Effects of fish meal replacement by low‐gossypol cottonseed meal on growth performance,digestive enzyme activity,intestine histology and inflammatory gene expression of silver sillago (Sillago sihama Forsskál) (1775)

A 56‐day feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects on the growth performance, digestive enzyme activity, inflammatory genes expression and intestine histology of silver sillago, Sillago sihama (Forsskål 1775), by replacing fish meal (FM) with low‐gossypol cottonseed meal (LCSM). Five isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets were formulated, including R0 group (control, containing 550.0 g/kg FM), R16 group (88.5 g/kg LCSM and 461.5 g/kg FM), R32 group (177.0 g/kg LCSM and 373.0 g/kg FM), R48 group (265.5 g/kg LCSM and 284.5 g/kg FM) and R64 group (354.0 g/kg LCSM and 196.0 g/kg FM). Fish fed R0 and R16 groups had a significantly higher weight gain rate (WGR) and specific growth rate (SGR) than R48 and R64 groups (p < .05). In contrast to whole‐body crude protein, whole‐body moisture increased with the FM level of substitution (p < .05). With the increased amount of LCSM in the diet, the activity of intestinal amylase (AMS) increased significantly (p < .05), and intestinal trypsin (TRP) decreased (p < .05). Dietary LCSM substitution upregulated the expression of intestinal tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), the nuclear factor kappa‐light‐chain‐enhancer of activated B cells (NF‐κB), and interleukin one beta (IL‐1β), but downregulated tight junction proteins ZO‐1(ZO‐1), transforming growth factor beta‐3 (TGF‐β3) and interleukin 10 (IL‐10) expression. Histological analysis revealed progressive morphological damage to the mid‐intestine with higher levels of FM replacement. These results showed that 88.5 g/kg (16%) of FM replaced by LCSM with amino acids (methionine and lysine) supplementation did not significantly reduce growth compared with FM‐based control.     

Laboratory and on‐farm evaluation of low‐cost salt mixtures for use during salinity acclimation and the nursery phase of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

The current study evaluates the efficacy of a low‐cost salt mixture (LCSM) to replace expensive reconstituted sea salt (RSS) in the salinity acclimation and nursery phase of Pacific white shrimp under laboratory and farm conditions. LCSM was formulated to yield sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium concentrations closely comparable to that of diluted seawater. Laboratory‐based nursery trials were conducted at 2, 6 and 15 g/L salinities, incrementally replacing RSS with LCSM (25%, 50%, 75% and 100%) at four replicates per treatment. Thirty postlarvae were reared for 7 days in 24‐L aquaria during the 2 and 6 g/L trials, while the nursery trial for 15 g/L salinity was conducted for 21 days with 400 postlarvae stocked in 150‐L tanks. On‐farm evaluation of LCSM was carried out in two tank‐based systems installed on levees adjacent to shrimp production ponds. RSS was incrementally replaced with LCSM (0%, 50%, 75% and 100%) and 100 postlarvae stocked into each 800‐L tank. Salinity acclimation was done from 30 g/L to 6 or 1.5 g/L within 2–3 days by pumping water from adjacent shrimp production ponds. Following salinity acclimation, the S4 system maintained flow‐through at 1.5 g/L, while N10 system was maintained static at 6 g/L salinity. At the conclusion, no significant differences were observed for either survival or growth of shrimp postlarvae between RSS and LCSM treatments at all salinities examined. Results reflect the potential use of LCSM to replace RSS, which could be an excellent solution to bring down the cost of production in inland shrimp aquaculture.     

低频声波频率下瘤背石磺CaM-like、CaMKII基因的表达及功能

长期栖息于潮间带的动物能够感知当地的潮汐规律,形成潮汐记忆的能力。本研究以栖息于潮间带的瘤背石磺(Onchidium reevesii)为对象,研究其通过感知潮汐来临时产生的低频声音来调节其行为与潮汐节律相协调的分子机制。通过RACE-PCR技术克隆到CaM-like基因的cDNA序列,并进行生物信息学分析和qRT-PCR实验。结果显示,瘤背石磺CaM-like基因的cDNA全长2321 bp,包括5′非编码区(UTR)366 bp,3′非编码区(UTR)1337 bp,618 bp的开放阅读框编码206个氨基酸;预测该基因编码的多肽链的原子数量是3165,分子量约为23029.64 kD,理论等电点4.64,分子式是C_(1018)H_(1544)N_(274)O_(320)S_9。N端信号肽由29个氨基酸组成。氨基酸序列比对构建系统进化树,结果显示瘤背石磺CaM-like基因与静水椎实螺(Lymnaea stagnalis)、光滑双脐螺(Biomphalaria glabrata)的CaM-like基因的亲缘关系最接近,这与传统形态学分类相吻合。在实验室内模拟潮汐中低频声音刺激瘤背石磺,应用qRT-PCR检测CaM-like基因在不同组织的分布情况,结果显示CaM-like mRNA在瘤背石磺不同组织均有表达,但神经节部位的表达量显著高于背部皮肤、腹足、肠、肝胰腺、口器和蛋白腺等组织(P0.05),推测其可能参与神经系统的可塑性调节。荧光定量结果显示CaM-like、CaMKII基因分别在25 Hz和50 Hz低频声波下刺激12.4 h表达量较高,初步推测其能感知25～50 Hz声波频率。这可能与栖息于潮间带中的瘤背石磺长期感知12.4 h半日潮潮汐周期节律,形成潮汐记忆有关。本研究将为进一步深入了解瘤背石磺感知潮汐节律的分子机制奠定基础,也为探究海洋动物由海洋向陆地进化过程中对环境的适应机制提供依据。     

