bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Lymphocytic mitochondrial DNA deletions, biochemical folate status and hepatocellular carcinoma susceptibility in a case–control study
Authors: Wu Meng-Ying , Kuo Chang-Sheng , Lin Ching-Yih , Lu Chin-Li , Syu Huang Rwei-Fen 
Published: March 2009

Mitochondrial (mt) DNA deletions and low folate status, proposed characteristics of carcinogenesis, in relation to human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) susceptibility are not clearly understood. We hypothesised that low folate status may modify frequencies of mtDNA deletions in humans, both of which could predispose individuals to HCC development. Biochemical folate status of serum and lymphocytes, and frequencies of mtDNA deletions in lymphocytes were determined in ninety HCC cases and ninety cancer-free healthy controls, individually matched by age and sex. The data revealed that HCC patients had lower levels of serum folate (P = 0·0002), lymphocytic folate (P = 0·040) and accumulated higher frequency of lymphocytic mtDNA deletions (P < 0·0001) than the controls. In the total studied subjects, frequencies of lymphocytic mtDNA deletions were associated with hepatitic B infection (P = 0·004) and HCC incidents (P = 0·001), and were correlated with serum folate (r− 0·155;P = 0·041), lymphocyte folate (r− 0·314;P = 0·0001), levels of glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) (r0·206;P = 0·006), glutamate-pyruvate transaminase (GPT) (r0·163;P = 0·037) and α-fetal protein concentrations (r0·212;P = 0·005). After adjustment for age, sex, lifestyle and one-carbon metabolite factors, individuals with low blood folate ( < 11·5 nmol/l) or high mtDNA deletions (Δ threshold cycle number (Ct)>5·3) had increased risks for HCC (OR 7·7, 95 % CI 1·9, 29·9,P = 0·003; OR 5·4; 95 % CI 1·7, 16·8,P = 0·003, respectively). When combined with folate deficiency (serum folate < 14 nmol/l), the OR of HCC in individuals with high levels of lymphocytic mtDNA deletions was enhanced (OR 13·3; 95 % CI 1·45, 122;P = 0·008). Further controlling for GOT and GPT levels, however, negated those effects on HCC risk. Taken together, the data suggest that biochemical folate status and liver injuries are important modulators to lymphocytic mtDNA deletions. The mt genetic instability that results from a high rate of mtDNA deletions and/or low folate status increased the risk for HCC, which is mediated by clinical hepatic lesions.
The determination of the number of bacteria in soil. (Preliminary communication)
Authors: Whittles C. L. 
Published: March 2009

1. The usual shaking methods have been examined and found unsatisfactory.2. A method has been evolved for the estimation of the number of soil organisms by a direct count, and the numbers found to be very much higher than any previously reported.3. A method for the disintegration and dispersion of the soil particles and bacteria has been devised, by means of which plate counts were made which were comparable with direct counts.4. The dispersive actions of shaking and of vibrating have been compared. The former was found to give results which depended on the moisture content of the soil, whereas the trembling motion gave results in which the effect due to the moisture content was not apparent.5. High counts made by previous observers can usually be correlated with one or more of the following factors:(i) Greater dispersion of the soil as a result of the action of frost, etc.(ii) An alkaline reaction,e.g.presence of ammonia, magnesia, etc.(iii) Presence of a protective colloid,e.g.the effect of the addition of large quantities of straw, or traces of gelatine.(iv) Absence of a flocculating agent, especially calcium compounds.In conclusion the author wishes to express his gratitude to Dr G. S. Graham-Smith, F.R.S. at whose suggestion the investigation was started and under whose guidance and direction the bacteriological work was carried out in the Pathological Laboratory, Medical Schools, Cambridge; to Professor T. B. Wood, C.B.E., M.A., F.I.C., F.R.S., for facilities for carrying out the physico-chemical investigation at the School of Agriculture; to Messrs L. F. Newman, M.A., F.I.C., W. B. Hardy, M.A., F.R.S., W. H. Harvey, M.D., E. K. Rideal, M.B.E., M.A., G. Udny Yule, M.A., F.R.S., F. W. Foreman, M.A., F.I.C., and to the late Professor Sir German Sims Woodhead for their kindly advice and encouragement; to Messrs E. G. Staples, B.A., W. M. Davies, B.A., B.Sc, A.I.C. and A. W. R. Joachim, B.Sc. for assistance in the execution of the physico-chemical experiment; and to Mr W. A. Mitchell of the Medical School for his assistance in fitting up apparatus.
Estimation of nitric nitrogen and total nitrogen in plant tissue extracts
Authors: Gallagher Patrick Hugh 
Published: March 2009

