bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DRM Protection Technologies
Authors: Hackbarth Gary
Published: November 2010

Digital Rights Management (DRM) is concerned with the ownership of digital information and access to that information. Organizations and individuals increasingly seek to prevent unauthorized or inadvertent release of owned, proprietary, or sensitive information. A variety of technologies are available to prevent the piracy and verify the true owners of digital content, unfortunately specifics of these technologies are often proprietary. Content can be protected by a variety of encryption techniques for the storage and transmission of digital information yet; these same techniques can limit access and usability of digital content. This chapter discusses the general state of digital security and technologies in use followed by a discussion of future directions for digital security research and practice.
Legal Issues Facing Companies with Products in a Digital Format
Authors: Fichtner J. Royce , Simpson Lou Ann
Published: November 2010

Companies that deal in products in a digital format, such as magazines, newspapers, e-books, music, movies, games, or software, face unique legal challenges because they attempt to earn a profit by selling or licensing material that is easily copied and inexpensive to reproduce. This chapter discusses the four general categories of intellectual property law—patents, trade secrets, trademarks, and copyrights—and describes how each applies to products in a digital format. This chapter ends with a brief discussion of the changing societal norms toward copyright infringement for digital products and possible directions for future research.
Financing Digital Product Companies
Authors: Carter Richard B. , Dark Frederick H.
Published: November 2010

Faced with the prospect of positive and negative network externalities and the all-or-nothing phenomenon, digital product (DP) firms must choose the timing of their capital acquisitions carefully. Moreover, with typically high fixed-to-variable cost ratios, the risk to recovering the initial investment is critical. In this chapter the authors discuss various forms of financing for the DP firm, both short-term and long-term, with these issues in mind. But our primary focus is the initial public offering of equity (IPO) and particularly its timing. Through empirical analysis and case studies we show that if DP firms issue too early in their life cycle they may receive a price for their shares that is not commensurate with long-term prospects. However, issuing too late may mean that they either cannot sell shares or are unable to recover their initial investment.
E-Health Business Models Prototyping by Incremental Design
Authors: Monguet Josep Ma. , Huerta Eduardo , Fernández Joaquín , Ferruzca Marco , Badillo Susana
Published: November 2010

Internet and IT (Information technologies) among other innovative drivers push companies to update their business models, and design stands out as an emergent issue strongly connected with innovation, which, in turn, is the main resource of the modern economy. One way to achieve innovation is through artifacts that allow the development of successful information systems in organizations. Moreover, the field of health appears as a sector with many opportunities to improve services through IT and design. Therefore, e-health comes out as one of the elements that should eventually help in the evolution of business models in health systems. In this chapter, the authors present a design method of IT artifacts for e-health adapted from the method proposed by Pahl and Beitz (1995). The correctness of the design method adopted is a significant issue to generate new business models successfully or to adapt the existing ones in health systems.
MHC Class I and TCR Avidity Control the CD8 T Cell Response to IL-15/IL-15Rα Complex
Authors: Stoklasek Thomas A. , Colpitts Sara L. , Smilowitz Henry M. , Lefrançois Leo
Published: November 2010

IL-15 operates via a unique mechanism termed transpresentation. In this system, IL-15 produced by one cell type is bound to IL-15Rα expressed by the same cell and is presented to apposing cells expressing the IL-15Rβ/γC complex. We have shown that administering soluble IL-15Rα complexed with IL-15 can greatly enhance IL-15 activity. We now show that the naive CD8 T cell response to exogenous IL-15/IL-15Rα complex is MHC class I dependent. In the absence of β2 microglobulin, naive CD8 T cells scarcely proliferated in response to IL-15/IL-15Rα complex, whereas memory cells proliferated, although to a lesser extent, compared with levels in control mice. The loss of β2m or FcRn slightly reduced the extended half-life of IL-15/IL-15Rα complex, whereas FcRn deficiency only partially reduced the naive CD8 T cell proliferative response to IL-15/IL-15Rα complex. In addition, we demonstrated a link between TCR avidity and the ability of a T cell to respond to IL-15/IL-15Rα complex. Thus, T cells expressing low-avidity TCR responded poorly to IL-15/IL-15Rα complex, which correlated with a poor homeostatic proliferative response to lymphopenia. The inclusion of cognate peptide along with complex resulted in enhanced proliferation, even when TCR avidity was low. IL-15/IL-15Rα complex treatment, along with peptide immunization, also enhanced activation and the migratory ability of responding T cells. These data suggest that IL-15/IL-15Rα complex has selective effects on Ag-activated CD8 T cells. Our findings have important implications for directing IL-15/IL-15Rα complex-based therapy to specific Ag targets and illustrate the possible adjuvant uses of IL-15/IL-15Rα complex.
Fc-Glycosylation Influences Fcγ Receptor Binding and Cell-Mediated Anti-HIV Activity of Monoclonal Antibody 2G12
Authors: Forthal Donald N. , Gach Johannes S. , Landucci Gary , Jez Jakub , Strasser Richard , Kunert Renate , Steinkellner Herta
Published: November 2010

