20个高羊茅品种镉耐性评价及富集特征

采用水培试验,用10μM Cd~(2+)对20个高羊茅(Festuca arundinacea)品种进行处理,采用隶属函数值法和聚类分析法对其镉耐性和富集特征进行综合评价。结果表明,与对照相比,Cd~(2+)处理下所有参试高羊茅品种在株高、根长、生物量和光合色素含量等指标上均显著降低(P0.05),品种间变化值的差异也达到了显著水平(P0.05)。20份材料的平均隶属函数值变幅在为0.185~0.758,其中‘Commander’的镉耐性最强。20个品种间Cd~(2+)吸收和累积量也有很大差异,地上部Cd~(2+)浓度范围为106.66~150.97mg·kg~(-1),Cd~(2+)累积量最高值为6.87μg·株-1,最低值仅2.75μg·株-1,其中品种‘Commander’和‘Red Start’在Cd~(2+)吸收和累积上表现较好。通过综合评价最终将20个高羊茅品种分为4类,分别是高耐高吸收型:‘Arid 3’,‘Extreme’,‘Commander’,‘Escalade’,‘Ecological King’,‘Ky-32’,‘Red Start’,‘Green Label’;高耐低吸收型:‘Gold Crown’,‘Justice’,‘Honky Tonk’,‘Aries’;低耐高吸收型:‘RubyⅡ’,‘Coronado TDH’;低耐低吸收型:‘K31’,‘Crossfire Ⅲ’,‘Essential’,‘Super Watchdog’,‘Gram villa’,‘Dynamic Ⅱ’。     

陕西省生猪规模养殖成本调查分析

通过对陕西省生猪规模养殖场户生产数据的分析,研究生猪规模养殖成本的构成,对控制生猪养殖成本提供依据,从成本投入的角度分析陕西适宜的生猪养殖规模,揭示规模化和专业化是生猪养殖的发展方向,提出推进规模化养殖的建议.     

紫花针茅生殖器官形态的变异及其与环境因子的关系

紫花针茅(Stipa purpurea)是青藏高原分布面积最广的植物之一,对高原环境具有广泛的适应性。该植物具有的锥形繁殖体(包括种子和附属结构),是其适应环境的主要特征之一。为揭示该植物对高原环境的适应性表现,本研究对不同纬度的20个紫花针茅种群繁殖体的形态特征及其与环境的关系进行比较研究。结果表明,1)种长的变化幅度为0.692~1.255 cm,种宽的变化幅度为0.392~0.713 mm,芒长的变化幅度为2.394~8.736cm,种子重的变化幅度为0.678~1.560 mg。芒长和种子重具有较高的种群间变异系数。种子重与种长呈极显著正相关关系(P0.01),和芒长呈显著正相关关系(P0.05);种长、种宽、芒长相互之间均呈极显著正相关关系。2)种长、种子重与等效纬度均呈显著正相关关系,与年均降水量均呈显著负相关关系;种长与年均温呈现出凸型变异的关系。3)20个种群依据繁殖体特征进行聚类分析可分为3组,聚类结果与地理分布基本一致。     

Equine hospital data as a source for study of prevalence and heritability of osteochondrosis and palmar/plantar osseous fragments of Swedish Warmblood horses

