Adequate Soil Phosphorus Decreases the Grass Tetany Potential of Tall Fescue Pasture

Abstract Grass tetany is a nutritional disease of ruminants caused by low dietary Mg. Previous research has shown that early spring P-fertilization increases the leaf Mg concentration of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) hay. However, little is known about how P-fertilization alters the mineral concentration of tall fescue under grazing. Our objective was to compare, under grazing, the Mg, K, Ca, and P concentration of tall fescue when soil P was considered either adequate or low

Exclusive breastfeeding and its effect on growth of Malawian infants: results from a cross-sectional study

Background: For the optimal nutrition of children under 2 years of age, it is considered important that they be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months before being given complementary food. Aims and Objectives: A cross-sectional nutritional baseline survey was undertaken in 2011 in the Kasungu and Mzimba Districts of Malawi to assess the nutritional status of children under 2 years of age and its determinants in order to prepare a nutrition education intervention programme. The intention of this study was to assess the nutritional status of infants aged 0-,6 months with regard to food intake. Methods: Interviews were conducted on randomly selected families with children under 2 years; anthropometric measurements were obtained from mothers and their children. Only infants between 0 and ,6 months were selected for analysis (n 5 196). An ANCOVA test was performed on age of the infant with mothers' height and weight as covariates. Results: Prevalence of stunting (infants' length-for-age Z-score (LAZ) ,22SD) was 39%, wasting (WLZ ,22SD) 2%, and underweight (WAZ ,22SD) 13%. Of the infants under 6 months, 43% were exclusively breastfed. Predominant breastfeeding and mixed breastfeeding were less common (21% and 36%, respectively). The ANCOVA confirmed the association between exclusive breastfeeding and LAZ and WAZ: exclusively breastfed infants had a higher mean (SE) LAZ (21.13, 0.12) and WAZ (20.41, 0.13) than infants not being exclusively breastfed (21.59, 0.11, and 20.97, 0.11, respectively). There was no overall significant association between breastfeeding practice and WLZ. Conclusion: Exclusive breastfeeding of infants under 6 months is associated with higher mean LAZ and WAZ. Promotion of exclusive breastfeeding in low-income countries is important in preventing growth retardation

Crescimento e produtividade do sorgo forrageiro BR 601 sob adubação verde Growth and yield of forage sorghum cv. BR 601 under green manure

O efeito da adubação verde sobre o crescimento e a produtividade do sorgo forrageiro BR 601, foi estudado em experimento desenvolvido na UFERSA, em Mossoró, RN, no qual o delineamento utilizado foi em blocos casualizados completos, em esquema de parcelas subdivididas no tempo com três repetições. Testaram-se sete espécies de leguminosas, Mucuna aterrima, Canavalia ensiformis, Cajanus cajan, Dolichos lab-lab, Crotalaria juncea, Crotalaria spectabilis e Vigna unguiculata, uma mistura das leguminosas mais milho, sorgo e girassol, e a vegetação espontânea, como testemunha. Determinaram-se, para cada tratamento, a quantidade de massa verde, massa seca e teores de N, P, K, Na, Ca e Mg da parte aérea, a partir dos quais foi calculada a quantidade de nutrientes acumulada por hectare. As quantidades de matéria fresca e seca da parte aérea, altura de plantas e número de folhas do sorgo semeado após a incorporação dos adubos verdes, foram avaliadas aos 20, 40, 60, 80 e 100 dias após o plantio. A Mucuna aterrima mostrou-se a melhor opção como adubo verde em virtude de proporcionar os maiores valores das características avaliadas ao final do ciclo do sorgo podendo-se, também, recomendar a Crotalaria juncea e o Dolichos lab-lab, o qual apresentou a maior massa seca e quantidade de nutrientes na parte aérea.<br>The effect of green manure on growth and yield of forage sorghum BR 601 was studied in a trial carried out at the UFERSA, Mossoró, RN, Brazil. The experimental design was completely randomized blocks in a scheme of split plots in time, with three replications. Treatments tested were seven legume species, Mucuna aterrima, Canavalia ensiformis, Cajanus cajan, Dolichos lab-lab, Crotalaria juncea, Crotalaria spectabilis, and Vigna unguiculata, a mixture of the legumes plus corn, sorghum and sunflower, and spontaneous vegetation as a control. For each treatment the amount of fresh mass, dry mass and contents of N, P, K, Na, Ca and Mg in shoots were determined, from which the amount of nutrients accumulated per hectare was calculated. Fresh mass of shoot, dry mass of shoot, plant height and number of leaves of sorghum, sowed after incorporation of green manures, were evaluated at 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 days after seeding. Mucuna aterrima was the best option as a green manure because of its better performance in all characteristics evaluated at the end of sorghum cycle. Also recommended are Crotalaria juncea, and Dolichos lab-lab which had the higher dry mass and amount of nutrients in shoots

