Fat-Tailed Sheep Traits as Affected by Docking

The literature mostly indicates that docking fat-tailed lambs initially reduces growth but that post-weaning growth and feed conversion efficiency then increase. The amount of fat deposited, the total separable lean meat to fat ratio and the meat quality all increase, while the percentage of bone in the carcase either decreases or does not change in the carcases of the docked lambs. Wool growth and characteristics are, in general, not affected and reproductive traits in ewes and lambs are improved by docking. The rectal temperature, respiration rate and pulse rate are decreased following docking. The concentrations of immunoreactive beta-endorphin and cortisol in the plasma and the incidence of foot stamping and restlessness, as indicators of stress, increase after docking. Other constituents of the blood are not significantly altered following docking or by the methods of docking. Docking of fat-tailed sheep using rubber rings at one day of age can be recommended. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

鸡GDF-5基因外显子1多态性与鸡骨骼发育性状的相关研究

根据GenBank发表的鸡GDF-5基因的mRNA序列设计引物，以白耳鸡和东北农业大学选育的肉鸡高、低腹脂系第8世代鸡群为试验材料，通过测序和PCR-SSCP的方法进行SNP检测和基因型分析，探讨GDF5基因多态性与鸡生长和骨骼发育性状之间的关系。结果发现在GDF-5基因外显子1的84bp处存在1个C／T的突变位点，对该突变位点在研究群体中进行基因型分析，结果产生3种基因型，AA型个体的基因序列和GenBank（Accession No：AF123389）中的一致为C，而BB型个体的基因序列在84bp处突变为T。基因型与鸡体组成性状的统计分析结果表明，AA基因型个体的跖骨围显著高于AB基因型个体（P〈0．05）；AA基因型和AB基因型个体的跖爪重和跖爪率显著高于BB基因型个体（P〈0．05）；AB基因型个体的股骨长和股骨重显著高于BB基因型个体（P＜0．05）；表明该基因对鸡的骨骼性状有较大的影响或与控制骨骼发育性状的主效基因相连锁。     

教育对重庆市经济增长贡献研究

教育对经济增长具有很强的促进作用。文章采用计量经济学方法，测算重庆市教育对重庆市经济增长的贡献率，并把计算结果同京、津、沪、川的数据作了对比。发现重庆市的教育贡献率上升，但是高等教育贡献率非常低。当前，重庆市实施“科教兴渝”战略，一方面应注重持续发展基础教育，实现重庆教育均衡发展；另一方面注重协调发展高等教育，进一步改善教育体系，同时创新留住人才的机制。     

环境因素影响肉鸡生长的研究进展

就环境因素中温度、湿度、有害气体、光照和饲养密度对肉鸡生产性能的不利影响进行综述,并从内分泌、细胞体液反应、免疫、组织器官和营养代谢角度阐明不利因素影响肉鸡生产效果的机理。     

口饲胰岛素样生长因子的生理功能

本文综述了口饲胰岛素样生长因子的动物性实验结果。口饲胰岛素样生长因子具有降低血糖水平、增强机体免疫力、调节动物肠道菌群,促进胃肠道生长发育或肠道组织创伤的愈合等独特的生理功能。     

中草药和芦荟多糖对肉仔鸡肠道微生态、免疫功能及生产性能的影响

研究了中草药添加剂、芦荟多糖对肉仔鸡肠道主要菌群、小肠微绒毛密度、免疫功能及生产性能的影响.结果表明,肉仔鸡饲粮中添加中草药、芦荟多糖,能显著降低盲肠内容物大肠杆菌浓度,提高盲肠内双歧杆菌和乳酸菌杆菌浓度(P＜0.05);回肠微绒毛高度增加、密度加大(P＜0.05);免疫器官胸腺、脾脏、法氏囊相对质量均显著增加,新城疫抗体效价显著提高(P＜0.05);添加中草药、中草药 芦荟多糖显著提高了肉仔鸡的日增重和降低了料肉比(P＜0.05).     

Characterization and quantitative assessment of interspecific and intraspecific penetration of below-ground vegetation by cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica (L.) Beauv.) rhizomes

Cogongrass ( Imperata cylindrica (L.) Beauv.), an invasive C4 perennial grass, negatively influences native plant communities by forming dense monotypic stands that alter ecosystem properties and lower local species diversity. A hypothesized mechanism by which cogongrass achieves competitive dominance is a novel use of below-ground vegetative disturbance of neighboring vegetation (i.e. puncturing). However, very little empirical evidence is found in the peer-reviewed literature to quantify this phenomenon, much less establish it as a true form of competitive interaction. The present field study was conducted to quantify the occurrence of rhizome-mediated, below-ground vegetative penetration, both interspecifically and intraspecifically, document how this phenomenon is influenced by spatial location relative to the cogongrass stand, and determine the role that above-ground and below-ground biomass might have in the process. Analyses of 100 sod samples indicated that rhizome-mediated, below-ground vegetative penetration is a much larger intraspecific phenomenon than an interspecific one. The data also strongly suggested spatial location as a significant factor, with most penetrations occurring in the interior of a cogongrass stand as opposed to the advancing border. Significant correlations between rhizome-mediated, below-ground vegetative penetration and above-ground cogongrass biomass were found in the overall plot analysis and most strongly in the advancing border of the cogongrass stands.     

