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Posts tagged 'A-Z Challenge 2018'
A to Z Challenge – Z is for Megan Luzat
Name: Megan Luzat
Description: Megan is average height with a lean but strong build. She has curly blonde hair and brown eyes.
Short Bio: Megan is the middle child of Adam and Jennifer Luzat. She had an older brother, Warner, and younger sister, Micaela. Her family lived pretty much paycheck to paycheck. Her brother wasn't exactly responsible, so she found herself in charge of both her siblings most of her childhood, until she was almost twelve, and he died of a drug overdose. By the time Megan was sixteen, and Micaela would have been fourteen, Megan was the only child her parents had left.
Megan worked hard to make sure she didn't let her parents down. She got a job to help out, studied hard, though she knew she wouldn't be able to go to college. And then she met Callum Riley. He was involved with the man she blamed for her siblings' deaths, which would have been enough to set her off even if not for the fact he was a drug addict.
But, she saw more under that. And couldn't quite help falling for him. She saw him trying to be better, but nothing seemed to be enough to pull him all the way out. Then, he was arrested. And at the same time, Megan realized she was pregnant. Instead of telling Callum that, she broke off all contact with him, wanting to give her child a stable life, and she was sure Callum would only continue to choose drugs over them even after he was released.
Her parents came together to help her see her dream, becoming a firefighter, after her daughter, Kaelin, was born. After a couple years, she transferred to the smaller fire department in Crystal Glen when there was an opening there.
Mark turned to Kayla, and surprisingly, his jaw loosened. "Brooke."
She smiled at him. "Hey, Mark."
"Uh, the guys at the station miss you. You haven't stopped by for a while."
She grinned. "Only the other guys, huh?"
"What would I miss about you?" He scratched at the back of his neck, and his lips twitched. "We got a new transfer to the engine crew when Garro came over to rescue, Megan Luzat. I can rag on her."
Her eyes went wide, but James knew it was feigned. "They brought someone in to replace me?"
"Even Garro can't replace you," Mark muttered.
She grinned. "I think that's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me, Mark."
James noticed the firefighter's face flush slightly then he pulled his sunglasses off and winked at her. "I'd say sweeter, but your man might punch me. Or arrest me."
"I wouldn't bother," Adrian said. "I'd let her kick your ass."
Megan Luzat
A to Z Challenge – Y is for Mark Young
Name: Mark Young
Description: Mark is tall and muscular. He has blond hair, that he keeps buzzed short, and blue eyes. He has several tattoos, though they are mostly covered when he has his firefighter uniform on.
Short Bio: Mark is the second child, but oldest son, of Timothy and Monica Young. His sister, Maura, is less than two years older than him. His brother, is a little more than three years younger than him. The two boys never quite got along. Their father barely spent time with them, putting work ahead of everything else. Their mother tended to ignore them as well. Instead it was usually Maura who took care of them.
Mark met Deena Chase when he was in high school. They started dating and stayed together even after he joined the Marine Corps. He met Nolan Hunter there, as well as Erin Zernig. There were others, but those two were more than comrades-in-arms, they were good friends.
He proposed to Deena after his first enlistment term was up. She said yes, thinking it meant he'd be staying home. And was quite upset when he told her he'd re-enlisted. They started fighting every time they managed to talk and weren't in a good place the next time he deployed. And one night, he and Erin did more than play pool together. He was ashamed of what he'd done, and yet it happened once more, after they lost another comrade and comforted each other.
When he got home, he came clean to Deena, hoping he'd be able to earn her forgiveness in time. She threw the engagement ring at him and would not speak to him. Finally, one of the times he called, her brother answered the phone and told him she was dead. Because of him.
Then, he was wounded in action, his leg shattered from an explosion that also took the life of Erin and others. He was discharged and after healing, he tried to move on with his life. His friend, Nolan, was up in Crystal Glen and suggested he come up there. He ended up joining the fire department there, where they worked together.
James stepped out of his car to find a crowd already gathered in the cemetery. He hadn't expected to feel anything but sadness and anger while here. Yet seeing so many people who came out to help, filled him with even more.
Some of these people he didn't even recognize. Adrian's family probably. The first person he did recognize, Mark Young who used to work with Kayla, stood near a tree staring off at a small group raking away some small debris laying around the graves. Caitie stood in that group. She looked a little different out of her uniform. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and she wore a blue tank top with a pair of denim shorts.
He stopped near the tree. "Mark. You're not on shift today?"
The man turned his head away from the group. "Nope. Tomorrow." He had sunglasses pulled down over his eyes, so James couldn't see them, but there was a tightness to the firefighter's jaw. "Sorry about what happened here, Brooke. Some of the other guys plan to show up too if you need the help."
Emotion nearly overwhelmed him. He should have known he didn't only have to count on his own family. There was the fire family too. He'd always be a part of it even though he wasn't actively fighting fires now. "Thanks, Mark. I appreciate it."
"Whoever did this is the lowliest sort of scum. Desecrating graves. It's despicable. I'd like to-"
"Might want to watch what threats you make, Young," a voice said from behind them. "There's lots of cops present here."
James turned as Adrian walked toward them, an arm around Kayla's waist. "Your whole family show up to help, Adrian?" he asked.
Kayla snorted. "This? I don't think that's even half of them."
"You didn't even meet Mom's side yet," Adrian said.
"There's more?" she groaned.
He laughed and bent down to kiss her. "Don't worry. It's smaller."
"Not saying much. You have thirteen freaking cousins."
He chuckled. "You're still stuck on that?"
"I don't have any. Except," she added, glancing over at James.
"It's okay," James said. "You didn't know him."
Mark stepped forward and stuck his hand out. "Riley."
"Young," Adrian responded in the same brisk tone, but he took his hand.
A to Z Challenge – X is for Alex Reed
Name: Alex Reed
Description: Alex has red hair and blue eyes.
Short Bio: Alex has only made a very brief appearance in the series, so I don't know much about him, other than he's a police officer who answers to Adrian.
At the knock on his office door, he spun around. "What?" he snapped.
The officer at his door took a small step back. "The sketch is done. The boy knew a lot of details and that other woman from the school helped. The Amber Alert's been issued. We're getting ready to put out the BOLO. Everyone will be on the lookout. Thought you'd want to see the sketch too."
"Of course, Reed." He glanced at the handout the man passed over, but nothing about the face looked familiar to him. "Fax a copy to Lieutenant Shae Magaldi with the Erie Drug & Vice Unit. She has contacts in Pittsburgh and might know something. Have her call me with anything."
"Yes, Sergeant," the man said then ducked out of the office.
Alex Reed
A to Z Challenge – W is for Scott Rowe
Name: Scott Rowe
Description: Scott is tall and muscular with reddish-brown hair and gray eyes.
Short Bio: Scott was adopted by Curtis and Lauren Rowe when he was younger than he can remember. They had also adopted Pamela around the same time, but the two would never have been mistaken for biological siblings. Her skin, darker than any of her family members', would have made that mistake hard to make. But, they never thought of each other as anything but siblings.
When Pamela fell for a man who didn't appreciate her, Scott tried to go to her defense. But, the man left, leaving Pamela pregnant. He did what he could to help her, as did their parents, and her son, Austin. But, there was only so much time between that, his own family, and his shifts with the fire department.
He married Marcy, and they had three children: Asher, Maureen, and Sawyer. He still stayed close with his sister and nephew, even after Pamela married Jai Melnik and he adopted Austin. Scott climbed the fire department ladder until he became lieutenant of the rescue squad. He's been there quite a few years and very happy with it.
The other two men looked at her, their faces closed up. James took her hands in his. "Nothing we can say yet. I can't handle this one." He glanced at the two men then back to her. "Since we're involved, I can't be on it. I'm going to call Kayla. She'll do the walk through and share her findings with me. I'd do it myself but Marshal Haig will take any reason to chew on me. I'm not going to give it to him."
"Haig's a prick," one of the other men muttered. Teresa saw the name Wilson on the tag on his shirt.
James' lips quirked. "That does seem to be the general consensus." He must have seen the confusion in Teresa's face. "He's the marshal the state usually sends out. Let's say we don't see eye to eye on a hell of a lot of things."
"Is he coming out for this?"
James shrugged. "Depends how much damage was done. If only a little, they won't bother. I am going to call Adrian in."
"Why?" the other man asked. "If the marshal doesn't come out, there's not much reason for the cops either."
He nodded at Teresa. "She's been having trouble recently. This could be connected. If it is, I want him on this."
"Just because he's with your niece,-"
"No. Because he's a good cop. What's your problem, Rowe?"
"Nothing. You're right."
James put a hand to Teresa's shoulder. "I'm going to call Kayla and Adrian. I'll be right back, okay?"
Scott Rowe
A to Z Challenge – V is for Avery Takoda
Name: Avery Takoda
Description: Avery is short and thin with straight black hair and brown eyes.
