"A herder's duty is to think": landscape partitioning and folk habitats of Mongolian herders in a mountain forest steppe (Khuvsugul-Murun region).

BACKGROUND: Traditional habitat knowledge, like the classification of folk habitats and how people partition their landscape into habitats, is an emerging but still understudied part of traditional ecological knowledge. Our objectives were to reconstruct the folk habitats and the partitioning of the landscape into these folk habitats by Mongolian herders in Northern Mongolia and to compare it with other Northern Hemisphere boreal-temperate classifications. METHODS: The study area is located in Seruun Gilad (Khuvsugul province) and belongs to the mountain forest steppe of the Khangai region (dominated by meadow steppes and larch forests). Most herder families use the area for summer pasturing. Data collection was based on indoor and outdoor, structured and semi-structured interviews and interviews during landscape walks and participatory fieldwork. We interviewed 20 people using 76+ photos of plant species and 25+ photos of habitats and asked them to name and describe the habitats and describe the habitat preferences of the species. RESULTS: Mongolian herders distinguished at least 88 folk habitat categories and knew well the habitat preferences of the 76 plant species. They argued that a herder has to be observant of nature. The habitat classification was moderately lexicalized, with many descriptive expressions. Most habitats (77%) belonged to the meso-scale, while macro-scale habitats (like taiga, Gobi) and micro-scale habitats (like marmot burrow, top of the tussock) were few. Habitat names did not reflect directly the usefulness of the habitat. Classification was multidimensional; key dimensions were geomorphological and edaphic. There were some species (e.g., botyuul, hyag, shireg) and species groups (hot plants, leafy plants) that were often used to describe habitat types. CONCLUSIONS: Landscape partitionings in the Northern Hemisphere differed considerably in the importance of various dimensions used, with edaphic, geomorphological, hydrological, and dominant species-based dimensions having higher importance, while land use, successional, and zoological dimensions having lower importance. We argue that conducting research on folk habitats will contribute to a deeper understanding of how nature is perceived by locals and to a more efficient management of the Mongolian pastures.

Plant selenium toxicity: Proteome in the crosshairs.

The metalloid element, selenium (Se) is in many ways special and perhaps because of this its research in human and plant systems is of great interest. Despite its non-essentiality, higher plants take it up and metabolize it via sulfur pathways, but higher amounts of Se cause toxic symptoms in plants. However, the molecular mechanisms of selenium phytotoxicity have been only partly revealed; the data obtained so far point out that Se toxicity targets the plant proteome. Besides seleno- and oxyproteins, nitroproteins are also formed due to Se stress. In order to minimize proteomic damages induced by Se, certain plants are able to redirect selenocysteine away from protein synthesis thus preventing Se-protein formation. Additionally, the damaged or malformed selenoproteins, oxyproteins and nitroproteins may be removed by proteasomes. Based on the literature this review sets Se toxicity mechanisms into a new concept and it draws attention to the importance of Se-induced protein-level changes.

Effect of different split-feeding treatments on performance, egg quality, and bone quality of individually housed aged laying hens.

In order to try to combat the effect of age on eggshell quality in aged laying hens, 5 split-feeding treatments were compared with conventional feeding between 75 and 92 wk of age. In the conventional treatment (T1), the same morning (M) and afternoon (A) diet was fed containing fine (FL) and coarse (CL) limestone at a 50:50 ratio. In the split treatments, the ratio of FL and CL was 50:50 or 30:70, and time of administration (M/A) differed. The following treatments were given: T2 = 50FL-M:50CL-A, T3 = 50CL-M:50FL-A, T4 = 30FL-M:20FL-A+50CL-A, T5 = 30FL-M:70CL-A, and T6 = 0M:30FL-A+70CL-A. A total of 12 individually housed Dekalb white hens was used per treatment. Feed intake, nutrient intake, and laying % was lower in T1 compared to all split treatments (P ≤ 0.001). Due to this low performance in T1, split feeding could not be compared to the conventional system in this trial. By the end of the trial, eggshell quality was improved in T1 as a result of low laying % and more frequent and longer laying pauses. In the split treatments, laying % and feed intake were similar, except in T3 in which a decrease was observed after 81 wk (P ≤ 0.05). Egg weight was higher in T5 and T6 due to higher total and morning protein intake compared to T3 (P ≤ 0.05). Feeding only 50FL-A in T3 not only resulted in lower performance but also in consistently lower shell thickness, indicating a negative effect of suboptimal limestone supplementation. In the split-feeding system, the most optimal combination of morning and afternoon diet was a morning diet with only FL and an afternoon diet with only CL (T2), which both provided ∼50% of the total daily Ca intake. Shell breaking strength and dynamic stiffness could be maintained on this diet between 75 and 92 weeks. Decreasing the amount of Ca in the morning and increasing it in the afternoon did not improve shell quality traits. Bone quality was not affected by limestone particle size or inclusion level in the split-feeding system.

