Contribution of incident solar radiation on leaves and pods to soybean seed weight and composition

The weight and composition of soybean seeds (Glycine Max L. Merrill) depend on changes in carbon and nitrogen assimilate supply during grain filling. Soybean pods and seeds are green, evidencing their capacity to capture light. However, the current physiological knowledge does not consider any effect of incident solar radiation reaching the pods on seed weight and composition. The objective of this work was to investigate the response of seed weight and composition to changes in assimilate supply from leaves, to the incident solar radiation reaching the pods and to the combination of both, changes in assimilate supply from the leaves and incident solar radiation on pods of soybean plants. Field experiments were performed during two growing seasons at Balcarce, Argentina. Treatments modified the amount of assimilates supplied by the leaves (plant shading, defoliation), the solar radiation reaching the pods (pod shading) or both (defoliation and pod shading) during seed filling. Plant shading and defoliation reduced seed weight, oil concentration and oil and protein content and increased the concentration of saturated and poli-unsaturated fatty acids while reduced oleic acid percentage. Pod shading increased the concentration of stearic acid and reduced the concentration of linolenic acid. When pods were shaded on defoliated plants, seed weight and oil and protein content decreased while fatty acid composition was similar to values obtained under defoliation treatment. Based on these results, a conceptual model that considers photoheterotrophic nature of reproductive structures of soybean is proposed. Seed weight, oil and protein content and oil fatty acid composition depended on assimilate availability for the seeds. The response of oil and protein content to assimilate supply depended on whether leaves were present or not. The effect of solar radiation incident on pods depended on the amount of assimilates available for the seeds: (i) when carbon allocated was low (defoliation treatments), pods contributed to seed carbon economy but solar radiation incident on them did not affect fatty acid composition; (ii) when carbon allocated to the seeds was high (intact plants), contribution of pods to seed carbon economy was not significant, but the amount of solar radiation incident on pods produced significant changes in fatty acid composition.     

Overload of ferric ammonium citrate triggers MAPK pathways by producing high level of reactive oxygen species and induces apoptosis of human hFOB1.19 osteoblast cells

AIM：To investigate the role of reative oxygen species (ROS) generated by iron overload in activating the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways and apoptosis. METHODS：Cultured human osteoblast cell line hFOB1.19 was treated with ferric ammonium citrate (FAC) at concentrations of 0~500 μmoL/L. The proliferation of hFOB1.19 cells was analyzed by MTT assay. Apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry with Annexin V/PI staining. The expression levels of p-ERK, p-JNK and p-p38 were determined by Western blotting 24 h after treatment with FAC. RESULTS：After treated with FAC, the cell proliferation was inhibited. The early apoptosis and total cell death were significantly increased. The levels of ROS were increased to (35.73±2.52)%, (62.89±4.24)% and (76.06±3.55)% with the increasing doses of FAC treatmen,respectively. The expression levels of p-ERK, p-JNK and p-p38 were also remarkably elevated in FAC groups. CONCLUSION：Iron overload increases intracellular ROS level, thus triggering the MAPK pathways and inducing apoptosis of human hFOB1.19 osteoblast cells.     

发动机缸盖用铸造铝硅合金的成分优化与组织性能研究

采用正交试验对ZL101合金进行了成分优化设计，并分析了合金元素对铝硅合金力学性能的影响.对改良后的合金进行了热处理工艺研究，其最佳热处理工艺条件为：500 ℃×5.5 h+180 ℃×5 h.研究结果表明，改良合金在铸态下的力学性能为：抗拉强度为244.57 MPa，伸长率为5.95%，硬度为75.1 HB；在T6态下的力学性能为：抗拉强度为397.92 MPa，伸长率为4.68%，硬度为141.2 HB.     

