Paleolithic population growth pulses evidenced by small animal exploitation

Variations in small game hunting along the northern and eastern rims of the Mediterranean Sea and results from predator-prey simulation modeling indicate that human population densities increased abruptly during the late Middle Paleolithic and again during the Upper and Epi-Paleolithic periods. The demographic pulses are evidenced by increasing reliance on agile, fast-reproducing partridges, hares, and rabbits at the expense of slow-reproducing but easily caught tortoises and marine shellfish and, concurrently, climate-independent size diminution in tortoises and shellfish. The results indicate that human populations of the early Middle Paleolithic were exceptionally small and highly dispersed.     

A preliminary assessment of climate change impacts on sugarcane in Swaziland

The spatial and temporal impacts of climate change on irrigation water requirements and yield for sugarcane grown in Swaziland have been assessed, by combining the outputs from a general circulation model (HadCM3), a sugarcane crop growth model and a GIS. The CANEGRO model (embedded with the DSSAT program) was used to simulate the baseline and future cane net annual irrigation water requirements (IR_net) and yield (t ha⁻¹) using a reference site and selected emissions scenario (SRES A2 and B2) for the 2050s (including CO₂-fertilisation effects). The simulated baseline yields were validated against field data from 1980 to 1997. An aridity index was defined and used to correlate agroclimate variability against irrigation need to estimate the baseline and future irrigation water demand (volumetric). To produce a unit weight of sucrose equivalent to current optimum levels of production, future irrigation needs were predicted to increase by 20-22%. With CO₂-fertilisation, the impacts of climate change are offset by higher crop yields, such that IR_net is predicted to increase by 9%. The study showed that with climate change, the current peak capacity of existing irrigation schemes could fail to meet the predicted increases in irrigation demand in nearly 50% of years assuming unconstrained water availability.     

壳聚糖对动物脂肪代谢及生长性能的影响

壳聚糖(chifosan),是甲壳素的衍生物．又名可溶性甲壳素、脱乙酰甲壳素、甲壳胺、几丁聚糖．是通过甲壳素一定程度的脱乙酰而得到．通常将脱乙酰度55％以上的甲壳素称作壳聚糖,化学名称是(1．4)-2-氨基-2-脱氧-β-D-葡聚糖。在众多的天然多糖中,甲壳素及其主要衍生物壳聚糖是唯一的碱性多糖．具有生物相容性、可食用性、可抗菌性、     

RL4137 contributes preharvest sprouting resistance to Canadian wheats

Preharvest sprouting (PHS) in spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) causes significant economic losses due to a reduction in grain functionality, grain yield and viability of seed for planting. Genetic resistance to PHS reduces these losses. Development of PHS resistant cultivars is complicated by the effects of genotype, environment, kernel diseases and spike morphological factors. RL4137 has consistently exhibited high levels of resistance to PHS over years and environments. The mean PHS scores of Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat cultivars with RL4137 in their ancestry are lower than that of CWRS wheat cultivars without. RL4137 has two mechanisms for PHS resistance, one associated with kernel color and the other not associated with kernel color. RL4137 was the source of PHS resistance in white wheats HY361, AC Vista, Snowbird, Kanata, and Snowstar, all of which had significantly lower PHS scores than the white-seeded check, Genesis. Known DNA markers relating to PHS were used to compare haplotypes with and without RL4137 in the ancestry. Coefficients of parentage also demonstrated the relationship. Because cultivars that have RL4137 in their ancestry were grown on about 77% of the spring wheat area for 2003–2007, RL4137 continues to contribute to protecting market grade from preharvest sprouting.     

内蒙古草原污染源及对畜体危害分析

随着内蒙古草原牧区工农业、旅游业的发展,草原生态受到了一定影响。工业及生活污染日趋严重,造成放牧场牧草污染,污染残留物的转移和积蓄也影响了家畜正常健康的生长。简单概述了草原牧草的污染源、污染元素及对畜体危害。     

内蒙古苏尼特右旗草原土壤营养元素有效态含量分析

本研究选择内蒙古苏尼特右旗天然草场主要6个草场类,8个草场型,分析了0~30 cm土壤营养元素(全N、P、K、Ca、Mg、S、Fe、Mn、Cu、Zn、B和Mo)有效态含量及与土壤有机质、pH值之间的相互关系。结果表明,1)研究区土壤pH(8.84±0.23),均为碱性土壤;土壤有机质含量与全N含量均较低,平均分别为(9.92±4.65) g/kg和(0.46±0.25) g/kg;营养元素有效态含量积累顺序为:河泛地、湖盆低地盐生草甸草场类>荒漠草原草场区“小针茅+无芒隐子草+葱属”植被型>沙丘植被草场类,河泛地、湖盆低地盐生草甸草场类土壤矿质元素有效态含量显著高于其他草场类。2)土壤富含K元素,B和Mo处于严重缺乏状态;除了河泛地、湖盆低地盐生草甸草场类以外草场类微量元素含量均处于轻度缺乏或缺乏状态。3)土壤pH与土壤N、P、Ca、Mn和Cu元素有效量存在显著负相关性关系;土壤有机质则与土壤N、P、Ca、S、Fe、Mn和Cu元素有效量存在极显著正相关性关系。     

