学习通平台在生物化学理论教学形成性评价体系中的应用

在生物化学教学中利用超星学习通平台等多种教学模式,将形成性评价体系贯穿整个教学过程,不仅可评价学生相关知识和技能的掌握情况,并且更加重视学生获得相关知识和技能的情感态度、方式方法,通过有效反馈机制,促进学生的学习。     

基于声信号特征加权的设施养殖羊行为分类识别

中国西部地区正在发展集约化和规模化的设施养羊业,通过监测羊舍内的声信号可以判别羊只的行为状态,从而为设施养羊的福利化水平评估提取基础依据。梅尔频率倒谱系数（mel frequency cepstrum coefficient,MFCC）模拟了人耳对语音的处理特点且抗噪音性强,被广泛用于畜禽发声信号的特征提取,但其没有考虑各个特征分量表征声信号的能力。该研究构建羊舍无线声音数据采集系统,采集20只羊在设施羊舍内的打斗、饥饿、咳嗽、啃咬和寻伴共5种行为下的声信号,并通过Audacity音频处理软件选出720个清晰且不重叠的声音样本数据。根据MFCC各分量对羊舍声信号表征能力,特征参数提取采用一种熵值加权的MFCC参数,再求其一、二阶差分并进行主成分分析降维,得到优化的19维特征参数。通过对羊舍声信号的声谱图分析,设计了支持向量机二叉树识别模型,并对模型内的4个分类器参数进行网格化寻优测试,该识别模型对羊只5种行为下的声信号进行分类识别,用改进的特征参数与传统MFCC和线性预测倒谱系数（linear predictive cepstrum coefficient,LPCC）进行对比分析。结果表明,该特征参数对5种行为的识别率平均可达83.6%,分别高于MFCC和LPCC参数14.1%和26.8%,羊只打斗和咳嗽行为的声信号属于相似的短时爆发类声音,其识别率分别仅为80.6%和79.5%,啃咬声特征显著不易混淆,其查全率可达到为92.5%,改进特征参数更好的表征了羊舍声信号的特征,提高了羊只不同行为的识别率,为羊只健康和福利状况的监测提供理论依据。     

基于无人机技术的小五台山保护区黑鹳巢穴监测研究

为了科学监测小五台山自然保护区黑鹳的巢穴,制定切实可行的保护措施,2018年和2019年连续2a利用无人机技术监测黑鹳巢穴。监测结果表明:金河口管理区的金河口沟有1处黑鹳巢穴,金河口管理区郑家沟有1处黑鹳巢穴,辉川管理区松枝口沟有1处黑鹳巢穴。通过观察得知:2018年金河口管理区金河口沟的黑鹳巢穴内有4只幼鹳,郑家沟的黑鹳巢穴是空巢,辉川管理区松枝口沟的黑鹳巢内有2只幼鹳;2019年金河口管理区金河口沟的黑鹳巢内有3只幼鹳,郑家沟的黑鹳巢穴仍然是空巢,辉川管理区松枝口沟的黑鹳巢内有3只幼鹳。这3处巢穴的选址都是在悬崖峭壁上,离地面高度至少在30m以上,工作人员很难从俯视的角度观察其内部的情况,利用无人机则很好地解决了这一问题。利用无人机技术对保护区黑鹳巢穴的监测,对黑鹳的科学研究和保护起到了极大的促进作用。     

Detection of bovine immunodeficiency virus DNA in the blood and semen of experimentally infected bulls

