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.     

Impact of climate change on maize yield in China from 1979 to 2016

Climate change severely impacts agricultural production, which jeopardizes food security. China is the second largest maize producer in the world and also the largest consumer of maize. Analyzing the impact of climate change on maize yields can provide effective guidance to national and international economics and politics. Panel models are unable to determine the group-wise heteroscedasticity, cross-sectional correlation and autocorrelation of datasets, therefore we adopted the feasible generalized least square(FGLS) model to evaluate the impact of climate change on maize yields in China from 1979–2016 and got the following results:(1) During the 1979–2016 period, increases in temperature negatively impacted the maize yield of China. For every 1°C increase in temperature, the maize yield was reduced by 5.19 kg 667 m–2(1.7%). Precipitation increased only marginally during this time, and therefore its impact on the maize yield was negligible. For every 1 mm increase in precipitation, the maize yield increased by an insignificant amount of 0.043 kg 667 m–2(0.014%).(2) The impacts of climate change on maize yield differ spatially, with more significant impacts experienced in southern China. In this region, a 1°C increase in temperature resulted in a 7.49 kg 667 m–2 decrease in the maize yield, while the impact of temperature on the maize yield in northern China was insignificant. For every 1 mm increase in precipitation, the maize yield increased by 0.013 kg 667 m–2 in southern China and 0.066 kg 667 m–2 in northern China.(3) The resilience of the maize crop to climate change is strong. The marginal effect of temperature in both southern and northern China during the 1990–2016 period was smaller than that for the 1979–2016 period.     

‘哈伯’南天竹组织培养和快速繁殖

为建立‘哈伯’南天竹组织培养和种苗繁育技术体系,以半木质化带芽茎段为外植体材料开展植株再生研究。通过观察对比试验法、L₉(3⁴)正交试验设计完全随机法、极差分析、显著性检验、LSD多重比较,探讨了‘哈伯’南天竹组培的最适培养基配方。试验结果表明：最佳诱导培养基为MS + 6-BA 2.0 mg/L + IBA 0.1 mg/L +蔗糖30 g/L,诱导萌动率71.77%,成活率85.51%;最佳增殖培养基为WPM +6-BA 1.5 mg/L + IBA 0.01 mg/L + 蔗糖30 g/L,增殖系数6.3;最佳生根培养基为1/2 MS+ IBA 0.5 mg/L + NAA 1.0 mg/L + 蔗糖20 g/L + AC 0.2 g/L,生根率97.63%;试管苗移入泥炭土:珍珠岩=3:2(V/V)混合基质中,移栽成活率96.67%。该试验建立了高效稳定的组培快繁技术体系,得到的组培苗后代能够稳定的保持母本优良性状,为工厂化育苗提供了技术支撑。     

不同杀青方式龙井茶自动化连续生产线加工工艺探讨

文章剖析了不同杀青方式龙井茶自动化连续生产线的设备配置和工艺流程,对生产线的龙井茶品质进行感官评价,为龙井茶生产线推广应用提供借鉴。     

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.     

Screening and Verification of Low Nitrogen Tolerant and Nitrogen Sensitive Cotton Germplasm

[Objective] The aim of this study is to evaluate nitrogen efficient cotton germplasms and improve nitrogen use efficiency. [Method] Eighty cotton germplasms were selected and evaluated in the hydroponic experiment under low (0.25 mmol·L^－1) and high (5 mmol·L^－1) nitrogen concentration. Different traits for screening were identified and nitrogen use efficiency types were classified. Field experiments were also performed for comparison and confirmation of the identified germplasms. [Result] The results showed that there were significant differences in the total plant dry matter, shoot nitrogen accumulation and nitrogen absorption efficiency in cotton germplasms at the two nitrogen levels. Based on coefficient of variation, principal component analysis and correlation, six traits including total plant dry matter, shoot dry matter, root dry matter, total nitrogen accumulation, shoot nitrogen accumulation and nitrogen absorption efficiency were used as screening indicators. According to the Heatmap clustering analysis and the nitrogen efficiency comprehensive index, two germplasms (Lu05R59 and CCRI 69) were identified as low nitrogen tolerant and nitrogen efficient, and two germplasms (Coker 201 and Xinluzhong 30) as low nitrogen sensitive and nitrogen inefficient. The results of field experiment were consistent with the results of the hydroponic culture at the seedling stage. [Conclusion] It was finally determined that Lu05R59 and CCRI 69 were the low nitrogen tolerant and nitrogen efficient germplasms, and Coker 201 and Xinluzhong 30 were low nitrogen sensitive and nitrogen inefficient germplasms. The results of these studies provide the possibility for screening and rapid identification of nitrogen use efficiency in cotton at the seedling stage, and provide the ideal materials and theoretical basis for further study of cotton nitrogen efficient.     

Regulatory role of l-proline in fetal pig growth and intestinal epithelial cell proliferation

l-proline (Pro) is a precursor of ornithine, which is converted into polyamines via ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). Polyamines plays a key role in the proliferation of intestinal epithelial cells. The study investigated the effect of Pro on polyamine metabolism and cell proliferation on porcine enterocytes in vivo and in vitro. Twenty-four Huanjiang mini-pigs were randomly assigned into 1 of 3 groups and fed a basal diet that contained 0.77% alanine (Ala, iso-nitrogenous control), 1% Pro or 1% Pro + 0.0167% α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) from d 15 to 70 of gestation. The fetal body weight and number of fetuses per litter were determined, and the small and large intestines were obtained on d 70 ± 1.78 of gestation. The in vitro study was performed in intestinal porcine epithelial (IPEC-J2) cells cultured in Dulbecco''s modified Eagle medium-high glucose (DMEM-H) containing 0 μmol/L Pro, 400 μmol/L Pro, or 400 μmol/L Pro + 10 mmol/L DFMO for 4 d. The results showed that maternal dietary supplementation with 1% Pro increased fetal weight; the protein and DNA concentrations of the fetal small intestine; and mRNA levels for potassium voltage-gated channel, shaker-related subfamily, member 1 (Kv1.1) in the fetal small and large intestines (P < 0.05). Supplementing Pro to either gilts or IPEC-J2 cells increased ODC protein abundances and polyamine concentrations in the fetal intestines and IPEC-J2 cells (P < 0.05). In comparison with the Pro group, the combined administration of Pro and DFMO reduced the expression of ODC protein and spermine concentration in the fetal intestine, as well as the concentrations of putrescine, spermidine and spermine in IPEC-J2 cells (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the percentage of cells in the S-phase and the mRNA levels of proto-oncogenes c-fos and c-myc were increased in response to Pro supplementation, whereas depletion of cellular polyamines with DFMO increased tumor protein p53 (p53) mRNA levels (P < 0.05). Taken together, dietary supplementation with Pro improved fetal pig growth and intestinal epithelial cell proliferation via enhancing polyamine synthesis.