Several methods for estimating nitrates by reduction to ammonia were examined. The error involved in the use of acid reducing agents in presence of amino groups was emphasised.A method based on the use of Devarda's alloy and magnesia is recommended.In the estimation of nitrates in plant extracts, etc., by this method an equal volume of rectified spirit is first added to the solution to precipitate colloidal matter. The precipitate is filtered off and an aliquot part of the filtrate containing the equivalent in nitrate nitrogen of about 0.1 gm. of KNO3 is distilled with steam for 45 minutes with 1 gm. of Devarda's alloy and ½ gm. of freshly ignited magnesia. A blank determination is essential, in which the same volume of filtrate is distilled for the same length of time with ½ gm. of magnesia.In Kjeldahl estimations in presence of nitrates, where the separate estimation of nitrates is not required, 2 c.c. of 25 per cent. NaOH may be substituted for the magnesia. Relatively this is very much less soda than Devarda recommends. The mixture in this case may be distilled directly for half-an-hour. The nitrates are thus reduced and the ammonia produced is collected before beginning the digestion with sulphuric acid.This work was carried out under the supervision of Mr F. W. Foreman to whom the author's best thanks are due for much valuable criticism and advice.
The determination of cellulose in nutritional studies: Part II. A comparison of the applicability of three methods for the determination of cellulose
Authors: Druce Edward , Willcox James Stuart 
Published: March 2009

Three methods for the determination of cellulose have been compared for their value in nutritional studies, and have indicated the applicability of the procedure of Druce &Willcox (1949) in this connexion.The use of the method of Crampton & Maynard (1938) has been shown to give an erroneous picture of the extent of cellulose digestibility, and it has been concluded that the procedure is not satisfactory.
Experiments on the ventilation of cattle byres
Authors: Findlay J. D. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARY1. The ventilation of two byres, one of large (1248 cu.ft.) and one of small (567 cu.ft.) cubic capacity per cow, was studied. The CO2 concentration in the atmosphere was used as a measure of the rate of air change and the dry katathermometer to determine the cooling power of the atmosphere. Temperatures and relative humidities were recorded and the actual air movements were studied by using smoke trails. The investigations were made under a variety of weather conditions and with a wide range of outlet and inlet areas.2. It was shown that the atmospheric conditions in the large byre were almost always superior to those in the small byre, and this was undoubtedly due to the greater cubic space per cow in the large byre. Adequate ventilation was, however, readily attained in the small byre provided the outlet area was sufficiently large.
Loss of mineral nitrogen from soil
Authors: Shaw K. 
Published: March 2009

1. The pattern of downward movement of nitrate in light soil is different from that in heavy clay soil of the kind used in this work.2. In light sandy soils, where vertical structural fissures are absent, nitrate becomes distributed down the profile on leaching.3. In heavy soils, which are well fissured and possess a gleyed horizon of partially decomposed plant debris at cultivation depth, most of the nitrate disappears from the profile after removal, by leaching or denitrification, from the cultivation layer.4. There is little difference in the amount of rain required to remove nitrate from the surface layers of light or heavy soil.5. Heavy and continuous rain is required to remove nitrate completely from either light or heavy soils.6. Nitrification of ammonium sulphate is more rapid in summer than winter, but nitrification does proceed slowly during winter.7. Ammonium nitrogen is not leached from the surface layer of either light or heavy soil.
The utilization of Hyparrhenia veld for the nutrition of cattle in the dry season III. Studies on the digestibility of the produce of mature veld and veld hay, and the effect of feeding supplementary protein and urea
Authors: Smith C. A. 
Published: March 2009

