bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of rolling and alkali treatment of barley grain supplements on forage intake and utilization by steers and lactating cows
Authors: Sriskandarajah N. , Ashwood A. , Kellaway R. C. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYIn Expt 1, lactating dairy cows grazing kikuyu grass (Pennisetum clandestinum) were given no supplement (C), supplements of rolled barley grain at 4 (4R) and 6 (6R) kg/day and supplements of NaOH-treated whole barley grain at 4 (4A) and 6 (6A) kg/day. Daily production of milk (kg/day), fat and protein (g/day) and live-weight changes (g/day) respectively were C 7·82, 303, 276, 450; 4R 9·26, 338, 315, 865; 4A 10·23, 366, 349, 529; 6R 10·09, 352, 343, 672; 6A 10·61, 363, 348, 361.Milk production was significantly higher (P < 0·05) and live-weight gain significantly lower (P < 0·05) on NaOH-treated grain than on rolled grain.In Expt 2, yearling steers in pens were fed pasture hay ad libitum with no supplement (C) and 3 kg/day of barley grain which was either rolled (3R) or NaOH-treated whole grain (3A). Mean intakes of hay (g/day) and DOMD in vivo (%) respectively were C 7684, 60; 3R 5224, 65; 3A 6209, 60.Hay intake was significantly higher (P < 0·05) on NaOH-treated grain than on rolled grain.Fractional disappearance rates of rolled and NaOH-treated grain from nylon bags suspended in the rumen were, respectively, 0·15 and 0–07/h for the period 0–4 h, and 0·07 and 0·02/h for the period 4–12 h incubation. In Expt 2, rumen pH was higher and the digestion rate of hay in nylon bags in vivo was higher on C than on 3R and 3A. Volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations in the rumen did not differ significantly between diets.It was concluded that greater milk production and hay intakes when cattle were fed NaOH-treated whole barley than when they were fed rolled barley were attributable to the slower rate of digestion of the former. The NaOH treatment (30 g NaOH/kg grain) was probably too low and further study is necessary to determine optimum levels of treatment, which are likely to vary with the ratio of grain: forage in the diet.
Developmental changes in the biochemical composition of foetal and neonatal pig muscle with special reference to DNA synthesis
Authors: Farmer Linda J. , Mackie W. S. , Ritchie P. J. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYDNA and protein concentrations were measured in selected muscles from foetal and neonatal pigs; the protein: DNA ratios of hind-limb muscles were similar to those of the forelimb from 83 days gestation to 27 days after birth. The ratios increased during the perinatal period, providing evidence that maturation of muscle began in the last few days of pregnancy. RNA concentration, cathepsin D activity and tritiated thymidine incorporation were measured in muscles from the neonatal animals and the results indicated a surge of biosynthetic activity in the first days of life. Values obtained from the hind- and forelimb muscles were similar throughout the period of study with RNA: DNA ratio, cathepsin D activity and thymidine incorporation reaching maximum values at 4 days of age. A considerable proportion of thymidine incorporation was attributed to the mitotic activity of satellite cells.
The effect of time of harvest on the yield components of poppies (Papaver somniferumL.)
Authors: Laughlin J. C. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYIn a field experiment in the north-west region of Tasmania, poppies (Papaver somniferumL.) were harvested at weekly intervals beginning 10 days after full bloom and continuing until 4 weeks after the dry commercial harvest stage. At each harvest the plants were cut off at ground level and partitioned into terminal capsules, lateral capsules, seed and the combined stem plus leaf component.The dry-matter yield of total plant and of all the components except seed achieved maximum values 2–3 weeks after full bloom and then progressively declined. For the total plant this decrease between maximum dry weight and that at the time of commercial harvest (8 weeks after full bloom) amounted to 26% while for terminal capsules it was 37% for lateral capsules 15% and for stem plus leaves 39%. In contrast, the dry-matter yield of total seed rose to a maximum by 4 weeks after full bloom and then remained constant for the duration of the experiment.The morphine concentration of both terminal and lateral capsules reached a maximum value of 1·1% 6 weeks after full bloom and then decreased by about 10% at the dry harvest stage. The morphine concentration of stem and leaves also reached a maximum of 0·1% about the same time as capsules but decreased rapidly and had halved by dry commercial harvest. The mutually compensating factors of decreasing dry-matter yield and increasing morphine concentration gave similar total plant morphine yields at any time of harvest from 2 to 7 weeks after full bloom. The morphine extracted from the whole plant at these times of harvest was about 50% greater than that derived from capsules alone at the time of dry commercial harvest.
