Effects of music stimulus on behavior response,cortisol level,and horizontal immunity of growing pigs

An enriched environment is widely used to improve domestic animals’ welfare and promote their natural behaviors. Music can reduce abnormal behavior in humans, nonhuman primates, and rodents. However, little is known about the effects of music on pigs. This study aims to explore the effects of repeated music stimulation on the behavior, physiology, and immunity of growing pigs. A total of 72 hybrid piglets (Large White × Duroc × Minpig) were randomly divided into three groups, including music (Mozart K.448, 60 to 70 dB), noise (recorded mechanical noise, 80 to 85 dB), and control (natural background sound, <40 dB), and 6 h sound stimulation was given per day (1000 to 1600 hours) from 40 to 100 d of age. The behavioral activities of the pigs were observed during the music stimulation, and their serum cortisol, salivary cortisol, and serum immune indices were also measured. Compared with the control group, the music group and noise group increased activity but decreased lying of pigs (P < 0.05). A significant increase in tail-wagging, playing, and exploring behaviors of pigs was found in the music group (P < 0.05), and the noise significantly increased the aggressive behavior of the pigs (P < 0.05). Tail-wagging, playing, exploring, manipulating, and aggressive behaviors decreased over time. Short-term (8 d) music stimulus had a lower cortisol level than that of the noise and control groups (P < 0.05), whereas long-term (60 d) music stimulus increased immunoglobulin G (IgG), interleukin-2 (IL-2), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) levels (P < 0.05) and decreased interleukin-4 (IL-4) level (P < 0.05). Long-term noise stimulus significantly reduced the level of IgG (P < 0.05) but did not affect the level of IL-2, IL-4, and IFN-γ levels (P > 0.05). In conclusion, short-term music stimulus (8 d) reduced the stress response, whereas long-term music stimulus (60 d) enhanced the immune responses. In addition, the noise increased the aggressive behavior, and long-term noise reduced the immunity of the growing pigs.     

Bamboo NiR gene is associated with regeneration capacity

It was reported that the activity of NiR (nitrite reductase) enzyme encoded by the NiR gene was correlated with the regeneration ability in rice. To testify the function of NiR gene in bamboo, seven bamboo species whose calli had different differentiation rate were chosen to analyse their NiR enzyme activity. The results showed that bamboo NiR enzymatic activity had a certain correlation with the regeneration capacity. A NiR gene named DhNiR from Dendrocalamus hamiltonii with high regeneration capacity was cloned. Sequence analysis revealed that the ORF of DhNiR was 1779bp encoding 592 amino acids. Overexpression of DhNiR in rice reduced the time of shoot differentiation and increased the transformation rate, suggesting that DhNiR might play an important role in the regeneration ability of bamboo, and can be applied in regeneration and gene transformation of bamboo and other plant species.     

Three SNPs within exons of INHA and ACVR2B genes are significantly associated with litter size in Dazu black goats

The aim of this study was to analyse the association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms within INHA and ACVR2B and litter size in Dazu black goats. In total, twenty-two SNPs were genotyped in 190 individuals by SNaPshot and resequencing. The results showed that three SNPs (SNP_1, SNP_12 and SNP_13 in this study) were detected to have significant additive genetic effect on the recorded goat litter size (p < .05). The SNP_1 (NC_030809.1), a non-synonymous substitution of G for T at chr2-g. 28314990 in the exon 2 of INHA gene (NM_001285606.1), resulted in homozygote 2 (HOM2) contributed 0.25 and heterozygote (HET) contributed 0.12 larger litter than homozygote 1 (HOM1). Meanwhile, SNP_12 (Chr22-g. 11721225 A > T) and SNP_13 (Chr22-g. 11721227 A > C) (NC_030829.1) simultaneously mutated at the first and third position of a triplet AAA (lysine, K) in the exon 4 of ACVR2B gene (XM_018066623.1) had estimated genetic effects of HOM1 (0.00) and HOM2 (0.03) larger than HET (−0.12). In conclusion, one SNPs (chr2-g. 28314990 T > G) within the exon 2 of INHA and two SNPs (Chr22-g. 11721225 A > T and Chr22-g. 11721227 A > C) i n the exon 4 of ACVR2B gene were highly recommended as candidate markers of litter size in Dazu black goats. A large-scale association study to assess the impact of these variants on litter size is still necessary.     

