Forecasting model of bacterial leaf spot disease of mulberry caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. mori

In order to develop weather-based forecasting model of bacterial leaf spot (BLS) disease of mulberry caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. mori, weekly disease severity data were recorded for three years on the ruling cultivar S-1. Daily meteorological data viz. maximum temperature, minimum temperature, maximum relative humidity, minimum relative humidity, rainfall and number of rainy days were also recorded. It was observed that BLS appeared in April/May and continued up to November with maximum severity in July. The correlation coefficient between disease severity and meteorological parameters revealed that the BLS disease severity has significant positive correlation with minimum temperatures, maximum and minimum relative humidity, rainfall and number of rainy days and negative correlation with maximum temperature. Multiple regressions analysis revealed that average of maximum temperature, minimum temperature and rainfall of preceding seven days and maximum relative humidity, minimum relative humidity of previous 9–15 days was found to maximally influence BLS disease severity. The contribution of the meteorological factors was found to be highest of minimum temperature (40.65%) followed by maximum temperature (24.20%), maximum relative humidity (16.41%), minimum relative humidity (8.07%), rainfall (5.29%) and number of rainy days (5.38%).     

Effect of relative humidity of hot air on the heat resistance of Bacillus cereus spores

The heat resistance to hot air of spores of Bacillus cereus (ATCC 14579) attached to carriers of stainless steel or silicone rubber was investigated in a range from 1% to 100% relative humidity (RH). Apart from an initial stage, linear survivor curves were obtained for all relative humidities. Neither the attachment itself nor the material of the carrier had an influence on the resistance. A distinct maximum of heat resistance was found at 40% RH. At 122°C the rate constants at 40% RH were five orders of magnitude smaller than at 100% RH and two orders of magnitude smaller than at 1% RH. At relative humidities of more than 40% the rate constants were strongly temperature dependent, whereas at lower relative humidities they were less temperature dependent. No significant influence of the relative humidity on the Arrhenius activation energy was found within each humidity range. The mean values were 295 kJ mol^-1 for relative humidities of 60% to 100% RH and 165 kJ mol^-1 for 1% to 20% RH. The occurrence of a maximum is ascribed to the existence of two inactivation mechanisms, the first is retarded and the second is accelerated by a reduction of relative humidity. It is assumed that the first mechanism is a protein denaturation. The second mechanism may be an oxidative process.     

光周期和温湿度对烟蚜茧蜂寄生能力和繁殖的影响

【目的】烟蚜茧蜂Aphidius gifuensis对烟蚜Myzus persicae有着极高的寄生率,而被广泛用于烟田防治烟蚜。但在人工扩繁烟蚜茧蜂过程中,环境因素对烟蚜茧蜂的生长发育有一定影响。本研究旨在明确光周期、湿度和温度对烟蚜茧蜂在烟蚜上寄生力的影响。【方法】在室内分别调查温度25℃、相对湿度70%与4个光周期(9L∶15D,12L∶12D, 14L∶10D和19L∶5D)组合条件下,温度25℃、光周期14L∶10D与4个相对湿度(65%, 70%, 75%和80%)条件下,以及相对湿度70%、光周期14L∶10D与4个温度(10℃, 15℃, 25℃和35℃)组合条件下,烟蚜茧蜂成蜂对烟蚜若蚜的寄生率及成蜂羽化率、寿命、性比(雌性占比)和后足胫节长度。【结果】结果表明光照时间过长或过短均会对烟蚜茧蜂的生长发育造成负面影响。在温度25℃和相对湿度70%时,光周期14L∶10D下烟蚜茧蜂成蜂的体型最大,其成蜂后足胫节最长,为0.439 mm;光周期为12L∶12D下烟蚜茧蜂成蜂的体型最小,后足胫节长度只有0.345 mm;光周期14L∶10D下烟蚜茧蜂成蜂对烟蚜若蚜的寄生率、寿...     

