Lithium insertion into nanotextured anatase, either pure or stabilized with zirconia, was studied using cyclic voltammetry. The voltammograms were sensitive to various morphologies of the tested electrodes. Special attention was paid to the zirconia-stabilized molecular sieve, PNNL-1 (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory), which was prepared by a surfactant-templated route. The voltammetric peak-to-peak splitting decreases monotonically with the electrode specific surface area. The charge-transfer rate constants decrease in the same series. PNNL-1 is more stable against prolonged heat-treatment, as compared to ordinary nanocrystalline anatase. The latter exhibits thermal particle growth and, presumably, partial phase transformation to rutile. PNNL-1 presents a promising model electrode material for Li-ion batteries, although its faradaic capacity is limited by the presence of a nonactive stabilizer (zirconia).

α- and β-MnO(2) were controllably synthesized by hydrothermally treating amorphous MnO(2) obtained via a reaction between Mn(2+) and MnO(4)(-), and cationic effects on the hydrothermal crystallization of MnO(2) were investigated systematically. The crystallization is believed to proceed by a dissolution-recrystallization mechanism; i.e. amorphous MnO(2) dissolves first under hydrothermal conditions, then condenses to recrystallize, and the polymorphs formed are significantly affected by added cations such as K(+), NH(4)(+) and H(+) in the hydrothermal systems. The experimental results showed that K(+)/NH(4)(+) were in competition with H(+) to form polymorphs of α- and β-MnO(2), i.e., higher relative K(+)/NH(4)(+) concentration favoured α-MnO(2), while higher relative H(+) concentration favoured β-MnO(2).

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High costs of conventional protein feed sources including soybean meal (SBM) generated the need for finding other alternatives. Thus, the present study was designed to evaluate the impact of graded replacements of SBM by sunflower seed meal (SFM) with or without enzyme supplementation on growth performance, digestive enzymes, carcass traits, and blood profile of broiler chickens. A total of 240 unsexed 1-week-old broiler chicks (Hubbard) were randomly divided into eight treatment groups of 30 chicks each in five replicates each of six chicks in a factorial design (4 × 2) arrangement, including four levels of SFM (0, 25, 50, and 75% replacing SBM) and two levels of enzyme (0- or 0.1-g/kg diet) supplementation. Performance traits including feed conversion ratio, body weight, and weight gain were significantly (P < 0.01) improved with increasing SFM up to 50% substitution for SBM or with enzyme supplementation in broiler diet during the experiment. However, feed intake of broiler chicks was decreased with enzyme supplementation (P < 0.05). The activities of digestive enzymes (protease and amylase) were significantly (P < 0.05) influenced and enhanced by SFM and enzyme inclusion in diets, respectively. The activities of protease and amylase were improved with SFM diet supplemented with 0.1 g/kg enzyme in comparison with those with the un-supplemented diet. The evaluated carcass traits were not statistically (P > 0.05) influenced by feeding SFM meal or enzyme addition. Biochemical blood parameters were significantly (P < 0.01) affected by SFM, enzyme, or their interaction in broiler diets, except for globulin that was not affected by dietary enzyme. It is concluded that increasing SFM level in the diet up to 50% replacing SBM with the supplementation of enzyme improved the growth performance and enhanced positively carcass traits as well as the activity of digestive enzymes in broiler chickens.

A total of 200 1-week-old Japanese quails were randomly allocated into five treatment groups, each consisting of 40 unsexed birds (five replicates, eight birds each). Quails were reared in traditional cages (90 Â 40 Â 40 cm), and feed and water were made available throughout the 5-week trial. The treatment groups were as follows: the 1st was fed basal diet, whereas the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th groups were fed with ration supplemented with nano zinc (Zn-NPs) at doses of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 g/kg diet, respectively. Results showed that, a significant (p .0001) improvement in body weight, weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio was observed in birds fed diets supplemented with 0.2 g/kg of Zn-NPs. Supplementation of Zn-NPs at doses of 0.1-0.3 g/kg diet demonstrated a positive impact on the activity of ALT, AST, and LDH. The liver profile parameters were not statistically influenced (p > .05) by dietary biological nano zinc, with the exception of total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein (HDL), and low density lipoprotein (LDL). Also, dietary supplementation of biological Zn-NPs at concentrations of 0.1-0.3 g/kg diet demonstrated a positive impact on superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), malondialdehyde (MDA), immunoglobulin G (IgG), and immunoglobulin M (IgM). Dietary supplementation of Zn-NPs led to an increase in beneficial microbial populations. From the obtained results, Zn-NPs supplementation at 0.2 g/kg diet had a positive effect on the performance and physiological status of growing Japanese quails. HIGHLIGHTSZinc (Zn) is an important trace element for the general functioning of the animal body. A significant improvement in growth performance was observed in birds fed diet enriched with 0.2 g/kg of Zn-NPs. Supplementation of Zn-NPs (0.1-0.3 g/kg diet) demonstrated a positive impact on immunity and antioxidant indices ARTICLE HISTORY

Nearly monodisperse single-crystalline palladium (Pd) nanocubes and nanodendrites have been successfully prepared in aqueous solution at room temperature, for the first time, mainly by utilizing the equilibrium between the dissolution and precipitation of the Pd-cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (Pd-CTAB) complexes. The morphology of the obtained Pd nanocrystals call be tuned by the addition of foreign halide ions (Cl- and Br-). The corresponding selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns confirmed that the synthesis of nanocubes and nanodendrites are single-crystalline pure Pd structures with fee crystal lattice. A preliminary formation mechanism based on the dissolution and precipitation of the Pd-CTAB complexes and competitive adsorption between different ions oil the nanoparticle Surface has been proposed.Natural Science Foundation of China [20620130427]; Ministry of Science and Technology [2007CB815303]; Department of Chemistry, Xiamen University [J0630429

The major goals of this study were to determine the impact of sugar beet pulp (SBP) levels and Avizyme ® 1500 (xylanase, protease and amylase) enzyme addition on productive and reproductive performance as well as egg quality, apparent digestibility of nutrients and nitrogen (N) balance in laying Japanese quail between 12 and 20 weeks of age. The experimental design consisted of a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement with three levels of SBP (0, 20 and 40 g kg -1 diet) and three concentrations of Avizyme (0, 1 and 2 g kg -1 diet). There were no differences in feed consumption, feed conversion ratio, egg number, egg weight nor egg mass caused by the treatment. Final body weight was significantly (P ≤ 0.01) decreased by increasing SBP levels. Increasing SBP level from 20 to 40 g kg -1 in the diet of laying quails led to significant reduction in fertility percentage by 2.67 and 7.01 and 4.60% during periods 12-16, 16-20 and 12-20 weeks of age, respectively. Hatchability percentages (from fertile eggs) elevated gradually with decreasing SBP levels in the diets during the whole period. Different levels of SBP and Avizyme, or their interaction, insignificantly affected the external and internal egg quality of the laying quails during the overall experimental period (12-20 weeks of age). Meanwhile, the different levels of SBP had a significant effect on all the digestion coefficients of the nutrients except for the N digestibility. The N consumption (g d -1 ), N in egg (g d -1 ), N excretion (g d -1 ), N faecal, N intake and N retention were not significantly affected neither by SBP inclusion nor by Avizyme supplementation. The overall results indicated that inclusion of SBP and Avizyme in quail diets did not affect productive performance, egg quality criteria and nitrogen balance but reproductive parameters and digestibility of the nutrient statistically decreased with increasing SBP up to 40 g kg -1 diet throughout the overall period (12-20 weeks of age).