Acoustic evaluation of the vertical distribution of dwarf ayu Plecoglossus altivelis altivelis in Lake Biwa

SUMMARY: The vertical distribution of dwarf ayu Plecoglossus altivelis altivelis in the pelagic waters of Lake Biwa was evaluated from June to September in 1995–97 from eight acoustic surveys using a quantitative echosounder. In each survey, echoes from a depth range of 3 m to the sea bottom were collected at a station every 2.7 s for 24 h together with measurements of vertical profiles of water temperature and chlorophyll-a. The ayu's echoes were identified using an underwater video camera. The ayu were observed near the maximum chlorophyll-a depth and above the thermocline. Their density was highest at depths of 4–11 m with 2–4 individuals/m ³ and was almost zero below 20 m. Echo signs were recorded as having a frequent duration of more than 1 h at night, whereas were of a shorter duration in the day. The fish stay in the epilimnion during the day without any clear vertical migration, but are distributed more uniformly at night. The advantages of remaining in the epilimnion are discussed in terms of food availability and predator avoidance.     

A releaser pheromone that attracts methyltestosterone- treated immature fish in the urine of ovulated female rainbow trout

SUMMARY: Behavioral experiments concerning a releaser pheromone in the urine of female rainbow trout were performed using immature fish administered orally with 17α-methyltestosterone (MT) during the non-spawning season. The urine was collected by catheter. The frequency of entries of test fish was recorded in each channel scented by test and control solutions in a Y-maze trough. The behavior of both MT-treated and control fish demonstrated that they could not discriminate the differences between distilled and environmental water as control solutions. There was also no difference between MT-treated and control fish when distilled and environmental water were introduced. The MT-treated immature fish were attracted to the channel scented by ovulated female urine. Neither coelomic fluid nor the immature female urine had any effect on the behavioral responses of MT-treated fish, while immature control fish had no preference for the urine of ovulated females. These results suggest in rainbow trout that ovulated female urine contains a releaser pheromone to attract mature males, and that androgens are involved in the sensory mechanisms detecting the releaser pheromone in fish.     

不同缢蛏群体应对高盐养殖环境的潜沙和摄食响应能力

为研究缢蛏(Sinonovacula constricta)生态行为应对高盐养殖环境的响应能力,以2个缢蛏群体(“申浙一号”群体SZSC和自然群体ZRSC)为实验对象,研究了不同盐度(20、24、28和32)对缢蛏群体潜沙行为、摄食生理的影响。对比2个群体潜沙指标和摄食率(FR)的差异,其中,潜沙行为实验设置盐度应激组(缢蛏从暂养池取出放进各盐度组开始实验)和胁迫组(缢蛏在各盐度条件下胁迫24 h后开始实验)。结果显示,SZSC的120 h半致死盐度为34.04,ZRSC的120 h半致死盐度为32.04。应激组中,SZSC的半数潜沙时间(BT50)显著大于ZRSC (P<0.05),盐度为24时,SZSC的BT50为4.2 min,显著低于盐度为28和32时的BT50;盐度为32时,SZSC潜沙深度分布更集中,潜沙率为88.33%,显著高于ZRSC(P<0.05)。而在胁迫组,SZSC中BT50显著低于ZRSC,潜沙率显著大于ZRSC (P<0.05)。摄食生理上,除对照组外,SZSC的FR均显著大于ZRSC(P<0.05),SZSC的FR在盐度为24时达到最大值[89.54 mL/(g·h)],显著大于其他盐度组(P<0.05)。研究表明,2个群体的生态行为均会受到盐度的影响,盐度越高,应激反应越强烈,其中,SZSC对高盐环境具有较好的耐受性。本研究从生态行为水平评估了2个缢蛏群体对高盐环境的耐受性,揭示了高盐养殖环境下缢蛏在底泥中的垂直分布情况和摄食能力,研究结果为进一步开展缢蛏耐高盐新品系的选育提供了理论参考。     

Dietary zinc concentration and lipopolysaccharide injection affect circulating trace minerals,acute phase protein response,and behavior as evaluated by an ear-tag–based accelerometer in beef steers