Roles of aquaporins in root responses to irrigation

The original publication can be found at www.springerlink.comDue to current environmental issues concerning the use of water for irrigation, the improvement of crop water-use efficiency and a reduction in water consumption has become a priority. New irrigation methods that reduce water use, while still maintaining production have been developed. To optimise these techniques knowledge of above- and below-ground plant physiological responses is necessary. During growth, plant roots are exposed to cycles of wetting and drying in normal rain-fed and irrigation situations. This review concentrates on the below-ground aspects, in particular the water permeability of roots. Significant research has been conducted on the root anatomy and hydraulic conductivity of desert plants subjected to wetting and drying. Major intrinsic proteins (MIPs), most of which show aquaporin (water-channel) activity are likely to be involved in balancing the water relations of the plants during water deficit. However, many MIPs seem to allow permeation of other small neutral solutes and some may allow permeation of ions under certain conditions. The ability of the plant to rapidly respond to rewetting may be important in maintaining productivity. It has been suggested that aquaporins may be involved in this rapid response. The down-regulation of the aquaporins during dry conditions can also limit water loss to the soil, and intrinsic sensitivity of aquaporins to water potential is shown here to be very strong in some cases (NOD26). However, the response of aquaporins in various plant species to water deficits has been quite varied. Another component of aquaporin regulation in response to various stresses (hypoxia/anoxia, salinity and chilling) may be related to redistribution of flow to more favourable regions of the soil. Some irrigation techniques may be triggering these responses. Diurnal fluctuations of root hydraulic conductance that is related to aquaporin expression seem to match the expected transpirational demands of the shoot, and it remains to be seen if shoot-to-root signalling may be important in regulation of root aquaporins. If so, canopy management typical of horticultural crops may impact on root hydraulic conductance. An understanding of the regulation of aquaporins may assist in the development of improved resistance to water stress and greater efficiency of water use by taking into account where and when roots best absorb water

Influence of vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentration on the outcome of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus left-sided infective endocarditis treated with antistaphylococcal β-lactam antibiotics: a prospective cohort study by the International Collaboration on Endocarditis

International audienceObjectivesLeft-sided methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) endocarditis treated with cloxacillin has a poorer prognosis when the vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) is ≥1.5 mg/L. We aimed to validate this using the International Collaboration on Endocarditis cohort and to analyse whether specific genetic characteristics were associated with a high vancomycin MIC (≥1.5 mg/L) phenotype.MethodsAll patients with left-sided MSSA infective endocarditis treated with antistaphylococcal β-lactam antibiotics between 2000 and 2006 with available isolates were included. Vancomycin MIC was determined by Etest as either high (≥1.5 mg/L) or low (<1.5 mg/L). Isolates underwent spa typing to infer clonal complexes and multiplex PCR for identifying virulence genes. Univariate analysis was performed to evaluate the association between in-hospital and 1-year mortality, and vancomycin MIC phenotype.ResultsSixty-two cases met the inclusion criteria. Vancomycin MIC was low in 28 cases (45%) and high in 34 cases (55%). No significant differences in patient demographic data or characteristics of infection were observed between patients with infective endocarditis due to high and low vancomycin MIC isolates. Isolates with high and low vancomycin MIC had similar distributions of virulence genes and clonal lineages. In-hospital and 1-year mortality did not differ significantly between the two groups (32% (9/28) vs. 27% (9/34), p 0.780; and 43% (12/28) vs. 29% (10/34), p 0.298, for low and high vancomycin MIC respectively).ConclusionsIn this international cohort of patients with left-sided MSSA endocarditis treated with antistaphylococcal β-lactams, vancomycin MIC phenotype was not associated with patient demographics, clinical outcome or virulence gene repertoire