Nutritional value of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) seeds for feed and food

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is a protein-rich legume seed well adapted to most climatic areas of Europe and widely used for feed and food. Even if the seed is generally recognized to be of good nutritional value, existing genetic variability for seed composition offers possibilities for improvement of this trait by breeding. Four major quality types must be distinguished according to the presence or absence of tannins in the integuments and of vicine (V) and convicine (C) in the cotyledons. The nutritional value of diets containing varying amounts of different faba bean cultivars characterized by high or low levels of tannins, and high or low levels of vicine + convicine (VC), has been examined in monogastric animals and ruminants. Low-tannin content generally results in higher protein and energy digestibility for monogastric animals and low VC content has a positive effect on laying hen and broiler production performances. V and C, inactive precursors of divicine and isouramil are redox compounds potentially toxic to human carriers of a widespread genetic deficiency of the erythrocyte (red blood cell, RBC) enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD). Ingestion of faba beans by these deficient individuals may cause a severe, potentially lethal hemolytic anemia (favism). The mechanism of action of divicine and isouramil in the G6PD-deficient RBC is discussed.     

Antiviral activities of sulfated polysaccharides isolated from Sphaerococcus coronopifolius (Rhodophytha, Gigartinales) and Boergeseniella thuyoides (Rhodophyta, Ceramiales)

Water-soluble sulfated polysaccharides isolated from two red algae Sphaerococcus coronopifolius (Gigartinales, Sphaerococcaceae) and Boergeseniella thuyoides (Ceramiales, Rhodomelaceae) collected on the coast of Morocco inhibited in vitro replication of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) at 12.5 μg/mL. In addition, polysaccharides were capable of inhibiting the in vitro replication of Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) on Vero cells values of EC₅₀ of 4.1 and 17.2 μg/mL, respectively. The adsorption step of HSV-1 to the host cell seems to be the specific target for polysaccharide action. While for HIV-1, these results suggest a direct inhibitory effect on HIV-1 replication by controlling the appearance of the new generations of virus and potential virucidal effect. The polysaccharides from S. coronopifolius (PSC) and B. thuyoides (PBT) were composed of galactose, 3,6-anhydrogalactose, uronics acids, sulfate in ratios of 33.1, 11.0, 7.7 and 24.0% (w/w) and 25.4, 16.0, 3.2, 7.6% (w/w), respectively.     

Identification of SLEEPLESS, a sleep-promoting factor

Sleep is an essential process conserved from flies to humans. The importance of sleep is underscored by its tight homeostatic control. Through a forward genetic screen, we identified a gene, sleepless, required for sleep in Drosophila. The sleepless gene encodes a brain-enriched, glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored protein. Loss of SLEEPLESS protein caused an extreme (>80%) reduction in sleep; a moderate reduction in SLEEPLESS had minimal effects on baseline sleep but markedly reduced the amount of recovery sleep after sleep deprivation. Genetic and molecular analyses revealed that quiver, a mutation that impairs Shaker-dependent potassium current, is an allele of sleepless. Consistent with this finding, Shaker protein levels were reduced in sleepless mutants. We propose that SLEEPLESS is a signaling molecule that connects sleep drive to lowered membrane excitability.     

Educational interventions to advance children's scientific thinking

The goal of science education interventions is to nurture, enrich, and sustain children's natural and spontaneous interest in scientific knowledge and procedures. We present taxonomy for classifying different types of research on scientific thinking from the perspective of cognitive development and associated attempts to teach science. We summarize the literature on the early--unschooled--development of scientific thinking, and then focus on recent research on how best to teach science to children from preschool to middle school. We summarize some of the current disagreements in the field of science education and offer some suggestions on ways to continue to advance the science of science instruction.     

