Faba bean (Vicia faba minor) and pea seeds (Pisum sativum) as protein sources in lactating ewes' diets.

18 Massese lactating ewes, divided into 3 homogeneous groups for parity and milk yield, were used to evaluate the replacement effects of soybean meal by Faba bean (Vicia faba minor) and Pea (Pisum sativum) seeds. During a 70 days trial (beginning after weaning: 30±1.5 days after lambing) animals were fed three isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets. Each diet was characterised by the presence of only one protein feed. The diets consisted of alfalfa hay (1.1 kg/head/d) and a decreasing amount of mixed feed (from 1.1 to 0.7 kg/head/d) to fit animals' requirements. Milk yield, milk chemical composition, animals live weight and BCS, health state and hematochemical parameters were regularly monitored. No diets palatability problems were detected. No significant differences resulted for live weight, BCS, milk yield and milk chemical composition, except for milk protein: higher for faba bean (6.54%) and soybean (6.39%) respect pea (5.66%) diets, P<0.05. No differences resulted for blood parameters too and no clinical signs of illness were observed. Therefore faba bean and pea seeds seem to be able to replace the soybean well

Apparent digestibility of three diets in the Amiata breed donkey during lactation

The aim of the trial was to evaluate the apparent digestibility of three isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets for lactating donkeys: a diet with 8 kg of hay and 1.5 kg of commercial flaked mixed feed (CM) (Diet 1); a diet with 7 kg of hay and a 2.2 kg of CM (Diet 2) and a diet with 7 kg of hay, 1.5 kg of CM, 200 ml of corn oil and 0.2 kg of soybean meal (Diet 3). Four pluriparous donkeys (309±12 kg BW) at approximately 2-4 months of lactation were used. The trial was conducted according to a 3x3 Latin Square design with 1 or 2 subject per each cell. Feed and faeces samples were analysed for DM, OM, CP, EE, CF, NDF, ADF and gross energy. Acid insoluble ash was used as marker to calculate the apparent digestibility. The apparent digestibility of the main dietary components showed not significant differences among the three diets but generally they were lower in Diet 3. DM intakes of every diet exceeded the esti- mated energy requirement, whereas protein requirements were not significantly satisfied by Diet 1

Effect of different oils administration on oleic and linoleic serum profile in horses during standardised exercise test on treadmill

Because of its energy density, fat is often added to the diet for exercising horses; however, little attention has been given to the effect of dietary fatty acid composition. The aims of this study were to compare the effect of two diets containing different oils on the fatty acids haematic profile during and after an aerobic exercise test on treadmill. Four adult trained gelding Standardbred (mean BW=481±27 kg) were used in a two replicated 2x2 Latin Square design. Mixed hay-concentrate diets contained corn oil (CORN) or a mix of mono-di and triglycerides of olive oil (MDTO) were administrated. The horses received the diets for a period of four weeks. At the end of the adaptation period an aerobic exercise test on treadmill (30-min long) was carried on. Blood samples were collected at rest, after 15' and 30' of exercise and during recovery period (at 10', 30' and 60'). Serum fatty acid concentration was determined. MDTO supplemented horses showed an higher percentage of Oleic acid during and after the exercise test; whereas Linoleic acid showed a significant difference (P<0.05) between groups with the highest value at 10' and 30' after exercise in the CORN supplemented group

New Mineral Names,

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Total mixed ration in exercising horse: digestibility and nitrogen metabolism

The aim of this study was to evaluate the apparent digestibility of a total mixed ration (TMR) versus a traditional mixed hay/cereals diet. Four adult trained Standardbred geldings – BW = 478±37 kg - were used. The two diets consisted of 20 kg of a commercial TMR - corn silage, alfalfa hay, wet brewers' grain, oat, apple pomace, molasses cane, soybean oil and mineral/vitamin supplement - (Diet 1) or 7 kg of meadow hay and 4.5 kg of cereal-mix - corn, oat, barley and protein/mineral/vitamin supplement - (Diet 2). The trial was conducted according to a Latin Square design (2x2). After an adaptation period of four weeks, total faeces and urine were collected for 6 days. Both feed and faeces samples were analysed for DM, OM, CP, EE, CF, NDF, ADF, cellulose, hemicellulose, ADL and GE. Data were analysed by ANOVA. The apparent digestibility and nitrogen balance of the two diets were compared. DM, OM, CP and GE apparent digestibility were significantly different between the diets, with higher values for unifeed diet than traditional diet. Energy requirement was satisfied by both diets (96.54 vs 95.55 MJ). Nitrogen balance showed negative values in both diets (- 61.67 vs - 9.05), but the hay/cereals supplemented diet showed the best protein utilisation

An acetylation-mono-ubiquitination switch on lysine 120 of H2B.

