Characterizing long-term forest disturbance history and its drivers in the Ning-Zhen Mountains,Jiangsu Province of eastern China using yearly Landsat observations (1987–2011)

Forest losses or gains have long been recognized as critical processes modulating the carbon flux between the biosphere and the atmosphere. Timely, accurate and spatially explicit information on forest disturbance and recovery history is required for assessing the effectiveness of existing forest management. The major objectives of our research focused on testing the mapping efficacy of the vegetation change tracker (VCT) model over a forested area in China. We used a new version of VCT algorithm built upon the Landsat time series stacks (LTSS). The LTSS consisted of yearly image acquisitions to map forest disturbance history from 1987 to 2011 over the Ning-Zhen Mountains, Jiangsu Province of east China. The LTSS consisted of TM and ETM+ scenes with different projections due to distinct data sources (Beijing remote sensing ground station and the USGS EROS Center). The validation results of the disturbance year maps showed that most spatial agreement measures ranged from 70 to 86 %, comparable with the VCT accuracies reported for many places in USA. Very low accuracies were identified in 1995 (38.3 %) and 1992 (56.2 %) in the current analysis. These resulted from the insensitivity of the VCT algorithm to detect low intensity disturbances and also from the mis-registration errors of the image pairs. Major forest disturbance types existing in our study area were identified as agricultural expansion (39.8 %), urbanization (24.9 %), forest management practice (19.3 %), and mining (12.8 %). In general, there was a gradual decreasing trend in forest cover throughout this region, caused principally by China’s economic, demographic, environmental and political policies and decisions, as well as some weather events. While VCT has largely been used to assess long term changes and trends in the USA, it has great potential for assessing landscape level change elsewhere throughout the world.     

Effect of ammonia and nitrite on vigour,survival rate,moulting rate of the blue swimming crab <Emphasis Type="Italic">Portunus pelagicus</Emphasis> zoea

The effects of ammonia and nitrite on vigour, survival rate, moulting rate of zoea of blue swimming crab, Portunus pelagicus, were studied. A total of five nitrite-N treatments (26.67, 53.34, 106.68, 213.36, 426.72 mg/l) and a control (no nitrite-N added) were set up for the acute nitrite-N toxicity experiment; a total of five ammonia-N treatments (8.43, 16.86, 33.72, 67.44, 134.88 mg/l) and a control (no ammonia-N added) were set up for the acute ammonia-N toxicity experiment. The results showed that the vigour, survival rate and moulting rate of zoea of the blue swimming crabs exposed to over 53.34 mg/l were significantly different (P < 0.05) from the control group. The zoea LC₅₀ values (mg/l) of nitrite-N were 179.47, 76.56, 66.70, 37.49, 25.01, 25.35, 25.34 mg/l for 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84, 96 h, respectively. The vigour, survival rate and moulting rate of zoea of the blue swimming crabs exposed to over 16.86 mg/l were significantly different (P < 0.05) from the control group. The zoea LC₅₀ values (mg/l) of ammonia-N were 51.04, 39.62, 38.72, 24.43, 16.90, 13.42, 11.16 mg/l for 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84, 96 h, respectively. The zoeae are highly sensitive to ammonia and nitrite, and the toxicity of ammonia and nitrite on Portunus pelagicus decrease with development of this crab.     

Complications and management of a long-term pleural access port in a dog with chronic chylothorax associated with lung lobe torsion

A 2-year-old neutered male 35-kg golden retriever mixed breed dog was presented because of a 3-day history of increased respiratory effort. The patient was subsequently diagnosed with a lung lobe torsion and underwent lung lobectomy. Chylothorax developed after surgery and persisted for 3.5 y. Pleural access port (PAP) placement was used for long-term medical management. Several complications were encountered, including 2 episodes of PAP occlusion that were successfully treated with unfractionated heparin. The dog had a surgical site seroma and 2 episodes of pleuritis; euthanasia was elected after the second episode.Key clinical message:This case demonstrates successful long-term management of chylothorax with a pleural access port and management of 3 complications. Instead of the less accessible and more expensive tissue plasminogen activator, unfractionated heparin was used as an effective treatment for PAP occlusions.     

Effects of dietary oregano essential oil supplementation on growth performance,intestinal antioxidative capacity,immunity, and intestinal microbiota in yellow-feathered chickens

