Serum metabolites, milk yield, and physiological responses during the first week after kidding in Anglo-Nubian, Angora, Baladi, and Damascus goats under subtropical conditions

This study was carried out to determine the level of certain biochemical variables reflecting the energy metabolic statuses during the first week of lactation in goats. A total of 120 Anglo-Nubian, Angora, Baladi, and Damascus does (30 does per breed) were used throughout 5 consecutive parities (30 does per parity) to investigate the effect of breed, parity, day of lactation, and their interaction on serum metabolites including total protein, albumin, globulin, glucose, total lipids, cholesterol, and transaminases. Blood samples were collected every other day during the first week of lactation. Baladi does had the greatest (P < 0.001) values in all measured biochemical variables followed by Anglo-Nubian [in total protein, globulin, and aminotransferase (AST)] and Damascus (in globulin and AST) and then Angora, which had the lowest (P < 0.001) values for all variables. Fifth parity exhibited the greatest (P < 0.001) values in all serum metabolites compared with other parities except for alanine transaminase (ALT) enzyme activity in which the greatest (P = 0.046) values were observed in the first and fourth parties. Serum concentrations of the measured variables increased gradually throughout the first day after kidding until the seventh day for total protein (P < 0.001), albumin (P = 0.013), globulin (P = 0.017), and cholesterol (P = 0.028) whereas serum glucose concentration exhibited an opposite trend. Serum concentrations of total lipids and enzyme activities of AST and ALT were not affected by day (P > 0.05) after kidding. Baladi goats had the least (P < 0.001) serum insulin concentration, which was associated (P < 0.001) with greatest serum glucose concentration. Serum triiodothyronine (T(3)) was inversely correlated (P = 0.032) with milk yield whereas greatest (P = 0.003) T(3) concentrations were associated with least (P < 0.001) milk yield recorded in Angora goats. Animal physiological responses and their indices were not affected (P > 0.05) by breed whereas both rectal temperature and coefficient of heat tolerance were affected (P < 0.001) by parity in an opposite direction. Baladi goats expressed an aspect of adaptability where their rectal temperature decreased and coefficient of heat tolerance increased with increasing parity number.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculation has similar benefits to fertilization for Thuja occidentalis L. seedling nutrition and growth on peat soil over a range of pH: implications for restoration

New Forests - Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are hypothesized to assist growth of northern white-cedar in acid peatlands, yet there is little direct evidence that they can provide sufficient...     

地衣对重金属的累积效应用于乌鲁木齐市大气监测的研究

[目的]评价地衣重金属富集能力及其在城市空气环境质量评价中的应用前景.[方法]利用地衣移植法把丽石黄衣移植到乌鲁木齐市区15个监测点,用原子吸收光谱仪测量地衣体内6种重金属含量,根据重金属含量计算单项污染量指数和Nemerow综合污染指数.[结果]随着移植时间的延长地衣体内的重金属含量出现上升趋势,丽石黄衣体内重金属含量具有显著的时空变化特征.同时把单向污染量指数作为变量进行聚类分析和主成分分析,显示15个监测点分为轻污染区、中度污染区、重污染区,严重污染区等三个等级.[结论]地衣具有较高的重金属富集能力,对大气污染较敏感,可以作为大气环境质量评价指示地衣种类.     

干旱区绿洲土壤盐渍化动态变化及其影响因子分析研究—以渭干河-库车河三角洲绿洲为例

[目的]土地盐渍化是干旱、半干旱地区由于人类不合理的开发土地资源活动和脆弱的生态环境相互影响而引起的土地退化问题,它严重威胁着干旱区绿洲生态环境的稳定性,约束着社会经济的可持续发展.因此,监测盐渍地的分布范围及其盐渍化程度,分析其成因对绿洲生态环境和社会经济可持续发展有着重要的意义.[方法]以塔里木盆地北缘盐渍地普遍发育区域渭干河-库车河三角洲绿洲为例,利用 1989年TM,2001年ETM +和2007年ALOS 3个时期的遥感影像数据,在野外调查的基础上,采用监督分类方法,进行了盐渍地动态变化分析研究.[结果]1989～2007年的19 a中,重度盐渍地面积从1 177.78 km2增加到1 192.33 km2,中度盐渍地面积增加了1 353.25 km2,轻度盐渍地面积减少了3.40;,总盐渍地面积呈增加趋势,增加面积为981.30 km2.[结论]盐渍化影响因子中人为因素占主导地位.对水和土地资源需求的增加以及不合理利用导致了该区域生态环境的恶化,进一步加重了盐渍化问题.     

Effect of curing time on physical and mechanical properties of phenolic-treated bamboo strips

Effect of pressing time on physical and mechanical properties of phenolic-impregnated bamboo strips was evaluated. Bamboo strips (Gigantochloa scortechinii) were impregnated with low molecular weight phenol formaldehyde (LMwPF) resin. Samples were submerged in LMwPF resin using a vacuum chamber of 750 mmHg for 1 h before it was released within 1.5 h. Treated strips were dried in an oven with a temperature of 60 °C within 6–9 h. It was hot pressed at 14 kg m^?2 and a temperature of 140 °C for 5, 8, 11, 14 and 17 min. The physical and mechanical properties of the test indicated that the properties of phenolic-treated strips have significantly increased as compared to control samples. Dimensional stability (water absorption, thickness swelling and linear expansion) of the phenolic-treated properties were significantly lower than control after 5-min pressing time. The antishrink efficiency (ASE) of phenolic-treated strips increased when pressing time were extended from 5 to 17 min. The mean value of modulus of rupture (MOR) for the control samples (177 N mm^?2) showed a significant difference with phenolic-treated strips after 17-min pressing time (224 N mm^?2). However, there is no significant difference in compression parallel to grain. The MOE of phenolic-treated strips was 21,777 N mm^?2 and for control was 18,249 N mm^?2, whereas the compression parallel to grain values for phenolic-treated and control samples were 94 and at 77 N mm^?2, respectively.     

