抗旱保水剂在紫花苜蓿种植中应用的试验报告

用抗旱保水剂对土壤和紫花苜蓿种子处理后,进行种植试验。结果表明,使用抗旱保水剂出苗每平方米较对照地增加24.25株,存苗增加35.62株,苗高平均增加0.32cm,根长平均增长0.69cm,鲜草每平方增加0.41kg。     

The Usefulness of Captive Kept Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus L.) as the Semen Donors for Artificial Insemination and Gene Pool Preservation In vitro

Captive breeding of birds threatened by extinction in zoological gardens or other closed aviary centres is one of the methods allowing their protection and gene pool preservation ex situ in vivo. Such birds are usually kept in captivity lifelong and serve as parents of several new generations that can be further released into natural environment, or males are used as semen donors for artificial insemination and gene banking. Therefore, the fecundity of such flocks (number of laid egg and spermatozoa quantity and quality) is very important. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of captive kept capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus L.) as semen donors in three subsequent reproductive seasons, based on the assessment of manually collected semen quality. Male response to dorso‐abdominal massage, ejaculate volume, sperm concentration, motility and morphology were evaluated individually at three succeeding years. Depending on individual male properties and year of collection, the number of positive reactions to semen collection attempts (i.e. ending with ejaculation) varied from 44.4% to 100.0%; single ejaculate volume ranged from 10 to 300 μl, spermatozoa concentration from 10 × 10⁶ per ml to 3520 × 10⁶ per ml and percentage of live morphologically normal spermatozoa from 19.3 to 80.3%. The highest average value (66.7) of semen quality factor (SQF) was noted for a 2‐year‐old male (varying from 1.9 to 258.1), while the lowest for ten‐ (4.8; varying from 0.1 to 17.0) and 7‐year‐old (6.6; varying between 0.6 and 13.6). Assuming that for AI purposes, the ejaculate quality has to be at minimum 10 SQF, obtained results indicate that majority of capercaillie kept in captivity, both young (2–3 years old) and older (up to 10 years old), can be valuable semen producers in succeeding seasons.     

Occurrence of Proteocephalus percae and P. cernuae in the perch and ruff in northern Finland

The occurrence of two palearctic Proteocephalus species, P. percae and P. cernuae, in the perch and ruff, respectively, was studied in two areas of northern Finland in 1977-1983. In the Bothnian Bay, 243 perch (Perca fluviatilis) and 406 ruff (Gymnocephalus cernuus) were studied, of which 60% and 40%, respectively, were infected, while in Lake Yli-Kitka the prevalences were 10% in 213 perch and 24% in 307 ruff. Higher mean intensities of infection were found in the Bothnian Bay fish than in those from the lake, but no infected fish had as many as 10 worms. Proteocephalus infection in the perch and ruff did not vary significantly according to the length of the fish in either area, except that no P. percae were found in perch smaller than 70 mm in the lake. There was a prominent seasonal variation in the occurrence of P. cernuae in the ruff in both areas, but especially in the lake, where no proteocephalids were found in the ruff in July-October. Overlapping of generations was evident in P. percae in the sea perch, although only by virtue of the lack of mature worms at the end of the summer. Some mature proteocephalids were also found in winter in both fish species in the sea and in the ruff of the lake. The higher mean intensity values in winter, especially in P. cernuae infection in the sea ruff, may be explained partly by the active feeding of the ruff at this time in spite of very low water temperatures. Feeding activity in the perch is lower in the winter, and hence a lower mean intensity of P. percae infection was seen especially in the lake material at that time.     

Triaenophorus nodulosus and T. crassus in fish from northern Finland

10,288 fish specimens of 34 species from three water bodies in northern Finland were studied mainly in 1978-1982 Triaenophorus nodulosus and T. crassus parasites. Six of the 31 species from the Bothnian Bay were found to harbour T. nodulosus plerocercoids, four of the 11 from the cold, oligotrophic Lake Yli-Kitka in northeastern Finland and only one of the 6 from the small, eutrophic Lake Kuivasj?rvi. The ruff (Gymnocephalus cernuus) was most essential intermediate host in the lakes, as supported by stomach analysis of predator fish. Although the highest prevalences were found in adult burbot (Lota lota) in two of the areas, these fish are more likely a blind end in the life cycle of T. nodulosus in the present case. T. crassus larvae were found only in three coregonid species and once in the intestine of a lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis) from the sea. Neither the prevalence nor the intensity of infection in most of the intermediate fish hosts of T. nodulosus was seen to increase with the length of the fish. The only exception was the ruff in Lake Yli-Kitka, where a sharp increase was encountered. No prominent seasonal variation in Triaenophorus larvae infections was found in any of the cases. The prevalence of T. nodulosus infection in its final host, the pike (Esox lucius), was highest in the sea (93%) and lowest in the eutrophic lake (47%). Seasonally, the lowest T. nodulosus infections were found in June-July in the two lakes. A clear maturation cycle was also found, with the youngest worms in the summer months in all cases. T. crassus was found in every third pike in the sea and its proportion in relation to T. nodulosus is higher in the smallest and largest fish. In only 12%t of the pikes did the number of T. crassus exceed that of T. nodulosus, however, the mean ratio being 1:13 to favour of T. nodulosus. The results give an indication that the composition of the fish fauna in each water body has a considerable influence on the T. nodulosus burden and its distribution among its potential intermediate fish hosts. With the most stable environmental conditions and the greatest variety of fish species, the parasite burden in the Bothnian Bay is most evenly distributed among the 6 intermediate hosts. The fewer fish species occur in the water body, as in the present eutrophic lake, the more the significance of a few or even one intermediate host will increase.     

