875 research outputs found
Relationship of goat milk flow emission variables with milking routine, milking parameters, milking machine characteristics and goat physiology
The aim of this paper was to study the relationship between milk flow emission variables recorded during milking of dairy goats with variables related to milking routine, goat physiology, milking parameters and milking machine characteristics, to determine the variables affecting milking performance and help the goat industry pinpoint farm and milking practices that improve milking performance. In total, 19 farms were visited once during the evening milking. Milking parameters (vacuum level (VL), pulsation ratio and pulsation rate, vacuum drop), milk emission flow variables (milking time, milk yield, maximum milk flow (MMF), average milk flow (AVMF), time until 500 g/min milk flow is established (TS500)), doe characteristics of 8 to 10 goats/farm (breed, days in milk and parity), milking practices (overmilking, overstripping, pre-lag time) and milking machine characteristics (line height, presence of claw) were recorded on every farm. The relationships between recorded variables and farm were analysed by a one-way ANOVA analysis. The relationships of milk yield, MMF, milking time and TS500 with goat physiology, milking routine, milking parameters and milking machine design were analysed using a linear mixed model, considering the farm as the random effect. Farm was significant (P<0.05) in all the studied variables. Milk emission flow variables were similar to those recommended in scientific studies. Milking parameters were adequate in most of the farms, being similar to those recommended in scientific studies. Few milking parameters and milking machine characteristics affected the tested variables: average vacuum level only showed tendency on MMF, and milk pipeline height on TS500. Milk yield (MY) was mainly affected by parity, as the interaction of days in milk with parity was also significant. Milking time was mainly affected by milk yield and breed. Also significant were parity, the interaction of days in milk with parity and overstripping, whereas overmilking showed a slight tendency. We concluded that most of the studied variables were mainly related to goat physiology characteristics, as the effects of milking parameters and milking machine characteristics were scarce
Cartes de dangers et aménagement du territoire : rapport thématique dans le cadre du projet « Impacts des inondations en Suisse. Processus d'apprentissage, gestion du risque et aménagement du territoire, Projet SBF C05.0143
Spin wave spectrum of the quantum ferromagnet on the pyrochlore lattice Lu2V2O7
Neutron inelastic scattering has been used to probe the spin dynamics of the
quantum (S=1/2) ferromagnet on the pyrochlore lattice Lu2V2O7. Well-defined
spin waves are observed at all energies and wavevectors, allowing us to
determine the parameters of the Hamiltonian of the system. The data are found
to be in excellent overall agreement with a minimal model that includes a
nearest- neighbour Heisenberg exchange J = 8:22(2) meV and a
Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) D =1:5(1) meV. The large DMI term
revealed by our study is broadly consistent with the model developed by Onose
et al. to explain the magnon Hall effect they observed in Lu2V2O7 [1], although
our ratio of D=J = 0:18(1) is roughly half of their value and three times
larger than calculated by ab initio methods [2].Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Localizing fields on brane in magnetized backgound
To localize the scalar, fermion, and abelian gauge fields on our 3-brane, a
simple mechanism with a hypothetical "magnetic field" in the bulk is proposed.