Essential oils are plant-derived aromatic volatile oils, and they contain bioactive compounds that have been shown to improve poultry nutrition. In this study, we investigated the effects of oregano essential oil (OEO) on intestinal antioxidative capacity, immunity, and gut microbiota of young yellow-feathered chickens. A total of nine hundred and sixty 1-d-old female Qingyuan partridge chickens were randomly allocated to four treatment groups with six replicates of 40 birds each, and the feeding trial was lasted for 30 d. The controls were fed on a basal diet without in-feed antibiotics; the birds in the antibiotic group were fed the basal diet supplemented with 20 mg/kg virginiamycin; the remaining birds were fed the basal diet containing 150 or 300 mg/kg OEO, respectively. Dietary supplementation with 150 or 300 mg/kg OEO increased average daily feed intake (P = 0.057) and average daily gain (P < 0.05). The activities of glutathione peroxidase and total antioxidative capacity in plasma, jejuna, and ileal mucosa were increased by OEO supplementation (P < 0.05), with a trend of lower jejunal content of malonaldehyde (P = 0.062). Moreover, dietary OEO increased the content of secretory immunoglobulin A (P = 0.078) and the relative expression of Claudin 1, Mucin 2, and Avain beta-defensin 1 in ileum (P < 0.05). Sequencing data of 16S rRNA indicated that dietary OEO increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes phylum, and Clostridium and Lactobacillus genera, and decreasing that of Romboutsia. Functional analyses indicated that microbial amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, replication, and repair systems were higher in OEO groups than those of controls and antibiotic treatment. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with OEO enhanced growth performance, alleviated local oxidative stress in intestine, improved production of natural antibodies, and favorably modulated intestinal microbiota composition.     

Characteristics of 18F-FDG and 18F-FDOPA PET in an 8-year-old neutered male Yorkshire Terrier dog with glioma: long-term chemotherapy using hydroxyurea plus imatinib with prednisolone and immunoreactivity for PDGFR-β and LAT1

An 8-year-old neutered male Yorkshire Terrier dog presented with head pressing, vestibular ataxia, neck tenderness, and no oculocephalic reflex. A demarcated lesion in the pons was identified on MRI. The patient was tentatively diagnosed with a glioma and was treated with hydroxyurea plus imatinib and prednisolone. After 30 days of therapeutic treatment, the patient showed a clear improvement in neurological signs, which lasted for 1117 days. On day 569 after the initiation of treatment, ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) was performed with no significant findings on visual analysis. The average and maximal standardized uptake values (SUVs) were 1.92 and 2.29, respectively. The tumor-to-normal-tissue (T/N) ratio was 0.97. The first evidence of clinical deterioration was noticed on day 1147. On day 1155, 3,4-dihydroxy-6-[¹⁸F]-fluoro-l-phenylalanine (¹⁸F-FDOPA)-PET was performed. High uptake of ¹⁸F-FDOPA was observed in the intracranial lesion. The mean and maximal SUVs of the tumor were 1.59 and 2.29, respectively. The T/N ratio was 2.22. The patient was euthanized on day 1155 and histopathologic evaluations confirmed glioma (astrocytoma). This case shows that chemotherapy with hydroxyurea plus imatinib may be considered in the treatment of canine glioma. Furthermore, this is the first case describing the application of ¹⁸F-FDG and ¹⁸F-FDOPA in a dog with glioma.     

猪C1QTNF3基因可变剪接体的鉴定及介导miR-101调控成脂分化的研究

旨在研究猪C1QTNF3基因可变剪接体的特性及miR-101通过C1QTNF3基因促进猪脂肪SV细胞成脂分化的机制。本研究采集3头30日龄健康马身猪仔公猪心、肝、脾、肺、肾、胃、股二头肌、腰大肌、皮下脂肪和背部脂肪组织样品,首先利用RT-PCR技术和生物信息学方法对C1QTNF3基因的不同转录本进行扩增和生物学特性分析,采用qRT-PCR技术检测C1QTNF3基因不同转录本在猪组织中的表达变化。随后,利用生物信息学预测发现,C1QTNF3上游的调控因子是miR-101,采用双荧光素酶报告试验验证miR-101对C1QTNF3的调控作用。最后,利用油红O染色和qRT-PCR技术检测过表达miR-101对猪脂肪SV细胞成脂分化的影响。基因克隆得到猪C1QTNF3存在两个转录本C1QTNF3和C1QTNF3-1,其中C1QTNF3-1为新鉴定的转录本;测序分析显示,与C1QTNF3相比,C1QTNF3-1的第1外显子区域缺失了219个碱基,少编码73个氨基酸。进化树分析显示,猪C1QTNF3和C1QTNF3-1蛋白序列与人和马来亚穿山甲等物种的亲缘关系较近。C1QTNF3和C1QTNF3-1在猪各组织中均有表达,且在各组织中C1QTNF3-1的表达量均极显著高于C1QTNF3（P<0.01）。过表达miR-101极显著下调C1QTNF3 3'UTR区域的荧光素酶活性（P<0.01）和C1QTNF3 mRNA的表达（P<0.01）,同时增加了脂肪细胞成脂分化关键基因PPARγ、C/EBPβ、SREBP-1c和FABP4的mRNA表达量（P<0.01）。本试验成功克隆了猪C1QTNF3基因的两个可变剪接体,其中C1QTNF3-1在猪不同组织中均高表达,推测该转录本为基因发挥功能的主要亚型。并深入研究了C1QTNF3基因的上游调控因子,揭示了miR-101靶向C1QTNF3促进成脂分化的机制,丰富了C1QTNF3的生物学作用和调控网络。     

