Evaluation of the relationship between injuries and size of gestation stalls relative to size of sows

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there is a relationship between sow injuries and size of gestation stalls relative to sow size. DESIGN: Prospective study. ANIMALS: 267 pregnant sows. PROCEDURE: Sows were randomly selected from 4 swine farms. Sow and stall measurements were obtained, and injuries were scored on the basis of location, number, and depth. Ratios of stall length to sow length and stall width to sow height were calculated. RESULTS: High injury scores were associated with low ratios of stall length to sow length and stall width to sow height. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: A small increase in stall dimensions could reduce injuries and improve well-being of sows considerably.     

Effect of chemical softening of coconut fibres on structure and properties of its blended yarn with jute

Coconut fibres were subjected to chemical treatment to obtain softer and finer fibres, suitable to blend with other finer fibre like jute. The chemical softening recipe was optimized using Box-Behnken design of experiments as 40 % Na₂S, 10 % NaOH and 6 % Na₂CO₃, which notably reduced the fineness (33 %) and flexural rigidity (74 %) and improved tensile property of coconut fibre. Effect of softening of coconut fibre on its process performance was studied in high speed mechanized spinning system at different blend ratios with jute. Blending with jute assists in spinning of coconut fibre to produce yarn of 520 tex at production rate of 5-6 kg/h, as compared to 15 kg/day for hand spun 5300 tex raw coconut fibre yarn in manual system. Analysis of blended yarn structure in terms of packing density, radial distribution of fiber components (SEM) and mass irregularity were investigated. SEM shows yarns made from softened coconut fibre -jute blends are more compact than raw coconut fibre -jute blend yarns. Coconut fibres were preferentially migrated to core of the yarn. Major yarn properties viz., tensile strength, and flexural rigidity of raw and chemically softened blended yarns were compared against their finest possible 100 % coconut fibre yarn properties. Yarn made up to 50:50 chemically softened coconut fibre-jute blend showed much better spinning performance, and having superior property in terms of reduced diameter, higher compactness, strength, initial modulus and less flexural rigidity than 100 % raw, 100 % chemically softened coconut fibre rope, and raw coconut fibre-jute blend yarns.     

Using expert knowledge in combining green infrastructure and ecosystem services in land use planning: an insight into a new place-based methodology

Green infrastructure (GI) is a strategic planning instrument to achieve sustainable development. The main functions of GI are to protect biodiversity and safeguard and enhance the provision of ecosystem services (ES). In this paper we present the development of a semi-quantitative place-based method, aiming at assessing GI based on the provision potential of all main ES. Our method combines a wide spectrum of GIS data with expert assessments. Here we focus especially on how interaction with experts and local and regional actors impacted the method development. Our results showed that involving experts in dataset selection is very useful in compiling the most relevant data for the assessment of ES. Expert knowledge is also valuable in evaluating the actual coverage and quality of datasets. By involving both experts and local and regional actors in assessing ES provision potential we can add local knowledge to the general scientific understanding. Qualitative assessments can be complemented with quantitative data in our method. The resulting maps support land use planning, as they assist in identifying the multifunctional key areas of GI and in examining the provision potential of various ES. The group discussions involved in our method provided an additional benefit, as the experts and local and regional actors felt that this discussion platform enhanced their understanding of both GI and ES.     

Estimating forest data for analyses of forest production and utilization possibilities at local level by means of multi-source National Forest Inventory

The sample plot data of National Forest Inventories (NFI) are widely used in the analysis of forest production and utilization possibilities to support national and regional forest policy. However, there is an increasing interest for similar impact and scenario analyses for strategic planning at the local level. As the fairly sparse network of field plots only provides calculations for large areas, satellite image data have been applied to produce forest information for smaller areas. The aim of this study was to test the feasibility of generating forest data for a Finnish forest analysis tool, the MELA system, by means of the Landsat satellite imagery and the NFI sample plot data. The study was part of the preparation of a local forestry programme, where a strategic scenario analysis for the forest area of two villages (ca 8000 ha) was carried out. Management units that approximate forest stands were delineated by image segmentation. Stand volume and other parameters for each forest segment were estimated from weighted means of the NFI sample plots, where the individual sample plot weights were estimated by the k nearest neighbour (kNN) method. Two different spectral features were tested: single pixel values and average pixel values within a segment. The estimated forest data were compared with the forest data based on independent stand-level field assessments in two subareas, a national park and an area of forest managed for timber production.In the national park, the estimated mean volume of the growing stock from both spectral feature sets (about 160 m³ ha⁻¹) was clearly lower than that obtained from stand-level field assessment (186 m³ ha⁻¹). Using average pixel values within a segment resulted in a higher proportion of pine and a lower proportion of spruce volume than using single pixel values. It also resulted in an estimated felling potential nearly 10% higher over the first 10-year period in the scenario analysis of the area dedicated to timber production. However, the maximum long-term sustainable removal was at the same level (about 30,000 m³ year⁻¹) for both feature sets over the simulated 30-year period. The resulting annual felling area in the first 10-year period was 12% lower when the segment averages were applied, but the difference subsequently levelled off. The kNN approach in estimating initial forest data for scenario analyses at the local level was found promising.     

