The effects of dietary fibre type on satiety-related hormones and voluntary food intake in dogs

Depending on type and inclusion level, dietary fibre may increase and maintain satiety and postpone the onset of hunger. This 7-week study evaluated the effect of fibre fermentability on physiological satiety-related metabolites and voluntary food intake (VFI) in dogs. Sixteen healthy adult dogs were fed a low-fermentable fibre (LFF) diet containing 8·5 % cellulose or a high-fermentable fibre (HFF) diet containing 8·5 % sugarbeet pulp and 2 % inulin. Large intestinal fibre degradation was evaluated by apparent faecal digestibility of nutrients and faecal SCFA and NH3 concentrations. Postprandial blood samples were obtained to determine postprandial plasma glucose, insulin, total peptide tyrosine–tyrosine (PYY), total glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and total ghrelin concentrations. At the end of the study, the dogs were given a single meal of a dry dog food to determine VFI. Dogs fed the HFF diet had a significantly higher large intestinal fibre degradation and production of SCFA compared with the dogs fed the LFF diet. The HFF-fed dogs tended (P = 0·058) to show a lower VFI at the end of the study. No treatment effects were found for postprandial plasma glucose, PYY, GLP-1 and ghrelin responses. The concentrations of these metabolites could not be related to the observed difference in VFI. The inclusion of fermentable fibre in canine diets may contribute to the prevention or mitigation of obesity through its effects on satiety. The underlying mechanisms require further investigatio

In vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy of lipid handling in steatotic rat liver

Objective: Examine lipid handling in liver of rats fed with different high-fat diets using 1H-[13C] magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) together with oral administration of 13C labeled lipids. Methods: 6 male Wistar rats (11 weeks old; 348 ± 8g) were divided into three diet groups: low-fat (10% fat, CON), high-fat lard (45% fat, HFL), and high-fat palm oil (45%, HFP). After 10 weeks of diet, MRS experiments were performed at baseline, and 4 and 24 h after oral administration of 1.5 g [U-13C] Algal lipid mixture per kg body weight. Results: At 4 h after administration of the 13C labeled lipids, 13C enrichment of intracellular liver lipids was similarly increased in all three groups compared to baseline (CON: 0.031 ± 0.017 %; HFL: 0.045 ± 0.022 %; HFP: 0.033 ± 0.013 %), demonstrating that lipid uptake was not affected by the diet regimen. At 24 h, on the other hand, 13C enrichment of liver lipids decreased in CON, whereas in both high-fat diet groups the 13C enrichment did not change compared to 4 h, indicating a lower turnover of the stored liver lipids. Conclusion: High-fat diet feeding did not alter liver lipid uptake in rats, but resulted in a decreased turnover of the lipids stored in the liver. This research was funded by the Netherlands Consortium for Systems Biology (NCSB) which is part of the Netherlands Genomics Initiative/Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research

Bedrijfsmanagementsystemen in de akkerbouw : Een inventarisatie van gebruik en wensen

De initiatiefnemers Suiker Unie, CZAV, Agrifirm Plant BV, Nedato en Landbouwcommunicatie BV hebben geconcludeerd dat telers in de akkerbouw relatief weinig gebruik maken van al beschikbare registratie- en bedrijfsmanagementsystemen (BMS) en dat zij de bijbehorende mogelijkheid van elektronische uitwisselingsmogelijkheden met onder andere de PETAcoöperaties maar ten dele benutten. In opdracht van het Programma Precisie Landbouw (PPL) heeft het LEI een onderzoek gedaan om inzicht te krijgen in de redenen waarom telers relatief weinig gebruik maken van genoemde mogelijkheden. Daarvoor is onder andere een enquête gehouden onder bijna 50 deelnemers aan het Bedrijveninformatienet van het LEI die afnemer/leverancier waren bij twee of meer van genoemde PETAcoöperaties. Uit het onderzoek blijkt dat Akkerbouwers tevreden tot ruim tevreden zijn over hun bedrijfsmanagementsysteem (BMS). Ze gebruiken hun BMS in eerste instantie voor het registreren van teeltgegevens om deze in verband met voedselveiligheidseisen aan externe partijen door te geven. Uit het onderzoek blijkt niet dat telers weinig gebruik maken van een BMS. De mogelijkheid om een BMS te gebruiken om de eigen interne bedrijfsvoering te analyseren of te verbeteren dan wel te gebruiken voor gegevensuitwisseling met externe apparatuur, wordt in beperkte mate benut

Linear Responses in Time-dependent Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov Method with Gogny Interaction

