β-carotene attenuates weaning-induced apoptosis via inhibition of PERK-CHOP and IRE1-JNK/p38 MAPK signalling pathways in piglet jejunum

Weaning may cause oxidative injury, immune response impairment, apoptosis and other injuries in piglets. Oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) can elicit inflammatory responses, and persistent oxidative and ERS also may lead to apoptotic cascades, which is associated with the pathogenesis of multiple diseases. β-carotene, a natural carotenoid, has potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidant functions. However, the effect of β-carotene on apoptosis in weaned piglets and the detailed molecular mechanism remain unclear. In this study, we found that β-carotene decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and increased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in piglet serum. β-carotene could inhibit the mRNA levels of caspase-3 significantly, but had no significant inhibitory effect of the mRNA levels of caspase-9 and caspase-12 in the piglet jejunum. In addition, β-carotene decreased the activation of GRP78, CHOP, and JNK/p38 MAPK and the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2. Furthermore, β-carotene had a significant influence on the activation of ERS and apoptosis-related signals in TG-induced IPEC-J2. In the present study, β-carotene pre-treatment attenuated the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 and prevented TG-induced increases in the level of PERK-CHOP and IRE1-JNK/p38 MAPK pathway activation in a dose-dependent manner. Overall, these findings indicate that β-carotene may protect weaning-induced apoptosis through inhibiting ERS.     

Whistle signal variations among three Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin populations in the South China Sea: a combined effect of the Qiongzhou Strait's geographical barrier function and local ambient noise?

Geographic variations in the dolphin whistles could be useful in assessing association and isolation among populations. Whistle of free-ranging Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) among the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), Leizhou Bei (LZB) and Sanniang Bay (SNB) populations were investigated. A total of 2850 whistles with legible fundamental contour were extracted and 15 acoustic parameters were measured. Contrary to SNB, PRE and LZB had the same relative proportion of tonal type compositions with flat and sine representing the most frequent types. The generalized linear model analysis showed significant acoustic difference among populations and tonal types. All frequency parameters in SNB were significantly higher than those in PRE and LZB, where no significant variation was observed in most of the parameters either at the population level or within each tonal type. Canonical discriminant functions analysis showed a smaller difference between PRE and LZB than between PRE and SNB and between LZB and SNB. Compared with previous recordings, recent recordings demonstrated a consistent pattern of becoming higher in whistle frequency parameters in both LZB and SNB populations, suggesting that noise pollution in LZB and SNB increasing with time according to the acoustic niche hypothesis. Dolphin whistle's geographic variations could be shaped by the combined function of the geographical barrier function of the Qiongzhou strait and local ambient noise. Considering the isolated condition and the relatively smaller population size of the humpback dolphin in the SNB, more effective and proactive conservation actions should be taken to prevent the extinction of small populations.     

基于B/S的农业气象自动化观测系统国家级平台设计与应用

农业气象自动化观测系统国家级平台是依托中国气象局组织的农业气象自动化观测试点工作而设计开发,平台的搭建采用B/S架构实现多级用户、跨平台登录,采用XML及JSON等数据传输格式实现国家级、省级、台站级用户信息交互,实现农业气象观测XML数据传输状态的监控、台站端设备状态的评估以及数据内容的实时查询。     

SPME/GC-MS法分析不同龙眼品种果实中的香气成分

采用 SPME/GC-MS法对4个龙眼品种果实香气成分进行了分析鉴定。结果表明，4个龙眼品种共检测出44种芳香物质，其中烷类11种，烯类18种，酯类10种，醇类3种，酮类1种，炔类1种，它们构成4种龙眼主要的香气成分。4个龙眼品种在香气组成和含量上有所差异，储良、东良、东丰、石硖中分别含有25种、24种、26种、21 种香气成分。其中，4种龙眼共有的香气成分有7种：分别是十七烷、罗勒烯(顺式)、罗勒烯(反式)、别罗勒烯、1,3,8-对-薄荷三烯、α-石竹烯、(E)-β-金合欢烯，但其相对含量都有所差异；此外，各品种也具有自己独特的香气成分，如储良特有的香气成分有9种：包括十六烷、2-甲基-4-亚甲基-5 -(2,2-二甲基环丙基)-1-戊烯、5-环丙基戊酸乙酯、二十酸乙酯、棕榈酸乙酯、9-十六碳烯酸乙酯、香叶基芳樟醇、芳樟醇、2,7-二甲基-3-辛烯-5-炔；东丰特有的3种：包括1-碘十一烷、反式，反式-法尼基酸甲酯、2-羟基十二烷酸甲酯；石硖特有的4种：包括十一烷、(-)-异丁香烯、1,3,3-三甲基-2-乙基环己烯、喇叭茶醇；东良没有特有的香气成分。     

Detection of cigarettes and other tobacco products by giant African pouched rats (Cricetomys gambianus)