Short Bio: Avery is the daughter of Samantha Takoda, Teresa's daughter. She didn't know her grandmother for the first six years of her life, though. Her mother basically lived on the streets, when she wasn't crashing with Joel Mathis, a man Avery had never felt comfortable around.
Her mother sent her to another woman's house one night. She promised to come. But, she never did. Instead, a couple men in uniforms came to the woman's door and started asking her questions. When she told them who Avery was, they took her away and eventually to her grandmother's. She was afraid the older woman would leave her or send her away as well, no matter how many times she promised that wouldn't happen.
Things started to change after they moved north to Crystal Glen, but she still wasn't sure she could trust how good things seemed to be.
"I need to get going." Teresa adjusted the purse on her shoulder and once again tried to pry the little girl off her leg.
"I don't want you to go." The whine behind the words nearly had a headache blooming behind her eyes. "You said you weren't going to leave me."
Teresa sighed. "I'm not leaving you, Avery. I'll only be gone a few hours. You have to stay here until I get back."
The girl's bottom lip trembled. "That's what Mommy said, too. She didn't come back for me."
There it was. The reason she'd barely left the house since they moved back to Crystal Glen, and not without the girl in tow. She knelt down to the girl's level. "Nothing is going to happen to me. I promise you. I have to go though." She chanced a glance at her watch as she reached around to hug the girl. No way would she make it on time now. "If I don't go, they might not going to let me keep you. Chris will stay with you. You know Grandma Caridi always has fun stuff for you to do. It will be okay."
"Your grandma's right," another woman said, stepping into the hallway. "I got lots of fun crafts to do. Why don't you come into the kitchen with me?"
The girl hesitated still then she nodded and slipped her hand into the other woman's. Teresa let out a breath. "Thanks, Mom. I should only be a few hours."
"We'll be fine. You'll get back when you get back."
Avery Takoda
A to Z Challenge – U is for Callum Riley
This is another one I had to use a letter within the name.
Name: Callum Riley
Description: Callum is tall and skinny, with dark brown hair and sharp green eyes.
Short Bio: Callum is the third son born to Donovan and Chrissa Riley. He is about a year and a half younger than Adrian and three years older than Darcie. He didn't always get along with his siblings, but had a rather normal childhood until he was thirteen, when his little sister died in a house fire.
He hadn't even realized what was going on until Adrian woke him up. He never even thought of Doreen until after he was outside. He could bear the weight of that guilt, so instead he shoved it all onto Adrian's shoulders. Even that didn't make him feel any better. He started sneaking out of his grandparents' house, where they were staying until they could find a new house, and drinking. Which led to taking drugs, anything that would numb him to what his family had lost.
He spent a lot of years lost in that haze. And he ended up estranged from his family because of it. He found himself falling in with Tobin Fahey, who imagined himself a bit of a crime lord, though he wasn't much more than a petty criminal himself. Callum never fully initiated into Tobin's "gang", but the man used him for his own ends. Something Callum didn't really understand until he met and fell in love with Megan Luzat.
She tried to get him clean. And he did make the attempt for her. But, it wasn't easy, and he failed more than once. Still, he thought she would stick by his side. Then, he was arrested and got a letter from her that basically said she wished she could erase him from her memories(She has reasons beyond what's here, that he'll learn later on).
He got out of prison after a couple years and has been trying to make things right. Things are still tense with Adrian, who was the one who'd arrested him. But, they are slowly mending.
He turned from the freezer as Adrian stepped into the kitchen and nearly laughed. He'd been wondering how much deeper he could get the man to dig into what had happened. Maybe he wouldn't shove his foot right down his throat again. He'd dismissed it. But, now he was here. "What are you doing here?"
"Kayla said you were off today. I had a late shift, so I'm off for the rest of the day. Got a couple hours sleep, but didn't feel like spending the rest of it cooped up in the apartment."
"You're not going to go spend it with your family?"
He shifted his shoulders as if uncomfortable. "Callum's there."
"Things were going better with him, weren't they? He's done with rehab, right?"
"Yeah. He spent a few months in a halfway house. All of his tests have been clean. He has a job working for David in the maintenance department up at his office. He's living with Mom and Dad until he can get his own place. I just…it's still tense between the two of us."
"You're not going to resolve that by hanging out with an old man instead of your brother."
We really only see a few glimpses of Callum in this one. He'll play a bigger role in book 3, then there's his own story in book 4.
Callum Riley.
A to Z Challenge – T is for Teresa Takoda
Name: Teresa Takoda
Description: Teresa is short and curvy. She has curly brown hair, that's turning more to gray and brown eyes.
Short Bio: Teresa is the only child of Cesar and Sheilah Caridi. She grew up in Crystal Glen, Pennsylvania and became friends with Sarah Rafferty when they were young. They were nearly inseparable from that first moment.
Teresa was with Sarah when the other woman met James Brooke. Teresa was attracted to the man as well, she didn't understand how someone wouldn't be. But, it was obvious her friend was even more than that. So, she took a step back. And was happy to see them married barely a year later. When they welcomed their son, Kieran, she thought of him as her nephew. And when Sarah and Kieran died in a fire a little more than a year after the boy was born, she grieved.
Teresa didn't have any desire to stay there any longer. She traveled around some before settling in Pittsburgh and getting a job at a library there. Which is where she met Joseph Takoda. They married a couple years later then had Samantha and nearly seven years later, Christopher.
They'd been married a little more than sixteen years when Joseph was killed during an apparent mugging. Shortly after his funeral, Samantha ran away. Teresa was never able to find her, though she'd get occasional phone calls over the years. Only to ask for money, which Teresa didn't have to give.
And then cops came to her door once more, to tell her Samantha had been found dead. And she'd left behind a six-year-old daughter, who was now Teresa's to care for. But, they were all struggling to move on from this latest blow. So, Teresa decided to move them back to her hometown, hoping the change would give them all a chance at a new start.
Teresa Takoda lifted a box out of the back of the truck and turned toward the house. Her father walked back toward her. "How much more you got?" he asked.
"A few boxes. The beds and dressers are in the back. You have anyone to help with that? I can, but-"
"Don't you worry, dear Resa," he said, bringing back so many memories of her childhood with that name. "I got someone coming. Carrick's a good guy. Granted he was just getting started in the construction business when we had the restaurant, but his father had the business first and was a good man, too."
"I don't need a construction worker. The house is fine, Dad."
"Didn't say it wasn't. Did I mention he's got four sons to help him? We'll get the stuff moved just fine. Why don't you call and check on Avery like I know you want to."
Teresa let out a breath, but he was right. She did want to check on the girl. She turned away from the truck and pulled out her phone, quickly bringing her mother's number up on the screen. She heard a laugh in her mother's voice when she asked, "You guys done already?"
"No, Mom. Just waiting for some friend of Dad's to get here to help move the furniture in. How's Avery?"
"She's doing fine, Teresa. Chris convinced her to let him push her on the swing. Let me know when you're done, and we'll pick up some dinner on the way home."
A pickup truck approached the one they'd rented for the move, the name 'Hunter Construction' printed on the side. Besides the man driving, two other men, probably in their late thirties, and a young woman, maybe twenty-five sat inside. She wondered about that since her dad had said the man had four sons. "Dad's friend is here. Call me if Avery has any issues. This move has been hard on her. Maybe we shouldn't have-"
"Relax, Teresa. You made the best decision you could. The judge wouldn't have approved you to relocate with her if it hadn't been in her best interest. I was there when he said exactly that. You've had her for more than six months, and staying in Pittsburgh wouldn't be in her best interest. Maybe she'll improve more up here. And it's good to be home, isn't it?"
Teresa Takoda
A to Z Challenge – S is for Silas Lunden
Name: Silas Lunden
Description: Silas is tall and a little on the scrawny side. He has nearly black hair, bright blue eyes, and wears glasses.
Short Bio: Silas is the oldest child of Henry and Sally Lunden. He has two younger sisters, Shelby and Hadley. When Silas was twelve, they moved to Crystal Glen. During the next school year, he met Jeremiah Brooke while playing baseball. They became fast friends.
When he was fifteen, Jeremiah is the first person he told he was attracted to guys. Jeremiah barely even blinked at the revelation. Coming out to his parents went just about as well. Silas had always been pretty comfortable in his own skin. Unfortunately, he was also pretty sure he was in love with his best friend. And also sure Jeremiah would never return those feelings.
He played baseball through high school and got an athletic scholarship to the local college, where he majored in biophysics. At his high school graduation party, he took a risk and kissed Jeremiah when no one was watching. It wasn't the last time they kissed that summer, but they never really talked about what it meant.
And shortly after Silas started his first semester of classes(Jeremiah was a year behind him, so still in high school), Jeremiah had a girlfriend. So, Silas figured their kissing days were over. Jeremiah started getting distant that winter, and Silas was afraid they'd damaged their friendship. That summer he found out he'd been wrong. Jeremiah had been questioning himself but not their friendship.