This mechanism is to treat all fields in the equal footing without ad hoc
consideration. In addition, the machanism can be easily realized in a flat
dimension six Minkowski space and it works even in the weak coupling limit
BRST analysis of topologically massive gauge theory: novel observations
A dynamical non-Abelian 2-form gauge theory (with B \wedge F term) is endowed
with the "scalar" and "vector" gauge symmetry transformations. In our present
endeavor, we exploit the latter gauge symmetry transformations and perform the
Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin (BRST) analysis of the four (3 + 1)-dimensional (4D)
topologically massive non-Abelian 2-form gauge theory. We demonstrate the
existence of some novel features that have, hitherto, not been observed in the
context of BRST approach to 4D (non-)Abelian 1-form as well as Abelian 2-form
and 3-form gauge theories. We comment on the differences between the novel
features that emerge in the BRST analysis of the "scalar" and "vector" gauge
symmetries of the theory.Comment: LaTeX file, 14 pages, an appendix added, references expanded, version
to appear in EPJ
Characterisation of alpha-dystrobrevin in muscle
Dystrophin-related and associated proteins are important for the formation and maintenance of the mammalian neuromuscular junction. Initial studies in the electric organ of Torpedo californica showed that the dystrophin-related protein dystrobrevin (87K) co-purifies with the acetylcholine receptors and other postsynaptic proteins. Dystrobrevin is also a major phosphotyrosine-containing protein in the postsynaptic membrane. Since inhibitors of tyrosine protein phosphorylation block acetylcholine receptor clustering in cultured muscle cells, we examined the role of alpha-dystrobrevin during synapse formation and in response to agrin. Using specific antibodies, we show that C2 myoblasts and early myotubes only produce alpha-dystrobrevin-1, the mammalian orthologue of Torpedo dystrobrevin, whereas mature skeletal muscle expresses three distinct alpha-dystrobrevin isoforms. In myotubes, alpha-dystrobrevin-1 is found on the cell surface and also in acetylcholine receptor-rich domains. Following agrin stimulation, alpha-dystrobrevin-1 becomes re-localised beneath the cell surface into macroclusters that contain acetylcholine receptors and another dystrophin-related protein, utrophin. This redistribution is not associated with tyrosine phosphorylation of alpha-dystrobrevin-1 by agrin. Furthermore, we show that alpha-dystrobrevin-1 is associated with both utrophin in C2 cells and dystrophin in mature skeletal muscle. Thus alpha-dystrobrevin-1 is a component of two protein complexes in muscle, one with utrophin at the neuromuscular junction and the other with dystrophin at the sarcolemma. These results indicate that alpha-dystrobrevin-1 is not involved in the phosphorylation-dependent, early stages of receptor clustering, but rather in the stabilisation and maturation of clusters, possibly via an interaction with utrophin
Bound states and field-polarized Haldane modes in a quantum spin ladder
The challenge of one-dimensional systems is to understand their physics
beyond the level of known elementary excitations. By high-resolution neutron
spectroscopy in a quantum spin ladder material, we probe the leading
multiparticle excitation by characterizing the two-magnon bound state at zero
field. By applying high magnetic fields, we create and select the singlet
(longitudinal) and triplet (transverse) excitations of the fully spin-polarized
ladder, which have not been observed previously and are close analogs of the
modes anticipated in a polarized Haldane chain. Theoretical modelling of the
dynamical response demonstrates our complete quantitative understanding of
these states.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures plus supplementary material 7 pages 5 figure
Academic freedom in Europe: reviewing UNESCOâs recommendation
This paper examines the compliance of universities in the European Union with the UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of HigherâEducation Teaching Personnel, which deals primarily with protection for academic freedom. The paper briefly surveys the European genesis of the modern research university and academic freedom, before evaluating compliance with the UNESCO recommendation on institutional autonomy, academic freedom, university governance and tenure. Following from this, the paper examines the reasons for the generally low level of compliance with the UNESCO Recommendation within the EU states, and considers how such compliance could be improved
Localization of tenascin in human skin wounds
A total of 56 surgically treated human skin wounds with a wound age between 8h and 7 months were investigated. Tenascin was visualized by immunohistochemistry and appeared first in the wound area pericellularly around fibroblastic cells approximately 2 days after wounding. A network-like interstitial positive staining pattern was first detectable in 3-day-old skin wounds. In all wounds with an age of 5 days or more, intensive reactivity for tenascin could be observed in the lesional area (dermal-epidermal junction, wound edge, areas of bleeding). In wounds with an age of more than approximately 1.5 months no positive staining occurred in the scar tissue. In conclusion, for forensic purposes, positive staining for tenascin restricted to the pericellular area of fibroblastic cells indicates a wound age of at least 2 days. Network-like structures appear after approximately 3 days or more. Since tenascin seems to be regularly detectable in skin wounds older than 5 days, the lack of a positive reaction in a sufficient number of specimens indicates a wound age of less than 5 days. The lack of a positive reaction in the granulation tissue of wounds with advanced wound age indicates a survival time of more than about 1.5 months, but a positive staining in older wounds cannot be excluded
Couplings of N=1 chiral spinor multiplets
We derive the action for chiral spinor multiplets coupled to vector and
scalar multiplets. We give the component form of the action, which contains
gauge invariant mass terms for the antisymmetric tensors in the spinor
superfield and additional Green-Schwarz couplings to vector fields. We observe
that supersymmetry provides mass terms for the scalars in the spinor multiplet
which do not arise from eliminating an auxiliary field. We construct the dual
action by explicitly performing the duality transformations in superspace and
give its component form.Comment: 17 pages, v2 small change
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