Transition of Historical Control Data for High Incidence Tumors in F344 Rats

Historical control data of tumor incidence were collected from the control groups (215 animals of each sex) in four recent carcinogenicity studies that were started between 2005 to 2009 (terminally sacrificed between 2007 and 2011) at BoZo Research Center Inc. (Gotemba, Shizuoka, Japan) using Fischer 344 rats (F344/DuCrlCrlj). These data were compared to the previous historical control data (from 1990 to 2004, previously reported) in the same facility. In the results, the incidence of C-cell adenoma in the thyroid tended to increase in both sexes in recent years (30.8% for males and 24.4% for females in 2005-2009) as compared with the previous data (17.4% and 20.1% for males and 11.5% and 11.8% for females in 1990–1999 and 2000–2004, respectively). In addition, the incidences of pancreatic islet cell adenoma in males and uterine adenocarcinoma tended to increase from around 2000 and remained high in recent years (incidences of islet cell adenoma in males of 10.5%, 17.1% and 20.5% in 1990–1999, 2000–2004 and 2005–2009; incidences of uterine adenocarcinoma of 3.3%, 12.0% and 13.5% in 1990–1999, 2000–2004 and 2005–2009, respectively). There was no apparent difference in the incidence of other tumors.     

基于MODIS数据的伊犁河谷植被指数变化及其对气候的响应

利用2006-2014年主要生长季(5-9月)的MODIS遥感数据,分析了2006-2014年的年平均NDVI和生长季月NDVI变化规律。同时,收集整理同期伊犁河谷地区的气温与降水资料,并对NDVI与当月、2个月滑动、3个月滑动和5个月滑动的平均气温、降水值进行了相关性分析。结果表明,NDVI与气温、降水都存在一定的相关性,NDVI受当月平均气温的影响最大;NDVI与当月降水和滑动平均降水的相关性都很好,但3个月滑动平均降水对NDVI的影响最大,并且通过了0.01的极显著性检验。     

我国西北地区东部时间序列NDVI数据集重建方法比较研究

高质量、长时序归一化植被指数(NDVI)数据集不仅是连续监测陆地表面特征的基础,也是研究气候与陆地生态系统变化的重要参数。本研究以生态环境较为脆弱的西北地区东部为例,借助多种时间序列重建方法对LTDR NDVI数据集中的噪声进行拟合重建,并结合农业气象资料和高质量NDVI数据,对不同重建方法的拟合结果开展适用性评价分析,结果表明,1)下垫面类型是影响重建方法拟合效果的重要因素。根据不同植被类型或作物生长特点,每种重建方法对其噪声消除能力有所不同;2)在年均NDVI较高(NDVI≥0.3),且NDVI曲线具有明显季节变化的草地、林地以及牧草等作物种植区域内,经过D-L拟合重建的NDVI具有较高的保真能力和适应性;3)在年均NDVI较低(NDVI<0.3),且植被季节生长变化不明显或NDVI曲线不呈季节对称性变化的稀疏植被区,以及以冬小麦为典型作物种植的区域内,经过S-G滤波重建的NDVI数据表现出相对较好的保真能力和适应性。     

基于MODIS数据的中国草地生态体系价值估算研究

在传统的草原生态系统价值估算的基础上,利用遥感技术,以谢高地等人计算出来的各种草地类型单位面积价值量为经济参数,利用2003年MODIS数据估算的中国草原生态系统服务价值约折合US$311.48×108,并从草地类型和省区等角度分别进行区域分析,表明我国草原生态系统服务价值呈现出农牧交错带较高且逐渐向牧区递减的特征,说明牧区草原生态系统退化比较严重,草原生态功能保护意识需要进一步加强。     

Can incidental sighting data be used to elucidate habitat preferences and areas of suitable habitat for a cryptic species?

