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We present a simple procedure to make an augmented reality app to visualize any chemical 3D model. The molecular structure may be based on crystallographic data or from computational modeling. This guide is made in such a way that no programming skills are needed, and the procedure uses free software and provides a way to visualize 3D structures that are normally difficult to comprehend in the 2D space of paper. The process can be applied to make a 3D representation of any 2D object, and we envisage the app to be useful when visualizing simple stereochemical problems, when presenting a complex 3D structure on a poster presentation or even in audio-visual presentations. The method works for all molecules including small molecules, supramolecular structures, MOFs, and biomacromolecules.

Changes in funerary practices are key to the understanding of social transformations of past societies. Over the course of the Nordic Bronze Age, funerary practices changed from inhumation to cremation. The aim of this study is to shed light on this fundamental change through a cross-examination of archaeometric provenance data and archaeological discussions of the context and layouts of early cremation graves. To this end, we conducted 19 new provenance analyses of strontium isotopes from Early Nordic Bronze age contexts in Thisted County and Zealand and Late Bronze Age contexts from Thisted County and Vesthimmerland (Denmark). These data are subsequently compared with data from other extant relevant studies, including those from Late Bronze Age Fraugde on the Danish island of Fyn. Overall, the variations within our provenience data suggest that the integration and establishment of cremation may not have had a one-to-one relationship with in-migration to Nordic Bronze Age Denmark. Moreover, there seems to be no single blanket scenario which dictated the uptake of cremation as a practice within this part of Southern Scandinavia. By addressing habitus in relation to the deposition of cremations as juxtaposed with these provenance data¸ we hypothesize several potential pathways for the uptake of cremation as a new cultural practice within the Danish Nordic Bronze Age and suggest that this may have been a highly individual process, whose tempo may have been dictated by the specificities of the region(s) concerned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Genomic selection can be implemented by a multi-step procedure, which requires a response variable and a statistical method. For pure-bred pigs, it was hypothesised that deregressed estimated breeding values (EBV) with the parent average removed as the response variable generate higher reliabilities of genomic breeding values than EBV, and that the normal, thick-tailed and mixture-distribution models yield similar reliabilities. Methods Reliabilities of genomic breeding values were estimated with EBV and deregressed EBV as response variables and under the three statistical methods, genomic BLUP, Bayesian Lasso and MIXTURE. The methods were examined by splitting data into a reference data set of 1375 genotyped animals that were performance tested before October 2008, and 536 genotyped validation animals that were performance tested after October 2008. The traits examined were daily gain and feed conversion ratio. Results Using deregressed EBV as the response variable yielded 18 to 39% higher reliabilities of the genomic breeding values than using EBV as the response variable. For daily gain, the increase in reliability due to deregression was significant and approximately 35%, whereas for feed conversion ratio it ranged between 18 and 39% and was significant only when MIXTURE was used. Genomic BLUP, Bayesian Lasso and MIXTURE had similar reliabilities. Conclusions Deregressed EBV is the preferred response variable, whereas the choice of statistical method is less critical for pure-bred pigs. The increase of 18 to 39% in reliability is worthwhile, since the reliabilities of the genomic breeding values directly affect the returns from genomic selection.

