Influence of vegetation on the local climate and hydrology in the tropics: sensitivity to soil parameters

Land use change with accompanying major modifications to the vegetation cover is widespread in the tropics, due to increasing demands for agricultural land, and may have significant impacts on the climate. This study investigates (1) the influence of vegetation on the local climate in the tropics; (2) how that influence varies from region to region; and (3) how the sensitivity of the local climate to vegetation, and hence land use change, depends on the hydraulic characteristics of the soil. A series of idealised experiments with the Hadley Centre atmospheric model, HadAM3, are described in which the influence of vegetation in the tropics is assessed by comparing the results of integrations with and without tropical vegetation. The sensitivity of the results to the soil characteristics is then explored by repeating the experiments with a differing, but equally valid, description of soil hydraulic parameters. The results have shown that vegetation has a significant moderating effect on the climate throughout the tropics by cooling the surface through enhanced latent heat fluxes. The influence of vegetation is, however, seasonally dependent, with much greater impacts during the dry season when the availability of surface moisture is limited. Furthermore, there are significant regional variations both in terms of the magnitude of the cooling and in the response of the precipitation. Not all regions show a feedback of vegetation on the local precipitation; this result has been related both to vegetation type and to the prevailing meteorological conditions. An important finding has been the sensitivity of the results to the specification of the soil hydraulic parameters. The introduction of more freely draining soils has changed the soil-moisture contents of the control, vegetated system and has reduced, significantly, the climate sensitivity to vegetation and by implication, land use change. Changes to the soil parameters have also had an impact on the soil hydrology and its interaction with vegetation, by altering the partitioning between fast and slow runoff processes. These results raise important questions about the representation of highly heterogeneous soil characteristics in climate models, as well as the potential influence of land use change on the soil characteristics themselves.

Relationships between transition period diet, metabolic parameters and fertility in lactating dairy cows

Cows in severe negative energy balance after calving have reduced fertility, mediated by metabolic signals influencing the reproductive system. We hypothesised that transition diet could alter metabolic status after calving, and thus influence fertility. Multiparous dairy cows were assigned to four transition groups 6 weeks pre-calving and fed: (a) basal control diet (n = 10); (b) basal diet plus barley (STARCH, n = 10); (c) basal diet plus Soypass (high protein, HiPROT, n = 11); or (d) no transition management (NoTRANS, n = 9). All cows received the same lactational diet. Blood samples, body weights and condition scores (BCS) were collected weekly. Fertility parameters were monitored using milk progesterone profiles and were not affected by transition diet. Data from all cows were then combined and analysed according to the pattern of post-partum ovarian activity. Cows with low progesterone profiles had significantly lower insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and insulin concentrations accompanied by reduced dry matter intakes (DMIs), BCS and body weight. Cows with prolonged luteal activity (PLA) were older and tended to have lower IGF-I. Analysis based on the calving to conception interval revealed that cows which failed to conceive (9/40) also had reduced IGF-I, BCS and body weight. Fertility was, therefore, decreased in cows which were in poor metabolic status following calving. This was reflected in reduced circulating IGF-I concentrations and compromised both ovarian activity and conception. There was little effect of the transition diets on these parameters. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

PopABC: a program to infer historical demographic parameters

PopABC is a computer package for inferring the pattern of demographic divergence of closely related populations and species. The software performs coalescent simulation in the framework of approximate Bayesian computation (ABC). PopABC can also be used to perform Bayesian model choice to discriminate between different demographic scenarios. The program can be used either for research or for education and teaching purposes.

