Effects of predator-induced visual and olfactory cues on 0+ perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) foraging behaviour

Abstract –  Foraging juvenile fish with relatively high food demands are usually vulnerable to various aquatic and avian predators. To compromise between foraging and antipredator activity, they need exact and reliable information about current predation risk. Among direct predator-induced cues, visual and olfactory signals are considered to be most important. Food intake rates and prey-size selectivity of laboratory-reared, naive young-of-the-year (YOY) perch, Perca fluviatilis , were studied in experiments with Daphnia magna of two size classes: 2.8 and 1.3 mm as prey and northern pike, Esox lucius , as predator. Neither total intake rate nor prey-size selectivity was modified by predator kairomones alone (water from an aquarium with a pike was pumped into the test aquaria) under daylight conditions. Visual presentation of pike reduced total food intake by perch. This effect was significantly more pronounced (synergistic) when visual and olfactory cues were presented simultaneously to foraging perch. Moreover, the combination of cues caused a significant shift in prey-size selection, expressed as a reduced proportion of large prey in the diet. Our observations demonstrate that predator-induced olfactory cues alone are less important modifiers of the feeding behaviour of naive YOY perch than visual cues under daylight conditions. However, pike odour acts as a modulatory stimulus enhancing the effects of visual cues, which trigger an innate response in perch.     

水电站虹吸式进水口的控制

在对河北省几座已建虹吸式进水口水电站的虹吸控制方式进行分析对比的基础上,给出了一种采用液气射流泵将虹吸体抽成“低管”正虹吸,用“Y”形管中的水封保持真空,事故时利用“高管”自动补气破坏真空的控制系统,并分析了该系统的特点,给出了设计计算方法及计算公式。     

重组瘦蛋白对猪生长性能的影响

通过腹腔注射重组瘦蛋白研究其对猪生长性能的影响。结果显示,腹腔注射不同剂量的重组瘦蛋白,在注射后的1-2周内使猪采食量减少5%-7%(p<0.05),2周后采食量逐渐恢复正常;使猪的日增重和料重比有所降低,但差异不显著(p>0.05)。表明重组瘦蛋白对猪的生长性能无明显影响。     

在实验室饲养条件下花鼠日食量与食物种类的关系

为了掌握花鼠(Eutamias sibiricus)日食量和食物种类的关系,在实验室饲养条件下对花鼠的日食量和食物种类的关系进行了研究。结果表明,花鼠的平均日食量为(15.35±1.09)g,性别间平均日食量无显著差异,花鼠体重与日食量呈正相关,y=0.0487x+90.102。     

乳化剂在肉鸡饲料中的效果研究

乳化剂是一种亲油又亲水的物质,能显著降低脂肪的粘度,弥补动物胆盐分泌不足,从而提高脂肪消化率,防止脂肪肝发生和畜禽因脂肪消化不良引起的下痢,且利于脂溶性营养物质（VA、VD、VE、色素等）的吸收。因此,可通过乳化剂调低配方的代谢能水平,降低成本,提高经济效益。本试验研究了乳化剂对白羽肉鸡生产性能的影响。结果显示：减少油脂后添加乳化剂对肉鸡平均日采食量和平均日增重的影响均不显著,从试验全期看,日粮减少油脂5 kg/t 或降低代谢能30 kcal/kg （1 kcal=4.187 kJ,下同）后添加乳化剂,可以使肉鸡平均日增重和料重比保持正常的水平。     

我国气候因素的变化对奶牛生产的影响

在分析我国气候因素变化的基础上,着重阐述了气候因子对我国奶牛采食,饲料利用率,产奶量和乳成分,奶牛的繁殖力,日增重及发病率等生产性能的影响。结果表明,高温高湿是奶牛生产的主要环境因子。作者不提出了控制奶牛环境的若干措施。     

奶牛TMR饲料的研究进展

介绍了全混合日粮的概念,指出了使用全混合日粮的必要性;并对全混合日粮在奶牛生产中的应用进行了论述,提出全混合日粮是奶牛集约化养殖的必然趋势。     

放牧条件下乳用伊犁马采食量的初步研究

2013年8-10月,采用模拟采食法、群牧差额法、内外指示剂结合法在昭苏马场草甸草地上进行了放牧条件下乳用伊犁马采食量的测定。结果表明,1)同种测定方法不同月份之间测定的乳用伊犁马干物质采食量差异不显著(P0.05)。2)模拟采食法测得的干物质采食量为12.79 kg·15 h-1·匹-1,群牧差额法测得为16.39kg·d-1·匹-1,内外指示剂结合法测得为13.28 kg·d-1·匹-1。3)群牧差额法与内外指示剂结合法测定的乳用伊犁马干物质采食量之间差异不显著(P0.05),初步确定乳用伊犁马平均干物质采食量为14.83 kg·d-1·匹-1。     

半胱胺对育成期水貂生长和饲料转化率的影响

选择健康育成期水貂208只,其中200只为试验组,8只为对照组,采用二因子试验设计:一个因子为半胱胺的不同添加量,分别按每千克体质量添加10、40、70、100、130 mg半胱胺;另一因子为半胱胺的不同添加间隔时间,分别为1、3、5、7、9 d 5个时间间隔.通过饲养试验研究了半胱胺对育成期水貂体质量增加、饲料转化率...     

Genetic potential for residual feed intake and diet fed during early- to mid-gestation influences post-natal DNA methylation of imprinted genes in muscle and liver tissues in beef cattle

Discovery of epigenetic modifications associated with feed efficiency or other economically important traits would increase our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying these traits. In combination with known genetic markers, this would provide opportunity to improve genomic selection accuracy in cattle breeding programs. It would also allow cattle to be managed to improve favorable gene expression. The objective of this study was to identify variation in DNA methylation between beef cattle of differential pre-natal nutrition and divergent genetic potential for residual feed intake (RFI). Purebred Angus offspring with the genetic potential for either high (HRFI) or low (LRFI) RFI were prenatally exposed to either a restricted maternal diet of 0.5 kg/d average daily gain (ADG) or a moderate maternal diet of 0.7 kg/d ADG from 30 to 150 d of gestation. We performed DNA methylation analysis of differentially methylated regions (DMR) of imprinted genes (Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) DMR2, IGF2/H19 imprinting control region (ICR) and IGF2 receptor (IGF2R) DMR2) using post-natal samples of longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle taken from male and female calves at birth and weaning, and of LD muscle, semimembranosus (SM) muscle, and liver samples collected from steers at slaughter (17 months of age). Interestingly, for all three DMR investigated in liver, LRFI steers had higher levels of methylation than HRFI steers. In LD muscle, IGF2/H19 ICR methylation differences for heifers at birth were due to pre-natal diet, while for steers at birth they were mostly the result of genetic potential for RFI with LRFI steers again having higher levels of methylation than HRFI steers. While results from repeated measures analysis of DNA methylation in steers grouped by RFI revealed few differences, in steers grouped by diet, we found higher methylation levels of IGF2 DMR2 and IGF2R DMR2 in LD muscle of restricted diet steers at weaning and slaughter than at birth, as well as increased methylation in LD muscle of restricted diet steers compared with moderate diet steers at weaning and/or slaughter. Our results suggest that differential pre-natal nutrition, and divergent genetic potential for RFI, induces tissue- and sex-specific alterations in post-natal IGF2 and IGF2R methylation patterns and that these patterns can vary with age in Angus beef cattle.