Interaction between energy level in the diet and environmental temperature on the utilization of energy in growing pigs

Thirty-two pigs weighing approximately 50 kg were maintained in respiration chambers to measure their heat production and the partition of energy retention between protein and fat deposition at two environmental temperatures (23 and 13 C) and with two energy levels in the diet: 3.39 (HE) and 2.92 (LE) Mcal ME/kg. From energy balance data, maintenance requirements (MEm) and the efficiency (k) of energy (ME) utilization for energy deposition were calculated for each treatment. For both diets, MEm averaged 122 kcal ME/kg.75 at 23 C, the rate of increase of MEm being 3.7 kcal ME/kg.75 for each 1 C decrease in the environmental temperature. At 23 C, k was higher with the HE diet (.81 vs .55) and similar for both diets (.78) at 13 C. At comparable ME intakes, heat production was higher with the LE diet at 23 C, and the rate of increase of heat production between 23 and 13 C was lower with the LE diet (1 kcal/kg.75) than with the HE diet (3 kcal/kg.75), resulting in similar heat production at 13 C for both diets. This resulted in an interaction (P less than .01) between temperature and diet on heat production. Protein retention was lower (P less than .01) at 13 C but unaffected by diet at both temperatures. This resulted in an interaction (P less than .01) between temperature and diet on fat retention. Consequently, energy of LE and HE diets was similarly utilized at 13 C, while at 23 C, the HE diet was better utilized. The comparison between these results and those obtained in growth experiments is discussed.     

中国主要纸产品国际竞争力综合评价

文中在分析中国主要纸产品出口贸易现状的基础上,选取国际市场占有率、贸易竞争力指数和显示性比较优势指数测算中国主要纸产品2010-2019年的国际竞争力指数,并采用基于主成分分析的定权方法对纸产品国际市场竞争力进行综合评价。结果表明:主要纸产品国际竞争力较强的芬兰、瑞典和德国位居综合评价前3位,中国主要纸产品综合竞争力经过近10年发展已处于中等偏上水平,仍有改进和提升空间。基于上述研究成果,提出推进人工林速生材高效利用、促进科技创新能力提升和探索"出口转内销"等政策建议。     

Scrapie I. Transmission and Pathogenesis

Homogenized brain, extracts, and residues of brain from normal and scrapie sheep were inoculated into 116 sheep. Of 72 sheep inoculated with scrapie material 27 developed the disease, whereas four of 44 inoculated with `normal' brain material showed symptoms similar to those of scrapie. The scrapie agent survived extraction for 18 hours with diethyl ether followed by water for 24 hours. Similarly the agent survived extraction in a Soxhlet apparatus with 95 per cent ethanol containing 2.0 per cent 4 M HC1 for 24 hours.

There was no evidence of demyelination in sections of brain and spinal cord supporting the view that allergic encephalomyelitis is not responsible for the scrapie symptoms. Liver function, as measured by the bromsulfalein test, remained normal until just before death. These results preclude that liver dysfunction contributes to the disease but do not exclude the possibilities of other metabolic derangements.

     

Reactivity of particulate element concentrations: apportionment assessment of suspended particulate matter sources in the Upper Rhône River,France

Journal of Soils and Sediments - Suspended particulate matter (SPM) transport through rivers is a major vector of nutrients and pollutants to continental shelf areas. To develop efficient sediment...     

Effect of feed restriction on dairy cow milk production: a review

In the dairy cow, negative energy balance affects milk yield and composition as well as animal health. Studying the effects of negative energy balance on dairy cow milk production is thus essential. Feed restriction (FR) experiments attempting to reproduce negative energy balance by reducing the quantity or quality of the diet were conducted in order to better describe the animal physiology changes. The study of FR is also of interest since with climate change issues, cows may be increasingly faced with periods of drought leading to a shortage of forages. The aim of this article is to review the effects of FR during lactation in dairy cows to obtain a better understanding of metabolism changes and how it affects mammary gland activity and milk production and composition. A total of 41 papers studying FR in lactating cows were used to investigate physiological changes induced by these protocols. FR protocols affect the entire animal metabolism as indicated by changes in blood metabolites such as a decrease in glucose concentration and an increase in non-esterified fatty acid or β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations; hormonal regulations such as a decrease in insulin and insulin-like growth factor I or an increase in growth hormone concentrations. These variations indicated a mobilization of body reserve in most studies. FR also affects mammary gland activity through changes in gene expression and could affect mammary cell turnover through cell apoptosis, cell proliferation, and exfoliation of mammary epithelial cells into milk. Because of modifications of the mammary gland and general metabolism, FR decreases milk production and can affect milk composition with decreased lactose and protein concentrations and increased fat concentration. These effects, however, can vary widely depending on the type of restriction, its duration and intensity, or the stage of lactation in which it takes place. Finally, to avoid yield loss and metabolic disorders, it is important to identify reliable biomarkers to monitor energy balance.     

