Can treatment of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brachiaria decumbens</Emphasis> (signal grass) improve its utilisation in the diet in small ruminants?—a review

Brachiaria decumbens is an extremely productive tropical grass due to its aggressive growth habit and its adaptation to a varied range of soil types and environments. As a result of the vast availability, treated B. decumbens demonstrates as a promising local material that could be utilised as an improved diet for sheep and goats. Despite the fact that the grass significantly increases weight gains in grazing farm animals, there were many reports of general ill-thrift and sporadic outbreaks of photosensitivity in livestock due to the toxic compound of steroidal saponin found in B. decumbens. Ensiling and haymaking were found to be effective in removing toxin and undesirable compounds in the grass. Biological treatments using urea, activated charcoal, polyethylene glycol, and effective microorganisms were found to be useful in anti-nutritional factor deactivation and improving the nutritive values of feedstuffs. Besides, oral administration of phenobarbitone showed some degree of protection in sheep that fed on B. decumbens pasture. In this review, we aim to determine the effect of B. decumbens toxicity and possible treatment methods on the grass to be used as an improved diet for small ruminant.     

Genomic characterization of the first oral avian papillomavirus in a colony of breeding canaries (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Serinus canaria</Emphasis>)

Papillomaviruses are non-enveloped, DNA viruses that infect skin and mucosa of a wide variety of vertebrates, causing neoplasias or simply persisting asymptomatically. Avian papillomaviruses, with six fully sequenced genomes, are the second most studied group after mammalian papillomaviruses. In this study, we describe the first oral avian papillomavirus, detected in the tongue of a dead Yorkshire canary (Serinus canaria) and in oral swabs of the same bird and other two live canaries from an aviary in Madrid, Spain. Its genome is 8,071 bp and presents the canonical papillomavirus architecture with six early (E6, E7, E1, E9, E2, E4) and two late open reading frames (L1 and L2) and a long control region between L1 and E6. This new avian papillomavirus L1 gene shares a 64% pairwise identity with FcPV1 L1, so it has been classified as a new species (ScPV1) within the Ethapapillomavirus genus. Although the canary died after showing breathing problems, there is no evidence that the papillomavirus caused those symptoms so it could be part of the oral microbiota of the birds. Hence, future investigations are needed to evaluate the clinical relevance of the virus.     

Knowledge,attitudes and practices towards <Emphasis Type="Italic">cystic echinococcosis</Emphasis> in livestock among selected pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in Uganda

A cross-sectional study was done from March 2013 to May 2014 to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards cystic echinococcosis (CE) or hydatidosis among selected pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in Uganda. A structured questionnaire was administered to 381 respondents. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was done to find the relationship between knowledge about CE and factors such as age, sex, and level of education across all regions. The odds ratio and confidence interval were used to determine the difference in responses across regions. It was shown that age above 36 years was significantly (p < 0.001) associated with awareness about CE in livestock. Likewise, uneducated (p < 0.0001) and agro-pastoralists (p = 0.01) were significantly less knowledgeable than the educated and pastoralists across all regions. The overall knowledge towards CE in livestock was low 17.8% (95% CI = 14.0–21.6). Dog ownership was high and they never dewormed their freely roaming dogs. Dogs shared water with livestock. In conclusion, knowledge about CE in livestock was low across all regions. Therefore, public health education and formulation of policies towards its control by the relevant stakeholders should be done. Also, the true prevalence of CE in livestock needs to be done so that the magnitude and its public health significance are elucidated.     

Impact of cold-season grazing and supplementary feeding on rumen metabolic parameters and micro-organisms in the ewes of Gansu Alpine Fine Wool Sheep北大核心CSCD

