一种生物病虫害控制模型的进化算法处理

为控制蘑菇种植过程中尖眼蕈蚊数量,利用线虫和尖眼蕈蚊数量变化的动态关系模型,应用分布估计算法对控制干涉次数和控制数量进行优化处理,将其与遗传算法结果进行比较.结果表明:该算法在控制次数略有增加情况下,可以取得较小目标函数值,并且算法稳定收敛,该结果可以作为一种理想的控制优化方案.分布估计算法可以用来处理此类动态关系模型的优化问题.     

The effect of drop size and velocity on the performance of agricultural sprays

The sizes and velocities of drops in sprays from farm sprayers are considered in relation to their impaction on plant surfaces. Examples from a study being carried out at the National Institute of Agricultural Engineering (NIAE) are given. The results showed that young leaves of barley (cv Mazurka) and wild oats (Avena fatua L.) were difficult to wet, only the smallest drops applied (about 100 um diameter) being readily retained. In the context of weed control in cereals the importance of detrmining the effect of the form of plant deposits on herbicidal activity is discussed, and examples of results of a joint study between the NIAE and the Agricultural Research Council Weed Research Organization are given.     

Occurrence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains from cattle and chicken, and analyses of their mecA, mecR1 and mecI genes

From 2001 to 2005, various specimens from cattle, pigs, and chickens were collected and examined for the presence of methicillin (oxacillin)-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The isolates from 19 specimens were tested for the presence of the mecA gene. Methicillin resistance was confirmed by determining the MICs for these isolates. Among these 19 mecA-positive isolates, 16 were consistently found to be resistant to methicillin. The mecR1 gene was found in all 19 mecA-positive S. aureus, and mecI was also detected in 15 of the mecA-positive S. aureus. The mecI gene had an identical sequence to the reference sequence in 9 of the 15 mecI-positive isolates. Three of the other six isolates had a C to T substitution at nucleotide 202, and one had a G to T substitution at nucleotide 43. These have been previously identified in MRSA from humans. Two isolates from chickens contained an addition of C at position 23. This mutation of MRSA has not been reported elsewhere. In all 15 mecI-positive MRSA, the sequence of the mec promoter/operator region was identical to the reference sequence. This suggests other mechanisms for overcoming the repression of resistance caused by mecI, beyond the simple product interaction between the mecA, mecRI, and mecI genes.     

Use of a flow-mediated vasodilation technique to assess endothelial function in dogs

OBJECTIVE: To develop and assess the reproducibility of a protocol to noninvasively test endothelial function in dogs on the basis of the flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) procedure used in humans. ANIMALS: 5 healthy spayed female dogs. PROCEDURES: Luminal arterial diameter and blood flow velocity in the brachial and femoral arteries were measured with ultrasonography. The within-dog reproducibility of these ultrasonographic measurements was tested. An occlusion period of 1, 3, or 5 minutes with an inflatable cuff was used to create the FMD response. Measurements made at 15, 30, and 60 seconds following release of the occlusion were compared with measurements made immediately prior to each occlusion to assess the FMD response. RESULTS: Within-dog reproducibility of measurements revealed moderate to high correlations. Change from baseline in luminal arterial diameter was most substantial when measured at 30 seconds following release of occlusion, whereas blood flow velocity changes were maximal when measured at 15 seconds following release. The brachial imaging site provided a larger number of significant FMD responses than the femoral site. The 3-minute occlusion period provided equal or better responses than the 5-minute occlusion period. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Ultrasonographic measurement of the FMD responses was a feasible and reproducible technique and significant changes from baseline were detected. The FMD responses in dogs were most substantial when performed at the brachial artery with blood flow velocity and luminal arterial diameter changes from baseline measured at 15 and 30 seconds, respectively, following release of a 3-minute occlusion period.     

Influence of antiarrhythmia therapy on survival times of 19 clinically healthy Doberman pinschers with dilated cardiomyopathy that experienced syncope, ventricular tachycardia, and sudden death (1985-1998)

Overtly healthy Doberman pinschers, having moderate to severe myocardial failure secondary to dilated cardiomyopathy, which experienced ventricular tachycardia, syncope or collapse, and sudden death were studied to determine the effect of antiarrhythmic medication on their clinical outcome. Antiarrhythmia drug therapy may have retarded sudden death in 13 treated dogs compared to the six dogs not administered antiarrhythmia drugs.