Necrotic enteritis challenge regulates peroxisome proliferator-1 activated receptors signaling and β-oxidation pathways in broiler chickens

Necrotic enteritis (NE) is an important enteric disease in poultry and has become a major concern in poultry production in the post-antibiotic era. The infection with NE can damage the intestinal mucosa of the birds leading to impaired health and, thus, productivity. To gain a better understanding of how NE impacts the gut function of infected broilers, global mRNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed in the jejunum tissue of NE challenged and non-challenged broilers to identify the pathways and genes affected by this disease. Briefly, to induce NE, birds in the challenge group were inoculated with 1 mL of Eimeria species on day 9 followed by 1 mL of approximately 10⁸ CFU/mL of a NetB producing Clostridium perfringens on days 14 and 15. On day 16, 2 birds in each treatment were randomly selected and euthanized and the whole intestinal tract was evaluated for lesion scores. Duodenum tissue samples from one of the euthanized birds of each replicate (n = 4) was used for histology, and the jejunum tissue for RNA extraction. RNA-seq analysis was performed with an Illumina RNA HiSeq 2000 sequencer. The differentially expressed genes (DEG) were identified and functional analysis was performed in DAVID to find protein–protein interactions (PPI). At a false discovery rate threshold <0.05, a total of 377 DEG (207 upregulated and 170 downregulated) DEG were identified. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed that DEG were considerably enriched in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) signaling (P < 0.01) and β-oxidation pathways (P < 0.05). The DEG were mostly related to fatty acid metabolism and degradation (cluster of differentiation 36 [CD36], acyl-CoA synthetase bubblegum family member-1 [ACSBG1], fatty acid-binding protein-1 and -2 [FABP1] and [FABP2]; and acyl-coenzyme A synthetase-1 [ACSL1]), bile acid production and transportation (acyl-CoA oxidase-2 [ACOX2], apical sodium–bile acid transporter [ASBT]) and essential genes in the immune system (interferon-, [IFN-γ], LCK proto-oncogene, Src family tyrosine kinase [LCK], zeta chain of T cell receptor associated protein kinase 70 kDa [ZAP70], and aconitate decarboxylase 1 [ACOD1]). Our data revealed that pathways related to fatty acid digestion were significantly compromised which thereby could have affected metabolic and immune responses in NE infected birds.     

Effects of dietary supplementation of nucleotides from late gestation to lactation on the performance and oxidative stress status of sows and their offspring

Increased metabolic burdens in breeding sows, which are induced by elevated systemic oxidative stress, could increase the need for nucleotides to repair lymphocyte DNA damage; however, de novo synthesis of nucleotides may be insufficient to cover this increased need. This study investigated the effects of dietary nucleotides on milk composition, oxidative stress status, and the reproductive and lactational performance of sows. Forty multiparous sows were assigned to 2 dietary treatments (Control group, and 1 g/kg Nucleotides group) based on a randomized complete block design using their BW at 85 d of gestation as a block. Sows from 2 groups were fed a restricted diet during gestation and ad libitum during lactation. The experiment lasted from 85 d of gestation to 21 d of lactation. The reproductive performance of sows and the growth performance of suckling piglets were measured. Oxidative stress parameters and milk components were also analysed. Data were analyzed using contrasts in the MIXED procedure of SAS. Sows in the Nucleotides group consumed more feed during the first week (P < 0.01) and from 1 to 21 d (P < 0.05) of lactation than those in Control group. Correspondingly, the litter weight gain of piglets showed a tendency to increase from cross-fostering to 9 d (P = 0.09) and from cross-fostering to 20 d (P = 0.10) in the Nucleotides group relative to the Control group. Additionally, the Nucleotides group was higher (P < 0.01) than the Control group in the concentrations of uridine 5''monophosphate, guanosine 5''monophosphate, inosine 5''monophosphate, adenosine 5''monophosphate and total nucleotides in milk. Furthermore, the Nucleotides group was higher (P < 0.01) than the Control group in the serum levels of total antioxidant capacity (P < 0.01) for sows at 109 d of gestation and glutathione peroxidase for weaning piglets, but lower at the levels of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (P < 0.05) in serum of weaning piglets. This study indicated that maternal dietary nucleotides could promote piglet growth, probably due to the higher lactational feed intake and higher concentration of nucleotides in the milk of sows, and lower oxidative stress for both sows and piglets.     

