Nutrient digestibility and endogenous protein losses in the foregut and small intestine of weaned dairy calves fed calf starters with conventional or enzyme-treated soybean meal.

The aims of this experiment were (1) to compare the effects of a soybean meal with an enzymatic treatment (ESBM) to reduce the concentration of antinutritional factors versus a standard soybean meal (SBM) on foregut and small intestine digestion in weaned dairy calves and (2) to estimate the endogenous losses of crude protein (CP) in the small intestine. Our hypothesis was that a diet containing ESBM instead of SBM would improve ruminal and small intestine digestion and absorption of nutrients. A T-cannula was placed in the duodenum, and a second T-cannula was installed in the distal ileum of 12 Holstein calves at approximately 3 wk of age. Calves were weaned on d 42, and on d 50 they were assigned randomly to a quadruplicated 3 × 3 Latin square with 10-d periods. Digesta samples were collected on d 7 and 8 from the ileum and d 9 and 10 from the duodenum. The diets were fed for ad libitum intake and consisted of a calf starter (CS) of 20% CP with SBM as the main source of protein (CTRL), and an isonitrogenous CS with an ESBM instead of SBM (ENZT). A third diet with a low content of CP (10%) and no soy protein was fed to estimate endogenous N losses and digestibilities of test ingredients. Flows and digestibilities of nutrients were compared between CTRL and ENZT and their test ingredients (SBM vs. ESBM, respectively). Duodenal net flows of CP and total AA as well as ruminal microbial protein synthesis per kilogram of digested CP were greater, and flow of nonprotein N and CP true (corrected by endogenous and microbial flows) foregut digestibility were lower with ENZT than CTRL. The apparent small intestine digestibilities of CP and total AA were greater for ESBM than SBM, but there were no differences between the CTRL and ENZT diets. We observed no differences in digestibilities at the duodenum or ileum of starch or NDF, but true small intestine digestibilities of CP and all AA were greater with ENZT than CTRL. Total endogenous protein losses in the small intestine estimated from calves fed the low-CP with no soy protein diet were 37 ± 1.5 g of CP and 29 ± 1.4 g of AA/kg of DMI. These values may be considered the basal endogenous losses as they are similar to values obtained with the regression method, which estimates N losses when dietary N is null. Our results indicated that the inclusion of an ESBM improved the efficiency of ruminal microbial protein synthesis per digested kilogram of organic matter and CP, and increased CP and AA absorption in the small intestine despite a greater proportion of undigested dietary protein entering the duodenum.

Effects of spray-dried bovine plasma protein in milk replacers fed at a high plane of nutrition on performance, intestinal permeability, and morbidity of Holstein calves.

Spray-dried plasma protein (SDP) has been shown to improve growth and intestinal function in young calves when included in milk replacers (MR) fed at conventional rates. Use of an SDP and wheat protein blend to replace a portion of whey protein has been shown to perform similarly to using an all-whey protein control MR. However, a trend in the dairy industry is to feed calves for greater rates of growth during the preweaning period. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of increasing amounts of SDP inclusion in MR on growth and health of calves fed at a high plane of nutrition. Young (<7 d) Holstein calves were offered starter and assigned to 1 of 5 MR treatments: an all-milk protein (whey) control MR (0SDP, n = 26) or MR containing 5% SDP (5SDP, n = 20), 7.5% SDP (7.5SDP, n = 14), 10% SDP (10SDP, n = 20), or 12% of an approximate 1:1 SDP plus wheat protein blend (PW, n = 17). All MR were formulated to contain 26% CP and 16% fat and were fed at a maximum rate of 1 kg of powder (as fed) from d 8 to 36. Amounts of MR powder were decreased by 25%/wk from d 37 to weaning at d 57. Thereafter, calves were provided only starter feed until the end of the study at d 63. On d 4, 15, 36, and 57, intestinal permeability was assessed via oral administration of lactulose and d-mannitol followed by analysis of lactulose and mannitol in blood at 60 min after administration. Increasing SDP led to a small linear decrease in MR consumed. There was a tendency for a positive linear relationship between increasing SDP and average daily gain of body weight, and SDP had mixed effects on body frame variables. Increasing SDP tended to increase fecal scores and increased the amount of fluid therapy given. Diet had no effect on intestinal permeability. Increasing SDP led to an increase in serum total cholesterol and serum urea N and tended to have a quadratic effect on serum glucose concentration on d 36. Calves fed PW tended to have increased withers height, increased intestinal permeability on d 36, and an increased likelihood of being medicated for any reason or being medicated for respiratory illness, but growth and health were not different from the control diet otherwise. Feeding PW led to an increase in serum total cholesterol and tended to lead to increased serum glucose concentration on d 36. Results of this study indicate that SDP can be included at up to 10% as fed in the MR of calves fed at a high plane of nutrition (1 kg/d of MR powder, as fed) with improvements in average daily gain. Additionally, a 1:1 SDP plus wheat protein blend can be used at 12% inclusion with no difference in most health and growth parameters.