低扬程泵装置压力脉动特性

初步分析了低扬程泵及泵装置压力脉动的基本规律. 基于浙江姚江上游西排工程排涝泵站立式泵装置不同叶片角度和不同流量时的压力脉动特性模型试验结果,研究泵装置的叶轮室进口、叶轮室出口、导叶体出口和出水流道出口处的压力脉动规律. 从叶轮与导叶之间的水流条件、水泵运行工况等方面,对低扬程泵装置压力脉动进行了初步理论分析,提出了导叶体与叶轮间隙的大小、导叶体的叶片数对低扬程泵装置压力脉动特性的影响等需进一步研究的问题. 从水力因素和水泵制造等方面提出了避免低扬程泵装置压力脉动有害影响的对策:适当加大叶轮与导叶之间的间隙,避免水泵在偏离最优工况较多的条件下运行,提高水泵抗空化性能等;从避免产生共振的角度,提出适当加大叶轮叶片厚度、导叶叶片厚度和加强水泵的结构设计等措施.     

灌水下限对紫花苜蓿产量、品质及水分利用效率的影响

【目的】提高华北地区紫花苜蓿水分利用效率,兼顾产量与品质。【方法】于2018年4―9月,在河北涿州中国农业大学教学实验场,以紫花苜蓿品种WL363HQ为试验材料,开展紫花苜蓿田间灌溉试验。试验设置3个灌水处理:W1处理,灌水下限45%FC(田间持水率),灌水上限90%FC;W2处理,灌水下限60%FC,灌水上限90%FC;W3处理,根据当地生产经验定额灌溉为39 mm,研究了不同灌水下限对紫花苜蓿生长、产量和品质的影响。【结果】建植第5年的紫花苜蓿,全生长季需水量511.9 mm。苜蓿细根根系主要分布在0~40 cm土层,0~20 cm土层根系密度最高。灌水对第1、第2茬及全年产量没有显著影响(P>0.05),对第3茬产量有显著影响(P<0.05)。第1、第2、第3茬内采用W1处理苜蓿水分利用效率最高。不同灌水处理对苜蓿粗蛋白量没有显著影响(P>0.05),减少灌水量能增加苜蓿相对饲喂价值。【结论】建议华北地区紫花苜蓿第1、第2、第3茬采用45%FC灌水下限,第4茬采用60%FC灌水下限。     

低温胁迫对不同产地降香黄檀幼苗生理特征影响

为探讨低温胁迫下降香黄檀的生理变化，筛选降香黄檀耐寒产地和向北引种栽培推广提供依据。通过来自8个不同产地的降香黄檀幼苗进行人工模拟先降温再复温处理，测定分析降香黄檀幼苗叶片的细胞膜透性、保护酶活性和激素等10个生理生化指标的变化规律，并通过方差分析、多重比较、主成分分析等方法筛选抗寒性能力强的产地降香黄檀。结果表明，8个产地降香黄檀叶片的REC、MDA含量和POD、SOD和CAT活性随着胁迫温度的降低而升高。低温胁迫下ABA显著>对照，GA₃、IAA和ZR减少。运用主成分分析和隶属函数法综合评价结果表明，8个不同产地降香黄檀抗寒能力大小依次为四川乐山、浙江温州、贵州罗甸、广东怀集、广东韶关、广西崇左、广东高要、海南尖峰。通过低温驯化，可以适当增强降香黄檀幼苗的耐寒能力。     

Transient heat transfer characteristics of air-array-jet impingement with different nozzle arrangements on high-tempera-ture flat plate in small jet-to-plate distance

