Beef quality traits of heifer in comparison with steer,bull and cow at various feeding environments

The present review has been focused largely on the sex type differences in beef quality among heifers, cows, steers and bulls in various feeding environments. Genetic groups, feeding systems and gender are the major factors that change carcass characteristics and fatty acid profiles of cattle. Studies identified that heifer beef has super characteristics in eating quality and a better healthy composition in fatty acids than steer, cow and bull. Diet influences the variation of fatty acid profile; particularly the level of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) interacts with breed and sex. Animals finished in pasture systems were reported to show better ratios of PUFA/ saturated fatty acids and n‐6/n‐3. Carcasses of roughage‐fed beef are lighter and have less marbling and lower quality grades but have higher cutability than carcasses of grain‐fed bulls. Heifers and cows are reported to deposit more fat than steers and bulls. Among males, lower production of testosterone by steers favors more fat thickness compared with bulls. Marbling greatly varies among cattle belonging to different sexes, and particularly, females have genetic makeup that efficiently controls deposition. The current review identified that heifers can be a premium beef brand, while steer beef currently take a large part of market share across the world.     

Melatonin reduces apoptotic cells,SOD2 and HSPB1 and improves the in vitro production and quality of bovine blastocysts

Effects of adding different concentrations of melatonin (10^?7, 10^?9 and 10^?11 M) to maturation (Experiment 1; Control, IVM  + 10^?7, IVM  + 10^?9, IVM  + 10^?11) and culture media (Experiment 2; Control, IVC  + 10^?7, IVC  + 10^?9, IVC  + 10^?11) were evaluated on in vitro bovine embryonic development. The optimal concentration of melatonin (10^?9 M) from Experiments 1–2 was tested in both maturation and/or culture media of Experiment 3 (Control, IVM  + 10^?9, IVC  + 10^?9, IVM /IVC  + 10^?9). In Experiment 1, maturated oocytes from Control and IVM  + 10^?9 treatments showed increased glutathione content, mitochondrial membrane potential and percentage of Grade I blastocysts (40.6% and 43%, respectively). In Experiment 2, an increase in the percentage of Grade I blastocysts was detected in IVC  + 10^?7 (43.5%; 56.7%) and IVC  + 10^?9 (47.4%; 57.4%). Moreover, a lower number and percentage of apoptotic cells in blastocysts were observed in the IVC  + 10^?9 group compared to Control (3.8 ± 0.6; 3.6% versus 6.1 ± 0.6; 5.3%). In Experiment 3, the IVC  + 10^?9 treatment increased percentage of Grade I blastocysts with a lower number of apoptotic cells compared to IVM /IVC  + 10^?9 group (52.6%; 3.0 ± 0.5 versus 46.0%; 5.4 ± 1.0). The IVC  + 10^?9 treatment also had a higher mRNA expression of antioxidant gene (SOD 2) compared to the Control, as well as the heat shock protein (HSPB 1) compared to the IVM  + 10^?9. Reactive oxygen species production was greater in the IVM /IVC  + 10^?9 treatment group. In conclusion, the 10^?9 M concentration of melatonin and the in vitro production phase in which it is used directly affected embryonic development and quality.     

