Acclimation abilities of three tropical rainforest seedlings to an increase in light intensity

Current practices in many nurseries involve the germination of tropical rainforest seedlings in shaded conditions and transferral, at a later date, to environments with greater light intensities. Determination of the ability of these seedlings to acclimate to increased light intensities will allow seedling stock to be processed with maximum efficiency within the nursery. The acclimation abilities of three species, Agyrodendron actinophyllum, Cardwellia sublimis, and Flindersia brayleyana, commonly found in north Queensland's rainforests were investigated in this study. These particular species are highly valued for their cabinet timber qualities and are being reared in nurseries for use in reforestation trials and programs in north Queensland. Seedlings were initially raised in greenhouse conditions under two layers of shade cloth (16% of full sunlight) and then transferred into full sunlight at three different ages (3 weeks, 10 weeks, 14 weeks). Upon transfer, organ ratios and the direction of dry matter distribution was determined for each species and age group. Approximately 3 months after the seedlings were transferred, the acclimation ability of each species and age group was then determined. Dry matter distribution was found to change with age, irrespective of light environment. Individuals within a species with larger root systems and thicker or more dense leaves had a greater acclimation ability than those with smaller root systems and thinner or less dense leaves. Furthermore, individuals within a species whose dry matter distribution upon transfer was directed towards developing a large root system, and a small photosynthetic area and mass, had a greater acclimation ability than those whose dry matter distribution was directed away from such morphologies. Awareness of these relationships allows a better understanding of seedling response to gap formation in natural forests, and also allows plant nursery operators to make a more informed decision about when to move seedlings to environments with a higher light intensity.     

Patterns of silver eel (Anguilla anguilla L.) sex ratio in a catchment

Abstract –  Changes in the numbers and size-class structure of European silver eels, Anguilla anguilla , in the River Frémur (France) were examined over a 9-year period after installation of downstream eel passes. The number of silver eels migrating downstream peaked in 1999, then decreased strongly and steadily after 2000, reaching relatively low levels. At the same time, a gradual shift in the silver eel sex ratio from a dominance of males (size from 270 to 442 mm, age from 3 to 6 years) to females (size from 366 to 1112 mm, age from 4 to 9 years) was recorded. Possible explanations for the escapement patterns observed are environmental sex determination and the installation of eel passes on the main hydraulic engineering structures in 1992 and 1996.     

面向多类型土壤有机碳定量反演的天基高光谱探测参数研究

星载高光谱仪器的光谱通道以及光谱分辨率和信噪比等核心参数设置直接影响土壤有机碳定量反演精度。本研究开展了卫星载荷光谱分辨率、信噪比、光谱特征波段对不同土壤类型有机碳反演影响的研究,提出了基于大气传输模型、光谱分辨率分析模型、信噪比分析模型、特征波段的提取分析模型以及偏最小二乘回归反演模型的面向不同土壤类型有机碳监测的高光谱卫星“地面–大气–仪器–观测–反演”全链路仿真分析方法,实现了土壤类型、大气效应、仪器特性参数、反演方法的耦合影响分析。结果表明：①3种类型土壤有机碳反演的最佳光谱分辨率均在10~20 nm。②不同土壤类型对观测的信噪比需求不同。对于Phaeozem的有机碳监测,较另外两种土壤有更高的信噪比需求。③在不同特征波段提取分析方法下所需的最佳光谱分辨率和信噪比一致。不同类型土壤光谱数据提取出的特征波段不同,其中反演效果最佳的土壤类型为Chernozem,特征波段数为26个,R²=0.826 5,RMSE=3.438 9 g/kg。④反演模型与仪器特性参数无耦合关系,同一类型土壤不同反演算法的最佳光谱分辨率和信噪比需求一致。⑤Chernozem有机碳最佳反演参数需求为光谱分辨率15 nm,信噪比大于506.66,特征波段提取数为26个;Kastanozem有机碳最佳反演参数需求为光谱分辨率17 nm,信噪比大于331.42,特征波段提取数为22个;Phaeozem有机碳最佳反演参数需求为光谱分辨率15 nm,信噪比大于432.51,特征波段提取数为19个。     

