Body condition scoring (BCS) in corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus) and comparison to pre-existing body condition index (BCI) for snakes

In the veterinary profession, the body condition score (BCS) plays an important role in the assessment of patients. It is a subjective, tactile method of evaluating body fat and muscle mass and is used in numerous species. Recognizing obesity (or the contrary, emaciation) is important for veterinarians treating reptiles and could be facilitated by a BCS. An existing form of body condition assessment already used is the body condition index (BCI), where the residuals from a regression of body mass on body length are calculated. Therefore, the goal of this study was to provide practitioners with a BCS system for corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus) and to test it against the BCI. A total of 22 corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus), stationed at the “Auffangstation für Reptilien” in Munich (reptile rescue centre, RRC), were subject of this study. Each had the following measurements taken: body weight (BW), snout–tail tip length (STL), snout–vent length (SVL) and circumference in the middle (C). Manual palpation of spine, area between vertebral spinous and transverse process, ribs and neck of each snake was performed by three veterinarians and assigned to specific scores by each examiner. A BCS (mean of examiners’ scores) was given to each snake according to manual palpation. The BCS system was chosen to be out of 5 in 0.5-point steps with 2.5 considered as ideal BCS. In the studied snakes, the BCS ranged from 1.5 to 3.5, with a median of 2.5. The median BW was 309 g (75–967 g), the median STL was 123 cm (79–153 cm), the median SVL was 104 cm (73–133 cm) and the median C was 7.5 cm (4.3–11 cm). BCS and BCI were positively correlated. A BCS includes a manual palpation of the animal and thus gives the examiner additional information to the objectively measured/calculated index.     

蚯蚓粪对柑橘幼苗抗草甘膦胁迫的影响

草甘膦在柑橘园除草中得到大量使用,对农作物生长、果实品质、产量和质量造成影响。如何降低草甘膦对柑橘树的生物可利用性,从而降低其对农作物造成的药害、提高果实品质和食品安全将至关重要。本文在前期研究的基础上通过施用蚯蚓粪,表征蚯蚓粪作用下土壤中残留草甘膦对柑橘幼苗的生物有效性和生物毒性效应。结果显示,蚯蚓粪能够显著增强其生物有效性（BCF值显著增大）;显著降低草甘膦在土壤中的残留量到草甘膦单独处理组的55.15%,从而减少草甘膦在柑橘幼苗植株中的积累。同时,蚯蚓粪的施用能促进植物的茁壮生长,使抗氧化酶活力较对照组显著提高,从而具有更强的抗逆能力。在这两方面的共同作用下,蚯蚓粪显著减轻了土壤中残留草甘膦对柑橘幼苗的胁迫,使其株高、根长和相应的干重较草甘膦单独施用时增长了26.23%-140.11%,甚至成为对照组的1.03倍和1.13倍。此研究对兼顾化肥有机替代的草甘膦污染土壤的修复和高效利用具有重要意义。     

猪源唾液乳杆菌对生长猪氮表观消化率及血清指标的影响

本研究旨在探讨猪源唾液乳杆菌对生长猪氮表观消化率和血清指标的影响。选用平均体重为(35.22±0.86)kg长×大二元杂交猪81头,随机分成3组,每组3个重复,每个重复9头。对照组饲喂基础日粮,试验组分别在基础日粮中添加0.20%、0.40%猪源唾液乳杆菌冻干制剂,试验期为30 d。结果表明:添加0.20%、0.40%的猪源唾液乳杆菌冻干制剂可显著提高生长猪氮表观消化率(P<0.05);与对照组相比,2个试验组猪血清白球比显著降低(P<0.05),尿素氮、乳酸脱氢酶、肌酸激酶含量分别比对照组降低了14.77%和13.42%(P<0.05)、16.92%和20.0%(P<0.05)、28.96%和23.00%(P<0.01),但2个试验组间差异不显著(P>0.05)。结果提示,日粮中添加猪源唾液乳杆菌能够提高生长猪氮表观消化率,改善血清指标,减少应激,且以添加剂量为0.20%时效果最好。     

