Predicting live weight of rural African goats using body measurements

The goal of the current study was to develop simple regression-based equations that allow small-scale producers to use simple body measurements to accurately predict live weight of typical African goats. The data used in this study were recorded in five African countries, and was composed of 814 individuals of 40 indigenous breeds or populations and crosses that included 158 males and 656 females. Records included the live weight measured with a hanging scale, linear body measurements, country, breed, owner, and age. Country, breed, age, chest girth, height at withers, body length, and shoulder width had large effects (p76 cm, the prediction model selected that included linear terms for chest girth, body length, shoulder width and height at withers plus a quadratic term for chest girth was selected as the most accurate. When analyzed within country from Uganda and Zimbabwe, animals with chest girth \u3c 55cm the linear model with additional quadratic terms for chest girth and body length was selected. For animals with chest girth 55-75cm the linear model with the added quadratic terms for chest girth and body length was selected for animals from Malawi and Zimbabwe while the linear model with a quadratic term for chest girth was selected for Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda. For animals with chest girth of \u3e76 cm the linear model with a quadratic term for chest girth was chosen for Tanzania, while for the other countries the linear model with quadratic terms for chest girth and body length was most accurate. In all cases, the models produced smaller mean prediction errors than the BM method

La longue séquence pliocène de Marchésieux - Résultats analytiques et premiers résultats

National audienceLe sondage intégralement carotté de Marchésieux a permis d'atteindre l'objectif fixé dans le projet AR42 du BRGM : l'analyse paléoclimatique du premier épisode glaciaire de l'hémisphère nord (Prétiglien, -2,4 Ma) et probablement le premier rafraîchissement de -3,1 Ma. Les 159,3 m de sédiments datés du Reuvérien et du Prétiglien ont déjà livré une quantité importante d'informations aussi bien climatiques que paléoenvironnementales. De par sa position géographique privilégiée et de par son environnement côtier, la "Longue sequence" de Marchésieux a précisé les modalités de la séquence de dégradation climatique en milieu continental et marin à nos latitudes moyennes. La méthodologie fortement pluridisciplinaire, le plus souvent il très haute résolution, permet d'affiner notablement les modalités de la réponse de chaque environnement au changement climatique, et apparaît, en ce sens, beaucoup plus riche que les études monodisciplinaires classiques. Ainsi, les réponses zoologiques, phytosociologiques, sedimentologiques et géochimiques au stimulus climatique externe peuvent être comparées et calibrées

Using the community-based breeding program (CBBP) model as a collaborative platform to develop the African Goat Improvement Network—Image collection protocol (AGIN-ICP) with mobile technology for data collection and management of livestock phenotypes

Introduction: The African Goat Improvement Network Image Collection Protocol (AGIN-ICP) is an accessible, easy to use, low-cost procedure to collect phenotypic data via digital images. The AGIN-ICP collects images to extract several phenotype measures including health status indicators (anemia status, age, and weight), body measurements, shapes, and coat color and pattern, from digital images taken with standard digital cameras or mobile devices. This strategy is to quickly survey, record, assess, analyze, and store these data for use in a wide variety of production and sampling conditions.Methods: The work was accomplished as part of the multinational African Goat Improvement Network (AGIN) collaborative and is presented here as a case study in the AGIN collaboration model and working directly with community-based breeding programs (CBBP). It was iteratively developed and tested over 3 years, in 12 countries with over 12,000 images taken.Results and discussion: The AGIN-ICP development is described, and field implementation and the quality of the resulting images for use in image analysis and phenotypic data extraction are iteratively assessed. Digital body measures were validated using the PreciseEdge Image Segmentation Algorithm (PE-ISA) and software showing strong manual to digital body measure Pearson correlation coefficients of height, length, and girth measures (0.931, 0.943, 0.893) respectively. It is critical to note that while none of the very detailed tasks in the AGIN-ICP described here is difficult, every single one of them is even easier to accidentally omit, and the impact of such a mistake could render a sample image, a sampling day’s images, or even an entire sampling trip’s images difficult or unusable for extracting digital phenotypes. Coupled with tissue sampling and genomic testing, it may be useful in the effort to identify and conserve important animal genetic resources and in CBBP genetic improvement programs by providing reliably measured phenotypes with modest cost. Potential users include farmers, animal husbandry officials, veterinarians, regional government or other public health officials, researchers, and others. Based on these results, a final AGIN-ICP is presented, optimizing the costs, ease, and speed of field implementation of the collection method without compromising the quality of the image data collection

