Impact of climate change on maize yield in China from 1979 to 2016

Climate change severely impacts agricultural production, which jeopardizes food security. China is the second largest maize producer in the world and also the largest consumer of maize. Analyzing the impact of climate change on maize yields can provide effective guidance to national and international economics and politics. Panel models are unable to determine the group-wise heteroscedasticity, cross-sectional correlation and autocorrelation of datasets, therefore we adopted the feasible generalized least square(FGLS) model to evaluate the impact of climate change on maize yields in China from 1979–2016 and got the following results:(1) During the 1979–2016 period, increases in temperature negatively impacted the maize yield of China. For every 1°C increase in temperature, the maize yield was reduced by 5.19 kg 667 m–2(1.7%). Precipitation increased only marginally during this time, and therefore its impact on the maize yield was negligible. For every 1 mm increase in precipitation, the maize yield increased by an insignificant amount of 0.043 kg 667 m–2(0.014%).(2) The impacts of climate change on maize yield differ spatially, with more significant impacts experienced in southern China. In this region, a 1°C increase in temperature resulted in a 7.49 kg 667 m–2 decrease in the maize yield, while the impact of temperature on the maize yield in northern China was insignificant. For every 1 mm increase in precipitation, the maize yield increased by 0.013 kg 667 m–2 in southern China and 0.066 kg 667 m–2 in northern China.(3) The resilience of the maize crop to climate change is strong. The marginal effect of temperature in both southern and northern China during the 1990–2016 period was smaller than that for the 1979–2016 period.     

轮叶狐尾藻对水体重金属铅污染的耐性研究

以狐尾藻(Myriophyllum verticillatum)为试验材料,采用液体培养法,研究了不同浓度Pb尾矿液单一胁迫下对其幼苗生长及生理指标的影响,以期为今后在探讨狐尾藻对Pb耐性机理方面提供参考依据和实践指导。结果表明:随着Pb尾矿渗出液单位浓度的升高,狐尾藻幼苗的株高和根长以及干质量整体呈不断下降趋势,其中,在100%Pb尾矿液处理下地下部的干质量较对照下降显著(P0.05)。此时,地上部干质量较对照也呈下降趋势,但整体幅度不大,说明狐尾藻幼苗的生长整体受到明显抑制;随着Pb尾矿渗出液单位浓度的升高,幼苗中光合色素含量逐渐下降且整体均低于对照。在纯Pb尾矿液处理条件下,Chla、Chlb和Car的含量比对照下降了14.6%、29.6%和23.2%;所有处理中幼苗地下及地上部相对电导率与Pb尾矿液浓度成正比且均高于对照。各个处理的地上及地下部Pro含量随着Pb尾矿液浓度增高整体呈上升趋势。其地上和地下部的AsA含量和GSH含量变化呈低浓度上升,高浓度下降的趋势。在25%Pb胁迫处理下,幼苗中AsA含量在地上和地下部均达到最高,与对照相比差异明显(P0.05),较对照增加了93.5%和89.8%。而地上和地下部GSH含量较对照增加了35.7%、4.36%。数据表明,狐尾藻对Pb胁迫下的环境有一定的抗性,可被用于Pb污染环境的生态修复。     

典型山地草甸草原主要牧草生长发育情况分析

对天山北坡中山带典型山地草甸草原4种具有代表性的天然牧草——老芒麦（Elymus sibiricus）、黄（Astragalus membranaceus）、老鹳草（Geranium wilfordii）、千叶蓍（Achillea millefolium）的生长发育情况进行了研究。结果表明，4种牧草的高度变化趋势表现为“慢-快-慢”的植物基本生长规律；老芒麦、千叶蓍、老鹳草的生长速率在返青期到分蘖期时较快，而黄芪的生长速率则在返青后就较快，分蘖期后4种牧草的生长速率开始变慢；盖度和产量的最大值出现在6月和7月。     

Studies on Tomato Seedling Quality Indices Under Simulated Shipping and Storage Conditions

Indices of the tomato seedling quality maintenance level after production before field planting were studied through simulated experiments, small--scale operation, indoor analyses and measurements, and field observation. The results showed that under simulated shipping and storage conditions, seedling quality change following different durations (days) of shipping and storage was correlated significantly or even very significantly with certain physiological and morphological indices. With various measured indices following different periods of shipping and storage treatment subjected to multinomial successive regressive correlation analysis, the principal factors influencing seedling quality maintenance level are identified to be chlorophyll content→dry short weight→ leaf freshness index in order of their importance. Significance analysis with multinomial fitted equation indicated that correlations between any one of above three factors and the growth index after field planting reached very significant difference level.     