豚草粗提物对杨树水泡型溃疡病的抑菌作用研究

为解决豚草提取物在林业病虫害防治中的推广与应用问题,以豚草叶片为试验材料,采用温浸-超声波联合提取法提取抑菌活性物质,并开展其对杨树水泡型溃疡病病原菌的室内外抑菌试验。室内抑菌试验表明,粗提物浓度为16 mg/mL时,抑菌率达到73.62%;林间防治试验表明,最小抑菌浓度为 40 mg/mL,抑菌率达到95.14%。通过以上抑菌试验确定豚草粗提物对杨树水泡型溃疡病有较好的抑制效果。     

猪繁殖性状的遗传改良策略

猪繁殖性能的提高将为养猪业带来巨大的经济效益 ,目前多数育种者将提高猪的繁殖力作为主要育种目标 ,并用数学遗传学方法和分子育种技术对繁殖性状进行改良。     

信鸽新城疫并发大肠杆菌病的诊治

鸽新城疫又称鸽瘟或鸽Ⅰ型副粘病毒病 ,是由鸽Ⅰ型副粘病毒引起的一种高度接触性、败血型传染病。主要表现为腹泻、神经紊乱、呼吸困难及浆膜、粘膜出血等 ;鸽大肠杆菌病是由大肠埃希氏杆菌感染所引起的局部或全身性感染的疾病。若新城疫和大肠杆菌并发 ,将给养鸽爱好者以很大的经济损失和精神打击。现将本人在临床上遇到的两起病例介绍给大家 ,以供参考。1发病情况2003年5月初 ,平顶山市郊西信鸽爱好者相继到我中心 ,叙述了其200多只信鸽参赛后大群出现拉稀、精神不振 ,个别眼流泪 ,有神经症状 ,用氟哌酸、阿莫西林、痢特灵、氯霉素治疗 ,…     

水稻条纹病毒在玉米和水稻上流行差异分析

为了明确水稻条纹病毒(RSV)在水稻和玉米上发生程度差异明显的原因,从一个侧面了解RSV流行本质,2004年在洪泽进行田间试验。采用黄盘诱集、盘扑、盘刮、肉眼计数等方法比较武育粳3号和掖单13上灰飞虱侵入和消长动态,结果表明两者均只有一个成虫侵入高峰,单位面积迁入虫量前者是后者的3.6倍,单株平均虫量相近。Dot-ELISA法测定灰飞虱带毒率为40%,成虫迁移扩散高峰期22d内两者接毒量约为每天百株137头带毒虫。武育粳3号有二代若虫发生,掖单13则无。逐日调查发病进程,结果显示水稻发病率为60%,玉米为0。室内抗性鉴定,掖单13对RSV的抗性比武育粳3号高4个级别。综合以上结果,寄主品种抗性决定了RSV在水稻和玉米上流行状况,二代若虫重复侵染是RSV在水稻上重发的另一主要原因。     

氮肥水平对油菜史力丰生育特性的影响

油菜品种史力丰苗期生长量较小,春后生长速度较快,春发势强。增施氮肥能显著提高史力丰光合面积、光合强度、干物质积累速度以及单位角果皮面积生产力。随着施氮量的增加,史力丰每亩角果数、千粒重增幅较大,但每角粒数变化不明显,高产栽培应主攻每角粒数。     

兔病毒性出血症鸡源高免蛋黄抗体的研究与应用

用兔病毒性出血症抗原免疫产蛋鸡,收集高免蛋,精制蛋黄抗体(IgY),采用血凝抑制试验(HI)测定IgY的最高滴度为15 1og2.通过IgY的被动免疫保护试验证实,IgY滴度稀释至13 1og2时肌肉注射体重2.0～2.5kg的健康非免家兔5.0mL/只,可抵抗兔病毒性出血症强毒RC株1.0mL(血凝价HA为9 1og2)的攻击.临床应用效果显示:IgY(HI为13 log2)对发病兔进行紧急防治,治愈率为84.38%～92.86%,能迅速控制疫情.     

放牧对鸭茅能量积累及分配的影响

通过长期放牧试验，探讨了不同放牧强度下亚热带高山草地鸭茅种群能量积累规律及能量在不同构件之间的分配特征。在无放牧的对照草地及采食率分别为55％、65％、80％的放牧草地，鸭茅热值随放牧强度的增加而呈单峰曲线型变化，一定强度范围内的放牧干扰提高了鸭茅热值及能量的积累；根部能量的积累随放牧强度的提高而逐渐减少。在禁牧草地，鸭茅种群能量主要被低密度的大分蘖丛所分摊，随着放牧强度的提高，种群能量则逐渐均摊给高密度的小分蘖丛。