Estimation of daily and total lactation milk yield of Chios ewes from single morning or evening records

Linear models were developed and evaluated for the estimation of daily (24 h) and total lactation milk yield of dairy sheep from single morning (am) or evening (pm) milking records. A total of 22,908 individual test-day milk records of 5110 ewes of the Chios breed, raised in 46 flocks, were used. Depending on the model, different daily milk yield estimates were derived for each ewe, accounting for lactation number, stage of lactation, season of previous lambing and interval between successive milkings. Daily milk yield was also estimated from doubling the single am or pm record. Actual and estimated yields were compared using root mean square errors (RMSEs), mean absolute differences, an accuracy parameter defined as the ratio of the actual yield variance over the sum of the variances of actual yield and absolute difference, and the product moment correlation between estimated and actual yield. Results were validated on independent datasets. Linear models resulted in less biased and more accurate estimates of the daily milk yield than simply doubling the am or pm record. Root mean square errors decreased by 7-37% and the mean absolute difference was reduced by 1-4% of the average daily yield. Higher accuracy and correlation were obtained from linear model application than doubling. Total lactation milk yield was predicted based on actual daily yield and compared to predictions based on estimated daily yield from am or pm records, as well as directly on single milking records. Root mean square errors obtained when daily yield had been estimated with linear models were 26-35% lower compared to doubling the am or pm yield and 0-13% lower compared to estimating the total lactation yield directly from single milking records. Linear model application also resulted in lower mean absolute difference and higher accuracy and correlation than doubling the am or pm record. Recording the yield of a single milking (am or pm) instead of both can benefit milk recording by reducing its cost and increasing farmer participation. In this context, linear models developed in the present study can be used for the accurate estimation of daily (24 h) and total lactation milk yield from single milking records.     

Use of diatomaceous earth for the management of stored-product pests

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is almost pure amorphous silicon dioxide, made up of fossilised diatoms; it acts as an insecticide by absorption of epicuticular lipids and fatty acids, leading to desiccation in arthropods. Numerous DE formulations have been attempted for the management of stored-product pests with good results. DE is persistent in its action, poses few or no pest resistance problems, and it leaves no residue. The efficacy of DE is affected by factors such as: its provenance, temperature, humidity and characteristics of target pests and substrate. Application of DE at currently recommended doses causes changes in bulk density of the grain; however, the use of enhanced DE formulations provides control at much lower doses. Therefore, new formulations of DEs usually include other low toxicity insecticides.     

The first identification of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) in sheep and goats in Egypt: molecular and pathological characterization

Tropical Animal Health and Production - Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) is one of the most fatal and contagious diseases of goats. To date, the occurrence of CCPP in Egypt has not been...     

Potato apical leaf curl disease: current status and perspectives on a disease caused by tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Potato apical leaf curl disease (PALCD) caused by a unique bipartite virus [tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV)] has emerged as a global threat....     

Discrimination of three Pegaga (Centella) varieties and determination of growth-lighting effects on metabolites content based on the chemometry of 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

The metabolites of three species of Apiaceae, also known as Pegaga, were analyzed utilizing (1)H NMR spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) resolved the species, Centella asiatica, Hydrocotyle bonariensis, and Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides, into three clusters. The saponins, asiaticoside and madecassoside, along with chlorogenic acids were the metabolites that contributed most to the separation. Furthermore, the effects of growth-lighting condition to metabolite contents were also investigated. The extracts of C. asiatica grown in full-day light exposure exhibited a stronger radical scavenging activity and contained more triterpenes (asiaticoside and madecassoside), flavonoids, and chlorogenic acids as compared to plants grown in 50% shade. This study established the potential of using a combination of (1)H NMR spectroscopy and multivariate data analyses in differentiating three closely related species and the effects of growth lighting, based on their metabolite contents and identification of the markers contributing to their differences.     

