Maternal backfat depth in gestating sows has a greater influence on offspring growth and carcass lean yield than maternal feed allocation during gestation

A commercial pig spends nearly half of its life in utero and its nutrition during this time can influence birth weight and postnatal growth. We hypothesised that postnatal growth is increased in pigs raised by sows with a high backfat depth and high level of energy intake during gestation compared with sows with a low backfat depth and low level of energy intake during gestation. This was tested in a 2×3 factorial design experiment with 2 factors for gilt backfat depth (Thin and Fat) and 3 factors for gestation feed allowance (Restricted, Control and High). Between d 25 and d 90 of gestation, Thin gilts (n=68; 12±0.6 mm P2 backfat) and Fat gilts (n=72; 19±0.6 mm P2 backfat) were randomly allocated, as individuals, to a gestation diet (6.19 g/kg lysine, 13.0 MJ DE/kg) at the following feed allowances: 1.8 kg/day (Restricted); 2.5 kg/day (Control) and 3.5 kg/day (High). For the remainder of gestation and during lactation all gilts were treated similarly. At weaning (day 28), 155 piglets were sacrificed and 272 were individually housed and followed through to slaughter (day 158). At day 80 of gestation, fasted Thin Restricted gilts had lower serum IGF-1 concentrations than Thin High or Thin Control fed gilts (P<0.001). Pigs born from Fat gilts had greater backfat depths (P<0.05), a lower lean meat yield (P<0.05) and were heavier (P<0.05) at slaughter than pigs born from Thin gilts. Gilt gestation feed allowance had only transitory effects on average daily gain and feed conversion efficiency and had no effect on pig weight at slaughter (P>0.05) or lean meat yield (P>0.05). In conclusion, gilts with a backfat depth of ~19 mm at insemination produced pigs that were heavier and fatter at ~158 days of age than those born from gilts with ~12 mm backfat depth at insemination. Maternal body condition during gestation had a more predominant influence on growth parameters of the offspring, such as weight at slaughter and backfat depth, than did feed level during gestation.     

Role of social status and social environment on net survival in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: A high-resolution population-based study

BackgroundThe prognostic roles of social status and social environment in chronic lymphocytic leukemia have been highlighted in some solid tumors but remain unclear in hematological malignancies. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of individual social status (with socioprofessional category, SPC) and social environment (with European deprivation index, EDI) on net survival in a high-resolution population with CLL.MethodsWe included CLL patients from the Regional Register of Hematological Malignancies in Normandy belonging to the French Network of Cancer Registries (Francim). The SPC variable was divided into 5 categories: farmers, craftsmen, higher employment, intermediate employment, and workers/employees.Net survival was used to estimate the excess of mortality in CLL independent of other possible causes of death using French life tables. Net survival was estimated with a nonparametric method (Pohar-Perme) and with a flexible excess mortality hazard model. Missing data were handled with multiple imputation.ResultsA total of 780 patients were included. The median follow-up was 7.9 years. The crude survival at 10 years was 50%, and the net survival at 10 years was 80%. In multivariate analysis, a higher age (EHR: 1.04 [1.01–1.07]), being a craftsman (EHR_{craftsmen/higher.employment}: 4.15 [0.86–20.15]), being a worker or an employee (EHR_{workers.employees/higher.employment}: 3.57 [1.19–10.7]), having a Binet staging of B or C (EHR: 3.43 [1.84–6.42]) and having a lymphocyte count > 15 G/L (EHR: 3.80 [2.17–6.65]) were statistically associated with a higher risk of excess mortality. EDI was not associated with excess mortality (EHR: 0.97 [0.90–1.04]).ConclusionSocioprofessional category was a prognostic factor for an excess of mortality in CLL. Craftsmen and workers/employees shared a worse prognosis than workers with higher employment. The social environment was not a prognostic factor. Further work should be performed to explore causal epidemiologic or biological factors and other hematological malignancies.     

Long-term effects of maternal cortisol exposure and mild hyperthermia during embryogeny on survival, growth and morphological anomalies in farmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar offspring

With the objective of elucidating potential effects of prenatal stress on ontogeny of the progeny, a long-term experiment was designed where mature farmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar females were cortisol-administered 6 days prior to stripping and additionally, fertilized eggs were exposed to mild hyperthermia during incubation. This study is a supplement to a previous paper and demonstrates that maternal cortisol increment caused several durable impacts on offspring survival, growth and morphological abnormalities, and that the most distinct effects were observed in offspring exposed to both augmented prenatal cortisol levels and a subsequent episode of early thermal stress. Moreover, offspring displaying anomalous morphology had reduced fork length and body mass compared to their normal counterparts.     

