Effects of a probiotic Enterococcus faecium strain supplemented from birth to weaning on diarrhoea patterns and performance of piglets.

This placebo-controlled double-blind study was conducted to evaluate effects of Enterococcus faecium DSM 10663 NCIMB 10415 (EcF) orally given from birth to weaning on diarrhoea and performance of piglets. At the first 3 days postnatum (p.n.), piglets from 54 [verum group (VG)] and 60 [placebo group (PG)] sows got 1 g of a gel directly per mouth by a dosing device. Gel for the VG contained 2.8 x 10(9) colony forming units (CFU) EcF/g. From day 4 p.n. until weaning (24 +/- 3.2 days p.n.) a liquid additive was given that administered twice a day 1.26 x 10(9) CFU EcF to each VG piglet. In case of diarrhoea, an electrolyte solution was used which provided daily 2.9 and 5.8 (week 1 and >or= 2, respectively) x 10(8) CFU EcF per VG piglet. Diarrhoea scores were defined as follows: (i) no diarrhoea; (ii) piglets developed diarrhoea, but were vital and (iii) piglets suffered from diarrhoea and additionally looked pale, developed rough coat, showed slackening of the flank and lethargy. Counts of viable born, stillborn and weaned piglets were normal and not different between groups (p > 0.05). Placebo group vs. VG piglets suffered more frequently from diarrhoea (40.0 vs. 14.8%, p < 0.05). Duration of diarrhoea was not affected by feeding EcF (2.2 +/- 0.81 days, p > 0.05). Diarrhoea score was lower in VG vs. PG (1.2 vs. 1.5 +/- 0.54, p < 0.05) and the daily weight gain (DWG) was higher by 17 g/day (p < 0.05). Results suggest that the daily oral supplementation of EcF from birth to weaning reduces the portion of piglets suffering from diarrhoea. This may improve performance, as the higher DWG indicates. In contrast, no obvious benefit seems to result from an additional supply of EcF via electrolyte solution when diarrhoea is always present.

Control by pulse parameters of electric field-mediated gene transfer in mammalian cells.

Electric field-mediated gene transfer in mammalian cells (electrotransformation) depends on the pulsing conditions (field intensity, pulse duration, number of pulses). The effect of these parameters was systematically investigated using the transient expression of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase and the beta-galactosidase activities in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Pulsing conditions inducing reversible permeabilization of the cell plasma membrane are not sufficient to induce gene transfer. The plasmid must be present during the electric pulse if it is to be transferred across the membrane into the cytoplasm. Only the localized part of the cell membrane brought to the permeabilized state by the external field is competent. Pulse duration plays a key role in the magnitude of the transfer. The field induces a complex reaction between the membrane and the plasmid that is accumulated at the cell interface by electrophoretic forces. This leads to an insertion of the plasmid, which can then cross the membrane.

[The content of ascorbic acid in plasma and in 14 tissues of lambs of different ages during normal feeding and feeding restricted from time to time during the suckling period]. / Der Gehalt an Ascorbinsäure im Plasma und in 14 Geweben von Lämmern unterschiedlichen Alters bei normaler und bei zeitweise restriktiver Fütterung während der Säugeperiode.

In normally fed lambs (group 1) the content of ascorbic acid (AA) in the plasma on day 8, 18, 28, 38, 48, 60 and 100 after birth was the same as in lambs, that were fed on days 8 to 17 (group 2), 8 to 26 (group 3) and 8 to 35 (group 4) on the maintenance level. The restrictive feeding induced for a certain time a decrease in the glucose content of the plasma. In the lambs of group 2 and 3 there was no differences in the content of AA in 14 tissues compared to group 1. In the lambs of group 4 the body weight on the 35th day was only 54 and the mass of the hypophysis 60, of the lung 55.9, of the liver 51, of the heart 47.2, of the spleen 44.7 and of the kidney 38% of that of group 1; there was a tendency to a lower content of AA in most tissues. With increasing age the content of AA in the cerebrum, in the cerebellum, in the brain stem and in the testicles decreased; the highest content in the hypophysis was determined on day 180. The regulation of the synthesis of AA in the liver under normal and pathological conditions is discussed.

[Ruminal nitrogen metabolism in calves and sheep. 3. Effect of hay-concentrate ratio in calves]. / Untersuchungen zum ruminalen Stickstoffumsatz bei Kälbern und Schafen. 3. Mitteilung--Einfluss des Heu-Konzentrat-Verhältnisses bei Kälbern.

During the milk feeding period (ca. 55th day of life) and 2 weeks after the milk feeding period (ca. 80th day of life) the influence of a hay quota in the ration (on DM basis) of 6, 10, 14 and 18% in the milk feeding period and of 16, 23, 31 and 37% in the period after milk feeding was tested as to ruminal N metabolization with calves supplied with duodenal re-entrant cannulae. The increase of the hay quota in the ration for ruminating calves reduced as a tendency duodenal NAN passage, its bacterial N-quota, post-ruminal NAN digestibility and, due to a worse utilization of available N for bacterial N-synthesis, bacterial N-synthesis rate. The apparent fermentation of organic matter was, as a tendency, increased with the growing hay quota in the ration.

