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Investigation of genes involved in meat production in cattle : A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Lincoln University
No full textIn recent years, there has been both an increase in demand for beef due to the growing human population and an increase in demand for beef with improved eating quality. Advances in breeding technology have allowed the development of various DNA selection tools, such as the use of marker-assisted selection to improve beef quantity and quality. However, this approach relies on the availability of reliable genetic markers for desirable traits. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate polymorphism in selected genes that potentially regulate selected beef traits. The genes selected for study encode the fatty acid-binding protein 4 (i.e., FABP4), stearoyl CoA desaturase (i.e., SCD) and lipin 1 (i.e., LPIN1), and they were chosen based on the role they appear to play in lipid metabolism and energy regulation. Genomic DNA and data were collected from the Simmental (n = 173) and Charolais (n = 70) heifers born and raised in New Zealand, and from White Fulani (n = 48) cattle from Nigeria. The phenotypic data collected from the New Zealand cattle breeds included live weight and IMF content at approximately 14 to 19 months of age. As these were stud breeding stock, IMF levels were measured for live animals using a real-time ultrasound imaging approach. The genes selected for study were analysed using polymerase chain reaction - single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analyses.
This study confirmed that the genes investigated were polymorphic and that variation in these genes was associated with beef traits. Four FABP4 variants (named variants A to D) in the exon 3-intron 3 region were identified with these containing five nucleotide substitutions. Two of these nucleotide substitutions were in exon 3 of FABP4 (c.328G/A and c.348G/C), and the remaining three (c.348+34T/C, c.348+56T/C, and c.348+303T/C) were in intron 3. The substitution c.328G/A is non-synonymous and would result in the replacement of valine with methionine (p.Val110Met). The variation at c.348G/C is located at the end of exon 3 and in a region that may affect transcript splicing. Variants A, B, and C were observed in all the cattle investigated, whereas variant D was exclusively found in the Nigerian White Fulani cattle. Association analysis revealed that the presence of variant A was associated with a 7.5% reduction in IMF levels, whereas no significant association was detected with cattle live weight.
The study revealed that the gene for stearoyl CoA desaturase was variable and associated with IMF levels and the live weight of the New Zealand beef cattle. There were nine SNPs identified overall in the two SCD regions amplified. Three of SCD SNPs were in exon 5 (c.702A/G, c.762T/C and c.878T/C) and one in intron 5 (c.880 + 105A/G). The nucleotide substitution at c.878T/C would result in an amino acid change from valine to alanine at the 293rd residue (p.Val293Ala). Five nucleotide variants were identified in the 3’-untranslated region (3’UTR) analysed (c.*1783A/G, c.*1883C/T, c.*1884G/A, c.*1984A/G, and c.*2066T/C/G), giving a total of five unique variant sequences (A, B, C, D, and E). Association analysis revealed that the nucleotide sequence variation in SCD that would result in p.293Ala was associated with both increased IMF levels and increased live weight for the beef cattle studied. In the 3’UTR of SCD, variant C was associated with lower IMF levels and live weights. The SCD variant B, on the other hand, was found to only be associated with reduced live weight, and not IMF levels in cattle studied.
Bovine LPIN1 was polymorphic, with six SNPs found across the two regions of the gene studied. Region 1 consists of the transcriptional activating domain, while region 2 spanned the DXDXT motif. Five sequences (named variants A – E) and five nonsynonymous SNPs were observed in region 1. In region 1, the presence of LPIN1 variant (haplotype) E was associated with a 10 kg (2.2%) increase in live weight. The SNP genotype AG at c.1527 was associated with a significant (P = 0.023) increase of 11 kg in live weight compared to SNP genotype AA. This c.1527G/A SNP would result in the presence and absence of arginine amino at position 385 of lipin 1. The c.1527A/G SNP was not associated with variation in intramuscular fat (IMF) levels (P = 0.233).
The SNP c.1584T/C was also associated with variation in live weight, where genotype TC was found to be associated with an 11 kg increase in weight. Like c.1527A/G, SNP c.1584T/C only appeared to influence live weight (P = 0.017) and not IMF level (P = 0.227). The TC and TT SNP genotypes would underpin the presence and absence of methionine at amino acid 404 of lipin 1 (p.M404T), with the presence of threonine being associated with increased live weight. The impact of c.1527A/G was like that of c.1584T/C because both SNPs were tightly linked.
