The dose dependence of 15N-incorporation in organ proteins of newborn rats after pulse labeling with different tracers

A short-chain 15N-peptide mixture characterized by an average chain length of 2.3 was obtained when 15N-labeled yeast protein has hydrolyzed enzymatically by thermitase from Thermoactinomyces vulgaris. Fifteen newborn Wistar-rats were given a single pulse of [15N]glycine. [15N]H4Cl and [15N]yeast protein-thermitasehydrolysate (YPTH) in a dosage of 50 mg 15N excess kg-1 by gastric tube. In comparison with [15N]glycine the 15N-incorporation rates of brain, muscle and liver were approximately 150% higher after [15N]YPTH-application. Uniform labeling, high 15N-enrichment, almost complete absorption, avoidance of imbalances and the low price make this tracer substance superior to other tracers conventionally used for organ labeling.     

Detection of dexamethasone in horses

Due to their marked antiinflammatory effect, synthetic corticosteroids are used to mask illness, especially lameness in horses. The detection of these drugs in equine body fluids requires accurate methods, particularly where misuse of corticosteroids is suspected. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is well established as a reliable technique for the identification of drugs in biological fluids. Using GC/MS, we determined dexamethasone levels in horse urine and serum after intravenous application of a therapeutic dose. Dexamethasone was detectable, in serum for up to six hours, and in urine for up to 32 hours, after its administration. These findings indicate that serum measurements are unreliable for the detection of corticosteroid abuse, and demonstrate urine to be a more suitable body fluid for investigation. Nevertheless, it should be emphasized that, regardless of the technique employed, the clinical effects of dexamethasone last longer than 32 hours; thus, failure to detect dexamethasone does not disprove corticosteroid abuse.     

A radiographic stress technique for evaluation of coxofemoral joint laxity in dogs

OBJECTIVE: To develop a radiographic stress technique to quantify hip joint laxity in dogs. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study on client-owned dogs presented for hip dysplasia screening. ANIMAL POPULATION: 302 nonselected dogs (63 breeds). METHODS: Dogs were sedated and placed in dorsal recumbency. During pelvic radiography, the femoral heads were displaced manually in a craniodorsal direction. On these stress radiographs, the degree of lateral displacement of the femoral heads was assessed in terms of a subluxation index (SI) and compared with the degree of femoral head subluxation and the severity of hip dysplasia found on conventional extended hindlimb radiographs. RESULTS: The degree of subluxation on stress radiographs was significantly greater than on conventional radiographs. Correlation between the severity of canine hip dysplasia (CHD), graded according to conventional techniques, and the degree of subluxation, induced by radiographic stress technique, was positive (r = .57; P<.0001). Two critical SI values were noted. Of the dogs with an SI value of 0.3 or less, 99% were classified as CHD grade normal, borderline, or mildly dysplastic. In dogs with an SI value between 0.3 and 0.5, CHD grading ranged from normal to severely dysplastic. Of the dogs with an SI value greater than 0.5, 95% had dysplastic hip joints. CONCLUSIONS: Hip joint laxity cannot be quantified precisely on standard position radiographs. The proposed stress technique yields significantly higher degrees of femoral head subluxation than the standard position.     

Top down preselection using marker assisted estimates of breeding values in dairy cattle

Top down preselection of young bulls before entering progeny testing has been proposed as a practicable form of marker‐assisted selection (MAS), especially in dairy cattle populations with large male paternal half‐sib families. Linkage phase between the superior (Q) and the inferior (q) QTL alleles of heterozygous sires (Qq at the QTL) with informative markers is established within each paternal half‐sib family and may be used for selection among grand‐progeny. If, additionally to sires, bulldams are also genotyped and data from consecutive generations are used, then a marker‐assisted best linear unbiased prediction (MA‐BLUP) model can be employed to connect the information of all generations and families of a top down design, and to select across all families. A customized ‘augmented’ sire model (with sires and dams of sires as random effects) is introduced for this purpose. Adapted formulae for the mixed model equations are given and their equivalence to a corresponding animal model and to a certain variant of previously proposed reduced animal models is shown. The application of the augmented sire model in MA‐BLUP estimation from daughter‐yield deviations and effective daughter contributions is presented.     

In vitro gastrointestinal digestion study of two wheat cultivars and evaluation of xylanase supplementation

Background

The filamentous fungus Talaromyces versatilis is known to improve the metabolizable energy of wheat-based poultry diets thanks to its ability to produce a pool of CAZymes and particularly endo-β(1,4)-xylanases. In order to appreciate their in vivo mode of action, the supplementation effect of two of its xylanases, XynD and XynB from families GH10 and GH11 respectively, have been evaluated on two different wheat cultivars Caphorn and Isengrain, which were chosen amongst 6 varieties for their difference in non starch polysaccharides content and arabinoxylan composition.