Five 18- to 24-month-old bulls were inoculated with either a cell suspension containing bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV-FL112; 3 bulls) or a BIV-free cell suspension (2 bulls). Blood and semen specimens were collected once a week for 14 weeks, and seroconversion was confirmed by indirect immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) testing. The presence of BIV in blood and semen was determined by virus isolation and/or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. Antibodies to BIV were detected in the 3 experimentally infected bulls as early as day post inoculation (DPI) 17, and levels peaked at DPI 37-58. BIV was isolated from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNCs) of the infected bulls at DPI 9 (2 bulls) and DPI 23 (1 bull), and could be isolated from one animal up to DPI 65. PCR analysis of MNC DNA, using BIV pol gene primers, detected virus in all three of the experimentally infected bulls from DPI 9 until the termination of the experiment at DPI 98. Efforts to isolate a significant number of non-spermatozoal cells (NSC) by gradient separation from the semen of the experimentally infected bulls were unsuccessful. Two methods for the extraction of total NSC DNA from up to 2 ml of non-extended semen were employed; however, no BIV pol fragment was amplified from these DNA preparations. Additionally, 30 bulls from artificial insemination (AI) centers were evaluated for BIV infection by PCR. No amplification products were obtained from MNC DNA from the AI submissions using primer sets for both the BIV pol and env genes.     

Effect of furosemide on urine specific gravity and osmolality in thoroughbred racehorses

Postrace urine samples from thoroughbred horses were examined to compare osmolality and specific gravity between horses treated with furosemide and those not treated. Samples were assigned to groups in relation to reported medication (furosemide) status, race finish position, and distance of race. Urine osmolality was significantly (P <.05) lower in samples from horses treated with furosemide when compared with untreated horses. Specific gravity determinations are less precise at measuring urine osmolality at lower levels (1.01 g/ml or less). The measurement of osmolality is a superior method for determining the urine solute concentration and facilitating the regulation of furosemide.     

Evaluation of Duroc- vs. Pietrain-sired pigs for carcass and meat quality measures

Crossbred progeny sired by either Duroc or Pietrain boars, normal for the ryanodine receptor gene, were evaluated for carcass composition and meat quality. Boars from each breed were mated to Yorkshire or F1 Yorkshire-Landrace females. A total of 162 off-spring was evaluated for carcass and meat quality traits at a common age (approximately 26 wk of age). Duroc-sired progeny had heavier (108.0 vs. 103.0 kg, P < 0.001) and longer carcasses (86.9 vs. 84.8 cm, P < 0.01), whereas Pietrain-sired pigs had less backfat at the first rib (44.6 vs. 47.7 mm, P < 0.01), last lumbar vertebrae (20.9 vs. 23.0 mm, P < 0.05), and 10th rib (23.0 vs. 25.5 mm, P < 0.01). No difference between Pietrain and Duroc progeny was detected for fat depth at the last rib (27.8 vs. 28.8 mm, respectively). Pietrain progeny had a higher percentage of lean at slaughter (52.6 vs. 50.7, P < 0.05) and higher dressing percentage (74.0 vs. 73.1, P < 0.01). Primal cut weights were collected with Pietrain progeny having a greater percentage of carcass as ham (23.0 vs. 22.4, P < 0.01) and loin (21.6 vs. 21.2, P < 0.05), whereas Duroc progeny had a higher percentage of belly weight (12.0 vs. 11.7, P < 0.05). Percentages of Boston butt (8.8 vs. 9.0) and picnic shoulder (9.9 vs. 9.9) were similar for Duroc vs. Pietrain progeny. Total weight of these five primal cuts, as a percentage of carcass weight, was higher for Pietrain progeny (75.2 vs. 74.3, P < 0.01). With heavier carcass weight, Duroc progeny had greater primal cut weights as a function of age. Subjective meat quality scores for color, marbling, and firmness (1 to 5 scale) were more favorable for Duroc-sired progeny. Furthermore, chops from Duroc progeny had higher 24-h pH (5.53 vs. 5.48, P < 0.001) and Minolta a* (17.33 vs. 17.04, P < 0.05) with less percentage drip loss (2.88 vs. 3.80, P < 0.001). No differences were detected between Duroc- and Pietrain-sired progeny for Minolta L* (54.77 vs. 55.37) or b* (7.58 vs. 7.58) objective color scores, percentage cooking loss (28.63 vs. 29.23), or Warner-Bratzler shear force (6.94 vs. 7.11 kg). Both sire breeds have beneficial traits that can be utilized in commercial pork production and merit further study.     

