Changes in technical efficiency of the broiler production in Poland, 1994–2013

1. The effects of changes in technical efficiency on the increase of broiler production are presented for the period 1994–2013 based on the panel data from seven farms located in southern and central Poland. A total of 766 cycles were analysed.

2. The Cobb–Douglas production function was used to assess the changes of output elasticities as well as technical changes in broiler production, for 5-year sub-periods separately.

3. Technical indices of broiler production significantly improved between years 1994–2013: feed conversion ratio decreased from 2.50 kg/kg to 1.78 kg/kg, mortality rate from 8.8% to 4.0% and daily weight gain increased from 37.1 g/d to 58.7 g/d, respectively.

4. Before accession to the EU, there was a substantial increase of fixed capital connected with modernisation of buildings and equipment. In the period 1994–2013, inputs of fixed capital per kilogram of livestock increased by 72% and at the same time the input of labour decreased by 56%.

5. Technical changes in years 1994–1998 contributed to a rapid production increase at a rate of 4.6% annually and only by up to 0.7% annually during 2009–2013. The slowdown of production rate increase after 2009 was partially caused by decreasing the stocking density.     

Methyl donors dietary supplementation to gestating sows diet improves the growth rate of offspring and is associating with changes in expression and DNA methylation of insulin‐like growth factor‐1 gene

The study aimed to investigate the effects of maternal dietary methyl donors on the performance of sows and their offspring, and the associated hepatic insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1) expression of the offspring. A total of 24 multiparous sows were randomly fed the control (CON) or the CON diet supplemented with methyl donors (MD) at 3 g/kg betaine, 15 mg/kg folic acid, 400 mg/kg choline and 150 μg/kg VB₁₂, from mating until delivery. After farrowing, sows were fed a common lactation diet through a 28‐days lactation period and six litters per treatment were selected to be fed until at approximately 110 kg BW. Maternal MD supplementation resulted in greater birthweight (p < 0.05) and increased the piglet weights (p < 0.01) and litter weights (p < 0.05) at the age of day 28, compared with that in CON group. The offspring pigs in the MD group had greater ADG (p < 0.05) and tended to lower F:G ratio (p = 0.07) compared with that of CON group from day 28 to 180 of age. The offspring pigs from MD group had greater serum IGF‐1 concentrations and expressions of hepatic IGF‐1 gene and muscular IGF‐1 receptor (IGF‐1r) protein at birth (p < 0.05), and greater hepatic IGF‐1 protein (p = 0.03) and muscular IGF‐1r gene expressions (p < 0.05) at slaughter, than that from the CON group. Moreover, the methylation at the promoter of IGF‐1 gene in the liver of newborn piglets and finishing pigs was greater in the MD group than that of the CON group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, maternal MD supplementation throughout gestation could enhance the birthweight and postnatal growth rate of offspring, associated with an increased expression of the IGF‐1 gene and IGF‐1r, as well as the altered DNA methylation of IGF‐1 gene promotor.     

Multimarker and rare variants genomewide association studies for bone weight in Simmental cattle

Bone weight, defined as the total weight of the bones in all the forequarter and hindquarter joints, can reflect somebody conformation traits and skeletal diseases. To gain a better understanding of the genetic determinants of bone weight, we used a composite strategy including multimarker and rare‐marker association to perform genomewide association studies (GWAS) for that character in Simmental cattle. Our strategy consisted of three models: (i) A traditional linear mixed model (LMM) was applied (Q+K‐LMM); (ii) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with p‐values less than .05 from the LMM were selected to undergo the least absolute shrinkage and selector operator (Lasso) in the second stage (LMM‐Lasso); (iii) genes containing two or more rare SNPs were examined by performing the sequence kernel association test (gene‐based SKAT). A total of 1,225 cattle were genotyped with an Illumina BovineHD BeadChip containing 770,000 SNPs. After the quality‐control procedures, 1,217 individuals with 608,696 common SNPs and 105,787 rare SNPs (with 0.001 < minor allele frequency [MAF] <0.05) remained in the sample for analysis. A traditional LMM successfully mapped three genes associated with bone weight, while LMM‐Lasso identified nine genes, which included all genes found by traditional LMM. Only a single gene, EPHB3, surpassed the significance threshold after Bonferroni correction in gene‐based SKAT. In conclusion, based on functional annotation and results from previous endeavours, we believe that LCORL, RIMS2, LAP3, PRKAR2B, CHSY1, MAP2K6 and EPHB3 are candidate genes for bone weight. In general, such a comprehensive strategy for GWAS may be useful for researchers seeking to probe the full genetic architecture underlying economic traits in livestock.     

三江源区高寒草原土壤湿度变化特征及与气候因子的关系

利用青海省三江源区兴海县牧业气象站1999-2016年高寒草原土壤湿度、牧草生育期资料,分析了高寒草原土壤湿度的年、季变化特征以及牧草生长季不同生育期土壤湿度的变化特征及与气候因子的关系。结果表明:高寒草原0-10、10-20、20-30、30-40和40-50 cm土壤湿度均随年际延长呈增加趋势,春季除40-50 cm土层外,其他各层土壤湿度均随年际延长呈显著增加趋势(P<0.05)。高寒草原牧草生长季的土壤相对湿度随年际延长呈显著上升趋势(P<0.05),且与生长季降水量之间呈极显著正相关关系(P<0.01)。随着气候变化,牧草抽穗、开花、成熟和枯黄期的土壤相对湿度随年际延长呈显著增加趋势(P<0.05)。牧草抽穗期、枯黄和全生育期的土壤湿度与气温呈显著负相关关系(P<0.05)。高寒草原牧草生长季土壤湿度的增加有利于草地植被生长。     

