Understanding farmers’ potato production practices and use of improved varieties in Chencha,Ethiopia

This study was carried out to better understand non-adoption of improved varieties of potato (Solanum tuberosum) and associated technologies by smallholder farmers in Chencha, Ethiopia. Data were collected through a survey (n = 47) and in-depth interviews (n = 20). It shows how wealth status was a factor of major importance. Most wealthy and some medium-wealthy farmers adopted improved potato varieties and many of the improved production practices; they had access to seed, associated knowledge and support, and sufficient resources that were necessary to apply the improved practices. Non-adoption was common among many medium-wealthy and most poor farmers: they lacked—next to access to the technologies and knowledge—cash, land, and labor. Results indicated the need to rethink research and intervention efforts. Next to paying attention to differences in the access to technology and the related knowledge, there is a need to consider the variation in technology needs, supporting microcredit services, and room to experiment. As a result, different combinations of improved production practices may be adopted.     

Markers for Predicting Overweight or Obesity of Broodmares

Obesity has become of great concern to all equine community from both veterinary and welfare points of view. For estimating obesity markers of brood mares, 17 mares with body conditions were subjected to blood sampling and ultrasound examination to measure rump fat for 6 consecutive weeks. Body length (L), girth (G), and height (H) were measured to estimate body weight (BW), body fat %, body fat mass (BFM) and body mass index (BMI). Mares were classified into three groups according to body condition score (BCS) and rump fat thickness (RF). Overweight mares (O) had BCS >7 and RF >7 mm, moderate (M) had BCS and RF >3 to ≤7, and emaciated (E) had BCS and RF ≤ 3 mm. Glucose, triglycerides, nitric oxide (NO), insulin, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-1), leptin, ovarian hormones, and thyroid hormones were measured. Results revealed that BCS, G, L, L × G × H, BW, RF, fat %, and BFM correlated significantly (P < .0001) with body condition. Tetraiodothyronine concentrations of E mares were significantly high (P = .04), but triiodothyronine concentrations tended (P = .07) to be low. Insulin (P = .06) and IGF-1 (P = .07) concentrations tended to be high in O mares. Moderate mares had the highest leptin concentrations (P = .007), but E mares had the lowest P4 concentrations (P = .01). Overweight mares had nonsignificantly high glucose, NO, and triglycerides. In conclusion, back fat and morphometric measurements are the easiest and simple assessment of overweight and obesity. Obese and overweight mares showed slight hyperinsulinemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and hyperglycemia. Hyperleptinemia alone is not indicative of obesity.     

论能岗匹配原理在农业企业人力资源招聘中的应用

合理地进行人岗匹配，是有效实现农业企业人力资源管理职能的前提。而能岗匹配原理作 为人力资源招聘过程中的黄金法则，正逐渐成为人力资源管理研究的热点，受到越来越多学者的关 注。本文详细阐述了能岗匹配原理，剖析了能级与权级的异同之处，并尝试提出相关理论的在操作中 的操作方式。     

混料设计法优化萝卜糕配方的研究

萝卜糕是闽南地区一种传统小吃，其质地柔软，味道鲜美，营养丰富，是一种适宜大众的美食。本文以黏米粉、玉米粉、马铃薯粉为粉料，采用混料设计试验方法优化萝卜糕的原料配比，研究了不同种类及不同配比的淀粉形成的面团的质构特性，比较不同配比的原料对萝卜糕感官品质的影响，确定各原料的最佳添加量。通过质构分析和感官评分法对萝卜糕的配方进行比较。结果表明：当黏米粉、玉米粉和马铃薯粉的混合比例为0.65∶0.10∶0.25时，面团TPA质构特性为硬度较低，黏着性、弹性和内聚性均达到最高值，分别为1 220.834 Pa·s、0.97和0.534，且黏米粉、玉米粉和马铃薯粉比例为0.598、0.176、0.226时，制备的萝卜糕风味最佳，感官品质得分最高。     

Associations between postpartum diseases and milk yield and changes in body condition between drying off and parturition of dairy cows in Argentina

ABSTRACT

Aims: To assess the change in body condition score (BCS) during the early and late dry periods and its association with postpartum diseases and milk yield in grazing dairy cows from central Argentina.

Methods: BCS assessments during the dry period, and cow health and milk production records up to 90 days in milk (DIM), were collated for cows from 28 farms at monthly visits between 2007 and 2008. Cows were categorised into four groups; those in Group 1 (n=7,067) maintained or gained BCS during the early and late dry periods; Group 2 (n=2,615) maintained or gained BCS during the early dry period and lost BCS during the late dry period; Group 3 (n=1,989) lost BCS during the early dry period and maintained or gained BCS during the late dry period; and Group 4 (n=5,144) lost BCS during the early and late dry periods.

Results: Cows in Group 1 had reduced odds of having retained fetal membranes (RFM), metritis, and clinical mastitis up to 90 DIM than cows in Group 2 (p<0.001), but the odds of disease were similar to cows in Group 3. The odds of having RFM or clinical mastitis tended to be lower in cows in Group 1 than cows in Group 4 (p=0.08). The odds of cows being culled or dying during the first 90 DIM were lower for cows in Group 1 than for those in Groups 2, 3, and 4 (p≤0.05). Mean accumulated milk yield up to 90 DIM was higher in cows in Group 1 than Group 2 and Group 4 (p<0.001), but was similar to that of cows in Group 3 (p=0.28).

