Minimizing Harm in Agricultural Animal Experiments in New Zealand

Intrusive agricultural experimentspublished in New Zealand in the last five yearsare reviewed in terms of the degree of animalsuffering involved, and the necessity for thissuffering in relation to research findings.When measured against animal welfare criteriaof the Ministry of Agriculture, thirty-sixstudies inflicted ``severe' or ``very severe'suffering. Many of these experiments hadquestionable short-term applications, had anapplication restricted to agriculturalproduction or economic growth, or could havebeen modified to prevent or reduce suffering.     

Methane fermentation of dung from litter-free reared domestic animals — an optimisation study

Data on the quantity (27 453 tons from litter-free reared animals in Bulgaria, only) and the chemical and energy characteristics of dung produced in intensive management farms for domestic animals suggests that technologies combining biogenic elements recycling with energy utilistation and dung decontamination are expedient to be applied on these types of farms. To this effect a fermenter was designed and a mathematical model (a Chen-Hashimoto model based computer programme) was applied, as a result of which the optimum methane fermentation parameters were determined. The technological methane output (Y_v) — indicator of biogas production efficiency (output/dm³ fermentor volume) showed an optimum at temperature 55°C and period of exchange 6 days. The methane output per unit mineralised organic matter in the substrate (B) — assumed as an indicator of ecological efficiency (maximum organic matter degradation) exhibited an optimum at 33°C for 15 days period of exchange.     

Minimizing the cost of translocation failure with decision‐tree models that predict species’ behavioral response in translocation sites

The high number of failures is one reason why translocation is often not recommended. Considering how behavior changes during translocations may improve translocation success. To derive decision‐tree models for species’ translocation, we used data on the short‐term responses of an endangered Australian skink in 5 simulated translocations with different release conditions. We used 4 different decision‐tree algorithms (decision tree, decision‐tree parallel, decision stump, and random forest) with 4 different criteria (gain ratio, information gain, gini index, and accuracy) to investigate how environmental and behavioral parameters may affect the success of a translocation. We assumed behavioral changes that increased dispersal away from a release site would reduce translocation success. The trees became more complex when we included all behavioral parameters as attributes, but these trees yielded more detailed information about why and how dispersal occurred. According to these complex trees, there were positive associations between some behavioral parameters, such as fight and dispersal, that showed there was a higher chance, for example, of dispersal among lizards that fought than among those that did not fight. Decision trees based on parameters related to release conditions were easier to understand and could be used by managers to make translocation decisions under different circumstances. Minimizar el Costo del Fracaso de la Reubicación con Modelos de Árboles de Decisión que Predigan la Respuesta Conductual de la Especie en los Sitios de Reubicación     

衡阳市动物疫情现状分析与防治对策

分析了衡阳市动物疫情现状,探讨了影响动物疫病发生的社会因素、人为因素和客观因素,结合衡阳市的具体情况,提出了与国际接轨的动物防治目标和对策.着重从政策、法律、经济、技术等方面阐述如何搞好动物防疫工作,提出了搞好动物防疫工作的重要性.     

芜湖市郊土壤污染对土壤动物群落结构的影响

研究表明，芜湖市郊农田土壤动物群落的组成与数量随污染程度的加重而减少，土壤动物密度也呈同样的变化趋势，特别是中小型土壤动物，优势类群数量发生较大消长，常见类群和稀有类群的组成逐渐减少．多样性指数H与重金属污染程度之间关系因受到季节的影响而变得复杂：冬季和初夏污染较重样地优势类群数量减少，群落均匀性指数E增加而优势度指数C减小，多样性指数H较高；而春季处于过渡阶段，某些类群(如螨类)数量爆发，C增高，H较小．土壤动物群落密度一类群指数DG随污染加重而减小．受到重金属污染的农田土壤动物的表聚性减弱，甚至出现逆分布现象．图1表4参15     

Filling the Gaps in the Risks vs. Benefits of Mammalian Adult-Cell Cloning: Taking Bernard Rollin's Philosophy Its Next Step

A critique is made of Bernard Rollin's examination of the ethics of cloning adult mammalian cells. The primary concern is less to propound an anticloning or procloning position than to call for full exploration of the ethical complexities before a rush to judgment is made. Indeed, the ethical examination in question rushes toward an ethical position in such a way that does not appear consistent with Rollin's usual methodology. By extending this methodology – which entails full weighing of benefits and costs – it becomes apparent that there are real potential risks to this type of cloning in both animals and humans, besides the possible benefits, and that the scientific, political, philosophical, and broader academic communities should explore these risks and benefits extensively. Rollin's usual methodological call for hesitation before risks would translate into hesitation before the ethical risks of adult mammalian cell cloning instead of his paper's curiously laissez-faire stance.     

Criteria for the evaluation of dioxins in the environment

In FRG and other countries unequivocal criteria for the limitation of dioxins (PCDD's/PCDF's) in food like vegetables and fruits are lacking. These have to be directly associated with the limitation of dioxins in the soil and the deposition of particulate matter as the two main pathways for plant contamination. Based on recent investigations in the vicinity of cable-waste incinerators in Northrhine-Westphalia with comparatively high contents of dioxins in garden plants and soils and other sources of dioxins, considerations are given for the establishment of the criteria urgently needed.     

气候变化对大熊猫分布的潜在影响

分析气候变化对动物分布影响,对气候变化下保护生物多样性具有重要意义。文章利用CART(classification and regression tree),分类和回归树模型,采用A1、A2、B1和B2气候变化情景,模拟分析了气候变化对大熊猫分布范围及空间格局的影响。结果显示:气候变化下,大熊猫目前适宜分布范围将缩小,新适宜和总适宜分布范围在1991~2020年时段较大,从1991~2020年到2081~2100年时段呈现缩小趋势,其中A1情景下变化最大,B1情景下最小。气候变化下,大熊猫目前适宜分布区的东部、东北和南部一些适宜范围将不再适宜,新适宜分布区将主要向目前适宜分布区西部一些区域扩展,并且适宜分布区破碎化,在2051~2080年时段程度最高。另外,气候变化下,大熊猫目前适宜、新适宜和总适宜分布区范围与我国年均气温和年降水量变化呈负相关性。多元回归分析表明,大熊猫目前适宜、新适宜和总适宜分布范围随我国年均气温和年降水量增加而减少,其中气温变化影响比降水量变化影响要大。结果说明,气候变化后,近期将使大熊猫目前适宜分布范围减小,新适宜分布范围增加,随气候变化程度增加,新适宜和总适宜分布范围又将减小。     

红外分光光度法测定水中动植物油的不确定度评定

文章对红外分光光度法测定水中动植物油的不确定度来源进行了分析,构造出合理的数学模型,确定了各输入量之间的关系,量化各分量后,合成得到满意的结果。从而提出,根据被测量及其所依赖的输入量之间的关系构造数学模型,并综合运用不同的评定方法对各个分量进行量化,可实现对某些检测项目的不确定度评定。