Evidence of excretion of Schmallenberg virus in bull semen

Schmallenberg virus (SBV) is a novel orthobunyavirus, discovered in Germany in late 2011. It mainly infects cattle, sheep and goats and could lead to congenital infection, causing abortion and fetal abnormalities. SBV is transmitted by biting midges from the Culicoides genus and there is no evidence that natural infection occurs directly between ruminants. Here, we could detect SBV RNA in infected bull semen using qRT-PCR (three bulls out of seven tested positive; 29 positive semen batches out of 136). We also found that highly positive semen batches from SBV infected bulls can provoke an acute infection in IFNAR^-/- mice, suggesting the potential presence of infectious virus in the semen of SBV infected bulls.     

Rhizodeposition and net release of soluble organic compounds by pine and beech seedlings inoculated with rhizobacteria and ectomycorrhizal fungi

Summary A lysimetric experiment was performed in a greenhouse to evalute root deposition and net release of soluble organic compounds after 1 and 2 years from pine and beech seedlings inoculated with an ectomycorrhizal fungus (Laccaria laccata) and/or rhizobacteria (Agrobacterium radiobacter for beech and Agrobacterium sp. for pine). Total C compounds released in the rhizosphere of both plants increased after inoculation with the bacteria or ectomycorrhizal fungus. The rhizobacteria increased root and plant growth and rhizodeposition, but the mycorrhizal fungi appeared to increase only root deposition. Soluble C compounds, collected after 2 years, represented only 0.1–0.3% of the total C compounds released into the rhizosphere, and were modified by inoculation with the microorganisms. After inoculation with the bacteria, levels of sugars and amino acids decreased in pine and beech rhizospheres, whereas organic acids increased, especially in the pine rhizosphere. In the rhizosphere of mycorrhizal beeches, sugar and amino acids increased, and organic acids differed from those released from non-mycorrhizal beeches. In the mycorrhizal pine rhizosphere, however, all compounds decreased. Following dual inoculations, mycorrhizal colonization increased, no effect on plant growth was observed, and virtually no organic acids were detected.     

Comparison of four pea varieties in pig feeding through digestibility and growth performance results

Vergleich von vier Erbsen-Varietäten für die Ernährung von Schweinen Vier Pisum sativum L.-Varietäten wurden ausgewählt, die große Unterschiede im Gehalt an Antitrypsinfaktoren aufweisen: die Antitrypsinaktivitäten betrugen 2,9; 2,4; 9,7 und 12,8 T.U.I./mg in Solara, H 61, Laser und Frijaune. An vier kastrierten 35 bis 80 kg schweren intakten Schweinen wurde die scheinbare fäkale Energieverdaulichkeit bestimmt, und an drei Kastraten, mit einem Lebendgewicht von 40 bis 60 kg, ausgestattet mit einer termino-terminalen, ileorektalen Anastomose, wurde die scheinbare ileale Protein- und Aminosäurenverdaulichkeit festgestellt. Außerdem wurden die Leistungen von 384 Ferkeln, 8 bis 25 kg Lebendgewicht, bei ad lib. Fütterung mit Rationen, die 40% Solara, H 61, Laser oder Frijaune enthielten, gemessen. Zwischen den scheinbaren Energieverdaulichkeiten der vier Erbsenvarietäten bestand kein signifikanter Unterschied (mittlerer Energiegehalt: 16,8 MJ/kg T.S.). Die ilealen Verdaulichkeiten von Protein und Aminosäuren schienen durch den ADF-Gehalt und die Antitrypsinaktivitäten der Varietäten negativ beeinflußt zu sein. Ferkel, die mit Erbsen gefüttert waren, verbrauchten weniger Futter und hatten eine bessere Futterverwertung als Ferkel der Kontrollgruppe (-2,4; -6,0; und -3,7% für den Verbrauch und 4,0; 7,0; und 6,3% für die Futterverwertung mit Solara, Laser und Frijaune). Die Unterschiede von Protein und Aminosäurenverdaulichkeit erklären teilweise die Unterschiede der Leistung.