Nutrient transfer functions: the site of integration between feeding behaviour and nutritional physiology

Summary. We describe and extend a graphical approach to quantitative nutrition that focuses on the interplay between behavioural and physiological components of nutritional regulation. The site of integration is the nutrient transfer function, which is the function describing the time course of nutrient transfer between serially connected nutritional compartments (e.g., from the gut to the blood). The relationship between the shape of the nutrient transfer function and the temporal patterns of feeding determines the values of two key quantitative parameters of nutrition: the rate ('power') and the efficiency of nutrient acquisition. The approach can be extended to consider, in addition to the short-term behavioural and physiological decisions made by animals, some ecological determinants and longer-term, life history consequences of such decisions. Most importantly, this category of models can provide insights into the interplay among the various nutrients in an animal's diet. We illustrate this using hypothetical examples, and also present preliminary data for the power-efficiency relationships of protein and digestible carbohydrates in locusts. Finally, we consider existing evidence for the various means available to these and other insects for regulating such relationships. Received 24 September 1997; accepted 9 December 1997.     

Spawning behaviour and sex hormone levels in adult and precocious brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) males and the effect of anosmia

Summary. In the present experiment the behaviour and endocrine status of males of the brown trout, Salmo trutta L., (Salmoniformes: Salmonidae) were studied when males were kept in a stream tank with a nest digging female. Groups of mature adult males and precocious intact or anosmic male parr were placed with the nesting female so that the group resembled a natural spawning situation with big anadromous fish acting as dominant males and precocious parr acting as “sneakers”. A control experiment was also run with only males without a female present. In intact parr there were significant positive correlations between the per cent of the total observation time spent with a female, milt volume, and plasma concentration of 17α, 20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one. Anosmic parr had significantly lower volumes of strippable milt and gonadal steroid hormone levels compared with intact parr. However, no differences were found in the control experiment. Significantly fewer anosmic parr attended and courted the nesting female and those anosmic fish that attended the female had significantly lower plasma levels of gonadal hormones. Intact parr also displayed a greater number of agonistic acts against other parr without any difference in fighting ability. No differences in aggression occured in the control experiment. In adult males together with a female, post-experimental gonadal steroid hormone levels were higher than pre-experimental levels. Positive correlations between aggression and androgen hormone levels were observed in adult males. No differences in plasma hormone levels were observed between adult males and intact precocious males. The results show that olfactory occlusion results in low steroid hormone levels and milt volumes in precocious males placed in a spawning situation. The courting behaviour was also affected by anosmia. Odours from the nesting female may have caused the enhanced plasma hormone levels and stimulated the males to attend the female. Received 15 May 1997; accepted 29 June 1997.     

Restricted adaptive cluster sampling

Adaptive cluster sampling can be a useful design for sampling rare and patchy populations. With this design the initial sample size is fixed but the size of the final sample (and total sampling effort) cannot be predicted prior to sampling. For some populations the final sample size can be quite variable depending on the level of patchiness. Restricted adaptive cluster sampling is a proposed modification where a limit is placed on the sample size prior to sampling and quadrats are selected sequentially for the initial sample size. As a result there is less variation in the final sample size and the total sampling effort can be predicted with some certainty, which is impor- tant for many ecological studies. Estimates of density are biased with the restricted design but under some circumstances the bias can be estimated well by bootstrapping. © Rapid Science 1998     

Semi-parametric statistical approaches for space-time process prediction

The problem of estimation and prediction of a spatial-temporal stochastic process, observed at regular times and irregularly in space, is considered. A mixed formulation involving a non- parametric component, accounting for a deterministic trend and the effect of exogenous variables, and a parametric component representing the purely spatio-temporal random variation is proposed. Correspondingly, a two-step procedure, first addressing the estimation of the non- parametric component, and then the estimation of the parametric component is developed from the residual series obtained, with spatial-temporal prediction being performed in terms of suitable spatial interpolation of the temporal variation structure. The proposed model formula-tion, together with the estimation and prediction procedure, are applied using a Gaussian ARMA structure for temporal modelling to space-time forecasting from real data of air pollution concentration levels in the region surrounding a power station in northwest Spain.     

