• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.922-928
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• 2000

The effects of animal species and supplements on rumen fluid characteristics, plasma urea-N (PUN) concentration, plasma urea-N pool size, urea-N degradation in the gut and urea-N net flux (urea-N synthesis rate) were studied in goats and sheep, with some minor differences detected. The animals were fed either chopped rice straw ad libitum+200 g soybean meal (SBM), or chopped rice straw ad libitum+190 g soybean meal+300 g sago meal (SBM+SM) for 14 days. The supplements were isonitrogenous (80 g crude protein/animal/d). [$^{14}C$]-urea was used as the marker for urea metabolism studies. Two animals from each species were fed either supplement in a cross-over design in two periods. The results showed that rumen pH was significantly (p<0.001) lower in animals fed SBM+SM than those fed SBM supplement. The ammonia concentrations of rumen fluid were significantly (p<0.01) higher in sheep (382.9 mg N/L) than goats (363.1 mg N/L) when fed SBM supplement but lower (282.5 mg N/L) than that of goats (311.0 mg N/L) when fed SBM+SM supplement. Total VFA concentrations were significantly (p<0.05) higher in animals fed SBM+SM supplement than those fed SBM supplement. Goats had significantly (p<0.01) higher molar proportions of acetate (79.1, 77.7%, respectively) than sheep (75.8, 74.0%, respectively) in both supplements. The molar proportion of acetate was significantly (p<0.05) higher, while that of butyrate lower in animals fed SBM supplement than those fed SBM+SM supplement. In animals fed SBM supplement, the molar proportion of propionate was significantly (p<0.01) higher in sheep (18.0%) than in goats (15.6%), but in animals fed SBM+SM, the molar proportion of butyrate was significantly (p<0.01) higher (9.6%) in sheep than in goats (7.2%). Plasma urea-N concentration, plasma urea-N pool size, urea-N degradation in the gut, urea-N net flux and the fraction of urea-C from the blood entering the rumen were not significantly different between goats and sheep fed either supplement. However, PUN concentration was significantly (p<0.05) lower in animals fed SBM+SM supplement (average of 13.8 mg N/100 ml) than in those fed SBM supplement (average of 16.5 mg N/100 ml). The urea net flux was significantly (p<0.05) higher in goats (average of 14.5 g N/d) than sheep (average of 12.9 g N/d), and animals fed SBM supplement showed higher (average of 14.9 g N/d) urea net flux than animals fed SBM+SM supplement (average of 12.9 g N/d). A significant (p<0.05) positive correlation was observed between urea-N net flux and urea-N degradation; urea-N net flux and pool size; urea-N net flux and urea excretion in the urine; and PUN and rumen ammonia in goats. While in sheep, significant (p<0.05) positive correlation was observed between urea-N net flux and urea excretion in the urine; and PUN and rumen ammonia.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.1655-1659
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• 2008

Using numerical models, we investigated the efficiency of toxin removal using pulsatile flow in blood purification systems that use semipermeable membranes. The model consisted of a three-compartmental mass transfer model for the inside body and a solute kinetics model for the dialyzer. The model predicted the toxin concentration inside the body during blood purification therapy, and the toxin removal efficiencies at different flow configurations were compared quantitatively. According to the simulation results, the clearances of urea and ${\beta}_2$ microglobulin (B2M) using a pulsatile pump were improved by up to 30.9% for hemofiltration, with a 2.0% higher urea clearance and 4.6% higher B2M clearance for high flux dialysis, and a 3.9% higher urea clearance and 8.2% higher B2M clearance for hemodiafiltration. These results suggest that using a pulsatile blood pump in blood purification systems with a semipermeable membrane improves the efficacy of toxin removal, especially for large molecules and hemofiltration treatment.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.440-447
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• 2009

Domestic ruminant animals are reared in diverse production systems, ranging from extensive systems under semi-arid and tropical conditions with poor feed resources to intensive systems in temperate and cold areas with high quality feed. Nitrogen (N) recycling between the body and gut of ruminants plays a key role in the adaptation to such diverse nutritional conditions. Ammonia and microbial protein produced in the gut and urea synthesized in the liver are major players in N-recycling transactions. In this review, we focus on the physiological factors affecting urea production and recycling. Sheep and buffalo probably have higher abilities to reabsorb urea from the kidney compared with cattle. This affects the degree of urea-N recycling between the body and gut at both low and high N intakes. The synthesis and gut entry of urea also differs between cattle bred for either dairy or beef production. Lactating dairy cows show a higher gut entry of urea compared with growing cattle. The synthesis and recycling of urea dramatically increases after weaning, so that the functional development of the rumen exerts an essential role in N transactions. Furthermore, high ambient temperature increases urea production but reduces urea gut entry. An increase in total urea flux, caused by the return to the ornithine cycle from the gut entry, is considered to serve as a labile N pool in the whole body to permit metabolic plasticity under a variety of physiological, environmental and nutritional conditions.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.795-801
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• 2005