A numerical method to integrate the time-dependent Hartree-Fock Bogoliubov (TDHFB) equations with Gogny interaction is proposed. The feasibility of the TDHFB code is illustrated by the conservation of the energy, particle numbers, and center-of-mass in the small amplitude vibrations of oxygen 20. The TDHFB code is applied to the isoscalar quadrupole and/or isovector dipole vibrations in the linear (small amplitude) region in oxygen isotopes (masses A = 18,20,22 and 24), titanium isotopes (A = 44,50,52 and 54), neon isotope (A = 26), and magnesium isotopes (A = 24 and 34). The isoscalar quadrupole and isovector dipole strength functions are calculated from the expectation values of the isoscalar quadrupole and isovector dipole moments.Comment: 10 pages, 13 figure

A new measurement of the structure functions PLL−PTT/epsilonP_{LL}-P_{TT}/epsilon and PLTP_{LT} in virtual Compton scattering at Q2=Q^2= 0.33 (GeV/c)2^2

The cross section of the $ep \to e' p' \gamma$ reaction has been measured at $Q^2 = 0.33$ (GeV/c)$^2$. The experiment was performed using the electron beam of the MAMI accelerator and the standard detector setup of the A1 Collaboration. The cross section is analyzed using the low-energy theorem for virtual Compton scattering, yielding a new determination of the two structure functions P_LL}-P_{TT}/epsilon and $P_{LT}$ which are linear combinations of the generalized polarizabilities of the proton. We find somewhat larger values than in the previous investigation at the same $Q^2$. This difference, however, is purely due to our more refined analysis of the data. The results tend to confirm the non-trivial $Q^2$-evolution of the generalized polarizabilities and call for more measurements in the low-$Q^2$ region ($\le$ 1 (GeV/c)$^2$).Comment: 9 pages, 10 figures. EPJA version. slight revisions in the text and figure

Electromagnetic transitions in neutron-rich Cl40

In-beam -rays from excited states of the neutron-rich (Tz=3) nucleus Cl40 have been identified in a threefold coincidence experiment in which rays and light charged particles were observed. The resulting decay scheme is presented, and implications for the structure of low-lying levels in Cl40 are discussed in light of recent data from charge-exchange and -decay work. The ordering of levels would seem to be quite different from the predictions of recent shell-model calculations

Yrast decays in K43

High-spin states in K43 were studied using the Be9(36S,pn)43K reaction. Threefold (p12) coincidence data and -ray intensity ratios were used to establish a decay scheme and identify negative- and positive-parity yrast decay chains. The 15/2- yrast state is relatively poorly aligned prior to decay. Energies of positive-parity levels predicted by Johnstone are in good agreement with experiment

Shape coexistence from lifetime and branching-ratio measurements in 68,70Ni

© 2016 The Author(s) Shape coexistence near closed-shell nuclei, whereby states associated with deformed shapes appear at relatively low excitation energy alongside spherical ones, is indicative of the rapid change in structure that can occur with the addition or removal of a few protons or neutrons. Near 68Ni (Z=28, N=40), the identification of shape coexistence hinges on hitherto undetermined transition rates to and from low-energy 0+ states. In 68,70Ni, new lifetimes and branching ratios have been measured. These data enable quantitative descriptions of the 0+ states through the deduced transition rates and serve as sensitive probes for characterizing their nuclear wave functions. The results are compared to, and consistent with, large-scale shell-model calculations which predict shape coexistence. With the firm identification of this phenomenon near 68Ni, shape coexistence is now observed in all currently accessible regions of the nuclear chart with closed proton shells and mid-shell neutrons

Combining tiotropium and salmeterol in COPD:Effects on airflow obstruction and symptoms

SummaryBackgroundClinical information on 24-h spirometric efficacy of combining tiotropium and salmeterol compared to single-agent therapy is lacking in patients with COPD.MethodsA randomized, double-blind, four-way crossover study of 6-week treatment periods comparing combination therapy of tiotropium 18μg plus qd or bid salmeterol 50μg versus single-agent therapy. Serial 24-h spirometry (FEV1, FVC), effects on dyspnea (TDI focal score) and rescue salbutamol use were evaluated in 95 patients.ResultsTiotropium plus qd salmeterol was superior to tiotropium or salmeterol alone in average FEV1 (0–24h) by 72mL and 97mL (p<0.0001), respectively. Compared to this qd regimen, combination therapy including bid salmeterol provided comparable daytime (0–12h: 12mL, p=0.38) bronchodilator effects, but significantly more bronchodilation during the night-time (12–24h: 73mL, p<0.0001). Clinically relevant improvements in TDI focal score were achieved with bronchodilator combinations including salmeterol qd or bid (2.56 and 2.71; p<0.005 versus components). Symptom benefit of combination therapies was also reflected in less need for reliever medication. All treatments were well tolerated.ConclusionCompared to single-agent therapy, combination therapy of tiotropium plus salmeterol in COPD provided clinically meaningful improvements in airflow obstruction and dyspnea as well as a reduction in reliever medication