Hyperglycaemia in transition dairy cows: Effects of lactational stage and conjugated linoleic acid supplementation on glucose metabolism and turnover

Supplementing conjugated linoleic acid ( CLA ) is supposed to spare glucose due to the milk fat‐depressing effect of the trans ‐10, cis ‐12 CLA isomer, and allows repartitioning nutrients despite an energy deficiency in early lactation. However, there is still a lack of knowledge in terms of the dynamic pattern of the glucose turnover in transition dairy cows. We hypothesized that dairy cows supplemented with CLA have an altered rate of glucose turnover and insulin sensitivity during early lactation. We conducted three consecutive hyperglycaemic clamps (HGC ) in weeks ?2, +2 and +4 relative to parturition in Holstein cows supplemented daily either with 70 g of lipid‐encapsulated CLA (6.8 g trans ‐10, cis ‐12 and 6.6 g of the cis ‐9, trans ‐11 CLA isomer; CLA ; n  = 11) or with 56 g of control fat ( CON ; n  = 11). From week ?3 up to week +4 relative to parturition, milk yield and dry matter intake (DMI ) were recorded daily, while body weight (BW ) and milk composition were obtained once weekly. Blood samples were taken once weekly and every 30 min during the HGC . Plasma was analysed for concentrations of glucose, fatty acids (FFA ), beta‐hydroxybutyrate (BHB ), insulin, triglycerides and cholesterol. The CLA supplementation did not affect performance and metabolic parameters except for BHB and cholesterol. Furthermore, insulin concentrations and insulin sensitivity were affected by treatment. During the HGC in early lactation, insulin response was lower and decrease in FFA and BHB greater compared with the HGC in week ?2 although glucose target concentration achieved during the steady‐state period was similar for all three HGC . Our findings in terms of insulin and cholesterol suggest that body reserves are preserved through CLA feeding without restraining animal's performance. Furthermore, CLA effects on cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations indicated beneficial effects on hepatic lipid export contributing to an improved efficiency of prevailing metabolites in circulation.     

Oxygen isotope ratios of plant available phosphate in lowland tropical forest soils

Phosphorus (P) cycles rapidly in lowland tropical forest soils, but the process have been proven difficult to quantify. Recently it was demonstrated that valuable data on soil P transformations can be derived from the natural abundance of stable oxygen isotopes in phosphate (δ¹⁸O_P). Here, we measured the δ¹⁸O_P of soils that had received long-term nutrient additions (P, nitrogen, and potassium) or litter manipulations in lowland tropical forest in Panama and performed controlled incubations of fresh soils amended with a single pulse of P. To detect whether δ¹⁸O_P values measured in the incubations apply also for soils in the field, we examined the δ¹⁸O_P values after rewetting dry soils. In the incubations, resin-P δ¹⁸O_P values converged to ∼3.5‰ above the expected isotopic equilibrium with soil water. This contrasts with extra-tropical soils in which the δ¹⁸O_P of resin-P matches the expected equilibrium with soil water. Identical above-equilibrium resin-P δ¹⁸O_P values were also found in field soils that did not receive P additions or extra litter. We suggest that the 3.5‰ above-equilibrium δ¹⁸O_P values reflect a steady state between microbial uptake of phosphate (which enriches the remaining phosphate with the heavier isotopologues) and the release of isotopically equilibrated cell internal phosphate back to the soil. We also found that soil nutrient status affected the microbial turnover rate because in soils that had received chronic P addition, the original δ¹⁸O_P signature of the fertilizer was preserved for at least eight weeks, indicating that the off-equilibrium δ¹⁸O_P values produced during microbial phosphate turnover was not imprinted in these soils. Overall, our results demonstrate that ongoing microbial turnover of phosphate mediates its biological availability in lowland tropical soils.     

