Genetic and environmental factors affecting perinatal and preweaning survival of D’man lambs

This study examined the viability of 4,554 D’man lambs born alive at Errachidia research station in south-eastern Morocco between 1988 and 2009. Lamb survival to 1, 10, 30 and 90 days old was 0.95, 0.93, 0.93 and 0.92, respectively. The majority of deaths (85.7 %) occurred before 10 days of age. Type and period of birth both had a significant effect on lamb survival traits, whereas age of dam and sex of lamb did not. The study revealed a curvilinear relationship between lamb’s birth weight and survival traits from birth to 90 days, with optimal birth weights for maximal perinatal and preweaning survival varying according to type of birth from 2.6 to 3.5 kg. Estimation of variance components, using an animal model including direct and maternal genetic effects, the permanent maternal environment as well as fixed effects, showed that direct and maternal heritability estimates for survival traits between birth and 90 days were mostly low and varied from 0.01 to 0.10; however, direct heritability for survival at 1 day from birth was estimated at 0.63. Genetic correlations between survival traits and birth weight were positive and low to moderate. It was concluded that survival traits of D’man lambs between birth and 90 days could be improved through selection, but genetic progress would be low. However, the high proportion of the residual variance to total variance reinforces the need to improve management and lambing conditions.     

Chemical composition and biological activity of Salvia officinalis L. essential oil against Aphis fabae Scopoli (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - This study investigated chemical composition, repellent and biocidal activities of Salvia officinalis essential oil against Aphis fabae. In total, 19...     

Diurnal and individual variations in bile acids in the plasma of normal dairy cows

Blood samples were collected every 2 h during a 24 h period from 6 cows of one herd and 10 cows of another herd. In a third herd 9 cows were sampled every 2 h from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Concentrations of total bile acids, acetoacetate, glucose and free fatty acids were determined in blood plasma. A marked difference in individual bile acid concentrations and patterns of diurnal variation was found. For most cows the highest bile acid values were observed between 2 and 6 a.m. (overall mean (+/- SD) at 6 a.m.: 104 +/- 84 mumol/l, range: 20-307 mumol/l). Fourteen cows with a bile acid value greater than 90 mumol/l at 6 a.m. ("high BA") were characterized as a group by showing a pronounced decrease in the mean bile acid concentration after morning feeding. In the group of 11 cows with a 6 a.m. bile acid value less than 90 mumol/l ("low BA") the time of day did not contribute significantly to the bile acid variation. For the "high BA" group a nearly synchronous variation between the mean values of the 3 feeding dependent parameters (acetoacetate, glucose and free fatty acids) and the mean values of bile acids was found. The within animal coefficients of correlation between bile acids and the feeding dependent parameters were significantly higher in the "high BA" group than in the "low BA" group. No direct connection was found between bile acid levels and the quantity of concentrates fed or the individual milk yield.     

Application de la chromatographie sur couche mince a l'analyse des phospholipides et galactolipides des vegetaux

Résumé Les principes de la séparation des lipides polaires des autres catégories lipidiques, puis de la séparation des différents lipides polaires entre eux sont rapidement passés en revue. Les principaux systèmes, récemment décrits, permettant de réaliser ces séparations sur couche mince, sur papier silicé ou en couplant un fractionnement préalable sur colonne avec une chromatographie ultérieure sur couche mince, sont présentés. Plusieurs exemples sont fournis de l'application de ces méthodes d'analyse aux lipides polaires de divers fruits, tubercules ou feuilles vertes.

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Summary The principles of the separation of polar lipids from the other lipid categories, then the principles of the separation of the various polar lipids between them, are rapidly reviewed. The main systems, recently described, thanks to which it is possible to achieve these separations on a thin-layer, on silica paper, or by coupling a preliminary column fractionation with an ulterior thin-layer chromatography are presented. Several examples of the application of these methods of analysis to the polar lipids of various fruits, tubers, or green leaves, are given.

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Zusammenfassung Die Grundsätze der Trennung der polaren Lipide von den anderen Lipiden, und der verschiedenen polaren Lipide untereinander werden kurz besprochen. Die kürzlich beschriebenen Verfahren, welche diese Trennungen auf Dünnschichten möglich machen, auf Kieselgel oder durch Kupplung mit einer vorherigen Säulen-Fraktionierung und anschließender DC werden dargestellt. Mehrere Beispiele werden bezüglich der Anwendung dieser analytischen Verfahren für polare Lipide in verschiedenen Früchten, Knollen oder grünen Blättern gegeben.