A comparison of sources of supplementary nitrogen for young cattle receiving fibre-rich diets
Authors: Smith T. , Broster Valerie J. , Hill R. E. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYFishmeal, soya-bean meal and urea were compared as nitrogen sources in diets rich in fibre for yearling cattle, using feeding trials and digestibility and nitrogen retention studies. All animals were individually fed. Diets supplemented with fishmeal supported the highest rates of daily live-weight gain and nitrogen retention. There was no response in dry-matter intake and digestibility from extra nitrogen, either from fishmeal or urea, when the crude protein of the diet was 8·5% or over, and a small response in digestibility when soya-bean meal was used.Molar proportions of VFA, rumen NH3-N concentrations and blood urea nitrogen concentrations were all affected by both amount and source of nitrogen supplementation. Multiple regression analysis showed the undegradable protein supply to be more critical with high than with low fibre diets.
Assessing the “Revive the Northeast” (zhenxing dongbei) Programme: Origins, Policies and Implementation
Authors: Chung Jae Ho , Lai Hongyi , Joo Jang-Hwan 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThis article, focusing on the “revive the northeast” programme, examines four questions: why was the northeast region selected as yet another macro-site for Beijing-endorsed scheme of regional development; how does it differ from the “develop the west” scheme; what does the “revive the northeast” scheme entail in concrete policy terms; and how can we assess the impact of this scheme on the region's economic development? While it offers a relatively positive assessment of the programme's impact in facilitating a faster growth during 2004–06, future challenges are also noted for a sustainable development of the northeast region as a whole.
Glutathione and amino acid concentrations in human liver during short warm ischaemia and reperfusion: a pilot study
Authors: Westman Bo , Thörne Anders , Rooyackers Olav , Fredriksson Katarina , Wernerman Jan , Hammarqvist Folke 
Published: March 2009

Glutathione is a major antioxidant, and, in the present study, we investigated whether a clinical model of short warm ischaemia and reperfusion of the human liver during surgery would influence glutathione and amino acid metabolism. Previous studies in humans have demonstrated that ischaemia and reperfusion in skeletal muscle for up to 120 min have no major effect on muscle glutathione concentrations. Liver ischaemia and reperfusion in animals have demonstrated diverging results concerning glutathione metabolism. In the present study, six patients with liver malignancies, undergoing liver resection during warm ischaemia, were included. Liver biopsies were obtained from healthy appearing liver tissue from both lobes before ischaemia and at maximal ischaemia, and from the remaining liver lobe after 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 min of reperfusion. The biopsies were analysed for glutathione, amino acids and lactate. Median ischaemia time was 28 (range, 15–36) min. Lactate increased 266% at maximal ischaemia (P&lt;0.05). No alterations in glutathione concentrations or the redox status of glutathione (GSH/total glutathione) were observed. Glutamate decreased 22% (P&lt;0.05) at maximal ischaemia and increased thereafter 72% at 30 min of reperfusion (P&lt;0.05). Alanine increased 105% at maximal ischaemia (P&lt;0.05) and was normalized during reperfusion. BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids) increased 67% at maximal ischaemia (P&lt;0.05). In conclusion, short-time ischaemia and reperfusion in the human liver did not affect glutathione concentrations, whereas changes were observed in amino acid concentrations during both ischaemia and reperfusion.
