Interaction between xylanase and a proton pump inhibitor on broiler chicken performance and gut function

Three hundred thirty-six Ross 308 male broiler chicks were used in a 21-d study to explore performance and gut function when treated with a proton pump inhibitor(PPI;0 or 89 mg/kg)in a 2×2 factorial arrangement with a xylanase(Xyl;0 or 0.1 g/kg)to determine if the beneficial activity of arabinoxylan(AX)depolymerisation,through arabinoxylo-oligosaccharides(AXOS)production,starts in the upper gastrointestinal tract.Treatment with the PPI started from d 14,and by d 21 animal performance had deteriorated(P<0.001).An interaction was observed between PPI and Xyl for feed conversion ratio(FCR)(P<0.05),whereby the combination reduced the negative effect of PPI on FCR.Application of PPI raised digesta pH in the gizzard and caecum(P<0.05),increased protein concentrations in the lower gut(P<0.05)and reduced intake of digestible nutrients(P<0.05).Caecal concentrations of indole,p-cresol,ammonia and the ratio of total volatile fatty acid(VFA)to butyric acid were increased with PPI(P<0.05),indicating enhanced protein fermentation.Xylanase activity in the digesta were greatest in the caeca,especially when Xyl was supplemented(P<0.001).The concentration of total soluble AX was greater in the gizzard and ileal digesta with Xyl supplementation(P<0.05),supporting the depolymerisation action of xylanase even under acidic conditions.These data suggest xylanase may function in the gizzard even though pH is not optimal for activity and emphasises the importance of chlorohydric acid secretions in ensuring overall optimum gut function.AX depolymerisation benefits animal performance although it is still unknown how the AXOS produced with xylanase supplementation in the upper gastrointestinal tract influence the microbial populations and overall gut functionality.     

Estimating the amount of collagen and elastic fibres in bovine teats

The amount of collagen and elastic fibres near the Fürstenberg's rosette in histological sections of bovine teats was estimated using the ImageJ image processing software. This method holds promise for comparing tissue types within and between sections but it was not a reliable way to quantify the absolute amount of tissue types in a sample. The amount of elastic fibres and collagen was similar in cow teats with a history or acute case of mastitis infection and in non-infected cows, but this could not be statistically tested due to limitations in the study material.     

Characterization of a common susceptibility locus for asthma-related traits

Susceptibility to asthma depends on variation at an unknown number of genetic loci. To identify susceptibility genes on chromosome 7p, we adopted a hierarchical genotyping design, leading to the identification of a 133-kilobase risk-conferring segment containing two genes. One of these coded for an orphan G protein-coupled receptor named GPRA (G protein-coupled receptor for asthma susceptibility), which showed distinct distribution of protein isoforms between bronchial biopsies from healthy and asthmatic individuals. In three cohorts from Finland and Canada, single nucleotide polymorphism-tagged haplotypes associated with high serum immunoglobulin E or asthma. The murine ortholog of GPRA was up-regulated in a mouse model of ovalbumin-induced inflammation. Together, these data implicate GPRA in the pathogenesis of atopy and asthma.     

Effects of working-memory training on striatal dopamine release

Updating of working memory has been associated with striato-frontal brain regions and phasic dopaminergic neurotransmission. We assessed raclopride binding to striatal dopamine (DA) D2 receptors during a letter-updating task and a control condition before and after 5 weeks of updating training. Results showed that updating affected DA activity before training and that training further increased striatal DA release during updating. These findings highlight the pivotal role of transient neural processes associated with D2 receptor activity in working memory.     

A linear programming algorithm and software for forest-level planning problems including factories

Combining stand simulation and forest-level optimization is an efficient way to study harvest scenarios of a forest area. A simulator first generates for each treatment unit a number of treatment schedules. Linear programming (LP) can then be used to study how stand-level schedules can be combined at the forest level with respect to alternative goals and constraints. The special structure of the obtained LP problems can be utilized using the generalized upper-bound technique which takes care of the so-called area constraints. JLP software was based on this technique. Later J software was developed to replace JLP. Now J is developed to deal with factory problems where the transportations costs and capacities of factories are included in the problem definition. The generalized upper-bound technique was modified to handle transportation constraints which tell that each timber unit produced is transported to some of the factories. The number of these constraints is very large. This paper describes the basic features of the algorithm and its implementation in the J software.     

