Acute toxicity of zinc and arsenic to the warmwater aquatic oligochaete <Emphasis Type="Italic">Branchiura sowerbyi</Emphasis> as compared to its coldwater counterpart <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tubifex tubifex</Emphasis> (Annelida,Clitellata)

Purpose

This study aimed at evaluating the acute effects of arsenic and zinc to the warmwater aquatic oligochaete Branchiura sowerbyi. Relative sensitivity with the coldwater species Tubifex tubifex was compared. Implications for the use of B. sowerbyi in the risk assessment of sediments in the tropics are discussed.

Materials and methods

Water-only (96 h) and sediment (14 days) toxicity tests were conducted with both species evaluating a concentration series of arsenic and zinc. The tests were conducted considering the environmental conditions in the natural habitat of T. tubifex (predominantly temperate) and B. sowerbyi (predominantly tropical). Both lethal and sublethal endpoints (autotomy of the posterior body parts, abnormal behavior and appearance) were determined in the tests. The lethal (LC₁₀ and LC₅₀) and effect (EC₁₀ and EC₅₀) concentrations were also determined to assess metal sensitivity for both species.

Results and discussion

Both test species were more sensitive to Zn than As in water-only tests, which is in agreement with previous studies evaluating the toxicity of these metals to aquatic oligochaetes. Sublethal effects were generally noted at concentrations lower than those leading to mortality. The warmwater oligochaete B. sowerbyi was more sensitive to both metals tested than the coldwater species T. tubifex.

Conclusions

Study findings support the need for using indigenous tropical species in risk assessments in the tropics. In addition, sublethal effect parameters should be included in toxicity testing with aquatic oligochaetes.

     

Growth stimulation of juvenile abalone <Emphasis Type="Italic">Haliotis discus hannai</Emphasis> by feeding with salmon growth hormone in sodium alginate gel

We examined the ability of salmon growth hormone (sGH) in sodium alginate (SA) gel to accelerate the somatic growth of juvenile abalone, Haliotis discus hannai, by feeding. After the feeding of sGH at 50 μg or 100 μg in 350 mg SA gel, immunoreactivity to sGH in body fluid was maximal after 12 h, and was still detectable at 24 h. No immunoreactivity was observed in the control group. Following the feeding of sGH at 0.5 mg or 5 mg/8 g of SA gel at 7- and 14-day intervals, there was a greater increase in shell length and body weight than in the control. In abalone, sGH can be transported from food into the circulatory system and subsequently improve somatic growth.     

农业展览在农产品贸易中的推动作用研究

伴随着我国政府对于三农问题重视程度的不断加深,如何拓展农产品销售渠道,推动 农产品产业的持续发展成为了社会各界关注的焦点。农业展览活动有助于企业更好的了解市 场需求和农作物种植技术,为农产品贸易的开展提供了良好的平台,其不仅能够拓宽农产品销 售渠道,还可以带动区域经济的发展以及强化政府推动作用,为农产品贸易活动的开展营造良 好的环境。因此,为了提升农业展览在农产品贸易中的推动作用,需要确定公共部门的职能定 位、推动展览市场化运作,并注重提升展览专业化。     

不同有机无机复混肥对小麦产量、氮效率和土壤微生物多样性的影响

通过田间试验,研究了菜粕堆肥、猪粪堆肥和中药渣堆肥有机无机复混肥与无机复混肥等价格施入对小麦产量、氮素利用率以及土壤微生物多样性的影响。结果表明,3种堆肥原料有机无机复混肥处理的小麦子粒产量（5838.8～6243.1 kg/hm2）为化肥处理（5880.4 kg/hm2）的99.3%～106.2%,差异不显著。猪粪处理和菜粕处理的小麦子粒的氮素累积量（分别为100.2 kg/hm2和95.8 kg/hm2）显著高于化肥处理（85.9 kg/hm2）和中药渣堆肥有机无机复混肥处理（84.5 kg/hm2）;3种有机无机复混肥的氮肥回收效率和氮素利用率（包括氮素生理利用效率和氮素子粒生产效率）都高于化肥处理的氮肥回收效率和氮素利用率。对各处理土壤DNA条带采用邻接法分析表明,施入外源有机物质(菜粕堆肥、猪粪堆肥与中药渣堆肥)可以改变土壤的微生物细菌群落结构,而施入化肥对土壤的微生物细菌群落结构影响较小。本试验条件下,施用3种堆肥原料的有机无机复混肥可以获得与施用化肥相当的小麦子粒产量,提高小麦的氮素回收和利用效率,改变土壤微生物细菌群落结构。     

动物硒蛋白功能、表达及其肉质调控机制研究进展

硒蛋白是微量元素硒(Se)在动物体内发挥生物学功能的主要形式,其表达调控与动物生长和畜禽肉质密切相关。介绍动物体内Se元素吸收代谢的过程及其主要存在形式,系统总结动物硒蛋白的结构、种类、表达分布、生物学功能、合成过程、影响因素与候选功能基因等,重点分析硒蛋白在活体肌肉中的作用,以及对畜禽肉质调控的影响。通过梳理上述方面的研究进展,以期为新饲料添加剂开发和畜禽肉质调控研究提供科学依据。     