To assess plasma trace mineral (TM) concentrations, the acute phase protein response, and behavior in response to a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge, 96 Angus cross steers (average initial body weight [BW]: 285 ± 14.4 kg) were sorted into two groups by BW (heavy and light; n = 48/group), fitted with an ear-tag–based accelerometer (CowManager SensOor; Agis, Harmelen, Netherlands), and stagger started 14 d apart. Consecutive day BW was recorded to start the 24-d trial (days −1 and 0). Dietary treatments began on day 0: common diet with either 30 (Zn30) or 100 (Zn100) mg supplemental Zn/kg DM (ZnSO₄). On day 17, steers received one of the following injection treatments intravenously to complete the 2 × 3 factorial: 1) SALINE (~2–3 mL of physiological saline), 2) LOWLPS: 0.25 µg LPS/kg BW, or 3) HIGHLPS: 0.375 µg LPS/kg BW. Blood, rectal temperature (RT), and BW were recorded on day 16 (−24 h relative to injection), and BW was used to assign injection treatment. Approximately 6, 24 (day 18), and 48 (day 19) h after treatment, BW, RT, and blood were collected, and final BW recorded on day 24. Data were analyzed in Proc Mixed of SAS with fixed effects of diet, injection, diet × injection; for BW, RT, dry matter intake (DMI), plasma TM, and haptoglobin-repeated measures analysis were used to evaluate effects over time. Area under the curve analysis determined by GraphPad Prism was used for analysis of accelerometer data. Body weight was unaffected by diet or injection (P ≥ 0.16), but there was an injection × time effect for DMI and RT (P < 0.05), where DMI decreased in both LPS treatments on day 16, but recovered by day 17, and RT was increased in LPS treatments 6 h post-injection. Steers receiving LPS spent less time highly active and eating than SALINE (P < 0.01). Steers in HIGHLPS spent lesser time ruminating, followed by LOWLPS and then SALINE (P < 0.001). An injection × time effect (P < 0.001) for plasma Zn showed decreased concentrations within 6 h of injection and remained decreased through 24 h before recovering by 48 h. A tendency for a diet × time effect (P = 0.06) on plasma Zn suggests plasma Zn repletion occurred at a greater rate in Zn100 compared to Zn30. These results suggest that increased supplemental Zn may alter the rate of recovery of Zn status from an acute inflammatory event. Additionally, ear-tag–based accelerometers used in this study were effective at detecting sickness behavior in feedlot steers, and rumination may be more sensitive than other variables.     

Efficacy of statistical process control procedures to identify deviations in continuously measured physiological and behavioral variables in beef heifers resulting from an experimentally combined viral–bacterial challenge

The objective of this experiment was to determine if statistical process control (SPC) procedures coupled with remote continuous data collection could accurately differentiate between animals experimentally inoculated with a viral–bacterial (VB) challenge or phosphate buffer solution (PBS). Crossbred heifers (N = 38; BW = 230 ± 16.4 kg) were randomly assigned to treatments by initial weight, average daily gain (ADG), bovine herpes virus 1, and Mannheimia haemolytica serum titers. Feeding behavior, dry matter intake (DMI), animal activity, and rumen temperature were continuously monitored remotely prior to and following VB challenge. VB-challenged heifers exhibited decreased (P < 0.01) ADG and DMI, as well as increased (P < 0.01) neutrophils and rumen temperature consistent with a bovine respiratory disease (BRD) infection. However, none of the heifers displayed overt clinical signs of disease. Shewhart and cumulative summation (CUSUM) charts were evaluated, with sensitivity and specificity computed on the VB-challenged heifers (n = 19) and PBS-challenged heifers (n = 19), respectively, and the accuracy was determined as the average of sensitivity and specificity. To address the diurnal nature of rumen temperature responses, summary statistics (mean, minimum, and maximum) were computed for daily quartiles (6-h intervals), and these quartile temperature models were evaluated separately. In the Shewhart analysis, DMI was the most accurate (95%) at deciphering between PBS- and VB-challenged heifers, followed by rumen temperature (94%) collected in the 2nd and 3rd quartiles. Rest was most the accurate accelerometer-based traits (89%), and meal duration (87%) and bunk visit (BV) frequency (82%) were the most accurate feeding behavior traits. Rumen temperature collected in the 3rd quartile signaled the earliest (2.5 d) of all the variables monitored with the Shewhart, followed by BV frequency (2.8 d), meal duration (2.8 d), DMI (3.0 d), and rest (4.0 d). Rumen temperature and DMI remained the most accurate variables in the CUSUM at 80% and 79%, respectively. Meal duration (58%), BV frequency (71%), and rest (74%) were less accurate when monitored with the CUSUM analysis. Furthermore, signal day was greater for DMI, rumen temperature, and meal duration (4.4, 5.0, and 3.7 d, respectively) in the CUSUM compared to Shewhart analysis. These results indicate that Shewhart and CUSUM charts can effectively identify deviations in feeding behavior, activity, and rumen temperature patterns for the purpose of detecting sub-clinical BRD in beef cattle.     

