Effect of taurine supplemented practical diet on growth performance and taurine contents in whole body and tissues of juvenile Japanese flounder <Emphasis Type="Italic">Paralichthys olivaceus</Emphasis>

ABSTRACT:   The effect of dietary taurine on juvenile Japanese flounder was determined by feeding three taurine-supplemented experimental diets (TAU) and a commercial diet (CD) to evaluate a practical diet for juvenile Japanese flounder. Juvenile Japanese flounder were reared on the three experimental diets supplemented with taurine at 0, 0.5, 1.0% and CD. These diets were fed to juvenile Japanese flounder of an initial mean body weight of 0.2 g for 6 weeks at 20°C and the taurine contents of the whole body and tissues were analyzed. The final average body weight of juvenile Japanese flounder fed the 1.0% TAU was significantly higher than that of the other groups. Taurine contents in the whole body and tissues increased with the increase in dietary taurine level. These results indicate that juvenile Japanese flounder require at least 15 mg/g taurine in the diet, even though a combined mix of fish, krill and squid meal was the main protein source in the experimental diets.     

Supply of tree-holes limits nest density of cavity-nesting birds in primary and logged subtropical Atlantic forest

Tree cavities are proposed to limit populations and structure communities of cavity-nesting birds. Although the greatest diversity of cavity-nesting birds is found in tropical and subtropical moist forests, little is known about how tropical logging affects the abundance of cavities or cavity-nesting birds. We compared the abundance of cavities and cavity nests between primary and selectively-logged subtropical moist Atlantic forest in Argentina, and conducted the first before-after controlled nest-box addition experiment to determine whether nest sites limit the breeding density of cavity-nesting birds in tropical or subtropical moist forest. Visual inspection of 86 cavities identified through ground-surveys revealed that only 19% were suitable for nesting birds, suggesting that cavity abundance may be overestimated in the literature on tropical forests. Suitable cavities were found in fewer than 1% of 1156 trees <60 cm dbh but 20% of 20 trees >100 cm dbh. Logged forest had half the basal area of primary forest, one third the density of large trees, nine times fewer cavities suitable for nesting birds, and 17 times fewer active nests. When we added nest boxes, nesting density increased on treatment plots but not on control plots in both logged and primary forest, suggesting that cavity supply can limit nest density even in relatively undisturbed forest. This is the first experiment to show how reduced cavity supply in logged tropical forest can limit breeding density of cavity-nesting birds. International initiatives such as forest certification should promote tropical timber management strategies that conserve large live cavity-bearing trees.     

Prespawn mortality in adult spring Chinook salmon outplanted above barrier dams

Keefer ML, Taylor GA, Garletts DF, Gauthier GA, Pierce TM, Caudill CC. Prespawn mortality in adult spring Chinook salmon outplanted above barrier dams.
Ecology of Freshwater Fish 2010: 19: 361–372. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract – Dams without fish passage facilities block access to much of the historic spawning habitat of spring Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in Oregon’s Willamette River basin. Adult salmon are routinely outplanted above the dams to supplement natural production, but many die before spawning despite extensive suitable habitat. In 2004–2007, we examined prespawn mortality patterns using live detection and carcass recovery data for 242 radio‐tagged outplants. Total prespawn mortality was 48%, but variability was high, ranging from 0% to 93% for individual release groups. Prespawn mortality was strongly condition dependent, consistently higher for females than males and higher for early release groups. Across years, warm water temperature in the migration corridor and at the collection site was associated with sharply higher mortality. Results highlight a need for better evaluations of the effects of adult mortality on population reintroduction and recovery and relationships among prespawn mortality, dam‐related temperature change and salmon life history and behaviour.     

