空心莲子草入侵对豫南草本植物群落多样性及稳定性的影响

为探讨空心莲子草(Alternanthera philoxeroides)入侵对豫南草本植物群落的影响,在河南省信阳市境内设置20个入侵样地和20个对照样地,运用数理统计及数量生态学方法研究了入侵、对照群落物种结构特征的差异,以及空心莲子草形态特征、生物量与群落物种多样性和稳定性的耦合关系,以期为入侵防治及本土生物多样性保护提供依据。结果显示,1)对照群落的4个α-物种多样性指数及其物种DCA排序均匀程度均高于入侵群落。2)随着空心莲子草入侵盖度的增加,Shannon-Wiener指数(R2=0.569,P=0.001)和Simpson指数(R2=0.749,P 0.001)呈现"先上升后下降"的趋势。3)Simpson指数、Shannon-Wiener指数及Pielou指数与空心莲子草生物量之间呈显著的负向拟合关系。4)入侵群落稳定性随空心莲子草相对高度的增加而上升、随空心莲子草根冠比及Pielou指数的增加而下降。研究表明,空心莲子草入侵显著削弱豫南草本物种多样性并导致本土植物群落稳定性遭受破坏,应制定合理的防治措施以遏制其入侵蔓延。     

空心莲子草入侵对乡土植物群落组成及植物多样性的影响

系统研究了空心莲子草Alternanthera philoxeroides入侵对江西省上饶市郊区乡土植物群落物种种类组成及物种多样性的影响。选取20个有空心莲子草入侵的样方,并在与之相距5 m处选取等面积的没有或有很少空心莲子草植株的20个样方作为对照,应用Simpson指数、Shannon-Wiener指数、Pielou指数和Alatalo均匀度指数分析了空心莲子草入侵乡土植物群落的多样性变化格局。结果表明：1）所有样方中共计出现59种植物,隶属于29科,在试验样方中出现的物种数量和种类都低于在对照样方中出现的物种数量和种类。2）试验样方和对照样方的物种重要值分布存在较大的差异,表明在空心莲子草入侵的胁迫下,群落物种格局发生了变化。3）分析了空心莲子草重要值与多样性指数、均匀度指数的关系。当空心莲子草重要值小于29.7时,乡土植物多样性指数和均匀度指数都随空心莲子草重要值的增加而增加,而空心莲子草重要值大于29.7时,各项指数都随重要值的增加而减小,当空心莲子草重要值大于64.3时,各项指数急剧下降。表明空心莲子草的入侵可影响乡土植物群落物种多样性,并产生正向影响和负向影响,当空心莲子草入侵量达到一定的阈值,将导致乡土植物多样性下降。     

气候变暖和物种多样性交互效应对空心莲子草入侵的影响

全球变暖加剧了生物入侵进程,而物种多样性对于入侵物种通常具有阻抗作用,探讨二者交互效应对生物入侵的影响有助于预测入侵态势及制定有效的防治措施。通过在我国N 21°-37°设置59个调查样地,探讨外来入侵植物空心莲子草群落物种多样性与其入侵态势之间的关系;并采用人工构建群落的方式,设置不同温度、物种多样性组合两种因子,研究增温及本土植物多样性对空心莲子草入侵的影响。结果表明:1)样地群落的Shannon-Wiener多样性指数介于0~2.434,空心莲子草入侵盖度(P<0.001)、分枝数(P=0.022)随多样性上升而显著降低,纬度以及纬度×物种多样性交互效应对其入侵态势没有产生显著影响;2)增温导致构建群落中空心莲子草的高度(P=0.004)、最大茎长(P=0.002)以及马唐、苦苣菜和牛筋草3种本土植物的高度(P=0.038)均显著下降,物种多样性上升导致空心莲子草高度、无性分株数、分枝数和最大茎长均显著下降(P<0.001),增温×物种多样性交互效应导致空心莲子草分枝数在“入侵单种”处理中显著升高(P=0.035),而增温×物种属性交互效应显著降低了构建群落中苦苣菜的最大茎长(P<0.001);3)增温并未显著影响空心莲子草及本土植物生物量,物种多样性增加显著削弱了空心莲子草的生物量(P<0.001),但显著提高了其根冠比(P=0.014),即空心莲子草以相对储存更多地下资源的方式应对种间竞争。综上可知,较高水平的物种多样性有助于抵制空心莲子草的入侵,但增温可能会削弱本土物种的抗性;气候变暖背景下应更加重视保护本土植物多样性,以遏制空心莲子草入侵蔓延。     

