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.     

采前喷施氯化钙与醋酸钙对冬枣品质和贮藏性的影响

钙对果树果实品质有重要改善作用,而品质又决定了其商品价值和种植效益。研究钙对冬枣品质和果实贮藏的影响作用,对于改善冬枣商品性能,促进冬枣产业发展具有重要意义。然而,针对冬枣施用钙肥效应的研究鲜见报道,尚未有研究对醋酸钙等有机钙肥的应用效果进行探讨。通过在果实白熟期对冬枣叶果喷钙,研究单喷施氯化钙、醋酸钙以及两者配合喷施对冬枣品质指标以及常温下贮藏性能的影响。结果表明,采前喷钙可显著提高冬枣可溶性固形物、可滴定酸、Vc、钙、总黄酮含量和果实硬度,改善了冬枣品质;与单喷施氯化钙相比,采前喷施醋酸钙可显著提高可溶性固形物、钙和总黄酮含量;氯化钙与醋酸钙配合喷施处理对枣果品质的改善效果与单施醋酸钙的效果相似。在常温贮藏条件下,采前喷施醋酸钙促进了冬枣可溶性固形物含量的升高,加速了酸度降低,减缓了Vc消耗,同时减轻了贮藏期间软化现象。与单喷施氯化钙相比,喷施醋酸钙处理更有利于冬枣保持水分,延长其货架期。综合分析认为,在冬枣白熟期喷施醋酸钙是改善果实品质和耐藏性能的有效措施。     

乡土物种补播对青藏高原高寒草甸群落稳定性的影响

为了探究高寒草甸天然草地补播乡土物种对草地群落稳定性的影响，本试验以垂穗披碱草（Elymus nutans）、异针茅（Stipa aliena）、中华羊茅（Festuca sinensis）、溚草（Koeleria cristata）、星星草（Puccinellia tenuiflora）、扁蓿豆（Melissitus rutenica）、冷地早熟禾（Poa crymophila）为试验材料，设置5种混播组合，于2017年在青海省贵南县天然草地上进行补播。试验采用方差比率法（Variance ratio，VR）、M.Godron贡献定率法（Contribution law）以及生物量稳定性分析方法，结果表明：5种组合补播后使得群落联结性降低、生物量稳定性增大，群落整体稳定性增强，正向着稳定方向发展；5种组合中，组合D （扁蓿豆+星星草+垂穗披碱草+异针茅+溚草）的生物量稳定性最大，是对草地恢复最有效的物种组合。本试验筛选出了对草地生态修复最有效的物种组合，为草地保护及利用提供了科学依据。     

水田机械式强制排肥装置设计与试验

目前水田机械施肥均匀性差，且作业时在施肥开沟器末端容易出现肥料粘结、架空、堵塞开沟器等现象。针对以上问题，本文设计了一种水田机械式强制排肥装置，并对其关键部件进行了结构设计及性能试验。将水田机械式强制排肥部件的工作过程分为3个阶段，通过运动学和动力学研究方法分析了各工作阶段肥料在螺旋强制排肥部件内的状态，以及影响排肥部件工作性能的关键因素，对螺旋强制排肥部件的直径、转速、螺距3个因素进行了设计计算。以排肥均匀性变异系数为响应指标，进行了螺旋强制排肥部件的单因素台架试验，通过对最小显著性差异进行统计分析，确定了各因素的取值范围；安排了二次正交旋转组合试验，并对试验结果进行了方差分析和响应面分析，确定了影响排肥性能指标因素的影响由大到小为转速、螺距、直径，建立了排肥性能指标与各因素之间的回归方程，运用Design-Expert软件对试验因素优化求解，确定了较优工作参数组合为螺旋输送器转速120.09r/min、直径23.90mm、螺距21.54mm，此时施肥装置台架试验的排肥均匀性变异系数为7.18%。将所设计的强制排肥部件分别安装在水稻插秧机及水稻气力式施肥播种机上，进行了田间验证试验，试验结果表明，机械式强制螺旋排肥装置工作稳定、堵塞率低，水田防堵塞效果优于无该部件的施肥机械。     

