Feed intake and weight and body condition changes of 100% organically fed lactating sows

Energy and protein density of the 100 % organic lactation diet should be increased as early as from 3rd week of lactation onwards in order to minimize the weight loss of the sow during the at least 40 day lactation period. Feed amino acid balance from 22nd day of lactation should match the amount of live weight lost during the first 21 days of lactation. This should be supported by providing the piglets feed attractive enough to ensure their high dry feed intake during the late lactation period

Genetic uniqueness and socio-cultural conservation values of the endangered Yakutian Cattle

At the local level the values of the cattle were more related to everyday livelihood strategies of single households and families, whereas the representatives of the republic, in line with the newspapers, highlighted the importance of the cattle for Sakha's food production and for national identity. Thus, individuals at different levels were in favour of conserving the cattle, but for different reasons. The local residents and experts were more concerned about developing economically sustainable cattle production, whereas the experts in Yakutsk were concerned about the conservation of genetic resources. The genetic studies have indicated that Yakutian Cattle show genetic distinctiveness and have genetic value for the maintenance of cattle diversity

Dissociative photoionization of the NO molecule studied by photoelectron-photon coincidence technique

Low-energy photoelectron–vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photon coincidences have been measured using synchrotron radiation excitation in the inner-valence region of the nitric oxide molecule. The capabilities of the coincidence set-up were demonstrated by detecting the 2s−1 → 2p−1 radiative transitions in coincidence with the 2s photoelectron emission in Ne. In NO, the observed coincidence events are attributed to dissociative photoionization with excitation, whereby photoelectron emission is followed by fragmentation of excited NO+ ions into O+ + N* or N+ + O* and VUV emission from an excited neutral fragment. The highest coincidence rate occurs with the opening of ionization channels which are due to correlation satellites of the 3σ photoionization. The decay time of VUV photon emission was also measured, implying that specific excited states of N atoms contribute significantly to observed VUV emission

Assessment van Kinderen en jongeren: noodzaak om de blik te verruimen

Het onderwijs wordt geconfrnteerd met het dilemma om deprstaties en rendement van leerlingen te verhogen en anderzids ook iets te doen voor een groelend aantal uitvallers of onderpresteerders. Het Daffodil.project is een Europees Comenius- project is een Europees Comenius_multilateral samenwerkingsproject met partners uit 7 landen (Belgie, Hongarije, Zweden,Portugal, Noorwegen, Roemenie en de Britse Maagdeneilanden)met als doel een model te ontwikkelen dat bruikbaar is om het functioneren van kinderen met een probleem beter in kaart te brege

Dynamic Analysis of Vascular Morphogenesis Using Transgenic Quail Embryos

Background: One of the least understood and most central questions confronting biologists is how initially simple clusters or sheet-like cell collectives can assemble into highly complex three-dimensional functional tissues and organs. Due to the limits of oxygen diffusion, blood vessels are an essential and ubiquitous presence in all amniote tissues and organs. Vasculogenesis, the de novo self-assembly of endothelial cell (EC) precursors into endothelial tubes, is the first step in blood vessel formation [1]. Static imaging and in vitro models are wholly inadequate to capture many aspects of vascular pattern formation in vivo, because vasculogenesis involves dynamic changes of the endothelial cells and of the forming blood vessels, in an embryo that is changing size and shape. Methodology/Principal Findings: We have generated Tie1 transgenic quail lines Tg(tie1:H2B-eYFP) that express H2B-eYFP in all of their endothelial cells which permit investigations into early embryonic vascular morphogenesis with unprecedented clarity and insight. By combining the power of molecular genetics with the elegance of dynamic imaging, we follow the precise patterning of endothelial cells in space and time. We show that during vasculogenesis within the vascular plexus, ECs move independently to form the rudiments of blood vessels, all while collectively moving with gastrulating tissues that flow toward the embryo midline. The aortae are a composite of somatic derived ECs forming its dorsal regions and the splanchnic derived ECs forming its ventral region. The ECs in the dorsal regions of the forming aortae exhibit variable mediolateral motions as they move rostrally; those in more ventral regions show significant lateral-to-medial movement as they course rostrally. Conclusions/Significance: The present results offer a powerful approach to the major challenge of studying the relative role(s) of the mechanical, molecular, and cellular mechanisms of vascular development. In past studies, the advantages of the molecular genetic tools available in mouse were counterbalanced by the limited experimental accessibility needed for imaging and perturbation studies. Avian embryos provide the needed accessibility, but few genetic resources. The creation of transgenic quail with labeled endothelia builds upon the important roles that avian embryos have played in previous studies of vascular development

