Balance of Treg/Th17 in synovium of collagen-induced arthritis rats and impact of TNF-α blockage therapy

AIM: To investigate the balance of Treg/Th17 in synovium of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) and the impact of tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α) blockage therapy. METHODS: Rat CIA model was established by bovine II collagen injection. The pathological score was evaluated by HE staining and toluidine blue staining. The TNF-α level in plasma was measured by ELISA. The expression of Treg/Th17 in synovium was detected by double staining immunofluorescence. RESULTS: The plasma level of TNF-α in CIA group was significantly higher than that in control group and TNFR-Fc treatment group (P<0.01), whereas no significant difference was found between TNFR-Fc treatment group and control group (P>0.05). No significant difference between CIA group and control group in the ratio of CD4⁺Foxp3⁺Treg cells/CD4⁺ cells in synovium (23.12%±4.93% vs 24.66%±5.82%, P>0.05) was observed, whereas the ratio in TNFR-Fc treatment group was significantly increased(33.07%±5.14%). The ratio of CD4⁺RORγt⁺Th17 cells/CD4⁺ cells in CIA group was significantly higher than that in control group and TNFR-Fc treatment group (9.74%±2.23% vs 1.00%±0.59%, 5.63%±1.76%, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Differentiation disturbance of Treg/Th17 exists in the synovium of CIA rats. TNFR-Fc may restore the balance of Treg/Th17 by inhibiting Th17 cell differentiation and inducing the production or accumulation of Treg.     

Evaluation of genetic and non-genetic factors on foot and mouth disease (FMD) virus vaccine-elicited immune response in Hardhenu (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bos taurus</Emphasis> x <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bos indicus</Emphasis>) cattle

Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is the most contagious disease of mammals and a major threat to animal husbandry sector. In India, vaccination with the inactivated trivalent (O, A and Asia1) vaccine is one proven way for protecting the livestock from FMD. However, many outbreaks have been reported in different parts of the country. Therefore, present study was aimed at elucidating the effects of genetic and non-genetic factors on FMD viral vaccine-elicited immune response in Hardhenu cattle. The effect of season of vaccination was not consistent. The effect of status of animal was significant for all the pre and post AB titres except for pre AB titre of serotype O and post AB titre of Asia1.The estimates of heritability for response to vaccination were low to high ranging from 0.11 to 0.45. The highest heritability estimate was obtained for serotype O and the lowest for Asia1. The heritability estimates for pre and post AB titres ranged from 0.15 to 0.33. All the pre and post AB titres and responses to vaccination had genetic correlations ranged from high negative to high positive among them. Results of this study highlight the variation in vaccine response which needs to be further exploited on large-scale animal data for better immunization and protection against highly contagious viral vesicular disease of cloven-hoofed animals.     

Achieving food and nutritional security through agroforestry: a case of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Faidherbia albida</Emphasis> in sub-Saharan Africa

Faidherbia albida is an ideal agroforestry tree commonly intercropped with annual crops like millet and groundnuts in the dry and densely populated areas of Africa. With its peculiar reverse phenology, it makes growth demands at a different time from that of crops. In addition, it deposits great amount of organic fertilizer on food crops. Leaves entering soils are comparable to fertilization of almost 50 t·ha 1 ·year 1 of manure in dense stands of 50 large trees per ha. These nutrients help maximize agricultural production and reduce the need for a fallow period on poorer soils. Research has shown that millet grown under F. albida yielded 2.5 and 3.4 fold increases in grain and protein, respectively. Animals eat pods which contain mean amounts of crude protein of 20.63% and carbohydrate of 40.1% in seeds. Moreover, the continued existence of F. albida in agroforestry parklands as in Ethiopia and Mali signifies the success of traditional conservation measures. Modern scientists have also developed much interest in the role of agroforestry in maintaining long-term biological balance between agriculture and livestock production systems. To ensure food security, which still remains a major challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, and concurrently minimize environmental degradation, promotion of agroforestry that specifically involves indigenous trees is crucial. We discuss the prospective role of F. albida in alleviating poverty while simultaneously protecting the environment from factors associated with, for example, deforestation and loss of biodiversity. The overall aim is to promote wide-scale adoption of F. albida as a valuable tree crop in farming systems, particularly in those areas where it remains unexploited.     

Drivers of adoption of eucalypt tree farming by smallholders in Thailand

Eucalypt (Eucalyptus spp.) tree farming is a source of income for many smallholders in developing and emerging countries and critical to the resource supply of many pulp and paper companies. These companies rely on smallholders adopting tree farming, sometimes by offering a contract. This paper reports a study from four regions of Thailand, where smallholder eucalypt tree farming is important, which investigated what characteristics of smallholders were associated with greater adoption of tree farming. A total of 461 eucalypt tree farmers and 171 non-tree farmers were randomly selected and surveyed in these regions, using a door-to-door household survey. A logit analysis corroborated hypotheses about the drivers of adoption. Qualitative analyses were used to inform interpretation of the quantitative results and shed light on the role of eucalypt tree farming in smallholders’ livelihood. Results demonstrate that those with suitable land available are more likely to adopt eucalypt tree farming than others. In addition, perception of land tenure security matters in the adoption of tree growing, but holding a formal land tenure document does not. Adoption of eucalypt tree farming in Thailand is not part of a land use intensification strategy. Instead, eucalypts are used as an alternative crop for low productivity land, on which eucalypts are the most profitable crop. Eucalypt tree farming also gives smallholders an opportunity to diversify their income. In addition, this alternative land use has the advantage of requiring low labour inputs between planting and harvest. This is particularly advantageous for many tree growers who have off-farm income or rely on hired labour for farming their land.     

