Measurement of above-ground plant biomass, forage availability and grazing impact by combining satellite image processing and field survey in a dry area of north-eastern Syria     

M. Hirata  N. Koga†  H. Shinjo  H. Fujita‡  G. Gintzburger  J. Ishida§  A. Miyazaki§ 《Grass and Forage Science》2005,60(1):25-33

Field survey and satellite image processing methods were used to estimate the total available forage over an area of 95 034 ha in north‐eastern Syria, and to assess grazing impact on the area. The above‐ground plant biomass was measured by a quadrat method at three sites in each of eight vegetation classes. Available forage was measured by excluding woody parts of shrubs from the whole aerial plant parts. The total above‐ground plant biomass and available forage were estimated by extrapolating the measured point data to the whole target area using classified vegetation data by satellite image processing. Grazing impact was assessed by calculating the differences between the total available forage at the end of growing season and the end of dry season. The values for the estimated total available forage (s.e. of mean) in the area were 55 628 000 (12 920 000) kg DM and 30 007 000 (2 437 000) kg DM at the end of growing season and dry season respectively. Although the area of the cereal fields covered only 0·315 of the area, about 0·69 and 0·82 of the available forage existed in the harvested cereal fields at the ends of growing season and dry season respectively. The integration of cereal fields and rangeland is a normal land use system for livestock management in the area. The higher cover of herbaceous vegetation types showed higher grazing impacts which reduced the total available forage at the end of the growing season by 0·817 (0·199) at the end of the dry season. Although these dense herbaceous vegetation types could possibly produce more available forage, they would incur more intensive grazing impact. On the contrary, lighter grazing impact would occur with a higher cover of shrub vegetation types. The importance of maintaining plant cover over the rangeland area to protect the land against soil erosion is stressed.  相似文献   

Pole and global shape of 25143 Itokawa     

Demura H  Kobayashi S  Nemoto E  Matsumoto N  Furuya M  Yukishita A  Muranaka N  Morita H  Shirakawa K  Maruya M  Ohyama H  Uo M  Kubota T  Hashimoto T  Kawaguchi J  Fujiwara A  Saito J  Sasaki S  Miyamoto H  Hirata N 《Science (New York, N.Y.)》2006,312(5778):1347-1349

The locations of the pole and rotation axis of asteroid 25143 Itokawa were derived from Asteroid Multiband Imaging Camera data on the Hayabusa spacecraft. The retrograde pole orientation had a right ascension of 90.53 degrees and a declination of -66.30 degrees (52000 equinox) or equivalently 128.5 degrees and -89.66 degrees in ecliptic coordinates with a 3.9 degrees margin of error. The surface area is 0.393 square kilometers, the volume is 0.018378 cubic kilometers with a 5% margin of error, and the three axis lengths are 535 meters by 294 meters by 209 meters. The global Itokawa revealed a boomerang-shaped appearance composed of two distinct parts with partly faceted regions and a constricted ring structure.  相似文献   

Effects of supplemental dietary vitamin C on quality of semen from Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) breeders          下载免费PDF全文

NLAF Sarmento  EFF Martins  DC Costa  WS Silva  CC Mattioli  MR Luz  RK Luz 《Reproduction in domestic animals》2017,52(1):144-152

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of vitamin C on growth and quality of semen from Oreochromis niloticus breeders. One hundred and sixty males were fed with different levels of vitamin C (0, 261, 599 and 942 mg/kg diet). The higher weight values were recorded for 599 (166 g) and 942 (175 g) mg of vitamin C/kg diet. Sperm motility, vigour and concentration were higher with 599 and 942 mg of vitamin C/kg diet. The semen volume, gonadosomatic index and plasma protein data from the last week showed a direct relationship with increasing levels of vitamin C. No changes were observed in the hepatosomatic index and blood glucose. The haematocrit and erythrocyte showed higher values estimated by equations derived at 850 and 638 mg vitamin C/kg diet, respectively. The leucocytes were inversely proportional to the increasing levels of vitamin C. After 100 days of feeding, animals fed the diet containing 942 mg vitamin C/kg diet had higher sperm motility, linearity, curvilinear velocity, straight line velocity and average path velocity (p < .05). Higher values of beat cross‐frequency were observed in broodfish fed diets containing 942 and 599 mg vitamin C/kg. The different vitamin C levels did not cause differences in straightness, lateral head displacement and sperm morphology. For Nile tilapia males on intensive rearing and handling conditions, vitamin C levels between 599 and 942 mg/kg may be used for a better performance and quality of semen.  相似文献   

