Journal articles on the topic 'Caprice Variations'

Evolution has sculpted the incredibly complex human nervous system, among the most complex functions of which extend beyond the individual to an intricate social structure. Although these functions are deterministic, those determinants are legion, heavily interacting and dependent on a specific evolutionary trajectory. That trajectory was directed by the adaptive significance of quasi-random genetic variations, but was also influenced by chance and caprice. With a different evolutionary pathway, the same neural elements could subserve functions distinctly different from what they do in extant human brains. Consequently, the properties of higher level neural networks cannot be derived readily from the properties of the lower level constituent elements, without studying these elements in the aggregate. Thus, a multi-level approach to integrative neuroscience may offer an optimal strategy. Moreover, the process of calibrative reductionism, by which concepts and understandings from one level of organization or analysis can mutually inform and ‘calibrate’ those from other levels (both higher and lower), may represent a viable approach to the application of reductionism in science. This is especially relevant in social neuroscience, where the basic subject matter of interest is defined by interacting organisms across diverse environments.

Un dossier d’INRA Productions Animales consacré à l’élevage caprin en 2012 peut surprendre. Représentant moins de 1% du produit brut de l’Agriculture Française, cet élevage largement ancré dans son environnement socioculturel local et dans la tradition de terroirs variés, évoque encore, mais de moins en moins, des images du passé comme celle de la «vache du pauvre» ou de la grandmère gardant trois chèvres au bord du chemin. Cet élevage s’est en effet marginalisé au XIXème siècle et dans la première moitié du XXème siècle dans les pays qui s’industrialisaient, notamment en Europe où l’effectif caprin ne représente plus actuellement que 2% du total mondial. De nombreux arguments ont milité pour éditer ce dossier, d’abord la rapide transformation de l’élevage caprin à la fin du XXème siècle et plus encore dans ces premières années du XXIème siècle, ensuite des travaux originaux conduits récemment sur l’espèce caprine, qui sont venus combler le retard important que cette espèce avait accumulé en matière de recherches agronomiques et vétérinaires. A l’échelle mondiale, l’élevage caprin est celui dont les effectifs ont le plus augmenté au cours de ces vingt dernières années (FAOSTAT 2010) : 4ème troupeau mondial avec plus de 900 millions de têtes (470 millions en 1975) derrière les bovins, les ovins et les porcins ; d’après les prévisions, il deviendrait le 3ème autour de 2015. Nombreuses sont les explications à cette situation un peu paradoxale, mais deux sont souvent avancées par les experts. Cette progression actuelle des effectifs caprins s’observe presque exclusivement dans les pays en développement et dans certains pays émergents. Elle serait surtout due aux difficultés que rencontre le maintien de l’élevage des autres espèces domestiques dans ces zones, dans certains cas du fait de l’appauvrissement des éleveurs et des acteurs des filières animales. Cette progression tient aussi au fait que le marché des caprins a une réalité essentiellement locale et que, dans ces conditions, il n’est pas exposé aux crises internationales que le marché des produits des autres espèces a pu subir au cours des quarante dernières années. En Europe, les effectifs caprins sont restés assez stables : 12,5 M de têtes au total, 1,3 M en France dont 1,1 M de femelles laitières âgées de plus d’un an. La France possède le troisième troupeau (10% des effectifs européens), assez loin derrière la Grèce (37%) et l’Espagne (22%). Il convient de noter la progression importante des effectifs caprins en Roumaine et aux Pays-Bas au cours de la dernière décennie. L’élevage caprin européen, et particulièrement l’élevage français, s’est fortement spécialisé en production laitière puisque 75 à 93% environ du produit brut des ateliers caprins en France provient du lait. En effet, la marge brute que dégage la production de chevreaux de boucherie est réduite en raison des coûts des aliments d’allaitement et des aléas liés à la mortalité périnatale. Des avancées dans les techniques d’élevage, notamment dans les domaines de l’alimentation et de la génétique, ont permis des améliorations assez rapides des performances des femelles laitières. La production laitière moyenne des 240 000 chèvres inscrites au contrôle laitier en 2010 était de 842 kg de lait sur une durée moyenne de lactation de 274 jours avec un taux protéique de 32,3 g/kg de lait et un taux butyreux de 37,0 g/kg de lait. Le plus intéressant à noter, c’est qu’en dix ans la production laitière annuelle au contrôle laitier a progressé de 90 kg, le taux protéique de 1,6 g/kg et le taux butyreux de 2,5 g/kg (Institut de l’Elevage 2012). La France est le premier producteur européen de lait de chèvre avec 30% du lait produit. Plus de 80% de ce lait est transformé en fromages. Même si la consommation présente quelques signes d’essoufflement actuellement, l’augmentation de la production de lait de chèvre depuis plus de trente ans et en conséquence celle des fromages a en général été bien absorbée par la demande, en progression malgré quelques périodes tendues. Ce résultat est dû notamment à de nouveaux produits de qualités rhéologique et organoleptique bien adaptées pour conquérir de nouveaux marchés, à l’utilisation de technologies avancées en matière fromagère et à la bonne image de ce fromage (produit festif et de qualité) auprès des consommateurs. Le secteur caprin en France a suivi l’évolution générale des productions animales : mécanisation du travail, simplification des techniques pour réduire le coût de production et pour améliorer l’efficacité du travail, augmentation rapide de la taille des unités de production. Plus de 35% de chèvres laitières appartiennent à des unités de plus de 350 têtes et la production est de plus en plus concentrée dans une région, le Poitou-Charentes, qui produit plus de 50% du lait de chèvre en France et en transforme encore plus. Bref, cette évolution et ces résultats, malgré un contexte qui tend à devenir de moins en moins favorable, s’expliquent par de multiples raisons, entre autres, la mise en place d’une filière bien organisée, des éleveurs motivés et le plus souvent passionnés par leur métier et une coopération étroite et efficace entre la recherche et le développement tant au niveau national que régional. Cette coopération exemplaire a débuté dès les années 1955-1965 avec des pionniers comme G. Ricordeau, à qui l’on doit la mise en évidence du gène sans corne expliquant le taux élevé d’infertilité en caprins, facteur qui a longtemps freiné le développement caprin (Ricordeau 2008) et J.-M. Corteel, qui a beaucoup travaillé sur la mise au point des techniques d’insémination artificielle (Leboeuf 2013). Ils ont su gagner la confiance des éleveurs, même parfois de petites unités. Ce lien s’est poursuivi et développé ensuite grâce à la création de la section caprine de l’Institut technique ovin et caprin (ITOVIC), mais aussi par des relations directes et personnelles entre chercheurs et responsables du développement ou par des réunions informelles autour de certains problèmes que rencontraient les éleveurs.Cette coopération a très bien résisté dans les années 1980, d’une part, aux nouvelles demandes des éleveurs qui donnaient la priorité aux questions socio-économiques suite à la première crise du prix du lait de chèvre en 1981 et, d’autre part, aux évolutions de la politique de l’INRA, qui face aux nouveaux enjeux scientifiques et technologiques, a été conduit à considérer comme moins prioritaire certaines recherches appliquées intéressant le développement. Ainsi, malgré l’évolution des problématiques scientifiques et des relations entre le monde de la recherche et du développement, mais aussi face au développement rapide de la recherche caprine dans les pays émergents, la recherche caprine en France est toujours très active. Un sondage bibliométrique montre que le nombre de publications avec «dairy goat» en mot-clé, de 250 à 300 par an dans les années 1980-1990, s’est accru nettement au début des années 2000 pour se situer actuellement vers les 700 publications par an. Au cours des dix dernières années, les pays qui ont le plus contribué à ces publications ont été la France, donc l’INRA, suivie par les USA, l’Italie et l’Espagne, eux-mêmes suivis