Finding best exotic breed proportion in crossbred lactating sheep kept under farmers’ conditions in Ethiopia determined by use of nested Legendre polynomials with limited data

ABSTRACT

The present study was conducted to estimate milk production performance and fit lactation curves for groups of ewes of Local and of Awassi crosses, with a variable blood level, reared under farmer’s environment. The Weigh-Suckle-Weigh method plus hand milking was used to estimate milk yield for ewes. A total of 466 observations from 115 ewes were used. Estimated least-squares adjusted means for the milk production over 120 days were 0.56?kg day^?1 (Local), 0.67 (<30% Awassi), 0.86 (30–50% Awassi), and 0.96 (>50% Awassi). Groups with 30–50% Awassi and >50% Awassi ewes produced significantly (p?<?0.05) more milk than Local ewes. Significant differences were observed between <30% Awassi and >50% Awassi crossbred groups. The best crosses (>50% Awassi) produced over 70% more milk than the local ewes which demonstrates the potential that exists in increasing milk production through the initiated crossbreeding programme with sheep in Ethiopia.     

Effects of a Dual‐Frequency Frequency‐Sweeping Ultrasound Treatment on the Properties and Structure of the Zein Protein

We investigated the effects of a dual‐frequency frequency‐sweeping ultrasound (DFFSU) treatment on the functional properties and structure of zein. The solubility of ultrasound‐treated zein proteins increased slightly but significantly as the treatment time increased. The results showed that the DFFSU treatment had an obvious influence on the mean particle size and the size distribution. A significant (P < 0.05) increase in the size of the particles with respect to time was observed after a sonication time of more than 20 min in zein solutions. Differential scanning calorimetry results showed that sonication alters the thermal behavior of zein. Circular dichroism spectra showed a small increase in the percentage of ordered structure elements within the protein molecule. After 60 min of ultrasonication, the percentage of α‐helix structures increased by 0.9%, whereas the percentage of β‐sheets and β‐turns decreased by 0.5%. Microstructural analyses by scanning electron microscopy showed that several microholes appeared in the zein following ultrasonic pretreatment. Under the conditions investigated in this study, DFFSU treatment was found to affect the studied functional properties of the zein protein. This technology could be used to obtain improved functional properties in some protein samples.     

超声波处理对小麦胚芽球蛋白理化和功能性质的影

采用超声波处理小麦胚芽球蛋白以提高其功能性质.研究了超声波处理对小麦胚芽球蛋白理化和功能性质的影响.结果表明:经超声波处理后,小麦胚芽球蛋白的巯基和二硫键含量、紫外光谱和荧光光谱均发生了显著的变化.随着超声波功率的增加,小麦胚芽球蛋白的疏水性、起泡性、起泡稳定性、乳化性和乳化稳定性都降低;当超声波功率大于900 W时,由于小麦胚芽球蛋白重新伸展,疏水基团暴露增多,引起疏水性、起泡性、起泡稳定性、乳化性和乳化稳定性增加.此外.超声波功率对小麦胚芽球蛋白的溶解度有显著影响,随着超声波功率的增加其溶解度明显增加.因此,通过选择适宜的超声波功率水平能够改善小麦胚芽球蛋白的理化和功能性质.     

牡丹籽油超声波辅助提取工艺的响应面法优

为优化牡丹籽油的超声波辅助提取工艺,在单因素试验基础上,选择液料比、超声波功率、处理时间、处理温度为自变量,牡丹籽油得率为响应值,采用Box-Behnken试验设计方法,研究各自变量及其交互作用对牡丹籽油得率的影响.利用Design Expert软件得到回归方程的预测模型并进行响应面分析,确定超声波辅助提取牡丹籽油的最佳条件为:液料比11 mL/g,超声波功率300 W,处理时间60 min,处理温度54℃,提取次数为3次.在该工艺条件下,牡丹籽油得率达24.12%.GC-MS结果表明牡丹籽油中富含不饱和脂肪酸,其中亚油酸和亚麻酸的质量分数分别为22.78%和64.14%.     

Phosphate desorption from the surface of soil mineral particles by a phosphate-solubilizing fungus

High phosphate (Pi) sorption in soils is a serious limiting factor for plant productivity and Pi fertilization efficiency, particularly in highly weathered and volcanic ash soils. In these soils, the sorbed Pi is so strongly held on the surfaces of reactive minerals that it is not available for plant root uptake. The use of phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms (PSM) capable of Pi desorption seems to be a complementary alternative in the management of these soils. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the soil fungus Mortierella sp., a known PSM, to desorb Pi from four soil minerals differing in their Pi sorption capacity. The fungus was effective in desorbing Pi from all tested minerals except from allophane, and its desorption depended on the production of oxalic acid. The effectiveness of the fungus to desorb Pi was ranked as montmorillonite > kaolinite > goethite > allophane. The quantity of desorbed Pi increased by increasing the amount of sorbed Pi. The Pi sorption capacity expressed as P_0.2 value (amount of P required to increase a solution P concentration up to 0.2 mg L^?1) was a good indicator of the effectiveness of Mortierella sp. to desorb Pi from soil minerals.     