When the next fall semester started, they had a dorm room together. Silas also had a boyfriend, so nothing happened between them. But, now they're getting an apartment just off campus together and both are single, so who knows what will happen(haha! I do :p)
Silas rapped his knuckles on the back door then pushed it open without waiting for a response. "Hey, Mrs. Brooke," he said, walking over and snatching a strip of green pepper she'd just cut. He popped it into his mouth even as she shifted a look his way.
"Those are for dinner, Silas," she told him. "Are you going to be joining us? Jeremiah should be coming down from his room soon."
"Yeah. Sure," he said, hoping he didn't sound too eager.
"Good," she said with a soft smile. "We haven't seen you around much this summer. That boyfriend's been keeping you away."
His smile fell, and she seemed to notice, her eyes going soft. "What happened?"
He shrugged one shoulder. "Nonsense. I didn't need his drama anyways." He'd claimed not to want to share Silas with Jeremiah. Silas hadn't been able to convince him that wasn't the situation. So, no, he didn't need the drama. He also wasn't going to tell Jeremiah's mother any of that. Not until Jer told his family he was bi. He didn't want to be the one to put any suspicions in their mind and have them questioning Jeremiah.
"Well, I'm sorry. Are you okay?"
He smiled again. "Just fine. I bounce back."
She gave a little laugh then hugged him. "You're always welcome here, you know."
"Thanks, Mrs. B," he said before disentangling himself. "I think I'll go up and see what Jeremiah's up to.
"Okay. Tell him dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes. His uncle's here, and his sister and Adrian are coming over, too."
"Will do," he said, walking backward through the door to the living room. He gave a wave to the two Brooke men in the living room then lunged up the stairs. He didn't even bother knocking, just opened Jeremiah's door and stepped in.
Jeremiah looked up from the book he was reading. It looked thick, like a textbook. "Seriously? It's summer, Jer. I'm not even that obsessive about things."
Jeremiah laughed and set the book aside. Essentials of Firefighting. Well, that made sense then. He always seemed to be studying that book. "Thought you weren't applying to the fire academy for another year."
"I'm not, but it never hurts to study."
With a shake of his head, Silas moved over to the bed to join him. "Dinner's in fifteen minutes according to your mom," he said. "So we only have a little time for this." He slipped a hand behind Jeremiah's head and pressed his mouth to his friend's.
A to Z Challenge – R is for Robert Brooke
Name: Robert Brooke
Description: Robert is tall, with nearly white hair and green eyes.
Short Bio: Robert was raised in a firefighting family, and he never even thought about taking a different path. His older brother, Zachary, died fighting a fire, but he kept on with it even after that. He married Carol, and they had two sons, James and Zachary, who would also join the fire service.
He loved his family even more than fighting fires, and was always glad to be able to have both. It nearly destroyed him to watch his older son fall apart when he lost his wife and son to fire. Even worse, though, was the way he completely shut his memories away to be able to deal with it. He wanted to tell James that would only come back to haunt him.
But, he was able to watch two of his grandchildren, Kayla and Jeremiah, grow up and also follow in the family's firefighting path. He wasn't sure he could be more proud. He lost Carol to her own body's deterioration just a few months ago and is still coming to grips with that.
James wasn't so sure, but he hoped his brother was right. He glanced toward the door again. At least this time he kept his eyes open. He wanted to see Teresa again, but he needed to take care of something else first. "Is Dad out there?"
Zachary shook his head. "He was for a little bit, but he went home. Said he didn't want to sit around here waiting for you to get your lazy ass up."
James laughed. He doubted those had been his exact words. "Can you call him and ask if he remembers what he did with Mom's ring?"
His brother's eyes narrowed. "You said you didn't want it. She left it to you, but you didn't want it."
It would have been Sarah's if she'd lived long enough. He couldn't feel the guilt for that. Not when so much love filled him now. "I didn't want it then. I do now."
Zachary's eyes sparkled. "Don't worry, he remembers. I'd say it will look good on Teresa's finger." He turned toward the door then paused. "Do you want it right away? I could get it from him before visiting hours are over."
He wanted to ask her right away, but it should wait. At least until after he got out of the hospital. "No. I'll stop and get it when I get out of here."
I know, Robert isn't actually in this bit, but it's the closest he really comes to making it on the page in this story.
A to Z Challenge – Q is for Quinn Parnell
Name: Quinn Parnell
Description: Quinn is tall with a lean build. He has curly brown hair and blue eyes.
Short Bio: He has only been a very minor character in the series, so I don't know much about his past. He is an officer with the Crystal Glen police department and often works with Adrian on cases.
James stepped out of his car and rubbed at his hand, still sore from his stupid move earlier that day. Maybe that would teach him to take on a brick wall. He rolled his eyes then headed up to the house. He noted the police cruiser parked at the curb and nodded at the man climbing out of the car. He waited for him to approach. "Officer…Parnell," he said, reading the man's badge. "I'm-"
"I know, Investigator. I was there back in February. I remember you."
February. Back when Kayla had nearly gotten herself killed. No wonder he didn't recognize the man. Most of what had happened that day was a blur. "I'm a friend of Ms. Takoda's."
"Yes, she said to expect you. You can go on in."
James nodded at him then headed up the sidewalk. At least they seemed to be taking this seriously. Teresa had the door open before he even stepped up onto the porch. She smiled, but her lips trembled. "James."


Our Columbarium is moving forward. For an update click here.
The Trustees of the Holden Beach Chapel have contracted to build a columbarium on the west side of the sanctuary. It will be developed in four stages over a number of years. The first stage will include sixty niches, each large enough to hold two urns. The brick wall of the structure will face the parking lot between the Chapel and the parsonage. The inscribed marble plates of the niches will face the stained glass window behind the altar.
The garden created around the columbarium will contain benches and a bell donated in memory of those lost at sea. Memorial plaques will be available for those who have been or will be buried elsewhere, but who wish to memorialize the importance of the Chapel in their lives. For more information about the columbarium click here.
We have established a designated Columbarium Building Fund for the construction of Phase 1. Our goal is to raise $100,000 in donations to start construction. The minimum donation for designated funds is $50.00.
You may also donate via credit card. There is a maximum of $2000 per transaction, but you may donate as many times as you like.
The purchase of a Plaque or Niche is open to everyone. You do not need to be associated with the Chapel.
Niches are $3500 each and may be purchased if you prefer, by a $700 down payment with the balance paid in three installments over 18 months. This may be paid by check or if you wish to use a credit card please contact Alice, the Chapel Secretary at secretary@ATMC.net or Ron Skubic at ronsku@earthlink.net.
A Memorial Plaque may be purchased for $1200. This may be paid by check or if you wish to use a credit card please contact Chapel Secretary Alice at secretary@ATMC.net or Ron Skubic at ronsku@earthlink.net.


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Welcome Rotarians
Our Guest Speakers
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2021 Rotary District 9600 Conference site Kingaroy 26 -28 March
Meet your Host for the weekend
Neil Black, District Governer for 2020 - 21 invites you to the last 9600 conference, in his home town of Kingaroy, Queensland, from the 26 - 28 March 2021.
Building on the theme "outside the box" the conference focuses on the contribution Rotary makes to the wider community and the challenges we will confront as we embrace the future.
District Governor Elect, Neil Black was born and raised in Kingaroy.
Growing up on the family farm he learned from a very early age that everyone had a role to play and to chip in and help. Only through hard work and determination would you prevail in life.
Neil was inducted into the Kingaroy Rotary club in May 2009 and during his Rotary career he has held many club positions including six (6) years as Rotary Foundation Chair, Club president 2012/13, Public Relations director - 2013.
2021rotaryconference
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Core reader
In vitro ruminal fermentation characteristics and utilisable CP supply of sainfoin and birdsfoot trefoil silages and their mixtures with other legumes
Silage preparation
Laboratory analysis of the silages
In vitro incubation
Calculations and statistical analysis
Silage characteristics
Differences in the effects on ruminal fermentation among the single legume silages
Effect of mixtures of non-condensed tannins-containing and condensed tannins-containing legume silages compared with the single legume silages
Fermentation quality of the silages
Differences among legumes in their effect on ruminal fermentation and methanogenesis
Differences among legumes in protein degradation during ensiling and ruminal fermentation
Type of response to mixtures in ruminal fermentation compared with effects of single legume silages
Crossref Citations
This article has been cited by the following publications. This list is generated based on data provided by CrossRef.
Kölliker, Roland Kempf, Katharina Malisch, Carsten S. and Lüscher, Andreas 2017. Promising options for improving performance and proanthocyanidins of the forage legume sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.). Euphytica, Vol. 213, Issue. 8,
Vandermeulen, Sophie Singh, Sultan Ramírez-Restrepo, Carlos Alberto Kinley, Robert D. Gardiner, Christopher P. Holtum, Joseph A. M. Hannah, Iain and Bindelle, Jérôme 2018. In vitro assessment of ruminal fermentation, digestibility and methane production of three species of Desmanthus for application in northern Australian grazing systems. Crop and Pasture Science, Vol. 69, Issue. 8, p. 797.
