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.     

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.     

肇庆市红火蚁防控措施研究

广东于2004年发现了红火蚁,对生态和生产生活造成了严重影响,全省各地开始加强对红火蚁的防控.简述了肇庆市红火蚁防控概况及防控措施,总结了防控成效及存在的主要问题,提出了防控策略,以期为肇庆市红火蚁的防治提供科技支撑与保障.     

Getting cosy in freshwater: Assumed to be brackish pike are not so brackish after all

Pike (Esox lucius) occupy coastal streams and rivers of the Baltic Sea, where they attain large sizes (>5 kg). These large sizes are perhaps due to the fact that they can tolerate relatively high salinities and can thus forage in the nearby more productive brackish environments. In an attempt to quantify the extent to which pike utilise brackish environments, and to provide some insight into the underlying causes for brackish water migrations, we tagged 30 pike from a western Baltic river with acoustic transmitters and were able to track 21 individuals for 1 year. Based on experienced from local anglers, this population was assumed to be brackish in nature, where individuals underwent freshwater migrations to spawn. Our findings however suggest that the smallest and most active individuals make short exits into brackish waters and do so on rare occasions. Our results further indicate that neither sex nor size is related to activity level. We suggest that these patterns reflect two distinct behaviours—active and passive—and that large pike can be supported by the food availability in the river, without the need to venture into coastal zones, thus defying the conventional view that Baltic pike are all brackish in nature.     

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。     

论城中村农民的现代化改造

针对当前我国城中村改造中存在的一些问题,以系统论为基础,对城中村改造工作的方向和改造工作应遵循的基本原则予以一定的分析,提出城中村改造工作的重点和关键所在是对城中村农民的现代化改造。进一步阐述了城中村农民的现代化改造对于推进城中村改造的重要意义。     

中国高粱光温类型的初步研究

1、在短光照或温室条件件下高粱品种出苗～抽穗期日数显著缩短,供试品种平均比对照分别缩短12.5天和13.635天,缩短百分率分别为18.8和20.5;伴随苗穗期日数的缩短,叶片数在短光或温室条件下分别减少3.9和4.275片,减少百分数分别为22.24和24.22;株高分别降低60.15和47.65厘米,降低百分数为25.88和20.5,表明光、温直接影响高粱的生育进程和器官建成的数量与结构。 2、高粱品种生育日数变化主要反映在出苗～抽穗期。出苗～抽穗日数在短光或温室条件下分别减少18.8％和20.5％.而抽穗～成熟日数仅减少5.1％和8.3％,表明高粱出苗～抽穗期是光温反应的最大效应期。 3、不同品种在短光或温室条件下性状变化的趋势一致,但程度明显不同;同一品种同一性状在上述条件下变化程度也不同。根据供试品种对光温敏感的程度划为四大类群,其数量与地理分布如下: Ⅰ、光温敏感型,占试验品种总数的20％.分布在长江以北,辽宁以南地区。Ⅱ、温敏感型,包括温敏感光中度敏感型和温敏感光迟钝型,占25%,分布在黄河以北,北纬45℃以南的山西、内蒙、辽宁、河北北部和吉林南部。Ⅲ、光敏感型、包括光敏感沮中度敏感型和光敏感温迟钝型,占12.5％,分布在黄河(北纬35°)以南,南岭(北纬25°)以北地区。Ⅳ、中度敏感型占42.5％,分布广且没有明显的地带性。试验未发现对光、温都迟钝的类型。北方温敏感型品种较多,短日性较弱,南方光敏感型品种较多,短日性强、感温性中等或较弱。不同光温类型的形成、分布与其所处的生态环境即光温条件和栽培制度密切相关。 4、温敏感型和光敏感型中早熟品种较多,占86％,光温敏感型品种既有早熟的,中熟的、也有晚熟的,所以光温敏感的品种不一定全是早熟品种,而晚熟品种也并非对光温反应不敏感。中度敏感型品种也有早熟、中熟和晚熟之分。在不同光温条件和栽培制度下,不同光温类型熟性变化的主导因素不同。 5、光、温在形成高粱不同类型过程中的效应是相互联系而又有区别的,光、温效应对不同环境下的不同类型有主次之分,大小之别;光、温效应在高粱不同发育阶段既是同步性的,又是顺序性的。     

信鸽新城疫并发大肠杆菌病的诊治

鸽新城疫又称鸽瘟或鸽Ⅰ型副粘病毒病 ,是由鸽Ⅰ型副粘病毒引起的一种高度接触性、败血型传染病。主要表现为腹泻、神经紊乱、呼吸困难及浆膜、粘膜出血等 ;鸽大肠杆菌病是由大肠埃希氏杆菌感染所引起的局部或全身性感染的疾病。若新城疫和大肠杆菌并发 ,将给养鸽爱好者以很大的经济损失和精神打击。现将本人在临床上遇到的两起病例介绍给大家 ,以供参考。1发病情况2003年5月初 ,平顶山市郊西信鸽爱好者相继到我中心 ,叙述了其200多只信鸽参赛后大群出现拉稀、精神不振 ,个别眼流泪 ,有神经症状 ,用氟哌酸、阿莫西林、痢特灵、氯霉素治疗 ,…