Ploughing behaviour of Babyrousa babyrussa, (Suidae, Mammalia) suggests a scent-marking function

A unique form of behaviour,'ploughing behaviour', was studied in experiments carried out on 13 babirusa, three adult males, two sub-adult males, five adult females and three sub-adult females. Ploughing behaviour was observed when individual animals were introduced singly into empty sand-filled enclosures at Antwerp Zoo. The animal put its snout into the sand to such a depth that the sand was just in front of its eyes, whereupon it knelt and slid forward on to its chest. The head and chest of the animal were thereby pushed forward through the sand and canted left and right alternately. Ploughing behaviour was almost exclusively performed by adult males, the periods of longest duration being seen either in the enclosure of another male or in a freshly cleaned enclosure. The copious amounts of saliva which were produced as foam at the sides of the mouth prior to ploughing had disappeared by the end of this activity. This supports the idea that ploughing by the babirusa has a scent-marking function. The adult female did not show ploughing behaviour.     

Kinetic study of gill epithelium permeability to water diffusion in the fresh water trout,Salmo gairdneri: Effect of adrenaline

Summary Using isolated head perfused at constant flow rates, close to those occurringin vivo, the movement of tritiated water through the gill epithelium of the trout,Salmo gairdneri was studied.The analysis of the curves of loading and unloading of tritiated water between the gill epithelium and the external and internal media shows two exponentials with different slopes in each medium. As the rapid exponentials have identical slopes, the external medium, the gill epithelium, and the perfusion medium constitute a system of three compartments in series for water exchanges. The kinetic analysis of rapid exponentials allowed us to calculate the characteristics of water movement through the apical and basal membrane and the size of the pool of water participating in the exchange mechanism.When the trout head is perfused without adrenaline, the permeability of the apical membrane to water is about 8 times higher than that of the basal membrane, the latter constituting the limiting factor for water diffusion.When the trout head is perfused with a perfusion medium containing 10^–5 m adrenaline this hormone produces a double action: it leads to a comparable increase in the permeability of both the apical and basal membranes and also increases the size of the water transport pool by a factor of four.     

An improved procedure for the cultivation and in situ chromosome preparation of monolayer cell cultures

A method for the cultivation of monolayer cell cultures on microslides in quadruple culture dishes together with a simple procedure for in situ chromosome preparation are described. The cells fixed to the slide can be stained according to standard procedures and analysed microscopically. The method is simple, rapid and reliable and provides many advantages especially for cytogenetic diagnostics with fibroblasts and amniotic fluid cells. It simplifies the performance of cytogenetic mutagenicity testing with primary cultures and permanent cell lines, e.g. the analysis of chromosome aberrations, sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) and induced aneuploidy, as well as large-scale cytogenetic experiments.     

Free Convection in a Parallelogrammic Porous Cavity Filled with a Nanofluid Using Tiwari and Das’ Nanofluid Model

The free convection heat transfer of Cu-water nanofluids in a parallelogrammic enclosure filled with porous media is numerically analyzed. The bottom and top of the enclosure are insulated while the sidewalls are subject to limited temperature difference. The Darcy flow and the Tiwari and Das’ nanofluid models are considered. The governing dimensionless partial differential equations are numerically solved using a finite difference code. The results are reported for isotherms and streamlines as well as Nusselt number as a function of the volume fraction of nanoparticles, porosity, types of the porous matrix, inclination angle, aspect ratio and different Rayleigh numbers. It is found that the presence of the nanoparticles inside the enclosure deteriorates the heat transfer rate, which is caused due to the increase of dynamic viscosity by the presence of nanoparticles. Therefore, in applications in which the nanofluids are used for their advantages, such as enhanced dielectric properties or antibacterial properties, more caution for the heat transfer design of the enclosure is necessary.     

Crystal structure of the receptor-binding protein head domain from Lactococcus lactis phage bIL170

Lactococcus lactis, a gram-positive bacterium widely used by the dairy industry, is subject to lytic phage infections. In the first step of infection, phages recognize the host saccharidic receptor using their receptor binding protein (RBP). Here, we report the 2.30-A-resolution crystal structure of the RBP head domain from phage bIL170. The structure of the head monomer is remarkably close to those of other lactococcal phages, p2 and TP901-1, despite any sequence identity with them. The knowledge of the three-dimensional structures of three RBPs gives a better insight into the module exchanges which have occurred among phages.     

Behavioral interaction in social-deprivation-reared Macaca mulatta: effects of cerebellar lesions on aggressive and afiliative behaviors.

Maintaining isolation-reared adult female Macaca mulatta in a group enclosure resulted in rapid resocialization. The influence of cerebellar lesions on social behaviors was most marked on aggressive interactions and cage stereotype pacing and circling.     