par le Brésil, le Mexique et la Turquie. Ce dossier de la revue INRA Productions Animales a donc pour objectif d’illustrer le dynamisme des recherches menées en France sur les caprins, s’il était encore nécessaire de le faire. Le choix des six thèmes de recherche retenus pour constituer ce numéro n’a pas été aisé en raison du nombre de thèmes possibles. L’ambition de ce dossier n’étant pas d’être exhaustif, la rédaction de la revue et son comité se sont mis d’accord pour ne pas retenir de sujets dans les domaines où les publications ont déjà été nombreuses. C’est le cas, par exemple, de la traite des chèvres laitières (Le Du 1989, Marnet et al 2001), du polymorphisme de la caséine alpha chez les caprins (Grosclaude et al 1994, Manfredi et al 1995) ou encore de la reproduction caprine. INRA Production Animales a en effet déjà publié des articles exhaustifs sur la neuro-endocrinologie de la reproduction chez le caprin (Chemineau et Delgadillo 1994), sur le comportement sexuel de cette espèce (Fabre-Nys 2000), sur la production et la conservation de semence de bouc (Leboeuf et al 2003) et récemment sur la maîtrise de la reproduction de l’espèce caprine (Leboeuf et al 2008). Il a été proposé de sélectionner des thèmes novateurs ou riches en résultats récents, qui intéressent le développement de l’élevage caprin en France, mais aussi de portée internationale. Dans ces conditions, il a d’abord été retenu trois thèmes représentant des dimensions basiques de l’élevage : génétique, pathologie, alimentation avec des articles faisant le point sur les dernières avancées dans chaque secteur, et trois autres thèmes originaux et porteurs d’avenir, le pâturage des chèvres laitières hautes productrices, les apports de la modélisation pour comprendre le fonctionnement du troupeau de chèvres laitières et les techniques rationnelles d’élevage caprin en milieu tropical. Le premier article de Manfredi et Ådnøy (2012) sur la génétique des caprins laitiers, est un travail franco-norvégien illustrant la collaboration continue sur ce thème entre les deux pays depuis près de 50 ans. Il fait le point sur les études de génétique polygénique relatives à la production et à la composition du lait. Il traite de l’approche moléculaire qui démarre en caprins et surtout répond à la question d’actualité sur ce que nous pouvons attendre dans les années futures de la sélection génomique en caprins. Le deuxième article de Hoste et al (2012) sur la pathologie caprine, a réuni des spécialistes de l’INRA, des écoles vétérinaires, de l’Anses et de l’Institut de l’Elevage. Il fait le point sur les recherches en cours et leurs applications concernant diverses pathologies infectieuses d’actualité dans le secteur caprin. Ainsi il passe en revue les principales pathologies provoquées par les prions et les virus, par les agents bactériens et la question des parasites gastro-intestinaux. L’article évoque aussi le projet de la mise en place d’un observatoire des maladies caprines en France. Il se termine par une réflexion intéressante soulignant la proximité des agents pathogènes en ovins et caprins et les différences dans les processus morbides chez ces deux espèces. Il en conclut que des études originales sur caprins sont tout à fait fondamentales pour appréhender certains mécanismes pathogéniques. L’article suivant de Sauvant et al (2012) se propose d’actualiser les recommandations alimentaires des caprins publiées en 2007, pour répondre à une demande du développement. Les avancées dans ce domaine proviennent notamment d’une approche modélisée de la connaissance des nombreuxfacteurs de variation du poids vif, de la production laitière et de la composition de lait. Les lois de réponse plus précises aux apports d’aliments concentrés, les nouvelles lois de réponse concernant la sécrétion des acides gras du lait ainsi que les excrétions d’azote et de méthane, ainsi que les valeurs repères applicables sur le terrain concernant le comportement alimentaire, l’acidose et les besoins en eau sont les principales nouveautés. L’alimentation représente, rappelons-le, 70% en moyenne du prix de revient du litre de lait de chèvre. Parmi les trois articles plus spécifiques sur des sujets originaux, figure l’article de Lefrileux et al (2012) sur l’aptitude des chèvres hautes productrices de lait à valoriser les prairies temporaires au pâturage. Il répond à des demandes variées, notamment la demande sociétale pour une conduite d’élevage plus écologique. Or, peu d’information existe sur ce sujet, d’une part, en raison de la diminution de ce mode d’alimentation à cause des problèmes parasitaires rencontrés et, d’autre part, car la chèvre a la réputation d’être une mauvaise utilisatrice du pâturage et d’avoir un comportement très affirmé pour sélectionner son ingéré. Les auteurs montrent qu’il est possible d’obtenir des performances laitières de 1000 – 1100 kg de lait par an et par chèvre avec des régimes alimentaires où plus de 50% des besoins énergétiques sont couverts par le pâturage. L’étude du fonctionnement du troupeau caprin est un sujet qui a déjà été développé à l’INRA (Santucci et al 1994) mais, au cours de ces dernières années, elle a fait l’objet d’avancées importantes grâce à l’utilisation de la modélisation. L’article de Puillet et al (2012) présente un simulateur de fonctionnement du troupeau caprin laitier permettant de tenir compte de la variabilité individuelle des carrières animales et d’étudier comment les conduites de l’alimentation et de la reproduction mises en œuvre par l’éleveur, modulent les performances du troupeau. De tels outils sont appelés à l’avenir à avoir diverses applications au niveau du terrain pour les agents de développement, par exemple pour quantifier le risque biologique associé à certaines conduites d’élevage. Le Centre INRA des Antilles-Guyane travaille depuis plus de 50 ans sur l’amélioration des systèmes de production caprine en milieu tropical (Alexandre et al 1997). Alexandre et al (2012) présentent dans le dernier article de ce numéro une synthèse sur la situation de l’élevage caprin en zone tropicale. Rappelons que 95% des caprins vivent en milieu tropical. A travers leur grande expérience du sujet, ces auteurs proposent des voies d’amélioration très prometteuses grâce à l’apport d’intrants bien réfléchi techniquement et économiquement, à l’utilisation de l’effet mâle en reproduction et à une complémentation à base d’aliments non conventionnels. Les six articles de ce numéro ne doivent pas occulter les autres recherches sur les caprins effectuées par l’INRA ou d’autres organismes. Comme il n’est pas possible d’être exhaustif, citons simplement quelques exemples qui peuvent intéresser le développement : la maîtrise de la reproduction femelle sans utilisation d’hormones pour répondre aux cahiers des charges de certains produits caprins labellisés (Brice et al 2002) ; la monotraite, technique qui a priori séduit les éleveurs en permettant une réduction de charge de travail (Komara et Marnet 2009) ; les risques d’acidose en liaison avec le comportement alimentaire des chèvres laitières, trouble métabolique encore fréquent avec certainstypes de régimes et dont les conséquences économiques peuvent être importantes (Desnoyers et al 2009) ; l’évaluation des systèmes de production caprine (Bossis et al 2008, Toussaint et al 2009) sans oublier les travaux de technologie laitière réalisées par l’ITPLC sur le fromage de chèvre (Raynal-Ljutovac et al 2007a). Il faut noter aussi le début d’études sur le bien-être des caprins (Servière et Morand-Fehr 2012) et le besoin de travaux sur les lactations longues (14 - 20 mois),technique qui séduit de plus en plus d’éleveurs. Nous devons aussi signaler deux documents importants, l’un sur la qualité du lait de petits ruminants (Haenlein et al 2007) et l’autre sur la production et la qualité de la viande caprine (Mahgoub et al 2011) dans lesquels les travaux de recherches français sur l’influence des systèmes d’alimentation sur la qualité du lait de chèvre (Morand-Fehr et al 2007), sur la stabilité à la chaleur de ce lait (Raynal-Ljutovac et al 2007b) et sur la composition lipidique du chevreau (Morand-Fehr et al 2011) sont présentés. Il nous reste à souhaiter que la lecture de ce numéro apporte une somme d’informations originales à tous les lecteurs cherchant à prendre connaissance des dernières avancées de la recherche caprine et que la recherche caprine se maintienne et se développe à l’avenir en France pour répondre aux demandes de la filière, mais aussi en milieu tropical où les caprins jouent un rôle socio-économique essentiel pour certaines populations rurales.

