Rearing conditions affected responses of weaned pigs to organic acids showing a positive effect on digestibility,microflora and immunity

Three experiments were conducted to assess the response of weaned pigs to organic acid SF3, which contains 34% calcium formate, 16% calcium lactate, 7% citric acid and 13% medium chain fatty acids. Dietary treatments had no effect on growth performance of piglets (21‐day weaning) fed the commercial prestart diet for 1 week before receiving the experimental diets supplemented with SF3 at 0, 3 or 5 g/kg diet (Exp. 1), whereas diarrhea frequency averaged across a week was decreased by SF3 supplementation (5 g/kg diet) in piglets fed the experimental diets immediately after weaning (Exp. 2). In Exp. 3, piglets (28‐day weaning) were fed the control (containing pure colistin sulfate and enramycin, respectively, at 20 mg/kg diet) for 1 week and then were fed the control or SF3‐supplemented (5 g/kg diet) diet for 2 weeks. The SF3‐fed piglets had greater apparent ileal digestibility of calcium and dry matter, while also demonstrating greater overall gross energy, up‐regulated jejunal expression of sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐1 and transforming growth factor‐β, down‐regulated jejunal expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, higher ileal Lactobacillus, with lower total bacteria content, lower plasma TNF‐α but higher IgG levels than the control‐fed piglets. Collectively, SF3 consumption improved diarrhea resistance of weaned pigs by improving nutrient digestibility, piglet immunity and intestinal bacteria profile. © 2016 Japanese Society of Animal Science     

“西育1号”芹菜周年栽培技术

"西育1号"芹菜新品种于2009年10月通过陕西省农作物品种审定委员会登记。经过在西安三桥农场、西安市现代农业科技展示中心多年的多茬口栽培试验以及高陵、阎良、周至等区县的试验示范,总结形成了一套适合关中地区"西育1号"芹菜的优质高效周年栽培技术,以期为该品种的推广提供技术指导。     

Seasonal and photoperiodic regulation of secretion of hormones associated with reproduction in Magang goose ganders

This study examined the reproductive endocrine profile under natural and artificial photoperiods in Magang goose ganders. Group 1 ganders (n=8) served as non-treated controls and were exposed to natural photoperiod throughout the experiment from 13th January to 17th December 2004. Group 2 ganders (n=8) were exposed to 18 h long daily photoperiod for 60 days from 13 January till 15 March 2004 and again to 16 h photoperiod for 75 days till 10th October 2004, and the 11h short photoperiod in the remainder periods of the experiment. In control ganders, plasma LH concentrations were high in normal breeding seasons (August-March) and decreased to low levels in non-breeding season from April to July. Testosterone concentrations changed similarly to that of LH throughout the seasons. Seasonal pattern of PRL concentrations was opposite to those of LH and testosterone, with low values in breeding season and high values in non-breeding season. In artificial photoperiod treated ganders, increasing photoperiod increased PRL and decreased LH and testosterone concentrations, while decreasing photoperiod reversed these changes. There were no seasonal or photoperiod caused changes in plasma T3 concentrations in both control ganders and artificial photoperiod treated ganders. These results demonstrated that in Magang goose ganders that long photoperiod stimulates PRL secretion and decreases LH secretion, which terminates reproductive season in spring and early summer, and short photoperiod stimulates LH secretion and inhibits PRL secretion rendering ganders enter into reproductive season.     

Evaluation of immunogenicity and protective efficacy of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae HB04C(-) mutant lacking a drug resistance marker in the pigs

Previously, we reported the construction and characterization of a genetically defined Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (A. pleuropneumoniae) apxIIC gene mutant, HB04C(-), which conferred protection to mice against infection with A. pleuropneumoniae. In this study, we further evaluated HB04C(-) for safety and its ability to elicit protective immunity in pigs. It was demonstrated that a dose of 2 x 10(8) CFU HB04C(-) was safe to the pigs via intranasal or intramuscular injection. Immunization with a dose of 2 x 10(8) HB04C(-) by both intranasal and intramuscular routine could yield equal protective efficacy and elicited significant protection against experiment challenge with homologous or heterologous serotypes of a virulent A. pleuropneumonia. Taken together, HB04C(-) might serve as a promising vaccine candidate against infection with A. pleuropneumoniae.     

