甜高粱不同节间与全茎秆锤度的相关性分析

通过相关、偏相关及通径分析，研究了甜高粱辽饲杂3号自上而下各茎节间锤度的关系以及各茎节锤度与茎秆混合锤度的关系。结果表明：自上而下各茎节的锤度呈现出低-高-低的变化趋势，上数第4，5，6节的汁液含糖锤度最高，第1节最低；各节平均值及全株混合锤度总平均值与上数第10，11节锤度值最接近，因此可用上数第10或第11节值代表全株含糖锤度。上数第6，13，7，3，2茎节的锤度对茎秆混合锤度有较大的正直接效应；上数第10茎节的锤度对茎秆混合锤度的正直接效应较小：上数第11，12，4，9茎节的锤度对茎秆混合锤度有较大的负直接效应。     

种植密度对先玉335群体子粒灌浆特征的影响

2008年在高产田内较大密度处理范围(22500、45000、67500、90000、112500株/hm2)分析玉米品种先玉335群体子粒灌浆特征及其与产量的关系。结果表明:高产密度群体(90 000株/hm2)产量显著高于低密度(22500株/hm2)和超高密度(112500株/hm2)群体。各密度下群体子粒灌浆过程均可用Logistic方程模拟。高产密度的群体子粒平均灌浆速率、最大灌浆速率显著高于低密度、超高密度。不同密度群体子粒活跃灌浆期差异不显著。相关分析表明,群体子粒灌浆速率是影响产量的主要因素。进一步分析表明,对产量影响最大的是粒重渐增期的群体子粒灌浆速率,其次为线性灌浆期的群体子粒灌浆速率,后者与前者呈显著正相关关系。因此,提高粒重渐增期的群体子粒灌浆速率对提高群体产量尤为重要。     

The influence of dietary crude protein intake on bone and mineral metabolism in sheep

Increased dietary protein consumption is thought to cause calciuresis, a negative calcium balance and increased bone loss that may result in skeletal deformities and fracture. To explore this hypothesis, 40 approximately 100-day-old meat-type Merino ram lambs were fed, for 6 months, diets with an increasing crude protein (CP) content (114, 142, 171 and 190 g/kg DM) but approximately on an iso-nutrient basis with regard to metabolisable energy, calcium and phosphorus. Increased protein consumption modestly (NS) enhanced calciuresis and resulted in significant (P < or = 0.01) limb skewness. This could not, however, be ascribed to osteopaenic bones, and compared with animals consuming lower protein rations, the bone mineral density (BMD) and vertebral trabecular bone volume of animals fed high protein diets were significantly increased: the BMD of thoracic vertebrae was positively related to the CP intake (r = 0.62; P < or = 0.001). In animals consuming higher protein diets, skeletal radiology and quantitative bone histology revealed no evidence of increased bone turnover as would be expected in animals that are in negative calcium balance. No relationship existed between limb skewness and the growth rate of lambs. However, the ratio of Ca:P in the forelimb (r = -0.98), vertebrae (r = -0.72) and rib (r = -0.42) was found to be inversely correlated with increased protein intake and resulted from an increase in the phosphorus content of bone, while the amount of bone calcium was unaffected. We conclude that qualitative micro-architectural abnormalities, and not mere bone loss, may underlie the skeletal deformities induced by increased protein consumption in sheep.     

Fermentation substrate and dilution rate interact to affect microbial growth and efficiency

The effect of dilution rate (D) on carbohydrate, fibrous and nonfibrous, and protein fermentation by ruminal microorganisms was studied using a single-effluent continuous-culture system. The diets of fibrous carbohydrate, nonfibrous carbohydrate, or protein were formulated with soybean hulls (FC), ground corn (NFC), or isolated soy protein (PR) as the primary ingredient, respectively. Six dilution rates (.025, .050, .075, .10, .15, and .20/h of fermenter volume) were used. Digestibilities of DM, OM, and CP for the three diets and of NDF and ADF for the FC diet decreased (P<.001) as D increased, although the response of the digestibility to D varied with diet. Increasing D resulted in an increase in pH (P<.001) and a decrease (P<.001) in ammonia concentration. Daily volatile fatty acid production increased (quadratic; P<.01) for the FC and NFC diets, but decreased (quadratic; P<.001) for the PR diet. Increasing D quadratically increased (P<.001) the molar percentage of acetate and propionate, but quadratically decreased (P<.001) butyrate and valerate for the FC and NFC diets. For the PR diet, the molar percentage of propionate and valerate increased (quadratic; P<.01), whereas acetate and butyrate decreased (linear; P<.001) in response to increasing D. Molar percentage of isobutyrate and isovalerate decreased (P<.01) with increasing D for all three diets. As D increased, daily microbial N production showed quadratic responses with maximum values achieved at .126, .143, and .187/h D for the FC, NFC, and PR diet, respectively. There was a positive correlation between microbial growth efficiency (MOEFF) and D. A quadratic model fit the data of MOEFF as affected by D, and maximum MOEFF of 37.3, 59.6, and 71.4 g of bacterial N/kg OM truly fermented were calculated to be achieved at .177, .314, and .207/h D for the FC, NFC, and PR diet, respectively. Dilution rate significantly influenced the ruminal microbial fermentation of fibrous and nonfibrous carbohydrates and proteins, and was positively related to microbial yield and growth efficiency. In addition, microbial nitrogen composition, and therefore efficiency, was affected by substrate fermented.     