The Diagnostic Accuracy and Construct Validity of the Structured Photographic Expressive Language Test—Preschool: Second Edition
Authors: Greenslade Kathryn J. , Plante Elena , Vance Rebecca 
Published: March 2009

PurposeIn order to support evidence-based practice, this study served to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy, convergent validity, and divergent validity of the Structured Photographic Expressive Language Test—Preschool: Second Edition (SPELT–P2; J. Dawson, J. A. Eyer, J. Fonkalsrud, 2005) in order to determine whether it can be used as a valid measure for identifying language impairment in preschoolers.MethodThe SPELT–P2 was administered to 54 children with typically developing language and 42 children with specific language impairment.ResultsA discriminant analysis revealed good sensitivity (90.6%), good specificity (100%), and good positive and negative likelihood ratios, with a standard score cutoff point of 87 used to determine group membership. Analyses of convergent and divergent validity also supported use of the SPELT–P2 for identifying language impairment in preschoolers.ImplicationsThe empirical evidence supports use of the SPELT–P2 as a valid measure for correctly identifying the presence or absence of language impairment in 4- and 5-year-old preschool children.
Abstracts
Authors: Dix David J. 
Published: March 2009

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Toxicology Program (NTP), and National Institutes of Health (NIH) Chemical Genomics Center (NCGC) have complementary research programs designed to improve chemical toxicity evaluations by developing high throughput screening (HTS) methods that evaluate the impact of environmental chemicals on key toxicity pathways. These federal partners are coordinating an extension of the EPA’s ToxCast program, the NTP’s HTS initiative, and the NCGC’s Molecular Libraries Initiative into a collaborative research program focused on identifying toxicity pathways and developing in vitro assays to characterize the ability of chemicals to perturb those pathways. The goal is to develop new paradigm for high throughput toxicity testing that collects mechanistic and quantitative data from in vitro assays measuring chemical modulation of biological processes involved in the progression to toxicity. As toxicity pathways are identified, the in vitro assays can be optimized for comparison to in vivo animal studies, and for predicting effects in humans. Subsequent computational modeling of toxicity pathway responses and appropriate chemical dosimetry will need to be developed to make these predictions relevant for human health risk assessment. This work was reviewed by EPA and approved for publication but does not necessarily reflect official Agency policy. Index Terms: Toxicogenomics, High Throughput Screening/Testing, EPA ToxCast, Chemical Risk Assessment
The effects of metformin on endogenous androgens and SHBG in women: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Barba Maddalena , Schünemann Holger J. , Sperati Francesca , Akl Elie A. , Musicco Felice , Guyatt Gordon , Muti Paola 
Published: March 2009

SummaryObjectives  Elevated circulating androgens are risk factors for several chronic, metabolic and reproductive disorders. Metformin is an insulin‐sensitizing agent that may lower androgen levels. To evaluate the effects of metformin on endogenous androgens and SHBG levels in women, we conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing metformin with placebo or no treatment.Data source  We used OVID to search MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL until March 2007.Review methods  Two reviewers independently extracted data on methodological quality, participants, interventions and outcomes of interest. Our a priori primary outcome was post‐treatment measurements. In a secondary analysis, we evaluated the difference between the pre‐ and post‐treatment levels. We computed the weighted mean difference (WMD) as a measure of effect for each outcome using the DerSimonian–Laird random effects method. We used the I2 statistic to assess heterogeneity and explored its causes in subgroup analyses of features related to participants’ characteristics and study design. Based on a regression model, we conducted sensitivity analyses by investigating the use of placebo as a predictor of effect size.Results  Twenty RCTs fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Pooled WMDs in post‐treatment levels between the metformin and control group were –0·31 nmol/l (95% CI –0·65 to 0·03) for total testosterone (TT), 0·10 pmol/l (95% CI –0·89 to 1·10) for free testosterone (FT), 0·14 µmol/l (95% CI –0·34 to 0·62) for dehydroepiandrosteronesulfate (DHEAS), –0·60 nmol/l (95% CI –1·67 to 0·46) for androstenedione (AND) and 5·88 nmol/l (95% CI 2·01–9·75) for SHBG. Pooled WMDs of the pre‐ to post‐treatment differences (i.e. with adjustment for baseline hormone levels) were –0·38 (95% CI –0·51 to –0·25) for TT, –2·71 (95% CI –10·35 to 4·93) for FT, –0·50 (95% CI –0·83 to –0·16) for DHEAS, –1·39 (95% CI –2·30 to –0·49) for AND and 6·63 (95% CI 2·32–10·94) for SHBG. In subgroup analyses, features related to the administered treatment (i.e. metformin as a single agent or as part of combined regimens) partly explained the heterogeneity. Sensitivity analyses of studies using placebo showed similar results to those not using placebo.Conclusions  Our systematic review and meta‐analysis provides evidence of metformin‐induced changes in circulating androgens and SHBG levels in women but the quality of evidence is not high. However, there are no data from RCTs regarding these effects in postmenopausal women or healthy premenopausal women. High‐quality RCTs are required to evaluate whether metformin has effects on surrogate markers and patient‐important outcomes in these patient groups.
