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.     

提高蛋白质乳化功能性的研究

蛋白质是食品加工中的重要原料,其乳化性对食品品质非常重要。本文综述了通过物理改性、化学改性、生物酶法改性、基因工程改性及复合改性等方法技术来提高食品蛋白质的乳化功能性,并为今后食品蛋白质加工过程中利用改性方法来提高乳化性提供一定理论基础和新的思路。     

新疆‘晚丰’巴旦木花粉萌发培养基组分的筛选

为提高人工授粉中巴旦木的产量,本研究采用花粉离体培养法,筛选新疆‘晚丰’巴旦木品种花粉萌发中不同培养基组分的配方施用量,研究不同培养基配方组分对花粉萌发的影响。实验中在培养基内添加尿素、硼酸、氯化钙、吲哚乙酸、赤霉素和蔗糖,均能促进花粉萌发和花粉管生长,在一定范围内,花粉萌发率和花粉管长度均随培养基配方组份量的增加而增加,但超过一定添加量时,促进作用逐渐减弱并出现抑制作用。研究结果显示:添加0.1%尿素、0.01%硼酸、0.005%氯化钙、0.0001%吲哚乙酸、0.0015%赤霉素和10%蔗糖时,新疆‘晚丰’巴旦木品种花粉萌发率最高,花粉管长度也达到最大值。本研究结果为实践生产中人工授粉和相关研究提供参考和理论依据,也为进一步顺利进行亲和授粉研究提供前期理论基础。     

Impact of weather variables and season on sporulation of Phytophthora pluvialis and Phytophthora kernoviae

Phytophthora pluvialis and Phytophthora kernoviae are the causal agents of important needle diseases on Pinus radiata in New Zealand. Little is known about the epidemiology of the diseases, making the development of control strategies challenging. To investigate the seasonality and climatic drivers of sporulation, inoculum traps, consisting of pine fascicles floating on water in plastic containers, were exchanged fortnightly at five sites in P. radiata plantations between February 2012 and December 2014. Sections of needle baits were plated onto selective media and growth of Phytophthora pluvialis and P. kernoviae recorded. To explore the generalizability of these data, they were compared to detection data for both pathogens from the New Zealand Forest Health Database (NZFHDB). Further, equivalent analyses on infection of Rhododendron ponticum by P. kernoviae in Cornwall, UK allowed the comparison of the epidemiology of P. kernoviae across different host systems and environments. In New Zealand, inoculum of P. pluvialis and P. kernoviae was detected between January–December and March–November, respectively. Inoculum of both species peaked in abundance in late winter. The probability of detecting P. pluvialis and P. kernoviae was greater at lower temperatures, while the probability of detecting P. pluvialis also increased during periods of wet weather. Similar patterns were observed in NZFHDB data. However, the seasonal pattern of infection by P. kernoviae in the UK was the opposite of that seen for sporulation in New Zealand. Phytophthora kernoviae was likely limited by warmer and drier summers in New Zealand, but by colder winter weather in the UK. These results emphasize the importance of considering both environmental drivers and thresholds in improving our understanding of pathogen epidemiology.     

拉丁美洲和加勒比地区主要竹种资源与利用

拉丁美洲和加勒比地区是世界主要的竹资源分布区，以瓜多竹为代表的560多竹种资源占全球竹种的33%，其中巴西、哥伦比亚、秘鲁、厄瓜多尔、墨西哥等国竹林面积和竹种数量位居该地区前列。与亚洲相比，拉丁美洲和加勒比地区现代竹产业发展起步较晚，规模和效益有限。面向未来，该区竹资源主要分布国家的政府正在制定和实施相关政策和战略，助力竹区发展经济、缓解贫困和保护环境。     

水稻温敏型叶片白化转绿突变体tsa2的表型鉴定与基因定位

水稻温敏型叶色突变体是研究植物光合作用、叶绿体结构和功能以及温度影响叶绿体发育的理想材料。利用甲基磺酸乙酯(EMS)诱变籼型水稻(OryzasativaL.)三系保持系西农1B,从其后代中筛选到一个突变性状稳定遗传的温敏型叶片白化转绿突变体tsa2 (temperature-sensitive green-revertible albino 2)。与野生型相比, tsa2突变表型受温度影响, 22°C条件下萌发的野生型幼苗表型正常,而tsa2幼苗完全白化,且约40%白化苗死亡,存活白化苗的光合色素含量、光合速率均显著降低,成熟期主要农艺性状均显著变劣;在28°C下萌发的tsa2幼苗叶片呈浅绿色并伴有白条纹,其光合色素含量显著降低,光合速率及主要农艺性状差异较小; 32°C下萌发的tsa2幼苗叶片无明显差异。透射电镜观察显示,与野生型相比,tsa2在22°C下叶肉细胞中无叶绿体或存在异常发育叶绿体(尚未分化出基粒和基层),在28°C下部分叶肉细胞含少量发育完整的叶绿体,在32°C下叶肉细胞数量及形态均正常。实时荧光定量PCR(qRT-PCR)分析表明,与野生型相比,tsa2突变体中部分光合色素代谢途径基因、叶绿体发育相关基因及光合作用相关基因的表达水平呈不同程度变化。遗传分析表明, tsa2突变表型受一对隐性核基因控制, TSA2被定位于第5染色体SSR标记S5-57和S5-119之间,物理距离为718 kb。本研究为水稻遗传改良及研究温度影响叶绿体发育机制奠定了基础。     

江西双季稻机插的典型模式及其效果研究

基于江西省双季稻区10个县30个乡镇农户、合作社以及农机大市场的调查数据,通过对合作社的两种典型模式（合作模式和服务模式）的研究及合作社农户和散户的对比分析,探索合作社对江西双季稻机插推广的促进作用。研究结果表明:合作社农户的成本要低于散户,收益要高于散户,合作社的生产效果比散户的要好;合作社农户的年龄比散户的年龄要低,文化、土地规模、资金要高于散户;合作社农户的机插比例高于散户;目前江西合作社机插典型模式中比较受欢迎的模式是农机大户和种田大户合作模式及“订单式”服务模式;未来种田大户、农机大户和养殖大户是发展江西农民合作生产的主要对象,重点发展的模式是合作社提供水稻生产全程社会化服务模式。     

Expression and functional analysis of the Follistatin-like 3 (FSTL3) gene in the sheep ovary during the oestrous cycle

Follistatin-like 3 (FSTL3) is a regulator of cellular apoptosis and was previously identified via RNA-Seq to be associated with follicular development in mammalian ovaries. However, the mechanism underlying the FSTL3 regulation of oestrus in sheep remained poorly understood. In this study, the oestrogen (E2) and progesterone (P4) concentrations in blood were detected, and the expression level and functional analysis of FSTL3 in the ovary were studied during the different reproductive stage in Aohan fine wool sheep (seasonal breeding breed in China). The concentrations of E2 and P4 at the anestrus were significantly lower compared to dioestrus, proestrus and oestrus stages. Higher expression levels of FSTL3 were observed in the sheep ovary, hypothalamus, and thyroid. During different reproductive stages, higher expression levels were found during the stages of dioestrus and proestrus, while lower levels were found during the oestrus and anestrus stages. Functional analysis of FSTL3 was performed in primary granulosa cells (GCs) of sheep. The concentration of E2 increased significantly after RNAi interference of FSTL3, while the P4 level decreased. FSTL3 can decrease P4 levels, which might be involved in mediating oestrous cycle in sheep.