Effect of Human Menopausal Gonadotropin,17β-estradiol and Epidermal Growth Factor on the Quality of in vitro Maturation Bovine Oocytes

For optimizing in vitro maturation system of bovine oocytes,we firstly examined the influence of four different hormonal regimes(FSH+LH,HMG,FSH+LH+E₂ and HMG+E₂) on oocyte maturation rates.Then we studied the effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in the above defined medium on bovine oocyte maturation,in vitro development and quality of parthenogenetic embryos.The cell apoptotic index of parthenogenetic blastocysts was detected by TUNEL.No significant difference was observed in maturation rates in four groups supplemented with different hormones.However,human menopausal gonadotropin (HMG) provided steady maturation results in replicates.Maturation of oocytes was promoted by supplementation with 17β-estradiol (E₂).Combination of HMG and E₂ gave rise to steady and efficient mature results.The presence of EGF at 30 ng/mL concentration significantly increased maturation rate and blastocyst rate and reduced apoptotic cells in parthenogenetic blastocysts.Therefore,the optimal oocyte maturation solution could be supplemented with 0.075 IU/mL HMG,1 μg/mL E₂ and 30 ng/mL EGF.     

甘肃省农村信息化发展水平探讨

农村信息化是社会主义新农村建设的重要内容,是解决"三农"问题的突破口。对于欠发达的甘肃农村经济,近年来虽然取得很大进步,但总体水平还不高,与发达地区的差距还很明显。在客观数据的基础上,基于因子分析方法建立了综合评价农村信息化水平的模型,直观的比较了各省市的农村信息化水平,认为信息资源的利用情况和信息基础设施建设的差异是评价农村信息化水平的决定因素,提高农村信息化水平必须从这两方面着手,切实可行的推进甘肃农村信息化的发展。     

扎鲁特旗山地草地土壤含水量动态与气候因子的关系

通过对内蒙古通辽市扎鲁特旗巴雅尔吐胡硕牧业气象站1983-2012年气象数据和山地草地土壤含水量数据分析,揭示土壤含水量的动态变化及其与气候因子之间的相关关系。结果表明,1983-2012年山地草地土壤各层(0-10、10-20、20-30、30-40、40-50和0-50cm)含水量均呈现逐渐降低的变化趋势,草地逐渐旱化;土壤含水量下降过程可以分为3个阶段,第1阶段为1983-1987年,该阶段土壤含水量在15%~30%之间波动,属于土壤含水量的较高阶段;第2阶段为1988-1999年,该阶段土壤含水量在5%~15%范围内波动,属于土壤含水量高(15%~30%)向低(2%~10%)过渡阶段;第3阶段是2000-2012年,该阶段土壤含水量在2%~10%范围内波动,属于土壤含水量较低阶段;土壤含水量与温度和日照时数呈负相关,与降水量、相对湿度、蒸散量呈正相关。     

雌雄异株植物生长释放/抑制判定及其气候解释

利用树轮学方法,以长白山雌雄异株植物红豆杉、山杨和水曲柳为研究对象,通过判定雌雄异株树种生长释放/抑制事件及其与气候因子的关系,以期揭示物种属性和性别因素对树木生长释放/抑制事件的影响及其对气候响应机制的差异性。结果表明:3种雌雄植株的生长释放事件大多发生在幼龄阶段,生理特征差异也可能导致不同雌雄植株发生生长释放事件的时间和频率存在一定差异性。性别因素对山杨和红豆杉雌雄植株的生长释放存在显著影响,山杨雌株和红豆杉雄株对外界环境干扰更为敏感,水曲柳雌雄株对环境干扰的响应差异不明显;山杨更易受到外界环境干扰发生生长释放事件;水曲柳植株发生生长释放/抑制事件可能与林窗干扰有关。红豆杉和山杨的生长释放事件与气候因子具有显著相关关系,红豆杉雄株与温度、降水则存在显著正相关关系(P0.05),山杨雄株与温度、降水则存在显著负相关关系(P0.05),山杨雌株与降水呈显著负相关关系(P0.05),植株的生长释放/抑制事件对气候的响应与树木径向生长--逐月气候因子的关系有所不同。因此应当考虑生长--气候因子之间的非线性关系以及物种和性别因素对生长--气候关系的影响,以期完善植株生长对气候的响应机制。      

苦瓜转录因子McEIL2的克隆及其表达分析

本研究从已构建的苦瓜果实均一化文库筛选得到一个EIN3-like同源EST序列,结合RACE技术,克隆得到EIN3基因c DNA全长序列,命名为Mc EIL2(Gen Bank登录号:KF595122)。该基因全长2 122 bp,开放阅读框1 890 bp,编码629个氨基酸,预测该蛋白的分子量为71.58 k D,与黄瓜Cus EIN3、甜瓜Cm EIL1、苜蓿Mt EIL1、绿豆Vr EIL1和番茄Le EIL1的蛋白同源性分别为89.61%、78.37%、71.23%、69.09%和65.66%。Mc EIL2基因的编码蛋白亚细胞定位于细胞核,荧光定量分析表明Mc EIL2基因表达量在幼果期先强后弱,绿熟期最低,破色期表达量大幅增加至最高随后下降,推测该基因参与苦瓜果实成熟软化调控过程。本研究初步明确了Mc EIL2基因在苦瓜成熟过程表达模式,可为今后进一步揭示苦瓜果实成熟软化的分子机制奠定基础。     

河南卫河流域脆弱性评价

结合卫河自身特点和地理环境建立13项指标体系,运用基于熵权的模糊数学模型对其脆弱性进行评价。结果表明,鹤壁的脆弱性为0.69,焦作为0.55,新乡为0.39,安阳为0.36,濮阳为0.23。最后针对评价结果分析了原因,提出了合理性建议和措施。