EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT GRAZING ROTATIONS ON PASTURE PRODUCTION

Different grazing treatments applied to pastures in which perennial ryegrass was dominant had little influence on DM production during the main reproductive growth period in late spring and early summer. Lax and infrequent grazing at this time did, however, reduce tiller density. During the dry summer period lax infrequent grazing increased production by 20%, while in the vegetative growth period in autumn those pastures which were alternately lax- and hard-grazed outyielded those which were hard grazed by 63%. In all treatments, initial recovery growth resulted almost exclusively from the production of leaf tissue. The rate of leaf growth declined three to five weeks after grazing, depending on treatment and season, and subsequent yield increase was dominated by sheath and stem growth.     

The quantitative determination of fibrinogen in normal bovine plasma and in cows with inflammatory conditions

The quantitative determination of fibrinogen in normal plasma and in cows with inflammatory conditions.A rapid method for the quantitative determination of fibrinogen in bovine plasma is described.The method was employed in the determination of normal values in a material consisting of 100 cows and 50 calves and young animals of various ages. The mean value of the groups of cows was approximately 0.550 g/100 ml. For young animals it was somewhat lower and for cows in the last month of gestation moderately higher than in the other groups.The last part of the experiment involves the determination of the fibrinogen and γ-globulin levels in the plasma of 28 hospitalized cows with various inflammatory conditions. Group A in the material contained animals which were clinically cured and Group B animals that died or were killed.Both groups showed a considerable increase in the fibrinogen level. In Group A the mean value fell back to approximately the normal range while in Group B it remained constantly elevated.The sedimentation rate, SR, in human blood is primarily influenced by the fibrinogen content of the plasma. The SR in bovine blood is very low, and the test is therefore of little significance in diagnostic work. In conclusion, the possibility of using the fibrinogen determination in cattle for the same purpose as the SR in human blood is discussed.     

Hematopoiesis as a competitive exclusion process: Estimation of a stem cell selective advantage

Female Safari cats are offspring of domestic and Geoffroy parents, and are balanced heterozygotes with equal numbers of Blood cells containing domestic and Geoffroy-type glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD),an X-chromosome derived enzyme. In previous studies, however, we observed increasing percentages of Blood cells with Geoffroy G6PD in cats aged 4–12 years. Similarly, ratios of parental X-chromosome phenotypes greater than three to one are common in women over age 60, while women under 40 typically exhibit one to one ratios. Using a two-compartment hidden-Markov model of the distribution of phenotype in samples taken during the second stage of hematopoiesis (Blood cell production), we estimate, through simulation and mathematical calculation, the Geoffroy selective advantages necessary to reproduce the data obtained from female Safari cats. It is shown that small differences in the kinetics of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), less than might be detected by in vitro assays, can explain the “clonal dominance” observed with aging in cats, and by extension, human females. Conceptually, hematopoiesis in females can be viewed as a competitive exclusion process in which two populations of HSC (defined by parental X-chromosome phenotype) compete for environmental resources. As in many ecological examples, dominance may occur only after long periods of time.     

Growth,physiology, and nutrition of loblolly pine seedlings stressed by ozone and acidic precipitation: A summary of the ropis-south project

Previously published results from a multidisciplinary research program, Response of Plants to Interacting Stress (ROPIS), initiated by the Electric Power Research Insitute are summarized here. The overall objective of the ROPIS program was to develop a general mechanistic theory of plant response to air pollutants and other stresses. Direct and indirect phytotoxic impacts of O₃ combined with induced deficiencies of key nutrients as a consequence of acidic deposition are important components in many of the hypotheses used to explain reported declines in forest growth. In order to address these concerns as they relate to loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) growth and develop a greater level of mechanistic understanding of stress response, a study was formulated with two major objectives: (i) over a multi-yr period evaluate the role of loblolly pine genotype in governing loblolly growth response to O₃; and (ii) determine the underlying physiological and edaphic basis for loblolly growth response to O₃, acidic precipitation, and soil Mg status. An open-top chamber facility located at Oak Ridge, TN provided controlled O₃ exposure for the genotype screening study (1986–88) and controlled O₃ exposure and rainfall exclusion and addition for the O₃-rainfall acidity-soil Mg interaction study (1987–89). A variety of experimental techniques, measurements, and statistical procedures were used over a 4-yr period to quantify various aspects of plant growth, physiology, and soil-plant relationships. Results from the genotype screening study indicate that although family-specific O₃ effects were observed at the end of the first year, no statistically significant O₃ effects on diameter, height, or total biomass were evident at the end of three growing seasons; nor were any significant O₃-family interactions found. In the interaction study, rainfall acidity and soil Mg level had only minimal affects on seedling growth and physiology. Ozone exposure produced significant changes in many variables, the most important being a net retention of carbon in above-ground biomass and a subsequent reduction in carbon allocation to the root system. This change could have important longterm implications for the tree's ability to obtain water and nutrients, maintain important rhizosphere organisms, and achieve a level of vigor that protects against disease and insect attack.     

Potential chemical time bombs in the schelde estuary

The Schelde estuary is heavily polluted with many different (micro)pollutants. This results in high concentrations in the abiotic and biotic compartments of the Schelde estuary and in various effects. the present day suboxic and anoxic conditions in the upper estuary are probably responsible for the high distribution coefficients for some trace metals in the lower Schelde estuary (Western Schelde). a future reduction in discharges with a high biological oxygen demand will therefore not only result in higher oxygen concentrations, but probably also in lower distribution coefficients for trace metals in the Western Schelde. Simulations show that lower trace metal distribution coefficients will probably result in higher concentrations of dissolved (bioavailable) trace metals, even with substantially reduced discharge rates, due to the desorption of trace metals from resuspended bottom sediments.     

Schwefeldioxid,Schwefelwasserstoff, nitrose Gase und Ammoniak als ausschließliche S- bzw. N-Quellen der höheren Pflanze

Sulphur dioxid, hydrogen sulphate, nitrous gases, and ammonia as sole source of S and N for higher plants Long duration gasing experiments using SO₂, H₂S, nitrous gases and NH₃, showed, that higher plants can use these gases as only source of S or N respectively, without affecting their normal growth during the whole vegetation period. The sulphur and nitrogen of these high oxidized or high reduced gas forms were taken up by the plants and were also translocated to the roots. The assimilation of sulphur, given as SO₂, was more intensive than that given as H₂S. The uptake of nitrogen, given as ammonia, was higher than that given as nitrous gases.     

Purification and characterization of polyphenol oxidase from banana (Musa sapientum L.) pulp

Polyphenol oxidase (EC 1.10.3.1, PPO) in the pulp of banana (Musa sapientum L.) was purified to 636-fold with a recovery of 3.0%, using dopamine as substrate. The purified enzyme exhibited a clear single band on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-PAGE. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be about 41000 and 42000 by gel filtration and SDS-PAGE, respectively. The enzyme quickly oxidized dopamine, and its K(m) value for dopamine was 2.8 mM. The optimum pH was at 6.5, and the enzyme activity was stable in the range of pH 5-11 at 5 degrees C for 48 h. The enzyme had an optimum temperature of 30 degrees C and was stable even after a heat treatment at 70 degrees C for 30 min. The enzyme activity was completely inhibited by L-ascorbic acid, cysteine, sodium diethyldithiocarbamate, and potassium cyanide. Under a low buffer capacity, the enzyme was also strongly inhibited by citric acid and acetic acid at 10 mM.