Field efficacy of minidosed pour-on ivermectin and eprinomectin against goat warble fly infestation by Przhevalskiana silenus

The efficacy of minidose of pour-on ivermectin and eprinomectin formulations against first instar larvae of Przhevalskiana silenus was observed in naturally infested goats in the Jammu region, North India. The study was performed in mid August 2011. A total of 280 goats were randomly divided in to 7 groups of 40 each. Goats of the first three groups were treated with pour-on ivermectin at dosage of 2, 5, and 200 μg/kg body weight, respectively, whereas animals of the fourth to sixth groups were treated with pour-on eprinomectin at 25, 50, and 500 μg/kg body weight, respectively. Group VII animals were kept as untreated control. The results indicated that no warbles were recorded between December 2011 and March 2012 on back of animals treated with pour-on preparations of ivermectin at dosage of 5 and 200 μg/kg body weight, respectively, and eprinomectin at dosage of 50 and 500 μg/kg body weight, respectively. Thus, it is concluded that administration of minidose of pour-on ivermectin (5 μg/kg body weight) and eprinomectin (50 μg/kg body weight) is cost effective and so can be used for warble fly control campaign in Jammu region.     

Role of social aspects in extent of on-farm tree growing in subsistence agroforestry systems of Western Himalaya

Many so-called society-oriented agroforestry programs, mainly in developing countries, fail because they do not take account of the social structure in their design. This study provides empirical evidence of the impact of social structure on the extent of on-farm tree growing. The study has been carried out in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, in Indian Western Himalaya. Analysis of survey data reveals significant relationships between extent of on-farm tree growing and caste, education of the head of household, family literacy, primary occupation, government employment, mobility of the household head, importance of tree growing for future generations, and holy tree worship practices. Households with concrete houses had more trees than households with mixed, mud and wooden houses. The study implies a need to consider social factors to encourage the level of on-farm tree growing and to design socially acceptable agroforestry programs. The study also emphasises the need for a holistic approach to agroforestry development by integrating other continuing rural development programs with that of agroforestry to increase the level of on-farm tree growing.     

The Functional Role of Oxytocin in the Induction of Oocyte Meiotic Resumption in Cattle

The aim of the present study was to examine the role of oxytocin (OT) in the progesterone (P4) and prostaglandins (PGs) pathway to induce oocyte meiotic resumption. Cumulus–oocyte complexes were co‐cultured with follicular hemisections for 15 h to determine the effects of different doses of OT or atosiban (ATO; oxytocin receptor antagonist) on oocyte meiotic resumption. In another experiment, we examined the effect of the interaction between P4, OT and PGs on the regulatory cascade of the oocyte meiotic resumption. Oxytocin at 1 μm was effective in inducing meiotic resumption in oocytes co‐cultured with follicular cells (84.0%), not differing from the positive control group (74.4%). Atosiban inhibited in a dose‐dependent manner the positive effect of OT on the meiotic resumption (27.6% metaphase I with 10 μm of ATO, which did not differ from the 25.5% of the negative control group). Furthermore, a third experiment showed that P4 was able to induce oocyte meiotic resumption, which was inhibited by ATO. However, the OT positive effect was not blocked by mifepristone (P4 antagonist), but was inhibited by indomethacin (a non‐selective PTGS2 inhibitor). Collectively, these data suggest a sequential role of P4, OT and PGs in the induction of oocyte meiotic resumption.     

动物疫苗及其合理使用（一）

疫苗接种是预防动物传染病发生的重要举措。依据免疫学理论,疫苗作为抗原,通过激发动物机体免疫系统,产生特异的体液免疫和细胞免疫,从而获得针对某种疾病的特异性免疫。疫苗一般分为细菌疫苗、病毒疫苗和类毒素疫苗等。用于防病治病的各种疫苗、菌苗又是特殊的生物药品,与普通化学药品具有完全不同的成分、功能和特性,疫苗中含有多种蛋白质（除细菌或病毒外,有的还含有保护剂、鸡胚尿囊液或细胞培养液）,它们均适合许多病原体的生长,有些制品还是活的微生物,一旦污染后果不堪设想。疫苗在保存、运输和使用时有其特别要求。如果方法不当,不但会使活性物质失活,起不到免疫防病作用;而且还可能适得其反,引发动物新的疾病,造成重大损失。     

Molecular dissection of sugar related traits and it’s attributes in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saccharum</Emphasis> spp. hybrids

Sugarcane is one of the most important crops in the tropical and sub-tropical regions worldwide because it supplies over half of the world’s sugar. The main goal of sugarcane breeding programs is releasing new cultivars with improved sugar content, disease resistance and agronomic traits. Molecular markers linked to the sugar yield would greatly facilitate the development of sugarcane cultivars with higher sugar content. In this study, quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with sugar and yield related traits were identified using a segregating F₁ population derived from two Saccharum spp. hybrids. Specifically, BRIX, POL, recoverable sugar content (SC), fiber content (FC), moisture content (MC), juice purity, stalk diameter (SD), and stalk weight (SW) data were collected from a replicated field trial of a bi-parental population. A total of 36 and nine QTL for sugar and yield related traits, respectively were identified using a high density genetic map with markers developed by genotyping-by-sequencing. Of the 45 detected QTL, seven QTL were associated with each of the three sugar related traits BRIX, POL, and SC; six QTL with FC and MC; three QTL with juice purity; four QTL with SD; and five QTL with SW. The QTL explained a total of phenotypic variations of 70.90, 61.80, 61.68, 68.67, 91.62, 33.00, 49.91, and 64.49% for BRIX, POL, SC, FC, MC, purity, SD, and SW, respectively. Upon validation, markers from the identified QTL would be useful in marker-assisted selection for selecting superior cultivars with these traits.