Notch1 promotes renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis in renal tissues of diabetic mice by inhibiting autophagy through Akt/mTOR signaling pathway

AIM: To observe the changes of Notch1 expression and autophagy in the renal tissues of diabetic mice, and to explore the regulatory effect of Notch1 on tubulointerstitial fibrosis by inhibiting autophagy in diabetic nephro-pathy. METHODS: The mice were randomly divided into normal control group (db/m mice) and diabetes group (db/db mice), with 8 rats in each group. After 12 weeks of feeding, the mice were sacrificed and the corresponding biochemical indexes were measured. The protein expression of Notch1 in the renal tubular epithelial cells was observed by immunohistochemical staining. The protein levels of Notch1, PTEN, p-Akt (Thr308), Akt, p-mTOR (Ser2448), mTOR, LC3, P62, collagen type Ⅰ (Col-Ⅰ) and collagen type Ⅲ (Col-Ⅲ) were determined by Western blot. RESULTS: Compared with the db/m mice, the blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, serum creatinine, triglyceride and total cholesterol were increased in the db/db mice (P<0.01). Renal tubular epithelial cell vacuolar degeneration, renal tubular expansion and interstitial inflammatory cell infiltration in db/db mouse renal tissues with HE staining were observed. The images of Masson staining showed collagenous fiber-like substance deposition in the glomerular capillaries and renal interstitium, and disarrangement of tubular structure in the renal tissues of db/db mice. The protein expression levels of PTEN and LC3-Ⅱ were decreased (P<0.01 or P<0.05), while the protein levels of Notch1, P62, p-mTOR (Ser2448), p-Akt (Thr308), Col-I and Col-III were increased in the db/db mice as compared with the db/m mice (P<0.01). However, no significant change of total mTOR and Akt proteins between the 2 groups was found. CONCLUSION: Notch1 protein expression was increased, PTEN expression was significantly reduced, Akt/mTOR pathway was activated, autophagy was inhibited, and fibrosis was aggravated in the renal tissues of the diabetic mice.     

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.     

贪食迈阿密虫(M.avidus)对4种海水养殖鱼类组织匀浆液的趋化性

通过对贪食迈阿密虫(M. avidus)对4种养殖鱼类组织匀浆液的趋化特性进行研究,以探讨贪食迈阿虫对养殖鱼类的侵染特点。试验结果显示,贪食迈阿密虫对大黄鱼、大菱鲆、黄姑鱼、鲈鱼的眼、脑、脑脊液匀浆液有强烈的趋化效果(P<0.01),对皮肤黏液、鳃、肝、肌肉、肾组织匀浆液的趋化性较弱(P>0.05);对不同鱼类组织匀浆液对贪食迈阿密虫的趋化诱导差异比较结果推测,贪食迈阿密虫对宿主具有一定的选择性。本研究有助于深化贪食迈阿密虫致病性的认识,并为海水养殖鱼类盾纤虫病的预防提供参考资料。     

The microbial diversity and structure in peatland forest in Indonesia

The microbial community structure and function under forest in tropical peatlands are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the microbial community structure and diversity in natural peat swamp forest soil, disturbed peat soil and mineral soil in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, using 454 pyrosequencing. The results showed that the natural peat soil had the greatest fungal species richness (Chao1), which was significantly (p < .05) larger than that in the other two soils. Community structure of both fungi and bacteria in natural peat soil differed significantly from that in the disturbed peat soil (p = .039 and p = .045, respectively). Ascomycota (40.5%) was the most abundant phylum across the three soils followed by Basidiomycota (18.8%), Zygomycota (<0.1%) and Glomeromycota (<0.1%). The linear discriminant analysis with effect size (LEfSe) showed that Ascomycota (p < .05) and genus Gliocephalotrichum (p < .05) dominated in natural peat soil. Functionally, pathotrophs were more abundant in disturbed peat soil (p < .05). Proteobacteria (43.8%) were the most abundant phylum followed by Acidobacteria (32.6%), Actinobacteria (9.8%), Planctomycetes (1.7%). Methylocystis, Telmatospirillum, Syntrophobacter, Sorangium and Opitutus were the more abundant genera in disturbed peat soil, whereas Nevskia and Schlesneria were more abundant in mineral soil and natural peat soil, respectively. The natural peat forest soil supported a more diverse microbiology; however, the land use of such a soil can change its microbial community structure. The results provide evidence that the disturbance of tropical peat land could lead to the introduction and spread of a large number of fungal diseases     