红松阔叶混交林林隙光量子通量密度、气温和空气相对湿度的时空分布格局

以小兴安岭原始红松阔叶混交林林隙为研究对象,通过对林隙内光量子通量密度(PPFD)、气温和空气相对湿度进行连续观测,比较其间的时空分布格局.结果表明：晴天和阴天阔叶红松林林隙的PPFD日最大值均出现在11:00—13:00,晴天林隙内各个时段最大值出现位置不同,日最大值出现在林隙北侧林冠边缘处;而阴天各个时段最大值均处于林隙的中心.林隙内月平均PPFD 为6月最高、9月最低,极差7月最大.林隙内晴天气温的峰值出现在9:00—15:00,而阴天气温峰值在15：00—19：00,均位于林隙中心南8 m.5:00—9:00林隙各点阴天的气温都高于晴天,9:00—19:00则相反.月平均气温为6月最高、9月最低.晴天和阴天空气相对湿度的峰值均出现在5:00—9:00,日最大值在林隙西侧林冠边缘处,且阴天的相对湿度始终大于晴天.月平均相对湿度为7月最高、6月最低.晴天PPFD的异质性大于阴天,而气温和相对湿度的异质性则不明显.生长季内不同月份PPFD、气温和空气相对湿度的最大值所处位置不同.PPFD和气温的月均值在林隙中心及附近变化梯度较大,而相对湿度的月均值则在林隙边缘变化梯度较大.     

甘肃武威地区酿酒葡萄园叶蝉种群动态及其与气象因子的关系研究

为明确甘肃武威地区酿酒葡萄园叶蝉种群发生动态及其与气象因子之间的关系.连续2年应用黄板诱集法对酿酒葡萄园叶蝉种群动态进行定时定点监测;采用相关分析、回归分析、通径分析、主成分分析、灰色关联度等方法分析其与气象因子的关系.结果表明,酿酒葡萄园叶蝉一年有4个发生高峰,分别为5月底6月初、7月中旬、8月上中旬和9月中旬,5月...     

Epidemiology and prediction of brown leaf rust of mulberry caused by Peridiopsora mori

Brown leaf rust (BLR) caused by Peridiopsora mori is one of the major foliar diseases of mulberry (Morus sp.) in the subtropical hills of eastern India. The disease appeared in first week of August and continued up to September with maximum severity in second and third week of September. The disease symptoms appeared at atmospheric temperature (27.00–20.07°C), relative humidity (92.14–82.43%), rainfall (11.20 cm) and rainy days (7) of the preceding week. Disease severity (>50 PDI) was observed at temperature (26.29–19.29°C), relative humidity (94.14–80.14%), rainfall (4.12 cm) and number of rainy days (2–3 days). Apparent rate of infection was found high at temperature (27.00–19.83°C), relative humidity (94.67–85.00%), rainfall (4.6 cm) and rainy days (2) of the preceding week. The correlation coefficient between disease severity and average meteorological factors of the preceding 7 days revealed that BLR disease severity showed significant negative correlation with minimum temperature. It was also revealed that contribution of maximum and minimum temperature 42.23% and 35.21%, maximum and minimum relative humidity (RH) 11.23% and 10.69% and rainfall and number of rainy days 0.11% and 0.50%, respectively towards development of BLR disease severity. Multiple regression analysis revealed that average of maximum and minimum temperatures and minimum RH of preceding 7 days were found to maximally influence BLR disease severity.     

Development and Application of a Process Window for Achieving High-Quality Coating in a Fluidized Bed Coating Process

Next to the coating formulation, process conditions play important roles in determining coating quality. This study aims to develop an operational window that separates layering from agglomeration regimes and, furthermore, the one that leads to the best coating quality in a fluidized bed coater. The bed relative humidity and the droplet size of the coating aerosol were predicted using a set of engineering models. The coating quality was characterized using a quantitative image analysis method, which measures the coating thickness distribution, the total porosity, and the pore size in the coating. The layering regime can be achieved by performing the coating process at a certain excess of the viscous Stokes number (ΔSt _v). This excess is dependent on the given bed relative humidity and droplet size. The higher the bed relative humidity, the higher is the ΔSt _v required to keep the process in the layering regime. Further, it is shown that using bed relative humidity and droplet size alone is not enough to obtain constant coating quality. The changes in bed relative humidity and droplet size have been identified to correlate to the fractional area of particles sprayed per unit of time. This parameter can effectively serve as an additional parameter to be considered for a better control on the coating quality. High coating quality is shown to be achieved by performing the process close to saturation and spraying droplets small enough to obtain high spraying rate, but not too small to cause incomplete coverage of the core particles.     

