Can treatment of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brachiaria decumbens</Emphasis> (signal grass) improve its utilisation in the diet in small ruminants?—a review

Brachiaria decumbens is an extremely productive tropical grass due to its aggressive growth habit and its adaptation to a varied range of soil types and environments. As a result of the vast availability, treated B. decumbens demonstrates as a promising local material that could be utilised as an improved diet for sheep and goats. Despite the fact that the grass significantly increases weight gains in grazing farm animals, there were many reports of general ill-thrift and sporadic outbreaks of photosensitivity in livestock due to the toxic compound of steroidal saponin found in B. decumbens. Ensiling and haymaking were found to be effective in removing toxin and undesirable compounds in the grass. Biological treatments using urea, activated charcoal, polyethylene glycol, and effective microorganisms were found to be useful in anti-nutritional factor deactivation and improving the nutritive values of feedstuffs. Besides, oral administration of phenobarbitone showed some degree of protection in sheep that fed on B. decumbens pasture. In this review, we aim to determine the effect of B. decumbens toxicity and possible treatment methods on the grass to be used as an improved diet for small ruminant.     

Genomic characterization of the first oral avian papillomavirus in a colony of breeding canaries (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Serinus canaria</Emphasis>)

Papillomaviruses are non-enveloped, DNA viruses that infect skin and mucosa of a wide variety of vertebrates, causing neoplasias or simply persisting asymptomatically. Avian papillomaviruses, with six fully sequenced genomes, are the second most studied group after mammalian papillomaviruses. In this study, we describe the first oral avian papillomavirus, detected in the tongue of a dead Yorkshire canary (Serinus canaria) and in oral swabs of the same bird and other two live canaries from an aviary in Madrid, Spain. Its genome is 8,071 bp and presents the canonical papillomavirus architecture with six early (E6, E7, E1, E9, E2, E4) and two late open reading frames (L1 and L2) and a long control region between L1 and E6. This new avian papillomavirus L1 gene shares a 64% pairwise identity with FcPV1 L1, so it has been classified as a new species (ScPV1) within the Ethapapillomavirus genus. Although the canary died after showing breathing problems, there is no evidence that the papillomavirus caused those symptoms so it could be part of the oral microbiota of the birds. Hence, future investigations are needed to evaluate the clinical relevance of the virus.     

Concentration variations of several ions in stream after a wildfire

In May 2006, a high intensity wildfire occurred in Songling forest region in Daxing＇an Mountains, China. The concentration changes of eight ions （K^＋, Na^＋, Ca^2＋, Mg^2＋, Cl^-, Br^-, NO3^- and SO4^2-） were measured in burned and tmbumed streams after fire from May to Oct., 2006. Results show that the most ions flux were higher in burned stream than that in unburned stream during the sampling period, and the greatest concentrations of most ions transported from burned stream occurred in July. After fire, the most amplitude chemical ion was Ca^2＋, whose average concentration was 5.50 mg·L^-1 higher than that in unburned stream, and the total concentration of every chemical ion presents a trend Ca^2＋〉SO4^2- 〉Na^＋〉Mg^2＋〉NO3^- . The average concentrations of Ca^2＋, SO4^2- , Na^＋＇Mg^2＋,NO3^- showed an increase trend, but those of K^＋, Cl^- , Br had a decreased trend. SO4^2- had the largest loss among these anions, followed by NO3^-. Overall, the increase degree of cation was greater than that of anion after burning.     

互插式连栋温室风压分布模拟分析

以CFD理论为基础,建立了互插式连栋温室周围空气绕流的数学模型,设定了流体的边界条件,运用Fluent软件对互插式连栋温室的风压分布进行模拟分析。模拟结果表明,风力对温室作用主要是向上的升力;风压系数沿温室跨度方向分布的数值模拟结果与风洞试验结果基本吻合;上风向和下风向风压系数沿温室高度方向呈二次曲线分布,相关系数分别为0.975和0.990;最后将模拟得到的风压系数转换成相应的风载体型系数,为结构优化设计提供参考。     

Effects of dietary vitamin E and fat supplementation in growing-finishing swine fed to a heavy slaughter weight of 150 kg: II. Tissue fatty acid profile,vitamin E concentrations,and antioxidant capacity of plasma and tissue

The study aimed to assess the effects of vitamin E (VE) supplementation and fat source on fatty acid (FA) composition, VE concentrations, and antioxidant capacity in plasma and tissues of pigs fed to a heavy slaughter weight (150 kg). A total of 64 pigs (32 barrows, 32 gilts; 28.41 ± 0.83 kg) were blocked by sex and weight, and randomly assigned to one of eight dietary treatments (n = 8 per treatment) in a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement. Fat sources included corn starch (CS), 5% tallow (TW), 5% distiller’s corn oil (DCO), and 5% coconut oil (CN); VE supplementation levels were 11 and 200 ppm. Five-phase diets were formulated to meet requirement estimates of NRC (2012) and fed to pigs for each period of 25 kg from 25 to 150 kg. Increasing VE supplementation level increased C16:1 (P < 0.05) content but decreased C20:0 (P < 0.05) content in backfat and belly fat, while in liver, it increased C17:0 (P < 0.05) but decreased C18:0 (P < 0.05). Compared to the pigs fed the CS diet, the pigs fed the CN diet had greater (P < 0.05) content of total saturated FA, the pigs fed the DCO diet had greater (P < 0.05) content of total polyunsaturated FA content and iodine value, and the pigs fed the TW diet had greater (P < 0.05) content of total monounsaturated FA in backfat, belly fat, and liver. Plasma VE concentrations increased linearly (P < 0.05) with increasing length of feeding but faster (P < 0.05) in the pigs fed the CN and TW diets compared with the CS and DCO diets within the 200 ppm VE level; the pigs fed the DCO diet had the highest plasma VE concentrations (P < 0.05) from Phase 2 to Phase 5 within the 11 ppm VE level. The VE concentrations in liver and loin muscle (P < 0.05) increased with increasing dietary VE level from 11 to 200 ppm, but it was not affected by dietary fat source. There was no effect of VE supplementation and fat source on antioxidant capacity in plasma and liver except that pigs fed the DCO diet had greater liver SOD activity (P < 0.05) than the pigs fed the CN diet. In conclusion, dietary VE supplementation did not affect FA profile in backfat, belly fat, and liver consistently, while dietary FA composition with different fat sources affected much of the FA profile in backfat, belly fat, and liver. The higher level of VE supplementation increased liver and muscle VE concentrations and dietary fat sources affected plasma VE concentrations differently (P < 0.05), wherein the TW and CN diets increased the VE absorption greater than the DCO diet.     

