Spineless Cacti Research Articles

Influence of genotypes of spineless cacti on feedlot lamb carcass characteristics and meat quality

Aim of study: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of spineless cactus genotypes (Nopalea cochenillifera or Opuntia stricta) on the carcass characteristics and meat quality of feedlot lambs. Area of study: Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil. Material and methods: Thirty-six uncastrated male Santa Inês lambs (22.0±2.91 kg of body weight) were used in a completely randomized design, with three dietary treatments: (1) Tifton hay as exclusive roughage; (2) Nopalea spineless cactus; or (3) Opuntia spineless cactus as a partial replacement for Tifton hay; the animals were slaughtered after 86 days of feedlot. Main results: The Nopalea and Opuntia diets increased (p<0.05) the empty body weight and the weight of the cold carcass. The cold carcass yield for lambs fed diets with spineless cactus was higher (p<0.05). The spineless cactus diets led to a greater amount (p<0.05) of internal fat and carcass fat. Spineless cactus increased the weight, yield, and fattening score of the carcasses of lambs. The meat from animals fed with spineless cactus showed higher ether extract content (p<0.05). The score attributed to meat color in the Opuntia treatment was higher (p<0.05), as well as the characteristic flavor for the Nopalea treatment. Research highlights: Spineless cactus, regardless of the genotype, increases the weight, yield, and fattening of the carcass of feedlot lambs.

Climatic Aridity Gradient Modulates the Diversity of the Rhizosphere and Endosphere Bacterial Microbiomes of Opuntia ficus-indica.

Recent microbiome research has shown that soil fertility, plant-associated microbiome, and crop production can be affected by abiotic environmental parameters. The effect of aridity gradient on rhizosphere-soil (rhizosphere) and endosphere-root (endosphere) prokaryotic structure and diversity associated with cacti remain poorly investigated and understood. In the current study, next-generation sequencing approaches were used to characterize the diversity and composition of bacteria and archaea associated with the rhizosphere and endosphere of Opuntia ficus-indica spineless cacti in four bioclimatic zones (humid, semi-arid, upper-arid, and lower-arid) in Tunisia. Our findings showed that bacterial and archaeal cactus microbiomes changed in inside and outside roots and along the aridity gradient. Plant compartment and aridity gradient were the influencing factors on the differentiation of microbial communities in rhizosphere and endosphere samples. The co-occurrence correlations between increased and decreased OTUs in rhizosphere and endosphere samples and soil parameters were determined according to the aridity gradient. Blastococcus, Geodermatophilus, Pseudonocardia, Promicromonospora, and Sphingomonas were identified as prevailing hubs and were considered as specific biomarkers taxa, which could play a crucial role on the aridity stress. Overall, our findings highlighted the prominence of the climatic aridity gradient on the equilibrium and diversity of microbial community composition in the rhizosphere and endosphere of cactus.

Histomorphometric changes of the fore-stomach of lambs fed with diets containing spineless cactus genotypes resistant to Dactylopius sp.

The histomorphometric parameters of the fore-stomach epithelium of lambs fed with spineless cactus genotypes resistant to Dactylopius sp. were evaluated. Thirty-two lambs (23.0 ± 2.06 kg body weight) were distributed in a completely randomized design with four treatments and eight replications. The treatments consisted of the base diet and diets in which part of the elephant grass hay and all ground corn was replaced by the Miúda, IPA-Sertânia, or Orelha de Elefante Mexicana (OEM) spineless cacti. The keratin layers of the ruminal epithelium of the animals consuming the spineless cacti Miúda and OEM presented greater thickening relative to the control diet: 47.31, 41.30, and 25.81 μm, respectively. The heights of the ruminal papillae were higher in the animals that were fed with the OEM spineless cactus. The Miúda spineless cactus caused an enlargement in the keratinized layer of the reticulum epithelium, as well as a decrease in the thickness of the non-keratinized layers. The diet containing OEM spineless cactus resulted in greater thickening of the keratin layer of the omasal epithelium and decreased thickness of the non-keratinized layers. The spineless cacti Miúda and OEM changed the morphology of the fore-stomach epithelium and increased the dry matter intake and weight gain of lambs.

Rendimento quântico e eficiência de uso da água de genótipos de palma forrageira no Semiárido brasileiro

A seleção de novos genótipos de palma forrageira é essencial, principalmente pelo reduzido número de materiais existentes, para isto a avaliação dos aspectos fisiológicos pode ser um importante critério a se considerar. Neste contexto, realizou-se um experimento de janeiro a novembro de 2016 na Estação Experimental Benjamim Maranhão, pertencente à EMEPA-PB no município de Tacima, estado da Paraíba, Brasil, objetivando avaliar o rendimento quântico e eficiência de uso da água de genótipos de palma forrageira no Semiárido brasileiro. O experimento foi conduzido em blocos casualizados, com seis tratamentos, correspondentes aos genótipos V07 Negro Michoacan, V14 Califórnia, T03 Raio Vigor, T42 Amarilla Vach, FR Direkteur e F16 Oreja de Elefante, todos de origem mexicana, oriundos do banco de germoplasma da EMEPA e três repetições, com 20 plantas por unidade experimental. As variáveis avaliadas foram fluorescência da clorofila a inicial, máxima e variável, além da relação fluorescência variável/inicial, rendimento quântico potencial, eficiência do uso da chuva, acúmulo de água e pegada hídrica cultural. Os genótipos V07 Negro Michoacan e V14 Califórnia se mostraram (P