Grosse Brinkhaus, Anja Bee, Giuseppe Schwarm, Angela Kreuzer, Michael Dohme-Meier, Frigga and Zeitz, Johanna O 2018. Rumen microbial protein synthesis and nitrogen efficiency as affected by tanniferous and non-tanniferous forage legumes incubated individually or together in Rumen Simulation Technique. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, Vol. 98, Issue. 5, p. 1712.
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Scopus Citations
View all citations for this article on Scopus
animal, Volume 11, Issue 4
April 2017 , pp. 580-590
A. Grosse Brinkhaus (a1) (a2), U. Wyss (a1), Y. Arrigo (a1), M. Girard (a1) (a2), G. Bee (a1), J. O. Zeitz (a2), M. Kreuzer (a2) and F. Dohme-Meier (a1)
1 Agroscope, Institute for Livestock Sciences (ILS), Tioleyre 4, 1725 Posieux, Switzerland
2 Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zurich, Universitätstrasse 2, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
© The Animal Consortium 2016
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731116001816
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 August 2016
Figures:
Table 1 Characteristics of the legume silages after 86 days of ensiling (n=3)
Table 2 Protein fractions of the fresh, wilted and ensiled legumes (n=3)
Table 3 Ruminal fermentation characteristics and utilisable CP at the duodenum when incubating silages from one legume only
Table 4 Effect of mixture (1 : 1) of lucerne and the condensed tannins-containing legumes itself and compared with the single legumes on ruminal fermentation characteristics and supply with utilisable CP at the duodenum
Table 5 Effect of mixture (1 : 1) of red clover (RC) and the condensed tannins-containing legumes itself and compared with the single legumes on ruminal fermentation characteristics and supply with utilisable CP at the duodenum
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The extensive protein degradation occurring during ensiling decreases the nutritive value of silages, but this might be counteracted by tannins. Therefore, silages from two legume species containing condensed tannins (CT) – sainfoin (SF) and birdsfoot trefoil (two cultivars: birdsfoot trefoil, cv. Bull (BTB) and birdsfoot trefoil, cv. Polom) – were compared for their in vitro ruminal fermentation characteristics. The effect of combining them with two CT-free legume silages (lucerne (LU) and red clover (RC)) was also determined. The supply of duodenally utilisable CP (uCP) in the forages was emphasised. The legumes were each harvested from three field sites. After 24 h of wilting on the field, the legumes were ensiled in laboratory silos for 86 days. Proximate constituents, silage fermentation characteristics, CT content and CP fractions were determined. Subsequently, silage samples and 1 : 1 mixtures of the CT-containing and CT-free silages were incubated for 24 h in batch cultures using ruminal fluid and buffer (1 : 2, v/v). Each treatment was replicated six times in six runs. The effects on pH, ammonia and volatile fatty acid concentrations, protozoal counts, and total gas and methane production were determined. uCP content was calculated by considering the CP in the silage and the ammonia in the incubation fluid from treatments and blanks. Statistical evaluation compared data from single plants alone and together with that from the mixtures. Among treatments, SF silage contained the least CP and the most CT. The non-protein nitrogen content was lower, favouring neutral detergent soluble and insoluble protein fractions, in the SF and RC silages. Absolute uCP content was lowest in SF and SF mixtures, although the ratio to total CP was the highest. In comparison with LU, the ammonia concentration of the incubation fluid was lower for SF, RC and BTB and for the mixture of SF with LU. The total gas and methane production was similar among the treatments, and the total volatile fatty acid production was decreased with the CT-containing legumes. Protozoal count was increased with the mixtures containing LU and either SF or BTB compared with single LU. In conclusion, compared with the other legumes, SF and RC have similar advantages as they show limited proteolysis during ensiling. In addition, SF supplies more uCP relative to total CP. The CT-containing legumes also differed in their effect on ruminal fermentation and ammonia formation, probably because of their different CT contents. Thus, SF and its mixtures appear promising for improving the protein utilisation of ruminants.
a Present address: Institute of Animal Nutrition and Nutritional Physiology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
Silage has become an important forage type in ruminant nutrition, but proteolysis during ensiling increases the amounts of fast and easily degradable nitrogen (N)-containing compounds in the rumen. This could enhance protein loss, leading to a metabolic and environmental N load. This in vitro study revealed that condensed tannins (CT) present in some legume silages may reduce proteolysis during ensiling, thereby lowering the metabolic and environmental load and supplying more utilisable CP (uCP) at the duodenum.
Many European ruminant production systems conserve an increasing proportion of forage as silage because this conservation technique is less weather dependent than haymaking and easily feasible due to modern production technology (Wilkinson and Toivonen, 2003). However, the quality of silage from the same original harvested material can vary widely due to plant respiration, plant enzyme activity, clostridial activity or aerobic microbial activity (Muck, 1988). Protease activity is particularly detrimental as it promotes the formation of soluble N compounds, which could lead to high ammonia (NH3) concentrations in ruminants when they are fed (Charmley, 2001). Detoxification of excessive ruminal NH3 by ureagenesis is also energy consuming and increases the metabolic load. According to Lobley et al. (1995) ureagenesis has been estimated to contribute 13% to 16% to liver energetics in cattle. Wilting of the plant before ensiling can reduce proteolytic processes (Edmunds et al., 2014), but the choice of plant may also be important in this respect.
Among legumes, lucerne (LU) is a species that is easily established in dry growing conditions and is characterised by a high yield, whereas red clover (RC) is particularly well adapted for growing conditions with greater humidity (Sheldrick et al., 1995). Both of these legumes are rich in CP, but the ruminal degradation rate of the legume CP is generally high. Furthermore, the level of LU CP that is utilisable at the duodenum (uCP; basically metabolisable protein) is further reduced by ensiling (Lüscher et al., 2014). This situation might be different in legumes that contain bioactive compounds like CT, which are becoming more important in ruminant nutrition (Waghorn, 2008).
At pH 3.5 to 7, CT form complexes with proteins (Mueller-Harvey, 2006) and carbohydrates (McSweeney et al., 2001). These complexes may cause a reduced ruminal degradation rate of nutrients, thereby preventing NH3 formation and reducing urinary N loss (Mueller-Harvey, 2006), as well as preserving dietary CP as uCP. In addition, CT bind to the cell coat polymers of some bacteria and can decrease their enzyme activity (Jones et al., 1994). Complexes with carbohydrates that result in lower concentrations of H2, as well as decreased enzyme activity, might also decrease methane (CH4) production (Patra and Saxena, 2011). Another possibility is that CT-containing forages can improve silage quality directly, by decreasing the proteolysis that occurs during ensiling. This is indicated by the lower content of soluble N compounds identified in these silages (Copani et al., 2014). Consequently, CT might increase the content of uCP during both the ensiling and ruminal nutrient degradation processes.
A severe disadvantage of the CT-containing legumes growing in temperate climates is their low yield. Therefore, mixtures of high-yield non-CT-containing and medium-yield CT-containing legumes would be particularly attractive as forages. However, it remains unclear whether the positive properties of both types of legumes are conserved, or whether they act synergistically (i.e. the presence of the CT restricts the degradation of the protein from the legumes), antagonistically (i.e. the CT content is too low to be effective) or additively (i.e. the presence of CT restricts the degradation of the protein, but the effect is lower compared with that of the single CT-containing legumes). The lower ruminal NH3 concentrations observed when feeding mixtures of LU and sainfoin (SF) (Wang et al., 2006) or birdsfoot trefoil (BT) (Williams et al., 2010), compared with single LU, suggest a synergistic effect. Nevertheless, to our knowledge, the impact of mixing non-CT-containing and CT-containing legumes on the uCP content has not yet been tested.
Therefore, in the present study, three hypotheses were tested. (i) The silage quality of CT-containing legumes is comparable with that of common non-CT-containing forage legumes. (ii) The CT-containing legumes change ruminal fermentation in a way which increases the amount of uCP. (iii) Mixtures of non-CT-containing legumes with CT-containing legumes act synergistically in this respect. In order to have a wide coverage for testing these hypotheses, two CT-containing species (SF and BT, the latter represented by two cultivars) and two non-CT-containing species (LU and RC) were included in the experiment. Silages of single legumes were prepared at laboratory scale, and ruminal fermentation was simulated in batch cultures using single legumes and 1 : 1 mixtures of CT-containing and non-CT-containing legumes.
