bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of stratification, temperature, and oxygen on woolly cupgrass (Eriochloa villosa) seed dormancy
Authors: Bello Iliya A. , Hatterman-Valenti Harlene , Owen Micheal D. K.
Published: May 2019

Laboratory and field experiments were conducted to determine the effects of temperature, oxygen, and seed burial depth on woolly cupgrass seed dormancy. Woolly cupgrass seeds at physiological maturity are innately dormant. Stratifying these seeds at 5 C for 8 wk increased germination to greater than 90%, regardless of the germination temperature. Alternating the germination temperature hastened germination by 2 wk, while seedcoat removal hastened germination by another 4 wk. Low oxygen concentration was more detrimental to seed germination when seeds were subjected to constant temperatures in comparison to alternating temperatures. Oxygen concentration did not affect seed germination when seeds were placed in an alternating 15/25 C regime. Seed germination was approximately 15% less when seeds were stratified for 2 wk and subjected to oxygen concentrations below the ambient oxygen concentration, whereas this decrease was present only at the 8% oxygen concentration when seeds were stratified 4 wk. In the field, the stratification requirement was satisfied by early December for the study year. Seeds remaining on the soil surface overcame dormancy sooner than seeds buried 2 or 4 cm.
Effect of separating giant foxtail (Setaria faberi) seeds from soil using potassium carbonate and centrifugation on viability and germination
Authors: Luschei Edward C. , Buhler Douglas D. , Dekker Jack H.
Published: May 2019

Changes in weed seedbank composition are often monitored by removing seeds from soil samples. One extraction method accomplishes this by creating a slurry of soil and a concentrated inorganic salt solution. Centrifugation is then used to separate constituents of differing densities. We have found that centrifugation of giant foxtail seeds in 3.2 M potassium carbonate solution as conducted in a centrifugation/flotation extraction method can reduce viability as measured by germination and tetrazolium tests. In one experiment, centrifugation/flotation separation reduced germination of giant foxtail seeds from 94 to 52%. The likely cause of seed damage was the high pH of the potassium carbonate solution in conjunction with the increased hydrostatic pressure due to centrifugation. While centrifugation affected quantitative measures of seed viability, it did not alter qualitative viability estimates using a pressure test.
Modeling seedling johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense) emergence as influenced by temperature and burial depth
Authors: Prostko Eric P. , Wu Hsini-I , Chandler J. Michael
Published: May 2019

Research was conducted to formulate a seedling johnsongrass emergence model as influenced by temperature and burial depth using the poikilotherm rate equation. A series of constant-temperature growth chamber experiments with johnsongrass seed buried at various depths in fritted clay was conducted to develop a temperature/burial emergence database. The poikilotherm rate equation was fit to the emergence data from burial depths of 0 to 2.5 cm at constant temperatures between 20 and 44 C. These data were then combined to formulate a single poikilotherm rate equation to model the emergence of seedling johnsongrass from 0 and 2.5 cm deep and 20 to 44 C. This combined model was validated against two independent emergence data sets with good results.
Influence of temperature, photoperiod, and irradiance on the phenological development of common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)
Authors: Deen William , Hunt Tony , Swanton Clarence J.
Published: May 2019

Implementation of an integrated weed management system requires prediction of the effect of weed competition on crop yield. Predicting outcomes of weed competition is complicated by genetic and environmental variation across years, locations, and management. Mechanistic models have the potential to account for this variability. Weed phenological development is an essential component of such models. Growth cabinet studies were conducted to characterize common ragweed's phenological response to temperature, photoperiod, and irradiance. Ragweed development occurred over a temperature range of 8.0 to 31.7 C, and this response to temperature was best characterized using a nonlinear function. A maximum leaf appearance rate of 1.02 leaves d−1occurred at 31.7 C. Ragweed has a short juvenile phase, during which it was not sensitive to photoperiod. Following this juvenile phase, sensitivity to photoperiod was constant and continued until pistillate flowers were observed. Photoperiods of 14 h or less were optimal and resulted in maximum rates of development. Irradiance level affected ragweed phenological development only when combined with the additional stress of low temperatures. Data generated in this study can be used for the development of mechanistic weed competition models.
Tolerance and velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti) suppressive ability of two old and two modern corn (Zea mays) hybrids
Authors: Lindquist John L. , Mortensen David A.
Published: May 2019

Improved crop tolerance and weed suppressive ability are tactics that may reduce the negative effect of weeds on crop yield. Irrigated field experiments were conducted to compare leaf area index (LAI), intercepted photosynthetic photon flux (PPF), and relative tolerance and velvetleaf suppressive ability among two old (circa 1940) and two modern corn hybrids. Each hybrid was grown in monoculture and in mixture with velvetleaf at 1, 4, 16, and 40 plants m−1row. Plants were periodically harvested in monoculture plots to obtain estimates of corn LAI, and PPF interception was measured. Variation in hybrid tolerance to velvetleaf competition for light was evaluated by comparing among hybrids the coefficients of a regression of corn yield loss on velvetleaf density. Velvetleaf seed capsule production in the presence of each hybrid was compared to evaluate variation in velvetleaf suppressive ability among hybrids. Maximum corn yield loss was 32% lower for the two old hybrids, and velvetleaf capsule production was reduced by 62% at low velvetleaf densities in 1995 compared to the modern hybrids. In 1996, yield loss of the modern hybrid 3394 was 74% lower than that of the other three hybrids at low velvetleaf densities, whereas maximum yield loss of the old hybrid 336 was 44% lower at high densities. Velvetleaf capsule production did not vary among hybrids at any velvetleaf density in 1996. Hybrids with greater tolerance and velvetleaf suppressive ability also had greater LAI and PPF interception, suggesting optimized corn LAI and PPF interception may be useful in an integrated weed management program.
Comparison of Vancomycin and Cefuroxime for Infection Prophylaxis in Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
Authors: Vuorisalo Sailaritta , Pokela Risto , Syrjälä Hannu
Published: May 2019