The effect of nasal provocation with a single-dose allergen on the physical and cognitive performance of patients with ragweed allergy.

Purpose This study aims to compare the impact of active allergic rhinitis on physical and cognitive abilities of trained allergic athletes to untrained allergic patients. Methods Cognitive, respiratory, and fitness functions were assessed before and after allergen exposure. Participants in both groups were provoked intranasally with ragweed allergen. Results The group of athletes revealed significantly higher average values in peak inspiratory flow and fitness index before and after provocation. In neuropsychological assessments, athletes performed significantly better after allergen provocation in complex working memory capacity. Due to single acute allergen exposure, the size of the nasal cavity and nasal inspiratory peak flow significantly decreased in both groups. The physical performance of both groups did not change after provocation. Executive functions and complex working memory capacity of athletes significantly improved resulting from provocation. Conclusions A single-shot allergen in high dose might cause an increase in mental concentration, which was more pronounced in the group of athletes. This study indicates that acute exposure to allergen cannot affect the physical performance and may result in increased mental focus in patients with allergy notwithstanding the declining respiratory functions.

Supplementation of fine and coarse limestone in different ratios in a split feeding system: Effects on performance, egg quality, and bone strength in old laying hens.

Different ratios of fine- (FL) and coarse limestone (CL) were compared (50FL:50CL, 30FL:70CL, 0FL:100CL) in conventional (C) and split feeding (S) for their effects on performance, egg quality traits, and bone quality of old, brown laying hens (72 to 83 wk). Each treatment consisted of 42 hens (7 hens × 6 replicates). In the C system diets supplemented with limestone were provided during the whole day, whereas in the S system a morning diet was fed without added limestone, and only the afternoon diet was supplemented with different limestone ratios. Highest laying %, egg mass, and lowest feed conversion were found in the C system with 50FL:50CL and 0FL:100CL and in the S system with 30FL:70CL between 76 and 79 wk (P ≤ 0.001). Reduced cracked egg % was found when 0FL:100CL was supplemented in the C system and 30FL:70CL in the S system between 72 and 83 wk (P ≤ 0.001). Tibia ash content was higher in the S system compared to the C system (P = 0.005); tibia breaking strength, however, did not differ between feeding systems. Egg quality traits were not improved by S feeding. However, at 83 wk, S feeding resulted in higher breaking strength, but lower shell thickness compared to the C system (P = 0.036, P ≤ 0.001, respectively). Therefore, hens in the S feeding system might have been able to form a structurally superior shell compared to the C system. For further investigation, instead of restricting limestone supplementation solely to the afternoon, it might be a better approach to provide FL and CL at a different time of the d in a split feeding system to improve shell quality in old, brown laying hens in an extended production cycle.

Special nutrition intervention is required for muscle protective efficacy of physical exercise in elderly people at highest risk of sarcopenia.

