Estimates of genetic and phenotypic parameters for dairy traits in Friesian-Bunaji crossbreds

Genetic and phenotypic parameters for dairy traits were computed using data on Friesian-Bunaji crossbred cows collected over a twenty-three year period (1967-1989) from the dairy herd of the National Animal Production Research Institute Shika, Zaria, Nigeria. Estimated repeatabilities computed from variance components were 0.72 ± 0.06,0.60 ± 0.10,0.73 ± 0.02,0.53 ± 0.24 and 0.56 ± 0.18 for total lactation yield, lactation length, 305-day yield, calving interval and dry period, respectively. Heritability estimates were 0.44 ± 0.07,0.52 ± 0.12,0.30 ± 0.13,0.18 ± 0.02,0.26 ± 0.08 and 0.27 ± 0.10 for total lactation yield, lactation length, 305-day yield, calving interval, dry period and age at first calving,respectively. Genetic and phenotypic correlation coefficients between traits were medium to high, ranging from 0.30 to 0.95. The results of this study showed that the genetic response to selection in Friesian-Bunaji crosses for total lactation yield, 305-day yield and lactation length could be moderately high since the proportion of additive genetic variance was fairly high. Improvement programmes for age at first calving, calving interval and dry period should focus mostly on management, given their low heritability estimates

Bawang Merah Bawang Putih / 12 Violin Pieces

These violin pieces were conceived as a set and though there was originally no story line, they do create a kind of narrative structure in terms of the quite varied styles and moods. They are partly in the English experimental tradition, but also informed by Balinese music. The choreography, with the story of Bawang Merah Bawang Putih was created by Ni Made Pujawati

Numerical simulation of water exit of an initially fully submerged buoyant spheroid in an axisymmetric flow

The free water exit of an initially fully submerged buoyant spheroid in an axisymmetric flow, which is driven by the difference between the vertical fluid force and gravity, is investigated. The fluid is assumed to be incompressible and inviscid, and the flow to be irrotational. The velocity potential theory is adopted together with fully nonlinear boundary conditions on the free surface. The surface tension is neglected and the pressure is taken as constant on the free surface. The acceleration of the body at each time step is obtained as part of the solution. Its nonlinear mutual dependence on the fluid force is decoupled through the auxiliary function method. The free-surface breakup by body penetration and water detachment from the body are treated through numerical conditions. The slender body theory based on the zero potential assumption on the undisturbed flat free surface is adopted, through which a condition for full water exit of a spheroid is obtained. Comparison is made between the results from the slender body theory and from the fully nonlinear theory through the boundary-element method, and good agreement is found when the spheroid is slender. Extensive case studies are undertaken to investigate the effects of body density, dimensions and the initial submergence

Phenotypic relationship between body weights of Friesian-Bunaji crossbred heifers and their subsequent milk production

The study reported was conducted to investigate whether fast growing heifers eventually become good milkers in a bid to assist dairy farmers in selecting their replacement stock at an early age. The data analysed consisted of 549 body weight records at birth, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of age of Friesian-Bunaji crossbred heifers, as well as 840 records on their subsequent lactation length, total lactation yield and estimated 305-day yield collected over a 23-year period (1967-1989). Phenotypic correlations between body weights at fixed ages were all positive and highly significant (P<0.0l), ranging from 0.30 to 0.79. Correlations among milk traits were also positive and highly significant, the range being 0.74 to 0.95. Correlations between body weights and milk traits on the other hand, were very low and non-significant, ranging from 0.01 to 0.14. Equations fitted from simple, multiple and polynomial regressions of body weights on total lactation yield gave very low R2 values. It was therefore concluded that body weights at birth, 3, 6 and 12 months of age have little value in the prediction of future milk yield of Friesian-Bunaji heifers

Direct participation in and indirect exposure to the occupy central movement and depressive symptoms: a longitudinal study of Hong Kong adults

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Ibrutinib-A double-edge sword in cancer and autoimmune disorders

Targeted therapies have appeared as new treatment options for several disease types, including cancer and autoimmune disorders. Of several targets, tyrosine kinases (TKs) are among the most promising. Overexpression of TKs provides a target for novel therapeutic agents, including small molecule inhibitors of tyrosine kinases (TKI). Ibrutinib (PCI-32765) is a TKI of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (Btk), a key kinase of the B-cell receptor signaling pathway that plays a significant role in the proliferation, differentiation and survival of B cells. In addition to inhibitory effects, recent studies have shown that ibrutinib has multiple immunomodulatory effects. It binds covalently to IL-2 inducible tyrosine kinase (Itk) in T lymphocytes and suppresses the survival of T-helper (Th) 2 cells. This changes the balance of Th1/Th2 cells toward Th1 subset, which are the main immune cells targeting tumor cells. The dual activity of ibrutinib has paid a great attention and several studies are evaluating the anti-tumor and immunomodulatory effects in cancer, autoimmune disorders and infectious diseases. In this article we review the inhibitory and immunomodulatory effects of ibrutinib in B-cell malignancies, autoimmune diseases and infections, as well as the communication between the Ror1 receptor tyrosine kinase and BCR and effects of ibrutinib on this crosstalk.CLL Global Research FoundationManuscrip

Cement degradation in CO2 storage sites: a review on potential applications of nanomaterials

© 2018 The Author(s) Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) has been employed to reduce global warming, which is one of the critical environmental issues gained the attention of scientific and industrial communities worldwide. Once implemented successfully, CCS can store at least 5 billion tons of CO2per year as an effective and technologically safe method. However, there have been a few issues raised in recent years, indicating the potential leakages paths created during and after injection. One of the major issues might be the chemical interaction of supercritical CO2with the cement, which may lead to the partial or total loss of the cement sheath. There have been many approaches presented to improve the physical and mechanical properties of the cement against CO2attack such as changing the water-to-cement ratio, employing pozzolanic materials, and considering non-Portland cements. However, a limited success has been reported to the application of these approaches once implemented in a real-field condition. To date, only a few studies reported the application of nanoparticles as sophisticated additives which can reinforce oil well cements. This paper provides a review on the possible application of nanomaterials in the cement industry where physical and mechanical characteristics of the cement can be modified to have a better resistance against corrosive environments such as CO2storage sites. The results obtained indicated that adding 0.5 wt% of Carbon NanoTubes (CNTs) and NanoGlass Flakes (NGFs) can reinforce the thermal stability and coating characteristics of the cement which are required to increase the chance of survival in a CO2sequestrated site. Nanosilica can also be a good choice and added to the cement by as much as 3.0 wt% to improve pozzolanic reactivity and thermal stability as per the reports of recent studies