Cloning and characterization of femA and femB from Staphylococcus epidermidis.

A DNA fragment was identified and cloned from Staphylococcus epidermidis (Se) using femA from S. aureus (Sa) as a heterologous hybridization probe. DNA sequence analysis of a portion of this clone revealed two complete ORFs highly related to femA and femB of Sa. The genomic arrangement of the Se femA/B complex was nearly identical to that observed in Sa. Intra- and interspecies relatedness of these genes and conservation of genomic organization were consistent with gene duplication of one of these genes in an ancestral organism. Recombinant FEMA, produced in Escherichia coli (Ec), was purified to near homogeneity. Identity of the purified protein was verified by N-terminal amino acid (aa) sequence analysis.

Trazodone and triazolam: acute subject-rated and performance-impairing effects in healthy volunteers.

The present study compared the acute subject-rated and performance-impairing effects of trazodone and triazolam in seven healthy humans. Trazodone (50, 100 and 200 mg), triazolam (0.125, 0.25, 0.50 mg) and placebo were administered orally in a double-blind, crossover design. Drug effects were measured approximately 30 min before drug administration and repeatedly afterwards for 6 h. Trazodone and triazolam produced dose-related increases in subject-ratings of drug effect and sedation. The absolute magnitude of trazodone's and triazolam's effects was comparable across these measures, which suggests the doses tested were equivalent on some behavioral dimension. By contrast, triazolam, but not trazodone, increased subject ratings of "dizzy", "excited", "nervous", "restless", "stomach turning" and "itchy skin". Triazolam, but not trazodone, significantly impaired learning, recall and performance. The present findings suggest trazodone may be a viable alternative to benzodiazepine hypnotics like triazolam, especially when needing to minimize drug-induced impairment. Future research could extend the present findings by replicating them in a clinically relevant population such as individuals with histories of drug abuse.

Insulin's anabolic effect is influenced by route of administration of nutrients.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if the anabolic effects of intravenous insulin on protein kinetics could be exploited in the enterally fed trauma victim. DESIGN: Randomized, crossover control protocol. SETTING: Level I trauma center. PATIENTS: Ten trauma patients with an Injury Severity Score higher than 20. Exclusion criteria included diabetes mellitus, pregnancy, steroid use, and aged younger than 18 years or older than 65 years. INTERVENTIONS: Within the first 24 hours of admission to the intensive care unit, each patient had a transpyloric feeding tube inserted radiographically. Enteral nutrition was provided with a protein supplement (Ensure, Ross Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio) and Promod, supplemented with protein powder to supply 1.5 g/kg per day of protein and 156.9 kJ/kg per day. Intravenous insulin was provided at 0.043 U/kg per hour beginning on the second or fourth day. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Urinary nitrogen balance and 3-methylhistidine excretion rates were measured at the end of the third and fifth days. Plasma glucose, insulin, and C-peptide levels were obtained at these same times. RESULTS: Urinary nitrogen balance was not significantly different with or without the administration of insulin (-4.58+/-50.1 mg/kg per day vs -9.38+/-50.9 mg/kg per day, respectively). 3-Methylhistidine excretion rates did not change significantly with or without the administration of insulin (5.77+/-0.67 micromol/kg per day vs 6.15+/-0.43 micromol/kg per day, respectively). Serum insulin levels did not differ significantly when exogenous infusions were added (57.8+/-17.9 microU/mL vs 82.1+/-44.9 microU/mL), but serum C-peptide levels did decrease significantly when exogenous insulin was added (5.11+/-3.2 microU/mL vs 10.28+/-3.5 microU/mL; P = .04). Serum glucose levels decreased significantly when insulin was administered (5.8+/-0.4 mmol/L [104.6+/-7.2 mg/dL] vs 7.7+/-0.4 mmol/L [138.1+/-7.4 mg/dL; P =.004). CONCLUSION: The anabolic effect of intravenous insulin on protein kinetics is not evident when nutrition is provided enterally in the trauma victim.

MR of the brain in children.

