Assessment of Darkling Beetle Fauna after Implementation of an Environmental Restoration Program in the Southern Iberian Peninsula Affected by the Aznalcóllar Toxic Spill

This study is part of the Follow up Restoration Program of animal communities that colonize the Guadiamar River Basin. In 1998, the area was affected by a release of toxic sludge after the retention walls of the Aznalcóllar Mines (southern Iberian Peninsula) broke. The main objective of this study was to assess the current state of the population of Tenebrionidae, one of the most representative groups of edaphic Coleoptera inhabiting the Guadiamar River Basin. This paper analyses the progress made by the darkling beetle community six years after the disaster occurred and the Restoration Program was implemented. The study is based on faunistic data from systematic sampling carried out for six years to monitor plots distributed across the damaged area. To make an overall assessment of the tenebrionid fauna in relation to adjacent areas qualitative and quantitative ecological indices were applied, and temporal follow up and biogeographical comparisons were also made. The results indicate that, on the whole, tenebrionid fauna was somewhat affected by the Aznalcóllar Mine spill, and that a greater loss of fauna was detected closer to the accident site. The analysis of the temporal population dynamic suggests that the most affected zones are undergoing a process of re-colonization. However, this process varies widely by species and has not yet reached the expected levels of a non-affected river basin in the southern Iberian Peninsula

Effect of Viligen™, Feed Form, and Storage Time on Fumonisin Concentrations in Corn

This trial was conducted to determine the effect of ViligenTM (Alltech, Lexington, KY), feed form (meal or pelleted) and storage time (0, 3, or 7 d) on reducing the fumonisin (FUM) concentration in diets. Three 1,000-lb batches of feed were manufactured and used as replications. Each batch was divided into 500-lb batches with or without Viligen at 0.15% of the diet. Diets were then left as a meal or pelleted and stored at room temperature for 0, 3, and 7 d to determine the reduction of FUM over time. The result indicated that there were no main or interactive effects (P \u3e 0.05) of Viligen, feed form, and storage time. There were marginal (P \u3c 0.10) 3- and 2-way interactive effects, but the magnitude of response likely was not large enough to have biological effects on nursery pig performance

Efficacy of Commercial Products on Growth Performance of Nursery Pigs Fed Diets with Fumonisin-Contaminated Corn

Two experiments were conducted to determine the efficacy of various commercial products on growth performance of 20- to 50-lb nursery pigs fed diets high in fumonisin (FUM) concentration. In Exp. 1, a total of 350 pigs (241 × 600; DNA, Columbus, NE; initially 21.8 lb) were used. There were 5 pigs per pen and 14 replicates per treatment. After weaning, pigs were fed common diets for 21 d before the experiment started. Five dietary treatments were utilized and consisted of a positive control (low FUM), a negative control (approximately 50 to 60 ppm of FUM), and 3 other treatments as negative control with one of 3 different commercial products (Kallsil Dry, Kemin Industries Inc., Des Moines, IA; Feed Aid Wide Spectrum, NutriQuest, Mason City, IA; Biofix Select Pro, Biomin America Inc., Overland Park, KS). Diets were fed in mash form for 14 d and followed with a low FUM mash diet for 13 d as a post-treatment period. For the 14-d treatment period, pigs fed the high FUM negative control, or high FUM diets with Kallsil Dry or Feed Aid Wide Spectrum had decreased (P \u3c 0.05) average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and d 14 body weight (BW), and poorer (P \u3c 0.05) feed efficiency (F/G) compared to the positive control and treatment with Biofix Select Pro. Pigs fed the high FUM diet with Biofix Select Pro had similar performance to pigs fed the low FUM diet. During the 13-day post-treatment period, pigs previously fed the high FUM negative control, or high FUM diets with Kallsil Dry or Feed Aid Wide Spectrum had improved F/G compared with pigs previously fed the low FUM diet or high FUM diet with Biofix Select Pro. Although the performance of the pigs previously fed the high FUM diets without additive or with Kallsil Dry or Feed Aid Wide Spectrum improved, their d 27 BW were still lower (P \u3c 0.05) compared to pigs previously fed the positive control and high FUM diet with Biofix Select Pro. In Exp. 2, a total of 300 pigs (241 × 600; DNA; initially 23.0 lb) were used. Procedures were similar to Exp. 1 except there were 12 replicate pens per treatment and high FUM diets contained 30 ppm FUM, and experimental diets were fed for 28 d. Similar to Exp. 1, for the 28-d treatment period, pigs fed the high FUM negative control, or high FUM diets with Kallsil Dry or Feed Aid Wide Spectrum had decreased (P \u3c 0.05) ADG, ADFI, and d 28 BW, and poorer (P \u3c 0.05) F/G compared to the positive control and treatment with Biofix Select Pro. Pigs fed the high FUM diet with Biofix Select Pro had similar performance to pigs fed the low FUM diet. In summary, adding Biofix Select Pro to diets containing 30 to 50 ppm of FUM appeared to mitigate the negative effects of FUM, while Kallsil Dry and Feed Aid Wide Spectrum did not influence pig performance

