插秧机株距无级调节系统设计与实现

原有插秧机的插秧株距调节为挡位调节式,田间作业过程中操作不便且为有级调节。为此,设计了一种插秧机株距无级调节系统,该系统可以根据插秧机行进速度和插植传动轴转速无级调节插秧株距。采用液压系统取代原有插秧机株距调节的挡位调节方式,单片机作为CPU,结合接近开关、编码器以及直流电机,设计了插秧机株距无级调节系统。试验表明,该系统可实现插秧机株距无级调节,作业质量符合农艺要求,且性能稳定,可用于后续的插秧机全自动控制研究中。     

Influence of climate factors on soil heavy metal content in Slovenia

Purpose

In spite of equal lithology, the local climate can affect soils’ geochemical characteristics. We investigated the dependence of heavy metal content on climatic factors according to a hierarchical nested analysis of variance design (ANOVA).

Materials and methods

We examined the heavy metal content in soils developed on the Upper Triassic dolomite at six locations situated at increasing distances from the Adriatic Sea towards inland. We tested the influence of the locations’ position, i.e. climate, vegetation cover, small-scale variability and analytical error. Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn contents were determined by emission spectrometry.

Results and discussion

An initial increase in annual precipitation towards inland is followed by a steady decrease. Very high small-scale variability prevented statistically significant differences from being established at the location level due to the high variance components exhibited. However, the simpler one-way and non-parametric varieties of ANOVA confirmed significant differences in Co, Cr and Ni among locations. The differences are more pronounced in grassland soils where the Cu and Pb contents also differ between locations. There is a positive correlation among annual precipitation, Co, Cr and Ni, and it seems that the prevailing winds can also influence their content in soils.

Conclusions

The Co, Cr, Cu and Ni values are readily the highest in those locations with the greatest precipitation, possibly due to their resistance to leaching. The soils could be additionally enriched by an eolian contribution from the SW located outcropping flysch rocks. The established variability could be due to somewhat different dolomite composition. The reasons for the observed geochemical variability are complex and only partly due to climate.

     

Alphaherpesvirus use and misuse of cellular actin and cholesterol

Two major structural elements of a cell are the cytoskeleton and the lipid membranes. Actin and cholesterol are key components of the cytoskeleton and membranes, respectively, and are involved in a plethora of different cellular processes. This review summarizes and discusses the interaction of alphaherpesviruses with actin and cholesterol during different stages of the replication cycle: virus entry, replication and assembly in the nucleus, and virus egress. Elucidating these interactions not only yields novel insights into the biology of these important pathogens, but may also shed new light on cell biological aspects of actin and cholesterol, and lead to novel avenues in the design of antiviral strategies.     

Intra- and interlaboratory variability of allergen-specific IgE levels in atopic dogs in three different laboratories using the Fc-ɛ receptor testing

The IgE specific Fc-? receptor test is widely used for serological evaluation of allergic canine patients. Aim of the study was to evaluate intra- and interlaboratory variability in three independent laboratories. Duplicate serum aliquots from 15 atopic dogs were submitted simultaneously to 3 laboratories (LA, LB, LC), which subsequently performed the test in a blinded fashion. LA and LC analysed sera for 35 allergens and expressed the results as optical density units (OD), while LB analysed 15 allergens and provided reaction grades (RG). Results were compared with three factorial ANOVA. Intralaboratory variability was evaluated by calculating the dispersion factor for data of LA and LC and standard deviation (SD) for LB. Correlation coefficients (r) were used to evaluate interlaboratory variability. Depending on the allergens, intralaboratory dispersion factor for LA and LC varied from 1.15 to 6.63 and 1.19 to 6.17, respectively. In LB the SD varied between 0 and 0.6 RG. Regarding interlaboratory variability, correlation of OD values between LA and LC was excellent (r > 0.8, p < 0.001) for 13 of 35 allergens. There was a significant difference in OD results for 9 allergens. The results were significantly correlated (r > 0.8, p < 0.001) for all except 3 allergens (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, mixed grasses, nettle). As far as negative/positive results were concerned, intralaboratory differences were 3.14% and interlaboratory differences were 4.76%.     