Indigenous (Bos indicus) oxen fed ad lib. were used to measure the changes in the apparent digestibility of mature Hyparrhenia veld during the dry season, and also the apparent digestibility of late-cut veld hay and nitrogen-fertilized veld hay. The forages were those used in a field trial, and the present results complement previous work.1. Mature Hyparrhenia veld harvested at the end of the rains as veld hay or green forage, contains approximately 50% digestible o.m. and 0·6% digestible c.p. The low level of approx. 3% c.p. resulted in a low apparent c.p. digestibility and consequent protein deficiency.2. The nutritive value of the mature Hyparrhenia grassland as ‘standing hay’ progressively dropped to 38% digestible o.m. and negative c.p. digestibility by mid-dry-season in July.3. There was an accompanying decline in voluntary intake of forage from approximately 12 lb. d.m./1000 lb. animal/day at the end of the rains to 8 lb. d.m./1000 lb. animal/day in mid dry season.4. The seasonal drop in digestibility values is accentuated by the drop in dry-matter intake so that a diet of mature veld herbage in mid dry season is grossly deficient in both energy and protein.5. The feeding of supplementary protein or urea resulted in a 40–60% increase in the intake of mature Hyparrhenia forage. Urea and groundnut meal were of equal value in their effect on herbage intake at the level of feeding used in this trial.6. The main factor limiting the utilization of the mature Hyparrhenia veld appears to be a dietary protein deficiency. Increasing the dietary protein level, either by using nitrogen fertilizers to raise the herbage crude protein, per cent, or by supplementary feeding of protein or urea, not only relieved the dietary protein deficiency, but, due to the resultant increase in forage intake, also corrected the deficiency in dietary energy. The nutritive value of mature Hyparrhenia forage was thus raised from a submaintenance to a supra-maintenance level.
The energy requirements of sheep for maintenance and gain. II. Grazing sheep
Authors: Coop I. E. , Hill M. K. 
Published: March 2009

The intake of grazing sheep in terms of digestible organic matter, DOM, has been measured by faecal index methods, employing chromic oxide to measure faecal output and faecal nitrogen for digestibility of pasture. A regression equation for the prediction of digestibility from faecal nitrogen (organic matter basis) was developed from several series of digestibility trials with pasture, the equation beingdigestibility of organic matter = 30·84 + Four trials to measure maintenance and gain were conducted, as follows:(i) Thirty-eight sheep, comprising twelve wethers of mean weight 112 lb., thirteen small or thin Romney ewes of mean live weight 110 lb. and thirteen large or fat Romney ewes of mean live weight 166 lb. were grazed all together for 17 weeks on a rye-grass-white clover sward at an intensity such that live weight was just maintained. Corrections to intake were made for small live-weight changes.Daily DOM intake (lb.) for maintenance = 0·062 maintenance for a 100 lb. sheep becomes 1·48 ± 0·08 lb. DOM/day.(ii) Thirty-six weaned Romney ewe lambs of mean initial live weight 56 lb. were grazed for 8 weeks on a rye-grass-white clover pasture and allowed to gain in weight. Regression of intake on gain gave the equationdaily DOM intake (56 lb. lamb) = 0·93 (±0·07) + 0·90 gwhere g = gain in lb./day. Combining this lamb data with that of the previous trial yields the equationDOM intake (lb.) for maintenance = 0·052 (iii) Forty ewes, comprising eight Southdowns, twelve Romneys, eight Border Leicesters and twelve Border-Romney crossbreds were grazed together on short pasture (rye-grass-white clover) for 12 weeks. The ewes were of widely differing live weight and the mean gains or losses of the groups over the period varied from + 1·5 to −4·5 lb.Daily DOM intake (lb.) for maintenance = 0·061 which for a 100 lb. sheep becomes 1·63 ± 0·13 lb. DOM.(iv) Seven Romney ewes were grazed in high and eight ewes in low intake groups for 8 weeks. Regression of intake on gain gave the equationdaily DOM intake (130 lb. ewe) = 1·58 (±0·06) + 1·98 g.For a 100 lb. sheep this becomes 1·36 (± 0·06) lb. DOM/day for maintenance.The three estimates of maintenance of a grazing sheep of 100 lb. live weight 1·48, 1·63 and 1·36 lb. DOM/day are greatly in excess of the estimate of 0·92 lb. DOM/day for pen-fed sheep. It is believed that this difference is outside experimental error and represents a true increase in energy cost due to grazing. It is suggested that the cause of this derives from the energy costs of walking and harvesting the pasture together with climatic factors wind, cold and rain. The exponent of live weight agrees well with the estimates of other workers based on pen-fed animals. The energy cost of gain is less than that of pen-fed sheep and it is suggested that this is due to the maintenance cost decreasing with increasing availability of pasture and with increasing gain.
Magnesium in forage plants. III. Magnesium distribution in pastures of low magnesium content
Authors: Todd J. R. 
Published: March 2009