胡麻脂肪酸去饱和酶基因(fads)差异表达分析

为了了解fad基因在胡麻蒴果发育过程中对不饱和脂肪酸的调控,对高、中、低三个不同亚麻酸(C18:3)含量的胡麻品种(’CDC Gold’,‘内亚7号’,’Linola’)进行了不同时期的品质测定,以及脂肪酸去饱和酶2a基因(fad2a)、脂肪酸去饱和酶2b基因(fad2b)、脂肪酸去饱和酶2c基因(fad2c)、脂肪酸去饱和酶3a基因(fad3a)、脂肪酸去饱和酶3b基因(fad3b)的qRT-PCR定量分析。结果表明,随着蒴果成熟,可溶性糖含量呈降低趋势,粗脂肪与粗蛋白不断积累,且差异显著(p<0.05)。fad2a基因、fad3a基因以及fad3b基因在各个时期中的表达符合正态分布。以0 d的蒴果为对照,在胡麻种子形成过程中,‘内亚7号’的三个基因在5 d和15 d的表达量迅速增加,到30 d时急剧减少,15 d的fad2a基因表达量为5.23倍,fad3a基因表达量是fad2a基因表达量的14.52倍,fad3b基因的表达量是fad2a基因表达量的16.14倍,表明这三个基因参与不饱和脂肪酸积累过程。在低亚麻酸含量品种‘Linola’30 d中,fad3a基因是fad2a基因表达量的52.71倍,fad3b呈下调趋势;在高亚麻酸含量品种‘CDCGold’30d中,fad3a基因与fad2a基因的表达量均呈下调趋势,fad3b的表达量为3.92倍;在中等亚麻酸含量品种‘内亚7号’中,fad2a基因表达量降低了0.31倍,fad3a基因是fad3b基因表达量的1.87倍。fad2b基因、fad2c基因熔解曲线不稳定,峰值低,可以在后续试验中继续探索。     

高效氯氟氰菊酯对东亚小花蝽捕食功能反应的影响

为了研究高效氯氟氰菊酯对东亚小花蝽雌成虫捕食功能反应的影响，比较分析了LC₂₅、LC₅₀、LC₇₅高效氯氟氰菊酯胁迫3日龄东亚小花蝽雌成虫后，对大豆蚜捕食量、寻找效应、猎物密度效应、种内分摊竞争效应和功能反应等的影响。研究表明，对照组与LC₂₅、LC₅₀高效氯氟氰菊酯胁迫的东亚小花蝽成虫受猎物密度效应影响明显，而LC₇₅高效氯氟氰菊酯胁迫的东亚小花蝽成虫受猎物密度效应影响不明显；在药剂浓度为0 mg/L和140 mg/L时，捕食量达到的最大值和最小值分别为12.33和0.83头，寻找效应达到的最大值和最小值分别为0.96和0.10；受不同浓度药剂胁迫的东亚小花蝽成虫对大豆蚜的捕食能力和寻找效应均随着药剂浓度的增加而下降；捕食量随大豆蚜虫口密度增加而增多，种内竞争分摊强度随小花蝽数量增加而增强，平均捕食量降低；在LC₅₀高效氯氟氰菊酯胁迫下，东亚小花蝽成虫捕食作用率方程为E=0.1255P^-0.2956，分摊竞争强度方程为I=0.5401logP^-0.0033。