The use of crossbreeding with beef bulls in dairy herds: effects on calving difficulty and gestation length

This study was designed to analyse the evolution in the use of beef bull semen for dairy cattle insemination and, mainly, to assess calving difficulty, gestation length and proportion of stillbirths after breeding pure Holsteins or crossbreeding. Data were collected during 2004 to 2011 for 552 571 Holstein calvings (457 070 Holstein × Holstein, 43 384 Holstein × Limousine, 32 174 Holstein × Belgian Blue and 19 943 Holstein × Galician Blonde). The highest calving difficulty, compared with pure Holsteins was for crosses with Belgian Blue followed by Limousine and Galician Blonde. The Holstein × Limousine and Holstein × Galician Blonde crossbred calves had significantly longer gestation lengths than Holstein × Holstein and Holstein × Belgian Blue calves. Between the latter two, pure Holstein had the shortest gestation length. Calving difficulty and gestation length decreased as the age of the dam advanced. The most difficult calvings were observed in twin calvings, followed by the calvings of male calves and female calves. The gestations leading to the birth of male calves were longer than those leading to female calves and twin calves. Stillbirths were not related to the breed used for mating. Through examining these parameters, sire breed should be considered when selecting a beef breed for the insemination of milk-producing dams.     

Prespawning stress in farmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar: maternal cortisol exposure and hyperthermia during embryonic development affect offspring survival, growth and incidence of malformations

In the current study, mature female Atlantic salmon Salmo salar were given intraperitoneal cortisol implants with the purpose of elucidating potentially detrimental effects on offspring survival, growth, morphological development and also the ability of prenatally stressed offspring to cope with an environmental stressor, typified by a period of mild hyperthermia. Augmented levels of maternal cortisol inflicted a range of progeny somatic parameters, as reflected in increased mortality, reduced fork length and mass, diminished yolk-sac volume, decelerated yolk-sac utilization and, to some extent, enhanced prevalence of morphological malformations. The most pronounced consequences on offspring performance were demonstrated in specimens exposed to both enhanced prenatal cortisol and a subsequent episode of hyperthermia. This accentuates the importance of knowledge on how the maternal endocrinological state during gametogenesis may impinge on offspring characters in farmed Atlantic salmon, and further substantiates the necessity of incorporating maternal effects when evaluating rearing conditions and animal welfare in commercial aquaculture.     

气候变暖可能对东北三省农业生态环境的影响及其对策

随着未来气候变暖,我国东北三省农业生态环境可能发生较大的变化,其变化趋势为,热量条件变好,作物生育期延长,冷害频率降低,积雪期缩短,湿润条件变差,干旱频率增大,蒸发量增加。未来气候变暖,若平均气温升高2℃,那时东北三省粮食产量可增加36%左右,农业地带将大幅度地向北推移,并且提出相应的农业对策。     

Influence of in vitro growth conditions on photosynthetic competence and survival rate of Rehmannia glutinosa plantlets during acclimatization period

The photosynthetic responses of Rehmannia glutinosa grown under photoautotrophic or heterotrophic conditions in vitro were investigated after transfer to greenhouse conditions. In addition, the changes in carbohydrate content and survival rates of the plantlets were evaluated. During six days after transplantation, the photosynthetic rate declined and photoinhibitory impairments represented by decrease of Fv/Fm and chlorophyll content were observed regardless of environmental conditions in vitro. Excessive transpiration was observed in plantlets grown under heterotrophic conditions during that period. Fructose and glucose content of the plantlets grown under photoautotrophic conditions increased with time and reached almost the same level of field grown plants after day 15. Under heterotrophic conditions, in contrast, the content of these sugars decreased continuously during that period. It is suggested that high survival rate of plantlets grown under photoautotrophic conditions has to be attributed to improvement of photosynthetic competence by imposed high light intensity and CO₂ concentration in vitro. The results strongly suggest that the control of transpiration during early stage after transplantation plays a key role in the acclimatization process, and photoautotrophic conditions could be a solution to solve the problems associated with transplantation stress. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Survival of Escherichia coli in the environment: fundamental and public health aspects

In this review, our current understanding of the species Escherichia coli and its persistence in the open environment is examined. E. coli consists of six different subgroups, which are separable by genomic analyses. Strains within each subgroup occupy various ecological niches, and can be broadly characterized by either commensalistic or different pathogenic behaviour. In relevant cases, genomic islands can be pinpointed that underpin the behaviour. Thus, genomic islands of, on the one hand, broad environmental significance, and, on the other hand, virulence, are highlighted in the context of E. coli survival in its niches. A focus is further placed on experimental studies on the survival of the different types of E. coli in soil, manure and water. Overall, the data suggest that E. coli can persist, for varying periods of time, in such terrestrial and aquatic habitats. In particular, the considerable persistence of the pathogenic E. coli O157:H7 is of importance, as its acid tolerance may be expected to confer a fitness asset in the more acidic environments. In this context, the extent to which E. coli interacts with its human/animal host and the organism''s survivability in natural environments are compared. In addition, the effect of the diversity and community structure of the indigenous microbiota on the fate of invading E. coli populations in the open environment is discussed. Such a relationship is of importance to our knowledge of both public and environmental health.     

