A dissolved oxygen budget model for Lake Erie in summer

SUMMARY.

• 1 In this paper we extend a vertical mixing model of Lake Erie with an oxygen budget model. The model was tested against data gathered in the summers of 1979 and 1980 with good results, showing that it is capable of simulating vertical distributions of temperature and dissolved oxygen over relatively short time periods.
• 2 The results underline the importance of turbulent mixing in distributing oxygen throughout the water column in the Central Basin of the lake. In addition, the results indicate that production and respiration processes dominate the budget under the influence of low wind speeds, while surface fluxes dominate during periods of high wind.
• 3 Bottom mixing delays the onset of anoxic conditions at the sediment/water interface by distributing the sediment demand over the 5–6 m depth of the bottom mixed layer.

     

Ants under the conditions of an extremely hot summer

Specific features of ant behavior during the extremely hot summer of 2010 were studied, as well as the aftereffects of this season on simple and complex family units of ants in 2011–2012. Simultaneous studies were carried out in southern taiga (Moscow Province, Verkhnaya Klyazma myrmecological protected area) and northern taiga (Arkhangelsk Province, Pinezhskii Nature Reserve). Ants of the genus Formica responded to the extreme heat by (1) changing their foraging patterns; (2) redesigning their nests; (3) rearranging the spatial and functional structure of the colonies. They switched to a bimodal activity pattern with maxima in the morning and in the evening and a prolonged daytime intermission. Along ant roads, there were underground pavilions with dense roofs built of conifer needles and soil. Covers of the same kind appeared over root aphid colonies. The most radical improvement was the construction of a battery of brood chambers underneath the mound. The soil excavated was used for strengthening the mound and restricting the convective heat exchange between the brood chambers and the external environment. The anthill surface was covered with a smooth crusted layer of soil and fine plant debris particles, which protected the nest from the inflow of hot air from without. A portion of the inhabitants of large nests moved to newly built extensions and auxiliary nests. It was only active, non-damaged colonies that could afford these measures and thus survive the heat with minimal loss. Depressed colonies lost the major part of their brood during this time. Furthermore, small secondary colonies that emerged as the result of destructive activity of animals also failed to reassemble due to the summer heat of 2010. The months of heat were followed by a long rainy and cool period, and the colonies that had already been depressed faced critical conditions for preparing for winter. The ants were unable to accumulate lipid reserves sufficient for spring nest heating and rearing of sexuals and workers, which turned out to be an important aftereffect of the 2010 season the following year. Two first generations of workers were absent in almost all the nests. Mass oviposition in F. aquilonia commenced only late in May 2011, whereas the flight of alates did not occur at all because alates of this species are only reared in spring. Consequently, the F. aquilonia colonies had not recovered even by the end of 2012. In F. lugubris and F. polyctena, species that rear sexuals twice a year, there was only late-season alate flight, and yet it allowed their colonies to replenish the pool of ovipositing females and restore the initial colony size by the end of 2012. Other ants, represented by Lasius niger and Myrmica rubra, also modified their nests and foraging patterns during the period of heat. M. rubra suffered the most, so that its abundance and activity remained very low in 2011 as well. Only L. niger, which remained practically unscathed by the heat, successfully completed its annual cycle in 2010. Therefore, one of the 2010 year’s results was a drastic shift in the ratio of nests built by the abovementioned species in favor of L. niger.     

Blood biochemical indices,growth performance and economic efficiency of growing native Baladi and crossbred calves under hot summer conditions