Background. From the era of romanticism to the present day there is a stable interest of world-renowned virtuoso musicians to such kind of creativity as transcription, which makes it possible to speak not only as a performer, but also to express themselves in the composer’s perspective. Many prominent pianists of different eras have made a significant contribution to this branch of musical art, we need only recall the names of F. Liszt, K. Tausig G. von Bulow, F. Busoni, L. Godowsky, Vladimir Horowitz, Glenn Gould. Among artists of our time, it should be noted the Canadian piano virtuoso and composer Marc-Andre Hamelin, for which transcriptions are characterized by a harmonious combination of technical complications and modernization of the selected thematic material, which provides his music a wide audience. A striking confirmation of this are the thousands of views of his transcriptions on the channel in YouTube. Perhaps one of the secrets of such popularity is not only the actualization of the musical language of the original, but also The article is devoted to the specifics of the ironic, as one of the manifestations of the comic, in creative heritage of the world-famous Canadian pianist and composer Marc-André Hamelin On material Of “Variations on a Theme of Paganini”, which are the most illustrative example in this perspective, the features of the artist’s work with a quote thematic material. Identifies certain dominants of the composer’s style, among them: the destruction elected canons, their modification and approach to the aesthetics of the modern world perception through the use of the musical language of the XX–XXI centuries, as well as the desire for harmonious unification, combining styles of different eras within one work. Objectives. The object of research is a musical composition; its subject of research is the identification of the specifics of the irony in the composer’s style. The purpose of the article is to consider the trends of manifestation of irony and the stylistic orientations in the composer’s work of Hamelin, referring to the most indicative in this aspect of the work “Variations on a Theme of Paganini”. Methodology. Structural-functional and genre-style methods are applied in the consideration of the compositional and stylistic specificity of “Variations on a Theme of Paganini”. To identify the peculiarities of the composer’s work with quotations, the method of comparative analysis was used. The methodological basis consists of the concepts of postmodern citation put forward by such leading researchers and representatives of postmodernism as Umberto Eco and Sigmund Bauman. Presenting the main material. The figure of Niccolo Paganini, enveloped in a mysterious halo, attracted the attention of contemporaries and many artists of subsequent generations, and his creative heritage found a significant response in the musical environment. One of the most famous works of N. Paganini has a cycle “Twenty-four capris” for solo violin, among which the most frequently used for a variety of composer’s interpretations was the theme of Caprice No. 24. Interesting is the fact that it remains relevant, continuing even in the twenty-first century to attract attention. A striking example of this is the Hamelin’s “Variations on a Theme of Paganini” (2011). This work, written for solo piano, is a dedication to the American composer, pianist, conductor, teacher Yehud Weiner and his wife Susan Dewen-Weiner. In his interpretation of Caprice 24, the composer chooses a free interpretation of his figurative and substantial side. This is evidenced not only by the increase in the number of variations (14 instead of 11), but also many other aspects that appear at different levels of composition of the whole. It turns out the specificity of the composer’s work with the quote material, which permeates the whole work, the tendency to its ironic interpretation, as well as harmonious coexistence within the work of styles of different eras, their combination. Results. This work is one of the most striking embodiments of the ironic in the work of the Canadian artist. Here is typical for his style work with the used material quote, the basis of which – the destruction of the selected sample, bringing atypical for the original harmonic, melodic, rhythmic turns. Most often such “curvature” is used at the first posted quote topics. The composer tends to synthesize several styles within the framework of the work, this is often achieved by combining one of the styles of past eras with the styles of modernity, while not contrasting, isolating, contrasting them, but creating a melodic, tonal-harmonic and compositional integrity. Conclusion. Hamelin’s “Variations on a Theme of Paganini” represent a vivid manifestation of the ideas of postmodern worldview in music, which is based on the ironic attitude to the sample of the past.

Cet article présente les modalités d'exploitation des caprins dans la province de Ngozi au Burundi. Les données ont été recueillies sur deux ans par un suivi zootechnique de 251 éleveurs. Parmi ceux-ci, 158 avaient des caprins croisés Alpine et étaient encadrés par le projet caprin de Ngozi. L'évolution de la taille et de la composition génétique des troupeaux d'une part, les pratiques de vente, d'autoconsommation et traite d'autre part, sont analysées. Les variations de comportement des différents types d'éleveurs sont soulignées. La fonction d'épargne que jouent les caprins dans ce système agraire a eu comme resultat une forte fluctuation de cette population au sein des troupeaux et la permutation des éleveurs avec abandon de l'élevage caprin par 6,3 % d'entre eux chaque année. L'adoption des caprins croisés par une fraction des éleveurs s'est accompagnée de modifications des pratiques d'exploitation : traite et vente du lait; vente des chèvres à un âge moyen plus élevé, alors que les chevreaux l'ont été au même âge. Les chevreaux les plus lourds de la race locale ont néanmoins fait l'objet d'une sélection, au contraire des chevreaux croisés.

The study included a total of 127 sheep milk samples from two different areas (Livno and Travnik) in summer feeding period (July, August and September). Fatty acids in milk were determined by gas chromatography (GC). The animals were marked with the appropriate number of ear tags on the basis of which we always took samples from the same animals through different periods. Fatty acids in milk were determined by gas chromatography and the following fatty acids composition: butyric acid, caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, rumenic acid. The fatty acid content of sheep's milk in this study showed a tendency of variation, both within and between sampling areas, and characterized by its relatively high content of saturated fatty acid (SFA) during the period of harvest.

Nicolo Paganini (1782-1840) has long been viewed as an emblem of virtuosity, his music heard, if at all, through the variations and adaptations of other composers. This historical neglect and the Paganini mythos notwithstanding, the twenty-four Caprices, op. 1, published in 1820, establish his place as a serious composer whose innovations must be considered in any assessment of early Romanticism. In the Caprices, two voices seem to speak. The first is lyrical and draws on the vocal and operatic roots of PaganiniÕs musical upbringing. The second I have labeled the questive voice. Romanticism is an aesthetic of distance; the questive voice is a means of traversing the immensity that is the one essential feature of early Romanticism in its incarnations. This immensity manifests itself in the wide registral space opened and explored in the Caprices; in the motivically driven, asymmetrical construction of many passages found therein; and in the extensive harmonic reach of many of the Caprices. This article presents close readings of Caprices nos. 1, 2, 4, 9, and 10, drawing on Schenkerian methodologies and work by Ratner, Caplin, and Burnham to articulate the lyrical/questive dichotomy and interplay between technique and expression in these singular works by a singular composer.

ABSTRACT Strains of Staphylococcus aureus obtained from bovine (n = 117) and caprine (n = 114) bulk milk were characterized and compared with S. aureus strains from raw-milk products (n = 27), bovine mastitis specimens (n = 9), and human blood cultures (n = 39). All isolates were typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). In addition, subsets of isolates were characterized using multilocus sequence typing (MLST), multiplex PCR (m-PCR) for genes encoding nine of the staphylococcal enterotoxins (SE), and the cloverleaf method for penicillin resistance. A variety of genotypes were observed, and greater genetic diversity was found among bovine than caprine bulk milk isolates. Certain genotypes, with a wide geographic distribution, were common to bovine and caprine bulk milk and may represent ruminant-specialized S. aureus. Isolates with genotypes indistinguishable from those of strains from ruminant mastitis were frequently found in bulk milk, and strains with genotypes indistinguishable from those from bulk milk were observed in raw-milk products. This indicates that S. aureus from infected udders may contaminate bulk milk and, subsequently, raw-milk products. Human blood culture isolates were diverse and differed from isolates from other sources. Genotyping by PFGE, MLST, and m-PCR for SE genes largely corresponded. In general, isolates with indistinguishable PFGE banding patterns had the same SE gene profile and isolates with identical SE gene profiles were placed together in PFGE clusters. Phylogenetic analyses agreed with the division of MLST sequence types into clonal complexes, and isolates within the same clonal complex had the same SE gene profile. Furthermore, isolates within PFGE clusters generally belonged to the same clonal complex.