Should Phytase Be Given Release Values for Amino Acids and Energy in Diets for Growing Pigs?

A total of 2,268 mixed gender pigs (PIC; 337 × 1050; initially 62.9 lb) were used from 2 barns in a 55-d growth trial. On d 0 of the trial, pens of pigs were blocked by weight and randomly allotted to 1 of 6 dietary treatments with 27 pigs per pen and 14 pens per treatment (7 pens per barn). Treatments were fed in 2 different phases. Phase 1 diets were fed from d 0 to 29 (62.9 to 112.6 lb) and phase 2 diets were fed from d 29 to 55 (112.6 to 159.7 lb). Treatments consisted of a control with inorganic P from monocalcium P, or 5 diets with 1,500 phytase units (FYT/kg) (Ronozyme HiPhos 2,500; DSM Nutritional Products, Inc., Parsippany, NJ) assuming different supplier- provided nutrient release values (Ca and P; Ca, P, and AA; Ca, P, AA, and half of the suggested net energy (NE); Ca, P, AA, and full NE; or no nutrient release). The assumed release values were 0.146% STTD P, 0.166% available P, 0.102% STTD Ca, 19 kcal/lb of NE; and 0.0217, 0.0003, 0.00886, 0.0224, 0.0056, 0.0122, and 0.0163% digestible Lys, Met, Met + Cys, Thr, Trp, Ile, and Val, respectively. All diets within phase were corn-soybean meal-based and contained a standardized total tract digestibility (STTD) Ca:STTD P ratio of 1.60:1 with all amino acids (AA) set to meet or exceed NRC requirement estimates. Overall (d 0 to 55), there was no evidence for difference in average daily gain (ADG) or average daily feed intake (ADFI). However, pigs fed the diet containing 1,500 FYT/kg assuming no nutrient release had improved (P \u3c 0.05) feed efficiency (F/G) compared to pigs fed diets containing 1,500 FYT/kg assuming either Ca and P or Ca, P, AA, and full NE release, with others intermediate. In the economic analysis, there was no evidence for difference (P \u3e 0.10) in feed cost per pig or feed cost per lb gain. In conclusion, based on diet formulation, pigs fed either the control diet with inorganic P from monocalcium P or any of the phytase-containing diets should have had similar performance, with the exception of pigs fed the diet formulated to contain 1,500 FYT/kg assuming no release values. However, pigs fed full matrix release values had the poorest (P \u3c 0.05) F/G, while pigs fed diets assuming Ca and P in addition to AA and half NE had F/G comparable to the control. This suggests the full matrix release values, especially energy, attributed to the phytase may be too aggressive and resulted in diets contributing fewer nutrients than needed to optimize performance

Effects of High Phytase Supplementation in Lactation Diets on Sow and Litter Performance

A total of 109 sows (Line 241; DNA, Columbus, NE) were used in a study to evaluate the effect of increasing phytase concentration in lactating sow diets on farrowing duration, and sow and litter performance. On d 107 of gestation, sows were blocked by body weight and parity and allotted to 1 of 3 dietary treatments of increasing phytase concentration (0, 1,000, or 3,000 FTU/kg; Ronozyme HiPhos 2700; DSM Nutritional Products, Inc., Parsippany, NJ). The control diet contained no phytase and was formulated to contain 0.50% standardized total tract digestible phosphorus (STTD P; 0.45% available P) and 0.62% STTD calcium (0.90% total Ca). The phytase diets contained 1,000 or 3,000 FTU/kg also formulated to 0.50% STTD P and 0.62% STTD Ca including the release of 0.132 STTD P and 0.094 STTD Ca in both phytase diets. Diets were balanced for net energy by altering choice white grease. Diets were fed from d 107 of gestation until weaning (d 17 ± 2) and all farrowings were monitored with farrowing duration measured starting at the time the first pig was born until the first dispersal of placental tissues with no subsequent pigs born. Litters were cross-fostered within treatment until 48 h post-farrowing to equalize litter size. There were no differences among treatments in body weight at d 107 of gestation, 24 h after farrowing, or at weaning. Sow average daily feed intake (ADFI) from farrowing to weaning tended to increase (linear, P = 0.093) as phytase units increased. There was no evidence for difference in farrowing performance, wean-to-estrus interval, or litter size among dietary treatments. Although not significant (linear, P = 0.226), farrowing duration decreased for sows fed 3,000 FTU/kg. Litter weaning weight increased (quadratic, P = 0.039) and overall litter gain increased (quadratic, P = 0.047) with 1,000 FTU of phytase. In summary, sow feed intake tended to increase linearly with increasing phytase; however, feeding 1,000 FTU/kg maximized overall litter gain and weaning weight. Farrowing duration was numerically decreased with increasing units of phytase. This small-scale study presents interesting impacts on sow and litter performance due to high inclusions of dietary phytase; however, a commercial trial with more sows is warranted

