Betaine Alleviates Heat Stress-Induced Hepatic and Mitochondrial Oxidative Damage in Broilers

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary betaine (BET) on growth performance, redox state, and related gene expression in broilers under heat stress (HS). A total of 144 21-day-old male broiler chickens with similar body weights were assigned randomly to three treatments with six replicates (eight chickens per replicate cage). Broilers in the control (CON) group were kept at thermoneutral (TN, 22±1°C) conditions and fed a basal diet until they were 42 days of age. Broilers in the other two groups (defined as HS and HS + BET) were exposed to HS (34±1°C, 8 h/day) and fed the basal diet without or with 1000 mg/kg BET, respectively. Rectal and cockscomb temperature of broilers was increased (P<0.05) in HS and HS + BET groups compared with the CON group, whereas there was no difference between HS and HS + BET groups. Dietary BET supplementation restored (P<0.05) average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) of broilers and reversed (P<0.05) the increase in serum alanine transaminase (ALT) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in the liver tissue of broilers under HS. The HS + BET group had higher (P<0.05) activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) in the liver tissue and mitochondria than the HS group, and the same pattern was observed for glutathione (GSH) and GSH/glutathione disulphide (GSSG) in the liver tissue. The decreased mRNA levels of GPX1 and uncoupling protein (UCP) in the liver induced by HS were restored by BET supplementation. In conclusion, dietary BET supplementation can alleviate HS-induced hepatic and mitochondrial oxidative damage of broilers by regulating mRNA expressions of GPX1 and UCP.     

新农业综合执法指导下我国动物卫生监督工作对策

动物产品作为日常饮食结构的重要组成内容,直接关乎人民健康和社会安定,因此动物卫生监督工作责任重大。动物卫生监督作为农业综合执法的一项基本工作内容,在执法改革过程中仍有许多问题制约着动物卫生监督工作的有效开展。该文从执法力量、职责划分、兽医数量、专业水平、执法环境和市场监管6个方面分析动物卫生监督工作中的不足,并提出对策。     

对我国加入WTO后农田水利建设的思考

为提高我国产业在加入WTO后接受挑战的能力，在研究农业“绿箱政策”和国外有关农田水利建设方面措施的基础上，提出加大提入力度，加强科学研究和推广等后对加入WTO的措施。     

3D打印技术在水利水电工程施工中应用研究

对3D打印技术进行应用研究,阐述其精度、强度和速度等关键性能指标合理性,能够有效避免特殊形式结构部位的施工带来的成本、工期及质量问题,增加工程效益,并对溢流堰面特殊部位计算表面曲线轮廓,进行实验3D打印,最后总结3D打印在水利水电工程施工中的优势。     

离心泵叶轮出口宽度对泵腔内压力脉动分布的影响

在试验和数值模拟相互验证的基础上,开展叶轮出口宽度对离心泵泵腔内压力脉动分布影响的研究．通过试验和数值计算获得离心泵的外特性、泵腔内静压分布、泵腔内压力脉动分布及泵体表面的压力脉动幅值分布,并进行对比分析,结果表明：前泵腔内静压和压力脉动幅值随出口宽度的增大而增大,随半径的减小而增大;后泵腔内静压和压力脉动随出口宽度和半径的变化不十分明显．综合考虑外特性和压力脉动,在比转数 ns ＝97时叶轮出口宽度与叶轮出口直径之比应小于0.06;为了使压力脉动在泵腔内有效地衰减,出口宽度与前腔间隙的比值在1.81附近时最佳．研究结果可用于指导离心泵叶轮的优化设计．     

GPS组合模糊控制的农田机器人导航系统设计

设计了一种GPS组合模糊控制的农田机器人导航系统,采用GPS对田间Ι坐标定位;模糊控制对田间Ⅱ坐标定位。根据GPS信号接收机能够确定农田机器人所在田间行;根据导航角、导航距建立模糊控制规则及数据库,确定农田机器人在行间的行走路线。通过Matlab Simulink软件对输入、输出信号及误差反馈量E模拟仿真显示:GPS组合模糊控制对农田机器人导航易于实现、系统响应快、鲁棒性好。     