Virus survival as a seasonal factor in influenza and poliomyelitis

Summary The influence of temperature and humidity on the survival of airborne viruses was studied in a static system. Preliminary experiments with a bacteriophage showed that relative humidity was more important than temperature and absolute humidity. The effect of relative humidity was not dependent on the composition of the medium surrounding the virus particles. The survival of influenza and poliomyelitis virus are sharply influenced by relative humidity but in an opposite way. Influenza virus survives much better at lower humidities, poliomyelitis virus at higher humidities. In countries with moderate climates the period of increasing morbility for influenza, in winter, coincides with indoor conditions of relative humidity which are optimal to virus survival. For poliomyelitis the same is true during summer (Fig. 7). Indoor relative humidity is considered an important “seasonal factor” in the epidemiology of poliomyelitis and influenza and probably of other diseases.     

The use of ZIP and CART to model cryptosporidiosis in relation to climatic variables

This research assesses the potential impact of weekly weather variability on the incidence of cryptosporidiosis disease using time series zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP) and classification and regression tree (CART) models. Data on weather variables, notified cryptosporidiosis cases and population size in Brisbane were supplied by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland Department of Health, and Australian Bureau of Statistics, respectively. Both time series ZIP and CART models show a clear association between weather variables (maximum temperature, relative humidity, rainfall and wind speed) and cryptosporidiosis disease. The time series CART models indicated that, when weekly maximum temperature exceeded 31°C and relative humidity was less than 63%, the relative risk of cryptosporidiosis rose by 13.64 (expected morbidity: 39.4; 95% confidence interval: 30.9–47.9). These findings may have applications as a decision support tool in planning disease control and risk-management programs for cryptosporidiosis disease.     

Disease forecasting model for newly emerging bacterial seed and boll rot of cotton disease and its vector (Dysdercus cingulatus)

Bacterial seed and boll rot disease is a newly emerging threat to the cotton growers. Disease prediction model was devised to predict the disease progression impacted by the vector (Dysdercus cingulatus) and environmental variables (maximum air temperature, minimum air temperature, relative humidity and rainfall) on four varieties to minimise its losses and disease management cost. Impact of a-biotic environmental variables (maximum and minimum air temperature, relative humidity and rainfall) was assessed on bacterial seed and rot of cotton disease and its vector (D. cingulatus) on FH-941, FH-942, MNH-886 and FH-114 cotton varieties. Maximum red cotton bug population was assessed at 29–31 °C maximum temperature and at 15–17 °C minimum temperature. Disease severity was noticed maximum when maximum and minimum temperature was measured at 28–29 °C and 13–14.5 °C, respectively. Vector population was maximum when relative humidity and rainfall were 63–66% and 1.50–2.5 mm, respectively. Relative humidity at 66–68% and 0.5–1.5 mm rainfall favoured disease development. With increase in number of bugs, increase in disease severity was noted, maximum disease severity 45–48% noticed when 7–8 bugs were recorded. Red cotton bug (Dysdercus cingulatus) population prediction model was devised based on a-biotic factors (maximum and minimum air temperature, relative humidity and rainfall) on four cotton varieties. Disease forecasting model was developed based on biotic (D. cingulatus) and a-biotic factors. A close resemblance between observed and the predicted red cotton bugs and disease severity was seen.     

