The Generalized Conjugate Direction Method for Constrained Optimization A Geometrical Approech

The conjugate direction method for solving the unconstrained optimization problem is extended to solving the constrained optimization problem by method of differential geomtry.By inducing a new class of affine connections on a constrained sub-manifold, the primary constrched optilnhation problem is converted to a unconstrained local quadratic programming problem.Based on the definition and construction of a new class of generalized conjugate directions, it isproved that optimum value of the primary constrained optimization problem must be located on thegeodesic line which is formed by the conjugate directions mentioned above and can be reached withinfinite searching step. Therefore a new curve search algorithm with generalized conjugate directions isput forward.     

Intensification or extensification? Factors affecting technology use in peri-urban lowlands along an agro-ecological gradient in West Africa

The paper analyses whether the increased use of lowlands in proximity to urban centres in West Africa is associated with technological intensification or extensification. Technologies are typified in terms of their orientation – land or labour saving – and market dependence for their procurement and reviews the factors driving and modifying their use in lowlands. The factors associated with technology use are analyzed empirically using geo-referenced lowland data around four urban centers along an ecological gradient in Côte d’Ivoire and Mali. The technologies analyzed include both external inputs (fertilizer, pesticide, herbicide, improved varieties) and crop management practices (plot level bunding, rice transplanting and rice direct seeding). Results from binomial logit models highlight the prominent positive and non-linear role of proximity to urban markets for the technological intensification of lowlands – an issue associated with factor scarcities and the transaction costs for procurement and marketing. Technology use in lowlands is also associated with the agro-ecological gradient, lowland development and non-native lowland users. A common thread linking these variables is that they modify resource scarcity and therefore intensification incentives. Lowlands are not always as valuable as they may seem and there may be limited incentives to intensify. Instances of significant lowland cultivation and intensification in the study sites tend to be associated with specific opportunities – driven by market opportunities and modified by seasonal, institutional or development-induced relative land scarcity. Market access is therefore a necessary but not sufficient factor for the technological intensification of lowland use. There is a need for better targeting of development efforts in terms of enabling lowland intensification or extensification as appropriate.     

成品油管道水击超前保护优化方案

成品油管道发生泵站意外停电事故后通常执行水击超前保护程序,该保护方案对管道的安全性有决定性影响。为了确保管道从事故前稳态安全平稳过渡到事故后较优的运行状态,需要制定最佳的水击超前保护方案。对成品油管道泵站意外停电水击工况进行分析,以水击事故发生后下一稳态时输量最大且各调节阀节流压力之和最小为目标,建立优化模型,相应的约束条件为全线不超压、不汽化。模型求解采取两种不同策略:事故站下游以各站出站压力最低为目标分别寻优,采用水力坡降线平移法求解;事故站上游以整体总节流最小寻优,为了提高求解速度,采用深度优先搜索法求解。以某成品油管道泵站意外停电事故工况为例,对该优化模型进行实例应用,并根据优化结果制定水击事故过渡过程的控制逻辑,并使用仿真软件SPS验证了控制逻辑的合理性,表明该优化模型合理可靠。     

草鱼TAB1蛋白的原核重组表达及其抗体制备

为了制备草鱼重组TAB1蛋白(rCiTAB1)及其特异性抗体,首先以草鱼头肾组织c DNA为模板,PCR扩增Ci TAB1基因全长序列,并依次构建重组克隆质粒p MD19-T-Ci TAB1与重组表达质粒pET-32a-Ci TAB1。该重组表达质粒经0.5 mmol·L~(-1) IPTG,37℃诱导表达12 h后获得以包涵体形式表达的重组CiTAB1蛋白(rCiTAB1)。然后,采用3种不同方法对包涵体蛋白进行变性,发现与高浓度尿素直接变性法和洗涤后尿素变性法相比,洗涤后梯度尿素变性法处理后的蛋白纯度最好,经透析复性后得到浓度为2 mg·mL~(-1)的r Ci TAB1。最后,将rCiTAB1蛋白与白油佐剂及免疫增强剂混合,室温下混合1.5h乳化成免疫原,3次免疫新西兰大白兔制备兔抗CiTAB1抗体,经间接ELISA方法和免疫琼脂双向扩散试验测得免疫后第33天血清中特异性抗体的效价分别为1∶1 048 576和1∶16。Western blot检测到一条分子量约为72 kDa的特异性条带,表明该抗体能特异性识别r Ci TAB1蛋白。研究结果为后续深入研究CiTAB1蛋白功能提供了物质基础。     

水温对怀头鲇血液学指标的影响

本实验设定4℃、9℃、14℃、18℃、24℃和30℃6个水温梯度,测定了水温变化对二龄怀头鲇血液生理生化指标的影响。结果显示,水温4～30℃范围内,怀头鲇血红蛋白含量随着水温的升高呈波浪型变化,但变化幅度较小;而血沉与血红蛋白含量变化趋势相反,变化幅度较大;血液中的红细胞数量随水温的升高先增加再减少;血清中的总蛋白、白蛋白和球蛋白的变化趋势一致,都是随水温的升高其含量先增加再减少,而且在9～18℃区间变化较急剧;血清中的血糖,高密度脂蛋白,谷草转氨酶,三碘甲状腺氨酸,甲状腺素,促甲状腺激素,钾和镁八项指标在各水温之间不存在显著差异（P〉0．05）;血清中的尿素氮,甘油三脂,总胆固醇,低密度脂蛋白,谷丙转氨酶,碱性磷酸酶,钠,钙,氯化物和渗透压在部分水温之间存在显著差异（P〈0．05）。     