Cohort-dependent seedling recruitment, survival and reproductive capacity of Tribulus terrestris

Knowledge of the population biology of the summer annual Tribulus terrestris can provide valuable information for managing the risk of its colonising crop fields. Because of spring‐summer crop management practices, fields can exhibit bare ground in late April and early May. In this situation, four cohorts in 2000 and three cohorts in 2001 were censused and monitored throughout the vegetative and reproductive season, in order to evaluate the relationship between time of emergence, survival, vegetative growth and plant reproductive capacities. To a great extent, seedling survivorship depended on emergence timing; the earlier the emergence of the seedlings, the higher was the proportion of survivorship (64% and 4%, for early and late emergences). The time of emergence also influenced plant development; in both years, surviving individuals of the first cohorts presented significantly greater plant biomass and larger numbers of reproductive structures (60.5 fruits per plant) than those of later cohorts (0.8 fruits per plant). Reproductive meristem allocation was also highest in the earliest cohorts. Results showed that T. terrestris can increase its population size in fields if gaps of bare soil surface are available from mid spring to early summer.     

Comparing rice germplasm groups for growth, grain yield and weed-suppressive ability under aerobic soil conditions

Germplasm and cultivars need to be selected as parents for breeding weed‐competitive aerobic rice in the tropics. Forty rice (Oryza sativa) cultivars belonging to the aus, indica and tropical japonica germplasm groups, or derived from crosses among them, were evaluated in adjacent weed‐free and weedy trials in aerobic soil conditions during the wet seasons of 2001–2003. The objectives of this study were to assess vegetative growth, grain yield under weed‐free (Y_F) and weedy (Y_W) conditions, and weed‐suppressive ability (WSA) of different germplasm groups. In the first 4 weeks after sowing, indica cultivars had faster growth in height, tillering and crop biomass than other groups. They also had high Y_F, Y_W and strong WSA. Aus cultivars were similar to the indica types in early growth and WSA, but were poor in Y_F. Tropical japonica groups and the group derived from indica/tropical japonica crosses were generally inferior to aus and indica groups in early growth and WSA. Both of their Y_F and Y_W were lower than that of the indica group. Therefore, indica germplasm seemed to be most suitable for breeding high‐yielding and weed‐suppressive aerobic rice for the tropics. The relationship of WSA with various traits within tropical japonica germplasm revealed that fast early growth, rather than plant erectness, is crucial to WSA.     

Isolation and Identification of Enterococcus faecalis from Fur-bearing Animals

In order to obtain Enterococcus faecalis from fur animals and evaluate its prebiotic properties,in this study,Enterococcus faecalis was isolated from the feces of healthy adult fur-bearing animals (mink,fox,raccoon dog),identified by morphological observation,biochemical test and 16S rRNA sequence analysis.The growth curve,acid production capacity and antibiotic sensitivity of the Enterococcus faecalis isolates were measured to evaluate their probiotic properties.Some strains were selected to determine their tolerance to temperature,artificial gastric juice and artificial bile salt.The results showed that five strains were Gram-positive,and their biochemical characteristics were basically consistent with the standard strains of Enterococcus faecalis,and they were identified as Enterococcus faecalis by 16S rRNA sequence analysis.The five strains all entered the logarithmic phase at 2 h after culture,and entered the stable phase at 8-10 h,and had weak acid production capacity.The resistance rate of the isolates to tetracycline and levofloxacin was 100%,followed by penicillin (80%),erythromycin (80%),gentamicin (80%) and chloramphenicol (40%).All the isolates were sensitive to ampicillin and vancomycin.Enterococcus faecalis from mink,fox and raccoon dog had strong tolerance to temperature below 60 ℃,artificial gastric juice with pH>3.0 and 0.3%-0.5% concentration of bile salt,but poor tolerance to temperature above 70 ℃,and artificial gastric juice with pH<3.0.In conclusion,five strains of Enterococcus faecalis from fur animals (mink,fox,raccoon dog) were obtained in this study.The isolated strains propagated rapidly,which were suitable for colonization and played a prebiotic role in fur animals' intestines,and had good prebiotic characteristics and stress resistance.They could be used as candidate strains for animal microbiological agents for further study.