OBJECTIVE: To investigate clinically significant differences between vancomycin and cefuroxime for perioperative infection prophylaxis in coronary artery bypass surgery.

DESIGN: A total of 884 patients were randomized prospectively to receive either cefuroxime (444) or van-comycin (440) and were assessed for infectious complications during hospitalization and 1 month postoperatively.

SETTING: A university hospital.

RESULTS: The overall immediate surgical-site infection rate was 3.2% in the cefuroxime group and 3.5% in the vancomycin group (difference, −0.3; 95% confidence interval, −2.6-2.1).

CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that vancomycin has no clinically significant advantages over cephalosporin in terms of antimicrobial prophylaxis. We suggest that cefuroxime (or first-generation cephalosporins, which were not studied here) is a good choice for infection prophylaxis in connection with coronary artery bypass surgery in institutions without methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureusproblems. In addition to the increasing vancomycin-resistant enterococci problem, the easier administration and usually lower price of cefuroxime make it preferable to vancomycin.
Risk Features for Surgical-Site Infections in Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
Authors: Vuorisalo Sailaritta , Haukipuro Kari , Pokela Risto , Syrjälä Hannu
Published: May 2019

OBJECTIVE: To identify preoperative and perioperative features that may lead to a risk of surgical-site infection (SSI) after coronary artery bypass surgery.

DESIGN: 884 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting in 1992 and 1993 were studied. The associations between 23 preoperative and perioperative features and the presence of SSI at the donor site or in the chest area were evaluated by univariate analysis followed by multivariate logistic regression analysis.

SETTING: A university hospital.

RESULTS: 172 patients (19.5%) either had an SSI recorded before discharge or had received antibiotics prescribed for a suspected SSI during the 1-month surveillance period after discharge. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed an extreme body mass index (BMI;P=.015), female gender (P=.023), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD;P=.030) to be independent risk features for SSI. The donor site was infected in 136 patients (15.4%), an event for which female gender (P=.003) was the only independent risk feature. Forty-seven patients (5.3%) had an SSI of the chest area, with diabetes (P=.003) and extreme BMI (P=.010) as independent risk features.

CONCLUSION: Extreme BMI, female gender, and COPD are highly significant independent predictors of the development of SSI. Female gender is a risk feature specifically for SSI at the donor site, whereas diabetes and extreme BMI predict it in the chest area.
Comparing Nosocomial Infection Rates Among Surgical Intensive-Care Units: The Importance of Separating Cardiothoracic and General Surgery Intensive-Care Units
Authors: Keita-Perse Olivia , Edwards Jonathan R. , Culver David H. , Gaynes Robert P.
Published: May 2019

Among surgical intensive-care units (ICUs), we assessed differences in risk-adjusted nosocomial infection rates between cardiothoracic (CT) and general surgery ICUs, using National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance data from 1987 to 1995. Device-associated rates and average length of stay were significantly lower in CT ICUs. Comparisons of risk-adjusted nosocomial infection rates among CT ICUs should be made separately from rates from general surgery ICUs.
Het meten van psychomotorische vertraging bij depressie deel I
Authors: Sabbe  , Van Hoof J. , Hulstijn W. , Zitman F.
Published: May 2019

Samenvatting

Deze artikelen (deel I en deel II) bevatten een overzicht van de literatuur van de laatste vijftien jaren over psychomotorische stoornissen bij depressieve patiënten, zoals ze gemeten worden met behulp van de volgende meetmethoden:

1.

observatieschalen (deel I);

2.

de meting en de analyse van specifiek non-verbaal gedrag (deel I);

3.

spraakonderzoek (deel I);

4.

(keuze) reactietijdmetingen (deel II);

5.

metingen van grove motoriek (deel II);

6.

onderzoek van fijne motoriek (deel II).