Avian predation on wild and cultured sea urchin <Emphasis Type="Italic">Strongylocentrotus intermedius</Emphasis> in a rocky shore habitat

ABSTRACT:   The present study reports the annual variation in consumption of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius by avian predators on a rocky shore where the culture of sea urchins has been conducted. Carrion crow and a few gull species were the most abundant avian predators and consumed a large number of sea urchins. Crows consumed mostly natural sea urchins, approximately 36 kg ww/ha per year on the intertidal rocky bench, but the gull species consumed mostly cultured sea urchins, approximately 100 kg ww/ha per year in the culture area. The seasonal variation in the amount of sea urchins consumed by crows was higher than that by the gull species, presumably because of the difference in foraging behavior in association with the seasonal tidal cycle. The natural sea urchins consumed are an allochthonous input from the subtidal to the intertidal habitat, and thus, crow predation may not affect the natural and the cultured populations of the sea urchin. The gull species consumed much of the cultured sea urchin, and thus, may be regarded as an effective predator causing damage to sea urchin culture. The results suggest that further studies are needed to determine why the gull species selectively feed on cultured sea urchins.     

海产品中副溶血弧菌的分离与鉴定

副溶血弧菌（Vibrio Paraaemolyticus)是一种致病性嗜盐菌，常引起人类食物中毒，通过对四种不同海产品的检测，发现该菌检出率很高，其中，海虾中的检出率高达90％，海产鱼为70％，贝类为60％，海蟹为40％，平均检出率为65％，动物试验证实，该菌致病性较强。     

湖北省小麦施钾效果及钾利用效率研究

通过70组田间试验研究了湖北省主产区小麦施钾的增产、增收效应及钾利用效率。结果表明,增施适量钾肥具有显著的增产增收效果,小麦平均增产556～978 kg/hm2,增产率为9.5%～16.7%;施钾平均增加经济收益192～897元/hm2,产投比为1.2～4.7;钾的偏生产力和农学效率分别为71.0 kg/kg和7.4 kg/kg。应用直线加平台模型拟合小麦产量与钾用量的关系,求得湖北省小麦钾的最佳用量平均约为87 kg/hm2。     

施肥对黑麦草生长和产量的影响

通过大田试验,研究了不同施肥措施对一年生黑麦草(Lolium multiflorum)生长、叶绿素含量和鲜草产量的影响.结果表明,氮磷钾肥配合施用(NPK)、等氮量的有机肥(OM)处理均显著促进黑麦草的生长和提高其鲜草产量.NPK处理的黑麦草分蘖数、株高、表观叶面积较不施肥对照(CK)、不施氮(PK)和不施磷(NK)处...     

A 192bp allele at the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Xgwm261</Emphasis> locus is not always associated with the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rht8</Emphasis> dwarfing gene in wheat (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum aestivum</Emphasis> L.)

The height-reducing gene Rht8 was introduced into Italian wheats by breeder Nazareno Strampelli from the Japanese landrace Akakomugi, and has been widely used in wheats adapted to southern and eastern European conditions. Following identification of a close linkage to Rht8, microsatellite marker Gwm261 has been used extensively to screen large numbers of diverse international germplasm. A 192bp allele at this locus has been taken as “diagnostic” for Rht8 and used to infer the international distribution of Rht8. In this paper, we report several instances of cultivars and mapping populations that vary for the presence of the 192bp allele at the Xgwm261 locus (Xgwm261 ₁₉₂ ), but with no associated reduction in height, suggesting a lack of association with Rht8. For instance, in the population derived from a cross between Sunco (Rht-B1b, Xgwm261 ₁₆₅ ) and Tasman (Rht-D1b, Xgwm261 ₁₉₂ ), there were significant height differences associated with the segregation of Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b, but no height differences between Xgwm261 genotypes. Similar results were obtained in a population derived from the cross between Molineux (Rht-B1b, Xgwm261 ₁₉₂ ) and Trident (Rht-D1b Xgwm261 ₂₀₈ ). In contrast, the cross between Trident and Chuanmai 18 (Xgwm261 ₁₉₂ ) gave significant height effects at both the Rht-D1 and Xgwm261 loci, with no epistatic interaction between loci. Chuanmai 18 is closely related to the Strampelli wheat Mara (ancestrally derived from Akakomugi) and is therefore likely to carry Rht8. The old Japanese cultivar Norin 10, used by Norman Borlaug to introduce Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b into Mexican wheats, also has a 192bp allele at the Xgwm261 locus, and the sequence of the amplified product is identical to that of Akakomugi. We suggest that the widespread use of Norin 10-derived germplasm during and after the Green Revolution introduced a second haplotype into international germplasm, in which Xgwm261 ₁₉₂ has no association with Rht8. Therefore, the presence of Xgwm261 ₁₉₂ is only indicative of Rht8 in wheat cultivars that have inherited this allele from Akakomugi or a Strampelli wheat ancestor.