Immunological and pathological investigations in equine experimental uveitis

Background

The pathogenic mechanism of equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) is still poorly defined and many variations between experimental animal models and spontaneous disease exist.

Objectives

The aim of our study was to investigate if Th17 cell-mediated response plays role in the pathogenesis of the used experimental model in horses and to reveal its pathological findings.

Methods

Experimental uveitis was induced in 6 healthy horses. The concentrations of retinal autoantigen CRALBP and IL-17 were measured using ELISA in aqueous humor and vitreous body of the 12 inflamed eyes as well as in 12 control non-inflamed eyes taken from 6 horses in slaughter house. After centrifugation of the two eye media, smears were prepared and cytological investigation was performed. Tissue specimens were taken from all eye globes and were submitted to histopathological investigation.

Results

CRALBP and IL-17 concentrations were significantly elevated in eye media of horses with experimental uveitis in comparison with controls. Cytological and histopathological findings corresponded to the changes characteristic of chronic immune-mediated inflammation with mononuclear cell infiltration of uvea, choroid, retina, and eye media as well as severe retinal destruction.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrated the involvement of the retinal autoantigen CRALBP as well as IL-17 in the pathogenesis of experimental uveitis in horses. These findings suggests that this experimental uveitis in horses may serve as a suitable animal model for investigation of IL-17- mediated immune response during spontaneous autoimmune uveitis in horses as well as in humans.

     

弱光条件下桃光合作用的动态变化及品种差异分析

就日光温室桃树光合生理进行了详尽的研究,结果表明:1d中叶温与气温以14:00时较高。遮阴明显地降低了到达叶片表面的有效光合辐射、叶温与气温。桃叶片的光合速率日变化为双峰曲线,峰值大约出现在上午10:00与下午14:00时;不同品种弱光下的光合速率有明显的差异,以NJN较高,其次为五月火与麦香。遮阴降低了桃叶片的光合速率,以NJN光合速率降低的较少,说明NJN能适应设施栽培。气孔阻力与蒸腾速率则随着遮阴程度的增加而增加。桃中位叶的光合速率较幼叶高。     

Using midday stem water potential for scheduling deficit irrigation in mid–late maturing peach trees under Mediterranean conditions

Irrigation techniques that reduce water applications are increasingly applied in areas with scarce water resources. In this study, the effect of two regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) strategies on peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch cv. “Catherine”] performance was studied over three growing seasons. The experimental site was located in Murcia (SE Spain), a Mediterranean region. Two RDI strategies (restricting water applications at stage II of fruit development and postharvest) based on stem water potential (Ψ_s) thresholds (?1.5 and ?1.8 MPa during fruit growth and ?1.5 and ?2.0 MPa during postharvest) were compared to a fully irrigated control. Soil water content (θ_v), Ψ_s, gas exchange parameters, vegetative growth, crop load, yield and fruit quality were determined. RDI treatments showed significantly lower values of θ_v and Ψ_s than control trees when irrigation water was restricted, causing reductions in stomatal conductance and photosynthesis rates. Vegetative growth was reduced by RDI, as lower shoot lengths and pruning weights were observed under those treatments when compared to control. However, fruit size and yield were unaffected, and fruit quality was slightly improved by RDI. Water savings from 43 to 65 % were achieved depending on the year and the RDI strategy, and no negative carryover effect was detected during the study period. In conclusion, RDI strategies using Ψ_s thresholds for scheduling irrigation in mid–late maturing peach trees under Mediterranean conditions are viable options to save water without compromising yield and even improving fruit quality.     

Measured and estimated water use and crop coefficients of grapevines trained to overhead trellis systems in California’s San Joaquin Valley

The use of overhead trellis systems for the production of dry-on-vine (DOV) raisins and table grapes in California is expanding. Studies were conducted from 2006 to 2009 using Thompson Seedless grapevines grown in a weighing lysimeter trained to an overhead arbor trellis and farmed as DOV raisins for the first two years and for use as table grapes thereafter. Maximum canopy coverage for the two lysimeter vines across years was in excess of 80 %. Seasonal (15 March–31 October) evapotranspiration for the lysimeter vines (ET_Lys) was 952 mm in 2007 (farmed as DOV raisins) and 943 and 952 mm (when farmed as table grapes). The maximum crop coefficient (K _cLys) across all 4 years ranged from 1.3 to 1.4. These maximum values were similar to those estimated using the relationship where K _c is a function of the amount of shaded area measured beneath the canopy at solar noon (K _c = 0.017 × percent shaded area). Covering the lysimeter’s soil surface with plastic (and then removing it) numerous times during the 2009 growing season (1 June–14 September) reduced ET_Lys from an average of 6.4 to 5.6 mm day^?1 and the K _c from 1.07 to 0.93. A seasonal basal K _c (K _cb) was calculated for grapevines using an overhead trellis system with a 13 % reduction in the K _cLys across the growing season.     