De onderzoeksresultaten warden per methode samengevat. Onderzocht wordt of (a) bij depressieve patiënten een vertraging vastgesteld werd, (b) waaruil deze bestond, (c) welke de aard van de vertraging was, (d) of er correlaties gevonden werden met andere meetmethodes, en (e) welke effecten van behandeling er werden gemeten.
Pathways from early adversity to later adjustment: Tests of the additive and bidirectional effects of executive control and diurnal cortisol in early childhood
Authors: Lengua Liliana J. , Thompson Stephanie F. , Moran Lyndsey R. , Zalewski Maureen , Ruberry Erika J. , Klein Melanie R. , Kiff Cara J.
Published: May 2019

Additive and bidirectional effects of executive control and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis regulation on children's adjustment were examined, along with the effects of low income and cumulative risk on executive control and the HPA axis. The study utilized longitudinal data from a community sample of preschool age children (N = 306, 36–39 months at Time 1) whose families were recruited to overrepresent low-income contexts. We tested the effects of low income and cumulative risk on levels and growth of executive control and HPA axis regulation (diurnal cortisol level), the bidirectional effects of executive control and the HPA axis on each other, and their additive effects on children's adjustment problems, social competence and academic readiness. Low income predicted lower Time 4 executive control, and cumulative risk predicted lower Time 4 diurnal cortisol level. There was little evidence of bidirectional effects of executive control and diurnal cortisol. However, both executive control and diurnal cortisol predicted Time 4 adjustment, suggesting additive effects. There were indirect effects of income on all three adjustment outcomes through executive control, and of cumulative risk on adjustment problems and social competence through diurnal cortisol. The results provide evidence that executive control and diurnal cortisol additively predict children's adjustment and partially account for the effects of income and cumulative risk on adjustment.
Germination response of Phragmites australis and Typha latifolia to diurnal fluctuations in temperature
Authors: Ekstam Börje , Forseby Åsa
Published: May 2019

Germination responses to 45 combinations of diurnal mean temperature and amplitude were examined in freshly collected seeds of two wetland perennials: Typha latifolia L. and Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steudel. Nearly all seeds (>95%) germinated in favourable temperature regimes. Mean temperature (range 10–30°C) and amplitude (range 0–20°C) affected final germination of both species. P. australis required a high amplitude (> 10°C) for germination over the entire range of mean temperatures. Final germination of T. latifolia was more sensitive to mean temperature than P. australis. The germinated proportion of T. latifolia had a maximum around 20°C, above which it decreased, and amplitudes were more stimulating at low than at high levels of mean temperature. The germination rate was rapid and increased with mean temperature for both species. More than 50% germination was achieved within 1–3 d at favourable temperatures. It is proposed that the thermal requirements provide the non-dormant seeds with a season-sensing mechanism which postpones germination of seeds dispersed during autumn, winter or early spring, until the soil surface is heated by the sun in the spring and sufficiently large diurnal fluctuations of temperature occur. Furthermore, the amplitude requirement implies a strong avoidance mechanism for germination of P. australis in sites with small temperature fluctuations (e.g. below water tables), whereas seeds of T. latifolia appear to be less exacting in the requirements when the soil or water becomes warmer.
Physiological dormancy and germination requirements of seeds of several North American Rhus species (Anacardiaceae)
Authors: Li Xiaojie , Baskin Jerry M. , Baskin Carol C.
Published: May 2019

Fourteen seedlots of five species of Rhus were surveyed for presence/absence of physiological dormancy and/or for germination requirements of non-dormant seeds. Physiological dormancy was present in the four seedlots of R. aromatica studied, but not in either of the two seedlots of its close relative R. trilobata, which is in contrast to previous reports. Neither were seeds of R. glabra, R. typhina, nor R. virens physiologically dormant. Stratification at 5oC for 1 week or incubation in 500 or 1000 mg/l solutions of gibberellic acid broke physiological dormancy in > 90% of the R. aromaticaseeds. Maturation desiccation acted as a switch from a developmental to a germinative mode in R. aromatica embryos, whereas it was not required for germination of R. glabra or R. virens (R. trilobata and R. typhinanot tested). Seeds of all five species incubated on a moist substrate became fully imbibed in 2 d, at which time moisture content was approx. 70–80%of their initial weight. In general, germination of non-dormant seeds was rather insensitive to temperature and light. Seeds germinated equally well in light and in darkness over a daily (12 h/12 h) temperature range of 15/6–35/20oC. Over a 4 week period, the best germination percentages were obtained at 25/15 and 20/10oC, whereas 35/20oC appeared to be supraoptimal, though not always significantly so. If the incubation period was extended to 30 weeks, germination percentages were as high at 15/6oC as at 25/15 and 20/10oC.
Sustaining the Family: The Case for Effective Early Intervention
Authors: Carpenter Barry
Published: May 2019

Robert and Louise eagerly anticipated the arrival of their first child, and when Clare was born they were elated. Their joy lasted on a few sort moments. Clare’s physical disability was obvious – only one ear, her chin depressed into her neck. The paediatrician advised an emergency tracheotomy.

Numbed with shock, Robert and Louise agreed to the operation. During the operation, Clare lost consciousness for 15 minutes. In spite of this she survived. As feeding was clearly going to be a problem, a nasogatric tube was fitted.
Prehospital Treatment of Severe Hypoglycaemia: A Comparison of Intramuscular Glucagon and Intravenous Glucose
Authors: Carstens Søren , Sprehn Michael
Published: May 2019

Introduction:

By introducing an intensified insulin treatment regime to patients with insulin-dependant diabetes mellitus (IDDM), the frequency of long-term complications that the patient will experience has been shown to decrease. The price is an increase in the frequency of severe and mild hypoglycaemic events. Therefore, constant monitoring of these patients is necessary.

