Genomic evaluation of dairy heifer livability

Differences in breeds and sire lines suggest the presence of a genetic component for heifer livability (HLIV). Genomic evaluation for this trait can increase profitability and improve animal health and welfare. Evaluations for HLIV were examined from 3,362,499 calf data records from heifers of all breeds born from 2009 to 2016. Data were obtained from the national cooperator database maintained by the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (https://www.uscdcb.com/). The total number of deaths reported was 134,753 (4.01%), which included herds with death loss between 1.5 and 25.5%. Age at death was evaluated and ranged from >2 d of age until the heifer left the herd, with a maximum of 18 mo of age. Records were not included until 3 yr after the birthdate so that live status of contemporaries could be confirmed by a calving date for those animals. Deaths observed until 2 d after birth were considered to be a stillbirth rather than a failure of HLIV. The scale used for analysis of HLIV was 0 (died) or 100 (live), and the heritability estimate was 0.7% based on sire model with restricted maximum likelihood estimation. Genomic predicted transmitting abilities for Holstein ranged from ?1.6% to +1.6% with a standard deviation of 0.5%, and genomic predicted transmitting abilities for Jersey ranged from ?0.5% to +0.5% with a standard deviation of 0.2%. The mean overall death loss was about 4%. Reliabilities of genomic predictions for young animals averaged 46% for Holsteins and 30% for Jerseys, and corresponding traditional parent average reliabilities averaged 16% and 12%, respectively. Correlations of HLIV were 0.44 with productive life, 0.18 to 0.22 with yield traits, and 0.29 with early first calving on proven Holstein bulls. The HLIV trait had a favorable genetic trend in recent years, likely because of the indirect selection associated with the correlated traits. The trait HLIV should receive 1% of emphasis on the Lifetime Net Merit index, resulting in economic progress worth $50,000/yr. By encouraging more comprehensive recording on calf mortality, the reliabilities of genetic predictions could increase significantly.     

Uplink Spectral Efficiency Analysis for a Massive MIMO Primary Network

Wireless Personal Communications - Faster development of smart electronic devices in recent years along with significant increase in demanding higher data rates has made cognitive radio networks...     

α-Tocopherol alteration of soybean antiherbivory toTrichoplusia ni larvae

The antioxidant vitamin E, -tocopherol, was tested as a candidate elicitor of alterable antiherbivory in soybean plants against cabbage looper larvae. Although a nonspecific antioxidant, vitamin E proved elicitory to the involved sulfhydryl-dependent receptor-energy transducer protein in soybean plasma membrane. Effects of -tocopherol were dependent on dosage, time, and space in the plant. The observed elicited effects were all decreases in herbivory. The best negative phytochemical correlate of looper feeding was the percentage of increased total HPLC peak area of extractables from elicited as compared to nonelicited leaves. Some specific compounds, e.g., glyceollins, were quantitatively major components of the total profile of secondary metabolites.     

Synthesis and characterization of ruthenium dioxide nanostructures

We report the synthesis of ruthenium dioxide (RuO₂) nanostructures by thermal evaporation of RuO₂ powder. RuO₂ nanostructures of different shapes were synthesized at various concentration, flow rate, and pressure of oxygen. At a constant pressure of 3 torr of flowing oxygen, polygonal prism-like RuO₂ nanorods with flat tips were grown at an O₂ flow rate of 100 sccm; club-shaped nanorods with obelisk tip were formed at 300 and 600 sccm, and hollow rods with square tip were formed at 1800 sccm. A mixture of O₂ and Ar at a total flow rate of 600 sccm led to the formation of short club-shaped nanorods indicating the suppression effect of Ar on the growth of nanorods. The pressure also had a significant effect on the formation of RuO₂ nanostructures, at a fixed flow rate of 600 sccm of O₂, a pressure of 3 torr resulted in the growth of club-shaped RuO₂ nanorods, while high pressures of 380 and 760 torr resulted in the formation of both linear club-shaped and pine tree-like hierarchical RuO₂ nanorods. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analysis indicated the formation of tetragonal phase of RuO₂ with high crystallinity. A density functional calculation on RuO₂, RuO₃, and RuO₄ was performed to help to explain the experimental results.     

Self-ordering of anodic nanoporous alumina fabricated by accelerated mild anodization method

A processing method called “accelerated mild anodization” is developed for preparation of high density and uniform nanoporous by anodization of aluminum. The idea is to use two different temperatures for both sides of sample in order to maintain mid level of current density during the anodization process. Here we have used high temperature for the back side of the sample in order to increase the current density while the electrolyte is kept at low temperature in the level of mild anodization. It is shown that not only the film growth is considerably fast, almost ten times faster than mild anodization, but also the anodization voltage is constant and anodization current variation is much less compared to hard anodization technique. Using oxalic acid, interpore distances of 89, 104, 117 and 130 nm were obtained for 35, 40, 45 and 50 V anodization voltages, respectively. It is found that the interpore distances are proportional to the anodization potential, almost same as that for the mild anodization. The porosity obtained tended to obey the same rule as that in mild anodization. This method is promising for industrial application due to short fabrication time as well as high-speed pore ordering.