[Comparison of lard-tallow mixture and bone fat in digestion and growth experiments in calves]. / Vergleich von Schmalz-Talg-Gemisch und Knochenfett im Verdauungs- und Wachstumsversuch mit Kälbern.

Male calves between 15 and 26 days old and with a live weight between 45 and 46 kg received dried skim milk dissolved in water plus fat concentration from lard--suet mixtures made with a synthetic emulsifier of the type ethoxylated partial ester with and without soybean lecithin supplement. One group received bone fat with an emulsifier as sole fat component. In the course of 9 experiment weeks the calves of the lard--suet group without lecithin reached an average daily weight gain of 710 g, which was not significantly better than the gains of 689 g of the lard--suet group with lecithin and of 674 g of the bone fat group. The calves of the lard--suet group with lecithin did not digest the feed fat significantly better than the calves in the other two groups. The quota of fatty acids in the feed distinctly influenced the composition of the fatty acids in the intestines, the kidneys and the hypodermis. With the example of suet the general relationship between the fatty acid patterns of the feed and body fats are recognizable, with the fatty acids C 16:0, C 18:2 and C 18:3 having a lower and C 16:1, C 18:0 and C 18:1 having a higher quota in the suet than in the feed fat. Due to the application of high amounts of bone fat, vegetable oil or sea animal fat there are deviations from this rule. There is a higher quota of linolenic acid in the suet of the calves than in butter fat but a lower quota than in foreign fat.

[Influence of emulsifiers and fat mixtures on the digestibility and sedimentation of fatty acids in calves]. / Einfluss von Emulgatoren und Fettmischungen auf die Verdaulichkeit und den Ansatz von Fettsäuren bei Kälbern.

In a digestibility experiment with 4 X 4 calves the animals received 100 g mixture for calves, 50 g dried green fodder and either 656 g dried whole milk and 164 g dried skim milk (VM) or 656 g dried whole milk and 164 g added fat. The added fat consisted of a mixture of tallow and lard in a 1:1 ratio plus 10% emulgator ES 20 (FE) or 8% ES 20 and 2% soybean lecithin (FL) or 25% lard, 25% tallow, 40% rape/sunflower oil with 10% ES 20 (FO). The apparent digestibility of the fat amounted to 91% in group VM and in groups FE/FL/FO to 66/70/67% resp. The composition of fatty acids and the use of an unsuitable charge of dried skim milk are considered to be the causes of the low apparent digestibility. The apparent digestibility of the fatty acids decreased with their growing chain length. The higher digestibility of the unsaturated fatty acids is largely caused by changes due to bacterial activity in these fatty acids in the intestines and by the influence of metabolically changed faecal fat. The combination of the synthetic emulgator with lecithin did not improve fat digestion but diminished the total fat content in the blood.

The provision of birth control services to unwed minors: a national survey of physician attitudes and practices.

PIP: A national survey was undertaken in an effort to assess physician attitudes and practices with regard to the provision of family planning to minors. The initial sample consisted of physicians in the 3 self-designated speciality areas: obstetrics/gynecology; family medicine; and internal medicine. The sampling frame of 4636 physicians was constructed from the Canadian Medical Directory, stratified by community size into 4 categories. A systematic random sample of 2318 physicians was selected. A total of 189 questionnaires could not be delivered. Of the remaining 2129, 1146 were completed and returned, a response rate of 54%. Almost all of the respondents were willing to provide information to most patients. The exception was single women under the age of majority, without parental consent. Only 82% indicated a definite willingness to provide this category of patient with the requested information. Although this is high in absolute terms, the figure is notably lower than for other categories. Whereas 82% of the respondents were prepared to provide the single minor patient with information, only 57% indicated an unqualified willingness to provide the requested services. 14% indicated that they would not provide such services; another 29% were equivocal. Physicians were asked to report the frequency with which they recommended and/or prescribed various birth control measures. There was an overwhelming preference for oral contraceptives (OCs), followed by IUDs and surgical methods, particularly tubal ligation. Legal considerations were the most pervasive deterrent to providing services to single women under the age of majority, without parental consent. The data indicate that a substantial proportion of physicians may not be discharging their responsibility effectively given their apparent reluctance to provide frequently requested contraceptive services to single female minors without parental consent. Only 9% of the physicians in the sample believed that they were adequately protected against legal liability should they provide services to women in this category. Both statute and common law are ambiguous on this point.^ieng

[Modification of vetch seed reserve proteins during germination and limited proteolysis]. / Issledovanie modifikatsii zapasnykh belkov semian viki pro prorastanii i ogranichennom proteolize.

The split-off 1-2 short peptides is the first stop in the endogenous protease A effect on the vetch legumin, which results in a step-wise rise of its hydrolyzability by two other endogenous proteases (B and C). Short neutral and basic peptides are consecutively split off from the acid subunits in the course of subsequent hydrolysis by protease A, while the breakdown of these subunits into larger fragments, which are retained in the legumin molecule by non-covalent bonds, occurs later. Similar results were obtained in experiments on trypsin action of legumin. Thus the initial course of legumin hydrolysis is largely determined by its structure. The changes of legumin during germination are similar to those occurring upon limited proteolysis by protease A. However, some differences are indicative of the existence of other factors responsible for the modification of this protein during germination. The modification of vicilin during germination and limited proteolysis occurs apparently in a similar way.