Hypothesis:

This study compares the time until full recovery of IDDM patients with severe hypoglycaemia after treatment with either intravenous glucose or intramuscular glucagon.

Methods:

14 patients with IDDM with severe hypoglycaemia requiring treatment by the medical staff was randomised to treatment either with 50 ml of 50% glucose intravenously or intramuscular 1 mg glucagon. The time to recovery was recorded. Plasma glucose was measured at fixed intervals to achieve a glycaemia profile. Demographic data were acquired through patient interviews following recovery.

Results:

Recovery time between the two groups was significantly different statistically. Recovery time ranged for 1 to 3 minutes for those receiving glucose intravenously and 8 to 21 minutes for those receiving intramuscular glucagon. Characteristic glycaemia profiles were identified and differences were present between the two groups with a greater fluctuating pattern for the glucose group compared to the steadily increasing pattern seen after glucagon treatment. Alcohol was believed to be involved in 8 out of the 14 cases, and thereby, is the major confounding factor in this study.

Conclusion:

Intramuscularly administered glucagon is a safe and reliable alternative to intravenous glucose infusion. The fluctuating glyceamia pattern seen after glucose treatment indicates a low risk for secondary hypoglycaemia. However, further studies are necessary to support this assertion.
Risk Factors, Prevention and Prophylaxis of Dog Bites for Disaster Response Personnel in the United States
Authors: Heath Sebastian E. , Chomel Bruno B.
Published: May 2019

It commonly is rumored that in large scale disasters, packs of dogs present a human health hazard because of dog bites. However, it is likely that factors other than pack behavior comprise greater risk factors for dog bites in disaster-response personnel. Important risk factors include: 1) the density of the human population, which in turn, determines the number of dogs at a disaster site; 2) territorial behavior of dogs at their site of residence, which determines the frequency with which dogs may bite; and 3) whether rabies is present at endemic or epidemic levels within the area in which the disaster is occurring, which determines the likelihood of fatal outcomes. Persons bitten by a dog should seek medical attention as contraction of rabies may result in a fatal outcome from a dog bite. It is recommended that disaster response personnel obtain pre-exposure vaccination against rabies. Vaccinated or not, they immediately should seek post-exposure treatment for rabies following potential exposure.
The effects of changing straw provision on the feeding behaviour and activity of growing pigs given food through single-space feeders
Authors: Morgan C. A. , Deans L. A. , Lawrence A. B. , Nielsen B. L.
Published: May 2019

In a previous experiment the provision of straw to group-housed pigs increased the number of daily feeder visits. This effect of straw is comparable with conditions of reduced social competition for access to the feeder. The aim of this experiment was to investigate if changing straw provision within a pen resulted in similar and reversible effects in this behaviour. One hundred and twenty male pigs (41·1 (s.e. 0·43) kg) were used in three blocks each of four pens of 10 pigs. In each block of 42 days duration one pen had no straw throughout (treatment 1); one pen had no straw for 21 days (period 1) followed by straw for 21 days (period 2) (2); one pen had straw followed by no straw (3) and one pen had straw throughout (4). The pens were situated in a naturally ventilated building with light from 06.00 to 20.00 h. Each pen had a kennel, a lying area and a single-space computerized feeder for recording feeding behaviour. The pigs’ activity was recorded on video in the 2nd and 5th weeks of each block. The number of feeder visits was slightly higher for pigs with straw (1: 9·69 v. 4: 10·46) but this was not significant (P > 0·05). The effect was more marked for treatment 2 where the visits increased (P < 0·01) from period 1 (8·52) to period 2 (10·64) and for treatment 3 where they decreased (11·20 v. 10·10). Pigs without straw (treatment 1) spent more time in the kennel than those with straw (treatment 4) (P < 0·05). For treatment 2 the proportion of time spent in the kennel fell from 0·607 in period 1 to 0·288 in period 2 (P < 0·01). There was a general trend for more activity and more lying outside the kennel when straw was provided. The effect of straw provision was not as marked as that seen previously; nevertheless changing straw provision (treatments 2 and 3) did result in an increase in feeder visits with straw, probably related to the increase in general activity and lying outside in the area adjacent to the feeder.
Comparison of feeding behaviour and performance of weaned pigs given food in two types of dry feeders with integrated drinkers
Authors: Laitat M. , Vandenheede M. , Désiron A. , Canart B. , Nicks B.
Published: May 2019

Performance of 80 (tests 1 and 2) or 60 (tests 3 and 4) weaned pigs were compared when using ‘Tubetype’ feeder (T), allowing the animals to mix meal and drinking water, or another type (V) where drinking and eating places are separated. The difference in growth rate was not significant but the mean daily water consumption (1 per pig per day) was higher with T than with V in each test but significantly only in tests 1 and 3 (1·84 v. 1·40, and 2·11 v. 1·26, P < 0·01).

