Wheat Bran AX Properties and Choice of Xylanase Affect Enzymic Production of Wheat Bran‐Derived Arabinoxylan‐Oligosaccharides

Wheat bran‐derived arabinoxylan‐oligosaccharides (AXOS) recently have been shown to potentially exert prebiotic effects. In this study, 15 bran samples obtained by milling different wheat cultivars were treated with xylanases from Hypocrea jecorina (XHJ), Aspergillus aculeatus (XAA), and Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis (XPH) to assess the effect of bran source and xylanase properties on the AXOS yield and structure. The total arabinoxylan (AX) extraction yield was higher with XHJ (8.2–10.7%) and XAA (8.2–10.8%) than with XPH (6.9–9.5%). Irrespective of the enzyme, a significant negative correlation was observed between extraction yield and arabinose to xylose (A/X) ratio of bran AX (r = –0.7), but not between yield and bran AX level. The A/X ratio of the extracted material was 0.27–0.34 for all bran samples and all enzymes, which combined with yield data and microscopic analysis, indicated primary hydrolysis of aleurone and nucellar epidermis AX. The average degree of polymerization (avDP) of the extracted AX was very low for all enzymes (2–3), owing to the release of high levels of monomeric arabinose and xylose. The release of these monosaccharides could be ascribed to 1) the activity of wheat bran‐associated enzymes (arabinofuranosidases and xylosidases); 2) the hydrolytic properties of the xylanases themselves; and 3) the presence of xylosidases as contaminations in enzyme preparation, in that order of importance. Heat treatment of bran before xylanase treatment significantly decreased the levels of monomeric arabinose and xylose in the extract, without affecting the extraction yield, resulting in a higher avDP of 3–7, thus yielding true AXOS. Overall, for AXOS production, wheat cultivars with a low bran A/X ratio of the AX are preferable as starting materials, and inactivation of bran‐associated enzymes before incubation is desirable. The XHJ xylanase was the best enzyme for wheat bran‐derived AXOS production.     

武冈铜鹅与其他3种鹅肉品质特性的比较

本试验旨在测定武冈铜鹅、四川白鹅、武川鹅以及天府肉鹅的常规肉品质和矿物质元素、氨基酸、风味脂肪酸、肌苷酸含量及肌纤维直径与密度,并进行比较。选取1日龄体格健壮的武冈铜鹅、四川白鹅、武川鹅和天府肉鹅各30只,分为4组,每组5个重复,每个重复6只鹅,公母各占1/2,饲喂相同饲粮。试验期为70 d。结果表明:1)武冈铜鹅胸肌粗蛋白质含量显著高于其他3种鹅(P<0.05),胸肌粗脂肪含量显著高于四川白鹅(P<0.05);而腿肌粗脂肪含量与其他3种鹅差异不显著(P>0.05),腿肌贮存损失率显著低于其他3种鹅(P<0.05)。2)武冈铜鹅肌肉铁、镁、钾含量均显著高于四川白鹅和天府肉鹅(P<0.05)。3)武冈铜鹅肌肉中天门冬氨酸、谷氨酸、丙氨酸、缬氨酸、赖氨酸的含量极显著高于武川鹅和四川白鹅(P<0.01),甘氨酸和脯氨酸含量极显著高于其他3种鹅(P<0.01),而胱氨酸和苯丙氨酸与其他3种鹅差异不显著(P>0.05)。4)武冈铜鹅肌肉中肉豆蔻酸含量极显著高于其他3种鹅(P<0.01);十六烯酸含量极显著高于武川鹅(P<0.01);亚麻酸含量显著高于武川鹅(P<0.05);二十烯酸含量极显著高于天府肉鹅(P<0.01)。5)武冈铜鹅胸肌肌纤维密度显著高于四川白鹅和武川鹅(P<0.05),而各组肌纤维直径没有显著差异(P>0.05)。由此可见,武冈铜鹅肌肉品质以及风味优于武川鹅、四川白鹅以及天府肉鹅。     

