The effects of sodium reduction on the mechanical properties of doughs made from flours with a range of strengths using a mixograph

To devise strategies for meeting Health Canada's target for reduced-sodium bread production, relationships between dough formula (i.e., red spring wheat flour, salt (NaCl) and water content) and dough mechanical properties were examined. Mixograph energy to peak (ETP), peak height (PKH), and peak bandwidth (PBW) were used to define changes in the properties of doughs induced by sodium reduction. ETP measurements indicated that dough strength characteristics were less responsive to sodium reduction as water content was increased. ETP was a good indicator of the cultivar-dependent response of doughs to sodium reduction, with doughs made from stronger flours being more sensitive to sodium reduction. According to ETP results, sodium reduction led to a decrease in flour strength discrimination. Sodium reduction at NaCl contents below ~1.5% led to more obvious changes in dough mixing characteristics (indicated by the ratio of PBW to PKH). Mixograph analyses of dough tolerance to sodium reduction will guide wheat breeding programs to select cultivars suitable for reduced sodium breadmaking.     

阴山北麓不同林分类型土壤持水性能研究

为分析阴山北麓内蒙古武川县林地持水量和固持水土的能力，以当地柠条、油松、沙棘、油松×柠条混交林、沙棘×柠条混交林5种典型人工林林分类型为研究对象，测定了土壤物理性质、土壤水分入渗以及水分贮存特征值等指标。结果表明：不同林分类型的土壤物理特征存在显著差异（P＜0.05）。容重表现为沙棘最大（1.452 g·cm-3），油松最小（1.042 g·cm-3）；非毛管孔隙度的排序为油松＞油松×柠条混交林＞沙棘×柠条混交林＞沙棘＞柠条。各林分达到稳渗的速率与非毛管孔隙度的排序相一致，各样地的稳渗速率在0.47~1.32 mm·min-1之间，土壤入渗回归方程拟合效果较好。只有油松纯林和油松×柠条混交林更接近考斯加柯夫公式中的系数1/2。混交林地比纯林地对水分的贮存能力高，而油松×柠条乔灌木混交林比沙棘×柠条灌木混交林的最大持水量高112.8 t·hm-2。在阴山北麓地带更适合种植油松×柠条类的乔灌木混交林，乔灌木混交林能更加有效地提高林地持水功能。     

基于ANSYS Workbench的自走式农机底盘的优化设计

针对丘陵山区地块面积小、农机底盘作业转向难的问题，设计了转向灵活、转弯半径小的摆转转向底盘。底盘由转向装置、浮动装置、液压系统、发动机，前桥、后桥、控制系统、PTO输出等组成，采用水冷系统以及CVT无级变速的汽油发动机与液压系统结合，实现底盘的动力匹配；通过ANSYS Workbench构建摆转转向底盘前桥、后桥、整体机构的力学模型，分析各机构不同状态下的变形参数的变化趋势，并对底盘机构易于损坏的部位进行优化。结果表明：前桥转向机构附近的配件对前桥的变形影响较大，采用5 mm厚度方钢的前桥结构变形量为0.85 mm，优化后的前桥所安装的配件采用模块化分配，使用10 mm以上方钢加工制作，保证前桥变形量稳定控制在0.3~1.0 mm；优化后的底盘后桥最大等效应力为14 MPa，变形量为0.25 mm，分别较优化前降低了33.33%和28.57%，机架的结构稳定性得到改善。通过压力测试仪器对实物平台的测试，底盘在行驶过程中的压力变化曲线平稳，启动和停止阶段所受的压力在可控制的范围内；底盘的行驶直线度、偏驶率均低于1%，且不受底盘载重的影响。     

串联式混合动力拖拉机分动箱的设计与试验

设计的串联式混合动力分动箱由输入轴、中间轴、输出轴以及轴上齿轮和一对滑移齿轮组成。为减小分动箱体积,同时满足配套旋耕机较大耕深需求,在满足结构、强度、刚度等约束条件下,以分动箱总中心距和齿轮总体积最小为目标函数,建立了分动箱参数优化的数学模型。采用基于改进粒子群算法(PSO)的参数优化策略,优化结果表明,与基本粒子群算法相比,改进后的粒子群算法在收敛速度和收敛精度方面均有明显提高,改进后的齿轮总体积减小了2.9%,优化精度提高了1.5%。分动箱运动学仿真及试验结果表明,优化后的分动箱动力输出轴(PTO)动力性能符合要求,能够满足配套旋耕机的工作要求。     

Effects of dietary Bacillus pumilus on growth performance,innate immunity and digestive enzymes of giant freshwater prawns (Macrobrachium rosenbergii)

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of Bacillus pumilus on the growth performance, innate immunity and digestive enzymes of the giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii. Prawns (mean weight: 1.81 ± 0.01 g) were fed different levels of B. pumilus at doses of 0, 1 × 10⁷, 1 × 10⁸ and 1 × 10⁹ CFU/g to produce one control group and three experimental groups (G1, G2 and G3), respectively. After a 60‐day experimental feeding period, the results showed that the final weight, weight gain rate (WGR) and specific growth rate (SGR) were significantly higher in experimental groups than in the control (p < 0.05), whereas these improvements did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) among experimental groups. The improvements in phagocytic activity, respiratory burst (RBs) activity and the activity of catalase (CAT), nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and acid phosphatase (ACP) were significantly higher in G2 and G3 than in the control and G1 (p < 0.05). Further, the activity of CAT, NOS and ACP significantly increased with an increase in the dietary level of B. pumilus (p < 0.05). The activity of phenoloxidase (PO) in G3 was significantly higher than that in the control (p < 0.05). The activity of amylase was significantly higher in the groups G2 and G3 than that in the control group. G3 improved the activity of protease compared with the control (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the results of this study indicated that the potential use of B. pumilusat a dose of 1 × 10⁸ CFU/g feed could improve the growth, immunity and digestive enzymes of M. rosenbergii.     

Analysis of sinking death using video images of the swimming performance of Pacific Bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) larvae

In this study, we aimed to clarify the mechanism of sinking death during the larval stage of Pacific Bluefin tuna Thunnus orientalis by investigating the effects of swimming performance on sinking death, using a behavioral approach. Swimming performance was examined 3–9 days after hatching (DAH) under day and night light conditions in cuboid experimental tanks. Swimming behavior variables such as swimming speed and swimming angle were measured under both light conditions. Larvae in the daytime experiment and larvae with inflated swim bladders at night were distributed on the surface layer of the water column. In contrast, larvae with uninflated swim bladders at night were frequently observed swimming vertically or sinking to the bottom of the tank. Larvae with inflated swim bladders at night were always distributed beneath the surface until the next morning (survival rates were 100 %). However, larvae with uninflated swim bladders at night swam upward repeatedly and later sank to the bottom of the tank (survival rates were 60 % and 38 % at 5 and 9 DAH, respectively). Larvae with uninflated swim bladders were not always able to maintain their swimming depth by swimming until the next morning. Additionally, their swimming speed and vertical swimming frequency (ratio) depended on the illumination and swim bladder conditions. Our findings show that larvae with uninflated swim bladders at night were associated with a higher risk of sinking death. The swimming energy capacity of Pacific Bluefin tuna larvae, which indicates the total amount of the energy that enables individuals to swim throughout the night without feeding, was found to be linked to sinking death.