Implications to fleece evaluation derived from sources of variation contributing to cashmere fibre curvature

Cashmere fibre curvature (crimp) has important impact on the softness and quality of cashmere textiles, the efficiency of cashmere processing and cashmere production. This work was aimed to quantify the magnitude and direction of factors affecting cashmere fibre curvature, with data collected from 11 Australian commercial cashmere farms, using general linear model analysis. Nineteen parameters were recorded for 1244 goats. Following log transformation the best model for fibre curvature included farm, age, clean washing yield, mean fibre diameter, cashmere yield, fibre diameter standard deviation, and live weight and the interactions between these terms. The percentage variance accounted for was 71.7%. Mean fibre diameter alone accounted for 39% of the variation in fibre curvature and farm accounted for 49% of the variation. Cumulatively mean fibre diameter and farm accounted for 66.6% of the variation existing in fibre curvature. For the other terms, age added 2.2% and the other fibre measurements a further 2.9% to variation accounted for by the best model. Results suggest that within a farm, using cashmere fibre crimp frequency to estimate mean fibre diameter has a correlation of 0.72—provided the trained observers perform as well as the calibrated laboratory equipment. On the other hand, however, results indicate fibre curvature not to be a reasonable indicator of mean fibre diameter differences across farms. Farm-effects on fibre curvature are large and may explain the difficulties cashmere growers experience when they visit other farms to visually evaluate cashmere goats prior to purchase. This work indicated that heavier goats are likely to produce cashmere with a lower fibre curvature. As this relationship did not differ between farms, it is reasonable to conclude that all goats exhibit this phenotypic response. Using cashmere fibre curvature (crimp frequency) as a tool for changing mean fibre diameter or selecting homogenous batches of fibre for sale will be reasonably effective within a farm, but is not a reasonable indicator and predictor of mean fibre diameter differences between farms.     

Sources of variation affecting cashmere grown in the Pamir mountain districts of Tajikistan and implications for industry development

We aimed to quantify the sources of variation contributing to the main quality attributes of cashmere produced from goats in the Pamir mountain districts of Murghab, Shugnon and Vanj in Tajikistan. In early spring 2010, mid-side samples were taken from 194 adult females, 43 adult males and 20 castrates belonging to 58 farmers and pastoralists in 14 villages. For 57 goats, samples were also taken from the shoulder and hip sites. Mean fibre diameter (MFD), fibre curvature (FC) and cashmere staple length (SL) data were examined using a general linear model to determine the relationships between fleece attributes and other possible effects. For females, the mean (s.d.) for MFD, FC and SL were: 16.5 (1.70) μm; 46 (12.1)°/mm; 53 (22.9) mm. MFD was affected by district, SL and age of goat. SL was affected by district, MFD, gender, age of goat and village. FC was affected by district, MFD, shade of cashmere, age of goat and farmer. Cashmere from Vanj district was finer and shorter than cashmere from Murghab and Shugnon. Cashmere grown on the mid-side and hip sites was finer and had higher FC than cashmere grown on the shoulder. Cashmere grown on the hip was shorter than cashmere grown on the mid-side and shoulder. About 50% of the cashmere sampled was < 16.4 μm and potentially suitable for knitwear. Of this fine cashmere, 53% was 34 mm or longer. A further 37% of the cashmere was 16.4-18.5 μm, and suitable for weaving as 97% was longer than 36 mm. Almost 12% of samples were > 18.5 μm and may only be suitable for weaving or, if cashgora, will have little commercial value. Most of the cashmere was coloured. There are cashmere goats in the Murghab, Shugnon and Vanj districts of Tajikistan which produce the finest qualities of cashmere, comparable to premium grades of Chinese cashmere. There is substantial scope to increase the commercial value of cashmere produced by goats in Tajikistan, in particular increasing SL for fine cashmere, reducing MFD for the longest cashmere and ensuring cashmere has acceptable FC and white colour.     

Implications of seasonal mixing for phytoplankton production and bloom development

Based on a 1D model considering phytoplankton and nutrients in a vertical water column, we investigate the consequences of temporal and spatial variations in turbulent mixing for phytoplankton production and biomass. We show that in seasonally mixed systems, the processes controlling phytoplankton production and the sensitivity of phytoplankton abundance to ambient light, trophic state and mixed-layer depth differ substantially from those at steady state in systems with time-constant diffusivities. In seasonally mixed systems, the annually replenished nutrient pool in the euphotic zone is an important factor for phytoplankton production supporting bloom development, whereas without winter mixing, production mainly depends on the diffusive nutrient flux during stratified conditions. Seasonal changes in water column production are predominantly determined by seasonal changes in phytoplankton abundance, but also by seasonal changes in specific production resulting from the transport of nutrients, the exploitation of the nutrient pool and the increase in light shading associated with phytoplankton growth. The interplay between seasonal mixing and the vertical distribution of mixing intensities is a key factor determining the relative importance of the processes controlling phytoplankton production and the sensitivity of the size and timing of the annual maximum phytoplankton abundance to the abiotic conditions.     