LU (Medicago sativa, cv. Sanditi), RC (Trifolium pratense, cv. Milvus), SF (Onobrychis viciifolia, cv. Perly) and two BT cultivars (Lotus corniculatus, cv. Bull (BTB) and cv. Polom (BTP)) were sown in April 2012 in Posieux, Switzerland (latitude: 46°46' N, longitude: 07°06' E, altitude: 650 m) in a field of 0.7 ha each. Each field was divided into three plots, and sampling from the plots was done at distances of ~150 m from the next sampling site, in order to obtain three independent batches (replicates) per legume. The sowing density was 26 kg/ha for LU, 23 kg/ha for RC, 160 kg/ha for SF and 30 kg/ha for BTB and BTP each. The germination rate for each legume was as follows: ⩽82% for LU, ⩽85% for RC, ⩽85% for SF, ⩽75% for BTB and ⩽75% for BTP. All legumes were cut at 1300 h at 6 cm above ground on day 73 after seeding. At that time, the SF was at the full flowering stage, whereas LU, RC, BTB and BTP were at the early flowering stage. The weed proportions in the swards were 10%, 14%, 8%, 49% and 49% of harvested biomass for LU, RC, SF, BTB and BTP, respectively. Weeds included Plantago media and Stellaria media. Sward samples were taken from each legume directly after cutting and after 24 h of wilting. The wilted samples were chopped into 1 to 2 cm pieces with a chaff cutter (Mex GT; Poettinger, Grieskirchen, Austria) and ensiled without additives in silo containers (one 0.5 l, three 1.5 l and one 30 l container/batch and per legume). The silos were covered airtight and stored in a dark room at room temperature. The dry matter (DM) losses were determined by weighing the 1.5 l silos every week on a scale (ID1; Mettler Toledo, Greifensee, Switzerland) and additionally corrected for losses due to evaporation of volatile compounds and respiratory processes according to Weissbach and Kuhla (1995). On day 3, the 0.5 l silos were opened for pH determinations.
After 86 days, the remaining silos were opened. Silage material from the 1.5 l silos was pooled by batch, and two subsamples were taken to determine silage characteristics and protein fractions. The silage material contained in the 30 l silos was subdivided: one part was vacuum packaged and stored at −20°C until used for the in vitro incubation. The remaining part, the fresh and wilted material collected before ensiling and one subsample from the 1.5 l silos were lyophilised (Christ, Osterode, Germany) for later analysis of the chemical composition.
Silage pH was determined by inserting an electrode (No. 6.0202.110; Metrohm Schweiz AG, Zofingen, Switzerland) connected to an ion metre (pH/ionmeter 692; Metrohm Schweiz AG) into the filtered fluid extracted from 40 g samples shaken for 30 min with 400 ml of distilled water. The NH3 content of each extract was also determined with an NH3 electrode (No. 6.0506.010; Metrohm Schweiz AG).
Solutions of ~10 g silage, 90 ml distilled water, 2.5 ml Carrez I (18 g K4Fe(CN)6×3·H2O in 500 ml distilled water) and 2.5 ml Carrez II (36 g ZnSO4×7·H2O in 500 ml distilled water) were shaken and extracted for 3 h to determine the volatile fatty acids (VFA) and short-chain alcohol contents. The acetate, propionate, butyrate, iso-butyrate, valerate, iso-valerate, lactate, propanol, propanediol, butanediol, butanol and ethanol contents of the extracts were analysed by HPLC (Summit1; Dionex, Dublin, Ireland) equipped with a nucleogel ION 300 OA 300×7.8 mm column (Macherey-Nagel GmbH, Düren, Germany) and a Shodex RI-101 refractive index detector (Shodex, Munich, Germany).
The lyophilised samples were milled to pass a 1.0 mm sieve (Brabender mill; Brabender, Duisburg, Germany). The DM was quantified gravimetrically by heating for 15 h at 60°C followed by 3 h at 105°C. The DM values were corrected for losses due to the evaporation of volatile compounds and respiratory processes according to Weissbach and Kuhla (1995). Organic matter (OM) was calculated from the amount of DM and total ash, which was determined by dry-ashing for 4 h at 550°C (Association of Official Analytic Chemists (AOAC), 1995; procedure no. 942.05). An ANKOM 200/220 Fiber Analyzer (ANKOM Technology Cooperation, Fairport, NY, USA) was used for NDF and ADF analysis according to standard protocols (AOAC, 1995; procedure no. 973.18 for ADF and procedure no. 2002.04 for NDF) where NDF was analysed with heat stable amylase and sodium sulphite. Both NDF and ADF were expressed without residual ash (determined by 1 h of incineration). Total N was analysed using the Kjeldahl method (AOAC, 1995; procedure no. 988.05), and CP was calculated as 6.25×N.
The total, soluble, protein-bound and fibre-bound CT contained in the SF, BTB and BTP silages were analysed using the HCl–butanol method described by Terrill et al. (1992). In brief, for the first extraction to determine the soluble CT, ~0.5 g ground plant material DM was mixed with an acetone : water solution (7 : 3, v/v) containing ascorbic acid (1 g/l) and diethyl ether. After mixing and centrifugation, the aqueous phase was collected and concentrated. The solid residue containing the insoluble CT fraction was treated with a mix of SDS and 2-mercaptoethanol, heated for 45 min at 95°C and then centrifuged for 15 min at 25 000× g. After centrifugation, the supernatant was used to determine the amount of protein-bound CT, and the solid residue was kept to determine the amount of fibre-bound CT. The soluble and protein-bound fractions were heated with a HCl–butanol solution (5 : 95, v/v). The fibre-bound fraction was heated with a HCl–butanol solution (5 : 95, v/v) and SDS-2-mercaptoethanol. After colour development, its intensity was measured with an absorbance spectrometer (Lamda 40; Perkin Elmer Instruments, Waltham, MA, USA) at 550 nm. Standards for concentration of CT were prepared from fresh samples of SF, BTP and BTB by extraction of the CT with an acetone : water solution (7 : 3, v/v) containing ascorbic acid (1 g/l), followed by purification on a Sephadex LH-20 column (Sigma Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA). With these extracts, calibration curves were determined. Total phenolic compounds were analysed according to Salminen and Karonen (2011) and were expressed as gallic acid equivalents. The amounts of non-protein N (A), true soluble protein (B1), neutral detergent soluble protein (B2), protein insoluble in neutral detergent but soluble in acid detergent (B3) and protein insoluble in acid detergent (C) were determined using a modified Kjeldahl method, as described by Licitra et al. (1996).
The Hohenheim Gas Test, developed by Menke and Steingass (1988), was used as an in vitro batch culture system. An amount of fresh silage material (single or 1 : 1 mixtures) equivalent to ~200 mg DM of the CT-containing legumes (SF, BTB, BTP) and either LU or RC were incubated separately for each batch in six runs performed on different days. Due to liquid leakage and oxygen entry, the incubation failed for some pistons, which ultimately resulted in an average of five repetitions per batch. Before incubation, the samples were ground to ~5 mm using a Moulinex food processor (Moulinex, Glattpark, Switzerland).
Ruminal fluid was collected before morning feeding from a ruminally cannulated Brown Swiss cow receiving grass hay for ad libitum intake. The cow was housed and cared for according to the Swiss legislation for animal welfare (https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified-compilation/20080796/index.html). The ruminal fluid was filtered through four layers of gauze and directly mixed with a preheated buffer solution (1 : 2, v/v; Menke and Steingass, 1988), which was flushed with CO2 before use. Each modified piston (Soliva and Hess, 2007) was filled with 30 ml of the incubation fluid, closed airtight and incubated for 24 h at 39°C in an incubator with a slow rotation. After 8 h of incubation, the gas volume was read from the calibrated scale printed onto the piston. When it exceeded 50 ml, a 0.150 ml sample was removed through an airtight septum with a sampling injector syringe (Hamilton Company, Reno, NV, USA), and the residual gas was released directly afterwards.
As CH4 was not produced linearly during the incubation period, its concentration was directly measured in the gas from the syringes using a gas chromatograph (5890, series II; Hewlett Packard, Avondale, PA, USA) equipped with a 2.34 m×2.3 mm column (mesh size 60/80; Fluka Chemie AG, Buchs, Switzerland) and a flame ionisation detector. After 24 h, the incubation was stopped by removing the pistons from the incubator and the gas volume was recorded. The corrected total gas production was calculated as described by Menke and Steingass (1988) after taking gas produced by blanks and standard samples into account. Total CH4 production was calculated with the gas volume and concentrations measured at 8 and 24 h of incubation. It was corrected by the blank samples where the same procedure was applied.
The fluid and the incubation residue were released through the outlet of the piston, and a 10 ml volume of the fluid was collected, mixed with 0.2 ml of 50% H2SO4 and immediately frozen at −20°C for later analysis of total and individual VFA, as described for the silage samples. In addition, 500 μl of the incubation fluid was mixed with 500 μl of 6% formalin for microscopy determination of the total counts of Holotrich and Entodiniomorph protozoa cells using a Bürker counting chamber (0.1 mm depth; Brand GmbH & Co. KG, Wertheim, Germany). The remaining fluid and the residue were centrifuged together at 20 000×g for 30 min at 4°C. The resulting supernatant was used for pH and NH3 determination with the appropriate electrodes (pH, HI 223; Hanna Instruments Switzerland AG, Sursee, Switzerland; for NH3, No. 6.0506.100, Metrohm Schweiz AG). The NH3 electrode was connected to a potentiometer (model 632; Metrohm Schweiz AG).