空心莲子草SOD基因家族鉴定和表达模式分析

超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）是一类保守的抗氧化酶，在植物生长发育和胁迫应答响应过程中发挥重要作用。目前，尚缺乏对空心莲子草SOD家族成员的系统认识。本研究通过生物信息学对空心莲子草SOD基因家族进行了系统的鉴定及分析，并对其理化性质、保守基序、基因结构、系统发育进化关系、miRNA靶向关系和表达模式等进行了分析。结果表明，在空心莲子草中共鉴定到43个ApSOD，其中22个属于Cu/ZnSOD亚家族，21个属于Fe/MnSOD亚家族；蛋白质特征分析表明，36个ApSOD蛋白为亲水蛋白，37个ApSOD蛋白为稳定蛋白；亚细胞定位预测发现，大部分Cu/ZnSOD定位在叶绿体或细胞质，大多数Fe/MnSOD定位在线粒体。保守结构域分析发现，同亚家族中的成员具有相似的保守基序与基因结构。miRNA靶向关系预测发现，17个空心莲子草miRNA通过切割或翻译抑制作用靶向14个ApSODs。表达模式分析发现，ApSODs在不同环境条件和组织中表达水平相对稳定。利用RT-qPCR分析了6个ApSODs在除草剂处理下的表达模式，结果表明，在噁草酮和氯氟吡氧乙酸胁迫下，6个ApSODs在药后7 d内显著上调表达...     

气候变暖和物种多样性交互效应对空心莲子草入侵的影响

全球变暖加剧了生物入侵进程,而物种多样性对于入侵物种通常具有阻抗作用,探讨二者交互效应对生物入侵的影响有助于预测入侵态势及制定有效的防治措施。通过在我国N 21°-37°设置59个调查样地,探讨外来入侵植物空心莲子草群落物种多样性与其入侵态势之间的关系;并采用人工构建群落的方式,设置不同温度、物种多样性组合两种因子,研究增温及本土植物多样性对空心莲子草入侵的影响。结果表明:1)样地群落的Shannon-Wiener多样性指数介于0～2.434,空心莲子草入侵盖度(P0.001)、分枝数(P=0.022)随多样性上升而显著降低,纬度以及纬度×物种多样性交互效应对其入侵态势没有产生显著影响;2)增温导致构建群落中空心莲子草的高度(P=0.004)、最大茎长(P=0.002)以及马唐、苦苣菜和牛筋草3种本土植物的高度(P=0.038)均显著下降,物种多样性上升导致空心莲子草高度、无性分株数、分枝数和最大茎长均显著下降(P0.001),增温×物种多样性交互效应导致空心莲子草分枝数在"入侵单种"处理中显著升高(P=0.035),而增温×物种属性交互效应显著降低了构建群落中苦苣菜的最大茎长(P0.001);3)增温并未显著影响空心莲子草及本土植物生物量,物种多样性增加显著削弱了空心莲子草的生物量(P0.001),但显著提高了其根冠比(P=0.014),即空心莲子草以相对储存更多地下资源的方式应对种间竞争。综上可知,较高水平的物种多样性有助于抵制空心莲子草的入侵,但增温可能会削弱本土物种的抗性;气候变暖背景下应更加重视保护本土植物多样性,以遏制空心莲子草入侵蔓延。     

