Utilization of glucose and long-chain fatty acids in lactating dairy cows fed a fat-enriched diet

The fate of carbon from long-chain fatty acids and glucose in dairy cows which were fed with protected fat was studied using stable isotope technique. The experiment was carried out on two groups of dairy cows (n=16 in each group) during the first 15 weeks of the lactation period. The cows were fed isoenergetic and isoproteinogenous diets based on corn silage. About 1.8 kg of tapioca starch in the diet of the starch group was substituted by about 0.7 kg of rumen protected fat (Ca salts of palm oil and soybean oil) in the diet of the fat group. The carbon atoms of dietary fat were naturally depleted in 13C as compared to carbon atoms of starch. Daily milk performance and lactose output were significantly (P < 0.05) higher among the cows fed with fat diet. In comparison to the starch group, the enrichment of milk fat with 13C was significantly lower, while that of breath CO2 was significantly higher in the fat group (P < 0.05). This means the fatty acids were incorporated into milk fat in preference to metabolic oxidation. Further studies showed that blood glucose is oxidized to a lower extent and is used for the synthesis of lactose to a higher proportion if the cows were fed with the fat diet. The glucose entry rate into the body glucose pool was not different between the diets. In conclusion, the dietary fatty acids perform a glucose sparing effect and improve the glucose supply for the mammary gland.     

Triton's Geyser-Like Plumes: Discovery and Basic Characterization

At least four active geyser-like eruptions were discovered in Voyager 2 images of Triton, Neptune's large satellite. The two best documented eruptions occur as columns of dark material rising to an altitude of about 8 kilometers where dark clouds of material are left suspended to drift downwind over 100 kilometers. The radii of the rising columns appear to be in the range of several tens of meters to a kilometer. One model for the mechanism to drive the plumes involves heating of nitrogen ice in a subsurface greenhouse environment; nitrogen gas pressurized by the solar heating explosively vents to the surface carrying clouds of ice and dark partides into the atmosphere. A temperature increase of less than 4 kelvins above the ambient surface value of 38 +/- 3 kelvins is more than adequate to drive the plumes to an 8-kilometer altitude. The mass flux in the trailing clouds is estimated to consist of up to 10 kilograms of fine dark particles per second or twice as much nitrogen ice and perhaps several hundred or more kilograms of nitrogen gas per second. Each eruption may last a year or more, during which on the order of a tenth of a cubic kilometer of ice is sublimed.     

Nucleic acid, metabolic and histological changes in gilt mammary tissue during pregnancy and lactogenesis

Changes in mammary gland histology, dry weights, nucleic acids and in vitro rates of substrate oxidation in incorporation into lipid were measured in mammary biopsies of three gilts each on d 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105 and 112 of pregnancy, and d 1 and 4 of lactation. Histological changes noted were progressive duct growth early in pregnancy followed by rapid lobulo-alveolar development between d 75 and 90 to complete mammogenesis. Colostrum and lipid were evident by d 105 with marked distension of alveolar lumina on d 112. Complete differentiation of the secretory process was apparent on the day of parturition. Concentrtion of dry, fat-free tissue (DFFT) and DNA changed little before d 60 but increased fourfold between d 75 and 90. No further increases in DFFT or DNA were noted. RNA concentrations paralleled DNA through d 90, after which they steadily increased. Rates of acetate and glucose oxidation increased transiently during midpregnancy then declined and remained low until initiation of lactogenesis. Substrate incorporation into lipid increased slightly at midpregnancy and again at d 105, after which it increased markedly. Collectively, results indicate that mammogenesis is complete by d 90, after which lactogenesis is initiated in a two-stage process. Metabolic rates expressed on a DNA basis indicated considerable rates of oxidation, but not of lipogenesis by proliferating mammary tissue. Preferential metabolism of acetate vs glucose near parturition suggests coordination of metabolism between the mammary gland and other maternal tissues.     

