Effects of milk thistle meal on performance,ileal bacterial enumeration,jejunal morphology and blood lipid peroxidation in laying hens fed diets with different levels of metabolizable energy

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different levels of milk thistle meal on performance, blood biochemical indices, ileal bacterial counts and intestinal histology in laying hens fed diets containing different levels of metabolizable energy. A total number of 200 Leghorn laying hens (Hy‐Line W‐36) were randomly assigned to eight experimental treatments with five cage replicates of five birds each. Dietary treatments consisted of four levels of milk thistle meal (0%, 15%, 30% and 60%) and two levels of AME_n (11.09 and 12.34 MJ/kg) fed over a period of 80 days. In vitro studies revealed that the total phenolic component of milk thistle meal was 470.64 mg gallic acid equivalent/g of the sample, and its antioxidant activity for inhibiting the 2‐2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrichydrazyl free radical and reducing ferric ions was about 21% higher than that of butylated hydroxyltoluene (p < .05). Diets containing high level of AME_n led to improved egg production (p < .05), egg weight (p < .05), egg mass (p < .01) and feed conversion ratio (p < .01). In addition, offering diets containing high energy significantly enhanced (p < .01) serum triglyceride and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations as well as jejunal villus height. Dietary supplementation of 3% milk thistle meal resulted in the best feed conversion ratio (p < .05), reduction of ileal Escherichia coli enumeration (p < .01) and an enhancement in the villus height‐to‐crypt depth ratio (p < .05). Furthermore, feeding incremental levels of this meal led to remarkable decrease in serum cholesterol, triglyceride and MDA (p < .01) concentrations while significant increase in blood high‐density lipoprotein content and goblet cell numbers (p < .05). The present findings indicate that milk thistle meal with high antioxidant and antibacterial properties in laying hen diets may improve health indices and productive performance.     

In ovo feeding of nutrients and its impact on post‐hatching water and feed deprivation up to 48 hr,energy status and jejunal morphology of chicks using response surface models

A Box–Behnken design (BBD) in a response surface methodology (RSM) was used to investigate the response of broiler chicks to in ovo feeding (IOF) of beta‐hydroxy beta‐methylbutyrate (HMB), dextrin and the timing of the first water and feed deprivation. On day 18th of incubation, 1,500 eggs were randomly assigned to 15 experimental runs of BBD, each with 4 replicates, as 3 levels IOF of HMB (0%, 0.5% and 1%) and dextrin (0%, 20% and 40%), and 3 levels of the first water and feed deprivation (6, 27 and 48 hr). Day‐old chicks from each replicate were then used to assess the effect of IOF and time first water and feed access on chick's responses. The IOF of dextrin leads to respectively 9.7%–15.5% lower hatchability for 20% and 40% inclusion (p < .05), whereas HMB inclusion appeared with no effect on hatchability (p > .05). Administration of dextrin or HMB into the amnion of embryos elevated length, width and surface area of villus, and increased glycogen content of liver and breast (p < .05). In all parameter models, the linear terms showed highest contribution (R² = 0.81–0.97) to explain existing variation in chick's responses. The first water and feed deprivation had largest effect on BW2 and glycogen content of liver and breast. It is concluded that if possible, place chicks before 7 hr of hatch to preserve BW loss and have maximum response from IOF. If not possible, use IOF with 40% dextrin + 0.5% HMB to preserve gut integrity and energy status up to 48 hr. This should give advantage to chicks to recover fast after feeding, but that would have to be confirmed by trials growing birds to slaughter age.     

Food intake and energy expenditure in growing cats with and without a predisposition to overweight

Overweight and obesity are multifactorial diseases caused by an imbalance in energy metabolism. An underlying genetic predisposition is often a factor in these conditions. In the cat breeding family of the Institute of Animal Nutrition at the Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, a segregating overweight phenotype with a genetic contribution was observed. From this breeding family, 26 kittens were followed from birth up to 8 months of age. During this time, food intake was measured using an automatic feeding station, and energy expenditure was investigated using indirect calorimetry at the ages of 4 and 6 months. Dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DEXA) was performed and blood glucose, leptin and insulin were measured at the ages of 4, 6 and 8 months. The kittens were also weighed daily for the first 2 weeks of life, every second day until weaning and once per week until 8 months of age. The body condition score (BCS) was evaluated monthly between 2 and 8 months of age. The main finding of this study is that a predisposition to overweight is connected to a higher food intake early in life, with no significant alterations in energy expenditure. The leptin blood levels were related to body fat percentage, and insulin sensitivity did not seem to be affected.     

Ecological consequences of variation in standard metabolism and dominance among salmon parr

Abstract – Standard metabolic rate (SMR, closely related to basal and resting metabolism) varies by up to threefold among juvenile Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., of similar size at common temperature. Here, consequences of this variation are predicted by combining empirically derived relationships between SMR, specific dynamic action, energy budgets, water velocity, food level in the environment and food availability to fish. The range of velocities across which growth is predicted to occur is inversely related to a fish’s SMR. Growth is positively related to SMR at high but negatively related to it at low‐food levels. The relationship between food level and the range of velocities over which lower SMR fish can grow but higher SMR fish cannot is asymmetrically bi‐phasic and peaked. It is predicted that maternal manipulation of offspring SMR would generate fitness benefits through bet‐hedging against unpredictability in food level and increases in the overall range of velocities that the family of offspring can occupy and thrive in.     