Interactions between infant growth and survival: Evidence for selection on age-specific body weight in captive common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus)

The objective of this study is to investigate factors influencing infant survival in captive common marmosets. We investigated the influence of age-specific weight, litter size, caging, and the presence of helpers on survival to 6 months of age in 189 Callithrix jacchus infants. Infant survival was analyzed using Cox Proportional Hazards regression, and fitness functions were plotted to explore the relationship between survival and growth. Results indicate that weights at birth and 120 days significantly affect future survival probability. Litter size significantly influences survival prior to 60 days of age with larger litters having poorer survival. Males and females did not have significantly different survival and the presence of helpers in the group did not influence survival probability. Patterns of survival with respect to age-specific weights suggest stabilizing selection on birth weight and directional selection on weight at 120 days of age. Am. J. Primatol. 42:269–280, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Influence of lighting environment on social preferences in sticklebacks from two different photic habitats.I.mate preferences of wild-caught females

Ultraviolet (UV) A signals (320–400 nm) are important in mate choice in numerous species. The sensitivity for UV signals is not only assumed to be costly, but also expected to be a function of the prevailing ecological conditions. Generally, those signals are favored by selection that efficiently reach the receiver. A decisive factor for color signaling is the lighting environment, especially in aquatic habitats, as the visibility of signals, and thus costs and benefits, are instantaneously influenced by it. Although ecological aspects of color signal evolution are relatively well-studied, there is little data on specific effects of environmental UV-light conditions on signaling at these shorter wavelengths. We studied wild-caught gravid female 3-spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus of 2 photic habitat types (tea-stained and clear-water lakes), possessing great variation in their UV transmission. In 2 treatments, tea-stained and clear-water, preferences for males viewed under UV-present (UV+) and UV-absent (UV–) conditions were tested. A preference for males under UV+ conditions was found for females from both habitat types, thus stressing the significance of UV signals in stickleback’s mate choice decisions. However, females from both habitat types showed the most pronounced preferences for males under UV+ conditions under clear-water test conditions. Moreover, reflectance measurements revealed that the carotenoid-based orange-red breeding coloration in wild-caught males of both habitat types differed significantly in color intensity (higher in clear-water males) and hue (more red shifted in clear-water males) while no significant differences in UV coloration were found. The differential reflection patterns in longer wavelengths suggest that sticklebacks of both habitat types have adapted to the respective water conditions. Adaptations of UV signals in a sexual context to ambient light conditions in both behavior and coloration seem less evident.     

Influence of ambient temperature on maternal thermoregulation and neonate phenotypes in a viviparous lizard, Eremias multiocellata, during the gestation period

To assess the potential gestational effects on post-hatching morphology, locomotor performance, and early growth rate, we maintained gravid Eremias multiocellata under four constant treatment temperatures (25, 29, 31, and 35 °C). Ambient temperature had significant effects on some morphometric traits of offspring, including tail length, head size, forelimb length and hindlimb length, but not on body mass or snout-vent length. The data of females' body temperature indirectly support the maternal manipulation hypothesis. Juvenile E. multiocellata had better locomotor performance and faster early growth rate at 29 °C than at the other three treatment temperatures (25, 31, and 35 °C). Our results suggest that gestation temperature may be optimized at 29 °C for E. multiocellata from Tianzhu, Gansu Province, China.     