Fever and associated clinical haematologic and blood biochemical changes in the goat and other animal species

Summary Acute febrile diseases are characterized by specific and non-specific symptoms. The non-specific responses are presented under the headings: fever, inflammation and pain, experimental models for investigating febrile reactions, haematologic changes, blood biochemical changes, cardiovascular effects, changes in gastric function, and the effects of fever upon pharmacokinetics of drugs. It was the purpose of this review to describe present concepts of thermoregulation and fever, the associated reactions produced by bacterial pyrogens and the mechanisms of these reactions. The available data illustrate, that many questions have not yet been clearly answered. However, the entire field of research involving endogenous substances, such as interleukin-1, is now moving ahead with great speed. Furthermore, there is some evidence which suggests that fever and the associated lower plasma zinc and iron levels act together as a co-ordinated non-specific host defence mechanism. Since experimental fever has a distinct effect upon the pharmacokinetics of drugs, more attention should be given to this aspect.     

Effects of low and high calcium intake prepartum on calcium mobilization rate around parturition in dairy cows

Forty-one dairy cows were fed a low (LCa-13 g/d) and a high (HCa-83.5 g/d) calcium ration in the 8 weeks prior to parturition and the effect on the Ca mobilization rate around parturition was studied. Plasma Ca values were stable in the LCa group around parturition. In the older cows of the HCa group a very slight decrease in the mean plasma Ca was observed: 2.58 mmol/l at 12-36 h ante partum decreased to 2.38 mmol/l at parturition. Hypocalcaemia, which commonly occurs around parturition, did not occur in 40 of the cows. A subclinical hypocalcaemia (1.8 mmol/l) occurred in one cow (parity 10) from the HCa group. To assess the efficiency of Ca mobilization, a severe hypocalcaemia (1.0 mmol/l) with clinical signs was induced by means of Na2EDTA infusion (0.90 mmol/min), starting at 10 h post-partum. The older cows in the LCa group required more Na2EDTA than those in the HCa group. Higher urinary hydroxyproline excretion in the week before parturition in the LCa than in the HCa group suggested a higher bone turnover. Plasma PTH levels around parturition were not significantly different between the groups. The amount of colostrum milked out in the first 10 h post-partum did not influence Ca homeostasis around parturition. The results contradict those of many other experiments in which hypocalcaemia was observed in cows ingesting high levels of Ca. It is concluded that the restricted feed intake prepartum possibly had a favourable effect on Ca homeostasis.     

进口木地板坯料应注意的问题

本文提出了进口木地板坯料时应考虑南北气候差异及木材密度等材性差异来确定留有不同的加工余量，并建议海关按照国际惯例制定以净尺寸材积作为计税材积的标准，避免各港口实行不同征税标准，给企业进口地板坯料带来诸多困难。该建议已引起海关总署重视，并委托国家林业局起草单耗标准。     

Evaluation of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for diagnosis of trichinellosis in swine.

Experimental and field trials were conducted to evaluate an ELISA for its ability to detect Trichinella-infected domestic swine and to compare ELISA results with muscle-digestion test results. The ELISA used was a commercial double-antibody kit, containing an excretory-secretory antigen, and was evaluated principally for epidemiologic use. Experimentally induced infection in swine (4 groups of 3 pigs each; inoculated with 0, 50, 500 or 5,000 larvae) was detected as early as postinoculation week 4, with seroconversion of all inoculated swine by postinoculation week 8. The rate of seroconversion appeared to be affected by initial larval dose, time after inoculation, and immunocompetence of the individual host. Determination of antibody kinetics generally revealed rapidly increasing antibody titer, followed by its steady decrease in most pigs. Once seropositive, however, all pigs remained seropositive for the duration of the 10-week study. Presence of muscle larvae was confirmed in all infected pigs at termination of the study. We recognize that the experimental conditions may not be truly representative of those under which natural infection develops in pigs; however, the ELISA detected an infected pig with muscle larval density of 0.87 larvae/g of tissue. Results of a field trial (n = 310) indicated no muscle digestion test-positive pigs (35 g of diaphragm muscle digested/pig), but 3 samples tested positive by ELISA for specificity of 99.0%.     

Hyperadrenocorticism in four cats.

This paper describes four cats with hyperadrenocorticism. Cat 1 showed polydipsia and polyphagia. Diabetes mellitus was initially diagnosed. As the animal appeared to be insulin resistant, pituitary and adrenocortical function tests were performed and the diagnosis of hyperadrenocorticism was made. Resistance to the high-dose dexamethasone suppression test was noticed in this cat. Pathological examination revealed a pituitary chromophobe adenoma. Cat 2 presented with diabetes mellitus, which was treated with insulin. The animal had a pendulous abdomen and its coat was in a poor condition. The low-dose dexamethasone suppression test demonstrated hyperadrenocorticism. Necropsy findings of pituitary tumour and hyperplasia of the adrenal cortex confirmed the diagnosis. Cat 3 showed clinical abnormalities indicative of hyperadrenocorticism, for instance, muscle weakness, alopecia, multiple abscesses. The diagnosis of hyperadrenocorticism was confirmed by the results of the lowe-dose dexamethasone suppression test. Pathological examination revealed an adrenocortical carcinoma. Cat 4 presented with polydipsia. The cause of this symptom was not found initially. One and a half years later additional symptoms, such as nephritis and polyphagia developed. Hyperadrenocorticism was diagnosed because of a palpable mass cranial to the left kidney. The diagnosis was confirmed by the results of the lowe-dose dexamethasone suppression test and the necropsy findings.