Influence of weight upon in vitro protein digestion in rainbow trout

Protein digestive capacity, measured by an in vitro method, was examined in individual rainbow trout of four weight groups (40–875 g; n= 14 group⁻¹), using three fish meals (FM). Differences ( P <0.05) were found in digestive capacity between groups and with FM grade used. Larger fish expressed greatest catalytic capacity.     

Silicified Polybessurus from the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation records microbial activities within marine sediments

Polybessurus, as a common element of the late Mesoproterozoic to early Neoproterozoic microfossil assemblages, has yet no confirmed record from post-Cryogenian strata. In this study, we report Polybessurus sp. from the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation chert nodules in western Hubei Province, South China. Polybessurus specimens from the Doushantuo Formation are identical to their pre-Cryogenian counterparts in morphology (stacked concave lamellae), composition (organic matter), and preservational mode (silicification). The Doushantuo specimens generally have large tubes (average diameter ~157 μm, maximum diameter ~450 μm), and are often preserved separately and parallel to the bedding plane, whereas the pre-Cryogenian specimens have relatively small tubes (mostly thinner than 100 μm in diameter), and are often preserved gregariously and perpendicular to the bedding plane. Polybessurus may be formed by a variety of benthic micro-organisms, mainly cyanobacteria, e.g., stalk forming taxa like Cyanostylon and endolithic taxa like Solentia, that are capable of secreting EPS (extracellular polymeric substance) unidirectionally to push itself forward in the sediment. The producers of Polybessurus may have played a role in the benthic microbial community by making microburrows, affecting textures and microenvironments of inshore sediments. As the first unambiguous record of Polybessurus from Ediacaran strata, our new findings extend its distribution from the late Mesoproterozoic–early Neoproterozoic to the late Neoproterozoic.     

Studies on Temporal and Spatial Variations of Phytoplankton in Lake Chaohu

Temporal and spatial variations of the phytoplankton assemblage in Lake Chaohu, a large shallow eutrophic lake in China, were studied from September 2002 to August 2003. A total of 191 phytoplankton species was identified, among which Chlorophytes （101） ranked the first, followed by Cyanophytes （46） and Bacillariophytes （28）. On aver- age over the entire lake, the maximum total algal biomass appeared in June （19.70 mg/L） with a minimum （5.05 mg/ L） in November. In terms of annual mean biomass, cyanobacteria contributed 45.43% to total algal biomass, followed by Chlorophytes （27.14%）, and Bacillariophytes （20.6%）. When nitrate （NOs-N） and ammonium （NH4-N） concentrations dropped in spring, fixing-nitrogen cyanobacterium （Anabaena） developed quickly and ranked the first in terms of biomass in summer. It is likely that dominance of zooplanktivorous fish and small crustacean zooplankton favored the development of the inedible filamentous or colony forming cyanobacteria. The persistent dominance of cyanobacteria throughout all seasons may indicate a new tendency of the response of phytoplankton to eutrophication in Lake Chaohu.     

Effects of sand burial on biomass, chlorophyll fluorescence and extracellular polysaccharides of man-made cyanobacterial crusts under experimental conditions

Soil cyanobacterial crusts occur throughout the world, especially in the semiarid and arid regions. It always encounters sand burial, which is an important feature of mobile sand dunes. A greenhouse study was conducted to determine the effects of sand burial on biomass, chlorophyll fluorescence and extracellular polysaccharides of man-made cyanobacterial crusts in six periods of time (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 30 d after burying) and at five depths (0, 0.2, 0.5, 1 and 2cm). The results indicated that with the increase of the burial time and burial depth extracellular polysaccharides content and Fv/Fm decreased correspondingly and there were no significant differences between 20 and 30 burial days under dif-ferent burial depths. The degradation of chlorophyll a content appeared only at 20 and 30 burial days and there was also no significant difference between them under different burial depths. It was also observed a simultaneous decrease of the values of the Fv/Fm and the content of extracellular poly-saccharides happened in the crusted cyanobacterium Microcoleus vaginatus Gom. It may suggest that there exists a relationship between extracellular polysaccharides and recovery of the activity of pho-tosystem II (PS II) after rehydration.     

Bacterial protein meal in diets for growing pigs: effects on protein and energy metabolism

This experiment investigated the effects of increasing the dietary content of bacterial protein meal (BPM) on the protein and energy metabolism of pigs from weaning to a live weight of 80 kg. Four litters with four castrated male pigs in each litter were used. The litters were divided into two blocks according to age. One pig from each litter was fed one of the four experimental diets. Soya-bean meal was replaced with BPM on the basis of digestible protein, and the BPM contents in the four diets were 0% (BP0), 5% (BP5), 10% (BP10) and 15% (BP15), corresponding to 0%, 17%, 35% and 52% of the digestible nitrogen (N), respectively. Four balance periods were performed, at the start of which the pigs weighed 9.5 kg, 20.7 kg, 45.3 kg and 77.2 kg, respectively. Once during each balance period, 22-h respiration experiments were performed using indirect calorimetry. Daily weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion rate were the same for all diets. The apparent digestibility of N was lower on diet BP10 than on BP0 (P = 0.002), whereas the apparent digestibility of energy was similar on all diets. The retention of nitrogen did not differ between diets and was 1.50, 1.53, 1.33 and 1.46 g N per kg^0.75 per day on BP0, BP5, BP10 and BP15, respectively. Neither metabolisable energy intake nor heat production were affected by inclusion level of BPM. Retention of energy was 620 (BP0), 696 (BP5), 613 (BP10) and 664 kJ/kg^0.75 per day (BP15), the differences among diets being non-significant. The N-free respiratory quotient was similar on all diets. It was concluded that the overall protein and energy metabolism in growing pigs were not affected when up to 50% of dietary N was derived from BPM.     

