Myofibrillar proteolysis in chick muscle cell cultures during heat stress

The effect of heat stress on protein oxidation and myofibrillar proteolysis in chick myotubes was investigated. Myotubes were incubated at 37 or 41°C for 6 and 24 h. Protein carbonyl content, as an index of protein oxidation, increased more at 41°C than at 37°C for 6 and 24 h incubations. N^τ‐methylhistidine release as an index of myofibrillar proteolysis also increased more at 41°C than at 37°C for 6 and 24 h incubations. Proteasome activity also increased more under those same conditions. Calpain and cathepsin D but not B + L activities showed a greater increase at 41°C than at 37°C for 24 but not the 6 h incubation. These results indicate that heat stress increases protein oxidation and proteasome activity, resulting in an increase in myofibrillar proteolysis for short‐term incubation and, for long‐term incubation, it increases calpain, proteasome and cathepsin D activities, finally accelerating myofibrillar proteolysis in chick myotubes.     

Effects of three short-term pasture allocation methods on milk production,methane emission and grazing behaviour by dairy cows

Two short-term grazing experiments were conducted with Norwegian Red cows. In Exp 1, 24 cows were randomly assigned to one of the following three pasture allocation methods (PAM): weekly pasture allowance (7RG), grazing 1/7 of 7RG each day (1SG), or grazing as 1SG but had access to grazed part of the paddock within one week (1FG). In Exp 2, 7RG was shortened to 5 days (5RG). We hypothesized that PAM will affect sward quality, quantity, intake and production differently. Pasture chemical composition changed with advancing grazing days but were not different between treatments. Pasture intake, milk yield, and methane emission were not affected by PAM. In Exp 1, 7RG cows spent less time on grazing, whereas in Exp 2, 1FG cows spent longer on grazing than others. Patterns observed in sward quality, and behavioural and physiological adaptations of cows to short-term changes in nutrient supply may explain the observed effects.     

Plantago ovata in broiler chicken nutrition: Performance,carcass criteria,intestinal morphology,immunity, and intestinal bacterial population

In this experiment, the effect of dietary Plantago ovata (PO) on performance, carcass criteria, intestinal morphology, immunity, and intestinal bacterial population of broiler chickens was evaluated. A total of 250 one‐day‐old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to five treatments containing 0, 5, 10, 15, or 20 g/kg of PO with five replicate pens and 10 birds in each replicate. Dietary PO increased body weight gain and decreased feed conversion ratio in the finisher period, improving the performance index (p < .05). Dietary treatments had no effects on carcass criteria, but breast meat percentage showed an increasing trend with incremental levels of PO in the diet (p = .069). The length of small intestine, especially jejunum section, as well as the villus height, villus width, villus area, and goblet cell numbers were significantly increased with supplemental PO (p < .05). Humoral and cellular immunity parameters, and oxidation stability of meat were improved due to use of dietary PO (p < .05). Dietary PO decreased the CFU of Escherichia coli, whereas the Lactobacilli population was increased (p = .001). Broken‐line regression revealed that dietary PO at the rate of 10 g/kg may results in the best performance in broiler chickens. This study showed that PO at the level of 10 g/kg could be considered as a beneficial feed additive in broiler diet.     

More evidence that anaerobic oxidation of methane is prevalent in soils: Is it time to upgrade our biogeochemical models?

