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.     

泰莱盆地地下水化学特征分类及成因分析

泰莱盆地地下水类型丰富,水化学特征复杂,传统的水化学方法不适合大量数据的客观归类研究,复杂特征的地下水成因缺少全面认知.利用聚类分析对大量枯水期地下水数据分成ABC三大组,再细分成10小组,并结合含水层岩性分析水化学特征.利用Gibbs图分析得出三组地下水主要受岩石控制,同时也受不同程度的蒸发作用.利用离子比值端元图得出ABC三组分别以溶滤硅酸岩、硅酸盐及碳酸盐、硅酸盐及蒸发岩控制为主.最后通过质量平衡模拟10小组类型水中多种矿物质成分的溶解量,发现人类活动对地下水Cl-含量影响较大.研究加深了研究区地下水复杂水化学特征分析及成因的认识.     

甘蔗热带种金属硫蛋白家族基因的克隆及响应重金属胁迫的表达分析

金属硫蛋白是一类富含巯基的低分子量蛋白,在植物的重金属解毒及细胞氧化还原调控等方面起重要的作用。本研究以甘蔗热带种Badila组培苗为材料,分别测定了其在CdCl2、ZnSO4和CuCl2水溶液培养条件下地上部和地下部的重金属含量,结果显示其对上述3种重金属有较强的耐受与富集能力。继而克隆了ScMT1(登录号为KJ504373)、ScMT2-1-5(登录号为MH191346)和ScMT3(登录号为KJ5043704)3个金属硫蛋白家族基因,它们分别属于植物MT亚家族中的MT1、MT2和MT3型基因。ScMT1含有1个内含子和2个外显子,开放阅读框(Open Reading Frame,ORF)长228 bp,编码75个氨基酸;ScMT2-1-5含有2个内含子和3个外显子,ORF长246 bp,编码81个氨基酸;ScMT3含有1个内含子和2个外显子,ORF长198 bp,编码65个氨基酸。RT-qPCR显示,Cd2+胁迫下,在甘蔗地上部和地下部,ScMT2-1-5均连续显著上调表达,而ScMT1的上调应答出现延迟。ScMT3在地上部的上调应答出现延迟,在地下部呈“扬-抑”趋势,提示甘蔗响应Cd^2+胁迫过程中ScMT2-1-5起更积极的作用,ScMT1参与胁迫后期的分子响应,而ScMT3不起主导作用。Cu^2+胁迫下,地上部ScMT1连续显著上调表达,ScMT2-1-5和ScMT3呈总体上调的表达趋势;地下部,ScMT1和ScMT2-1-5的上调表答均出现延迟,仅在胁迫后期显著上调表达,而ScMT3仅在胁迫前期显著上调表达。该结果提示了ScMT1、ScMT2-1-5和ScMT3在Cu2+胁迫响应过程中的协作关系,三者共同参与了地上部的胁迫响应,其中ScMT1起更积极的作用;此外三者还先后参与了地下部对Cu^2+胁迫的分子响应。Zn^2+胁迫下,ScMT1和ScMT3分别仅在地上部和地下部显著上调表达;ScMT2-1-5在地上部和地下部均呈“扬-抑”的应答趋势;提示了在甘蔗响应Cd^2+胁迫应答过程中ScMT1和ScMT3分别在地上部和地下部起主要作用,ScMT2-1-5参与了胁迫前期的分子响应。ScMT1、ScMT2-1-5和ScMT3在甘蔗不同组织中及在重金属(Cd^2+、Zn^2+或Cu^2+)不同累积水平下呈现出相似或互补的应答特性,提示上述甘蔗MT家族不同成员在重金属解毒及细胞氧化还原调控等方面产生了功能分化,且三者在应对过量Cd^2+、Zn^2+或Cu^2+对甘蔗组织造成伤害的过程中存在时空上的协同作用。该研究为深入理解多倍体植物甘蔗中MT家族各成员基因在重金属耐受过程中的协同作用机制奠定了基础。     

Growth Responses and Differences in Gene Expression depending on Cultivation Temperature between Alternative type Wheat Varieties

Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology - Two domestic wheat varieties were grown in the growth chamber set at 17°C, 20°C, 23°C and 26°C on average after the emergence of...     

