Alex Kirkham ◽  
Veeru Kasivisvanathan ◽  
Marianthi-Vasiliki Papoutsaki ◽  
Shonit Punwani ◽  
...  

AbstractProstate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of high diagnostic quality is a key determinant for either detection or exclusion of prostate cancer. Adequate high spatial resolution on T2-weighted imaging, good diffusion-weighted imaging and dynamic contrast-enhanced sequences of high signal-to-noise ratio are the prerequisite for a high-quality MRI study of the prostate. The Prostate Imaging Quality (PI-QUAL) score was created to assess the diagnostic quality of a scan against a set of objective criteria as per Prostate Imaging-Reporting and Data System recommendations, together with criteria obtained from the image. The PI-QUAL score is a 1-to-5 scale where a score of 1 indicates that all MR sequences (T2-weighted imaging, diffusion-weighted imaging and dynamic contrast-enhanced sequences) are below the minimum standard of diagnostic quality, a score of 3 means that the scan is of sufficient diagnostic quality, and a score of 5 implies that all three sequences are of optimal diagnostic quality. The purpose of this educational review is to provide a practical guide to assess the quality of prostate MRI using PI-QUAL and to familiarise the radiologist and all those involved in prostate MRI with this scoring system. A variety of images are also presented to demonstrate the difference between suboptimal and good prostate MR scans.


Nanophotonics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 3443-3450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei-Nan Liu ◽  
Rui Chen ◽  
Wei-Yi Shi ◽  
Ke-Bo Zeng ◽  
Fu-Li Zhao ◽  
...  

AbstractSelective transmission or filtering always responds to either frequency or incident angle, so as hardly to maximize signal-to-noise ratio in communication, detection and sensing. Here, we propose compact meta-filters of narrow-frequency sharp-angular transmission peak along with broad omnidirectional reflection sidebands, in all-dielectric cascaded subwavelength meta-gratings. The inherent collective resonance of waveguide-array modes and thin film approximation of meta-grating are employed as the design strategy. A unity transmission peak, locating at the incident angle of 44.4° and the center wavelength of 1550 nm, is demonstrated in a silicon meta-filter consisting of two-layer silicon rectangular meta-grating. These findings provide possibilities in cascaded meta-gratings spectroscopic design and alternative utilities for high signal-to-noise ratio applications in focus-free spatial filtering and anti-noise systems in telecommunications.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yazhou Wang ◽  
Yuyang Feng ◽  
Abubakar I. Adamu ◽  
Manoj K. Dasa ◽  
J. E. Antonio-Lopez ◽  
...  

AbstractDevelopment of novel mid-infrared (MIR) lasers could ultimately boost emerging detection technologies towards innovative spectroscopic and imaging solutions. Photoacoustic (PA) modality has been heralded for years as one of the most powerful detection tools enabling high signal-to-noise ratio analysis. Here, we demonstrate a novel, compact and sensitive MIR-PA system for carbon dioxide (CO2) monitoring at its strongest absorption band by combining a gas-filled fiber laser and PA technology. Specifically, the PA signals were excited by a custom-made hydrogen (H2) based MIR Raman fiber laser source with a pulse energy of ⁓ 18 μJ, quantum efficiency of ⁓ 80% and peak power of ⁓ 3.9 kW. A CO2 detection limit of 605 ppbv was attained from the Allan deviation. This work constitutes an alternative method for advanced high-sensitivity gas detection.


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