The uCP content of the single silages and mixtures was calculated as described by Steingass and Südekum (2013) using the following formula:
$${\rm uCP}\,{\rm {\equals}}\,\left[ {{\rm (NB{\plus}NL}{\minus}{\rm NI)}\,{\rm {\times}6}{\rm .25}} \right]{\rm /\!(IW{\times}DM)}$$
where NB is the average NH3–N concentration of the blanks, NL the N content of the silage sample, NI the NH3–N concentration of the incubation fluid after 24 h and IW the initial weight of the incubated silage sample. The values of the silage quality and chemical composition were averaged over the three batches per legume, and the means are displayed in the tables. The protein fraction data were subjected to ANOVA using the MIXED procedure of the SAS 9.2 software with treatment as fixed effects. Multiple comparisons among means were calculated using Tukey's procedure.
Explorative graphics and residual analyses of parametric models led to the decision to apply non-parametric inferential methods for the data obtained from the in vitro incubation. The focus of the study was on the treatment comparisons of the single legumes and the mixtures and on the comparison of the single legumes with the respective mixtures; therefore, rank-based ANOVA (Kruskal–Wallis tests) and pairwise comparisons of treatments (Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney tests) were applied at the significance level of P<0.05 using the statistical package of the R 3.1.2 program (R Core Team, 2014). The different batches were treated as replicates for the respective legumes. This resulted, on average, in 15 incubations/legume (n=15). The means were trimmed at 10%, and the pooled standard errors of the means are displayed in the tables.
The pH of all silages declined between the 3rd and 86th days to a pH<5 (Table 1). After 86 days, the pH was lowest in the RC and SF silages, followed by the BTP, BTB and LU silages. Total DM losses were all <50 g/kg and were lowest for the LU silage, followed by the SF, BTB, BTP and RC silages. The DM content was lowest in the RC silage, followed by the BTP, BTB and SF silages, and was highest in the LU silage. The NH3 concentration was lowest in the SF silage, followed by the RC, LU, BTP and BTB silages. The lowest concentration of ethanol was found in the RC and LU silages, followed by the BTP, BTB and SF silages. The concentrations of acetate and lactate were lowest for the SF and LU silages, followed by the BTP and BTB silages, and were highest for the RC silage. The other organic acids (propionate, butyrate, iso-butyrate, valerate and iso-valerate) and alcohols (propanol, propanediol, butanediol and butanol) were below the analytical detection limits in all silages (data not shown). The OM content was almost equal across silages. Fibre contents were lowest in the RC silage, but the order in the other silage types differed between NDF (increasing from SF, LU, BTB, BTP) and ADF (increasing from BTB, BTP, LU, SF).
LU=lucerne; RC=red clover; SF=sainfoin; BTB=birdsfoot trefoil, cv. Bull; BTP=birdsfoot trefoil, cv. Polom; DM=dry matter; NH3=ammonia; CT=condensed tannins; n.a.=not analysed.
1 Analysed in the 1.5 l silos.
3 Analysed in the 30 l silos.
4 Expressed as gallic acid equivalent per kg of DM.
The CP content was by far the lowest in the SF silage (lower, on average, by 28% compared with the other treatments) followed by the RC, LU, BTP and BTB silages. The highest content of total phenolic compounds was found in the SF silage and the lowest in the RC silage, with intermediate levels in the LU, BTP and BTB silages. Among the CT-containing plants, the total CT were lowest in the BTP silage, followed by the BTB silage. The total CT content in the SF silage, was on average, almost five times higher than in the two BT cultivars. Most of the CT in the SF and BTP silages were bound to protein (58% and 50% for SF and BTP, respectively). In the BTB silage, most of the CT were soluble (65%).
The proportion of protein fraction A in the fresh, wilted and ensiled legumes was lowest (P<0.05) in SF. When compared with LU, the proportion of fraction A was lower (P<0.05) in wilted and ensiled RC and ensiled BTB (Table 2). The proportion of the B1 fraction in the fresh legumes was lowest (P<0.05) for the SF samples. In the silages, it was lowest for the LU samples, followed by the BTB, RC, BTB and SF samples. Generally, the proportion of the B2 fraction showed the greatest decline during the ensiling process and was lowest (P<0.05) for the LU, BTB and BTP samples and highest in the SF samples, whereas the RC samples took an intermediate position in the fresh and ensiled samples. The proportion of the B3 fraction was consistently lowest (P<0.05) in the LU samples and highest in the RC samples, whereas the SF, BTP and BTB samples took intermediate positions during the complete ensiling process. The proportion of the C fraction was highest (P<0.05) in the SF samples during the complete ensiling process.
LU=lucerne; RC=red clover; SF=sainfoin; BTB=birdsfoot trefoil, cv. Bull; BTP=birdsfoot trefoil, cv. Polom; DM=dry matter.
a,b,c,dMeans within a row with different superscripts differ (P<0.05).
x,yMeans within a row with different superscripts tend to differ (P<0.10).
1 Protein fractions: A=non-protein N; B1=true soluble protein; B2=neutral detergent soluble protein; B3=protein insoluble in neutral detergent but soluble in acid detergent; C=acid detergent insoluble protein.
†P<0.10, *P<0.05, **P<0.01, ***P<0.001, Ns=non-significant (P>0.05).
No difference was noted among the single legume silages in terms of incubation fluid pH or total gas and CH4 production, or with ciliate protozoa counts (Table 3). The concentration of total VFA in the incubation fluid was highest (P<0.05) for the RC samples and lowest for the SF samples; the other legumes (LU, BTB and BTP) took intermediate positions. The proportion of acetate was highest (P<0.05) for the SF samples, intermediate for the LU samples and low for the samples of the three other legumes. The proportion of propionate was highest (P<0.05) in the RC samples, lowest in the LU samples and intermediate in the three CT-containing legumes. The proportions of both n-butyrate and iso-valerate were lower (P<0.05) in the SF samples compared with the other legumes. The proportion of iso-butyrate was highest (P<0.05) in the LU and BTB samples, followed by the BTP, RC and SF samples. The n-valerate proportion was again highest in the LU samples, but lowest in the SF samples (P<0.05), with the other samples falling between. The NH3 concentration of the incubation fluid was highest for the LU samples and lowest for the SF samples (P<0.05). The three clover legumes took intermediate positions. The calculated content of uCP in the DM was lower (P<0.05) in the SF samples when compared with the other legumes. However, the ratio of uCP to total CP was greatest (P<0.05) for the SF samples when compared with the other legumes.
LU=lucerne; RC=red clover; SF=sainfoin; BTB=birdsfoot trefoil, cv. Bull; BTP=birdsfoot trefoil, cv. Polom; DM=dry matter; CH4=methane; VFA=volatile fatty acids; NH3=ammonia; uCP=utilisable CP at the duodenum.
**P<0.01, ***P<0.001, Ns=non-significant (P>0.05).
The mixtures of LU (Table 4) and RC (Table 5) with SF, BTB and BTP did not show differences in total gas and CH4 production or in pH, total VFA concentration and ciliate protozoa counts in the incubation fluid. The LU–SF mixture, when compared with LU–BTB and LU–BTP mixtures, had a higher proportion of acetate and lower proportions of iso-butyrate, n-valerate and iso-valerate, as well as NH3 concentration, in the incubation fluid (P<0.05). The calculated content of uCP in the DM was lower (P<0.05) for the LU–SF mixture compared with the LU–BTB and LU–BTP mixtures, but the ratio of uCP to total CP was higher (P<0.05) for the LU–SF compared with the LU–BTP mixture (not significant compared with the LU–BTB mixture). The same effects were observed when comparing mixtures of SF, BTB or BTP and RC, except that the proportions of iso-butyrate, iso-valerate and NH3 concentration in the incubation fluid were only numerically lower with the RC–SF mixture, when compared with the RC–BTB and RC–BTP mixtures.
LU=lucerne; SF=sainfoin; BTB=birdsfoot trefoil, cv. Bull; BTP=birdsfoot trefoil, cv. Polom; LU–SF=mixture of LU and SF (1 : 1); LU–BTB=mixture of LU and BTB (1 : 1); LU–BTP=mixture of LU and BTP (1 : 1); DM=dry matter; CH4=methane; VFA=volatile fatty acids; NH3=ammonia; uCP=utilisable CP at the duodenum.
a,bMeans within a row with different superscripts differ (P<0.05).
Y,ZMeans of the mixture are different (P<0.05) from means found with either LU or SF, BTB and BTP, respectively (data from Table 3).
1 Difference between the value observed in the mixtures and the respective single legumes (Table 3).
*P<0.05, **P<0.01, ***P<0.001, Ns=non-significant (P>0.05).
SF=sainfoin; BTB=birdsfoot trefoil, cv. Bull; BTP=birdsfoot trefoil, cv. Polom; RC–SF=mixture of RC and SF (1 : 1); RC–BTB=mixture of RC and BTB (1 : 1); RC–BTP=mixture of RC and BTP (1 : 1); DM=dry matter; CH4=methane; VFA=volatile fatty acids; NH3=ammonia; uCP=utilisable CP at the duodenum.