The effect of lactic acid bacterial starter culture and chemical additives on wilted rice straw silage

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are suitable for rice straw silage fermentation, but have been studied rarely, and rice straw as raw material for ensiling is difficult because of its disadvantages, such as low nutrition for microbial activities and low abundances of natural populations of LAB. So we investigated the effect of application of LAB and chemical additives on the fermentation quality and microbial community of wilted rice straw silage. Treatment with chemical additives increased the concentrations of crude protein (CP), water soluble carbohydrate (WSC), acetic acid and lactic acid, reduced the concentrations of acid detergent fiber (ADF) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF), but did not effectively inhibit the growth of spoilage organisms. Inoculation with LABs did not improve the nutritional value of the silage because of poor growth of LABs in wilted rice straw. Inoculation with LAB and addition of chemical materials improved the quality of silage similar to the effects of addition of chemical materials alone. Growth of aerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria was inhibited by this mixed treatment and the LAB gradually dominated the microbial community. In summary, the fermentation quality of wilted rice straw silage had improved by addition of LAB and chemical materials.     

Canine fetal echocardiography: correlations for the analysis of cardiac dimensions

The aim of this study was to develop regression models for correlation of canine fetal heart development with body size to characterize normal development or suggest cardiac anomalies. Twenty clinically healthy pregnant bitches, either brachycephalic and non-brachycephalic, were examined ultrasonographically. Transabdominal fetal echocardiography was conducted every 4 days from the beginning of cardiac chambers differentiation until parturition. Ten cardiac parameters were measured: length, width and diameter of the heart; heart area; left and right ventricular dimensions; left and right atrial dimensions; and aortic and pulmonary artery diameter. Femoral length, biparietal diameter and abdominal cross-sectional area were also recorded. Regression equations were developed for each parameter of fetal body size, and linear and logarithmic models were compared. The model with the highest correlation coefficient was chosen to produce equations to calculate relative dimensions based on the correlations. Only the left-ventricular chamber differed between the two racial groups. Biparietal diameter was the independent parameter that produced the highest correlation coefficient for the most fetal cardiac dimensions, although good correlations were also observed using femoral length and abdominal cross-sectional area. Heart width and heart diameter were used as surrogates of cardiac development, as these measurements showed the best statistical correlation. Quantitative evaluation of fetal cardiac structures can be used to monitor normal and abnormal cardiac development.     

Tenogenic induction of equine mesenchymal stem cells by means of growth factors and low-level laser technology

Tendons regenerate poorly due to a dense extracellular matrix and low cellularity. Cellular therapies aim to improve tendon repair using mesenchymal stem cells and tenocytes; however, a current limitation is the low proliferative potential of tenocytes in cases of severe trauma. The purpose of this study was to develop a method useful in veterinary medicine to improve the differentiation of Peripheral Blood equine mesenchymal stem cells (PB-MSCs) into tenocytes. PB-MSCs were used to study the effects of the addition of some growth factors (GFs) as TGFβ3 (transforming growth factor), EGF2 (Epidermal growth factor), bFGF2 (Fibroblast growth factor) and IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor) in presence or without Low Level Laser Technology (LLLT) on the mRNA expression levels of genes important in the tenogenic induction as Early Growth Response Protein-1 (EGR1), Tenascin (TNC) and Decorin (DCN). The singular addition of GFs did not show any influence on the mRNA expression of tenogenic genes whereas the specific combinations that arrested cell proliferation in favour of differentiation were the following: bFGF2 + TGFβ3 and bFGF2 + TGFβ3 + LLLT. Indeed, the supplement of bFGF2 and TGFβ3 significantly upregulated the expression of Early Growth Response Protein-1 and Decorin, while the use of LLLT induced a significant increase of Tenascin C levels. In conclusion, the present study might furnish significant suggestions for developing an efficient approach for tenocyte induction since the external administration of bFGF2 and TGFβ3, along with LLLT, influences the differentiation of PB-MSCs towards the tenogenic fate.