Interactions between the Fc segment of IgG and FcγRs on a variety of cells are likely to play an important role in the anti-HIV activity of Abs. Because the nature of the glycan structure on the Fc domain is a critical determinant of Fc–FcγR binding, proper Fc glycosylation may contribute to Ab-mediated protection. We have generated five different glycoforms of the broadly HIV-1–neutralizing mAb 2G12 in wild-type and glycoengineered plants and Chinese hamster ovary cells. Plant-derived 2G12 exhibited highly homogeneous glycosylation profiles with a single dominant N-glycan species. Using flow cytometry with FcγR-expressing cell lines, all 2G12 glycoforms demonstrated similar binding to FcγRI, FcγRIIa, and FcγRIIb. In contrast, two glycoforms derived from glycoengineered plants that lack plant-specific xylose and core α1,3-fucose, and instead carry human-like glycosylation with great uniformity, showed significantly enhanced binding to FcγRIIIa compared with Chinese hamster ovary or wild-type plant-derived 2G12. Using surface plasmon resonance, we show that binding of 2G12 to FcγRIIIa is markedly affected by core fucose, irrespective of its plant-specific α1,3 or mammalian-type α1,6 linkage. Consistent with this finding, 2G12 glycoforms lacking core fucose (and xylose) mediated higher antiviral activity against HIV-1 or simian immunodeficiency virus as measured by Ab-dependent cell-mediated virus inhibition. This is, to our knowledge, the first demonstration that specific alterations of Fc glycosylation can improve antiviral activity. Such alterations may result in better immunotherapeutic reagents. Moreover, biasing vaccine-induced immune responses toward optimal Fc glycosylation patterns could result in improved vaccine efficacy.
Noninvasive Ventilatory Correction as an Adjunct to an Experimental Systemic Reperfusion Therapy in Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Barlinn Kristian , Balucani Clotilde , Palazzo Paola , Zhao Limin , Sisson April , Alexandrov Andrei V.
Published: October 2010

Background. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common condition in patients with acute ischemic stroke and associated with early clinical deterioration and poor functional outcome. However, noninvasive ventilatory correction is hardly considered as a complementary treatment option during the treatment phase of acute ischemic stroke.Summary of Case. A 55-year-old woman with an acute middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion received intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and enrolled into a thrombolytic research study. During tPA infusion, she became drowsy, developed apnea episodes, desaturated and neurologically deteriorated without recanalization, re-occlusion or intracerebral hemorrhage. Urgent noninvasive ventilatory correction with biphasic positive airway pressure (BiPAP) reversed neurological fluctuation. Her MCA completely recanalized 24 hours later.Conclusions. Noninvasive ventilatory correction should be considered more aggressively as a complementary treatment option in selected acute stroke patients. Early initiation of BiPAP can stabilize cerebral hemodynamics and may unmask the true potential of other therapies.
Culture and Use of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells in Phase I and II Clinical Trials
Authors: Philippe Bourin , Luc Sensebé , Valérie Planat-Bénard , Jérôme Roncalli , Alessandra Bura-Rivière , Louis Casteilla
Published: October 2010

Present in numerous tissues, mesenchymal stem cells/multipotent stromal cells (MSCs) can differentiate into different cell types from a mesoderm origin. Their potential has been extended to pluripotency, by their possibility of differentiating into tissues and cells of nonmesodermic origin. Through the release of cytokines, growth factors and biologically active molecules, MSCs exert important paracrine effects during tissue repair and inflammation. Moreover, MSCs have immunosuppressive properties related to non-HLA restricted immunosuppressive capacities. All these features lead to an increasing range of possible applications of MSCs, from treating immunological diseases to tissue and organ repair, that should be tested in phase I and II clinical trials. The most widely used MSCs are cultured from bone marrow or adipose tissue. For clinical trial implementation, BM MSCs and ADSCs should be produced according to Good Manufacturing Practices. Safety remains the major concern and must be ensured during culture and validated with relevant controls. We describe some applications of MSCs in clinical trials.
Clinical and Experimental Advances in Regeneration of Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Hyun Jung Keun , Kim Hae-Won
Published: November 2010

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is one of the major disabilities dealt with in clinical rehabilitation settings and is multifactorial in that the patients suffer from motor and sensory impairments as well as many other complications throughout their lifetimes. Many clinical trials have been documented during the last two decades to restore damaged spinal cords. However, only a few pharmacological therapies used in clinical settings which still have only limited effects on the regeneration, recovery speed, or retraining of the spinal cord. In this paper, we will introduce recent clinical trials, which performed pharmacological treatments and cell transplantations for patients with SCI, and evaluate recent in vivo studies for the regeneration of injured spinal cord, including stem-cell transplantation, application of neurotrophic factors and suppressor of inhibiting factors, development of biomaterial scaffolds and delivery systems, rehabilitation, and the combinations of these therapies to evaluate what can be appropriately applied in the future to the patients with SCI.
Disposition Kinetics of Levofloxacin in Sheep after Intravenous and Intramuscular Administration
Authors: Goudah Ayman , Hasabelnaby Sherifa
Published: November 2010