Feeding behaviour was assessed during tests 2 and 4. Multifactor analysis of variance revealed effects (P < 0·01) of feeder, group size and period of the day on the occupation time and the average number of animals using the feeders simultaneously. These two variables were higher for V than for T (test 2: 23·4 per 24 h v. 21·5 per 24 h and 4·5 v. 3·7, P < 0·05; test 4: 20·0 per 24 h v. 18·2 per 24 h, P< 0·01). In each test, both feeders were used for a longer time and by more piglets during the ‘day’ than during the ‘night’ (P < 0·01). When grouping 40 pigs, animals used both feeders during almost all the day period (V: 15·9 per 16 h and T: 15·8 per 16 h). During the night period, this was only true with V (V: 7·4 per 8 h; T: 5·8 per 8 h). The use of feeder V in crowded conditions thus prevented preferential diurnal feeding activity, commonly described in pigs. In conclusion, even if productivity is not affected, feeding behaviour and thus eventually welfare are influenced by the type of feeder, especially with high numbers of animals.
On the efficiency of marker-assisted introgression
Authors: Visscher P. M. , Haley C. S.
Published: May 2019

The efficiency of marker-assisted introgression programmes, expressed as genetic lag relative to a commercial population under continuous selection, was investigated using analytical methods. A genetic model was assumed for which the genetic variance in the introgression population was a function of the within-breed genetic variance and the initial breed difference. It was found that most of the genetic lag occurs in the latter stages of an introgression programme, when males and females which are heterozygous for the alíele to be introgressed are mated to produce homozygous individuals. Reducing genetic lag through selection on genomie proportion by using genetic markers throughout the genome, i.e. by selecting heterozygous individuals which resemble the recipient (commercial) population most, was effective if the initial breed difference was very large (e.g. 20 within-breed phenotypic standard deviations). In that case, selection solely on genetic markers could be practised to speed up genome recovery of the commercial line. If the initial breed difference is small, phenotypic or best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) selection is superior in reducing genetic lag under the assumed genetic model.
Effects of Texel or Rouge de l’Ouest genes in lowland ewes and rams on ewe prolificacy, lamb viability and weaned lamb output
Authors: Carson A. F. , McClinton L. W. , Steent R. W. J.
Published: May 2019

An evaluation of the effects of the proportion of Texel or Rouge de l’Ouest (Rouge) genes in ewes (0, 0·5 or 1·0; the remainder being Greyface (Border Leicester × Scottish Blackface)) on prolificacy, lamb viability and lamb output was undertaken. A comparison of Texel and Rouge sires was carried out on Greyface, Texel and Rouge ewes. Prolificacy was higher in Greyface compared with Texel ewes (P = 0·06) but was lower in Greyface compared with Rouge ewes (P < 0·001). Prolificacy was similar in Greyface and Texel × Greyface ewes mated to Texel rams and in Greyface and Rouge × Greyface ewes mated to Rouge rams. The level of dystocia was similar in Greyface and Texel × Greyface ewes but significantly higher in Texel ewes (P < 0·001). The proportion of Rouge genes in the ewe had no effect on the level of dystocia. Litter weight of lambs at birth was significantly heavier in Greyface (P < 0·001) and Texel × Greyface (P < 0·01) ewes compared with Texel ewes. The proportion of Rouge genes in the ewe had no significant effect on litter weight. Lamb mortality (no. of lambs born dead and died birth to weaning) was significantly greater with Rouge ewes compared with the other ewe breed types (P < 0·001). The number of lambs which died from birth to weaning was lower with Texel × Greyface compared with Greyface ewes (P < 0·01). Expressed on a unit metabolic weight basis, Greyface ewes produced a significantly greater weight of lamb compared with Texel (P < 0·05) and Rouge ewes (P < 0·001). Texel × Greyface ewes produced a significantly greater weight of Texel-sired lamb compared with Greyface (P < 0·01) and Texel ewes (P < 0·001).

Sire had a significant effect on a number of parameters. The number of productive ewes was significantly lower in ewes mated with Texel sires (P < 0·001). Lamb birth weights and pre-weaning growth rates were greater with Rouge sires (P < 0·05). Number of lambs weaned per ewe lambed was significantly greater with Texel sires (P < 0·01). Overall weight of weaned lamb produced per ewe was not significantly affected by sire breed.
Estimation of variance of maternal lineage effects at the Langhill dairy herd
Authors: Roughsedge T. , Brotherstone S. , Visscher P. M.
Published: May 2019

Evidence to support the existence of a maternal lineage variance component for production and food intake traits at the Langhill experimental dairy herd was investigated. Maternal pedigree records of the herd were traced back to the points of cytoplasmic origin using herd book records. Cytoplasmic origin was defined as the earliest maternal ancestor of a cow and used to assign cows to maternal lineages. This was either a grade-up cow or an ancestor traced back to 1920. The tracing resulted in the cows being assigned to 56 maternal lineages, ranging in size from one to 72 cows. A total of 1118 records of 517 cows, all with a first lactation record, were used in the analysis. Traits analysed were daily milk, fat and protein yield, fat %, protein %, food dry-matter intake, net energy of milk production, a measure of milk production efficiency, average condition, and calving condition, all averaged over the first 26 weeks of lactation. The analysis was performed using a residual maximum likelihood animal model with and without a random component for maternal lineage. Possible bias, due to the fact that the sires were a select sample from the population, was also examined. No significant effect was found in the analysis of the full data set that could be assigned to maternal lineage. Fat yield was the only trait to show a variance component approaching a 5% significance level with a magnitude of 4% of phenotypic variance. However, when maternal lineages of at least five cows were considered, a significant 4% maternal lineage component of phenotypic variance was found for fat yield. The power of the analysis to detect a variance component of less than 4% was shown to be poor. No evidence was found for a maternal lineage component of food intake traits or condition score. Treating sire as a fixed effect or regressing data on sire EBV made little difference to the maternal lineage component.
Sahiwal cattle in Pakistan: genetic and environmental causes of variation in body weight and reproduction and their relationship to milk production
Authors: Khan U. N. , Dahlin A. , Zafar A. H. , Saleem M. , Chaudhry M. A. , Philipsson J.
Published: May 2019