云南省古林箐自然保护区物种多样性及保护

古林箐自然保护区位于北回归线以南,哀牢山南端以东的滇东南高原向东南半岛延伸的结合部,南亚热带与热带的过渡地带。在这特殊的自然地理条件下,成为我国三大生物多样性中心之一的滇东南—桂西北的核心部位,区内有发育完整,保存完好的森林生态系统和丰富的生物资源。但在管理中存在许多方面问题,据此提出保护措施。     

Nutritional approaches to slow late finishing pig growth: implications on carcass composition and pork quality

Although pork producers typically aim to optimize growth rates, occasionally it is necessary to slow growth, such as when harvest facility capacity is limited. In finishing pigs, numerous dietary strategies can be used to slow growth so pigs are at optimal slaughter body weights when harvest facility capacity and/or access is restored. However, the impact of these diets on pork carcass quality is largely unknown. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of dietary strategies to slow growth in late finishing pigs and evaluate their effects on carcass composition and pork quality. Mixed-sex pigs (n = 897; 125 ± 2 kg BW) were randomly allotted across 48 pens and assigned to 1 of 6 dietary treatments (n = 8 pens/treatment): (1) Control diet representative of a typical finisher diet (CON); (2) diet containing 3% calcium chloride (CaCl₂); (3) diet containing 97% corn and no soybean meal (Corn); (4) diet deficient in isoleucine (LowIle); (5) diet containing 15% neutral detergent fiber (NDF) from soybean hulls (15% NDF); and (6) diet containing 20% NDF from soybean hulls (20% NDF). Over 42 d, pen body weights and feed disappearance were collected. Pigs were harvested in 3 groups (14, 28, and 42 d on feed) and carcass data collected. From the harvest group, 1 loin was collected from 120 randomly selected carcasses (20 loins/treatment) to evaluate pork quality traits. Overall, ADG was reduced in CaCl₂, Corn, and 20% NDF pigs compared with CON pigs (P < 0.001). However, ADFI was only reduced in CaCl₂ and 20% NDF pigs compared with CON (P < 0.001). Feed efficiency was reduced in CaCl₂ and Corn pigs compared with CON (P < 0.001). Hot carcass weights were reduced in CaCl₂ pigs at all harvest dates (P < 0.001) and were reduced in Corn and 20% NDF pigs at days 28 and 42 compared with CON pigs (P < 0.001). In general, CaCl₂ and 20% NDF diets resulted in leaner carcasses, whereas the Corn diet increased backfat by 42 d on test (P < 0.05). Loin pH was reduced and star probe increased in CaCl₂ pigs compared with CON pigs (P < 0.05); no treatments differed from CON pigs regarding drip loss, cook loss, color, firmness, or marbling (P ≥ 0.117). Overall, these data indicate that several dietary strategies can slow finishing pig growth without evidence of behavioral vices. However, changes to carcass composition and quality were also observed, indicating quality should be taken into consideration when choosing diets to slow growth.     

甘肃省兴隆山区域丛枝菌根真菌多样性初探

本研究采用Illumina HiSeq分子测序技术,探究了兴隆山东山丛枝菌根(Arbuscular mycorrhizal,AM)真菌多样性及其在不同海拔高度的分布特征。结果表明:1)自兴隆山东山土壤分离获得AM真菌共52种,隶属于4目8科13属,其中球囊霉属(Glomus)和原囊霉属(Archaeospora)为主要物种,分别为20种和9种,共占总物种的55.77%;2)各海拔梯度AM真菌种属分布结果表明,优势属球囊霉属(Glomus)和类球囊霉属(Paraglomus)随海拔变化呈现规律性分布,其余各属均匀分布于不同海拔梯度;球状巨孢囊霉(Gigaspora margarita)、蜜色无梗囊霉(Acaulospora mellea)、白色球囊霉(Glomus albidum)、球囊霉属的Glomus sp.1和Glomus sp.4,还有弯丝硬囊霉(Sclerocystis sinuosa)仅在部分海拔梯度出现,为不同海拔特有种;3)AM真菌丰富度分析表明,从低海拔到高海拔,ACE和Chao1指数总体上表现出“单峰”变化曲线,且部分海拔间差异性显著(P<0.05)。Spearman相关性分析发现,该地区AM真菌种属分布受海拔因子影响较小,两者间不具有显著相关性。综上,兴隆山东山AM真菌资源丰富,物种繁多,具有较大的应用潜力。     

