Modified algorithm to determine localized modulus of elasticity of lumber

Summary A procedure has been developed to determine the cut-off frequency in an algorithm to evaluate the localized modulus of elasticity (MOE) in lumber. MOE profiles have been artificially generated to serve as input for evaluation of the procedure. A noise component has also been added to the input record to test the robustness and accuracy of the procedure. Good agreement between program predictions and the known localized MOE values has been obtained. The efficiency of the procedure has also been tested using MOE profiles collected from experiments. The program performed efficiently and program predictions seemed reasonable.     

Additional pregnane glycoside from Baseonema acuminatum

The isolation of baseonemoside C (1), a new pregnane glycoside from the aerial parts of Baseonema acuminatum is reported.     

Constituents from the leaves of Rhododendron latoucheae

Twelve constituents from Rhododendron latoucheae were isolated. Among them, compounds 1 and 2, named rhodolatouside A and B, respectively, are new iridoids.     

Electrophysiological responses of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Thaumetopoea pityocampa</Emphasis> females to host volatiles: implications for host selection of active and inactive terpenes

Volatiles from newly cut branches with needles of Pinus sylvestris L. were collected with headspace sampling technique, and then identified and quantified by combined gas chromatographic-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The response of antennae of the female pine processionary moth, Thaumetopoea pityocampa, to these volatiles was recorded by coupled gas chromatographic-electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD). Surprisingly, the most common and major monoterpene hydrocarbons (MT), α-pinene, 3-carene, and β-pinene were antennally inactive. Female antennae responded strongly only to four minor MT components, myrcene, β-phellandrene, trans-β-ocimene, and terpinolene. Weaker, but repeatable responses were also found to limonene, cis-β-ocimene, and γ-terpinene. Further EAD recordings with two synthetic MT mixtures supported our findings from the natural material. When separating the two enantiomers of limonene by running different synthetic MT mixtures, the EAD response was found only to the(?)-enantiomer, but not to the opposite (+)-enantiomer. EAD-responses were also found to some less volatile compounds, such as sesquiterpenes (SqT), active at ng-levels. The sensitivity and specificity of the antenna to a select number of active host MTs and SqTs suggest that these play a role in the host selection process of T. pityocampa females.     

Examination of the consistency of plant traits driving oil yield and quality in short-rotation coppice cultivation of Eucalyptus polybractea

The value of eucalyptus oil for medicinal purposes is based largely on its cineole content. The prime commercial species for cineole production in Australia is Eucalyptus polybractea (blue mallee). Despite the long history of blue mallee harvesting in Australia, there has been little research on the establishment of plantations of the species or on the efficacy of short-rotation coppice cultivation with respect to the consistency of oil yield and quality from rotation to rotation. This study aims to assess if subsequent coppice oil traits reflect sapling traits and if the coppice oil traits under short-rotation cultivation are consistent from one rotation to the next. A trial plantation was established in a key eucalyptus oil harvesting district in Victoria. Firstly, the oil-related traits of 20 saplings harvested 3.5 years after planting were compared with those of their subsequent coppice harvested after 12 months regrowth. Despite the expected differences in total biomass, the oil-related traits of blue mallee saplings were mostly well reflected in their subsequent coppice. Total above ground biomass and foliar oil concentration were significantly related between saplings and coppice, and cineole proportion showed a Pearson's correlation of 0.93 between harvests. Nevertheless, the mean foliar oil concentration in the coppice was 148 mg g⁻¹ dw compared with 107 in the saplings, and the coppice foliage, on average, showed significantly reduced cineole with a mean of 87% in the saplings (maximum of 95.6%) compared to a mean of only 80% in the coppice (maximum of 87.0%). Secondly, the oil traits of 20 coppice plants from one 12-month harvest rotation to the next were compared. Again, total above ground biomass, foliar oil concentration and cineole proportion were significantly related between the harvests, with cineole proportion having a Pearson's correlation of 0.90 between rotations. The coppice between rotations were remarkably consistent in terms of biomass and oil traits and indeed mean coppice cineole yields were 28.6 and 29.7 g in rotations 1 and 2, respectively. The results support the screening of key oil-related traits in saplings for the selection of elite genotypes for plantations, and the use of short-rotation cultivation of the plantations for continued oil harvesting. Furthermore, no relationship was observed between biomass and oil concentration in the blue mallee saplings or coppice, suggesting selection gains in a given key oil trait will not result in losses in another.     

