Landscape Zonation, benefit functions and target-based planning: Unifying reserve selection strategies

The most widespread reserve selection strategy is target-based planning, as specified under the framework of systematic conservation planning. Targets are given for the representation levels of biodiversity features, and site selection algorithms are employed to either meet the targets with least cost (the minimum set formulation) or to maximize the number of targets met with a given resource (maximum coverage). Benefit functions are another recent approach to reserve selection. In the benefit function framework the objective is to maximize the value of the reserve network, however value is defined. In one benefit function formulation value is a sum over species-specific values, and species-specific value is an increasing function of representation. This benefit function approach is computationally convenient, but because it allows free tradeoffs between species, it essentially makes the assumption that species are acting as surrogates, or samples from a larger regional species pool. The Zonation algorithm is a recent computational method that produces a hierarchy of conservation priority through the landscape. This hierarchy is produced via iterative removal of selection units (cells) using the criterion of least marginal loss of conservation value to decide which cell to remove next. The first variant of Zonation, here called core-area Zonation, has a characteristic of emphasizing core-areas of all species. Here I separate the Zonation meta-algorithm from the cell removal rule, the definition of marginal loss of conservation value utilized inside the algorithm. I show how additive benefit functions and target-based planning can be implemented into the Zonation framework via the use of particular kinds of cell removal rules. The core-area, additive benefit function and targeting benefit function variants of Zonation have interesting conceptual differences in how they treat and trade off between species in the planning process.     

犬慢性肾衰竭进程中肠道菌群代谢物短链脂肪酸水平的变化及其对肾功能的影响

本研究旨在评估短链脂肪酸在慢性肾衰竭患犬和健康犬中的水平,探究短链脂肪酸变化的原因及其对肾功能的影响。选取22例轻度慢性肾衰患犬（M-CRF组）、29例重度慢性肾衰患犬（S-CRF组）和26例健康对照犬（HC组）,用16S rDNA测序技术分析肠道菌群多样性,气相色谱法检测粪中短链脂肪酸浓度。通过粪菌移植和补充丁酸钠给5/6肾摘除犬,观察肠道菌群及丁酸钠对肾功能影响。结果显示：1）S-CRF组肠道菌群多样性指标观察物种数及Simpson指数低于HC组（P<0.05）,PCoA分析显示,S-CRF组肠道菌群与M-CRF、HC组有差异。2）LEfSe分析显示,S-CRF组和HC组间大量差异菌群,拟杆菌科、拟杆菌属及假单胞菌科等7个菌种富集于S-CRF组,普氏杆菌科、梭菌科、普氏杆菌属及普拉梭菌属等11个菌种富集于HC组。CCA分析发现富集于S-CRF组菌种丰度与肾功能指标呈正相关。3）S-CRF组粪中乙酸、丙酸及丁酸浓度均显著低于HC组和M-CRF组,M-CRF组丁酸浓度显著低于HC组（P<0.05）,且丁酸浓度与血中胱抑素C（Cys-c）、肌酐（Cr）及尿素氮（BUN）等肾功能指标呈负相关（r值分别为-0.451、-0.583和-0.514,P<0.01）。4）与慢性肾衰模型组（5/6 Nx组）比较,慢性肾衰犬给与丁酸钠8周后,血清Cr和BUN显著降低（P<0.05）;粪菌移植8周后,血清Cr和BUN显著升高（P<0.05）,丁酸钠可回调血清Cr和BUN水平。综上表明,慢性肾衰竭患犬肠道菌群多样性降低,菌群结构及丰度改变,粪中短链脂肪酸浓度降低,这些变化可加剧肾功能障碍。为犬慢性肾衰竭的防治提供新的理论依据。     

Evaluation of left ventricular function with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and echocardiography after administration of dobutamine and esmolol in healthy beagle dogs

Unlike echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cardiac MRI) results in a near-exact assessment of cardiac structures and function. However, most veterinary studies have focused on dogs with normal cardiac function. We hypothesized that there would be significant differences in cardiac measurements between cardiac MRI and echocardiography when left ventricular (LV) function was abnormal. This study was undertaken to compare measurements of LV function produced by cardiac MRI and echocardiography in dogs whose LV function was altered by pharmacological agents. This study was conducted with six healthy beagle dogs. We increased left ventricular contractility by administration of dobutamine; we decreased cardiac contractility with esmolol. Stroke volume measurements were made by using both cardiac MRI and echocardiography under seven different conditions with general anesthesia: control, three doses of esmolol (100, 200, and 500 µg/kg/min), and three doses of dobutamine (10, 20, and 50 µg/kg/min). Experiments involving each condition were conducted at least 1 week apart. When LV contractility was normal, ejection fraction (EF) and stroke volume (SV), as measured by echocardiography and cardiac MRI, were not significantly different. However, when contractility was changed by pharmacological agents, EF and SV were overestimated by echocardiography, compared to MRI. Evaluation of cardiac function in patients treated with pharmacological agents should be conducted carefully because EF and SV measured by echocardiography can be overestimated, compared with EF and SV obtained by cardiac MRI.     