Conclusions and clinical relevance: Cows that lost BCS during the late dry period had increased odds of being diagnosed with several postpartum diseases and had decreased milk yield compared to cows that maintained or gained BCS during the entire dry period. Loss of BCS during any stage of the dry period was also associated with increased incidence of culling or death during the first 90 DIM. These results should raise awareness among dairy cattle producers of the importance of properly managing cow body condition during the dry period, especially during the late dry period.     

Relationships Between Measurements of Body Fat in Thoroughbred Horses

Equine obesity is increasing in prevalence, and weight loss diets are frequently recommended for these horses. However, there are also management situations in which horses are deemed to be too thin. To monitor the efficacy of weight change programs, estimates of body fat are often made. There are several systems available to estimate body fat, and there are benefits and challenges to using each method. The objective of this study was to compare four different methods of estimating body fat in Thoroughbred horses. In 14 mature Thoroughbred horses, relationships among body condition score (BCS), morphometric measurements, ultrasonic measures of subcutaneous fat depots, and estimation of total body fat (BF_D) via measurement of total body water through deuterium oxide dilution were evaluated. Body condition scores ranged from 4.5 to 6.5 on a 9-point scale. Body condition score, heart girth-to-body weight ratio, and BF_D were all positively correlated with each other (P < .05). Subcutaneous fat depth at the tailhead tended to be positively related to BF_D when only horses with BCS ≥ 5 were included (P = .0680). These data suggest that BCS remains a simple means of monitoring adiposity in mature horses in moderate condition. Tailhead fat depots may become useful for monitoring changes in body fat in Thoroughbreds with a BCS above 5, although more work with animals of higher adiposity is required and at different times of year.     

板栗中毒死蜱农药残留检测结果满意度的研究

本文就如何保证农产品农药残留能力验证实验结果满意需要注意几个关键点进行探讨分析。要想通过板栗中毒死蜱农残的能力验证,样品前处理采用NY/T 761的方法,必须注意：提取液的过滤要用定性滤纸或脱脂棉,提取液过滤后静置时间控制在30 min～40 min之间,吸取10 mL乙腈液体要准确,净化步骤的水浴温度要严格按照方法要求,氮吹切记不要吹的太干,吹到潮乎乎为宜,SPE小柱的活化平衡要充分,上样时液面不能流干,上样后尽可能流干再洗脱,最后定容5.00 mL要准确。检测结束后,对结果进行验证很重要,可采用盲样的空白基质基质配标和空白基质基质加标画标准曲线两种办法。     

基于Cruise的纯电动汽车的参数匹配与仿真

对某款纯电动汽车的驱动电机参数、传动系统参数、电池组参数等进行参数匹配选型,并借助汽车仿真软件AVL Cruise(Cruise是一款在业界功能最强大、最稳定,适用性最广的整车和传动系统性能分析的仿真工具)进行动力性能仿真分析。经过仿真验证之后,该参数匹配过程正确,动力性能达到设计的要求。     

紫甘蓝吐司的配方优化及其质构特性研究

研究了紫甘蓝泥、酵母、面包改良剂和烤焙油对紫甘蓝吐司品质的影响。在单因素试验的基础上,以感官评分为判断标准,通过正交试验确定吐司的最佳工艺配方并对感官品质和质构特性的关系进行分析。结果表明:当紫甘蓝泥添加量9.0%,酵母添加量1.2%,面包改良剂添加量0.6%,烤焙油添加量6.0%时,研制出的紫甘蓝吐司感官品质最佳。同时,利用逐步回归分析法建立感官评分与质构特性间的最优线性回归模型:Y(感官评分)=-92.388+18.315X2(弹性)。本研究为紫甘蓝吐司的研发与生产提供理论参考。     

Body condition scoring (BCS) in corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus) and comparison to pre-existing body condition index (BCI) for snakes

In the veterinary profession, the body condition score (BCS) plays an important role in the assessment of patients. It is a subjective, tactile method of evaluating body fat and muscle mass and is used in numerous species. Recognizing obesity (or the contrary, emaciation) is important for veterinarians treating reptiles and could be facilitated by a BCS. An existing form of body condition assessment already used is the body condition index (BCI), where the residuals from a regression of body mass on body length are calculated. Therefore, the goal of this study was to provide practitioners with a BCS system for corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus) and to test it against the BCI. A total of 22 corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus), stationed at the “Auffangstation für Reptilien” in Munich (reptile rescue centre, RRC), were subject of this study. Each had the following measurements taken: body weight (BW), snout–tail tip length (STL), snout–vent length (SVL) and circumference in the middle (C). Manual palpation of spine, area between vertebral spinous and transverse process, ribs and neck of each snake was performed by three veterinarians and assigned to specific scores by each examiner. A BCS (mean of examiners’ scores) was given to each snake according to manual palpation. The BCS system was chosen to be out of 5 in 0.5-point steps with 2.5 considered as ideal BCS. In the studied snakes, the BCS ranged from 1.5 to 3.5, with a median of 2.5. The median BW was 309 g (75–967 g), the median STL was 123 cm (79–153 cm), the median SVL was 104 cm (73–133 cm) and the median C was 7.5 cm (4.3–11 cm). BCS and BCI were positively correlated. A BCS includes a manual palpation of the animal and thus gives the examiner additional information to the objectively measured/calculated index.