复方中草药添加剂对稻鸭共作模式下成都麻鸭生理效应的影响研究

为研究复方中草药添加剂对稻鸭共作模式下成都麻鸭生长性能、血清生化指标、抗氧化指标及免疫指标的影响,试验选取体重相近、体况健康的15日龄成都麻鸭240只,随机分为4组,每组5个重复,每个重复12只。4组为对照组饲喂基础饲粮;试验1、2、3组在基础饲粮中按照质量比分别添加0.5%(低剂量组)、1%(中剂量组)、2%(高剂量组)的复方中草药,试验期90 d。结果显示:(1)试验1、2、3组的平均日增重分别较对照组提高2.19%、4.34%、4.98%(P<0.05);试验2、3组的料重比分别较对照组降低3.37%、3.63%(P<0.05);(2)试验2组和3组的总蛋白(TP)分别较对照组提高4.20%、6.08%(P<0.05);试验2组和3组的尿素氮(BUN)分别较对照组降低12.72%、16.36%(P<0.05);试验2组和3组的谷草转氨酶(ALT)分别较对照组降低15.84%、19.22%(P<0.05);试验3组的谷丙转氨酶(AST)较对照组降低19.34%(P<0.05);(3)试验2组和3组超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)分别较对照组提高15.80%、20.00%(P<0.05);试验3组的总抗氧化能力(T-AOC)较对照组提高22.37%(P<0.05);(4)三个试验组的IgA、IgM、IgG、IFN-γ、IL-2显著高于对照组(P<0.05),试验2组的肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)较对照组提高10.06%(P<0.05),试验2组和3的组溶菌酶(LZM)分别较对照组提高6.79%、5.66%(P<0.05)。综上,中草药添加剂能有效提高稻鸭共作模式下成都麻鸭的生长性能、血清生化指标、抗氧化指标及免疫指标,本试验条件下,最佳饲喂剂量为1%。     

西北旱区喷灌条件下紫花苜蓿生长特征与品质指标的关系

西北旱区由于独特的气候条件,生产的苜蓿干草品质好,产量高。如何根据苜蓿的田间指标估测干草品质参数,对于苜蓿草产品生产销售具有重要意义。研究在喷灌条件下不同灌溉量对紫花苜蓿的生长品质的影响,并利用生长指标对紫花苜蓿的品质进行预测。试验于2014至2015年于中国农业大学石羊河流域生态节水试验站进行为期2年的田间试验。试验共设3个灌溉处理:A₁灌溉量为100%紫花苜蓿蒸腾蒸散量(ETc),A₂,A₃的灌溉量分别为A₁处理的66%,33%,以及一个不灌溉处理A₄。结果表明,苜蓿生长指标如株高(H)和茎叶比(SLR)随生育期的推进呈上升趋势,而鲜干比(FDR)呈下降趋势;所有生长指标随着灌溉量的减少均呈下降趋势。在品质方面,随着生育期的推进,所有处理的粗蛋白(CP)呈下降趋势,而中性洗涤纤维(NDF)和酸性洗涤纤维(ADF)则呈现上升趋势;随着灌溉量的降低,NDF与ADF呈下降趋势,而CP则呈上升趋势。各生长指标与品质指标的拟合结果表明,H和SLR均与各品质指标显著线性相关(P<0.001),且H与品质拟合结果相关系数最高(R²>0.900),而FDR则与各品质指标不显著。这些结果表明,在田间管理较好,长势良好,杂草与病虫害发生较少的情况下,可以用株高对苜蓿干草品质做出预测。     