The aim was to evaluate the performance, economics of production and physiological status of native Baladi and crossbred (50% Brown Swiss:50% native Baladi) calves under hot summer climate in Egypt (twenty-eight growing calves; 14 calve from each genetic type). The crossbred calves showed a significantly higher daily feed intake and body gain (p = 0.015 and 0.001 respectively), as well as a better feed conversion ratio (p = 0.019) compared with native Baladi calves. Although no significant differences were reported In the variable and total costs, the crossbred calves showed significantly greater total returns, net profit and Profit/Cost ratio when compared with native calves (p = 0.014, 0.001 and 0.022, respectively). The native Baladi calves had significantly higher serum glucose level compared with crossbred calves (p = 0.031). However, the crossbred calves showed a significantly higher serum Triiodothyronine (T3) level when compared with native calves (p = 0.016). Under a hot summer climate, no significant variations were reported in the rectal temperature, respiration rate, and daily water intake, as well as in the serum cortisol (p = 0.114) and thyroxin (p = 0.197) levels between native and crossbred calves. In conclusion, the crossbred calves exhibit a better growth performance, economic efficiency and stable physiological responses compared with the native calves under hot environment in the summer season.     

一级生产水平下冬小麦、夏玉米的生产模拟

通过模拟计算得到一级生产水平下冬小麦和夏玉米的累积干物质动态曲线.两年的计算结果和实测值都比较吻合.研究表明,在黄淮海平原,可以把亩产吨粮作为冬小麦夏玉米一年两茬平作粮田达到一级生产水平的指标.若用中熟夏玉米套作代替早熟夏玉米平作,籽粒的年产量可增加一成.通过对不同叶面积指数下干物质产量的模拟计算,得到一年两茬平作的干物质产量最大可达46t·hm^-2,籽粒产量19.1t·hm^-2.     

The African Swine Fever Virus Thymidine Kinase Gene Is Required for Efficient Replication in Swine Macrophages and for Virulence in Swine

African swine fever virus (ASFV) replicates in the cytoplasm of infected cells and contains genes encoding a number of enzymes needed for DNA synthesis, including a thymidine kinase (TK) gene. Recombinant TK gene deletion viruses were produced by using two highly pathogenic isolates of ASFV through homologous recombination with an ASFV p72 promoter–β-glucuronidase indicator cassette (p72GUS) flanked by ASFV sequences targeting the TK region. Attempts to isolate double-crossover TK gene deletion mutants on swine macrophages failed, suggesting a growth deficiency of TK⁻ ASFV on macrophages. Two pathogenic ASFV isolates, ASFV Malawi and ASFV Haiti, partially adapted to Vero cells, were used successfully to construct TK deletion viruses on Vero cells. The selected viruses grew well on Vero cells, but both mutants exhibited a growth defect on swine macrophages at low multiplicities of infection (MOI), yielding 0.1 to 1.0% of wild-type levels. At high MOI, the macrophage growth defect was not apparent. The Malawi TK deletion mutant showed reduced virulence for swine, producing transient fevers, lower viremia titers, and reduced mortality. In contrast, 100% mortality was observed for swine inoculated with the TK⁺ revertant virus. Swine surviving TK⁻ ASFV infection remained free of clinical signs of African swine fever following subsequent challenge with the parental pathogenic ASFV. The data indicate that the TK gene of ASFV is important for growth in swine macrophages in vitro and is a virus virulence factor in swine.     

一级生产水平下冬小麦,夏玉米的生产模拟

通过模拟计算得到一级生产水平下冬小麦和夏玉米的累积干物质动态曲线 .两年的计算结果和实测值都比较吻合 .研究表明 ,在黄淮海平原 ,可以把亩产吨粮作为冬小麦 夏玉米一年两茬平作粮田达到一级生产水平的指标 .若用中熟夏玉米套作代替早熟夏玉米平作 ,籽粒的年产量可增加一成 .通过对不同叶面积指数下干物质产量的模拟计算 ,得到一年两茬平作的干物质产量最大可达 46t·hm- 2 ,籽粒产量 1 9.1t·hm- 2 .     