Effects of dietary Bacillus coagulans and yeast hydrolysate supplementation on growth performance,immune response and intestinal barrier function in weaned piglets

The present study investigated the effects of Bacillus coagulans and yeast hydrolysate supplementation on growth performance, immune response and intestinal barrier function of weaned piglets. Twenty-four weaned piglets with an average body weight (BW) of 6.89 ± 0.15 kg were divided into four diets for 28 days. The treatments were basal diet (control), basal diet supplemented with antibiotic (20 mg/kg colistin sulphate and 40 mg/kg bacitracin zinc, AT), probiotics (400 mg/kg Bacillus coagulans ≥5 × 109 CFU/g, BC) or yeast hydrolysate (5000 mg/kg yeast hydrolysate, YH). Average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) were improved by AT and YH diets (p < 0.05), while BC diet only increased ADG (p < 0.05). The complement 3 (C3), lysozyme (LZM) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) concentrations in serum were increased in BC diet (p < 0.05). Feeding AT and YH caused the increase of jejunal villus height (p < 0.05), and a higher ratio of villus height/crypt depth was observed in AT, BC and YH groups (p < 0.05). The mRNA expression of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) in jejunal mucosa was up-regulated by AT, BC and YH diets (p < 0.05). Dietary AT, BC or YH inclusion decreased the interleukin-1β (IL-1β) concentration and TNF-α mRNA expression (p < 0.05), and YH supplementation even down-regulated toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and CD14 expressions (p < 0.05). In summary, the dietary administration of BC or YH both improves growth performance through promoting the intestinal barrier function, indicating both of them can serve as potential alternatives to antibiotics growth promoters for the piglet production.     

口感化及颗粒化开食料对早期断奶羔羊生长和胃肠道发育的影响

分析探讨口感化及颗粒化开食料对早期断奶羔羊生长和胃肠道发育的影响。选取新生健康的双羔湖羊公羔42只,随机分为两组,分别饲喂颗粒化和口感化开食料,试验期42 d。两组羔羊21日龄之前的采食量、体重和绝对生长的变化趋势相似。21日龄以后,口感化开食料组羔羊的采食量、体重、绝对生长和相对生长均明显高于颗粒化开食料组,42日龄体重、后两周的采食量及15～21日龄的相对生长率在两组间有显著差异(P < 0.05)。口感化开食料还显著提高(P < 0.05)了羔羊42日龄时的育肥指数、体长指数、胸围指数、管围指数和断奶前的瘤胃质量和瘤胃/胴体。以上结果表明,与颗粒化开食料相比,口感化开食料更有利于羔羊早期断奶前后的瘤胃发育、采食量提高、体重和体尺的发育,但对其他胃室及肠道发育没有影响。     

日粮添加不同油脂原料对肉牛生长性能、养分消化及瘤胃发酵性能的影响

文章旨在探讨日粮添加不同油脂原料对肉牛生长性能、养分消化及瘤胃发酵性能的影响。试验选择平均初始体重（296±32.33）kg、带有瘤胃瘘管的肉牛48头,随机分为4组,每组4个重复,每个重复3头。对照组肉牛饲喂不含油脂的日粮,处理组肉牛分别饲喂含有5%棕榈油、亚麻油和包被脂肪的日粮。在为期10周的饲养试验后测定相关指标。结果：对照组与包被脂肪组干物质、有机物和氮摄入量及干物质、有机物表观消化率显著高于棕榈油和亚麻油组（P＜0.05）,而包被脂肪组与亚麻油组粗脂肪摄入量显著高于对照组和棕榈油组（P＜0.05）。对照组粗脂肪表观消化率较其他组分别显著降低31.94%、32.17%和33.56%（P＜0.05）,而亚麻油组中性洗涤纤维表观消化率较其他组分别显著降低18.61%、17.10%和19.68%（P＜0.05）。包被脂肪组瘤胃不饱和脂肪酸流量较对照组和棕榈油组分别显著提高152.26%和240%（P＜0.05）。对照组与包被脂肪组瘤胃氨氮浓度显著高于棕榈油组和亚麻油组（P＜0.05）。结论：包被脂肪降低了脂肪对瘤胃发酵的影响,其对瘤胃饱和脂肪酸流量的影响与亚麻油相似,但棕榈油降低了瘤胃氨氮浓度,不能有效向瘤胃提供不饱和脂肪酸。 [关键词]油脂原料|肉牛|生长性能|养分消化|瘤胃发酵     

