Short internode,double podding and early flowering effects on maturity and other agronomic characters in chickpea

Chickpea is an indeterminate species, which continues to flower and set new pods over a long period under wet and cool growing conditions, resulting in excessive canopy development and delayed maturity. We hypothesized that the chickpea's long season requirement could be reduced through introgression of short internode, double podding and early flowering. Four populations E100Ym/CDC Anna, 272-2/CDC Anna, 298T-9/CDC Anna, and 298T-9/CDC Frontier were developed to test this hypothesis with the first parents of each cross being the donor of the short internode, double podding and early flowering traits, respectively. Also, the donor parents E100Ym, 272-2 and 298T-9 were intercrossed. Segregating populations of F₂ to F_3:6 generations were then evaluated under greenhouse and field conditions. When expressed well, double podding significantly reduced time to maturity as compared to the single podding counterparts. The best double podding lines were about 1 week earlier maturing than the early parent and standard checks. Days to flowering (DF) was positively associated with days to maturity (DM) (r = 0.44, P < 0.001), and partial path analysis revealed that DF contributed to DM mainly via days to first pod maturity (DFPM). In the two early flowering populations 298T-9/CDC Anna and 298T-9/CDC Frontier, DF determined about 32% of the variation in DFPM. Conversely, the short internode trait had an undesirable effect, in that all the short internode segregants were too late to mature. In conclusion, the alleles for double podding and early flowering may be used to improve early maturity in chickpea and subsequently minimize the risks associated with the production of this crop in environments where the growing conditions allow excessive crop canopy development, as in the Canadian prairies.     

Identification of urolithin a as a metabolite produced by human colon microflora from ellagic acid and related compounds

Dietary ellagic acid and related polyphenols are metabolized in humans to dibenzopyran-6-one derivatives, and the microbial origin of these metabolites has been suggested. However, this has not been demonstrated so far. Fecal samples donated by six volunteers were incubated under anaerobic conditions, and aliquots were used to evaluate the fecal metabolism of ellagic acid, the ellagitannin punicalagin, and an ellagitannin rich extract from walnuts. The isoflavone daidzein was also incubated with the same fecal samples to follow the production of the microbial metabolites previously reported (dihydrogenistein, O-demethylangolensin, and equol) as a positive control of the system and to evaluate similarities between isoflavone and ellagic acid fecal flora metabolism. After fermentation the metabolite "urolithin A" (3,8-dihydroxy-6H-dibenzo[b,d]pyran-6-one) was produced from ellagic acid, punicalagin, and the ellagitannin extract in all the fecal cultures from different volunteers, but with very different production rates and concentrations. This large variability in the concentration of metabolite and kinetics of metabolite production is consistent with the large variability found in the excretion of these metabolites in urine in vivo after human consumption of ellagitannins, and with differences in the composition of the fecal microflora. No correlation between isoflavone and ellagic acid metabolism by fecal microflora was observed. The present study confirms the microbial origin of the recently reported in vivo generated hydroxy-6H-dibenzo[b,d]pyran-6-one derivatives in humans and is a further step in the study of the bioavailability and metabolism of ellagic acid and ellagitannins.     

技术篇：先进适用的技术为现代奶业提供技术保障——Milk to Max——一个提高牛奶质量的方案

影响牛奶质量的因素主要有三个方面。一是奶牛场的环境影响。奶牛场的设计非常关键，尤其是奶牛卧床的设计要合理．这对奶牛的健康有重要的影响。二是挤奶设备的影响。过分挤奶会对奶牛造成伤害。挤奶机的使用方式要合理，在挤奶机挤不出牛奶的时候，奶牛会感到疼痛，而此时给挤奶机加重量的做法是错误的。过度挤奶会造成乳头外翻，如果要想减少乳头外翻现象的出现，就要尽量缩短挤奶时间。乳头外翻也会导致乳房炎的发病率增加，     

Bacterial community analysis of purulent material from liver abscesses of crossbred cattle and Holstein steers fed finishing diets with or without tylosin

Liver abscesses in feedlot cattle are polymicrobial infections. Culture-based studies have identified Fusobacterium necrophorum as the primary causative agent, but a number of other bacterial species are frequently isolated. The incidence of liver abscesses is highly variable and is affected by a number of factors, including cattle type. Holstein steers raised for beef production have a higher incidence than crossbred feedlot cattle. Tylosin is the commonly used antimicrobial feed additive to reduce the incidence of liver abscesses. The objective of this study was to utilize 16S ribosomal RNA amplicon sequence analyses to analyze the bacterial community composition of purulent material of liver abscesses of crossbred cattle (n = 24) and Holstein steers (n = 24), each fed finishing diet with or without tylosin. DNA was extracted and the V3 and V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene were amplified, sequenced, and analyzed. The minimum, mean, and maximum sequence reads per sample were 996, 177,070, and 877,770, respectively, across all the liver abscess samples. Sequence analyses identified 5 phyla, 14 families, 98 genera, and 102 amplicon sequence variants (ASV) in the 4 treatment groups. The dominant phyla identified were Fusobacteria (52% of total reads) and Proteobacteria (33%). Of the top 25 genera identified, 17 genera were Gram negative and 8 were Gram positive. The top 3 genera, which accounted for 75% of the total reads, in the order of abundance, were Fusobacterium, Pseudomonas, and Bacteroides. The relative abundance, expressed as percent of total reads, of phyla, family, and genera did not differ (P > 0.05) between the 4 treatment groups. Generic richness and evenness, determined by Shannon–Weiner and Simpson’s diversity indices, respectively, did not differ between the groups. The UniFrac distance matrices data revealed no clustering of the ASV indicating variance between the samples within each treatment group. Co-occurrence network analysis at the genus level indicated a strong association of Fusobacterium with 15 other genera, and not all of them have been previously isolated from liver abscesses. In conclusion, the culture-independent method identified the bacterial composition of liver abscesses as predominantly Gram negative and Fusobacterium as the dominant genus, followed by Pseudomonas. The bacterial community composition did not differ between crossbred and Holstein steers fed finishing diets with or without tylosin.     

