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.     

Impact of climate change on maize yield in China from 1979 to 2016

Climate change severely impacts agricultural production, which jeopardizes food security. China is the second largest maize producer in the world and also the largest consumer of maize. Analyzing the impact of climate change on maize yields can provide effective guidance to national and international economics and politics. Panel models are unable to determine the group-wise heteroscedasticity, cross-sectional correlation and autocorrelation of datasets, therefore we adopted the feasible generalized least square(FGLS) model to evaluate the impact of climate change on maize yields in China from 1979–2016 and got the following results:(1) During the 1979–2016 period, increases in temperature negatively impacted the maize yield of China. For every 1°C increase in temperature, the maize yield was reduced by 5.19 kg 667 m–2(1.7%). Precipitation increased only marginally during this time, and therefore its impact on the maize yield was negligible. For every 1 mm increase in precipitation, the maize yield increased by an insignificant amount of 0.043 kg 667 m–2(0.014%).(2) The impacts of climate change on maize yield differ spatially, with more significant impacts experienced in southern China. In this region, a 1°C increase in temperature resulted in a 7.49 kg 667 m–2 decrease in the maize yield, while the impact of temperature on the maize yield in northern China was insignificant. For every 1 mm increase in precipitation, the maize yield increased by 0.013 kg 667 m–2 in southern China and 0.066 kg 667 m–2 in northern China.(3) The resilience of the maize crop to climate change is strong. The marginal effect of temperature in both southern and northern China during the 1990–2016 period was smaller than that for the 1979–2016 period.     

耐低温耐低氧萌发野败不育系赣野A的选育

赣野A是江西省农科院水稻研究所将东乡野生稻的耐冷性和耐低氧萌发能力导入抗稻瘟病保持系赣香B后再与赣香A测交和回交育成的野败型三系籼稻不育系。该不育系败育彻底,异交结实率高,配合力较强,具有较强的耐冷性和耐低氧萌发能力,在直播杂交稻育种中应用前景广阔。2019年通过了江西省品种审定。     

转基因甘蔗BtG-2的T-DNA侧翼序列分析及其转化事件特异性检测

转基因甘蔗BtG-2是利用农杆菌介导法把Cry1Ac-2A-gna融合抗虫基因导入‘新台糖22号’的转基因甘蔗株系,具有良好的抗虫特性和农艺性状。为了明确转基因甘蔗BtG-2的分子特征及其检测方法,推进其生物安全性评价工作,以BtG-2的T2代为研究材料,利用Southern杂交检测外源基因在转基因甘蔗基因组内的拷贝数;利用染色体步移技术分离外源基因在甘蔗基因组中插入位点的侧翼序列,并建立了该转化体高效灵敏的特异性PCR检测方法。结果表明：Southern杂交检测证明外源T-DNA以单拷贝方式插入BtG-2株系;经过3次的热不对称巢式PCR扩增,获得外源基因T-DNA左边侧翼序列984 bp和右边侧翼序列705 bp;以这2个序列和相应的T-DNA的左右端序列分别设计3对检测引物对,建立了BtG-2株系的转化事件特异性PCR检测方法,扩增效率最高的引物对LS011/LA451和RS160/RA588分别扩增到440 bp和428 bp的特异片段。其中T-DNA左侧设计的LS011/LA451检测引物对扩增的灵敏度高、特异性强,能够在甘蔗BtG-2基因组DNA相对含量为0.1%的模板中检测出转基因目的成分,相当于9个单倍体基因组拷贝数。本研究完成了转基因株系BtG-2的分子特征及其转化事件特异性检测,为该转基因甘蔗及其衍生产品的检测和身份识别提供技术依据。     

不同用量纳米材料对生菜种子发芽的影响

以意大利生菜和红脆香生菜种子为试验材料,研究不同用量石墨相氮化碳纳米材料(0、50、100、150、200 mg/L)对2种生菜种子萌发的影响。结果表明:纳米材料用量在50～150 mg/L时对2种生菜发芽势、发芽率、发芽指数均有促进作用,用量在100 mg/L时,意大利生菜的发芽率、发芽指数最高;用量在150 mg/L时,红脆香生菜发芽势、发芽率、发芽指数最高。纳米材料用量达到200 mg/L时,对生菜种子萌发的促进效果减小,甚至出现抑制萌发的现象。较高用量(150、200 mg/L)的纳米材料可以促进生菜胚根的伸长,用量在150 mg/L时,意大利生菜胚根最长,比对照(CK)增加了24.80%;用量在200 mg/L时,红脆香生菜胚根最长,比对照增加了37.20%。施加纳米材料对生菜胚芽长度的影响不显著。总之,纳米材料用量在50～150 mg/L时,可以促进生菜种子的萌发;较高用量(150、200 mg/L)的纳米材料可以促进生菜种子胚根的伸长;施加纳米材料对胚芽长的影响不显著。     