气候变化下三裂叶豚草在新疆的潜在地理分布

明确有害入侵种在区域尺度上的潜在分布及其对气候变化的响应对入侵种的预警和具体防控意义重大。三裂叶豚草是全球公认的恶性入侵杂草,目前已经大面积入侵“一带一路”中亚枢纽—新疆伊犁河谷。为有效防控三裂叶豚草在新疆的扩散蔓延,本研究基于最大熵模型,预测了当前及未来两种气候情景（RCP4.5, RCP8.5）下2050s和2070s时期三裂叶豚草在新疆的潜在分布及变化趋势。结果表明：当前气候下三裂叶豚草在新疆的总适生面积达24.01万km²,约占全疆面积的14%,在RCP4.5情景下,至2050s、2070s时期将分别增至37.36万和39.23万km²;在RCP8.5情景下,将分别增至39.45万和42.94万km²。在未来两种气候情景下,随着时间的推移,潜在适生区总体均呈现向北增加转移的趋势,减少区域主要集中在准噶尔盆地。所有环境因子中,与降水相关的因子总贡献率为40.1%,与温度相关的因子总贡献率56.0%,其中最干月降水（36.2%）、温度季节性变化标准差（29.1%）是对三裂叶豚草分布贡献率较高的环境因子。耕地和建设用地是三裂叶豚草入侵风险最高的区域。建议管理的重点除了放在已预测到的适生区内,还应特别关注农田、草场、道路两侧这些人畜扰动大、水分充足的区域。     

Biochemical comparison of lectins among three different color strains of the red alga Kappaphycus?alvarezii

The red alga Kappaphycus alvarezii is economically important as an edible species and as a source of carrageenan, and has been extensively cultivated in many tropical countries. For this species, different color strains, which differ from each another in growth rate and carrageenan content, have been reported for decades. In this study, lectins from brown, red, and green strains of K. alvarezii cultivated in Vietnam were isolated and characterized for evaluation of their biochemical properties and contents. The results showed that each color strain contained in common the three lectins, named KAA-1, KAA-2, and KAA-3, which shared the hapten-inhibition profile of hemagglutination, 20 N-terminal amino acid sequence, and equivalent molecular mass within a range of 28,016 ± 1.2 to 28,021 ± 1.8 Da, but differed in their yields, with the highest yield of KAA-2. These properties of the three isolectins were also comparable among the three different color strains. However, the sum of the yields of the three isolectins decreased in the order: red (21.4 mg) to green (15.9 mg) to brown strains (15.1 mg), from 500 g fresh alga. Thus, this algal species can be a good source of useful lectins, irrespective of color strain.     

Trypsin enzyme activity during larval development of Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone) fed on live feeds

Larval stages of the Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone) were fed standard live diets of mixed microalgae from the first to the third protozoea (PZ1 to PZ3), followed by Artemia nauplii until post‐larvae 1 (PL1). Trypsin enzyme activity for each larval stage was determined using N‐α‐p‐toluenesulphonyl‐l ‐arginine methyl ester (TAME) as a substrate. Results were expressed as enzyme content to assess ontogenetic changes during larval development. Tissue trypsin content (IU µg^?1 DW for each larval stage) was significantly highest at the PZ1 stage and declined through subsequent stages to PL1. This contrasts with previously observed patterns of trypsin development in Litopenaeus setiferus (Linnaeus) and other penaeid genera, which exhibit a peak in trypsin activity at the third protozoea/first mysis (PZ3/M1) larval stage. Litopenaeus vannamei larvae transferred to a diet of Artemia at the beginning of the second protozoea (PZ2) stage were significantly heavier on reaching the first mysis stage (M1) than those fed algae, while survival was not significantly different between treatments. At both PZ2 and PZ3 stages, trypsin content in larvae feeding on Artemia was significantly lower than in those feeding on algae. The rapid decline in trypsin content from PZ1 and the flexible enzyme response from PZ2 suggest that L. vannamei is physiologically adapted to transfer to a more carnivorous diet during the mid‐protozoeal stages.     

Cost minimization and input substitution in the production of gilthead seabream

Abstract

This paper studies cost minimization decisions by utilizing a simple bioeconomic model for gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata). This model is based on a biological growth model which accounts for the effects of temperature and ration size. Although the implicit production function derived from the growth model is shown to be quasiconcave, it is not homothetic nor quasilinear. Further, technology shows increasing returns with respect to ration size and harvesting time. Optimization decisions are analyzed in two different contexts, a restricted biological setting and an expanded economic problem. It is shown that the optimal ration size increases for the latter context, reaching values commonly accepted in current industrial practice. Even though the elasticity of substitution to the shadow input prices is positive at the optimal ration size, the latter is rather robust to changes in input prices. However, optimal costs show larger sensitivity to the labor price than to the feeding and managerial costs.