Isolation of shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli O157 from hide surfaces and the oral cavity of finished beef feedlot cattle

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether viable shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) O157 could be isolated from hide surface locations and the oral cavity of finished beef feedlot cattle. DESIGN: Within-animal prevalence distribution survey. ANIMALS: 139 finished cattle in 4 pens in a feedlot in Nebraska; prevalence of fecal STEC O157 shedding ranged from 20 to > 90%. PROCEDURE: Samples were collected from 7 sites from each animal: feces, oral cavity, and 5 hide surface locations (lumbar region, ventral aspect of the neck, ventral abdominal midline [ventrum], dorsal thoracic midline [back], and distal aspect of the left hind limb [hock]). RESULTS: Viable STEC O157 were isolated from the oral cavity or 1 or more hide surfaces of 130 cattle, including 50 fecal isolation-negative cattle. Site-specific prevalence of STEC O157 was 74.8% for oral cavity samples, 73.4% for back samples, 62.6% for neck samples, 60.4% for fecal samples, 54.0% for flank samples, 51.1% for ventrum samples, and 41.0% for hock samples. Only 5 cattle tested negative for STEC O157 at all 7 sites. Multiple correspondence and cluster analyses demonstrated that bacterial culture of feces, oral cavity samples, and back samples detected most cattle with STEC O157. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that viable STEC O157 may be isolated from the oral cavity, multiple hide surfaces, and feces of a high percentage of fed beef cattle and that bacterial culture of feces alone generally underestimates the percentage of fed beef cattle from which STEC O157 can be isolated.     

Enhanced specific antibody response to bovine serum albumin in pigeons due to L-carnitine supplementation

1. Thirty adult female pigeons (Columba livia domestica) were randomly divided into 3 equal groups; the 1st and 2nd groups were immunised with bovine serum albumin (BSA) at 0 and 20 d, the 2nd group also received 1 g L-carnitine per litre of drinking water from -5 to 25 d post-immunisation (dpi) and the 3rd group, a control group, received neither treatment. 2. Body weights and serum samples were taken at 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 dpi. 3. Both BSA-specific IgG and IgM responses were enhanced by about 10% by L-carnitine supplementation. 4. L-carnitine supplemented pigeons showed a higher water consumption. Body weight loss during the onset of the immune response showed a slight tendency to be counteracted by L-carnitine supplementation. 5. The impact of L-carnitine on resistance and resilience to an immunological challenge is discussed.     

Hormonal therapy for sows weaned during fall and winter

Sows from five commercial herds were weaned in the fall and winter and used to ascertain the potential application of hormonal therapy to stimulate subsequent litter size born. At weaning sows within parity (1, 2, and 3 through 6) and lactation length classification (early weaned, < or = 14 d; conventionally weaned, > 14 d) were randomly assigned to treatment. Treatments were injection with P.G. 600 (400 IU PMSG with 200 IU hCG) at weaning or no treatment. Sows were individually observed for estrus and mated following protocol for each herd. Breeding, culling, and farrowing data were collected. Treatment with P.G. 600 did not change subsequent rebreeding performance for sows at parity 1 or parities 3 through 6. However, conventionally weaned parity-2 sows treated with P.G. 600 were more likely (P < .05) to return to estrus than conventionally weaned controls (99.0 vs 93.6%, respectively). For parity-1 and parity-2 sows, treatment did not significantly change the likelihood for farrow percentage. However, the likelihood to farrow a litter was greater (P < .05) among P.G. 600-treated sows at parities 3 to 6 that were conventionally weaned (84.4 vs 71.3%, respectively). Subsequent litter birth weight for parity-1 sows treated with P.G. 600 was lower (P < .02) than for controls (15.6 vs 16.6 kg, respectively). Subsequent litter size at birth was not affected by treatment for parity-1 or parity-2 sows compared with controls. However, early-weaned sows at parities 3 through 6 treated with P.G. 600 had more (P < .06) total number born than controls (12.4 vs 10.6, respectively). Treatment with P.G. 600 improved reproductive function within specific parity and lactation length classification for sows weaned in the fall and winter.