添加亚油酸条件下不同剂量硝酸钠对水牛瘤胃体外发酵脂肪酸组成及相关微生物数量的影响

为了探究添加亚油酸条件下不同剂量硝酸钠对水牛瘤胃体外发酵脂肪酸组成及相关微生物数量的影响,本试验选用3头装有永久性瘤胃瘘管的母水牛,以精粗比40∶60为底物进行瘤胃液体外发酵试验。试验组硝酸钠的浓度分别为1、2、3 mg·mL^-1,对照组不加硝酸钠,每组均添加0.25 mg·mL^-1的亚油酸,每组各5个重复。在体外培养3、6、9、12、24 h时测定产气量和甲烷产量,24 h结束培养,测定瘤胃体外发酵参数、脂肪酸含量及瘤胃微生物数量。结果表明：1）添加硝酸钠显著降低了总产气量和甲烷产量（P<0.05）;2）添加硝酸钠pH值和氨态氮（NH₃-N）含量显著升高（P<0.05）,异丁酸和异戊酸含量显著降低（P<0.05）,而对总挥发性脂肪酸（TVFA）含量无显著性影响（P>0.05）;3）添加1 mg·mL^-1硝酸钠,C18：2cis-9,trans-11、C18：2trans-10,cis-12含量和不饱和脂肪酸/饱和脂肪酸（UFA/SFA）显著高于其他组（P<0.05）,且C20：5n3 （EPA）含量显著高于添加3 mg·mL^-1硝酸钠组（P<0.05）,添加2 mg·mL^-1硝酸钠C22：6n3 （DHA）含量显著高于其他组（P<0.05）;4）添加硝酸钠组原虫数量显著低于对照组（P<0.05）,添加2、3 mg·mL^-1硝酸钠产甲烷菌数量显著低于添加1 mg·mL^-1硝酸钠组（P<0.05）,添加1 mg·mL^-1硝酸钠总细菌、真菌、溶纤维丁酸弧菌、蛋白分解丁酸弧菌、非典型丁酸弧菌、亨氏丁酸弧菌数量显著高于其他组（P<0.05）。由此可得,体外法添加1~3 mg·mL^-1硝酸钠和0.25 mg·mL^-1亚油酸在维持水牛TVFA含量不变的情况下显著降低了甲烷含量,且1 mg·mL^-1硝酸钠能促进亚油酸生成共轭亚油酸（CLA）,优化脂肪酸组成,并能增加大多数瘤胃微生物的数量。     

奶牛非饲草来源纤维营养研究进展

本文在总结分析国内外最新研究成果的基础上,对非饲草来源纤维(NFFS)对奶牛的营养作用和生理影响及其机理进行了综述,主要从NFFS部分替代饲草对奶牛生产性能、瘤胃草垫层和瘤胃发酵的影响,以及NFFS部分替代精料对饲料效率、生产性能和亚急性瘤胃酸中毒(SARA)奶牛生理的影响等方面进行论述,旨在为NFFS饲料在奶牛饲粮中的科学合理利用提供理论参考和依据。     

Identification of the core rumen bacterial taxa and their population dynamics during the fattening period in Japanese Black cattle

The rumen microbiota comprises a vast range of bacterial taxa, which may affect the production of high-quality meat in Japanese Black cattle. The aim of this study was to identify core rumen microbiota in rumen fluid samples collected from 74 Japanese Black cattle raised under different dietary conditions using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. In the rumen of fattening Japanese Black cattle, 10 bacterial taxa, showing >1% average relative abundance and >95% prevalence, irrespective of the dietary conditions and the fattening periods, were identified as the core rumen bacterial taxa, which accounted for approximately 80% of the rumen microbiota in Japanese Black cattle. Additionally, population dynamics of the core rumen bacterial taxa revealed two distinct patterns: Prevotella spp. and unclassified Bacteroidales decreased in the mid-fattening period, whereas unclassified Clostridiales, unclassified Ruminococcaceae, Ruminococcus spp., and unclassified Christensenellaceae increased during the same period. Therefore, the present study reports the wide distribution of the core rumen bacterial taxa in Japanese Black cattle, and the complementary nature of the population dynamics of these core taxa, which may ensure stable rumen fermentation during the fattening period.