空心莲子草对污泥重金属的响应与吸附效应

植物修复（Phytoremediation）是解决越来越突出的重金属污染问题的一种较好的方法,已成为生态学和环境学研究的重要课题,而植物对重金属的响应和吸附效应是该问题的科学基础。为此,本研究采用盆栽方法,设定污泥与沙壤土的不同体积配比（无污泥、5%污泥、10%污泥和20%污泥）作为生长基质,测定在含不同重金属的基质中生长不同时间（3-6月）的空心莲子草（Alternanthera philoxeroides）叶片的生理指标[叶绿素含量、超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）活性、过氧化物酶（POD）活性]和在含重金属基质中生长6个月后的空心莲子草根、茎、叶中重金属元素（Cd、Cr、Mn、Ni、Pb、Cu、Zn）含量。结果表明,空心莲子草叶片中叶绿素含量总体上随生长基质中污泥体积比例升高而升高;空心莲子草叶片中SOD活性、POD活性总体随生长基质中污泥体积比例升高而升高,但在含重金属的生长基质中生长5个月后,叶绿素含量、SOD活性和POD活性均明显下降;在各处理下,空心莲子草对Mn、Ni、Cr、Pb、Cu和Zn的吸收主要分布在叶片,且空心莲子草的转运系数大于1。研究结果说明,空心莲子草对污泥重金属有较好的耐受性,且转运系数大于1。虽然该植物根、茎、叶的富集系数均小于1,不属于超富集植物,但在受重金属污染的土壤植物修复中仍有一定的参考作用。     

空心莲子草ApCAT基因家族鉴定和表达模式

过氧化氢酶(CAT)是可清除生物体内多余的过氧化氢(H₂O₂)并将其还原成水和氧气的氧化还原酶，在植物响应胁迫的过程中发挥多种功能，保护植物细胞免受活性氧毒害。目前，尚缺乏对空心莲子草(Alternanthera philoxeroides) CAT基因家族成员的系统研究。本研究通过生物信息学分析，从空心莲子草中鉴定到20个ApCAT基因，根据系统发育关系将其依次命名为ApCAT1至ApCAT20。特征分析表明，所有ApCATs均为亲水性蛋白。亚细胞定位预测发现，所有ApCATs均预测定位于过氧化物酶体，个别ApCATs也预测有定位线粒体、叶绿体和细胞核的可能。表达模式分析表明，ApCAT成员受纬度、海拔、温度、光照、水分条件等的影响较小，表达水平相对稳定。除草剂药效测试发现，20%氯氟吡氧乙酸和13%噁草酮的防治效果最好；结合定量PCR分析发现，ApCAT家族成员在空心莲子草响应除草剂处理过程中显著差异表达，参与对除草剂胁迫的应答过程。本研究系统分析了ApCATs家族成员的基本特征和表达模式，揭示了其除草剂诱导表达特征，为进一步研究ApCA...     

不同入侵程度喜旱莲子草化学计量特征及其与共存种银花苋的比较

外来种入侵使入侵地物种多样性水平下降、生态系统稳定遭到破坏。通过测定不同入侵程度的喜旱莲子草根茎叶以及土壤C、N、P含量及其化学计量比,探查喜旱莲子草各器官化学元素含量及比率的变化;同时,对喜旱莲子草与共存种银花苋化学计量特征进行比较,以揭示喜旱莲子草的营养策略及其成功入侵机制。结果表明：1）随喜旱莲子草的入侵,其生境土壤元素含量增加;土壤速效磷（AP）含量为重度入侵>中度和轻度入侵地,高营养生境尤其是高AP生境有益于喜旱莲子草的快速生长和扩张;2）3种程度入侵的喜旱莲子草各器官N、P含量均为叶>根和茎,植物将更多的N、P元素分配到叶。3）喜旱莲子草各器官N含量、叶P含量均显著大于银花苋,显示其对土壤N、P有较强的吸收和利用率;4）银花苋各器官C∶N值显著大于3种入侵程度的喜旱莲子草各器官;3种入侵程度的喜旱莲子草叶N∶P值显著小于银花苋叶,银花苋根N∶P值、茎N∶P值显著小于3种入侵程度的喜旱莲子草。喜旱莲子草通过对资源的吸收和利用以及地上部分的快速生长增大竞争力,而共存种银花苋主要通过地下部分的快速生长增大竞争力。     

