Does the level of forage neutral detergent fiber affect the ruminal fermentation,digestibility and feeding behavior of goats fed cactus pear?

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of forage neutral detergent fiber (fNDF) levels on the voluntary feed intake, digestibility, ruminal fermentation and feeding behavior of goats fed diets with cactus pear. Five non‐lactating ruminally cannulated goats fed ad libitum were randomly assigned to a 5 × 5 Latin square design. Treatments consisted of levels of fNDF at 0, 109, 222, 339 and 463 g/kg of dry matter (DM) in cactus pear‐based diets. The intakes of DM and NDF were quadratically affected (p ≦ .045) by fNDF levels. Voluntary water intake (VWI) increased linearly as the fNDF levels increased in the diet. The digestibility coefficients of organic matter, NDF and ether extract and total digestible nutrients concentration were quadratically affected (p ≦ .048) by fNDF levels. The ruminal pH linearly increased (p = .001) with fNDF levels, ranging from 5.44 to 5.81 for diets containing 0 and 463 g fNDF/kg DM, respectively. The fNDF levels promoted a linear increase (p = .006) in chewing time, linearly decreased (p = .007) resting time and quadratically affected (p = .033) rumination time. The inclusion of fNDF in the diets provided favorable conditions for ruminal function, digestibility and feeding behavior in goats fed diets containing cactus pear.     

下一代益生菌——卵形拟杆菌研究进展

近年来，肠道菌群研究获得的重大突破表明，卵形拟杆菌具有代谢多糖及胆碱盐的能力，对于治疗糖尿 病、心血管疾病、炎症性肠病及癌症等具有生理功效，被认为是具有潜在益生作用的下一代益生菌，具有极其广阔 的研究和应用前景，已成为近年来国内外研究的热点。然而，目前对于卵形拟杆菌的细菌学特性、功能特性和应用 前景还没有较为系统全面的总结。本文主要从卵形拟杆菌的细菌学特性、功能特性和应用前景三方面综述卵形拟杆 菌的研究现状，以期为国内外同行进行相关研究和应用提供参考。     

Satellite estimates of precipitation-induced dissipation in the atmosphere

A substantial amount of frictional dissipation in the atmosphere occurs in the microphysical shear zones surrounding falling precipitation. The dissipation rate is computed here from recently available satellite retrieval from the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Missions and is found to average 1.8 watts per square meter between 30°S and 30°N. The geographical distribution of the precipitation-induced dissipation is closely tied to that of precipitation but also reveals a stronger dissipation rate for continental convection than for maritime convection. Because the precipitation-induced dissipation is of the same magnitude as the turbulent dissipation of the kinetic energy in the atmosphere, changes in the hydrological cycle could potentially have a direct impact on the amount of kinetic energy generated and dissipated by the atmospheric circulation.     

A new type of pterocarpanquinone that affects Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites in vitro

Toxoplasma gondii, the agent of Toxoplasmosis, is an obligate intracellular protozoan able to infect a wide range of vertebrate cells, including nonprofessional and professional phagocytes. Therefore, drugs must have intracellular activities in order to control this parasite. The most common therapy for Toxoplasmosis is the combination of sulfadiazine and pyrimethamine. This treatment is associated with adverse reactions, thus, the development of new drugs is necessary. In previous studies, naphthoquinone derivatives showed anti-cancer activity functioning as agents capable of acting on groups of DNA, preventing cancer cells duplication. These derivatives also display anti-parasitic activity against Plasmodium falciparum and Leishmania amazonensis. The derivative pterocarpanquinone tested in this work resulted from the molecular hybridization between pterocarpans and naphtoquinone that presents anti-tumoral and anti-parasitic activities of lapachol. The aim of this work was to determine if this derivative is able to change T. gondii growth within LLC-MK2 cells. The drug did not arrest host cell growth, but was able to decrease the infection index of T. gondii with an IC(50) of 2.5 μM. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy analysis showed morphological changes of parasites including membrane damage. The parasite that survived tended to encyst as seen by Dolichos biflorus lectin staining and Bag-1 expression. These results suggest that pterocarpanquinones are drugs potentially important for the killing and encystment of T. gondii.     

