Carriage speed control of a cross-lapper system for nonwoven web quality

In a cross-lapper system, the carriage unit is used to make uniform web in appropriate width and thickness. Traditionally, this is a stable, sluggish system with large attenuation of the input in the steady state. In this paper, the modeling, stability, order reduction, dynamic analysis and controller design of a cross-lapper system for good nonwoven web quality will be presented to deal with this issue. A realizable controller is designed which can not only make the closed-loop system efficient for good tracking property but also can achieve the meaningful design objectives. The performance can be effectively shown from the computer simulation.     

Temporal distribution and pathogenicity of the predominant tomato‐infecting begomoviruses in Taiwan

Between 1998 and 2009, the four tomato‐infecting begomovirus species detected in Taiwan were Ageratum yellow vein Hualien virus (AYVHuV), Tomato leaf curl Taiwan virus (ToLCTWV), Tomato yellow leaf curl Thailand virus (TYLCTHV) and a newly defined species Tomato leaf curl Hsinchu virus (ToLCHsV). AYVHuV was detected occasionally in 2003 and ToLCHsV only in 2000–2001, whilst ToLCTWV was detected throughout the period. TYLCTHV was first detected in 2005. Between 1998 and 2005, >99% of the begomovirus‐positive samples were infected with ToLCTWV. In 2007 in western Taiwan, 16% of the positive samples were infected with ToLCTWV, 35% with TYLCTHV and 49% with mixed infection (ToLCTWV/TYLCTHV). In contrast, in eastern Taiwan the proportions were 84% ToLCTWV, 2% TYLCTHV and 14% mixed infection. However, throughout Taiwan in 2008–2009, most positive samples were either identified as TYLCTHV (51%) or mixed infection (ToLCTWV/TYLCTHV; 41%), and only 8% were ToLCTWV. This shows a clear trend of shifting from ToLCTWV to TYLCTHV and mixed infection over a short time period in Taiwan. Sequence analyses indicated that tomato‐infecting AYVHuV, an apparent recombinant between ToLCTWV and AYVHuV from Ageratum, represents a new strain Hsinchu. TYLCTHV Taiwan isolates were highly similar to each other, whereas ToLCTWV isolates had greater diversity and were classified into three strains which had one country‐wide and two local distributions. ToLCTWV and TYLCTHV were confirmed as monopartite and bipartite begomoviruses, respectively, by agroinfection followed by transmission with Bemisia tabaci biotype B. In addition, TYLCTHV was found to be mechanically transmissible together with viral DNA‐B.     

Expression of recombinant phytase of Bacillus subtilis E20 in Escherichia coli HMS 174 and improving the growth performance of white shrimp,Litopenaeus vannamei,juveniles by using phytase‐pretreated soybean meal‐containing diet

To produce a thermostable and neutral phytase (phy) of Bacillus subtilis E20 in Escherichia coli HMS174 and evaluate its efficiency in improving growth performance. The phy C of B. subtilis E20 was expressed in E. coli HMS 174, and then the 42‐kDa recombinant phy C was purified by Ni‐NAT and analysed by SDS–PAGE. The recombinant phy C had optimal ranges of pH of 6 ~ 7 and temperature of 50 ~ 60 °C. A thermostability analysis showed that the enzyme is a thermostable phytase, and around 33% of residual activity was detected after being incubated at 90 ~ 100 °C for 10 min. The recombinant phy C‐pretreated soybean meal for feed preparation improved white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, growth and feed efficiency. Overall, the neutral and thermostable phy C is suitable for aquafeed, and it is able to improve the nutritional utilization, resulting in enhanced shrimp growth and reduced feed costs.     

Genetic characteristics of Streptococcus dysgalactiae isolated from cage cultured cobia,Rachycentron canadum (L.)

Disease outbreaks occurred during 2007–2013 in Taiwan with 2.5–10% mortality among the cage cultured cobia, Rachycentron canadum (L.), characterized by the presence of polyserositis, pericarditis and peritonitis. The micro‐organisms isolated from internal organs were Gram‐positive cocci. The isolates were confirmed as Streptococcus dysgalactiae by a polymerase chain reaction assay that yielded the expected specific 259 bp amplicon. Additionally, partial sequence of the 16S–23S rDNA intergenic spacer region of the GCS strain isolates from fish was also compared and produced 100% sequence identity with S. dysgalactiae (GenBank accession number AB252398 ). The genetic characterization was then determined by pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis. Based on PFGE, the Apa I or Sma I digestion patterns of chromosomal DNA of these isolates were grouped into three main clusters. Taiwanese strains were divided into two clusters, and the tet(M) gene was detected in cluster 1 (pulsotypes: A1–A2 and S1–S3), but not in cluster 2 strains (pulsotypes: A3–A4 and S4–S5). Three Japanese strains from amberjack, Seriola dumerili (Risso), were grouped into cluster 3 (pulsotypes: A5–A7 and S6–S8) and displayed no mortality to cobia in the challenge experiment. Conversely, Taiwanese strains from cobia and snubnose pompano, Trachinotus blochii (L.), displayed a mortality rate of 50–87.5% in cobia.     