外来植物空心莲子草入侵人工草坪中种群特征变化研究

外来入侵植物不仅是造成生物多样性下降的主要原因之一,而且也对农田生态系统、渔业生产和景观等造成一定的危害,有些外来入侵植物已经成为一些地区的恶性杂草,空心莲子草就是一个典型的例子。通过对不同栽培年限人工麦冬草坪的取样调查,分析了外来植物空心莲子草种群部分特征在不同入侵阶段中的变化趋势。发现随着入侵时间的延伸,空心莲子草种群密度、个体分枝数量、盖度和植物量都表现出一定的变化规律。这与空心莲子草本身的生物学特征有关,也与人为活动的影响有着密切关系。在某种程度上,人为活动为空心莲子草的扩散创造了一定条件,因此,在人工铲除空心莲子草时特别应避免由于人为活动而造成该植物的扩散。     

异质生境空心莲子草的结构基础与生态适应性

以营养器官的部分性状,对旱生和水生空心莲子草不同器官的结构和物质进行了研究,并据此对2种生境空心莲子草形态结构变化进行了比较。对比研究结果表明,二者营养器官因环境适应而发生了较大变化,其中叶宽、叶片角质层厚度、孔下室面积、气孔数量与分布表现显著差异,旱生者具有长的表皮毛,而水生的则完全没有。茎中节间长度、髓腔直径、髓射线宽度和输导组织的类型、数量及比例在不同生境的茎和不同生长型的茎中均表现出显著的变化。旱生匍匐茎和根状茎节上具宿根,含大量贮藏物质,并生有多量的不定芽,具备成为独立散布体的物质和结构基础,而水生茎则因适应吸收需要,产生大量不定根。空心莲子草花粉败育率高(约80%),可能是其较低结实率的原因之一。空心莲子草在较低的有性生殖率下如何完成远距离扩布值得进一步探讨,此点在杂草防治中可能具有一定的意义。     

白术、微米白术和白术多糖对断奶仔猪生长性能和肠道形态及微生态区系的影响

试验选用96头平均体重14.82 kg左右的杜×长×大断奶仔猪,随机分成4组,每组3栏,每栏8头(公母各半)。对照组饲喂基础日粮,试验1、2、3组分别添加1%80目白术、0.2%白术多糖和1%微米白术。试验期30 d。结果表明:在生长性能方面,与对照组相比,1%微米白术添加组可显著提高日增重(P0.05)、降低饲料增重比和腹泻率,而且效果优于1%80目白术组和0.2%白术多糖组,在肠道形态和肠道微生态区系方面,与对照组相比,日粮添加1%80目白术、0.2%白术多糖、1%微米白术均可不同程度的提高十二指肠和空肠的绒毛高度,加深十二指肠和空肠的隐窝深度,并且增加肠道微生态区系的多样性,其中以1%微米白术添加组的效果最佳。     

Feline intracranial neoplasia: retrospective review of 160 cases (1985-2001)

The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of different tumor types within a large cohort of cats with intracranial neoplasia and to attempt to correlate signalment, tumor size and location, and survival time for each tumor. Medical records of 160 cats with confirmed intracranial neoplasia evaluated between 1985 and 2001 were reviewed. Parameters evaluated included age, sex, breed, FeLV/FIV status, clinical signs, duration of signs, number of tumors, tumor location(s), imaging results, treatment, survival times, and histopathologic diagnosis. Most of the cats were older (11.3 +/- 3.8 years). Primary tumors accounted for 70.6% of cases. Metastasis and direct extension of secondary tumors accounted for only 5.6 and 3.8% of cases, respectively. Twelve cats (7.5%) had 2 or more discrete tumors of the same type, whereas 16 cats (10.0%) had 2 different types of intracranial tumors. The most common tumor types were meningioma (n = 93, 58.1%), lymphoma (n = 23, 14.4%), pituitary tumors (n = 14, 8.8%), and gliomas (n = 12, 7.5%). The most common neurological signs were altered consciousness (n = 42, 26.2%), circling (n = 36, 22.5%), and seizures (n = 36, 22.5%). Cats without specific neurological signs were common (n = 34, 21.2%). The tumor was considered an incidental finding in 30 (18.8%) cats. In addition to expected relationships (eg, meninges and meningioma, pituitary and pituitary tumors), we found that lesion location was predictive of tumor type with diffuse cerebral or brainstem involvement predictive of lymphoma and third ventricle involvement predictive of meningioma.     

