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.     

微生态制剂对葡萄抗病能力及果实品质的影响

以云南、四川主栽的4个葡萄品种为试材,在常规用药方式基础上辅以微生态制剂,测定其对葡萄酸腐病和黑曲霉病防控效果及对果实品质的影响,以期为有效防控葡萄酸腐病和黑曲霉病的发生,解决生产实践中的具体问题提供科学参考依据。结果表明:微生态制剂能提高葡萄果粒大小和百粒质量,同时增加糖酸比。在传统用药基础上使用绿康威,对葡萄酸腐病和黑曲霉病的防效最佳,分别达52.3%和42.4%;在传统用药基础上使用绿地康3号,其防效为31.3%和21.9%,均表现出良好的防效;前期使用化学药剂,后期单独使用微生态制剂对酸腐病的防效不太明显。     

Three SNPs within exons of INHA and ACVR2B genes are significantly associated with litter size in Dazu black goats

The aim of this study was to analyse the association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms within INHA and ACVR2B and litter size in Dazu black goats. In total, twenty-two SNPs were genotyped in 190 individuals by SNaPshot and resequencing. The results showed that three SNPs (SNP_1, SNP_12 and SNP_13 in this study) were detected to have significant additive genetic effect on the recorded goat litter size (p < .05). The SNP_1 (NC_030809.1), a non-synonymous substitution of G for T at chr2-g. 28314990 in the exon 2 of INHA gene (NM_001285606.1), resulted in homozygote 2 (HOM2) contributed 0.25 and heterozygote (HET) contributed 0.12 larger litter than homozygote 1 (HOM1). Meanwhile, SNP_12 (Chr22-g. 11721225 A > T) and SNP_13 (Chr22-g. 11721227 A > C) (NC_030829.1) simultaneously mutated at the first and third position of a triplet AAA (lysine, K) in the exon 4 of ACVR2B gene (XM_018066623.1) had estimated genetic effects of HOM1 (0.00) and HOM2 (0.03) larger than HET (−0.12). In conclusion, one SNPs (chr2-g. 28314990 T > G) within the exon 2 of INHA and two SNPs (Chr22-g. 11721225 A > T and Chr22-g. 11721227 A > C) i n the exon 4 of ACVR2B gene were highly recommended as candidate markers of litter size in Dazu black goats. A large-scale association study to assess the impact of these variants on litter size is still necessary.     

Effect of chlorogenic acid on intestinal inflammation,antioxidant status,and microbial community of young hens challenged with acute heat stress

Heat stress in poultry is deleterious to productive performance. Chlorogenic acid (CGA) exerts antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplemental CGA on the intestinal health and cecal microbiota composition of young hens challenged with acute heat stress. 100-day-old Hy-line brown pullets were randomly divided into four groups. The control group (C) and heat stress group (HS) received a basal diet. HS + CGA₃₀₀ group and HS + CGA₆₀₀ group received a basal diet supplemented with 300- and 600-mg/kg CGA, respectively, for 2 weeks before heat stress exposure. Pullets of HS, HS + CGA₃₀₀, and HS + CGA₆₀₀ group were exposed to 38°C for 4 h while the control group was maintained at 25°C. In this study, dietary CGA supplementation had effect on mitigate the decreased T-AOC and T-SOD activities and the increasing of IL-1β and TNFα induced by acute heat stress. Dietary supplementation with 600 mg/kg CGA had better effect on increasing the relative abundance of beneficial bacterial genera, such as Rikenellaceae RC9_gut_group, Ruminococcaceae UCG-005, and Christensenellaceae R-7_group, and deceasing bacteria genera involved in inflammation, such as Sutterella species. Therefore, CGA can ameliorate acute heat stress damage through suppressing inflammation and improved antioxidant capacity and cecal microbiota composition.     

徐光启的水利思想

明末著名的政治家、科学家徐光启十分重视我国的水利事业，积极钻研水利科技。文章从主导观点、地区治水、水利科技、水资源利用等多方面探讨他的丰富水利思想，这些思想至今仍具有现实意义。     

犬瘟热的微生物学诊断研究

对临床诊断为犬瘟热的１４例病犬，取其脑组织，运用细胞培养、合胞体检查、包涵体检查、免疫荧光试验、电镜观察等５种检测方法，就犬瘟热的微生物学诊断进行了系统的研究。结果表明，犬脑组织块与猫胚（ＦＥ）细胞或非洲绿猴肾（Ｖｅｒｏ）细胞共同培养，盲传的培养物出现不稳定的细胞病变，通过对不同代次的培养物检查包涵体，并作超薄切片或负染，电镜观察犬瘟热病毒（ＣＤＶ）粒子，证实分离到ＣＤＶ野毒。病犬脑组织切片经ＨＥ染色检查包涵体及用ＣＤＶ荧光抗体直接法检测脑抹片及接种犬脑的细胞培养物，均获得一定的阳性结果。建立的改良离子捕获电镜法，用于检测犬脑匀浆和犬脑接种细胞培养物，与离子捕获电镜法、免疫电镜法及直接电镜法相比，效果更为理想。１４例临床诊断为犬瘟热的病犬，综合运用上述微生物学手段检测，结果为１２例阳性，２例疑似。     

青海湟水流域水资源及水环境

目前，湟水流域水量不足，水质污染，已成为该流域经济发展的制约因素。为此，防治湟水流域水污染，保护水资源，改善水环境，维护流域生态平衡，是我省经济和社会发展中的一项刻不容缓的紧迫任务。     

钾肥施用量对脐橙产量和品质的影响

１９９６～１９９９年连续４年在湖北省秭归县进行了脐橙钾肥施用量田间试验。结果表明，尽管各处理脐橙产量年度变化很大，但施钾显著提高产量和经济效益，１９９７～１９９９年施钾平均增产２６．３％～４１．８％，施钾（Ｋ２Ｏ）１２５、２５０、３７５ｋｇ／ｈｍ２年均增加纯利 １０１１０、１５８４０、９９７０元／ｈｍ２，产投比分别为 １９．３８、１５．４０和７．０４；在试验条件下施钾（Ｋ２Ｏ）２５０ｋｇ／ｈｍ２增产效果最好；施钾有提高脐橙外观品质和内在品质的趋势，例如施钾提高或保持单果重、增加果皮厚度、提高维生素Ｃ含量等；但施钾对品质的影响年度间差异较大，尚需进一步研究。     

狗年侃犬

狗年侃犬,犬即是狗,狗即是犬。就字而言,狗是口头语为多,犬是书面语为多。犬与人类的交流与融合,源远流长,这是一个说不完、道不尽的话题。犬的文化也是人们津津乐道的话题,也是一个国家一个民族的文化。我国养犬的历史有几千年,对犬也说法众多,褒贬不一。狗、犬从生物科学来讲都是表述同样的动物,但从中国人文化的内含却有很大的差异。中国人对狗这个字的理解大都含有贬意,民间通俗用语,比较粗糙。对犬的理解似乎有些褒奖与赞美之意,是学术用语,有文化内涵。狗常常是用来形容不好的人或事,是没有教养与没有学问的,人类对它是要进行限制管理…     

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