A comparison of propofol infusion and propofol/isoflurane anaesthesia in dexmedetomidine premedicated dogs

The effects of propofol infusion were compared with propofol/isoflurane anaesthesia in six beagles premedicated with 10 microg/kg intramuscular (i.m.) dexmedetomidine. The suitability of a cold pressor test (CPT) as a stress stimulus in dogs was also studied. Each dog received isoflurane (end tidal 1.0%, induction with propofol) with and without CPT; propofol (200 microg/kg/min, induction with propofol) with and without CPT; premedication alone with and without CPT in a randomized block study in six separate sessions. Heart rate and arterial blood pressures and gases were monitored. Plasma catecholamine, beta-endorphin and cortisol concentrations were measured. Recovery profile was observed. Blood pressures stayed within normal reference range but the dogs were bradycardic (mean heart rate < 70 bpm). PaCO2 concentration during anaesthesia was higher in the propofol group (mean > 57 mmHg) when compared with isoflurane (mean < 52 mmHg). Recovery times were longer with propofol than when compared with the other treatments. The mean extubation times were 8 +/- 3.4 and 23 +/- 6.3 min after propofol/isoflurane and propofol anaesthesia, respectively. The endocrine stress response was similar in all treatments except for lower adrenaline level after propofol infusion at the end of the recovery period. Cold pressor test produced variable responses and was not a reliable stress stimulus in the present study. Propofol/isoflurane anaesthesia was considered more useful than propofol infusion because of milder degree of respiratory depression and faster recovery.     

Sexual Maturation in the Bull

In this review, we describe the process of sexual maturation in the bull calf. The testes of the bull grow relatively slowly until approximately 25 weeks of age and then a rapid phase of growth occurs until puberty, at 37–50 weeks of age. During the early postnatal phase of slower growth of the testis pre-spermatogonia and some spermatogonia are established, adult Leydig cells appear and undifferentiated Sertoli cells are produced. The rapid testicular growth, after 25 weeks of age, consists of marked increases in the diameter and length of the seminiferous tubules, dramatic proliferation and differentiation of germ cells, with mature spermatozoa occurring between 32 and 40 weeks of age. The adult Leydig cell population is largely in place by 30 weeks of age and that of Sertoli cells by 30–40 weeks of age. Serum concentrations of LH increase from 4 to 5 weeks of age, to an early postnatal peak at 12–16 weeks of age, followed by a decline to 25 weeks of age. Serum FSH concentrations are high postnatally, declining to approximately 25 weeks of age. Serum testosterone concentrations increase during the phase of rapid testicular growth. Hypothalamic opioidergic inhibition may abate transiently to allow the early postnatal increase in LH secretion, while testicular androgenic negative feedback probably contributes to the decline in gonadotropin secretion to 25 weeks of age. Several lines of study have led us to suggest that early postnatal gonadotropin secretion is pivotal in initiating the process of sexual maturation in the bull calf.     

粤西地区三种不同土壤上的热带绿肥牧草引种试验

我国热带地区具有高温多雨、雨量分布不均匀且多暴雨的特点,容易引起水土流失,土壤有机质分解快,养分淋溶流失强烈,因此热带地区的红壤和砖红壤的有机质和速效养分含量都很低。热带经济林木和果园间种绿肥覆盖作物可以保持水土,增进地力,促使主作物速生高产^[1,2],而建立牧草基地以发展畜牧业和种植绿肥是增加优质有机肥料来源的有效途径。这样才有可能增施大量有机肥料,不断提高土壤肥力,保证农林作物稳产高产。     

Evidence of enhanced bacterial invasion during Diplostomum spathaceum infection in European grayling, Thymallus thymallus (L.)

Farmed grayling, Thymallus thymallus (L.), are susceptible to atypical Aeromonas salmonicida (aAS) infections. Interactions between bacteria and parasites were studied using grayling subjected to concomitant exposure to aAS bacteria and the digenean parasite Diplostomum spathaceum. Atypical AS was detected from fish by a combination of bacterial cultivation and polymerase chain reaction techniques. A detection level of 17 aAS cells per 100 mg intestine tissue sample was obtained. Concomitant bacterial exposure did not enhance the severity of grayling eye rupture and nuclear extrusion induced by D. spathaceum, but D. spathaceum invasion into grayling increased the proportion of fish carrying aAS in their heart tissue. However, the number of aAS cells detected in heart tissue was low. Atypical AS did not cause acute disease or mortality during 15 days post-exposure. There was a higher prevalence of aAS in grayling heart samples than in intestinal samples, indicating that the intestine is not favoured by aAS. We suggest that heart tissue would be a good organ from which to isolate aAS when tracing latent carrier fish. We conclude that penetrating diplostomids can enhance bacterial infections in fish and that diplostomids can cause serious eye ruptures in grayling.     

Susceptibility of silver birch (Betula pendula) to herbivorous insects is associated with the size and phenology of birch – implications for climate warming

Susceptibility of trees to herbivorous insects is often associated with the tree growth and phenology, both of which are sensitive to a warming climate. Therefore, changes in these traits may affect the intensity of herbivory on trees in the future. We grew silver birch (Betula pendula) populations differing in their growth and phenology in a common garden experiment, and studied the effect of these plant traits on the leaf herbivory, insect herbivore density and community composition of herbivores in two consecutive years, 2011 and 2012. Differences in size and the timing of growth cessation among the birch genotypes were related to differences in herbivore community compositions and herbivory. In 2011, the most intensive herbivore damage was observed on birch genotypes of small size, late bud burst and early growth cessation, and these genotypes originated from high-latitude populations. The differences among birch genotypes in their susceptibility to herbivore damage may lead to differences in their competitive abilities. While climate warming will affect phenology and growth of plants, our study shows, that it may indirectly affect herbivory and herbivore communities as well.