退化柞蚕林封育对枯落物和表层土壤持水效能的影响

柞蚕林是辽东山区退化最严重的森林类型之一,因多年反复刈割导致生长逐渐衰退、更新能力下降,局部出现空地甚至土壤开始砂化,涵养水源和保持水土等生态功能明显降低。以辽东山区的退化柞蚕林为研究对象,分析了在封育9、12、21a后森林的枯落物及表层土壤持水效能。结果表明:退化柞蚕林经过封育恢复后,封育恢复时间越长,林地枯落物累积量增加的越显著,枯落物持水能力和有效拦蓄降雨能力提高也越明显。对照(未封育)、封育9、12、21a柞蚕林枯落物储量分别为3.69、7.92、8.41 t/hm~2和8.74 t/hm~2;最大持水量分别为6.23、14.71、15.81 t/hm~2和17.18 t/hm~2,有效拦蓄量分别为4.78、10.87、11.70、12.78 t/hm~2。枯落物持水量与浸水时间存在显著的相关关系(P0.001),自然对数模型模拟拟合效果最好(R~20.9)。退化柞蚕林经过封育恢复后,表层土壤水文物理性质的改善随着封育恢复时间的增加而越来越明显,封育9、12和21年柞蚕林表层土壤容重分别比对照退化柞蚕林降低了5.51%、12.60%、17.32%,毛管持水量分别增加了7.01%、28.98%、54.83%,非毛管持水量分别增加了46.14%、126.19%、187.19%。本研究结果说明退化柞蚕林封育能够通过提高其林地枯落物和改善土壤物理性质,增加表层土壤持水效能,对恢复和改善退化柞蚕林地的生态环境、恢复森林生产力具有重要作用。     

Die neue Flamingo-Anlage im NaturZoo Rheine

In spring 2006 NaturZoo Rheine opened a new enclosure for a colony of currently some 88 Chilean flamingos (Phoenicopterus chilensis). The zoo keeps flamingos for 40 years. First successful breeding happened in 1981 and from this time on regularly. So in this way the old enclosure proved to be succesful. However it has lost of appeal and there was also need for technical improvement.The new enclosure incorporates features which give the flamingos a wide variety of behavioural stimulations with such of design which tear the visitors` attention much more than in the past.For the first time a kind of fencing made of 6 m high street-lamp poles with a soft netting tightened in between was used in order to keep also full-flighted flamingos in an open-topped exhibit.The article describes in detail the new enclosure. Comprehensive experiences made over the first year in function - some parts of the enclosure are working even longer - are added.     

Influences of head positions and bite opening on collapsibility of the passive pharynx.

A collapsible tube surrounded by soft material within a rigid box was proposed as a two-dimensional mechanical model for the pharyngeal airway. This model predicts that changes in the box size (pharyngeal bony enclosure size anatomically defined as cross-sectional area bounded by the inside edge of bony structures such as the mandible, maxilla, and spine, and being perpendicular to the airway) influence patency of the tube. We examined whether changes in the bony enclosure size either with head positioning or bite opening influence collapsibility of the pharyngeal airway. Static mechanical properties of the passive pharynx were evaluated in anesthetized, paralyzed patients with sleep-disordered breathing before and during neck extension with bite closure (n = 11), neck flexion with bite closure (n = 9), and neutral neck position with bite opening (n = 11). Neck extension significantly increased maximum oropharyngeal airway size and decreased closing pressures of the velopharynx and oropharynx. Notably, neck extension significantly decreased compliance of the oropharyngeal airway wall. Neck flexion and bite opening decreased maximum oropharyngeal airway size and increased closing pressure of the velopharynx and oropharynx. Our results indicate the importance of neck and mandibular position for determining patency and collapsibility of the passive pharynx.     

Predator inspection,shoaling and foraging under predation hazard in the Trinidadian guppy,Poecilia reticulata

Synopsis Guppies,Poecilia reticulata, living in stream pools in Trinidad, West Indies, approached a potential fish predator (a cichlid fish model) in a tentative, saltatory manner, mainly as singletons or in pairs. Such behavior is referred to as predator inspection behavior. Inspectors approached the trunk and tail of the predator model more frequently, more closely and in larger groups than they approached the predator's head, which is presumably the most dangerous area around the predator. However, guppies were not observed in significantly larger shoals in the stream when the predator model was present. In a stream enclosure, guppies inspected the predator model more frequently when it was stationary compared to when it was moving, and made closer inspections to the posterior regions of the predator than to its head. Therefore, the guppies apparently regarded the predator model as a potential threat and modified their behavior accordingly when inspecting it. Guppies exhibited a lower feeding rate in the presence of the predator, suggesting a trade-off between foraging gains and safety against predation. Our results further suggest that predator inspection behavior may account for some of this reduction in foraging. These findings are discussed in the context of the benefits and costs of predator inspection behavior.     