1. Fractionation studies are reported which show that in young spring pasture of low magnesium content, more than 50% of the magnesium is watersoluble, the proportion being higher in pasture at the seeding stage than in young leafy material.2. Insoluble magnesium constituted about onethird of the magnesium in young leafy pasture and about one-fifth to one-quarter in pasture at the seeding stage.3. Acetone-soluble magnesium varied from about 12% of the total in young leafy grass to 5% or less in grass at seeding.4. Fertilizer treatments, though affecting the total magnesium contents, apparently did not affect the proportions in the different fractions.
The determination and economic analysis of relationships between plant population and yield of main crop potatoes
Authors: Sharpe P. R. , Dent J. B. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYTwo experiments designed to provide data for the estimation of functional relationships, which may be used to determine economically optimum plant populations and planting patterns in Desire'e potatoes, are described. Functional relationships between the number of main stems per acre and yield per acre were estimated from the results of experiment (i). Experiment (ii) investigated the relationship between stem number per tuber and seed tuber weight. ‘Square root’ functions estimated for seed yield and ware yield from the results of Exp. (i) were used to calculate a total Financial Returns curve. This returns curve, together with the Cobb-Douglas function estimated from the results of Exp. (ii), was used to calculate the stem numbers per acre, which would give maximum returns per acre and economically optimum returns in different cost/price situations.
The biuretolytic activity of the ruminal flora of sheep fed practical rations containing biuret
Authors: Gilchrist F. M. C. , Potgieter E. , Voss J. B. N. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYThe biuretolytic activity of the ruminal flora which developed in the ingesta of Merino sheep in response to feeding biuret with practical rations was demonstrated. The activity was determined by measuring the rate of disappearance of biuret in an in vitro fermentation system. Biuret was determined by a specific, semi-micro, colorimetric method based on the formation of a yellow nickel-biuret complex and adapted for use with ruminal fluid. The activity was evoked only when biuret was included in diets of poor quality teff hay with or without maize meal. With ruminal ingesta from sheep fed teff hay and biuret the activity was low, but when maize meal was given in addition the activity was about three times as high, and sufficient to account for the disappearance of up to 16–4 g daily in Merino sheep with a volume of ruminal ingesta of 61. The course of development of biuretolytic activity is discussed in relation to retention of biuret-nitrogen.
A study of the fauna of poultry deep litter
Authors: Byng A. J. 
Published: March 2009

The ‘built-up or deep’ litter system for housing poultry came into use in America during World War II, when labour and materials were restricted. It consists of recently used Utter, at least 6 in. in depth, containing micro-organisms which produce beneficial heating, synthesizing and sanitizing effects (Halbrook, Winter & Sutton, 1951; Kennard & Chamberlain, 1951). Four requirements have been laid down by Bott, Ferguson, Berkland & Winter (1952) for proper functioning of deep litter; they are:(1) The depth of the litter must be greater than 6 in. to ensure the absorption of fresh dropping and for effective chemical and biological activities.
Reproductive habits and fertility of indigenous cattle to artificial insemination in Uganda
Authors: Rollinson D. H. L. 
Published: March 2009