现代生物技术制药工业发展概况

１国外现代生物技术产业发展的现状自七十年代初成功地实现了基因的体外重组和克隆以来,以ＤＮＡ重组技术为核心的现代生物技术,以前所未有的速度,蓬勃发展。而现代生物技术自诞生之日起,就在医药领域中显示了巨大生命力,并很快在医药工业中形成了一支新的产业。自１９７１年Ｃｅｔｕｓ公司成立至今,现代生物技术制药工业已走完了二十五年的路程,创造出３５个重要的治疗药物,目前已在治疗癌症、多发性硬化症、贫血、发...     

Sources of variation in developmental language disorders: evidence from eye-tracking studies of sentence production

Skilled sentence production involves distinct stages of message conceptualization (deciding what to talk about) and message formulation (deciding how to talk about it). Eye-movement paradigms provide a mechanism for observing how speakers accomplish these aspects of production in real time. These methods have recently been applied to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and specific language impairment (LI) in an effort to reveal qualitative differences between groups in sentence production processes. Findings support a multiple-deficit account in which language production is influenced not only by lexical and syntactic constraints, but also by variation in attention control, inhibition and social competence. Thus, children with ASD are especially vulnerable to atypical patterns of visual inspection and verbal utterance. The potential to influence attentional focus and prime appropriate language structures are considered as a mechanism for facilitating language adaptation and learning.     

Sources of variation in floral nectar production rate in Epilobium canum (Onagraceae): implications for natural selection

Sources of variation in floral nectar production were investigated in a natural population of Epilobium canum (Onagraceae), a hummingbird-pollinated herbaceous shrub. Field measurements showed significant phenotypic variation among plants in floral nectar production rates. Average variance among flowers within plants was approximately one-third to one-half as great as variance among plants, with coefficients of variation among flowers ranging from 6.5% to 116.7%. A greenhouse experiment using clonally propagated ramets from field plants showed significant genetic variation for nectar production rates; broad sense heritability was estimated to have a maximum value of 0.64. In the greenhouse, plants grown under low water or low light conditions produced approximately 25% less nectar on average than those grown under control conditions. However, significant genotype-environment interactions indicated that genets differed in their responses to the changes in conditions. Rank correlations for genet mean nectar production rates across environmental conditions were low, and in two out of three comparisons were not different from zero. It is concluded that although the opportunity for natural selection on nectar production rates exits in this population, the response to selection will likely be slow, and the opportunity for selection of a narrow-optimum nectar production phenotype may be limited. Received: 9 January 1996 / Accepted: 18 December 1996     

Effect of melatonin administration to lactating cashmere goats on milk production of dams and on hair follicle development in their offspring

Melatonin treatment in adult cashmere goats can increase cashmere yield and improve cashmere fibre quality by inducing cashmere growth during cashmere non-growth period, of which time cashmere goats are in the mid and late stages of lactation. However, whether melatonin treatment in adult cashmere goats affects their offspring’s growth performance remains unknown. Therefore, the objectives of the current study were to determine the effects of melatonin treatment in adult cashmere goats on cashmere and milk production performance in dams and on hair follicle development and subsequent cashmere production in their offspring. Twenty-four lactating Inner Mongolian Cashmere goat dams (50 ± 2 days in milk, mean ± SD) and their single-born female offspring (50 ± 2 days old, mean ± SD) were randomly assigned to one of two groups supplemented with melatonin implants (MEL; n = 12) or without (CON; n = 12). The melatonin implants were subcutaneously implanted behind the ear at a dose of 2 mg/kg live weight on two occasions – 30 April and 30 June 2016. The results demonstrated that melatonin treatment in adult cashmere goats increased cashmere production and improved cashmere fibre quality as indicated by greater cashmere yield, longer cashmere fibre staple length, finer cashmere fibre diameter and thicker cashmere fibre density. The milk fat content was higher in MEL compared with CON cashmere goats. The daily yields of milk production, milk protein and milk lactose were lower in MEL compared with CON cashmere goats. Serum melatonin concentrations were greater, serum prolactin concentrations were lower and milk melatonin concentrations and yields were greater in MEL compared with CON cashmere goats. With regard to offspring, there were no differences in cashmere yield, fibre staple length, fibre diameter and fibre density at yearling combing, and the primary and secondary hair follicles population and maturation between treatments. In conclusion, melatonin treatment in adult cashmere goats during cashmere non-growth period is a practical and an effective way in cashmere industry as indicated by not only increasing cashmere yield and improving cashmere fibre quality in adult cashmere goat dams but also having no impairment in hair follicle development and the subsequent cashmere production in their single-born offspring.     