Prevalence and seasonal incidence of nematode parasites and fluke infections of sheep and goats in eastern Ethiopia

Sissay, M.M., Uggla, A. and Waller, P.J., XXXX. Prevalence and seasonal incidence of nematode parasites and fluke infections of sheep and goats in eastern Ethiopia. Tropical Animal Health and Production, XXXX. A 2-year abattoir survey was carried out to determine the prevalence, abundance and seasonal incidence of gastro-intestinal (GI) nematodes and trematodes (flukes) of sheep and goats in the semi-arid zone of eastern Ethiopia. During May 2003 to April 2005, viscera including liver, lungs and GI tracts were collected from 655 sheep and 632 goats slaughtered at 4 abattoirs located in the towns of Haramaya, Harar, Dire Dawa and Jijiga in eastern Ethiopia. All animals were raised in the farming areas located within the community boundaries for each town. Collected materials were transported within 24 h to the parasitology laboratory of Haramaya University for immediate processing. Thirteen species belonging to 9 genera of GI nematodes (Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongylus axei, T. colubriformis, T. vitrinus, Nematodirus filicollis, N. spathiger, Oesophagostomum columbianum, O. venulosum, Strongyloides papillosus, Bunostomum trigonocephalum, Trichuris ovis, Cooperia curticei and Chabertia ovina), and 4 species belonging to 3 genera of trematodes (Fasciola hepatica, F. gigantica, Paramphistomum {Calicohoron} microbothrium and Dicrocoelium dendriticum) were recorded in both sheep and goats. All animals in this investigation were infected with multiple species to varying degrees. The mean burdens of adult nematodes were generally moderate in both sheep and goats and showed patterns of seasonal abundance that corresponded with the bi-modal annual rainfall pattern, with highest burdens around the middle of the rainy season. In both sheep and goats there were significant differences in the mean worm burdens and abundance of the different nematode species between the four geographic locations, with worm burdens in the Haramaya and Harar areas greater than those observed in the Dire Dawa and Jijiga locations. Similar seasonal variations were also observed in the prevalence of flukes. But there were no significant differences in the prevalence of each fluke species between the four locations. Overall, the results showed that Haemonchus, Trichostrongylus, Nematodirus, Oesophagostomum, Fasciola and Paramphistomum species were the most abundant helminth parasites of sheep and goats in eastern Ethiopia.     

Y‐chromosomal variation of local goat breeds of Turkey close to the domestication centre

Genetic variations in chromosome Y are enabling researchers to identify paternal lineages, which are informative for introgressions and migrations. In this study, the male‐specific region markers, sex‐determining region‐Y (SRY), amelogenin (AMELY) and zinc finger (ZFY) were analysed in seven Turkish native goat breeds, Angora, Kilis, Hair, Honaml?, Norduz, Gürcü and Abaza. A SNP in the ZFY gene defined a new haplotype Y2C. All domestic haplogroups originate from Capra aegagrus, while the finding of Y1A, Y1B, Y2A and Y2C in 32, 4, 126 and 2 Turkish domestic goats, respectively, appears to indicate a predomestic origin of the major haplotypes. The occurrence of four haplotypes in the Hair goat and, in contrast, a frequency of 96% of Y1A in the Kilis breed illustrate that Y‐chromosomal variants have a more breed‐dependent distribution than mitochondrial or autosomal DNA. This probably reflects male founder effects, but a role in adaptation cannot be excluded.     