不同精料添加量对藏系绵羊的育肥效果

按对等原则将 24 只藏系羯羊(1.5 岁)分为Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ三个处理组,分 150g/(只·d)、300g/(只·d)、450g/(只·d)三种精料添加水平,自由采食燕麦青干草,以研究不同精料添加量对藏羊生产性能的影响。试验结果表明,三组藏羊全期平均日增重分别为(74.38±19.10)、(156.70±25.23)、(169.33±34.45) g,Ⅱ组、Ⅲ组极显著高于Ⅰ组(P<0.01),而Ⅱ组与Ⅲ组间差异不显著(P>0.05);育肥后期各处理组日增重均呈现下降趋势。在本试验的日粮条件下,每天饲喂 300 g 精料时的饲料转化率最高。     

冬春放牧及补饲精料促使肉牛生长的试验

试验采用随机区组组合排列方法分为５个处理组，每处理重复了３次，共１５个试验小区，每小区放养婆罗门杂交断阉牛４头，试验期１２６天，每隔２１天称重１次。结果表明：除仅在自然草地放牧，不补饲的阉牛在全试验期减重４ｋｇ外，其他４组试验牛分别增重１９，１５，６５和５２ｋｇ，与第一处理组相比，差异显著（Ｐ＜０．０５）。     

Bird assemblages in forest fragments within Mediterranean mosaics created by wild fires

The role of habitat heterogeneity as a key factor in determining species pools in habitat mosaics has been acknowledged, but we still know little on the relative importance of the different ecological processes acting within such complex landscapes. We compared species richness and distribution in forest fragments imbedded in shrub-lands to those in continuous forests or in continuous shrublands. We examined the consistency of our data with the predictions of two hypotheses: 1) the Habitat fragmentation hypothesis which states that fragmentation has negative effects on the species from the original continuous habitat; 2) the Habitat supplementation /complementation hypothesis which stipulates that the presence of a matrix habitat around the fragments will mitigate negative effects on the species from the original habitat (supplementation) or allow the presence of species that depend on the presence of both the fragment and matrix habitats (complementation). We show that: 1) species richness in forest fragments did not differ from species richness in segments of continuous forests of equal area; 2) the bird community of forest fragments got impoverished in some forest species but a higher proportion of species common in continuous forests were not affected by fragmentation; 3) fragment communities had a significant proportion of common species that were scarce in, or absent from both continuous forests and shrublands. While, a few forest species supported predictions from the fragmentation hypothesis, occurrence patterns observed in several other species were consistent with either the supplementation or the complementation hypotheses. Our results suggest that there is no single hypothesis that properly captures the consequences of a shift from continuous forests to a mosaic of forest fragments and shrublands and that different ecological mechanisms act in conjunction to determine species pools in habitat mosaics. Habitat heterogeneity at a local scale appears a key factor in maintaining bird diversity in fire driven Mediterranean landscapes.     

高效液相色谱-荧光检测法测定尿中1-羟基芘

[目的]通过C18固相萃取小柱洗脱液浓缩与不浓缩试验对比,改进尿样中1-羟基芘的高效液相色谱-荧光检测器测定方法。[方法]取2组相同尿样,经酶避光水解后,通过C18固相萃取小柱进行富集,甲醇洗脱。一组对洗脱液进行氮吹浓缩后定容至1.5 ml,另一组直接洗脱定容至1.5 ml,然后,使用高效液相色谱-荧光检测器检测。以V乙腈∶V水=75∶25为流动相,等度洗脱,流速为1 ml/min,荧光检测器λex=275 nm,λem=430 nm。[结果]浓缩后测定的1-羟基芘的值为不浓缩测定值的72.9%～80.6%。利用不浓缩的酶水解高效液相色谱-荧光检测器法测定尿样中的1-羟基芘,检出限为0.02 ng/ml,在给定浓度范围内,1-羟基芘的峰面积与浓度有良好的线性关系,线性回归方程为y=2.404 1x-0.083(r=0.999 9),加标回收率为94.8%～108.7%,平均相对标准偏差为2.7%。[结论]不浓缩的酶水解高效液相色谱-荧光检测器法可用于测定尿样中的1-羟基芘,且该方法具有操作简单,灵敏度、精密度高,重现性、回收率好的特点。     

Effect of supplementation of multi-microbe probiotic product on growth performance, apparent digestibility, cecal microbiota and small intestinal morphology of broilers