The present study was planned to investigate the disposition kinetics of levofloxacin in plasma of female native Barky breed sheep after single intravenous (IV) and intramuscular (IM) administration of 4 mg/kg body weight. The concentrations of levofloxacin in the plasma were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a UV detector on samples collected at 0, 0.08, 0.16, 0.33, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 18, 24, 32, and 48 h after treatment. Following intravenous injection, the decline in plasma drug concentration was biexponential with half-lives of  h and  h for distribution and elimination phases, respectively. The volume of distribution at steady state was  l/kg. After intramuscular administration of levofloxacin at the same dose, the peak plasma concentration was  g/mL and was obtained at  h , the elimination half-life was  h, and AUC was  g.h/mL. The systemic bioavailability was %.In vitroplasma protein binding was 23.74%. When approved therapy fails, levofloxacin may be used in some countries for therapy of food animals, however, that is not true in the US.
Angiosarcoma Arising in an Ovarian Fibroma: A Case Report
Authors: Cambruzzi Eduardo , Pegas Karla Lais , Milani Daniel Marini , Cruz Ricardo Pedrini , Guerra Enilde Heloena , Ferrari Márcio Balbinotti
Published: October 2010

Primary ovarian angiosarcoma is a very rare gynaecological sarcoma, with poor prognosis. These tumors are though to arise from carcinosarcomas, teratomas, or the ovarian vasculature and occur at any age. There are only a few cases reported in the international literature, most commonly associated to surface epithelial-stromal or germ cell tumours. Herein, the authors report the clinicopathologic features of an angiosarcoma arising in an ovarian fibroma. A 65-year-old patient was admitted with a palpable mass in the hypogastrium. Grossly, the removed ovary was completely replaced by a solid tumor mass. On histological analysis, the lesion revealed the typical histological features of angiosarcoma with sinusoidal patterns and anaplastic cells, admixed with spindle-shaped cells arranged in fascicles or in a storiform pattern, compatible with a fibroma. The vascular component was strongly immunopositive for CD31 and CD34. The patient was submitted to chemotherapy, and she was alive for two months after surgical proceedings.
Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Caused by Assembly Errors
Authors: Kleffe Jürgen , Weißmann Robert , Schmitzberger Florian F.
Published: November 2010

We compare the results of three different assembler programs, Celera, Phrap and Mira2, for the same set of about a hundred thousand Sanger reads derived from an unknown bacterial genome. In difference to previous assembly comparisons we do not focus on speed of computation and numbers of assembled contigs but on how the different sequence assemblies agree by content. Threefold consistently assembled genome regions are identified in order to estimate a lower bound of erroneously identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) caused by nothing but the process of mathematical sequence assembly. We identified 509 sequence triplets common to all three de-novo assemblies spanning only 34% (3.3 Mb) of the bacterial genome with 175 of these regions (~1.5 Mb) including erroneous SNPs and insertion/deletions. Within these triplets this on average leads to one error per 7,155 base pairs. Replacing the assembler Mira2 by the most recent version Mira3, the letter number even drops to 5,923. Our results therefore suggest that a considerably high number of erroneous SNPs may be present in current sequence data and mathematicians should urgently take up research on numerical stability of sequence assembly algorithms. Furthermore, even the latest versions of currently used assemblers produce erroneous SNPs that depend on the order reads are used as input. Such errors will severely hamper molecular diagnostics as well as relating genome variation and disease. This issue needs to be addressed urgently as the field is moving fast into clinical applications.
Design, Construction and Validation of Targeted BAC Array-Based CGH Test for Detecting the Most Commons Chromosomal Abnormalities
Authors: Gambardella Stefano , Ciabattoni Erika , Motta Francesca , Stoico Giusy , Gullotta Francesca , Biancolella Michela , Nardone Anna Maria , Novelli Antonio , Brunetti Ercole , Bernardini Laura , Novelli Giuseppe
Published: November 2010

We designed a targeted-array called GOLD (Gain or Loss Detection) Chip consisting of 900 FISH-mapped non-overlapping BAC clones spanning the whole genome to enhance the coverage of 66 unique human genomic regions involved in well known microdeletion/microduplication syndromes. The array has a 10 Mb backbone to guarantee the detection of the aneuploidies, and has an implemented resolution for telomeres, and for regions involved in common genomic diseases. In order to evaluate clinical diagnostic applicability of GOLDChip, analytical validity was carried-out via retrospective analysis of DNA isolated from a series of cytogenetically normal amniocytes and cytogenetically abnormal DNA obtained from cultured amniocytes, peripheral blood and/or cell lines. We recruited 47 DNA samples corresponding to pathologies with significant frequencies (Cri du Chat syndrome, Williams syndrome, Prader Willi/Angelman syndromes, Smith-Magenis syndrome, DiGeorge syndrome, Miller-Dieker syndrome, chromosomes 13, 18 and 21 trisomies). We set up an experimental protocol that allowed to identify chromosomal rearrangements in all the DNA samples analyzed. Our results provide evidence that our targeted BAC array can be used for the identification of the most common microdeletion syndromes and common aneuploidies.
Molecular Cloning of a Novel Bradykinin-Related Peptide from the Skin of Indian Bronzed FrogHylarana Temporalis
Authors: Reshmy V. , Preeji V. , Parvin A. , Santhoshkumar K. , George S.
Published: November 2010