English

One of the best options for African countries to meet rural energy needs is to grow care-free crassulacean acid metabolism plants on a massive scale in waste lands. This can enable bioenergy production without disrupting food supplies and hence sustainable energy supply for the future. Opuntia ficus indica is an ideal plant for arid regimes but has barely been studied as a potential bioenergy source. This study investigated the effect of aerobic pretreatment on methane yield of O. ficus indica biomass. This effect was investigated in batch bioreactors which were exposed to aerobic conditions by varying time from 3 to 72 h before the start of anaerobic digestion. Reducing sugar content and dissolved oxygen levels after pretreatment period was analyzed. Reducing sugar content in bioreactors increased with increase in pretreatment time from 12.22 ±0.69 to 59.08 ± 5.35 g/L in the untreated and 72 h pretreated batches, respectively. Methane yields after pretreatment were observed to range from 0.286 to 0.702 L/kg volatile solids at 9 and 72 h of pre-treatment, respectively. A 9 h pre-treatment of feedstock prior to anaerobic digestion yielded 123% higher methane yield when compared to that without pre-treatment. The findings that there was an  increase in reducing sugar production and methane yield at 9 h of aerobic pre-treatment suggests that there was increased hydrolysis with pretreatment. Hence, short pre-treatment period could be an option to increasing solubilization of cladodes and promoting methane productivity. Therefore, pre-aeration of O. ficus indica, was shown to be an effective method for enhancing both its digestibility and improved methane yield during anaerobic digestion.   Key words: Anaerobic digestion, biogas, methane, Opuntia, pretreatment, spineless cacti.

An $${\mathcal{A}_\infty}$$ A ∞ Operad in Spineless Cacti

The dg operad $${\mathcal{C}}$$ of cellular chains on the operad of spineless cacti of Kaufmann (Topology 46(1):39–88, 2007) is isomorphic to the Gerstenhaber–Voronov dg operad codifying the cup product and brace operations on the Hochschild cochains of an associative algebra, and to the suboperad $${F_2\mathcal{X}}$$ of the surjection operad of Berger and Fresse (Math Proc Camb Philos Soc 137(1):135–174, 2004), McClure and Smith (Recent progress in homotopy theory (Baltimore, MD, 2000). Contemp Math., Amer. Math. Soc., Providence 293:153–193, 2002) and McClure and Smith (J Am Math Soc 16(3):681–704, 2003). Its homology is the Gerstenhaber dg operad $${\mathcal{G}}$$ . We construct a map of dg operads $${\psi \colon \mathcal{A}_\infty \longrightarrow \mathcal{C}}$$ such that $${\psi(m_2)}$$ is commutative and $${H_*(\psi)}$$ is the canonical map $${\mathcal{A} \to \mathcal{C}\!om \to \mathcal{G}}$$ . This formalises the idea that, since the cup product is commutative in homology, its symmetrisation is a homotopy associative operation. Our explicit $${\mathcal{A}_\infty}$$ structure does not vanish on non-trivial shuffles in higher degrees, so does not give a map $${\mathcal{C}om_\infty \to \mathcal{C}}$$ . If such a map could be written down explicitly, it would immediately lead to a $${\mathcal{G}_\infty}$$ structure on $${\mathcal{C}}$$ and on Hochschild cochains, that is, to an explicit and direct proof of the Deligne conjecture.

A Vast Array of Beauty: The Accomplishments of the Father of American Ornamental Breeding, Luther Burbank

