Effect of heat stress on oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation and some stress parameters in broilers

1. This study was conducted to determine the effects of heat stress on fearfulness, leucocyte components, oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in two commercial broiler strains, Cobb (C) and Ross (R). 2. At 36 and 37 d of age birds were exposed to 38 +/- 1 degree C for 3 h. Rectal temperatures, duration of tonic immobility (TI), haematocrit values, proportions of leucocyte components (heterophil, lymphocyte, basophil, eosinophil, monocyte), malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations and antioxidant enzyme activities (CAT, SOD, GPx) of all the birds were determined, before and after heat treatment. 3. Rectal temperatures increased and haematocrit values decreased in birds exposed to heat stress. Heat stress caused a significant increase in heterophil/lymphocyte and in basophil ratios. 4. Exposing birds to heat stress increased duration of TI, suggesting heat-stressed birds tended to be more fearful. 5. Heat stress resulted in a significant Genotype x Treatment interaction for MDA concentration. CAT, SOD and GPx activities; MDA concentrations in heat-stressed R strain birds were greater than in heat-stressed C strain birds.     

Response of Mycorrhiza-Inoculated Pepper and Amino Acids to Salt Treatment at Different Ratios

Mycorrhiza has attracted interest as one of the microorganisms that increase a crop’s salt stress tolerance. This study was conducted to determine the impacts of mycorrhiza inoculation and applying salt at different ratios on the yield of peppers and amino acid concentrations. The study was conducted in greenhouse conditions on loamy soils with four salt treatments, two mycorrhiza inoculations and a control in a complete randomized block design. The present study indicated that salt treatment alone was significantly correlated with crop stem and root amino acid concentrations, RWC% and leaf sizes, whereas applying mycorrhiza showed a positive relationship to stem height, stem and root wet weight, and root amino acids but led to a decloine in root serine and glutamine, and stem amino acid and glutamine. In conclusion, inoculating with mycorrhiza was observed to make a positive contribution to salt stress tolerance at different levels in almost all the parameters examined.     

Detection of stapylococcal enterotoxin,methicillin-resistant and Panton–Valentine leukocidin genes in coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from cows and ewes with subclinical mastitis

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) are the most prevalent mastitis pathogens. However, virulence characteristics of CNS have not been well determined. The presence of genes for enterotoxins (sea-sej), toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (tst), the exfoliative toxins (eta, etb), Panton–Valentine leukocidin (pvl) and mecA of CNS species isolated from cows and ewes with subclinical mastitis was investigated in this study. A total of 121 CNS (81 cows, 40 ewes) representing 18 different Staphylococci species were examined by PCR, and 38.1% (33 cows and 13 ewes) of CNS isolates had one or more se genes. The difference between percentages for SE toxin genes of CNS strains isolated from cows (40.7%) and ewes (32.5%) was not statistically significant (P > 0.05; χ ² = 0.380). It was found that S. simulans isolates had the highest prevalent se genes. Furthermore, the most common SE gene types was seh-sej. In this study, none of the isolates harbored the toxic shock syndrome toxin gene (tsst) and the exfoliative toxin genes (eta, etb). Five cow (6.17%) and three ewe CNS (7.5%) isolates had mecA gene. Three cow (3.7%) and two ewe CNS (5.0%) isolates had pvl gene. In conclusion, the present study showed that CNS species isolated from cows and ewes could serve as potential reservoir of se, mecA, and pvl genes.     

Effects of dietary boron and phytase supplementation on growth performance and mineral profile of broiler chickens fed on diets adequate or deficient in calcium and phosphorus

1. Two experiments were designed to determine the effect of dietary boron (B) in broiler chickens. In Experiment 1, a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement of treatments was used to investigate the effect of dietary calcium (Ca) and available phosphorus (aP) (adequate or deficient) and supplemental B (0, 20, 40, and 60 mg/kg diet). In Experiment 2, B, at 20 mg/kg, and phytase (PHY) (500 FTU/kg diet) were incorporated into a basal diet deficient in Ca and aP, either alone or in combination.

2. The parameters that were measured were growth performance indices, serum biochemical activity as well as ash and mineral (i.e. Ca, P, Mg, Fe, Cu and Zn) content of tibia, breast muscle and liver.

3. Results indicated that both supplemental B and dietary Ca and aP had marginal effects on performance indices of chickens grown for 42 d.

4. There were positive correlations (linear effect) between B concentrations of serum, bone, breast muscle and liver and the amount of B consumed.

5. Serum T₃ and T₄ activities increased linearly with higher B supplementation.

6. Increasing supplemental B had significant implications on breast muscle and liver mineral composition. Lowering dietary Ca and aP level increased Cu content in liver and both Fe and Zn retention in breast muscle. Tibia ash content and mineral composition did not respond to dietary modifications with either Ca–aP or B.

