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.     

蜗壳式离心泵外特性仿真与实验研究

为探索不同仿真方法的适用性,对ns=157的单级蜗壳离心泵不同工况的扬程和效率进行定常和非定常计算,并分别分析了定常计算时不同叶片夹角及非定常计算时不同时间步长的影响,通过与实验对比,得到的主要结论有:定常计算仅适用于额定工况外特性仿真,其扬程和效率计算误差分别为4.9%和2.9%,而定常多相位的计算误差分别为7.1%和3.2%;非定常仿真计算时,以4°为时间步长,并间隔20°保存一次计算数据,较好地预测出扬程曲线走势,额定工况扬程和效率计算误差约1.1%和1.8%,但小流量和大流量区间扬程计算误差达到10%左右。因此在水力优化设计时,若只关注高效点位置及其扬程和效率,可采用定常计算,若还关注扬程曲线走势,则应采用非定常计算。     

瓜类褪绿黄化病毒及其系统进化分析

【目的】检测新疆南疆7个县/市瓜类褪绿黄化病毒(Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus, CCYV),进行系统发育分析,为新疆南疆CCYV预警和防控提供参考。【方法】于2019年,从中国新疆南疆7个县/市采集带有黄化特征的51份甜瓜叶片样品,RT-PCR进行CCYV的检测,进行特异性片段的克隆、测序和系统发育分析。【结果】中国新疆巴楚县、阿克苏市、莎车县、伽师县、疏勒县、疏附县均未检测到CCYV,而洛浦县的13份样本中,8份检出为CCYV阳性,检出率为61.53%,洛浦县CCYV特异性片段克隆测序获得了685 bp的核酸序列,与GenBank中的CCYV分离物外壳蛋白(Coat protein, CP)的一致性达到100%。所得序列与中国新疆(吐鲁番)、中国其他省、苏丹、日本、塞浦路斯、黎巴嫩的CP基因聚在I组(Group),沙特阿拉伯的分离物聚在Ⅱ组,伊朗的分离物聚在Ⅲ组。【结论】CCYV在中国新疆南疆洛浦县甜瓜产区发生,与中国新疆吐鲁番、中国其他省及周围国家的CCYV分离物亲缘关系很近,且群体遗传变异很小。     

云南不同气候带农业气候资源变化特征研究

为分析全省平均以及各气候带光能、热量、水分资源的时空变化特征,使用云南115站及6个气候带代表站1961—2018年的气候要素计算各地农业气候资源统计量。结果表明,光能资源变化以减少趋势为主,出现显著突变,各气候带太阳辐射变化可能会引起云南太阳辐射高低值中心发生变化,2009年以来辐射明显增加可能会导致太阳辐射出现新的变化趋势和突变点;热量资源一致显著增加,喜凉及喜温作物的活动积温、积温持续时间及无霜期长度均显著增加,并且呈现初日提前、终日推后的趋势,对作物生长有利;水分资源总体呈现减少趋势,尤其21世纪以来下降趋势明显,亚热带地区暖干化现象突出,干旱风险等级较高。     

Expression of Anti-Lipopolysaccharide Factor Isoform 3 in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Showing High Antimicrobial Activity

Antimicrobial peptides are a class of proteins with antibacterial functions. In this study, the anti-lipopolysaccharide factor isoform 3 gene (ALFPm3), encoding an antimicrobial peptide from Penaeus monodon with a super activity was expressed in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, which would develop a microalga strain that can be used for the antimicrobial peptide production. To construct the expression cluster, namely pH2A-Pm3, the codon optimized ALFPm3 gene was fused with the ble reporter by 2A peptide and inserted into pH124 vector. The glass-bead method was performed to transform pH2A-Pm3 into C. reinhardtii CC-849. In addition to 8 μg/mL zeocin resistance selection, the C. reinhardtii transformants were further confirmed by genomic PCR and RT-PCR. Western blot analysis showed that the C. reinhardtii-derived ALFPm3 (cALFPm3) was successfully expressed in C. reinhardtii transformants and accounted for 0.35% of the total soluble protein (TSP). Furthermore, the results of antibacterial assay revealed that the cALFPm3 could significantly inhibit the growth of a variety of bacteria, including both Gram-negative bacteria and Gram-positive bacteria at a concentration of 0.77 μM. Especially, the inhibition could last longer than 24 h, which performed better than ampicillin. Hence, this study successfully developed a transgenic C. reinhardtii strain, which can produce the active ALFPm3 driven from P. monodon, providing a potential strategy to use C. reinhardtii as the cell factory to produce antimicrobial peptides.     

