A calibration method for broad-bandwidth cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy performed with supercontinuum radiation

An efficient calibration method has been developed for broad-bandwidth cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy. The calibration is performed using phase shift cavity ring-down spectroscopy, which is conveniently implemented through use of an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF). The AOTF permits a narrowband portion of the SC spectrum to be scanned over the full high-reflectivity bandwidth of the cavity mirrors. After calibration the AOTF is switched off and broad-bandwidth CEAS can be performed with the same light source without any loss of alignment to the set-up. We demonstrate the merits of the method by probing transitions of oxygen molecules O-2 and collisional pairs of oxygen molecules (O-2)(2) in the visible spectral range

Dietary vitamin E and aspirin supplementation influence the performance and incidence of post-weaning colibacillosis in pigs experimentally infected with an enterotoxigenic strain of Escherichia coli

Increased biosynthesis of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) from arachidonic acid, caused by immune system activation, negatively affects the performance and health of pigs (Wright et al., 2000). Xu et al. (1990) reported that supplementation of 125 ppm aspirin, an anti-inflammatory agent, improved the daily gain and feed conversion ratio of weaner pigs. Furthermore, in chickens, a combined supplementation of aspirin and vitamin E (Vit E) synergistically depressed PGE2 biosynthesis and reduced mortalities after an E. coli infection (Likoff et al., 1981). The current experiment tested the hypothesis that Vit E and aspirin supplementation would have a synergistic effect on reducing post-weaning colibacillosis (PWC) and improving performance in pigs experimentally infected with an enterotoxigenic strain of E. coli (ETEC)

Chronic immune system activation increases the growing pig's requirement for sulphur amino acids

A mild disease challenge as commonly occurs in commercial production facilities may significantly decrease performance by redirecting (partitioning) amino acids from body protein synthesis to immune activation. The amino acids that are used by the pig for synthesis of immune molecules may, therefore, be in short supply and hence may limit body protein deposition. Sulphur amino acids (SAA), especially cysteine, are the most abundantly used amino acids for synthesis of immune molecules (Rakhshandeh et al., 2010). The experiment reported here was conducted to test the hypothesis that pigs whose immune system has been activated will respond to higher SAA levels than those without chronic immune system activation

Variability in the total and reactive lysine content of soybean meal

The hypothesis tested in this study was that reactive lysine can not be accurately predicted from total lysine content in soybean meal

Influence of nutrient asynchrony on whole body protein retention rate in growing pigs

The concept of nutrient synchrony depends on supplying dietary glucose and amino acids (AA) in a synchronised manner to increase nitrogen (N) utilisation efficiency by minimising the energy-dependent conversion of certain AA to glucose or glucose to AA (van den Borne et al., 2007). The hypothesis tested was that the whole body N retention rate would be limited in pigs fed a nutrient asynchronised diet compared to pigs fed a synchronous diet

High-resolution mapping of the S and Z loci of Phalaris coerulescens

Self incompatibility (SI) in Phalaris coerulescens is gametophytically determined by two unlinked multi allelic loci (S and Z). Neither the S nor Z genes have yet been cloned. As part of a map-based cloning strategy, high-resolution maps of the S and Z regions were generated from distorted segregating populations using RFLP probes from wheat, barley, oat, and Phalaris. The S locus was delimited to 0.26 cM with two boundary markers (Xwg811 and Xpsr168) and cosegregated with Xbm2 and Xbcd762. Xbcd266 was the closest marker linked to Z (0.9 cM). A high level of colinearity in the S and Z regions was found in both self-incompatible and -compatible species. The S locus was localized to the subcentromere region of chromosome 1 and the Z locus to the long arm end of chromosome 2. Several rice BAC clones orthologous to the S and Z locus regions were identified. This opens the possibility of using the rice genome sequence data to generate more closely linked markers and identify SI candidate genes. These results add further support to the conservation of gene order in the S and Z regions of the grass genomes.X -Y Bian, A Friedrich, J -R Bai, U Baumann, D L Hayman, S J Barker, P Langridg