The Prevalence and Intensity of Helminth and Coccidial Infections in Dairy Cattle in Central Kenya

A survey of gastrointestinal parasite infections of young (<6 months old), immature (6–12 months old) and adult (>12 months old) dairy cattle on 16 farms in Kiambu District, Kenya was conducted during a dry season (September 1991 to January 1992) and during a wet season (March to July 1992). The survey was based on monthly coproparasitological examination of cohorts and worm counts in tracer calves. The effects of age, sex, farm and season on the prevalence and intensity of helminth and coccidial infections were determined. Faecal egg and oocyst counts revealed that the overall prevalences were: strongyles (including trichostrongyles) (85.5%), liver flukes (Fasciola gigantica) (34.0%), coccidia (30.9%) and tapeworms (9.6%). Eight species of the protozoan Eimeria were identified, the most prevalent species being E. bovis and E. zuernii. The most prevalent nematode genera were Haemonchus, Cooperia, Oesophagostomum and Trichostrongylus. Season, farm and age of the animals had a significant (p<0.05) influence on the intensity of infection with strongyles, liver flukes and coccidia, whereas the sex of the animals had no significant (p>0.05) effect on the prevalence or intensity of infections. A higher intensity of infection with strongyles and coccidia was found in the wet season than in the dry season (p<0.05). The age-specific intensity was in the following order: for strongyles, immature animals of 6–12 months of age had the highest egg counts, followed by young calves and adults. Calves had significantly (p<0.05) higher oocyst counts than immatures or adults. Liver fluke egg counts did not differ significant (p>0.05) between immatures and adult cattle.     

A brief history of the prevention of infectious diseases by immunisations

Infectious diseases have always been a terrible scourge for humans. The appearance of these plagues, as they were called without distinction, was generally connected to various conditions: asters, climatic changes or religious reasons. The concept of contagious, and then infectious, diseases came slowly. Variolation, i.e. transmission of ‘virulent’ matter to induce a natural disease and the immunity against it, was brought from Constantinople to England by Lady Montague, in 1721. This ‘variolation’ technique was also often performed in veterinary medicine against diseases like sheep-pox or pleuropneumonia. As ‘vaccination’ is the term generally accepted for ‘immunisation’, variolation can be the word designating such a technique. The second period of the history of immunisation began, in 1880, with the studies of Pasteur and his collaborators. A great number of bacterial vaccines were developed: dead, live but attenuated or only parts of pathogens. The viruses were produced in animals, then in eggs and at last, in tissue cultures. Second generation vaccines appeared with genetic engineering: recombinant vaccines, vector vaccines, nucleic acids vaccines, and markers vaccines, among others. These novel technologies can permit the development of new ones and improve the quality of the vaccines already existing.     

Micronutrient Content of Certain Tropical Conventional and Unconventional Feed Resources of Southern India

The ash, silica and certain important micronutrients were estimated in conventional and unconventional feed and fodder resources available in Southern India. Commonly used dry roughages, such as paddy straw, ragi straw, maize kadbi/stalk, jowar kadbi/stalk, bajra stalk and wheat straw, were high in ash (9.9% +/- 0.77%) and silica (6.4% +/- 0.65%) and low in most of the other micronutrients, except iron, with paddy straw containing most silica (>9%). Cultivated non-leguminous (maize, jowar) and improved green crops (hybrid napier, guinea, green panic, NB-21, CO-1) were also high in ash (10.5% +/- 0.60% and 12.5% +/- 0.51%) but were moderate sources of P, Mg and Cu and good sources of Zn (98 +/- 13.8 ppm and 55 +/- 6.7 ppm). Leguminous green fodders (stylosanthus, lucerne, cow pea, soyabean) were excellent sources of Ca (1.9% +/- 0.16%), Mg (0.40% +/- 0.05%), Cu (30 +/- 5.2 ppm), Zn (121 +/- 14.7 ppm) and Fe (1234 +/- 166 ppm) and moderate sources of P. Mixed local grasses and weeds were high in silica (6.9% +/- 1.00%) but were good sources of Cu, Zn and Fe. Cereal grains (maize, wheat, rice, ragi) were low in ash (2.9% +/- 0.33%) and were relatively poor sources of Ca (0.22% +/- 0.03%), Mg (0.19% +/- 0.03%) and Cu (13 +/- 3.1 ppm). Pulses were low to medium sources of most minerals and good sources of Fe (1230 +/- 293 ppm). Oil seed cake/extractions (groundnut cake, cotton seed cake, soyabean meal, sunflower cake, safflower cake) and cereal by-products (rice polish, rice bran, wheat bran) were excellent sources of P (1.1% +/- 0.47% and 2.3% +/- 0.19%) and good sources of Zn (65 +/- 3.9 ppm and 66 +/- 10.7 ppm) and Fe (938 +/- 130 ppm and 662 +/- 126 ppm). Among the unconventional feeds screened, orange peel, sunflower heads, meat meal, rubber seed cake, spirulina algae and sea weeds contained plentiful Ca, Zn and Fe: tree leaves/top feeds (mulberry, erythrina, glyricidia, banana, subabul, groundnut haulms) were excellent sources of Ca (1.5% +/- 0.13%), Zn (120 +/- 22.9 ppm) and Fe (1033 +/- 133 ppm) but relatively poor sources of P. Soyabean husk, cocoa seed husk, rubber seed cake and meat meal were moderate to good sources of P (1.0% and 0.33%). The high Zn and Fe values of most feeds/fodders were probably due to soil contamination. This account of the micronutrient content of feed/fodder resources should help in strategic supplementation intended to alleviate local deficiencies.     

