bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Linear and knemometric growth in the early phase of rehabilitation from severe malnutrition
Authors: Doherty C. P. , Sarkar M. A. K. , Shakur M. S. , Ling S. C. , Elton R. A. , Cutting W. A.
Published: May 2008

The relationship between ponderal, linear and lower leg growth in children recovering from severe malnutrition remains unclear. We report on the early growth of 141 severely malnourished Bangladeshi children aged 6 to 36 months of age who were followed for 90 d. Mean (SD) weight for height (WHZ) and height for age (HAZ) catch-up growth Z scores over the 90 d were 1.6 (0.85) and 0.47 (0.325) respectively. mean (SD) lower leg length growth was 10.35 (4.5) mm. Change in HAZ was significantly associated with initial WHZ, but linear growth occurred in the presence of severe wasting and no threshold WHZ score was identified. Lower leg length gain correlated throughout with ponderal indices but with change in HAZ score only after day 45. Only initial WHZ score and maternal height predicted for linear growth and only accounted for 20 % of total variance. We conclude that linear growth occurs early in severely malnourished children but that knemometry behaves as a ponderal index acutely.
Effects of dietary sucrose on hippocampal serotonin release: a microdialysis study in the freely-moving rat
Authors: Smolders Ilse , Van Loo jan , Sarre Sophie , Ebinger Guy , Michotte Y vette
Published: May 2008

The effects of dietary supplementation with either sucrose or starch (50 g/kg regular food for 2 weeks) on central 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT; serotonin) release were investigated in freely-moving rats. It has been suggested that the amount of transmitter that serotoninergic neurons release might be altered by food intake. We monitored the effects of sucrose and starch on concentrations of extracellular 5HT, its metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5HIAA), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and dopamine in the hippocampus, using in vivo microdialysis. The major finding was that baseline levels of extracellular hippocampal 5HT in rats with ad libitum access to food supplemented with sucrose were significantly higher compared with the starch control group. We then verified that sucrose supplementation affected the potency of S(+)fenfluramine to increase hippocampal 5HT levels. In both groups of rats, acute intraperitoneal injection (1 mg/kg) of this anorectic drug induced a response curve of the extracellular hippocampal 5HT levels, with a shape that corresponded with earlier data for different brain areas often using up to 10-fold higher doses of S(+)fenfluramine. Nevertheless, we showed that throughout the experiment the absolute values of the sucrose response curve remained higher than in the starch group. On the other hand, S(+)fenfluramine exerted longer lasting effects in the starch group, as compared with the sucrose group. Significant decreases in levels of extracellular hippocampal 5HIAA levels following S(+)fenfluramine administration were simultaneously observed. A practical implication of the present findings is that dietary sucrose may bias the results of studies investigating brain serotoninergic mechanisms and the effects of (anorectic) drugs interacting with 5HT systems in the hippocampus.
Flow-mediated vasodilation is not impaired when HDL-cholesterol is lowered by substituting carbohydrates for monounsaturated fat
Authors: de Rose Nicole M. , Bots Michiel L. , Siebelink Els , Schouten Evert , Katan Martijin B.
Published: May 2008

Low-fat diets, in which carbohydrates replace some of the fat, decrease serum cholesterol. This decrease is due to decreases in LDL-cholesterol but in part to possibly harmful decreases in HDL-cholesterol. High-oil diets, in which oils rich in monounsaturated fat replace some of the saturated fat, decrease serum cholesterol mainly through LDL-cholesterol. We used these two diets to investigate whether a change in HDL-cholesterol would change flow-mediated vasodilation, a marker of endothelial function. We fed thirty-two healthy volunteers two controlled diets in a 2×3·5 weeks' randomised cross-over design to eliminate variation in changes due to differences between subjects. The low-fat diet contained 59·7 % energy (en%) as carbohydrates and 25·7 en% as fat (7·8 en% as monounsaturates); the oil-rich diet contained 37·8 en% as carbohydrates and 44·4 en% as fat (19·3 en% as monounsaturates). Average (SD) SERUM HDL-CHOLESTEROL AFTER THE LOW-FAT DIET WAS 0·21 (sd 0·12) mmol/l (8·1 mg/dl) lower than after the oil-rich diet. Serum triacylglycerols were 0·22 (sd 0·28) mmol/l (19·5 mg/dl) higher after the low-fat diet than after the oil-rich diet. Serum LDL and homocysteine concentrations remained stable. Flow-mediated vasodilation was 4·8 (SD 2·9) after the low-fat diet and 4·1 (SD 2·7) after the oil-rich diet (difference 0·7 %; 95 % CI -0·6, 1·9). Thus, although the low-fat diet produced a lower HDL-cholesterol than the high-oil diet, flow-mediated vasodilation, an early marker of cardiovascular disease, was not impaired.
The effect of fasting at different ages on growth and tissue dynamics in the small intestine of the young chick
Authors: Geyra Assaf , Uni Zehava , Sklan David
Published: May 2008

