Animal welfare in multipurpose cattle production Systems and its implications on beef quality

Animal welfare and its influence on beef production are major  considerations in many developed countries. In the developing world, where food insecurity and poverty are prevalent, the welfare of animals receives low priority due to factors such as traditional customs and beliefs, lack of knowledge in animal handling and sub standard handling facilities. This is worsened by the fact that cattle are used for several purposes, such as meat production, milk production, draught power and traditional ceremonies. Research on animal welfare and how it relates to animal production have been done in the developed world. The objective of this study is to discuss indicators of animal welfare assessment, their impact on meat quality and applications to improve beef production in developing countries.Key words: Behavioural assessments, flight zones, meat quality, ritual slaughter

The effect of magnetic variability on stellar angular momentum loss. I. the solar wind torque during sunspot cycles 23 and 24

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the publisher via the DOI in this recordThe rotational evolution of cool stars is governed by magnetized stellar winds that slow the stellar rotation during their main sequence lifetimes. Magnetic variability is commonly observed in Sun-like stars, and the changing strength and topology of the global field is expected to affect the torque exerted by the stellar wind. We present three different methods for computing the angular momentum loss in the solar wind. Two are based on MHD simulations from Finley & Matt (2018), with one using the open flux measured in the solar wind, and the other using remotely observed surface magnetograms. Both methods agree in the variation of the solar torque seen through the solar cycle and show a 30%-40% decrease from cycles 23 to 24. The two methods calculate different average values, 2.9 ×1030 erg (open flux) and 0.35 ×1030 erg (surface field). This discrepancy results from the already well-known difficulty of reconciling the magnetograms with the observed open flux, which is currently not understood, leading to an inability to discriminate between these two calculated torques. The third method is based on the observed spin rates of Sun-like stars, which decrease with age, directly probing the average angular momentum loss. This method gives 6.2 ×1030 erg for the solar torque, larger than the other methods. This may be indicative of further variability in the solar torque on timescales much longer than the magnetic cycle. We discuss the implications for applying the formula to other Sun-like stars, where only surface field measurements are available, and where the magnetic variations are ill-constrained

On the diversity of magnetic interactions in close-in star-planet systems

PublishedJournal Article© 2014. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved..Magnetic interactions between close-in planets and their host star can play an important role in the secular orbital evolution of the planets, as well as the rotational evolution of their host. As long as the planet orbits inside the Alfvén surface of the stellar wind, the magnetic interaction between the star and the planet can modify the wind properties and also lead to direct angular momentum transfers between the two. We model these star-planet interactions using compressible magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations, and quantify the angular momentum transfers between the star, the planet, and the stellar wind. We study the cases of magnetized and non-magnetized planets and vary the orbital radius inside the Alfvén surface of the stellar wind. Based on a grid of numerical simulations, we propose general scaling laws for the modification of the stellar wind torque, for the torque between the star and the planet, and for the planet migration associated with the star-planet magnetic interactions. We show that when the coronal magnetic field is large enough and the star is rotating sufficiently slowly, the effect of the magnetic star-planet interaction is comparable to tidal effects and can lead to a rapid orbital decay.This work was supported by the ANR 2011 Blanc Toupies and the ERC project STARS2. A.S. acknowledges support from the Canada's Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. We acknowledge access to supercomputers through GENCI (project 1623), Prace, and ComputeCanada infrastructures

Biomolecular imaging and electronic damage using X-ray free-electron lasers

Proposals to determine biomolecular structures from diffraction experiments using femtosecond X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) pulses involve a conflict between the incident brightness required to achieve diffraction-limited atomic resolution and the electronic and structural damage induced by the illumination. Here we show that previous estimates of the conditions under which biomolecular structures may be obtained in this manner are unduly restrictive, because they are based on a coherent diffraction model that is not appropriate to the proposed interaction conditions. A more detailed imaging model derived from optical coherence theory and quantum electrodynamics is shown to be far more tolerant of electronic damage. The nuclear density is employed as the principal descriptor of molecular structure. The foundations of the approach may also be used to characterize electrodynamical processes by performing scattering experiments on complex molecules of known structure.Comment: 16 pages, 2 figure

Manipulation of plasma myo-inositol in broiler chickens: effect on growth performance, dietary energy, nutrient availability, and hepatic function

This study investigated the effects of graded levels of myo-inositol (INS) in diets containing 2 levels of available P on growth performance, nutrient retention, liver N, fat and Vitamin E contents, INS and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) concentrations in blood plasma. A total of 120 male Ross 308 broilers were allocated to 60 small floor pens each holding 2 birds. Two basal mash diets were formulated to be nutritionally adequate for chicks at that age, with one diet designed to have the recommended available P content (RP) (4.8 g/kg non-phytate P) and the other diet containing low available P (LP) (2.5 g/kg non-phytate P). The 2 basal diets were split in 3 batches each and 2 of the batches were supplemented with INS at 3.0 and 30 g/kg diet, with the remaining batch of each basal diet not supplemented, giving a total of 6 experimental diets. Diets were fed ad libitum to 10 pens from 7 to 21 d age following randomization. Feeding RP diets improved (P 0.05) influence bird growth, dietary AME, or nutrient retention coefficients. Feeding INS linearly increased (P 0.05) the endogenous losses (measured as sialic acid concentration) in excreta. Dietary INS did not influence (P > 0.05) the hepatic Vitamin E concentration but increased (P < 0.001) the ALP in the blood of birds fed 30 g/kg INS. In conclusion, highlevel dietary INS supplementation did not affect bird growth performance, mineral availability, and endogenous losses, and there were no interactions between INS and P