Hardening of Some Winter Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), Rye (Secale cereals L.), Triticale (×Triticosecale Wittmack) and Winter Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Cultivars During Autumn and the Final Winter Survival in Finland

Profound hardening is the prerequisite for survival of a cultivar over winter. In the present study, hardening abilities of 13 winter wheat, 10 rye, 3 triticale and 6 winter barley cultivars were determined in field samples collected during the autumns of 1990 and 1991 by measuring the amount of ion leakage from frost-treated leaf segments. The cultivars tested were selected from the Inter-Nordic Winterhardiness Project, in which Field Survival Indices were determined for a total of 23 winter wheat, 13 rye, 5 triticale and 11 winter barley cultivars in order to estimate winter survival potentials under Finnish conditions. The winter survival of the materials studied correlated well with their hardening ability assessed by using the electrolyte leakage method.     

Effects of ovariohysterectomy on canine blood neutrophil respiratory burst: a chemiluminescence study

OBJECTIVE: To examine blood neutrophil counts and luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence (CL) responses in dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy (OH), premedicated with 2 different drugs. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized clinical study. ANIMALS: Forty-two healthy client-owned bitches. METHODS: Dogs had OH under isoflurane anesthesia with either acepromazine or medetomidine, both in combination with butorphanol, administered as preanesthetic medication. Blood samples were collected when the dog was admitted, at the end of surgery, and the next day (approximately 20 hours after surgery). Blood neutrophils were counted automatically, and neutrophil oxidative activity was assessed by measuring blood CL responses (induced by opsonized zymosan and enhanced by luminol) at 37 degrees C for 40 minutes. RESULTS: Number of circulating neutrophils was significantly increased the day after surgery reflected by enhanced blood CL responses. Neutrophil CL, however, was not significantly altered. No significant differences were detected for perioperative Polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) characteristics between the 2 preanesthetic regimens. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, despite clearly increasing the number of circulating neutrophils, OH did not significantly affect neutrophil respiratory burst, as measured by whole-blood CL responses. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Surgical operation of moderate intensity (e.g., OH) did not significantly alter one of the important immune functions, neutrophil oxidative activity. Further studies are warranted to confirm the significance of this finding, and to assess the value of following this variable in different animal patient populations.     

Pollination requirements for seed set in ulluco (Ullucus tuberosus)

Summary Pollination experiments were carried out on ulluco (Ullucus tuberosus), known as a very poor seed producer. All the clones used were diploids. The effect of self-vs. cross-pollination was studied in Experiment 1. Caged selfpollinated flowers produced no seeds. Different clones produced seeds in 0–8% of caged cross-pollinated flowers and in 5–19% of cross-pollinated non-caged flowers. Ulluco is thus basically an outbreeder.Experiment 2 studied whether seed set is limited by pollen availability. Total seed number per inflorescence number did not differ between plants treated with supplemental pollen and control plants; pollen availability thus did not limit seed set. The treated plants, however, produced more seeds in cross-pollinated than in other flowers on the plant, and the control flowers on treated plants produced fewer seeds than those on the control plants. In the treated plants, resources may have been allocated to artificially cross-pollinated flowers at the expense of other flowers. In some clones, seed set after artificial cross-pollination was at a level practicable for breeding work.     

Seed of Ullucus tuberosus—An apomict or not

Summary The paper deals with variations in enzyme pattern in the seeds of ulluco, Ullucus tuberosus. Six seeds per clone, four clones and three enzyme systems (malate dehydrogenase, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase and 6-fosfoglucose dehydrogenase) were examined. There was variation in enzyme pattern between the seeds of a single clone. It is concluded that ulluco is not an apomictic species but a truly sexual one. Consequences of these findings for breeding programmes of ulluco are pointed out.