新疆草地优势种植物相对生物量沿海拔梯度变化特征

优势种作为草地生态系统中地上生物量的主要贡献者,其生物量既受到环境因素的影响,也受到共存种种间关系的影响。然而,由于物种的不同和环境梯度的差异,目前有关优势种生物量与环境因素关系的研究,尚未获得一致性的结论。基于此,本研究以2011-2013年对新疆9种草地类型397个样地中优势种相对生物量的调查数据为基础,首先统计了不同草地类型中优势种组成,其次通过一般线性模型分析了优势种相对生物量随海拔梯度变化特征,以及共存优势种相对生物量之间的关系。结果显示：1）新疆草地共有169个优势种,隶属31科120属。这些优势种主要以禾本科植物为主,占据了优势种的19.53%。其中,高寒草原、温性草甸草原、温性草原、温性荒漠草原和温性草原化荒漠中,最主要的优势种均为针茅。而在高寒草甸、山地草甸和温性荒漠中,最主要的优势种则分别为珠芽蓼、千叶蓍和角果藜;2）优势种相对生物量与海拔的关系可以归为5类,分别呈现无显著关系、先降低后升高的U型变化趋势、显著正相关关系、显著负相关关系和先增加后降低的单峰型关系。这5类关系所对应的优势种数量分别为50、9、8、6和4个,分别占优势种总数的64.9%、11.7%、10.4%、7.8%和5.2%;3）24个共存优势种之间,其相对生物量共存在19对显著关系,且大多数共存优势种相对生物量之间主要表现为负相关关系。本研究表明,优势种相对生物量与海拔的关系,因物种不同呈多种变化格局且受到共存优势种的影响,结果可对未来新疆草地地上生物量的维持和管理,提供一定的参考依据。     

PEG干旱胁迫对3种葱属植物种子萌发期渗透调节物质及酶活性的影响

为探明东北地区常见野生葱属植物耐旱能力,筛选野生葱属植物耐旱种质资源,本研究以野韭（Allium ramosum L.）、山韭（Allium senescens L.）和蒙古韭（Allium mongolicum Regel）3种葱属植物为材料,采用不同浓度的PEG-6000模拟干旱胁迫,分析其种子萌发期渗透调节物质及酶活性的影响,并结合主成分分析和隶属函数分析比较抗旱性。结果表明：干旱胁迫下,3种葱属植物种子萌发期相对电导率显著升高（P<0.05）,丙二醛、脯氨酸、可溶性糖、可溶性蛋白含量及超氧化物歧化酶、过氧化氢酶、过氧化物酶、多酚氧化酶活性均呈现先上升后下降的趋势。3种植物相比,山韭相对电导率最低,渗透调节物质积累量最高,酶活性变化明显。主成分分析表明,4种酶活性之间显示出强相关性。隶属函数分析得出3种植物种子的抗旱性由高到低依次为：山韭 > 野韭 > 蒙古韭。     

A review of okara (soybean curd residue) utilization as animal feed: Nutritive value and animal performance aspects

Year by year, huge quantities of by-products are generated during the manufacturing process of soybean-based products. Okara is one of the by-products, and it is an insoluble portion of the soybean. It consists of high moisture (8.4–22.9%); on dry matter basis, it contains high metabolizable energy (9.0–14.2 MJ/kg) and other components that include crude protein (20.9–39.1%), crude fiber (12.2–61.3%), crude fat (4.9–21.5%), and ash (3.4–5.3%). Fermentation of okara improves its nutritional quality and reduces its anti-nutrient contents. Due to animals' palatability, okara can be used to replace the soybean meal/concentrate feed partially or completely in ruminant's diet and partially in nonruminant's diet. Okara feeding does not depress the intake, digestibility, growth, milk production, blood metabolic profiles, and meat quality of animals. However, this by-product decays quickly due to its high moisture content, and its heavy weight and sticky nature make it difficult to process and expensive to dry using conventional methods. This paper thoroughly summarizes the utilization of okara as animal feed in the cause of developing a general guideline with favorable levels of inclusion in the diets of animals for its exploitation and valorization. This review will encourage further research to develop eco-friendly and value added feed for animals.