1. Records are presented of observations of the sexual behaviour of indigenous Uganda cattle and the fertility to artificial insemination.2. The mean cycle length found was 20·9 days,s.d.1·38 days. Mean length of oestrus was 2 hr. 14 min.3. Marked pro-oestrus and metoestrus periods occurred averaging 14 hr. and 11 hr. 7 min., respectively. The mean total length of time that cows remained attractive to the bulls was 26 hr. 21 min.4. The number of services and attempts to serve by three bulls was recorded and frequent small grunts were noted to be an important expression of excitement by the bulls.5. The highest percentage of animals conceived to artificial insemination when inseminated between 15 and 25 hr. after commencement of pro-oestrus.
Field experiments comparing ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulphate and urea applied repetitively to grassland
Authors: Devine J. R. , Holmes M. R. J. 
Published: March 2009

1. Ten experiments were carried out on grassland in various parts of England and Scotland to compare ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulphate, urea with less than 1% biuret and urea with about 4% biuret. The grass was cut a number of times during the season and each nitrogen fertilizer was applied at rates supplying 30 and 60 lb. per acre of nitrogen in spring and after each cut except the last.2. Total yield and yields at most individual cuts of both dry matter and nitrogen in the herbage were increased by each increment of applied nitrogen.3. Ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulphate gave similar dry-matter yields at all cuts in six experiments, while in four on calcareous soils ammonium sulphate gave lower yields than ammonium nitrate at one or more cuts. Ammonium sulphate gave lower yields at the second or third cuts in more experiments than at the first cut.4. Urea with < 1% biuret gave lower dry-matter yields than ammonium nitrate at one or more cuts in eight of the ten experiments. Urea became less efficient relative to ammonium nitrate as the season advanced.5. The efficiency of urea with < 1% biuret relative to ammonium nitrate in each experiment was positively correlated with the ammonia absorption potential of the soil.6. Urea with < 1% biuret and urea with about 4% biuret gave similar yields.
Effect of rationing grass on the growth rate of dairy heifers and on output per acre, with a note on its significance in experimental design
Authors: Broster W. H. , Tuck Valerie J. , Balch C. C. 
Published: March 2009

1. A series of three experiments were performed to examine grass as a food for dairy heifers.2. Indoor feeding resulted in lower intakes of herbage and slower growth but gave greater outputs per acre of animal days and live-weight gain than grazing.3. The maximum consumption and growth rate, obtained on young grass, were 2·84 lb. herbage dry matter per 100 lb. live weight per day and 2·2 lb. live-weight gain per day for grazing stock. The corresponding figures for indoor feeding were 2·49 lb. herbage dry matter per 100 lb. per day and 1·34 lb. live weight gain per day.4. Live-weight gain per day was linearly related to herbage dry matter intake from 1·48 to 2·48 lb./ 100 lb. live weight/day.5. Intake of herbage and growth rate only fell after the herbage came into full flower.6. Increased stocking rate had small effects on growth rate because the animals grazed the paddocks more heavily.7. 2·6–3·0 lb. grass dry matter offered per 100 lb. live weight per day was judged an adequate ration for yearling heifers. This gave growth rates of 1·60 lb./day on herbage up to the flowering stage and a consumption of 88% of the available herbage.8. As an experimental technique zero grazing was found inadequate to replace grazing since it fails to reproduce similar intakes and rates of production. It permitted the reduction of intake to sufficiently low levels that live-weight gain per animal and per acre were reduced.9. The greatest output per acre was found to occur between limits of intake per day of 1·8–2·4 lb. herbage dry matter per 100 lb. live weight. Above the point of maximum output per acre level of feeding had little effect on production per animal and rate of stocking controlled output per acre. Below this point level of feeding controlled production per animal. The case is advanced that these latter levels of feeding are necessary in grassland experiments.