Early Pregnancy Detection of Iraqi Riverine Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Using the BioPRYN Enzyme‐Linked Immunosorbent Assay for PSPB and the Progesterone Assay

This study was undertaken to detect pregnancy in Iraqi riverine buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) using three different methods (rectal palpation, plasma progesterone concentration and detection of the presence of pregnancy‐specific protein B (PSPB) with the BioPRYN^® enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test. The aim of the study was to identify the most sensitive, early and accurate method for detecting pregnancy. Twenty‐two female riverine buffalo that were 6.0 ± 0.93 years old were used. Four blood samples per buffalo were taken via jugular venipuncture at days 22–24, 32–34, 42–44 and 58–61 post‐mating (PM) to measure the progesterone concentration (ng/ml) and to detect the presence of plasma PSPB. The rectal palpation method was employed to evaluate all buffalo on days 42–44 and 58–61 PM. The BioPRYN^® test differed (p < 0.01) from the other tests with earlier accuracy for detecting pregnant and non‐pregnant buffalo. Eighty‐eight percent of pregnant and 76.9% of non‐pregnant buffalo were distinguished early (days 22–24 PM) using BioPRYN^® and plasma PSPB‐ELISA level (2.09 ± 0.12 ng/ml) in relation to 66.7% and 53.9% detected using the progesterone assay at similar days (4.30 ± 0.40 ng/ml). In conclusion, these results described, for the first time, the early and accurate pregnancy detection of water riverine buffalo using BioPRYN^® technology and provided the plasma levels of PSPB using an ELISA test. These findings will improve the reproductive and productive efficiency of Iraqi riverine buffalo by adapting the recent management and reproductive strategies in Iraq and in the world.     

聚合条件对羧甲基纤维素、玉米淀粉双母体高吸水性树脂性能的影响

采用自由基聚合法,以过硫酸铵为引发剂,N,N'-亚甲基双丙烯酰胺为交联剂,羧甲基纤维素及玉米淀粉与丙烯酸进行自由基接枝共聚合成吸水剂.并详细考察了中和丙烯酸时,KOH的用量及中和度对高吸水性树脂吸收能力的影响.实验表明:丙烯酸的中和度为95%时,高吸水性树脂对纯水、自来水和生理盐水的吸收率有最高值,分别是592g/g、300g/g和99g/g.当氢氧化钾的中和百分比为1%时,高吸水性树脂对纯水、自来水和生理盐水有最高吸收率,分别为630g/g、340g/g和95g/g.     

Soil saturation effects on forest dynamics: scaling across a southern boreal/northern hardwood landscape

Patch modeling can be used to scale-up processes to portray landscape-level dynamics. Via direct extrapolation, a heterogeneous landscape is divided into its constituent patches; dynamics are simulated on each representative patch and are weighted and aggregated to formulate the higher level response. Further extrapolation may be attained by coarsening the resolution of or lumping environmental data (e.g., climatic, edaphic, hydrologic, topographic) used to delimit a patch.Forest patterns at the southern boreal/northern hardwood transition zone are often defined by soil heterogeneity, determined primarily by the extent and duration of soil saturation. To determine how landscape-level dynamics predicted from direct extrapolation compare when coarsening soil parameters, we simulated forest dynamics for soil series representing a range of drainage classes from east- central Maine. Responses were aggregated according to the distribution of soil associations comprising a 600 ha area based on local- (1:12,000), county- (1:120,000) and state- (1:250,000) scale soil maps. At the patch level, simulated aboveground biomass accumulated more slowly in poorer draining soils. Different soil series yielded different communities comprised of species with various tolerances for soil saturation. When aggregated, removal of waterlogging caused a 20–60% increase in biomass accumulation during the first 50 years of simulation. However, this early successional increase and the maximum level of biomass accumulation over a 200 year period varied by as much as 40% depending on the geospatial data. This marked discrepancy suggests caution when extrapolating with forest patch models by coarsening parameters and demonstrates how rules used to rescale environmental data need to be evaluated for consistency.