Lactating performance,water and feed consumption of rabbit does reared under a Mediterranean summer circadian cycle of temperature v. comfort temperature conditions

The general aim of this research was to study the effect of high ambient temperature on the performance of does during lactation, specifically the following factors: average daily feed (ADFI) and water (ADWI) intakes, daily milk yield (DMY); milk composition: dry matter (DM), CP and gross energy (GE); doe BW (DW); individual kit weaning weight (IWW) and litter survival rate during lactation (SR). The study was undertaken comparing the performance of two groups of contemporary does reared under the same management, feeding regime and environmental conditions, except the environmental temperature and humidity. A total of 80 females were randomly allocated, at 60 days of age, into two identical and continuous rooms. In one room, the temperature was maintained permanently within the thermo-neutral zone (between 18°C to 22°C); thus, environmental conditions in this room were considered as comfort conditions. In the second room, the environmental temperature pattern simulated the daily temperature cycles that were characteristic of the summer in Mediterranean countries (24°C at 0800 h, increasing up to 29°C until 1100 h; maintenance at 29°C to 31°C for 4 h and decreasing to about 24°C to 26°C around 1700 h until 0800 h of the following day), which were considered as thermal stress conditions. Females followed a semi-intensive reproductive rhythm, first artificial insemination at 4.5 months of age, with subsequent 42-day reproductive cycles. Traits were recorded from a total of 138 lactations. Does were controlled up to the 5th lactation. Data were analyzed using linear and linear mixed models. High ambient temperature led to a lower ADFI (−9.4%), DW (−6.2%) and IWW (−8%), but it did not affect ADWI. No significant difference was found either for DMY, milk composition (DM, CP and GE) and SR during the lactation period. Heat stress was moderate, and does were able to adapt to it behaviorally by decreasing feed intake (to reduce heat production), but also live weight, allowing them to preserve milk yield and composition for assuring litter survival. On the other hand, water consumption could not be the main animal mechanism to overcome heat stress.     

河北夏蝗大发生与气象条件的关系

利用合成分析和秩相关系数2种方法,分析了河北2种生态类型蝗区中夏蝗LocustamigratoriaL.发生程度与气象条件的关系,以确定影响夏蝗大发生的关键气象因子。结果表明:2个类型蝗区大发生年以前一年5月至当年夏蝗出土以前的气温偏高、降水偏少为主;前一年6月下旬、7月上旬、8月上旬、8月中旬气温、6月上旬降水、当年3月下旬降水、4月下旬气温为沿海蝗区关键影响因子,前一年7月上旬和8月下旬气温、5月中旬降水及当年2月中、下旬气温、4月下旬和5月上旬气温为洼淀蝗区的关键影响因子。     

Effect of vulvomucosal injection of D-cloprostenol at weaning and at insemination on reproductive performance of sows during the low fertility summer season under field conditions

The aim of this study was to evaluate the hypothesis that the intravulvar injection of a PGF2alpha analogue at weaning just prior to insemination may minimise the effects of summer infertility in pigs. From July to September 1999, two groups of 30 sows were randomly formed each month. The experimental group comprised sows receiving 37.5 microg of a PGF2alpha analogue, D-cloprostenol, in 0.5 ml injected into the vulvar lips at weaning and at insemination. Group 2 sows received 0.5 ml of saline solution injected into the vulvar lips and served as controls. The percentage of sows in oestrus within 7 days after weaning in treated sows was 27.93% higher than in controls (P<0.001). Fertility for treated sows was also significantly increased by the treatment (P<0.01). However, neither the percentage of inseminated sows that farrowed nor litter size was affected by treatment.     

平原农区幼龄杨树间作农作物的产量表现

通过1~2年与3~4年树龄杨树间作冬小麦和夏玉米,探讨了杨树对农作物产量及产量形成因子的影响。结果表明,1~2年树龄杨树间作冬小麦其产量有所增加,与夏玉米间作使其产量降低31.3%~33.7%。3~4年树龄杨树间作冬小麦的产量降低了36.9%~42.5%,间作夏玉米的产量降低了80.8%~87.4%,且距树越近产量越低。产量形成因子分析表明,杨树对冬小麦产量的影响主要为穗数。因此保证冬小麦分蘖期的肥水管理,在群体建立的基础上保证营养器官建成期所需的各种资源,为正常的穗粒数形成及粒重的充实奠定基础。对夏玉米的影响,随着杨树的生长,表现不一样,由穗粒数逐渐转变为穗数。复合系统建立初期应保证玉米拔节期到吐丝期所需资源,确保较多的穗粒数形成,而杨树生长2~3年后必须对杨树进行合理的管理,保证穗数的建立,减小夏玉米产量的降低。针对农林复合系统的复杂性,今后应综合考虑杨树和农作物光、热、水、肥等生物学特性,对其进行合理管理,尽可能做到杨树与作物的和谐共生。     