Feeding value of pastures for ruminants

Perennial ryegrass is the primary forage component of ruminant diets in New Zealand. It is persistent and palatable, and immature ryegrass has a high nutritive value (NV). However, seed-head development substantially lowers its feeding value (FV) as fibre concentration increases, the rate and extent of digestibility decreases, and voluntary intake declines. Ryegrass pastures are susceptible to accumulation of endophytic and saprophytic fungi in dead material at the base of the sward, especially when mature and laxly grazed. Feeding forage legumes to ruminants grazing grass-dominant pastures will improve animal performance and lessen the reliance on a single species to meet all nutritional requirements.

The FV of forage is a function of intake and NV, measured by chemical analyses and animal feeding trials. Performance of individual animals grazing forages is usually limited by energy intake because structural fibre can slow digestion and clearance from the rumen and because of competition between individuals for available feed. The use of metabolisable energy (ME) content of forage to signify FV can give a reasonable indication of animal performance, but it should be used in conjunction with chemical analyses to improve the accuracy of predictions.

The relationship between FV, pasture production, animal performance and profitability is complex. The importance of skilled management to maintain pasture quality and optimise animal performance under inconsistent climatic conditions should not be underestimated. Acceptable animal performance with minimal veterinary intervention requires good nutrition, but the genetic potential of livestock in New Zealand cannot be met solely by grazing pasture, especially when a high utilisation of pasture is required to maintain quality and profitability.

Producers are responding to industry demands to reduce the seasonality in supply of milk and meat by changing lambing and calving dates, and extending lactation length in dairy cows. Social changes include adoption of once-daily milking in the dairy industry. Some changes have necessitated increased use of supplements and others can be met by feeding forages with a higher FV than ryegrass, all of which require an improved knowledge of feed quality. This information is available through rapid and inexpensive near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) analysis, enabling animal nutritional needs to be balanced by appropriate nutrient supply. It is essential that producers continue to improve animal welfare, limit excessive use of fertilisers and meet the demands of overseas consumers. Good nutrition, with an increased use of legumes and other forages to complement ryegrass pastures, will enable these objectives to be achieved.     

西藏原始林芝云杉林空间结构参数分布特征

以藏东南波密岗乡自然保护区原始林芝云杉林为研究对象,应用空间结构参数角尺度、混交度和大小比数,建立空间结构参数的三元分布,揭示林分的空间结构特征。结果表明,从一元分布看,林木整体属于随机分布,林分强度混交,树种的优劣程度参差不齐,整体处于中庸状态;在混交度和角尺度分布中,以随机分布和强度混交林木株数最多,大小比-角尺度组合中,均以随机分布轴线和中庸轴线两侧基本对称;三元结构参数组合为强度混交、随机分布、亚优势状态林木分布较多。主要树种的混交程度较高,呈现强度和极强度混交状态;其中林芝云杉和华山松为该群落的优势树种随机分布,其他主要树种都为轻度聚集分布;树种间大小比数差异明显,其中林芝云杉最低,<0.252,处于亚优势状态。全面分析原始林芝云杉林的空间结构,为林芝云杉林结构优化调整提供重要参考,为藏东南天然林可持续发展提供科学依据。     

浅析阿拉善左旗林业有害生物防治现状及应对措施

文章对阿拉善左旗林业有害生物防治现状进行了调查,分析了林业有害生物监测防治工作存在的问题,提出做好林业有害生物防治社会化服务工作应对的措施,对于建立起适应当前林业改革和发展形势需要的林业有害生物防治公共服务保障体系提供了理论依据。     

Physical carbon‐sequestration mechanisms under special consideration of soil wettability