The relationship of male-male mounting to mate choice and sexual performance in male dairy goats

Rearing of male farm animals in unisexual groups has been implicated as a factor contributing to the failure of many males to breed as adults. The present study examines the relationship of male-male mounting in yearling dairy goats to subsequent mate preferences and sexual performance.Twenty-four sexually inexperienced male dairy goats, representing the Alpine, LaMancha, Saanen and Toggenburg breeds, were observed for male-male mounting in their home enclosure and then tested for mate choice and sexual performance when exposed to male and female (estrous and diestrous) stimulus animals. Their sexual behavior was compared with 7 adult goats with previous breeding experience.In the mate choice-sexual performance tests, 4 sexually inexperienced goats (17%) were sexually inactive, 6 (25%) mounted both male and female stimulus animals and 14 (58%) mounted only the female stimuli. Mate choice and sexual performance of the 20 sexually active males was not related to the number of male-male mounts initiated or the number of different males mounted in their home enclosure. However, the goats that received the greatest number of mounts in their home pen tended to be bisexual (would mount both male and female stimulus animals) in the mate choice tests. Males that were sexually inactive in mate choice-sexual performance tests repeatedly mounted the same male during home pen observations. Except for ejaculation frequency, the sexual performance of the sexually naive and experienced goats was similar. Goats of the Saanen breed were favored recipients of mounts from other males. There was no relationship between the number of male-male mounts performed and received.It was hypothesized that the reproductive failure of many male farm animals reared in all-male groups may be more closely related to the formation of specific sexual attachments to other males rather than the frequency with which they exhibit homosexual behaviors.     

Isotope exchange at equilibrium studies with rat muscle adenylosuccinate synthetase

The kinetic mechanism of rat muscle adenylosuccinate synthetase was studied by determining the rates of isotope exchange at equilibrium. A random sequential binding mechanism was indicated for both the forward and reverse reactions. Aspartate, adenylosuccinate, GDP, and Pi were determined to bind in rapid equilibrium. GTP exchanges with both GDP and Pi at the same rate, which is similar to the exchange rate of IMP with adenylosuccinate. Aspartate exchanges with adenylosuccinate at a higher rate than does IMP over the range of concentrations tested. The slower IMP and GTP exchange rates suggest a forward binding mechanism containing a preferred path in which the quaternary complex is most often formed by aspartate binding to the E-GTP-IMP complex. This preferred path is consistent with an interaction between IMP and GTP in the absence of aspartate as determined by isotope scrambling experiments [Bass, M. B., Fromm, H. J., & Rudolph, F. B. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 12330-12333]. However, the products of such an interaction are tightly bound to the enzyme as no partial exchange reactions between adenylosuccinate and aspartate in the presence or absence of Pi were detected.     

Evaluation method of artificial acoustical environment: visualization of sound intensity

Recent development of sound reproduction systems such as 5.1 surround produces artificial sound field inside the enclosure. The acoustic characteristic of the enclosure is an important factor which determines the quality of the sound field reproduction. This paper provides a useful method for evaluating the characteristics of the sound field in the enclosed space. The proposed method is based on the visualization of the measured sound intensity. In this research, the sound intensity is obtained by measuring the impulse responses from the sound source to the receiving points. The direction and the strength of the intensity can be interpreted as having a strong correlation with the reflected sound from the corresponding direction. The proposed method thus projects that information, i.e., the arriving direction and the strength of the intensity, as the circle having appropriate radius onto the surface of the rectangular wire-frame box. This visualization makes it easy to grasp the fundamental characteristics of the reflections in the enclosure.     

The relationship between the levels of DNA-hydrocarbon adducts and the formation of sister-chromatid exchanges in Chinese hamster ovary cells treated with derivatives of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

The frequencies of the induction of sister-chromatid exchanges and the levels of deoxyribonucleoside-hydrocarbon adducts formed in Chinese hamster ovary cells that had been treated with either dihydrodiols or a diol-epoxide derived from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were determined. Up to 6-fold increases in the incidence of these exchanges were observed when the cells were treated either with the dihydrodiols, trans-3,4-dihydro-3,4-dihydroxy-7-methylbenz[a]anthracene,trans-7,8-dihydro-7,8-dihydroxybenzo[a]pyrene or the diol-epoxide, (±)-r-7, t-8dihydroxy-t-9,10-oxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a] pyrene but when the cells were transferred to media free of these compounds, there were rapid reductions in the frequency of these exchanges. When the exchanges were induced by the diol-epoxide, the decreases in frequency were paralleled by decreases in the levels of deoxyribonucleoside-diol-epoxide adducts that were present in hydrolysates of DNA isolated from the cells. There thus appears to be a close relationship between the frequency of sister-chromatid exchanges and the levels of deoxyribonucleoside-diol-epoxide adduct formation.     

