The Effect of Different Physical Exercise on Plasma Leptin,Cortisol, and Some Energetic Parameters Concentrations in Purebred Arabian Horses

Leptin is a hormone that coordinates food intake, energy expenditure, and metabolic rate; it is, however, unknown how exercise influences plasma leptin concentration in horses. The aim of the study was to evaluate the exercise-induced changes in plasma leptin concentration in purebred Arabian horses competing in races and endurance rides. A total number of 26 horses (12 purebred Arabian racehorses aged 3–5 years and 14 endurance horses aged 7–14 years) were studied during performing routine physical exercise. From each horse, blood samples were collected at rest and immediately after the exercise session. Concentrations of plasma leptin, cortisol, lactic acid, uric acid, triacylglycerols, glycerol and free fatty acids were determined. Exercise-induced increase in cortisol and free fatty acid values were higher in endurance horses than in racehorses. Neither endurance nor race exercises influenced the plasma leptin concentration. Further research is needed to elucidate the effects of different types of exercise on leptin synthesis and secretion in horses.     

Transgenic woody plants for biofuel

Transgenic trees as a new source for biofuel have brought a great interest in tree biotechnology. Genetically modifying forest trees for ethanol production have advantages in technical challenges, costs, environmental concerns, and financial problems over some of crops. Genetic engineering of forest trees can be used to reduce the level of lignin, to produce the fast-growing trees, to develop trees with higher cellulose, and to allow the trees to be grown more widely. Trees can establish themselves in the field with less care of farmers, compared to most of crops. Transgenic crops as a new source for biofuel have been recently reviewed in several reviews. Here, we overview transgenic woody plants as a new source for biofuel including genetically modified woody plants and environment; main focus of woody plants genetic modifications; solar to chemical energy transfer; cellulose biosynthesis; lignin biosynthesis; and cellulosic ethanol as biofuel.     

LH-β and FSH-β mRNA expression in nesting and post-breeding three-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus, and effects of castration on expression of LH-β, FSH-β and spiggin mRNA

The mRNA expression of the LH- and FSH- subunits were measured in nesting and post-breeding male three-spined sticklebacks, Gasterosteus aculetaus, as well as in castrated and sham-operated nesting males. Furthermore, expression of an androgen induced kidney protein, spiggin, and 11-ketotestosterone (11KT) levels, were measured in the castrated and sham-operated males. Nesting males had significantly higher levels of both LH- and FSH- mRNA expression compared to post-breeding males. Furthermore, sham-operated males had significantly higher levels of LH- mRNA and spiggin mRNA expression than the castrated fish. Expression of FSH-, on the other hand, did not differ between castrated and sham-operated males. There were strong positive individual correlations between circulating levels of 11KT on the one hand and expressions of LH- and spiggin mRNA, whereas the correlation between 11KT levels and FSH- mRNA was weak. The negative effect of castration on -LH mRNA indicates that gonadal hormones stimulate this expression, whereas this was not the case for -FSH. The observed decline in -LH expression after the end of the breeding season may be the result of cessation of the gonadal stimulation of the pituitary. On the other hand, it is not likely that this can explain the decline in FSH- expression.     

A modelling approach to infer the effects of wind farms on landscape connectivity for bats

Little is known about the potentially disrupting effects of wind farms on the habitat connectivity of flying vertebrates at the landscape scale. We developed a regional-scale model to assess the wind farm impact on bat migration and commuting routes. The model was implemented for the bat Nyctalus leisleri in a region of central Italy currently undergoing considerable wind farm development. A Species Distribution Model (SDM) for N. leisleri was generated using the MaxEnt algorithm based on 47 presence records (reduced to 19 after the autocorrelation procedure) and 10 environmental variables derived from topographic and land cover maps. We used the SDM to create a map of connectivity using the software UNICOR to identify potential commuting corridors (PCCs). The incidence of each wind farm on bat flight corridors was assessed by overlaying the existing (380) and planned (195) turbine locations onto the PCCs. The SDM was statistically robust (AUC > 0.8). Most of the corridors were concentrated in the western part of the region, which hosts the largest suitable areas for the species; most of the existing (54 %) and planned (72 %) wind farms interfered with important corridors connecting the western and the eastern parts of the region. Our results provide key information on the impact of the wind farm industry on biodiversity on a regional scale. The novel approach adopted, based on SDM and connectivity analysis, could be easily extended to other flying vertebrates and landscapes and constitutes a promising planning tool necessary for harmonizing the development of renewable energy infrastructures with issues of biodiversity conservation.     

