Stress wave sorting of red maple logs for structural quality

Existing log grading procedures in the United States make only visual assessments of log quality. These procedures do not incorporate estimates of the modulus of elasticity (MOE) of logs. It is questionable whether the visual grading procedures currently used for logs adequately assess the potential quality of structural products manufactured from them, especially those for which MOE is of primary concern. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of stress wave nondestructive evaluation techniques to sort red maple logs for the potential quality of lumber obtained from them. Ninety-five red maple logs were nondestructively evaluated using longitudinal stress wave techniques and sorted into four stress wave grades. The logs were then sawn into cants and lumber. The same procedure was used to obtain stress wave times in the cants and lumber. The lumber specimens were then dried and graded using a transverse vibration technique. The results of this study showed that good relationships existed between stress wave times measured in logs, cants, and the lumber produced from the logs. It was found that log stress wave grades have positive relationships with the lumber grades. Logs with high stress wave grades produced high-grade lumber. These findings indicate that the longitudinal stress wave technique has potential in sorting logs and cants for the production of high MOE products.The Forest Products Laboratory is maintained in cooperation with the University of Wisconsin. This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and it is therefore in the public domain and not subject to copyright.     

A Comprehensive Genotype and Environment Assessment of Wheat Grain Ash Content in Oregon and Washington: Analysis of Variation

A comprehensive analysis of the variation in wheat grain ash content has not been previously conducted. This study assessed the relative contribution of genotype and environment to variation in ash content, with a particular aim of ascertaining the potential for manipulating the trait using contemporary adapted germplasm. A total of 2,240 samples were drawn from four years of multilocation field plots grown in the wheat production areas of Oregon and Washington states. Genotypes included commercial cultivars and advanced breeding lines of soft and hard winter, and soft and hard spring wheats with red and white kernel color, several soft white club wheats, and one soft white spring waxy wheat cultivar. In addition to ash, protein content, test weight, and Single Kernel Characterization System kernel hardness, weight and size were also measured. In total, 20 separate fully balanced ANOVA results were conducted. Whole model R² values were highly significant, 0.62–0.91. Nineteen of the 20 ANOVA results indicated significant genotype effects, but the effects were not large. In contrast, environment effects were always highly significant with F values often one to two orders of magnitude larger than the genotype F values. The grand mean for all samples was 1.368% ash. For individual data sets, genotype means across environments varied ≈0.1–0.3% ash. The genotypes judged noteworthy because they had the highest least squares mean ash content were OR9900553 and ClearFirst soft white winter, NuHills hard red winter, Waxy‐Pen and Cataldo soft white spring, and WA8010 and Lochsa hard spring wheats. Genotypes with lowest least squares mean ash were Edwin (club) soft white winter, OR2040073H hard red winter, WA7952 soft white spring, and WA8038 hard spring wheats. In conclusion, wheat grain ash is more greatly influenced by crop year and location than by genotype. However, sufficient genotype variation is present to plausibly manipulate this grain trait through traditional plant breeding.     

Norsesquiterpene glycosides in bracken ferns (Pteridium esculentum and Pteridium aquilinum subsp. wightianum) from Eastern Australia: reassessed poisoning risk to animals

Austral bracken Pteridium esculentum contains three unstable norsesquiterpene glycosides: ptaquiloside, ptesculentoside, and caudatoside, in variable proportions. The concentration of each of the glycosides was determined in this study as their respective degradation products, pterosin B, pterosin G and pterosin A, by HPLC-UV analysis. Samples of P. esculentum collected from six sites in eastern Australia contained up to 17 mg of total glycoside/g DW, with both ptaquiloside and ptesculentoside present as major components accompanied by smaller amounts of caudatoside. Ratios of ptaquiloside to ptesculentoside varied from 1:3 to 4:3, but in all Australian samples ptesculentoside was a significant component. This profile differed substantially from that of P. esculentum from New Zealand, which contained only small amounts of both ptesculentoside and caudatoside, with ptaquiloside as the dominant component. A similar profile with ptaquiloside as the dominant glycoside was obtained for Pteridium aquilinum subsp. wightianum (previously P. revolutum ) from northern Queensland and also P. aquilinum from European sources. Ptesculentoside has chemical reactivity similar to that of ptaquiloside and presumably biological activity similar to that of this potent carcinogen. The presence of this additional reactive glycoside in Australian P. esculentum implies greater toxicity for consuming animals than previously estimated from ptaquiloside content alone.     

Molecular identification and functional expression of porcine Toll-like receptor (TLR) 3 and TLR7

To investigate porcine Toll-like receptors (TLR) responding to viral pathogen associated molecular patterns, the full-length cDNA of porcine TLR3 and TLR7 were identified and characterized. Porcine TLR3 and TLR7 cDNA encode 904- and 1050-amnio-acid polypeptides, respectively. Both porcine TLR3 and TLR7 contain typical functional TLR domains and share about 80% sequence identity to other mammalian orthologues. Tissue expression profiles showed that TLR3 was highly expressed in kidney, duodenum, spleen and liver, and moderately expressed in bone marrow, lung, and skin. Conversely, TLR7 was moderately and constitutively expressed in all tissues evaluated. Stimulation of mammalian cells transfected with porcine TLR3 and TLR7 constructs with TLR3 and TLR7 agonists [poly (I:C) and imiquimod (R837), respectively], and adenovirus elicited activation of interferon regulatory factors (IRFs). These data provide molecular and functional information for porcine TLR3 and TLR7, and implicate their role in mediating immune protection against porcine viral diseases.     

