Frequency and severity of injuries to operators during overturns of farm tractors

Previous estimates of operator death from farm tractor overturn events range from 0.03 to 0.68. This study provided population-based estimates of the denominator of total farm tractor overturns and the frequency of six classes of overturn injury outcomes for tractors with and without rollover protective structures (ROPS). A 40-item telephone survey collected information from a random sample of 6,063 (8.0%) Kentucky farms about each farm's most recent overturn. A total of 551 (9.1%) farms reported overturns, and 5,512 (90.1%) reported no overturns. Injury outcomes for 443 overturns of non-ROPS tractors and 89 ROPS tractors were distributed as follows: no or minor injury (non-ROPS: 70.43%; ROPS: 82.02%), outpatient treatment (non-ROPS: 21.90%; ROPS: 9.00%), hospital admission (non-ROPS: 15.35%; ROPS: 3.37%), temporary disability (non-ROPS: 13.54%; ROPS: 14.61%), permanent disability (non-ROPS: 3.16%; ROPS: 0.00%), and death (non-ROPS: 5.42%; ROPS: 1.12%). (Percents total to more than 100 because some operators treated as outpatients were subsequently hospitalized, disabled, or died.) The observed 0.054 probability of death from overturn of non-ROPS tractors in this sample was corrected for the proportion of farms that went out of business prior to the survey and thus were excluded from the sampling frame. The adjusted 0.08 probability of death from overturn of a non-ROPS tractor is five times smaller than the NIOSH estimate of 0.40. The discrepancy lies in the much larger denominator of all non-fatal and fatal overturns than assumed previously.     

Factors influencing the norharman and harman contents in espresso coffee

Espresso coffee (EC) brews were analyzed for beta-carboline [norharman (NH) and harman (H)] contents, by RP-HPLC with fluorescence detection. The influence of the coffee species (arabica or robusta), the roast degree, and the brew length was studied. The results show that the content of NH and H in EC is dependent primarily on the coffee species, followed by brew length. The roast degree has only a minor influence on the final content of NH and H in EC. When compared with other coffee brews, EC has an amount of these beta-carbolines (in micrograms per liter) similar to that of mocha coffee, both being more concentrated than filter and press-pot coffees. Therefore, the consumer's preferences will determine the amount of NH and H ingested daily. For the caffeinated 30 mL of EC, the arabica coffees contain about 4.08 microg of NH and 1.54 microg of H. Commercial blends (usually with a maximum of 30% robusta) range from the cited arabica values to 10.37 microg of NH and 4.35 microg of H.     

Factors influencing the dispersion and fragmentation of endangered mountain caribou populations

Mountain caribou, an ecotype of woodland caribou, are endangered due to the loss and fragmentation of old forests on which they depend. However, a wider array of natural and human factors may limit caribou persistence and isolate populations, and understanding these may help to stop or reverse population declines by forecasting risk and targeting core habitat areas and key linkages for protection, enhancement or restoration. Across most of the historic range of mountain caribou, we conducted a bi-level analysis to evaluate factors related to the persistence of, and landscape occupancy within, remaining subpopulations. We used caribou location data from 235 radio-collared animals across 13 subpopulations to derive a landscape occupancy index, while accounting for inherent sampling biases. We analyzed this index against 33 landscape variables of forest overstory, land cover, terrain, climate, and human influence. At the metapopulation level, the persistence of subpopulations relative to historic range was explained by the extent of wet and very wet climatic conditions, the distribution of both old (>140 yr) forests, particularly of cedar and hemlock composition, and alpine areas. Other important factors were remoteness from human presence, low road density, and little motorized access. At the subpopulation level, the relative intensity of caribou landscape occupancy within subpopulation bounds was explained by the distribution of old cedar/hemlock and spruce/subalpine fir forests and the lack of deciduous forests. Other factors impeding population contiguity were icefields, non-forested alpine, hydro reservoirs, extensive road networks, and primary highway routes. Model outputs at both levels were combined to predict the potential for mountain caribou population persistence, isolation, and restoration. We combined this output with the original occupancy index to gauge the potential vulnerability of caribou to extirpation within landscapes known to have recently supported animals. We discuss implications as they pertain to range-wide caribou population connectivity and conservation.     