Polymorphism in 5′ untranslated region of heat‐shock protein 70 gene as marker of post‐partum anoestrus in Murrah buffaloes          下载免费PDF全文

R Kumar  M Ghosh  N Kumar  AK Balhara  M Gupta  RK Sharma  I Singh 《Reproduction in domestic animals》2017,52(3):505-512

The enormous production potential of buffaloes has never been accomplished due to various reproductive insufficiencies. Among them, post‐partum anoestrus, a multifactorial disorder, is predominant but any genetic association is yet to be established. This study focused to identify novel polymorphisms in heat‐shock protein 70 (HSP70) gene and its possible association with post‐partum anoestrus in Murrah buffaloes. A 579‐bp fragment from 5′ untranslated region of HSP70 gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction from blood genomic DNA of 614 animals maintained under similar management conditions. In phase‐I experiment, custom sequencing and restriction enzyme (RE) digestion of the amplified fragment were performed in 40 buffaloes with similar post‐partum oestrous conditions over previous consecutive three or more gestations—20 animals each showing post‐partum anoestrus (>120 days after parturition) and normal cyclicity (<65 days after parturition). While in phase‐II experiment, herd screening by RE analysis was performed in remaining 574 animals. Four transversions at T‐75G, C+31G, T+38G and C+97A and three transition mutations at T‐153C, T+33C and A+44G positions were observed. Polymorphism at T+38G site revealed significant (p < .05) variation, where homozygous G was present only in post‐partum anoestrous animals while nucleotide T was present randomly in both groups of phase‐I animals whereas phase‐II experiments revealed homozygous G in 55 animals. Regression analysis in relation to average post‐partum interval against genotypic frequencies at T+38G also depicted significant association. HSP70 gene polymorphism at T+38G position can therefore be used as genetic marker for excluding probable post‐partum anoestrous buffaloes from herd for breeding programmes.  相似文献   

Relationship of temperament with oestrous behaviour,resumption of ovarian cyclicity and milk yield in post‐partum Murrah buffaloes          下载免费PDF全文

KK Choudhary  A Bharadwaj  RK Sharma  A Jerome  S Khanna 《Reproduction in domestic animals》2017,52(6):962-968

This study was designed to investigate the relationship of temperament with oestrus, resumption of ovarian cyclicity and milk yield in post‐partum buffaloes. For this study, 102 post‐partum Murrah buffaloes were observed for temperament in open paddock and during milking. Based on the temperament score (1–5 score), they were classified into docile, slightly restless, restless, aggressive and nervous. Oestrous behaviour was monitored twice daily in all the buffaloes along with milk yield (weekly), body weight (BW) and body condition score (BCS) at day 0, 30, 60 and 90 post‐partum. Based on the temperament score, the number of buffaloes classified as docile, slightly restless, restless and aggressive was 37 (36.27%), 28 (27.45%), 30 (29.41%) and 7 (6.86%), respectively, but none under nervous category. Number of buffaloes resuming cyclicity in various temperaments groups were as follows: docile (n = 35; 94.59%), slightly restless (n = 22; 78.57%), restless (n = 20; 66.67%) and aggressive (n = 7; 85.71%). Temperament was not correlated (p = .128; r=?.152) with oestrous behaviour. But, temperament was correlated (p < .0001; r = .384) with the resumption of cyclicity as docile and slightly restless buffaloes resumed cyclicity (p < .0016) earlier. Temperament of buffaloes was weakly correlated (p = .0017; r=?.306) with milk production with higher (p < .0358) total milk yield in docile (1022 ± 23.75 kg) and slightly restless buffaloes (948 ± 35.86 kg) as compared to other temperament groups. In summary, temperament of post‐partum buffaloes was related with resumption of ovarian cyclicity and milk yield, but not oestrous behaviour.  相似文献   