Reasons for performing study: Disturbances in skeletal development, primarily osteochondrosis (OC) and palmar/plantar osseous fragments (POF), have been commonly reported as problems in young horses. However, there are few reports of such findings for epidemiological analyses or breeding purposes. Objectives: To evaluate equine hospital data as a possible source of information for genetic evaluations by estimating prevalence and heritability of OC in the stifle, hock and fetlock joints and of POF in the fetlock. Methods: Data on Swedish Warmblood (SWB) horses were obtained from a large equine hospital in south Sweden. Prevalences were based on radiographic examinations of 879 screened horses, mainly evaluated as part of a prepurchase examination and 3639 horses with a reported history of orthopaedic problems. For the heritability study the 2 data sources were pooled and 3199 examined horses with pedigree information were considered for the linear animal model analyses. Results: The overall prevalence of OC was 13% (stifle 9%, hock 6% and dorsal osseous fragments in fetlock [DOF] 10%) and POF 10%. The overall heritability of OC was 0.05 on the visible binomial scale. The corresponding heritabilities for OC in the stifle were 0.03, hock 0.08, DOF 0.10 and POF 0.13. These values correspond to heritabilities of 0.09–0.38 on the underlying quantitative scale. Conclusions and potential relevance: Obtained prevalences and heritabilities were in accordance with other studies, supporting the hypothesis that data regularly obtained from equine hospitals may be a valuable source in studies of inherited disorders such as OC and POF. There is a need for more standardised documentation of diagnoses and consistent recording of identity of examined horses using passports or breed databases. Compilation of results from major clinics is desired in order to cover most progenies of stallions used in a region or nation.     

Non-iterative variance component estimation in QTL analysis

In variance component quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis, a mixed model is used to detect the most likely chromosome position of a QTL. The putative QTL is included as a random effect and a method is needed to estimate the QTL variance. The standard estimation method used is an iterative method based on the restricted maximum likelihood (REML). In this paper, we present a novel non-iterative variance component estimation method. This method is based on Henderson's method 3, but relaxes the condition of unbiasedness. Two similar estimators were compared, which were developed from two different partitions of the sum of squares in Henderson's method 3. The approach was compared with REML on data from a European wild boar × domestic pig intercross. A meat quality trait was studied on chromosome 6 where a functional gene was known to be located. Both partitions resulted in estimated QTL variances close to the REML estimates. From the non-iterative estimates, we could also compute good approximations of the likelihood ratio curve on the studied chromosome.     

The relationship of soil province to molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of Cryptosporidium parvum isolated from calves in Georgia

Although Cryptosporidium spp. are found throughout the world and in multiple environmental conditions, few data are available that explore the possibility of an association between specific environmental parameters and the species or strain of Cryptosporidium. This study examines the potential association between a particular Cryptosporidium species/strain found in calves and soil provinces in Georgia, USA. Necropsy cases spanning the years 1996-2002 were tested. No significant differences (P=0.962, chi(2) test of homogeneity) between numbers of positive cases were noted among soil provinces. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequences for the PCR products revealed sequence similarity of the products with Cryptosporidium parvum strain C1. Although, clinical Cryptosporidiosis in calves was not found to be affected by soil province and may be caused by a single genotype, other genotypes may be responsible for subclinical infection and warrant further investigation.     

一年生苜蓿种质资源形态变异及其形态特征

以22份一年生苜蓿为材料,对生育期和外部形状进行观测和统计分析,并对形态类型加以聚类分析。结果表明：（1）一年生苜蓿的茎为直立或匍匐,茎高在7．0～30．7cm,3出羽状复叶,种子为黄色、肾形。生育期在95—140d,从生育天数可分为早熟型和晚熟型;（2）一年生苜蓿种内变异很大,其中主茎长度和自然高度的变异系数最大,分别为43．0％和42．9％。其次是叶长和叶宽,变异系数分别为33．3％和30．0％。而第2主茎长度变异系数是27．6％,伸展长度变异系数22．1％;（3）对一年生苜蓿在干旱地区和高寒地区的生长状况的比较发现,一年生苜蓿更适应于干旱地区的生长;（4）一年生苜蓿的主茎长度越长,第2主茎长度越长,自然高度越高,伸展长度越长,叶长和叶宽也越长;（5）通过形态类型的聚类分析,可将一年生苜蓿分为3个类型,直立型,匍匐型和低矮型。     