乌鲁木齐南部山区地衣生态分布与地理区系成分分析

根据在乌鲁木齐南部山区对地衣物种进行的实际调查并结合资料,初步整理了分布在乌鲁木齐南部山区的地衣种类,共有130种,分别属于22科54属.其中蜈蚣衣科(Physciaceae)和梅衣科(Parmeliaceae)的属数最多,占属总数的14.81;,种数占总种数的12.96;.将乌鲁木齐南部山区地衣的地理区系划分为广布成分、环北极成分、欧亚成分、北美成分、东亚成分、中亚成分、中国特有成分等7种类型.同时结合地衣的生长环境特征将把该地区地衣的生长类型划分为9种生态类型.     

Effects of various cryoprotectants on the survival of mouse embryos cryopreserved by the quick freezing method

The effects of concentrations of glycerol, ethylene glycol or dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) in the presence of either 0.25 M lactose or sucrose on the post-thaw survival of mouse quickly-frozen compacted morulae were studied. In this method, the embryos were directly frozen in liquid nitrogen (LN2) vapor at approximately -170 degrees C for 2 min before being plunged into LN2. High survival rates of frozen-thawed embryos were obtained when the freezing medium contained 3 M ethylene glycol with either 0.25 M lactose or sucrose (76.5 and 70.2%, respectively). When the embryos were frozen in glycerol, significantly high survival was obtained with 3 M glycerol + 0.25 M sucrose (73.5%, P less than 0.001). However, a freezing medium containing DMSO with either sugar gave lower survival rates. At a higher concentration of 4 M, ethylene glycol with 0.25 M lactose gave significantly higher survival rate than glycerol or DMSO (P less than 0.05). Significantly higher rates were obtained at 2 M with all 3 cryoprotectants when the freezing medium contained lactose rather than sucrose (P less than 0.05). This study showed that glycerol and ethylene glycol were effective cryoprotectants in the quick freezing of mouse embryos, while DMSO was less effective. In addition, the protective effects of these cryoprotectants are affected by their concentrations and the type of sugar used.     

Effect of vacuum level on milking efficiency, somatic cell counts (SCC) and teat end wall thickness in ewes of Greek mountain Boutsiko breed

The aim of this work was to determine the effect of vacuum level of machine milking on milk yield, milk composition, milking efficiency, somatic cells counts (SCC), and teat end thickness of the Greek mountain breed Boutsiko ewes. Seventy two ewes after a suckling period of 45 ± 5 days were divided into three equal groups of 24 animals for level of milk production, prolificacy and lactation number. The overall experiment lasted 14 weeks. All groups were milked with a pulsation rate of 120/min, pulsator ratio of 50/50, and three vacuum levels of 38, 44 and 50 kPa, respectively, were applied for the three groups. Every two weeks, in a.m. and p.m. milking, measurements were taken for machine milk (MM) and machine stripped milk (MSM), milk composition, SCC, milk emission characteristics (only in a.m. milking) and teat end wall thickness (TEWT) before and after milking. The results have shown that the lower vacuum level of 38 kPa increased (P < 0.05) the percentage of machine milk (82.9%). There were no significant differences among the groups for milk composition, milk flow rate and SCC, but there was a difference in log SCC (P < 0.05) between 38 and 50 kPa. The teat end wall thickness was lower at the lower vacuum level (38 kPa) after milking, and increased (P < 0.001) as the vacuum level was raised to 50 kPa. The findings of this study suggest that with a lower vacuum level of 38 kPa, the ewes are milked better than those with 44 or 50 kPa. Also, the irritation of teats is considerably reduced, while no differences were seen regarding the health of the udder.     

PIN proteins perform a rate-limiting function in cellular auxin efflux

Intercellular flow of the phytohormone auxin underpins multiple developmental processes in plants. Plant-specific pin-formed (PIN) proteins and several phosphoglycoprotein (PGP) transporters are crucial factors in auxin transport-related development, yet the molecular function of PINs remains unknown. Here, we show that PINs mediate auxin efflux from mammalian and yeast cells without needing additional plant-specific factors. Conditional gain-of-function alleles and quantitative measurements of auxin accumulation in Arabidopsis and tobacco cultured cells revealed that the action of PINs in auxin efflux is distinct from PGP, rate-limiting, specific to auxins, and sensitive to auxin transport inhibitors. This suggests a direct involvement of PINs in catalyzing cellular auxin efflux.