Analysis of the Impact of Alfalfa Forage Production under Summer Water-Limiting Circumstances on Productivity, Agricultural and Growers Returns and Plant Stand

The trade-off between summer water conservation from alfalfa production and the effects on plant growth, agricultural crop value, and grower returns in the low desert area (Imperial, Palo Verde, Parker and Yuma Valleys of California and Arizona) was analysed using an experimental plot in the Palo Verde Valley. The purpose was to provide a basis for evaluating water conservation decisions and policies. Four summer dry-down periods (withdrawing water for a predetermined period) of 0 days (control), 35 days, 70 days, and 105 days were analysed. Our results show that whereas the various dry-down periods would provide water conservation ranging from 254 to 944 million m³, the region would experience agricultural income decline by US $16 to US $73 million. For growers, benefits of dry-down would be effective only if the water price exceeds US $0.045 m⁻³ in California and US $0.036 m⁻³ in Arizona. Also dry-down would have possible adverse effects in the following areas including declines in plant stand density, long-term productivity, service industry sales, employment and biological benefits of soil fertility and organic matter that is attributed by the alfalfa plant in which case agriculture's and growers monetary losses could increase.     

海洋养殖柔性网衣结构水动力特性研究进展

发展深水网箱养殖是保障我国粮食及食品安全的长远战略,也是缓解近海网箱养殖环境胁迫力、拓展食物生产空间的必然选择。发展深水网箱养殖首先需要面对的突出挑战是养殖设施在外海恶劣海况下的安全性问题。网衣是深水网箱的主体结构,由于其自身具有高柔性、小尺度的特点,在波浪和水流作用下易出现大位移和大变形的极端响应。当前,网衣结构分析技术已成为我国深水网箱养殖工程技术的薄弱环节,一定程度上制约当前海上养殖网箱向大型化和深水化发展。因此,网衣水动力特性研究对于深远海网箱养殖的发展具有重要意义。本研究系统介绍了计算网衣水动力荷载的主要方法及其适用范围。同时,对网衣动态响应数值计算中的主流建模技术进行了总结和分析。最后,根据目前网衣水动力特性研究中存在的热点问题,提出了网衣流固耦合分析、生物污损分析、数字孪生技术等前沿发展方向,为网衣水动力学分析向数字化、精准化发展提供参考。     

温度、光照强度和光照周期对铜藻有机碳释放速率的影响

为探究铜藻(Sargassum horneri)的有机碳释放速率、与净初级生产力(NPP)之间的关系及主要的调控因素等问题,本研究采用三变量三水平的正交实验,测定铜藻在不同温度(5、15和25℃)、光照[86、172和258 μmol/(m2·s)]和光照周期(L∶D=6 h∶18 h、L∶D=12 h∶12 h、L∶D=24 h∶0 h,L表示光照时长,D表示黑暗时长)条件下溶解有机碳(DOC)、颗粒有机碳(POC)的释放速率和初级生产力。结果显示,DOC和POC释放速率的范围分别为0.653~4.785 mg/(g·h)和0.066~0.322 mg/(g·h);温度和光照强度分别是铜藻释放DOC和POC的主要调控因素;铜藻在高温、中光、L∶D=6 h∶18 h条件下的DOC释放速率最高[4.785 mg/(g·h)],在高温、高光、L∶D=24 h∶0 h条件下的POC释放速率最高[0.322 mg/(g·h)];铜藻释放的DOC和POC占NPP的比值分别为4%~130%和0.4%~5.9%;DOC释放速率与NPP之间存在负相关关系,POC释放速率与NPP之间无明显相关性。研究结果为深入了解铜藻的生理生态学特性及其对沿海生态系统碳循环的影响提供了科技支撑。     

帆张网帆布面积对网具作业性能的影响

帆布面积增加在促进网口扩张的同时,也使网具整体阻力增加.为了明晰帆布面积对网具整体作业性能的影响,以网口面积与网具阻力的比值(K)作为帆张网网具性能比较参数,通过模型实验分析帆布面积对网具作业性能的影响,结果显示,流速为0.24 m/s时,K值随帆布面积增加而递增,但增速逐渐趋缓,帆布面积趋于0.288 m2时,K呈现...     

龙眼体胚发生早期miR166初级体的克隆与表达分析

为了解龙眼miR166初级体基因Pri-miR166 S53结构特点及其前体和成熟体在龙眼体胚发生早期的表达模式,采用SMART~(TM) RACE试剂盒和PCR扩增技术克隆龙眼体胚早期miR166基因的初级体(Pri-miR166 S53),确认其转录起始位点,并预测其含有的潜在ORF;利用龙眼基因组数据库提取其启动子序列,预测其含有的顺式作用元件;用实时荧光定量PCR对龙眼体胚发生早期及不同激素处理下的胚性愈伤组织中miR166基因的前体(Pre-miR166 S53)和成熟体(miR166a.2)表达模式进行分析。结果表明:获得长317 bp的Pri-miR166 S53基因初级体序列,对其进行翻译,得到一条长13个氨基酸序列的miPEP(MLCFVDALFLIST)。利用生物信息学软件分析Pri-miR166 S53基因的启动子序列发现,除了具有TATA/CAAT-box外,还含有生长素、脱落酸、乙烯、水杨酸、茉莉酸甲酯及spl、HSE等特异作用元件。实时荧光定量PCR分析表明,在2,4-D调控的龙眼体胚发生早期过程中,从胚性松散型愈伤组织发育到球形胚的过程中,Pri-miR166 S53基因的前体pre-miR166 S53和成熟体miR166a.2都表现为下调趋势;而在无2,4-D调控的龙眼体胚发生早期中,pre-miR166 S53和miR166a.2表达模式不同。此外,pre-miR166S53随ABA和乙烯处理浓度升高呈下调表达,而对不同浓度2,4-D处理无应答;miR166a.2随2,4-D、ABA处理浓度升高呈下调表达,而在乙烯处理下呈上调表达。上述研究结果提示miR166前体和成熟体在对外源激素应答的模式上并不呈简单线性相关,可能存在多层次、多方位的调控。     

