Interaction between the sequence of feeding of hay and concentrate,and boiling of barley on feed intake,the activity of hydrolytic enzymes and fermentation in the hindgut of Arabian mares

The interaction between the sequence of feeding of hay and concentrate and the hydrothermal processing of barley in alleviating concentrate effects on intake, and hindgut fermentation in horses was tested. Six Arabian mares (4–10 years of age, 410 ± 35 kg body weight) were used to evaluate the effects of feeding sequence (FS) and type of barley (TB) on intake, and faecal volatile fatty acids (VFA), activities of α‐amylase (AA: EC 3.2.1.1), carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase: EC 3.2.1.4), microcrystalline cellulase (MCCase: EC 3.2.1.91) and general filter paper degrading activity (FPD). Mares were offered a ration of air‐dried alfalfa and concentrate (70:30 as‐fed) in four subsequent periods of 14 days including 8 days of adaptation and 6 days of sampling. In each period and each meal, mares received concentrate either 30 min after (HC) or 30 min before (CH) alfalfa hay. Barley was either milled or boiled in water. Rectal samples were grabbed directly from rectum once per period. Mares subjected to CH had higher dry matter intakes than mares under HC regime. The acetate:propionate ratio (A:P ratio) in rectal content was higher with CH than HC. The AA activity was higher under CH than under HC. Mares fed boiled barley had lower rectal concentrations of VFA and propionate and a higher A:P ratio than mares fed milled barley. Furthermore, the rectal content showed a higher MCCase activity but a lower AA activity when mares were fed boiled compared with milled barley. Interactions between FS and TB were observed with respect to CMCase activity, and concentrations of propionate and valerate. In conclusion, the present results suggest that both, feeding concentrate before hay and boiling the barley, might improve the hindgut environment in Arabian mares, and that the two measures were mostly additive and sometimes even synergistic.     

ACE inhibition in goats under fixed‐time artificial insemination protocol increases the pregnancy rate and twin births

To assess the effect of the angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition on the efficiency of the fixed‐time artificial insemination (TAI), 69 goats were divided randomly into two groups: enalapril (n = 35) and control (n = 34). In the experiment, all animals underwent the protocol of fixed‐time artificial insemination for 12 days. Enalapril group received enalapril maleate dissolved in saline (Enalapril, Lab Teuto Ltda) subcutaneously at the following doses: 0.2 mg/kg/day in D0‐D2; 0.3 mg/kg/day in D3‐D6 and 0.4 mg/kg/day in D7‐D11. The control group received the corresponding volume of 0.9% saline solution. We performed a single insemination 36 hr after sponge removal using frozen semen from two adult male goats with recognized fertility. The ultrasound pregnancy diagnosis was 30 days after the artificial insemination (AI). There was significant increase in pregnancy rates and twinning as well as a decrease in foetal loss in animals receiving enalapril (p < .01). The use of ACE inhibitors during the TAI protocol was shown to be a promising alternative to increase the efficiency of such reproductive biotechnology.     

Disaccharide combinations and the expression of enolase3 and plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPase isoform in sturgeon sperm cryopreservation

Acipenser sinensis and Acipenser dabryanus are critically endangered species, so germplasm conservation via cryopreservation of sperm is necessary. Disaccharides can act as membrane‐impermeable cryoprotectants, and enolase3 (ENO3) and plasma membrane Ca²⁺ ATPase isoform (PMCA2) are proteins associated with sperm quality. We considered seven characteristics of sperm quality in cultured brood stock from A. sinensis and A. dabryanus. We tested use of sucrose or trehalose alone and in combination at different concentrations for cryopreservation of A. dabryanus sperm. A low concentration of sucrose plus trehalose (S₁₅T₁₅) was optimal. Mixing of the extender with sucrose, lactose, or trehalose alone or with pairwise mixtures revealed that a mixture of lactose and trehalose (L₁₅T₁₅) gave the best results for both A. sinensis and A. dabryanus. Enolase3 and PMCA2 expression levels were measured in cryopreserved A. sinensis sperm via Western blotting. Relative ENO3 and PMCA2 expression levels were examined, and the relationship between disaccharide composition, sperm quality and protein expression was explored in A. sinensis. The results showed that relative ENO3 and PMCA2 expression levels were the highest at L₁₅T₁₅ in cryopreserved A. sinensis sperm. There were significant positive correlations between ENO3 expression and percentage membrane integrity, and between PMCA2 expression and sperm motility parameters (percentage of motile sperm, curvilinear velocity, straight‐line velocity and average path velocity; p < .05) in cryopreserved A. sinensis sperm. Our results indicate the optimal disaccharide combination and concentrations for cryopreservation of A. sinensis and A. dabryanus sperm and suggest that ENO3 and PMCA2 expression levels could serve as a valuable indicator of sperm quality in A. sinensis.     