The small intestines of hatching chicks undergo rapid developmental changes in the immediate post-hatch period when the birds are making the transition from endogenous nutrient supply from yolk to dependence on exogenous feed. This transition usually only begins 48 h or more after hatching, owing to logistical considerations of production. The effects of fasting for 48 h at different times during this critical period on small intestinal development and enterocyte dynamics were examined by morphometric determinations and use of staining for proliferative-cell nuclear antigen and 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine. The effects of fasting were specific to both time of fasting and the intestinal segment examined. Decreased development was found in the duodenum and jejunum, but was less apparent in the ileum. Fasting between 0 and 48 h decreased crypt size in the duodenum and jejunum, the number of crypts per villus, crypt proliferation, villus area and the rate of enterocyte migration. Fasting at later times resulted in smaller effects, although the jejunum appeared to be the most sensitive of the intestinal segments. Growth was correlated with the number of cells in the crypts, the number of cells along the villus and the segment surface area. The common practice whereby feed is first available to chicks more than 48 h post-hatch may depress subsequent development.
BMI does not accurately predict overweight in Asian Indians in northern India
Authors: Dudeja V. , Misra A. , Pandey R.M. , Devina G. , Kumar G. , Vikram N.K.
Published: May 2008

Asian Indians are at high risk for the development of atherosclerosis and related complications, possibly initiated by higher body fat (BF). The present study attempted to establish appropriate cut-off levels of the BMI for defining overweight, considering percentage BF in healthy Asian Indians in northern India as the standard. A total of 123 healthy volunteers (eighty-six males aged 18–75 years and thirty-seven females aged 20–69 years) participated in the study. Clinical examination and anthropometric measurements were performed, and percentage BF was calculated. BMI for males was 21·4 (SD 3·7) KG/M2 AND FOR FEMALES WAS 23·3 (sd 5·5) kg/m2. Percentage BF was 21·3 (sd 7·6) in males and 35·4 (sd 5·0) in females. A comparison of BF data among Caucasians, Blacks, Polynesians and Asian ethnic groups (e.g. immigrant Chinese) revealed conspicuous differences. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed a low sensitivity and negative predictive value of the conventional cut-off value of the BMI (25 kg/m2) in identifying subjects with overweight as compared to the cut-off value based on percentage BF (males >25, females >30). This observation is particularly obvious in females, resulting in substantial misclassification. Based on the ROC curve, a lower cut-off value of the BMI (21·5 kg/m2 for males and 19·0 kg/m2 for females) displayed the optimal sensitivity and specificity, and less misclassification in identification of subjects with high percentage BF. Furthermore, a novel obesity variable, BF:BMI, was tested and should prove useful for interethnic comparison of body composition. In the northern Indian population, the conventional cut-off level of the BMI underestimates overweight and obesity when percentage BF is used as the standard to define overweight. These preliminary findings, if confirmed in a larger number of subjects and with the use of instruments having a higher accuracy of BF assessment, would be crucial for planning and the prevention and treatment of various obesity-related metabolic diseases in the Asian Indian population.
Polyunsaturated fatty acid-rich diets: effect on adipose tissue metabolism in rats
Authors: Gaíva M. H. G. , Couto R. C. , Oyama L. M. , Couto G. E. C. , Silveria V. L. F. , Roberio E. B. , Nascimento C. M. O.
Published: May 2008

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of diets rich inn-6 andn-3 fatty acids on adipose tissue metabolism. Starting at weaning, male Wistar rats were fedad libitum, for 8 weeks with one of the following diets: C, rat chow; S, rat chow containing 15 % (w/w) soyabean oil; F, rat chow containing 15 % (w/w) fish oil; SF, rat chow containing 15 % (w/w) soyabean and fish oil (5:1, w/w). Casein was added to the fat diets to achieve the same 20 % (w/w) protein content as in the control chow. Food intake and body weight were measured weekly. The rats were killed by decapitation and the retroperitoneal (RET) and epididymal (EPI) white adipose tissues were removed and weighed. Tissue lipid and protein content,in vivolipogenesis rate, uptake of diet-derived lipids,in vitrolipolytic rate, adipocyte area, lipoprotein lipase, ATP citrate lyase, and malic enzyme activities were evaluated. Carcass lipid and protein contents were also measured. Energy intake was reduced while carcass lipid content was increased in the three fat-fed groups. However, carcass protein and body weight gains were elevated only with diets F and SF. Lipolysis rate was diminished by diets F and SF, while the uptake of diet-derived lipids was elevated by the diet S in both RET and EPI tissues. These metabolic alterations may have contributed to the increase inin vivolipogenesis rate in the presence of decreased ATP citrate lyase and malic enzyme activities induced by the three lipid diets. These results indicate that enrichment of the diet with polyunsaturated fatty acids causes changes in adipose tissue metabolism that favour fat deposition. Different metabolic pathways were preferentially affected by each type of fatty acid used.
The role of gut tissue in the energy metabolism of growing lambs fed forage or concentrate diets
Authors: Finegan Esther J. , Buchanan-Smith Jock G. , McBride Brian W.
Published: May 2008

