Impact of controlled redox conditions on nickel in a serpentine soil

Purpose  

Serpentine soils exist in many regions around the world; they are naturally enriched with nickel (Ni). An adequate understanding of soil processes determining Ni solubility is a special need particularly since less research has been addressed to Ni behavior under dynamic and controlled redox conditions. Our aim was (1) to characterize the properties of a serpentine soil and (2) to determine the impact of predefined redox windows on the mobility and dynamics of Ni in a serpentine soil.     

Slaughterline records of various postmortem pathological lesions and their influence on carcass and meat quality in slaughtered pigs

The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of pathological lesions in pigs from small‐scale farms and to determine associations between pathological lesions and hematological parameters, and carcass and meat quality in slaughtered pigs. The study was conducted on 625 pigs (~115 kg) originating from 20 small‐scale farms. Any signs of pneumonia, pleurisy, pericarditis, and liver milk spots were recorded as present or absent. Complete blood count was investigated. The following carcass quality parameters were measured: live, hot and cold carcass weights, cooling loss, dressing percentage, backfat thickness, and meatiness. Meat pH and temperature were measured 45 min postmortem. Of the 625 examined pigs, 41.8% had pneumonia, 23.5% pleurisy, 2.7% pericarditis, and 29.9% liver milk spots. The presence of pathological lesions in slaughtered pigs adversely affected hematological parameters, reduced live, hot and cold carcass weights, and meatiness and had deleterious effects on meat quality (higher pH_45min and higher prevalence of dark, firm and dry meat). In conclusion, this study showed a high prevalence of pathological lesions in slaughtered pigs, indicating serious health problems in smallholder pig production systems. The presence of single and, especially, multiple pathological lesions in slaughtered pigs negatively affected hematological parameters, and carcass and meat quality.     

Genetic variation of bioavailable iron and zinc in grain of a maize population

More than one-third of the world's population is afflicted by iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) deficiencies, since cereal grain as a staple food of the people contains low levels or low bioavailability of Fe and Zn because of phytate. In maize, 80% of grain phosphorus (P) is in the form of phytate, and P could be an indicator of phytate content. The objectives of this study were (1) to estimate genetic variation of Fe and Zn in a maize population including P/Fe and P/Zn molar ratios as quantitative traits; (2) to determine relations among yield, P, Fe, Zn, P/Fe and P/Zn molar ratios; and (3) to define the implications of those on biofortification (breeding) programmes. There were significant genetic variations and workable heritabilities for Fe, Zn, P/Fe and P/Zn estimated in 294 F4 lines of a maize population, but there were no associations among six traits according to both simple correlations and principal component analysis. Weak correlations between P and Fe and between P and Zn indicated feasibility of breeding non low-phytic acid maize genotypes with more appropriate phytate/Fe and phytate/Zn relations. Bioavailability of iron and zinc varied substantially in a maize population justifying utilisation of these unique parameters in biofortification programmes.     

Sediments in the ship’s ballast water tank: a problem to be solved

Journal of Soils and Sediments - The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM...     

Some possibilities for reducing circular saw idling noise

The sound pressure level of differently designed circular saw blades were investigated during idling. Nine blade samples were used: three differently designed blade bodies (without slots, with four radial slots, and with four slots with copper cork), each with three diameters (260,280, and 300 mm). The sound pressure level was measured at different rotational frequencies ranging from 25 to 65 rps in increments of 1 rps. Rubber damping rings 80mm in diameter and 0.3 mm thick were placed between the saw blade and the collars, and the emitted noise was measured. Because of the whistling sound the blades without slots emitted high sound pressure levels. There were no significant changes when rubber damping rings were used. The use of rubber damping rings on the samples with radial slots eliminates the whistling noise. The saws with copper corks did not emit a whistling noise at all, and their aerodynamic noise was 2–3 dB (A) lower than the aerodynamic noise of the saws with radial slots. The relation between sound pressure emitted by the damped idling saw and peripheral velocity can be described by the power function with the exponent value between 4.8 and 5.2.Part of this report was presented at the 14th International Wood Machining Seminar, Epinal, France, September 1999     

Effect of RNF4-SacII gene polymorphism on reproductive traits of Landrace × Large White crossbred sows

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether and to what extent the RNF4-SacII gene polymorphism influences reproduction performances in hyperprolific sow lines. The study involved 101 Landrace x Large White crossbred sows, with 461 records collected on the following reproductive traits: Total Number of piglets Born per litter (TNB), Number of piglets Born Alive per litter (NBA), Number of StillBorn piglets per litter (NSB), piglet Pre-Weaning Mortality (PWM) and Number of piglets at Weaning per litter (NW). The least square method with the GLM procedure in SAS with eight effects was used to pursue the data analysis. Study results revealed that TT homozygotes and TC heterozygotes had a significantly higher (p < .05) NW than CC homozygotes for the life-span performance in all parities and first parity analysed. In the fourth parity analysed, TNB and NBA in TC genotype were significantly higher (p < .05) as compared with TT genotype. Based on the life-span performance, significant effect (p < .05) was recorded for order of parity on TNB, NBA and NW, for farrowing season on TNB and NSB, and for lactation length on PWM. In the second parity, significant effect (p < .05) was recorded for sire of boar on NSB and for gestation length on TNB. Only in the fourth parity, significant effect (p < .05) of RNF4 gene was observed on NBA. There was significant additive effect (p < .05) of the RNF4 gene polymorphism identified on NW in all parities analysed, and significant additive and dominance effects (p < .05) on NSB in the third parity analysed. In conclusion, additional research on related production pig genotypes is necessary to elucidate the effect of RNF4 gene mutation on reproductive traits.     

Ancient genetic bottleneck and Plio-Pleistocene climatic changes imprinted the phylobiogeography of European Black Pine populations

The historical changes in European Black Pine population size across the whole natural distribution in Europe and Asia Minor were analyzed facing the Plio-Pleistocene climatic fluctuations. Thirteen chloroplast SSRs and SNPs markers have been studied under the assumptions of “neutral evolution.” Populations and meta-populations had different histories of migration routes, and they were strongly affected by complex patterns of isolation, fragmentation, speciation, expansion (1.88–4.28 Ma), purification selection (2.09–21.41 Ma) and bottleneck (1.85–21.76 Ma). A significant number of populations (min. 29–41%) were in equilibrium for very long periods. Generally, the bottleneck revealed by chloroplast DNA is weaker than the bottleneck revealed by nuclear DNA. The N _e immediately after the bottleneck reaches between 1820 and 3640 individuals. Generally, the historical effective population sizes shrink significantly for the Tertiary period from 10–15 up to 2.5 Ma in Western Europe (by 82%), followed by Asia Minor (69%) and the Balkan Peninsula (28%), likely resulting from important climatic changes. The rates and frequencies of stepwise westwards migration waves have been not sufficient to prevent isolation between the meta-populations and to suppress “sympatric speciation.” The migration was weak for the Pliocene, but was maximal for the Pleistocene, and finally silent for the present interglacial period, namely the Holocene.