Life Histories of Frogs in the Namib Desert

Four anuran taxa inhabit the central Namib: Xenopus laevis, Tomopterna delalandei cryptotis, Phrynomerus annectens and Bufo vertebrate hoeschi. Xenopus is confined to permanent pools in the Kuiseb river canyon. Tomopterna extends further into the Namib, but is restricted to the Kuiseb river bed. The Kuiseb is normally dry, receiving water only briefly (as floods) during the rainy season. These floods are responsible for moving adults and larvae. Phrynomerus and Bufo occur on granite inselbergs. The inselbergs provide shelter mainly in the form of cracks under granite exfoliations. Large runoff surfaces collect the low rainfall (25 mm per year) in depressions in which the frogs breed. Phrynomerus is only active at night; males are aggressive towards one another; oviposition takes place in deep pools and development takes at least eight weeks. Bufo is active during the heat of the day; oviposition takes place in warm shallow pools; development takes about three weeks.     

饲料添加剂L-赖氨酸硫酸盐中L-赖氨酸含量近红外速测方法研究

为了探讨利用近红外漫反射光谱技术(NIDRS)快速定量分析饲料添加剂L-赖氨酸硫酸盐中L-赖氨酸含量的可行性,本试验在全国范围内收集了具有代表性的L-赖氨酸硫酸盐添加剂76个,采用国家标准方法对样品中的L-赖氨酸含量进行化学赋值;用光栅型近红外光谱仪扫描L-赖氨酸硫酸盐样品,获取了不同物理状态下样品的近红外光谱图。依据L-赖氨酸含量将样品分为定标集和验证集,运用适当的光谱预处理方法,采用竞争性自适应重加权(CARS)算法结合偏最小二乘法(PLS)建立了L-赖氨酸硫酸盐的近红外定标分析模型,并将该模型与全波长模型进行了比较。结果表明:用烘干、60目粉碎后的样品结合CARS算法建立的定标模型最优,定标集校正决定系数(R2C)为0.954,校正集标准偏差(SEC)为0.510,交互验证标准偏差(SECV)为0.659;验证集预测决定系数(R2P)为0.952,预测标准偏差(SEP)为0.554,相对分析误差(RPD)值为3.83。由此可见,NIDRS定量分析L-赖氨酸硫酸盐具有一定可行性,对于丰富我国氨基酸盐及其他氨基酸制品的快速检测方法具有实际的应用意义。     

Evaluation of dietary methionine requirement of male Korean native ducks for 3 weeks post‐hatching

A total of 336 1‐day‐old male Korean native ducks (KND) were used in a completely randomized design with seven dietary methionine levels (0.30–0.90% with 0.1% increment) to determine the methionine requirement of male Korean native ducks for 3 weeks after hatching. Each dietary treatment had six replicates with eight ducklings per pen. One duckling from each pen (n = 6) was sacrificed to weigh empty body and drumsticks at the end of the experiment. Final body weight and weight gain of 3 weeks old KND were increased with increasing dietary methionine levels up to 0.4%, and then decreased (P < 0.05) with a further increasing dietary methionine level. In contrast, feed conversion ratio of the KND decreased up to 0.4% and increased (P < 0.05) with the increasing dietary methionine level. Both empty body weight and proportions of empty body weight were linearly increased (P < 0.05) while the dietary methionine level elevated up to 0.4%. Estimated dietary methionine requirement for maximum body weights, daily gain and minimum feed conversion ratio were 0.36, 0.39 and 0.40%, respectively, when it was fitted into linear‐ and quadratic‐plateau models.     

Veld of the karoo areas

The Karoo areas are generally arid to semi‐arid with rainfall varying from less than 100 mm in the west to 400 mm in the east. The topography is mainly flat to undulating and the soils generally shallow and stony. There are 16 veld types present. Typcial Karoo veld is characterised by a dominant sparse to dense short shrubby vegetation (karoo bushes), interspersed to a variable degree, by short grass species and taller shrubs. Succulents are dominant in certain parts. These constituents exhibit different phenological rhythms of which the karoo bushes are largely vernal and autumnal and the grass aestival. Fodder and nutrition supply varies according to season and rainfall. A large numer of insect pests afflict Karoo vegetation. Stock diseases and physiological disturbances caused by certain species, are prevalent. Merino and Dorper sheep are the main defoliating agents of Karoo veld.     

Body weight growth Model of Datong Yak in Qinghai

Summary:This study was conducted to develop a suitable model for describing the growth pattern of the yak. The data used consisted of body weight records of 76 growing yak aged between 5 to 37 months. Three mathematical models were applied to describe the growth curves during this development period:①Y1=20.105 + 11. 250x-0. 526x2 ;used for describing the growth curve of yak aged 5 to 13 months;②Y2 = -359.687 + 49. 977x - 1. 249x2 ;used for animals aged 13 to 25 months;and ③Y3 = -833. 339 + 63. 772x - 1. 019x2 ;used for animals aged 25 to 37 months.     