虚拟仿真技术在动物生产学实验教学中的应用

虚拟仿真技术是利用计算机和多媒体平台,模拟真实的实验条件和环境,实现情景和操作条件再现的一项新型信息技术,不受场地、时空、设备和危险性等因素影响,是新农科和现代畜牧业教学发展的趋势。本文以动物生产学实验教学为例,介绍了实验教学的现状和虚拟仿真技术在学科中的优势,详尽分析了虚拟仿真教学系统的构建,虚拟仿真技术在猪,禽,牛羊和特种动物教学中应用情况和存在的问题,并对动物生产实验教学未来虚拟仿真技术的应用和发展提出了建议。     

近红外光谱技术在农业领域的应用及展望

对近红外光谱技术在水稻、油菜和土壤肥力测定等领域最新的研究进展进行了综述,探讨了近红外光谱分析技术应用中存在的问题,并对该技术在农业领域中的应用作了展望。     

饲粮n-6/n-3多不饱和脂肪酸比例对畜禽健康和产品品质的影响

现今人类膳食中n-6多不饱和脂肪酸(PUFA)大多都是过量的,但n-3 PUFA却严重不足.研究表明,n-6/n-3 PUFA比例平衡对畜禽健康和产品品质有着重要意义,n-6/n-3 PUFA比例平衡成为当下最受关注的问题.本文综述了n-6/n-3 PUFA比例平衡的营养生理作用以及对畜禽产品品质的影响及如何改善畜禽产品中的n-6/n-3 PUFA比例.     

Radiosensitivity and capacity for radiation-induced sublethal damage repair of canine transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) cell lines

Understanding the inherent radiosensitivity and repair capacity of canine transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) can aid in optimizing radiation protocols to treat this disease. The objective of this study was to evaluate the parameters surviving fraction at 2 Gy (SF(2) ), α/β ratio and capacity for sublethal damage repair (SLDR) in response to radiation. Dose-response and split-dose studies were performed using the clonogenic assay. The mean SF(2) for three established TCC cell lines was high at 0.61. All the three cell lines exhibited a low to moderate α/β ratio, with the mean being 3.27. Two cell lines exhibited statistically increased survival at 4 and 24 h in the dose-response assay. Overall, our results indicate that the cell lines are moderately radioresistant, have a high repair capacity and behave similarly to a late-responding normal tissue. These findings indicate that the radiation protocols utilizing higher doses with less fractionation may be more effective for treating TCC.     

中链脂肪酸的生物学功能及其在动物生产中的应用研究进展

中链脂肪酸(MCFAs)是一类含有6～12个碳原子的饱和脂肪酸.除了作为能源物质之外,MCFAs还具有改善肠道形态结构、提高动物生长性能、防治疾病、调节免疫以及抗菌等功能,因此具有作为抗生素替代品的潜力.本文简述了MCFAs的生物学功能和作用机制,并综述了其在动物生产中的应用研究进展,以期为MCFAs在畜牧业生产中应用...     

Aortic to caudal vena cava ratio measurements using abdominal ultrasound are increased in dogs with confirmed systemic hypertension

Chronically sustained systemic hypertension in dogs can damage the kidneys, eye, brain, heart, and vessels. In human medicine, systemic hypertension has been implicated as the most common risk factor for aorta dilation, which can progress to an aneurysm. Abdominal ultrasound has been commonly used to monitor the size of the abdominal aorta in people with systemic hypertension. In this retrospective cross‐sectional abdominal ultrasound study, evaluation of the size of the abdominal aorta relative to the caudal vena cava was performed in 18 control dogs and 128 dogs with confirmed systemic hypertension. Preexisting conditions contributing to systemic hypertension in these dogs were renal disease, hyperadrenocorticism, diabetes mellitus, adrenal tumors, and previous administration of phenylpropanolamine or palladia. The abdominal aorta and caudal vena cava were assessed from longitudinal images cranial to the trifurcation with measurements made from outer border to outer border of the walls, being careful not to compress the caudal vena cava that would alter its size. Our hypothesis was the ratio of the diameter of the abdominal aorta to caudal vena cava would be higher in dogs with systemic hypertension compared to dogs with normal blood pressure. The mean abdominal aorta‐caudal vena cava ratio was 1.028 in control dogs with a normal blood pressure and 1.515 in dogs with systemic hypertension. In dogs with confirmed systemic hypertension, the abdominal aorta was dilated compared to the caudal vena cava in the caudal abdomen. An increase in the abdominal aorta‐caudal vena cava ratio in a dog should raise suspicion for the presence of systemic hypertension and prompt evaluation of blood pressure.