7. The results also suggested that dietary contents of Ca and aP do not affect the response to B regarding tissue mineral profile. Dietary combination with B and PHY did not create a synergism with regard to growth performance and bioavailability of the minerals.     

Trace Element Emissions from some Cement Plants in Turkey

The cement industry has been one of the major sources of air pollution in the past and the Turkish Air Quality Protection Regulation has issued limits also to trace elementemissions to minimise the polluting effects of this industrialsector. In the present study, dust samples were obtained isokinetically from 18 main stacks of 10 cement plants locatedin different geographical areas of Turkey. The samples were analysed for trace elements Hg, Cd, Cr, Pb, Ni, Se, Te, TI, V, Sb, Ba, Zn, Co, Sr, Cu, Bi, Mo, Be, and As. The results are presented both as concentration in the dust samples as well as emissions per unit production, and concentration inthe stack gas. The trace element emissions of the main stacksagree to great extent with the values given in the literature. On the other hand, the trace element emissions of the plants considered are well below the limits set in the Turkish Air Quality Protection Regulation.     

基于模糊综合评价法的海洋牧场综合效益测算

聚焦于海洋牧场综合效益的评价,采用组合赋权法和模糊综合评价法从生态、经济、社会三个角度构建海洋牧场综合效益评价指标体系,并以青岛、威海、烟台、东营四市为例进行实证分析。研究表明,提高海洋牧场综合效益的关键在于保持经济与生态的协同发展,与此同时需关注国家级海洋牧场数量、优质渔获比例和劳动力从业结构等重要指标,另外研究发现青岛、威海、烟台、东营四市海洋牧场综合效益均有较大提升空间。在此基础上,从生态效益升级、经济效益发展及社会效益扩大三个维度提出可行的建设方案。     

Relationship between the serum concentrations of serotonin and lipids and aggression in dogs

The serum concentrations of serotonin and lipids--triglycerides, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein, high density lipoprotein and very low density lipoprotein--were determined in 18 normal dogs and 23 dogs diagnosed as aggressive on the basis of interviews with their owners and an assessment of their behaviour with reference to a canine overt aggression chart. The serum serotonin levels in the aggressive dogs were significantly lower than in the normal dogs (P<0.01), but the differences in serum lipids between the two groups were not statistically significant.     

Progress of Study on Oriented Growth of Carbon Nanotubes

Owing to unique structure and characteristics of carbon nanotubes, much more are attracted attentions since they were discovered. In recent years, carbon nanotubes have been successfully synthesized by various methods. Especially, highly aligned carbon nanotubes were grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and the oriented growth of carbon nanotubes became realized, resulting in many applications of carbon nanotubes and researches on them. In the work, the methods and mechanisms of orientation growth of carbon nanotubes were reviewed, and it was analyzed and discussed that different methods influenced on the process of growing carbon nanotubes. Simultaneously, it was emphatically analyzed that catalyst particles affected on orientation growth of carbon nanotubes during their growth.     

Hepatoprotective and TNF-α inhibitory activity of Zosima absinthifolia extracts and coumarins

Zosima absinthifolia (ZA) extracts and the coumarins (+)-columbianadin and (-)-deltoin were evaluated for their potential hepatoprotective and antiinflamatory effects in a CCl(4)-induced hepatotoxicity assay in rats and by the inhibition of TNF-α production on LPS-stimulated THP-1 macrophages, respectively. Both the ZA extracts and the coumarins showed hepatoprotective activity confirmed by monitoring the ALT/AST levels and by histopathological examination. The antiinflamatory activity, proved by the inhibition of TNF-α production, was found to be higher for the n-hexane root extract than for coumarins, suggesting synergic potential of the extract. The concentration of (-)-deltoin and (+)-columbianadin in extracts was determined by HPLC analysis.     

Sources of winter hardiness in wild lentil

Summary In high altitude areas (> c. 850 m elevation) in west Asia and north Africa, lentil (Lens culinaris) is grown as a spring crop to avoid severe winter cold. But late fall-sown lentil with winter hardiness has higher yield potential in these areas. In this study a total of 245 accessions of wild lentil, 10 of cultivated lentil and three accessions of Vicia montbretii (syn. L. montbretii) were evaluated for winter hardiness in Syria and Turkey during the 1991/92 season. The absolute minimum temperatures were-16°C in Syria and-18.9°C in Turkey and the susceptible indicators were killed at both locations showing that the cold was sufficient for screening. Although winter hardiness was assessed as percentage of survived plants in Syria and as a visual damage rating on a 1–9 scale in Turkey, there was agreement between the winter hardiness ratings with a correlation of r=–0.56, P<0.001. Accessions of L. culinaris ssp. orientalis exhibited the highest level of winter hardiness, on average; whereas accessions of L. nigricans ssp. ervoides were the most susceptible. Correlations revealed that winter hardiness was concentrated among accessions originating from high elevation areas.