Effects of dietary oregano essential oil supplementation on growth performance,intestinal antioxidative capacity,immunity, and intestinal microbiota in yellow-feathered chickens

Essential oils are plant-derived aromatic volatile oils, and they contain bioactive compounds that have been shown to improve poultry nutrition. In this study, we investigated the effects of oregano essential oil (OEO) on intestinal antioxidative capacity, immunity, and gut microbiota of young yellow-feathered chickens. A total of nine hundred and sixty 1-d-old female Qingyuan partridge chickens were randomly allocated to four treatment groups with six replicates of 40 birds each, and the feeding trial was lasted for 30 d. The controls were fed on a basal diet without in-feed antibiotics; the birds in the antibiotic group were fed the basal diet supplemented with 20 mg/kg virginiamycin; the remaining birds were fed the basal diet containing 150 or 300 mg/kg OEO, respectively. Dietary supplementation with 150 or 300 mg/kg OEO increased average daily feed intake (P = 0.057) and average daily gain (P < 0.05). The activities of glutathione peroxidase and total antioxidative capacity in plasma, jejuna, and ileal mucosa were increased by OEO supplementation (P < 0.05), with a trend of lower jejunal content of malonaldehyde (P = 0.062). Moreover, dietary OEO increased the content of secretory immunoglobulin A (P = 0.078) and the relative expression of Claudin 1, Mucin 2, and Avain beta-defensin 1 in ileum (P < 0.05). Sequencing data of 16S rRNA indicated that dietary OEO increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes phylum, and Clostridium and Lactobacillus genera, and decreasing that of Romboutsia. Functional analyses indicated that microbial amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, replication, and repair systems were higher in OEO groups than those of controls and antibiotic treatment. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with OEO enhanced growth performance, alleviated local oxidative stress in intestine, improved production of natural antibodies, and favorably modulated intestinal microbiota composition.     

Species-specific differences of the avian oesophagus: Histological and Ultrastructural study

The oesophagus is a muscular tube comprised of cervical and thoracic regions. Several studies have clarified the histological structure of the oesophagus. However, its histoarchitecture in relation to variable dietary habits of each species is still unclear. In the current study, 21 pigeons, cattle egrets and ducks, n = 7, each was used. Macroscopically, the oesophagus of cattle egrets either the cervical or thoracic parts was the longest among the pigeons and ducks. Histologically, the oesophagus comprised of four distinct tunicae: mucosa, propria submucosa, musculosa and adventitia or serosa. A great structural variation in these layers among the three investigated species was recorded. In the cervical oesophagus of pigeons, the superficial squamous cells showed perinuclear halo zone, the propria submucosa was characteristically lacked any gland. Moreover, its musculosa was very thick. On the other hand, the intraepithelial glands were characteristically distributed along the whole length of the cattle egret’s oesophagus. Interestingly, the cervical esophagus of the ducks showed submucosal associated lymphatic tissue; diffuse and nodular Ultrastructurally, the oesophageal glands showed secretory granules of variable electron densities, electron - lucent in the pigeons and ducks and electron - dense in the cattle egrets.     

Egg production,fertility, hatchability and immune responses of some chicken strains under high ambient temperatures

This experiment was designed to investigate and compare the egg production, fertility, hatchability and immune responses of some local developed Egyptian chicken strains under high ambient temperatures. A total of 108 (26 weeks old) laying hens of Matrouh, Silver Montazah, Mandarah and Inshas (9 hens × 3 replicates × 4 strains) were used to evaluate the impact of thermal stress (24-34ºC) during summer season (June, July and August) on egg production, fertility, hatchability and immune responses. The obtained results revealed that final body weight (FBW/g) and body weight change (BWC/g) among different chicken strains were not affected. The daily feed consumption (FC/g) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) for Silver Montazah and Inshas strains were significantly (p ≤ .05) higher than those of Matrouh and Mandarah strains. The mean egg production (EP/%) and egg mass (EM) for Silver Montazah and Inshas strains were significantly (p ≤ .05) higher than those of Matrouh and Mandarah strains. The highest percentages of hatchability of total eggs (HTE) and fertile eggs (HFE) were recorded in Inshas chickens, while the lowest value was recorded in Mandarah chickens. Also, the highest embryonic mortalities (p ≤ .05) and lowest chick weight at hatch (CWH/g) were recorded in Mandarah chickens compared with the other strains. The highest values for antibody titres against phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA-P) were recorded in Mandarah chickens, while the least values were recorded in Inshas chickens.     

