Influence of management practices on large herbivore diet—Case of European bison in Bia?owie?a Primeval Forest (Poland)

Large herbivores are keystone species in many forest areas, as they shape the structure, species diversity and functioning of those ecosystems. The European bison Bison bonasus has been successfully restored after extinction in the wild at the beginning of 20th century. As free-ranging populations of the species were re-established mainly in forest habitats, knowledge of the impact by the largest European terrestrial mammal on tree stands is essential. This helps to make management and conservation decisions for viable population maintenance of the species in the wild. Using a novel DNA-based method of herbivore diet analysis, the trnL approach (DNA-barcoding), we investigated the influence of different foraging conditions (access to supplementary fodder) on bison diet in winter and its potential impact on woody species. Faecal samples were collected from different bison treatment groups: (1) intensively fed; (2) less intensively fed; (3) non-fed utilising forest habitats; and (4) non-fed utilising agricultural areas surrounding the Forest. These were analysed to estimate the proportion of different plant groups consumed by bison. Bison groups differed significantly in their diet. The amount of woody materials (trees and shrubs) consumed by bison increased with decreasing access to supplementary fodder, ranging from 16% in intensively fed bison to 65% in non-fed bison utilising forest habitats. Inversely, the amount of herbs, grasses and sedges decreased from 82% in intensively fed bison to 32% in non fed bison utilising forest habitats. The species of trees mainly browsed by bison, Carpinus/Corylus, Betula sp. and Salix sp., were of lower economic importance for forest management. The impact of bison on tree species needs further investigation, however, we can predict that browsing by bison, mainly on Carpinus/Corylus, makes an insignificant impact on forestry due to the high and increasing representation of this species in the forest understory. Supplementary feeding has several negative effects on bison ecology and health, therefore reduced and distributed supplementary feeding should be applied as the management practice in the Bia?owie?a Forest.     

Altitudinal variability of stand structure and regeneration in the subalpine spruce forests of the Pol’ana biosphere reserve,Central Slovakia

The structure of natural subalpine spruce forest in the Zadná Pol’ana massif of the Western Carpathians was analysed. We focused on the variability of different aspects of stand structure, tree decay and regeneration processes in altitudinal gradient. We used systematic sampling, covering an area of 2 km², to detect even subtle changes in stand structure within one forest type over a range of less than 200 m in elevation. Mean stand density was 290 trees (>7 cm DBH) per hectare, average basal area was 41 m² ha⁻¹, and the volume accumulation in living trees amounted to 500 m³/ha⁻¹. Stand volume decreased by more than 50% between 1,260 and 1,434 m a.s.l. This means for an increase of altitude of 100 m that stand volume decreased by nearly 200 m³. Neither stand density nor basal area was related to elevation. Maximum tree height was strongly correlated to elevation, and it decreased on average by 6 m for each 100 m increment of altitude. No significant changes in the maximum spruce diameter were recorded in relation to the elevation gradient. Spatial distribution of trees was biased toward regularity at lower altitudes. Tree clustering increased with increasing altitude. The stock of coarse woody debris (CWD) decreased slightly along the altitudinal gradient, but changes were not significant. Density of spruce saplings and their number growing on CWD significantly increased across the elevation gradient. Despite the fact that the analysed forest tract was relatively large, highly variable in respect to environmental factors, and that stand volume, spatial structure, and tree height displayed strong variability along the elevation gradient, the diameter structure of stands and regeneration measures were uniform. Our results suggest that the recruitment of new trees in the Zadná Pol’ana subalpine spruce forest is not temporally continuous even at a scale of several square kilometres.     

Giblets and abdominal fat of pomegranate seed oil fed chickens as a source of bioactive fatty acids

The aim of present study was to determine whether chickens’ (broilers Ross 308, n = 180, sex ratio 1:1) diet modification with different doses of grape or pomegranate seed oil will favourable change fatty acids and cholesterol content in selected giblets (liver and heart) or wastes (adipose tissue). It was also verify whether generated changes would make the giblets and wastes more valuable as dietary components or by-products for food industry. From 22 to 42 day of life, five diets were administered to chickens. Control grower diet (CON) contained 5% of soy oil, whereas in the experimental grower diets part of soy oil (1.5% or 2%) was replaced with specific amount of grape or pomegranate seed oil (GRAP 1.5; GRAP 2.0; POM 1.5; POM 2.0 respectively). Fatty acids and cholesterol content were determined with gas chromatography with flame-ionization detection. Pomegranate seed oil improved fatty acids profile more favourably than grape seed oil, which makes it a valuable additive in chickens’ feeding. Abdominal fat of pomegranate seed oil supplemented chickens appeared to be the richest sources of rumenic acid and n3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which allows to suggest its use in manufacturing of meat products to obtain foodstuffs rich in those essential nutrients. In principal component analysis (PCA), two principal components: PC1 and PC2, which were enough to explain 29.91% of variance of initial variables, allowed to a good separation of chickens fed with both doses of pomegranate seed oil from animals from control and grape seed oil fed groups. Because poultry addresses all nutritional, institutional and consumer requirements, enrichment of giblets in rumenic acid by pomegranate seed oil incorporation into chickens’ diet may provide a valuable dietary source of bioactive fatty acids for consumers, especially of low-income countries.     

