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.     

Replacing Soybean Meal with Alternative Protein Sources in Diets for Pond‐raised Hybrid Catfish, ♀ Ictalurus punctatus × ♂ Ictalurus furcatus

The present study investigated the replacement of soybean meal with combinations of two or three alternative protein sources in diets for pond‐raised hybrid catfish, ♀ Ictalurus punctatus × ♂ Ictalurus furcatus. Alternative protein sources evaluated included cottonseed meal, distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), peanut meal, and porcine meat and bone meal (PMBM). Hybrid catfish fingerlings with a mean initial weight of 35 g/fish were stocked into 25 earthen ponds (0.04 ha) at a density of 14,826 fish/ha. Fish were fed once daily to apparent satiation for 166 d. No significant differences were observed for total diet fed, net yield, weight gain, survival, carcass yield, fillet yield, or fillet proximate composition among dietary treatments. Results show soybean meal may be completely replaced by combinations of cottonseed meal and one or two other alternative protein sources including DDGS, peanut meal, and PMBM in the diet without markedly affecting production and processing characteristics and fillet proximate composition of pond‐raised hybrid catfish. These alternative diets may be used during foodfish production when prices are favorable.     

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.     

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.     

Effects of Feeding Frequency on Apparent Energy and Nutrient Digestibility/Availability of Channel Catfish,Ictalurus punctatus,Reared at Optimal and Suboptimal Temperatures

This study examined the effects of feeding frequency (daily versus every other day [EOD]) on nutrient digestibility/availability of channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, reared at optimal (30 C) and suboptimal (24 C) temperatures. A 28% protein practical diet was used as the test diet, and chromic oxide was used at 0.75% of the diet as a maker. Twenty channel catfish of a mean weight of 141 g/fish were stocked into 12 flow‐through aquaria (110 L). Fish were fed daily or EOD to apparent satiation for 7 d before fecal samples were collected by the dissection method. Fish fed EOD to apparent satiation consumed more diet on days fed than those fed daily, and fish reared at 30 C consumed more diet than those reared at 24 C. Neither feeding frequency nor water temperature significantly affected apparent digestibility coefficients for energy and protein and apparent availability coefficients for total amino acids. Results show no advantage by feeding EOD over feeding daily on nutrient digestibility and diet utilization efficiency.     

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。     

Evaluating the Effects of Dietary Prebiotic Mixture of Mannan Oligosaccharide and Poly‐β‐Hydroxybutyrate on the Growth Performance,Immunity, and Survival of Rainbow Trout,Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum 1792), Fingerlings

This study investigated the effects of dietary poly‐β‐hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and mannan oligosaccharide (MOS) on the growth performance, digestive enzyme activities, and disease resistance of rainbow trout fingerlings. A total of 420 fingerlings, distributed equally into four different groups, each with three replicates, were fed a basal diet (control), 2% PHB (PHB), 0.2% MOS (MOS), or a diet supplemented with a mixture of 2% PHB and 0.2% MOS (PHB+MOS) for 60 d. Results showed that dietary PHB and/or MOS did not cause significant improvement in the growth performance of the fingerlings. The gut pH was markedly reduced; however, the activities of the digestive enzymes (except for pepsin and amylase by dietary PHB) were not significantly improved by the dietary supplements. Results also showed that dietary PHB and/or MOS markedly increased the resistance of the fingerlings toward Yersinia ruckeri infection, while the lowest total antibody was observed in fish fed control and MOS, indicating that MOS exerts its protective effects by modulating other mechanisms. Overall, this study provided a first screening effort to determine the effects of PHB and/or MOS as dietary supplements in rainbow trout fingerlings to develop an optimal prebiotic mix for improving the growth and health status of rainbow trout.     

The advantages of the use of vitamin E and selenium for the prevention and therapy of porcine stress syndrome

In a feeding trial lasting for months Halothane-positive fattening pigs were put on a diet containing different concentrations of vitamin E and selenium. After a Myostress application vitamin E and selenium were additionally injected in order to examine stress resistance (CK-test) and regenerative capacity (histological examination of Musculus longissimus dorsi) of skeletal muscle. The study revealed that neither high dietary levels of vitamin E/selenium nor a vitamin E/selenium treatment applied after stress are capable of preventing stress related myopathy nor can they influence its healing up favourably.     

Effect of the manganese content in laying hen feed with different Ca and mineral levels on the egg shell quality and bone mineralization of hens]

Four experiments with 270, 44, 432 and 66800 Leghorn hens were carried out to investigate the influence of various Mn additions to diets differed in mineral or Ca contents on egg shell quality. The addition of 300 mg Mn/kg diet improved significantly egg shell breaking strength by 4 N over one year. The supply of 50-500 mg Mn/kg diet for 10-24 weeks of the second half of laying year did not influence the egg shell quality. Addition of mineral mixture or Ca grit to layer rations with adequate or higher Mn levels did not influence egg shell strength. High mineral content in a low manganese diet increased number of cracks by 3%. Strength, weight and ash content of tibia were significantly reduced by feeding a low mineral level. Addition of 50-150 mg Mn per kg low mineral diet normalized partially tibia stability in young hens. It was concluded that supplied dietary Manganese influences calcification positively only in young hens. High levels of Ca did not influence the effects of Mn. 50 mg Mn per kg layers mixture have been considered as an essential supply.     

Glutathione peroxidase activity in whole blood and plasma of horses of different ages, sexes and different use]

GSH-Px activity in blood and plasma of 269 horses was determined and interrelated to age, sex, and type of use or breed. Furthermore values in blood were related to hematocrit and hemoglobin contents. Trotters and riding horses had higher GSH-Px activities in plasma as well as in blood (0.83 +/- 0.22 and 0.79 +/- 0.23 U/ml plasma or 27.2 +/- 4.3 and 24.0 +/- 7.0 U/ml blood) than Thoroughbreds in training and yearlings (0.61 +/- 0.,14 and 0.56 +/- 0.16 U/ml plasma or 20.6 2 +/- 6.9 and 24.6 +/- 4.3 U/ml blood). 3 to 6 years old Thoroughbreds had higher GSH-Px-activities than 1 to 2 years old ones. Colts and fillies did not have differing values.