A survey of cattle producers in the Boophilus microplus endemic area of Queensland to determine attitudes to the control of and vaccination against tick fever

SUMMARY: A survey by mail was used to determine the views of beef producers in the Boophilus microplus endemic area of Queensland on the control of and vaccination against tick fever. Data from 448 questionnaires were analysed, representing 2.7% of beef producers in the survey area. Producers considered buffalo fly ( Haematobia irritans exigua ) infestation as the most important problem whereas tick fever ranked sixth overall. Private veterinarians were regarded as the most important source of information on vaccines for cattle followed by a weekly rural newspaper. From the survey we estimate that about 33% of producers used the tick fever vaccine produced by the Tick Fever Research Centre of Queensland Department of Primary Industries but there were significant (P < 0.05) variations between regions and herds. Large herds (≥ 400 head) in south-east Queensland were the most likely to be vaccinated against tick fever. Of the producers who did not use the vaccine, over 70% replied that there was no need to vaccinate because of the low risk of the disease in their herds. In 52% of unvaccinated herds the treatment of animals with acaricide was considered the most important means of tick fever control and 61% of these herds comprised Bos indicus x Bos taurus or Bos indicus cattle.     

The effect of estradiol, trenbolone acetate, or zeranol on growth rate, mammary development, carcass traits, and plasma estradiol concentrations of beef heifers.

The effect of a single implantation (on d 1) with one or two long-acting, biodegradable estradiol implants (1E or 2E) on plasma estradiol concentrations in beef heifers was determined. The growth rates of these (2E) heifers, and of heifers repeatedly implanted with trenbolone acetate (TBA) or zeranol (Z) on d 1, 84, 168, and 252 of the trial, were compared to growth rates of controls. Trenbolone acetate alone was compared to TBA + 2E, and 2E was compared to 1E. At a mean age of 84 d (d 1 of experiment), 81 Hereford x Friesian heifers were allocated at random to the following treatments: Control (n = 15); TBA (n = 15); 1E (n = 12); 2E (n = 15); Z (n = 13); or TBA + 2E (n = 11). Mean live weight (kg) prior to slaughter on d 368 and hot carcass weight (kg) for heifers assigned to treatment Groups 1 to 6, respectively, were 366 and 200, 391 and 212, 374 and 201, 386 and 207, 387 and 210, and 391 and 208 (residual SD = 30.3 and 20.2). Heifers assigned to both the 2E and Z treatments were heavier on d 368 (P less than .05) and had longer teats on d 279 (P less than .05), less pelvic fat (P less than .05), and heavier kidneys (P less than .005) than control heifers. Heifers assigned to the TBA treatment had shorter teats on d 279 (P less than .001) but greater final live weight (P less than .05) and carcass weight than control heifers. Heifers given TBA alone had more pelvic fat (P less than .05) and lighter kidneys (P less than .05) than those given TBA + 2E. Mean estradiol concentrations in both the ipsilateral and contralateral jugular veins of heifers assigned to the 2E and TBA + 2E treatments, and in the ipsilateral jugular veins of heifers given 1E, were greater (P less than .05) than those in control heifers; concentrations did not decline during the experiment.     

An economic evaluation of the control of three notifiable fish diseases in the United Kingdom

We summarised the challenges faced in an ex ante cost-benefit appraisal of United Kingdom government spending on disease surveillance for three notifiable fish diseases: infectious salmon anaemia (ISA), viral haemorrhagic septicaemia (VHS) and infectious haemorrhagic necrosis (IHN). We used a social cost-benefit analysis and adopted a national perspective. We compared costs of current public and private surveillance effort with the benefits stated in terms of the avoided private and social costs of potential disease outbreaks. Spending on ISA and VHS were predicted to be efficient; the benefit-cost ratios were always >or=3.2 for ISA and >or=5.8 for VHS for all nine scenarios examined for each infection. However, the benefit-cost ratio for IHN was predicted never to exceed 1.6, and was <1.0 in five of the nine scenarios-so spending on IHN would be harder to justify.     

Oxygenic Photoautotrophic Growth Without Photosystem I

Contrary to the prediction of the Z-scheme model of photosynthesis, experiments demonstrated that mutants of Chlamydomonas containing photosystem II (PSII) but lacking photosystem I (PSI) can grow photoautotrophically with O2 evolution, using atmospheric CO2 as the sole carbon source. Autotrophic photosynthesis by PSI-deficient mutants was stable both under anaerobic conditions and in air (21 percent O2) at an actinic intensity of 200 microeinsteins per square meter per second. This PSII photosynthesis, which was sufficient to support cell development and mobility, may also occur in wild-type green algae and higher plants. The mutants can survive under 2000 microeinsteins per square meter per second with air, although they have less resistance to photoinhibition.     