Seeing more clearly: recent advances in understanding retinal circuitry

Among 10 breakthroughs that Science announced at the end of 2002 was the discovery of a photosensing (melanopsin-containing) retinal ganglion cell (RGC) and its role in entraining the circadian clock. This breakthrough exemplifies the ultimate goal of neuroscience: to understand the nervous system from molecules to behavior. Light-sensing RGCs constitute one of a dozen discrete RGC populations coding various aspects of visual scenes by virtue of their unique morphology, physiology, and coverage of the retina. Interestingly, the function of the melanopsin-containing RGCs in entraining the circadian clock need not involve much retinal processing, making it the simplest form of processing in the retina. This review focuses on recent advances in our understanding of retinal circuitry, visual processing, and retinal development demonstrated by innovative experimental techniques. It also discusses the advantages of using the retina as a model system to address some of the key questions in neuroscience.     

Erythrocyte-replaced mouse model for Haemoparasite studies: comparison of NOD/shi-scid and C.B-17/Jcl-scid mouse upon acceptability of human erythrocytes

The erythrocyte-exchanged chimera mouse model has become to be a significant tool for studying animal and human (hu) protozoan haemoparasites, though the usefulness of this model varies depending primarily on the acceptability of xenogeneic red blood cells (RBC). To find a superior recipient in comparison with C.B-17/Jcl mouse with severe combined immuno-deficiency (scid) mutation, we examined in this report the non-obese diabetes (NOD)/shi-scid mouse, a recently available strain of SCID. When 2.5 x 10(8) of fluorescent dye-labeled hu-RBCs were transfused, C.B-17scid mouse eliminated them logarithmically by a simple linear regression, while NOD-scid mouse eradicated hu-RBCs by a unique two-step fashion, i.e., a potent but only briefly functioning RBC eradication followed by a weak steadily functioning step. The means of regression line constance +/- their standard deviations (SD) of 205 C.B-17scid and of 213 NOD-scid mice for their short- and long-lasting steps were -0.73 +/- 0.63, -0.53 +/- 0.25 and -0.16 +/- 0.10, respectively. Hu-RBC half-lives determined from these means of C.B-17scid mice and of NOD-scid mice for the short- and long-living steps were 3.6, 4.9 and 16.3 hr, respectively. Higher hu-RBC acceptability of NOD-scid mouse, especially at their long-lasting step, was also demonstrated under at an activated state of mouse innate immunity. Treatment with 1.0 mg heat-killed Candida cells caused an acceleration of hu-RBC elimination in both mouse strains but the magnitudes for the short- and long-living steps of NOD-scid mice evaluated by "stimulation index" were only 1/2.6 and 1/7.6 of C.B-17scid mice, respectively.     

Fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter in animal reservoirs: dynamics of development, resistance mechanisms and ecological fitness

Thermophilic Campylobacter species, including Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli, are responsible for foodborne campylobacteriosis in humans and are increasingly resistant to fluoroquinolone (FQ) antimicrobials. The therapeutic use of FQ antimicrobial agents in food animal production, particularly in poultry, has become a concern for public health, because the practice may promote the emergence of FQ-resistant Campylobacter that can be transmitted to humans through the food chain. Recent studies have indicated that Campylobacter displays a hypermutable phenotype in response to in vivo treatment with FQ antimicrobials, resulting in the rapid emergence of resistant mutants. Distinct from other Gram-negative bacteria, the acquisition of FQ resistance in Campylobacter does not require stepwise accumulation of gyrA mutations and overexpression of efflux pumps, and is mainly mediated by single-step point mutations in gyrA in the presence of a constitutively expressed multidrug efflux pump, CmeABC. The simplicity of the resistance mechanisms may facilitate the rapid adaptation of Campylobacter to FQ treatment. The FQ-resistant Campylobacter mutants derived from chickens do not show a fitness cost in vivo and are ecologically competitive in the colonization of chickens even in the absence of antimicrobial selection pressure. These findings suggest that FQ-resistant Campylobacter may continue to persist regardless of antimicrobial usage, and highlight the need for extra effort to prevent the occurrence and spread of FQ-resistant Campylobacter in animal reservoirs.     

Efficacy of different dosages of ivermectin injectable against the Hypoderma spp. in yaks

A chemotherapy trial was conducted to determine the lowest dosage of injectable preparation of ivermectin against Hypoderma spp. infestation in yaks in Tibetan areas in Tianzhu county, Gansu province, in northwest of China. One hundred and sixty yaks were randomly divided into four groups of 40 yaks for the trial. The first three groups were treated by subcutaneous injection in the neck with 0.1% ivermectin (respectively, 1, 5, 10 microg/kg body weight). The fourth group was not treated and considered as control group. All the experiments were performed in November 2000 and the animals were examined for the presence of warbles in the next March and May. The results indicated that there was no warbles found on the back of treated animal while third stage larvae were palpated on back of some of the yaks in control group. It is concluded that dosage of 1 microg/kg ivermectin injectable was sufficient to kill or stop development of larvae of Hypoderma spp. in naturally infected yaks if administrated in November.