The present study investigated the effect of inclusion of multi-microbe probiotic product on growth performance, apparent digestibility of nutrients, cecal microbiota and small intestinal morphology in broilers. Four hundred days-old Ross chicks were randomly allotted to five treatments on the basis of body weight (BW). Each treatment had four replicates of 20 chicks in each. Experimental diets were fed in two phases, starter (day 0-21) and finisher (day 22-35). Dietary treatments were; basal diet without any antimicrobial (NC), basal diet added with 20 mg Avilamycin/kg of diet (PC), 10(7) cfu multi-microbe probiotic/kg of diet (P1), 10(8) cfu multi-microbe probiotic/kg of diet (P2), and 10(9) cfu multi-microbe probiotic/kg of diet (P3). Overall BW gain and feed conversion ratio were better (p < 0.05) for treatments PC, P2 and P3 compared with NC and P1, with P1 being better (p < 0.05) than NC. Overall feed intake in treatments PC, P1, P2 and P3 were greater (p < 0.05) than NC. Apparent digestibility of dry matter and crude protein were greater (p < 0.05) in treatments PC, P2 and P3 compared with NC, with P1 being intermediate and not different form NC, PC, P2 and P3. At d 21 and 35, treatments PC, P1, P2 and P3 showed lower (p < 0.05) cecal Clostridium and Coliforms count in relation to NC. Moreover, cecal Clostridium (d 21) and Coliforms (d 21 and 35) count were lower (p < 0.05) in treatment PC in relation to P1; with P2 and P3 being intermediate and not different from PC. However, there was no effect of dietary treatments on cecal total anaerobic bacteria and Bifidobacterium spp. count. The villus height of duodenum in treatment PC was greater (p < 0.05) than NC, with P1, P2 and P3 being intermediate. Villus height of ileum in treatment PC was greater (p < 0.05) than in treatments P1 and NC, whereas it remained comparable among treatments PC, P2 and P3. Villus height to crypt depth ratio of ileum was greater (p < 0.05) for treatment PC, P2 and P3 compared with that in P1 and NC. It is concluded that multi-microbe probiotic inclusion at 10(8) and 10(9) cfu/kg diet had beneficial effects on broilers growth performance, apparent digestibility of nutrients and intestinal morphology and can be used as replacement to antibiotics growth promoter in broiler nutrition.     

Belangrike ongewingsfaktore wat die natuurlike verspreiding van schmidtia kalahariensis stent en enneapogon cenchroides (licht) c. e. hubbard (e. mollis lehm) in Suidwes‐Afrika beïnvloed 1

Die resultate van ‘n studie van die reaksie van twee belangrike eenjarige weidingsgrasse van Suidwes‐Afrika, Schmidtia kalahariensis en Enneapogon cenchroides, teenoor verskillende omgewingsfaktore word gerapporteer. Verskille tussen die twee spesies ten opsigte van ligenergievereistes, lengte van die lewensiklus, voedingsbehoeftes, smaaklikheid (veroorsaak deur suurafskeidmg) en ontkiemingseienskappe is uitgewys. Dit is moontlik om hierdie verskille in verband te bring met die natuurlike verspreiding van die twee spesies.     

Effects of concentrate or ryegrass-based diets (Lolium multiflorum) on the meat quality of lambs grazing on semi-natural pastures

Abstract

With the objective of studying the effects of production systems on meat quality, 75 Norwegian White Sheep lambs were subjected to one of the following treatments: continuous grazing on a semi-natural lowland pasture until slaughtering (Control); continuous grazing followed by either stall-feeding on concentrate and grass silage or grazing ryegrass pasture for 44 or 24 days before slaughtering (Conc44, Conc24, Rye44, Rye24). Loin samples of M. longissimus dorsi including the subcutaneous fat were analysed for sensory attributes and fatty acid composition. Compared with the control group, a lower intensity of acid taste (P<0.05) and a lower content of C18:3n-6 fatty acids (P<0.001) were observed in the Conc44 group. The n-6/n-3 ratio was higher (P<0.001) in meat tested from the concentrate treatments compared to the ryegrass treatments. These findings indicate that the fattening of lambs on improved pastures or a concentrate-based diet prior to slaughter may alter meat characteristics.