Bradykinin-related peptides (BRPs) constitute one of the most studied groups of bioactive peptides in amphibian skin secretions. The present study describes the successful isolation of a novel BRP (hylaranakinin TE) from the skin secretion of the Indian bronzed frog Hylarana temporalis. The deduced open reading frame consisted of 115 amino acid residues with a putative signal peptide of 22 amino acid residues, followed by a spacer region and mature peptide regions that encode for two BRPs: a canonical bradykinin R-9-R with a C-terminal extension of FVPASSL and Thr6-BK. The Thr6-BK reported in the present study had an unusual FP-insertion in the N-terminal part and ended in FAPEII, which is very different from the IAPAIV sequence reported in other ranid frogs. Unlike the mammalian bradykinin and its precursor, amphibian BRPs and their precursors are extremely variable, as evident from the present study. This forms the first report of BRPs from Hylarana temporalis, endemic to India and Sri Lanka.
Extended ageing time and temperature effects on quality of sub-primal cuts of boxed beef
Authors: Juárez M. , Larsen I L , Gibson L L , Robertson W M , Dugan M E.R. , Aldai N. , Aalhus J L
Published: November 2010

Most of the information indicating ageing improves tenderness has been collected on the loin and rib-eye muscles over relatively short ageing times, assuming that all muscles will react similarly. In the present study, the effect of extended ageing times on instrumental texture (56 d) and sensory characteristics (42 d) of six different beef sub-primals [striploin (SL), inside round (IR), outside round (OR), eye of round (ER), blade eye (BE) and chuck tender (CT)] was studied. The effects of two ageing temperatures (1 and 5°C) were also compared. In general, ageing increased tenderness (P < 0.05) of SL, BE, ER and CT sub-primals, although BE shear force increased after 42 d of ageing. On the other hand, ageing had no effect on IR tenderness (P > 0.05) and resulted in a decrease in tenderness of OR (P < 0.05) until day 35, with a later increase after 42 d of ageing. Increasing ageing temperature (5°C) had limited effect on tenderness, but ageing time and temperature increases led to lower flavour and higher off-flavour intensity (P < 0.05) of the studied sub-primals. These results suggest that cut-specific maximum ageing times and rigid adherence to temperature maximums would be of benefit to optimize post-slaughter processes and meat quality.Key words: Beef, ageing, tenderness, muscle
Temperature gradients in trailers and changes in broiler rectal and core body temperature during winter transportation in Saskatchewan
Authors: Knezacek T D , Olkowski A A , Kettlewell P J , Mitchell M A , Classen H L
Published: November 2010

Temperature conditions inside commercial trailers transporting market-age broilers during four winter journeys were measured, and changes in the rectal and core body temperature of birds were quantified. Pre-selected modules were equipped with data loggers recording temperature every 72 s. Rectal temperatures were taken from eight birds in each of four modules immediately before and after each trip, and two or three birds, with temperature recording implants, were placed in each of two selected modules. Temperature heterogeneity was found among modules on all loads with average crate temperatures ranging from 10.9 to 30.7, 8.9 to 28.1, 2.5 to 26.1 and -0.7 to 16.5°C for transportation times of 191, 193, 178 and 18 min and ambient temperatures of -7.1, -27.1, -28.2 and -18.4°C, respectively. Wet birds, condensation and frost provided evidence for moisture accumulation during transportation. Body temperature recordings indicated the potential for the development of both hypothermia and hyperthermia, showing that cold stress can occur near air inlets and heat stress in poorly ventilated areas. Passive ventilation inside trailers resulted in crate temperatures 17.7 to 55.2°C above outside temperature. Mortality ranged from 0.7 to 1.4% but several deaths occurred during lairage, prior to processing. A heterogeneous distribution of airflow resulted in undesirable temperate and humidity conditions for some birds. Key words: Broiler, transportation, temperature gradient, mortality, cold weather
Nutrient composition and degradation profiles of anthocyanidin-accumulating Lc-alfalfa populations
Authors: Jonker A. , Gruber M Y , McCaslin M. , Wang Y. , Coulman B. , McKinnon J J , Christensen D A , Yu P.
Published: November 2010

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is one of the most used forages in the world but suffers the disadvantage of having poor protein utilization by the animal. The poor protein utilization is the result of excessive ruminal protein degradation, which might be reduced by the protein precipitating capacity of anthocyanidin (AC) and condensed tannins (CT). The objective of this study was to determine the effects of the Lc-transgene on survival, anthocyanidin, condensed tannin and chemical profiles in crossed populations of western Canadian-adapted Lc-alfalfa. These were compared with their non-transgenic (NT) parental varieties, Rangelander, Rambler, and Beaver. Lc-alfalfa forage accumulated enhanced amounts of anthocyanidin, with an average concentration of 197.4 µg g-1 DM, while condensed tannins were not detected. Both of these metabolites were absent in the NT parental varieties. Lc-alfalfa had a lower (24.8 vs. 27.3% DM; P < 0.02) crude protein (CP) and higher (58.3 vs. 55.5% DM; P < 0.01) carbohydrate (CHO) concentration, which resulted in their decreased (P < 0.01) N:CHO ratio (68.1 vs. 79.2 g kg-1) compared with NT alfalfa. Slowly degradable N:CHO ratio was decreased by 5.9 g kg-1 (P < 0.03) and total rumen-degradable N:CHO ratio was decreased by 12.9 g kg-1 (P < 0.03) in Lc-alfalfa compared with NT alfalfa. In conclusion, Lc-gene transformation resulted in the accumulation of anthocyanidin, decreased total protein content, increased total carbohydrate content and improved the balance between nitrogen and carbohydrates in the crossed transgenic populations of western Canadian-adapted alfalfa compared to their NT western Canadian parental alfalfa varieties. Key words: Alfalfa, anthocyanidin, Lc-transgene, protein and carbohydrate sub-fractions, nitrogen-to-carbohydrate degradation ratios
Relationships between backfat thickness and reproductive efficiency of sows: A two-year trial involving two commercial herds fixing backfat thickness at breeding
Authors: Houde A A , Méthot S. , Murphy B D , Bordignon V. , Palin M F
Published: November 2010