Results

Polysaccharides digestion was followed during 6 h along the digestive tract using the TNO gastrointestinal model-1, to mimic monogastric metabolism. Polysaccharide degradation appeared to occur mainly at the jejunal level and was higher with Isengrain than with Caphorn. For both cultivars, XynD and XynB supplementation increased notably the amount of reducing end sugars into the jejuno-ileal dialysates, which has been confirmed by a valuable increase of the soluble glucose into the jejunal dialysates.

Conclusions

The amounts of arabinose and xylose into the dialysates and ileal deliveries increased consequently mainly for Caphorn, suggesting that XynD and XynB supplementation in wheat-based diet could alleviate the anti-nutritional effects of arabinoxylans by limiting the physical entrapment of starch and could increase the available metabolizable energy.     

Microsatellite mapping of powdery mildew resistance allele <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pm5d</Emphasis> from common wheat line IGV1-455

The powdery mildew resistance allele Pm5d in the backcross-derived wheat lines IGV1-455 (CI10904/7*Prins) and IGV1-556 (CI10904/7*Starke) shows a wide spectrum of resistance and virulent pathotypes have not yet been detected in Germany. Although this allele may be distinguished from the other documented Pm5 alleles by employing a differential set of Blumeria graminis tritici isolates, the use of linked molecular markers could enhance selection, especially for gene pyramiding. Pm5d was genetically mapped relative to six microsatellite markers in the distal part of chromosome 7BL using 82 F₃ families of the cross Chinese Spring × IGV1-455. Microsatellite-based deletion line mapping placed Pm5d in the terminal 14% of chromosome 7BL. The closely linked microsatellite markers Xgwm577 and Xwmc581 showed useful variation for distinguishing the different Pm5 alleles except the ones originating from Chinese wheat germplasm. Their use, however, would be limited to particular crosses because they are not functional markers. The occurrence of resistance genes closely linked to the Pm5 locus is discussed. Ghazaleh Nematollahi and Volker Mohler equally contributed to this work.     

Silage yield and quality traits in elite maize hybrids and their relationship to elemental concentrations in juvenile plants

European silage maize is cultivated for animal feed and biogas production. We evaluated 210 factorial crosses of elite dent and flint lines in multilocation trials for agronomic and quality traits together with biomass and shoot concentrations of 10 elements in juvenile plants. Significant genotypic variances, mainly due to general combining ability variance of the dent lines, and high heritabilities were observed for dry matter yield (DMY) and quality traits. DMY was not correlated with quality traits, but methane fermentation yield (MFY) and metabolizable energy content (MEC) showed significant correlations with starch and fibre content. Concentrations of elements N,P,S,K were positively correlated with each other but only in few cases correlated with DMY and quality traits. Parent lines with contrasting P concentrations differed in root morphology traits. Results support DMY as primary trait for selection of silage maize hybrids, but MFY is of negligible importance in breeding for biogas contrary to MEC for animal feed. Neither biomass nor elemental composition of juvenile plants were of predictive value for final DMY or quality traits.     

Pyrite oxidation in a sediment sample of an open-cut brown coal mine: mineral formation,buffering of acidity and modeling of cations and sulfate

Secondary reactions occurring in pyrite‒containing sediments under aerobic conditions are complex and are not fully understood. Objectives were to (i) study the formation of secondary minerals using x‒ray diffraction (XRD) and ion activity product (IAP) calculations; (ii) to obtain a budget of acidity producing and consuming processes; and (iii) to study the performance of a chemical equilibrium model (including kinetic reactions) using sequential batch experiments with varying input solutions on samples of different pyrite oxidation states. A sediment sample from the open pit coal mine Garzweiler, Germany, was oxidised in the laboratory to obtain four different pyrite oxidation states. Sequential batch experiments were carried out using H₂O, 100 mM CaCl₂ and 10 mM NaOH as input solutions. A coupled equilibria model was used to describe the experiments. The model (PHREEQC) included inorganic complexation, redox reactions, precipitation/dissolution of sparingly soluble salts, multiple cation exchange and pyrite oxidation using a simple input function. IAP calculations and XRD showed the formation of large amounts of gypsum with increasing pyrite oxidation and for the highly oxidised sample also the formation of hydroniumjarosite. The budget of acidity consuming processes followed the order (i) release of Fe(III) into the solution phase (51% of produced acidity); (ii) Al release into solution and exchangeable phases (probably mainly due to silicate weathering, 22% of produced acidity); and (iii) CEC reducing processes (11% of produced acidity). Modeling of the sequential equilibration experiments with water and CaCl₂ gave satisfactory agreements between modeled and measured pH and sorption values, indicating that the main processes governing pH and ion sorption were quite well understood. However, model results of the alkaline additions at larger pyrite oxidation states differed considerably from the experimental results.