Elevated temperature and water stress accelerate mesocarp cell death and shrivelling, and decouple sensory traits in Shiraz berries

Both water deficit and elevated temperature are likely to accelerate shrivelling in Shiraz berries with consequences for fruit yield and quality. The process of shrivelling is partially related to mesocarp cell death and it has been proposed that enhancement of berry flavour and aroma also correlates with mesocarp cell death. However, the combined effects of water deficit and elevated temperature on berry shrivelling, mesocarp cell death and berry sensory traits are unknown. We tested the hypotheses that (1) the effects of water deficit and elevated temperature on the dynamics of mesocarp cell death and shrivelling are additive, and that (2) faster cell death, as driven by warming and water deficit, negatively contributes to grape sensory balance. Using open-top chambers to elevate day and night temperature, we compared heated vines against controls at ambient temperature. Thermal regimes were factorially combined with two irrigation regimes, fully irrigated and water deficit, during berry ripening. The dynamic of cell death was characterised by a bilinear model with three parameters: the onset of rapid cell death and the rate of cell death before and after the onset of rapid cell death. Statistical comparison of these three parameters indicated that there was not interaction between water and temperature on the dynamics of berry mesocarp cell death. Warming advanced the onset of cell death by ~9 days (P = 0.0002) and water stress increased the rate of cell death in the period post onset (P = 0.0007). Both water stress and elevated temperature increased the proportion of cell death and shrivelling at harvest. An interaction between water deficit and elevated temperature was found whereby the onset of berry net water loss was advanced by elevated temperature under water deficit but not in the fully irrigated treatment. Sensory traits typical of ripened berries were associated with higher cell death; however, warming and water deficit hastened ripening and altered the balance of berry sensory traits.     

Biological activities of purified marennine, the blue pigment responsible for the greening of oysters

Marennine, the blue pigment produced by the diatom Haslea ostrearia , exists in two different forms, the intra- and extracellular forms. We investigated the antibacterial, antiviral, and antiproliferative properties of both of these forms. Both forms of marennine inhibited the development of marine bacteria, in particular the pathogenic organism Vibrio aesturianus , at concentrations as low as 1 μg/mL, but they did not display any effect on a wide range of pathogenic bacteria that are relevant for food safety. Both forms of the pigment produced by H. ostrearia also exhibited antiviral activity against the HSV1 herpes virus, with intra- and extracellular marennine having EC(50) values of 24.0 and 27.0 μg/mL, respectively. These values are 2 orders of magnitude higher than the value for the reference drug, Zovirax. Moreover, both forms of marennine were effective in slowing or inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells. This study confirms the potential of marennine as a biologically active organic molecule, which could have a protective effect on bivalves, which filter seawater and fix the pigment on their gills. Moreover, marennine could be used in food engineering and chemistry as a natural blue pigment. However, despite that it is eaten and possibly assimilated by green oyster consumers, it also deserves in depth evaluation before being considered for use as a nutraceutical.     

贵州省生态系统服务价值与社会经济空间相关性分析

基于2000年,2010年土地利用与社会经济数据,利用GeoDA模型分析了贵州省生态系统服务价值（ESV）与城镇化率、人均GDP、人口密度之间空间相关性。结果表明:2000年和2010年ESV与城镇化率、人均GDP、人口密度呈负相关;10 a间,ESV变化与城镇化率变化、人均GDP变化呈正相关,与人口密度变化呈负相关。ESV与城镇化率、人均GDP、人口密度之间高—低相关多分布中部,低—高相关多分布东南部和西北部,低—低和高—高相关分布较少且分散。ESV变化与城镇化率、人均GDP变化之间低—高相关和高—高相关分布北部和西北部,低—低相关分布中部。ESV变化与人口密度变化之间高—低相关分布中部,低—高相关和高—高相关分布北部和西北部。     

ABS制动工况台架测试模拟

汽车制动防抱死系统(ABS)台架测试需要模拟ABS工作所需的运行工况,研究了ABS制动工况台架测试模拟方法,设计了工况模拟及设定的人机界面,根据不同路况和不同车速下的实际制动工况轮速曲线,构造出ABS台架测试所需的轮速模拟工况.通过轮速信号再现装置驱动伺服电动机带动齿圈旋转以生成设定的轮速信号,为ABS在各种工况下的台架模拟测试提供了必要的运行环境.ABS台架测试系统的运行表明,再现的轮速信号适用于ABS台架测试,所生成的模拟工况满足ABS台架性能测试和强化试验的要求.     

动力电池冷热双向循环热管理系统性能分析

基于工质相变换热和无泵循环思路,提出了一种动力电池冷热双向热管理系统。以某款三元锂电池为研究对象,试验测试了冷热双向循环热管理系统的散热和加热工况。结果表明:该系统能实现电池箱低温工况加热与高温工况散热的运行切换管理。散热工况下,换热板采用4根竖管比单根蛇形管的散热能力强;冷凝器侧强制风冷散热与自然对流散热相比,能将系统一换热功率提高10%～44.2%,系统二换热功率提高20%～48.6%;电池箱温度为60℃时,自然对流散热系统换热板的最大温差小于2℃,强制对流散热系统换热板的最大温差小于1℃;在电池初始温度25℃时,1C、2C、3C放电倍率下,放电结束强制对流散热在能将8块电池的平均温度分别降低2.1、3.9、4.7℃。加热工况下,多组试验电池箱的升温效果一致性较好。考虑车辆行驶中换热板倾斜的影响,受制于工质的流量分配,散热工况时温度均匀性优于加热工况。     

Patterns of genetic diversity in Australian tree species

Australia has a large endemic tree flora with many of the genera largely confined to the southern hemisphere. The two dominant genera are Eucalyptus and Acacia. Isozyme studies of patterns of genetic diversity in populations of these species are reviewed. Generally, Australian tree species have high levels of allozyme variation with most of this variation within rather than between populations. The species with the most genetic differentiation between populations are those with regional distributions but with small disjunct populations. Many of the species show no discernible relationship between current population sizes and genetic diversity. A number of species with widespread distributions exhibit similar clusters of populations both on isozymes and other traits. Such clusters often correspond to large geographic regions. This pattern suggests that preliminary low intensity isozyme surveys could help to define more efficient sampling strategies for intensive seed collections and subsequent field trials of many tree species.