Flavor and texture of banana chips dried by combinations of hot air, vacuum, and microwave processing

The behavior of 16 volatile compounds of banana during a combination of air-drying (AD) and vacuum microwave-drying (VMD) of banana chips was characterized. Samples were AD to remove 60, 70, 80, or 90% of moisture (wet basis) and then subjected to VMD to achieve a final moisture content of 3% (dry basis). Banana slices were also dehydrated using only AD, VMD, and freeze-drying (FD) for comparison. Samples that underwent more VMD had significantly lower levels of volatile compounds, which is attributed to the decreased formation of an impermeable solute layer on the surface of the chips. High values for water solubility and relative volatility of compounds correlated with losses during VMD; however, additional factors appear to influence the behavior of compounds during VMD processing. The optimal process of 90%AD/10%VMD yielded crisper banana chips with significantly higher volatile levels and sensory ratings than AD chips.     

北京地区春玉米螟害产量损失估计方法及防治指标的商榷

根据1962—1964年北京地区12块春播玉米地心叶期卵和卵虫(第一代)成活率資料,并参考国内对螟害与玉米产量損失关系的研究成果,提出了春玉米上因玉米螟为害而造成的产量損夫估計方法和药剂防治的参考指标。心叶期卵的平均成活率及其标准誤为57.4±2.9％,卵块的脫落是死亡的主要原因。幼虫期的平均成活率及其标准誤为5.64±0.89％。这两个平均成活率的变異系数都比较小,相关分析表明,百株着卵量与成长幼虫数是相关的。故可职利用卵和幼虫的平均成活率由着卵密度来估計成长幼虫密度。心叶期卵和幼虫的合計平均成活率及其标准誤为3.4±0.51％。在95％可靠性时的置信区間为3.4±1.173％,卵块的平均粒数为31.7粒。若职单株平均一虫所造成的产量損失率为5％計,可用丁式来估計产量損失: 产量損失％=[(心叶期百株累計卵块数×31.7)×(0.034±0.012)]×0.05 在經济核算士,作者初步認为职損失率1.5％作为防治标准比較合适。以此推算,欲达到这一損失率,心叶期百株累計卵块应为28块(用平均成活率計算)至21块(用成活率上界計算)。一般可定为24块。根据心叶期百株累計卵块数与累計着卵株百分率或百株高峯卵块数之間存在的相关,百株累計24块卵,相当于累計着卵株率28％,或百株高峯卵块6块。在实践上就可以用它們作为心叶期的防治指标。     

Using Bacillus subtilis E20‐fermented soybean meal as replacement for fish meal in the diet of orange‐spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides,Hamilton)

The potential of Bacillus subtilis E20‐fermented soybean meal (FSBM) as a partial alternative component of fish meal (FM) in fed diets of orange‐spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) was evaluated in this study. An FM‐based diet and seven diets containing 10%, 20% and 30% and 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% of FM replaced by soybean meal (SBM) and FSBM, respectively, were fed to grouper for 84 days to evaluate possible substitution levels of FM by tracking growth performance, digestive enzyme activity and morphological changes in the liver and distal intestine. No significant differences in survival and muscle composition of grouper were found between controls and treatments. Growth performance and feed efficiency of fish fed diets with FM replaced by FSBM up to 30% were not significantly different from controls, whereas significantly decreased growth performance and feed efficiency occurred with diets containing >20% of SBM. Based on the feed efficiency, the maximum substituted levels of FM by SBM and FSBM in grouper diets were 18.36% and 29.32%, respectively, based on broken‐line analyses. Histopathological changes in the liver and distal intestine, and significantly lower activity levels of digestive enzymes, including pepsin in the stomach and trypsin, chymotrypsin, amylase and lipase in the distal intestine, were found in fish fed a diet containing 30% of FM replaced by SBM. However, these parameters were improved by the substitution of FSBM. It is therefore believed that FSBM has great potential to be used as a protein source in grouper diets in partial replacement of FM.     