This paper presents a study of past coastline dynamics and their consequences for prehistoric societies living in the glacio‐isostatically uplifted central Limfjord area, northern Denmark. The consequences of the gradual relative sea level (RSL) changes have been investigated to develop a local RSL curve, study settlement patterns on newly exposed marine foreland, and estimate changes in the area and quality of grazing and forage for livestock. This was achieved by a multidisciplinary approach involving existing regional and local beach ridges dated by optically stimulated luminescence, a comprehensive database of archaeological finds, and extrapolation based on a digital elevation model. The beach‐ridge dates suggested a near‐linear local RSL change in the study area of ~1.2±0.2 m per 1000 years for the last 3000 years. Based on this, a palaeo‐coastline development model was produced that correlated well with a comprehensive database of archaeological finds. The model indicates that (i) few human settlements moved to the newly exposed marine foreland prior to modern times, though clusters of burial mounds (barrows) suggest that some of the new lands were colonized during the Late Roman Iron Age until 400 CE, (ii) winter‐flooded marine foreland with high‐quality livestock grazing increased steadily until c. 750 CE and then remained stable at approximately 150 km2, and (iii) due to high salinity of the inundating water, the palaeo‐Limfjord probably had Wadden Sea‐like fertile saltmarshes until c. 1 CE. The improved chronologies yield a better understanding of the spatial and temporal prehistoric human–nature interactions in the study area. The findings highlight the need for accurate local RSL curves in order to interpret concomitant terrestrial environment drivers and trajectories, and thereby understand causal relationships and consequences for prehistoric human–environment interactions in coastal areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we show how encapsulation of a squaraine dye in a rotaxane structure renders the dye that normally start decomposing at 100 °C stable above 250 °C. This thermal stabilisation makes new applications possible, and we demonstrate how the squaraine rotaxane can mediate laser welding of polyethylene, a process that requires thermal stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whole-genome sequencing of 217 animals from three Danish commercial pig breeds (Duroc, Landrace [LL], and Yorkshire [YY]) was performed. Twenty-six million single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 8 million insertions or deletions (indels) were uncovered. Among the SNPs, 493,099 variants were located in coding sequences, and 29,430 were predicted to have a high functional impact such as gain or loss of stop codon. Using the whole-genome sequence dataset as the reference, the imputation accuracy for pigs genotyped with high-density SNP chips was examined. The overall average imputation accuracy for all biallelic variants (SNP and indel) was 0.69, while it was 0.83 for variants with minor allele frequency > 0.1. This study provides whole-genome reference data to impute SNP chip-genotyped animals for further studies to fine map quantitative trait loci as well as improving the prediction accuracy in genomic selection. Signatures of selection were identified both through analyses of fixation and differentiation to reveal selective sweeps that may have had prominent roles during breed development or subsequent divergent selection. However, the fixation indices did not indicate a strong divergence among these three breeds. In LL and YY, the integrated haplotype score identified genomic regions under recent selection. These regions contained genes for olfactory receptors and oxidoreductases. Olfactory receptor genes that might have played a major role in the domestication were previously reported to have been under selection in several species including cattle and swine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Longevity in commercial sows is often selected for through stayability traits measured in purebred animals. However, this may not be justifiable because longevity and stayability may be subject to both genotype by environment interaction (G × E) and genotype by genotype interaction (G × G). This study tested the hypothesis that stayability to service after first parity is more strongly genetically correlated with longevity in commercial herds when stayability is measured in commercial herds rather than multiplier herds. The analysis was based on farrowing- and service-records from 470,824 sows (189,263 multiplier; 281,561 commercial) and 300 herds (156 multiplier; 144 commercial sows). Multiplier sows were either purebred Landrace or Yorkshire and commercial sows were mainly rotationally crossbreds between the two breeds. Commercial longevity was defined as age in days when culled (LongC), and stayability to service after first parity was defined for both commercial