Generally, the differences between single silages and the mixtures containing BT silages were much less pronounced than those seen with SF silage mixtures. Furthermore, most of the effects of mixing single silages were additive, and only a few were synergistic or antagonistic compared with the single legumes. In brief, the LU–SF mixture showed higher (P<0.05) counts for Holotrich protozoa compared with single LU but not to SF. When compared with LU but not to BTB, LU–BTB mixture had incubation fluid with a lower (P<0.05) pH, whereas the counts of total protozoa and of the entodiniomorphid protozoa were higher (P<0.05). The RC–SF mixture resulted in a lower (P<0.05) pH of the incubation fluid and a higher (P<0.05) total gas production compared with single SF but not with RC. Comparisons of RC–BTB with single BTB showed a higher (P<0.05) concentration of total VFA in the incubation fluid and comparison of RC–BTP with single BTP showed a lower (P<0.05) pH in the incubation fluid. In these traits, no difference occurred when compared with single RC.
The production of silages with high nutritional value, especially from legumes with high buffering capacity, still appears to be challenging without the use of additives (Muck, 1988). When no fast decline in pH is realised, proteolysis of the plant protein is not suppressed, resulting in high proportions of N as soluble compounds (Muck, 1988). In the present study, the quality of the silages produced in laboratory silos was generally good in all treatments, as evident by the fast decline and the low terminal pH. Consequently, only traces of undesired organic acids, like butyrate, were produced. The DM loss was also negligible, indicating a good compacting and sealing.
Although the effect of CT on ruminal carbohydrate degradation is regarded as a secondary anti-nutritional effect compared with that on protein degradation, the formation of complexes of CT with cellulose, hemicellulose and pectin (McSweeney et al., 2001) can reduce ruminal fermentation which, in turn, decreases the ruminal VFA and total gas production (Azuhnwi et al., 2011). Consistent with this, the VFA concentration was lower in all CT-containing legumes when compared with the non-CT-containing legumes in the present study, and this was most pronounced with SF, which had the highest CT content. Although not statistically significant, the total gas amounts indicate the same.
In cases where the CT decreased the extent of fibre degradation, this could result in a lower CH4 production, but a direct anti-methanogenic effect of CT is also possible (Patra and Saxena, 2011). However, although VFA production was lower for the SF samples when compared with the LU and RC samples, the absolute and relative CH4 production was not reduced and the change in the VFA profile towards acetate in the SF samples was due to a relative decrease in butyrate. Chung et al. (2013) observed no influence of SF on CH4 production, and Williams et al. (2010) reported no effect for BT. This lack of effect could be due to the CT content, the CT structure, or both, because the content and structure can vary considerably, not only among plant species (Mueller-Harvey, 2006) but also within species, as well as with respect to harvest time and cultivation site (Azuhnwi et al., 2013).
Another reason for the lack of an effect on CH4 in the SF and BT samples, compared with the LU samples, might be the saponin content of the LU samples. Saponins have the potential to form complexes with sterols in the cell walls of protozoa (Cheeke, 2000) and thereby reduce the CH4 production by reducing the number of protozoa or by other mechanisms independent of the presence of protozoa (Hess et al., 2003). However, as there was no clear difference in methanogenesis between the LU and RC silages, the specific properties of the LU samples were obviously too weak to have any effect on methanogenesis.
Forage diets that are characterised by easily degradable protein, as is the case with many silages, promote the formation of NH3 in the rumen. NH3 cannot be efficiently used by the ruminal microbes in case of excessive dietary CP or deficient fermentable OM supply or both. The surplus NH3 will be absorbed by the ruminant and will need to undergo detoxification into urea in the liver and be excreted in the urine. Excessive NH3 absorption therefore could result in metabolic stress in the animal due to its effects on liver health and the costs in terms of energy expenditure (Lobley et al., 1995). This is also an undesirable outcome in environmental terms, as the urea in urine is easily transformed into NH3, nitrate and nitrous oxides during manure storage and distribution on the field (Dijkstra et al., 2013). Wilting of plants before ensiling can be effective in reducing the amount of protein fraction A in favour of the B2 and B3 protein fractions. This has the effect of counteracting the excessive production of NH3 in the rumen and increasing the content of uCP, as ruminal undegradable protein is mainly composed of the B3 and C fractions (Edmunds et al., 2014).
In the present study, the silages prepared from SF seemed to decelerate proteolysis during the ensiling process. Although the non-protein N fraction A was already lower in fresh SF material, the proportion of fraction A was markedly lower in the SF silage than was observed in the other legume silages. In addition, the protein from fractions B1 and B2 shifted to the B3 and C protein fractions during the ensiling of SF and resulted in the highest ratio of uCP to total CP when compared with the other silages. Copani et al. (2014) similarly found a lower content of soluble N in SF silage compared with timothy grass silage, and Scharenberg et al. (2007) observed a higher ratio of uCP to total CP in SF silage compared with BT and chicory silage. CT form stable complexes with proteins (Mueller-Harvey, 2006) and thereby decelerate or even prevent ruminal degradation of these proteins, as microbes are unable to cleave these complexes (McSweeney et al., 2001). The low NH3 concentration and the reduced proportion of iso-VFA in the incubation fluid of SF silage compared with LU indicates an interaction of proteins with CT in the present study. However, the low NH3 concentration observed in the SF samples could result from its concomitantly low CP content and proportion of fraction A or its high CT content compared with the other legume silages. Alternatively, it could be a result of a later developmental stage of the plant at harvest or a combination of all these possibilities.
Apart from CT, other bioactive substances are known to reduce proteolysis; for example, the polyphenol oxidase is an enzyme that catalyses the formation of o-quinones (Lee et al., 2008). RC contains polyphenol oxidase as shown by Copani et al. (2014). These authors also reported a lower amount of soluble N in RC silage (33% of total N) compared with timothy grass silage (55% of total N). The non-protein N fraction A in the RC silage in the present study was lower than that found in the LU silage. The NH3 concentration in the incubation fluid from RC was also lower than that found in the fluid from LU, indicating an effect of o-quinones on ruminal protein degradation or silage fermentation or both, resulting in a lower proportion of protein fraction A that in turn reduced the NH3 concentration.
The small effect of CT on proteolysis in the BTB and BTP silages compared with SF silage, and the especially low effect of the BTP silages on NH3 concentration in the incubation fluid, were most likely the result of too low CT contents, partially caused by the high weed proportions in the swards. However, this effect could partly be a result of different CT structures. CT consist of varying proportions of prodelphinidins and procyanidins, which differ in the size of their polymers. These differences can influence their reactivity to form complexes with other polymers (Patra and Saxena, 2011). Therefore, differences between SF and BT would be expected, as the main CT in SF are prodelphinidins, whereas they are procyanidins in BT (compiled by Mueller-Harvey, 2006). Furthermore, the two BT cultivars differed in their CT fractions. A larger part of the CT in BTB was soluble, whereas about half of the CT in BTP were bound to proteins; this difference might explain the contrasting effectiveness of the two cultivars.
Complexes with CT are assumed to be released below pH 4 (Mangan, 1988), as it is the case in the abomasum. Ideally, therefore, the amount of undegradable protein and hence the amount of uCP (Waghorn, 2008) should be increased so that it contributes to the metabolisable protein supply. The ratio of uCP to total CP was indeed higher for SF than for all other silages tested in the present study, which suggests that this legume silage might improve the dietary protein utilisation and animal performance in diets that are limited in uCP but not in energy.
Mixing of forage plants may help to improve the forage quality by combining the positive effects of different plants. Ideally, the bioactive compounds present in some plants would act additively or synergistically when mixed and would improve the fermentation characteristics when compared with each single plant (Jayanegara et al., 2013). In the present study, no completely synergistic effects (i.e. significantly different from both respective single legumes) were observed. Nevertheless, some incompletely synergistic effects (significantly different from one single legume and numerically different in the same direction from the other single legume) were observed with mixtures of a CT-containing legume with RC or LU. These incompletely synergistic effects were manifested as a greater gas production (RC–SF) and a greater VFA concentration (RC–BTB), whereas the mixtures of LU–SF and LU–BTB showed greater numbers of protozoa. The lack of fully synergistic effects is most likely due to the low CT content of the mixtures, which is consistent with other literature reporting no synergistic effects of mixtures of SF and BT with LU (Williams et al., 2010; Chung et al., 2013). Nevertheless, synergistic effects may not be the only benefits, as additive effects (where the value of the mixture is in the middle, between the values of the two respective single legumes) could also have a positive impact on forage quality. For instance, the mixtures of SF with LU and RC, when compared with single LU and RC, reduced protein degradation to NH3 and enhanced the content of uCP.