Comparative pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of quinocetone in crucian carp (Carassius auratus), common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.), and grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) following the same experimental conditions

The pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of quinocetone (QCT) in crucian carp (Carassius auratus), common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.), and grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) were compared after oral administration of QCT (50 mg/kg body weight) at water temperature of 24 ± 1 °C. Similar QCT plasma concentration–time profiles were found in the three species of cyprinid fish at the same dosage regimen and water temperature, which were all fitted two‐compartment open pharmacokinetic model. However, different pharmacokinetic parameters were observed in crucian carp, common carp, and grass carp. The absorption rate constants (K_a) of QCT were 1.65, 1.40 and 1.74/h, respectively and absorption half‐lives (t_1/2kα) were 0.42, 0.49, and 0.40/h, respectively. The distribution half‐life (t_1/2α) was 2.83, 0.67, and 0.88 h, respectively, and elimination half‐lives (t_1/2β) of QCT were 133.97, 63.55, and 40.76 h, respectively. The maximum concentrations (C_max) of QCT in plasma were 0.315, 0.182, and 0.139 μg/mL and the time to peak concentrations (T_p) were 1.45, 0.96, and 1.08 h, respectively. The area under the plasma concentration‐time curves (AUC) were 12.35, 5.99, and 4.52 μg·h/mL, respectively. The distribution volumes (V_d/F) of QCT were calculated as 117.81, 128.71, and 220.10 L/kg, respectively. The tissue analysis showed that a similar regularity was obtained in the three species of cyprinids with a single dose of 50 mg/kg body weight after oral administration at the same water temperature. The tissue concentration of QCT in each fish was in order of liver>kidney>muscle, while the residues of QCT in the three species of cyprinid fish were in order of crucian carp>common carp>grass carp.     

Pharmacokinetics of cefquinome in tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) after a single intramuscular or intraperitoneal administration

The pharmacokinetics of cefquinome was studied in plasma after a single dose (10 mg/kg) of intramuscular (i.m.) or intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration to tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in freshwater at 30 °C. Ten fish per sampling point were examined after treatment. The data were fitted to two‐compartment open models following both routes of administration. The estimates of total body clearance (CL/F), volume of distribution (Vd/F), and absorption half‐life (T_1/2ka) were 0.049 and 0.037 L/h/kg, 0.41 and 0.33 L/kg, and 0.028 and 0.035 h following i.m. and i.p. administration, respectively. After i.m. injection, the elimination half‐life (T_1?2β) was calculated to be 5.81 h, the maximum plasma concentration (C_max) to be 49.40 μg/mL, the time to peak plasma cefquinome concentration (T_max) to be 0.14 h, and the area under the plasma concentration–time curve (AUC) to be 204.6 μg h/mL. Following i.p. administration, the corresponding estimates were 6.05 h, 44.39 μg/mL, 0.17 h and 267.8 μg h/mL. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of cefquinome, determined for 30 strains of Streptococcus agalactiae isolated from diseased tilapia, ranged from 0.015 to 0.12 μg/mL. Results from these studies support that 10 mg cefquinome/kg body weight daily could be expected to control tilapia bacterial pathogens inhibited in vitro by a minimal inhibitory concentration value of ≤2 μg/mL.     

Impact of relationships between test and training animals and among training animals on reliability of genomic prediction

One of the factors affecting the reliability of genomic prediction is the relationship among the animals of interest. This study investigated the reliability of genomic prediction in various scenarios with regard to the relationship between test and training animals, and among animals within the training data set. Different training data sets were generated from EuroGenomics data and a group of Nordic Holstein bulls (born in 2005 and afterwards) as a common test data set. Genomic breeding values were predicted using a genomic best linear unbiased prediction model and a Bayesian mixture model. The results showed that a closer relationship between test and training animals led to a higher reliability of genomic predictions for the test animals, while a closer relationship among training animals resulted in a lower reliability. In addition, the Bayesian mixture model in general led to a slightly higher reliability of genomic prediction, especially for the scenario of distant relationships between training and test animals. Therefore, to prevent a decrease in reliability, constant updates of the training population with animals from more recent generations are required. Moreover, a training population consisting of less‐related animals is favourable for reliability of genomic prediction.     

The Effect of Season on Spermatozoa Motility,Plasma Membrane and Acrosome Integrity in Fresh and Frozen–Thawed Semen from Xinong Saanen Bucks

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the season of ejaculate collection influences seminal quality parameters of pre‐ and post‐freeze–thawing in Xinong Saanen bucks. Ejaculates were collected from eight bucks throughout the four seasons (spring, summer, autumn and winter) in a 12 months’ time period, identified in the Northern Hemisphere. Semen samples were evaluated by the combinations of conventional and Computer‐Assisted Sperm Analysis (CASA) when fresh and after frozen–thawed, respectively. The results clearly demonstrated that season of ejaculate collection influenced (p < 0.05) fresh semen quality. Highest semen quality was observed during autumn. On the contrary, undesirable indices (significantly lower, p < 0.05) were observed in winter as compared with the other remaining seasons. CASA has clearly shown the influences of seasonal variations on semen motility parameters. Furthermore, season of ejaculate collection was also found to influence sperm freezability. Semen characteristics after frozen–thawed followed a similar pattern with that of fresh ejaculate except in spring. The results revealed that sperm quality was higher (p < 0.01) in summer and autumn than in spring and winter. In conclusion, seasonal variation influences semen quality in Xinong Saanen bucks. In addition to summer and autumn, fresh ejaculates in spring can also be successfully used for AI. Sperm from ejaculates collected during summer and autumn are more suitable for cryopreservation. Hence, it is possible to increase the efficiency of goat breeding by manipulating the seasonal variations of semen quality for immediate AI and/or cryopreservation.