一起自然保护区岩羊皮肤病的诊断

对自然保护区3只患皮肤病岩羊进行临床检查、病原分离鉴定、血细胞常规测定和病理解剖学观察,确诊为岩羊患疥螨病致死。     

Low water activity induces the production of bioactive metabolites in halophilic and halotolerant fungi

The aim of the present study was to investigate indigenous fungal communities isolated from extreme environments (hypersaline waters of solar salterns and subglacial ice), for the production of metabolic compounds with selected biological activities: hemolysis, antibacterial, and acetylcholinesterase inhibition. In their natural habitats, the selected fungi are exposed to environmental extremes, and therefore the production of bioactive metabolites was tested under both standard growth conditions for mesophilic microorganisms, and at high NaCl and sugar concentrations and low growth temperatures. The results indicate that selected halotolerant and halophilic species synthesize specific bioactive metabolites under conditions that represent stress for non-adapted species. Furthermore, adaptation at the level of the chemical nature of the solute lowering the water activity of the medium was observed. Increased salt concentrations resulted in higher hemolytic activity, particularly within species dominating the salterns. The appearance of antibacterial potential under stress conditions was seen in the similar pattern of fungal species as for hemolysis. The active extracts exclusively affected the growth of the Gram-positive bacterium tested, Bacillus subtilis. None of the extracts tested showed inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity.     

Bone char as phosphorus fertilizer involved in cadmium immobilization in lettuce,wheat, and potato cropping

Bone char is a potential clean and renewable P fertilizer with Cd‐immobilization capabilities, but the P–Cd interactions in cropping of vegetable, grain, and tuber crops are unknown. In the present pot experiment bone char was evaluated on its effect on the growth and P supply of various crops (lettuce, wheat, potatoes) as well as its capability to reduce the uptake of Cd from a moderately Cd‐contaminated and P‐deficient soil (soil 1) and a highly Cd‐contaminated soil with sufficient P supply (soil 2). When averaging the dry‐matter yield over the treatments for each crop for the P‐sufficient soil 1, the following order was obtained: triple superphosphate (TSP) > diammonium phosphate (DAP) > BC, whereas for the soil 2 with sufficient P supply it was inverted with BC > DAP > TSP. The P‐deficiency resulted in a more pronounced effect of TSP and DAP on the plant growth, whereas P sufficiency in the soil promoted a crop‐quality‐enhancing effect of bone char. The Cd concentration in the consumption‐relevant plant parts was mostly insignificantly affected by treatments; however, the total Cd concentration in the whole plants tended to decrease with fertilizer addition for all crops in soil 1 even at very low bone‐char application levels. Similar results were obtained for soil 2 with an exception for the Cd concentration in potatoes, as the total Cd concentration was significantly increased in the TSP and DAP treatments. This most likely results from the introduction of Cd with TSP and DAP as they contained ≈ 27–28 mg Cd kg^–1. Thus, this study demonstrated the potential of bone char as a clean P fertilizer, which can efficiently decrease the Cd contamination of potato on contaminated soils.     

The coarse‐soil fraction is the main living space of fungal hyphae in the BhBs horizon of a Podzol

In acidified forest soils, the coarse‐soil fraction is a potential nutrient source. Plant nutrient uptake from the coarse‐soil fraction is aided by ectomycorrhiza. Similarly, (recalcitrant) organic matter (OM) is an important nutrient source largely made plant‐available through (symbiotic) microorganisms, especially in the topsoil. We hypothesized that in a podzol profile, fungal hyphae would concentrate in nutrient hotspots, either OM or the coarse‐soil fraction. Absolute hyphal length, base saturation, and organic‐C content of a Podzol profile were determined in the fine‐earth and coarse‐soil fractions. In the fine‐earth fraction, hyphae were attracted by the organic‐C content and relative high base saturation. In the coarse‐soil fraction of the BhBs horizon, the absolute hyphal length exceeded the hyphal length in the fine earth by factor 3, yet C content and base saturation were lowest. We could not determine to what fungi the hyphae belonged. Most likely ectomycorrhiza, ericoid mycorrhiza and saprotrophic fungi dominate the upper soil layers of this profile and all utilize OM for nutrition. In the deeper mineral horizons and especially in the coarse‐soil fraction, ectomycorrhiza are better adapted than other fungi to harvest nutrients from inorganic sources. Additionally, favorable physical properties may explain the high amount of fungal hyphae in the coarse‐soil fraction of the BhBs horizon. Both the coarse‐soil fraction and deeper mineral soil horizons may play a more active role in microbial nutrient cycling than previously assumed.