sows (StayC) and multiplier sows (StayM). The genetic correlations between LongC, StayC, and StayM were estimated by restricted maximum likelihood using linear mixed models. Genetic parameters were estimated separately for Landrace and Yorkshire. In Landrace, the genetic correlations between LongC and StayC, LongC and StayM, and StayC and StayM were 0.86 ± 0.02, 0.24 ± 0.05, and 0.34 ± 0.06, respectively. In Yorkshire, the genetic correlations between LongC and StayC, LongC and StayM, and StayC and StayM were 0.81 ± 0.03, 0.17 ± 0.05, and 0.18 ± 0.7, respectively. Conclusively, longevity in commercial herds is more strongly correlated with stayability when stayability is measured in commercial herds rather than multiplier herds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occasionally, it becomes possible to re‐excavate and re‐analyse prehistoric monuments. Within the geographical area managed by Vesthimmerlands Museum, this happened in the case of the Late Neolithic Stenildgård grave on the western periphery of the town of Aars, Northern Danmark. The grave was excavated for the first time at the early 1930s and re‐excavated in 2015 in connection with the construction of a ring road around the southern parts of Aars. In 2015, a series of state‐of‐the‐art scientific analyses were conducted in relation to this grave. Following a detailed presentation of the original publication and later interpretations, this article presents the results of the new excavation and scientific analyses. The new results include identification of the human bones, the development of the stratigraphy, strontium isotope analysis, pollen analysis, macro‐fossil analysis, and the analysis of pitch. Since the 1930s, the Stenildgård grave has been considered a burial, which, to a great extent, deviated from usual practice showing one of the earliest examples of cremation in prehistoric Denmark. Furthermore, the recent investigation revealed that the grave was equipped with a surrounding wooden structure and possibly influenced by West European Bell Beaker Cultures. Also, the grave seems to form part of an extensive Late Neolithic burial and settlement system, where complex rituals were carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficiency of feed utilization plays an important role in animal breeding. However, measuring feed intake (FI) is costly on an individual basis under practical conditions. Using group measurements to model FI could be practically feasible and cost-effective. The objectives of this study were to develop a random regression model based on repeated group measurements with consideration of missing phenotypes caused by drop out animals. Focus is on variance components (VC) estimation and genetic evaluation, and to investigate the effect of group composition on VC estimation and genetic evaluation using simulated datasets. Data were simulated based on individual FI in a pig population. Each individual had measurement on FI at 6 different time points, reflecting 6 different weeks during the test period. The simulated phenotypes consisted of additive genetic, permanent environment, and random residual effects. Additive genetic and permanent environmental effects were both simulated and modeled by first order Legendre polynomials. Three grouping scenarios based on genetic relationships among the group members were investigated: (1) medium within and across pen genetic relationship; (2) high within group relationship; (3) low within group relationship. To investigate the effect of the drop out animals during test period, a proportion (15%) of animals with individual phenotypes was set as the drop out animals, and two drop out scenarios within each grouping scenario were assessed: (1) animals were randomly dropped out; (2) animals with lower phenotypes were dropped out based on the ranking at each time point. The results show that using group measurements yielded similar VCs estimates but with larger SDs compared with the corresponding scenario of using individual measurements. Compared to scenarios without drop out, similar VC estimates were observed when animals were dropped out randomly, whereas reduced VC estimates were observed when animals were dropped out by the ranking of phenotypes. Different grouping scenarios produced similar VC estimates. Compared to scenarios without drop out, there were no loss of accuracies of genetic evaluation for drop out scenarios. However, dropping out animals by the ranking of phenotypes produced larger bias of estimated breeding values compared to the scenario without dropped out animals and scenario of dropping out animals by random. In conclusion, with an optimized group structure, the developed model can properly handle group measurements with drop out animals, and can achieve comparable accuracy of genetic evaluation for traits measured at the group level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new core drilled at Nørrekær Enge, Løgstør, Denmark, shows terrestrial