Genetic (co)variance components of daily fat plus protein yields (FPY) along the trajectory of a heat stress index (THI) were estimated by means of a Reaction Norm Model (RNM). FPY data were provided by the corresponding breeders associations and consisted of 126,825 and 154,240 test day (TD) from Florida and Malagueña goats, respectively. Climatic records register each TD were provided by the Spanish Meteorological Agency from weather stations located less than 20 Km away from the farms. Daily maximum temperature and relative humidity were use to obtain a composite index of temperature and humidity (THI). The model included age at kidding, number of milking per day, a combination of flock-date of TD and a second order Legendre polynomial of THI on FPY as fixed effects, and a second order Legendre polynomial for the animal, a single individual permanent environmental effect and a residual as random effects. Results showed a comfort zone (THI from 6 to 21) where the heat stress effect was very small and a sensitive zone (THI from 21 to 31) having a significantly negative effect on FPY. Heritability estimated within the comfort zone ranged from 0.368 to 0.198 for Florida and from 0.294 to 0.159 for Malagueña. These ranges dropped from 0.185 to 0.112 and from 0.156 to 0.159, respectively, within the sensitive zone. Results also showed heterogeneity of genetic (co)variance and estimated breeding values across the trajectory of THI values in both breeds. Therefore, daily fat plus protein yield can not be considered to be the same all over this trajectory. The RNM also allows for the identification of animals showing a robust response to high temperatures.

We systematically study total reaction cross sections of carbon isotopes with N=6−16 on a proton target for wide range of incident energies. An emphasis is put on the difference from the case of a carbon target. The calculations include the reaction cross sections of C 19,20,22 at 40A MeV, the data of which have recently been measured at RIKEN. The Glauber theory is used to calculate the reaction cross sections. To describe the intrinsic structure of the carbon isotopes, we use a Slater determinant generated from a phenomenological mean-field potential, and construct the density distributions. To go beyond the simple mean-field model, we adopt two types of dynamical models: One is a core+n model for odd-neutron nuclei, and the other is a core+n+n model for C 16 and C 22 . We propose empirical formulas which are useful in predicting unknown cross sections.

A source of white-light radiation that generates few-cycle pulses with controlled peak power values has been developed. These ultrafast pulses have been observed by spectral broadening of 32 fs pulses through nonlinear self-phase modulation in a neon-filled hollow-fiber then compressed with a pair of chirped mirrors for dispersion compensation. The observed pulses reached transform-limited duration of 5.77 fs and their peak power values varied from 57 GW up to 104 GW at repetition rate of 1 kHz. Moreover, the applied method is used for a direct tuning of the peak power of the output pulses through varying the chirping of the input pulses at different neon pressures. The observed results may give an opportunity to control the ultrafast interaction dynamics on the femtosecond time scale and facilitate the regeneration of attosecond pulses. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd.