The influence of the hemoglobin concentration in growing mink kits on certain skin characteristics

The relationship between some skin characteristics and hemoglobin values during the growth period were statistically examined in standard male minks. Significant correlations) (P < 0.05–0.001) were found between the hemoglobin concentrations determined at 3 points during the growth period (in July, August and November) and the density and colour of underfur, and skin length, respectively. According to the study even the early hemoglobin values in July and August have a significant influence on the size and quality of the pelt. Mink kits with low hemoglobin values are liable to develop a winter fur coat with defective pigmentation and hair structure of the underfur. Anemic minks develop the most extreme stage of the pigmentation defect and these so-called cotton fur skins have little value in the fur garment industry. When these abnormal hemoglobin values are recognized at an early stage, cotton fur skins may be avoided, and larger skins of better quality may be produced.     

体细胞克隆牛0～12月龄生长的测定研究

通过对5头体细胞克隆母犊牛及其同期自然繁殖出生的荷斯坦母犊牛初生期、6月龄、12月龄的体重、体尺指标测定,初步分析了其生长发育速度的变化规律。结果表明:(1)克隆牛初生重53.67±7.00kg,明显高于自繁奶牛(P<0.01),6月龄体重141.00±16.49kg,明显低于自繁奶牛(P<0.01),12月龄体重302.80±32.17kg,与自繁奶牛基本相当;(2)克隆牛0～6月龄期间平均日增重0.70±0.11kg明显低于自繁奶牛(P<0.01),6～12月龄期间平均日增重0.90±0.12kg,与自繁奶牛基本相当(P>0.05),0～12月龄期间平均日增重0.70±0.11kg,与自繁奶牛基本相当(P>0.05);(3)克隆牛初生体尺指标明显大于自繁奶牛(P<0.01),6月龄体尺指标明显小于自繁奶牛(P<0.01),12月龄体尺指标与自繁奶牛相当(P>0.05);(4)克隆牛0～6月龄期间体尺平均增长明显低于自繁奶牛(P<0.01),6～12月龄期间体尺平均增长明显高于自繁奶牛(P<0.01),0～12月龄期间体尺平均增长明显低于自繁奶牛(P<0.01)。     

典型草原种群特征对放牧制度的响应

采用放牧形式研究典型草原不同放牧制度群落动态变化规律.结果表明,牧草生长季前期干旱年份(2001年),划区轮牧区月现存量、生长量、生产力都显著高于自由放牧区(P＜0.05),而在降雨充沛的年份(2002年),两放牧处理无显著差异(P＞0.05);划区轮牧区的优势种的密度、高度、盖度以及重要值在两年均高于自由放牧区(P＜0.05).     

Impacts of atmospheric CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> concentrations and soil water on the population dynamics,fecundity and development of the bird cherry-oat aphid<Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhopalosiphum padi</Emphasis>

The impacts of elevated CO₂ and soil water on the population dynamics, adult fecundity and nymphal period of the bird cherry-oat aphidRhopalsiphum padi (Linnaeus) were evaluated in three experiments: (i)Combined effects of CO ₂ and soil water on aphid populations. Spring wheat was grown in pots at three CO₂ concentrations (350, 550 and 700 ppm) and three soil water levels (40%, 60% and 80% of field water capacity, FWC) in field open-top chambers (OTC) and infested with the bird cherry-oat aphid. Aphid population dynamics were recorded throughout the growing season; at the same time, adult fecundity and duration of the nymphal period were recorded. Chemical composition of spring wheat leaves was also analyzed. (ii)Indirect effects of CO ₂ concentrations and soil water on aphid adult fecundity and nymphal period. The experiment was conducted with the leaf discs method in the laboratory. Aphids were reared on leaf discs excised from the treated wheat in OTC with different CO₂ and soil water levels. (iii)Direct effects of CO ₂ concentrations on aphid adult fecundity and nymphal period. Aphids were reared on leaf discs excised from the wheat grown under natural conditions. The experiment was conducted with the leaf disc method in OTC with the three CO₂ concentrations. It was found that the direct effect of CO₂ concentration on aphid population parameters was minor. CO₂ and soil water affected aphid population indirectly through their effects on wheat characteristics. The aphid population under 550 ppm CO₂ was far larger than the one under 350 ppm CO₂, whereas the population under 700 ppm CO₂ was slightly higher than that under 550 ppm CO₂. The largest aphid population was obtained with the 60% soil water treatment, regardless of CO₂ treatment. The effects of CO₂ concentration on aphid population were, however, not significantly correlated with soil water level. Adult fecundity increased with CO₂ concentration, the highest fecundity being achieved under 60% FWC treatments. The nymphal period was not affected by CO₂ concentration. The shortest period occurred under 60% FWC. Atmospheric CO₂ and soil water had significant effects on the chemical composition of the wheat leaves. Aphid population size was positively correlated with leaf water content, concentrations of soluble proteins, soluble carbohydrates and starch, and negatively correlated with DIMBOA and tannins concentrations. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Oct. 20, 2003.     

Bayesian methods for estimating pathogen prevalence within groups of animals from faecal-pat sampling

Pathogens such as Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Campylobacter spp. have been implicated in outbreaks of food poisoning in the UK and elsewhere. Domestic animals and wildlife are important reservoirs for both of these agents, and cross-contamination from faeces is believed to be responsible for many human outbreaks. Appropriate parameterisation of quantitative microbial-risk models requires representative data at all levels of the food chain. Our focus in this paper is on the early stages of the food chain-specifically, sampling issues which arise at the farm level. We estimated animal–pathogen prevalence from faecal-pat samples using a Bayesian method which reflected the uncertainties inherent in the animal-level prevalence estimates. (Note that prevalence here refers to the percentage of animals shedding the bacteria of interest). The method offers more flexibility than traditional, classical approaches: it allows the incorporation of prior belief, and permits the computation of a variety of distributional and numerical summaries, analogues of which often are not available through a classical framework. The Bayesian technique is illustrated with a number of examples reflecting the effects of a diversity of assumptions about the underlying processes. The technique appears to be both robust and flexible, and is useful when defecation rates in infected and uninfected groups are unequal, where population size is uncertain, and also where the microbiological-test sensitivity is imperfect. We also investigated the determination of the sample size necessary for determining animal-level prevalence from pat samples to within a pre-specified degree of accuracy.     

Risk factors for stillbirths in two swine farms in the south of Brazil

We evaluated stillbirth risk factors in two commercial swine farms of the Rio Grande do Sul State (south of Brazil). The study was conducted during 1 month in Farm A and during 2 months in Farm B, both during 1999. Data for all farrowings that occurred during the study period were recorded (101 for Farm A and 373 for Farm B), without interference in the farm management. In Farm A, 39% of all litters born during the period of interest had stillborn piglets and the stillborn risk for piglets was 12%. In Farm B, 25% of all litters had stillborn piglets whereas the stillborn risk was 2%. Variables considered as potential risk factors for stillbirths were: parity (1, 2–3, 4+); breed (purebred or crossbred); sow body-condition (normal or fat); use of oxytocin during parturition (yes or no); obstetric intervention through vaginal palpation (yes or no); farrowing duration (<4 or ≥4 h); mummified fetuses (yes or no); total litter size (<12 or ≥12 piglets); and litter birth weight (<11 or ≥11 kg). All stillborn piglets had their classification validated by necropsy. In multivariable logistic-regressions, the cases were the litters having at least one stillborn piglet. In Farm A, litters having at least 12 pigs and in which oxytocin was used during the parturition had 20.8-times-higher odds of stillborn occurrence. In Farm B, litters from sows having parity ≥4 had 2.2-times-higher odds of stillborn occurrence than litters from parity 2 to 3 females, litters having ≥12 pigs had 2.0-times-higher odds of a stillborn piglet than smaller litters and farrowings in which vaginal palpation was performed had 8.0-times-higher odds. Farrowing room management to minimize stillborn risk should target higher-parity females, large litters and optimization of practices of obstetric interventions.     

Scale dependence of tree abundance and richness in a tropical rain forest,Malaysia

Abundance and richness are the two fundamental components of speciesdiversity. They represent two distinct types of variables of which the formerisadditive when aggregated across scales while the latter is nonadditive. Thisstudy investigated the changes in the spatial patterns of abundance andrichnessof tree species across multiple scales in a tropical rain forest of Malaysiaandtheir variations in different regions of the study area. The results showedthatfrom fine to coarse scales abundance had a gradual and systematic change inpattern, whereas the change in richness was much less predictable and ahotspot in richness at one scale may become acoldspot at another. The study also demonstrated that differentmeasures of diversity variation (e.g., variance and coefficient of variation)can result in different or even contradictory results which further complicatedthe interpretation of diversity patterns. Because of scale effect the commonlyused measure of species diversity in terms of unit area (e.g.,species/m²) is misleading and of little use in comparing speciesdiversitybetween different ecosystems. Extra care must be taken if management andconservation of species diversity have to be based on information gathered at asingle scale.This revised version was published online in May 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Rabies seroprevalence of street dogs from São Paulo City, Brazil

A sample of 602 street dogs captured by the São Paulo zoonosis-control municipal service was analyzed for the presence of serum antibodies against the rabies virus and compared to a control sample of 37 dogs from the kennel of the police of São Paulo. Data were stratified into 4 age intervals and the age from the street-dog sample was estimated by general aspects and dental observation according to standard techniques. We assumed that seropositivity was due to previous vaccination (no sub-clinical infection). From the prevalence data, we estimated the age-dependent incidence-density rate of vaccination by a simple mathematical model, which also allowed the estimation of the period of antibody protection given by the supposed vaccination. Crude seroprevalence in the street-dog sample was 16.5% and in the sample from the police-kennel dogs was 80%. The average age of first vaccination calculated for the street-dog sample was 5 years of age (if we assumed an average period of vaccine protection of 3 years) — but 5 months of age for the police-kennel sample.     

秦川牛运铁蛋白多态性与体尺、体重性状的关系分析

秦川牛运铁蛋白 (Tf)多态性与体尺、体重性状之间的关系分析表明 :( 1 )秦川牛体尺、体重的优势基因为TfD1与TfE ;( 2 )在胸深性状上 ,TfEF型的LSE值极显著地大于其它各基因型值 (P <0 .0 1 ) ,TfD1E、TfD1D2 、TfAA、TfEE、TfD2 E、TfD1D1、TfD2 D2 、TfAD1的LSE值显著地大于TfD2 F值 (P <0 .0 5) ;( 3)其他 8个性状各基因型值间差异不显著 (P >0 .0 5)。     

撒坝猪部分生长发育性状的典型相关分析

采用SAS统计分析系统对577头撒坝猪的3个体重性状和5个体尺性状进行了典型相关分析.结果表明,体重与体尺性状的第一、第二典型相关系数达到了显著水平(P＜0.01),分别为0.9532和0.3044,占总相关的99.97%.体重性状与体尺性状间的相关主要是由于4月龄体重、6月龄体重与6月龄胸围、6月龄腿围的相关引起的.在达到显著水平的两对典型变量中,体重性状的两个典型变量对6月龄体长、胸围和腿围的预测能力较强,体尺性状的两个典型变量对4月龄体重和6月龄体重的预测能力较强,在实际育种中,选择体尺性状可同时达到提高体重性状之目的.