Technical performance of a root crop chipping machine

Reducing the size of tubers to be processed into a food product which requires fermentation and drying has been recognized as an effective method of reducing processing time and improving the product quality. A root crop chipping machine was developed and tested. The manually operated machine has a capacity of 68 kg h-1 for unsoaked tuber and over 100 kg h-1 for soaked tubers. The power driven unit has a capacity of about 1 000 kg h-1 with minimum amount of substandard (or fine) chips. The recommended operating speed based on capacity rating and quality of chips is 250–300 revolutions per minute. Using the equipment, chipping can be accomplished with relative ease and subsequent operations can be done more quickly. Fermenting time which traditionally takes 4–5 days reduced to 1–2 days. Chipped materials dry in 1 to 2 days depending on the loading density and weather condition. The chips dry uniformly, giving whitish product with good floury aroma, and are friable

Genomic Adaptations and Evolutionary History of the Extinct Scimitar-Toothed Cat, Homotherium latidens

Homotherium was a genus of large-bodied scimitar-toothed cats, morphologically distinct from any extant felid species, that went extinct at the end of the Pleistocene [1-4]. They possessed large, saber-form serrated canine teeth, powerful forelimbs, a sloping back, and an enlarged optic bulb, all of which were key characteristics for predation on Pleistocene megafauna [5]. Previous mitochondrial DNA phylogenies suggested that it was a highly divergent sister lineage to all extant cat species [6-8]. However, mitochondrial phylogenies can be misled by hybridization [9], incomplete lineage sorting (ILS), or sex-biased dispersal patterns [10], which might be especially relevant for Homotherium since widespread mito-nuclear discrepancies have been uncovered in modern cats [10]. To examine the evolutionary history of Homotherium, we generated a ∼7x nuclear genome and a ∼38x exome from H. latidens using shotgun and target-capture sequencing approaches. Phylogenetic analyses reveal Homotherium as highly divergent (∼22.5 Ma) from living cat species, with no detectable signs of gene flow. Comparative genomic analyses found signatures of positive selection in several genes, including those involved in vision, cognitive function, and energy consumption, putatively consistent with diurnal activity, well-developed social behavior, and cursorial hunting [5]. Finally, we uncover relatively high levels of genetic diversity, suggesting that Homotherium may have been more abundant than the limited fossil record suggests [3, 4, 11-14]. Our findings complement and extend previous inferences from both the fossil record and initial molecular studies, enhancing our understanding of the evolution and ecology of this remarkable lineage