If the illicit tobacco trade were eliminated, governments could gain at least $31.3 billion a year, and more than 164,000 premature deaths a year could be avoided after 2030 (Joossens, Merriman, Ross, and Raw, 2009). Dogs have been used successfully in tobacco control programs, and there is a good chance that rats could also play an important role. In the present experiment, giant African pouched rats were trained to respond to filters that had been stored together with cigarettes (i.e., soaked) and to not respond to filters that had been soaked with noncigarette items. Generalization to untrained types of tobacco was then tested. The sensitivity of 4 rats trained on filters soaked with 1 of 7 types of cigarettes ranged from 86% to 100% (mean, 95%). There was very little evidence of generalization when the rats were tested on tobacco leaves and snuff but good evidence of generalization when the rats were tested on cigarettes that had been soaked with strong-smelling additives. These findings suggest that rats may be a valuable asset in the global effort to control illicit cigarette trade.     

Genome-edited crops: how to move them from laboratory to market

Recent breakthroughs in CRISPR technology allow specific genome manipulation of almost all crops and have initiated a revolution in precision crop breeding. Rationally-based regulation and widespread public acceptance are needed to propel genome-edited crops from laboratory to market and to translate this innovative technology into agricultural productivity.     

Whole-genome sequence of a novel Chinese cyprinid herpesvirus 3 isolate reveals the existence of a distinct European genotype in East Asia

Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV3), also known as koi herpesvirus (KHV), can be subdivided primarily into European and Asian genotypes, which are represented by CyHV3-U or CyHV3-I and CyHV3-J, respectively. In this study, the whole genome sequence of a novel Chinese CyHV3 isolate (GZ11) was determined and annotated. CyHV3-GZ11 genome was found to contain 295,119 nucleotides with 52.9% G/C content, which is highly similar to those of published CyHV3-U, CyHV3-I, and CyHV3-J strains. With reference to CyHV3-U, CyHV3-I, and CyHV3-J, CyHV3-GZ11 was also classified into 164 open reading frames (ORF), which include eight repeated ORFs. On the basis of the 12 alloherpeviruses core genes, results from phylogenetic analysis showed that CyHV3-GZ11 had closer evolutionary relationships with CyHV3-U and CyHV3-I than with CyHV3/KHV-J, which were also supported by genome wide-based single nucleotide substitution analysis and the use of a series of developed molecular markers. This study was the first to reveal the presence of a distinct European CyHV3 genotype in East and Southeast Asia at a whole genome level, which will evoke new insights on exploring the origin, evolution, and epidemiology of the virus.     

Lactation-related mammary gland pathologies—A neglected emergency in the bitch

Mastitis is a common reproductive disorder in bitches, reaching a prevalence of 0.71%. Mastitis has a wide range of forms, from asymptomatic to severe gangrenous mastitis that can lead to septic shock and death of the bitch and nurslings. However, most of the time it is overlooked, undiagnosed or mistreated. The present systematic review was performed to revise and summarize the existing knowledge related to this disorder, including diagnosis, treatment and prevention.     

Effects of the severity and timing of basal leaf removal on the amino acids profiles of Sauvignon Blanc grapes and wines

The effects of the severity and timing of leaf removal(LR) on the amino acids of Sauvignon Blanc grapes and wines were studied during the 2017 growing season. High-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) was used to analyze the amino acids profiles of grape berries and wines. The basal leaves were removed at three time points(40, 56 and 72 days after flowering, named LR40, LR56 and LR72, respectively) at two severity levels(one at which the first, third, and fifth basal leaves of each shoot were removed(50% level); and another at which the first six basal leaves were removed(100% level)). The results showed that leaf removal had little impact on total soluble solids(°Brix), titratable acidity, pH or berry weight. The LR72-50% treated grapes had higher berry weight, titratable acidity and °Brix than those of the other treatments. The highest concentrations of total amino acids and of total amino acids except proline were detected in LR72-50% treated grapes(2 952.58 and 2 764.36 mg L~(-1), respectively); the lowest were detected in LR72-100% treated grapes(2 172.82 and 2 038.71 mg L~(-1), respectively). LR72-50% treatment significantly promoted the synthesis of aspartic acid, serine, arginine, alanine, aminobutyric acid and proline at both severity levels for grapes, the concentrations of all of these amino acids were increased relative to the control concentrations. The LR72-50%, LR40-100% and LR72-100% treated wines had higher total amino acids concentrations and higher concentrations of some individual amino acids, such as arginine, alanine and serine, than did the control wines. Of all the amino acids studied, glycine, tyrosine, cysteine, methionine and lysine were not significantly influenced by the timing or severity basal defoliation in grapes and wines. The present study reveals the effects of the timing and severity of leaf removal on the amino acids profiles of grapes and wines.