Traders' preference for goat characteristics in selected markets of Pangasinan, Philippines

Preference for goat characteristics was determined from 42 traders in six markets in Pangasinan, an important trading center for goats in Luzon, the Philippines, and analyzed using a hedonic price model to determine whether these characteristics are important price determinants of goats. This information is important to goat raisers to respond to the needs of the local market, and thus to achieve a better price and higher income in goat raising. Meatiness, size, breed, sex and age (in descending order) were the dominant goat characteristics preferred by traders. Meatiness had the largest positive influence on price, with a price premium of US$6.24 (US$1.00 = PhP 53), whereas the age of the animal had the smallest influence at US$3.72. However, size and meatiness are manifestations of good breeds. Therefore, continued efforts to improve breeds in order to produce good quality goats are imperative to cater to market needs. Different characteristics implied different price premiums. Traders offered a higher price premium for better goat characteristics; thus, the improvement of these characteristics could result in higher returns for goat raisers.     

Differences between carcass grades in some morphological, behavioral and physiological measurements at early and middle stages of fattening in crossbred steers

The differential variables for carcass grades were identified from morphological, behavioral and physiological measurements of young steers at a commercial farm. Thirty‐five Japanese Black × Holstein steers aged 6–10 months were randomly assigned to three pens. The steers had free access to ryegrass hay and a restricted amount of concentrate diet for the first 6 months of trial. They were then given oat straw ad libitum and an additional concentrate diet until slaughter. Behavioral observations (15 categories) were carried out once every 2 weeks for 2 h after feeding. Bodyweight was measured, blood sampled (for seven metabolic hormones and five metabolites), ultrasonic scanning conducted and physical measurements taken (10 parts for each animal) in months 1, 3 and 5 (early fattening stage, EFS) and in months 7, 9 and 11 (middle fattening stage, MFS) of the trial. Temperament scores during these procedures, entry order into restraint stalls, social rank and average daily gain were also assessed. A factor analysis and one‐way anova were used to identify clusters of variables which had different factor scores between carcass grades. As for the carcass yields, a cluster of chest girth and depth, bodyweight, withers and hip height, and rump length (P < 0.01), and a cluster of the frequency of scratching the body with facilities (P < 0.05) were identified as differential variables in the EFS. In the MFS, a cluster of concentrations of cortisol and epinephrine, and the frequency of eating straw were identified (P < 0.10). As for the carcass quality grade, a cluster of social rank, triglyceride concentration and the frequencies of stand‐chewing cud and eating hay, and a cluster of the frequency of investigating facilities (both P < 0.10) were identified in the EFS. In the MFS, a cluster of hip height, bodyweight, cannon circumference, chest depth, withers height and chest girth, and a cluster of the frequencies of eating a concentrate diet and stand‐chewing the cud, and social rank (both P < 0.10) were identified. In conclusion, bodyweight, chest girth and depth, withers and hip height were identified as good differential variables for future carcass grades of young steers. Facility enrichment that encourages steers to eat hay in the EFS, and to eat a concentrate diet in and after the MFS would be effective in upgrading carcass grades. High incidence of investigating and scratching the body with facilities and stand‐chewing the cud might lead to lower carcass grades.     

台湾75毛豆病毒病防治技术研究

研究表明,台湾75毛豆病毒病主要由蚜虫传毒而致,其发生与蚜虫的成虫迁飞时间与发生量关系极为密切.若成虫高峰正遇毛豆1、2叶展平期,毛豆上落蚜量大,发生就重.所以早播的重于迟播的,露地栽培重于套播的.防治上应以栽培避蚜为主,药剂防治为辅,才可取得理想效果.     

动态M—S特性测试方法的探讨

In this paper, we introduce principle and block diagrams of a computer-aided measuring system, which uses a homopolar tachogenerator as its signal source. This system is developed for measuring dynamic M-S characteristics of asynchronous motors. The measu     

猪传染性胃肠炎病毒分子生物学研究进展

猪传染性胃肠炎病毒(TGEV)基因组为不分段的单股正链RNA,其编码4种结构蛋白和3种非结构蛋白。TGEV S蛋白是基因工程研究的重点,近年来,S蛋白在大肠埃希菌、沙门菌、腺病毒等中得到了高效表达。将传染性胃肠炎病毒的基因组人工改造成为感染性cDNA的表达载体,此载体可在ORF3处插入外源基因,异源基因绿荧光蛋白可稳定、高效地表达。TGEV基因1和其他冠状病毒相比保守性很强,所以对TGEV聚合酶的研究,特别是其中保守酶的研究,对于抗TGEV及其他冠状病毒药物的研究有着重要的意义。     

