Effects of ammonia treatment and undegradable protein supplementation on nutrient digestion of sheep fed on wheat straw based diets.

A study was conducted to investigate the effects of wheat straw ammonisation and supplementation with a rumen undegradable protein (UDP) source on nutrient digestion and nitrogen balance by lambs while diets were supplemented with kibbled carob pods as energy source. Ammonisation increased the crude protein content of wheat straw by nearly 100% and decreased the contents of neutral detergent fibre and acid detergent fibre by 7% and 1.7% respectively. Treating the straw with ammonia resulted in significant (P<0.01) increase in nitrogen (N) intake and intakes of organic matter (OM) and dry matter (DM) tended toward significance (P<0.1). The UDP source had no effect (P>0.05) on DM and OM intakes but resulted in an increase (P<0.05) of N intakes. Both, ammonization and UDP supplementation increased (P<0.01) the DM, OM and N digestibility. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that ammonisation and UDP supplementation is a practical dietary manipulation option to improve the nutritional status of ruminants fed on roughage-based diets.

Differential cognitive effects of Ginkgo biloba after acute and chronic treatment in healthy young volunteers

Acute doses of Ginkgo biloba have been shown to improve attention and memory in young, healthy participants, but there has been a lack of investigation into possible effects on executive function. In addition, only one study has investigated the effects of chronic treatment in young volunteers. This study was conducted to compare the effects of ginkgo after acute and chronic treatment on tests of attention, memory and executive function in healthy university students. Using a placebo-controlled double-blind design, in experiment 1, 52 students were randomly allocated to receive a single dose of ginkgo (120 mg, n=26) or placebo (n=26), and were tested 4h later. In experiment 2, 40 students were randomly allocated to receive ginkgo (120 mg/day; n=20) or placebo (n=20) for a 6-week period and were tested at baseline and after 6 weeks of treatment. In both experiments, participants underwent tests of sustained attention, episodic and working memory, mental flexibility and planning, and completed mood rating scales. The acute dose of ginkgo significantly improved performance on the sustained-attention task and pattern-recognition memory task; however, there were no effects on working memory, planning, mental flexibility or mood. After 6 weeks of treatment, there were no significant effects of ginkgo on mood or any of the cognitive tests. In line with the literature, after acute administration ginkgo improved performance in tests of attention and memory. However, there were no effects after 6 weeks, suggesting that tolerance develops to the effects in young, healthy participants.

Spatial and temporal effects of free-air CO2 enrichment (POPFACE) on leaf growth, cell expansion and cell production in a closed canopy of poplar

Leaf expansion in the fast-growing tree,Populus × euramericana was stimulated by elevated [CO2] in a closed-canopy forest plantation, exposed using a free air CO2 enrichment technique enabling long-term experimentation in field conditions. The effects of elevated [CO2] over time were characterized and related to the leaf plastochron index (LPI), and showed that leaf expansion was stimulated at very early (LPI, 0–3) and late (LPI, 6–8) stages in development. Early and late effects of elevated [CO2] were largely the result of increased cell expansion and increased cell production, respectively. Spatial effects of elevated [CO2] were also marked and increased final leaf size resulted from an effect on leaf area, but not leaf length, demonstrating changed leaf shape in response to [CO2]. Leaves exhibited a basipetal gradient of leaf development, investigated by defining seven interveinal areas, with growth ceasing first at the leaf tip. Interestingly, and in contrast to other reports, no spatial differences in epidermal cell size were apparent across the lamina, whereas a clear basipetal gradient in cell production rate was found. These data suggest that the rate and timing of cell production was more important in determining leaf shape, given the constant cell size across the leaf lamina. The effect of elevated [CO2] imposed on this developmental gradient suggested that leaf cell production continued longer in elevated [CO2] and that basal increases in cell production rate were also more important than altered cell expansion for increased final leaf size and altered leaf shape in elevated [CO2].