Abstract. Keratin-associated proteins (KAPs) are a structural component of cashmere fibre, and variation in some KAP genes (KRTAPs) has been associated with a number of caprine fibre traits. In this study, we report the identification of KRTAP15-1 in goats. Sequence variation in the gene was detected using the polymerase chain reaction single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) technique in 250 Longdong goats, and six variants (named A to F) containing eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified. Five of the SNPs were non-synonymous and would lead to putative amino acid changes. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis revealed that KRTAP15-1 was expressed in secondary hair follicles but not in heart tissue, liver tissue, lung tissue, kidney tissue or the longissimus dorsi muscle. Despite being rich in cysteine, the caprine KAP15-1 protein possesses a high content of serine and moderate content of glycine and phenylalanine. Association analyses revealed that KRTAP15-1 variant A was associated with decreased mean fibre diameter (MFD), and this effect appeared to be dominant; while variant C was found to be associated with increased MFD, the effect being recessive. The findings suggest that caprine KRTAP15-1 is highly polymorphic and that variation in this gene affects cashmere MFD.

The keratin-associated proteins (KAPs) are structural components of cashmere fibres. The gene encoding the high-sulphur (HS)-KAP24-1 (KRTAP24-1) has been identified in humans and sheep, but it has not been described in goats. In this study, we report the identification of caprine KRTAP24-1, describe variation in this gene, and investigate the effect of this variation on cashmere traits. A search for sequences orthologous to the ovine gene in the goat genome revealed a 774 bp open reading frame on chromosome 1, which could encode an HS-KAP. Based on this goat genome sequence and comparison with ovine KRTAP24-1 sequences, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers were designed to amplify an 856 bp fragment that would contain the entire coding region of the putative caprine KRTAP24-1. Use of this PCR amplification with subsequent single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of the amplicons identified four distinct patterns of DNA bands on gel electrophoresis, with these representing four different DNA sequences (A to D), in 340 Longdong cashmere goats reared in China. The variant sequences had the highest similarity to KRTAP24-1 sequences from sheep and humans, suggesting that they are variants of caprine KRTAP24-1. Nine single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected in the gene, including four non-synonymous SNPs and an SNP in proximity to the ATG start codon. Of the three common genotypes (AA, AB, and BB) found in these Longdong cashmere goats, cashmere fibres from goats of genotype AA had lower mean fibre diameter (MFD) than did those of genotype AB, and cashmere fibres from goats of genotype AB had lower MFD than did those from goats of genotype BB.

Pneumonia caused by Mannheìmia haemolytica is an important disease of ruminants. Because of its economic significance, several methods have been used to study the pathogenicity and epidemiology of M. haemolytica. The objectives of this study were to provide data about the prevalence of the different serotypes of the bacterium and to investigate the genetic diversity of a significant virulence factor, the ompA gene. Two methods, DNA sequencing analysis and DGGli, were used to study the polymorphisms of the ompA gene. Ninety-four isolates from pneumonic lungs were investigated. Capsular scrotyping showed that serotype Λ2 was the predominant serotype among ovine strains and the only serotype found in caprine strains. This is the first reported analysis of the ompA gene of M haemolytica strains isolated from goats. Analysis of the gene revealed five DGGli patterns and nine genotypic groups. The ovine isolates, which belonged to four DC G li patterns, showed a much greater diversity than the caprine strains, which belonged to just two DGGF patterns, Sequence analysis was used to verify the DGGE results and revealed eight genotypic groups among the ovine isolates and three among the caprine ones. Furthermore, the correlation of these results showed a great diversity of the ompA gene among serotype A2 isolates.

Foot rot is a highly contagious and economically important disease of sheep and goats, caused predominantly by Dichelobacter nodosus. The current investigation was intended to analyse the genetic variation for resistance to caprine foot rot among two purebred native breeds of goats(Malabari and Attappady Black) and crossbred (Malabari crosses with Sannen, Alpine and Boer) goats in Kerala state, India. The cases were identified by observing characteristic symptoms of foot rot in goats, detecting Gram negative large rods from the hoof lesions and by PCR to detect the 783bp amplicon from the 16sRNA gene of D. nodosus. Two hundred and four animals were subjected to the study and statistical analysis of the data generated could substantiate that, there is variation in caprine foot rot resistance among genetic groups studied (p?0.01) with significantly lower incidence rates in Malabari (14.29%) and Attappady Black (2.29%) compared to the crossbreds (43.75%).

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus aureus causes disease in humans and a wide array of animals. Of note, S. aureus mastitis of ruminants, including cows, sheep, and goats, results in major economic losses worldwide. Extensive variation in genome content exists among S. aureus pathogenic clones. However, the genomic variation among S. aureus strains infecting different animal species has not been well examined. To investigate variation in the genome content of human and ruminant S. aureus, we carried out whole-genome PCR scanning (WGPS), comparative genomic hybridizations (CGH), and the directed DNA sequence analysis of strains of human, bovine, ovine, and caprine origin. Extensive variation in genome content was discovered, including host- and ruminant-specific genetic loci. Ovine and caprine strains were genetically allied, whereas bovine strains were heterogeneous in gene content. As expected, mobile genetic elements such as pathogenicity islands and bacteriophages contributed to the variation in genome content between strains. However, differences specific for ruminant strains were restricted to regions of the conserved core genome, which contained allelic variation in genes encoding proteins of known and unknown function. Many of these proteins are predicted to be exported and could play a role in host-pathogen interactions. The genomic regions of difference identified by the whole-genome approaches adopted in the current study represent excellent targets for studies of the molecular basis of S. aureus host adaptation.

Variation in some caprine keratin-associated protein (KAP) genes has been associated with cashmere fiber traits, but many KAP genes remain unidentified in goats. In this study, we confirm the identification of a KAP27-1 gene (KRTAP27-1) and describe its effect on cashmere traits in 248 Longdong cashmere goats. A polymerase chain reaction–single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analysis was used to screen for sequence variation in this gene, and three sequence variants (named A to C) were found. These sequences have the highest similarity (77% identity) to a human KRTAP27-1 sequence, while sharing some homology with a predicted caprine KRTAP27-1 sequence ENSCHIG00000023347 in the goat genome construct (ARS1:CM004562.1) at chromosome 1 position 3,966,193–3,973,677 in the forward strand. There were two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) detected in the coding sequence, including one nonsynonymous SNP (c.413C/T; p.Ala138Val) and one synonymous SNP (c.495C/T). The C variant differed from A and B at c.413C/T, having cytosine in its nucleotide sequence, while the B variant differed from A and C at c.495C/T, having thymine in its nucleotide sequence. Goats of the genotypes AB and BB produced cashmere fibers of higher mean fiber diameter (MFD) than goats of genotype AA, but no difference in MFD was detected between the AB and BB goats. These results suggest that B is associated with increased MFD. Expression of the caprine KRTAP27-1 sequence was predominantly detected in the skin tissue of goats but not or only weakly detected in other tissues, including longissimus dorsi muscle, heart, kidney, liver, lung and spleen.

The existing statistical evaluation methods of caprock sealing ability in CO2 sequestration engineering only take into account the sealing ability of caprocks before sequestration but cannot reflect the retained sealing ability of caprock after hydrochemical reactions. A microscopic sealing evaluation method of caprock was established based on the microscopic mechanism of chemical reaction and the breakthrough pressure of caprock which, changes with the time of CO2 sequestration, was taken as the dynamic evaluation index. The results show that the change of microstructure parameters such as the average pore radius after dissolution is the essential reason that affects the variation of the caprock microscopic sealing property. Dissolution or precipitation of different caprock minerals during the chemical reaction process is the key factor that determines the decrease or increase of caprock microscopic sealing property. The evaluation method can reflect the change of microscopic sealing property of the caprocks in different areas as the sealing time goes and provides an efficient and practical quantitative evaluation method for the initial formation site selection and safety sealing in the later stage.