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of histones are crucial for transcriptional control, defining positive and negative chromatin territories. A switch of opposing functional significance between acetylation and methylation occurs on many residues. Lysine 120 of H2B is modified by two PTMs: ubiquitination, which is required for further trans-tail H3 methylations and elongation, and acetylation, whose role is less clear. ChIP-Seq with MNase I-treated chromatin indicates that H2BK120ac is present on nucleosomes immediately surrounding the TSS of transcribed or poised units, but not in core promoters. In kinetic ChIP analysis of ER-stress inducible genes, H2BK120ac precedes activation and H2B-ub deposition. Using in vitro acetylation assays, pharmacologic inhibition and RNAi, we established that KAT3 is responsible for H2BK120ac. Interestingly, the global levels of H2B-ub decreased in KAT3-inactivated cells. However, RNF20 recruitment was not impaired by KAT3-inactivation. Our data point at acetylation of Lysine 120 of H2B as an early mark of poised or active state and establish a temporal sequence between acetylation and mono-ubiquitination of this H2B residue

Valutazione nutrizionale del favino (Vicia faba minor) quale principale fonte proteica in diete per ovini: risultati preliminari

The aim of the present work was to evaluate palatability, apparent digestibility, nitrogen balance and nutritive value of diets based on different level of Vicia faba minor comparing to soybean meal. Six Sarda breed wether were used in a two replicated 3 x 3 Latin Square design. Animals were fed in three periods with three experimental diets. Diets were formulated on the basis of natural meadow hay. Two diets contained different levels of Vicia faba: 20% (F20) and 38% (F38) as fed, with a crude protein content of 13,8% and 17% (on dry matter basis) respectively. The third, used as reference diet, was based on soybean meal (S) with a crude protein content of 15,8%. Apparent digestibility values and statistical differences for DM were: 70,0A% (F20), 74,2B % (F38) and 70,0A % (S), for crude protein: 73,3A % (F20), 78,0Bb % (F38) and 76,8Ba% (S). A positive nitrogen balance was observed with the following values: 7,7a g/d (F20), 9,0b g/d (F38) and 9,2b g/d (S). Nutritive value of diets was: 0,82A milkFU/kg (F20), 0,90B milkFU/kg (F38) and 0,84A milkFU/kg (S). Results showed that Vicia faba minor can be used to replace soybean meal in sheep

High-pressure behavior and P-induced phase transition of CaB3O4(OH)3&#183;H2O (colemanite)

Colemanite (ideally CaB3O4(OH)3\ub7H2O, space group P21/a, unit-cell parameters: a ~ 8.74, b ~ 11.26, c ~ 6.10 \uc5, \u3b2 ~ 110.1\ub0) is one of the principal mineralogical components of borate deposits and the most important mineral commodity of boron. Its high-pressure behavior is here described, for the first time, by means of in situ single-crystal synchrotron X-ray diffraction with a diamond anvil cell up to 24 GPa (and 293 K). Colemanite is stable, in its ambient-conditions polymorph, up to 13.95 GPa. Between 13.95 and 14.91 GPa, an iso-symmetric first-order single-crystal to single-crystal phase transition (reconstructive in character) toward a denser polymorph (colemanite-II) occurs, with: aCOL-II=3\ub7aCOL, bCOL-II=bCOL, and cCOL-II=2\ub7cCOL. Up to 13.95 GPa, the bulk compression of colemanite is accommodated by the Ca-polyhedron compression and the tilting of the rigid three-membered rings of boron polyhedra. The phase transition leads to an increase in the average coordination number of both the B and Ca sites. A detailed description of the crystal structure of the high-P polymorph, compared to the ambient-conditions colemanite, is given. The elastic behaviors of colemanite and of its high-P polymorph are described by means of III- and II-order Birch-Murnaghan equations of state, respectively, yielding the following refined parameters: KV0=67(4) GPa and KV\u2032=5.5(7) [\u3b2V0=0.0149(9) GPa-1] for colemanite; KV0=50(8) GPa [\u3b2V0=0.020(3) GPa-1] for its high-P polymorph