The determinants of web-based investor relations activities by companies operating in emerging economies : the case of Jordan

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Production of Trans-C18:1 and Conjugated Linoleic Acid Production by Ruminal Microbes in Continuous Culture Fermenters Fed Diets Containing Fish Oil and Sun Flower Oil with Decreasing Levels of Forage

Previously, feeding fish oil (FO) and sunflower seeds to dairy cows resulted in the greatest increases in the concentrations of vaccenic acid (VA, t11 C18:1) and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in milk fat. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of forage level in diets containing FO and sunflower oil (SFO) on the production of trans C18:1 and CLA by mixed ruminal microbes. A dual-flow continuous culture system consisting of three fermenters was used in a 3 × 3 Latin-square design. Treatments consisted of (1) 75:25 forage:concentrate (HF); (2) 50:50 forage:concentrate (MF); and (3) 25:75 forage:concentrate (LF). FO and SFO were added to each diet at 1 and 2 g/100 g dry matter (DM), respectively. The forage source was alfalfa pellets. During 10-day incubations, fermenters were fed treatment diets three times daily (140 g/day, divided equally between three feedings) as TMR diet. Effluents from the last 3 days of incubation were collected and composited for analysis. The concentration of trans C18:1 (17.20, 26.60, and 36.08 mg/g DM overflow for HF, MF, and LF treatments, respectively) increased while CLA (2.53, 2.35, and 0.81 mg/g DM overflow) decreased in a linear manner ( P \u3c 0.05) as dietary forage level decreased. As dietary forage levels decreased, the concentrations of t10 C18:1 (0.0, 10.5, 33.5 mg/g DM) in effluent increased ( P \u3c 0.05) and t10c12 CLA (0.08, 0.12, 0.35 mg/g DM) tended to increases ( P \u3c 0.09) linearly. The concentrations of VA (14.7, 13.9, 0.0 mg/g DM) and c9t11 CLA (1.78, 1.52, 0.03 mg/g DM) in effluent decreased in a linear manner ( P \u3c 0.05) as dietary forage levels decreased. Decreasing dietary forage levels resulted in t10 C18:1 and t10c12 CLA replacing VA and c9t11 CLA, respectively, in fermenters fed FO and SFO

Evaluation of the antimicrobial activities of ultrasonicated spinach leaf extracts using RAPD markers and electron microscopy

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) leaves represent an important dietary source of nutrients, antioxidants, and antimicrobials. As such, spinach leaves play an important role in health and have been used in the treatment of human diseases since ancient times. Here the aims were to optimize the extraction methods for recovering antimicrobial substances of spinach leaves, determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the antimicrobial substances against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus and finally, evaluate the effects of spinach leaves’ antimicrobials on bacterial DNA using central composite face centered methods (CCFC). The effect of the extracts on both Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial models were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and random amplification of polymorphic (bacterial) DNA (RAPD). The optimal extraction conditions were at 45°C, ultrasound power of 44% and an extraction time of 23 min. The spinach extracts exhibited antimicrobial activities against both bacteria with MICs in the 60-100 mg/mlrange. Interestingly, SEM showed that treated bacterial cells appear damaged with a reduction in cell number. RAPD analysis of genomic DNA showed that the number and sizes of amplicons were decreased by treatments. Based on these results, it was inferred that spinach leaves extracts exerts bactericidal activities by both inducing mutations in DNA and by causing cell wall disruptions

Performance of coiled tube ultraviolet reactors to inactivate Escherichia coli W1485 and Bacillus cereus endospores in raw cow milk and commercially processed skimmed cow milk

Two coiled tube reactors were designed to investigate the influence of Reynolds number (Re) and diameter of fluid carrying tube on UV-C inactivation of Escherichia coli W1485 and Bacillus cereus endospores in raw cow milk (RCM) and skimmed cow milk (SCM) at room temperature. UV reactors were constructed using perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) tubing having internal diameters of 1.6 and 3.2 mm and each had a residence time of 11.3 s. Four levels of Re were tested for each milk type, each tube size and each bacteria type. Inactivation efficiency increased as the Re increased in both the reactors for both types of milk. The inactivation of both bacteria was higher in the 1.6 mm UV reactor than the 3.2 mm UV reactor. Maximum reduction of 7.8 log10 CFU/ml of E. coli was achieved in SCM in the 1.6 mm UV reactor corresponding to the Re of 532 and higher, whereas the maximum reduction of E. coli in RCM was 4.1 log10 CFU/ml at the highest level of Re (713) tested. For B. cereus, the maximum reduction was 2.72 log10 CFU/ml in 1.6 UV reactor, in SCM at Re of 1024; whereas the maximum reduction of B. cereus in RCM was 2.65 log10 CFU/ml at Re value of 713. Inactivation efficiency of both bacteria was more in SCM than RCM. The coiled tube reactor design provided adequate mixing and UV-C dosage for efficient disinfection of E. coli cells in milk