In this study, we established whether controlling backfat thickness at breeding over a long time period can result in optimized reproductive performance in sows. Two commercial herds were used: herd A (322 purebred Landrace sows) and herd B (337 cross-bred Yorkshire-Landrace sows). Backfat thickness at breeding and farrowing, along with reproductive data [live Born (LB), stillborn, mummified, piglets alive at 48 h (LB48) and the weaning-to-estrus interval (WEI)] were collected over nine parities. The herd B producer was more successful in maintaining a steady backfat thickness at breeding than was the herd A producer. At breeding, the backfat thickness of sows from herd A showed a marked decrease between parities 2 and 5. During their first parity, these sows gained the least backfat during gestation and lost the most backfat during lactation. Sows from herd B had more LB and LB48 than sows from herd A. In herd A, a longer WEI was found in first and second parity sows. Our results demonstrate that maintaining backfat thickness throughout the reproductive cycle is more important than fixing this parameter at breeding alone. This is particularly true for gilts, which are prone to mobilize fat tissue reserves, a condition associated with declining reproductive performance. Key words: Backfat thickness, reproductive performance, sow, weaning-to-estrus interval
Effect of storage for 24 h at 18°C on sperm quality and a comparison of two assays for sperm membrane lipid peroxidation
Authors: Am-in N. , Kirkwood R N , Techakumphu M. , Tantasuparuk W.
Published: November 2010

Boars having normal (71.1 ± 1.2%; n = 10) or low (35.12 ± 3.9%; n = 10) sperm motility 24 h after collection were used, and semen was evaluated following storage in Beltsville Thawing Solution (BTS) for 24 h at 18°C. Sperm lipids were extracted and lipid peroxidation quantified. No differences were evident in fresh semen, but after 24 h, sperm motility, viability and membrane permeability in the low motility group were lower (P < 0.001) compared with the normal motility group. Sperm membrane lipid peroxidation was greater (P < 0.001) in the low motility group. A factor influencing sperm storability is membrane lipid peroxidation, which can be accurately assayed using a commercial kit.Key words: Boars, sperm motility, sperm quality, lipid peroxidation
Differential regulation of components of the apoptotic and ubiquitin-mediated proteolytic pathway in slow- and fast- twitch muscle type in lambs receiving increasing amounts of dietary non-structural carbohydrate
Authors: Greenwood S L , Steele M. , AlZahal O. , Hook S E , Swanson K C , McBride B W
Published: November 2010

Non-fibre carbohydrate (NFC) rich diets are commonly fed in ruminant production systems. The objective was to determine whether NFC challenge affects proteasome activity, or messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression of proteasome subunits or apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins, in slow- or fast- twitch muscle of sheep. For 12 d prior to slaughter, lambs (n = 8) received either a control diet (28.4% of dry matter as grain), or a diet of increasing amounts of grain up to 79.1% of dry matter. A decrease in urinary pH (P = 0.01), base excess of blood and extracellular fluid (P = 0.01), bicarbonate (P = 0.03) and total carbon dioxide (P = 0.04), and an increase in anion gap (P = 0.07) in NFC lambs are indicative of metabolic acidosis. NFC lambs had significantly lower mRNA expression of the 20S -β subunit (P = 0.05), and a tendency toward lower mRNA expression of the 20S-α subunit (P = 0.11) and the 19S isoform (P = 0.15) in soleus, but not to the same extent in extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle. Downregulation of Bad mRNA expression occurred in both soleus (P = 0.10) and EDL (P = 0.08) muscle as a result of NFC challenge. These results indicate that NFC challenge does affect mRNA expression of genes related to the proteasome and apoptosis in a muscle specific manner. Key words: Ubiquitin-mediated proteolytic pathway, non-fibre carbohydrate, apoptosis, sheep
Dietary lipid sources and vitamin E affect fatty acid composition or lipid stability of breast meat from Muscovy duck
Authors: Schiavone A. , Marzoni M. , Castillo A. , Nery J. , Romboli I.
Published: November 2010

A trial was conducted in order to assess the fatty acid composition and lipid stability of breast meat from Muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata domestica L.) fed a basal diet supplemented with 20 g kg-1 of soybean oil or fish oil and 30 or 230 mg kg-1 α-tocopheryl acetate (α-TA). A total of 120 one-day-old female muscovy ducklings were distributed over 12 pens (10 birds/pen). Growth performance traits were measured through the study. Each dietary treatment was randomly administered to three replicates when birds were 43 d until the slaughtering age of 66 d. Dietary treatments did not induce differences in growth performances and slaughter traits. Similarly, proximate composition and pH of breast muscle were not influenced by the diets. Significant increases in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) contents in breast meat of ducks fed fish-oil-supplemented diets was observed. Lipid oxidation, expressed as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), of breast meat from birds fed 230 mg kg-1 α-TA-supplemented diets was significantly lower, compared with those fed diets supplemented with 30 mg kg-1 α-TA, both 1 and 7 d after slaughter.Key words: Duck, meat, fatty acid, vitamin E, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances
Laying performance of six pure lines of chickens and four commercial hybrids at the Agassiz Research Centre
Authors: Silversides F G
Published: November 2010