The involvement of communities in ecological studies has been shown to augment conservation efforts, especially for cryptic species. However, there is a lack of studies addressing the utility of incidental sighting records from community members in gaining knowledge on habitat preferences and distribution of suitable habitat for these organisms. This study compares preferences of the Lumholtz's tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus lumholtzi ; LTK), a cryptic rainforest folivore in northeastern Australia, for various habitat and climatic variables derived from data collected during scientific projects to those derived from incidental sighting records using ArcGIS and Maxent. Incidental sighting records suggest that the species uses a wider range of altitudes, annual rainfalls, annual mean temperatures and vegetation types than predicted by scientific studies. Incidental records also show that the species can persist in areas of lower rainfall during the wettest month and lower minimum temperature during the coldest month. Both data place the species within a comparable range of rainfalls during the driest month, maximum temperatures of the warmest month and soil types. When using identified preferences to assess the extent and distribution of suitable habitat, incidental records predicted more areas of suitable habitat than scientific records with an overlap of up to 91% between them. The present study proves that incidental sighting records can be a valuable part of the study of cryptic species and should be considered complementarily alongside scientific studies to obtain comprehensive ecological information of a species that can assist in its conservation.     

Validating a Time Series of Annual Grass Percent Cover in the Sagebrush Ecosystem

We mapped yearly (2000–2016) estimates of annual grass percent cover for much of the sagebrush ecosystem of the western United States using remotely sensed, climate, and geophysical data in regression-tree models. Annual grasses senesce and cure by early summer and then become beds of fine fuel that easily ignite and spread fire through rangeland systems. Our annual maps estimate the extent of these fuels and can serve as a tool to assist land managers and scientists in understanding the ecosystem’s response to weather variations, disturbances, and management. Validating the time series of annual maps is important for determining the usefulness of the data. To validate these maps, we compare Bureau of Land Management Assessment Inventory and Monitoring (AIM) data to mapped estimates and use a leave-one-out spatial assessment technique that is effective for validating maps that cover broad geographical extents. We hypothesize that the time series of annual maps exhibits high spatiotemporal variability because precipitation is highly variable in arid and semiarid environments where sagebrush is native, and invasive annual grasses respond to precipitation. The remotely sensed data that help drive our regression-tree model effectively measures annual grasses’ response to precipitation. The mean absolute error (MAE) rate varied depending on the validation data and technique used for comparison. The AIM plot data and our maps had substantial spatial incongruence, but despite this, the MAE rate for the assessment equaled 12.62%. The leave-one-out accuracy assessment had an MAE of 8.43%. We quantified bias, and bias was more substantial at higher percent cover. These annual maps can help management identify actions that may alleviate the current cycle of invasive grasses because it enables the assessment of the variability of annual grass ? percent cover distribution through space and time, as part of dynamic systems rather than static systems.     

Equine hospital data as a source for study of prevalence and heritability of osteochondrosis and palmar/plantar osseous fragments of Swedish Warmblood horses

Reasons for performing study: Disturbances in skeletal development, primarily osteochondrosis (OC) and palmar/plantar osseous fragments (POF), have been commonly reported as problems in young horses. However, there are few reports of such findings for epidemiological analyses or breeding purposes. Objectives: To evaluate equine hospital data as a possible source of information for genetic evaluations by estimating prevalence and heritability of OC in the stifle, hock and fetlock joints and of POF in the fetlock. Methods: Data on Swedish Warmblood (SWB) horses were obtained from a large equine hospital in south Sweden. Prevalences were based on radiographic examinations of 879 screened horses, mainly evaluated as part of a prepurchase examination and 3639 horses with a reported history of orthopaedic problems. For the heritability study the 2 data sources were pooled and 3199 examined horses with pedigree information were considered for the linear animal model analyses. Results: The overall prevalence of OC was 13% (stifle 9%, hock 6% and dorsal osseous fragments in fetlock [DOF] 10%) and POF 10%. The overall heritability of OC was 0.05 on the visible binomial scale. The corresponding heritabilities for OC in the stifle were 0.03, hock 0.08, DOF 0.10 and POF 0.13. These values correspond to heritabilities of 0.09–0.38 on the underlying quantitative scale. Conclusions and potential relevance: Obtained prevalences and heritabilities were in accordance with other studies, supporting the hypothesis that data regularly obtained from equine hospitals may be a valuable source in studies of inherited disorders such as OC and POF. There is a need for more standardised documentation of diagnoses and consistent recording of identity of examined horses using passports or breed databases. Compilation of results from major clinics is desired in order to cover most progenies of stallions used in a region or nation.     