lake and bog sediments lying beneath 10 m of marine sediments. Pollen analysis, 14C dating and sedimentary observations show that these sediments relate to an ancient lake basin that was flooded when the rising sea levels reached 8.0 m b.s.l. This new study has allowed a review of previous data relating to shoreline displacement from the Limfjord region of northern Jutland, Denmark. Here we present a new shoreline displacement curve spanning the period between c. 11 700 and 7700 cal. a BP and built upon the Nørrekær Enge data and data from seven other boreholes and excavations from the Limfjord region. A previous shoreline displacement curve for this region suggested a very rapid relative sea‐level rise of 3 to 5 m 100 a−1 whereas this new curve suggests a much slower rise of around 1 m 100 a−1, similar to global rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to examine (i) the genetic variation in macro-environmental sensitivity (macro-ES) for ADG in Danish Duroc pigs, (ii) the genetic heterogeneity among sexes, and (iii) residual variance heterogeneity among herds. Record of ADG for 32,297 boars (19 herds) and 42,724 gilts (16 herds) was used for analysis. The data were provided by the National Danish Pig Research Centre. The analysis was performed by fitting univariate reaction norm models with the herd-year-month on test (HYM) effect as environmental covariates and herd-specific residual variance for boars and gilts separately under a Bayesian setting. The environmental covariate was inferred simultaneously with other parameters of the model. Gibbs sampling was used to sample model dispersion and location parameters. The posterior means and highest posterior density intervals of the additive genetic variance, genetic correlations for ADG, and heritability were calculated over the continuous environmental range of −3σh to +3σh (SD of the HYM effect). The coheritability of ADG at the average environmental level and ADG in the environments along the −3σh to +3σh environmental gradient were also calculated. The analysis showed significant variation in macro-ES, revealing genotype by environment interactions (G × E) for ADG. The presence of G × E resulted in changes in additive genetic variance and heritability across the −3σh to +3σh range. The genetic correlations were high and positive between ADG in environments differing by 1σh units or less and decreased to moderately positive between ADG in the extreme environments in both sexes. The coheritability of ADG in the environment at the average level and the −3σh environment for boars were greater than the heritability in the environment at the average level, while it was less for gilts. The coheritability of ADG in the environment at the average level and the +3σh environment for boars was less than heritability in the environment at the average level, while it was either the same or greater for gilts, depending on the residual variance. Boars had larger additive genetic and residual variances than gilts. Heterogeneity of residual variances across herds was shown for both sexes. In conclusion, this study shows the presence of macro-ES, genetic variance heterogeneity among sexes for ADG in pigs, and residual variance heterogeneity across herds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transmission laser welding of plastic is typically achieved by incorporating a laser absorbing dye into one of the two pieces of plastic one wishes to weld together and mediating the welding process using a laser emitting light at a suitable wavelength. Desirable properties of laser absorbing dyes include: (1) the dye is colorless in the visible region but absorbs strongly in the region at the wavelength where the laser emits, (2) the dye has a good conversion of the energy from the laser to heat, (3) the dye is stable enough to be incorporated into the molten plastic, (4) the dye is soluble in the plastic of choice to give an even distribution in the plastic, and (5) the dye is nontoxic. Here, we explore an alternative approach to achieve laser welding of colorless plastics using a laser dye that is colored, but that can be bleached after the welding process. Nonsymmetrical squaraine dyes were prepared by condensation of squaric acid and two equivalents of various 3,5‐dimethoxy‐N,N‐dialkylanilines. After the incorporation into polyethylene and laser welding, the plastic was bleached either by heat treatment or by irradiation with a high pressure Xe‐lamp giving colorless polyethylene. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018, 56, 2245–2254 Laser welding of plastic is explored by incorporating colored (blue) unsymmetrical squaraine dyes into polyethylene plastic. After laser welding, the color from the dye was bleached either by heat treatment or by irradiation with a high pressure Xe‐lamp giving colorless welded polyethylene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Selection for sound conformation has been widely used as a primary approach to reduce lameness and leg weakness in pigs. Identification of genomic regions that affect conformation traits would help to improve selection accuracy for these lowly to moderately heritable traits. Our objective was to identify genetic factors that underlie leg and back conformation traits in three Danish pig breeds by performing a genome-wide association study followed by meta-analyses. Methods: Data on four conformation traits (front leg, back, hind leg and overall conformation) for three Danish pig breeds (23,898 Landrace, 24,130 Yorkshire and 16,524 Duroc pigs) were used for association analyses. Estimated effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from single-trait association analyses were combined in two metaanalyses: (1) a within-breed meta-analysis for multiple traits to examine if there are pleiotropic genetic variants within a breed; and (2) an across-breed meta-analysis for a single trait to examine if the same quantitative trait loci (QTL) segregate across breeds. SNP annotation was implemented through Sus scrofa Build 10.2 on Ensembl to search for candidate genes. Results: Among the 14, 12 and 13 QTL that were detected in the single-trait association analyses for the three breeds, the most significant SNPs explained 2, 2.3 and 11.4% of genetic variance for back quality in Landrace, overall conformation in Yorkshire and back quality in Duroc, respectively. Several candidate genes for these QTL were also identified, i.e. LRPPRC, WRAP73, VRTN and PPARD likely control conformation traits through the regulation of bone and muscle development, and IGF2BP2, GH1, CCND2 and MSH2 can have an influence through growth-related processes. Meta-analyses not only confirmed many significant SNPs from single-trait analyses with higher significance levels, but also detected several additional associated SNPs and suggested QTL with possible pleiotropic effects. Conclusions: Our results imply that conformation traits are complex and may be partly controlled by genes that are involved in bone and skeleton development, muscle and fat metabolism, and growth processes. A reliable list of QTL and candidate genes was provided that can be used in fine-mapping and marker assisted selection to improve conformation traits in pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a research which describes a model for genetic evaluation using information from both purebred and crossbred animals. It states that the model offers breeding values for both purebred and crossbred performances for a two-breed crossbreeding system. It suggests that a method for genomic evaluation allows information from crossbred animals to be incorporated in a coherent manner for such crossbreeding systems.

In this paper we describe a new class of antiaromatic planar cyclooctatetraenes: the diazadioxa[8]circulenes. The synthesis was achieved by means of a new acid-mediated oxidative dimerization of 3,6-dihydroxycarbazoles to yield the diazadioxa[8]circulenes in high yields. The synthetic protocol appears to be general, and is a one-pot transformation in which two CC bonds and two CO bonds are formed with the loss of two molecules of water. We also present a detailed characterization of the optical and electrochemical properties of this new class of stable planar cyclooctatetraenes. The properties of the diazadioxa[8]circulenes are compared with the properties of isoelectronic tetraoxa[8]circulenes and azatrioxa[8]circulenes. We discuss the antiaromatic nature of the planar central cyclooctatetraene moiety. The antiaromatic nature of the planar cyclooctatetraenes was studied by using computational methods (NICS calculations), and these calculations reveal that the central eight-membered ring has antiaromatic character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe straightforward protocols for the preparation of a number of 1,3,5-substituted 2,4,6-trimethoxybenzenes. A two-step procedure for the preparation of a 1,3,5-tris-methylamino- 2,4,6-trimethoxybenzene and further synthetic elaboration of this key substrate to yield a triamide, a tricarbamate and three different triureas is described. We also present a computational (DFT) study that investigates the different possible conformations of the overcrowded benzene substrate and a single-crystal X-ray structure of one of the key intermediates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feed conversion ratio (FCR) is an eco-nomically important trait in pigs, and feed accounts for a significant proportion of the costs involved in pig pro-duction. In this study we used a high-density SNP chip panel, Porcine SNP60 Bead Chip, to identify the asso-ciation between FCR and SNP markers and to study the genetic architecture of the trait. After quality control, a total of 30,847 SNP that could be mapped to the 18 por-cine autosomes (SSC) using the pig genome assembly 10.2 were used in the analyses. Deregressed estimated breeding value was used as the response variable. A total of 3,071 Duroc