Food intake and growth of German shepherd puppies

The nutritional programme followed during the growth and development of the German shepherd puppy may have a significant influence on the dog's value as a potential working or breeding animal. Limited research has been undertaken on the nutrition of the dog from birth until four to five weeks of age. The objective of this study was to establish a baseline in terms of food intake and growth, which can be used in a nutritional and managerial programme in a commercial breeding unit. The food intake and growth of 10 German shepherd dog litters, with an average of six puppies per litter, were monitored from birth to 12 weeks of age. Both food intake and growth was described by regression equations. A commercially available diet was fed throughout the study. Performance criteria, namely food intake and bodyweight, were established which could be used in a commercial German shepherd dog breeding unit.     

Effects of energy supply on leucine utilization by growing steers at two body weights

The effects of energy supplementation on Leu utilization in growing steers were evaluated in 2 experiments by using 6 ruminally cannulated Holstein steers. In Exp. 1, steers (initial BW = 150 +/- 7 kg) were limit-fed (2.3 kg of DM/d) a diet based on soybean hulls and received a basal ruminal infusion of 100 g of acetate/d, 75 g of propionate/d, and 75 g of butyrate/d, as well as abomasal infusions of 200 g of glucose/d and a mixture (215 g/d) containing all essential AA except Leu. Treatments were arranged as a 3 x 2 factorial, with 3 amounts of Leu infused abomasally (0, 4, and 8 g/d) and supplementation of diets with 2 amounts of energy (0 and 1.9 Mcal/d of GE). Supplemental energy was supplied by ruminal infusion of 100 g of acetate/ d, 75 g of propionate/d, and 75 g of butyrate/d, as well as abomasal infusion of 200 g of glucose/d to provide energy to the animal without affecting the microbial protein supply. When no supplemental energy was provided, Leu supplementation increased N balance, with no difference between 4 and 8 g/d of Leu (24.5, 27.0, and 27.3 g/d for 0, 4, and 8 g/d of Leu), but when additional energy was supplied, N retention increased linearly in response to Leu (25.6, 28.5, and 31.6 g/d for 0, 4, and 8 g/d of Leu; Leu x energy interaction, P = 0.06). The changes in N balance were the result of changes in urinary N excretion. The greater Leu retentions in response to energy supplementation when Leu was the most limiting nutrient indicate that energy supplementation improved the true efficiency of Leu utilization. In addition, supplemental energy increased the gross efficiency of Leu utilization when the Leu supply was not limiting by increasing the maximal rates of protein deposition. Experiment 2 was similar to Exp. 1, but steers had an initial BW of 275 +/- 12 kg and were limit-fed at 3.6 kg of DM/d. Retention of N was not affected (P = 0.22) by Leu supplementation, indicating that Leu did not limit protein deposition. Energy supply increased N retention (P < 0.01) independently of Leu supplementation (33.0 vs. 27.8 g/d). Overall, energy supplementation improved Leu utilization by modestly increasing N retention when Leu was limiting and by increasing the ability of steers to respond to the greatest amount of supplemental Leu. We conclude from these results that the assumption of a constant efficiency of AA utilization is unlikely to be appropriate for growing steers.     

ω-Conotoxins GVIA,MVIIA and CVID: SAR and Clinical Potential

Highly selective N-type voltage-gated calcium (Ca_V) channel inhibitors from cone snail venom (the ω-conotoxins) have emerged as a new class of therapeutics for the treatment of chronic and neuropathic pain. Earlier in 2005, Prialt (Elan) or synthetic ω-conotoxin MVIIA, was the first ω-conotoxin to be approved by Food and Drug Administration for human use. This review compares the action of three ω-conotoxins, GVIA, MVIIA and CVID, describing their structure-activity relationships and potential as leads for the design of improved N-type therapeutics that are more useful in the treatment of chronic pain.     

Bestand,Umwandlung und Neubildung von Tonmineralen in küstennahen Sedimenten der Nordsee

Content, Transformation and Neoformation of Clay Minerals in near shore Sediments of the North Sea From literature and our own results, approximate quantitative values are given on the mineral content of clay and silt fractions of marine sediments from the Wadden Sea. Besides this, the extent of clay mineral transformation and neoformation in a marine environment is discussed. According to our knowledge, the extent of clay mineral transformation and neoformation must be unimportant because the sea water and pore solution of the sediments seems to be - with the exception of a small Mg-surplus — something like an equilibrium solution for three-and fourlayer minerals, which neither favors a considerable base fixation nor base release. Therefore illite neoformation during halmyrolysis or early diagenesis seems to be impossible because of unfavourable relations of potassium to all other cations in the sea water. Obviously the neoformation of illite is connected with later diagenesis. The processes of clay mineral neoformation in a marine evironment are probably restricted to the formation of amorphous (Mg-) Fe-Si-particles, which may be first steps in the formation of chamosites, chlorites or smectites.     

Headspace gas chromatographic method for determination of methyl bromide in food ingredients

A headspace gas chromatographic (GC) method, which can be automated, has been developed for determination of methyl bromide. This method has been applied to wheat, flour, cocoa, and peanuts. Samples to be analyzed are placed in headspace sample vials, water is added, and the vials are sealed with Teflon-lined septa. After an appropriate equilibration time at 32 degrees C, the samples are analyzed within 10 h. A sample of the headspace is withdrawn and analyzed on a gas chromatograph equipped with an electron capture detector (ECD). Methyl bromide levels were quantitated by comparison of peak area with a standard. The standard was generated by adding a known amount of methyl bromide to a portion of the matrix being analyzed and which was known to be methyl bromide free. The detection limit of the method was 0.4 ppb. The coefficient of variation (CV) was 6.5% for wheat, 8.3% for flour, 3.3% for cocoa, and 11.6% for peanuts.     