Impact of grassland contract policy on soil organic carbon losses from alpine grassland on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

Carbon storage in the soils on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau plays a very important role in the global carbon budget. In the 1990s, a policy of contracting collective grasslands to smaller units was implemented, resulting in a change from the traditional collective grassland management to two new management patterns: a multi‐household management pattern (MMP: grassland shared by several households without enclosures) and a single‐household management pattern (SMP: grassland enclosed and used by only one household). In 2016, 50 MMP and 54 SMP winter pastures on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau were sampled to assess the differences in soil organic carbon (SOC) between the two management patterns. Results showed that average SOC was significantly greater under MMP than under SMP, with an estimated 0.41 Mg C/ha/yr lost due to SMP following the new grassland contract. Based on the government's grassland policy, four grassland utilization scenarios were developed for both summer and winter pastures. We found that if the grassland were managed under SMP, likely C losses ranged between 0.31 × 10⁷ and 6.15 × 10⁷ Mg C/yr across the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau relative to MMP, which more closely resembles pre‐1990s grassland management. Previous estimates of C losses have only considered land use change (with cover change) and ignored the impacts driven by land management pattern changes (without cover change). The new data suggest that C losses from the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau are greater than previously estimated, and therefore that the grassland contract policy should be reviewed and SMP households should be encouraged to reunite into the MMP. These findings have potential implications for land management strategies not only on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau but also other grazing regions globally where such practices may exist.     

Utilizing a DUALEM‐421 and inversion modelling to map baseline soil salinity along toposequences in the Hunter Valley Wine district

In the oldest commercial wine district of Australia, the Hunter Valley, there is the threat of soil salinization because marine sediments underlie the area. To understand the risk requires information about the spatial distribution of soil properties. Electromagnetic (EM) induction instruments have been used to identify and map the spatial variation of average soil salinity to a certain depth. However, soils vary with depth dependent on soil forming factors. We collected data from a single‐frequency and multiple‐coil DUALEM‐421 along a toposequence. We inverted this data using EM4Soil software and evaluated the resultant 2‐dimensional model of true electrical conductivity (σ – mS/m) with depth against electrical conductivity of saturated soil pastes (EC_p – dS/m). Using a fitted linear regression (LR) model calibration approach and by varying the forward model (cumulative function‐CF and full solution‐FS), inversion algorithm (S1 and S2), damping factor (λ) and number of arrays, we determined a suitable electromagnetic conductivity image (EMCI), which was optimal (R² = 0.82) when using the full solution, S2, λ = 3.6 and all six coil arrays. We conducted an uncertainty analysis of the LR model used to estimate the electrical conductivity of the saturated soil‐paste extract (EC_e – dS/m). Our interpretation based on estimates of EC_e suggests the approach can identify differences in salinity, how these vary with parent material and how topography influences salt distribution. The results provide information leading to insights into how soil forming factors and agricultural practices influence salinity down a toposequence and how this can guide soil management practices.     

Compatibility of root growth and tuber production of potato cultivars with dynamic and static water‐saving irrigation managements

The important root characteristics of root length density (RLD) and root mass density (RMD) generally differ among irrigation managements and potato cultivars. The objective of this study was to investigate the RLD and RMD variations and their functional relationships with gross potato tuber yield for two commercial potato cultivars, Agria and Sante, under different irrigation strategies. Full irrigation and water‐saving irrigation strategies, deficit and partial root drying irrigations, were applied statically (S) and dynamically (D) based on daily crop evapotranspiration. Results showed that SPRD had significantly greater RLD (3.64 cm/cm³) and RMD (132.7 μg/cm³) than other irrigation treatments. Between the potato cultivars, Agria had significantly larger values of RLD (3.50 cm/cm³) and RMD (138.7 μg/cm³) than Sante. The functional relationship between the root growth characteristics and tuber yield showed that under water‐saving irrigations, Agria increased root mass at the expense of gross tuber yield but Sante increased root mass to maintain larger gross tuber yields. However, Agria produced more roots and gross tuber yield than Sante, and it is concluded that Agria is a more drought‐tolerant potato cultivar, which is recommended for tuber production in regions where water might be scarce. It was shown that larger root production in potatoes was associated with improved tolerance to water stress.     

GA4+7+氯吡脲对重瓣百合'Thalita'生长的影响

以重瓣百合'Thalita'为试材,采用4个不同浓度(10、20、40、80 mg·L-1)的GA4+7+氯吡脲(1∶1),对其进行叶面喷施处理,以清水为对照,测定其株高、茎粗、叶面积等指标,探讨GA4+7+氯吡脲对重瓣百合'Thalita'生长的影响,以期为其推广提供参考.结果 表明:20 mg·L-1 GA4+7+氯吡脲对'Thalita'花苞直径和叶面积促进作用最大,分别比对照高14.18％和55.13％,均达显著差异;茎粗随着GA4+7+氯吡脲的浓度升高表现出一定抑制作用;20 mg·L-1GA4+7+氯吡脲在花苞开放率和花期上综合效果最好;80 mg·L-1 GA4+7+氯吡脲对'Thalita'株高促进效果最好,比对照高2.67％;所有处理组种球鲜质量和根长均比对照低,其中20 mg·L-1 GA4+7+氯吡脲效果最为明显,分别比对照低36.77％和48.18％,均达显著差异.综合比较来看,20 mg·L-1 GA4+7+氯吡脲对重瓣百合'Thalita'生长影响最大,效果更佳.