Progressive loss of muscle mass and strength is a physiological consequence of aging, and without interventions, it usually deteriorates into sarcopenia. In this study, the hypothesis that combined special nutritional-physiotherapeutical intervention to prevent or reverse this biological deterioration in elderly people was tested. The effects of the regular resistance muscle training (PT, n = 17) alone and the combined exercise + special nutrition therapy containing whey protein and vitamin D (PT + NT, n = 17) were monitored for 3 months in 34 elderly patients (12 men and 22 women; mean age: 66.47 years) randomly distributed into two groups at a long-term care facility. Physical exercise alone did not result in significant improvement in skeletal muscle mass or strength, whereas combined intervention significantly increased the muscle strength (22.51 ± 2.35 vs. 24.54 ± 2.65, [Formula: see text] ± SEM, kg, p = 0.027). When therapeutic responses to the intervention were compared, a significant advantage of PT + NT over PT was found. The same trend was found when the non-significant post-therapeutic alterations (χ2 test) of the distribution of normal vs. pre-sarcopenic + sarcopenic conditions within the two groups were compared. Combined intervention (PT + NT) is necessary for the efficient protection of the musculature in the high-risk elderly patients.

Effect of different concentrations of Bacillus subtilis on growth performance, carcase quality, gut microflora and immune response of broiler chickens.

1. An experiment was conducted to study the effects of different Bacillus subtilis concentrations on productivity, carcase quality, immune response and the gut microflora of broiler chickens. 2. There were 5 treatment groups: control, with no added Bacillus subtilis supplementation; and 4 treatment groups receiving feed supplemented with different concentrations of B. subtilis. 3. Weight gain was significantly higher and the feed conversion rate was significantly better in all groups receiving feed supplemented with B. subtilis, regardless of its concentration. The groups given B. subtilis supplementation produced relatively bigger breasts, and smaller carcases and thighs, compared with the control group. 4. The appearance of increased diffuse lymphohistiocytic infiltration and solitary lymphoid follicles in the mucosa, and a stronger response to NDV vaccination, indicate increased immunological responses in chickens fed with the B. subtilis supplemented diet. 5. The higher inclusion rate of B. subtilis did not increase Lactobacillus concentrations in the ileum or in the caecum, but decreased the E. coli population significantly.

Pressure-guided nonsurgical myocardial reduction induced by small septal infarctions in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to assess the safety and efficacy of pressure-guided nonsurgical myocardial reduction (NSMR) with the induction of small septal infarctions in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). BACKGROUND: Nonsurgical myocardial reduction has been shown to decrease left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction and to improve symptoms in patients with HOCM. Infarct sizes differ considerably among studies published so far. METHODS: In 50 patients, the LVOT gradient was invasively determined at the time of the intervention, four to six months (n = 49) and 12 to 18 months (n = 25) after NSMR. New York Heart Association functional class and quality of life were assessed by using a standard questionnaire. Exercise capacity was tested by spiro-ergometry. Left ventricular (LV) mass was determined by electron beam computed tomography. RESULTS: Small septal infarctions (mean creatine kinase value 413 +/- 193 U/l) resulted in a sustained decrease in LVOT gradients, from 80 +/- 33 to 18 +/- 17 mm Hg after four to six months (p < 0.001, n = 49) and to 17 +/- 15 mm Hg (p < 0.001, n = 25) after 12 to 18 months. Nonsurgical myocardial reduction was followed by a decrease in LV hypertrophy, which was associated with a sustained increase in exercise capacity, as well as improvement in quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Pressure-guided NSMR inducing small septal infarctions was sufficient to result in a sustained decrease in LVOT obstruction and to improve symptoms. The incidence of complications, such as complete heart block with necessary permanent pacemaker implantation (<10%), seems to be diminished by minimizing the infarct size.

Tissue-specific signal(s) activate the promoter of a metallocarboxypeptidase inhibitor gene family in potato tuber and berry.

