Growth and metabolic responses of tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) fed different levels of protein and lipid

Growth and metabolism were investigated in juvenile tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) fed with isoenergetic diets in four treatments with protein (P) lipid (L) in g kg^?1: P350L49; P301L81; P253L113 and P205L145, respectively. The experiments were carried out in the laboratory facilities. Fish growth, the intermediary metabolites (total sugar, lactate, pyruvate, ammonia, protein, fatty acids, triacylglycerols, amino acids and glycogen), and the enzyme activities of lactate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, glutamate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase were assayed. Fish from treatments P350L49 and P301L81 depicted the best growth. Increase in glycolytic, glycogenolytic and lipolytic activities in liver was observed following dietary lipid increase. In fish fed with high lipid levels, the energetic demand was supplied by enhancement of muscular glycogenesis and lipolysis. The plasma metabolic profile reflected the blood function on metabolites delivery to tissues underlining biochemical adaptations because of changes in the feeding. In conclusion, the increase in dietary lipid plus protein decrease resulted in (i) reduction in fish growth, (ii) augment of liver glycolysis and glycogenolysis (iii) increase in muscular glycogenesis and (iv) predominance of lipolytic metabolism.     

Use of bovine somatotropin for milk production: the effect of time of treatment initiation on milk production of Holstein/Friesian dairy cows placed on a high-forage, low-concentrate feeding system

Sixty multiparous Holstein/Friesian cows were used in a 2 × 2 factorial design trial to determine the effect of the administration of bovine somatotropin (BST), at either 60 or 120 ± 3 d post partum, on milk production. All cows were offered ad libitum a forage mixture containing, on a dry-mailer (DM) basis, grass and maize silage in a 1:1 ratio and 4 kg d⁻¹ fresh weight of concentrate, which contained 115 and 495 g kg⁻¹ DM of neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and crude protein (CP), respectively, and 13–5 MJ kg⁻¹ DM metabolizable energy (ME). BST-treated cows received subcutaneous injections of a prolonged-release formulation of BST (sometribove). Injections were administered into the ischiorectal fossa at 14-d intervals for the remainder of the lactation. This schedule resulted in sixteen and twelve injections cow⁻¹ when treatment w as in it rate d at 60 and 120 + 3 d post partum respectively. This corresponded to treatment periods of 32 and 24 weeks, in which the production responses were measured. When compared with control cows, the administration of BST from 60 and 120 ± 3 d post partum increased mean milk yield by 1–2 and 3.3 kg day⁻¹ respectively, although only the latter milk-yield response was significant ( P <0.001). The administration of BST produced a small nonsignificant increase in DM intake, no effect on milk composition and a small but significant reduction in body condition In conclusion a significant milk-yield response can be obtained from the use of BST in high-forage, low-concentrate feeding systems if forage quality is high and treatment initiation is delayed until mid-lactation. This is illustrated by the fact that the lactation yield increased from 6054 to 6842 kg. and was obtained when using only 1.2 t of concentrate.     

A Five-Day Progesterone Plus eCG-Based Fixed-Time AI Protocol Improves Fertility Over Spontaneous Estrus in High-Producing Dairy Cows Under Heat Stress

This study compared the efficiency of a five-day or standard (nine-day) progesterone-based regimen combined with equine chorionic gonadotrophin (eCG) in a fixed-time AI (FTAI) protocol for dairy cows. The data examined were derived from 3577 inseminations conducted in three dairy herds. Animals with no estrus signs detected over 21 days were randomly assigned to a PRID-9 or PRID-5 group. Cows in each group received a progesterone intravaginal device (PRID) for 9 or 5 days, respectively, PGF_2α and eCG on PRID removal, and GnRH 48 h later. Fixed-time AI was performed 12 h after the GnRH dose. Cows artificially inseminated following spontaneous estrus during the study period were considered as controls. Based on the odds ratio, the likelihoods of animals in PRID-9 in the warm (conception rate [CR] of 22.3%) and cool (32% CR) periods, and control animals in the warm period (26.6% CR) becoming pregnant were reduced (by factors of 0.6, 0.3 and 0.4, respectively) compared with the control animals in the cool period (CR of 43.7%). The risk of a twin pregnancy was higher (51.4%) for cystic PRID-9 cows (by a factor of 3.6) and lower (9.9%) for cyclic PRID-5 animals (by a factor of 0.4) compared with the PRID-9 cyclic cows. These findings indicate that the proposed protocol achieves similar results during the cool or warm season to those obtained when AI is conducted at spontaneous estrus during the cool season. In addition, PRID-5 reduced twin pregnancy compared with PRID-9.     