In conclusion, FABP4, SCD and LPIN1 genes are polymorphic and contain potential genetic markers associated with IMF level and live weight in beef cattle in New Zealand
Exploring the role of restaurant wine lists in communicating local sense of place to tourists
No full textEnjoying a ‘taste of place’ is an important component of an authentic tourism experience; whether savoring a Burgundy grand cru in a medieval cellar surrounded by vineyards, or eating street food at a hawker’s market in Malaysia. The close connection between food, wine, and tourism is ubiquitous in popular and academic writing on tourism, with print publications and innumerable blogs and websites dedicated to the topic, and scholars in many disciplines exploring dimensions of the phenomenon (see, for example, Fountain and Thompson 2019; Fusté- Forné and Berno 2016; Gunasekar et al. 2021; Sidali, Kastenholz, and Bianchi 2015; Sims 2009). Furthermore, many consumers feel growing concern over global food homogenization and are seeking out sustainably and ethically produced food and drink products, prioritizing locally grown and made produce, and exploring the people, practices, and places of production (Corsi 2018; Fountain et al. 2021)
The characteristics, challenges, and resilience of small rural farm-support agribusiness: A systematic literature review
No full textSmall rural farm-support agribusinesses (SRFSAs) support farmers by completing on-farm tasks. These tasks have been outsourced to SRFSAs as they are more efficient at completing the task than the farmer. This efficiency is a key leverage factor that the SRFSA owner-manager can use to ensure their business’s survival. The land use in the area surrounding the SRFSA is also a major contributor to business efficiency, structure, service offering and success. SRFSAs face a range of challenges that originate from limitations in labour, markets, infrastructure, and business support. Rivalry from within the industry coupled with the need to manage relationships across the community creates further challenges.
To survive and thrive SRFSAs need to manage these challenges and develop resilience. Resilience strategies include the management of labour through training and novel approaches to staff acquisition, relationship building with both farmers and the community, marketing initiatives, pricing strategies, technology adoption, and diversification. The most important factor in the survival and success of SRFSAs is the owner-manager and their skillset. The exploration of the literature via a systematic review has allowed the development of a theoretical framework to demonstrate the external (the community) and internal (the business) forces that shape the structure and performance of SRFSAs. The external forces are further grouped into the characteristics of the community, and the characteristics of the market. The internal forces are grouped into the characteristics of the business, and the characteristics of the owner
A new exponential model for predicting soil gas diffusivity with varying degree of saturation
Get PDFSoil gas diffusivity (Dp/Do, gas diffusion coefficients in soil and in free air, respectively) and its relation to soil moisture is of great importance for describing and quantifying essential provisional and regulatory functions associated with terrestrial ecosystems such as soil aeration and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Because gas migration in terrestrial soil systems is predominantly diffusion controlled, soil gas diffusivity becomes a fundamental prerequisite to quantify diffusive gas fluxes. Descriptive–predictive models are often used to estimate Dp/Do from easily measurable soil physical properties. Most of the available models take the form of power-law functions and often tend to mischaracterize soil moisture effects at high moisture regimes. Based on a wide range Dp/Do data available in literature representing both intact and repacked soils, this study developed a novel air-saturation-dependent exponential (ASEX) gas diffusivity model to model Dp/Do in relation to soil air saturation. The model variable α, which represents the diffusivity at half air saturation normalized by the same in complete soil air saturation, could potentially differentiate moisture effects on different soil structural states. For specific applications in intact soils, we propose corresponding α values for upper-limit (α =.6) and lower-limit (α =.05) estimates of diffusivity, while an average value (α =.3) for general applications in both intact and repacked soils. As expected, our model based on a few a priori measured supportive data showed a better performance over the classical predictive models that do not use such measurements. The new model was further used to derive useful implications to showcase soil density effects on Dp/Do
Heterogeneous impacts of GlobalGAP adoption on net income in small-scale pineapple farming in Ghana: Does farm size matter?
Get PDFAdoption of Global Good Agricultural Practices (GlobalGAP) improves food quality and safety along fresh produce value chains. However, adoption rates have been low among small-scale pineapple farmers in Ghana, but with possible heterogeneous responses due to farm size economies. This study estimates the impact of GlobalGAP adoption on net incomes earned by small-scale pineapple farmers in Ghana's main producing region, and examines size-induced heterogeneous effects of adoption on income. Household and farm-level data gathered from 546 small-scale farmers were analyzed using a two-stage regression model to estimate the impact of GlobalGAP adoption on per hectare pineapple net income. Robustness of the results was checked by re-estimating the two-stage model using a maximum likelihood extended regression model. GlobalGAP adoption reduced net income on small farms growing less than 1 ha of pineapples, but increased net income on small farms growing more than 1 ha of pineapples. We conclude that GlobalGAP adoption and farm size are not independent determinants of profitability, and recommend that extension and other interventions intended to promote GlobalGAP adoption among pineapple farmers in Ghana should be targeted at those who are willing and able to grow more than 1 ha of pineapples
Characterization of neuropathology in ovine CLN5 and CLN6 neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (Batten disease)
Get PDFSheep with naturally occurring CLN5 and CLN6 forms of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (Batten disease) share the key clinical features of the human disease and represent an ideal model system in which the clinical efficacy of gene therapies is developed and test. However, it was first important to characterize the neuropathological changes that occur with disease progression in affected sheep. This study compared neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation, and lysosomal storage accumulation in CLN5 affected Borderdale, CLN6 affected South Hampshire, and Merino sheep brains from birth to end-stage disease at ≤24 months of age. Despite very different gene products, mutations, and subcellular localizations, the pathogenic cascade was remarkably similar for all three disease models. Glial activation was present at birth in affected sheep and preceded neuronal loss, with both spreading from the visual and parieto-occipital cortices most prominently associated with clinical symptoms to the entire cortical mantle by end-stage disease. In contrast, the subcortical regions were less involved, yet lysosomal storage followed a near-linear increase across the diseased sheep brain with age. Correlation of these neuropathological changes with published clinical data identified three potential therapeutic windows in affected sheep—presymptomatic (3 months), early symptomatic (6 months), and a later symptomatic disease stage (9 months of age)—beyond which the extensive depletion of neurons was likely to diminish any chance of therapeutic benefit. This comprehensive natural history of the neuropathological changes in ovine CLN5 and CLN6 disease will be integral in determining what impact treatment has at each of these disease stages
Agricultural urbanism: Exploring urban design models for peri-urban food production
No full textPeri-urban areas are vitally important to the function and value of Aotearoa New Zealand’s settlements, communities, ecology, and economies, particularly in a world where the localisation of the food supply chain is increasing in priority as natural disasters, pandemics, severe weather events, and human-induced conflicts amplify the lack of resilience in our often long and complex food system
Resignification, recontextualisation and reclamation of colonial landscape memorials in the Latin American context
Get PDFRecent reactions to colonial-era memorials have contributed to a renewal of interest in memorialisation as a focal point for social justice and equity. In the Latin American context, colonial memorials are visual links that are deeply-rooted elements of the region’s identity. This paper focuses on three landscape memorial sites in Latin America as carriers of meaning.