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Abréviations utilisées PA acide phosphatidique - PI phosphatidylinositol - PS phosphatidylsérine - PE phosphatidyléthanolamine - PG phosphatidylglycérol - PGP diphosphatidylglycérol (cardiolipine) - MGDG monogalactosyldiglycéride - DGDG digalactosyldiglycéride - LN lipides neutres     

Mapping adaptation of barley to droughted environments

Identifying barley genomic regions influencing the response of yield and its components to water deficits will aid in our understanding of the genetics of drought tolerance and the development of more drought tolerant cultivars. We assembled a population of 192 genotypes that represented landraces, old, and contemporary cultivars sampling key regions around the Mediterranean basin and the rest of Europe. The population was genotyped with a stratified set of 50 genomic and EST derived molecular markers, 49 of which were Simple Sequence Repeats (SSRs), which revealed an underlying population sub-structure that corresponded closely to the geographic regions in which the genotypes were grown. A more dense whole genome scan was generated by using Diversity Array Technology (DArT®) to generate 1130 biallelic markers for the population. The population was grown at two contrasting sites in each of seven Mediterranean countries for harvest 2004 and 2005 and grain yield data collected. Mean yield levels ranged from 0.3 to 6.2 t/ha, with highly significant genetic variation in low-yielding environments. Associations of yield with barley genomic regions were then detected by combining the DArT marker data with the yield data in mixed model analyses for the individual trials, followed by multiple regression of yield on markers to identify a multi-locus subset of significant markers/QTLs. QTLs exhibiting a pre-defined consistency across environments were detected in bins 4, 6, 6 and 7 on barley chromosomes 3H, 4H, 5H and 7H respectively.     

Varietal differences in the response of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var. durum) to irrigation strategies in a semi-arid region of Algeria

The response of three durum wheat cultivars (C: Chen’s, V: Vitron, W: Waha) to irrigation was studied during 4 years in semi-arid Algeria (Chlef). The four treatments were NI (unirrigated), EI (early irrigation, up to heading), LI (late irrigation, from heading) and FI (full irrigation, over the entire season). FI increased rainfed grain yield (1,300 kg ha⁻¹) by 270%, EI by 107%, and LI by 67%. The variety × irrigation interaction was significant each year. Under irrigation, cv. Vitron was generally the most productive cultivar while in rainfed conditions cv. Waha always resulted in the highest grain yield. Grain yield increased exponentially with seasonal evapotranspiration (r ² = 0.741) and harvest index (r ² = 0.873). Water use efficiency for grain ranged from 4.6–5.3 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ (NI) to 9.6–10.8 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ (FI) as a function of cultivar and irrigation, cv. Vitron and cv. Waha (full irrigation) and cv. Waha (rainfed) being the most efficient cultivars. According to the evaporation pan method, the seasonal crop coefficient (K _c) values for the three cultivars were 0.64 (V), 0.62 (W) and 0.54 (C). The corresponding peak K _c values were 1.0, 0.97 and 0.89, respectively. K _c was closely related to leaf area index (LAI) and specific logarithmic relationships were calculated for each cultivar. Irrigation scheduling should be adapted to the type of cultivar in relation to its potential yield and LAI development pattern.     

Effect of temperature and oxygen on the activity of microsomal oleyl-coenzyme A desaturase of potato tubers

Summary To check if the oxygen concentration in the cell medium-higher at low temperatures-is a factor regulating the synthesis of polyunsaturated fatty acids, the effects of temperature and oxygen concentration were studied in vitro on the activity of the microsomal oleyl-coenzyme A desaturase of potato tubers. The highest activity of this enzyme was observed at 30° C, and not at low temperatures, and at an oxygen concentration of about 20%. These results suggest that the above hypothesis is not valid for the potato tuber cell.

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Zusammenfassung Um zu prüfen. ob die Sauerstoffkonzentration in der Zelle-bei niedriger Temperatur h?herein regulierender Faktor bei der Synthese der mehrfach unges?ttigten Fetts?uren ist, wurde der Einfluss der Temperatur und der Sauerstoffkonzentration auf die Aktivit?t der mikrosomalen Oleyl-coenzym A Desaturase der Kartoffelknollen in vitro untersucht. Die h?chste Aktivit?t des Enzyms wurde bei einer Temperatur von 30°C gefunden und nicht bei tieferen Temperaturen (Abb. 1) und bei einer Konzentration von ca. 20% Sauerstoff (Abb. 2). Diese Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die angeführte Hypothese im Falle der Kartoffelknollen nicht zutrifft.