Laser granulometry of Holocene estuarine silts: effects of hydrogen peroxide treatment

The Holocene estuarine silts of the Severn Estuary Levels (southwest Britain) are representative of their kind in northwest Europe. They contain two broad types of plant material: particles codeposited with mineral grains from the estuarine water body, and extraneous debris (stems of indigenous prior plants; post depositional root matter) which is difficult to remove completely by physical means. Treatment with hydrogen peroxide before laser granulometry removes all plant material regardless of kind, drastically reduces values for the mean grain size and median size relative to untreated samples, but has little effect on the mode, except for a restricted group of bimodal-platykurtic, medium-coarse silts. It is concluded that, in the case of sediments of the general kind examined, no advantages acrue from the treatment of samples with hydrogen peroxide prior to analysis. Although a discrete rather than continuous variable, values of the mode obtained from untreated sediments are suggested to be acceptable for most purposes where a measure of central tendency is required.

Effects of triazole and strobilurin fungicide programmes, with and without late-season nitrogen fertiliser, on the baking quality of Malacca winter wheat

Field experiments were conducted over 3 years to study the effect of applying triazole and strobilurin fungicides on the bread-making quality of Malacca winter wheat. Averaged over all years the application of a fungicide programme increased yields, particularly when strobilurin fungicides were applied. Reductions in protein concentration, sulphur concentration, Hageberg failing number and loaf volumes also occurred as the amount of fungicide applied increased. However, there were no deleterious effects of fungicide application on sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) sedimentation volumes, N:S ratios or dough theology. Effects of fungicide application on bread-making quality were not product specific. Therefore, it appears that new mechanisms to explain strobilurin effects on bread-making quality do not need to be invoked. Where reductions in protein concentration did occur they could be compensated for by a late-season application of nitrogen either as granular ammonium nitrate at flag leaf emergence or foliar urea at anthesis. These applications, however, sometimes increased the N:S ratio of the extracted flour and failed to improve loaf volume. Multiple regression analysis revealed that main effects of year, flour protein concentration and N:S ratio could explain 93% of the variance in loaf volume caused by season, fungicide and nitrogen treatments. However, an equally good fit was achieved by just including sulphur concentration with year. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of triazole and strobilurin fungicide programmes, with and without late-season nitrogen fertiliser, on the baking quality of Malacca winter wheat

Field experiments were conducted over 3 years to study the effect of applying triazole and strobilurin fungicides on the bread-making quality of Malacca winter wheat. Averaged over all years the application of a fungicide programme increased yields, particularly when strobilurin fungicides were applied. Reductions in protein concentration, sulphur concentration, Hageberg failing number and loaf volumes also occurred as the amount of fungicide applied increased. However, there were no deleterious effects of fungicide application on sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) sedimentation volumes, N:S ratios or dough theology. Effects of fungicide application on bread-making quality were not product specific. Therefore, it appears that new mechanisms to explain strobilurin effects on bread-making quality do not need to be invoked. Where reductions in protein concentration did occur they could be compensated for by a late-season application of nitrogen either as granular ammonium nitrate at flag leaf emergence or foliar urea at anthesis. These applications, however, sometimes increased the N:S ratio of the extracted flour and failed to improve loaf volume. Multiple regression analysis revealed that main effects of year, flour protein concentration and N:S ratio could explain 93% of the variance in loaf volume caused by season, fungicide and nitrogen treatments. However, an equally good fit was achieved by just including sulphur concentration with year. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of combined high-pressure and heat treatment on the textural properties of soya gels

sSPI, 7S, and 11S globulin at 12% (w/v) protein concentration, at neutral pH, did not form gels when heat-treated (90 degreesC, 15 min) or when high pressure-treated (300-700 MPa), except for the I IS, which formed a gel when heat-treated. The combination of heat and pressure (that is heating the solutions in a water bath and then pressure-treating at room temperature or the reverse sequence), led to differences: when heat-treatment was before high-pressure treatment, only the I IS fraction formed a self-standing gel; however, when the solutions were pressurised before heat treatment, all the proteins formed self-standing gels. The textural and water-holding properties were measured on the gels formed with the three different soy proteins. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of high pressure/thermal treatment on lipid oxidation in beef and chicken muscle