An experiment was conducted to scientifically identify the appropriate feed for Gansu Alpine Fine Wool ewes in order to change the animals' breeding mode, which currently can only be mated at the age of 2.5 years due to insufficient nutritional supply. The experiment selected 48 12-month-old ewes and randomly divided them into group a (Diet 1), group b (Diet 2), group c (Diet 3), and a control group with no supplementary feeding. The feed test was run for 90 days. The rumen pH of groups a and b were very significantly higher (P<0.01) or group c significantly lower (P<0.05) than control group. The rumen ammonia nitrogen, protein nitrogen and total nitrogen of groups a, b and c were all higher than control group (P<0.01). The total volatile fatty acids of group a and b were all higher than the control group (P<0.01), group b significantly higher than group c (P<0.05). The molar ratio of acetic acid and propionic acid in group a was very significantly higher than control group (P<0.01), group b and c were significantly higher than control group (P<0.05). The molar ratio of butyric acid in group a was very significantly higher than group c (P<0.01). The ratio of acetic acid and propionic acid in group b was significantly lower than control group (P<0.05). The number of several rumen fiber-degrading bacteria and protozoa in groups a, b and c were very significantly (P<0.01) or significantly (P<0.05) higher than the control. In conclusion, this study shows that supplementary feeding can positively affect the rumen metabolic parameters and the number of several rumen microorganisms in Gansu Alpine Fine Wool ewes. In general, the effects of Diet 1 were the strongest, while Diet 2 also produced notable improvements. © 2018, Editorial Office of Acta Prataculturae Sinica. All rights reserved.     

Concentration variations of several ions in stream after a wildfire

In May 2006, a high intensity wildfire occurred in Songling forest region in Daxing＇an Mountains, China. The concentration changes of eight ions （K^＋, Na^＋, Ca^2＋, Mg^2＋, Cl^-, Br^-, NO3^- and SO4^2-） were measured in burned and tmbumed streams after fire from May to Oct., 2006. Results show that the most ions flux were higher in burned stream than that in unburned stream during the sampling period, and the greatest concentrations of most ions transported from burned stream occurred in July. After fire, the most amplitude chemical ion was Ca^2＋, whose average concentration was 5.50 mg·L^-1 higher than that in unburned stream, and the total concentration of every chemical ion presents a trend Ca^2＋〉SO4^2- 〉Na^＋〉Mg^2＋〉NO3^- . The average concentrations of Ca^2＋, SO4^2- , Na^＋＇Mg^2＋,NO3^- showed an increase trend, but those of K^＋, Cl^- , Br had a decreased trend. SO4^2- had the largest loss among these anions, followed by NO3^-. Overall, the increase degree of cation was greater than that of anion after burning.     

卫星遥感图像应用处理新模式的研究

卫星遥感图像增强与处理的研究旨在通过卫星遥感图像的处理,增强图像的显示质量,提高森林资源判读效果。通过应用ERDAS、ENYI遥感软件对TM、SPOT卫星数据的研究,实现资源调查卫片自主生产,降低了成本,提高了工作效率。     

LLDPE/PS塑料合金及其与木纤维形成复合材料的研究

研究线性低密度聚乙烯(LLDPE)与聚苯乙烯(PS)共混制备的塑料合金的性能并用不同制备条件的塑料合金与木纤维复合形成塑料合金/木纤维复合材料,研究该种复合材料的外观质量及物理力学性能.结果表明:不同共混比例与共混温度对制备的塑料合金熔体流动性、力学强度有较显著影响.塑料合金/木纤维复合材料的性能与塑料合金共混比例及共混温度有较强的相关性.2种塑料在共混比为50/50,共混温度为200℃时,形成的塑料合金与木纤维具有相对最好的相容性和最好的材料外观质量与力学性能.DMA试验表明:塑料合金/木纤维复合材料的耐热性明显优于相应的塑料合金.     

抗菌肽的研究与应用

抗菌肽具有分子量小、热稳定性好、无免疫原性、抗菌谱广等特点;并且,抗菌肽对畜禽具有促生长、保健和治疗疾病等功效;具有无毒副作用、无残留、无致细菌的耐药性等特性;在动物养殖和提高畜产品品质方面,抗菌肽也具有重要的潜在应用价值。文章结合当今抗菌肽的研究现状和发展前景,对抗菌肽的分类、抗菌机理、应用状况等进行了综述。     

活鱼运输实用技术

随着以垂钓为主的休闲渔业的迅猛发展,淡水活鱼运输发生了根本变化：第一,运输量大大增加;第二,运输季节由以春秋运输为主变为盛夏也运输;第三,运输规格由以运输鱼种为主变为以运输成品鱼为主。但是,现有常用淡水活鱼运输设备变化不大,所以,运输过程中死鱼事故时有发生。     

青海省草地鼠害预测及防治对策

通过对草地鼠害的调查,结合发生危害现状,对2007年草地鼠害发生情况进行预测,并提出防治对策。