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Résumé Pour vérifier si l'hypothèse selon laquelle la concentration en oxygène du milieu cellulaire-plus élevée à basse température-est un facteur régulant la synthèse des acides gras polyinsaturés, les effets de la température et de la concentration en oxygène sur l'activité de l'oléyl-coenzyme A désaturase microsomale du tubercule de pomme de terre ont été étudiés in vitro. L'activité la plus élevée de l'enzyme est observée pour la température de 30°C et non à basse température (Fig. 1) et pour une concentration en oxygène d'environ 20% (Fig. 2). Ces résultats suggèrent que l'hypothèse exposée plus haut n'est pas valable dans le cas du tubercule de pomme de terre.

     

Serum enzyme determination in the study of liver disease in dogs

Glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH), sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH), 5''-nucIeotidase (5''-ND) and cholin esterase (CHE) were determined in the sera of 37 dogs with various liver diseases. The values for these parameters were compared with the values for aspartate and alanin aminotransferase (ASAT, ALAT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), γ-glutamyl transferase (γ-GT) and albumin (ALB). GLDH was found to be the most sensitive enzyme parameter (sensitivity 92 %), its values also reflecting the degree of liver cell necrosis well. Next in sensitivity followed ASAT and ALP. SDH values were correlated to ALAT values but had a low sensitivity (43 %). 5''-ND discriminated markedly better between biliary tract disturbance and other lesions than ALP and somewhat better than γ-GT. CHE had a wide reference range, low sensitivity, and was not correlated to ALB. Single determinations of CHE may thus not be of diagnostic value in dogs.     

QTLs for barley yield adaptation to Mediterranean environments in the ‘Nure’ × ‘Tremois’ biparental population

Multi-environment trials represent a highly valuable tool for the identification of the genetic bases of crop yield potential and stress adaptation. A Diversity Array Technology^®-based barley map has been developed in the ‘Nure’ × ‘Tremois’ biparental Doubled Haploid population, harbouring the genomic position of a gene set with a putative role in the regulation of flowering time and abiotic stress response in barley. The population has been evaluated in eighteen location-by-year combinations across the Mediterranean basin. QTL mapping identified several genomic regions responsible for barley adaptation to Mediterranean conditions in terms of phenology, grain yield and yield component traits. The most frequently detected yield QTL had the early flowering HvCEN_EPS2 locus (chromosome 2H) as peak marker, showing a positive effect from the early winter parent ‘Nure’ in eight field trials, and explaining up to 45.8 % of the observed variance for grain yield. The HvBM5A_VRN-H1 locus on chromosome 5H and the genomic region possibly corresponding to PPD-H2 on chromosome 1H were significantly associated to grain yield in five and three locations, respectively. Environment-specific QTLs for grain yield, and clusters of yield component QTLs not related to phenology and or developmental genes (e.g. on chromosome 4H, BIN_09) were observed as well. The results of this work provide a valuable source of knowledge and tools for both explaining the genetic bases of barley yield adaptation across the Mediterranean basin, and using QTL-associated markers for MAS pre-breeding and breeding programmes.     

Application of micromechanical models to tensile properties of wood–plastic composites

Wood–plastic composites (WPC) were produced with white birch pulp fibers of different aspect ratios (length-to-diameter), high-density polyethylene, and using two common processes: extrusion or injection molding. Three additive levels were also used: no additive, compatibility agent, and process lubricant. Fiber size was measured with an optical fiber quality analyzer. Tensile properties of WPC were measured and modeled as a function of fiber aspect ratio. Models were fitted to experimental values using the minimum sum of squared error method. A shift from the oriented fiber case (injection molding) to the randomly oriented fiber case (extrusion) was achieved using a fiber orientation factor. Fiber/matrix stress transfer increased with increasing fiber aspect ratio. Stress transfer was reduced with the use of process lubricant. Unexpectedly, the compatibility agent had the same effect. Fiber strength and stiffness contributions to the composite were lower than those of intrinsic fiber properties.