Investigations on the radioactive contamination of crop plants as a result of H-bomb detonation (Part 2) Root and foliage uptake of “Bikini ash”

The Foliar Uptake by Squash Plant

The radioactive ash for experimental use, hereafter referred to as “Bikini ash”, was prepared by igniting the heavily contaminated substances on board No. 5 Fukuryu Maru at about 650°C, followed by sifting through a 100 mesh sieve. On ignition some parts of the fission products, particularly iodine, ruthenium and tellurium would have possibly been lost to the air.     

Influence of low phosphorus intake during early lactation on apparent digestibility of phosphorus and bone metabolism in dairy cows

In this study, the effects of reducing the dietary phosphorus (P) supply during the first 4 months of lactation on P balance and bone metabolism were investigated in dairy cows during a full lactation, including the dry period. Twenty-two multiparous cows of the Swedish Red and White Breed were included in the experiment. Eleven cows received a dietary P concentration of 0.43% of DM during the whole lactation (NP), and 11 cows received a dietary P concentration of 0.32% of DM during the first 4 months of lactation, followed by 0.43% of DM during the rest of lactation (LP). Total collection of faeces was carried out during five different stages of lactation, for 5 consecutive days at each occasion. The dynamics of bone metabolism was investigated by monitoring one bone-formation marker, identifying osteocalcin (OC), and one bone-resorption marker identifying C-telopeptide fragments of collagen type I (CTx) in blood plasma. At the two first collection periods, 3–7 and 11–15 weeks after parturition, the apparent digestibility of P was higher in the LP cows (52%) than in the NP cows (42%). During the following collection periods, no difference in the apparent digestibility could be noted between the two groups of cows. Phosphorus retention did not differ between treatments at any collection period. The highest retention was observed during late lactation and during the dry period. The profiles of the bone metabolism markers indicated a net resorption of bone during early lactation, but there were no differences in marker concentrations between the groups during early lactation, indicating that the LP diet did not induce a further elevated net bone resorption.     

Influence of dietary lysine level on whole-body protein turnover, plasma IGF-I, GH and insulin concentration in growing pigs

Four growing pigs (initial liveweight 25.9 ± 0.54 kg, final liveweight 43.0 ± 1.06 kg) were used to study the effect of dietary lysine level on nutrient digestibility, whole-body protein turnover, plasma insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), growth hormone (GH), insulin, glucose, and urea nitrogen (PUN). Four diets, containing 7.0 g (L1), 9.5 g (L2), 12.0 g (L3) and 14.5 g (L4) lysine per kg diet respectively, were formulated as experimental treatments. The animals and diets were allocated in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Nitrogen (N) metabolism and whole-body protein turnover were measured by classical method and single-dose ¹⁵N end-product method, respectively. The blood samples were taken at the end of each experimental period. Results showed that N retention (NR) and N biological value (NBV) were significantly increased from L1 to L4 (P < 0.05). However, differences in NR and NBV between L2, L3 and L4 were not significant (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference on dry matter (DM) digestibility, organic matter (OM) digestibility and N digestibility between different treatments (P > 0.05). Whole-body protein synthesis, protein degradation and protein accretion increased markedly from L1 to L2 (P < 0.05), but did not increase further from L2 to L4. Whole-body protein accretion (y, g/kg W^0.75/d) increased with dietary lysine (x, g/kg) in a quadratic manner: y = − 0.09x² + 2.12x − 5.14 (r² = 0.96, n = 4, P < 0.05).The results also showed that differences in plasma IGF-I, GH, glucose and PUN concentration between different treatments were not significant (P > 0.05). Plasma insulin concentration (y, μIU/ml) was increased with dietary lysine (x, g/kg) in a quadratic manner: y = 0.23x² − 4.10x + 32.25 (r² = 0.99, n = 4, P < 0.05), but it was not found that plasma insulin concentration was related to NR. A significant correlation was found between NR (y, g/d) and plasma IGF-I (x, ng/ml): y = − 3.1 × 10^− 3x² + 1.31x − 122.28 (r² = 0.99, n = 4, P < 0.05).It was concluded that dietary lysine level had a significant influence on NR and whole-body protein turnover but not on plasma IGF-I and GH concentration. Plasma IGF-I may be an important factor controlling N metabolism of growing pigs. Further research was needed to study the mechanism.     