香猪基因组外显子SNPs检测及繁殖和体型性状候选基因分析

为从基因组水平上探究香猪性成熟早、产仔数少、体型小的分子机理,本研究下载与香猪在繁殖和体型性状方面有明显差异的梅山猪、杜洛克猪的重测序数据作为参照,对26头香猪、24头梅山猪和24头杜洛克猪的重测序数据进行SNPs检测和等位基因频率差值分析,筛选香猪基因组外显子上与梅山猪、杜洛克猪高度分化的SNPs位点,并使用AS-PCR方法和Sanger测序方法统计其中8个SNPs位点的群体等位基因频率。最后,对含有高度分化SNPs位点的基因进行GO功能富集和KEGG通路分析。结果显示,SNPs检测获得香猪基因组外显子上SNPs共236 710个,包括193个终止密码子丢失、1 238个终止密码子获得、90 945个错义SNPs和144 334个同义SNPs。得到1 046个香猪高度分化SNPs,包括429个错义SNPs、2个终止子丢失、6个终止子获得和609个同义SNPs,影响524个蛋白质编码基因;并发现X染色体上44-58 Mb的一段富含高度分化SNPs的热点区域。群体等位基因频率验证结果与重测序结果一致,鉴定了8个位点均为香猪与梅山猪、杜洛克猪高度分化的SNPs。对524个含有高度分化SNPs的基因进行GO和KEGG分析,富集到卵母细胞减数分裂、雌激素信号途径等繁殖相关通路;GO功能注释到细胞内雌激素受体信号、纤毛运动等繁殖相关条目,骨骼系统形态发生、骨骼发育、成骨细胞分化等体型相关条目。得到含有香猪高度分化SNPs的18个繁殖性状候选基因PTGFR、TRO、DNAH17、PKDREJ、KAT8、DNAI2、VDR、TEX14、QSOX1、AR、WNK3、ADCY3、SPEF1、MIGA2、SLC2A8、PSMF1、TBC1D20、IFT172和7个体型相关基因IBSP、NR6A1、HSPG2、TARS、PDZD2、FGF4、AMER1,可能是决定香猪性成熟早、产仔数少、体型小的关键基因。     

母猪不食的原因分析及综合防控措施

母猪通过采食饲料,获得营养物质,一旦不食,养分没有来源,必然不能维持生产和基本的健康。无论是妊娠期还是分娩期不食,都影响母猪和仔猪的健康及生产性能,从而增加生产成本、降低养殖效益。母猪产后不食,生成乳汁的营养来源不足,仔猪因不能摄入足够的母乳,引发腹泻、生长受阻,甚至死亡。营养摄入不足,也影响母猪产后机体恢复,母猪表现出身体虚弱、生理功能紊乱,如不及时治疗好,可能会导致母猪不发情被淘汰。     

Protein and energy concentrations of meat meal and meat and bone meal fed to pigs based on in vitro assays

The objective of this study was to develop equations for estimating ileal digestible crude protein (CP) and metabolizable energy (ME) contents of meat meal (MM) and meat and bone meal (MBM) as feed ingredients for pigs based on in vitro assays. Test ingredients were 4 sources of MM and 3 sources of MBM. Ash and CP contents of the ingredients ranged from 3.8% to 33.1% and 46.8% to 82.9% (as-is basis), respectively. In vitro ileal disappearance (IVID) of CP was determined and ileal digestible CP content was calculated by multiplying CP content by IVID of CP. In vitro total tract disappearance (IVTTD) of dry matter (DM) was determined and ME was calculated using gross energy, CP contents, and IVTTD of DM. The IVID of CP and IVTTD of DM ranged from 77.2% to 88.7% and from 82.7% to 92.4%, respectively. Calculated ileal digestible CP and ME contents ranged from 37.8% to 73.5% DM and 2,405 to 3,905 kcal/kg DM, respectively. Ash contents were negatively correlated (P < 0.001) with CP (r = −0.99), in vitro ileal digestible CP (r = −0.97), gross energy (r = −1.00), in vitro digestible energy (r = −0.97), and adjusted ME (r = −0.97). The most fitting equations for ileal digestible CP and adjusted ME were: ileal digestible CP (% DM) = 11.91 − 0.90 × Ash (% DM) + 0.74 × IVID of CP (%) (R² = 0.99) and adjusted ME (kcal/kg DM) = 130.85 − 50.90 × ash (% DM) + 47.06 × IVTTD of DM (%) (R² = 0.99). To validate the accuracy of the prediction equations for ME, mean bias and linear bias were determined using a regression analysis. Calculated ME values of MM and MBM were in a good agreement with data obtained from animal experiments based on a statistically insignificant bias in the models. In conclusion, ME concentrations of MM and MBM as swine feed ingredients can be calculated using ash concentration and in vitro disappearance of dry matter.