小麦丛矮病研究之三:灰飞虱同发病的关系

1976—1977年河北晋县贺家寨大队小麦春季灰飞虱的传带病毒率为31—52%,不同地块同代灰飞虱的带毒率异差较大:而秋苗期则为12—35.4%,其中不同地块上同代(四代成虫)灰飞虱的带毒率的差异从33.3%至35.4%则不太大。灰飞虱的有效传毒指数(即虫口数×自然带毒率)同田间小麦发病率的相关性是非常显著的,其r=0.9769。1975—1976两年调查及计算分析结果,其直线回归公式如y=4.12x-2.577。在有效传毒指数0.7—20.9之间用于予测发病率有效。人工分期侵染试验证明小麦在生长发育过程中受侵愈早,病情愈重,其中死株率也愈大。秋季侵染的死株率达95.6%,病指为99.6;夏季侵染的死株率为0,病指为57.6。秋季小麦出苗前后的大量虫口形成小麦10月中下旬的一个发病高峰,第二年春季4月中旬的虫口高峰形成5月上旬的一个发病高峰。3月下旬的一个发病高峰是越冬前受侵的。病毒在小麦植株中的潜育期的长短随小麦的生长速度而异。温度不过其中因素之一,最短5—8天,最长30—40天。侵染后如小麦进入越冬期,即不表现症状,一直要到返青以后。介体灰飞虱在河北晋县以第五代3—4龄若虫在冬麦地及草荒中越冬。夏季在玉米上可以产卵并孵化,但不能长期存活,主要在地头沟边及夏作物荫蔽下的禾草上越夏。冬麦治虫防病的重点应在秋季麦苗出土前,春季则应在3月中旬左右。冬麦适当推迟播种有利于减少发病率。棉间作麦比平作的病情重六倍而粮麦间作的病情比平作的重九倍。     

Phenotypic and molecular characterization of isolates of Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale from chickens and pigeons in Taiwan

Forty Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT) strains were isolated from 28 chickens and 12 pigeons for the first time in Taiwan. All isolates reacted positively in the p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside (PNPG) and oxidase tests, showing an API 20NE identification system biocode 0-0-2-0-0-0-4. All the pigeon isolates and 85.7% (24 of 28) of the chicken isolates belonged to serotype A. Compared to the ORT ATCC 51464 strain, 14.3% (4 of 28) of chicken isolates and 58.3% (7 of 12) of pigeon isolates showed smaller colonies after 72 hr incubation. Most of the chicken isolates (22 of 28), but none of the pigeon isolates, could agglutinate chicken and pigeon red blood cells. There appears to be a correlation that ORT isolates with a larger colony size tend to be more able to agglutinate red blood cells than the ORT isolates with a smaller colony size. A majority of isolates was sensitive to amoxicillin, ampicillin, ceftiofur, penicillin, and oxytetracycline. The 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequences of 23 Taiwanese ORT isolates showed high identity (98%-100%) to sequences in GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis of these sequences showed that pigeon isolates formed a distinctive cluster, while chicken isolates and all other 16S rRNA sequences obtained from GenBank belonged to another two clusters. The results indicate that pigeon ORT isolates are different from most chicken isolates in regard to a number of phenotypic and molecular traits.     

Parthenogenesis, polyploidy and reproductive seasonality in the Taiwanese mountain earthworm Amynthas catenus (Oligochaeta, Megascolecidae)

Amynthas catenusTsai et al., 2001 is a terrestrial earthworm belonging to the Pheretima complex of the family Megascolecidae. It is endemic to Mt. Hohuan of central Taiwan at elevations of 2985-3004 m. Its reproductive organs showed various stages of degeneration in the present study. The spermathecae varied from being absent (athecal) to three pairs in VI-VIII (sexthecal), and the prostate glands from a large, symmetrical pair to complete absence. For the 44 specimens examined from May 2008 to May 2010, there were 47.7% athecals, 36.4% sexthecals and 15.9% intermediates. Results of a flow cytometric analysis showed that there were three DNA ploidy levels - diploid, triploid and tetraploid (2n, 3n, and 4n) - for the athecals but only diploid for the sexthecals. The intermediates consisted of diploids and triploids. The diploids had 2n = 112 and the triploids 3n = 168. The haploid chromosome number of A. catenus was 56. Spermatogenesis occurred throughout the year with the highest activity in summer for both athecals and sexthecals, but the number of mature ova peaked in summer for the athecals and in spring for the sexthecals. There was no significant difference in mean number of mature ova produced between the athecals and the sexthecals, but the sexthecals had significantly higher spermatogenetic activity than the athecals. For all specimens examined, sperm were present in testes and seminal vesicles but not in spermathecae, an indication of parthenogenesis in the species.