Geologic Carbon Sequestration (GCS) has been widely considered as a significant means for reducing CO2 emissions to address global climate change. The caprock sealing plays a key role in determining permanence and security of carbon dioxide (CO2) storage in geologic formations. This study presents geochemical modeling of CO2–brine–rock interactions in a deep saline aquifer in the Jianghan Basin, which is a potential target for CO2 injection and geological storage. A one-dimensional model was developed to investigate the changes in caprock permeability caused by CO2–brine–rock interactions under the diffusion mechanism. The results show that the dissolution of K-feldspar and albite plays a key role in the variation of caprock permeability, which makes permeability increased by 60% at the bottom of caprock. The caprock permeability is increased with temperature by enhancing the minerals dissolution of caprocks. In addition, the common-ion effect generated by the increased salinity inhibits the minerals dissolution in caprock.

En France, l’insémination artificielle caprine (IA) joue un rôle important dans les systèmes intensifs de production laitière, pour la maîtrise de la reproduction et en relation avec le schéma national d’amélioration génétique de la production laitière. Environ 60 000 chèvres ont été inséminées en 1996, après induction hormonale de l’oestrus et de l’ovulation, avec de la semence conservée congelée. 95 % des IA ont été réalisées avant la saison sexuelle. L’efficacité de cette méthode de reproduction est d’environ 65 % de mise bas. En 1996, les résultats de 290 000 lactations de chèvres ont été enregistrés par le contrôle laitier officiel. Le principal objectif du schéma de sélection, qui inclut la sélection des meilleures boucs et chèvres comme parents des futurs boucs d’IA, concerne l’amélioration de la teneur en matières protéiques et le taux protéique du lait. L’IA permet une forte intensité de sélection des mâles, une évaluation génétique convenable à travers les élevages connectés génétiquement et la sélection des boucs porteurs de gènes majeurs comme celui de la caséine alpha S1. Depuis 1992, un Groupe National de Reproduction Caprine, incluant tous les partenaires de la filière caprine, est actuellement focalisé sur l’étude des facteurs de variations de la fertilité après IA afin de poursuivre le développement de cette technique.

This study addresses the problem of geological structure tightness for the purposes of enhanced oil recovery with CO2 sequestration. For the first time in the history of Polish geological survey the advanced methods, practical assumptions, and quantitative results of detailed simulations were applied to study the geological structure of a domestic oil reservoir as a potential candidate for a combined enhanced oil recovery and CO2 sequestration project. An analysis of the structure sequestration capacity and its tightness was performed using numerical methods that combined geomechanical and reservoir fluid flow modelling with a standard two-way coupling procedure. By applying the correlation between the geomechanical state and transport properties of the caprock, threshold pressure variations were determined to be a key factor affecting the sealing properties of the reservoir–caprock boundary. In addition to the estimation of the sequestration capacity of the structure, the process of CO2 leakage from the reservoir to the caprock was simulated for scenarios exceeding the threshold pressure limit of the reservoir–caprock boundary. The long-term simulations resulted in a comprehensive assessment of the total amount of CO2 leakage as a function of time and the leaked CO2 distribution within the caprock.

Abstract. This study aimed at investigating changes in the fatty acid (FA) profile and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) concentration of milk fat during lactation from goats managed in a semi-intensive production system, which consisted of grazing on a woody and herbaceous pasture with the supplementation of mixed concentrate and vetch hay. A total of 21 lactating goats were used. Milk samples were collected at different periods (25 April, 29 June, 25 August and 4 October) during lactation and analysed for their chemical composition and FA profile. The most abundant FA in the milk fat of goats was palmitic (C16:0) acid, followed by oleic (C18:1 n-9), stearic (C18:0), capric (C10:0) and myristic (C14:0) acids. These acids accounted for about 88 % of the total milk FA of goats in all sampling periods. The two medium chain FA; capric (P=0.0001) and lauric (C12:0; P=0.0014) acid were affected by the sampling period, whereas myristic (P=0.4469) and palmitic (P=0.4418) acids did not change. Stearic (P=0.0128), oleic (P=0.0001), linoleic (C18:2; P=0.0088) and linolenic (C18:3; P=0.0001) acids also exhibited significant variations between the sampling periods. However, the CLA (C18:2 c9, t11 and C18:2 t10, c12) contents of milk fat did not change during the entire study regardless of the sampling period (P=0.2448). Milk fatty acid composition of goats, which meet a major part of their nutrient requirements through grazing or browsing in a natural pasture, shows a seasonal variation with milk fat in summer representing a better fatty acid profile for product quality.

12 GOATS comprising 4 of each of three breeds, namely West African Dwarf, Red Sokoto and crossbreds (West African Dwarf x Saanen), were bled alternately in the mornings and afternoons to evaluate their serum protein profile. The three breeds were similar in total serum proteins but not in protein profile. The crossbred goats had more albumin than the purebreds. Alpha and beta globulins occurred in equal proportions in the West African Dwarf and crossbred goats although the latter were extremely low in gamma globulins. The results imply a higher growth rate and susceptibility to infection of the crossbred goats and suggest the need for greater husbandry care by them.

L’hypothalamus, par l’intermédiaire de la sécrétion du LH-RH, commande la libération épisodique des hormones gonadotropes LH et FSH dans la circulation générale. La LH n’est pas sécrétée de façon continue par l’hypohyse mais sous forme de "pulses", définis par leur fréquence et leur amplitude, qui stimulent la libération de la testostérone par le testicule chez le mâle et de l’oestradiol et de la progestérone par l’ovaire chez la femelle. La FSH est sécrétée de de façon moins épisodique. Chez la chèvre, la modulation des rétroactions négatives et positives de la progestérone et de l’oestradiol sur l’axe hypothalamo-hypohysaire joue un rôle clé dans la régulation des différents événements du cycle oestrien. Une imprégnation par la progestérone n’est pas nécessaire pour l’induction du comportement d’oestrus par l’oestradiol. Dans les deux sexes, le saisonnement de l’activité neuroendocrinienne est responsable des fortes variations saisonnières d’activité sexuelle. Un accroissement de la rétroaction négative de l’oestradiol sur l’axe hypothalamo-hypohysaire est responsable de la faible activité gonadotrope pendant la saison d’anoestrus. Cet effet est sous la commande des variations photopériodiques qui agissent sur le système nerveux central par l’intermédiaire de la modification de la durée de sécrétion de la mélatonine nocturne. Les changements dans le régime alimentaire provoquent également des variations dans l’activité gonadotrope. La mise en présence des femelles avec le bouc provoque une augmentation immédiate de la fréquence des pulses de LH chez celles-ci.

Caseinomacropeptide (CMP), a 7-kDa phosphoglycopolypeptide fragment released from κ-casein during milk renneting, is heterogeneous with respect to post-translational glycosylation. Several studies have reported that CMP has growth-promoting activity on lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genera Bifidobacterium. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of glycosylation and sequence variations between bovine and caprine CMP on the growth of two probiotics: Lactobacillus rhamnosus RW-9595-M and Bifidobacterium thermophilum RBL67. The growth-promoting activities of CMP (mixture of glycosylated (gCMP) and non-glycosylated (aCMP) fractions), aCMP and gCMP were measured in a basal minimal culture medium using turbidimetric microplate assay at 37 °C. Supplementation of the culture media at 2 mg/ml significantly improved maximum growth by 1·5 to 1·8 times depending on the strain, the additive (CMP, aCMP, gCMP), and the bovine or caprine origin (P < 0·05). CMP preparations also decreased the time needed to reach the inflexion point of the growth curve and increase the cell density at that time (P < 0·05). The effects of CMP preparations were dose dependent and significantly superior to the effect of bovine β-lactoglobulin added to the culture media. As gCMP and aCMP were as efficient as bovine and caprine CMP (P > 0·1), it was concluded that the presence of oligosaccharides linked to CMP was not essential for growth-promoting activity of CMP.