Capacitation of Frozen Thawed Buffalo Bull (Bubalus bubalis) Spermatozoa with Higher Heparin Concentrations

The present study was conducted to examine the effect of high heparin concentration on capacitation of buffalo spermatozoa with a short incubation time. Frozen thawed spermatozoa from three buffalo bulls were pooled and treated with either 50, 100 or 200 microg/ml heparin for 30 min. Capacitation was evaluated by acrosome reaction of spermatozoa and in vitro fertilization rate (per cent cleavage rate, per cent cleavage index). Acrosome reaction was induced in heparin treated spermatozoa with calcium ionophore A23187 and staining was carried out with Coomassie G-250 to evaluate the response as compared with control (0 heparin + calcium ionophore). Significantly higher percentage of acrosome reaction (AR) spermatozoa was noted after heparin treatment (36.8-48.2%) as compared with control (8.1% ; p < 0.05) but differences among the three heparin concentrations were non-significant. However, a significantly higher in vitro fertilization rate was recorded in spermatozoa capacitated by 50 and 100 microg/ml heparin (80.4 and 75.9% cleavage rate, respectively) as compared with 200 microg/ml heparin (47.2% cleavage rate; p < 0.001). It is concluded that buffalo spermatozoa capacitated with 50-100 microg/ml heparin had significantly higher ability to improve in vitro fertilization rate in buffalo.     

Physiological and Yield Responses of Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) to Drought Stress in Managed and Open Field Environments

Water scarcity is threatening the sustainability of global food grain production systems. Devising management strategies and identification of crop species and genotypes are direly required to meet the global food demands with limited supply. This study, consisted of two independent experiments, was conducted to compare faba bean (Vicia faba L.) genotypes Giza Blanka, Goff‐1, Hassawi‐1, Hassawi‐2 and Gazira‐2 in terms of physiological attributes and yield under water‐limited environments. In first experiment, conducted in a growth chamber, osmotic stress of ?0.78, ?0.96, ?1.19 and ?1.65 MPa was induced using polyethylene glycol for 4 weeks. In second experiment, conducted in open field for two consecutive growing seasons, water deficit treatments were applied 3 weeks after sowing. In this experiment, irrigation was applied when an amount of evaporated water from the ‘class A pan’ evaporation reached 50 mm (well watered), 100 mm (moderate drought) and 150 mm (severe drought). Water deficit, applied in terms of osmotic stress or drought, reduced the root and shoot length, related leaf water contents, total chlorophyll contents and efficiency of photosystem‐II, plant height, grain yield and related attributes in faba bean; increased the leaf free proline, leaf soluble proteins and malondialdehyde contents, and triggered the maturity in tested faba bean genotypes. However, substantial genetic variation was observed in the tested genotypes in this regard. For instance, root length of genotypes Giza Blanka and Hassawi‐2 decreased gradually, whereas it was increased in genotypes Goff‐1, Hassawi‐1 and Gazira‐2 with increase in the level of osmotic stress. Genotypes Gazira‐2 and Hassawi‐2 had better relative leaf water contents, leaf free proline and soluble proteins under water deficit conditions; however, these were minimum in genotype Giza Blanka. Better accumulation of leaf free proline, soluble proteins, and maintenance of chlorophyll contents, tissue water, efficiency of photosystem‐II and grain weight in water‐limited conditions helped some genotypes like Hassawi‐2 to yield better. Future breeding programs for developing new faba bean genotypes for water‐limited environments may consider these traits.     

Secondary Effluent Treatment by Slow Sand Filters: Performance and Risk Analysis

The objective of this study is to examine the reuse of wastewaterfor beneficial purposes. To accomplish this objective, the efficiency of slow sand filters in removing total coliforms (TC) was studied using a probabilistic method. Three pilot scale slowsand filters were constructed at Alkhobar wastewater treatment plant, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The removal efficiency of filters was estimated under different operating control parameters, which included filtration rate (q), sand bed depth (d) and sand grain size (c). The Type III extreme value distribution best fitted theremoval efficiency data. A multiple linear regression analysis was performed to develop a relationship for mean removal efficiency as a function of control parameters. The predicted mean response and experimental results of previous studies werecompared to validate the empirical regression model. The controlparameters and influent concentrations of total coliform were used in Monte Carlo (MC) simulations for calculating the reliability index (β). The reliability index and corresponding risk were calculated for lognormally distributedsafety margins (SM). An effluent standard of 100 total coliform/100 mL was defined as capacity of the filter to ascertainthe risks of exceedence, which was approximately less than 50 for95% of the time. Pre and/or post disinfection would be necessaryto meet the stipulated effluent standards for unrestricted agriculture use.     

Seasonal changes in microbial biomass in soils cropped with palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii L.) and Japanese mint (Mentha arvensis L.) in subtropical India

Changes in microbial C, N, and P were investigated for 1 year in two soils with similar physicochemical properties but supporting different crops under subtropical conditions. One was cropped with palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii L.) and the other with Japanese mint (Mentha arvensis L.). Both the season and the type of cropping had a significant influence on changes in the soil microbial biomass. In general, soil microbial biomass C, N, and P were highest in summer months and lowest in midwinter. Soil microbial biomass levels and microbial C:N and C:P ratios were higher and N:P ratios lower under palmarosa soil than under mint.