Numerical studies on transient heat transfer characteristics of air-array-jet impingement with a small jet-to-plate distance and a large temperature difference between nozzles and plate were presented.The dimensionless jet-to-plate distance(H/D)was 0.2,and non-dimensional nozzle-to-nozzle spacing(S/D)was 3,4,5 and 6,respectively.It is found that the quenching time is shortened at a constant total mass flow at air jet inlet m·(m·=218.21 kg/h),and the heat transfer uniformity is deterio-rated as S/D increases.However,the adding reversed-flow nozzles can shorten the quenching time of the glass plate considerably with a modest change in the heat transfer uniformity.The results at variable m·are the same as those at a fixed m·.Furthermore,the parity and arrangement of nozzles are also discussed,It is found that an odd number of nozzles is more beneficial for transient heat transfer.Based on these results,an appropriate proposal for ultra-thin glass tempering process is presented.     

甘蓝型油菜耐低温生长生理生化响应机制

为提高甘蓝型油菜耐寒育种过程中的筛选效率，研究甘蓝型油菜耐低温机理，以8个不同抗寒性的甘蓝型油菜为材料，对低温条件下各材料的生物量、叶绿素、脯氨酸和相对电导率进行测定，发现在室外平均气温2.75℃时，抗性材料的生物量、叶绿素和脯氨酸的累积量都显著高于敏感材料，相对电导率没有显著差异；当平均气温7.52℃回升至12.39℃，抗性材料和敏感材料生物量的累积量无显著差异；在恒定低温10℃/4℃处理下抗性材料和敏感材料在处理前3周生物量均持续累积，但从第4周开始敏感材料新叶出现白斑，生物量减少，抗性材料老叶出现白斑，生物量维持不变。结果表明，耐低温材料在低温条件下叶绿素含量受到的影响较小，脯氨酸的积累量持续上升，具有较强的快速适应能力，在低温下具有显著的持续生长优势。     

Potential of indigenous Bacillus spp. as probiotic feed supplements in an extruded low‐fish‐meal diet for juvenile olive flounder,Paralichthys olivaceus

A 12‐week feeding trial was designed to assess the probiotic potential of indigenous Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and/or Bacillus subtilis singly or in combination with Bacillus licheniformis in an extruded feed for olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) juveniles. A high fish meal (FM) diet (control) and a low‐FM diet containing an alternative protein blend (30% FM replacement, FM30) were formulated. Three other experimental diets were prepared by inclusion of B. amyloliquefaciens (BA), B. subtilis (BS), or a mixture of B. amyloliquefaciens, B. subtilis, and B. licheniformis (BASL) into FM30 diet, with a final concentration of 10⁶ CFU/g diet. Results indicated that the FM30 diet was well tolerated by flounder, and the overall performance was not affected by dietary treatments. Lysozyme activity and total immunoglobulin level were significantly reduced in flounders when fed with the FM30 diet compared with the BASL and BA diets, respectively. The Bacillus additives neither enriched the relative abundance of the corresponding Bacillus spp. in the relevant gut microbiota of olive flounder nor modulated the presumptive gene functions of the gut microbiome. Despite the absence of growth‐promoting effect, the tested probiotics could still be economically viable for use as immunostimulants in commercial flounder diets with partial FM replacement.     

GROSS AND HISTOPATHOLOGIC CORRELATION OF LOW‐FIELD MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING FINDINGS IN THE STIFLE OF ASYMPTOMATIC HORSES

With the recent introduction of a 0.25T rotating MRI system, clinical evaluation of the equine stifle joint is now possible in the average equine athlete. A recent publication described common abnormalities of horses with stifle lameness detected with a low‐field MRI system; however, postmortem corroboration of the lesions detected was not possible. Therefore, our objective was to compare postmortem findings with low‐field MRI findings in equine cadaver stifle joints. Ten fresh cadaver stifle joints from horses without clinical signs of stifle disease were evaluated using low‐field MRI, gross dissection, and histopathology. In eight stifles, either the lateral or medial cranial meniscotibial ligament had an irregular shape, fiber separation, or moderate abnormal signal intensity (SI) on all sequences. In five stifles, the medial femoral condyle had articular cartilage fibrillation with or without an osteochondral defect over the weight bearing surface of the medial femoral condyle. All stifles had abnormal SI on all sequences within the patellar ligaments that corresponded with adipose tissue infiltrating between the collagen bundles. Other abnormalities identified included articular cartilage fibrillation of the tibial condyles in three stifles, and articular cartilage fibrillation with chondral defects in the patella in three stifles. All abnormalities detected with low‐field MRI were corroborated by gross dissection. Findings from the current study supported the use of low‐field MRI for detection of stifle joint lesions in horses and demonstrated that some stifle joint pathologies may be subclinical in horses.