Impact of universal health care and screening on incidence and survival of Thai women with cervical cancer: A population-based study of the Chiang Mai Province

Universal Health Coverage (UHC) was implemented in Thailand in 2002. This study aims to compare cervical cancer incidence and survival before and after the implementation of UHC, including the national screening program, in the Chiang Mai population in Northern Thailand. Data of women diagnosed with in situ or malignant cervical cancer in Chiang Mai during 1998–2012 were used in our analysis. Annual age-standardized incidence rates (ASR) and age-adjusted relative survival (RS) were estimated for the following three diagnosis periods: period I: 1998–2002 (before UHC), period II: 2003–2007 (UHC implementation) and period III: 2008–2012 (after UHC). The ASR peaked in 2001 at 38 per 100,000, and then subsequently declined to 23 per 100,000 in 2012. The proportion of in situ and localized tumors increased in all age groups, while regional tumors declined. In all women (aged 15–89) with malignant cervical cancer or in situ, the 5-year RS in Period I, Period II and Period III was 73%, 74% and 77%, respectively; when only malignant cases were considered, the RS was 63%, 61% and 62%, respectively. In the screening target women (aged 30–59) with malignant or in situ tumors, the 5-year RS was 84%, 88% and 90%, respectively, in the three periods, while the RS was 71%, 74% and 75%, respectively, in only those with malignant cancers. The introduction of UHC including national cervical cancer screening program has likely reduced the magnitude and severity of cervical cancer and improved the survival of cervical cancer in the screening target age group.     

Influence of lowered salinity and elevated cadmium on the survival and metamorphosis of trochophores in Capitella sp. I

Abstract. It is well known that the competent larvae of many marine invertebrate species can be stimulated to metamorphose by exposing them to elevated concentrations of certain ions, neuroactive substances, and pharmacological agents. In this study we report that larvae of the euryhaline polychaete Capitella sp. I are induced to metamorphose within 24–48 h by reducing salinity from 30%‰ to 12–15%‰. At 10%‰, however, fewer larvae metamorphosed and the normal metamorphic response to sediment was inhibited; competence was restored within 3 h of transferring the larvae back to full strength seawater (30%‰). Larvae also metamorphosed within 24 h in response to increased external cadmium concentrations of 1000–2000 μg 1^–1. Further understanding of how reduced salinity and elevated cadmium stimulate (or inhibit) metamorphosis may lead to a better understanding of signal perception and transduction in this and other species.     

Note on the survival of algal resting cells during long-term maintenance in darkness and minimum lake bottom temperature. Comparison of Anabaena (cyanobacteria) and Haematococcus (volvocales)

Resting cell formation in algae and cyanobacteria is one of the strategies developed for withstanding adverse environmental conditions. This note informs about the different capacities of such resting cells to germinate after long-term dark preservation at 4 °C in Anabaena variabilis (Cyanobacteria, Cyanophyta) and Haematococcus lacustris (Chlorophyta, Volvocales).     

Grazing in a porous environment: 1. The effect of soil pore structure on C and N mineralization

The porous soil environment constrains grazing of microorganisms by microbivorous nematodes. In particular, at matric potentials at which water-filled pore spaces have capillary diameters less than nematode body diameters the effect of grazing, e.g. enhanced mineralization, should be reduced ('exclusion hypothesis') because nematodes cannot access their microbial forage. We examined C and N mineralization, microbial biomass C (by fumigation-extraction), the metabolic quotient (C mineralization per unit biomass C), nematode abundance, and soil water content in intact soil cores from an old field as a function of soil matric potential (−3 to −50 kPa). We expected, in accordance with the exclusion hypothesis, that nematode abundance, N and C mineralization would be reduced as matric potential decreased, i.e. as soils became drier. N mineralization was significantly greater than zero for −3 kPa but not for −10, −20 and −50 kPa. Microbial biomass C was less at −50 kPa than at −10 kPa, but not significantly different from biomass C at −3 and −20 kPa. The metabolic quotient was greatest at −50 kPa than any of the other matric potentials. From the exclusion hypothesis we expected significantly fewer nematodes to be present at −50 and −20 kPa representing water-filled capillary pore sizes less than 6 and 15 μm, respectively, than at −3 and −10 kPa. Microbivorous (fungivorous+bacterivorous) nematode abundance per unit mass of soil was not significantly different among matric potentials. Body diameters of nematodes ranged from 9 μm to 40 μm. We discuss several alternatives to the exclusion hypothesis, such as the 'enclosure hypothesis' which states that nematodes may become trapped in large water-filled pore spaces even when capillary pore diameters (as computed from matric potential) are smaller than body diameters. One of the expected outcomes of grazing in enclosures is the acceleration of nutrient cycling. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Recombinant and wild-type Pseudomonas aureofaciens strains in soil: survival, respiratory activity and effects on nodulation of whitebean Phaseolus vulgaris L. by Rhizobiutn species