Fullerene pipes   总被引：10，自引：0，他引：10  

J Liu  AG Rinzler  H Dai  JH Hafner  RK Bradley  PJ Boul  A Lu  T Iverson  K Shelimov  CB Huffman  F Rodriguez-Macias  YS Shon  TR Lee  DT Colbert  RE Smalley 《Science (New York, N.Y.)》1998,280(5367):1253-1256

Single-wall fullerene nanotubes were converted from nearly endless, highly tangled ropes into short, open-ended pipes that behave as individual macromolecules. Raw nanotube material was purified in large batches, and the ropes were cut into 100- to 300-nanometer lengths. The resulting pieces formed a stable colloidal suspension in water with the help of surfactants. These suspensions permit a variety of manipulations, such as sorting by length, derivatization, and tethering to gold surfaces.  相似文献   

Effect of dietary glucosylceramide from sea cucumber on plasma and liver lipids in cholesterol-fed mice     

Zakir Hossain  Tatsuya Sugawara  Kazuhiko Aida  Takashi Hirata 《Fisheries Science》2011,77(6):1081-1085

Various physiological functions of dietary glucosylceramides (GlcCer) have been reported, such as preventing colon cancer and improving skin barrier function. One potential GlcCer source used as a foodstuff is sea cucumber. In this study, our objective was to determine the effect of dietary GlcCer prepared from sea cucumber on plasma and liver lipids in cholesterol-fed mice. ICR mice were fed four different diets (control diet, sea cucumber GlcCer supplemented diet, high cholesterol supplemented diet, and high cholesterol + sea cucumber GlcCer supplemented diet). Dietary GlcCer decreased total cholesterol significantly in ICR mice. The mRNA expression of LDL receptor was increased significantly, while the expression of the gene CYP7A1, which is involved in bile acid formation, was decreased significantly compared with the control (diet without cholesterol). These results suggest that the expression of the cholesterol homeostasis gene in liver is modulated due to the cholesterol lowering effect of dietary GlcCer.  相似文献   

Behaviour of nutrients released from crystalline minerals of artificial potassium silicate fertilizer and their supply to the Japanese mustard spinach (Brassica rapa var. perviridis)     

Shin Hirata  Masahiko Katoh 《Soil Use and Management》2022,38(3):1403-1415

Artificial potassium silicate fertilizer (PSF) is a typical slow-release potassium fertilizer. However, the exact minerals that are released by PSF and the nutrients that are made available to plants remain unclear. This study quantitatively investigated the behaviour of nutrients released from PSF by the batch-release test and their supply to plants by the plant growth tests, respectively, to determine the quantitative relationship between nutrients released from PSF and taken up by the plant. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that kalsilite, åkermanite, and potassium–magnesium silicate were the most abundant crystalline minerals in PSF. The XRD peaks of åkermanite and potassium–magnesium silicate were absent after citric acid extraction at a liquid/solid ratio of 20 to 100 (CA20 and CA100). Magnesium-use efficiencies in PSF (11%) and residue treatments after ammonium acetate extraction (AC, 10%) were higher than those in residue treatments after CA20 (1.8%) and CA100 (6.0%). Potassium (%) released by AC in the batch-release test (4.5%) was compatible with the difference of potassium-use efficiencies between the treatments of PSF (21%) and the AC-residue (16%). Likewise, potassium (%) released by CA20 (8.8%) was lower than the difference of potassium-use efficiencies between the treatments of PSF (21%) and CA20-residue (7.9%). This study suggests that potassium is rapidly released from potassium–magnesium silicate in PSF and is readily available to plants.  相似文献