立式金属油罐容量检定中的几个问题

针对JJG168-87计量规程在实际使用中的缺陷，对罐壁圈板径向偏差测量位置的确定，油罐充满油品后直径增大值的修正等问题，提出了具体的解决方法。     

仔猪初生重对育肥期生长性状及采食性状的影响

本试验旨在研究杜洛克种公猪初生重对其育肥期生长性状和采食性状的影响。选取230头杜洛克仔猪,按初生重分为高初生重组和低初生重组,在同一饲养标准下饲养至(100±5)kg体重,记录生长性状和采食性状表型数据,用于后续分析。结果表明:高初生重组的30～100 kg日增重、达到100 kg体重时眼肌面积、瘦肉率、体长、体高和管围等生长性状均显著高于低初生重组(P<0.05);而低初生重组的体重达100 kg所用时间显著长于高初生重组(P<0.01);而高初生重组的100 kg体重背膘厚和100 kg体重肌内脂肪含量与低初生重组无显著差异(P>0.05);高、低初生重组的平均日采食量、日采食时间、日采食次数、平均每次采食时间、平均每次采食量和平均采食速率等采食性状无显著差异(P>0.05);低初生重组在30～100 kg的耗料增重比极显著高于高初生重组(P<0.01)。高初生重的杜洛克仔猪相较于低初生重仔猪在育肥期表现出更快的生长速度和更低的耗料增重比,且体尺特征更加优秀。     

不同饲养密度对地面平养蛋鸡福利状况和生产性能的影响

试验旨在通过研究地面平养模式下不同饲养密度对蛋鸡行为、外观、血液应激指标及生产性能的影响,筛选保证蛋鸡福利状况及生产性能的最大饲养密度,为我国推广地面平养模式蛋鸡福利养殖奠定理论基础。将780只苏禽绿壳蛋鸡按舍内密度分为四组,其中地面平养分为低密度组(6只/m^2)、中密度组(8只/m^2)、高密度组(10只/m^2),笼养组为对照组,每组3个重复。试验期为18~27周龄,蛋鸡行为学数据均采用视频录像收集,在27周龄末进行翅静脉采血和福利外观评价,统计分析24~27周龄生产性能。结果显示:笼养蛋鸡的产蛋率,攻击、刻板等非福利行为均显著高于平养组(P<0.05),脚垫损伤、羽毛评分、应激激素浓度(CORT、ACTH)显著低于平养组(P<0.05)。地面平养各组间,高密度组蛋鸡料蛋比显著高于低、中密度组(P<0.05);低、中密度组蛋鸡行走和休息时间比例均显著高于高密度组(P<0.05);低密度组蛋鸡啄羽行为显著低于高密度组(P<0.05),但与中密度组差异不显著(P>0.05);低、中密度组蛋鸡脚垫损伤、背羽损伤显著低于高密度组(P<0.05);高密度组蛋鸡血清中CORT和ACTH浓度显著低于低、中密度组(P<0.05)。由此可见,平养蛋鸡比笼养蛋鸡行为表现更积极,羽毛覆盖度更好,但应激水平和足部损伤较高、生产性能较低;在试验场地模式下,推荐8只/m2为最佳饲养密度。     

Effect of owner experience,living environment,and dog characteristics on owner reports of behavior of Argentine Dogos in Italy

Previous research reported contrasting results on the effect of owner experience on dog behaviors. This may be because of dog breed genetic variability, differences in expectations, management choices, and attitude toward their dogs by owners of dogs of different breeds. A study of a single breed may help provide a better insight into this issue. A convenience sample of 94 participants, owners of 181 Argentine Dogos, was recruited to provide information on their dogs' behaviors through a questionnaire. Participants were classified according to their previous general experience or inexperience with dogs and whether they had previously owned an Argentine Dogo (expert vs. naive owners). Reasons for getting a dog (companionship, guarding, hunting, breeding) and attendance at dog-training classes were also explored. Pearson chi-square tests and binary logistic regressions were used to analyze the data. Previous inexperience with dogs was associated with a higher prevalence of dogs that were fearful of children and unknown dogs. Naive Dogo owners perceived that their dogs were more obedient and friendly toward strangers but aggressive toward children, than those belonging to Argentine Dogo experts. It also appeared that living environment and the dog's age are critical predictors of many outcome variables. Kennel living was found to be predictive of car and food protection, owner-directed aggression and aggression toward children, whereas house living was associated with fear of loud noises. Changes related to the dogs' age were probably related to behavioral development in the dogs. Destructiveness, excessive body licking, and protective aggression were more common in younger dogs, whereas aggression to unknown dogs was more common in older ones. Protective aggression was more common in males, and fear of startling noises was more common in females. Intact dogs showed a higher probability of having attention-getting behavior, and neutered dogs were more fearful of traffic. Our findings are correlative. Even if causative links cannot be made, our findings certainly provide direction for further investigation.