The influence of genetic and environmental factors on body weight and reproduction and their relationship to milk production traits, were studied in data of about 4700 Sahiwal cows from Pakistan. (Co)variance components were estimated using restricted maximum likelihood (REML) procedure based on the expectation maximization algorithm applying an animal model. Mean weights of females were: at birth, 21·6 kg; at 1 year, 130 kg; and at 2 years, 222 kg. Records of age at calving, cow weight post partum and calving interval were studied in the first three parities, with parities considered as different traits. For primiparous cows the average values of these traits were: 44·1 months, 319 kg and 465 days, respectively. Mean stillbirth rate was 5·3%. Heritabilities ranged for body weight traits from 0·08 to 0·21, for age at calving from 0·10 to 0·13 and for calving interval from 0·03 to 0·07. Genetic correlations of age at first calving with calving interval and 305-day milk yield were low. The genetic correlation between 305-day milk yield and calving interval was positive (unfavourable) in first parity (0·68) but negative in the third (-0·47). Cows with a high genetic value for 305-day milk yield were heavier at first calving than were low-yielding cows (rg 0·57). The genetic change in reproductive traits over the period studied was close to zero, whereas a marked deterioration was found in phenotypic performance. It is concluded that improved feeding and management, along with some selection against poor reproduction in cows, are important for improvement of reproductive performance.
Meat quality of Large White pig genotypes selected for components of efficient lean growth rate
Authors: Cameron N. D. , Nute G. R. , Brown-a2 S. N. , Enser M. , Wood J. D.
Published: May 2019

Responses in carcass composition and meat quality after seven generations of selection for components of lean growth rate were examined in a population of Large White pigs. There were four selection groups in the study, with divergent selection for lean growth rate on ad libitum (LGA) or restricted (LGS) feeding regimes, lean food conversion ratio (LFC) and daily food intake (DFI). In generations six and seven, two offspring from each of 10 sires, within each selection line, were to be allocated for half-carcass dissection and measurement of meat quality. There were 320 animals in the study, with 40 animals from each of the high and low selection lines and, within each selection line, two offspring per sire.

Responses in carcass composition were similar in the three selection groups given food ad libitum, but rates of lean and fat growth rate differed between selection lines. Intramuscular fat content was reduced with selection for high LGA and high LFC but was increased with selection for low DFI (-1·7 and -3·2 v. 2·7 (s.e.d. 0·7) mg/g), which was unexpected given the higher carcass fat content of the low DFI line, relative to the high line (249 v. 190 (s.e.d. 7) g/kg). Muscle colour was darker, as measured by trained sensory panel assessment, in selection lines which reduced the rate of fat deposition to achieve a leaner carcass (high LFC and low DFI) but there was no response in muscle colour with selection for LGA (0·4 and 0·3 v. 0·0 (s.e.d. 0·1)). Responses in muscle shear force (5·3 v. 4·4 (s.e.d. 0·4) kg) and flavour liking (4·0 v. 4·3 (s.e.d. 0·12)) were limited to the LGA and LFC selection groups, respectively. There were no significant responses in muscle moisture content, muscle pH or myofibrillar fragmentation index, nor were there any responses in meat quality with selection on LGS. Therefore, decreasing the rate of fat deposition was associated with darker meat and increasing the rate of lean growth was associated with higher shear force. There were selection strategy specific responses in the fatty acid composition of intramuscular fat, which may have contributed to the responses in eating quality.

In general, responses in meat quality were small, such that incorporation of meat quality traits in selection objectives, which are primarily focused on increasing the efficiency of lean meat production, may not be necessary. However, it would be pertinent to evaluate periodically genotypes of breeding companies for muscle quality traits.
Effects of amount offered on the intake and selection of barley straw by growing cattle
Authors: Velasquez J. E. , Owen E. , Mould F. L.
Published: May 2019