The Agassiz Research Centre keeps six pure lines of high-producing but non-commercial layers. Egg production, body weight, feed consumption and efficiency, and several characteristics of the eggs were measured to 60 wk of age and compared with those of four commercial white- and brown-egg hybrids. Egg production from 20 to 60 wk was highest for the four commercial hybrids, with no difference between them, and was 6 to 11% lower for the pure line white-egg layers, and 7 to 13% lower for the pure line brown-egg layers. The pure line and hybrid white-egg layers had similar body weights, but the pure line brown-egg layers weighed more than the commercial brown-egg hybrid. Feed efficiency was similar for the four hybrids and was generally better for the hybrids than the pure lines, based largely on higher egg production rather than increased feed consumption. The difference between industrial hybrids and the pure lines studied can be attributed to the selection that has been applied as well as to heterosis. Key words: Chicken, genetic resources, Agassiz layer lines
Energy and nutrient digestibility in a hulless low-phytate phosphorus barley fed to finishing pigs
Authors: Ige D V , Kiarie E. , Akinremi O O , Rossnagel B. , Flatten D. , Nyachoti C M
Published: November 2010

Six-ileal cannulated finishing barrows were used to determine energy and nutrient digestibility in a sample of a hulless low-phytate (LP) barley cultivar. A sample of regular hulled (RH) barley was also included for comparison. Two diets containing 96.5% of either LP or RH barley, 2.5% trace minerals and vitamins and 1% indigestible marker (Celite) were fed in a two-period change-over design. Each experimental period lasted 9 d; a 5-d acclimatization period followed by 2 d of fecal and 2 d of ileal digesta collection. Standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids (AA) was calculated using published values for ileal endogenous AA losses from our laboratory. Total phosphorus (as is) was similar in LP and RH; however, LP had lower phytate phosphorus (0.6 vs. 2.3, g kg-1) than RH. Apparent digestibility of phosphorus was higher (P < 0.01) for LP barley than RH at both ileal (45 vs. 24%) and faecal (55 vs. 32%) levels. Compared with RH, LP had higher (P < 0.05) DE and SID contents of all indispensable AA except Phe. In summary, a hulless low-phytate barley sample fed to finishing pigs had higher digestible phosphorus, energy and AA contents than regular hulled barley, indicating that use of hulless low-phytate barley in swine diets may have ecological benefit.Key words: Barley, low-phytate barley, nutrient digestibility, phytate P, pigs
A comparison of different pre and post-slaughter measurements for estimating fat reserves in Spanish Blanca Celtibérica goats
Authors: Mendizabal J A , Delfa R. , Arana A. , Purroy A.
Published: November 2010

Five pre-slaughter measurement values and four post-slaughter measurement values were used to estimate the weight of fat in the omental (OM), mesenteric (MES), perirenal (PR), subcutaneous (SC), and intermuscular (IM) fat depots in goats. The pre-slaughter measurements were: live weight (LW), sternal body condition score (BCSs), lumbar body condition score (BCSl), sternal fat thickness (FTs) and lumbar fat thickness (FTl) measured by ultrasound. The post-slaughter measurements were empty live weight (ELW), hot carcass weight (HCW), adipocyte diameter in the sternal subcutaneous fat (ADSCs) and adipocyte diameter in the lumbar subcutaneous fat (ADSCl). Linear and multiple regressions were fit to data collected from 22 adult, non-pregnant and non-lactating Blanca Celtibérica does. The results obtained showed BCSs, ranging from 1.5 to 4.5 (scale: 0-5) to be the best pre-slaughter estimator of an animal's total fat (R2 = 0.90, RSD = 2.252 kg) and HCW to be the best post-slaughter estimator (R2 = 0.92, RSD = 1.972 kg). Additionally, multiple regression using HCW and ADSCl together yielded estimates of the total amount of fat in all five of the depots considered here with an R2 = 0.95 and an RSD = 1.542 kg. Therefore, the use in vivo of BCSs is the best method for predicting nutritional status in does in extensive production systems in the Mediterranean region.Key words: Fat reserve, body weight, carcass weight, body condition score, ultrasound, adipocyte, goat
Effect of soil physical properties on the long-term performance of planted Scots pine in Finnish Lapland
Authors: Mäkitalo K. , Alenius V. , Heiskanen J. , Mikkola K.
Published: November 2010

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) forests dominate in Finnish Lapland. This study examined the long-term effects of soil physical properties and conditions measured in intact intermediate areas, as well as site preparation, on the survival and height growth of planted pine on eight experimental sites, 25-27 yr after reforestation. On the four originally spruce-dominated sites, pine survival was the highest on sites with a high soil air-filled porosity (AFP) near saturation (at -1 kPa), a high van Genuchten parameter, and a low soil water content (SWC) in situ, and height growth was the fastest on sites with a high soil AFP in situ and a high van Genuchten parameter n, and on sites reaching a soil AFP of ca. 0.20 m3 m-3 at a high matric potential after saturation. Survival, but not mean height, was enhanced on the spruce sites by intensive site preparation methods such as ploughing instead of lighter site preparation methods. On the four originally pine-dominated sites, site preparation affected the mean height but not survival. The use of SWC as a sole criterion for sites suitable for pine reforestation was tested and found to be uncertain. Key words: Boreal forest soils, soil water content, air-filled porosity, van Genuchten function, site preparation, reforestation, Scots pine
Nitrous oxide fluxes related to soil freeze and thaw periods identified using heat pulse probes
Authors: Wagner-Riddle C. , Rapai J. , Warland J. , Furon A.
Published: November 2010