花生根、茎中白藜芦醇含量影响因素

为了获得含白藜芦醇较多的花生根、茎作为提取白藜芦醇的原料。该文考察了华东不同地区、不同品种、不同采收时间以及采后存放、提取环境对花生根、茎中的白藜芦醇含量的影响。结果表明:白藜芦醇富集在花生根表皮,木质部含量较少;不同生长环境、不同品种对花生中白藜芦醇的含量影响较大;同一品种,采收时间越晚,白藜芦醇含量越高。采收后的花生根霉变会提高其中的白藜芦醇含量;花生中白藜芦醇在酸性条件下较为稳定,而碱性条件下易变性。采用合适品种的晚收花生根在酸性条件下提取可得到白藜芦醇含量较高的原料。     

Urea hydrolysis in soils: Factors influencing the effectiveness of phenylphosphorodiamidate as a retardant

Studies to determine the factors influencing the effectiveness of phenylphosphorodiamidate (PPD) to retard urea hydrolysis in soils showed that the inhibitory effect of PPD on hydrolysis of urea by soil urease increased markedly with the amount of PPD added and decreased markedly with time and with increase in temperature from 10 to 40°C. They also showed that the ability of PPD to retard urea hydrolysis in 15 surface soils selected to obtain a wide range in properties was significantly correlated with organic C content (r = ?0.68⁷), total N content (r = ?0.74⁷), cation-exchange capacity (r = ?0.65⁷), sand content (r=0.66⁷), clay content (r = ?0.64⁷) and surface area (r = ?0.60¹), but was not significantly correlated with pH, silt content, urease activity or CaCO₃ equivalent. Multiple-regression analyses indicated that the effectiveness of PPD to retard urea hydrolysis in soils tends to increase with decrease in soil organic-matter content.     

Factors influencing the stability of labelled microbial materials in soils

The effect of freshly added substrate on carbon turnover of a microbial population and the priming action on stabilized soil organic constituents were investigated in the laboratory. ¹³C-labelled glucose. NH₄NO₃, or both were added to samples of a Brown Chernozemic soil which had been initially amended with ¹⁴C-glucose and incubated 2 months under field conditions. At the end of 14 days laboratory incubation. 39 per cent and 33 per cent of the ¹³C had been respired as CO₂ from the glucose and glucose plus NH₄NO₃ treatments, respectively. These two treatments resulted in a marked priming of native ¹²C during the second and third days of incubation and a second priming peak during the fifth day. In contrast, there was only a small priming action of the ¹⁴C-labelled materials. Addition of NH₄NO₃ by itself had no effect on the amount of ¹²C or ¹²C respired.Appreciable amounts of ¹⁴C were mineralized following treatments known to partially sterilize soil. Freezing and thawing was more effective than wetting and drying, but less effective than CHCl₃ vapour in releasing stabilized ¹⁴C materials. The amount of labelled-¹⁴C mineralized during incubation after treatment with chloroform vapour was greater than could he accounted for by the decrease in soil biomass.     

Factors influencing the antioxidant and pro-oxidant activity of polyphenols in oil-in-water emulsions

The nonenzymatic oxidation of polyphenols bearing di- and trihydroxyphenol groups results in the generation of hydrogen peroxide (H?O?), a reactive oxygen species that can potentially compromise the oxidative stability of foods and beverages. An investigation of the factors that promote the oxidation of a model polyphenol, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), was undertaken in a model lipid-based food system. Factors affecting oxidative stability, such as exogenous iron chelators (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; EDTA and 2,2-bipyridine; BPY) and pH (3 and 7) were evaluated in hexadecane and flaxseed oil-in-water (o/w) emulsions. At neutral pH, H?O? levels were observed to rise rapidly in hexadecane emulsions except for EDTA-containing treatments. However, EDTA-containing samples showed the highest rate of EGCG oxidation, suggesting that H?O? was rapidly reduced to hydroxyl radicals (HO?). Conversely, at pH 3, H?O? concentrations were lower across all treatments. EDTA conferred the highest degree of EGCG stability, with no loss of the catechin over the course of the study. In order to assess whether or not the H?O? production seen in oxidatively stable hexadecane emulsions translated to pro-oxidant activity in an oxidatively labile food lipid system, the effect of EGCG on the stability of flaxseed o/w emulsions was studied. EGCG displayed antioxidant activity at pH 7 throughout the study; however at pH 3, pro-oxidant activity was seen in EGCG-containing emulsions, with and without BPY. This study attempts to provide a mechanistic understanding of the conditions wherein polyphenols simultaneously exert pro-oxidant and antioxidant behavior in lipid dispersions.     

Factors influencing the loss of organic carbon from wheat roots

Wheat plants were grown in an atmosphere containing ¹⁴CO₂ at temperatures of 10°C or 18°C for periods from 3–8 weeks. The plant roots were maintained under sterile or non-sterile conditions in soil contained in sealed pots which were flushed to displace respired ¹⁴CO₂. The ¹⁴C content of the shoots, roots and soil was measured at harvest. The loss of ¹⁴C from the roots, expressed either in terms of total ¹⁴C recovered from the pots or ¹⁴C translocated to the roots, ranged from 14.3–22.6%, mean 17.3% or 29.2–44.4%, mean 39.2%, respectively. The presence of soil microorganisms significantly increased ¹⁴CO₂ release from the rhizosphere but had no effect on the ¹⁴C content of the soil. Fractionation of 6 m HC1 hydrolysates from sterile and non-sterile soils showed the presence in all soils of material behaving as neutral sugars and amino acids, in quantities representing 5.9–9.2% and 13.4–17.2% of the soil ¹⁴C content for the sugar and amino acid fractions respectively. It is proposed that a major loss of root carbon resulted from autolysis of the root cortex. Root lysis was increased by soil microorganisms, apparently without penetration of the plant cell walls.     