The role of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) in explaining the less efficient utilization of metabolizable energy (ME) in growing lambs fed forage rather than concentrate-based diets was investigated by feeding forage (legume–grass silage) and concentrate (whole shelled maize) diets, at isoenergetic intakes (ME basis), using five groups of lambs. One group of seven lambs was an initial slaughter group and of the two groups (eight lambs per group) fed each diet, one group was fed for 8 weeks, whereas the other group was fed for 16 weeks. All lambs were slaughtered between 18·5 and 20 h following their last meal. Retained energy (as a percentage of ME intake) was higher (concentrate-fed 28, forage-fed 17;P<0·001) for the concentrate-fed animals. Weight-specific mucosal O2uptake (ml/g DM per h), measuredin vitro, was 37 % higher for the forestomach (reticulum, rumen and omasum) and small intestine (jejunum) than for the abomasum and large intestine (caecum and colon), but there was no evidence for a diet effect (except colon; forage-fed 5·3, concentrate-fed 4·2;P=0·036). Total GIT heat loss was estimated as 14 (forage-fed) and 18 (concentrate-fed) % of the whole-body heat loss. Although the GIT did not contribute to increased thermogenesis in the forage-fed lambs in the present study, greater relative contribution of GIT tissue to whole-body mass, i.e. GIT as a percentage of empty-body weight(forage 7·6, concentrate 6·6;P<0·001) in the forage-fed animals supports a role for the GIT in contributing to higher thermogenesis observed in ruminants fed forage as opposed to concentrate diets.
Effects of yoghurt enriched with plant sterols on serum lipids in patients with moderate hypercholesterolaemia
Authors: Volpe Robert , Niittynen Leena , Korpela Riitta , Sirtori Cesare , Bucci Antonello , Fraone Nadia , Pazzucconi Franco
Published: May 2008

The objective of the present study was to assess the effect of consumption of a yoghurt-based drink enriched with 1–2 g plant sterols/d on serum lipids, transaminases, vitamins and hormone status in patients with primary moderate hypercholesterolaemia. Thirty patients were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: a low-fat low-lactose yoghurt-based drink enriched with 1 g plant sterol extracted from soyabean/dv.a low-fat low-lactose yoghurt, for a period of 4 weeks. After a 2-week wash-out period, patients were crossed over for an additional 4-week period. Second, after a 4-week wash-out period, eleven patients were treated with 2 g plant sterols/d in a second open part of the study for a period of 8 weeks. The yoghurt enriched with plant sterols significantly reduced, in a dose-dependent manner, serum total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels and LDL-cholesterol:HDL-cholesterol (P<0·001), whereas no changes were observed in HDL-cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels, either in the first or the second part of the study. There were only slight, not statistically significant, differences in serum transaminase, vitamin and hormone levels. To conclude, a low-fat yoghurt-based drink moderately enriched with plant sterols may lower total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol effectively in patients with primary moderate hypercholesterolaemia.
Effects of dietary oleic-rich oils (virgin olive and high-oleic-acid sunflower) on vascular reactivity in Wistar-Kyoto and spontaneously hypertensive rats
Authors: Herrera M. D. , Péerez-Guerrero C. , Marhuenda E. , Ruiz-Gutiéerrez V.
Published: May 2008

The effects of two monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA)-rich diets, containing virgin olive oil (OO) and high-oleic-acid sunflower oil (HOSO), on development of vascular response from isolated thoracic rat aorta and lipid composition and fatty acid composition were studied and compared with samples from rats fed on a control diet. Dietary MUFA oils were fed for 6 weeks to spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and Wistar–Kyoto (WKY) rats from 4 weeks of age. The maximum contraction of aortic ring preparations in response to phenylephrine (10-6M) WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED IN SHR RATS FED WITH OO (0·81 (sem 0·05)v.1·18 (sem 0·09)g, P<0·01) and treatment with HOSO did not alter the phenylephrine-induced contractions. The relaxant responses to acetylcholine (10-5m) were significantly enhanced (30·03 (sem 0·70)v.18·47 (sem 0·28) %, P<0·001) in the rings from SHR rats treated with OO, and were more pronounced than in WKY rats (P<0·05). In the same way, OO attenuated the dose–response curves induced by phenylephrine (10-8–10-5m) from SHR rats, accompained with a slower contraction. These results suggest that only the chronic feeding of OO diet was able to attenuate the vascular response of rat aorta. In addition, an increase in phospholipid content (186·7 (sd 3·2)v.159·1 (sd 11·3) g/kg, P<0·01) and changes in the fatty acid composition of aorta (mainly a decrease in arachidonic acid) could contribute to improving endothelial function. Therefore, the effects can not be attributed exclusively to the content of MUFA (mainly oleic acid). Other components of OO, such as polyphenols, not present in HOSO, may help to explain the vascular protective effect of OO consumption.
Exercise prevents the augmentation of postprandial lipaemia attributable to a low-fat high-carbohydrate diet
Authors: Koustsair Christina , Hardman Adrianne E.
Published: May 2008

There is concern that replacement of dietary fat with carbohydrate may not reduce the overall risk of CHD because this replacement strategy elevates postprandial plasma triacylglycerol (TAG) concentrations. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that daily exercise can offset the augmented postprandial lipaemia associated with a short-term high-carbohydrate diet. Nine healthy, normolipidaemic men aged 33 (SD 4) YEARS CONSUMED A TEST MEAL (G/KG BODY MASS; 1·2 FAT, 1·1 CARBOHYDRATE, 0·2 PROTEIN) ON THREE OCCASIONS: AFTER 3 D ON A TYPICAL WESTERN DIET (46, 38 AND 16 % ENERGY FROM CARBOHYDRATE, FAT AND PROTEIN RESPECTIVELY); AFTER 3 D ON AN ISOENERGETIC HIGH-CARBOHYDRATE DIET (CORRESPONDING VALUES: 70, 15 AND 15 % ENERGY); AFTER 3 D ON THE SAME HIGH-CARBOHYDRATE DIET WITH 30 MIN MODERATE EXERCISE DAILY. FASTING PLASMA TAG CONCENTRATION WAS HIGHER AFTER THE HIGH-CARBOHYDRATE DIET (1·15 (se 0·16) mmol/l) than after the Western diet (0·83 (se 0·10) mmol/l; P=0·03). Similarly, postprandial lipaemia (6 h total area under plasma TAG concentrationv.time curve) was higher after the high-carbohydrate diet (12·54 (se 2·07) mmol/l·h) than after the Western diet (9·30 (se 1·30) mmol/l·h; P=0·004). The addition of exercise to the high-carbohydrate diet significantly reduced postprandial lipaemia (9·95 (se 1·94) mmol/l·h; P=0·01 when compared with the high-carbohydrate diet) but not fasting TAG concentration (1·02 (se 0·24) mmol/l). In conclusion, daily exercise prevented the augmentation of postprandial lipaemia attributable to the short-term high-carbohydrate diet and, thus, exercise may be a powerful adjunct to dietary change.
Statistical analysis of nutritional studies
Authors: Horgan Graham W.
Published: May 2008