Radical scavenging capacity of wine anthocyanins is strongly pH-dependent

The radical scavenging capacity of red wine anthocyanins was quantified by the so-called TEAC assay with special emphasis on the influence of pH and conjugation on this activity. The pH appears to be a dominant factor in the radical scavenging capacity of wine anthocyanins, with higher pH values increasing this capacity significantly. On the basis of the pKa values for deprotonation and theoretical calculations, it could be concluded that the effect is due to an increase in intrinsic radical scavenging capacity upon deprotonation. The data also reveal that the reduction in radical scavenging activity of anthocyanins upon their conjugation can, at least in part, be ascribed to an increase in pKa values upon conjugation. Altogether, the results obtained provide molecular insight into factors that influence radical scavenging potential of anthocyanins and reveal that the radical scavenging-mediated supposed beneficial health effects of these wine pigments will be influenced by the pH of the surrounding matrix or tissue.     

Influence of load on shrinkage behavior of peat soils

The shrinkage of the peat soils that accompanies the soil moisture changes is an important feature of such soils and has strong influence on their physical attributes and soil water management. The relationships between soil moisture and volume are often described using shrinkage characteristic curves by relating void ratio (volume of voids per unit volume of solids) to moisture ratio (volume of water per volume of solids). For conversion of soil volume changes into cracks volume and subsidence, a dimensionless shrinkage geometry factor is used. The paper presents results of volumetric shrinkage behavior and the geometry factor at various loads in sedge and alder peat soils. The measurements were conducted on undisturbed soil samples without applying a load and with loads corresponding to field overburden. The shape of the shrinkage characteristics of such soils were completely different from those of clay soils. The application of loads did not significantly influence the shrinkage characteristics curve. The applied load strongly influenced on relationship between shrinkage geometry factor and the moisture ratio, showing higher values of subsidence and lower values of crack volume in comparison with unloaded conditions.     

Ustekinumab pharmacokinetics after subcutaneous administration in swine model

BackgroundDue to multiple similarities in the structure and physiology of human and pig skin, the pig model is extremely useful for biological drug testing after subcutaneous administration. Knowledge of the differences between subcutaneous injection sites could have a significant impact on the absorption phase and pharmacokinetic profiles of biological drugs.ObjectivesThis study aimed to analyze the impact of administration site on pharmacokinetics and selected biochemical and hematological parameters after a single subcutaneous administration of ustekinumab in pigs. Drug concentrations in blood plasma were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Pharmacokinetic analyses were performed based on raw data using Phoenix WinNonlin 8.1 software and ThothPro v 4.1.MethodsThe study included 12 healthy, female, large white piglets. Each group received a single dose of ustekinumab given as a 1 mg/kg subcutaneous injection into the internal part of the inguinal fold or the external part of the inguinal fold.ResultsThe differences in absorption rate between the internal and external parts of the inguinal fold were not significant. However, the time of maximal concentration, clearance, area under the curve calculated between zero and mean residence time and mean residence time between groups were substantially different (p > 0.05). The relative bioavailability after administration of ustekinumab into the external part of the inguinal fold was 40.36% lower than after administration of ustekinumab into the internal part of the inguinal fold.ConclusionsHealthy breeding pigs are a relevant model to study the pharmacokinetic profile of subcutaneously administered ustekinumab.     

Einfluss der düngungsmethoden auf die entwicklung von zuckerrübenkrankheiten

Während neunjähriger (1994-2002) Untersuchungen in der Versuchsanstalt Ba?cyny (Fahlerde, Fall-Gleyboden, ausgebildet aus leichtem Lehmboden) wurde der Befall mit Krankheiten an der Zuckerrübe in Abhängigkeit von der Düngungsmethode bewertet. Folgende Methoden wurden angewendet: A - Mineraldünger, B - Stalldung und Mineraldünger, C - Stroh-, Gründung und Mineraldünger, D - Kompostdünger und Biopräparate (ökologische Düngung). Auf den Objekten A, B, C wurden bei konstanter Phosphor-Kalium-Düngung die Stickstoffgaben von 0 bis 180 kg.ha^?1 differenziert. Auf dem ökologischen Objekt D ohne Mineraldünger wurden statt Stickstoff die Biopräparate P₅₀₀ und P₅₀₁ verabreicht. Der geringste Befall von Krankheiten wurde an der Zuckerrübe auf jenem Objekt festgestellt, das mit Kompost und den Biopräparaten gedüngt worden war. Im Rahmen der konventionellen Düngungsmethoden wurde allgemein die höchste Intensität der Krankheiten an der mit Stroh, Gründung und Mineraldünger gedüngten Zuckerrübe beobachtet. Ausnahmen von dieser Regel bildete das Vorkommen von echtem Mehltau und Keimlingsfäule. Auf den Objekten A, B, C nahm die Intensität der Krankheiten mit der Steigerung der Stickstoffgabe zu. Auch die auf Objekt D verabreichten Biopräparate stimulierten die Entwicklung der Krankheiten. The effect of various fertilization methods on the diseases of sugar beet was estimated on the basis of nine-year studies (1994-2002) conducted in the Experimental Production Farm in Ba?cyny on loess-based, sedimentary-gley, light-clay soil. The following fertilization methods were applied: A - mineral fertilization, B - mineral and manure fertilization, C - straw, green manure and mineral fertilization, D - ecological compost and biodynamic preparations fertilization. In the objects A, B and C fertilized with phosphorus and potassium, various doses of nitrogen ranging from 0 to 180 kg/ha^?1 were used. In the ecological object D, where mineral fertilization was not used, biodynamic preparations P₅₀₀ and P₅₀₁ were applied instead of nitrogen. The lowest ratio of the diseases of sugar beet was observed in the object fertilized with the compost and biodynamic preparations. In view of the conventional fertilization methods, generally the highest incidence of diseases was noted in the sugar beet fertilized with straw, green manure and mineral fertilizers. The exception was the occurrence of powdery mildew and the black leg. In objects A, B and C the incidence of the diseases increased with the increase in nitrogen doses. The applied biodynamical preparations in the object D stimulated the development of diseases too.