A block in virus-like particle maturation following assembly of murine leukaemia virus in insect cells

Expression of the murine leukaemia virus (MLV) major Gag antigen p65(Gag) using the baculovirus expression system leads to efficient assembly and release of virus-like particles (VLP) representative of immature MLV. Expression of P180(Gag-Pol), facilitated normally in mammalian cells by readthrough of the p65(Gag) termination codon, also occurs efficiently in insect cells to provide a source of the MLV protease and a pattern of p65(Gag) processing similar to that observed in mammalian cells. VLP release from P180(Gag-Pol) expressing cells however remains essentially immature with disproportionate levels of the uncleaved p65(Gag) precursor when compared to the intracellular Gag profile. Changing the p65(Gag) termination codon altered the level of p65(Gag) and p180(Gag-Pol) within expressing cells but did not alter the pattern of released VLP, which remained immature. Coexpression of p65(Gag) with a fixed readthrough p180(Gag-Pol) also led to only immature VLP release despite high intracellular protease levels. Our data suggest a mechanism that preferentially selects uncleaved p65(Gag) for the assembly of MLV in this heterologous expression system and implies that, in addition to their relative levels, active sorting of the correct p65(Gag) and p180(Gag-Pol) ratios may occur in producer cells. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Immunohistochemical localization of inhibin/activin alpha, beta(A) and beta(B) subunits and follistatin in bovine oocytes during in vitro maturation and fertilization

The aim of this study was to evaluate the distribution of inhibin/activin alpha, beta(A) and beta(B) subunits and follistatin in immature oocytes and in matured oocytes before and after IVF. Denuded oocytes were submitted to a whole-mount immunofluorescence procedure. Specimens were imaged and fluorescent intensities quantified by scanning laser confocal microscopy. Immunoreactivity for inhibin alpha subunit (both alpha(C) and pro-alpha. regions), abundant in the ooplasm of immature oocytes, decreased after maturation (a 68% and 88% decrease, respectively; P < 0.001), but increased after IVF by 2- and 5.7-fold, respectively (P < 0.01). Intense staining for PA was detected in immature oocytes (predominantly in the outer ooplasm and zona pellucida) but after maturation and fertilization it was localized mainly in the zona pellucida, perivitelline space and oolemma. Immunoreactivity for RA in the ooplasm decreased by 58% after maturation (P < 0.001) but increased again by 75% after fertilization (P < 0.01). Immunoreactivity for beta(B) was localized mainly in the zona pellucida and did not change after maturation. However, immurloreactivity for beta(B) was not detected in the zona pellucida after fertilization, but remained unchanged in unfertilized oocytes. Immunoreactivity for follistatin was detected in the ooplasm and zona pellucida of immature oocytes but decreased progressively in the ooplasm after maturation (a 63% decrease; P < 0.001) and did not change after IVF. Examination of partially denuded cumulus-oocyte complexes confirmed abundant expression of alpha(C), pro-alpha, beta(A) and follistatin immunoreactivity in cumulus cells, whereas beta(B) subunit staining was weak or absent in cumulus cells, but intense in the zona pellucida. In conclusion, the present study shows that qualitative and quantitative changes in the distribution of inhibin/activin subunits and follistatin accompany oocyte maturation and fertilization. The possibility, indicated by these observations, that activin A and activin B may play distinct roles in bovine oocyte maturation and fertilization warrants further study.

Investigation of air quality, comfort parameters and effectiveness for two floor-level air supply systems in classrooms

The method of distributing the outdoor air in classrooms has a major impact on indoor air quality and thermal comfort of pupils. In a previous study, ([11] Karimipanah T, Sandberg M, Awbi HB. A comparative study of different air distribution systems in a classroom. In: Proceedings of Roomvent 2000, vol. II, Reading, UK, 2000. p. 1013-18; [13] Karimipanah T, Sandberg M, Awbi HB, Blomqvist C. Effectiveness of confluent jets ventilation system for classrooms. In: Idoor Air 2005, Beijing, China, 2005 (to be presented).) presented results for four and two types of air distribution systems tested in a purpose built classroom with simulated occupancy as well as computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling. In this paper, the same experimental setup has been used to investigate the indoor environment in the classroom using confluent jet ventilation, see also ([12]Cho YJ, Awbi HB, Karimipanah T. The characteristics of wall confluent jets for ventilated enclosures. In: Proceedings of Roomvent 2004, Coimbra, Portugal, 2004.) Measurements of air speed, air temperature and tracer gas concentrations have been carried out for different thermal conditions. In addition, 56 cases of CFD simulations have been carried to provide additional information on the indoor air quality and comfort conditions throughout the classroom, such as ventilation effectiveness, air exchange effectiveness, effect of flow rate, effect of radiation, effect of supply temperature, etc., and these are compared with measured data.