Characterization of the FAD2 Gene Family in Soybean Reveals the Limitations of Gel-Based TILLING in Genes with High Copy Number

Soybean seed oil typically contains 18–20% oleic acid. Increasing the content of oleic acid is beneficial for health and biodiesel production. Mutations in FAD2-1 genes have been reported to increase seed oleic acid content. A subset of 1,037 mutant families from a mutagenized soybean cultivar (cv.) Forrest population was screened using reverse genetics (TILLING) to identify mutations within FAD2 genes. Although no fad2 mutants were identified using gel-based TILLING, four fad2-1A and one fad2-1B mutants were identified to have high seed oleic acid content using forward genetic screening and subsequent target sequencing. TILLING has been successfully used as a non-transgenic reverse genetic approach to identify mutations in genes controlling important agronomic traits. However, this technique presents limitations in traits such as oil composition due to gene copy number and similarities within the soybean genome. In soybean, FAD2 are present as two copies, FAD2-1 and FAD2-2. Two FAD2-1 members: FAD2-1A and FAD2-1B; and three FAD2-2 members: FAD2-2A, FAD2-2B, and FAD2-2C have been reported. Syntenic, phylogenetic, and in silico analysis revealed two additional members constituting the FAD2 gene family: GmFAD2-2D and GmFAD2-2E, located on chromosomes 09 and 15, respectively. They are presumed to have diverged from other FAD2-2 members localized on chromosomes 19 (GmFAD2-2A and GmFAD2-2B) and 03 (GmFAD2-2C). This work discusses alternative solutions to the limitations of gel-based TILLING in functional genomics due to high copy number and multiple paralogs of the FAD2 gene family in soybean

Fish Meal Versus Soybean Meal in the Diet of Lactating Cows

Twelve multiparous Holstein cows at 48 ± 8 DIM were used in a 4 x 4 Latin square with 21 d periods to determine the effect of replacing soybean meal (SBM) with fish meal (FM) on feed intake, milk yield and composition, blood amino acids (AA), and ruminal volatile fatty acids (VF A). Fish meal substituted soybean meal in an isonitrogenous basis at 0, 25, 50, and 100% of protein supplement. Total mixed diets were (DM basis) 25% com silage, 25% alfalfa hay, and 50% concentrate mix. Intake of DM (27.9, 27.8, 26.1, and 25.8 kg/d for diets 1 to 4, respectively) was similar (P \u3e 0.14) for all diets. Milk yield (37.5, 37.8, 37.2, and 37.7 kg/d) was not affected (P = 0.85) by diets. Milk protein percentages (3.23, 3.24, 3.31, and 3.35) increased (P \u3c 0.02) with 100% FM supplementation, and tended ( P = 0.08) to be higher with 50% FM supplementation compare to 100% SBM diet. Milk fat percentages (3.18, 2.99, 3.04, and 2.87) and yield (1.21, 1.13, 1.11, and 1.06 kg/d) were lower (P \u3c 0.05) with the 100% FM than with the 100% SBM diet. Fish meal supplementation slightly improved Met status. Both extraction efficiencies and transfer efficiencies of AA from the blood by the mammary gland indicated that Met, Lys and Phe were the most limiting AA in all diets. Concentration of omega-3-fatty acids in milk fat (0.54, 0.56, 0.63, and 0.72 g/100 g fatty acids) increased (P \u3c 0.02) as the proportion of FM in the diet increased. Concentration of c9,t11 conjugated linoleic acid (0.39, 0.44, 0.46, and 0.72 g/100 g fatty acids) and transvaccenic acid (1.09, 1.19, 1.28, and 1.54 g/100 g fatty acids) were higher (P \u3c 0.04) with the 100% FM diet than with 100% SBM diet. Molar proportions of acetate ( 63 .1, 60.1, 61.3, and 59.3 mol/100 mol) decreased (P \u3c 0.05) with the 100% FM diet. A total replacement of SBM with FM in the diet of lactating cows would be one way to increase milk protein percentages and the beneficial FA (CLA, TVA, and omega-3 FA) in milk fat .if the cost of FM is comparative with SBM