Treatment of swine summer infertility syndrome by means of oxytocin under field conditions

Endogenous oxytocin is released by the sow at the time of mating in response to stimulation by the boar, which may explain, at least partially, the importance of the relationship between the boar's courting activity and the subsequent reproductive performance of the sow. The aim of this study was to determine the effects on reproductive performance of supplementing AI doses with exogenous oxytocin during the low fertility season. At an intensive piggery in northwest Spain 3 experimental groups were randomly formed and observed throughout the year. Group 1 sows were inseminated with semen supplemented with 4 IU oxytocin. Group 2 sows received 4 IU oxytocin injected through the vulvar lips mucosa at the time of insemination. Group 3 sows were inseminated without oxytocin and served as the controls. During the low fertility season the results for each group were as follows: farrowing rate 77.02, 56.25 and 54.39%, and litter size 10.77 +/- 0.28, 10.45 +/- 0.31 and 8.53 +/- 0.34 respectively. It is concluded that the addition of oxytocin to seminal doses just before AI is an easily applicable, effective method for increasing fertility and litter size during the summer months.     

Swine manure fermentation for hydrogen production

Biohydrogen fermentation using liquid swine manure as substrate supplemented with glucose was investigated in this project. Experiments were conducted using a semi-continuously-fed fermenter (8 L in total volume and 4 L in working volume) with varying pHs from 4.7 through 5.9 under controlled temperature (35 ± 1 °C). The hydraulic retention time (HRT) tested include 16, 20, and 24 h; however, in two pH conditions (5.0 and 5.3), an additional HRT of 12 h was also tried. The experimental design combining HRT and pH provided insight on the fermenter performance in terms of hydrogen generation. The results indicated that both HRT and pH had profound influences on fermentative hydrogen productivity. A rising HRT would lead to greater variation in hydrogen concentration in the offgas and the best HRT was found to be 16 h for the fermenter in this study. The best pH value in correspondence to the highest hydrogen generation was revealed to be 5.0 among all the pHs studied. There was no obvious inhibition on hydrogen production by methanogenesis when methane content in the offgas was lower than 2%. Otherwise, an inverse linear relationship between hydrogen and methane content was observed with a correlation coefficient of 0.9699. Therefore, to increase hydrogen content in the offgas, methane production has to be limited to below 2%.     

基于Penman-Monteith模型的两个蒸散模型在夏玉米农田的参数修正及性能评价

利用涡度相关系统和小气象系统对2013—2015年夏玉米生长季的蒸散量和气象数据进行实时观测,基于观测数据对以Penman-Monteith模型为基础的FAO-PM模型和KP-PM模型进行分析:首先利用2013和2014年数据对两个模型中的关键参数进行校正,其次利用两个模型对2015年夏玉米农田的日蒸散量进行计算,并与测量值对比,说明两个模型在夏玉米农田的适用性;最后采用分阶段法对KP-PM模型中的经验系数进行修正.结果表明: FAO-PM模型对2015年夏玉米农田日蒸散量的计算值更加接近测量值;利用分阶段法对KP-PM模型进行修正后,模型对日蒸散量的计算效果有了很大提高,且计算值比FAO-PM模型更接近测量值.模型中关键系数与气象条件之间有很大关系,因此利用模型进行蒸散预测时,必须先对模型进行参数校正.该研究可为其他研究人员利用模型估算蒸散量提供方法上的参考.     

