The effect of inbreeding, body size and morphology on health in dog breeds

Background Dog breeds are known for their distinctive body shape, size, coat color, head type and behaviors, features that are relatively similar across members of a breed. Unfortunately, dog breeds are also characterized by distinct predispositions to disease. We explored the relationships between inbreeding, morphology and health using genotype based inbreeding estimates, body weight and insurance data for morbidity. Results The average inbreeding based on genotype across 227 breeds was Fadj = 0.249 (95% CI 0.235–0.263). There were significant differences in morbidity between breeds with low and high inbreeding (H = 16.49, P = 0.0004). There was also a significant difference in morbidity between brachycephalic breeds and non-brachycephalic breeds (P = 0.0048) and between functionally distinct groups of breeds (H = 14.95 P < 0.0001). Morbidity was modeled using robust regression analysis and both body weight (P < 0.0001) and inbreeding (P = 0.013) were significant (r2 = 0.77). Smaller less inbred breeds were healthier than larger more inbred breeds. Conclusions In this study, body size and inbreeding along with deleterious morphologies contributed to increases in necessary health care in dogs.

Performance of Lettuce (Lactuca Sativa L.) Genotypes with Respect to Morphological, Yield and Quality Traits at Two Localities of Nepal

Lettuce is cultivated as minor crop in Nepal. However, people are becoming more health conscious in these days and demand for salad is increasing in food. The demand of lettuce is also gradually increasing but relatively few farmers are involved in this crop due to the lack of high-yielding and good quality genotypes. The research was conducted at two locations of Nepal; Kavre and Kaski with the aim of evaluating the performance of seven different hybrid lettuce genotypes in terms of its morphology, yield, and quality. The research was laid out on Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications at each location. Two types of lettuce were used on the research i.e. head type and leaf type. Among the head type, genotype Iceberg performed better with more plant spread (51 cm), head diameter (14.7 cm) and yield (738.4 g at Kavre and 725.8 g at Kaski) than other head type lettuce genotypes and among leaf type variety Green Oak was recorded with highest numbers of leaves (67 at Kavre and 40 at Kaski) and yield (572.3 g at Kavre and 641.9 g at Kaski). So, among head type lettuce genotypes Iceberg performed better as this had better plant spread, large head diameter, more yield and sweet flavor. Among leaf type genotypes Variety Green Oak was found most suitable for Nepali Market as this variety had highest number of leaves and yield among leaf type lettuce genotypes.

Impact of Contract Farming on Farmers’ Income in the Food Value Chain: A Theoretical Analysis and Empirical Study in Vietnam

This study empirically analyzes the influence of contract farming on income and farming difficulties in Vietnam by using the econometric models and theoretically identifying the affecting mechanism of contract farming on income, sustainability, and welfare by using the qualitative method. The empirical results show that contract farming insignificantly impacts farms’ income while it can facilitate farming activities and decrease difficulties. The factors of education—head, gender of head, type of crop, and technology may affect farmers’ income. The impacting mechanism of contract farming on income, sustainability, and welfare is theoretically proposed as follows: Contract farming initially impacts the intermediate factors such as cooperative, market access, knowledge and skill, product quality, technology, and support. These factors then affect capacity, linkage, quality, and certification which can enhance farmers’ competitiveness. In the long term, stronger competitiveness, higher price, increasing productivity, and lower cost may significantly improve income, sustainability, and welfare. In general, contract farming may have positive impacts on income, sustainability, and welfare in the medium term and long term. In the short term, the result is not significant due to the similar or lower price comparing with the spot market price, growing production cost, decreasing productivity, and weak contract performance. The findings may help policymakers decide how to expand contract farming and its benefits. Economic scholars can test and compare both quantitative and qualitative findings in other contexts.

Optimal Sensor Placement and Minimum Number Selection of Sensors for Health Monitoring of Transmission Towers

Transmission towers are structurally complex, which makes it challenging to choose the right place and number of sensors for health monitoring. In this paper, optimal sensor placement of a cat-head-type transmission tower is conducted by using the Effective Independent Method (EIM) and a method is proposed for calculating the minimum number of sensors for structural health monitoring by combining EIM and Modal Assurance Criterion (MAC). The method for calculating the number of sensors prescribed in this paper derives a curve that shows the relationship between MAC value and the number of sensors. It is found that the MAC value decreases with increase in the number of sensors. When the number of sensors reaches a certain threshold, the curve tends to stabilize. Then, the number of sensors corresponding to the minimum MAC is proposed as the minimum number of sensors. Through calculation, the minimum number of sensors of the cat-head-type transmission tower is obtained. Also, the optimal sensor placement results show that the position of a large number of sensors includes the position of a smaller number of sensors.