不同氮磷水平下不同土层中紫花苜蓿细根周转特征

为探讨不同氮磷配施条件下紫花苜蓿细根周转及不同土层分布动态特征,分析苜蓿细根周转各指标之间的关系。采用双因素随机区组设计进行田间试验,设置4个施磷水平［0（P₀）、50（P₁）、100（P₂）和150 kg·hm^-2（P₃）］和两个氮水平［0（N₀）和120 kg·hm^-2（N₁）］,共计8个处理,通过微根管根系监测0~60 cm的土层细根周转特征。结果表明：在相同施氮条件下,随着施磷量的增加,紫花苜蓿细根总现存量、细根表面积密度、细根生产量和死亡量呈先增加后降低的趋势,在P₂条件下达到最大值,且P₁、P₂处理显著大于P₀处理（P<0.05）,在相同施磷条件下,N₁处理显著大于N₀处理。在不同土层中,在相同施氮条件下,随着施磷量的增加,苜蓿细根现存量在0~30 cm土层中呈先增加后降低的趋势,在0~15 cm土层中,P₂处理苜蓿细根现存量显著高于其他处理（P<0.05）。不同处理下,苜蓿细根现存量主要集中在15~30 cm土层。在相同施氮条件下,随施磷量的增加,苜蓿细根周转率呈先降低后增加的趋势。细根周转率受细根现存量与细根死亡动态变化的影响较大。细根死亡量与周转率拟合的相关系数最大,拟合效果最好。综上所述,当施磷（P₂O₅）量为100 kg·hm^-2、施氮（N）量为120 kg·hm^-2时,能够显著增加苜蓿细根的现存量和根表面积密度,进而促进苜蓿根系周转和生长。     

西双版纳橡胶林细根生物量及其周转

用土钻法研究了西双版纳橡胶Hevea brasiensis林0～20cm土层中≤2mm细根的生物量和生长量,用分解袋法研究了橡胶林细根的分解,结果表明:0～10cm的细根生物量显著高于10～20cm的细根生物量(p<0.01);在0～20cm土层中,橡胶林活细根和死细根现存量分别为2 206 kg·hm~(-2)和345 kg·hm~(-2);活细根现存量的最大值出现在5月份,最小值出现在11月份;死细根现存量的最大值出现在2月份,最小值出现在8月份;年分解量、年死亡量、年生长量和年周转率分别为213 kg·hm~(-2)、733 kg·hm~(-2)、1 801 kg·hm~(-2)和82%。     

环境因子对树木细根生物量、生产与周转的影响

细根在森林生态系统C平衡和养分循环中的重要作用已为大量研究所证实，树木有赖于细根吸收水分和养分，而细根对环境胁迫比较敏感，因此细根动态可指示环境变化，还可反映树木的健康状态，影响树木细根生产和周转的因子很多，本文在收集大量研究文献基础上，讨论了文献基础上，讨论了土壤养分，水分、pH值，温度等环境因子以及大气CO2增长对树木细根分布，生物量，生产和周转的影响，以期为我国开展细根生态学研究提供参考。     

鱼鳞坑开沟双犁体翻转机构研究设计

双犁体翻转机构是对已有的发明专利机型即鱼鳞坑开沟犁装置的进一步优化设计,解决了在单犁体鱼鳞坑开沟犁返程时因开沟翻土方向不在坡下而是在开出的沟上面的作业问题。新研制翻转式鱼鳞坑开沟工作结构装置,应用机械、液压、电控装置实现了不同土壤类型的鱼鳞坑开沟间距式作业,生产效率高,性能可靠,市场前景广阔。