Effect of CCC on the morphology and growth potential of containerised silver birch seedlings

The objective of the experiment described here was to assess the effect of the synthetic growth regulator CCC on the quality of containerised silver birch seedlings. The time course of stem elongation during the growing season, the morphology and size of the seedlings at the end of the growing season, and the growth potential after winter storage were measured and the following results obtained: (1) Stem height, root-collar diameter and total dry weight of the seedlings were decreased by CCC. (2) Stem-height:root-collar-diameter ratio was slightly decreased and root weight ratio was increased by CCC. (3) Stem flexibility was not significantly affected by CCC, although it was significantly correlated with total plant dry weight and with the stem-height:root-collar-diameter ratio. (4) Root-growth potential was decreased at high doses of CCC while shoot growth potential was not affected.     

Stem lesions on Betula pendula seedlings in Finnish forest nurseries and the pathogenicity of Phytophthora cactorum

Phytophthora cactorum was isolated from necrotic stem lesions on 20–80% of diseased Betula pendula seedlings sampled from three nurseries in Finland. Fusarium avenaceum and Godronia sp. were also found in all nurseries. Inoculation of P. cactorum on B. pendula seedlings caused necrotic lesions and the spread of these lesions around the stem was detrimental. Neither the timing of N application nor two different PK-levels applied to the seedlings the previous year significantly affected the size of lesions caused by P. cactorum.     

Foliar nutrient composition in bareroot Pinus sylvestris nursery crops

We evaluated how the variability of nutrient concentrations affects their suitability as quality attributes. Foliar elements of four batches of three-year-old bareroot Scots pine seedlings, 150 seedlings from each batch, were analyzed. The variability in the concentrations of N, P, and K was small (coefficient of variation in a batch was 11–12), that of Ca and Zn intermediate (CV 19–21), and that of Mg, Mn, Fe, Al, Cu and Na was large (CV 26–35), being close to the variability in morphological attributes. Micronutrients varied more than macronutrients and a larger sample would be needed to estimate these concentrations with the same precision. Correlations between seedling size and nutrient concentrations in needles were small. Positive and negative correlations were found among nutrient concentrations, but not large enough to allow us to predict concentrations with each other. For concentrations of some nutrients the variance within batches was smaller than was found for morphological attributes in both relative and absolute terms, which provides support for batch culling.     

Long-term soil feedback on plant N allocation in defoliated grassland miniecosystems

Defoliation of plants is known to have effects on soil organisms and nutrient availability in grassland communities, but few studies have examined whether changes in soil attributes can further feed back to plant growth and plant nutrient content. To examine defoliation-induced soil feedbacks, we established replicated miniecosystems with a grass Phleum pratense, defoliated half of the systems, collected soil from both defoliated and non-defoliated systems and planted new seedlings into each soil. The two soils did not differ in promoting shoot and root growth. However, seedlings that grew in the soil collected from defoliated systems had higher shoot N content, allocated relatively more N to shoots and had lower root N concentration than those growing in the soil collected from non-defoliated systems. Our study provides novel evidence that defoliation can generate long-lasting changes in grassland soil that in turn can affect plant N allocation.     

Critical loads of sulfur and nitrogen for lakes II: Regional extent and variability in Finland

The concept of critical loads has been developed to assist in the design of environmentally sound abatement strategies for the emissions of acidifying compounds. In this paper the critical loads of S and N for lakes in Finland are computed and mapped, based on methods presented in an accompanying paper. The employed steady-state mass balance model allows the simultaneous evaluation of the reductions required of S and N deposition exceeding these critical loads. Special emphasis has been put on the presentation of the spatial variability and the uncertainty of the critical loads and their exceedances. The derived critical loads of S and N for lakes in Finland show a substantial spatial variability. The highest exceedance of critical loads is presently estimated in the south-east of the country, where up to 80% of the lakes show an exceedance of the critical loads of S. The evaluation of two emission scenarios shows that only “maximum feasible reductions” would be sufficient for protecting most Finnish lakes from the impacts of acidic deposition. The results of this study form a basis for setting national targets for emission reductions in Finland.