Impact of biodiversity-climate futures on primary production and metabolism in a model benthic estuarine system

Background  

Understanding the effects of anthropogenically-driven changes in global temperature, atmospheric carbon dioxide and biodiversity on the functionality of marine ecosystems is crucial for predicting and managing the associated impacts. Coastal ecosystems are important sources of carbon (primary production) to shelf waters and play a vital role in global nutrient cycling. These systems are especially vulnerable to the effects of human activities and will be the first areas impacted by rising sea levels. Within these coastal ecosystems, microalgal assemblages (microphytobenthos: MPB) are vital for autochthonous carbon fixation. The level of in situ production by MPB mediates the net carbon cycling of transitional ecosystems between net heterotrophic or autotrophic metabolism. In this study, we examine the interactive effects of elevated atmospheric CO₂ concentrations (370, 600, and 1000 ppmv), temperature (6°C, 12°C, and 18°C) and invertebrate biodiversity on MPB biomass in experimental systems. We assembled communities of three common grazing invertebrates (Hydrobia ulvae, Corophium volutator and Hediste diversicolor) in monoculture and in all possible multispecies combinations. This experimental design specifically addresses interactions between the selected climate change variables and any ecological consequences caused by changes in species composition or richness.     

Modified complementation test of male sterility mutants in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.): preliminary study to convert male sterility system from GMS to CMS

The male sterility system in hybrid seed production can eliminate the cost of emasculation and ensure seed hybridity through avoidance of self pollination. GMS and CMS are two types of male sterility system that currently employed in pepper breeding. Conversion from GMS to CMS will increase the male sterility proportion of female parent from 50 to 100%. In this study, segregation analysis of four male sterile mutants consisting of one CMS mutant (CA1) and three GMS mutants (GA1, GA3 and GA4) showed that each had single recessive gene inheritance. A modified complementation test was performed by replacing male sterile mutants with their maintainer line as male parent. The nuclear restorer gene for CMS was independent of all nuclear restorer genes for GMS and all nuclear restorer genes for GMS were independent each other. Further observation on CMS and GMS male sterility loci revealed that GA1 and GA3 had mutated in both nuclear restorer genes for CMS and GMS, while CA1 and GA4 each carried mutation in single male sterility system of nuclear restorer gene for CMS and GMS, respectively. Conversion from GMS to CMS in the case of lines carried mutations in both sterility systems required only S-type cytoplasm donor, while lines carried mutation in single nuclear restorer gene for GMS required not only S-type cytoplasm but also rf allele donors. The important finding is the broader function of maintainer line in certain male sterility system that can be used as a maintainer or restorer line for other male sterility systems. We also confirmed that line CC1 is the general restorer for both CMS and GMS systems.     

Ultrasound evaluation of the gonadal structure in sex-reversed rainbow trout females

Ultrasound approach has been used to assess morphology of the gonadal structure in the sex-reversed rainbow trout females (neomales) provided in the course of 11β-hydroxyandrostenedione treatment applied within gonadal differentiation period. Eighteen matured individuals (in range 38.0–48.6 cm of body length and 802–1644 g of body weight) were scanned using digital ultrasound apparatus (DP-6900 model) Mindray Ltd., during the spawning season. After screening, fishes were killed to validate the morphological configuration and position of the gonads in the body cavity. The favorable place for cross-sectional imaging of gonadal lobes was half of the distance between the pectoral and pelvic fins below lateral line of neomales. Most of the examined specimens (61 %) had properly shaped, paired testis. Moreover, presence of individuals with asymmetrical gonads (33 %) and one bisexual fish was confirmed. There were no differences between total volume of sampled semen and sperm motility, but statistically significantly different in sperm concentration within selected (with symmetrical and asymmetrical testis) groups of neomales. It was confirmed that ultrasonic imaging is an efficient and accurate method to determine the state of gonads of mature sex-reversed rainbow trout females during spawning season and offers the opportunity for non-invasive detection of any morphological anomalies in their gonads.     