The present findings showed that, by wilting the material before ensiling, it is possible to produce silages of the same quality as with common non-CT-containing legumes, even though no additives were applied in any of the silages. This confirms the first hypothesis. SF (and RC) silages resulted in a more favourable protein fraction profile because ensiling these plants proportionately decreased non-protein N and increased B3 protein when compared with LU silage. This could have resulted from the effect of bioactive compounds (CT and polyphenol oxidase). In the case of SF, this translated into a higher proportionate supply of uCP at the duodenum. Compared with SF, the BT cultivars, which contained much less CT, had little effect on protein-related traits. This shows that with SF, the second hypothesis was correct, but that it cannot be generalised to all CT-containing legumes and to low CT levels. Some positive effects were obtained by mixing CT-containing and non-CT-containing legumes in terms of lowering the ruminal NH3 concentration and increasing the supply of uCP, which could motivate farmers to integrate CT-containing legumes into ruminant diets. These findings confirm the third hypothesis. Mixing CT-containing and non-CT-containing legumes already during the ensiling process might reduce N losses even more and improve forage quality further. This has to be clarified by further research.
This study was supported by the EU Marie Curie Initial Training Network ('LegumePlus'; PITN-GA-2011-289377). The authors are grateful to Peter Stirnemann of the lab team at ETH Zurich for his assistance.
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Q: Deploying an exploded WAR inside a compressed EAR == not possible? At the moment I am trying to deploy an exploded war directory in a compressed ear file on a jboss-4.2.3.GA server. But JBoss complains that it can't find the web-app.war file (Failed to find module file: web-app.war). However if I deploy the same ear file exploded, too, the deployment works without any problems.
So my question is: Is it generally possible to deploy an exploded war inside a compressed ear?

A: I can deploy an exploded war inside a compressed ear on jboss-5.1.0.GA.
I suggest that you can check youear.ear/META-INF/application.xml.
My appliation.xml is like this:
<module>
  <web>
    <web-uri>myapp-war-1.0.0-SNAPSHOT.war</web-uri>
    <context-root>/myapp</context-root>
  </web>
</module>

and myapp-war-1.0.0-SNAPSHOT.war is an exploded war directory.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Updated on March 3, 2016 10:24pm EST
Obama, Romney Debate: The Gloves Come Off
By Victoria Craig FOXBusiness
President Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney wasted no time throwing jabs at each other over the economy, taxes, energy and job creation at the town-hall style debate Tuesday night.
Obama, who was criticized for his lackluster performance in the first presidential debate in Denver, worked to make up for lost ground as Romney worked to keep his momentum.
In the Oct.16 Rasmussen daily Presidential Tracking Poll, Romney had a slight lead with 49% of voters nationwide. Meanwhile, Obama held 47%, with 2% preferring another candidate and another 2% undecided.
The debate setting was very different from the first in Denver. This time around, rather than a formal moderated question and answer session, the candidates fielded questions from a pool of 80 undecided voters. Topics included domestic and foreign policy issues like jobs, the economy, women's issues and the tragedy in Libya on Sept. 11.
What to Do About Jobs
The debate kicked off with a question from a college student who will graduate in 2014 and is worried about his job prospects. Obama defended his record on jobs and how his policies relate to the economic recovery he promised back in 2008.
Challenger Romney didn't skip a beat, firing holes in the president's four-year record.
Romney began by telling the young man he knows what it takes to give "kids like you" jobs and outlined his five-step plan that includes reducing taxes, energy independence and education choice to create 12 million new jobs.
"You've got more and more debt on your back," the governor said. "I'm going to change that. I know what it takes to create good jobs again. I know what it takes to make sure that you have the kind of opportunity you deserve. And kids across this country are going to recognize we're bringing back an economy."
Obama rebutted with an outline of his plan for job creation which he said created five million new jobs over the last 30 months. He added he intends to build manufacturing jobs and ensure the nation has the best education system in the world. Other points to his job-creation plan include deficit reduction, energy control and reforming the tax code.
"We need to change our tax codes so we're giving incentives to companies that are investing here in the United States and creating jobs here. It also means we're helping them and small business to export all around the world to new markets."
Fixing the Economy
With the economy being most voters top priority this election cycle, many of the questions focused on the recovery and how to promote growth.
When asked about taxes, Governor Romney said as president he'd bring tax rates down, simplify the tax code and lower taxes for middle-income payers to have lower taxes because that's the sector that's been buried over the last four years. To Obama's record, Romney said the president hasn't fulfilled his promise to reduce the deficit and implemented policies that have pushed health insurance premiums higher.
"The president has tried, but his policies haven't worked," he said. "We have a record to look at and it shows he hasn't been able to get the economy where it should be and he hasn't cut the deficit."
Obama wasted no time firing back.
"Governor Romney doesn't have a five-point plan. He has a one-point plan. And that plan is to make sure that folks at the top play by a different set of rules. That's been his philosophy in the private sector, that's been his philosophy as governor, that's been his philosophy as a presidential candidate," he said.
The president reiterated his point, saying his administration has cut taxes for middle income workers, but said in the next four years, for a full recovery, the wealthier Americans can "give a little bit more." He said under his plan 90% of families and small businesses won't see an increase, and tax rates will go back to Clinton-era policies for the top 2%– a time when the economy was healthy.
But perhaps the most heated discussion of the night came when the candidates sparred on the issue of gas prices, oil permits and energy policies as they relate to the economy.
The president contended he increased oil and coal production, increased energy efficiency standards, lowered oil imports and reduced demand on oil to keep prices steady. The president contended he took oil permits away from those that were unused, which increased production.
His remarks were met with hot contention from the governor who led the discussion to oil drilling permits across the country – an action he said he would support if elected. Romney continued to highlight that oil production on government land is down, causing prices to increase.
Tragedy in Libya turns political
The Obama Administration found itself in a web of controversy following the Sept.11 tragedy that left four Americans, including Christopher Stevens, U.S. Ambassador to Libya, dead. Immediately after the attack, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton adamantly defended the position the attack was a result of a YouTube video that insulted Islam's founder. To back up the claim, Ambassador Susan Rice appeared on five Sunday talk shows following the attack reiterating that point. However, in the days and weeks to follow, more details of the attack unfolded to show it was pre-meditated – a far different explanation than the one the administration originally pushed.
The president reiterated his defense of his administration's statements Tuesday night when an audience member asked why security was not increased when requested at the embassy.
"When folks mess with Americans, we go after them," he said.
Romney questioned the validity of the president's claim over what his team knew and when. "What I find most troubling is on the day following the assassination, the president flies to Las Vegas for a political fundraiser, then Colorado for another political event," he said. "Those actions have symbolic significance and material significance."
Obama then took shots at Romney, saying it wasn't appropriate to turn this tragedy into a political issue.
Crowley's Performance
CNN's Chief Political Correspondent Candy Crowley had her work cut out for her moderating a free-flowing town hall debate format. She had to rein in both men to keep them on track and on time and often asked follow-up questions to get more clarified and specific answers.
In the days leading up to the debate, and in a rare show of political unity, both campaigns became concerned with Crowley's comments about being more actively involved in the conversation. Earlier this month, she told CNN, "Once the table is kind of set by the town hall questioner, there is then time for me to say, 'Hey, wait a second, what about x, y, z?" On Oct. 11 she added to her expectations: "The nice thing will be, if the town hall person asks about apples, and they answer oranges, I get to say, 'Wait a second, the question was about apples — let's talk about that."
Where We Go From Here
With exactly three weeks before the election, every word, appearance and claim is under intense scrutiny as the candidates work to secure votes.
Experts agreed Obama was clearly more animated and engaged this time around, but the format proved challenging for both sides to hone in on their policies and make counter arguments.
Ben Voth, expert in debate and persuasion and chair of corporate communications and public affairs at Southern Methodist University, said this debate format proved to be the highest degree of difficulty, but both candidates met expectations this time around.
"The public generally hoped to see the same or similar successful candidate from the first debate," he said. "Romney continued to offer a clear alternative in the five-point plan. He demonstrated comfort and empathy with the audience which is important to raising his favorability."
By contrast, Voth said Obama met expectations from his supporters after a weak showing in Denver. He said the confrontations by both candidates escalated the debate and this time around Obama showed more energy and direct refutation to the governor.
Voth zeroed in on the energy policy debate as dominating the evening, and said both candidates excelled--but one came out victorious.
"Romney seemed to best the president on this topic area by arguing that gas prices are rising under the current policies," he said. "Economic issues also had prominent emphasis and both candidates had strong challenges and arguments to their side."
But it's not just the candidates and their policies that will be a topic of discussion Wednesday morning. As in the previous debate, Crowley will likely become a talking point and focus of morning-after discussion. Voth threw in his two cents about the moderator's handling of the evening's conversations, saying she favored the president by limiting Romney's ability to respond.
"Candy Crowley exceeded the agreed upon framework for the debate and diminished the overall process," he said. "Debates are not about moderators. By 'clarifying' and 'adding' to the debate, she became inappropriately involved in the arguments. There exists an abundance of news and journalistic outlets with the candidates themselves without adding a fourth party to this already complex debate format."