Mango seed kernels as an energy source for chicks1

1. Chemical analysis of a sample of ground mango seed kernels (MSK) revealed the following percentage composition: dry matter, 91.55; ash, 1.97; protein, 6.74; ether extract, 12.53; fibre, 1.30; nitrogen‐free extract, 77.46.

2. The ME content of MSK was 1.82 kcal/g.

3. The percentage retention of the crude fat content of MSK was only 3.38%.

4. Substituting MSK for corn at 10 or 20% led to reduced growth rate and poorer food consumption and a reduced efficiency of food utilisation in the period 0 to 4 weeks.     

Effect of an immunomodulator on the efficacy of an attenuated vaccine against avian pneumovirus in turkeys

Since 1997, avian pneumovirus (APV) has caused estimated annual losses of $15 million to the Minnesota turkey industry. In order to develop an attenuated live vaccine against APV, we serially passaged a Minnesota isolate of APV (APV/MN/turkey/1-a/97) in vitro in cell cultures for 41 passages. Laboratory experiments with this high-passage virus (P41) indicated that the attenuated virus provided immunogenic protection to turkeys against challenge with virulent APV, although some birds showed mild to moderate dinical signs after inoculation. To reduce the residual pathogenicity of P41, while maintaining its immunogenicity, we decided to vaccinate turkeys with P41 in the presence of an immunomodulator, S-28828 (1-n-butyl-2-ethoxymethyl-1H-imidazo[4,5-c]quinolin-4-amine-hydrochloride), which is a potent cytokine inducer. The combined inoculation of S-28828 (5 mg/kg body weight) and P41 resulted in a significant reduction in the incidence of virus-induced clinical signs in comparison with birds that received P41 without immunomodulator (P < 0.05). Only 17% of birds inoculated with S-28828 + APV P41 showed mild respiratory symptoms at 5 days postinoculation as compared with 46% of the vaccinated turkeys that did not receive S-28828. Vaccination with either P41 or with P41 + S-28828 protected turkeys against dinical signs and viral replication after challenge with virulent APV. These results indicate that immunomodulators, such as S-28828, may act as good vaccine adjuvants that can reduce the pathogenicity but maintain the immunogenicity of partially attenuated vaccines.     

乌鲁木齐地区三种不同景观鸟类群落结构初报

作者于１９９４年３－６月在乌鲁木齐地区,对三各不同景观的鸟类群落进行了调查,可划分为３类群落：干旱荒漠为角百灵＋沙群落（群落Ａ）;干旱草原为角百灵＋领岩鹨群落（群落Ｂ）;干旱灌丛云雀＋漠莺＋靴篱莺群落（群落Ｃ）群落的物种多样性以群落Ｃ最高（１．８８６７）,次为群落Ｂ（１．８８３７）,群落Ａ的多样性最低（１．５２１２）种的多样性与生态环境的差异有关。     

Wheat Seed Presoaking for Improved Germination

Seed presoaking improves wheat germination under marginal moisture conditions. The duration of seed presoaking was studied at The University of Arid Agriculture, Rawalpindi, using 10 wheat varieties. Seed presoaking beyond 12 h does not improve germination further, and beyond 21 h, germination rate is drastically reduced.     

cDNA cloning and complete primary structures of myosin heavy chains from brushtooth lizardfish Saurida undosquamis and wanieso lizardfish S. wanieso fast skeletal muscles

ABSTRACT:   The complete cDNA sequences encoding predominant types of myosin heavy chain (MYH) in the fast skeletal muscle were determined for brushtooth lizardfish Saurida undosquamis and wanieso lizardfish S. wanieso , which are used as materials for preparing high-quality surimi-based products. The cDNA consisted of 5973 and 5987 bp, respectively, and both encompassed an open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 1936 amino acid residues. Brushtooth and wanieso lizardfish MYH showed the amino acid sequence identity of 92–93% to white croaker MYH, which was higher than that of 90% to walleye pollack MYH. The putative binding sites for ATP, actin, and regulatory and essential light chains in the subfragment-1 region of brushtooth lizardfish MYH exhibited a high identity with white croaker counterparts as well as the sequences of subfragment-2 and light meromyosin. In contrast, phylogenetic tree, constructed by the neighbor-joining method based on mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene, revealed that the two lizardfish species formed a cluster with walleye pollack, which was paraphyletic with white croaker. Therefore, a good reputation for lizardfish and white croaker to have a high thermal-gel forming ability seemed to be reflected by MYH rather than biological similarity as revealed by the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene.     

