Deforestation for oil palm: impact on microbially mediated methane and nitrous oxide emissions,and soil bacterial communities

Oil palm plantations, irreversibly claimed primarily from tropical forest, carpet the landscape in Malaysia and Indonesia, the largest global producers of palm oil. The impact of forest conversion...     

The content of DNA, RNA and total protein in different skeletal muscles, in the diaphragm, in the right and left heart ventricles and in the musculature of the esophagus, the stomach and the urinary bladder of normally developed piglets and splayleg piglets of different body weights]

Studies were conducted into concentrations of RNA, DNA, and total protein in various skeletal muscles, diaphragm, right and left ventricles as well as in musculature of the oesophagus, stomach, and urinary bladder of 25 normally developed piglets and 24 sprayleg piglets of differentiated body weight (B.W.). DNA concentration was found to be at its highest in piglets of lowest B.W. The Protein: DNA-quotient increased along with growing B.W. The average value of this quotient in the anterior tibial muscle and brachial triceps muscle of sprayleg piglets was lower than that in normally developed piglets. Average values of the RNA:DNA quotients in the brachial triceps muscle, anterior section of the long dorsal muscle, left ventricle, and stomach muscles were also lower in sprayleg piglets. In newborn piglets, DNA concentrations in ventricles as well as in the muscles of the stomach and oesophagus were higher than those recordable from skeletal muscles. Causes of incapability of newborn piglets to stand on their own feet are discussed in some detail.     

The content of Hb and the hematocrit value in blood and the total proteins, urea, glucose, free fatty acids, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Pa, Fe, Fe-binding capacity, Cu and Zn in the blood plasma of Warmblood horses during feeding with oat-hay or barley-hay rations over a period of 9 months

4 horses (Group A) received an oat-hay ration, through 9 months running, while 3 horses (Group B) were fed a barley-hay ration over the same period of time. Blood samples were collected and examined in 4-week intervals. All values considered, no differences were found to exist between the 2 groups with regard to Hb and haematocrit in blood as well as to protein, glucose, sodium, potassium, magnesium, iron fixation capacity, copper, and zinc in blood plasma. The urea level in plasma of Group A was higher than that in Group B, values being 5.76 +/- 0.64 mmol/l and 5.14 +/- 0.72 mmol/l. The same applied to free fatty acids, values being 150 +/- 83 mumols/l in Group A and 95 +/- 42 mumols/l in Group B. Calcium was 3.10 +/- 0.27 mmol/l in Group A and 2.92 +/- 0.26 mmol/l in Group B, while the A-B difference in inorganic phosphorus amounted to 1.62 +/- 0.65 against 1.99 +/- 0.77 mmol/l. Group A was inferior to Group B also with regard to iron in plasma, values being 28.6 +/- 2.42 mumols/l against 32.8 +/- 4.62 mumol/l. Causes underlying these differences are discussed in some detail.     

Identification of quantitative Loci for tolerance to barley yellow dwarf virus in oat

ABSTRACT Molecular markers linked to quantitative trait loci conditioning tolerance to barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) were identified in oat (Avena sativa) using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis. Near-isogenic and recombinant inbred lines (NILs and RILs, respectively) derived from a cross of Clintland64 (BYDV-sensitive) and IL86-5698 (BYDV-tolerant) were evaluated for their responses to an Illinois isolate of the PAV strain of BYDV. Individual markers identified in the analysis of the NILs explained up to 35% of the variability seen in the tolerance response. Single-point analysis of the marker data from the RIL population identified 24 markers in three linkage groups that were associated with tolerance to BYDV infection at P /= 3.0. These loci explained about 50% total of the variation in BYDV tolerance in multimarker regression analysis in both years. The BYDV tolerance loci A, C, E, and R were mapped to hexaploid oat restriction fragment length polymorphism linkage groups 2, 8, 36, and 5, respectively, by analyzing the segregation of the AFLP markers in the Kanota x Ogle RIL population.     

The content of Hb in blood and the protein, Fe, Fe-binding capacity, Cu and Zn in blood plasma of low parity sows before and after oral iron administration

In investigations of 51 pregnant sows, blood Hb levels above 7.45 mmol/l (mean value of 8.94 +/- 0.88) were recorded from 43 animals (Group A), while levels below that margin were recorded from eight (Group B) (mean value of 6.73 +/- 0.31). Iron levels in blood plasma of Group A were 36.9 +/- 8.07 and were thus higher (p less than 0.01) than those in Group B (28.9 +/- 5.19 mumol/l). No difference was found to exist between the two groups with regard to iron fixation capacity as well as copper and zinc in blood plasma. Oral uptake of 50, 500 or 2,000 mg of iron in the form of FeSO4.7H2O with cereal shred as morning ration by 17 or 15 sows failed to cause any increase in blood plasma iron levels, within 360 minutes from uptake. Literature data as well as the results of these analyses have supported the recommendation that Hb variations between 4.96 and 9.93 mmol/l (8-16 g/dl) should be rated as physiological in the blood of pregnant sows. The GDR Standard TGL 35,423 on "Monitoring of Metabolism on Pig Breeding and Fattening Units" should be accordingly amended.     

Studies of the presence of enzymes in various tissues of swine. 4. Studies of the Ca-, Mg-, and Na-K-ATPase activities in the homogenate and cell fractions of brain of fetuses and piglets]

Studies were conducted into the activities of calcium, magnesium, and sodium-potassium ATPase as well as into crude protein levels in homogenate and cell fractions of brain of two foetuses, aged 111 days, and of two piglets each, aged two days or nine weeks. The average brain-borne crude protein percentages were 6.55 in the foetuses, 7.25 in the two-day piglets, and 9.60 in the nine-week piglets. Calcium, magnesium, and sodium-potassium ATPase activities, related to one gram of fresh brain mass, were found to go up along with growing age. Highest relative percentages of sodium-potassium ATPase were recordable from homogenate and from the mitochondrial and microsomal fractions of the foetuses. Certain quantitative differences were obtained from using calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium ions to stimulate ATPase in the fractions of cell nuclei, mitochondria, and microsomes. The optimum temperature for magnesium and sodium-potassium ATPase in homogenate and in the mitochondrial fraction of brain was 45 degrees C.