山茱萸真空干燥模型建立与工艺优化

以山茱萸为试验原料,考察了真空干燥加热温度、干燥室压力对山茱萸干燥特性的影响,并建立了干燥时间和马钱苷质量分数与加热温度和干燥室压力之间的数学模型。利用多目标非线性优化方法,确定了山茱萸真空干燥的最优工艺参数。结果表明,回归模型具有良好的拟合性,当加热温度为68.1℃、压力为1kPa时,综合优化分值最高时所对应的干燥时间为248min,马钱苷质量分数为     

In vivo characterization of inflammatory biomarkers in swine and the impact of flunixin meglumine administration

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are a family of chemicals that function to reduce pain, fever, and inflammation, and they are commonly used in people and animals for this purpose. Currently there are no NSAIDs approved for the management of inflammation in swine due to a lack of validated animal models and suitable biomarkers to assess efficacy. A previous in vitro study examining biomarkers of inflammation identified fourteen genes that were significantly altered in response to Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation. In the present study, five of those fourteen genes were tested in vivo to determine if the same effects observed in vitro were also observed in vivo. Plasma levels of prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)), an essential mediator of fever and inflammation, were also determined. Two groups of swine were stimulated with LPS with the second group also treated with flunixin meglumine. Blood was collected at 0, 1, 3, 6, 8, 24, and 48h post LPS-stimulation. The RNA was extracted from the blood and quantitative real-time-PCR (qRT-PCR) was utilized to determine the expression patterns of CD1, CD4, serum amyloid A2 (SAA2), Caspase 1, and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1). The LPS-stimulated animals demonstrated a statistically significant alteration in expression of SAA2 and CD1 at 3h post-stimulation. Flunixin meglumine treated animals' demonstrated reduced expression of CD1 in comparison to the LPS-stimulated swine at 24 and 48h post LPS-stimulation. Flunixin meglumine treated animals exhibited reduced expression of SAA2 at 48h post-stimulation compared to LPS-stimulated swine. Swine treated with LPS demonstrated statistically significant increases in plasma PGE(2) at 1h post-stimulation. Swine treated with flunixin meglumine had no increase in plasma PGE(2) levels at any time. These results demonstrate that PGE(2) production, along with two out of five genes (SAA2 and CD1) have the potential to serve as early biomarkers of inflammation as well as indicators of NSAID efficacy.     

Carbon stocks in Ethiopian soils in relation to land use and soil management

The effect of soil management and land use change are of interest to the sustainable land management for improving the environment and advancing food security in developing countries. Both anthropogenic changes and natural processes affect agriculture primarily by altering soil quality. This paper reviews and synthesizes the available literatures related to the influence of soil management and land use changes on soil carbon (C) stock in Ethiopia. The review shows that topsoil C stock declines approximately 0–63%, 0–23%, and 17–83% upon land use conversion from forest to crop land, to open grazing, and to plantation, respectively. An increase of 1–3% in soil C stock was observed within 10 years of converting open grazed land to protected enclosures. However, there was a little change in soil C stock below 20 cm depth. There is a large potential of increasing SOC pool with adoption of land restorative measures. Total potential of soil C sequestration with the adoption of restoration measures ranges 0·066–2·2 Tg C y⁻¹ on rain‐fed cropland and 4·2–10·5 Tg C y⁻¹ on rangeland. Given large area and diverse ecological conditions in Ethiopia, research data available in published literature are rather scanty. Therefore, researchable priorities identified in this review are important. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于限制因子改良与耕地质量潜力耦合的耕地整治分区

科学划定耕地整治重点区对于实现区域土地资源可持续利用具有重要意义。该研究以内蒙古河套-土默川平原为研究区,从农用地可改良限制因子角度出发,采取自然等提升潜力指数模型和局部空间自相关模型划分耕地质量提升潜力区,在耦合限制因子改良程度分级的基础上,确定耕地整治分区。研究结果：1）研究区耕地质量提升主要受限于土壤有机质含量和盐渍化程度,耕地整治难度整体呈现两边高中间低的趋势。2）研究区自然等提升潜力指数呈现西高东低的分布趋势,且耕地质量提升潜力空间差异明显,潜力提升呈现\     

Breeding programmes for smallholder sheep farming systems: II. Optimization of cooperative village breeding schemes

A simulation study was conducted to optimize a cooperative village‐based sheep breeding scheme for Menz sheep of Ethiopia. Genetic gains and profits were estimated under nine levels of farmers' participation and three scenarios of controlled breeding achieved in the breeding programme, as well as under three cooperative flock sizes, ewe to ram mating ratios and durations of ram use for breeding. Under fully controlled breeding, that is, when there is no gene flow between participating (P) and non‐participating (NP) flocks, profits ranged from Birr 36.9 at 90% of participation to Birr 21.3 at 10% of participation. However, genetic progress was not affected adversely. When there was gene flow from the NP to P flocks, profits declined from Birr 28.6 to Birr ?3.7 as participation declined from 90 to 10%. Under the two‐way gene flow model (i.e. when P and NP flocks are herded mixed in communal grazing areas), NP flocks benefited from the genetic gain achieved in the P flocks, but the benefits declined sharply when participation declined beyond 60%. Our results indicate that a cooperative breeding group can be established with as low as 600 breeding ewes mated at a ratio of 45 ewes to one ram, and the rams being used for breeding for a period of two years. This study showed that farmer cooperation is crucial to effect genetic improvement under smallholder low‐input sheep farming systems.