Measurement of borate in occupational environments

The hydration stability for inhalable borate particles has been characterized as a function of temperature and relative humidity when collected by a field personnel monitor. The rate of hydration was measured for boric acid (B[OH]3); Neobor borax 5 mol (Na2O x 2B2O3 x 5H2O); borax 10 mol (Na2O x 2B2O3 x 10H2O); anhydrous boric acid (B2O3); and anhydrous borax (Na2O x 2B2O3). The particle size is large in bulk commercial products, such that they can be handled and stored without problems. However, inhalable dust particles, in the range of 20 microm (MMD), undergo hydration/dehydration rapidly owing to their high surface-to-volume ratio. The hydration state of a collected air sample was found to be strongly dependent on the conditions of relative humidity and temperature during its collection. As a consequence, the actual chemical species of dust being inspired cannot be identified accurately. Inhalable particles of borax 10 mol placed in a field personal monitoring cartridge and exposed to dry air at 2.0 L/min at 70 degrees F for 7 h undergo rapid dehydration, producing a sodium borate residue having significantly less than four waters of hydration. Likewise, inhalable particles of anhydrous boric acid and anhydrous borax were found to hydrate under normal atmospheric conditions. Borax 5 mol and boric acid were found to be stable to dehydration. In most cases, the specific borate species or borate compounds collected in a field monitor cannot be accurately characterized other than by their boron (B) content.     

Effect of abiotic factors on the burrow density of some sympatric field murids

The burrow density of sympatric murids in relation to various abiotic factorsviz. maximum and minimum atmospheric temperatures, relative humidity, soil temperature and soil moisture was studied in the agro-ecosystem of village Kakrod-Jind (Haryana) Analysis of monthly recorded data on burrow density revealed a biomodal patterni. e. a peak each during the months of September and March · Of these abiotic factors, soil moisture revealed significant positive correlation with the burrow density whereas relative humidity exhibited invariably the least interaction · However, path co-efficient analysis depicted the direct effects of soil temperature and soil moisture and indirect effect of maximum and minimum atmospheric temperature through soil temperature on the burrow density. The use of path co-efficient analysis in such studies has been suggested.     

气候变暖背景下杉木年轮密度对气候因子的响应

为探讨杉木年轮密度与气候因子的响应关系,采用树木年轮学方法,以60年生杉木种源林为研究对象,测定杉木整轮密度、早材密度、晚材密度、晚材最大密度和早材最小密度,分析在气候变暖条件下主要气候因子（温度、降水、相对湿度）对杉木年轮密度及其生长的影响。结果表明：杉木不同年轮密度指标均受到温度、降水和相对湿度的显著影响。早材密度与当年夏季最高温度、当年5月降水量,最大密度与当年10月、当年秋季降水量,最小密度与前一年秋季降水量、最小相对湿度呈显著负相关。滑动相关分析表明气候因子在短时间尺度上对杉木生长影响的稳定性有显著影响,其中杉木年轮最大密度与当年10月、秋季的平均相对湿度和最小相对湿度,最小密度与当年2、3月的平均相对湿度和前一年秋季的平均相对湿度、最小相对湿度、降水量的负相关关系最为稳定。杉木年轮最小密度对前一年气候要素的响应存在滞后效应,且晚材密度对当年春季的气候要素响应也存在滞后效应。研究结果对开展亚热带针叶树种年轮生态学和年轮气候学研究具有重要参考价值,建议选择武夷山的天然林获取更长年表用于重建古气候。     

Effects of suspension of air-conditioning on airtight-type racks.

Although isolation racks are superior to open-type racks in terms of securing breeding conditions for laboratory animals, the contingency-proofing capability of the former has yet to be determined. Therefore, from the view of risk management, we studied the environmental change in isolation racks by forcibly suspending ventilation and air-conditioning and confirming the maximal time length for complete recovery to the original condition after restarting their operations. The isolation racks were placed in a room that was equipped with an independent air-conditioning system. When the inside condition of the racks reached 22-24 degrees C and 59-64% of relative humidity, the air-conditioning and ventilation were forcibly suspended and the subsequent temperature, relative humidity, ammonium and CO2 concentrations in the racks were measured over time. We found that after suspending the air-conditioning and ventilation, it took 40-60 min for temperature, and about 10 min for relative humidity to exceed the maximum values (temperature and relative humidity) referred to in the Showa 58 Nenban Guideline Jikken Doubutsu Shisetsu no Kenchiku oyobi Setsubi (Guidelines of buildings and facilities for experimental animals in Japan; Year 1983 edition). After 17 hr 25 min of the suspension of air-conditioning and ventilation, two rats were found dead. Then, the air-conditioning and ventilation were restarted. It took about 2 hr for temperature, and 50 min for relative humidity to regain the guideline values. The ammonium concentration stayed within the guideline value with a maximum concentration of 2 ppm in the experimental period, whereas the CO2 concentration was found to exceed 9% at the time of animal death.     