Lipid oxidation was studied in beef and chicken muscle after high pressure treatment (0.1-800 MPa) at different temperatures (20-70 degrees C for 20 min, prior to storage at 4 degrees C for 7 days. Pressure treatment of beef samples at room temperature led to increases in TBARS values after 7 days storage at 4 degrees C; however, the increases were more marked after treatment at pressures >= 400 MPa (at least fivefold) than after treatment at lower pressures (less than threefold). Similar results were found in those samples treated at 40 degrees C, but at 60 degrees C and 70 degrees C pressure had little additional effect on the oxidative stability of the muscle. Pressure treatments of 600 MPa and 800 MPa, at all temperatures. induced increased rates of lipid oxidation in chicken muscle, but, in general, chicken muscle was more stable than beef to pressure. and the catalytic effect of pressure was still seen at the higher temperatures of 50 degrees C, 60 degrees C and 70 degrees C. The addition of 1%, Na(2)EDTA decreased TBARS values of the beef muscle during storage and inhibited the increased rates of lipid oxidation induced by pressure. The inhibition by vitamin E (0.05% w/w) and BHT (0.02% w/w), either alone or in combination, were less marked than seen with Na(2)EDTA, suggesting that transition metal ions released from insoluble complexes are of major importance in catalysing lipid oxidation in pressure-treated muscle foods. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Threat interpretation in anxious children and their mothers: comparison with nonclinical children and the effects of treatment

Interpretation biases towards threat play a prominent role in cognitive theories of anxiety, and have been identified amongst highly anxious adults and children. Little is known, however, about the development of these cognitive biases although family processes have been implicated. The current study investigated the nature of threat interpretation of anxious children and their mothers through (i) comparison of a clinic and non-clinic population, (ii) analysis of individual differences; and (ill) pre- and post-treatment comparisons. Participants were 27 children with a primary anxiety disorder and 33 children from a non-clinic population and their mothers. Children and mothers completed self-report measures of anxiety and indicated their most likely interpretation of ambiguous scenarios. Clinic and non-clinical groups differed significantly on measures of threat interpretation. Furthermore, mothers' and children's threat interpretation correlated significantly. Following treatment for child anxiety, both children and their mothers reported a reduction in threat interpretation. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of rain shelter or simulated rain during grain filling and maturation on subsequent wheat grain quality in the UK

The effects of simulated additional rain (ear wetting, 25 mm) or of rain shelter imposed at different periods after anthesis on grain quality at maturity and the dynamics of grain filling and desiccation were investigated in UK field-grown crops of wheat (Triticum aestivum L., cvar Tybalt) in 2011 and in 2012 when June–August rainfall was 255.0 and 214.6 mm, respectively, and above the decadal mean (157.4 mm). Grain filling and desiccation were quantified well by broken-stick regressions and Gompertz curves, respectively. Rain shelter for 56 (2011) or 70 d (2012) after anthesis, and to a lesser extent during late maturation only, resulted in more rapid desiccation and hence progress to harvest maturity whereas ear wetting had negligible effects, even when applied four times. Grain-filling duration was also affected as above in 2011, but with no significant effect in 2012. In both years, there were strong positive associations between final grain dry weight and duration of filling. The treatments affected all grain quality traits in 2011: nitrogen (N) and sulphur (S) concentrations, N:S ratio, sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) sedimentation volume, Hagberg Falling Number (HFN), and the incidence of blackpoint. Only N concentration and blackpoint were affected significantly by treatments in 2012. Rain shelter throughout grain filling reduced N concentration, whereas rain shelter reduced the incidence of blackpoint and ear wetting increased it. In 2011, rain shelter throughout reduced S concentration, increased N:S ratio and reduced SDS. Treatment effects on HFN were not consistent within or between years. Nevertheless, a comparison between the extreme treatment means in 2012 indicated damage from late rain combined with ear wetting resulted in a reduction of c. 0.7 s in HFN/mm August rainfall, whilst that between samples taken immediately after ear wetting at harvest maturity or 7 d later suggested recovery from damage to HFN upon re-drying in planta. Hence, the incidence of blackpoint was the only grain quality trait affected consistently by the diverse treatments. The remaining aspects of grain quality were comparatively resilient to rain incident upon developing and maturing ears of cvar Tybalt. No consistent temporal patterns of sensitivity to shelter or ear wetting were detected for any aspect of grain quality.