基于激光雷达的巡检机器人导航系统研究

智能巡检机器人能够高效、可靠地完成巡检任务,降低工作人员的劳动强度,准确、稳定的导航定位是巡检机器人执行巡检任务的基础。本文研究了基于激光雷达的巡检机器人导航系统,可实现机器人在室内外环境下的地图建立、路径规划和导航定位。导航系统由远程监控平台与巡检机器人组成,远程监控平台发布巡检任务、监控机器人状态、查询与存储检测数据,巡检机器人可实现自主导航定位、遍历检测点、执行数据采集等巡检任务,二者通过无线网络实现远程数据交互。融合激光雷达与编码器信息,使用高鲁棒性Gmapping算法建立二维环境地图。根据地图与检测点信息,采用分支界定算法搜索最优巡检路线,以减少巡检时间和能源消耗。使用自适应蒙特卡罗定位(AMCL)算法估计机器人位置和姿态,结合巡检路线,进行导航定位。根据横向偏差与航向偏差,通过经典的PID算法完成机器人驱动控制。机器人搭载可见光相机与红外相机,可对目标进行可见光通道与红外通道的融合图像检测。对巡检机器人进行了室内导航定位试验,试验结果表明,在1 m/s的速度下,位置与航向偏差的平均绝对误差(MAE)分别小于5 cm和1.1°,标准差(SD)分别小于5 cm和1.5°,能够满足巡检导航定位的要求。     

Effect of Early Postpartum Ovulation on Fertility in Dairy Cows

Our objectives were to determine the effects of early ovulation on fertility and uterine health of dairy cows. Four hundred and forty‐five Holstein cows (185 primiparous and 260 multiparous) from five herds were used. Blood samples were collected at 21, 35 and 49 days in milk (DIM) and cows were considered to be cyclic at 21 DIM (Cyc21) if serum progesterone (P4) concentration was above 1 ng/ml, cyclic by 49 DIM (Cyc49) if P4 concentration was above 1 ng/ml at 35 or 49 DIM, or not cyclic (NotCyc) if P4 concentration was below 1 ng/ml at all sample times. Endometrial cytology for diagnosis of subclinical endometritis was examined at 49 DIM in a subset of 414 cows. Cows in the group Cyc21 had increased hazard of insemination, for the first service, compared with cows in Cyc49 [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.40; 95% CI = 1.10–1.79; p = 0.006] and NotCyc (HR = 2.07; 95% CI = 1.52–2.82; p < 0.001). Cows in the Cyc49 group also had increased hazard of insemination compared with cows in the NotCyc group (HR = 1.47; 95% CI = 1.13–1.93; p = 0.005). Median days to insemination were, respectively, 71, 76 and 96 for cows in Cyc21, Cyc49 and NotCyc groups. Cows in Cyc21 had greater first service pregnancy per AI than Cyc49 [38.6 vs 28.1%; adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.67; 95% CI = 1.01–2.75; p = 0.04] and NotCyc (38.6 vs 23.6%; AOR = 2.08; 95% CI = 1.08–4.00; p = 0.03). Pregnancy per AI was similar in Cyc49 and NotCyc cows (28.1 vs 23.6%; AOR = 1.25; 95% CI = 0.70–2.24; p = 0.45). Cows in Cyc21 had increased hazard of pregnancy up to 300 DIM compared with Cyc49 (HR = 1.52; 95% CI = 1.17–1.96; p = 0.002) and NotCyc (HR = 1.98; 95% CI = 1.41–2.78; p < 0.001). Cows in Cyc49 tended to have increased hazard of pregnancy compared with NotCyc (HR = 1.31; 95% CI = 0.96–1.77; p = 0.09). Median days to pregnancy were, respectively, 103, 147 and 173 for cows in Cyc21, Cyc49 and NotCyc groups. Cows in the Cyc21 group had decreased prevalence of subclinical endometritis compared with cows in the NotCyc group (29.9 vs 43.7%; AOR = 0.53; 95% CI = 0.29–0.97; p = 0.04); however, the prevalence did not differ from the Cyc49 group (29.9 vs 39.1%; AOR = 0.68; 95% CI = 0.41–1.14; p = 0.15). Cyc49 cows had similar prevalence of subclinical endometritis compared with NotCyc cows (AOR = 0.77; 95% CI = 0.46–1.29; p = 0.32). Early postpartum ovulation was associated with improved uterine health and fertility.     