氮肥后移对绿洲灌区玉米干物质积累和产量构成的调控效应

【目的】针对绿洲灌区传统施氮技术下,全膜覆盖玉米生育后期土壤氮肥供应不足、早衰和减产等问题,探讨氮肥后移对玉米干物质积累和产量构成的影响,以期为优化试区氮肥管理提供理论依据。【方法】2012—2015年,于河西绿洲灌区进行大田试验,在总施氮量相同且基肥和大喇叭口期追肥分别占总施氮量20%和40%条件下,设3个施氮处理:氮肥后移20%(拔节肥10%+花粒肥30%,M1)、氮肥后移10%(拔节肥20%+花粒肥20%,M2)和传统施氮(拔节肥30%+花粒肥10%,M3),研究不同氮肥追施制度对玉米干物质积累动态和产量构成的调控效应。【结果】氮肥后移增大了玉米干物质最大增长速率和干物质平均增长速率,提前了干物质最大增长速度出现的天数。在氮肥后移20%施氮制度下,玉米干物质最大增长速率和干物质平均增长速率分别较传统施氮处理提高15.6%和6.6%,玉米干物质最大增长速率出现的天数较传统施氮提前2.9 d。施氮制度对玉米生物产量、籽粒产量、收获指数、有效穗数、穗粒数和千粒重均有显著影响。氮肥后移20%施氮制度下,玉米生物产量较传统施氮处理高6.6%,但氮肥后移10%处理生物产量与传统施氮处理差异不显著;氮肥后移20%和10%处理玉米的籽粒产量分别较传统施氮处理提高14.1%和5.1%;氮肥后移20%施氮处理收获指数较传统施氮处理高7.5%,但氮肥后移10%施氮处理与传统施氮处理差异不显著;氮肥后移20%施氮处理下,玉米有效穗数、穗粒数和千粒重分别较传统施氮处理高8.9%、12.9%、5.8%,但氮肥后移10%处理的千粒重与传统施氮处理差异不显著。通径分析表明,氮肥后移主要通过提高有效穗数,进一步提高穗粒数和千粒重,从而提高产量。说明氮肥后移20%施氮处理通过优化玉米有效穗数、穗粒数和千粒重对产量产生了调控作用。【结论】在河西绿洲灌区,总施氮量450 kg·hm~(-2)时,玉米拔节期追肥45 kg·hm~(-2)、大喇叭口期追肥180 kg·hm~(-2)、花后10 d追肥135 kg·hm~(-2)为该区获得玉米高产的理想施氮制度。     

Equine hyperimmune serum protects mice against Clostridium difficile spore challenge

Clostridium (C.) difficile is a common cause of nosocomial diarrhea in horses. Vancomycin and metronidazole have been used as standard treatments but are only moderately effective, which highlights the need for a novel alternative therapy. In the current study, we prepared antiserum of equine origin against both C. difficile toxins A and B as well as whole-cell bacteria. The toxin-neutralizing activities of the antibodies were evaluated in vitro and the prophylactic effects of in vivo passive immunotherapy were demonstrated using a conventional mouse model. The data demonstrated that immunized horses generated antibodies against both toxins A and B that possessed toxin-neutralizing activity. Additionally, mice treated with the antiserum lost less weight without any sign of illness and regained weight back to a normal range more rapidly compared to the control group when challenged orally with 10⁷ C. difficile spores 1 day after serum injection. These results indicate that intravenous delivery of hyperimmune serum can protect animals from C. difficile challenge in a dose-dependent manner. Hence, immunotherapy may be a promising prophylactic strategy for preventing C. difficile infection in horses.     

额敏县新疆野苹果种群空间分布格局及其关联性

【目的】研究新疆塔城地区额敏县新疆野苹果Malus sieversii种群空间分布格局及其关联性,为该地区新疆野苹果种群恢复和持续经营提供科学依据。【方法】通过典型样地调查法,设置20块标准样地(30 m×30 m)进行新疆野苹果个体调查,使用径级结构代替年龄结构,并运用点格局分析中的单变量函数和双变量函数分析方法,对不同龄级新疆野苹果个体的空间分布格局及其关联性进行研究。【结果】(1)新疆野苹果种群的年龄结构呈现类似纺锤形的非典型金字塔型,更新状况不良,种群结构不稳定。(2)较小年龄的新疆野苹果个体部分呈现出聚集分布,随着年龄的不断增加,逐渐趋向随机分布。(3)年龄相近的个体空间关联性部分呈正关联或无显著关联,随着个体年龄间差距的增加,空间关联性大多数表现为无关联状态。【结论】额敏县新疆野苹果种群结构不稳定,不同龄级个体之间空间关联性不强,应加强抚育管理,通过人工种植等方法改变其现有的随机分布状态,使其聚集生长,以促进当地新疆野苹果种群稳定生长及资源恢复。图3表1参35     