pigs had both FCR data and genotype data. The linkage disequilibrium (r²) between adjacent markers was 0.56. Two association mapping approach-es were used: a linear mixed model (LMM) based on single-locus regression analysis and a Bayesian variable selection approach (B VS). A total of 79 significant (P < 0.0001) SNP associations on 6 chromosomes were iden-tified by LMM analyses. Out of these, 10 SNP crossed the genome-wide significance threshold. These 10 SNP were all located on SSC 4 and 14. In the BVS analysis, a total of 44 SNP located on 12 chromosomes had posterior probability more than or equal to 0.05 (i.e., Bayes factor > 10). Thirteen SNP were identified by both LMM and BVS. These 13 SNP were located on 4 chromosomes: SSC 4, 7, 8, and 14. Hypoxia inducible factor 1, alpha subunit inhibitor (HIF1AN) and ladybird homeobox 1 (LBX1) are 2 possible candidate genes affecting FCR on SSC 4 and 14, respectively. The study provides a list of SNP associated with FCR and also offers valuable infor-mation on the genetic architecture and candidate genes for this trait. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 3T proof-of-principle dipole magnet for accelerator applications, based on 2nd generation high temperature superconducting tape was designed, built, and tested by a consortium under the lead of Danfysik. The magnet was designed to have a straight, circular bore with a good field region of radius r=25\ mm, and a magnetic length of 250 mm. A total length of 2.5 km YBCO-based copper stabilized conductor supplied by SuperPower Inc., NY, USA, was isolated with 0.025 mm of epoxy and subsequently wound into 14 saddle coils and 4 racetrack coils with a cosine theta like configuration. The coils were impregnated with epoxy and mounted between a support of stainless steel and a collar made from aluminum. The cold mass consisting of the coil assembly and a laminated steel yoke is cooled by two cryocoolers from via copper bars to below 20 K. Current leads were made from the same batch of HTS tape. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Mannan-binding lectin (MBL) is a member of the innate immune system, and MBL-deficiency affects 10-15% of Caucasians. With development of a plasma-derived MBL, substitution has become a therapeutic option in diseases associated with MBL insufficiency. The pharmacokinetics of injected MBL is weakly described, particularly in patients with infectious diseases. The pharmacokinetic profile of MBL following administration of 0.08 mg/kg to 20 healthy MBL-deficient volunteers and 0.2 mg/kg to 2 patients with Staphylococcus aureus septicaemia was established. In the volunteers, the maximal concentration was 2849 µg/l; the mean half-life (T1/2) was 69.6 h (14.6-114.9 h). The normalized clearance was 9×10-6 l/min×kg, and the mean residence time was 82 h. In the patients the serum-MBL versus time curves were similar to those in the volunteers, and T1/2 values were 36 and 40 h. In conclusion, MBL is distributed into a median volume of 3.4 l similar to the plasma volume, and the elimination in septicaemic patients was within the range of the controls. Due to the large individual variation in T1/2, we recommend that MBL therapy, with respect to dose and infusion intervals, is based on the chosen therapeutic target (≥1000 µg/l) and MBL serum determinations following the first infusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of propagation soil temperature and photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) concentration, and cutting position on root formation, axillary bud growth, and further growth were investigated in Schlumbergera ‘Russian Dancer’. Temperatures between 21.3℃C and 24.7℃C were optimal for root formation, whereas increasing temperature promoted axillary bud growth (onset of new phylloclade growth). At temperatures below 24.7℃C, root formation and axillary bud growth occurred more or less simultaneously, whereas at higher temperatures axillary bud growth occurred before roots were visible. Temperature also affected the number of phyltoclades on the second and third levels of stem segments produced after propagation. On increasing PPFD from 46 to 72 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ during propagation, time to axillary bud growth was reduced by 15%, and more phylloclades were produced at high PPFD combined with high temperature. Rooting ability and axillary bud growth were affected by cutting position on the stock plants, indicating the presence of topophysis in Schlumbergera. Time to visible roots and number of new phylloclades decreased basipetally with the original position of the cutting by approximately 25%, whereas time to axillary bud growth increased basipetally by 30%. Survival of cuttings receiving IBA at 10⁻⁵-10⁻³ M was superior. IBA at 10⁻³ M resulted in the shortest time to visible rooting. At increasing IBA concentration, time to axillary bud growth gradually increased and fewer phylloclades were produced. Concentrations