Surface N2O fluxes have not been unequivocally linked to soil profile conditions, in particular the timing of water phase change. The heated needle probe is a sensor that has the potential to monitor in situ apparent volumetric heat capacity (Ca), which considers latent heat transfer, during freezing and thawing. The objective of this study was to relate the timing of N2O flux to the occurrence of soil water phase change between liquid and ice as determined by Ca in no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) plots monitored from fall to spring. Half-hourly micrometeorological N2O fluxes were measured using a tunable diode laser trace gas analyzer. Apparent heat capacity was measured at 5-cm depth using three 4-cm-long parallel needles, two equipped with thermistors and one with a heater. Two N2O flux events were observed for CT in January, followed by the main emission event in early March. For NT, only one emission event occurred, with lower magnitude than the CT event, and a later starting and ending date. The apparent heat capacity measured in situ with HPP showed a different temporal pattern between NT and CT, with CT presenting more phase change events. Two out of the three N2O emission events in CT that occurred during winter and early spring occurred immediately after phase change from ice to liquid water at 5-cm depth. The N2O flux associated with the phase change during the main thaw event in CT was an exponential function of the soil surface temperature increasing sharply when T > 0°C, but with smaller fluxes once T was > 5°C. The temperature response observed is consistent with the suggestion of a breakdown in the N2O reduction process in the 0 to 5°C range, while the N2O production enzymes are less affected by low temperature.Key words: Nitrous oxide flux, freeze-thaw cycles, heat pulse probes, no-tillage, conventional tillage
Soil phosphorus availability in no-till versus conventional tillage following freezing and thawing cycles
Authors: Messiga A J , Ziadi N. , Morel C. , Parent L -E.
Published: November 2010

Projected global warming may result in colder soil temperatures and a greater number of soil freezing and thawing cycles (FTC) during the winter in cool temperate and high-latitude regions. We evaluated the effects of seasons and repeated FTC on soil P availability in the topsoil of no-till (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) systems. In order to determine P availability during fall 2007 and spring 2008, soil samples (0-15 cm) were collected in both seasons from a long-term corn-soybean rotation experiment in plots that received 0, 17.5 and 35 kg P ha-1 and 160 kg N ha-1 every 2 yr since 1992. In addition, soil cores (0-5 cm) were collected in fall 2007 in plots that received 35 kg P ha-1 and 160 kg N ha-1 every 2 yr and were enriched or not with 2 g of soybean residues. Under controlled conditions, the cores were subjected to various FTC treatments, with each cycle consisting of 5 d of freezing and 5 d of thawing. The water-extractable P (Pw) and Mehlich 3 extractable P (PM3) contents were higher in soil samples collected in the spring compared with those collected the previous fall. After one and three FTC, Pw values averaged 17.4 mg kg-1 in NT and 7.5 mg kg-1 in CT and were not influenced by the addition of soybean residues. At the end of the sixth FTC, the Pw content of soil cores collected in NT increased up to 25.9 mg kg-1 with the addition of residues but decreased in the absence of residues. The effects of freezing and thawing on soil cores with crop residues occurred at the end of the sixth FTC, where PM3 in the NT + residues treatment increased twofold, reaching 100 mg P kg-1. These results confirm that both Pw and PM3 in NT can be enhanced by increasing the number of FTC.Key words: Global warming, freeze/thaw cycles, water-soluble phosphorus, phosphorus management, no-till
Hydrostatics of frozen soil
Authors: Groenevelt P H
Published: November 2010

An outline is presented of the relations between the energy status of water and the content of liquid water and ice in frozen soils. The theory formulates the dependence of the soil moisture characteristic (moisture retention curve) of a frozen soil on the load pressure and the temperature. This formulation requires the definition of the envelope-pressure potentials and the frost potentials of the soil moisture and the ice present in the soil. These potentials are expressed in terms of the void ratio, the moisture ratio, the ice ratio, the moisture ratio equivalent, and the ice ratio equivalent. The relations between these variables are intrinsic properties of the porous medium. They have to be determined by experiment or deduced from indirect measurements. The present theory facilitates such deductions. The measurement of the equilibrium soil moisture and ice pressures in frozen soil is more difficult than the measurement of the volume ratios. Thus, it may be advantageous to deduce the former from the latter. Some data from the literature are used to demonstrate the use of indirect measurements in order to obtain the required properties.Key words: Soil water, soil ice, Maxwell relations, envelope-pressure potentials, frost potentials
Carbon dioxide and methane fluxes from arctic mudboils
Authors: Wilson K S , Humphreys E R
Published: November 2010