Intra- and interobserver assessments of intestinal wall thickness and segmentations from transverse sections of feline abdominal ultrasound images

Measurements of intestinal wall thicknesses from ultrasound imaging (US) are routinely used to support diagnoses of intestinal disorders in cats, however published studies describing observer agreement are currently lacking. The aim of this retrospective, observer agreement study was to quantify inter- and intraobserver repeatability and agreement in the measurement of intestinal wall layer thicknesses and the segmentation of transverse sections of small intestines in US images of 20 cats. Intestinal wall layer thickness measurements of the mucosa, submucosa, muscularis, serosa layer, and total thickness of these layers were performed on five cats with small cell epitheliotropic lymphoma, five with inflammatory bowel disease, and 10 with other conditions. Thickness measurements and the segmentation encompassing the serosa layer were obtained from five observers four times non-sequentially. The average standard deviation in thickness measurements (95% confidence interval) in the mucosa, submucosa, muscularis, serosa, and total thickness were 0.35 (0.07–0.95), 0.24 (0.07-0.52), 0.22 (0.06-0.49), 0.20 (0.05-0.49), and 0.57 (0.11-1.60) mm, respectively. The average intraclass correlation coefficients, which estimates the degree of consistency in thickness measurements and segmentation areas for each observer, ranged from 0.355 to 0.870 and 0.850 to 0.993, respectively. The interclass correlation coefficient, which estimates the degree of consistency when measuring a thickness or segmentation area over all observers ranged from 0.115 to 0.753, and 0.811 to 0.902, respectively. The overall average Dice Coefficient, which estimates the extent of overlap of the segmentations for all observers was 0.957 (0.933 to 0.972). Our results suggest segmentations of small intestines have a higher interobserver agreement than measurements of intestinal wall thicknesses.     

Polysaccharide storage myopathy in Morgan, Arabian, and Standardbred related horses and Welsh-cross ponies

Polysaccharide storage myopathy is an equine neuromuscular disorder characterized by accumulation of glycogen-related polysaccharide inclusions within skeletal muscle fibers. The pathologic criteria for diagnosis of this disorder are somewhat controversial; however, periodic acid-Schiff-positive, amylase-resistant inclusions are considered pathognomonic. Although these inclusions are most often found in affected horses related to the Quarter Horse, draft horse, and Warmblood breeds, this report describes these characteristic inclusions in muscle of five horses from nonrelated breeds (two Morgans, one Arabian, one Arabian x Thoroughbred, and one Standardbred) and two Welsh cross ponies. Affected horses had histories of recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis, and one developed progressive weakness leading to increased recumbency. The affected ponies were part of an unrelated research project and had no apparent clinical signs.     

山地果园运输机试验台研究进展

我国是世界第一大水果生产国与消费国,果树资源丰富。然而,我国有90%的柑橘在丘陵山地种植,导致运输困难。山地果园运输机械主要用于生产过程的运输,其研究与开发,离不开测试与改良阶段,试验台的研究也逐渐成为果园运输机械开发过程中不可缺少的一个环节。本文介绍了国内山地果园各类运输机试验台的研究与应用现状。针对国内的发展现状,指出了当前果园运输机试验台研究应用中存在的主要问题,并提出了解决问题的对策,展望了果园运输机试验台的未来发展趋势。     

二行程双向旋转小型汽油发动机的研究

通过对作者的专利技术“二行程双向旋转小型汽油发动机”（专利号：９５２０２４２８．４）的力学计算及实验测试,进一步阐明了这种新型动力机械的先进性及可行性,并推断出其使用寿命可比原单向旋转的同型号的发动机延长６０％．