DNA synthesis in spinal ganglia of rabbit after Herpes suis infection. Findings obtained by electron microscopy and autoradiography]

The mulitplication of herpes suis virus in neurons, amphicytes, gliocytes, as well as Schwann's and endothelial cells of the spinal ganglion of rabbit was traced by electron microscopy and autoradiography, using tritium-labelled thymidine. Marking of nuclear zone margin, quite common when it comes to ganglion cells, was observed also in the context of mesenchymal cells beyond expectation on the basis of light microscopy, but in the case under review it had no direct relationship with virus synthesis. Repeated markings were recorded from the nucleoli of apparently unchanged ganglion cells which suggested the suitability of the technique for early detection of infectious attack on intact cells. Exogenous 3H-thymidine was supplied three hours and absorbed with specificity by the DNA-forming centres of the nuclei, but the growing virus drew into itself additional cellular or inactive thymidine. The method proved to be highly significant, as in comparison to the nuclear environment there were ten times as many lemnici in the DNA production centres of neurons and Schwann's cells and about six times as many in the amphicytes and gliocytes. Now, there is definite justification in rejecting as unfounded all doubt expressed repeatedly and more recently in the specificity of herpes-dependent intranuclear inclusions.     

Long-term dynamics of leaf and root decomposition and nitrogen release in a grey alder (Alnus incana (L.) Moench) and silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.) stands

The decomposition of the leaf litter, fine roots (d?<?2?mm) and coarser roots (2?≤?d?<?5?mm) of grey alder and silver birch, as well as of α-cellulose sheets using the litterbag method was studied in two experimental stands on Podzoluvisol soils in Southern Estonia. For both tree species, the coarser roots decomposed faster than the fine roots, (p?<?.05), tree species did not affect the decomposition rate of the roots (p?>?.5). The nitrogen (N) input to soil from aboveground litter was multiple times higher than the N flux from roots. The remaining relative ash-free mass of the leaves of grey alder and silver birch after three and a half years was similar. After 11 years the remaining relative ash-free mass of the fine and coarser roots of grey alder still accounted for around 10% of the initial value. For silver birch the remaining value was around 20% after 9 years. The litterbag method to underestimates in fertile soils the decomposition of organic matter and thus did not reflect the actual dynamics of decomposition.     

Genetic engineering of cereal crop plants: a review

Summary Many aspects of basic and applied problems in plant biology can be investigated by transformation techniques. In dicotyledonous species, the ability to generate transgenic plants provides the tools for an understanding of plant gene function and regulation as well as for the directed transfer of genes of agronomic interest.For many dicotyledonous plants Agrobacterium tumefaciens can be routinely used to introduce foreign DNA into their genome. However, cereals seem to be recalcitrant to Agrobacterium-mediated transformation.In cereals, many efforts have been made in recent years to establish reliable transformation techniques. Several transformation techniques have been developed but to date only three methods have been found to be suitable for obtaining transgenic cereals: transformation of totipotent protoplasts, particle bombardment of regenerable tissues and, more recently, tissue electroporation. The current state of transformation methods used for cereals will be reviewed.     

Survival of plant pathogens in static piles of ground green waste

Ground green waste is used as mulch in ornamental landscapes and for tree crops such as avocados. Survival of Armillaria mellea, Phytophthora cinnamomi, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and Tylenchulus semipenetrans was assessed for 8 weeks within unturned piles of either recently ground or partially composted green waste. S. sclerotiorum survived at the pile surface and at 10, 30, and 100 cm within the pile for the entire 8 weeks in both fresh green waste (FGW) and aged green waste (AGW). A. mellea and T. semipenetrans did not survive more than 2 days in FGW, while P. cinnamomi persisted for over 21 days in FGW. AGW was less effective in reducing pathogen viability than FGW, most likely because temperatures in AGW peaked at 45 degrees C compared with 70 degrees C in FGW. Survival modeling curves based on pile temperatures indicate the time to inactivate 10 propagules of pathogens was 11, 30, 363, and 50 days for A. mellea, P. cinnamomi, S. sclerotiorum, and T. semipenetrans, respectively. Sclerotia-forming pathogens pose the greatest risk for escape; to ensure eradication of persistent fungi, green waste stockpiles should be turned intermittently to mix pile contents and move pathogen propagules to a location within the pile where they are more likely to be killed by heat, microbial attack, or chemical degradation.     

Die Natürliche Ernährung des Menschen im Verlauf der Evolution

Results of prehistoric research back to the origin of mammalians may lead to the highly plausible conclusion that all ancestors of human beings were omnivorous. According to the only low specialisation of man (in body's characteristics) during the progress of evolution there were no changes observed later on. Hypothese about man's descent from carnivorous ancestors are therefore improbable. However, vegetarianism could not supported in man's history of evolution on the other hand. The expectation of a very long life of modern civilized beings—compared with those in former ages—absolutely requires a nutrition of full value in all respects. Such a nutrition must not only be based on the nature and on a peculiar instinct absent in man but mainly on the experiences of nutritional science. Therefore, Quality Research in food plants on a nutritional scale is of great importance.