河西荒漠灌区紫花苜蓿施肥效应及其基于数据包络分析法的经济效益研究

为科学准确地评判河西走廊苜蓿主产区紫花苜蓿饲草生产中施肥措施对其产品质量及生产收益的影响,本研究以“甘农3号”紫花苜蓿为材料,通过2016、2017年2年田间试验,以该区域紫花苜蓿饲草生产的平衡施肥推荐方案(N 103.5 kg·hm^-2、P₂O₅ 105 kg·hm^-2、K₂O 90 kg·hm^-2)为对照,探讨了不施肥及3种不完全施肥(缺氮偏施、缺磷偏施、缺钾偏施)处理下紫花苜蓿的生产性能,并采用数据包络分析法(DEA)对其经济效益进行分析。结果表明:与不施肥相比,施肥措施各处理均显著提高紫花苜蓿产量、蛋白总量,降低其酸性洗涤纤维和中性洗涤纤维,提高了相对饲用价值,从而改善了紫花苜蓿品质,并有效增加了经济效益;与氮、磷、钾平衡施肥相比,各偏肥处理的紫花苜蓿产量和品质均显著低于平衡施肥,尤以缺磷偏施的降幅最大,2016、2017年2年的产量和蛋白总量降幅分别达到25.9%、25.7%和33.4%、33.1%。因此,磷是河西荒漠灌区紫花苜蓿饲草生产的养分限制因子,氮、磷、钾对该地区紫花苜蓿生产性能影响顺序为:磷>氮>钾。运用数据包络分析法(DEA)分析出河西荒漠灌区紫花苜蓿的施肥效应为氮、磷、钾平衡施肥的经济效益最优,为DEA有效;不完全施肥的3个评价单元及不施肥评价单元为DEA无效,其中,不施肥经济效益最低,3个不完全施肥评价单元中的缺磷偏肥的紫花苜蓿经济效益比缺氮偏肥和缺钾偏肥更低;另外还以DEA模型推算出不同施肥措施下紫花苜蓿饲草生产经济效益改进的具体方案,其中,不施肥的紫花苜蓿饲草生产需调整的幅度最大,调整额度达10678.88 CNY·hm^-2,各施肥措施需调整的幅度排序为:不施肥>缺磷偏施>缺氮偏施>缺钾偏施。     

Demographics of cattle positive for Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis by faecal culture,from submissions to the Cork Regional Veterinary Laboratory

The demography of bovine infections caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) in Ireland is poorly defined. The objective of this study was to describe the demographics of cattle positive to MAP on faecal culture, based on submissions to the Cork Regional Veterinary Laboratory (Cork RVL) from 1994 to 2006. The study focused on all available faecal samples from adult cattle with non-responsive chronic diarrhoea that were submitted by private veterinary practitioners to Cork RVL for MAP culture. For each MAP-positive by faecal culture animal, data were collated from Cork RVL and Cattle Movement Monitoring Scheme (CMMS) records. Johne's disease (JD) was confirmed in 110 animals from 86 herds by the Cork RVL between 1994 and 2006, with a rate of positive cases between 15% and 18% over last four years of the study. Two breeds (Holstein/Friesian or Limousin) made up 78% of submissions. Movements were assessed for the 57 study animals with available movement information, 90% died within one year of the test and 26% tested positive in the herd they were born into. The study provides preliminary information about movement trends and demographics of animals with MAP positive submissions. Although the study area is restricted, it includes the most intensive (and economically-important) dairy region in Ireland. The demographics of JD infection from the study area are in agreement with international reports. Further work is required to determine demographic trends, incidence and prevalence of JD throughout Ireland. It is hoped this work may contribute to the development of a surveillance strategy for MAP by regional veterinary laboratories.     

农业大数据助力现代农业高质量发展

农业大数据对推动我国现代化农业强国建设具有重要的意义,本文较为细致地梳理了农业大数据的发展意义和存在的问题,并对其未来的发展趋势进行讨论。