Parity nonconservation in deuteron photoreactions

We calculate the asymmetries in parity nonconserving deuteron photodisintegration due to circularly polarized photons gamma+d to n+p with the photon laboratory energy ranging from the threshold up to 10 MeV and the radiative capture of thermal polarized neutrons by protons n+p to gamma+d. We use the leading order electromagnetic Hamiltonian neglecting the smaller nuclear exchange currents. Comparative calculations are done by using the Reid93 and Argonne v18 potentials for the strong interaction and the DDH and FCDH "best" values for the weak couplings in a weak one-meson exchange potential. A weak NDelta transition potential is used to incorporate also the Delta(1232)-isobar excitation in the coupled-channels formalism.Comment: 14 pages, 13 figures (18 eps files), LaTeX2

Post-translational regulation contributes to the loss of LKB1 expression through SIRT1 deacetylase in osteosarcomas

background: The most prevalent form of bone cancer is osteosarcoma (OS), which is associated with poor prognosis in case of metastases formation. Mice harbouring liver kinase B1 (LKB1+/−) develop osteoblastoma-like tumours. Therefore, we asked whether loss of LKB1 gene has a role in the pathogenesis of human OS. methods: Osteosarcomas (n=259) were screened for LKB1 and sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) protein expression using immunohistochemistry and western blot. Those cases were also screened for LKB1 genetic alterations by next-generation sequencing, Sanger sequencing, restriction fragment length polymorphism and fluorescence in situ hybridisation approaches. We studied LKB1 protein degradation through SIRT1 expression. MicroRNA expression investigations were also conducted to identify the microRNAs involved in the SIRT1/LKB1 pathway. results: Forty-one per cent (106 out of 259) OS had lost LKB1 protein expression with no evident genetic anomalies. We obtained evidence that SIRT1 impairs LKB1 protein stability, and that SIRT1 depletion leads to accumulation of LKB1 in OS cell lines resulting in growth arrest. Further investigations revealed the role of miR-204 in the regulation of SIRT1 expression, which impairs LKB1 stability. conclusions: We demonstrated the involvement of sequential regulation of miR-204/SIRT1/LKB1 in OS cases and showed a mechanism for the loss of expression of LKB1 tumour suppressor in this malignancy

Effects of soil warming and nitrogen foliar applications on bud burst of black spruce

Key message: In mature black spruce, bud burst process is anticipated by soil warming, while delayed by foliar applications of nitrogen; however, the effects depend on growth conditions at the site. Abstract: The observation of phenological events can be used as biological indicator of environmental changes, especially from the perspective of climate change. In boreal forests, the onset of the bud burst is a key factor in the length of the growing season. With current climate change, the major factors limiting the growth of boreal trees (i.e., temperature and nitrogen availability) are changing and studies on mature trees are limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of soil warming and increased nitrogen (N) deposition on bud burst of mature black spruce [Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP]. From 2008 onwards, an experimental manipulation of these environmental growth conditions was conducted in two stands (BER and SIM) at different altitudes in the boreal forest of Quebec, Canada. An increase in soil temperature (H treatment) and a canopy application of artificial rain enriched with nitrogen (N treatment) were performed. Observations of bud phenology were made during May–July 2012 and 2013. In BER, H treatment caused an anticipation (estimated as 1–3 days); while N treatment, a delay (estimated as 1–2 days but only in 2012) in bud burst. No treatments effect was significant in SIM. It has been demonstrated that soil temperature and N availability can play an important role in affecting bud burst in black spruce but the effects of these environmental factors on growth are closely linked with site conditions

Valence electronic structure and photofragmentation of 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (CF3-CH2F)

The electronic structure and fragmentation of the hydrofluorocarbon compound 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (CF3-CH2F) were studied using spectroscopical methods and quantum chemical calculations. Valence photoelectron spectra and the ionic fragmentation products were recorded with synchrotron radiation in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) region. The geometric and electronic structures of the CF3-CH2F molecule were calculated using the complete active space perturbation theory of second order. The calculated vertical ionization energies were used to interpret the experimental photoelectron spectrum. VUV photodissociation of the sample molecule was studied with photoelectron-photoion coincidence spectroscopy. Coincident ion yields are shown for several cations as a function of electron binding energy. The experimental data are discussed in comparison with theory and previous work