Luther Burbank (1849–1926) was a prolific ornamental plant breeder, who worked with 91 genera of ornamentals, from Abutilon to Zinnia, and released nearly 1000 cultivars to the industry. His innovative work included both herbaceous and woody plant materials as well as ornamental vegetables such as corn, tomatoes, and spineless cacti. His most popular ornamental release, the shasta daisy hybrids—first released in 1901, is still on the global market. This article focuses on Luther Burbank’s breeding techniques with ornamental plants and how both the germplasms that he developed and his methodologies used permeate modern flower breeding. Genera with the highest number of cultivars bred and released by Burbank include Amaryllis, Hippeastrum, and Crinum followed by Lilium, Hemerocallis, Watsonia, Papaver, Gladiolus, Dahlia, and Rosa. With Lilium, he pioneered breeding the North American native lily species, particularly those from the Pacific coastal region, producing the eponymous Lilium ×burbankii. Burbank’s breeding enterprise was designed to be self-sustaining based on profits from selling the entire product line of a new cultivar or crop only to wholesale firms, who then held exclusives for propagation and selling, although financial hardships necessitated selling retail occasionally. Entire lots of selected seedlings were sold to the highest bidder with Burbank setting the price in his annual catalogs such as the Burbank Hybrid Lilies lot for U.S. $250,000 or some of the “very handsome, hardy ones” for U.S. $250 to U.S. $10,000 each. Other flower cultivars also commanded high prices such as seedling Giant Amaryllis that sold for U.S. $1.55/bulb in 1909. Cacti were another area of emphasis (he released more than 63 cultivars) from the spineless fruiting and forage types (Opuntia ficus-indica, O. tuna, O. vulgaris) to flowering ornamentals such as O. basilaris, Cereus chilensis, and Echinopsis mulleri. Interest in cacti during 1909–15 rivaled the Dutch Tulip mania with exorbitant fees for a single “slab” of a cultivar, speculative investments, controversy with noted cacti specialists (particularly David Griffiths), and lawsuits by The Burbank Company. Although most cultivars have been lost, Burbank’s reputation as the Father of American Ornamental Breeding remains admirable from critics and devotees alike.

On spineless cacti, Deligne’s conjecture and Connes–Kreimer’s Hopf algebra

Using a cell model for the little discs operad in terms of spineless cacti we give a minimal common topological operadic formalism for three a priori disparate algebraic structures: (1) a solution to Deligne’s conjecture on the Hochschild complex, (2) the Hopf algebra of Connes and Kreimer, and (3) the string topology of Chas and Sullivan.

On several varieties of cacti and their relations

Motivated by string topology and the arc operad, we introduce the notion of quasi-operads and consider four (quasi)-operads which are different varieties of the operad of cacti. These are cacti without local zeros (or spines) and cacti proper as well as both varieties with fixed constant size one of the constituting loops. Using the recognition principle of Fiedorowicz, we prove that spineless cacti are equivalent as operads to the little discs operad. It turns out that in terms of spineless cacti Cohen's Gerstenhaber structure and Fiedorowicz' braided operad structure are given by the same explicit chains. We also prove that spineless cacti and cacti are homotopy equivalent to their normalized versions as quasi-operads by showing that both types of cacti are semi-direct products of the quasi-operad of their normalized versions with a re-scaling operad based on R>0. Furthermore, we introduce the notion of bi-crossed products of quasi-operads and show that the cacti proper are a bi-crossed product of the operad of cacti without spines and the operad based on the monoid given by the circle group S^1. We also prove that this particular bi-crossed operad product is homotopy equivalent to the semi-direct product of the spineless cacti with the group S^1. This implies that cacti are equivalent to the framed little discs operad. These results lead to new CW models for the little discs and the framed little discs operad.

Effects of variety on chemical composition, in situ nutrient disappearance and in vitro gas production of spineless cacti

AbstractThis study determined the chemical composition, in situ ruminal nutrient disappearance and in vitro gas production kinetics of three cactus varieties grown in northeastern Brazil. The varieties were Gigante, IPA‐20 and Miúda. Results of the chemical analysis showed no significant differences in ash, ether extract, crude protein (CP) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) between the cactus varieties. However, acid detergent fibre was highest (P < 0.05) for IPA‐20, intermediate (P < 0.05) for Gigante, and lowest (P < 0.05) for Miúda. Fractionation of carbohydrate and true protein based on rates of ruminal degradation indicated that the main carbohydrate component was the rapidly degradable fraction, whereas the main true protein component was the intermediately degradable fraction. No differences in carbohydrate or protein fractions were observed between the cactus varieties. Results of the in situ experiment showed no differences in ruminal dry matter (DM, average 803 g kg−1 of DM), CP (900 g kg−1 of CP) and NDF (611 g kg−1 of NDF) disappearance between the three cactus varieties after 48 h of ruminal incubation. Potential gas production at the end of 48 h of incubation was higher (P < 0.05) for Gigante than for the Miúda or IPA‐20 variety. However, rate of gas production and lag time in gas production were similar for the three cactus varieties at 6.8% h−1 and 0.6 h respectively. Our results showed little or no differences in chemical composition or ruminal nutrient degradabilities between the three cactus varieties. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry

A proof of a cyclic version of Deligne’s conjecture via Cacti

We generalize our results on Deligne's conjecture to prove the statement that the normalized Hochschild co--chains of a finite--dimensional associative algebra with a non--degenerate, symmetric, invariant inner product are an algebra over a chain model of the framed little discs operad which is given by cacti. In particular, in characteristic zero they are a BV algebra up to homotopy and the Hochschild cohomology of such an algebra is a BV algebra whose induced bracket coincides with Gerstenhaber's bracket. To show this, we use a cellular chain model for the framed little disc operad in terms of normalized cacti. This model is given by tensoring our chain model for the little discs operad in terms of spineless cacti with natural chain models for $(S^1)^{\times n}$ adapted to cacti.