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.     

低风险疾病情境下农村居民健康信息规避行为研究

[目的/意义]本研究旨在揭示低风险疾病情境下农村居民健康信息规避的程度、策略、成因及其关联。[方法/过程]研究采用理论抽样方法和半结构化访谈法收集了江苏省45位农村居民的相关数据。研究采用开放式编码和主轴编码方法对访谈数据进行分析,同时采用社会网络分析软件对规避策略和成因之间的关系进行可视化展示。[结果/结论]（1）农村居民在低风险疾病情境下存在全面型和选择型两种不同程度的健康信息规避。其中,全面型健康信息规避主要发生在信息需求阶段,具体的规避策略为完全不治疗;而选择型信息规避发生在信息获取阶段,具体的规避策略为自己治疗或者拖延治疗。（2）该情境下农村居民健康信息规避的成因主要包括感知风险、对信息源的信任、健康信息素养水平、文化水平、情绪、经济水平、小世界、时间和医疗资源的可及性。（3）农民健康信息规避的成因与规避策略存在特定的关联。文化水平和医疗资源的可及性只对完全不治疗规避策略有影响;情绪因素只对拖延治疗规避策略有影响;健康信息素养水平只对自己治疗规避策略有影响。该研究可为改善农村居民的健康状况提供指导建议。     

A releaser pheromone that attracts methyltestosterone- treated immature fish in the urine of ovulated female rainbow trout

SUMMARY: Behavioral experiments concerning a releaser pheromone in the urine of female rainbow trout were performed using immature fish administered orally with 17α-methyltestosterone (MT) during the non-spawning season. The urine was collected by catheter. The frequency of entries of test fish was recorded in each channel scented by test and control solutions in a Y-maze trough. The behavior of both MT-treated and control fish demonstrated that they could not discriminate the differences between distilled and environmental water as control solutions. There was also no difference between MT-treated and control fish when distilled and environmental water were introduced. The MT-treated immature fish were attracted to the channel scented by ovulated female urine. Neither coelomic fluid nor the immature female urine had any effect on the behavioral responses of MT-treated fish, while immature control fish had no preference for the urine of ovulated females. These results suggest in rainbow trout that ovulated female urine contains a releaser pheromone to attract mature males, and that androgens are involved in the sensory mechanisms detecting the releaser pheromone in fish.     

Adverse impact of industrial animal agriculture on the health and welfare of farmed animals

Industrial animal agriculture is grounded in the concept of maximizing productivity and profit. Selective breeding for maximum productivity in one characteristic of the animal (e.g. milk yield in cows, or breast meat in broiler chickens) has resulted in genotypes and phenotypes that may predispose the animals to poor health and welfare. The conditions in which these individuals are kept may also frustrate many inherited behaviors that they are strongly motivated to perform. In order to curb the resulting harmful aberrant behaviors, such as feather‐pecking in chickens, we sometimes resort to mutilating the animals. In many places chickens are routinely de‐beaked by means of a hot metal guillotine. Compassion in World Farming (an international organization that promotes the humane treatment of farm animals) believes that it is unethical to treat sentient beings in such ways. We have a duty to respect farm animals' sentience by providing them with housing conditions that take their needs and wants into account, and by reverting to the use of dual‐purpose, slower‐growing breeds that have the potential for good welfare. Alternatives to current farming practices are available, and we owe it to the animals, and to our consciences, to pursue them.     

三阶时滞泛函微分方程解的渐近性

本文讨论一类三阶时滞泛函微分方程解的渐近性质,给出了若干解的有界性及解趋于零的判定准则.     

输气管道水化物堵塞的预防和处理

阐述了输气管道内水化物的成因，特性及游离水的来源，并对其进行了分析，根据分析结果，给出了预测管道内水化物形成区域的方法，提出了三项预防水化物的措施，（1）施工阶段避免过多使用弯管，（2）投产前增加吹扫次数，彻底清除水，（3）运行初期定期注入抑制剂，指出对已形成水化物的管道段，可采取尽快降低运行压力，加热，注醇和放空等措施进行处理。     

AN OBSERVATION STUDY ON BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERS AND MATING BEHAVIOR OF DAHURIAN CASEBEARER(COLEOPHORA DAHURICA FLKV.)ADULTS

Through rearing tests and observations under laboratory conditions,biologicalcharacters and mating behavior of Dahurian casebearer(Coleophora dahurica Flkv.)adultswere studied in this paper.Results discovered that the time of emergense of male adultswas 24h to 36h earlier than that of female adults.The peak of sex pheromone secretion ofthe female adults appeared of 24h to 42h after the emergence.The reaction of male adultson the sex pheromone was most sensitive during 30h to 48h after emerged,so the earlieremergence of the male adults was favorable to mating.The phenomenon of repeatedmating did not exist in female adults,but the male adults could mate for several times,with maximum of 4 times.There was a definite behavioral reaction during the matingperiod of male and female adults,and the certain period of feeding and mating times couldaffect the adults longervity to a certain degree.     

Factors affecting agonistic interactions of pigs after regrouping in pens with a box

To determine the factors affecting agonistic interactions after regrouping, 24 pigs were allocated to six pens that each had a box. Half of the pigs were experienced in using the box. One castrated male and one female pig were transferred from each pen to another pen at random. The number of pigs attacked was particularly large for the pigs that had no experience in using the box and were transferred on the first day ( P <  0.05). The duration of access to the box was markedly longer for the pigs that had experience in using the box and were not transferred on the first day ( P <  0.05). The number and duration of attacks were significantly larger and longer toward unfamiliar individuals than toward familiar ones (both P < 0.01). The number of attacks toward the same sex was significantly larger than toward the opposite sex ( P <  0.01). A negative correlation was found between the number of agonistic interactions on the first day and the range of body weights in the pen mates ( r =  −0.78, P  = 0.07). In conclusion, regrouping with unfamiliar individuals should be avoided, but when unavoidable, the following methods are recommended to reduce agonistic interactions: (1) ensure the intruders are experienced in using a box, (2) move experienced intruders in with residents that have no experience in using a box, (3) mix different sexes, and (4) have wide variations in body weights in a pen.