Outdoor environments in healthcare settings: A quality evaluation tool for use in designing healthcare gardens

This article presents the first outline of a quality evaluation tool (QET) to be used in the process of designing outdoor environments in healthcare settings, e.g. healthcare gardens. Theory triangulation is used to integrate theories and evidence from selected research on people's health/well-being and the outdoor environment. The results first present the theoretical principles underlying the tool and justifying its practical construction. Then, 19 environmental qualities constituting the backbone of the practical tool are presented, including six qualities based on the need to be comfortable in the outdoor environment and 13 qualities based on the need for access to nature and surrounding life. Furthermore, this work presents suggestions of how the tool might include concepts dealing with how users can become involved in the design process, as well as general design guidelines corresponding to the various needs and wishes users may have. The paper ends with a discussion that, among other things, relates the QET to evidence-based design, salutogenesis and pathogenesis.     

Global-scale genetic structure of a cosmopolitan cold-water coral species

• 1. When considering widely distributed marine organisms with low dispersal capabilities, there is often an implication that the distribution of cosmopolitan species is an artefact of taxonomy, constrained by the absence of characters for delimiting either sibling or cryptic species. Few studies have assessed the relationship among populations across the global range of the species' distribution, and the presence of oceanographic barriers that might influence gene flow among populations are underestimated.
• 2. In this study, evolutionary and ecological drivers of connectivity patterns have been inferred among populations of the cold-water coral Desmophyllum dianthus, a common and widespread solitary scleractinian species, whose reproduction strategy and larval dispersal are still poorly unknown.
• 3. The genetic structure of D. dianthus was explored using 30 microsatellites in 347 specimens from 13 localities distributed in the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
• 4. Results clearly reveal genetically differentiated populations in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres (F_ST = 0.16, F_SC = 0.01, F_CT = 0.15, P-values highly significant), and Chilean and New Zealand populations with independent genetic profiles.
• 5. Marine connectivity patterns at different spatial scales are discussed to characterize larval dispersal and gene flow through the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

     

Recent findings on certain bioactive components in whole grain wheat and rye

Whole grain wheat and rye are important sources of many bioactive compounds and contribute significantly to the total intake of cereals in many countries. Alkylresorcinols, benzoxazinoids, lignans, phenolic acids, phytosterols and tocols are common bioactive compounds present in these cereals. In this review, we report recent findings (mainly from 2010 onwards) regarding their content, composition, effects of food processing and their uptake, elimination and bioactivities with implications for health.     

Spray-drying Microencapsulation of an Extract from Tilia tomentosa Moench Flowers: Physicochemical Characterization and in Vitro Intestinal Activity

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - Silver linden (Tilia tomentosa Moench, TtM) flowers possess several health-promoting properties, especially at the neurological level, such as intestinal...     

Antiadhesion and antibiofilm activities of high molecular weight coffee components against Streptococcus mutans

In previous studies we demonstrated that green and roasted coffee contains low molecular weight (LMW) compounds capable of inhibiting the ability of Streptococcus mutans, the major causative agent of human dental caries, to adhere to hydroxyapatite (HA) beads. This study addressed the ability of the whole high molecular weight coffee fraction (cHMW) and of its melanoidin and non-melanoidin components (GFC1-5), applied at concentrations that occur in coffee beverages, to (i) inhibit S. mutans growth; (ii) affect S. mutans sucrose-dependent adhesion to and detachment from saliva-coated HA beads (sHA); and (iii) inhibit biofilm development on microtiter plates. The results indicated that only cHMW is endowed with antimicrobial activity. The cHMW fraction and each of the five GFC components inhibited S. mutans adhesion, the strongest effect being exerted by cHMW (91%) and GFC1 (88%). S. mutans detachment from sHA was four times greater (～20%) with cHMW and the GFC1 and GFC4 melanoidins than with controls. Finally, biofilm production by S. mutans was completely abolished by cHMW and was reduced by 20% by the melanoidin components GFC2 and GFC4 and by the non-melanoidin component GFC5 compared with controls. Altogether these findings show that coffee beverage contains both LMW compounds and HMW melanoidin and non-melanoidin components with a strong ability to interfere in vitro with the S. mutans traits relevant for cariogenesis.