茶树叶部害虫——茶橙瘿螨

茶橙瘿螨是茶树上一种常见害螨,以成螨、幼螨和若螨刺吸茶树汁液为害茶树,减弱树势,对茶叶产量和品质产生影响。文章介绍了茶橙瘿螨的分布与为害、形态特征、发生规律和防治措施,以期为生产上该害虫的正确识别和有效防治提供参考。     

Three dimensional (3D) spatial metrics for objects

Landscape Ecology - The increasing availability of lidar data and structure from motion processing techniques is moving pattern metric research toward the development of three-dimensional (3D)...     

生物炭对Bt Cry1Ac蛋白抗紫外能力影响

为了研究生物炭对紫外线的防护作用，以豆壳烧制的生物炭作为载体，研究生物炭对Bt Cry1Ac蛋白的吸附行为以及生物炭对Cry1Ac蛋白的紫外保护作用。使用扫描电子显微镜、透射电子显微镜、X-射线粉末衍射以及傅立叶红外光谱等手段对生物炭的形貌和结构进行表征。结果表明，生物炭是典型的多孔结构材料，表面具有丰富的官能团。Cry1Ac蛋白与生物炭吸附平衡时间为50 min，最合适的吸附浓度比（生物炭：蛋白）为1：100，二者吸附符合准二级动力学模型和Langmuir模型。在UVB紫外照射4 h后，生物炭与Cry1Ac蛋白复合物对棉铃虫的生物活性是单纯蛋白的4.93倍，显示生物炭具有较好的紫外抵抗效果。研究结果初步表明，制备得到的生物炭能够显著提高Cry1Ac蛋白的抗紫外能力，为后续研发耐受紫外线的农药剂型提供新材料。     

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.     

云南怒江傈僳族自治州古树名木资源现状调查

对怒江傈僳族自治州人为活动区域古树名木资源现状进行调查。结果表明:共记录到古树名木496株,涉及36科54属76种,其中有8种国家重点保护野生植物,分别为澜沧黄杉、秃杉、南方红豆杉、云南榧树、千果榄仁、红椿、光叶珙桐和香果树;怒江州古树名木主要分布在乡村街道及远郊野外,占总数的98.8%,63.6%的古树生长在海拔1500~1999 m;古树名木的生长环境及长势总体较好,但保护力度相对薄弱,应采取相关措施加强保护和管理。     

不同植被措施下排土场边坡细沟发育时空特征

为明确不同恢复年限植被措施对煤矿排土场边坡水土流失的防治效应,采用样方调查法,以内蒙古准格尔旗永利煤矿矿区排土场边坡为研究对象,以裸露边坡(CK)为对照,研究不同恢复年限(1a、3a、5 a)的沙柳方格+沙棘+沙打旺(SHA)和沙柳方格+沙打旺(SA)2种措施对细沟发育的影响。结果表明:(1)1a时CK、SHA与SA措施细沟宽度均集中分布在4～8 cm,细沟深度均集中分布在2～4 cm;3 a时CK、SHA与SA措施细沟宽度则集中分布在4～8 cm、8～12 cm、4～8 cm,细沟深度均集中分布在4～6 cm;5 a时CK与SHA措施细沟宽度均集中分布在8～12 cm,而细沟深度则集中分布在4～6 cm和8～14 cm;(2)CK(1～5 a)、SHA措施(1～5 a)和SA措施(1～3 a)的细沟平均宽分别为7.57～11.35 cm、7.58～13.31 cm和5.57～6.14 cm,细沟平均深分别为3.38～6.23 cm、4.19～10.34 cm、2.59～4.24 cm,三者的细沟平均宽深比分别为2.39、2.12和2.05,平均细沟密度分别为1.52～5.25 m·m–2、1.42～1.68 m·m–2和1.88～2.25 m·m–2;(3)1 a时CK、SHA和SA措施的细沟宽深比随坡长变化幅度较大,随着恢复年限增加,宽深比则呈下降趋势,CK、SHA措施和SA措施的细沟密度和细沟侵蚀量均随坡长增加呈增大趋势;(4)与CK相比,1 a时SHA和SA措施边坡细沟侵蚀模数分别减小25.0%和25.86%,两种措施减蚀效果差别不大,而3 a时则分别减小了61.73%和35.31%,SHA措施减蚀效果显著增强。研究结果可以为矿区排土场边坡的植被合理布设提供科学依据与理论指导。