浅谈给水排水工程节能节水措施

作者针对给排水系统工程特点并依据多年设计实践,总结了几点节能节水措施;阐明了通过减少不必要的浪费,可以达到节约水资源、节约能源的目的。     

太阳能辅助闭式热源塔热泵系统冬季制热性能

热源塔热泵系统以空气为冷热源,在冬季制热时其性能会随环境温度的降低而降低。为此研发了可应用陕南地区农村建筑的太阳能辅助闭式热源塔热泵系统,试验研究了冬季工况下系统的制热性能,初步分析了太阳热能与空气热能的互补机理。研究结果表明:系统制热量范围为12.1～15.2 k W,热泵机组性能系数范围为2.3～3.5,系统能效比范围为1.5～2.4,供热温度高于41℃;冷却水温度对压缩机耗电量的影响程度大于防冻溶液温度,冷却水平均温度每升高1℃,压缩要耗电量增加98.1 W,而防冻溶液平均温度每升高1℃,压缩机耗电量减小9.5 W;太阳能辅助热源塔热泵制热模式下,热泵机组通过改变防冻溶液与空气和集热工质换热温差的方法来改变防冻溶液从空气和集热水箱中的吸热量,以实现空气热能与太阳热能的互补。建议在实际应用中应避免供热温度过高以减小压缩机耗电;在集热水箱温度较高时通过降低风机频率减小风机耗电以提高系统综合能效,但应避免风机低频率工作可能给机组安全运行带来的隐患。     

优化施肥对春小麦产量、氮素利用及氮平衡的影响

2009 ～ 2010年,在宁夏引黄灌区分别以宁春11号和宁春16号小麦为供试作物,利用田间试验研究了优化施肥(OPT)和习惯施肥(CON)对春小麦产量、氮素吸收利用和土壤硝态氮累积的影响,表观评估了土壤—小麦体系氮素平衡.结果表明,相对于CK处理,OPT和CON都显著提高春小麦籽粒产量地上部生物量,并促进籽粒N和地上...     

宛氏拟青霉提取物对盐胁迫下水稻幼苗的生理适应性

为探讨沙棘内生菌提取物作为生物刺激素对盐胁迫下水稻幼苗生长的影响，于沙棘内生菌宛氏拟青霉（Paecilomyces variotii）中提取了生物刺激素PVE（Paecilomyces variotii extracts），并经液相色谱对PVE的活性物质进行了富集纯化。通过水稻液培试验，设无盐（CK）、添加NaCl（NS）、添加PVE和NaCl（PN1）、添加PVE纯化物和NaCl（PN2）4个处理，研究生物刺激素对水稻的耐盐效应。结果表明，施用生物刺激素能够缓解盐胁迫对水稻生长造成的严重抑制。PN1、PN2处理较NS处理提高了叶片与根系的干质量，减少了植株体内的水分流失，增加了根系的直径和吸收面积，但根长相较于CK处理无显著差异；PN2处理叶片鲜质量、叶片含水量、根系含水量较PN1处理分别增加了12.44%、1.13%和0.42%。与NS处理相比，PN1和PN2处理叶片光合速率分别提高了34.08%和40.82%，蒸腾速率分别提高了23.90%和18.86%，PN1和PN2处理还显著提高了叶片中的超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）和过氧化物酶（POD）活性，使丙二醛（MDA）含量分别降低了28.36%和20.97%。PN2处理叶片和根系中的Na⁺含量较NS处理分别降低了36.31%和10.85%，从而降低了Na⁺/K⁺，保证了植株体内的离子平衡。研究表明，PVE及PVE纯化物在极低的浓度下具有较高的生理活性，并通过减少水分流失、促进根系生长、提高光合速率来减轻氧化损伤，同时以降低Na⁺流入的方式缓解盐胁迫对水稻幼苗的影响。     

典型乌龙茶产区氮素平衡状况及减排潜力研究

为探讨典型乌龙茶产区氮素平衡状况及温室气体减排潜力，基于2015-2017年在福建省安溪县和武夷山市茶园开展的355户农户调研数据和207个土壤数据，采用Boundary line方法，分析了典型乌龙茶产区的氮肥施用特征、氮素平衡状况以及温室气体减排潜力。结果表明：安溪县茶园平均氮肥投入量509.4 kg·hm^-2，主要来源于复合肥和尿素，全年氮盈余量479.1 kg·hm^-2；武夷山市茶园平均氮肥投入量218.1 kg·hm^-2，主要来源于复合肥，全年氮盈余量189.8 kg·hm^-2；氮素投入与氮养分盈余量之间具有极显著的正相关关系；随着氮素盈余量的增加，土壤全氮含量也随之增加，并且安溪茶园的土壤全氮含量比武夷山茶园更高；基于Boundary line方法，安溪县和武夷山市茶园的氮肥优化用量分别为411.3 kg·hm^-2和157.7 kg·hm^-2；通过优化氮肥投入和管理水平可分别实现安溪县和武夷山市茶园温室气体减排62.0%和68.0%。在安溪县和武夷山市乌龙茶产区中，氮肥施用严重过量，导致氮素盈余量和温室气体排放量较高，应通过优化氮肥用量达到减少氮素过量盈余和降低茶园温室气体排放的目的。