影响蒜头果离体胚乳愈伤组织培养的几种因子

四种基本培养基（MS、B5、N6和SH）的试验结果表明，MS和N6两种基本培养基适宜蒜头果胚乳愈伤组织培养；在相同的2，4-D和6-BA激素配组中，附加低浓度的GAs（O．5mg／L）有利于胚乳愈伤组织的诱导；添加甘氨酸和椰乳（CM）对悬浮培养愈伤组织的诱导不适宜。愈伤组织继代增殖培养的适宜培养基为MS＋2，4-D2．0mg／L＋KT0．2mg／L＋GA30．2mg／L和N6＋2，4-D2．0mg／L＋6-BA0．2mg／L＋GA30．6mg／L。     

Factors influencing carbon decomposition of topsoils from the Brazilian Amazon Basin

 The influence of texture and local climate, especially precipitation, on C decomposition was evaluated in topsoils under forest and pastures at different sites located in the western, central, and eastern Brazilian Amazon Basin. Independent of the geographical location and vegetation cover, C decomposition was lower in topsoils of fine texture with a sand/clay ratio of less than 1, compared to topsoils of coarse a texture with a sand/clay ratio ranging from 2 to 8. In the former, the low sand/clay ratio appears to reduce C decomposition. In the latter, besides the effect of the high sand/clay ratio, the local climate, especially the annual precipitation, seems to play an important role in controlling C decomposition. Received: 2 March 1998     

太行山山前平原农田耗水影响因素与水分利用效率提高的途径

研究分析了太行山山前平原农田耗水的影响因素 ,并结合田间试验结果探讨了减少农田灌溉用水量 ,提高作物水分利用效率 ,实现地下水资源采补平衡的措施     

Factors influencing variability of proteolytic genes and activities in arable soils

Microorganisms, capable of proteolysis, are widely distributed in soil but almost nothing is known about the abundance of genes related to protein degradation and the regulation of their activity in terrestrial ecosystems. Therefore, the aim of this study was: (1) to quantify two bacterial genes involved in protein degradation, (2) to investigate factors affecting the abundance of these genes, and (3) to relate this data to potential proteolytic activities. For this purpose, an arable field in southern Germany under integrated management was studied. The uniformly managed field showed pronounced soil heterogeneity with four different soil types. In April, July and October 2003, soil samples were taken from the four soil types at three different depths. We applied a real-time PCR assay for quantification of subtilisin (sub) and neutral metalloprotease (npr) genes, both encoding for extracellular proteases, as well as the 16S rRNA gene representing a rough estimate of the size of the bacterial populations. Potential proteolytic activity was measured using casein as a substrate. Both soil type and time of sampling influenced the size and activity of the bacterial protease genes under investigation. Total nitrogen and carbon availability was, beside soil texture, the main factor responsible for the observed changes in the abundance of proteolytic genes and potential proteolytic activity. Whereas a positive relationship was found between sub and npr gene copy numbers and the number of 16S rRNA gene copies in all cases, a positive relationship between sub and npr coding genes and potential proteolytic activity was only found for sandy soils. This indicates that sandy soils cannot stabilize proteolytic enzymes and the activity of npr and sub genes is strictly dependent on the presence of the corresponding genes. In contrast, in clay soils proteolytic activity was not correlated with the abundance of the genes analyzed, probably due to the stabilization of the proteolytic enzymes.     

Tractor driving among kentucky farm youth: results from the farm family health and hazard surveillance project

This article documents the extent of children's involvement in tractor operations among a representative sample of Kentucky children living and working on family farms. Specifically, we describe children's exposures to tractor-related work activities, profile their use of the tractor (number of days worked), and assess compliance with generally recommended safety measures, such as using tractors equipped with ROPS (rollover protective structures), avoiding riding as passengers on tractors, and operating tractors on public roadways. Data for this study were collected in 1994 and 1995 as part of the NIOSH-sponsored Farm Family Health and Hazard Surveillance Project (FFHHSP). Despite recognition in the health and safety community of the hazards associated with operating tractors without ROPS on public roadways and with extra riders, these practices remain common among youth on Kentucky farms. Farms with annual incomes greater than $10,000, particularly with livestock commodities, appear to use youth for a greater number of days of tractor operation than other farms. Such farms may be an appropriate target for intervention.     