Effects of short-term pH fluctuations on cadmium, nickel, lead, and zinc availability to ryegrass in a sewage sludge-amended field

In this field experiment, sewage sludge was applied at 0, 5, 10, and 50 t ha(-1), and the availability of Cd, Ni, Pb, and Zn was assessed both by ryegrass uptake and by DTPA extractions. The aim was to investigate the role of important soil parameters, particularly pH, on heavy metal availability. It was found that metal uptake and extractability increased significantly in the 50 t ha(-1) treatment. In the 16th week of the experiment there was a significant, although temporary, increase in DTPA-extractable Cd, Ni, and Zn concentrations. Metal concentrations in ryegrass were also significantly elevated in week 20 compared to the subsequent cuttings. These fluctuations in both DTPA and ryegrass uptake occurred only at 50 t ha(-1) and were probably induced by a sudden pH decrease measured in the same treatment in week 16. This suggests that soils which have received high applications of sewage sludge may be prone to fluctuations in metal availability. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The diurnal course of soil moisture as measured by various dielectric sensors: Effects of soil temperature and the implications for evaporation estimates

Soil moisture content, theta, of a bare and vegetated UK gravelly sandy loam soil (in situ and repacked in small lysimeters) was measured using various dielectric instruments (single-sensor ThetaProbes, multi-sensor Profile Probes, and Aquaflex Sensors), at depths ranging between 0.03 and I m, during the summers of 2001 (in situ soil) and 2002 (mini-lysimeters). Half-hourly values of evaporation, E, were calculated from diurnal changes in total soil profile water content, using the soil water balance equation. For the bare soil field, Profile Probes and ML2x ThetaProbes indicated a diurnal course of theta that did not concur with typical soil physical observations: surface layer soil moisture content increased from early morning until about midday, after which theta declined, generally until the early evening. The unexpected course of theta was positively correlated to soil temperature, T-s, also at deeper depths. Aquaflex and ML1 ThetaProbe (older models) outputs, however, reflected common observations: 0 increased slightly during the night (capillary rise) and decreased from the morning until late afternoon (as a result of evaporation). For the vegetated plot, the spurious diurnal theta fluctuations were less obvious, because canopy shading resulted in lower amplitudes of T-s. The unrealistic theta profiles measured for the bare and vegetated field sites caused diurnal estimates of E to attain downward daytime and upward night-time values. In the mini-lysimeters, at medium to high moisture contents, theta values measured by (ML2x) ThetaProbes followed a relatively realistic course, and predictions of E from diurnal changes in vertically integrated theta generally compared well with lysimeter estimates of E. However, time courses of theta and E became comparable to those observed for the field plots when the soil in the lysimeters reached relatively low values of theta. Attempts to correct measured theta for fluctuations in T, revealed that no generally applicable formula could be derived. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of dietary supplementation with selenium enriched yeast or sodium selenite on selenium tissue distribution and meat quality in lambs