Comparison of the effects of etomidate and its fluoro analogue, R 8110, on plasma Cortisol, 11β-deoxycortisol, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone and testosterone concentrations in dogs

R 8110, an imidazole derivative, was shown to be clinically superior to etomidate for induction and maintenance of anaesthesia in dogs. The present study compared the effects of intravenous (i.v.) R 8110, etomidate and Ringer solution on cortisol biosynthesis by the adrenal gland in seven male labradors. A tetracosactide challenge was carried out 30 min after the i.v. injection of 3 mg/kg of both drugs and after i.v. Ringer solution (1 ml/kg). Etomidate and R 8110 both suppressed the cortisol response to tetracosactide almost completely and increased the plasma 11 beta-deoxycortisol levels more than 20 fold. Maximal 11 beta-deoxycortisol values were reached 120 min after R 8110, and not less than 300 min after etomidate. Plasma 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone and testosterone concentrations did not differ between placebo and R 8110 treatment, but they decreased after etomidate. These results indicate that the effects of R 8110 on steroid biosynthesis in dogs are less pronounced than those of etomidate and are largely limited to a temporary inhibition of the 11 beta-hydroxylase in the adrenal gland.     

Roles of bootstrap resampling,measure of central tendency,and method for calculating thermal units when developing phenology models for pest management

The successful development of phenology models from field studies depends on many factors, some of which are entirely under the control of pest managers. For example, one such factor is the choice of method for calculating thermal units. In this study, we have demonstrated that four methods for calculating thermal units provided for acceptable predictions of one phenological event of one insect species, while another method for calculating thermal units did not. The measure of central tendency (mean or median) that is used to estimate lower developmental temperatures and required thermal summations is another factor that pest managers can control when developing phenology models from field studies. Here, we show that predictions that were made when using phenology models based on median lower developmental temperatures and median required thermal summations were superior to predictions that were made when using phenology models based on mean lower developmental temperatures and mean required thermal summations. The use of bootstrap vs. non-bootstrap estimates of lower developmental temperatures and required thermal summations is yet another factor that pest managers can control when developing phenology models from field studies. In this study, we found that calculating and using bootstrap estimates of lower developmental temperatures and required thermal summations in phenology models did not improve the predictions of one phenological event for one insect species. The implications of these and other findings are discussed.     

氮、磷添加对青藏高寒草甸土壤碳氮磷化学计量特征影响的Meta分析

为了解青藏高原高寒草甸土壤碳(Carbon,C)、氮(Nitrogen,N)、磷(Phosphorus,P)化学计量特征对氮、磷添加的响应,提高养分管理水平及草地生态系统的养分平衡。本研究严格筛选出21篇文章(612项数据)进行Meta分析,通过亚组分析分析了不同施肥方式(氮添加、磷添加、氮磷添加)、不同施肥强度(轻度、中度、重度)对青藏高原草地土壤C,N,P化学计量特征的影响。研究结果表明：养分添加显著增加了青藏高原草地土壤C,N,P含量;氮添加对土壤的增加效应随施肥强度增加而增加,磷轻度施肥(20g·m^-2以下)处理、氮磷添加轻度施肥处理下的土壤C,N,P含量及化学计量比增加效果最好。本研究结果总体反映出氮、磷添加对青藏高原高寒草甸土壤产生积极影响,研究结果可为青藏高原草地生态系统的保护提供科学依据。     

不同施氮量对天然草场牧草产量影响

采用不同施氮量作用于天然草场，研究了草地施肥与牧草产量的关系，通过测定施肥试验的各项参数，确定了干草原类草场产草量和经济效益最佳的施肥方案，最佳施肥量为450kg/hm^2，同时建立了施肥量与牧草产量间的回归方程。     

复方恩诺沙星可溶性粉对畜禽主要致病菌的体外抑菌效果

采用纸片扩散法(K-B法)测定复方恩诺沙星可溶性粉对畜禽主要致病菌的敏感性,采用试管倍比稀释法测定复方恩诺沙星可溶性粉对畜禽主要致病菌的最小抑菌浓度(MIC)和最小杀菌浓度(MBC)。结果表明,病原性大肠埃希菌、绿脓杆菌、金黄色葡萄球菌、鸡巴氏杆菌、猪巴氏杆菌和链球菌对复方恩诺沙星可溶性粉敏感,复方恩诺沙星可溶性粉对畜禽主要致病菌的MIC为0.0279μg/mL~3.575μg/mL,MBC为0.055μg/mL~7.11μg/mL。