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.     

甜菜BvGSTU9基因的生物信息学及在镉胁迫下的表达分析

为了进一步研究甜菜谷胱甘肽转移酶BvGSTU9 (LOC104894060)在重金属胁迫过程中的功能。本研究以‘780016B/12优’为实验材料,对该基因序列特征、结构、功能进行预测分析,并利用qPCR检测该基因在不同浓度镉胁迫下的表达量变化。结果显示甜菜BvGSTU9基因全长925 bp,开放阅读框675 bp,编码了由224个氨基酸组成的不稳定膜外蛋白。BvGSTU9与菠菜、藜麦的氨基酸序列相似性较高,与系统发育进化树分析结果基本相符。二级和三级结构预测表明该基因主要由α-螺旋、β-折叠、延伸链及无规则卷曲组成。qPCR显示BvGSTU9基因在不同浓度的镉胁迫下均受到不同程度的诱导,因此可以推断甜菜BvGSTU9基因无论从结构还是功能上,与镉逆境胁迫存在着一定的应答关系。研究结果也为甜菜耐重金属镉机制研究提供参考依据。     

考虑水头损失的管道灌溉分水口轮灌分组优化模型

【目的】优化灌溉系统中分水口轮灌分组的灌溉制度,在满足流量要求的条件下节约电能。【方法】提出了在考虑水头损失时不同分水口状态与管道进口压力的关系模型,该模型利用分水口开关0,1状态作为自变量,从管道末端起利用推导的递推公式求出管道进水口的等效水头损失系数。依据该模型,在定流量分组轮灌优化中得到为使分组轮灌功率最小的目标函数。利用遗传算法对上述问题进行了优化求解,并给出了编码方案。【结果】在分水口等间隔布置时,轮灌分组按轮灌分组数等间隔安排所需功率最小,优化后的水头损失系数可以减小到没有优化前的0.772倍。【结论】本研究模型不仅适用于恒定流量的组合优化,也可应用于不同分水口的所需水量不同的随机灌溉以及恒压供水的优化中。     

Screening and identification of soybean varieties with high phosphorus efficiency at seedling stage

In order to simplify the workload and find a reliable method for screening soybeans with different phosphorus(P)efficiencies,47 soybean varieties were screened from 90 varieties according to yield under normal phosphorus,and 10 indicators including root phenotype,phosphorus utilization efficiency at the seedling stage and yield were measured.Through single-index cluster analysis,the performance value and relative value of the abovementioned indexes under low-phosphorus conditions were analyzed,and then,the combined indexes were analyzed by principal components method.The membership function method and the cluster analysis method was used to calculate and analyze the comprehensive score value.Three indexes of root P utilization efficiency(X₁),relative value of root P utilization efficiency(X₂),and root volume(X₃)under low P at the seedling stage were selected as the most consistent with the yield screening results under low P condition,and the mathematical model of the comprehensive score value was obtained:D=1.218X₁t 0.320X₂t 0.007X₃-0.664(P=0.000,R²=1.000).The comprehensive score can screen and identify the P efficiency of soybeans with fewer indexes in the early growth stages,which provides a more rapid and reliable mathematical model for screening and identifying a larger number of germplasm resources for P efficiency.     

基于准静态同轴探头模型的土壤复介电测量方法

末端开路同轴探头法测量土壤复介电值用于表征土壤含水率具有准确、快捷的优点。针对目前土壤介电同轴探头集总测量模型没有充分考虑探头的参数以及土壤体积对测量结果影响等问题，基于电磁场理论，对末端开路同轴探头建立了准静态数学模型，适用于土壤的复介电常数准确测量。通过全波软件仿真和模型计算结果对比，以无水乙醇介电实测值和理论值对比，验证模型的准确性。采用本文介电测量模型对不同含水率的黄绵土进行测量计算，复介电常数实部与实测土壤含水率二阶多项式拟合决定系数大于0.965，表明本文所提土壤介电测量方法适用于土壤复介电常数和含水率的测量。     

互联网背景下的食用菌产业现状和机遇及发展对策

介绍了我国互联网发展背景下食用菌产业发展现状,给出了食用菌产业在转变经济发展方式中所面临的问题和困难,并对整个产业发展的源动力和发展路径进行了分析。在此基础上,采用数学模型对食用菌的物流成本进行了核算;在互联网飞速发展的条件下,食用菌产业可以尝试订单生产模式等一些新型的商业来积极寻求转型升级,整合互联网资源,共同应对机遇和挑战,从而达到合作共赢、共同发展的目标。     

外源硅调控葡萄生理特性对低温胁迫的响应

本研究以大田葡萄品种‘梅鹿辄’为试材,采用大田喷施硅酸钾与室内低温处理相结合的方法,测定不同温度下葡萄叶片生理指标的变化,研究外源硅酸钾调控葡萄生理特性对低温胁迫的响应,探讨其提高葡萄抗寒性可能的作用机制。结果表明:低温胁迫下葡萄Inv活性被抑制,而其它指标则升高;喷施硅酸钾可显著降低低温胁迫下葡萄叶片的MDA含量,且当硅酸钾浓度为0.75%时对低温的损伤缓解作用最大;而脯氨酸、可溶性蛋白和可溶性糖含量、Inv、SPS活性及SS净活性均随硅酸钾浓度的升高而显著提高,但是可溶性蛋白含量在硅酸钾浓度为0.50%时最大,其它指标均在浓度为0.75%时最大;通过葡萄叶片各抗寒指标的隶属度值与综合评价指标看出,始花期0.75%的硅酸钾处理后葡萄抗寒性最强。综合分析,喷施硅酸钾可提高低温胁迫下葡萄叶片渗透调节物质含量,加快蔗糖转运及代谢速率,缓解活性氧累积,增强其耐寒性。