The effect of immunosuppression on protective immunity of turkey poults against infection with turkey coronavirus

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the protective effect of humoral and cellular immunities on turkeys infected with turkey coronavirus (TCV). Two trials were conducted with two separate hatches of turkey poults. Turkey's were experimentally immunosuppressed with cyclosporin A (CsA) or cyclophosphamide (CY) and infected with TCV. Prior to infection, treatment with CsA selectively suppressed T cell activity as revealed by 2-3 fold decreased (p < 0.1) lymphocyte proliferation responses to a T cell mitogen, concanavalin A (Con A). Treatment with CY mainly induced B cell deficiency as indicated by significant reductions (p < 0.05) in antibody responses to sheep erythrocytes 7 days after injection. Body weight gain of turkeys treated with CY was significantly lower (p < 0.05) than that of untreated turkeys at 9 days post-infection (PI). Turkeys treated with CY had 1-2 fold higher immunofluorescent antibody assay (IFA) scores for TCV antigens (p < 0.05) in the intestine than untreated turkeys at 9 or 14 days PI. These results suggested that humoral immunity against TCV infection may be important in turkeys.     

Recreation shapes a “landscape of fear” for a threatened forest bird species in Central Europe

Predators can create a “landscape of fear” that influences the spatial distribution of their prey. Understanding whether human activity similarly affects the distribution of species beyond habitat suitability is crucial but difficult to assess for conservation managers. Here, we assessed the effect of recreation and forestry activity on a threatened forest-dwelling umbrella species, the Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus). We followed the citizen science approach on the landscape scale in the Bohemian Forest. We analyzed species data non-invasively collected through intensive fieldwork by volunteers and assessed human activity in the entire study area by analyzing expert questionnaires. The study area extends over 119,000 ha and harbors one of the largest relict populations of this grouse species in Central European low mountain ranges. Our statistical models revealed a negative impact of recreational activities on the intensity of habitat use of the birds within suitable habitats, thereby pointing toward a landscape of fear. The influence of forestry activity, in contrast, was not clear. In comparison to existing regional tourism impact studies, we were able to elevate the examination to the landscape scale. Our results underlined the relevance of recreation in limiting the species’ habitat on an entire landscape and allow us to conclude that habitat managers should set aside well-defined zones without recreational activities to preserve the refuge of this umbrella species.     

Changes in amino acid levels in bacteria adhering to rumen epithelium in sheep after oral administration of very low doses of mercury

The effect of low concentrations of mercury taken in the diet (4 mg per a head and day) on the amino acid composition in the proteins of rumen bacteria adhering to the dorsal and ventral parts of the rumen was studied in six sheep. Though the mercury did not influence the amino acid concentration in hydrolyzates of epimural bacteria, low-mercury doses caused significant changes of some amino acids, as compared with the control group of animals. The levels of alanine, histidine, threonine, serine and glycine were significantly decreased and at the same time the levels of proline, valine, isoleucine, tyrosine, lysine and phenylalanine were significantly increased. It was stated in our experiment that the levels of histidine, alanine and threonine in hydrolyzates of epimural bacteria of the rumen were significantly decreased both in the sheep given the balanced feed ration with additions of mercury and nitrogen (according to the standard) and in the sheep given a low-nitrogen diet. Similarly, the levels of proline, tyrosine and phenylalanine in the hydrolizates of epimural bacteria in rumen were significantly increased both with the low-nitrogen diet and in the normal -nitrogen diet with mercury supplement. The results suggest that unexplained disorders frequently occurring in the microbial synthesis in the rumen might be caused by long-continued administration of feed contaminated with extremely low concentrations of heavy metals. The problem deserves detailed investigation in future studies, oriented to explaining the biosynthesis disorders in rumen, reducing the production ability of ruminants.     

Immediate Impact of the Flood (Bohemia, August 2002) on Selected Soil Characteristics

In August 2002 extreme floods affected Bohemia a part of the Czech Republic, along Vltava and Labe rivers. After the flood had culminated, soil samples of arable and meadow soil (flooded and control-non-flooded) have been collected in the surroundings of the cities of ?eské Budějovice (CB, South Bohemia, the Vltava river, the upper flood stream) and Ústí nad Labem (UL, the Labe river, the lower flood stream). Different parameters of arable soils have been affected more significantly than those of meadow soils. Soil texture e.g. has been shifted from sandy loam to loam (CB) and clay loam (UL). Organic carbon, total phosphorus and nitrogen contents have been increased as well as the content of some hazardous elements such as arsenic. A shift of soil pH from 6.1 to 4.8 has been noticed in CB and an opposite one from 5.1 to 7.1 was measured in UL. Available phosphorus decreased in CB by 56% while a four-fold increase was measured in UL. Chlorinated organic pesticides level was significantly reduced, but that of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) increased up to the maximum values of legal limits. The UL arable soil also became heavily contaminated by PAH. The CB arable soil demonstrated high microbial activity, while UL arable soil suffered under stress conditions in this respect. The flooded meadow soils became covered with a layer of drifted soil sediment, which retained enhanced content of the PAH's different hazardous elements, and, in addition, the soil aeration was reduced.