Effect of Unconventional Oils on in Vitro Rumen Methane Production and Fermentation

Abstract The effects of unconventional oils high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) (blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, pomegranate, black seed and hemp oils) on in vitro rumen fermentation and methane (CH4) production were examined in a 24-h batch culture experiment. Treatments consisted of a control (no oil supplement), a control plus corn oil, or a control plus the unconventional oils. Oils were added to rumen cultures at 500 mg L-1 (equivalent to 3.3 g oil.kg-1 of dietary dry matter (DM)). After 24 h of incubation, CH4 production was not different between the control and the corn oil treatment. Of the six unconventional oils tested, only the hemp and blueberry oils reduced CH4 production by 10-16% relative to that of the control and corn oil treatments. Dry matter degradability and total volatile fatty acids (VFAs) were not affected by the addition of oils. Except for a reduction in the acetate concentration with the raspberry and hemp oils, all tested unconventional oils had no effects on fermentation and the VFA profile relative to those of the control. In conclusion, our results showed that hemp and blueberry oils were moderately effective in reducing rumen CH4 formation without compromising rumen fermentation and digestibility.Resumen Los efectos de los aceites no convencionales altos en ácidos grasos poliinsaturados (PUFA) (mora, arándano, frambuesa, Granada, semilla negra y cáñamo) en la producción de rumen in vitro de fermentación y metano (CH4) fueron examinados en experimentos de cultivo por lotes de tres 24-h. Los tratamientos en cada experimento consistían en control (sin suplemento de aceite), control más aceite de maíz, o control más dos de los aceites no convencionales. Se añadieron aceites a las culturas rumen en 500 mg L-1 (equivalente a 3,3 g aceite kg-1 de materia seca dietética (DM)). Después de 24 horas de incubación, la producción de CH4 no fue diferente entre el control y los tratamientos de aceite de maíz. De los seis aceites no convencionales probados, sólo los aceites de cáñamo y arándano redujeron la producción de CH4 en un 9–16% en relación con los tratamientos de control y aceite de maíz. La degradabilidad de la materia seca y los ácidos grasos volátiles totales (VFA) no se vieron afectados por la adición de aceites de cáñamo y arándano. A excepción de una reducción en la concentración de acetato con el aceite de frambuesa, y un aumento en la concentración de valerato con el aceite de Granada, todos los aceites no convencionales probados no tuvieron efectos sobre la fermentación y el perfil de VFA en relación con el control. En conclusión, nuestros resultados mostraron que los aceites de cáñamo y arándano eran moderadamente efectivos para reducir la formación del rumen CH4 sin comprometer la fermentación y digestibilidad del rumen

Evaluating the effects of essential oils on methane production and fermentation under in vitro conditions

The effects of adding essential oils (EO) on rumen fermentation and methane production were examined. The aim of experiment one was to screen the effects of four different EO (clove oil (CLO), white thyme oil (WTO), citronella oil (CTO) and anise oil (ANO)) at 500 mg/L of culture fluid on methane production under in vitro conditions. Rumen contents collected from a cannulated Holstein dairy cow was used in a 24-hour batch culture experiment. Treatments were a control (CON) or CON plus EO at 500 mg/L. Results showed that all EOs, except CTO, decreased (p ≤ .05) methane production. The aim of experiment two was to test the effects of three different dose levels of CLO, WTO, and ANO on methane production and fermentation in 24-h batch culture experiments. Treatments were CON or CON plus EO supplemented at 125, 250, and 500 mg/L. Relative to CON, methane production decreased (p ≤ .05) with the three EO at the 500 mg/L dose. At the 250 mg/L dose, ANO and CLO decreased (p ≤ .05) methane production and at the 125 mg/L dose, only CLO decreased methane production. Relative to CON, total VFA concentration declined (p ≤.05) in cultures incubated with WTO and with ANO at 500 mg/L dose. Relative to CON, the addition of CLO, WTO and ANO at 500 mg/L decreased (p ≤ .05) dry matter (DM) digestibility. In conclusion, our results showed that EO effects on methane production depend on EO source and dose level. Although the addition of ANO and WTO at the high doses resulted in lower methane production, they had negatively impacted on rumen microbial fermentation. Clove oil on the other hand reduced methane production without negatively impacting rumen fermentation