Eighteen Suffolk wether lambs (BW = 24 kg) were chronically exposed to temperatures of cold (2$^{\circ}C$) or warm (22$^{\circ}C$). The experimental design consisted of a 2${\times}$3 factorial with a single crossover of environment treatment. The sheep were closely shorn and were housed in individual metabolic crates in controlled environment rooms. Sheep consumed pelleted diets ad libitum, which consisted of mainly barley grain and brome grass, and diets contained 7, 11 or 14% crude protein (CP). Animals were catheterized via one jugular vein with a PVC catheter and received a single injection of 60-65 Ci of $^{14}$C]urea. Plasma urea-N (PUN), urinary urea (UU), and carbon specific radioactivity were measured. Urea metabolism was not affected by environment. Percent urea recycling and urea space clearance were highest (p<0.05) on the low nitrogen diet. Urea pool was increased (p<0.10) for the 14% CP diet. Both UU and PUN concentration were positively related (p<0.01) with diet CP content. Therefore, dietary CP content significantly influenced urea metabolism, however, cold exposure did not alter those parameters.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.9
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• pp.1255-1261
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• 2005

The objective of this study was to evaluate the net flux response of nitrogen compounds (alpha-amino N, ammonia N, urea N, essential amino acids) across the portal-drained viscera (PDV), liver and total splanchnic tissues of mature wethers to increasing level of dietary fishmeal (FM) supplementation. Four wethers (average body weight, 64 kg) with chronic indwelling catheters into the portal, hepatic and mesenteric veins and the abdominal aorta were used in a 4${\times}$4 Latin square design. A basal diet consisting of 0.7 hay and 0.3 concentrate was fed twice daily with a fixed amount at 1.4 times maintenance energy (1.3 kg/day on a dry matter basis). The supplementation proportion of FM as treatment was 0, 0.03, 0.06 and 0.09 to the amount of the basal diet to contain 119, 137, 154 and 170 g crude protein per kg dietary dry matter, respectively. Blood flows through PDV and liver did not differ (p>0.05) among the treatments. Both net PDV release and hepatic uptake of alpha amino acid N increased linearly (p<0.05) in response to increased dietary FM, which resulted in similar total splanchnic release of alpha-amino N among the treatments. Similarly, increased dietary FM increased net PDV absorption and hepatic removal of ammonia N linearly (p<0.05). Hepatic synthesis and total splanchnic release of urea N increased linearly (p<0.01) with increased dietary FM, but PDV uptake of urea N did not respond to increased dietary FM. Linear regression equations between the increases in FM N intake and PDV net flux indicated that 0.34 and 0.30 of FM N was absorbed in the form of alpha-amino N and ammonia N, respectively. The results demonstrated that FM supplementation provides more alpha-amino N than ammonia N to the liver, but the alpha-amino acid N absorption is less than the expected metabolizable protein N from FM supplementation.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.212-219
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• 2000

This study was conducted to investigate methane emission among nitrogen fertilizers in paddy soil(Jeonbug series, occurring on fluvio-alluvial plain). The application rates of rice straw was $5,000kg\;ha^{-1}$ with $110kg\;N\;ha^{-1}$ as chemical fertilizer. It was found that the methane flux tended to be lower in ammonium sulfate than in urea and latex coated urea(LCU). The seasonal variations of the methane emission flux was high during the heading stage of the rice plant. Methane concentration in the soil solution was the highest at 5cm depth, but decreased with upper and lower depth. Methane emission under rice straw application was $0.265g\;m^{-2}\;day^{-1}$ by urea application. $0.207g\;m^{-2}\;day^{-1}$ by ammonium sulfate application, $0.318g\;m^{-2}\;day^{-1}$ by latex coated urea(LCU) application while methane emission under non rice straw application was $0.192g\;m^{-2}\;day^{-1}$ by urea application, $0.165g\;m^{-2}\;day^{-1}$ by ammonium sulfate application, $0.179g\;m^{-2}\;day^{-1}$ by latex coated urea(LCU) application.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.368-373
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• 2014

