Technical note: Relationship between in situ NDF degradability and enzymatic NDF hydrolysis in forages, nonforage fibrous feeds, and crop residues.

The study was performed on forages ( = 8), nonforage fibrous feeds ( = 10), and crop residues ( = 2). Samples were characterized for in situ NDF degradability (NDFD) at 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 48, 72, 96, 120, and 240 h of ruminal incubation. Then, samples were characterized for enzymatic NDFD by adopting a multistep enzymatic method consisting of a preincubation (PreInc) phase followed by enzymatic incubation (EnzInc) steps. In the PreInc phase, samples were incubated in a NaOH solution for 0, 30, 60, or 90 min. Then, in the EnzInc phase, samples were first incubated in a buffered enzymatic solution containing hemicellulase, cellulase, and Viscozyme L enzymes. Then, samples were incubated in a xylanase-buffered enzymatic solution. These 2-step EnzInc lasted for a total of 16 (8 h for the first enzymatic step + 8 h for the second enzymatic step), 32 (16 + 16 h), or 48 h (24 + 24 h). The enzymatic NDFD coefficients were increased by increasing both PreInc and EnzInc incubation times, and no PreInc × EnzInc interaction was observed, except for ryegrass hay. On average, enzymatic NDFD increased ( < 0.05) by 0.35, 0.54, or 0.68, respectively, for 30-, 60-, or 90-min PreInc compared with 0-min PreInc. The enzymatic NDFD increased ( < 0.05), on average, by 0.11 in 32-h EnzInc or 0.16 in 48-h EnzInc with respect to 16-h EnzInc. Enzymatic NDFD were used to predict in situ NDFD coefficients by adopting single regression equations. High coefficients of regression ( > 0.80, < 0.05) and low errors of prediction were measured when specific enzymatic conditions were performed to predict in situ NDFD at intermediate (from 24 to 48 h) ruminal incubation. Generally, worse regression performances were obtained when enzymatic NDFD were used to predict in situ NDFD evaluated after shorter or longer incubation times. The direct prediction of the rate of NDF degradation was not possible using enzymatic NDFD coefficients. Even if the proposed multistep enzymatic method appeared promising, further studies are required to improve enzymatic NDFD prediction ability within specific forage types or nonforage fibrous feeds.

Foliar uptake of 134Cs and 85Sr in strawberry as function by leaf age.

In this paper a study of the foliar uptake and translocation of 134Cs and 85Sr in a herbaceous fruit plant is presented. In particular, absorption, translocation and loss of these radionuclides in strawberry plants have been studied in relation to the age of contaminated leaves. Strawberry plants were contaminated by distributing droplets of an aqueous solution containing 134CsCl and 85SrCl2 on the surface of two leaves per plant. One half of the plants was contaminated through two young leaves, a second half through two old leaves. Sets of plants were collected 1 day, 7 days and 15 days after contamination. One half of them was rinsed with double distilled water before gamma analysis. Rinsing contaminated leaves removes on average 55% of the applied 134Cs and 45% of 85Sr. The activity removed decreases during the 15 days of the experimental study, both for 134Cs and for 85Sr, suggesting an increase in foliar absorption during this period. The activity removed does not differ between old and young leaves. "External loss" is lower for young than old contaminated leaves. "Internal loss" through translocation occurs mainly for 134Cs. Translocation coefficients from contaminated leaves to fruits are two orders of magnitude higher for 134Cs (4.0%), than for 85Sr (0.05%). Leaf to fruit translocation coefficients for 134Cs are higher from young leaves (5.8%), than from old leaves (2.3%).

Foliar and root uptake of 134Cs, 85Sr and 65Zn in processing tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.).

The results of an experimental study on the behaviour of 134Cs, 85Sr and 65Zn in processing tomato plants grown in peat substrate are presented. Plants were contaminated by wet deposition of 134Cs, 85Sr and 65Zn, either by sprinkling the above ground part at two phenological stages or by administering 134Cs, 85Sr and 65Zn to the soil. The plants contaminated at the second phenological stage intercepted 38.3% less than those contaminated at the first stage, although leaf area increased by more than double. Transfer coefficients from peat soil to ripe fruit for 134Cs are significantly higher than those for 85Sr and 65Zn. Leaf to fruit transfer coefficients for 134Cs are one order of magnitude higher than for 65Zn and two orders higher than for 85Sr. Only when deposition affects fruits, as at the second phenological stage, are transfer coefficients to fruits similar for the three radionuclides.

[Approach to constipation in children]. / L'approccio alla stipsi nel bambino.

This article presents a diagnostic and therapeutic approach to children with constipation. Causes of constipation can be organic or non-organic (functional). Functional constipation may lead to functional fecal retention. The history and physical examination are most important. Laboratory and radiologic examinations are not warranted in the majority of children.

Longitudinal evaluation of bone mass in asthmatic children treated with inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate or cromolyn sodium.

Inhaled corticosteroids are recommended as first-line therapy in patients with moderate to severe asthma. The use of these agents in the milder form of asthma is controversial because of their potential adverse effects, especially in growing children. We investigated 49 asthmatic children (38 treated with beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) at a daily dose of 276+/-125 microg/day and 11 treated with cromolyn sodium (CS) at a daily dose of 30+/-10 mg/day) for 7.4 months, with bone-mass measurements at baseline and after the treatment period. Evaluation of changes in cortical and trabecular bone mass (bone mineral density [BMD]; m/cm2) was performed by absorptiometry at the proximal forearm and at the lumbar spine, respectively. Furthermore, to correct for bone size changes due to growth, we calculated volumetric BMD (VOL-BMD; mg/cm3). At the end of the treatment period, the children who had received regular inhaled BDP had grown as well as children treated with CS, from 120+/-1.4 to 123+/-1.3 cm and from 118+/-3.2 to 120.3+/-2.8 cm, respectively. No children showed deviation from their percentile level of growth. Trabecular and cortical BMD increased after 7 months of follow-up in both groups to the same extent. When BMD was adjusted for body size (VOL-BMD; mg/cm3), bone mass was found not to have changed after BDP or CS treatment course within and between the two groups.

[Limits in the evaluation of bronchial reactivity in children with asthma]. / Limiti della valutazione della reattività bronchiale nel bambino con asma.

Bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) reflects an exaggerated sensitivity of airways to pharmacologic and/or physical stimuli. Patients with symptomatic asthma often have a higher degree of BHR than nonasthmatics, even though BHR shows a variable relationship with the clinical expression of the disease and with medication requirements. Methods of bronchial challenge, initially developed in adults, are increasingly employed also in children. The Authors discuss the clinical significance of the evaluation of bronchial responsiveness in the diagnostic approach and follow-up of children with asthma. Some methodological aspects and limits of bronchial challenging in childhood are expecially addressed.