Community concordance between bryophyte and insect assemblages in boreal springs: a broad‐scale study in isolated habitats
Authors: VIRTANEN RISTO , ILMONEN JARI , PAASIVIRTA LAURI , MUOTKA TIMO 
Published: March 2009

Summary1. We examined species–environment relationships and community concordance between aquatic bryophytes and insects in boreal springs. We sampled bryophytes (Marchantiophyta and Bryophyta), benthic macroinvertebrates and environmental variables in 138 springs in Finland, spanning a latitudinal gradient of 1000 km. Macroinvertebrates were subdivided into two groups: Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera and Coleoptera (EPTC taxa) and chironomid midges (Diptera; Chironomidae). Our aim was to test whether EPTC taxa could be used as surrogates in biodiversity surveys and bioassessment for the two less‐well known organism groups, chironomids and bryophytes.2. Bryophyte assemblages were clearly differentiated along gradients in thermal conditions and water chemistry (pH, conductivity). Chironomids and EPTC were also differentiated in relation to thermal conditions and, to a lesser extent, physical habitat variables, but were only weakly associated to spring water chemistry. Chironomid and EPTC assemblages were more concordant with each other than with bryophytes, but all concordances were relatively weak.3. Our results suggest that even if the overall compositional patterns of the three taxonomic groups were significantly concordant, the relative importance of environmental drivers underlying their community compositions differed strongly. The results thus imply that spring bryophytes and insects are relatively poor surrogates for each other. The proportion of spring specialists was highest in bryophytes, promoting their primacy for spring bioassessment and biodiversity conservation. We suggest that adequate variation in water chemistry be assured to protect spring bryophyte biodiversity, whereas preserving the physical variation of springs is more important for macroinvertebrates.
High variation in frequency of infection by endophytes in cultivars of meadow fescue in Finland
Authors: Saari S. , Lehtonen P. , Helander M. , Saikkonen K. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractSystemic and asymptomatic Neotyphodium fungal endophytes infect numerous species of the Poaceae. The frequencies of Neotyphodium endophyte infection in Finland were investigated among and within seven Nordic cultivars of meadow fescue, Schedonorus pratensis (Huds.) P. Beauv., which is a widely grown pasture and forage grass species in Scandinavia. The cultivars were Kasper, Salten, Antti, Fure, Ilmari, Inkeri and Kalevi. Frequencies of infection of cultivars varied from endophyte‐free cultivar Fure to highly infected cultivar Inkeri [mean (standard deviation of mean) of 0·95 (0·023)]. Mean frequencies of infection of three cultivars remained lower than 0·10, and two of the cultivars, Kasper and Salten, were intermediately infected. In most of the cultivars, frequencies of infection varied only slightly among seed lots. In cultivar Kasper, however, the frequency of endophyte infection was highly variable (0–0·96) among the 45 seed lots examined. The relative importance of cultivar, seed lot and infection by Neotyphodium endophyte to the aphid Rhopalosiphum padi L. was studied experimentally, using both endophyte‐free and endophyte‐infected plants of four seed lots of the two intermediately infected cultivars. Endophyte infection increased plant resistance to R. padi, overriding the influences of seed lot and cultivar. It is proposed that variation caused by endophyte infections in cultivars of meadow fescue should be taken into account in assessing plant breeding programmes in Europe.