Low-dose pramlintide reduced food intake and meal duration in healthy, normal-weight subjects

Objective: We previously reported that a single preprandial injection (120 μg) of pramlintide, an analog of the β‐cell hormone amylin, reduced ad libitum food intake in obese subjects. To further characterize the meal‐related effects of amylin signaling in humans, we studied a lower pramlintide dose (30 μg) in normal‐weight subjects. Research Methods and Procedures: In a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, cross‐over study, 15 healthy men (age, 24 ± 7 years; BMI, 22.2 ± 1.8 kg/m²) underwent a standardized buffet meal test on two occasions. After an overnight fast, subjects received a single subcutaneous injection of pramlintide (30 μg) or placebo, followed immediately by a standardized pre‐load meal. After 1 hour, subjects were offered an ad libitum buffet meal, and total caloric intake and meal duration were measured. Results: Compared with placebo, pramlintide reduced total caloric intake (1411 ± 94 vs. 1190 ± 117 kcal; Δ, ?221 ± 101 kcal; ?14 ± 9%; p = 0.05) and meal duration (36 ± 2 vs. 31 ± 3 minutes; Δ, ?5.1 ± 1.4 minutes; p < 0.005). Visual analog scale profiles of hunger trended lower and fullness higher during the first hour after pramlintide administration. In response to the buffet, hunger and fullness changed to a similar degree after pramlintide and placebo, despite subjects on pramlintide consuming 14% fewer kilocalories. Visual analog scale nausea ratings remained near baseline, without differences between treatments. Plasma peptide YY, cholecystokinin, and ghrelin concentrations did not differ with treatment, whereas glucagon‐like peptide‐1 concentrations after meals were lower in response to pramlintide than to placebo. Discussion: These observations add support to the concept that amylin agonism may have a role in human appetite control.     

Effects of the processing methods of corn grain and soybean meal on milk protein expression profiles in dairy cows

A proteomic approach was used to investigate the effects of the processing method of corn grain and soybean meal on the milk protein expression profile in lactating dairy cows. A total of 12 multiparous Holstein dairy cows were used in a 4×4 Latin square design with a 2×2 factorial arrangement. The primary factors examined were corn (finely ground (FGC) v. steam-flaked (SFC)) and soybean meal (solvent-extracted (SSBM) v. heat-treated (HSBM)), which were used to formulate four diets with the same basal ingredient: 27% FGC and 9% SSBM; 27% SFC and 9% SSBM; 27% FGC and 9% HSBM; and 27% SFC and 9% HSBM. Each period lasted for 21 days. Milk samples were collected on days 18, 19 and 20 of each period. Changes in the milk proteins were assessed by two-dimensional (2D) electrophoresis and ImageMaster 2D Platinum 6.0 software. A total of 13 spots displayed variations in protein spot abundance according to the statistical analysis. These spots were identified by a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight/time of flight MS. According to the gels, the relative abundance of α_s2-casein (CN) fragments was higher in the cows fed the SFC-HSBM than that for SFC-SSBM, whereas β-CN, α-lactalbumin and zinc-alpha-2-glycoprotein fragments were down-regulated in HSBM-fed cows. The relative decrease of β-CN expression was validated by western blot and agreed with the MS data. These results suggested that the method used to process soybean meal modified the synthesis and secretion of milk proteins in lactating dairy cows’ mammary glands.     

Crop size as an index of chick provisioning in the Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus

After being fed by their parents, Greater Flamingo chicks store food in their crops, which protrude outwards. We allocated the crop profiles of chicks to four categories to assess the relationship between body mass and crop profile variation, and so determine whether crop size can be used as an accurate index of the amount of food ingested, and to determine the timing and frequency of provisioning. We registered changes in body mass and crop fullness in eight chicks captured with turgid crops and kept in captivity until constant mass was achieved. The meal mass ingested by the chicks during each parental feeding was around 18% of net chick mass and varied greatly with crop profile. Mean transition times between the four crop profile categories ranged from 6 to 14 h. Between 1998 and 2009, 34% of chicks caught for ringing in a breeding colony had empty crops. From crop profiles recorded during the handling of chicks, it was estimated that approximately one‐third of the chicks were fed in the evening and another third during the night. Our results have implications for the estimation of body condition indexes because body mass should be free of the influence of the mass of the food in the crop.     

蓝藻堆积和螺类牧食对苦草生长的影响

设计了双因素四组处理(对照组,加螺组,加藻组,螺藻组)的室外受控实验,模拟湖泊沿岸带水华蓝藻的堆积以及底栖螺类的牧食活动对沉水植物苦草生长的影响。结果表明:蓝藻堆积(水体叶绿素a浓度为220μg/L)对苦草的生长具有明显的抑制作用,和对照组以及加螺组相比,加藻组和螺藻组中苦草的相对生长率分别下降了40.9%和36.4%,分株数也分别下降了56.4%和64.1%,分析认为蓝藻在水体表层堆积所产生的遮光可能是抑制底层苦草生长的主要原因。然而,环棱螺能在一定程度上促进苦草的生长,加螺组和螺藻组中苦草的相对生长率和分株数分别要明显高于对照组和加藻组,这可能要归因于螺类的牧食去除了沉水植物表面附着生物。实验中蓝藻堆积和螺类牧食对苦草的各项生长指标均无显著的交互作用,但蓝藻对苦草生长的抑制作用要远大于螺类对植物生长的促进作用。研究证实了在富营养浅水湖泊中,水华蓝藻在湖泊沿岸带的堆积会严重胁迫沉水植物的生长,而底栖螺类的牧食活动则能在一定程度上提高植物在不良环境下的生存能力。