Influence of polyethylene glycol on the excretion and digestibility of amino acids in casein and tannic acid‐fed broilers

Using the precision feeding technique, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of tannic acid (TA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) on the excretion of amino acids and the apparent and true digestibilities of casein protein in broilers. Seventy‐two 9‐week‐old broiler cockerels grouped in nine treatments of eight replicates were fed warm water (50 mL, control birds), casein alone (12 or 18 g) or casein (12 or 18 g) with TA solution (4.5 g per 10 mL) or/and PEG solution (2 g per 10 mL). Total excreta were collected for 48 h and freeze‐dried. The amino acid content of casein and excreta was determined by reverse phase high‐performance liquid chromatography. In the absence of TA the digestibility of casein was almost complete. TA increased the excretion of amino acids to a varying extent (P < 0.01). Although the digestibility of all essential and non‐essential amino acids was adversely affected by the presence of TA, raising the amount of casein from 12 to 18 g improved significantly (P < 0.05) the apparent and true digestibilities of all amino acids. PEG reduced significantly (P < 0.01) the excretion of amino acids and improved significantly (P < 0.01) the amino acid digestibility of casein in TA‐dosed birds. However, the improvement was greater when the lower level of casein (12 g) was fed. Thus PEG might play an important role in inactivating dietary tannins in the gastrointestinal tract of birds and improving protein digestibility and utilisation, particularly when the diet is low or intermediate in protein. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Estimates of Transaction Costs in Transfer of Development Rights Programs

Problem, research strategy, and findings: Local jurisdictions in 36 states have implemented transfer of development rights (TDR) programs to provide a market-based approach to preserving farmlands and open space while redirecting future development to targeted areas. Participation in TDR programs involves transaction costs over and above paying for TDR credits. Planners know little about the magnitude of transaction costs; who, if anyone, incurs a disproportionate share of these costs; or how transaction costs affect TDR participation. In this study we estimate the magnitude and distribution of transaction costs incurred by participants in 4 countywide TDR programs in Maryland, a TDR pioneer, by interviewing multiple participants in these programs. We fi nd that total transaction costs were high and borne largely by private sector participants, although we exclude the initial public sector costs of establishing the programs. Total transaction costs range from 13% to 21% of total TDR costs per transaction. Our findings are based on data reported by participants and may not be scalable; transaction costs, however, might deter landowners from participating in TDR programs, thus thwarting the land use goals of planners.

Takeaway for practice: Planners should work to reduce transaction costs by better constructing TDR programs and providing greater information on TDR sale prices and potential buyers and sellers. Lowering and more fairly distributing transaction costs will make the TDR program a more successful approach to achieving land use goals and addressing the externalities arising from land use markets.     

Real Time Measurement and Analysis for Three-Dimensional Displacement of EAST Cold Magnets

The location of superconducting tokamak magnets decides the position and shape of plasma, it is significant to acquire the real-time location of tokamak magnets to stably operate the tokamak. Using an improved monocular laser triangle measuring method, it can effectively reduce the distractions, the new measurement system has been installed inside the experimental hall of EAST in 2010 and was tested in the entire process of EAST experiment in 2011. After the annual experiment, we got roughly trend of the torodial field coil displacement. The measurement system was upgraded and reformed in 2012, the measurement system stably and reliably obtained large amount of experimental data, the real-time three-dimensional magnet displacement from room temperature to around 4 K and combined with excitation situation during the whole experiment have been obtained.     

Introducing of green garlic plant as a new source of allicin

The presence of allicin in green garlic plant extracts was investigated. Allicin in aqueous extracts from green garlic leaf, shoot and young bulbs were determined by HPLC. Allicin was present at highest level in extracts from whole green garlic plant at 0.48 ± 0.01 mg/mL, followed by that in shoot and leaf extracts at 0.44 ± 0.00 and 0.26 ± 0.01 mg/mL, respectively. The results obtained in this study offer green garlic as a new source of allicin, as green garlic plant is used as a favourite vegetable in many countries.     

Environmental management in Urmia Lake: thresholds approach

Urmia Lake is a vivid example of negligence in providing the environmental water requirement rooted in prolonged droughts and excessive upstream water withdrawal. The aim of this study is to propose a reclamation strategy for the lake by focusing on estimation of environmental requirement thresholds under various drought severity conditions. On the average, the lake will remain in a moderate hydrological drought condition if the business-as-usual scenario prevails. The shares of natural drought, water withdrawals and water resources development projects (i.e. dams) in recent lake inflow reduction are estimated at 45%, 40% and 15%, respectively; thus, the aggregated contribution of human-induced factors has a more significant impact on the current lake condition than that of natural drought, and a firm and consistent approach to reduce water consumption by the agricultural sector is required for lake reclamation.