The protective impact of aggregation on microbial degradation through separation has been described frequently, especially for biotically formed aggregates. However, to date little information exists on the effects of organic‐matter (OM) quantity and OM quality on physical protection, i.e., reduced degradability by microorganisms caused by physical factors. In the present paper, we hypothesize that soil wettability, which is significantly influenced by OM, may act as a key factor for OM stabilization as it controls the microbial accessibility for water, nutrients, and oxygen in three‐phase systems like soil. Based on this hypothesis, the first objective is to evaluate new findings on the organization of organo‐mineral complexes at the nanoscale as one of the processes creating water‐repellent coatings on mineral surfaces. The second objective is to quantify the degree of alteration of coated surfaces with regard to water repellence. We introduce a recently developed trial that combines FTIR spectra with contact‐angle data as the link between chemical composition of OM and the physical wetting behavior of soil particles. In addition to characterizing the wetting properties of OM coatings, we discuss the implications of water‐repellent surfaces for different physical protection mechanisms of OM. For typical minerals, the OM loading on mineral surfaces is patchy, whereas OM forms nanoscaled micro‐aggregates together with metal oxides and hydroxides and with layered clay minerals. Such small aggregates may efficiently stabilize OM against microbial decomposition. However, despite the patchy structure of OM coating, we observed a relation between the chemical composition of OM and wettability. A higher hydrophobicity of the OM appears to stabilize the organic C in soil, either caused by a specific reduced biodegradability of OM or indirectly caused by increased aggregate stability. In partly saturated nonaggregated soil, the specific distribution of the pore water appears to further affect the mineralization of OM as a function of wettability. We conclude that the wettability of OM, quantified by the contact angle, links the chemical structure of OM with a bundle of physical soil properties and that reduced wettability results in the stabilization of OM in soils.     

Inter-observer agreement between two observers for bovine digital dermatitis identification in New Zealand using digital photographs

Aims: To assess the inter-observer agreement for detecting bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) lesions in digital colour photographs of the hind feet of cows, which had been taken while the animals were standing to be milked, between two trained observers.

Methods: Thirty-six photographs were selected from a total of 184 photographs held by the first author (R1), who had classified them as negative (n=11) or positive (n=25) for BDD. They were delivered to a technician (R2) who had previously visually inspected cattle for BDD lesions, and who then recorded the photographs as being either BDD-positive or BDD-negative. The percentage agreement between R1 and R2, and two other inter-observer agreement statistics, Cohen’s κ and Gwet’s first-order chance correction agreement coefficient (AC1), were calculated. The cumulative membership probabilities of Cohen’s κ and Gwet’s AC1 were then calculated for different benchmark ranges of κ.

Results: The percentage agreement between R1 and R2 was 33/36 (92%), Cohen’s κ was 0.80 (95% CI=0.57–1.0) and Gwet’s AC1 was 0.86 (95% CI=0.69–1.0). Based on the cumulative membership probabilities for Gwet’s AC1, there was 75% probability that the two observers had almost perfect agreement (κ≥0.81). For both Cohen’s κ and Gwet’s AC1, there was >95% probability that the two observers had at least substantial agreement (κ≥0.61).

Conclusions: The two trained observers had at least substantial agreement in identifying from a digital photograph as to whether BDD lesions were present or absent. Therefore results from the two could be used interchangeably.

Clinical Relevance: Visual assessment for BDD lesions in the milking parlour can be subjective. However a high agreement between these two trained BDD inspectors means BDD prevalence reported from different regions in New Zealand by these two can be directly compared.     

Impact of a catastrophic hurricane on island populations

Lizard and spider populations were censused immediately before and after Hurricane Lili on islands differentially affected by the storm surge. The results support three general propositions. First, the larger organisms, lizards, are more resistant to the immediate impact of moderate disturbance, whereas the more prolific spiders recover faster. Second, extinction risk is related to population size when disturbance is moderate but not when it is catastrophic. Third, after catastrophic disturbance, the recovery rate among different types of organisms is related to dispersal ability. The absence of the poorer dispersers, lizards, from many suitable islands is probably the result of long-lasting effects of catastrophes.