Climate change is expected to alter the Arctic’s carbon (C) balance and changes in these C-rich ecosystems may contribute to a positive feedback on global climate change. Low-center mudboils, a form of patterned ground in the Arctic, are distinct landforms in which the exchange of greenhouse gases between the atmosphere and soil has not been fully characterized, but which may have an important influence on the overall C balance of tundra ecosystems. Chamber systems were used to sample net ecosystem exchange of CO2 (NEE) and CO2 and CH4 effluxes along a 35-m transect intersecting two mudboils in a wet sedge fen in Canada’s Southern Arctic (lat. 64°52′N, long. 111°34′W) during the summer months in 2008. Mudboil features gave rise to dramatic variations in vegetation, soil temperature and thaw depth, and soil organic matter content along this transect. Variations in NEE were driven by variations in the amount of vascular vegetation, while CO2 and CH4 effluxes were remarkably similar among the two mudboil (CO2 effluxes: 1.1 ± 0.9 and 1.4 ± 0.7 µmol m-2 s-1; CH4 effluxes: 83.1 ± 189.4 and 23.1 ± 9.4 nmol m-2 s-1, ± 1 standard deviation) and the sedge fen (CO2 effluxes: 1.6 ± 0.7 mol m-2 s-1 ; CH4 effluxes: 28.0 ± 62.0 nmol m-2 s-1) sampling areas. Vegetation appeared to play an important role in limiting temporal variations in CH4 effluxes through plant mediated transport in both mudboil and sedge fen sampling areas. One of the mudboils had negligible vascular plant colonization presumably due to more active frost heave processes. The relatively high CO2 and CH4 efflux in this mudboil area was speculated to be a result of growth and decomposition of cryptogamic organisms, inflow of dissolved organic C, and warmer soil temperatures. Key words: Patterned ground, nonsorted circle, tundra, net ecosystem exchange, methane, carbon dioxide
Accumulation of nitrate N in the soil profile and its implications for the environment under dryland agriculture in northern China: A review
Authors: Fan J. , Hao M. , Malhi S S
Published: November 2010

Nitrate (NO3-) leaching and water contamination have become a worldwide concern. In this review, some examples are presented to show the extent and magnitude of NO3- accumulation in the soil profiles and its potential effects on contamination of ground water and surface water under dryland farming in northern China. Climatic and management factors affecting NO3- leaching are also discussed. In northern China, rainfall is relatively sparse, but the high intensity of precipitation and porous soils play an important role in the accumulation of NO3N in soil and its subsequent leaching in the soil profile. There is a risk of nitrate accumulation and leaching when high rates of fertilizer N are applied to improve crop yields, and it becomes even worse when conventional land use is changed from cereal crops to vegetable crops and fruit orchards. Under such conditions, shallow ground water might be polluted by NO3-. This suggests that more attention should be paid to prevent this problem by using best management practices, especially by controlling the amount of N fertilizer input, balanced fertilization, split N application, inclusion of crops with deep taproots in the rotation and minimizing summer fallow (especially tilled) frequency. Key words: Accumulation, contamination, dryland farming, ground water, leaching, nitrate, northern China
High Order Compact Schemes in Projection Methods for Incompressible Viscous Flows
Authors: Fournié Michel , Rigal Alain
Published: November 2010

Within the projection schemes for the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations (namely “pressure-correction” method), we consider the simplest method (of order one in time) which takes into account the pressure in both steps of the splitting scheme. For this scheme, we construct, analyze and implement a new high order compact spatial approximation on nonstaggered grids. This approach yields a fourth order accuracy in space with an optimal treatment of the boundary conditions (without error on the velocity) which could be extended to more general splitting. We prove the unconditional stability of the associated Cauchy problem via von Neumann analysis. Then we carry out a normal mode analysis so as to obtain more precise results about the behavior of the numerical solutions. Finally we present detailed numerical tests for the Stokes and the Navier-Stokes equations (including the driven cavity benchmark) to illustrate the theoretical results.
Worry, Mood and Stop Rules in Young Adolescents: Does the Mood-as-Input Theory Apply?
Authors: Turner Lucie , Wilson Charlotte
Published: October 2010

The present study used a mixed methods approach to test the mood-as-input theory of perseverative worry in young adolescents. In an experiment young adolescents were randomized into four groups (positive or negative mood, each with ‘as many as can’ or ‘feel like continuing’ stop rules). However, there was no impact of mood and/or stop rules on perseveration of worry. Some evidence for the mood as input theory was provided by adolescents' qualitative reports of using mood and stop rules as information when deciding to stop worrying. Furthermore, cross-sectional data concurred with adult studies, suggesting trait worry is associated with ‘as many as can’ stop rules and initial negative mood. It is proposed that worry status might interact in complex ways when both mood and stop rules are manipulated and that developmental issues might have impacted on the participants' ability to follow the stop rule allocated.
Pathological Worry in Children: What is Currently Known?
Authors: Wilson Charlotte
Published: October 2010

This review focuses on pathological worry in children. Research suggests that pathological worry in children may best be distinguished by its intensity and uncontrollability, but not by its frequency. Furthermore there is evidence that worry functions as a problem solving strategy in children and adolescents and in older children it may aid avoidance of thinking about more significant worries. These functions can go wrong however, with high levels of worry being associated with positive beliefs about worry, poor problem solving confidence, attentional and interpretation biases and cognitive avoidance strategies. Models and theories of GAD in adults also appear to be applicable to children and adolescents with these younger populations showing associations between worry, and intolerance of uncertainty and negative beliefs about worry. Behavioural inhibition, parenting, genetics and life events are discussed as potential origins of pathological worry in children and the review finally calls for more research into specific causal mechanisms that promote pathological worry in children.