Whey valorisation: A complete and novel technology development for dairy industry starter culture production

Whey is the major by-product of the dairy industry, produced in large quantities and usually disposed off causing major environmental pollution, due to its high organic load that makes treatment cost prohibitive. This paper comprises a contribution on the valorisation of this high polluting liquid waste of the dairy industry, based on research for the production of novel dairy starter cultures using whey as raw material. Starter cultures are used for cheese ripening in order to: (i) accelerate ripening, (ii) improve quality and (iii) increase shelf-life. The developed technology involves biomass production from whey followed by thermal drying of cultures. Specifically, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and kefir yeasts were thermally dried, and their efficiency in lactose and milk whey fermentations was studied. The most suitable culture regarding its technological properties was kefir, which was used for cheese ripening in freeze-dried and thermally dried form. Besides the reduction of production cost, which is an essential requirement for the food industry, the use of thermally dried kefir displayed several other advantages such as acceleration of ripening, increase of shelf-life, and improvement of hard-type cheese quality.     

Genetic, physiologic and ecogeographic factors contributing to variation in Homo sapiens: Homo floresiensis reconsidered

A new species, Homo floresiensis, was recently named for Pleistocene hominid remains on Flores, Indonesia. Significant controversy has arisen regarding this species. To address controversial issues and refocus investigations, I examine the affinities of these remains with Homo sapiens. Clarification of problematic issues is sought through an integration of genetic and physiological data on brain ontogeny and evolution. Clarification of the taxonomic value of various 'primitive' traits is possible given these data. Based on this evidence and using a H. sapiens morphological template, models are developed to account for the combination of features displayed in the Flores fossils. Given this overview, I find substantial support for the hypothesis that the remains represent a variant of H. sapiens possessing a combined growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor I axis modification and mutation of the MCPH gene family. Further work will be required to determine the extent to which this variant characterized the population.     

A multivariate approach to fingerprint variation in Papua New Guinea: Implications for prehistory

Fingerprint data from three Markham Valley populations of Papua New Guinea are presented. Initial comparisons with data from elsewhere in New Guinea by conventional bivariate methods suggest hypotheses regarding prehistory, but these methods are inconclusive. Because of this shortcoming, the application of discriminant analysis to dermatoglyphic data is justified and cautiously demonstrated. Discriminant analysis is a valid approach to the parsimonious study of fingerprint relationships among human populations. Significant discriminating variables are then used with the limited published data to display historical relationships. These marker traits include the separate frequencies of thumb, middle fingers, and little finger patterning, and the complexity of the thenar eminence. With regard to prehistory, it is concluded that fingerprint data support the hypothesis of separate origins and migrations for Papuan- and Melanesian-speaking peoples. Furthermore, it is suggested that these data support the linguistic hypothesis of a second Papuan migration of Trans New Guinea Phylum speakers, up the Markham Valley into the New Guinea Highlands. Finally, gene flow is indicated from Melanesian speakers of the north coast into the interior through the Sepik and Ramu River valleys, affecting both the Trans New Guinea Phylum and other unrelated Papuan groups. Moreover, there are numerous suggestions of recent reciprocal genetic exchange between neighboring Melanesians and Papuans, without obliterating the older, separate origins of these peoples. These results suggest that fingerprints have greater phylogenetic stability than other biological parameters used in the past.     