四川省苍溪县暴发嗜群血蜱的研究

为了解嗜群血蜱在苍溪县的分布与危害、宿主种类、季节活动规律、群体生态形成的原因及一些生物学特性，采用宿主体检蜱法、拖旗法、布旗覆盖法采集动物体表和野外环境的蜱，对其进行了形态鉴定和药物防制试验。结果显示，苍溪县嗜群血蜱的流行面达97．4％，人感染率53．8％，动物感染率7．7％～100％；嗜群血蜱的寄生宿主有15种，主要活动期为4～9月份；吸血后引起叮咬部位皮肤丘疹、红肿、瘙痒，甚至感染溃烂，伤口愈合后痒痛和色素斑可持续数月。依据上述结果提出了防控嗜群血蜱的建议。     

Changes in hormones, growth factor and lipid metabolism in finishing pigs fed betaine

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary betaine supplementation on carcass characteristics, hormones, growth factor and lipid metabolism in finishing pigs. Forty-eight crossbred barrows and gilts (Seghers × Seghers × Duroc) weighing about 55 kg were divided into two groups, each with three replicates of eight pigs (four barrows and four gilts) per replicate, and fed corn–soybean meal basal diets supplemented with 0 and 0.125% betaine for 42 days. At trial termination, two pigs (one barrow and one gilt) weighing about 90 kg were selected from each replicate and slaughtered for analyses. The results showed that betaine increased carcass lean percentage and longissimus muscle area by 5.19% (P < 0.01) and 17.85% (P < 0.01), respectively, and decreased carcass fat percentage and average backfat thickness by 13.07% (P < 0.01) and 10.30% (P < 0.05), respectively. Serum growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor I, free triiodothyronine, free thyroxine and insulin levels in pigs fed betaine were elevated by 45.61% (P < 0.01), 55.50% (P < 0.01), 57.95% (P < 0.01), 51.80% (P < 0.01) and 42.34% (P < 0.05), respectively. Fatty acid synthase activity in the 10th rib subcutaneous adipose tissue was decreased by 24.35% (P < 0.05) with betaine supplementation, whereas hormone-sensitive lipase activity was significantly increased (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, serum free fatty acids concentration in betaine-fed pigs was 25.75% higher compared to controls (P < 0.01). The study suggested that betaine could induce changes in hormones and growth factor in finishing pigs, and therefore could inhibit fat synthesis through reducing lipogenic enzymes activities and promote fat degradation by increasing hormone-sensitive lipase activity, with a resultant decrease in adipose tissue mass and improvement in carcass characteristics.     

乌骨绵羊和黑色素的研究进展

黑色素在生物体内起着重要的作用,本文从黑色素的分类、生物合成机制、分析方法、结构、理化性质和功能、分布、沉积等方面进行了阐述,并对新近在云南发现的乌骨绵羊乌质性状形成相关的黑色素的生成的基因进行了描述。     

灌溉对华北农牧交错带无芒雀麦生物学特性的影响

研究了河北坝上地区不同水分处理下无芒雀麦的生物学特性。结果表明,不同水分处理对无芒雀麦的植株高度、分蘖数、叶面积、地上和地下植物量等生物学特性均有不同程度的影响。在9月初刈割前,植株高度顺序为W3>W4>W2>W1,表明较多的灌水有利于植株的生长;叶面积大小顺序与植株高度变化规律相似,叶面积大小顺序为W4>W3>W2>W1,表明较多的灌水利于叶片的增大;对于分蘖数则相反,不同水分处理分蘖数顺序为W1>W2>W3>W4,灌水越多分蘖越少,说明整个生长季里适当的干旱可以促进分蘖;不同水分处理下地上植物量的大小次序为W2>W4>W3>W1,但无显著差异;不同水分处理根系重量的大小次序为W2>W1>W3>W4,说明适当干旱有利于无芒雀麦根系的生长。     

水肥空间耦合对冬小麦光合特性的影响

在防雨棚管栽试验条件下,以品种“3279”为研究材料,通过7种不同处理来研究水肥空间耦合对冬小麦光合特性的影响,试验结果表明:不同的水肥耦合处理中,冬小麦的光合速率、气孔导度、细胞间隙CO2浓度有所不同,三者之间有很好的平衡关系。其中,深层施肥处理其小麦在生长后期能够维持较高的光合速率,但气孔导度却有所降低,有效地减少了水分散失,表现出很好的节水潜力。同样水分条件下维持同样高的光合速率时,深层施肥的肥上灌水与肥下灌水相比,其受水分影响小,叶绿素含量下降快。深施肥20 cm处灌水处理,在开花后小麦叶片光合作用最强,气孔导度小,细胞间隙CO2浓度高,具有更好的节水潜力。