高寒牧区栽培毛苕子多次刈割生产性能研究

对毛苕子不同刈割时间与次数的生产性能进行了对对比,发现其生产能力有很大差别,试验证明,在高寒牧区栽培毛苕子,在整个生育期内刈割２次可获得最高产草量,一茬草与二葜最佳刈割期分别为初花期和结荚初期。     

Expression of receptor tyrosine kinases VEGFR-1 (FLT-1), VEGFR-2 (KDR), EGFR-1, PDGFRa and c-Met in canine primary brain tumours

Inhibition of tumour growth and angiogenesis by targeting key growth factor receptors is a promising therapeutic strategy for central nervous system tumours. Characterization of these growth factor receptors in canine primary brain tumours has not been done. Using quantitative real‐time TaqMan polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we evaluated the expression of messenger RNA (mRNA) for five tyrosine kinase growth factor receptors (vascular endothelial growth factor receptor [VEGFR]‐1, VEGFR‐2, endothelial growth factor receptor [EGFR]‐1, platelet‐derived growth factor receptor a [PDGFRa], and c‐Met) relative to normal cerebral cortex in 66 spontaneous canine primary brain tumours. Increased expression of VEGFR‐1 and VEGFR‐2 mRNA was greatest in grade IV astrocytomas (glioblastoma multiforme) and grade III (anaplastic) oligodendrogliomas. EGFR‐1 mRNA expression was more consistently increased than the other receptors in all tumour types, while increased PDGFRa mRNA expression was mostly restricted to oligodendrogliomas. The similarities in increased expression of these tyrosine kinase growth factor receptors in these canine tumours, as compared to data from their human counterparts, suggest that common molecular mechanisms may be present.     

Describing the growth and molt of modern domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) primary wing feathers

The use of feathers as noninvasive physiological measurements of biomarkers in poultry research is expanding. Feather molting patterns and growth rates, however, are not well described in domestic poultry. These parameters could influence the measurement of these biomarkers. Therefore, the objective of this study was to describe the juvenile primary feather molting patterns and feather growth rates for domestic turkeys. The 10 primary wing feathers of 48 female turkeys were measured weekly from week 1 (0 d of age) to week 20. Feathers were manually measured, and the presence or absence of each primary feather was recorded weekly. Generalized linear mixed models were used to investigate if feather growth differed between the primary feathers. The molting of the juvenile primary feathers followed a typical descending pattern starting with P1 (5 wk of age), while P9 and P10 had not molted by the end of the study (20 wk of age). The average feather growth rate was 2.4 cm/wk, although there was a significant difference between the 10 primary feathers (P < 0.0001, 2.1 to 2.8 cm/wk). Over time, feather growth followed a pattern where the growth rate reaches a peak and then declines until the feather is molted. The results of this study provide a critical update of patterns of molting and feather growth in primary wing feathers of modern turkeys. This can have implications for the interpretation of physiological biomarkers, such as the longitudinal deposition of corticosterone, in the feathers of domestic turkeys.     

Energy and resource consumption of land-based Atlantic salmon smolt hatcheries in the Pacific Northwest (USA)

This paper evaluates the resource and energy requirements of six different types of land-based, hatchery production systems located in the U.S. Pacific Northwest: flow-through with a gravity water supply, flow-through with a pumped water supply, flow-through with pure oxygen, partial reuse system, partial reuse with heating, and a reuse system for the production of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolts. Key parameters used in the evaluation include direct energy, indirect energy, transportation energy, greenhouse gas emissions, and pollutant discharges.Power (electricity and natural gas) and feed energy accounted for the majority of the required energy for all the rearing option evaluated. The sum of the fixed capital and chemicals components accounted for less than 2–12% of the total energy budget for any rearing option. The energy efficiency (energy output/energy input) of the six options ranges from 0.97% for flow-through with pumped supply to 3.49% for the flow-through with gravity supply. The rearing options with the three highest energy efficiencies were flow-through with gravity supply (3.49%), partial reuse (2.75%), and reuse (2.64%).On a kg of smolt produced basis, the six rearing options showed a wide range in performance. The reuse system had the lowest water (2 m³ kg^− 1) and land (0.13 m² kg^− 1) requirements and the third lowest total energy requirement (288 MJ kg^− 1). The partial reuse system had the second lowest total power requirement (276 MJ kg^− 1), a low land requirement (0.21 m² kg^− 1), and moderate water requirements (33 m³ kg^− 1). The partial reuse with temperature control had the second highest total power requirement (657 MJ kg^− 1) and land and water requirements similar to the partial reuse system without temperature control. The flow-through system with pumped water supply had the highest water (289 m³ kg^− 1), land (2.19 m² kg^− 1), and energy requirements (786 MJ kg^− 1) of any of the rearing options. By comparison, the flow-through system with gravity water supply had the lowest energy requirement (218 MJ kg^− 1), a moderate land requirement (0.78 m² kg^− 1), and a high water requirement (214 m³ kg^− 1). The ranking of the six rearing options based capital and operating costs are likely to be quite different from those based on energy, water, and greenhouse gas emissions.