Statistical analysis of data collected in experimental or observational studies is an important part of nutritional research. If it is not done appropriately, there is a risk that information in the data is lost, or that conclusions are misleading. The present article does not attempt a full review of the subject of statistics, but attempts to list aspects where care is needed.
Effect of feed intake on ovine hindlimb protein metabolism based on thirteen amino acids and arterio–venous techniques
Authors: Hoskin Simone O. , Savary Isabelle C. , Zuur Grietje , Lobley Gerald E.
Published: May 2008

It has been suggested that protein synthesis in peripheral tissues: (1) responds in a curvilinear manner to increasing feed intake over a wide range of feeding levels; and (2) has a greater sensitivity to intake than protein breakdown. The aim of the present experiment was to test these hypotheses across the ovine hindlimb. Six growing sheep (6–8 months, 30–35 kg), with catheters in the aorta (two), posterior vena cava and jugular vein, received each of four intakes of dried grass pellets (0·5, 1·0, 1·5 and 2·5×maintenance energy; M) for a minimum of 7 d. A U-13C-labelled algal hydrolysate was infused intravenously for 10 h and from 3–9 hpara-aminohippuric acid was infused to measure plasma flow. Arterial and venous plasma were obtained over the last 4 h and the concentrations and enrichments of thirteen13C-labelled amino acids (AA) were determined by GC–MS. As intake increased, a positive linear response was found for plasma flow, arterial concentrations of the aromatic and branched-chain AA, total flow of all AA into the hindquarters and net mass balance across the hindquarters (except glycine and alanine). Based on two separate statistical analyses, the data for protein synthesis showed a significant linear effect with intake (except for phenylalanine, glycine and alanine). No significant curvilinear effect was found, which tends not to support hypothesis 1. Nonetheless, protein synthesis was not significantly different between 0·5, 1·0 and 1·5×M and thus the 2·5×M intake level was largely responsible for the linear relationship found. There was no significant response in protein breakdown to intake, which supports hypothesis 2.
Effect of increasing iron supplementation on blood lipids in rats
Authors: Whittaker Paul , Chanderbhan Ronald F.
Published: May 2008

The effects of increasing levels of Fe on serum fatty acids, cholesterol, triacylglycerol, liver and heart were examined in male Sprague–Dawley rats fed either Fe-deficient or carbonyl Fe-supplemented diets with 35 (control), 350, 3500 and 20 000 μg Fe/g for 12 weeks. As intake of Fe increased, serum total cholesterol increased from 2·0 mmol/l in controls to 5·2 mmol/l at the highest level of Fe. Also, the total serum phospholipid fatty acids increased from 609 mg/dl in controls to 1292 mg/l at the highest level of Fe. Except for the highest dose of Fe, the ratio of saturated to unsaturated phospholipid fatty acids increased from 1·2 to 1·7. The serum total free fatty acid levels remained constant among all groups with a range from 162 to 228 mg/l, while a ratio of 0·6 to 0·8 for saturated to unsaturated fatty acids was maintained. A dose-related increase in liver non-haem Fe from 18 to 3500 μg/g correlated with increases in lipid peroxidation (r0·87), measured by the lipid-conjugated diene assay. Oxidative changes in the liver may have resulted in alterations in sterol synthesis, leading to increased serum cholesterol levels with increases in serum phospholipids and changes in the ratios of their saturated to unsaturated fatty acids. Animals with heart damage showed myocardial degeneration and cardiomyopathy with haemosiderin in interstitial macrophages or myocardial fibres and, when these were coupled with the findings of increased non-haem Fe in the heart and lipid peroxidation in the liver, suggested that oxidative stress is involved in the pathogenesis of the lesions.
Vitamin A and iron supplementation of Indonesian pregnant women benefits vitamin A status of their infants
Authors: schmidt Marjanka K. , Muslimatun Siti , West Clive E. , Schultink Werner , Hautvast Joseph G. A. J.
Published: May 2008