of 10⁻² and 10⁻¹ M IBA had negative effects on all measured characters. The results are discussed in relation to possible roles of auxins and cytokinins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heritability values of glycerol, glycogen and pigment concentrations measured on muscle biopsy samples from longissimus dorsi obtained from 85 kg boars of Danish purebred pigs (Landrace, Yorkshire, and Duroc) and their genetic correlations to performance and meat quality traits were calculated. The heritability values of glycogen, pigment, and glycerol were 0.38&PlusMinus;0.02, 0.17&PlusMinus;0.02, and 0.065&PlusMinus;0.016, respectively. Glycogen was negatively related to the feed conversion ratio (FCR) ( r g =-0.25&PlusMinus;0.06) and ultimate meat pH ( r g =-0.41&PlusMinus;0.04), and positively to the carcass meat percentage ( r g =0.35&PlusMinus;0.04), L* (lightness of meat, r g =0.32&PlusMinus;0.04) and a* (redness of meat, r g =0.12&PlusMinus;0.03). Pigment was positively related to the FCR ( r g =0.12&PlusMinus;0.05), the meat percentage ( r g =0.28&PlusMinus;0.05), and a* ( r g =0.59&PlusMinus;0.04), and negatively to the L* ( r g =-0.46&PlusMinus;0.06). The concentrations of pigment and glycogen ( r g =0.27&PlusMinus;0.05) were interrelated. Based on the heritability values and the signs of the genetic correlations the present data suggest that it is possible to select for higher ultimate pH and improved colour by selection for either lower muscle glycogen or higher pigment concentration, respectively. However, the positive genetic correlation between these two traits may restrict the efficiency of simultaneous selection for lower glycogen and higher pigment. All genetic parameter estimates presented are calculated across three purebreds. Values for each breed are warranted for use in pig production. However, this requires more animals per breed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rooting and growth responses of miniature rose cuttings were investigated in an experiment in which four propagation temperatures, two photosynthetic photon flux densities (PPFDs) with five auxin (IBA) concentrations, cutting sizes and cutting positions, were combined factorially in a response-surface design. Most prominently, temperature, cutting size and auxin and their interactions, influenced root and shoot growth. A propagation temperature of 24.6°C, and IBA concentrations between 10-3 and 10-1M, depending on temperature, were optimal for root formation. Root formation in extra short cuttings was delayed at low IBA concentrations. Regarding root formation, IBA could substitute for increased temperature as well as for increased cutting size. Onset of axillary bud growth was fastest at 24.6°C, and delayed in extra short cuttings. Application of IBA at 10-4 to 10-3M was optimal for axillary bud growth. By increasing the IBA concentration both time to flowering and plant height increased at 24.6°C. In cuttings from higher positions on stock plants, axillary shoots enhanced their growth to flowering, became shorter, and weighed less, suggesting occurrence of positional effects (topophysis). The growth rate increased with increasing IBA concentration, as well as from medial to low positioned cuttings. Increasing propagation PPFD from 46 to 72 µmol m-2s-1 did not affect the parameters. Time to axillary bud growth and time to first flower were related to time-to-visible root. Fast formation of roots apparently resulted in fast axillary bud growth. In time-to-visible root and axillary bud growth, the smallest variation between plants was found at optimal ranges for temperature, IBA concentration and cutting size, and further factors optimal for root formation and axillary bud growth provided the most synchronized plant development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gene encoding a thermostable glucoamylase from Talaromyces emersonii was cloned and, subsequently, heterologously expressed in Aspergillus niger. This glucoamylase gene encodes a 618 amino acid long protein with a calculated molecular weight of 62,827 Da. T. emersonii glucoamylase fall into glucoside hydrolase family 15, showing approximately 60% sequence similarity to glucoamylase from A. niger. The expressed enzyme shows high specific activity towards maltose, isomaltose, and maltoheptaose, having 3–6-fold elevated kcat compared to A. niger glucoamylase. T. emersonii glucoamylase showed significantly improved thermostability with a half life of 48 h at 65 °C in 30% (w/v) glucose, compared to 10 h for glucoamylase from A. niger. The ability of the glucoamylase to hydrolyse amylopectin at 65 °C is improved compared to A. niger glucoamylase, giving a significant higher final glucose yield at elevated temperatures. The increased thermal stability is thus reflected in the industrial performance, allowing T. emersonii glucoamylase to operate at a temperature higher than the A. niger enzyme. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]