Adsorption of metal and uranyl ions onto amidoximated Pinus densiflora bark

Pine (Pinus densiflora) bark was chemically modified by grafting with acrylonitrile (AN) through Fenton reaction and conversion of the cyano group to an amidoxime group by reaction with hydroxylamine. Treatments of pine bark with 160 mM H₂O₂ at 40°C yielded ~70% grafting in 6-h reaction. After alkali hydrolysis of amidoximated pine bark (AOPB), its adsorption capacity (q _e) for copper ions was largely increased from 0.5 to 1.8 mmol/g. Adsorption of the hydrolyzed AOPB (HAOPB) followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Among the metal ions tested, the order of adsorption capacity (q _e) predicted by the kinetic model at equilibrium time was Hg²⁺ > UO₂ ²⁺ > Cd²⁺ > Cu²⁺ > Zn²⁺ > Ni²⁺. The adsorption process was pH-dependent, and the adsorption equilibrium was observed in the pH range of 6–7 for all the metal ions. Even though pine bark is a good adsorbent for Hg²⁺ and UO₂ ²⁺ ions, it had a poor affinity for the other ions tested. It was obviously found that HAOPB had very high adsorption abilities for heavy metal and uranyl ions.     

作物株型相关性状分子机理的研究进展

作物株型是通过对光合产物的形成和籽粒填充物的储藏的影响进而决定产量的综合农艺性状,而株高、分蘖数、分蘖夹角和叶夹角是其主要影响因素。对关于控制这些性状的分子机理进行了综述,分析了利用这些基因通过基因工程改良株型进一步提高单位面积产量的可行性。     

苦菜和蒲公英中总黄酮含量及其抗氧化活性分析

为加强苦菜和蒲公英的进一步开发利用,研究了乙醇浓度、料液比和提取时间对苦菜和蒲公英总黄酮得率以及不同浓度提取物对苦菜和蒲公英抗氧化活性的影响。结果表明：苦菜和蒲公英总黄酮提取的最优化条件为提取液乙醇的浓度为60％,料液比为1：30,超声提取时间为0．5h,总黄酮得率分别为6．44％和17．56％。苦菜和蒲公英提取物对DPPH自由基清除率随样品提取物浓度的增大而升高,在浓度为9．6rag·mL^-1时,苦菜和蒲公英提取物的DPPH自由基清除率都达到最大,分别为76．47％和80．39％。     

Fertigation rate,leaching fraction,and growth of potted poinsettia

Single‐pinched poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima ’V‐14 Glory') in 15‐cm pots received constant fertigation with 50, 100, 200, and 300 mg.L^‐1 nitrogen (N) from a 20N‐4.4 phosphorus (P)‐16.6 potassium (K) fertilizer with a leaching fraction (LF) of 0, 0.2, or 0.4. Plants received 25 irrigations during the 13‐week study. The shoot fresh and dry masses with 50, 100, and 300 mg.L^‐1 N at the 0.4 LF were 30% larger than at the 0 LF. The 300 mg.L^‐1 N fertigated plants had approximately 15% more leaf area and almost 122% more bract area than the 50 mg.L^‐1 N fertigated plants. The leaf N concentration of plants fertigated with 100, 200, and 300 mg.L^‐1 N was near or in the normal range of 4 to 6%, but was below the critical level of 3.5% with 50 mg.L^‐1 N fertigation. In contrast, the leaf P concentration approached or exceeded the toxic level of 0.9% with 100 to 300 mg.L^‐1 N. The N fertigation of 100 to 200 mg.L^‐1 is adequate for producing a quality poinsettia crop. Quality poinsettias can be grown at a 0 LF if quality irrigation water is available. With 11 mg.L^‐1 P via fertigation, the leaf P concentration was in the acceptable range. The P concentration in the 20N‐4.4P‐16.6K complete fertilizer was excessive for poinsettia and would contribute to unnecessary P leaching.     

基于地理权重回归模型的土壤有机质空间预测

准确了解土壤有机质的空间分布是合理施肥的重要前提,也是水土流失控制及保护环境的重要基础。利用113个土壤有机质样点数据,以海拔高度、土壤侵蚀强度、土地利用、比值植被指数、样点至河流的欧氏距离、亚铁矿物指数及坡度为参考因子,来尝试利用GWR(Geographically Weighted Regression)模型探索多重因素作用下的土壤有机质空间分布,并通过与普通线性回归(ordinary least squares,OLS)相比较,来了解GWR模型的精度,进而进行了土壤有机质的空间制图,并对其制图效果进行了评价。结果表明,与OLS模型相比,GWR预测模型它能显著降低AIC(Akaike Information Criterion)值,较大程度地提高模型的决定系数,并有效地减少模型的回归残差值。从制图的总体效果看,GWR模型的预测结果与实测值的吻合程度要优于OLS模型。文章还对利用GWR模型进行回归时的样点数量、因子筛选及因子定量化等方面进行了相应的讨论。