Streptococcus suis infections in humans: the Chinese experience and the situation in North America

Infections caused by Streptococcus suis are considered a global problem in the swine industry. In this animal species, S. suis is associated with septicemia, meningitis, endocarditis, arthritis and, occasionally, other infections. Moreover, it is an agent of zoonosis that afflicts people in close contact with infected pigs or pork-derived products. Although sporadic cases of S. suis infection in humans have been reported, a large outbreak due to S. suis serotype 2 emerged in the summer of 2005 in Sichuan, China. A similar outbreak was observed in another Chinese province in 1998. Symptoms reported in these two outbreaks include high fever, malaise, nausea and vomiting, followed by nervous symptoms, subcutaneous hemorrhage, septic shock and coma in severe cases. The increased severity of S. suis infections in humans, such as a shorter incubation time, more rapid disease progression and higher rate of mortality, underscores the critical need to better understand the factors associated with pathogenesis of S. suis infection. From the 35 capsular serotypes currently known, serotype 2 is considered the most virulent and frequently isolated in both swine and humans. Here, we review the epidemiological, clinical and immunopathological features of S. suis infection in humans.     

Characterization,phylogenetic analyses and pathogenicity of Bipolaris setariae associated with brown stripe disease on sugarcane in Yunnan,China

Brown stripe disease is a severe foliar fungal disease of sugarcane worldwide and is widespread in all sugarcane planting areas in China. Brown stripe is a major disease that seriously affects the output and quality of the sugarcane industry in Yunnan Province, China's second-largest sugar base, while the pathogen of this disease remains not yet fully understood. To address this, we isolated and identified the fungi associated with 68 leaf samples showing typical symptoms of brown stripe from 22 sugarcane varieties in different areas of Yunnan Province. A total of 113 isolates were obtained, which were morphologically similar. Of these, 64 representative isolates were sequenced for the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), GAPDH and EF-1α loci. All representative isolates grouped with the type strain of Bipolaris setariae in the phylogenetic trees inferred with individual and concatenated sequences of ITS, GAPDH and EF1-α. Pathogenicity test results showed that B. setariae strains were able to induce typical symptoms of brown stripe. The results obtained in this study clarify that only B. setariae is associated with sugarcane brown stripe in Yunnan, China. It is recorded here for the first time as a pathogen causing sugarcane brown stripe in Yunnan, and it is able to infect many major cultivars and new varieties, posing a new threat to the sugar industry in Yunnan Province. In addition, these results provide the scientific basis for the future breeding of disease-resistant varieties and effective prevention and control of sugarcane brown stripe disease.     

中华卵索线虫人工室内培养技术

为室内大量繁殖中华卵索线虫Ovomermis sinensis,采用个体由大到小的斜纹夜蛾Spodoptera litura、棉铃虫Helicoverpa armigera和黏虫Mythimna separata作为宿主,测定被中华卵索线虫寄生后3种宿主的体长和体重,研究宿主种类对中华卵索线虫有效率、雌雄比和体长的影响以及寄生强度对线虫雌雄比的影响。结果显示,被中华卵索线虫寄生后,斜纹夜蛾、棉铃虫和黏虫生长减缓。在相同感染比例下（除宿主与线虫比为1∶15外）,3种宿主的线虫有效率之间差异不显著。当寄生强度为5时,3种宿主体内脱出的中华卵索线虫均为雌线虫;当寄生强度从10增到40时,斜纹夜蛾、棉铃虫和黏虫所脱出的雌性比分别由100.0%、90.0%、83.9%降为0;相同寄生强度下,从斜纹夜蛾体内脱出的雌性比显著高于从棉铃虫与黏虫体内脱出的雌性比。斜纹夜蛾、棉铃虫和黏虫体内脱出雌线虫和雄线虫平均体长分别为14.8、13.8、12.8 cm和8.0、7.5和7.5 cm。当中华卵索线虫与宿主按照比例20∶1～25∶1侵染斜纹夜蛾、按照15∶1侵染棉铃虫和黏虫时,能获得线虫最适雌雄比（1∶1...     

小麦矮腥黑粉菌g9890基因编码效应蛋白的生物信息学分析及亚细胞定位

为明确小麦矮腥黑粉菌Tilletia controversa g9890基因编码效应蛋白的生物学功能,根据小麦矮腥黑粉病菌转录组测序结果,筛选出效应蛋白g9890,通过PCR技术获得g9890基因cDNA的全长序列,并对其进行生物信息学以及亚细胞定位分析。多种生物信息学数据库分析表明,g9890基因全长为1 038 bp（包括终止密码子）,共编码345个氨基酸,相对分子质量为37 353.32,理论等电点为5.02。g9890效应蛋白不稳定系数为15.94,疏水性指数为-0.312,是一种亲水性且稳定的蛋白。将g9890基因与pbin-GFP载体重组,利用冻融法转化至根癌农杆菌Agrobacterium tumefaciens GV3101中,将其注入烟草进行瞬时表达分析,并通过共聚焦激光显微镜观测该基因的定位状况,结果显示,g9890定位在细胞膜和细胞核上。