What is geometric information and how do animals use it?

Unlike investigations of animals’ use of spatial cues such as landmarks, studies of sensitivity to the geometry of surfaces in an enclosure have proceeded mostly as an attempt to explain a laboratory finding with few direct tests of how animals use such a cue in nature. In this brief review, I discuss the current debate over whether global or local information from the enclosure drives the typical rotational error pattern in such studies. A consideration of the form and function of geometric cues in natural settings suggests that the natural boundaries for which arena walls are considered analogous might better be thought as landmarks. With a clearer picture of what geometric information is and how it might be used in nature, the generality of findings from laboratory studies of geometry enclosure can be better assessed.     

Emergy evaluation of the impact of waste exchanges on the sustainability of industrial systems

Emergy evaluation provided global performance indicators that were used to assess the impact of waste exchanges on the sustainability of a sulfuric acid production system (SAPS) and a titanium dioxide production system (TDPS) in Pan-zhi-hua City, China. Impact of emissions was quantified in terms of emergy and integrated into the classic emergy-based indicators. Results show that waste exchanges improve the sustainability of the two systems, although the SAPS benefits more from the waste exchanges than the TDPS from an economic perspective however, the impact of emissions reduces their sustainability to some degree. This study creates awareness and brings new insight to the gains achieved with resource recovery from waste in the interrelated industrial systems, which is derived from the mutualism relationship existing in natural ecosystems. Finally, this paper puts forward some corresponding suggestions.     

A simple water sampler, and a chamber for in situ incubation of plankton samples at discrete depths

• 1 A simple water sampler and an incubation chamber are presented. The water sampler is simpler in construction than the Ruttner sampler and other comparable devices. In addition to enclosure of water at a discrete depth, the incubation chamber releases a radioisotope or other substance of experimental interest into the sample.
• 2 Tests of performance are presented, demonstrating efficiency in enclosure of water from discrete depths, and time course of mixing of a tracer into the sample after activation of the release mechanism.

     

围封10年对荒漠草原群落物种多样性与优势种空间分布格局的影响

围封是修复退化草原生态系统的主要措施之一,科学与优化围封方式是目前草地资源管理中急需解决的科学问题。以内蒙古围栏封育10年和未围封的荒漠草原为研究对象,分析围封和未围封对内蒙古荒漠草原群落物种多样性和优势种空间分布格局的影响,旨在为荒漠草原的恢复与重建提供科学依据。结果显示:(1)围封10年显著提高了荒漠草原的植被盖度、密度、高度和地上生物量;(2)围封10年对Margalef多样性指数、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Simpson丰富度指数和Pielou均匀度指数无显著影响,但围封均低于未围封样地;(3)围封10年对优势种短花针茅(Stipa breviflora)及糙隐子草(Cleistogenes squarrosa)的空间分布格局有较为显著的影响,与未围封相比围封后糙隐子草的分布格局变得单一,短花针茅分布格局变得多样。总体看来,围封10年后,荒漠草原群落物种组成、物种优势度和优势种的空间分布格局均发生一定程度变化,反映出围封后草地生态系统中植物适应其生存环境的策略,围封方式应根据立地条件,科学制定围封年限以达到较好的生态恢复效果。     

基于双模型融合的大熊猫头部图像分割

在大熊猫(Ailuropoda melanoleuca)的迁地保护和种群饲养管理中,及时、快速地进行个体识别和行为监测,对其健康管理具有至关重要的作用。圈养大熊猫健康状况通常由专门的饲养人员肉眼观测,人力成本高、效率低并且缺乏时效性。基于图像的动物个体识别与行为分析技术效率高、时间成本低,已经成为新的监测发展趋势。已有研究提出,通过大熊猫面部图像的检测和分析,可实现个体识别和行为分类。但该方法依然存在检测精度不足导致识别准确率难以提升的问题。本文提出一种基于YOLOv3和Mask R-CNN的双模型融合方法,实现了大熊猫头部图像分割和精准检测。包含3个部分：YOLOv3完成头部检测,Mask R-CNN完成大熊猫轮廓分割,然后将两个模型的输出进行交并比融合。结果显示,头部检测准确率为82.6%,大熊猫轮廓分割准确率为95.2%,总体头部轮廓分割准确率为87.1%。该方法对大熊猫头部图像的识别率和分割准确率高,为大熊猫的个体识别、性别分类提供了帮助,为行为分析提供了技术参考。