Effect of Bacillus cereus as a water or feed additive on the gut microbiota and immunological parameters of Nile tilapia

We evaluated the effects of Bacillus cereus, as an additive in water and feed, on the gut microbiota and immunological parameters of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fingerlings. Experiments were performed in tanks and net cages respectively. Experiment 1: Tilapia were housed in tanks for 42 days, and B. cereus was added to the water at 1.0 × 10⁴ cfu mL^?1 (Treatment 1) and 1.0 ×10⁵ cfu mL^?1 (Treatment 2) weekly. For the control, no probiotic was added. Experiment 2: Tilapia were housed in cages for 42 days, and the feed was supplemented with B. cereus at 1.0 × 10⁷ cfu g^?1 (Treatment 1) and 1.0 × 10⁸ cfu g^?1 (Treatment 2) weekly. For the control, no probiotic was added. Each treatment contained three replicates, with 50 male tilapias per replicate. The fish from the probiotic treatments in both tank and cage experiments had significantly higher serum lysozyme and peroxidase activities than the control. In the cage experiment, alkaline phosphatase and total superoxide dismutase activities in tilapia were significantly higher in probiotic treatments compared with the control. The results of polymerase chain reaction‐denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis showed that B. cereus supplementation in the feed and water affected the autochthonous gut bacteria community of tilapia and stimulated various potentially beneficial bacteria. Therefore, B. cereus, as a water or feed additive, could enhance the immune status and affect the gut microbiota of tilapia. Bacillus cereus was more effective as a feed supplement rather than a water additive for enhancing the immune status of tilapia.     

Functional characterization of Farfantepenaeus californiensis, Litopenaeus vannamei and L. stylirostris haemocyte separated using density gradient centrifugation

Haemocytes from penaeid shrimp (Farfantepenaeus californiensis, Litopenaeus vannamei and L. stylirostris) were separated using a discontinuous Percoll gradient. Shrimp haemocytes were spontaneously adhered to glass, allowing slide preparations for staining and microscopic differential counting. Like other crustaceans, shrimp has three main populations differing in presence and size of cytoplasmic granules and each population seems to be biochemical or functionally compromised. Prophenoloxidase (proPO )activity was mainly located in large granules haemocytes (75%) while the small granules cells participate with 25%, but seem to be responsible for encapsulation. Haemocyte discrimination ability was tested using Sephadex? (Seph?), DEAE‐Seph? and CM‐Seph?. Only DEAE‐Seph? was encapsulated by shrimp haemocytes and provoked the release of proPO activating system, indicating the role of particle charge in the activation of shrimp immune response.     

Changes in fox squirrel anti-predator behaviors across the urban–rural gradient

Predator stimuli created by humans in the urban environment may alter animals’ anti-predator behaviors. I hypothesized that habituation would cause anti-predator behaviors to decrease in urban settings in response to humans. Additionally, I hypothesized that populations habituated to humans would show reduced responses to other predator stimuli. I observed three populations of squirrels (urban, suburban and rural) responses to human approaches, red-tailed hawk vocalizations (Buteo jamaicensis) and coyote (Canis latrans) vocalizations. Mahalanobis distances of anti-predator behaviors in response to human approaches were consistent with the urban–rural gradient. Flight initiation distances (X ² = 26.33, df = 2, P < 0.001) and amount of time dedicated to anti-predator behavior (X ² = 10.94, df = 2, P = 0.004) in response to human approaches were also consistent with the urban–rural gradient. Supporting the habituation hypothesis, naive juvenile squirrels increased flight initiation distances (X ² = 35.89, df = 1, P < 0.001) and time dedicated to anti-predator behaviors (X ² = 9.46, df = 1, P = 0.002) relative to adult squirrels in the same urban environment. Time dedicated to anti-predator behaviors differed among all three sites in response to both coyote (X ² = 9.83, df = 2, P = 0.007) and hawk (X ² = 6.50, df = 2, P = 0.035) vocalizations. Responses to both vocalizations on rural sites (coyote = 45%, hawk = 55%) greater than twice that found on the urban sites (coyote = 11%, hawk = 20%). This is possibly the first case of a transfer of habituation demonstrated under field conditions.     

遮荫处理对侧柏种子萌发的影响

在不同光照梯度55.44%自然全光照(Natural sonlight,NS)、21.12%NS、3.47%NS 和0.86%NS的人工遮荫条件下,研究了侧柏(Platycladus orientalis)种子萌发的特点.结果表明:4个光照梯度处理的侧柏种子的萌发率分别为68.9%、82.2%、44.4%和42.2%;随着光照强度的减弱,种子萌发进程减慢;萌发指数和幼苗活力指数均在21.12%NS处理最大,分别为1.89和770.8.     

Effects of an extreme flash flood on the native fish assemblages across a Mediterranean catchment

Abstract  The effects of an extreme flash flood on the native fish assemblages across a Mediterranean catchment in Southwest Portugal were investigated. The fish community structure and habitat were surveyed at 10 sites pre- and post-flood. Overall species richness and rank abundances changed little after the flood, despite there being a consistent decline in the abundance of small cyprinids. Pre- and post-flood habitat correlates of abundance changed for at least some species, and variability in assemblage structure was associated with flood, depth and pH. These results indicate that extreme floods occurring early in the wet season may have little disruptive effects on the overall structure of native fish assemblages in Mediterranean streams, although may at least partially influence population dynamics for some species. Habitat quality and complexity are likely to play a role in mediating species responses to flooding.