Rapid laboratory evolution of adult wing area in Drosophila melanogaster in response to humidity

Abstract We examined the evolutionary response of wing area (a trait highly correlated with other measures of body size) to relative humidity (RH), temperature, and their interaction in Drosophila melanogaster , using replicated lines that had been allowed to evolve at low or high humidity at 18°C or at 25°C. We found that after 20 weeks of selection (5–10 generations), low RH lines had significantly greater wing areas than high RH lines in both sexes. This evolutionary response may have resulted from selection of larger flies with a smaller surface area for water loss relative to their weight, or as a correlated response to selection on some other unidentified trait. There were no evolutionary effects of temperature on wing area or cell density. This may have been due to the short duration of the selection experiment, and/or counteracting selection pressures on body size at warm temperature.     

Collective control of nest climate parameters in bumblebee colonies

We examined two aspects of the social control of nest climate in bumblebee colonies: which parameters of nest climate bumblebees actively down-regulate by fanning and the dynamics of the colony response as colony size increased. Colonies of Bombus terrestris were exposed to an increase in carbon dioxide, temperature or relative humidity. We performed 70 temperature trials (six colonies), 58 CO₂ trials (four colonies) and four humidity trials (two colonies). An increase in CO₂ concentration and temperature elicited a fanning response whereas an increase in relative humidity did not. This is the first report of fanning in bumblebee colonies to control respiratory gases. The number of fanning bees increased with stimulus intensity. The colony response to a CO₂ concentration of 3.2% was comparable to the colony response to a temperature of 30°C. A marked fanning response occurred at 1.6% CO₂, a concentration never exceeded in a large field nest during a pilot measurement of 10 days. We investigated the colony response over a wide range of colony sizes (between 10 and 119 workers). The proportion of the total workforce invested by colonies in nest ventilation did not change significantly; thus, the number of fanning workers increased with colony size. Furthermore, as colony size increased, the dynamics of the colony response changed: colonies responded faster to perturbations of their environment when they were large (60 or more individuals) than when they were small. Copyright 2002 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.     

Flight activity and colony strength in the stingless bee Melipona bicolor bicolor (Apidae, Meliponinae)

Flight activity of Melipona bicolor bicolor, coming from Cunha (23o05'S, 44o55'W), Atlantic Forest, was studied in ten colonies, and in two periods: from July to September 1993 and from August to September 1995. The colonies were grouped in weak, medium and strong, according to the diameter of the combs, which can provide a good idea of the number of cells built. 855 observations were accomplished for 5 minutes, every half-hour, from 8 to 18 hours. The total number of bees that entered and left the hive and the number of bees that arrived with mud, pollen and resin, besides the number that went out with debris in that period were counted. It was also registered the temperature and the relative humidity of the air. The total external activity, as well as pollen collection, was maximum in the first hours of the morning, mainly in strong colonies. Weak colonies moved their maximum activity approximately to 12 hours. Pollen collection declined gradually, while mud and resin collection rose; removal of debris was greater in the beginning of the morning and in the end of the afternoon. Flight activity increased as relative humidity of the air rose, being optimum for strong colonies in the range between 80%-89%, and for the weakest colonies between 70%-79%. The minimum temperature observed for exit of the bees was 11oC, with optimum temperatures ranging between 17oC and 22oC. The results showed that the general state of the colony influences the different strategies of food collection and that these bees should be adapted to environments of high relative humidity as the Atlantic forest.     

