Biochar effect on sheep feed intake, growth rate and ruminant in vitro and in vivo methane production.

Biochar, which is the product of biomass pyrolysis, has been suggested as a feed supplement to improve performance in livestock systems and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The aim of the current study was to investigate in vitro and in vivo potential of biochar to favourably modify rumen fermentation (e.g., an increase in total Short Chained Fatty Acid (SCFA) concentration and a change in SCFA profile), reduce methane emission and increase sheep growth performance. Four concentrates were produced with biochar inclusion of 0, 10, 23 and 46 g/kg DM. The experimental diets for the in vitro experiments consisted of straw and concentrate in a 60:40 ratio and included measurements of total gas and methane (CH4) production, pH, ammonia nitrogen, SCFA, and microbial assays (total bacteria and methanogenic archaea). Two in vivo experiments were performed where the animals received ad libitum forage with 0.4 kg concentrate daily. Experiment 1 investigated the daily DM intake of sheep while experiment 2 investigated daily growth rate and CH4 emission of lambs. The inclusion of biochar had no impact on in vitro total gas production (ml/200 mg DM substrate) (P = 0.81) and CH4 production (ml/200 mg DM substrate) (P = 0.93). In vitro total SCFA concentration increased (P < 0.05) while acetate to propionate ratio (A:P) tended to decrease (P = 0.05) with both doses of biochar. Total bacteria decreased with the highest biochar inclusion in vitro (P < 0.05). Sheep's DM intake (kg/d) increased when low and medium levels but not when a higher level of biochar was added to the diet (P < 0.001). The inclusion of biochar did not significantly impact the lamb's daily growth rate (g/d) (P = 0.61) or enteric CH4 emissions (g/kg DM) (P = 0.43). We conclude that biochar supplementation had no favourable impacts on in vitro and in vivo CH4 production or on lamb's growth rate. Further research with well-characterised biochar is needed to gain a better understanding of the potential of biochar as a feed additive for ruminant livestock.

Effect of supplementing sheep diets with macroalgae species on in vivo nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation and blood amino acid profile.

In this study, a brown macroalgae species, Saccharina latissima, processed to increase its protein concentration, and a red macroalgae species, Porphyra spp., were used to evaluate their in vivo digestibility, rumen fermentation and blood amino acid concentrations. Four castrated rams were used, whose diets were supplemented with a protein-rich fraction of S. latissima, a commercial Porphyra spp. and soybean meal (SBM). Our results show that the protein digestibility of a diet with S. latissima extract was lower (0.55) than those with Porphyra spp. (0.64) and SBM (0.66). In spite of the higher nitrogen (N) intake of diets containing Porphyra spp. and SBM (20.9 and 19.8 g N/day, respectively) than that with S. latissima (18.6 g N/day), the ratio of N excreted in faeces to total N intake was significantly higher in the diet with S. latissima than those with Porphyra spp. and SBM. This reflects that the utilization of protein in S. latissima was impaired, possibly due to reduced microbial activity. The latter statement is corroborated by lower volatile fatty acid composition (25.6, 54.8 and 100 mmol/l for S. latissima, Porphyra spp. and SBM, respectively) and a non-significant tendency for lower ammonia concentration observed in diets with S. latissima and Porphyra spp. compared to SBM. It is important to note that the S. latissima used in this trial was rinsed during processing to remove salt. This process potentially also removes other water-soluble compounds, such as free amino acids, and may have increased the relative fraction of protein resistant to rumen degradation and intestinal absorption. Furthermore, the phlorotannins present in macroalgae may have formed complexes with protein and fibre, further limiting their degradability in rumen and absorption in small intestines. We recommend that further studies explore the extent to which processing of macroalgae affects its nutritive properties and rumen degradability, in addition to studies to measure the intestinal absorption of these macroalgae species.

The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of single-dose and multiple-dose recombinant activated factor VII in patients with haemophilia A or B.

Monitoring recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) treatment outcomes remains challenging. Thromboelastography (TEG) and the thrombin generation assay (TGA), measure coagulation dynamics over time and are being assessed as potential methods for evaluating and monitoring haemophilia treatment. Lack of standardized TEG/TGA methods makes it difficult to compare results and to establish a correlation with clinical outcomes. AIMS: To compare the pharmacokinetics (PK) of rFVIIa after 3×90 µg kg-1 doses vs a single dose (270 µg kg-1 ) in haemophilia patients and to evaluate TEG/TGA results postdosing to determine how these assays relate to PK findings. METHODS: Patients in this open-label, single-centre, randomized, crossover trial received one injection of 270 µg kg-1 rFVIIa crossed over with three injections of 90 µg kg-1 rFVIIa in a non-bleeding state. For TEG, kaolin and tissue factor were used as activators; TGA was performed on frozen platelet-rich and platelet-poor plasma, with and without corn trypsin inhibitor. FVIIa activity was evaluated using in vivo samples. RESULTS: TGA showed a dose-dependent effect of rFVIIa on thrombin generation; TEG revealed lower dose-dependent effects. Both showed some differences between single-/multiple-dose rFVIIa; both supported the PK findings. CONCLUSION: While TEG and TGA are not yet clinically predictive, both supported the PK results. Data suggest that, while a single dose of 270 µg kg-1 rFVIIa provides slightly higher haemostatic potential than the multiple-dose regimen of 3×90 µg kg-1 , the latter results in prolonged activity levels compared with a higher single dose.

[The problems in optimizing the delivery of general therapeutic care at the regional level during the transition to compulsory medical insurance]. / Problemy optimizatsii okazaniia obshcheterapevticheskoi pomoshchi na territorial'nom urovne v usloviiakh perekhoda k obiazatel'nomu meditsinskomu strakhovaniiu.

The authors hold that perfection of local therapeutic service in present-day situation when insurance principles are introduced in medical care may be achieved through design of medico-economic standards of guaranteed minimum of medical aid for each citizen of Russian Federation. This approach allows accurate estimation of required personnel and equipment. The standards should not replace the principle of individual approach to each case.

Half sib selection for resistance to powdery mildew (Erysiphe graminis DC. f.sp. secalis Marchal) in rye populations.

Three rye populations originating from different cultivars were subjected to half sib progeny selection for three cycles to improve their resistance to powdery mildew (Erysiphe graminis DC. f.sp. secalis Marchal). Selection was carried out in the greenhouse (measurement of spore production at the three-leaf stage), in the field (scoring of mildew infections at ear emergence) or at both locations. All selections resulted in significant responses, the level of which varied depending on the genetic base of mildew resistance in the populations. Greenhouse selection was most effective when the frequency of dominant genes could be increased, whereas field selection was less effective. Estimates for heritability in the narrow sense ranged from 0.42-0.94 indicating that mildew resistance can be increased effectively. Inbred lines should be selected in base populations with a high level of quantitative resistance and/or a high frequency of dominant genes. For an effective resistance strategy in hybrid breeding such dominant genes are most valuable, and can be selected in young growth stages. In 'Strain CG' the increase of dominant resistance genes by early selection resulted in a significant improvement of kernel yield.