Biological control of horse cyathostomin (Nematoda: Cyathostominae) using the nematophagous fungus Duddingtonia flagrans in tropical southeastern Brazil

The viability of a fungal formulation using the nematode-trapping fungus Duddingtonia flagrans was assessed for the biological control of horse cyathostomin. Two groups (fungus-treated and control without fungus treatment), consisting of eight crossbred mares (3–18 years of age) were fed on Cynodon sp. pasture naturally infected with equine cyathostome larvae. Each animal of the treated group received oral doses of sodium alginate mycelial pellets (1 g/(10 kg live weight week)), during 6 months. Significant reduction (p < 0.01) in the number of eggs per gram of feces and coprocultures was found for animals of the fungus-treated group compared with the control group. There was difference (p < 0.01) of 78.5% reduction in herbage samples collected up to (0–20 cm) between the fungus-treated group and the control group, during the experimental period (May–October). Difference of 82.5% (p < 0.01) was found between the fungus-treated group and the control group in the sampling distance (20–40 cm) from fecal pats. During the last 3 months of the experimental period (August, September and October), fungus-treated mares had significant weight gain (p < 0.01) compared with the control group, an increment of 38 kg. The treatment with sodium alginate pellets containing the nematode-trapping fungus D. flagrans reduced cyathostomin in tropical southeastern Brazil and could be an effective tool for biological control of this parasitic nematode in horses.     

牛奶中环丙沙星残留的微生物学检测方法研究

以藤黄微球菌(标准号28001)为工作菌,用圆滤纸片法测定环丙沙星在牛奶中的残留.结果表明,环丙沙星在牛奶中的最低检测限为 0.08 μg/mL.该方法精密度良好,变异系数小于15%,操作简便,不需特殊设备,样品用量少,易于推广,适用于环丙沙星的半定量分析.     

沙木蓼蒸腾耗水规律研究

采用热平衡包裹式树干茎流测量系统(Stem Heat Balance,SHB)和自动气象站观测沙木蓼生长季茎干液流以及环境因子,以揭示毛乌素沙地沙木蓼(Atraphaxis bracteata A.Los)蒸腾耗水规律。结果表明:1)沙木蓼液流具有明显的昼夜节律,启动、停止与日出、日落同步,夜间仍保持一定液流,以补充植物体水分亏缺。2)沙木蓼液流规律受天气影响显著:降雨时白天的液流速率大幅下降,夜间液流却大幅提升,日液流总量降至晴天的一半;阴天液流速率平缓,昼夜差距减小,液流总量较晴天小幅下降;多云天液流速率波动剧烈,但总液流量变化不大。3)沙木蓼生长季的液流量与土壤水分状况和植物体的生长阶段密切相关,6、7月份沙木蓼植株处在旺盛的营养生长阶段,新叶生长迅速,加上土壤含水充足,液流量总体是增长趋势,从7月末到8月份沙木蓼植株从营养生长期过渡到生殖生长以开花结果为主的阶段,蒸腾减小,同时天气干旱土壤水分逐渐亏缺,液流量呈下降趋势。4)从6月到8月基茎9mm,16mm,25mm的沙木蓼总耗水分别为100.8kg,170.5kg,301.3kg。沙木蓼植株生长季茎干液流总量基本与基茎成正比,平均为11.5kg/mm/a,可以用来作各个茎级沙木蓼植株的茎干液流推算,进而推算已知林分的总蒸腾耗水量。     

The yin and yang of corpus luteum-derived endothelial cells: balancing life and death

A dense network of capillaries irrigates the corpus luteum (CL) allowing an intricate cross talk between luteal steroiodgenic and endothelial cell (EC) types. Indeed, luteal endothelial cells (LEC) play pivotal roles throughout the entire CL life-span. Microvascular endothelial cells are locally specialized to accommodate the needs of individual tissues, therefore unraveling the characteristics of LEC is imperative in CL physiology. Numerous studies demonstrated that endothelium-derived endothelin-1 (ET-1) is upregulated by the luteolytic hormone-prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha) and functions as an important element of the luteolytic cascade. To have a better insight on its synthesis and action, members of ET system (ET-1, ET converting enzyme -ECE-1 and ET(A) and ET(B) receptors) were quantified in LEC. The characteristic phenotype of these cells, identified by high ET-1 receptor expression (both ET(A), ET(B)) and low ET-1 and ECE-1 levels, was gradually lost during culture suggesting that luteal microenvironment sustains the selective phenotype of its resident endothelial cells. Proper vascularization and endothelial cell activity per se are essential for normal CL function. Therefore, factors affecting vascular growth are expected to play major role in the regulation of luteal function. Concomitantly with the angiogenic process, luteal PGF2alpha and its receptors (PGFR) are induced and maintained during most of the CL life-span, suggesting a possible role of PGF2alpha in LEC proliferation and function. Dispersed LEC expressed PGFR and incubation with the prostaglandin stimulated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascade. PGF2alpha activated p42/44 MAPK phosphorylation also in long-term cultured LEC. In this cell type, PGF2alpha increased cell number, 3H-Thymidine incorporation and cell survival. Additionally, PGF2alpha rapidly and transiently stimulated the expression of immediate-early response genes, i.e. c-fos and c-jun mRNA, further suggesting a mitogenic effect for this prostaglandin in LEC. These data imply that PGF2alpha may assume different and perhaps opposing roles depending on luteal microenvironment.