Numerical Aspects of 3D Stellar Winds

This paper explores and compares the pitfalls of modelling the three-dimensional wind of a spherical star with a cartesian grid. Several numerical methods are compared, using either uniform and stretched grid or adaptative mesh refinement (AMR). An additional numerical complication is added, when an orbiting planet is considered. In this case a rotating frame is added to the model such that the orbiting planet is at rest in the frame of work. The three-dimensional simulations are systematically compared to an equivalent two-dimensional, axisymmetric simulation. The comparative study presented here suggests to limit the rotation rate of the rotating frame below the rotating frame of the star and provides guidelines for further three-dimensional modelling of stellar winds in the context of close-in star-planet interactions.AS thanks T. Matsakos for discussions about the modelling of star-planet systems in 3D. This work was supported by the ANR 2011 Blanc Toupies and the ERC project STARS2 (207430). The authors acknowledge CNRS INSU/PNST and CNES/Solar Orbiter fundings. AS acknowledges support from the Canada’s Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and from the Canadian Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics (National fellow). We acknowledge access to supercomputers through GENCI (project 1623), Prace, and ComputeCanada infrastructures

Geological solutions concluded by petroleum geochemical data in Western Greece

Τα προηγούμενα χρόνια έχει πραγματοποιηθεί μια λεπτομερής γεωχημική μελέτη πετρελαίου στη Δυτική Ελλάδα. Εντοπίστηκαν αρκετοί ορίζοντες πιθανών μητρικών πετρωμάτων πετρελαίου, προσδιορίστηκε το παράθυρο πετρελαίου στις πιο σημαντικές υπολεκάνες, ενώ από τη μελέτη συσχετισμού πετρελαίων προσδιορίστηκαν οι διαφορετικές ομάδες πετρελαίου της περιοχής, που έχουν παραχθεί από τα διαφορετικά μητρικά πετρώματα υδρογονανθράκων. Τα αποτελέσματα αυτά είναι πολύ σημαντικά και απαραίτητα για την έρευνα πετρελαίου στην περιοχή. Όμως, εκτός από αυτά τα δεδομένα, κάποιες επιπλέον γεωχημικές παρατηρήσεις μπορεί να αποβούν εξίσου σημαντικές στην επίλυση ορισμένων γεωλογικών προβλημάτων της Δυτικής Ελλάδας.- Ένα πολύ σημαντικό πρόβλημα είναι η απόθεση και διατήρηση του οργανικού υλικού στις λεκάνες της Δυτικής Ελλάδας.- Η δολομιτίωση σε συνάρτηση με τη γένεση πετρελαίου είναι ένα πρόβλημα.- Ένα άλλο θέμα είναι ο υπολογισμός του πάχους που διαβρώθηκε από τους υπερκείμενους σχηματισμούς.- Ο προσδιορισμός της παλαιογεωθερμικής βαθμίδας είναι επίσης πολύ σημαντικός.Οι δύο τελευταίοι παράμετροι είναι απόλυτα απαραίτητοι για τον προσδιορισμό της ωριμότητας του οργανικού υλικού.Η μελέτη όλων των παραπάνω παραμέτρων συμπληρώνει τη γεωχημική μελέτη της Δυτικής Ελλάδας, και σε συνδυασμό με άλλες γεωλογικές μελέτες μπορεί να δώσει λύσεις σε προβλήματα που σχετίζονται με την έρευνα υδρογονανθράκων στην περιοχή.A detailed petroleum geochemical study has been performed in the previous years in the Western Greece. Several source rock horizons have been identified, the oil window has been calculated for the most significant sub-basins and the oil correlation study has distinguished the different oil groups of the area, generated from different hydrocarbon sources. These results are very significant and useful for the oil exploration. But, further to these, some more geochemical observations can also be very important on solving some geological problems of the area.- A major problem is the deposition and preservation of the organic matter in the Western Greece.- The dolomitization in relation with the oil generation is also an issue.- Another issue is the calculation of the eroded overburden formations thickness.- The Paleogeothermal gradient determination is also very important.The last two parameters are absolutely necessary for organic matter maturity calculations.The study of all the above parameters completes the geochemical study of the Western Greece, and in relation with other geological studies can provide solutions in the petroleum exploration of the area

Involvement of the conserved Hox gene Antennapedia in the development and evolution of a novel trait

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hox proteins specify segment identity during embryogenesis and have typical associated expression patterns. Changes in embryonic expression and activity of <it>Hox </it>genes were crucial in the evolution of animal body plans, but their role in the post-embryonic development of lineage-specific traits remains largely unexplored. Here, we focus on the insect <it>Hox </it>genes <it>Ultrabithorax </it>(<it>Ubx</it>) and <it>Antennapedia </it>(<it>Antp</it>), and implicate the latter in the formation and diversification of novel, butterfly-specific wing patterns.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>First, we describe a conserved pattern of <it>Ubx </it>expression and a novel pattern of <it>Antp </it>expression in wing discs of <it>Bicyclus anynana </it>butterflies. The discrete, reiterated domains of Antp contrast with the typical expression of Hox genes in single continuous regions in arthropod embryos. Second, we show that this pattern is associated with the establishment of the organizing centres of eyespots. <it>Antp </it>upregulation is the earliest event in organizer development described to date, and in contrast to all genes implicated in eyespot formation, is exclusive to those centres. Third, our comparative analysis of gene expression across nymphalids reveals unexpected differences in organizer determination.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We show that the Antp's recruitment for the formation of novel traits in butterfly wing discs involved the evolution of new expression domains, and is restricted to a particular lineage. This study contributes novel insights into the evolution of <it>Antp </it>expression, as well as into the genetic mechanisms underlying morphological diversification. Our results also underscore how a wider representation of morphological and phylogenetic diversity is essential in evolutionary developmental biology.</p