阔叶红松混交林林隙大小和掘根微立地对小气候的影响

在小兴安岭阔叶红松混交林2.55 hm²样地内,选取由掘根倒木形成且具有坑和丘微立地的3个代表性林隙,并以空旷地和郁闭林分为对照,利用多通道HOBO自动气象站于2011年7-9月测定了不同大小林隙中心和丘顶部的光合有效辐射(PAR)、气温、相对湿度以及林隙中心的总辐射和降水量,比较了不同月份不同大小林隙中心和丘顶部微气候因子的差异,分析了不同大小林隙中心微气候因子的月变化以及不同大小林隙在典型天气条件下林隙中心和丘顶部微气候因子的日变化.结果表明: 3个不同大小林隙的月均PAR和月均气温排序是大林隙>中林隙>小林隙,月均相对湿度排序是小林隙>中林隙>大林隙;同一林隙中,丘顶部月均PAR和月均气温大于林隙中心,月均相对湿度为林隙中心>丘顶部;不同大小林隙和对照月均总辐射与月均气温均为7月>8月>9月,空旷地>大林隙>中林隙>小林隙>郁闭林分,月均相对湿度为郁闭林分>小林隙>中林隙>大林隙>空旷地.郁闭林分与各林隙以及与空旷地之间的月均相对湿度差异均显著;7-9月总降水量按照空旷地、大林隙、中林隙、小林隙、郁闭林分的次序依次递减;无论晴天与阴天,丘顶部日均PAR和日均气温都大于林隙中心,日均相对湿度则相反;无论丘顶部还是林隙中心,晴天日均PAR和日均气温都大于阴天,日均相对湿度则为阴天>晴天.     

栽培条件下三叶木通茎藤生长与主要气候因子的关系研究

用11个不同产地的野生三叶木通(Akebia trifoliate)自然单株进行栽培试验,对其5个茎藤生长性状与5个气候因子进行了典型相关分析。结果表明:温度是影响三叶木通茎藤生长的第一要素,月平均气温和月有效积温与小区总茎藤总长度、单株主茎长度和小区茎藤材积相关性最强;月平均相对湿度和月日照是影响三叶木通茎藤生长的第二要素,表现出高湿少光有利于茎藤生长,低湿足光有利于茎藤萌梢。     

Seasonal Variations of Indoor Microbial Exposures and Their Relation to Temperature,Relative Humidity,and Air Exchange Rate

Indoor microbial exposure has been related to adverse pulmonary health effects. Exposure assessment is not standardized, and various factors may affect the measured exposure. The aim of this study was to investigate the seasonal variation of selected microbial exposures and their associations with temperature, relative humidity, and air exchange rates in Danish homes. Airborne inhalable dust was sampled in five Danish homes throughout the four seasons of 1 year (indoors, n = 127; outdoors, n = 37). Measurements included culturable fungi and bacteria, endotoxin, N-acetyl-beta-d-glucosaminidase, total inflammatory potential, particles (0.75 to 15 μm), temperature, relative humidity, and air exchange rates. Significant seasonal variation was found for all indoor microbial exposures, excluding endotoxin. Indoor fungi peaked in summer (median, 235 CFU/m³) and were lowest in winter (median, 26 CFU/m³). Indoor bacteria peaked in spring (median, 2,165 CFU/m³) and were lowest in summer (median, 240 CFU/m³). Concentrations of fungi were predominately higher outdoors than indoors, whereas bacteria, endotoxin, and inhalable dust concentrations were highest indoors. Bacteria and endotoxin correlated with the mass of inhalable dust and number of particles. Temperature and air exchange rates were positively associated with fungi and N-acetyl-beta-d-glucosaminidase and negatively with bacteria and the total inflammatory potential. Although temperature, relative humidity, and air exchange rates were significantly associated with several indoor microbial exposures, they could not fully explain the observed seasonal variations when tested in a mixed statistical model. In conclusion, the season significantly affects indoor microbial exposures, which are influenced by temperature, relative humidity, and air exchange rates.