Many Indonesian infants have an inadequate nutritional status, which may be due in part to inadequate maternal nutrition during pregnancy. This study was designed to investigate whether infant nutritional status could be improved by maternal vitamin A and Fe supplementation during gestation. Mothers of these infants from five villages had been randomly assigned on an individual basis, supervised and double-blind, to receive supplementation once weekly from approximately 18 weeks of pregnancy until delivery. Supplementation comprised 120 mg Fe and 500 μg folic acid with or without 4800 retinol equivalent vitamin A. Mothers of infants from four other villages who participated in the national Fe and folic acid supplementation programme were also recruited; intake of tablets was not supervised. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters of infants and their mothers were assessed approximately 4 months after delivery. Infants of mothers supplemented with vitamin A plus Fe had higher serum retinol concentrations than infants of mothers supplemented with Fe alone. However, the proportion of infants with serum retinol concentrations <0·70 μmol/l was >70 % in all groups. Maternal and infant serum retinol concentrations were correlated. Fe status, weight and length of infants were similar in all groups. Fe status of girls was better than that of boys, but boys were heavier and longer. We conclude that supplementation with vitamin A in conjunction with Fe supplementation of women during pregnancy benefits vitamin A status of their infants. However, considering the large proportion of infants with marginal serum retinol concentrations, it may still be necessary to increase their vitamin A intake.
Estimation of allantoin flux using continuous infusion of [14C]allantoin: sensitivity to plasma loading with unlabelled allantoin
Authors: Kahn L. P. , Ouellet D. , Nolan J. V.
Published: May 2008

Allantoin net flux through the plasma allantoin compartment was determined in sheep given a roughage diet by means of a continuous infusion of [4,5-14C]allantoin for 17 h. Unlabelled allantoin was infused intravenously during the last 7 h of the tracer infusion to increase the allantoin flux by approximately 75 %. When unlabelled allantoin was infused, the specific radioactivity of allantoin in plasma and urine declined exponentially to approach a lower plateau some 2–3 h later. The estimate of net flux during the infusion of unlabelled allantoin, estimated from blood plasma and urine, was on average 79 and 90 % of expected values. Expected values of allantoin net flux during infusion of unlabelled allantoin were calculated as the sum of allantoin net flux pre-loading plus the known rate of infusion of the allantoin load. It is probable that endogenous allantoin synthesis was decreased by the infusion of allantoin: allosteric inhibition of uricase appears a plausible explanation for this observation, and for lower estimates of net flux. Appearance of labelled allantoin-C in ruminal or blood bicarbonate was negligible. Our results indicate that net flux of allantoin through blood plasma is a good predictor of the entry rate of allantoin into the primary compartment and should be a better predictor of rumen microbial outflow than urinary allantoin excretion. However, measurements of allantoin-specific radioactivity, during continuous infusion, should be taken after a period of 24 h, at which time the true plateau specific radioactivity value of allantoin in plasma would be attained.
The effects of condensed tannins supplementation of foods with different protein content on parasitism, food intake and performance of sheep infected withTrichostrongylus colubriformis
Authors: Athanasiadou Spiridoula , Kyriazakis Ilias , Jackson Frank , Coop Robert L.
Published: May 2008

The aims of the present study were to investigate (1), the potential anthelmintic properties and (2), the nutritional consequences of commercially available condensed tannins on parasitised sheep fed,ad libitum, either a high- or a low-protein food. For this purpose, forty-eight previously parasite-naïve sheep (n12) were infected with 2000Trichostrongylus colubriformislarvae/d for a 67-d experimental period. Two experimental foods were made: a low (L), formulated to be inadequate in meeting the requirements of growing sheep for metabolisable protein (MP), and based on wheat, citrus pulp, and oatfeed; a high (H), expected to be above the requirements of growing sheep for MP, based on similar ingredients but supplemented with protected soyabean meal. Two additional foods were made by adding 60 gQuebracho(a condensed tannins (CT) extract)/kg fresh matter to foods L and H (foods LQ and HQ respectively). This level ofQuebrachosupplementation has been previously shown to reduce the level of parasitism in restrictedly fed, parasitised sheep. The experiment was divided into two periods: period 1 (P1, day 1–38) and period 2 (P2, day 39–67), each one associated with different phases of an intestinal parasitic infection. Six sheep from each group were slaughtered at the end of P1, and the remaining sheep were slaughtered at the end of P2(day 67). Although faecal egg counts (FEC; number of parasite eggs/g faeces) and total egg output were reduced in sheep offered the supplemented foods during P1(P<0·05), worm burdens on day 38 were unaltered. NeitherQuebrachosupplementation nor food protein content during P2affected FEC and worm burdens. Food intake and performance were higher in sheep offered food HQ compared with sheep offered food H (P<0·05); no differences were observed in sheep offered foods LQ and L throughout the experiment. The previously shown anthelmintic properties of CT were not observed followingad libitumintake of either low- or high-protein foods supplemented withQuebrachoextract. Higher levels of CT supplementation may be required to reduce parasitism and consequently improve the performance of parasitised sheep, when fedad libitum. Supplementation with CT conferred advantages on the performance of parasitised sheep on a high- but not on a low-protein food.
Contribution of body composition to nutritional assessment at hospital admission in 995 patients: a controlled population study
Authors: Kyle Ursula G. , Morabia Alfredo , Slosman Daniel O. , Mensi Nouri , Unger Pierre , Pichard Claude
Published: May 2008