Quality aspect of fish sauce prepared from underutilized fatty Japanese anchovy and rabbit fish

ABSTRACT:   To explore the potential utility of underutilized fish in the fish sauce industry, fish sauces were prepared from both raw and heat-induced meat of Japanese anchovy Engraulis japonica and rabbit fish Siganus fuscescens using wheat malt, and their quality aspects and sensory properties were assessed. Proximate composition of the fish meat represents protein as the major component (16.0–17.8%), other than moisture. Analyses of free amino acids, peptides including oligopeptides, and organic acids contents in fish sauces revealed suitability of both raw and heat-induced meat of the selected species in commercial fish sauce production. The variations in taste of raw meat fish sauces were species-specific, but the taste of fish sauces from heat-induced meat were similar.     

绿洲区不同灌溉方式及灌溉量对苜蓿田土壤盐分运移的影响

为探讨绿洲区不同灌溉方式及灌溉量对苜蓿田土壤盐分空间分布及运移的影响,在苜蓿生长第2年设滴灌和漫灌2种灌溉方式,每种灌溉方式设3个灌溉梯度,对土壤电导率进行了测定与分析。结果表明,随生育进程的推进及灌水次数的增加,整个苜蓿生育期内土壤盐分含量呈波动式递减的变化趋势。滴灌方式下0～40 cm 土层、漫灌方式下0～30 cm 土层在灌溉后土壤处于脱盐状态;滴灌方式下在50～60 cm 土层、漫灌方式下在40～60 cm土层土壤处于积盐状态。在水平及垂直方向上,随灌水量的增加,2种灌溉方式下土壤盐分峰值位均呈下移趋势,灌溉后土壤盐分含量随土壤深度的增加而增大,土壤盐分主要集中于土壤40～60 cm 土层,且滴灌方式下的“驱盐”效果要好于漫灌。在考虑成本、产出等综合经济效益时,当灌水量达到某种定额（滴灌下3000 m3／hm2,苜蓿干草产量为1406 kg／667 m2,漫灌下5250 m3／hm2,其干草产量为1504 kg／667 m2）后即可达到最佳的“驱盐”及高产效果,在绿洲区苜蓿田过多的灌溉量只会导致水资源的更多浪费。对绿洲区盐渍化较重的农田进行灌溉时,应尽量选取合理的灌溉制度及适宜的灌水量,以达到土壤盐分淋洗和经济效益最大化的双赢。     

Assessment of molecular genetic diversity of 384 chickpea genotypes and development of core set of 192 genotypes for chickpea improvement programs

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - Cicer arietinum L. (chickpea) is one of the most significant legume crops domesticated in the Fertile Crescent. This study was aimed to characterize a diverse...     

托木尔峰自然保护区地衣的补充研究

我们根据多年的研究并结合前人的工作进一步地整理了分布在新疆托木尔峰自然保护区的地衣种类。分析该地区的地衣种有１２０个，分别隶性于４９属，其中有１１个变种和４个变型。调查中我们还发现该地区地衣随着海拔高度的升高而有所不同，北坡和南坡也有明显的差异。     

Comparison of depth- and mass-based approaches for estimating changes in forest soil carbon stocks: A case study in young plantations and secondary forests in West Java, Indonesia

Soil carbon (C) stocks in forest ecosystems have been widely estimated to a fixed soil depth (i.e., 0-30 cm) to clarify temporal changes in the C pool. However, surface elevations change as a result of compaction or expansion of the soil under forest management and land use. On the other hand, the calculation of soil C stocks based on “equivalent soil mass” is not affected by compaction or expansion of forest soil. To contribute to the development of a forest C accounting methodology, we compared changes in soil C stocks over 4 years between depth- and mass-based approaches using original soil data collected at 0-30 cm depths in young plantations and secondary forests in West Java, Indonesia. Our methodology expanded on the mass-based approach; rather than using one representative value for the mass-based calculation of soil C stocks, we adjusted individual values, maintaining the coefficient of variance in soil mass. We also considered the effect of an increase or decrease in soil organic matter on equivalent soil mass. Both increasing and decreasing trends in soil C stocks became clearer when the mass-based approach was used rather than the depth-based approach. The trends in soil C stocks based on equivalent soil mass were particularly evident in the surface soil layers (0-5 cm) and in plantation sites, compared with those for soil profiles including subsurface soil layers (0-30 cm) and in secondary forests. These trends in soil C stocks corresponded with temporal trends in litter stocks. We suggest that equivalent mass-basis soil C stock for the upper 30 cm of soil be calculated based on multiple soil layers to reduce estimation errors. Changes in soil organic matter mass had little effect on the estimation of soil C stock on an equivalent mass basis. For the development of a forest C accounting system, the mass-based approach should be used to characterize temporal trends in soil C stocks and to improve C cycle models, rather than simpler methods of calculating soil C stocks. These improvements will help to increase the tier level of country-specific forest C accounting systems.