滇池流域农田土壤氮磷流失影响因素探析

对滇池流域沿湖15个乡镇农田地表径流N、P流失状况及其影响因素研究结果表明,该区农田地表径流N、P污染负荷很高,年均流失量差异较大,总N为5 .0 7～113.16kg/ hm2 ,总P为0 .15～10 .14kg/ hm2 。高强度施用化肥是造成农田径流N、P流失量大的主要原因,同时也与土地利用和水肥管理方式及种植制度有关;不同坡度农田径流N、P输出量不同,6°～12°坡度N、P流失急剧增大,12°坡度以后流失量增加减缓;1次降雨或作物生长周期内径流N、P流失速率均表现出随时间参数递减的趋势;不同施肥处理N、P流失量存在一定差异,其中尿素与普钙配施可减少N、P流失,并获得较高白菜产量     

城市污水污泥处置利用及其影响因素分析

重金属对污泥最终处置利用具有很大影响,有时甚至决定了技术路线的选择.论文从分析西安市3个污水处理厂污泥重金属含量和浸出量的检测结果出发,对我国污水污泥处置利用相关标准与危险废物鉴定标准进行研究.结果表明:我国污泥处置现行标准对重金属的迁移特性不够重视,应当建立重金属总量指标与形态指标(浸出毒性)相结合的污泥处置控制标准体系;在进行污水处理厂泥质分析的基础上,探索西安市较为可行的污泥处置利用方式,提出西安市污水污泥处置利用的2条途径:填埋和能源利用.     

农药液滴在玉米叶片表面铺展面积的影响因素

农药液滴在植物叶面上最大铺展面积,决定了农药有效成分作用范围、蒸发时间和叶面吸收效果。为了探究液滴粒径、农药润湿性能和叶面倾角对液滴在玉米叶面上铺展面积的影响机理,通过试验方式产生548、675、756、877、973 μm粒径的液滴,利用质量分数为0、0.005%、0.01%、0.1%的OP-10表面活性剂代表润湿性能不同的农药,设定叶面倾角为0°、15°、30°、45°、60°、75°,进行全因子试验。结果表明：液滴粒径、表面活性剂浓度、叶面倾角均对铺展面积影响显著（P<0.001）,三者增大均能提高液滴在玉米叶面上的最大铺展面积。在不同角度下,增大液滴粒径和溶液的润湿性能都能增加液滴在玉米叶面上的铺展面积。药液润湿性能差时,铺展面积随叶面倾角的变化不够明显,润湿性能较好时,铺展面积呈现出随叶面倾角先上升后下降的趋势,粒径为548 μm液滴铺展面积的最大值出现在叶面倾角45°左右。通过表面活性剂的单位浓度铺展面积评估了不同浓度的OP-10液滴的铺展能力,发现0.005%铺展能力大于其他浓度,说明在溶液中加入少量OP-10就可以显著改变溶液润湿性能。研究结果有助于理解叶面铺展润湿机理,并为通过调控农药润湿性能和药液粒径来实现农药减量增效提供了理论支撑。     

在伊朗中部源于第三纪沉积物的土壤上影响坡缕石的发生因素研究

Limited information is available on the distribution and origin of palygorskite in soils developed on Tertiary sediments as the major soil parent materials in central Iran and other Middle Eastern countries. The objectives of this study were to determine the distribution and origin of palygorskite in soils developed on Tertiary sediments, and to identify the major soil properties that influence palygorskite distribution in the soils studied. Sixteen soil profiles developed on Paleocene, Eocene, Oligocene, Oligocene-Miocene, Miocene and Pliocene sediments were studied by X-ray diffraction analysis, transmission electron microscope, and scanning electron microscopy. Physicochemical characteristics of the soils and sediments including particle size distribution, pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, gypsum, carbonates, and soluble Si, Ca and Mg were determined. The principal component analysis was used to establish the relationships between palygorskite and the physicochemical characteristics of the soils studied. Results showed that clay fraction of all the soils in the study area was dominated by palygorskite. The highest amount of palygorskite was found in horizons where simultaneous accumulation of both carbonates and gypsum occurred. Limited amount of palygorskite was found in salic and calcic horizons. Palygorskite seemed to be of eolian origin in the surface horizon of all the soils. Using principal component analysis, the soluble Mg/Ca ratio, pH, soluble Si and gypsum contents were identified as the most important factors affecting the distribution and genesis of palygorskite in the soils studied. Results might suggest the neoformation of palygorskite by precipitation from solutions in which evaporation fluxes were very high. However, palygorskite in soils developed on Tertiary sediments in central Iran seems to be of both inherited and pedogenic origins.