Body weight, weight changes and BMI are easily obtainable indicators of nutritional status, but they do not provide information on the amount of fat-free and fat masses. The purpose of the present study was to determine if fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass were depleted in patients with normal BMI or serum albumin at hospital admission. A group of 995 consecutive patients were evaluated for malnutrition by BMI, serum albumin, and 50 kHz bioelectrical impedance analysis and compared with 995 healthy adults, matched for age and height, and then compared with FFM and fat mass percentiles previously determined in 5225 healthy adults. A BMI of ≤20 kg/m2 was noted in 17·3 % of patients and serum albumin of ≤35 g/l was found in 14·9 % of patients. In contrast, 31 % of all patients were below the tenth percentile for FFM, compared with 10·1 % of controls (χ2, P=0·0001), while 73 % of patients with BMI ≤20 kg/m2 and 31 % of patients with BMI 20–24·9 kg/m2 fell below the tenth percentile for FFM. Furthermore, the FFM was lower in patients than controls and the differences with age in FFM (lower) and fat mass (higher) were greater in patients than in controls. BMI and albumin significantly underestimated the prevalence of malnutrition in patients at hospital admission compared with body composition measurements. Optimal nutritional assessment should therefore include objective measurement of FFM and fat mass.
Influence of nitrogen source on the fermentation of fibre from barley straw and sugarbeet pulp by ruminal micro-organismsin vitro
Authors: Ranilla M. J. , Carro M. D. , López S. , Newbold C. J. , Wallace R. J.
Published: May 2008

Incubations were carried out with a batch culture system to study the effects of different N sources on the fermentation by ruminal micro-organisms from Merino sheep of two fibre substrates derived from feedstuffs that differed in their fermentation rate. The substrates were neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) from barley straw and sugarbeet pulp. N sources were ammonia (NH4Cl) and peptides (Trypticase). Three treatments were made by replacing ammonia-N with peptide-N at levels of 0 (AMMO), 33 (PEPLOW) and 66 % (PEPHIGH) of total N. There were no differences (P>0·05) between treatments in NDF degradation for both the barley straw and the sugarbeet pulp. Peptides increased (P<0·05) total volatile fatty acids daily production for both substrates, with greater values (P<0·001) for PEPHIGH than for PEPLOW for the sugarbeet pulp. The presence of peptides also increased (P<0·05) microbial N synthesis compared with AMMO, with PEPHIGH supporting more growth (P<0·001) than PEPLOW when the sugarbeet pulp NDF was fermented. The presence of peptides increased (P<0·01) the amount of solids-associated micro-organisms (SAM)-N for both the barley straw and the sugarbeet pulp fibres, values in the PEPHIGH treatment being higher (P<0·001) than those in PEPLOW. The proportion of SAM-N in the total microbial N was not affected (P>0·05) by the presence of peptides compared with the AMMO treatment, but values were greater for the PEPHIGH compared with the PEPLOW N source, reaching statistical significance (P<0·05) only for the sugarbeet pulp. For liquid-associated micro-organisms, the AMMO treatment resulted in the greatest (P<0·05) proportion of N derived from ammonia for both substrates, with a further decrease (P<0·01) for the PEPHIGH treatment compared with the PEPLOW for the sugarbeet pulp, indicating preferential uptake of peptides when they were available. Microbial growth efficiency (g microbial N/kg NDF degraded) was not affected (P>0·05) by N source. These results indicate that N forms other than ammonia are needed for maximal growth of fibre-digesting ruminal micro-organisms.
Banded herbicide, rotary hoeing and cultivation effects on weed populations in ridge-tilled soybean
Authors: Jurik Thomas W.
Published: May 2008

Can banded herbicide be eliminated in ridge-tilled soybean (Glycine max)? The effects of banded herbicide, rotary hoeing and cultivation on weed populations and soybean yield in a ridge-tillage system were tested on three farms in Iowa, USA in 1989 and 1990. In 1989, plots either had no herbicide or had herbicide banded in the row at planting in mid-May; all plots received two rotary hoeings and two cultivations. In 1990, treatments were banded herbicide with no rotary hoeing, banded herbicide with one rotary hoeing, and no herbicide with one or two rotary hoeings; all plots received two or three cultivations. In both years, over all weed species [primarily giant foxtail (Setaria faberi), Pennsylvania smartweed (Polygonum pensylvanicum) and redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus)], seedling emergence was highest in late May and early June, with few seedlings emerging after mid-June. Weed populations were highest in May and June, after which rotary hoeing and cultivation reduced weed numbers in all plots. There were no consistent differences among treatments in weed numbers in early August for the 2 years. In both years, there was no significant difference in soybean yield among treatments. Within-farm mean yields ranged from 2.26 to 3.01 Mg ha−1among farms in 1989 and from 2.07 to 2.93 Mg ha−1among farms in 1990. Ridge-tillage without herbicide was generally equivalent to ridge-tillage with banded herbicide, with respect to total number of weeds and number of broad-leaved weeds remaining in August after tillage, and to soybean yield.
A history of organic farming: Transitions from Sir Albert Howard's War in the Soil to USDA National Organic Program
Authors: Heckman J.
Published: May 2008