Keratin-associated proteins (KAPs) and keratins determine the physical and chemical properties of cashmere fibers as they are the main components of the fibers. It has been reported that ovine KRTAP1-2 affects clean fleece weight, greasy fleece weight and yield in sheep, but the gene has not been described in goats and its effects on fiber traits are unknown. In this study, we identify the keratin-associated protein 1-2 gene (KRTAP1-2) in the goat genome and describe its effect on cashmere fiber traits in 359 Longdong cashmere goats. Six sequence variants (named CAPHI-KRTAP1-2*A to CAPHI-KRTAP1-2*F) were revealed using polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analysis. These sequences have the highest homology with ovine KRTAP1-2 sequences. There were a 60-bp deletion, a 15-bp insertion and five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) including two non-synonymous SNPs in the coding sequence. The caprine KRTAP1-2 gene was expressed in the skin tissue, but a signal was not observed for the kidneys, liver, lungs, spleen, heart and longissimus dorsi muscle. Variation in caprine KRTAP1-2 was found to be associated with raw cashmere fiber weight, but not with fiber diameter and length.

Les auteurs rapportent les résultats d'une étude sur les tiques et les hémoparasitoses des bovins, ovins et caprins de la zone soudano-sahélienne. Un détiquage systématique de 40 bovins, 40 ovins et 40 caprins est effectué pendant 15 mois dans le but de déterminer la dynamique des populations et de préciser les sites préférentiels de fixation des différentes espèces. Chez ces ruminants, les espèces suivantes sont récoltées : Hyalomma truncatum, H. marginatum rufipes, Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi, Rh. guilhoni, Amblyomma variegatum, Boophilus decoloratus. Parallèlement, des études sont menées sur les hémoparasitoses par réalisation de frottis de sang et de splénectomies. Chez les bovins, sont mis en évidence : Anaplasma marginale, Ehrlichia bovis, Theileria mutans. Les infections décelées chez les ovins et les caprins sont occasionnées par Anaplasma ovis, Ehrlichia ovina et Theileria ovis. Les valeurs de l'hématocrite d'animaux adultes apparemment sains sont étudiées, de même que les variations saisonnières de ce paramètre hématologique.

The aim of this research was to investigate variability in each of the five exons of the caprine growth hormone (gGH) gene, in order to establish the possible relationships with milk traits in Sarda breed goat. The general linear model procedure was used to analyse the effects of the single strand conformation (SSCP) profiles on milk traits of 100 lactating goats. Analysis of conformational polymorphism at exons 1–5 revealed a total of 25 differing banding patterns. Sequencing revealed 21 nucleotide changes (compared with GenBank D00476): 14 were polymorphic and 7 monomorphic; 19 in exonic regions, 5 of which were nonsynonymous. A SNP upstream of the transcription initiation codon (c.-3A>G) and an indel (c.*29_30insC) in the 3′UTR, were detected. Alignment of 4 cloned sequences including the entire gGH gene led to the identification of 22 nucleotide variations within the intron regions, including two indels. Association analysis revealed that each exon, except exon-1, affected milk yield, exons 1 and 3 influenced milk fat percentage, and all exons, except exon-2, had an effect on protein percentage, supporting previous results in livestock. The variability detected at the caprine GH gene might provide useful information for the phylogeny of ruminants and, more importantly, have implications on the biological function of the growth hormone and on those traits resulting from its physiological action, including milk production and composition. The caprine GH gene may become a useful molecular marker for a more effective genetic selection for milk production traits in goats.

The keratin-associated proteins (KAPs) are constituents of cashmere fibers and variation in many KAP genes (KRTAPs) has been found to be associated with fiber traits. The gene encoding the high-sulphur KAP28-1 has been described in sheep, but it has not been identified in the goat genome. In this study, a 255-bp open reading frame on goat chromosome 1 was identified using a search of similar sequence to ovine KRTAP28-1, and that would if transcribed and translated encode a high sulphur KAP. Based on the analysis of polymerase chain reaction amplicons for the goat nucleotide sequences in 385 Longdong cashmere goats in China, five unique banding patterns were detected using single strand conformation polymorphism analysis. These represented five DNA sequences (named variants A to E) and they had the highest resemblance to KRTAP28-1 sequences from sheep, suggesting A–E are variants of caprine KRTAP28-1. DNA sequencing revealed a 2 or 4-bp deletion and eleven nucleotide sequence differences, including four non-synonymous substitutions. Of the four common variants (A, B, C and D) found in these goats, the presence of variant A was associated with decreased mean fiber diameter and this effect appeared to be additive. These results indicate that caprine KRTAP28-1 variation might have value as a molecular marker for reducing cashmere mean fiber diameter.

ABSTRACT The variations in biochemical as well as molecular characteristics among several members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex that are not M. tuberculosis have been assessed to facilitate an unambiguous species identification. Altogether, 96 M. tuberculosis complex strains including 52 M. bovis isolates and 44 M. africanum isolates were analyzed by spoligotyping. The strains could be clustered into five spoligotype groups. All M. bovis isolates showed the typical absence of the spacers 39 to 43 and typical biochemical properties. However, within these strains we found a group of strains that had a spoligotype pattern which is clearly defined by the additional absence of spacers 3 to 16 and that were uncommonly susceptible to pyrazinamide (PZA). This spoligotype pattern has previously been described as being typical for a caprine genotype because of its predominant isolation from sheep and goats. Due to the clinical importance of PZA resistance, we propose two M. bovis subtypes: M. bovis subtype bovis , which is resistant to PZA, and M. bovis subtype caprae , which is susceptible to PZA. Two additional strains that clustered in group 3 showed biochemical and genetic properties typical for M. bovis and were also sensitive to PZA; thus, they may represent a third PZA-susceptible M. bovis subtype. The M. africanum isolates could be clustered into two spoligotype groups which can be differentiated from M. bovis by hybridization to spacers 39 to 43. These groups correspond to the previously described M. africanum subtypes I and II and can be clearly distinguished from each other by spoligotyping and resistance to thiophen-2-carboxylic acid hydrazide. Our results demonstrate that spoligotyping is a useful tool for differentiation of M. bovis and M. africanum . Moreover, we describe two PZA-susceptible M. bovis subtypes and describe a method that facilitates an unambiguous differentiation of the two M. africanum subtypes.

A specific leptin RIA was developed to assess concentrations of leptin in ovine plasma, and was shown to be efficient with bovine and caprine plasma. A specific, high-affinity antibody was generated against recombinant ovine leptin which, when used in a competitive leptin RIA, provided valid estimates of linearity (r=+0.989-0.998), recovery (102%), repeatability (13%) and limit of sensitivity (0.83 ng/ml for 100 microl sample size). Serial dilutions of five ovine, bovine or caprine plasma samples showed good linearity and parallelism with the recombinant ovine leptin standard curve. A comparison of this RIA was made with a commercial 'multi-species' RIA kit using 56 ovine plasma samples. Major differences were found in assay sensitivity. Non-lactating, non-pregnant, ovariectomized ewes were fed a ration for 65 days which provided 90+/-9% (control; n=12) or 39+/-2% of maintenance energy requirements (underfed; n=16) in order to analyse the respective effects of body fatness (estimated by either an in vivo dilution technique or body condition scoring) and of nutritional status on plasma leptin concentration. There was a significant positive correlation between body fatness or body condition score and plasma leptin levels (r=+0.68, P<0.001 or r=+0.72, P<0.001 respectively). When concentrations of leptin were assessed over time, underfed ewes exhibited a dramatic reduction in plasma leptin values (-56%, P<0.001). These data provide strong evidence that, in sheep, the variations in plasma concentrations of leptin are related to variations in body fatness (35%) and, to a lesser extent, in nutritional status (17%).