Survival and respiratory activity of a genetically engineered Pseudomonas aureofaciens Ps3732RNL11 were compared to the parental wild-type P. aureofaciens Ps3732RN in loam and sandy loam soils over 17- and 28-day periods. Survival and respiratory activity of P. aureofaciens Ps3732RNL11 was not statistically significantly different from that of P. aureofaciens Ps3732RN. Soil texture had an effect on respiratory activity; carbon dioxide evolution was significantly higher in the sandy loam soil. This effect was observed on days 2, 10 and 18 but not on day 24. The presence of P. aureofaciens Ps3732RNL11 and Ps3732RN did not significantly affect growth of whitebean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in vermiculite, loam, or sandy loam soils. There was no significant difference (95% level) in numbers of nodules produced in the presence of P. aureofaciens Ps3732RNL11 and Ps3732RN as a result of the symbiotic relationship between Rhizobium phaseoli and the whitebean roots in vermiculite. Enumeration of nodules on whitebean roots in loam and sandy loam soils was not conducted due to difficulties in removing intact roots from the soils.     

A study on body temperature regulation and residential thermal environments of the elderly—I. whole country survey of residential thermal environment and evaluation methods: RTE-index

1. 1. As part of “research on environmental comfort,” that is, research which aims to make people's living environment more comfortable, we attempted to clarify the relation between the living environment of elderly people and physiological and psychological factors. We carried out a comprehensive study with a view to establishing comfort standards for the residential thermal environment, and for creating evaluation and control systems.

2. 2. The comfort of the living environment is closely related to the thermal environment and the temperature-regulation ability of the human body. This ability of the body to regulate temperature develops during childhood and recedes as the adult ages.

3. 3. We therefore carried out: (a) experiments on body-temperature regulation and on special characteristics of the body-temperature regulation of elderly people, (b) a nationwide survey of the actual residential thermal environments of elderly people and (c) a survey of the daily activities of elderly people, and how elderly people's physiological and psychological conditions change when they are engaged in these activities.

4. 4. As a result of these experiments and surveys, we were able to: (d) formulate standards for evaluation of the residential thermal environment and (e) numerically express the results of systematic evaluation of residential thermal environments of elderly people, by means of a RTE-index.

Influence of agar on in vitro cultures: I. Physicochemical properties of agar and agar gelled media

Summary The success of in vitro culture is related to several factors. Beside factors associated with the plant material or the medium composition, the physicochemical characteristics of gelled media can play an important role. In this paper, the latter aspect has been considered and the nature of agar powders has been investigated. Moreover, the process of gel formation for three different media and the availability of water and minerals for the corresponding gels have been studied. Analysis of agar powders showed that they can contain different amounts of impurities and the dialysis of these powders suggested that the impurities might be available to the tissues. Thermal analysis on the hygroscopic properties of the agar brands suggest the importance of these data to obtain comparable and reproducible gelled media. The study on the process of formation of gelled media indicates that there is a critical temperature T_ss which can be used to control the gel processing. In fact, at this temperature, agar powders in water transform into a sol status through a rapid shift of electrical conductivity. Water potential of the medium, water loss from gels over the culture period, and the ease of releasing liquid from gels under pressure were shown to be different for different agar brands. A different availability of water and minerals in Murashige and Skoog medium was deduced from the gels prepared with three agar brands (Oxoid, Merck, and Roth).     

Population dynamics in a long-lived seabird: I. Impact of breeding activity on survival and breeding probability in unbanded king penguins

Understanding the trade-off between current reproductive effort, future survival and future breeding attempts is crucial for demographic analyses and life history studies. We investigated this trade-off in a population of king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) marked individually with transponders using multistate capture-recapture models. This colonial seabird species has a low annual proportion of non-breeders (13%), despite a breeding cycle which lasts over 1 year. To draw inferences about the consequences of non-breeding, we tested for an effect of reproductive activity on survival and on the probability of subsequent breeding. We found that birds non-breeding in year t show the same survival rate as breeders (two-states analysis: breeding and non-breeding). However, breeders had a lower probability of breeding again the following year. This negative phenotypic correlation suggests the existence of reproductive costs affecting future breeding probability, but it might also be strengthened by late arrival for courtship in year t. A three-state analysis including breeding success revealed that failed breeders in year t have a lower probability to reproduce successfully in year t + 1 than non-breeders in year t, providing some evidence for the existence of reproductive costs. Moreover, successful breeders showed higher survival probability. This positive phenotypic correlation between current reproduction and subsequent survival supports the hypothesis of an heterogeneity in individual quality. Males breeding in year t had a lower probability to breed again in year t + 1 than females, suggesting higher reproductive costs for this sex. Such additional costs might be due to higher male parental investment in the final phase of chick-rearing, which also delays the arrival of males in year t + 1, and decreases their breeding probability. Our study is the first to explore the breeding biology and the demography of penguins without the disturbance of flipper-bands.