Estimating future fluxes of CH₄ between land and atmosphere requires well-conceived process-based biogeochemical models. Current models do not represent the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) in land surface soils, in spite of increasing evidence that this process is widespread. Our objective was to determine whether AOM, or potential AOM, commonly occurs in 20 hydromorphic soils spanning a wide range of chemical properties. Bulk soil samples were collected under shallow water near the shoreline of 15 recently drained fish ponds in southern Bohemia (Czech Republic), as well as from below the water table at 3 peatland locations in northeast Scotland and 2 acid sulfate soils on the southern coast of Finland. Each soil slurry was incubated under both oxic and anoxic conditions, with or without the addition of alternative electron acceptors (SO₄²⁻ and NO₃⁻) or H₂PO₄⁻. Here, “oxic” and “anoxic” conditions refer to anoxic soil respectively incubated in a headspace containing air or argon. Using the isotope dilution method, we determined the gross production and oxidation rates of CH₄ after 2 days incubation under oxic headspace conditions, and after 2, 21 and 60 days incubation under anoxic conditions. Large differences in net CH₄ fluxes were observed between soil types and between incubation conditions. AOM was detected in each of the 20 bulk soil samples, which spanned >6 pH units and 2 orders of magnitude in organic C content. Significant positive relationships were found between AOM and gross CH₄ production rates under anoxic conditions, resulting in AOM rates that were sometimes higher than CH₄ oxidation rates under oxic headspace conditions. There was no relationship between net and gross CH₄ production rates, such that 2 soil types could display similar low net rates, yet conceal very large differences in gross rates. The effects of alternative electron acceptors on AOM were idiosyncratic and resulted in no net trend. We did find, however, a negative effect of SO₄²⁻ and H₂PO₄⁻ on gross CH₄ production rates under anoxic and oxic conditions respectively. Under oxic headspace conditions, CH₄ oxidation was related to soil organic C content. Taken collectively, our results suggest that AOM, or potential AOM, is prevalent over a wide range of soil types, that AOM may contribute substantially to CH₄ oxidation in soils, and that AOM in soils should be integrated to current process-based CH₄ cycling models.     

Black carbon estimation in French calcareous soils using chemo‐thermal oxidation method

We studied the black carbon (BC) content of ca. 405 samples from French topsoil and artificial soil and carbonate mixtures. Our protocol involved three main steps: (i) decarbonation by HCl, (ii) elimination of non‐pyrogenic organic carbon in a furnace at 375 °C, and (iii) quantification of residual carbon by CHN analysis. BC content increased for calcareous soils according to their carbonates content. Subsequent analyses confirmed the existence of a methodological artefact for BC determination only in calcareous soils. Decarbonation changes the thermal properties of organic matter, creating more recalcitrant carbon than in the initial sample. Higher CaCO₃ and organic carbon content results in a more pronounced artefact. The reversal of the first two steps of the chemo‐thermal oxidation method (i.e. thermal oxidation before soil decarbonation) eliminates this artefact. Overall, our results suggest that BC content may have been overestimated in a large number of studies on calcareous soils.     

Contributions of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria to nitrification in Oregon forest soils

Ammonia oxidation, the first step of nitrification, is mediated by both ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB); however, the relative contributions of AOA and AOB to soil nitrification are not well understood. In this study we used 1-octyne to discriminate between AOA- and AOB-supported nitrification determined both in soil-water slurries and in unsaturated whole soil at field moisture. Soils were collected from stands of red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii Mirb. Franco) at three sites (Cascade Head, the H.J. Andrews, and McDonald Forest) on acidic soils (pH 3.9–5.7) in Oregon, USA. The abundances of AOA and AOB were measured using quantitative PCR by targeting the amoA gene, which encodes subunit A of ammonia monooxygenase. Total and AOA-specific (octyne-resistant) nitrification activities in soil slurries were significantly higher at Cascade Head (the most acidic soils, pH < 5) than at either the H.J. Andrews or McDonald Forest, and greater in red alder compared with Douglas-fir soils. The fraction of octyne-resistant nitrification varied among sites (21–74%) and was highest at Cascade Head than at the other two locations. Net nitrification rates of whole soil without NH₄⁺ amendment ranged from 0.4 to 3.3 mg N kg⁻¹ soil d⁻¹. Overall, net nitrification rates of whole soil were stimulated 2- to 8-fold by addition of 140 mg NH₄⁺-N kg⁻¹ soil; this was significant for red alder at Cascade Head and the H.J. Andrews. Red alder at Cascade Head was unique in that the majority of NH₄⁺-stimulated nitrifying activity was octyne-resistant (73%). At all other sites, NH₄⁺-stimulated nitrification was octyne-sensitive (68–90%). The octyne-sensitive activity—presumably AOB—was affected more by soil pH whereas the octyne-resistant (AOA) activity was more strongly related to N availability.     