莱茵鹅15项血清生化指标的测定及分析

为了更有效地保护和利用莱茵鹅的优良基因,对北方种鹅场和双鸭山种鹅场的莱茵鹅血清进行了15项生化指标的测定及分析。结果表明:北方种鹅场和双鸭山种鹅场莱茵鹅血清三酰甘油、肌酐、直接胆红素、氯、镁、尿素氮、白蛋白和钙等血清生化指标之间的差异达到了极显著水平(P<0.01);血清总蛋白和总胆红素之间的差异达到了显著水平(P<0.05);而葡萄糖、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇、总胆固醇、无机磷和尿酸含量之间差异不显著(P>0.05)。研究还初步建立了莱茵鹅15项血清生化指标的参考值及参考范围。     

湖北五峰后河国家级自然保护区果子狸秋冬季栖息地选择

2006年6月～2007年3月,在湖北五峰后河国家级自然保护区内,应用选择系数、选择指数、判别分析,对果子狸在秋冬季节栖息地的选择和利用进行了初步研究。研究结果表明,秋季与冬季果子狸对栖息地的选择有差异性。秋季在低海拔地区有较多林木果实、藤本果实成熟,不需要消耗太多能量即可满足自身需要。冬季气温下降,果子狸较喜欢选择海拔较高的阳坡活动,以获取更多热量。     

不同水平纤维素酶对肉鸡屠宰性能、免疫器官指数及血清生化指标的影响

试验选用1dAA＋肉鸡1050羽作为试验动物,随机分为7个组,每组5个重复,每个重复30羽,分别饲喂不同水平的纤维素酶,试验期42d,分别于21d、42d测定肉鸡的屠宰率、半净膛率和腹脂率;同时测定胸腺、脾脏和法氏囊的器官指数及血清中血糖和尿素氮含量。试验结果表明,添加不同水平的纤维素酶对21d肉鸡的屠宰性能并未产生显著影响;对42d肉鸡的屠宰率和半净膛率效果显著,试验组G屠宰率提高了3.94%（P〈0.05）,试验组E半净膛率提高了2.46%（P〈0.05）。肉鸡胸腺、脾脏、法氏囊器官指数有不同程度的提高,差异不显著。添加不同水平的纤维素酶能够显著提高1～21d和22～42d肉鸡血液内葡萄糖含量,试验组G提高了4.25%（P〈0.05）。添加不同水平的纤维素酶能够降低1～21d肉鸡血清内尿素氮水平,试验组G降低了6.14%（P〈0.05）。     

Low Fertility in Daughters of Bulls with 1/29 Translocation

Non-return rates at different stages after insemination were compared in daughters (n = 21,212) of five translocation heterozygous sires with all cows and heifers (n = 610,714) represented in the Norwegian Red Cattle (NRF) breeding statistics during the period October 1970 to September 1972. The daughters of the carrier bulls showed statistically significant lower non-return rates for 0–30, 30–60, 60–90, 90–120, 120–150, 150–180 and 180–270 days as compared with the control animals. The decline in non-return percentage for the daughters of translocation sires was greater than in the control animals during the period from 0–30 to 60–90 days indicating higher losses of fetuses during the early period after insemination.Daughter groups of carrier bulls consisting of adult cows only showed higher non-return rates than groups comprising both cows and heifers.     

Attempts to stimulate mitosis in cultured trophoblast cells of cattle embryos

Trophoblast from Day-14 bovine embryos was cultured in medium containing mitogens to determine if the mitotic index could be altered. Trophoblast from each of 15 embryos was cultured in minimum essential medium (Eagles) with 20 % fetal calf serum (control) or in this medium supplemented with pokeweed mitogen (1 %, v/v), phytohemagglutinin (1 %, v/v), concanavalin A (1 %, v/v) or thymidine (2 mg/ml). No mitogenic effect was observed due to any of the treatments. However, mitotic indexes were significantly lower when pokeweed (P < 0.05) or thymidine (P < 0.01) was added to the medium. A highly significant (P < 0.001) variation in mitotic index between embryos was observed.