The molecular basis of the differential expression of the GM7-type metallocarboxypeptidase inhibitor (MCPI) genes in tuberizing (StMCPI) and non-tuberizing Solanum species (SbMCPI) was investigated. It was shown that the StMCPI is encoded by a gene family in Solanum tuberosum (potato), but SbMCPI might be a single-copy gene in the non-tuberizing species Solanum brevidens. The StMCPI promoter shows evolutionary relatedness to the S. brevidens-derived SbMCPI and to the fruit-specific tomato promoter 2A11. Both StMCPI and SbMCPI promoter regions were able to confer tuber- and berry-specific expression for the beta-glucuronidase reporter gene in potato suggesting that the difference in MCPI gene expression is in trans regulatory factors between the tuberizing and the non-tuberizing Solanum species. The MCPI promoters did not respond to metabolic, environmental or hormonal signals in leaves. Thus, the MCPI genes are regulated in a different way than the other known tuber-specific genes and potentially are suitable for biotechnological application in potato to provide specific transgene expression in tuber and berry.

Comparative studies on potato tuber development using an in vitro tuber induction system.

A method for synchronized in vitro tuber induction in a Hungarian cultivar of Solanum tuberosum designated "Keszthelyi 855" has been developed. It was shown that in this system tuberization and stolon elongation primarily depend on the level of sucrose in the medium. The cytokinin, 6-bensylaminopurine (BAP), also enhances the efficiency of tuber formation, however, only at sucrose concentration above 4% (w/v). The synchronized plant culture provided starting material for isolation of genes specifically expressed in tuberizing Solanum species during the early stage of tuber development. In comparison with the non-tuberizing Solanum brevidens, three types of specific transcripts have been obtained by differential screening. Based on DNA sequence analysis the genes isolated code for the major tuber proteins, patatin and proteinase inhibitors.

Starch synthesis, and tuber storage protein genes are differently expressed in Solanum tuberosum and in Solanum brevidens.

Studying in vitro stem cuttings of Solanum tuberosum induced for tuberization and those of a non-tuberizing Solanum species, differences both in morphology and in gene expression were detected. Stolon formation essentially depended on light while tuberization was triggered by the elevated level of sucrose in the medium. Genes involved in starch synthesis were induced by sucrose in both species, however, starch granules were detected only in potato. A new tuber specific cDNA clone, GM7, encoding a putative metallocarboxypeptidase inhibitor and the cDNA of a proline rich cell wall protein with S. brevidens specific expression were isolated by differential screening. Sucrose mediated transcription of the tuber storage proteins like patatin and proteinase inhibitors (Kunitz-type, winI, GM7) failed in S. brevidens.

The Ikaros gene encodes a family of lymphocyte-restricted zinc finger DNA binding proteins, highly conserved in human and mouse.

The Ikaros gene is an essential regulator in the development and homeostasis of the mouse lymphopoietic system. To study the role of the Ikaros gene in the human lymphopoietic system, we cloned and characterized human Ikaros cDNAs. In the human, as in the mouse, differential splicing of Ikaros primary transcripts generates a family of lymphoid-restricted zinc finger DNA binding proteins, highly conserved in sequence composition and relative expression to the mouse homologues. Expression of Ikaros isoforms is highly restricted to the lymphopoietic system and is particularly enriched in maturing thymocytes. The Ikaros gene maps at a syntenic locus located on the short arm of human chromosome 7 and on mouse chromosome 11 next to the epidermal growth factor receptor (Egfr). The high degree of conservation of the Ikaros gene at the genetic and expression levels strongly suggests that it plays a fundamental role in the ontogeny of the lymphopoietic system across species.

Riboflavin (vitamin B2) treatment of neonatal pathological jaundice.

The effect of traditional blue-light and riboflavin combined with blue-light was compared in newborns affected by ABO incompatibility, admitted for exchange transfusion. During the period of preparation for the intervention 14 patients were treated with blue light alone and 14 patients with riboflavin combined with phototherapy. A single dose of 10 mg/kg riboflavin was administered intravenously. The duration of treatment was three hours in both groups. The effect of phototherapy was markedly enhanced by the additional riboflavin, by the end of the 3-hour period a significant fall of serum bilirubin was demonstrated in the 14 patients treated with blue light and riboflavin while in the patients treated with phototherapy alone the bilirubin level continued to rise. There was no difference in the activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase, and in lipid peroxidation between the groups.