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Correlations between Acidity, Surface Structure, and Catalytic Activity of Niobium Oxide Supported on Zirconia

International audienceThe development of the acidity and the relationship between acidity, catalytic activity, and the surface structure for niobium oxide supported on zirconia were investigated for a series of solids. The catalysts were active for 2-propanol dehydration only above a threshold in Nb loading. The acidity was studied by infrared spectroscopy of adsorbed 2,6-dimethylpyridine as a probe molecule, and the onset of activity was correlated with that of the formation of relatively strong Brnsted acid sites. The variation in the abundance of these sites also correlated with the catalytic activity. Raman, IR, and UV spectroscopy results indicated that the active sites were related to polymeric Nb surface species. These results were compared to those previously reported for the WOx/ZrO2 catalysts

Quantitative IR characterization of the acidity of various oxide catalysts

International audienceThe integrated molar absorption coefficients of the infrared bands characteristic of adsorbed lutidine (2,6-dimethylpyridine) were determined for the purpose of quantifying the acid sites of solid catalysts. The integrated molar absorption coefficients were measured for lutidine adsorbed through H-bonding, coordination to Lewis sites and protonation on Brønsted acid sites. The solids were chosen to present all possible bondings with lutidine and to cover a wide range of common types of catalysts or supports: silica, phosphated silica, HY zeolite, alumina, zirconia, WOx supported on zirconia and NbOx supported on zirconia

Tectonic, eustatic and climatic significance of raised beaches of Val de Saire, Cotentin, Normandy, France

International audienceDetailed mapping, morphostratigraphical and geochronological analyses were undertaken in the Val de Saire, Cotentin, Normandy, northern France. These studies have identified a series of Middle and Upper Pleistocene-age deposits overlying four wave-cut platforms (PF IV–PF I), which can be associated with temperate high sea-level events and equated with MIS 11, 9, 7 and MI Substage 5e. A sea-level stand recorded at –20 m NGF at the La Mondrée site seems to correspond to MI Substage 5c or 5a. The completeness of the Val de Saire record, and particularly the width of platform IV (MIS 11), has so far no equivalent on the south coast of the English Channel. This study provides contribution to an understanding of the impact of the interglacial–glacial cycles in a coastal intraplate situation. The cyclicity of the morphogenesis is explained by interaction between eustatic variations and strongly expressed activity of slow uplift (ca 60 mm/kyr through the Middle Pleistocene). Several OSL dates from the gravel to sand sequence of the Eemian–Weichselian cycle indicate that these deposits represent the marine regression of the end of the Last Interglacial

Évolution de la côte du Calvados depuis l'Éémien et découvertes d'un squelette de Cheval dans les tourbières holocènes.

International audienceWithin the fauna harvested by J. Couvelard during prospectings made during several years to Graye-sur-Mer and Asnelles (Calvados), represents a skeleton about suit of a Horse (Equus caballus), obviously Holocene. It is situated in the top of peats and clays deposited since the Preboreal so far, behind dune cords gradually pushed away towards the current line of coast during the flandrian transgression. In these swamps the marine influence is sharply marked only in the transition Subboreal-Subatlantique. Peats recover heads and weichseliens loess. On the base, a marine formation of final Eemian and peaty clays of the beginning weichselien fossilize an ancient marine platform. The skeleton of horse is contemporary of shards of pompean ceramic of the third in the fourth century AD.Au sein de la faune récoltée par J. Couvelard au cours de prospections effectuées pendant plusieurs années à Graye-sur-Mer et Asnelles (Calvados), figure un squelette à peu près complet d'un Cheval (Equus caballus), à l'évidence holocène. Il se situe dans la partie supérieure de tourbes et d'argiles déposées depuis le Préboréal jusqu'à maintenant derrière des cordons dunaires progressivement repoussés vers le trait de côte actuel pendant la transgression flandrienne. Dans ces marais l'influence marine n'est nettement marquée qu'à la transition Subboréal-Subatlantique. Les tourbes recouvrent des heads et des lœss weichseliens. Tout à la base une formation marine de l'Éémien final et des argiles tourbeuses du début weichselien fossilisent une ancienne plate-forme marine. Le squelette de cheval est contemporain de tessons de céramique pompéenne du troisième au quatrième siècle après Jésus-Christ