Rapid determination of the attenuation limit of beer using middle-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy and a multivariate model

A new approach for the determination of the attenuation limit of beer samples using the specific fingerprint region of middle-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy in combination with multiple regression by partial least-squares (PLS) was developed using an attenuated total reflectance (ATR) module. A specific spectral region between 1200 and 800 cm(-1) was identified as highly informative for the quantification of the limit of attenuation. The absorptions in this region are induced by vibrational bands of ethanol (1080, 1040, and 880 cm(-1)) and dissolved extract, in majority maltotriose (1160-1140 and 1040-980 cm(-1)). The multivariate calibration results in a root mean squared error of calibration (RMSEC) of 0.40% and a validation procedure with independent samples results in a root mean squared error of validation (RMSEV) of 0.50%. A repeatability test, concerning the precision of the developed MIR method as well as the reference method, was analyzed using Student's t test. The test has shown no significant difference between the two random samples.     

Life cycle and population growth rate of Caenorhabditis elegans studied by a new method

Background  

The free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is the predominant model organism in biological research, being used by a huge number of laboratories worldwide. Many researchers have evaluated life-history traits of C. elegans in investigations covering quite different aspects such as ecotoxicology, inbreeding depression and heterosis, dietary restriction/supplement, mutations, and ageing. Such traits include juvenile growth rates, age at sexual maturity, adult body size, age-specific fecundity/mortality, total reproduction, mean and maximum lifespan, and intrinsic population growth rates. However, we found that in life-cycle experiments care is needed regarding protocol design. Here, we test a recently developed method that overcomes some problems associated with traditional cultivation techniques. In this fast and yet precise approach, single individuals are maintained within hanging drops of semi-fluid culture medium, allowing the simultaneous investigation of various life-history traits at any desired degree of accuracy. Here, the life cycles of wild-type C. elegans strains N2 (Bristol, UK) and MY6 (Münster, Germany) were compared at 20°C with 5 × 10⁹ Escherichia coli ml^-1 as food source.     

Effects of ractopamine supplementation on behavior of British, Continental, and Brahman crossbred steers during routine handling

Equal numbers of British, Continental crossbred, and Brahman crossbred calf-fed steers (n = 420) were used to examine the effects of ractopamine supplementation and biological type on behavior during routine handling. Steers were blocked by BW within type and allocated to pens, resulting in 2 pens (10 cattle per pen) representing each block x type subclass. Pens within each block x type subclass then were randomly assigned to ractopamine supplementation treatments (0 or 200 mg.steer(-1).d(-1)), which were administered during the final 28 d of the finishing period. At the time final BW were obtained (28 d after treatment initiation), a single, trained observer, blinded with respect to treatment designations, recorded subjective scores to characterize behavior of each animal. Scores included entry force score (degree of force required to load the animal into the chute); entry speed score (walk, trot, run); chute behavior score (calm, restless shifting, moderate struggling); and exit speed score (walk, trot, run). Ractopamine supplementation had no effect on entry force score, chute behavior score, or exit speed score; however, cattle supplemented with ractopamine entered the chute more rapidly than did control cattle. Biological cattle type was a significant source of variation in entry force score and exit speed score. Continental crossbreds required greater (P < 0.05) force to enter the squeeze chute than did Brahman crossbred or British steers. In addition, Continental crossbred and Brahman crossbred steers left the processing chute with the greatest speed, whereas British steers exited the processing chute most slowly. Biological cattle type did not affect scores for entry speed or behavior during restraint in the chute. No adverse effects of ractopamine supplementation on cattle behavior were observed in this study.     

Effects of energy source on methionine utilization by growing steers

We evaluated the effects of different supplemental energy sources on Met use in growing steers. Ruminally cannulated Holstein steers were used in two 6 x 6 Latin squares, and data were pooled for analyses. In Exp. 1, steers (148 kg) were fed 2.3 kg of DM/d of a diet based on soybean hulls. Treatments (2 x 3 factorial) were abomasal infusion of 0 or 3 g of l-Met/d, and supplementation with no energy or with glucose (360 g/d) or fat (150 g/d) continuously infused into the abomasum. In Exp. 2, steers (190 kg) received 2.6 kg of dietary DM/d and were provided (2 x 3 factorial) with 0 or 3 g of l-Met/d, and with no supplemental energy or with acetate (385 g/d) or propionate (270 g/ d) continuously infused into the rumen. In both experiments, the energy sources supplied 1.3 Mcal of GE/d, and all steers received basal infusions of 400 g of acetate/d into the rumen and a mixture (125 g/d) of all essential AA except Met into the abomasum. Nitrogen balance (18.8 vs. 23.5 g/d; P < 0.01) and whole-body protein synthesis (2.1 vs. 2.3 kg/d; P < 0.07) were increased by Met supplementation, indicating that protein deposition was limited by Met. Supplemental energy reduced (P < 0.01) urinary N excretion and increased (P < 0.01) N retention without differences among energy sources. Increases in N retention in response to Met were numerically greater when energy was supplemented. Efficiency of supplemental Met use was 11% when no energy was supplemented but averaged 21% when 1.3 Mcal of GE/d was provided. Whole-body protein synthesis and degradation were not affected by energy supplementation. Serum insulin concentrations were increased by glucose and propionate supplementation. Serum IGF-I concentrations were increased by supplementation with Met or glucogenic sources of energy. In growing steers, N retention was increased by energy supplementation even though protein deposition was limited by Met, suggesting that energy supplementation improves the efficiency of AA use. These responses were independent of the source of energy.