绿色环保型循环冷却水处理技术

分析了当前绿色环保的循环冷却水的处理工艺、现状、机理和应用情况，指出了绿色环保型循环冷却水的重要性，以期引起业内的重视并提供参考。     

微波辐射法竹浆纤维素的中性TEMPO氧化及表征

采用微波辐射法和中性2,2,6,6-四甲基哌啶-1-氧化物(TEMPO)自由基氧化工艺来预处理竹浆纤维素,之后用超声波机械处理制备微纤化纤维素。实验结果表明,在60℃下,TEMPO用量为0.15 mmol/g(以绝干浆计,下同),Na Cl O2用量为10 mmol/g,Na Cl O用量为1 mmol/g,微波氧化2 h,其羧基含量最高到达0.729 mmol/g,氧化效果最佳,超声波处理后微纤化纤维素得率高达85.7%。FT-IR分析表明纤维素氧化后引入羧基官能团;XRD结果揭示纤维素氧化反应只发生在纤维素的无定型区或结晶区表面;纤维素氧化前后的聚合度(Dp)结果表明相对于碱性氧化,微波辐射和中性TEMPO氧化对纤维的降解程度低,从而有效地保持了纤维素原本的长度。     

Practical use of response surface methodology for optimization of veterinary antibiotic removal using UV/H2O2 process

Three of the most commonly used veterinary antibiotics—enrofloxacin (ENR), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), and oxytetracycline (OTC)—were chosen as representative antibiotics for UV/H₂O₂ treatments. The objective was to determine the optimization of UV/H₂O₂ to remove antibiotics from aquaculture discharge water using response surface methodology. The degradation of the antibiotics was investigated under varying UV/H₂O₂ conditions in environments with different levels of pH, water matrices, humic acid, and constituent ions. The degradation results demonstrated that increasing the H₂O₂ dosage facilitated ENR degradation at a neutral pH while facilitating degradation of SMX and OTC at a slightly acidic pH. The optimum removal conditions for ENR, which was used in all influential effect experiments and the contact tank experiments, was obtained at 10 mM H₂O₂, a pretreated COD of 87.51 mg L⁻¹, and an initial pH of 6.15. Among the tested anions, only the presence of Cl^- showed slight positive effects on ENR degradation, due to the generation of secondary active radicals. During the reaction, the hydroxyl radical (OH) was present at a higher pH while singlet oxygen (¹O₂) was slightly present at a lower pH. The experimental results from H₂O₂ sequential addition indicated that freshly added H₂O₂ could quench the recently generated OH and therefore a high H₂O₂ concentration with frequent adding was not necessary. Our contact system reduced the ENR concentration in both the effluent reservoir and in the UV irradiation zone. The overall results supported the use of the UV/H₂O₂ system to treat remnant antibiotics in the discharge water.     

白洋淀湖心岛分散式鸭养殖污染控制技术研究

白洋淀分散鸭养殖产生的污染物是导致其水体污染的主要来源之一。依据“减量化、就地处置资源化、养分循环”思路,提出湖心岛分散鸭养殖污染控制模式,主要包括：鸭粪收集系统（收集网、径流和冲洗水收集沟）、鸭粪沼气发酵与利用系统、沼液湿地净化和沼渣利用系统。选择安新县安新镇王家寨村占地5 000 m2养殖1 500只鸭的湖心岛建立综合控制示范工程。2010年4~11月,示范工程在典型降雨日和非降雨日排水的COD、总氮、总磷分别为351 mg/L、74.2 mg/L、7.1 mg/L和214 mg/L、42.1 mg/L、5.3 mg/L,水质符合《畜禽养殖业污染物排放标准》（GB 18596-2001）；这是由于源头收集系统收集了陆上活动区40%的鸭粪,同时末端处理系统（沉淀池+人工湿地）对养鸭废水污染物的高效削减。沼气池产生的沼气和剩余的沼液沼渣可以作为能源和肥料加以利用。本文集成湖心岛分散鸭养殖污染控制模式简便、适用,具有推广价值。