Bovine Mastitis in Selected Areas of Southern Ethiopia

A study on bovine mastitis, designed to determine the causal agents, prevalence of infection and impact of risk factors in three cattle breeds, was conducted in selected areas of southern Ethiopia. A total of 307 lactating and non-lactating cows, of which 162 were indigenous Zebu, 85 Jersey and 60 Holstein-Friesian, were examined by clinical examination and the California mastitis (CMT) test. Of these, 40.4% were positive by CMT and bacteriology for clinical or subclinical mastitis, with prevalence rates of 37.1% and 62.9%, respectively. Out of 1133 quarters examined, 212 (18.7%) were found to be infected, 83 (39.2%) clinically and 129 (60.8%) subclinically. The prevalence of mastitis was significantly higher in Holstein-Friesian than in indigenous Zebu, in non-lactating cows than in lactating cows, in the early lactation stage than in the mid-lactation stage, in cows with lesions and/or tick infestation on skin of udder and/or teats than in cows without this factor, and in the wet season than in the dry season. Mastitis increased with parity number (R = 0.9). Of 248 CMT and clinically positive udder quarter samples analysed microbiologically, 212 were culturally positive for known mastitis pathogens and 36 were negative. Of the 199 positive samples, Staphylococcus accounted for 39.2%, Streptococcus for 23.6%, coliforms for 14.1%, Micrococcus and Bacillus species for 8.0% each and Actinomyces or Arcanobacterium (Corynebacterium) for 7.0%. It was concluded that there was a high prevalence of clinical and subclinical mastitis, mainly caused by Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae and Escherichia coli, in this study area.     

不同日粮氮水平对山羊氮代谢和微生物蛋白质合成的影响

本试验旨在探讨不同日粮氮水平对内蒙古白绒山羊氮代谢和微生物蛋白质合成(MCP)的影响,以达到提高氮利用率,减少环境污染和饲料资源的浪费。试验选用9只体况良好、体重为(43.83±2.95)kg,装有瘤胃瘘管的内蒙古白绒山羊,按体重随机分为3组,每组3只。日粮分为低氮7.5%、中氮10.5%、高氮13.5%3个氮水平。试验使用常规试验方法分析测定粪尿血液等生化指标,通过全收尿法和尿嘌呤衍生物法估测MCP。结果表明:随着氮水平增加,氨氮(NH3-N)浓度、氮摄入量、尿氮排出、尿中尿素氮(UUN)和MCP显著增加(P0.05),干物质采食量(DMI)显著降低(P0.01);沉积氮占总摄入氮的比例在中氮组最高,MCP在高氮组最高。综上所述,适当降低日粮氮水平可减少粪尿氮排放,提高反刍动物氮利用率。