Effects of leptin and tumor necrosis factor-alpha on degranulation and superoxide production of polymorphonuclear neutrophils from Holstein cows

Leptin, a pleiotropic hormone regulating food intake and energy expenditure, has been shown to directly modulate human polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) functions or indirectly through the action of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Bovine PMN have considerable different characteristics from human PMN. For example, it does not respond to N-formyl-Methionyl-Leucyl-phenylalanine, a well known human PMN activator. In the present study, we tested the effects of leptin and TNF-alpha on superoxide production and degranulation of bovine peripheral PMN, in which both long isoform of leptin receptor (Ob-Rb) and TNF receptor 1 were expressed. Human leptin, human TNF-alpha, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and opsonized zymosan particles (OZP) did not stimulate degranulation responses, while zymosan-activated serum (ZAS) did. Neither leptin nor TNF-alpha enhanced the ZAS-induced degranulation responses. TNF-alpha, PMA, OZP and ZAS increased superoxide production in different magnitudes, whereas leptin did not. TNF-alpha, but not leptin, enhanced OZP- and ZAS-induced superoxide production, possibly, in part due to facilitating translocation of p47(phox), a component of NADPH oxidase. These results indicate that, unlike in human PMN, leptin does not have any direct effect on degranulation and superoxide production in bovine PMN, although TNF-alpha influences superoxide production.     

生物杀虫剂组合在有机水稻种植中的作用效果

针对上海市崇明区有机水稻生产过程中病虫害防治效果不佳的问题,在水稻无化肥、无化学农药种植条件下开展了生物杀虫剂对水稻主要害虫稻纵卷叶螟和稻飞虱的田间防控效果评价。在崇明区的2个试验基地,于水稻不同生长时期,以绿僵菌、白僵菌产品分别与病毒杀虫剂MbNPV、植物源杀虫剂苦参碱和细菌杀虫剂Bt组合进行施药处理。结果表明,应用绿僵菌/白僵菌与MbNPV组合,能够有效防治稻纵卷叶螟,在稻纵卷叶螟发生较早的基地,施药后7 d和14 d的防效可达58.2%～81.2%,而在稻纵卷叶螟发生较晚的另一基地,施药后7 d防效可达61.3%和65.6%;绿僵菌/白僵菌与苦参碱组合,可用于防治稻飞虱,7 d和14 d的防效达64.7%～76.1%;绿僵菌/白僵菌与苏云金杆菌组合防治稻纵卷叶螟的14 d防效分别达64.0%和75.4%,优于对稻飞虱的防效;各组合试验结果显示,白僵菌有相对较长的持效作用,且在害虫迁入早期阶段(水稻发育分蘖盛期至拔节期)施用生物农药比在中后期(抽穗期及之后)施用的防效高。可见,生物杀虫剂组合可作为农作物绿色防控的有效手段。     

苹果轮纹病菌对吡唑醚菌酯的敏感性及Cytb基因序列分析

为了明确苹果轮纹病菌Botryosphaeria dothidea对吡唑醚菌酯的敏感性和吡唑醚菌酯的靶标基因序列, 采用菌丝生长速率法测定了水杨肟酸对B. dothidea 菌丝生长的作用, 探讨了添加或不添加水杨肟酸的情况下病原菌对吡唑醚菌酯敏感性的变化; 并测定了不同产区的80株B. dothidea 对吡唑醚菌酯的敏感性以及440株B. dothidea 对吡唑醚菌酯的抗性; 然后, 扩增并分析了具有不同敏感性的菌株的细胞色素b基因 (Cytb) 序列?结果表明:不同浓度水杨肟酸对菌丝生长的抑制作用不同?添加40 μg/mL水杨肟酸不影响吡唑醚菌酯的EC50?菌株的敏感性频率符合近似正态分布, 各产区菌株对吡唑醚菌酯的敏感性没有显著差异, 吡唑醚菌酯平均EC50为(2.95±2.11) μg/mL, 没有检测到抗性菌株?靶标基因序列分析表明, Cytb基因在F129?G137和G143位密码子上没有产生点突变, 首次发现在143位密码子后有内含子插入?     

调速器主配中位自动诊断及智能纠偏技术研究与应用

液压随动系统主配电气中位未整定准确和温漂作用是调速器系统出现主配频繁调节的主要原因之一。技术人员对调速器液压随动系统进行深入的理论研究,提出了静态平衡理论和主配中位纠偏原理,探索出了主配电气中位自适应方法,进而通过调速器电气控制系统自适应控制功能软件开发,实现了主配电气中位自动诊断及智能纠偏功能,并通过真机测试验证其功能效果,完美解决了液压随动系统主配电气中位未整定准确或由于温漂作用导致的调速器系统主配频繁调节问题,保证了机组和电网安全稳定运行。     

系统仿真技术在播种机上的研究与应用

论述了系统仿真技术的基本概念框架及其发展现状．详细阐述了在播种机领域内开展仿真研究的状况．指出了当前这一领域里存在的问题。用新的仿真技术和方法将播种机作为一个系统来开展仿真研究，同时开展坐水播种机仿真研究有现实价值。