鸡粪腐解过程中不同溶性腐殖质结合铜的变化

以鸡粪为材料,添加不同比例的铜锌进行腐解试验,研究了腐解过程中不同溶性腐殖质结合态铜(水溶性、氢氧化钠溶性、氢氧化钠-焦磷酸钠混合液溶性)浓度的动态变化、受锌含量的影响及其与有效铜的关系.结果表明,粪肥原样H2O-Cu(水溶性腐殖质结合态铜)占其全铜量的10.97%,在腐解过程中先上升后下降;随着粪肥中添加铜量的增加(1:1、2:1、3:1处理),H2O-Cu占其全铜的比例相应减少了(平均分别占其全铜的比例的7.10%、5.18%和3.74%);H2O-Cu随着腐解时间延长呈增加趋势;在腐解的后期(45、60d),粪肥中锌含量的增加会降低H2O-Cu含量.腐解初期粪肥原样NaOH浸提腐殖质-铜(NaOH-Cu)占其全铜量的70.87%,随腐解进行其比例大幅度下降;NaOH-Cu占其全铜的比例随着加入铜的增大而有所下降,分别为55.59%、46.04%和38.08%,且随着腐解时间延长呈下降趋势;粪肥中锌含量的增加对NaOH-Cu含量变化影响较小.粪肥原样中NaOH-Na4P2O7提取腐殖质结合态铜(NaOH-Na4P2O7-Cu)占其全铜量的24.29%,随腐解过程呈增加趋势,NaOH-Na4P2O7-Cu量随着加入铜量的增加而增加,占其全铜比例的15%～25%;粪肥中锌含量增加对NaOH-Na4P2O7-Cu有促进作用.粪肥添加铜锌后,3种浸提剂提取的可溶性腐殖质结合态铜有55%～80%分配在NaOH的溶液中,10%～30%分配在NaOH-Na4P2O7碱性混合液中,0～10%在水溶液中;随加入铜含量和锌含量的增加,NaOH-Na4P2O7-Cu平均分配比(占3种町浸提性腐殖质-Cu的比例)增加,NaOH-Cu和H2O-Cu的分配比减少.相关性分析结果表明:H2O-Cu、NaOH-Cu和NaOH-Na4P2O7-Cu之间显著正相关,它们与有效铜之间呈显著正相关关系(p<0.01).     

我国主要蔬菜和粮油作物的砷含量与砷富集能力比较

根据国内外文献报道,对蔬菜和粮油作物中砷的累积特点和富集能力进行总结和分析.结果表明.清洁区和污染区蔬菜的砷含量变幅分别为0.001-1.07 mg·kg-1和0.001-8.51 mg·kg-1(鲜重),均值分别为0.035 mg·kg-1和0.068 mg·kg-1不同种类蔬菜的砷含量由大到小,依次为:叶菜类>根茎类>茄果类>鲜豆类;清洁区和污染区粮油作物的砷含量变幅分别为0.001-2.20 mg·kg-1和0.007-6.83 mg·kg-1(干重),均值分别为0.081 mg·kg-1和0.294 mg·kg-1,其中水稻的砷含量显著高于小麦和玉米.从富集系数来看,叶莱类蔬菜的砷富集系数最高,芹菜、蕹菜、茼蒿、芥菜等蔬菜的抗砷污染能力较弱.粮食作物玉米的抗砷污染能力较强.与蔬菜砷限量标准(GB4810-1994)相比,我国砷污染区的蔬菜中有32.2%的样本砷含量超标,其中叶菜类和根茎类的超标率分别为47.9%和12.8%.与粮食砷限量标准(GB4810-1994)比较,我国污染区粮油作物的样本砷超标率为34.8%,其中水稻的超标率高达42.9%.玉米和小麦的超标率均高于20%.     

Global sensitivity analysis of a process-based model for ammonia emissions from manure storage and treatment structures

The development of process-based models to estimate ammonia emissions from animal feeding operations (AFOSs) is sought to replace costly and time-consuming direct measurements. Critical to process-based model development is conducting sensitivity analysis to determine the input parameters and their interactions that contribute most to the variance of the model output. Global and relative sensitivity analyses were applied to a process-based model for predicting ammonia emissions from the surface of anaerobic lagoons for treating and storing manure. The objectives were to compare global sensitivity analysis (GSA) to relative (local) sensitivity analysis (RSA) on a process-based model for ammonia emissions. Based on the first-order coefficient, both GSA and RSA showed the model input parameters in order of importance in process model for ammonia emissions from lagoon surfaces were: (i) pH, (ii) lagoon liquid temperature, (iii) wind speed above the lagoon surface, and (iv) the concentration of ammoniacal nitrogen in the lagoon. The GSA revealed that interactions between model parameters accounted for over two-thirds of the model variance, a result that cannot be achieved using traditional RSA. Also, the GSA showed that parameter interactions involving liquid pH had more impact on the model output variance than the single parameters: (i) temperature, (ii) wind speed, or (iii) total ammoniacal nitrogen. This study demonstrates that GSA provides a more complete analysis of model input parameters and their interactions on the model output compared to RSA. A comprehensive tutorial regarding the application of GSA to a process model is presented.     

小煤柱巷道围岩变形的力学机理及演化过程研究

为研究小煤柱巷道围岩变形力学机理与演化过程,以石槽村矿某回风巷为研究对象,采用理论分析、FLAC3D数值模拟以及现场实测等方法,分析小煤柱条件下巷道围岩变形的主要影响因素以及表征特点。研究结果表明:侧压系数为巷道围岩变形的主控因素;侧压系数与巷道顶底板位移量呈正比关系,与两帮位移量呈反比关系;回风巷每次受采动影响时,变形可分为巷道稳定阶段、位移分化阶段以及位移加速变化阶段;围岩变形主要发生在一次采动影响时,此时巷道变形呈现明显的不对称,左右两帮的位移量差异明显,巷道的中心位置明显偏移。研究结果可为小煤柱巷道围岩支护提供技术参考。