Sources of variation in plant responses to belowground insect herbivory: a meta-analysis

Growing interest in belowground herbivory and the remarkable diversity of the accumulated information on this topic inspired us to quantitatively explore the variation in the outcomes of individual studies. We conducted a meta-analysis of 85 experimental studies reporting the effects of root-feeding insect herbivores (36 species) on plants (75 species). On average, belowground herbivory led to a 36.3% loss of root biomass, which was accompanied by a reduction in aboveground growth (-16.3%), photosynthesis (-11.7%) and reproduction (-15.5%). The effects of root herbivory on aboveground plant characteristics were significant in agricultural and biological control studies, but not in studies of natural systems. Experiments conducted in controlled environments yielded larger effects on plants than field experiments, and infestation experiments resulted in more severe effects than removal studies employing natural levels of herbivory. Simulated root herbivory led to greater aboveground growth reductions than similar root loss imposed by insect feeding. External root chewers caused stronger detrimental effects than sap feeders or root borers; specialist herbivores imposed milder adverse effects on plants than generalists. Woody plants suffered from root herbivory more than herbaceous plants, although root loss was similar in these two groups. Evergreen woody plants responded to root herbivory more strongly than deciduous woody plants, and grasses suffered from root herbivory more than herbs. Environmental factors such as drought, poor nutrient supply, among-plant competition, and aboveground herbivory increased the adverse effects of root damage on plants in an additive manner. In general, plant tolerance to root herbivores is lower than tolerance to defoliating aboveground herbivores.     

Responses to nutrients in farm animals: implications for production and quality

It is well known that any quantitative (energy and protein levels) and qualitative (nature of the diet, nutrient dynamic) changes in the feeding of animals affect metabolism. Energy expenditure and feed efficiency at the whole-body level, nutrient partitioning between and within tissues and organs and, ultimately, tissue and organ characteristics are the major regulated traits with consequences on the quality of the meat and milk produced. Recent progress in biology has brought to light important biological mechanisms which explain these observations: for instance, regulation by the nutrients of gene expression or of key metabolic enzyme activity, interaction and sometimes cross-regulation or competition between nutrients to provide free energy (ATP) to living cells, indirect action of nutrients through a complex hormonal action, and, particularly in herbivores, interactions between trans-fatty acids produced in the rumen and tissue metabolism. One of the main targets of this nutritional regulation is a modification of tissue insulin sensitivity and hence of insulin action. In addition, the nutritional control of mitochondrial activity (and hence of nutrient catabolism) is another major mechanism by which nutrients may affect body composition and tissue characteristics. These regulations are of great importance in the most metabolically active tissues (the digestive tract and the liver) and may have undesirable (i.e. diabetes and obesity in humans) or desirable consequences (such as the production of fatty liver by ducks and geese, and the production of fatty and hence tasty meat or milk with an adapted fatty acid profile).     

History of the acetone-butanol-ethanol fermentation industry in China: development of continuous production technology

The acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation industry in China was started in the early 1950s in Shanghai and expanded rapidly thereafter. At its peak, there were about 30 plants all over the country and the total annual production of solvents reached 170,000 tons. This large enterprise was compelled to complete shutdown at the end of the 20th century due to the rapid increase of petrochemicals. The success of the ABE industry in China had special features like the development of a continuous fermentation technology. Its main strategic considerations were as follows: maintaining maximal growth and acid production phase, adoption of multiple stages in the solvent phase to allow gradual adaptation to increasing solvent, and the incorporation of stillage to offer enough nutrients to delay cell degeneration. Due to the tremendous national demand for solvents, China has begun a new round of ABE fermentation research. It is expected that a new era in the ABE industry is on the horizon.     

A QTL analysis of female variation contributing to refractoriness and sperm competition in Drosophila melanogaster

Sperm competition is an important fitness component in many animal groups. Drosophila melanogaster males exhibit substantial genetic variation for sperm competitive ability and females show considerable genetic variation for first versus second male sperm use. Currently, the forces responsible for maintaining genetic variation in sperm competition related phenotypes are receiving much attention. While several candidate genes contributing to the variation seen in male competitive ability are known, genes involved in female sperm use remain largely undiscovered. Without knowledge of the underlying genes, it will be difficult to distinguish between different models of sexual selection such as cryptic female choice and sexual conflict. We used quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping to identify regions of the genome contributing to female propensity to use first or second male sperm, female refractoriness to re-mating, and early-life fertility. The most well supported markers influencing the phenotypes include 33F/34A (P2), 57B (refractoriness) and 23F/24A (fertility). Between 10% and 15% of the phenotypic variance observed in these recombinant inbred lines was explained by these individual QTLs. More detailed investigation of the regions detected in this experiment may lead to the identification of genes responsible for the QTLs identified here.     