A 28-day experiment with 12 9-month-old cattle (275 kg initial weight, M1), used a 2 × 2 arrangement of treatments to compare the effect of doubling the ad-libitum quantity of long barley straw offered daily (25 or 50 g dry matter (DM) per kg M1) and sex/genotype (Limousin × Friesian steers or Friesian heifers) on intake and selection. All animals received a protein concentrate at 20 g DM per kg M10·75per day. Prior to the experiment the cattle had grazed for 6 months and were given no pre-experimental change-over period. On day 1 animals were weighed (M1), allocated to treatment and penned individually. Animals were weighed on day 28 (M2). Doubling the amount offered did not affect straw intake (g DM per kg M3 per day; M3= mean of M1and M2) during days 22 to 28 (steers: 17·9, 17·2; heifers 14·3, 13·3; s.e. 0·50) but increased the proportion (g DM per kg DM offered) refused (steers: 258, 635; heifers: 412, 721; s.e. 22). During days 22 to 28, at each level of offer (25, 50), refused straw contained (g DM per kg DM) less leaf-plus-sheath than offered straw (25 g steers: 251, 430, s.e. 16·7; 50 g steers: 393, 450, s.e. 19·7; 25 g heifers: 304, 420, s.e. 7·2; 50 g heifers: 405, 446, s.e. 9·6). The sex/genotype effect on intake was attributed to differences in growth potential. Straw intakes increased significantly over the first 14 days, but there were no differences between days 15 to 21 and days 22 to 28. It is concluded that an excess-feeding strategy, involving a doubling of the ad libitum amount of barley straw offered did not result in growing cattle consuming more straw, in contrast to published results with sheep and goats. However, the cattle did show a limited ability to selectively consume leaf-plus-sheath in preference to stem but the improvement in diet digestible organic content (estimated in vitro) was presumably insufficient to stimulate intake.
Mediating production, teaching, and research: the role of university-run design institutes in Chinese architectural practice
Authors: Ding Guanghui , Xue Charlie Q. L.
Published: May 2019

Almost every architecture school in China has its own university-run design institute, which functions as a platform for academics and students to engage with architectural practice.1 Design institutes play an active role in advancing, producing, and sharing architectural knowledge.2 Academic-architects, in the context of design institutes, tend to embed themselves within a complex academic-professional network, simultaneously engaging with scholarly inquiry, training young professionals and transforming cultural assets into capital in the market.3 It is the unique position of such educator-practitioners that has distinguished the work of university-run design institutes from that of numerous other state-backed design institutes.
Von Ledoux bis Mies: the modern plinth as isolating element
Authors: Kaminer Tahl
Published: May 2019

One of the most conventional architectural elements is the plinth. Neither a specifically modern nor Western element, it is a familiar feature of religious buildings, and associated in premodern societies with the altar. The plinth is commonly understood as an expression of the elevation of the structure towards the sacred and its separation from profane daily life. A number of fairly recent publications have discussed the function of the architectural plinth in the twentieth century. The architectural historian Fritz Neumeyer, architectural historian and theorist K. Michael Hays, and architect and theorist Pier Vittorio Aureli have all argued that the role of the plinth in the work of Mies van der Rohe is mediation.1 In this, they modify a common modern conception of the plinth as an element that isolates and separates a building from its environment.
Does establishment suppress the political activities of religious congregations? Evidence from Switzerland
Authors: Stolz Jörg , Monnot Christophe
Published: May 2019

Establishment of churches is a central feature of the church-state regime in most European countries, and understanding the nature of such privileges is of key importance for both theoretical and political reasons. Yet, there is little empirical research on how establishment influences the organizational behavior of congregations. This article looks at this question by focusing on one relationship in one geographical context: we investigate whether establishment suppresses the political activities of congregations in Switzerland or not. We identify mechanisms that might lead establishment to suppress the political activities of congregations, and other mechanisms that might enhance such activities. We use representative National Congregation Study Data from Switzerland. Our results are unequivocal: establishment does not suppress the political activities of congregations. The level of establishment of the canton has no significant impact either on established congregations or on the religious field as a whole. Rather than establishment, important determinants of the political activities of congregations are religious tradition and income.
Experimental Relationship Between Compressional Wave Attenuation and Surface Strains in Brittle Rock
Authors: Shirole Deepanshu , Hedayat Ahmadreza , Walton Gabriel
Published: May 2019

Linear ultrasonic testing (LUT) has been extensively used as a tool for the evaluation of damage processes in various materials ranging from synthetic metals to natural geomaterials, such as rocks. A key limitation of LUT‐based damage studies to date is the lack of explicit evidence used in associating material damage with the changes in measured LUT attributes (e.g., ultrasonic wave amplitude and velocity). In this study, the evolution of the full‐field strains in brittle rock specimens (Lyons sandstone) subjected to failure are analyzed in real time and linked with the changes in the ultrasonic wave amplitude in localized areas illuminated by ultrasonic beams, termed as the ultrasonic image areas. The noncontact optical full‐field displacement measurement method of 2‐D digital image correlation is implemented in combination with the LUT procedure to continuously track changes in the ultrasonic wave amplitude with the evolution of strains across the surface of the uniaxially loaded intact rock specimens. The ultrasonic amplitude showed near‐linear correlation with the intensity of inelastic tensile strain recorded in the rock specimens. The results from the study corroborate that the ultrasonic changes are in fact influenced by the regions of tensile cracking, which is the primary inelastic deformation mechanism in brittle rocks.
Orbitally Induced Variation of Tropical Cyclone Genesis Potential Over the Western North Pacific During the Mid‐Piacenzian Warm Period: A Modeling Perspective
Authors: Yan Qing , Wei Ting , Zhang Zhongshi , Jiang Nanxuan
Published: May 2019