Individual‐level diet variation in four species of Brazilian frogs
Authors: Araújo M. S. , Bolnick D. I. , Martinelli L. A. , Giaretta A. A. , Dos Reis S. F. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryMany natural populations exploiting a wide range of resources are actually composed of relatively specialized individuals.This interindividual variation is thought to be a consequence of the invasion of ‘empty’ niches in depauperate communities, generally in temperate regions. If individual niches are constrained by functional trade‐offs, the expansion of the population niche is only achieved by an increase in interindividual variation, consistent with the ‘niche variation hypothesis’.According to this hypothesis, we should not expect interindividual variation in species belonging to highly diverse, packed communities.In the present study, we measured the degree of interindividual diet variation in four species of frogs of the highly diverse Brazilian Cerrado, using both gut contents and δ13C stable isotopes.We found evidence of significant diet variation in the four species, indicating that this phenomenon is not restricted to depauperate communities in temperate regions.The lack of correlations between the frogs’ morphology and diet indicate that trade‐offs do not depend on the morphological characters measured here and are probably not biomechanical. The nature of the trade‐offs remains unknown, but are likely to be cognitive or physiological.Finally, we found a positive correlation between the population niche width and the degree of diet variation, but a null model showed that this correlation can be generated by individuals sampling randomly from a common set of resources. Therefore, albeit consistent with, our results cannot be taken as evidence in favour of the niche variation hypothesis.
Pleistocene population expansions of Antarctic seals
Authors: CURTIS CAITLIN , STEWART BRENT S. , KARL STEPHEN A. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractWe sequenced a portion (c. 475 bp) of the mitochondrial control region of three species of Antarctic phocid carnivores (Weddell seal, Leptonychotes weddellii, N = 181; crabeater seal, Lobodon carcinophaga, N = 143; and Ross seal, Ommatophoca rossii, N = 41) that live seasonally or permanently in the fast ice and seasonal pack ice of the western Amundsen and Ross seas of western Antarctica. We resolved 251 haplotypes with a haplotype diversity of 0.98 to 0.99. Bayesian estimates of Θ from the program LAMARC ranged from 0.075 for Weddell seals to 0.576 for crabeater seals. We used the values of theta to estimate female effective population sizes (NEF), which were 40 700 to 63 000 for Weddell seals, 44 400 to 97 800 for Ross seals, and 358 500 to 531 900 for crabeater seals. We used mismatch distributions to test for historical population size expansions. Weddell seals and crabeater seals had significant, unimodal mean pairwise difference distributions (P = 0.56 and 0.36, respectively), suggesting that their populations expanded suddenly around 731 000 years ago (Weddell seals) and around 1.6 million years ago (crabeater seals). Both of these expansions occurred during times of intensified glaciations and may have been fostered by expanding pack ice habitat.
Phylogeography of the common ragworm Hediste diversicolor (Polychaeta: Nereididae) reveals cryptic diversity and multiple colonization events across its distribution
Authors: VIRGILIO M. , FAUVELOT C. , COSTANTINI F. , ABBIATI M. , BACKELJAU T. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractPrevious studies on the common ragworm Hediste diversicolor (Polychaeta: Nereididae) revealed a marked genetic fragmentation across its distribution and the occurrence of sibling taxa in the Baltic Sea. These results suggested that the phylogeographic patterns of H. diversicolor could reflect interactions between cryptic differentiation and multiple colonization events. This study aims to describe the large‐scale genetic structuring of H. diversicolor and to trace the phylogeographic origins of the genetic types described in the Baltic Sea. Samples of H. diversicolor (2 < n < 28) were collected at 16 locations across the NE Atlantic coasts of Europe and Morocco and in the Mediterranean, Black and Caspian Seas and sequenced at two mitochondrial gene fragments (COI and cytb, 345 and 290 bp, respectively). Bayesian analyses revealed deep phylogeographic splits yielding three main clades corresponding to populations (i) from the NE Atlantic coasts (from Germany to Morocco) and from part of the Western Mediterranean, (ii) from the Mediterranean Sea, and (iii) from the Black and Caspian Seas. These clades are further divided in well‐supported subclades including populations from different regions of NE Atlantic and Mediterranean (i.e. Portugal/Morocco, Western Mediterranean, Adriatic Sea). The Baltic Sea comprises three sympatric lineages sharing a common evolutionary history with populations from NE Atlantic, Western Mediterranean and Black/Caspian Seas, respectively. Hence, the current patterns of genetic structuring of H. diversicolor appear as the result of allopatric isolation, multiple colonization events and possible adaptation to local environmental conditions.