MR imaging has firmly established its place as the cornerstone of pediatric neuroimaging. Recent advances in MR imaging have led to decreased imaging time, high resolution studies, and new methods for obtaining tissue contrast. Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) now obviates the need for angiography in some children, although its extended role is still to be defined. Normal and abnormal development and myelination patterns have been further defined with MR imaging. The patterns of brain injury resulting from hypoxia and ischemia vary with the degree of the insult as well as the gestational age of the child. These patterns of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy can be analyzed to determine when the insult occurred. Neuronal migration disorders and phakomatoses can be diagnosed with confidence at an early age, thus facilitating genetic counseling. MR imaging can detect the most common lesions associated with childhood epilepsy, such as hippocampal sclerosis, focal cortical dysplasias, and low-grade tumors. Other areas, including pediatric AIDS, toxicity-related injury, metabolic/mitochondrial conditions, and disorders associated with iatrogenic injury, can be diagnosed with MR. Spectroscopy provides information that should prove useful in evaluating and monitoring neuronal and other brain tissue disorders in children.

Comparison of on-line detectors for field flow fractionation analysis of nanomaterials.

Characterization of nanomaterials must include analysis of both size and chemical composition. Many analytical techniques, such as dynamic light scattering (DLS), are capable of measuring the size of suspended nanometer-sized particles, yet provide no information on the composition of the particle. While field flow fractionation (FFF) is a powerful nanoparticle sizing technique, common detectors used in conjunction with the size separation, including UV, light-scattering, and fluorescence spectroscopy, do not provide the needed particle compositional information. Further, these detectors do not respond directly to the mass concentration of nanoparticles. The present work describes the advantages achieved when interfacing sensitive and elemental specific detectors, such as inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, to FFF separation analysis to provide high resolution nanoparticle sizing and compositional analysis at the µg/L concentration level, a detection at least 10-100-fold lower than DLS or FFF-UV techniques. The full benefits are only achieved by utilization of all detector capabilities, such as dynamic reaction cell (DRC) ICP-MS. Such low-level detection and characterization capability is critical to nanomaterial investigations at biologically and environmentally relevant concentrations. The techniques have been modified and applied to characterization of all four elemental constituents of cadmium selenide-zinc sulfide core-shell quantum dots, and silver nanoparticles with gold seed cores. Additionally, sulfide coatings on silver nanoparticles can be detected as a potential means to determine environmental aging of nanoparticles.

Characterization of metals released from coal fly ash during dredging at the Kingston ash recovery project.

A storage-pond dike failure occurred on December 22, 2008 at the Tennessee Valley Authority Kingston Fossil Plant resulting in the release of over 4million cubic meters (5million cubic yards) of fly ash. Approximately half of the released ash was deposited in the main channel of the Emory River, Tennessee, USA. Remediation efforts of the Emory River focused on hydraulic dredging, as well as mechanical excavation in targeted areas. However, agitation of the submerged fly ash during hydraulic dredging introduces river water into the fly ash material, which could promote dissolution and desorption of metals from the solid fly ash material. Furthermore, aeration of the dredge slurry could alter the redox state of metals in the fly ash material and thereby change their sorption, mobility, and toxicity properties. The research presented here focuses on the concentrations and speciation of metals during the fly ash recovery from the Emory River. Our results indicate that arsenite [As(III)] released from the fly ash material during dredging was slowly oxidized to arsenate [As(V)] in the slurry recovery system with subsequent removal through precipitation or sorption reactions with suspended fly ash material. Concentrations of other dissolved metals, including iron and manganese, also generally decreased in the ash recovery system prior to water discharge back to the river.

Microbial diversity under extreme euxinia: Mahoney Lake, Canada.

Mahoney Lake, British Columbia, Canada, is a stratified, 15-m deep saline lake with a euxinic (anoxic, sulfidic) hypolimnion. A dense plate of phototrophic purple sulfur bacteria is found at the chemocline, but to date the rest of the Mahoney Lake microbial ecosystem has been underexamined. In particular, the microbial community that resides in the aphotic hypolimnion and/or in the lake sediments is unknown, and it is unclear whether the sulfate reducers that supply sulfide for phototrophy live only within, or also below, the plate. Here we profiled distributions of 16S rRNA genes using gene clone libraries and PhyloChip microarrays. Both approaches suggest that microbial diversity is greatest in the hypolimnion (8 m) and sediments. Diversity is lowest in the photosynthetic plate (7 m). Shallower depths (5 m, 7 m) are rich in Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria, while deeper depths (8 m, sediments) are rich in Crenarchaeota, Natronoanaerobium, and Verrucomicrobia. The heterogeneous distribution of Deltaproteobacteria and Epsilonproteobacteria between 7 and 8 m is consistent with metabolisms involving sulfur intermediates in the chemocline, but complete sulfate reduction in the hypolimnion. Overall, the results are consistent with the presence of distinct microbial niches and suggest zonation of sulfur cycle processes in this stratified system.