ANALISIS GAGAL LEAK TEST PADA PRODUK CYLINDER HEAD TYPE-A HASIL PROSES LOW PRESSURE DIE CASTING DENGAN MATERIAL AC4B DI PT. X

Abstrak--Keadaan yang sedang terjadi pada seksi LPDC di PT. X adalah banyaknya cacat pada produk hasil casting sesuai data cacat pada bulan Januari-Juni 2018 yaitu persentase total cacat tertinggi sebesar 20.64% pada seksi LPDC In Plant dan Next Process di bulan April 2018. Jenis cacat tertinggi pada seksi LPDC In Plant adalah Misrun dinding chain sebesar 3.48% dan pada LPDC Next Process adalah gagal leak test sebesar 4.93%. Hal ini sangat merugikan perusahaan baik dalam biaya produksi yang meningkat dan waktu produksi yang lama. Karakterisasi yang dilakukan pada penelitian ini adalah pengujian leak lest, radiografi (x-ray), optical emission spectroscopy, penetrant, metalografi, SEM, dan uji EDS. Berdasarkan hasil dari karakterisasi yang diperoleh, menunjukkan bahwa produk gagal leak test mengalami cacat internal yaitu shrinkage porosity. Berdasarkan hasil analisis fenomena cacat shrinkage porosity tersebut disebabkan oleh adanya inklusi oksida aluminium yang terbawa ke dalam produk Cylinder Head Type-A yang menjadi inisiasi terbentuknya shrinkage porosity. Terdapatnya oksida aluminium pada produk Cylinder Head Type-A disebabkan oleh waktu transfer molten dari melting furnace yang relatif lama dan jarak auto carrier yang relatif tinggi sehingga turut mempengaruhi waktu pouring ke holding furnace. Kata Kunci: Cylinder Head, Low pressure die casting, leak test, shrinkage porosity, oksida.

MORFOMETRI KEPALA DAN WAJAH PADA MASYARAKAT SUKU BALI DI DESA SURO BALI KECAMATAN UJAN MAS KABUPATEN KEPAHIANG PROVINSI BENGKULU

Morphometry is a method of measurement, calculation, or assessment, the morphological characteristics can be described to understand the deferentiation of various species and species variations. This study aims to determine the variation of head and face morphom etry in Balinese tribes in Suro Bali Village, Ujan Mas District, Kepahiang Regency, Bengkulu Province. This research was conducted in January 2020 in Suro Bali Village, Ujan Mas district, Kepahiang Regency, Bengkulu Province. Samples were taken by purposive sampling and analyzed descriptively. The results showed that of 76 respondents consisting of 33 males and 43 females, it was found that the largest male had a medium head width category, head length category length, face length category length, face width category height, brachycephalic head type and type hyperleptoprosop face. While women have wide head width categories, medium head length categories, medium category face lengths, medium category face widths, hyperbrachycephalic head types and mesoprosop face types.

Concomitant polymorphic forms of 3-cyclopropyl-5-(2-hydrazinylpyridin-3-yl)-1,2,4-oxadiazole

The dipharmacophore compound 3-cyclopropyl-5-(2-hydrazinylpyridin-3-yl)-1,2,4-oxadiazole, C10H11N5O, was studied on the assumption of its potential biological activity. Two concomitant polymorphs were obtained on crystallization from isopropanol solution and these were thoroughly studied. Identical conformations of the molecules are found in both structures despite the low difference in energy between the four possible conformers. The two polymorphs differ crucially with respect to their crystal structures. A centrosymmetric dimer formed due to both stacking interactions of the `head-to-tail' type and N—H...N(π) hydrogen bonds is the building unit in the triclinic structure. The dimeric building units form an isotropic packing. In the orthorhombic polymorphic structure, the molecules form stacking interactions of the `head-to-head' type, which results in their organization in a column as the primary basic structural motif. The formation of N—H...N(lone pair) hydrogen bonds between two neighbouring columns allows the formation of a double column as the main structural motif. The correct packing motifs in the two polymorphs could not be identified without calculations of the pairwise interaction energies. The triclinic structure has a higher density and a lower (by 0.60 kcal mol−1) lattice energy according to periodic calculations compared to the orthorhombic structure. This allows us to presume that the triclinic form of 3-cyclopropyl-5-(2-hydrazinylpyridin-3-yl)-1,2,4-oxadiazole is the more stable.