The objective was to determine the concentration of total selenium (Se) and the proportion of total Se comprised as selenomethionine (SeMet) and selenocysteine (SeCys), as well as meat quality in terms of oxidative stability in post mortem tissues of lambs offered diets with an increasing dose rate of selenized enriched yeast (SY), or sodium selenite (SS). Fifty lambs were offered, for a period of 112 d, a total mixed ration which had either been supplemented with SY (0, 0.11, 0.21 or 0.31 mg/kg DM to give total Se contents of 0.19, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5 mg Se/kg DM for treatments T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively) or SS (0.11 mg/kg DM to give 0.3 mg Se/kg DM total Se [T5]). At enrolment and at 28, 56, 84 and 112 d following enrolment, blood samples were taken for Se and Se species determination, as well as glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity. At the end of the study lambs were euthanased and samples of heart, liver, kidney, and skeletal muscle were retained for Se and Se species determination. Tissue GSH-Px activity and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were determined in Longissimus Thoracis. The incorporation into the diet of ascending concentrations of Se as SY increased whole blood total Se and the proportion of total Se comprised as SeMet, and erythrocyte GSH-Px activity. Comparable doses of SS supplementation did not result in significant differences between these parameters. With the exception of kidney tissue, all other tissues showed a dose dependant response to increasing concentrations of dietary SY, such that total Se and SeMet increased. Selenium content of Psoas Major was higher in animals fed SY when compared to a similar dose of SS, indicating improvements in Se availability and retention. There were no significant treatment effects on meat quality assessments GHS-Px and TBARS, reflecting the lack of difference in the proportion of total Se that was comprised as SeCys. However, oxidative stability improved marginally with ascending tissue Se content, providing an indication of a linear dose response whereby TBARS improved with ascending SY inclusion.

The effects of irrigation, nitrogen fertilizer and grain size on Hagberg falling number, specific weight and blackpoint of winter wheat

The effects of irrigation and nitrogen (N) fertilizer on Hagberg falling number (HFN), specific weight (SW) and blackpoint (BP) of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L) were investigated. Mains water (+50 and +100 mm month(-1), containing 44 mg NO3- litre(-1) and 28 mg SO42- litre(-1)) was applied with trickle irrigation during winter (17 January-17 March), spring (21 March-20 May) or summer (24 May-23 July). In 1999/2000 these treatments were factorially combined with three N levels (0, 200, 400 kg N ha(-1)), applied to cv Hereward. In 2000/01 the 400 kg N ha(-1) treatment was replaced with cv Malacca given 200 kg N ha(-1). Irrigation increased grain yield, mostly by increasing grain numbers when applied in winter and spring, and by increasing mean grain weight when applied in summer. Nitrogen increased grain numbers and SW, and reduced BP in both years. Nitrogen increased HFN in 1999/2000 and reduced HFN in 2000/01. Effects of irrigation on HFN, SW and BP were smaller and inconsistent over year and nitrogen level. Irrigation interacted with N on mean grain weight: negatively for winter and spring irrigation, and positively for summer irrigation. Ten variables derived from digital image analysis of harvested grain were included with mean grain weight in a principal components analysis. The first principal component ('size') was negatively related to HFN (in two years) and BP (one year), and positively related to SW (two years). Treatment effects on dimensions of harvested grain could not explain all of the effects on HFN, BP and SW but the results were consistent with the hypothesis that water and nutrient availability, even when they were affected early in the season, could influence final grain quality if they influenced grain numbers and size. (C) 2004 Society of Chemical Industry

Effects of a non-chemical nematicide combined with soil solarization for the control of root-knot nematodes

The effectiveness of a formulated bio-nematicide product containing lyophilized bacteria spores of Bacillus firmus was evaluated against root-knot nematodes (RKN) in greenhouse and field experiments. A decrease of second stage juveniles hatching from eggs was recorded by using the bio-nematicide at a dose of 0.9 g kg(-1) of soil while further a decrease was recorded by doubling the dose. However, the mortality rate decreased as the inoculurn level increased. Exposure of either second stage juveniles or egg masses to temperatures of 35-40 degrees C for 1-4 weeks had a marked effect on their survival. In a field experiment, the bio-nematicide was evaluated for its potential to control RKN either as a stand-alone method or in combination with soil solarization. The latter was tested for 15-30 days and the bionematicide was applied just before soil coverage with the plastic sheet or just after its removal. Soil solarization either for 15-30 days provided satisfactory control of RKN. The combination of soil solarization with the bio-nematicide improved nematode control and gave results similar to the chemical treatment. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.