Ammonia loss from urea significantly hinders efficient use of urea in agriculture. The level of nitrous oxide ($N_2O$) a long-lived greenhouse gas in atmosphere has increased mainly due to anthropogenic source, especially application of nitrogen fertilizers. There are reports in the literature showing that the addition of zeolite to N sources can improve the nitrogen use efficiency. This study was conducted to evaluate nitrous oxide ($N_2O$) and ammonia ($NH_3$) emission by mixed treatment of urea and zeolite in upland crop field. Urea fertilizer and zeolite were applied at different rates to study their effect on $N_2O$ emission during red pepper cultivation in upland soils. The $N_2O$ gas was collected by static closed chamber method and measured by gas chromatography. Ammonia concentration was analyzed by closed-dynamic air flow system method. The total $N_2O$ flux increased in proportion to the level of N application. Emission of $N_2O$ from the field increased from the plots applied with urea-zeolite mixture compared to urea alone. But urea-zeolite mixture treatment reduced about 30% of $NH_3$-N volatilization amounts. These results showed that the application of urea and zeolite mixture had a positive influence on reduction of $NH_3$ volatilization, but led to the increase in $N_2O$ emission in upland soils.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.159-166
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• 2007

In order to develop an optimum formulation for iontophoretic delivery of vitamine C-2-phosphate (VCP) from Carbopol hydrogel, we have investigated various factors which can affect the iontophoretic flux through skin. Such factors as drug concentration, current density, current profile, current duration, ionic strength, pH and percutaneous enhancers (ethanol, glycerine, propylene glycerol, sorbitol, urea) were studied. Compared to the flux by passive or anodal delivery, the flux by cathodal delivery increased markedly, and thus, only cathodal delivery was used in the rest of the flux experiments. Flux increased linearly as the drug concentration and current density increased. As the duration of current application increased from 30 min to 120 min, flux increased linearly, however the AUC was not directly proportional to the applied amount of current. Flux also increased as the pH increased, possibly due to the increase in ionization of phosphate group. As the ionic strength increased, flux decreased. No significant increase in flux was observed after enhancer application, indicating that the effect of current on flux is dominating over the effect of percutaneous enhancers (P>0.05). These results provide important informations that are needed for optimal formulation of iontophortic delivery for VCP.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.411-421
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• 2017

Forward osmosis (FO) is an emerging technology which can possibly make the desalination process more cost and energy efficient. One of the major factors impeding its growth is the lack of an appropriate draw solute. The present study deals with the identification of potential draw solutes, and rank them. The comparison was carried out among ten draw solutes on the basis of four main parameters namely; water flux, reverse salt diffusion, flux recovery and cost. Each draw solute was given three 24 hour runs; corresponding to three different concentrations; and their flux and reverse salt diffusion values were calculated. A fresh membrane was used every time except for the fourth time which was the flux recovery experiment conducted for the lowest concentration and the change of flux and reverse salt diffusion values from the initial run was noted. The organic solutes inspected were urea and tartaric acid which showed appreciable values in other parameters viz. reverse salt diffusion, flux recovery and cost although they generated a lower flux. They ranked 5th and 8th respectively. All the experimented draw solutes were ranked based on their values corresponding to each of the four main parameters chosen for comparison and Ammonium sulfate was found to be the best draw solute.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.275-281
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• 2004

We have studied the effect of polarity, current density, current duration, crosslinking density, swelling ratio, and permeation enhancers on the transdermal flux of ketoprofen from acrylamide hydrogel. Hydrogel was prepared by free radical crosslinking polymerization of acrylamide. Drug loading was made just before transport experiment by soaking the hydrogel in solution containing drug. In vitro flux study using hairless mouse skin was performed at $36.5^{\circ}C$ using side-by-side diffusion cell, and the drug was analysed using HPLC/UV system. The result showed that, compared to passive flux, the total amount of drug transported increased about 18 folds by the application of $0.4\;mA/cm^2$ cathodal current. Anodal delivery with same current density also increased the total amount of drug transported about 13 folds. It seemed that the increase in flux was due to the electrorepulsion and the increase in passive permeability of the skin by the current application. Flux increased as current density, the duration of current application and loading amount (swelling duration) increased. As the cross linking density of the hydrogel increased, flux clearly decreased. The effect of hydrophilic enhancers (urea, N-methyl pyrrolidone, Tween 20) and some hydrophobic enhancers (propylene glycol monolaurate and isopropyl myristate) was minimal. However, about 3 folds increase in flux was observed when 5% oleic acid was used. Overall, these results provide some useful information on the design of an optimized iontophoretic delivery system of ketoprofen.