Effect of varying carbohydrate and fat content of milk replacer on body composition of Holstein bull calves

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of varying concentrations of dietary fat and carbohydrate on changes in body composition of Holstein bull calves fed under isocaloric and isonitrogenous intake conditions. Thirty-two calves were assigned to a randomized block design with three dietary treatments, eight calves per treatment, and one baseline group of eight calves. Animals were reared from birth to 85 kg live BW (SEM = 0.57). All calves began treatments between 2 and 6 d of age. Three different milk replacer treatment diets were designed to deliver 14.8 (low fat, LF), 21.6 (medium fat, MF), or 30.6% of DM (high fat, HF) fat; 55.3, 46.7, or 35.4% of DM lactose; and 23.5, 24.8, or 27.0% of DM CP, respectively. Gross energy values were 4.62, 5.09, and 5.77 Mcal/kg for the LF, MF, and HF milk replacers, respectively. From d 1 to 14, calves were offered 0.24 Mcal intake energy/kg BW(0.75), adjusted weekly based on increases in BW, and 0.28 Mcal intake energy/kg BW(0.75) from d 15 to slaughter. Dry feed was not offered. Dry matter, energy, CP, and fat intakes were 55.2 kg, 257.6 Mcal, 13.0 kg, and 8.2 kg; 52.8 kg, 268.8 Mcal, 13.1 kg, and 11.4 kg; and 46.8 kg, 270.3 Mcal, 12.6 kg, and 14.3 kg for the LF, MF and HF treatments, respectively. Energy and CP intakes did not differ among treatments (P = 0.63 and 0.79, respectively). Fat and DMI were different among treatments (P = 0.001 and 0.02, respectively). Empty BW gains were 0.61, 0.61, and 0.65 kg/d for LF, MF, and HF, respectively, and were not different among treatments (P = 0.27). Empty body CP, water, and ash gain were not different among treatments (P = 0.65, 0.99, and 0.57, respectively). Empty body retained energy and fat gain were 27.2 and 57.7% greater for calves fed the HF than for those fed the LF diet (P = 0.06 and 0.006, respectively). Fat as a percentage of the whole empty body on a water-free basis was lower for calves consuming the LF diet (28.6%) than for those fed the HF diet (34.6%), whereas percentage of CP on an empty body, water-free basis was greater for calves consuming the LF diet (59.2%) than for those fed the HF diet (54.9%) (P = 0.006). The results of this study demonstrated that, under isocaloric and isonitrogenous intake conditions, equivalent dietary energy from fat compared to carbohydrate, above 15% fat, has no beneficial purpose unless additional fat deposition is required in the animal. Further, the data demonstrate significant changes in body composition independent of growth rate.     

The metabolism of phosphoinositide-derived messenger molecules

The phosphoinositides are minor phospholipids present in all eukaryotic cells. They are storage forms for messenger molecules that transmit signals across the cell membrane and evoke responses to extracellular agonists. The phosphoinositides break down to liberate messenger molecules or precursors of messenger molecules. Many different compounds are formed, although the functions of only a few are understood. Recent studies elaborating the pathways for formation of products from phosphoinositides and the factors controlling their metabolism are summarized here.     

Quantitative trait loci for phytate in rice grain and their relationship with grain micronutrient content

Phytate (inositol-hexa-phosphate) has an important role in plants but it also may have anti-nutritional properties in animals and humans. While there is debate within the plant breeding and nutrition communities regarding an optimum level in grain, there appears to be little information at the molecular level for the genetics of this trait, and its association with important trace elements, in particular, Fe and Zn. In this preliminary study, quantitative trait loci (QTL) for grain phytates, Zn and Fe in glasshouse-grown rice lines from an IR64 × Azucena doubled haploid population were identified. Correlations between phytate and essential nutrients were also studied. Transgressive segregation was found for most traits. Phytate and total P concentrations had one QTL in common located on chromosome five with the (high concentration) allele contributed from Azucena. There were significant positive correlations between phytate and inorganic phosphorus (P), total P, Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn concentrations for both grain concentration and content. However, the QTLs of phytate were not located on the same chromosomal regions as those found for Fe, Zn and Mn, suggesting that they were genetically different and thus using molecular markers in breeding and selection would modify the phytate level without affecting grain micronutrient density.     

Distribution of boron within barley genotypes with differing susceptibilities to boron toxicity 1

The B toxicity resistance mechanism was investigated by examining the distribution of B amongst and within plant parts of four barley genotypes transferred from normal to excessive B. After transfer, the B concentrations increased in all plant parts. In corresponding parts (roots and leaves) however, the B concentrations always reflected the relative susceptibility of each genotype to B toxicity, with susceptible genotypes having higher B concentrations than less susceptible genotypes. Despite large differences amongst genotypes in the B concentrations of corresponding leaf segments, the relative B concentrations along the leaves were similar for all genotypes.

Similarly, the amount of B in all parts increased after transfer, with B accumulation by leaves closely reflecting leaf size. Roots contained up to 10 percent of the total B accumulated at each harvest. This pattern was essentially the same for each genotype at each harvest, despite the large differences in total B accumulated. These results show that the pattern of B distribution was remarkably similar in the four genotypes examined despite great differences in the total amounts of B absorbed and the actual B concentrations of individual parts. Differences amongst barley genotypes in susceptibility to B toxicity do not result from an ability to control the internal distribution of the element, but rather are governed by the amount of B each accumulates.