Threshold conditions for a diffusive model of a myelinated axon

This paper develops and uses comparison principles to study the time evolution of solutions to problems of the form (formula; see text) Such a system models an infinite myelinated axon with discrete, excitable nodes spaced unit distant apart.     

Bisexual branching processes to model extinction conditions for Y-linked genes

In a two-sex monogamic population, the evolution of the number of carriers of the two alleles of a Y-linked gene is considered. To this end, a multitype bisexual branching model is presented in which it is assumed that the gene has no influence on the mating process. It is deduced from this model that the average numbers of female and male descendants per mating unit constitute the key to determining the extinction or survival of each allele. Moreover, the destiny of each allele in the population is found not to depend on the behavior of the other.     

Aminoethylation in model peptides reveals conditions for maximizing thiol specificity

Control of pH in aminoethylation reactions is critical for maintaining high selectivity towards cysteine modification. Measurement of aminoethylation rate constants by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry demonstrates reaction selectivity of cysteine>amino-terminus>histidine. Lysine and methionine were not reactive at the conditions used. For thiol modification, the acid/base property of the gamma-thialysine residue measured by NMR results in a 1.15 decrease in pK(a) (relative to a lysine residue). NMR confirms ethylene imine is the reactive intermediate for alkylation of peptide nucleophiles with bromoethylamine. Conversion of bromoethylamine into ethylene imine prior to exposure to the target thiol, provides a reagent that promotes selectivity by allowing precise control of reaction pH. Reaction selectivity plots of relative aminoethylation rates for cysteine, histidine, and N-terminus imine demonstrate increasing alkaline conditions favors thiol modification. When applied to protein modification, the conversion of bromoethylamine into ethylene imine and buffering at alkaline pH will allow optimal cysteine residue aminoethylation.     

A queueing model for chronic recurrent conditions under panel observation

In many chronic conditions, subjects alternate between an active and an inactive state, and sojourns into the active state may involve multiple lesions, infections, or other recurrences with different times of onset and resolution. We present a biologically interpretable model of such chronic recurrent conditions based on a queueing process. The model has a birth-death process describing recurrences and a semi-Markov process describing the alternation between active and inactive states, and can be fit to panel data that provide only a binary assessment of the active or inactive state at a series of discrete time points using a hidden Markov approach. We accommodate individual heterogeneity and covariates using a random effects model, and simulate the posterior distribution of unknowns using a Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm. Application to a clinical trial of genital herpes shows how the method can characterize the biology of the disease and estimate treatment efficacy.     

Reliability of performance velocity for jump squats under feedback and nonfeedback conditions

Randell, AD, Cronin, JB, Keogh, JWL, Gill, ND, and Pedersen, MC. Reliability of performance velocity for jump squats under feedback and nonfeedback conditions. J Strength Cond Res 25(12): 3514-3518, 2011-Advancements in the monitoring of kinematic and kinetic variables during resistance training have resulted in the ability to continuously monitor performance and provide feedback during training. If equipment and software can provide reliable instantaneous feedback related to the variable of interest during training, it is thought that this may result in goal-oriented movement tasks that increase the likelihood of transference to on-field performance or at the very least improve the mechanical variable of interest. The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of performance velocity for jump squats under feedback and nonfeedback conditions over 3 consecutive training sessions. Twenty subjects were randomly allocated to a feedback or nonfeedback group, and each group performed a total of 3 "jump squat" training sessions with the velocity of each repetition measured using a linear position transducer. There was less change in mean velocities between sessions 1-2 and sessions 2-3 (0.07 and 0.02 vs. 0.13 and -0.04 m·s), less random variation (TE = 0.06 and 0.06 vs. 0.10 and 0.07 m·s) and greater consistency (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.83 and 0.87 vs. 0.53 and 0.74) between sessions for the feedback condition as compared to the nonfeedback condition. It was concluded that there is approximately a 50-50 probability that the provision of feedback was beneficial to the performance in the squat jump over multiple sessions. It is suggested that this has the potential for increasing transference to on-field performance or at the very least improving the mechanical variable of interest.