Assessing the mechanical integrity of the caprock-reservoir system is necessary to evaluate the practical storage capacity for geologic [Formula: see text] storage. We used a combination of well-log and experimental data to estimate the statistical distribution (mean and variance) of rock mechanical properties of Cambrian-Ordovician strata within the Northern Appalachian region of Ohio and studied their heterogeneity throughout the study area. Empirical correlations between static-dynamic moduli of carbonate and sandstone formations of the Northern Appalachian Basin were developed. The state of stress (the orientation and magnitude of the maximum horizontal stress) for caprock and reservoir formations in the Cambrian-Ordovician sequence was determined at multiple well locations to understand the regional variability of these properties throughout the study area. The maximum horizontal stress ([Formula: see text]) azimuth was estimated from image logs for six wells and S-wave anisotropy data for five wells. The [Formula: see text] magnitude was estimated by analytical and numerical modeling of stresses around the wellbore calibrated to the occurrence of wellbore breakouts and drilling-induced fractures in three wells as a function of depth. The results of assessing the [Formula: see text] magnitude and stress regime in the caprock and reservoirs in the Cambrian-Ordovician sequence using rock mechanical data acquired in this study, well-log data, and drilling data indicate that both parameters vary throughout the study area. In this work, we determined how integrating different types of data from multiple wells allowed us to estimate mechanical properties and characterize the spatial variability (laterally and vertically) of in situ stress for Cambrian-Ordovician caprock and reservoirs throughout the study area. A combination of different methods — numerical, analytical, and stress polygon — is used to estimate the in situ stress magnitude, especially [Formula: see text], regionally on a formation-by-formation basis. The results of this work can be used to improve our understanding the complex nature of stress in the Northern Appalachian Basin.

There are similarities and differences in employing amplitude variation with offset (AVO) to explore for gas-sand reservoirs, as opposed to coal-bed methane (CBM) reservoirs. The main similarity is that large Poisson’s ratio contrasts, resulting in AVO gradient anomalies, are expected for both kinds of reservoirs. The main difference is that cleating and fracturing raise the Poisson’s ratio of a coal seam as it improves its reservoir potential for CBM, while gas always lowers the Poisson’s ratio of a sandstone reservoir. The top of gas sands usually has a negative AVO gradient, leading to a class one, two, or three anomaly depending on the impedance contrast with the overlying caprock. On the other hand, the top of a CBM reservoir has a positive AVO gradient, leading to a class four anomaly. Three environmental factors may limit the usage of AVO for CBM reservoirs: the smaller contrast in Poisson’s ratio between a CBM reservoir and its surrounding rock, variations in the caprock of a specific CBM reservoir, and the fact that CBM is not always free to collect at structurally high points in the reservoir. However, other factors work in favor of using AVO. The strikingly high reflection amplitude of coal improves signal/noise ratio and hence the reliability of AVO measurements. The relatively simple characteristics of AVO anomalies make them easy to interpret. Because faults are known to improve the quality of CBM reservoirs, faults accompanied by AVO anomalies would be especially convincing. A 3D-AVO example offered in this paper shows that AVO might be helpful to delineate methane-rich sweet spots within coal seams.

Genetic markers are needed for mating systems and breeding experiments in Cuphea lanceolata Ait.; however, none have been described in this species. Allozyme variation was analyzed among 14 F2 populations assayed for aconitase (ACO), diaphorase (DIA), esterase (EST), fluorescent esterase transaminase (FEST), glutamine oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), menadione reductase (MNR), phosphoglucomutase (PGM), phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI), and shikimate dehydrogenase (SKDH) enzyme activity. At least 23 loci were resolved in these enzyme systems: 6 monomorphic loci, 5 poorly resolved loci, and 12 clearly resolved polymorphic loci. Observed segregation ratios were generally not significantly different (P > 0.05) from expected segregation ratios; however, segregation distortion was observed at Skdh-1 and Mnr-1 (Dia-1) in some F2 populations. Skdh-1 and Pgm-2 and Est-1, Est-2, Fest-1, and Mnr-1 comprise putative linkage groups. Allozyme variation was observed between and within accessions. The expected average heterozygosity was 16.3%. There were one to eight polymorphic loci among the F2 populations analyzed. There were an average of 2.05 alleles per locus. Several useful codominant markers were identified and a partial allozyme linkage map was constructed. Additional work is needed to revise and complete the map.Key words: Cuphea, isozymes, goodness of fit test statistics, lauric acid, capric acid.

A study was conducted to establish the normal electrocardiogram in four different genetic strains of mithun (Bos frontalis). Electrocardiography, cardiac electrical axis, heart rate, rectal temperature and respiration rate were recorded in a total of 32 adult male mithun of four strains ( each). It was found that the respiration and heart rates were higher () in Manipur than other three strains. Amplitude () and duration of P wave and QRS complex differed () among the strains. Mizoram strain had the highest amplitude and duration of P wave and QRS complex. On the other hand, higher () amplitude and duration of T wave were recorded in Arunachalee and Mizoram strains. The mean electrical axis of QRS complex that were recorded for Arunachalee and Manipur strains were similar to that reported for other bovine species; whereas the electrical axis of QRS for Nagamese and Mizoram strains were more close to feline and caprine species, respectively. In conclusion, electrocardiogram of mithun revealed that the amplitude and duration of P wave, QRS complex and T wave were different among four different genetic strains of mithun and the electrical axis of QRS complex for Nagamese and Mizoram mithuns are dissimilar to bovine species.

Bovine and caprine milks have a similar overall gross composition, but vary considerably in the ratios of their casein components. These differences cause significant changes in the ability of caseins to bind and stabilize calcium (Ca). It might be expected that these in vitro variations, which are thought to be due to differences in casein phosphopeptides (CPP) content, could lead to in vivo differences in the digestion and absorption of Ca. To test this hypothesis three milks with different casein ratios [bovine (B), caprine high in αs1-casein (CH) and caprine low in αs1-casein (CL)] were compared with regard to Ca absorption and deposition in growing male rats. For comparison, each milk was Ca-fortified (BCa-milk, CHCa-milk, and CLCa-milk) and CPP, prepared by enzymatic hydrolysis from the respective caseins (extrinsic CPP), were added to both native and Ca-milks. The effects of added CPP (extrinsic) could then be compared with intrinsic CPP released from the gastrointestinal digestion of caseins. Total gastric Ca was sampled at 15, 30 and 60 min after ingestion. No differences were found among the native milks with or without CPP, but the Ca from all Ca-milks (regardless of casein type) appeared to clear the stomach more rapidly and this was enhanced by the extrinsic CPP. The total intestinal Ca was not different among the native milks±CPP, however, it rose more rapidly with Ca fortification, and was higher at 30 min for all CPP-Ca-milks. At 60 min the total intestinal Ca level fell for the CPP-Ca-milks while all others continued to rise. These observations suggest that the CPP in Ca-milks enhance gastric clearance and uptake from the intestine. Ca availability from BCa-milk, CHCa-milk, and CLCa-milk with and without CPP was estimated by both plasma and femur uptake of 45Ca. Ca availability was enhanced at 5 h in the plasma in each case by added CPP. In all cases CPP stimulated Ca availability in the femur, but the CL-CPP was higher (P<0·05) than that of either CH-CPP or B-CPP (extrinsic CPP). Based on the results of this study we can conclude that the addition of CPP will have beneficial effect on the absorption of Ca in growing rats from CaCO3 added to bovine and caprine milks.

Despite similar genome sizes, a great variability in recombination rates is observed in mammals. We used antibodies against SYCP3, MLH1 and centromeres to compare crossover frequency, position along chromosome arms and the effect of crossover interference in spermatocytes of 4 species from the family Bovidae (Bos taurus, 2n = 60, tribe Bovini; Ovis aries, 2n = 54, Capra hircus, 2n = 60 and Ammotragus lervia, 2n = 58, tribe Caprini). Despite significant individual variability, our results also show significant differences in both recombination rates and the total length of autosomal synaptonemal complexes (SC) between cattle (47.53 MLH1 foci/cell, 244.59 µm) and members of the tribe Caprini (61.83 MLH1 foci, 296.19 µm) which can be explained by the length of time that has passed since their evolutionary divergence. Sheep displayed the highest number of MLH1 foci per cell and recombination density, although they have a lower diploid chromosome number caused by centric fusions corresponding to cattle chromosomes 1;3, 2;8 and 5;11. However, the proportion of MLH1 foci observed on the fused chromosomes in sheep (26.14%) was significantly lower than on the orthologous acrocentrics in cattle (27.6%) and goats (28.2%), and their distribution along the SC arms differed significantly. The reduced recombination rate in metacentrics is probably caused by interference acting across the centromere.