Bird flu (H7N9) outbreak and its implications on the supply chain of poultry meat in China

During the past two decades, food safety issues in China not only posed serious threats to Chinese consumers but also damaged the image of Chinese products internationally. In China, food safety is not only about scientific discoveries, advanced laboratories, and sanitation equipment; it is more about the role of different players in the food supply chain. The poultry meat supply chain is instrumental in the spread of the avian influenza A virus (H7N9), raising questions about how policymakers respond to such threats and whether industries need to be restructured to manage and control this epidemic so that it does not recur. As a short-term measure, to prevent the spread of this disease, government authorities enforced the closure of live bird markets (LBM) in disease-affected areas of China. However, in the long term, the poultry meat supply chain needs to be restructured. The aim of the current study was to analyze distribution channels for chicken meat in China and then describe arrangements in poultry meat sectors that incorporate small- and medium-scale producers into the supply chain while responding to shifts in LBMs. We also assessed the role of LBMs in spreading H7N9 and how these interventions affect the poultry meat supply chain in the Chinese market.     

三维CAD技术在机械设计中的应用

现代计算机在技术和性能上越发成熟,再加之网络的普及和信息的智能化处理技术的提高,三维CAD技术本身也正逐步成熟,因此,正确地把握CAD技术的发展趋势对我国机械工程中的设计工作具有深远的意义.     

基于“3S”技术的辽宁省某尾矿库扩容工程生态影响预测与评价

以辽宁省某尾矿库为例,基于GIS技术,利用2010年的TM遥感影像及地形图,预测该尾矿库扩容后的生态影响。分析结果显示:尾矿库扩容工程对生态的影响主要体现在土地利用、植被、生态景观和地形地貌的变化4个方面。     

库车坳陷克深地区现今地应力场及储层裂缝数值模拟

克深三维区目前处于勘探开发的前期,需要明确地应力场及地下储层裂缝的分布规律,指导开发工作,但该区存在地层埋深大、取心困难、成像测井资料缺乏等实际情况,应力场研究及裂缝预测难度大。利用有限元分析方法,以井点现今地应力值为约束进行了克深三维区现今地应力场的数值模拟,同时建立了应力应变与裂缝参数的定量关系模型,利用古今应力场结合法对克深三维区的裂缝参数进行了预测,模拟结果显示构造高部位和断层带是低应力值区及裂缝的有利发育区。裂缝的数值模拟结果与测井解释结果对比表明,预测结果与实钻吻合度较高,裂缝预测效果较好。     

类器官的研究进展及应用前景

类器官（organoids）来源于自组织和自我更新的干细胞，是利用干细胞的自组织特性进行体外3D培养后形成的细胞团，与来源器官密切相关，再现了来源器官的三维细胞结构，并为探索来源器官的发病机制提供了新的模型。类器官系统是由自分泌、旁分泌或邻分泌信号调节下的细胞，或者外源性添加的细胞外基质（extracellular matrix，ECM）底物、小分子和生长因子等衍生而来，这些因素的相互作用创造了一个动态的环境，指导干细胞的自我更新和分化，以及细胞在类器官中的自我组装。诱导多能干细胞（induced pluripotent stem cells，iPSC）重编程方法结合3D类器官工具，使患者来源的类器官作为动物模型和人类临床试验之间的桥梁，是对细胞研究和在体试验的补充。在研究来源器官发育、生物学和病理生理学方面，类器官不仅是一种比传统细胞培养更具生理相关性的体外模型，而且还是再生医学和个性化医学领域中的新模型，有望成为研究营养素、药物、毒物及毒素等的作用机制及药物的筛选、再生医学等领域的重要模型。总之，类器官技术的发展增强了人们对器官和组织生理生化功能的认知。作者对肠、脑、肺脏、肝脏、子宫、卵巢等类器官培养和应用的研究进展进行综述，以期为类器官相关科研及应用提供参考。     

3％高渗苯氧威防治春尺蠖试验

利用2000倍液、3000倍液、4000倍液3个不同体积分数的3％高渗苯氧威进行了室内、室外防治春尺蠖幼虫试验，结果表明：施药72h后，室内试验的3个体积分数平均死亡率均达到100．0％；室外试验以2000倍液和3000倍液死亡率为最高，达到98．5％，防治效果显著。3％高渗苯氧威是理想的防治春尺蠖的仿生物杀虫剂。