Engineering plants for tomorrow: how high-throughput phenotyping is contributing to the development of better crops

High-throughput plant phenotyping has been advancing at an accelerated rate as a response to the need to fill the gap between genomic information and the plasticity of the plant phenome. During the past decade, North America has seen a stark increase in the number of phenotyping facilities, and these groups are actively contributing to the generation of high-dimensional, richly informative datasets about the phenotype of model and crop plants. As both phenomic datasets and analysis tools are made publicly available, the key to engineering more resilient crops to meet global demand is closer than ever. However, there are a number of bottlenecks that must yet be overcome before this can be achieved. In this paper, we present an overview of the most commonly used sensors that empower digital phenotyping and the information they provide. We also describe modern approaches to identify and characterize plants that are resilient to common abiotic and biotic stresses that limit growth and yield of crops. Of interest to researchers working in plant biochemistry, we also include a section discussing the potential of these high-throughput approaches in linking phenotypic data with chemical composition data. We conclude by discussing the main bottlenecks that still remain in the field and the importance of multidisciplinary teams and collaboration to overcome those challenges.     

Characterization of Microcystis morphotypes: Implications for colony formation and intraspecific variation

Groundworks on Microcystis colony formation and morphological variation are critical to understanding the whole eco-cycle of Microcystis blooms. In this study, we tested the cell adhesion effect, an important pathway for colony formation, among Microcystis colonies of different morphotypes, and examined the potential linkage between cell properties and morphological plasticity. Results showed that cell adhesion significantly contributed to the aggregation of Microcystis colonies, but such adhesion only occurred in colonies belonging to the same morphotype. This suggests that Microcystis cannot form large colonies through a direct adhesion effect among different morphotypes, possibly due to substantial differences in the chemical structures and compositions of their extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Cell functional features also varied substantially with morphotypes, implying high intraspecific variation in competitive and defensive strategies of Microcystis. Our results offer new insights into colony formation of Microcystis and substantiate the importance of fundamental chemical characteristics of EPS in determining the morphological plasticity.     

Consequences of constitutive and induced variation in the host's food plant quality for parasitoid larval development

Constitutive and induced changes in plant quality impact higher trophic levels, such as the development of parasitoids, in different ways. An efficient way to study how plant quality affects parasitoids is to examine how the parasitoid larva is integrated within the host during the growth process. In two experiments, we investigated the effects of varying nutritional quality of Brassica oleracea on parasitoid larval development inside the host, the diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella). First, we compared larval growth of the specialist Diadegma semiclausum and the generalist Diadegma fenestrale, when the host was feeding on Brussels sprout plants that were either undamaged or were previously induced by caterpillar damage. Larvae of the generalist D. fenestrale showed lower growth rates than larvae of the specialist D. semiclausum, and this difference was more pronounced on herbivore-induced plants, suggesting differences in host-use efficiency between parasitoid species. The growth of D. semiclausum larvae was also analyzed in relation to herbivore induction on Brussels sprouts and on a wild B. oleracea strain. Parasitoid growth was more depressed on induced than on undamaged control plants, and more on wild cabbage than on Brussels sprouts, which was largely explained by differences in host mass. The effects of induction of wild Brassica on parasitoid development were pronounced early on, but as P. xylostella feeding began inducing the previously undamaged control plants, the effect of induction disappeared, revealing a temporal component of plant-parasitoid interactions. This study demonstrates how insights into the physiological aspects of host-parasitoid interactions can improve our understanding of the effects of plant-related traits on parasitoid wasps.     

Sources of Nitrogen to the Riparian Zone of a Desert Stream: Implications for Riparian Vegetation and Nitrogen Retention

Riparian zones effectively remove nitrogen (N) from water flowing through riparian soils, particularly in agricultural watersheds. The mechanism of N removal is still unclear, especially the role of vegetation. Uptake and denitrification are the two most commonly studied mechanisms. Retention of groundwater N by plant uptake is often inferred from measurements of N in net incremental biomass. However, this assumes other sources of N are not contributing to the N demand of plants. The purpose of this work was to investigate the relative importance of three sources of available N to riparian trees in a desert stream—input in stream water during floods, input during baseflow, and mineralization of N from soil organic matter. Two approaches were used; a mass balance approach in which the mass of available N from each source was estimated, and a correlational approach in which indexes of each source were compared to leaf N for individual willow trees. Total N from all sources was 396 kg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹, with 172 kg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ from mineralization, 214 kg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ from the stream during baseflow, and 9.6 kg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ from floods. Leaf N was significantly related to N mineralization rates and flood inputs; it was not related to baseflow inputs. We conclude that mineralization is a major source of available N for willow trees, subsidized by input of N from floods. Baseflow inputs are most likely removed by rapid denitrification at the stream–riparian edge, while higher rates of flood supply exceed the capacity of this “filter.” Received 18 January 2001; accepted 15 June 2001.