AbstractPore-fluid pressure gradients in Lower Tertiary to Upper Jurassic mudrocks in the Gullfaks area show significant variations, both between and within individual structural compartments. Detection and quantification of abnormal pore-pressures, based on drilling parameters and wire line logs, are significantly influenced by petrological variations in the mudrocks and do not provide adequate direct pressure indicators. Empirical models show that the degree of overpressuring in mudrocks above the Gullfaks reservoirs cannot be fully explained by processes such as shale dehydration, compaction disequilibrium, aquathermal effects or in situ hydrocarbon generation, and other processes, such as caprock failure and subsequent migration of hydrocarbons (mainly gas) into the overlying mudrocks, appear to be influential in generating the observed pattern of overpressure.

SummaryGoats make up the largest group of ruminant livestock in Nigeria and are strategic in bridging animal protein supply gap and improving the economy of rural households. The hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) of the caprine mitochondrial genome was investigated to better understand genetic diversity important for improving selection for animal breeding and conservation programs. We sequenced and analysed the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) HVR1 in 291 unrelated indigenous Nigerian goats (West African Dwarf (WAD), Red Sokoto (RSO) and Sahel (SAH)), randomly sampled from around the country, and compared them with the HVR1 sequences of 336 Indian goats and 12 other sequences in five different species in the genusCapra(C. falconeri, C. ibex nubiana, C. aegagrus, C. cylindricornisandC. sibirica). A total of 139 polymorphic sites from 291 individuals were captured in 204 haplotypes. Within and among population variations were 77.25 and 22.74 percent, respectively. Nigerian goats showed high genetic diversity (0.87) and high FST values, and separate from Indian goats and other wild species. Haplogroups in WAD separates it from RSO and SAH concomitant with a different demographic history. Clear genetic structure was found among Nigerian goat breeds with appreciable variation in mtDNA HVR1 region. This study grouped Nigerian goat breeds into two major groups suggesting two different demographic origins for Northern and Southern breeds. High genetic admixing denotes different maternal origins and in contrast to evidence from goats from Levant and Central Asia, where goats were originally domesticated.

Introduction Standardization of preoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk assessment remains challenging due to variation in risk assessment models (RAMs) and the cumbersome workflow addition that most RAMs represent. We aimed to develop a parsimonious RAM that is automatable and actionable within the preoperative workflow. Methods We performed a case-controlled review of all 18 VTE cases reported over a 12-month period and 171 matched controls included in an institutional National Surgical Quality Improvement Project (NSQIP) data set. We examined the predictive value of the Caprini, Padua, and NSQIP RAMs. We identified the 5 most impactful risk factors in VTE development by contribution to the known RAMs. We compared the predictive ability of cancer, age, body mass index, black race, and American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status (ASA-PS) score, to the Caprini, Padua, and NSQIP RAMs for VTE outcomes. Finally, we evaluated concordance between each of the models. Results The Caprini Score was found to be 88.9% sensitive and 32.7% specific using a threshold of 5. The Padua score was found to be 61.1% sensitive and 47.4% specific using a threshold of 4. The novel 5-factor RAM was found to be 94.4% sensitive and 38.0% specific using a threshold of 4. The Caprini and Padua models were discordant in 26% of patients. Discussion Cumbersome manual data entry contributes to the ongoing challenge of standardized VTE risk assessment and prophylaxis. Universally documented information and patient demographics can be utilized to create clinical decision support tools that can improve the efficiency of perioperative workflow and improve the quality of care.

Depleted gas fields are considered a low-risk location for underground hydrogen storage purposes to balance seasonal fluctuations in hydrogen supply and demand. The objective of this study was to identify any significant risk of hydrogen leakages stored in depleted gas fields. The capability of the storage area in terms of sealing efficiency varies with parameters such as rate of diffusion, solubility, thickness and capillary threshold pressure of the caprock. The most common caprock are shales, which contain organic material. The solubility of hydrogen into organic material could change the petrophysical properties of the rock, such as porosity and permeability. Any changes in these petrophysical characteristics can reduce the capillary threshold pressure thus reducing the caprock efficiency for the safe storage of hydrogen. There is about 20% of the remaining gas volume in the depleted gas field, which helps to prevent brine from entering the production streamlines and maintain reservoir pressure. The characteristic data of hydrogen at different high pressures and temperatures have been evaluated and imported into the simple finite element model using the Python programming language. Most of the parameters that influence reducing the strength of the caprock are identified. Crucial parameters are the rate of diffusion, the solubility of hydrogen in kerogen, geomechanical deformation, threshold capillary pressure, long period of injection and withdrawing of hydrogen. The model shows that the native gas production with hydrogen is low due to significant density variation and mobility ratio between methane and hydrogen. Finally, a wide range of parameters and reservoir conditions has been considered for minimising the potential risks of possible leakages.

Certaines races locales de ruminants présentent des aptitudes génétiques particulières à résister et/ou à tolérer les parasites internes. Cet article passe en revue les données encore éparses existant sur les variabilité intra et inter-races de la résistance aux helminthes des bovins, ovins et caprins, et décrit plus précisément les projets de recherches de l’International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) en matière de résistance génétique aux nématodes gastro-intestinaux des petits ruminants au Kenya, en Ethiopie, au Sénégal . Les agneaux Red Maasai sont plus résistants aux parasites internes que les agneaux Dorper dans la région côtière sub-humide du Kenya. En outre, des variations génétiques intra-race ont été mises en évidence. Les résultats montrent clairement l’intérêt économique de l’élevage de races ovines plus résistantes aux parasites internes dans cette partie du Kenya. Il semble aussi que les caprins Small East African soient plus résistants aux parasites internes que les caprins Galla. En Éthiopie (Debre berhan, 1780 m d’altitude), il n’a pas été mis en évidence de nette différence entre les ovins Menz (race indigène de la région) et les ovins Horro (race introduite des basses régions montagneuses). Cependant, la variabilité intra-race est prometteuse en termes de sélection ultérieure. Au Sénégal, en collaboration avec le CIRAD-EMVT et l’ISRA, des études en ferme ont débuté en 1992 sur différents sites dans la zone nord, aride (Louga, ovins Fulani et chèvres sahéliennes) et la zone humide du sud (Kolda, ovins Djallonké et caprins West African Dwarf). Dans une station expérimentale de Kolda, des accouplements raisonnés à partir de reproducteurs identifiés en ferme, permettront de déterminer des paramètres génétiques de la résistance aux strongles digestifs chez les ovins Djallonké.

Les facteurs de variation de la composition en Acides Gras (AG) du lait ont été évalués en 2010 dans 1 528 élevages bovins, caprins et ovins laitiers. Le stade de lactation influe sur la proportion d’AG Saturés (AGS) avec une augmentation jusqu’à 4 mois, forte en bovins, plus modérée en caprins et ovins. La part des AG MonoInsaturés (AGMI) évolue inversement, alors que celle des AG PolyInsaturés (AGPI) reste relativement stable tout au long de la lactation. L’âge à la première mise bas affecte peu la composition en AG chez les bovins et les caprins, mais davantage chez les ovins pour lesquels la part des AGS augmente avec l’âge. Chez les bovins, la période de vêlage a peu d’effet sur le profil en AG, mais la saison de production influence notablement le pourcentage des AGS du lait, dans le même sens que le taux butyreux du lait qui est minimal en période de jours longs. Cette saisonnalité est moins importante en caprins, elle est confondue avec la saison de pâturage en ovins. Les régimes alimentaires ont davantage d’influence sur la composition du lait chez les bovins que chez les petits ruminants. Seule la présence du pâturage influence les grandes familles d’AG du lait, dans le même sens pour les 3 espèces, avec une diminution systématique et d’ampleur modérée (petits ruminants) à forte (bovins) de la part des AGS par rapport au régime de référence. En contrepartie, les pourcentages des AGMI et AGPI ont tendance à augmenter avec l’herbe jeune fraîche. L’effet des autres régimes alimentaires, contenant des fourrages conservés, sur les principales familles d’AG du lait est moins net.