Effect of Fumonisin-Contaminated Corn on Growth Performance of 20- to 60-lb Nursery Pigs

This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of feeding fumonisin (FUM) contaminated corn on growth performance of 20- to 60-lb nursery pigs. A total of 350 pigs (241 × 600; DNA, Columbus, NE; initially 19.6 lb) were used. Dietary treatments consisted of FUM-contaminated corn blended with relatively FUM-free corn to provide toxin (FB1 + FB2) of 7.2, 14.7, 21.9, 32.7, and 35.1 ppm. Experimental diets were fed in mash form for 28 d. There were 5 pigs per pen and 14 replicates per treatment. After weaning, pigs were fed common diets for 21 days before the experiment started. Then, pens were assigned to treatments in a randomized complete block design with initial weight as the blocking factor. From d 0 to 28, increasing FUM decreased (linear, P \u3c 0.001) average daily gain (ADG) and final body weight (BW) and average daily feed intake (ADFI; linear, P = 0.05). Feed efficiency (F/G) became poorer as FUM increased (linear, P = 0.01). Although tested linear, the greatest reduction in ADG was observed in pigs fed greater than 21.9 ppm of FUM. Increasing FUM increased serum sphinganine (Sa) and sphingosine (So) ratios (linear, P \u3c 0.001) on day 14 and 28, which corresponded with the decreased growth performance. Data indicated that the serum Sa:So ratio is a reliable biomarker indicating FUM intoxication. These results suggest that for 20- to 60-lb nursery pigs, diets containing more than 30 ppm of FUM should not be fed, as increasing FUM concentration worsens growth performance and increases serum Sa:So ratio. Furthermore, diets containing greater than 21.9 ppm should be evaluated with caution as further research is warranted to deter- mine the fumonisin concentration between 21.9 and 30 ppm where the negative effects on pig performance are observed

Essential and checkpoint functions of budding yeast ATM and ATR during meiotic prophase are facilitated by differential phosphorylation of a meiotic adaptor protein, Hop1

A hallmark of the conserved ATM/ATR signalling is its ability to mediate a wide range of functions utilizing only a limited number of adaptors and effector kinases. During meiosis, Tel1 and Mec1, the budding yeast ATM and ATR, respectively, rely on a meiotic adaptor protein Hop1, a 53BP1/Rad9 functional analog, and its associated kinase Mek1, a CHK2/Rad53-paralog, to mediate multiple functions: control of the formation and repair of programmed meiotic DNA double strand breaks, enforcement of inter-homolog bias, regulation of meiotic progression, and implementation of checkpoint responses. Here, we present evidence that the multi-functionality of the Tel1/Mec1-to-Hop1/Mek1 signalling depends on stepwise activation of Mek1 that is mediated by Tel1/Mec1 phosphorylation of two specific residues within Hop1: phosphorylation at the threonine 318 (T318) ensures the transient basal level Mek1 activation required for viable spore formation during unperturbed meiosis. Phosphorylation at the serine 298 (S298) promotes stable Hop1-Mek1 interaction on chromosomes following the initial phospho-T318 mediated Mek1 recruitment. In the absence of Dmc1, the phospho-S298 also promotes Mek1 hyper-activation necessary for implementing meiotic checkpoint arrest. Taking these observations together, we propose that the Hop1 phospho-T318 and phospho-S298 constitute key components of the Tel1/Mec1- based meiotic recombination surveillance (MRS) network and facilitate effective coupling of meiotic recombination and progression during both unperturbed and challenged meiosis