萝卜各级分枝种子质量比较

对萝卜各级分枝种子质量检验表明，萝卜各级分枝种子质量不一，以主轴顶端和基部新发枝种子质量最差，3级分枝种子质量最好，2分枝和1级分枝稍次。各分枝种子播种后，幼苗质量与种子室内检验质量结果相统一，1级、2级、分枝种子收获量最多，分别为种子收获总量的45％和38％。     

灌溉设备产品信息与报价系统的开发

本文介绍了开发灌溉设备产品信息与报价系统的必要性及功能 ,较系统地阐述了该软件系统的实现思路 ,并对其应用前景作了初步预测     

对聚羟基丁酸酯球晶细观结构与力学行为试验研究

采用自构建的显微数字相关分析系统,并结合原子力显微镜、扫描电镜及材料力学性能测试设备,研究了晶态高聚物聚羟基丁酸酯(PHB)的细观结构与力学性能。提出PHB球晶在正交偏振光场下形成的同心圆环,不是源于球晶径向晶片周期性扭曲所产生的消光现象,而是由于PHB球晶台阶式生长或螺旋式生长的新观点;用光弹性原理与试验技术对黑十字现象及球晶台阶式的生成进行了阐述;通过试验,发现了球晶结晶度、球晶尺寸对材料冲击强度、拉伸强度、硬度等力学性能影响的规律。     

Kinect在现代农业信息领域中的应用与研究进展

2010年微软公司推出的Kinect体感设备不仅在游戏界引起了巨大的轰动,在其它多个研究领域也得到了越来越多的重视。本研究对Kinect在农业信息领域的应用现状和发展趋势做了深入分析,阐述了Kinect在果实目标检测识别、植物三维形态重建、畜牧养殖监督系统及农业虚拟教学等领域的应用,探讨了Kinect在农业领域应用中存在的问题及其在农业应用上的优缺点,并提出了Kinect在信息农业领域未来的发展方向及前沿问题。     

豫西丘陵地区果牧结合立体生态园设计的探讨

根据豫西丘陵地区生态、经济、社会条件以及目前农牧业生产中存在的突出问题，提出果牧结合立体生态园建设是该地区生态农业发展的重要途径。并在调查和初步研究基础上设计了“畜（禽）—果”、“畜（禽）—沼—果”等果牧结合模式，分析了生态园建设研究中要探讨的具体内容。     

江苏典型农户农业生态系统能量分析

本文对实行家庭联产承包责任制后的典型农户农业生态系统进行了能量的投入产出分析,从能量的角度提出了该系统的基本特征,并在此基础上对整个农村的能量的合理流动作了分析和探讨。     

张正友法的摄像机标定试验

针对机器视觉领域的摄像机标定问题,采用介于自标定与传统标定之间张正友法,对Sunway-130D数字摄像机进行标定。本研究首先阐述张正友法标定原理,即利用针孔模型匹配模板平面与其所成图像中的角点,计算出图像和模板之间的单应性矩阵,利用该单应矩阵线性解出摄像机内部参数,并由单应矩阵求出理想成像模型下的摄像机外部参数。然后考虑非线性畸变因素,求出畸变系数的初始值,最后对所有的标定参数进行迭代修正,通过非线性优化得到所有标定参数的最优解。制作模板并采集模板图像,利用MATLAB提取模板图像角点坐标并进行标定。结果表明:该方法可以有效地对摄像机进行标定;绝大多数偏差在(-1.5,1.5)像素之间,个别偏差超过1.5个像素,达到像素级精度,有较高标定精度。研究结果为进一步研究农业机械机器人奠定基础。     

动静磨盘式薏苡脱壳试验台设计与试验

薏苡脱壳多采用主粮加工业的一些通用设备,专业加工技术装备缺乏,存在物料品种适应性差、一次脱净率低、破损率高、作业效率低等诸多问题。为找出薏苡脱壳的脱壳方法,针对其物料特性和脱壳要求,分析对比主要的脱壳方法,设计一种动静磨盘式薏苡脱壳机构并进行试验,为薏苡脱壳装置的优化设计提供依据。