The organic farming concept developed in the period prior to 1940 and was pioneered by Sir Albert Howard (1873–1947). Howard, born and educated in England, directed agricultural research centers in India (1905–1931) before permanently returning to England. His years of agricultural research experiences and observations gradually evolved into a philosophy and concept of organic farming that he espoused in several books. Howard's thinking on soil fertility and the need to effectively recycle waste materials, including sewage sludge, onto farmland was reinforced by F.H. King's book,Farmers of Forty Centuries. Howard developed a system of composting that became widely adopted. Howard's concept of soil fertility centered on building soil humus with an emphasis on how soil life was connected to the health of crops, livestock, and mankind. Howard argued that crop and animal health was a birthright and that the correct method of dealing with a pathogen was not to destroy the pathogen but to see what could be learned from it or to ‘make use of it for tuning up agricultural practice’. The system of agriculture advocated by Howard was coined ‘organic’ by Walter Northbourne to refer to a system ‘having a complex but necessary interrelationship of parts, similar to that in living things’. Lady Eve Balfour compared organic and non-organic farming and helped to popularize organic farming with the publication ofThe Living Soil. Jerome Rodale, a publisher and an early convert to organic farming, was instrumental in the diffusion and popularization of organic concepts in the US. Both Howard and Rodale saw organic and non-organic agriculture as a conflict between two different visions of what agriculture should become as they engaged in a war of words with the agricultural establishment. A productive dialogue failed to occur between the organic community and traditional agricultural scientists for several decades. Organic agriculture gained significant recognition and attention in 1980, marked by the USDA publicationReport and Recommendations on Organic Farming. The passage of the Federal Organic Foods Production Act in 1990 began the era of accommodation for organic farming in the USA, followed by another milestone with official labeling as USDA Certified Organic in 2002. Organic agriculture will likely continue to evolve in response to ongoing social, environmental, and philosophical concerns of the organic movement.
Enhancing pork flavor and fat quality with swine raised in sylvan systems: Potential niche-market application for the Ossabaw hog
Authors: Talbott Charles W. , Todd See M. , Kaminsky Peter , Bixby Don , Sturek Michael , Lehr Brisbin I. , Kadzere Charles
Published: May 2008

Our global food supply becomes more vulnerable as we continue to lose diverse genetic resources. The Ossabaw hog is a feral breed that is unique to North America, a distant relative to the renowned Iberian hog and is considered an endangered swine breed. The objective of our farmer participatory project was to examine the meat and fat characteristics of Ossabaw hogs raised in alternative management systems for niche-market application. At one farm, eight Ossabaw pigs were randomly assigned to a grass pasture and fed a free choice corn–soy (CS) ration or placed in a mixed hardwood forest plot and provided free choice peanuts in the shells (P), alfalfa pellets (A) and mast from the mixed hardwoods (diet collectively referred to as PAM). The two diets had no effect on Ossabaw production data or pork quality characteristics; however, fat profiles were altered. Ossabaws weighed approximately 70 kg when harvested at 400 days and produced chops with small loin eyes (21–23 cm2) and minimal evidence of intramuscular fat deposits (1%). The unsaturated fatty acid (USFA) to saturated fatty acid (SFA) ratio improved from 1.6 to 2.6 (P<0.01) as a result of feeding the PAM diet. Forest-finished Ossabaw pork was considered more flavorful by food critics and renowned chefs than that of conventionally fed animals. Mast from hardwoods offers the possibility of enhancing pork flavor for niche markets and using a renewable forest resource as a food source. For farm two, eight Ossabaw gilts and eight crossbred progeny (from European breeds) were randomly assigned to one of the two dirt-lots and fed free choice a CS ration or PA diet (same ration as mentioned above with no mast). Ossabaw hogs grew nearly one-third as fast as the crosses and weighed approximately 80% of the crosses' harvest weight at twice their age. Loin eye areas of the crosses were nearly twice as large as the Ossabaws while the subcutaneous back fat deposition was nearly half. Compared to the CS diet, the PA ration decreased SFA by 23% while polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) increased by 60%. The USFA to SFA ratios improved from 1.5 to 2.2 (P<0.01) when PA diets were fed. Differences (P<0.05) in USFA profiles were observed for breed effects; Ossabaws had 8% higher levels of monounsaturated fatty acids and 18% lower PUFA levels than the crosses. When adjusted for breed effects, no differences in sensory characteristics for the CS versus PA diets were detected by a trained panel. Ossabaws were more flavorful than the crosses (2.3 versus 1.6); (P<0.05).
Effects of green manure use on sweet corn root length density under reduced tillage conditions
Authors: Cherr C.M. , Avila L. , Scholberg J.M.S. , McSorley R.
Published: May 2008

A green manure (GM) is a crop grown primarily as a nutrient source and soil amendment for subsequent crops. In environments such as Florida, combined use of GM and reduced tillage may improve soil water and nutrient retention and reduce potential groundwater pollution. In the first 3 years of a long-term experiment, use of GM in a reduced-tillage system on a sandy Florida soil benefited the season-long growth of sweet corn (Zea maysL. var. Rugosa) much more than final ear yields. To help understand these patterns, we evaluated response of sweet corn roots when in rotation with GM of sunn hemp (Crotalaria junceaL.; summer) and cahaba white vetch (Vicia sativaL.; winter 2002–2003) and a multi-species mixture of hairy vetch (V. villosaRoth.) and cereal rye (Secale cerealeL.; winter 2003–2004). Treatments included sweet corn with combinations of 0 or 133 kg chemical N ha−1(as NH4NO3) and with or without GM. A highly fertilized treatment (267 kg chemical N ha−1) without GM was also included. Soil cores were sampled from three depths (0–15, 15–30 and 30–60 cm) both between and within corn rows. Data from two experiments showed that use of GM increased sampled corn root length density (RLD) by 44–54%, although only within the upper 15 cm of soil in one of the two experiments. Corn following GM plus 133 kg chemical N ha−1produced up to 44% greater RLD than corn with 267 kg chemical N ha−1. Sampled RLD decreased with distance away from corn plants (from in-row to between-row positions, and from shallow to deeper depth), with roughly 85–95% of sampled RLD existing in the top 30 cm of soil across all treatments. During the 2004 experiment, we found that broadcast, as opposed to banded (placed along corn row only), chemical N application resulted in more even distribution of corn RLD between in-row and between-row positions during late-season without regard to GM crop. Although GM permitted optimal sweet corn growth with a 50% reduction in chemical N application, ear fill during the final 1–2 weeks before harvest may have been reduced in GM treatments. GM effects on the amount and spatial distribution of sweet corn RLD may help explain these trends. Provision of greater N from GM residues and/or altered distribution of supplementary chemical N and irrigation may be required to achieve greater ear yield benefit from GM.
Soil microbiota effects on rye growth: implications for integration of a rye cover crop into temperate cropping systems
Authors: De Bruin Jason L. , Jordan Nicholas R. , Porter Paul M. , Huerd Sheri C.
Published: May 2008