内生菌与雷公藤细胞悬浮共培养的生理生化特性

将2株雷公藤内生真菌Fusarium oxysporum NS33与Penicillium steckii NS6、2株内生细菌Enterobacter cloacae sub sp LG3与Serratia marcescens LY1及其组合分别与雷公藤细胞悬浮共培养,对不同培养体系内雷公藤细胞的生长及其生理生化特征进行研究。结果显示,在共培养前期,与对照相比,接种单一内生菌株提高了细胞的干重,其中菌株NS6的促生效果最明显;而在共培养后期,无论是单一内生菌还是混合内生菌均对细胞生长具有抑制作用。内生真菌和菌株组合处理的培养液p H值有明显的升高,而内生细菌LY1则明显降低了培养液的p H值,其具有产酸性。另外,当雷公藤细胞同混合菌株共培养时,培养基中总糖消耗量是最大的,而接种单独菌株时则对细胞可溶性蛋白含量具有一定的提高作用。接种内生菌会影响雷公藤细胞的POD、CAT及SOD活性,与对照相比,接种单独菌株会更加提升POD与CAT的活性,而细胞MDA含量则明显下降。     

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.     

纽翠绿腐殖酸液肥对春茶产量和品质影响之初探

以长沙县金井茶园种植的白毫早、槠叶齐、湘波绿2号为实验材料,研究纽翠绿腐殖酸液肥对春茶产量和品质影响。结果表明:三个品种施用同一浓度纽翠绿腐殖酸液肥,春茶芽头密度、百芽鲜重和产量以及茶叶品质均有提升,且以白毫早效果最佳,春季茶芽密度、百芽鲜重和产量分别增加6.67%、11.94%和19.41%,氨基酸含量和可溶性糖含量分别提高18.33%和34.93%。同一品种(槠叶齐)春季喷施不同浓度纽翠绿腐殖酸液肥以稀释比例1∶400增产效果最好(32.36%);稀释比例1∶300绿茶品质提升效果最佳,氨基酸增加(28.32%),酚氨比降低(2.61)。     

水稻均衡营养肥对杂交稻生长发育的影响及养分吸收特性

研究了水稻均衡营养肥对杂交稻生长发育的影响及养分吸收特性,以为精准施肥及秸秆还田养分循环利用提供必要的科学参数。结果表明,水稻均衡营养肥处理的株高、总粒数、实粒数、结实率、穗质量和产量均高于常规施肥处理,稻谷中的总钾、S~(6+)和Fe~(2+)含量均高于常规施肥处理,但总磷、Ca~(2+)和Mg~(2+)的含量低于常规施肥处理,总氮含量则基本相同;常规施肥处理的秸秆中总氮、总钾、Mg~(2+)和S~(6+)含量均高于水稻均衡营养肥处理,总磷、Ca~(2+)和Fe~(2+)含量基本相同。均衡营养肥处理氮、磷、钾利用率分别为67.8%、60.0%和95.5%,农民常规施肥处理分别为32.3%、86.0%和100%。可见,水稻均衡营养肥能均衡的为杂交稻生长提供必需的养分,大幅度提高肥料利用率。     

基于UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS的不同产地普洱生茶化学成分差异研究

为了更加全面地了解产地对普洱生茶品质与化学成分的影响,本研究选取来自临沧市、普洱市、西双版纳州三大产区12个茶山(自然村)的普洱生茶样品,采用超高效液相色谱-四级杆-飞行时间质谱(UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS)对不同产地普洱生茶的非挥发性代谢物表型进行了研究。结果表明:不同产地普洱生茶的化学成分在含量上具有较大差异,且具有明显的产地特征。采用主成分分析,可以对来自西双版纳自治州(包括勐腊县、勐海县、景洪市)、普洱市、临沧市3个地级行政区的普洱生茶进行有效区分,也可以对来自普洱茶产区的东南、西南、西北3个区域的普洱生茶进行有效区分。进一步鉴定了普洱生茶中79种主要成分,并对其在12个茶山(自然村)的普洱生茶中的含量分布,以及与不同产地普洱生茶滋味品质的关系进行了分析。本研究表明,基于UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS的茶叶非挥发性化学成分轮廓可以作为普洱生茶产地判别的依据。