退化高寒草地浅层土壤理化性质Meta分析

青藏高原生态地位显著,草地退化影响区域生态安全,针对退化高寒草地土壤理化性质的研究众多但结果存在较大异质性。通过检索纳入79篇与退化高寒草地土壤理化性质相关的文献,采用整合分析方法用于定量述评不同退化程度高寒草地浅层土壤主要理化性质的效应及变化规律。结果表明：高寒草甸0～10 cm、10～20 cm土层内随着退化加剧土壤容重、pH上升,土壤含水量、有机碳、全氮、全磷、全钾、速效氮、速效磷、速效钾下降;高寒草原0～10 cm、10～20 cm土层内随退化加剧,土壤容重上升,pH、含水量、有机碳、速效钾下降。总体反映出不同退化程度对高寒草地土壤主要理化性质产生较大负面影响,研究结果可为青藏高原高寒草地生态保护提供依据。     

Mortality and recovery of runt white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) in a commercial farm in California, USA

We investigated the effect of raising runt white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) separately from dominant fish during the initial stages of grow-out in a commercial farm. Runt fish are poor-growers, have underdeveloped muscle mass, swim slowly and are more-frequently found at the top of the water column. The objective of the study was to describe the mortality and recovery rates (and their determinants) of white-sturgeon runts after separating them from dominant fish. Runt white sturgeon were stocked into twelve 2 m × 2 m rectangular tanks and graded periodically during a follow-up of 46–102 days. Overall mortality rates ranged from 0.3 to 7 dead fish per 1000 sturgeon-days at risk and overall recovery rates from 3.9 to 13.5 recovered fish per 1000 sturgeon-days at risk. Period-specific mortality and recovery rates increased over time. The period-specific mortality rates for all three periods were significantly higher for tanks of runts originating from grow-out tanks with high mortality (p-values: first period = 0.06; second period = 0.09; third period = 0.03), but were similar for tanks of runts of high- and low-mean initial weight. The period-specific recovery rates were significantly higher in runts originating from high-mortality grow-out tanks only for the third period (p = 0.05) but not the first and second periods (p-values = 0.33 and 0.25, respectively). Recovery rates were significantly higher in the higher-mean-weight runts tanks for the first and third period but not for the second (p-values: first period = 0.02; second period = 0.65; third period = 0.06). We concluded that the proportion of runts that recover during a 46–89 day period is substantial (16–58%); therefore, it might be worthwhile growing such fish separately in a fish farm for about three months. Financial analysis showed that this practice was profitable, if the value of white sturgeon fish for the farm exceeded $2.05 per kg.     

Economic effects of proposed changes in living conditions for laying hens under the National Organic Program

In this paper, we estimate the costs and benefits of implementing the proposed National Organic Program for laying hens compared with alternatives. For the regulatory proposals under option 2, the regulatory cost will be zero because most producers are already in compliance with the proposed regulation. The anticipated benefits of this regulation will be zero as well, because the current market prices already reflect consumers’ willingness to pay for the existing animal welfare conditions. For the regulatory proposals under option 3, before market adjustments, the average regulatory burden for the entire organic egg industry will amount to $0.09 per dozen eggs, with extreme variations between $0 for small operations and $2.30 per dozen for large operations. If we rely on the average price of organic eggs, $2.69 per dozen, and assume a maximum estimated benefit associated with improved animal welfare conditions, that consumers would be willing to pay of about 30% above the current market price, the estimated benefit of regulation amounts to $0.81 per dozen eggs. Based on the findings, we conclude that option 2 is welfare neutral and could be easily adopted because it already has been adopted by representative producers. For option 3, the benefit-cost ratio is larger than 1, which indicates that the proposal passes the benefit-cost ratio test. The obtained result, however, has to be interpreted with serious reservation because of the differential effect that the proposed regulation would have on different industry participants. Under option 3, the effect of the proposed changes on small organic egg producers is negligible because most small producers are operating under conditions similar to the proposed living standards. However, costs will increase substantially for large organic egg producers and likely cause a substantial number of producers to exit organic production and switch to conventional production, which would cause a substantial decline in the prices of conventional eggs and organic feed in the short run.