Integration of rye (Secale cerealeL.) cover crops into the corn (Zea maysL.) soybean [(Glycine max(L.) Merr.] rotation of the upper Midwest USA can provide many agronomic and agroecological benefits. Integration is made difficult by short growing seasons, but may be facilitated by management of key agroecological interactions such as those between rye and soil microbiota. Rye growth was measured and colonization by arbuscular-mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) was determined in greenhouse experiments using soils from seven different management systems from a long-term cropping-systems experiment in southwest Minnesota. Microbial effects on rye growth were not evident before vernalization, but at final harvest (4 weeks after vernalization) soil microbial populations reduced rye shoot and root growth, relative to a pasteurized control inoculum. At final harvest, shoot biomass in 2-year rotations was 17% greater than 4-year rotations, indicating that microbial populations selected for by 4-year rotations may be more deleterious or pathogenic than those selected for by 2-year rotations. Growth of three rye cultivars was examined in all inocula; cultivars differed in their mean response to soil microbiota and their ability to host AMF. These findings suggest that management factors affect interactions between rye and soil microbiota resulting in altered rye growth.
The Huitlacoche Project: A tale of smut and gold
Authors: Zepeda Lydia
Published: May 2008

This is a tale, over 500 years in the making, of how a university–community farm collaborative research project turned corn smut into gold.
Farmers' verification of improved land-use alternatives in the transitional Badia of Jordan
Authors: Ziadat Feras M. , Hattar Butros I. , Baqain Akram S.
Published: May 2008

Decisions on land-use sustainability are particularly critical in fragile semi-arid regions of the world, especially those involving the social factor: people and communities. Typical of such an area is the Middle East region, especially Jordan which is beset by climatic constraints. New land-use alternatives were introduced by the Jordan Arid Zone Productivity Project (JAZPP) to improve land productivity in the arid to semi-arid (transitional Badia) land in Jordan. These alternatives were verified within experimental stations under controlled conditions. Dissemination of these findings would be successful if they suit the needs and resources of farmers. Therefore, verification of the success of these techniques under a wide range of biophysical and socio-economic conditions was necessary to judge their suitability to the target area. Various interventions were implemented on 14 sites that represent different biophysical and socio-economic conditions over the study area. With close monitoring and follow-up, successful and encouraging results were reported during the first season, even with lower rainfall than average, suggesting that these techniques were biophysically suitable for the target area. During the second season, maintenance and guarding were assigned to the farmers. Seven out of the 14 sites failed for various reasons: multiownership regime, reluctance of farmers to adopt new land use and insufficient protection and/or guarding measures. The study highlighted the importance of the farmers' comments and discussion of their specific problems and needs. This helped to improve these interventions to suit the farmers' requirements and may be important in facilitating widespread adoption and sustainability of these new land-use alternatives in the Jordanian Badia as well as in other areas of similar environment.
Soil fertility management for organic rice production in the Lao PDR
Authors: Roder W. , Schürmann S. , Chittanavanh P. , Sipaseuth K. , Fernandez M.
Published: May 2008

Rice is the most important agricultural commodity of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), produced largely using traditional methods with limited inputs of fertilizers and other chemicals. The country has a wide diversity in rice production systems and rice varieties, with over 3000 different varieties recorded. The rich diversity and the production environment and methods are favorable for organic rice production. Investigations were carried out to describe soil fertility conditions, management practices, opportunities and problems associated with organic production methods for rice. Soils used for rice production are mostly of low fertility, with low organic matter and N-availability. In spite of this, virtually no fertilizer inputs are used for upland rice production. Inorganic fertilizer inputs for lowland rice production have increased rapidly over the past decade, but are still below 20 kg ha−1. The most important nutrient sources are rice straw and manure from buffalo and cattle. Chromolaena odorata plays an important role in nutrient cycling in upland rice systems and is sometimes added to lowland fields. In a range of fertility management studies, yield increase ranged from 2 to 89% for manure, straw or rice husk applied at modest rates (3 t ha−1), 32–156% for modest rates of inorganic fertilizer (60 kg N ha−1) and 36–167% for combined application of manure or crop residues with inorganic fertilizer. The response to locally produced commercial organic fertilizer was poor. The most promising inputs and strategies available to optimize yields in organic rice production systems are (1) optimizing use of locally available nutrients, mostly from manure, crop residues and weed biomass, (2) N addition through green manure and legumes growing in rotation and (3) additions of P through guano or rock-phosphate. The Lao PDR is fortunate to have substantial bat guano deposits in limestone caves. Extensive experience is available on straw and husk management for lowland systems and green manure species for upland production systems.