板料激光斜冲击下受力变形数学分析

金属板材的激光冲击成形通常采用激光束垂直作用于工件表面,产生垂直于表面的冲击波作用力使板料变形,但在曲面零件成形时很难满足法向垂直冲击,因此有必要对斜冲击下板料力学变形特性进行研究。本文研究了激光斜冲击受力变形模型,对板料深度方向(z轴)变形公式、板料短轴(y轴)在水平方向上变形公式进行了理论推导计算,通过把两变形合成,得到短轴(y轴)在空间内总变形公式,最后把实验测量结果与理论计算结果进行了比较,得出两者相符的结论。     

Crop response of drought-tolerant and conventional maize hybrids in a semiarid environment

In the High Plains, corn (Zea mays L.) is an important commodity for livestock feed. However, limited water resources and drought conditions continue to hinder corn production. Drought-tolerant (DT) corn hybrids could help maintain high yields under water-limited conditions, though consistent response of such hybrids is unverified. In this two-year study, the effects of three irrigation treatments were investigated for a DT and conventional maize hybrid, Pioneer AQUAMax P0876HR and Pioneer 33Y75, respectively. In 2013, the drier of the 2 years, irrigation amounts and crop water use (ET_c) were greater for the conventional hybrid, but grain water use efficiency (WUE) and harvest index were significantly greater for the DT hybrid. In 2014, grain yields and WUE were not significantly different between hybrids. However, irrigation amounts, ET_c and biomass yields were greater for the conventional hybrid. Results from both years indicate that the DT hybrid required less water to maximize grain yield as compared to the conventional hybrid. Producing relatively high yields with reduced amounts of water may provide a means for producers to continue corn production in a semiarid environment with declining water supplies.     

Modeling soil water dynamics in a drip-irrigated intercropping field under plastic mulch

Intercropping, drip irrigation, and the use of plastic mulch are important management practices, which can, when utilized simultaneously, increase crop production and save irrigation water. Investigating soil water dynamics in the root zone of the intercropping field under such conditions is essential in order to understand the combined effects of these practices and to promote their wider use. However, not much work has been done to investigate soil water dynamics in the root zone of drip-irrigated, strip intercropping fields under plastic mulch. Three field experiments with different irrigation treatments (high T1, moderate T2, and low T3) were conducted to evaluate soil water contents (SWC) at different locations, for different irrigation treatments, and with respect to dripper lines and plants (corn and tomatoes). Experimental data were then used to calibrate the HYDRUS (2D/3D) model. Comparison between experimental data and model simulations showed that HYDRUS (2D/3D) described different irrigation events and SWC in the root zone well, with average relative errors of 10.8, 9.5, and 11.6 % for irrigation treatments T1, T2, and T3, respectively, and with corresponding root mean square errors of 0.043, 0.035, and 0.040 cm³ cm^?3, respectively. The results showed that the SWC in the shallow root zone (0–40 cm) was lower under non-mulched locations than under mulched locations, irrespective of the irrigation treatment, while no significant differences in the SWC were observed in the deeper root zone (40–100 cm). The SWC in the shallow root zone was significantly higher for the high irrigation treatment (T1) than for the low irrigation treatment, while, again, no differences were observed in the deeper root zone. Simulations of two-dimensional SWC distributions revealed that the low irrigation treatment (T3) produced serious severe water stress (with SWCs near the wilting point) in the 30–40 cm part of the root zone, and that using separate drip emitter lines for each crop is well suited for producing the optimal soil water distribution pattern in the root zone of the intercropping field. The results of this study can be very useful in designing an optimal irrigation plan for intercropped fields.     

微波辅助生物质焦炭诱导甲苯裂解和重整试验

选用甲苯模拟焦油芳香环物质,研究微波辅助生物质焦炭诱导甲苯裂解和重整反应规律、产物特性和焦炭变化。试验结果表明,焦炭对甲苯裂解有催化作用,微波环境易于甲苯裂解。甲苯裂解率和氢气选择性与温度正相关,750℃是适宜的温度选项,此温度下裂解率与氢气选择性分别为92.77%和91.94%,此后无明显变化。通入CO2促使甲苯重整制备合成气,700℃最高转化率92.03%和最大合成气收率91.30%均在CO2流量为80 m L/min时实现,H2/CO值随CO2流量的加大而降低直至0.22。通入CO2导致焦炭碳质量变化率增加,700℃最高达5.42%,此部分碳转化合成气,对合成气产率的贡献率最高可达15.40%。通入CO2可减缓积碳对甲苯转化的不利影响。     

小水电机组宜选用低压发电机和异步发电机

在相同单机容量情况下，０．４ｋＶ的同步水轮发电机要比６．３ｋＶ的整机价格便宜３０％左右；同时，控制、励磁和电气设备也要减少投资３０％。所以单机容量等于和小于８００ｋＷ的机组，应优先选用０．４ｋＶ的同步水轮发电机组。在单机容量和电压相同的情况下，异步发电机要比同步发电机价廉２５％左右，发电成本低５０％～６０％，不存在并网误操作问题，电机效率还可以提高３％左右。