Occurrence of concurrent infectious diseases in broiler chickens is a threat to commercial poultry farms in Central Ethiopia

Commercial poultry production is one of the flourishing ventures of animal production in Ethiopia. It has been providing to the demands of proteins at least to the urban population, though concurrent health constraints are hampering its intended potential. This study reports the influence of infectious diseases in commercial broiler farms in central Ethiopia. In this study, clinical signs, gross lesions, laboratory tests (serology, bacterial culture, histopathology and parasitology) and farm management data were used to identify major causes of outbreaks in an age specific manner in broiler chickens in three poultry farms in Debre Zeit, Central Ethiopia. The outbreaks detected in the farms were due to mycoplasmosis, salmonellosis, colibacillosis, coccidiosis and infectious bursal disease. It is observed that the occurrence of concurrent diseases in the farms significantly affects the productivity and health status of broilers. The risk factors that predispose birds to the various infections in the different farms studied were also recorded. In addition, recommendations were also provided.     

Protection of mice against <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brucella abortus 544</Emphasis> challenge by vaccination with recombinant OMP28 adjuvanted with CpG oligonucleotides

Brucella abortus, a gram negative, facultative intracellular pathogen causes brucellosis in many animal species and humans. Although live, attenuated vaccines are available against this infection, they suffer from certain limitations. Therefore, the development of an effective subunit vaccine against brucellosis is an area of intense research. The outer membrane proteins (OMPs) of Brucella species have been extensively studied for its immunogenicity and protective ability. We have investigated the potential of CpG ODN to enhance the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of recombinant 28 kDa outer membrane protein (rOMP28) of Brucella melitensis. The study demonstrated vigorous immunoglobulin G (IgG) response of OMP28. The administration of rOMP28 with CpG caused increased cell mediated immune response in terms of induced IgG2a, T-cell proliferation and up-regulation of type I cytokine expression. In contrast, the free antigen suppressed the interferon gamma (type I cytokine) production on in-vitro stimulation of spleenocytes. The result indicates the role of OMP28 in the down regulation of IFN-γ production. Moreover, the B. abortus S-19 vaccinated mice showed highest production of IL-4 and IFN-γ. The protective ability of the antigen was evaluated by systemic bacterial clearance after challenging the mouse with B. abortus 544 pathogen. The level of protection was significant in rOMP28+CpG treated mice but was lower than the required level. The results of the present study indicate that rOMP28 could be an immunogen capable of inducing both humoral and cellular immune response. The humoral response was biased towards Th1 type when it was co-administered with CpG.     

山东省菏泽市某规模猪场不同猪群伪狂犬病野毒感染情况调查

为了解规模猪场不同猪群的伪狂犬病病毒(PRV)感染情况及场区病毒载量分布特点,在山东省菏泽市某规模猪场,利用实时荧光定量PCR方法,对该猪场不同孕龄母猪、不同阶段生长猪群,以及各生产阶段场区环境,采集猪鼻拭子和场区环境拭子进行PRV-gE核酸检测,并对检测结果进行统计分析.结果显示:在294份猪鼻拭子中,检出42份PR...     

Herbage intake of dairy cows in mixed sequential grazing with breeding ewes as followers

This study aimed to evaluate the hypothesis that mixed sequential grazing of dairy cows and breeding ewes is beneficial. During the seasons of spring–summer 2013 and autumn–winter 2013–2014, 12 (spring–summer) and 16 (autumn–winter) Holstein Friesian cows and 24 gestating (spring–summer) and lactating (autumn–winter) Pelibuey ewes grazed on six (spring–summer) and nine (autumn–winter) paddocks of alfalfa and orchard grass mixed pastures. The treatments “single species cow grazing” (CowG) and “mixed sequential grazing with ewes as followers of cows” (MixG) were evaluated, under a completely randomized design with two replicates per paddock. Herbage mass on offer (HO) and residual herbage mass (RH) were estimated by cutting samples. The estimate of herbage intake (HI) of cows was based on the use of internal and external markers; the apparent HI of ewes was calculated as the difference between HO (RH of cows) and RH. Even though HO was higher in CowG, the HI of cows was higher in MixG during spring–summer and similar in both treatments during autumn–winter, implying that in MixG the effects on the cows HI of higher alfalfa proportion and herbage accumulation rate evolving from lower residual herbage mass in the previous cycle counteracted that of a higher HO in CowG. The HI of ewes was sufficient to enable satisfactory performance as breeding ewes. Thus, the benefits of mixed sequential grazing arose from higher herbage accumulation, positive changes in botanical composition, and the achievement of sheep production without negative effects on the herbage intake of cows.     

无损检测桃子电特性的试验研究

利用智能ＬＣＲ测量仪和平板电极系统，用无损检测方法测定了桃子在储藏过程中电特性的变化。结果表明：在１２Ｈｚ～１００ｋＨｚ的频段内，桃子的最佳测试频段为１５ｋＨｚ以下，此时桃子随着储藏时间的增加，等效阻抗增大而相对介电常数和介质损耗因数减小；当桃子开始腐烂时，电特性数值出现了一个大的反复