The mid‐Piacenzian (3.264 to 3.025 Ma) is the most recent warmer‐than‐present interval in the geological past, with clear orbital‐scale variability in climate and environments. However, it remains unclear how the orbitally induced climate change may regulate the behavior of tropical cyclones (TCs). Here we use a fully coupled climate model to examine the response of TC genesis potential to different orbital configurations specific to the mid‐Piacenzian time slab. Under the Pliocene Research, Interpretation, and Synoptic Mapping version 3 boundary conditions that use modern orbital configurations, our results show that environmental conditions in the mid‐Piacenzian are less favorable for storm formation over the western North Pacific than the preindustrial. By performing a suite of sensitivity experiments, we find that orbital configurations significantly influence the magnitude and phase of genesis potential via the modification of the atmospheric thermal structure and associated large‐scale circulations. Regarding the overall favorability, increased and decreased orbitally induced insolation leads to less and more favorable conditions for storm formation over the western North Pacific, respectively. Under several extreme orbital parameters (e.g., when northern hemisphere summer insolation is at a minimum), there is an increasing favorability for genesis in the mid‐Piacenzian relative to the preindustrial. This is attributed to the fact that the orbitally induced increase in TC genesis exceeds the reduction from the Pliocene Research, Interpretation, and Synoptic Mapping version 3 boundary conditions. Our results highlight potential orbital‐scale variability in TC activity during the mid‐Piacenzian, implying possible changes in TC‐induced vertical mixing, which might play a potential role in regulating the orbital‐scale variation of tropical/global climate during the Pliocene.
Normalisation of circulating adiponectin levels in obese pregnant mice prevents cardiac dysfunction in adult offspring
Authors: Vaughan Owen R. , Rosario Fredrick J. , Powell Theresa L. , Jansson Thomas
Published: May 2019

Background/objectives

Adiponectin concentrations are low in obese pregnant women. Restoring normal adiponectin concentrations by infusion in obese pregnant mice prevents placental dysfunction, foetal overgrowth and metabolic syndrome in the offspring. We hypothesised that normalising maternal adiponectin in obese late pregnant dams prevents cardiac dysfunction in the adult offspring.

Subjects/methods

Pregnant female mice with diet-induced obesity were infused with adiponectin (0.62 μg g−1 day−1, n = 24) or saline (n = 22) over days 14.5–18.5 of pregnancy (term = day 19.5). Control dams ate standard chow and received saline (n = 22). Offspring were studied at 3 and 6 months of age.

Results

Maternal obesity impaired ventricular diastolic function, increased cardiomyocyte cross-sectional area and upregulated cardiac brain natriuretic peptide (Nppb) and α-skeletal actin (Acta1) gene expression in adult male offspring, compared to control offspring. In adult female offspring, maternal obesity increased Nppb expression, decreased end-diastolic volume and caused age-dependent diastolic dysfunction but not cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Maternal obesity also activated cardiac Akt and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signalling in male, but not in female, offspring and inhibited cardiac extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) in both sexes. Normalising maternal circulating adiponectin concentrations by infusing obese dams with adiponectin prevented offspring diastolic dysfunction and ventricular dilation and normalised cardiac Akt-mTOR signalling irrespective of sex. Maternal adiponectin infusion also reduced cardiac Nppb expression and increased ERK1/2 signalling in offspring of obese dams. Adiponectin infusion did not prevent cardiomyocyte hypertrophy but reduced ventricular wall thickness in male offspring and increased collagen content in female offspring of obese dams, compared to controls.

Conclusions

Low maternal adiponectin levels in obese mice in late pregnancy are mechanistically linked to in utero programming of cardiac dysfunction in their offspring. Interventions enhancing endogenous adiponectin secretion or signalling in obese pregnant women could prevent the development of cardiac dysfunction in their children.
Self-organisation in striped seagrass meadows affects the distributional pattern of the sessile bivalve Pinna nobilis
Authors: Coppa Stefania , Quattrocchi Giovanni , Cucco Andrea , de Lucia Giuseppe Andrea , Vencato Sara , Camedda Andrea , Domenici Paolo , Conforti Alessandro , Satta Andrea , Tonielli Renato , Bressan Monica , Massaro Giorgio , Falco Giovanni De
Published: May 2019

Striped seagrass meadows are formed by narrow ribbons which are elevated over the seabed and separated by channels. Limited information on the genesis and development of this morphological pattern, including the adaptive responses of associated biota, is preventing holistic insight into the functioning of such protected ecosystems. This paper assessed the structural dynamics of a Posidonia oceanica striped meadow and the distribution and 3D orientation of the associated bivalve Pinna nobilis. Our analysis of the interaction between bedforms, bottom currents, and the distribution of P. nobilis revealed that the striped seascape is the result of a self-organisation process driven by feedback interactions among seagrass growth, sediment deposition, and hydrodynamics. The results suggest that the ribbon wall is the most suitable sub-habitat for this species, because it supports the highest density of P. nobilis, compared to the meadow top and bottom. Here, specimens can take advantage of the resuspension induced by hydrodynamics and open their shells towards the current, thus enhancing food intake. Therefore, our results show that self-organisation in striped seagrass meadow affects the distributional pattern of P. nobilis, providing new insights into the autoecology of this species beyond the conservation implications for its habitat.