Evaluation of different litter materials for broiler production in a hot and humid environment: 2. Productive performance and carcass characteristics

The availability of wood by-products for bedding material is falling in many regions due to rising demand for other uses. The objective of this study was to evaluate six alternative litter sources—river bed sand, coconut husk, rice hulls, Guinea grass, newspaper, and corncob—as a substitute for wood shavings (WS). The trial was carried out over 35 days in an open-sided and naturally ventilated broiler house under conditions of high ambient temperatures and relative humidity. During the brooding period (0 to 14 days), chicks raised on grass had lower (P?<?0.05) footpad temperature than those grown on WS. After the brooding period (15 to 35 days), the temperatures of both litter and birds were higher (P?<?0.05) for coconut husk than for WS. Grass litter resulted in lower (P?<?0.05) final BW, FCR, and production efficiency. Sand and rice hulls were associated with lower (P?<?0.05) survival rate and higher (P?<?0.05) gizzard weight. Litter type did not affect carcass and meat yields. The footpad dermatitis score, associating incidence and severity, was not statistically different among the litter substrates tested, although numerically higher in coconut husk, grass, and corncob. The results obtained in this experiment indicate that, in a hot and humid environment, all materials except grass can be used as a substitute for wood shavings with comparable production efficiency.     

Expression and biochemical characteristics of two different aldosterone receptors in both healthy and dilated cardiomyopathy dog heart tissue

Recently, replicates of the aldosterone receptor expression have been done in healthy heart dog tissues through immunohistochemistry, showing an apparent heterogeneous distribution in the four chambers. Recent studies have also identified immediate effects of aldosterone, suggesting aldosterone also produces non-genomic effects caused by an unidentified receptor. In order to study the molecular and quantitative expression characteristics of aldosterone binding receptors in the canine heart, we conducted studies, using Western Blot, in the heart from both healthy animals and animals with dilated cardiomyopathy. The results show the presence and distribution of two aldosterone receptors; one of 110/120 kDa molecular weight, suggested as cytosolic/nuclear and the other of undetermined location with a 250 kDa molecular weight.     

Predicting anthesis date of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) with growing degree‐days at heading

The agronomic significance of heading date in crop species is well documented; however, the date of anthesis is often less emphasized even though it has important applications for seed quality and yield. Moreover, the relationship between heading and anthesis is not well defined. We propose that growing degree‐days to heading can be used as a good predictor of anthesis date. Using a broad range of 520 diploid perennial ryegrass accessions, anthesis was found to be highly correlated with growing degree‐days to heading, and growing degree‐days to heading could be used to predict anthesis date in historical data sets collected over many years. The ability to adequately predict anthesis will allow seed‐producing farmers to improve seed quality by identifying times when high disease pressure will coincide with anthesis, thus allowing control measures to be applied.     

Connection of Isolated Stereoclusters by Combining 13C-RCSA,RDC, and J-Based Configurational Analyses and Structural Revision of a Tetraprenyltoluquinol Chromane Meroterpenoid from Sargassum muticum

The seaweed Sargassum muticum, collected on the southern coast of Galicia, yielded a tetraprenyltoluquinol chromane meroditerpene compound known as 1b, whose structure is revised. The relative configuration of 1b was determined by J-based configurational methodology combined with an iJ/DP4 statistical analysis and further confirmed by measuring two anisotropic properties: carbon residual chemical shift anisotropies (¹³C-RCSAs) and one-bond ¹H-¹³C residual dipolar couplings (¹D_CH-RDCs). The absolute configuration of 1b was deduced by ECD/OR/TD-DFT methods and established as 3R,7S,11R.