Developing a method to characterize indoor environmental parameters in naturally ventilated classrooms

Until recently, there has been little investigation concerning the poor indoor air quality (IAQ) in classrooms. Despite the evidence that the educational building systems in many of the UK institutions have significant defects that may degrade IAQ, systematic assessments of IAQ measurements has been rarely undertaken. When undertaking IAQ measurement, there is a difficult task of representing and characterizing the environment parameters. Although technologies exist to measure these parameters, direct measurements especially in a naturally ventilated spaces are often difficult. This paper presents a methodology for developing a method to characterize indoor environment flow parameters as well as the Carbon Dioxide (CO2) concentrations. Thus, CO2 concentration level can be influenced by the differences in the selection of sampling points and heights. However, because this research focuses on natural ventilation in classrooms, air exchange is provided mainly by air infiltration. It is hoped that the methodology developed and evaluated in this research can effectively simplify the process of estimating the parameters for a systematic assessment of IAQ measurements in a naturally ventilated classrooms.

Predictions of some product parameters based on the processing conditions of ultra-high-temperature milk plants

The temperature-time profiles of 22 Australian industrial ultra-high-temperature (UHT) plants and 3 pilot plants, using both indirect and direct heating, were surveyed. From these data, the operating parameters of each plant, the chemical index C*, the bacteriological index B* and the predicted changes in the levels of beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin, lactulose, furosine and browning were determined using a simulation program based on published formulae and reaction kinetics data. There was a wide spread of heating conditions used, some of which resulted in a large margin of bacteriological safety and high chemical indices. However, no conditions were severe enough to cause browning during processing. The data showed a clear distinction between the indirect and direct heating plants. They also indicated that degree of denaturation of alpha-lactalbumin varied over a wide range and may be a useful discriminatory index of heat treatment. Application of the program to pilot plants illustrated its value in determining processing conditions in these plants to simulate the conditions in industrial UHT plants. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Serpa cheese: technological, biochemical and microbiological characterisation of a PDO ewe's milk cheese coagulated with Cynara cardunculus L

Portugal has a strong tradition of cheesemaking from raw ewe's milk; most of these cheeses are still made on a traditional farmhouse scale. Their production is protected by Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) but the specific biochemical aspects of the majority still need to be characterised. Two different cheesemaking procedures, traditional and semi-industrial, were compared technologically, biochemically and microbiologically. It was observed that, despite the highly significant difference between artisanal and semi-industrial cheeses (P < 0.001), both products were within the limits of national regulations for most parameters except maturation temperature, humidity and the value for the maturation index. Although the present study was not fully representative of the region, the results obtained suggest that the specific regulations for Serpa cheese should be revised and that other parameters, such as moisture and salt-in-moisture content, which are very much dependent on the cheesemaking process, should be included in order to characterise better this traditional cheese.

Predicting the thermal inactivation of bacteria in a solid matrix: simulation studies on the relative effects of microbial thermal resistance parameters and process conditions

A combined mathematical model for predicting heat penetration and microbial inactivation in a solid body heated by conduction was tested experimentally by inoculating agar cylinders with Salmonella typhimurium or Enterococcus faecium and heating in a water bath. Regions of growth where bacteria had survived after heating were measured by image analysis and compared with model predictions. Visualisation of the regions of growth was improved by incorporating chromogenic metabolic indicators into the agar. Preliminary tests established that the model performed satisfactorily with both test organisms and with cylinders of different diameter. The model was then used in simulation studies in which the parameters D, z, inoculum size, cylinder diameter and heating temperature were systematically varied. These simulations showed that the biological variables D, z and inoculum size had a relatively small effect on the time needed to eliminate bacteria at the cylinder axis in comparison with the physical variables heating temperature and cylinder diameter, which had a much greater relative effect. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.