粳稻品种间种子贮藏蛋白多态性分析

用十二烷基硫酸钠聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳方法对115个不同生态型粳稻品种种子贮藏蛋白多态性进行了分析.根据相对分子质量为65×103带的有无,70×103、60×103、57×103、37×103～39×103、22×103～23×103、13×103 、10×103带染色的深浅, 35×103带迁移的速率,及57×103位置带的数量这4种蛋白谱带变异,共鉴别出19种蛋白图谱类型.品种间蛋白谱带相似系数范围在0.75～1.00之间,采用类平均法进行聚类分析,在相似系数0.894处明显地可以将供试品种分为3组:第1组为8个高直链淀粉含量的品种;第2组为15个高贮藏蛋白含量的品种;其他92个品种为第3组,占供试品种的80%.除了中熟中粳生态型与高直链淀粉含量组有关联外,依据熟期划分的生态型与依据贮藏蛋白聚类分析划分的组之间没有明确的关联.     

马铃薯Y病毒云南昭通烟草分离物的检测及年度间差异比较

利用DAS-ELISA检测试剂盒检测昭通烟草脉斑病样品,结果表明存在马铃薯Y病毒O株系和马铃薯Y病毒N株系两个不同株系病毒。利用Sprimer和M4引物扩增、克隆、测序,得到长度为1 771 bp目的片段,该片段包含病毒的外壳蛋白基因序列、3′ UTR序列以及部分Nib基因序列;序列分析表明与湖南HN 2分离物（GenBank No. GQ200836）和美国NE 11分离物（GenBank No. DQ157180）核苷酸序列相似性均为98%,系统进化分析表明其具有较近的亲缘关系。     

食物氮含量对意大利蝗生长发育和卵巢面积的影响

为合理预测意大利蝗Calliptamus italicus的种群动态,分别用1%（对照）、4%和7%氮含量的食物饲喂意大利蝗5龄蝗蝻,测定不同氮含量食物处理后意大利蝗5龄蝗蝻的生长速率,羽化后7 d的体长、股节长、胫节长、翅长、翅宽、体重及羽化后1、7、13和19 d的卵巢面积。结果显示,4%氮含量食物处理试虫的生长速率最大,分别较1%和7%氮含量处理的增加了88.02%和109.33%;4%和7%氮含量食物处理后,意大利蝗成虫的后翅宽和体重均显著高于对照;羽化后7 d,不同氮含量食物处理的意大利蝗卵巢面积出现显著差异,羽化后19 d,4%氮含量食物处理的卵巢面积显著高于其他2个处理。表明中等氮含量（4%氮含量）适宜意大利蝗生长。     

夏南牛肉用性能的屠宰试验报告

[目的]为了系统掌握夏南牛屠宰试验标准。[方法]经过对6头6月龄断奶的夏南牛公牛、6头12月龄架子公牛、10头18月龄育肥公牛的屠宰试验,[结果]屠宰率、净肉率、眼肌面积、肉骨比、优质肉块比率、高档牛肉率,6月龄分别为:60.19%、48.04%、58.47cm2、4.34∶1、39.84%和17.40%;12月龄分别为:60.38%、49.71%、83.45cm2、5.18∶1、36.03%和18.94%;18月龄分别为:62.58%、52.36%、102.39cm2、5.60∶1、35.14%和17.62%。据对6头18月龄育肥公牛西冷和霖肉两个部位牛肉品质测定,蛋白质含量分别为:23.28%、22.71%;脂肪储量分别为2.61%、2.25%;蒸煮损失分别为:30.96%、31.74%;肌肉剪切力值分别为:3.95kg/cm2、4.32kg/cm2。[结论]说明夏南牛早熟性强,可用于小牛肉生产,18月龄达到特级牛肉质量标准,也可生产高档牛肉。     

SLC7A11基因与动物色素的形成

黑色素广泛分布于微生物、植物和动物体内并扮演了重要的生理功能。SLC7A11基因是新近发现的功能新基因控制脱黑色素合成从而影响到真黑色素与总黑色素的比例,进而改变了动物的毛色和肤色。综述了黑色素的形成过程,并详细分析总结了SLC7A11基因特征及其变异对动物肤色的影响,为研究乌骨绵羊和乌骨鸡乌质性状形成的分子基础提供依据。