The first case study is the Equestrian Sebastian de Belalcázar memorial space in Popayán, Colombia. The monument of this Spanish conqueror was placed on Morro de Tulcán, a sacred site for the Pubenenses tribe. The colonial narrative, in this case, is one of oppression in which Spanish heritage is favoured over indigenous culture. The second case study is the Isabella La Catolica monument in La Paz, Bolivia. This statue was initially established to be a paradigmatic model of European women, beauty and virtue, but it has become a symbol of discrimination against native women. The third case is the equestrian monument of 19th-century war Chilean hero and politician General Manuel Jesús Baquedano González. Located in Santiago de Chile, this figure was seen by many as a symbol of how the Chilean elite repressed indigenous people. Each of the three statues has experienced a range of reactions that reveal counter-narratives to those imposed by the insertion of the colonial figures into the landscape. The responses include removal, dressing and graffiti; we classify these interventions as reclamation, resignification and recontextualisation. Walter Hood (2019) argues, “landscape is the last democratic space we have, and we need to fill it with diverse voices.
Productive efficiency of beef cattle production in Botswana: A latent class stochastic meta-frontier analysis
Get PDFIntroduction: Efficiency in food production is crucial for sustainable agriculture in developing countries. This paper contributes to the existing literature by presenting an innovative approach to modeling productive efficiency in beef cattle production. Treating farm performance across regions as unobserved heterogeneity, we determine technical efficiency of beef cattle production in Botswana. We aim to shed light on the factors influencing efficiency in this sector.
Methods: The study utilized block-level data from various annual agricultural surveys (2006–2014) covering 26 agricultural districts and six agro-ecological regions in Botswana. We employed a latent class stochastic frontier model complemented with the stochastic meta-frontier analysis.
Results: Results show that the best performing farming systems in terms of efficiency are districts with well-developed infrastructure and better access to output and input markets. In contrast, the farming systems that perform poorly consist of agricultural districts without access to livestock advisory centers, with higher average temperatures and foot and mouth disease, limiting access to export markets. The mean technical efficiency scores for beef production for agricultural districts in class one and two were 62 and 59%, respectively, implying high potential to improve beef production using the same level of agricultural inputs through efficiency-enhancing investments.
Discussion: Based on our results, it is crucial for agricultural policies to prioritize regionally specific investments that address the needs of the under-performing districts. By targeting the lagging districts, policymakers can help beef producers improve their input efficiency and bridge the technological gaps to the meta-frontier. This can be achieved through investments in infrastructure, access to livestock advisory services, and disease control measures. Such efforts will not only enhance the efficiency of beef production but also contribute to the overall sustainability of the agricultural sector in Botswana
Colour properties and tannin concentrations of polymeric phenolic materials extracted from Pinot Noir wines of a single NZ producer
Get PDFPolymeric phenolic material (PPM) was separated from monomeric anthocyanins by removing the latter using isoamyl alcohol in 22 Pinot Noir wines of different vintages and grades. The colour and tannin concentrations of PPM were determined using a modified Somers assay and methylcellulose precipitation (MCP) tannin assay, respectively. With wine age increasing, the ratio of absorbance at 520 nm at pH 1.0 to that at 3.4 decreased from 2.6 to 1.1. This decreasing trend with wine age is reported for the first time in Pinot Noir wines. The presence of bleachable polymeric pigments was also observed in PPM, and the degree of ionisation of these bleachable pigments increased along with wine age. Statistical analysis demonstrated the dominant effect of age on colour properties of PPM, regardless of vintage and grade. In contrast, total phenolics and tannin concentration mainly related to vintage, rather than age