Analysis of munitions constituents in groundwater using a field-portable GC-MS.

The use of munitions constituents (MCs) at military installations can produce soil and groundwater contamination that requires periodic monitoring even after training or manufacturing activities have ceased. Traditional groundwater monitoring methods require large volumes of aqueous samples (e.g., 2-4 L) to be shipped under chain of custody, to fixed laboratories for analysis. The samples must also be packed on ice and shielded from light to minimize degradation that may occur during transport and storage. The laboratory's turn-around time for sample analysis and reporting can be as long as 45 d. This process hinders the reporting of data to customers in a timely manner; yields data that are not necessarily representative of current site conditions owing to the lag time between sample collection and reporting; and incurs significant shipping costs for samples. The current work compares a field portable Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS) for analysis of MCs on-site with traditional laboratory-based analysis using High Performance Liquid Chromatography with UV absorption detection. The field method provides near real-time (within ~1 h of sampling) concentrations of MCs in groundwater samples. Mass spectrometry provides reliable confirmation of MCs and a means to identify unknown compounds that are potential false positives for methods with UV and other non-selective detectors.

The effect of endovenous laser ablation on restless legs syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: Venous disease was proposed as a cause of restless legs syndrome (RLS) by Dr Karl A Ekbom in 1944, but has since remained largely unexplored. This study examines the effect of endovenous laser ablation (ELA) in patients with concurrent RLS and duplex-proven superficial venous insufficiency (SVI). METHODS: Thirty-five patients with moderate to very severe RLS (as defined by the 2003 National Institute of Health (NIH) RLS criteria) and duplex-proven SVI completed an international RLS rating scale questionnaire (IRLS) and underwent standard duplex examination to objectively measure the baseline severity of their conditions. They were separated into non-operative and operative cohorts. The operative cohort underwent ELA of refluxing superficial axial veins using the CoolTouch CTEV 1320 nm laser and ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy of the associated varicose veins with foamed sodium tetradecyl sulphate (STS). All patients then completed a follow-up IRLS questionnaire. Baseline and follow-up IRLS scores were compared. RESULTS: Operative correction of the SVI decreased the mean IRLS score by 21.4 points from 26.9 to 5.5, corresponding to an average of 80% improvement in symptoms. A total of 89% of patients enjoyed a decrease in their score of > or =15 points. Fifty-three percent of patients had a follow-up score of < or =5, indicating their symptoms had been largely alleviated and 31% had a follow-up score of zero, indicating a complete relief of RLS symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: ELA of refluxing axial veins with the CTEV 1320 nm laser and foamed STS sclerotherapy of associated varicosities alleviates RLS symptoms in patients with SVI and moderate to very severe RLS. RECOMMENDATIONS: SVI should be ruled-out in all patients with RLS before initiation or continuation of drug therapy.

15N NMR investigation of the reduction and binding of TNT in an aerobic bench scale reactor simulating windrow composting.

T15NT was added to a soil of low organic carbon content and composted for 20 days in an aerobic bench scale reactor. The finished whole compost and fulvic acid, humic acid, humin, and lignocellulose fractions extracted from the compost were analyzed by solid-state CP/MAS and DP/MAS 15N NMR. 15N NMR spectra provided direct spectroscopic evidence for reduction of TNT followed by covalent binding of the reduced metabolites to organic matter of the composted soil, with the majority of metabolite found in the lignocellulose fraction, by mass also the major fraction of the compost. In general, the types of bonds formed between soil organic matter and reduced TNT amines in controlled laboratory reactions were observed in the spectra of the whole compost and fractions, confirming that during composting TNT is reduced to amines that form covalent bonds with organic matter through aminohydroquinone, aminoquinone, heterocyclic, and imine linkages, among others. Concentrations of imine nitrogens in the compost spectra suggest that covalent binding by the diamines 2,4DANT and 2,6DANT is a significant process in the transformation of TNT into bound residues. Liquid-phase 15N NMR spectra of the fulvic acid and humin fractions provided possible evidence for involvement of phenoloxidase enzymes in covalent bond formation.