Impact of dominance effects on sow longevity

The purpose of the current study was to estimate variance components, especially dominance genetic variation, for overall leg action, length of productive life and sow stayability until third and fifth parity in the Finnish pig populations. The variance components were estimated in two purebred [Landrace (LR), n = 23 602 and Large White (LW), n =22 984] and crossbred (LR × LW, n = 17 440) data sets. Five different analyses were carried out for all the traits to compare the effect of sows’ inbreeding, common litter environment and parental dominance in the statistical model when determining the genetic correlations of the traits for the two purebred and crossbred populations. Estimated heritabilities for the traits ranged from 0.04 to 0.06. The estimates for the proportion of dominance variance of phenotypic variance (d²) varied between 0.01 and 0.17, and was highest in the crossbred dataset. The genetic correlations of the same traits in purebred and crossbred were all high (>0.75). Based on current results, the effect of dominance should be accounted for in the breeding value estimation of sow longevity, especially when data from crossbred animals are included in the analyses. Because dominance genetic variation for sow longevity exists that variation should be utilized through planned matings in producing sows for commercial production.     

类胡萝卜素吸收研究进展

关于类胡萝卜素的吸收机制说法不一,目前体外培养的细胞模型被广泛用于类胡萝卜素的吸收研究。本文主要从细胞水平上讨论了类胡萝卜素的吸收研究进展,并详细讨论了类胡萝卜素吸收机制方面研究较多的选择性吸收及吸收过程中的相互影响。细胞对β-胡萝卜素的摄入和分泌表现出浓度依赖性、时间依赖性和饱和性;对不同类胡萝卜素的吸收表现出选择性;类胡萝卜素在吸收过程中表现出相互影响。上述研究结果表明,类胡萝卜素的吸收可能是一个有载体参与的易化运输过程。     

实验性猕猴1型糖尿病模型的建立及评价

7～10岁健康猕猴15只,随机分为Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ组,每组5只,分别按照100、125、150mg/kg的剂量一次性静脉注射链脲菌素,连续观察血糖、血浆C肽和胰岛素浓度的动态变化,观察期15周.结果:与注射链脲菌素前比较,注射后1周,Ⅰ组猕猴血糖浓度明显升高,血浆C肽和胰岛素浓度显著下降(P＜0.01),随后趋于正常水平,而Ⅱ、Ⅲ组猕猴血糖浓度明显升高并在随后的时间内持续维持在高水平,血浆C肽和胰岛素浓度持续维持在低水平(P＜0.001),Ⅲ组动物至15周全部死亡.结论:按照125mg/kg的剂量一次性给猕猴静脉注射链脲菌素,可成功复制1型糖尿病动物模型,其维持高血糖和低胰岛素及C肽浓度至少15周.     

Auscultation in mild mitral regurgitation in dogs: observer variation, effects of physical maneuvers, and agreement with color Doppler echocardiography and phonocardiography

Observer variation in diagnosing mild mitral regurgitation in dogs by cardiac auscultation was assessed by having 6 veterinarians with different levels of experience examine 57 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. Comparisons with color Doppler echocardiography and phonocardiography were made, and the effects of 2 physical maneuvers on the auscultatory findings were evaluated. Using mildly diseased dogs, interobserver agreement in diagnosing the presence or absence of left-sided murmurs ranged from 63% to 88%. The agreement with phonocardiography (range, 53-91%) increased with the amount of observer experience. The 2 most experienced observers could discern soft ejection murmurs from regurgitant murmurs and were able to diagnose 89% of the dogs with regurgitant jets larger than 30% of the left atrial area. In general, less experienced observers diagnosed most jets larger than 50%. In many dogs with small jets, no murmur was found by auscultation and phonocardiography. The audibility of mild regurgitation was significantly reduced in dogs that were difficult to auscultate. Early systolic murmurs were typical of mild regurgitation, whereas holosystolic murmurs typified severe regurgitation. In a few dogs, late systolic murmurs alternated with holosystolic murmurs. Systolic clicks were found phonocardiographically in 18 dogs with mild to moderate regurgitation, but the audibility apparently was low. In many mildly affected dogs, physical maneuvers increased murmur intensity. Thus, some form of dynamic auscultation might facilitate the diagnosis of mild regurgitation. Auscultatory findings in mild regurgitation appear to depend on observer experience, circulatory status, and how difficult the dog is to auscultate.     

鄱阳湖湿地灰化苔草群落物种多度分布格局沿水分梯度的变化

为揭示鄱阳湖湿地苔草群落的构建机制,选择灰化苔草(Carex cinerascens)群落作为研究对象,通过设立3条样带调查不同水分梯度的群落物种多度,选用断棍模型(BSM)、生态位优先占领模型(NPM)、优势优先模型(DPM)、随机分配模型(RAM)和生态位重叠模型(ONM)5个生态位模型对群落种-多度关系进行拟合,结果表明,1)灰化苔草群落可按土壤水分划分为高湿度、中湿度和低湿度3组,分别对应从湖边、湿地中间和湿地边缘的梯度分布;2)从高到低的水分梯度上,灰化苔草群落的物种数先增加后降低,优势种多度逐渐增加,物种多度分布曲线由相对平缓变为陡峭;3)高湿度灰化苔草群落物种多度分布格局的最佳拟合模型为BSM,中、低湿度的理想模型转变为NPM。研究认为,水分条件的变化是灰化苔草群落物种多度分布格局改变的主因,随着水分梯度降低,群落构建的生态学过程由随机生态位变为生态位优先占领。研究为鄱阳湖湿地多样性保育和生态功能管理提供了理论参考。