Effects of music stimulus on behavior response,cortisol level,and horizontal immunity of growing pigs

An enriched environment is widely used to improve domestic animals’ welfare and promote their natural behaviors. Music can reduce abnormal behavior in humans, nonhuman primates, and rodents. However, little is known about the effects of music on pigs. This study aims to explore the effects of repeated music stimulation on the behavior, physiology, and immunity of growing pigs. A total of 72 hybrid piglets (Large White × Duroc × Minpig) were randomly divided into three groups, including music (Mozart K.448, 60 to 70 dB), noise (recorded mechanical noise, 80 to 85 dB), and control (natural background sound, <40 dB), and 6 h sound stimulation was given per day (1000 to 1600 hours) from 40 to 100 d of age. The behavioral activities of the pigs were observed during the music stimulation, and their serum cortisol, salivary cortisol, and serum immune indices were also measured. Compared with the control group, the music group and noise group increased activity but decreased lying of pigs (P < 0.05). A significant increase in tail-wagging, playing, and exploring behaviors of pigs was found in the music group (P < 0.05), and the noise significantly increased the aggressive behavior of the pigs (P < 0.05). Tail-wagging, playing, exploring, manipulating, and aggressive behaviors decreased over time. Short-term (8 d) music stimulus had a lower cortisol level than that of the noise and control groups (P < 0.05), whereas long-term (60 d) music stimulus increased immunoglobulin G (IgG), interleukin-2 (IL-2), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) levels (P < 0.05) and decreased interleukin-4 (IL-4) level (P < 0.05). Long-term noise stimulus significantly reduced the level of IgG (P < 0.05) but did not affect the level of IL-2, IL-4, and IFN-γ levels (P > 0.05). In conclusion, short-term music stimulus (8 d) reduced the stress response, whereas long-term music stimulus (60 d) enhanced the immune responses. In addition, the noise increased the aggressive behavior, and long-term noise reduced the immunity of the growing pigs.     

Bamboo NiR gene is associated with regeneration capacity

It was reported that the activity of NiR (nitrite reductase) enzyme encoded by the NiR gene was correlated with the regeneration ability in rice. To testify the function of NiR gene in bamboo, seven bamboo species whose calli had different differentiation rate were chosen to analyse their NiR enzyme activity. The results showed that bamboo NiR enzymatic activity had a certain correlation with the regeneration capacity. A NiR gene named DhNiR from Dendrocalamus hamiltonii with high regeneration capacity was cloned. Sequence analysis revealed that the ORF of DhNiR was 1779bp encoding 592 amino acids. Overexpression of DhNiR in rice reduced the time of shoot differentiation and increased the transformation rate, suggesting that DhNiR might play an important role in the regeneration ability of bamboo, and can be applied in regeneration and gene transformation of bamboo and other plant species.     

豚草粗提物对杨树水泡型溃疡病的抑菌作用研究

为解决豚草提取物在林业病虫害防治中的推广与应用问题,以豚草叶片为试验材料,采用温浸-超声波联合提取法提取抑菌活性物质,并开展其对杨树水泡型溃疡病病原菌的室内外抑菌试验。室内抑菌试验表明,粗提物浓度为16 mg/mL时,抑菌率达到73.62%;林间防治试验表明,最小抑菌浓度为 40 mg/mL,抑菌率达到95.14%。通过以上抑菌试验确定豚草粗提物对杨树水泡型溃疡病有较好的抑制效果。     

呼和浩特市大气污染状况的研究及遥感信息的利用

利用遥感技术结合地物波谱测定和叶表面内大气污染元素的含量测定分析研究大气污染是一种有效可靠的方法。克服了常规大气监测的弊病。充分显示了快速、准确的优越性。为城市规划和环境的综合治理提供了可靠的科学依据。     

信鸽新城疫并发大肠杆菌病的诊治

鸽新城疫又称鸽瘟或鸽Ⅰ型副粘病毒病 ,是由鸽Ⅰ型副粘病毒引起的一种高度接触性、败血型传染病。主要表现为腹泻、神经紊乱、呼吸困难及浆膜、粘膜出血等 ;鸽大肠杆菌病是由大肠埃希氏杆菌感染所引起的局部或全身性感染的疾病。若新城疫和大肠杆菌并发 ,将给养鸽爱好者以很大的经济损失和精神打击。现将本人在临床上遇到的两起病例介绍给大家 ,以供参考。1发病情况2003年5月初 ,平顶山市郊西信鸽爱好者相继到我中心 ,叙述了其200多只信鸽参赛后大群出现拉稀、精神不振 ,个别眼流泪 ,有神经症状 ,用氟哌酸、阿莫西林、痢特灵、氯霉素治疗 ,…     

水稻条纹病毒在玉米和水稻上流行差异分析

为了明确水稻条纹病毒(RSV)在水稻和玉米上发生程度差异明显的原因,从一个侧面了解RSV流行本质,2004年在洪泽进行田间试验。采用黄盘诱集、盘扑、盘刮、肉眼计数等方法比较武育粳3号和掖单13上灰飞虱侵入和消长动态,结果表明两者均只有一个成虫侵入高峰,单位面积迁入虫量前者是后者的3.6倍,单株平均虫量相近。Dot-ELISA法测定灰飞虱带毒率为40%,成虫迁移扩散高峰期22d内两者接毒量约为每天百株137头带毒虫。武育粳3号有二代若虫发生,掖单13则无。逐日调查发病进程,结果显示水稻发病率为60%,玉米为0。室内抗性鉴定,掖单13对RSV的抗性比武育粳3号高4个级别。综合以上结果,寄主品种抗性决定了RSV在水稻和玉米上流行状况,二代若虫重复侵染是RSV在水稻上重发的另一主要原因。     

混合土料单独命名的必要性探讨

混合土料是由粗细土颗粒组成的土。作者对混合土料、均匀粗粒土及纯细烂土的颗粒组成与工程性质进行了对比分析。结果表明，混合土料是介于均匀粗粒土和纯细粒土之间的土，它的工程性质有别于均匀粗粒土和纯细粒土，有必要对其单独命名，这为混合土的合理定位与专门研究提供了基础。     

大豆室内耐冷筛选及其在田间的应用研究

本试验把生长箱大豆耐低温萌发筛选与田间早春播研究相结合,验证耐低温发芽的可靠性。在实验室,萌发期表现抗冷的大豆,田间出昔期仍表现抗冷或较抗冷。实验表明,大豆出苗的生物学最低温度平均为7.1℃,所需有效积温136℃。地温的高低直接影响大豆早春出苗的多寡,两者呈密切的正相关。黄、青、黑豆中,以黑豆抵抗早春不良气候条件的能力最强。     

鸭瘟病毒的PCR检测及其产物分析

根据基因库中已有的鸭瘟 Ul6的序列 ,合成一对引物 ,对 3株鸭瘟病毒进行 PCR扩增 ,均扩增出大小约 42 0 bp的特异性片段。进行测序 ,结果表明 3个毒株扩增后的片段均为 42 1bp。经重复实验后确定最佳反应条件 ,按该条件对两例临床病料进行检测 ,结果均出现大小约为 42 0 bp的特异片段。PCR产物与 L ake Andes株的相关序列比较 ,广东毒株与 L ake Andes株同源性较高