Acupuncture for general veterinary practice.

Since the International Society of Veterinary Acupuncture (IVAS) was founded in 1974, acupuncture (AP) has received greater acceptance by veterinary professionals throughout the world. This article introduces some important animal diseases that respond well to AP therapy. These include resuscitation of small animals, treatment of anoestrous gilts and sows, bovine reproductive disease, canine vertebral problems and equine backpain, etc. Conventional medicine considers these to be difficult cases to treat. Veterinarians have become more aware of the benefits of AP especially for those diseases, thanks to the efforts of experienced practitioners and scientists, and the many published reports on veterinary AP that have introduced some good indications for AP therapy in veterinary practice. Possible mechanisms behind the effectiveness of AP are discussed. This article aims to introduce veterinarians to good indications for AP to initiate their interest in the practice of AP. Although this is a rapidly expanding field, a long march must begin with one step. We wish this article to be the shoes for such a march. For more information on veterinary AP, contact IVAS , P.O. Box 1478, Longmont, CO.. 80502, USA (http://www.ivas.org), or your national veterinary acupuncture society (http://www.komvet.at/ ivadkom/vapsocs.htm).     

The effects of stubble burning and tillage on soil carbon sequestration and crop productivity in southeastern Australia

Abstract. In Australia, stubble burning and tillage are two of the major processes responsible for the decline of soil organic carbon concentration in cropped soils, and the resulting soil degradation. However, the relative importance of these two practices in influencing the soil organic carbon concentration and the long-term impact on soil quality and productivity are not clear. The effects of stubble burning as practised by farmers in southeastern Australia were evaluated in two field trials, one of 19 years duration, the other of 5 years. Conventional tillage (three tillage passes) led to greater loss of soil organic carbon than stubble burning. Loss of total soil organic carbon attributed to stubble burning in the 0–10 cm layer was estimated to be 1.75 t C ha⁻¹ over the period of the 19-year trial, equivalent to 29% of that lost due to tillage. In the 5-year trial, no change in soil organic carbon due to stubble burning was detectable. Changes in soil quality associated with stubble burning detected in the longer trial included a reduction in macro-aggregate stability, and increases in pH and exchangeable K⁺. Only the latter two were detected in the shorter trial. A higher mean wheat yield (average 0.15 t ha⁻¹) following stubble burning was observed in the 19-year trial but not in the 5-year trial. Research to monitor the longer term effects of stubble burning is needed, and to identify conditions where loss of soil organic carbon is minimized.     

不同促生长剂对虹鳟生长性能及非特异性免疫机能的影响

研究了不同促生长剂对虹鳟Oncorhynchus mykiss生长性能及非特异性免疫机能的影响.试验共设5个处理组:A、B组分别在饲料中添加那西肽2 mg/kg和4 mg/kg,c组添加大蒜素15 mg/kg,D组添加黄霉素8 mg/kg,E组为对照组.饲料为膨化饲料,粗蛋白的质量分数为43.05%,粗脂肪为23.02%.每个处理设3个重复,每个重复放80尾鱼,初始体重为(33.78±1.99)g.试验期间,水温为(14.5±2.0)℃,溶氧为(8.9±1.1)mg/L,每天饲喂2次.试验共进行56 d.结果表明:与对照组相比,A、C、D组虹鳟的特定生长率分别提高8.5%、6.9%和8.5%,饵料系数分别降低8.3%、7.5%和2.5%,增重率分别提高13.4%、10.35%和12.62%,鱼体粗蛋白分别提高2.69%、8.58%和2.88%,但差异均不显著(P>0.05);添加不同促生长剂,鱼体肾脏中SOD酶活性和肝脏中溶菌酶活性显著上升(P<0.05),肝脏和血浆中SOD酶活性及鳃组织中溶菌酶活性也有不同程度的提高.说明在饲料中添加2mg/kg那西肽、15mg/kg大蒜素和8 mg/kg黄霉素,可以改善虹鳟的生长性能,提高鱼体的免疫活性.     

A reovirus disease in cultured mud crab, Scylla serrata, in southern China

A reovirus, designated mud crab reovirus (MCRV), associated with large economic losses was recently isolated from marine cultured mud crab, Scylla serrata, in southern China. The complete viral particle is 70 nm in diameter, icosahedral and non-enveloped. The virus infects connective tissue cells of the hepatopancreas, gills and intestine in mud crab and develops in the cytoplasm. Hundred per cent mortality was observed in mud crab experimentally infected by intramuscular injection, bath inoculation and oral inoculation, while cohabitation infection caused 80% mortality. The viral genome consists of 13 linear dsRNA segments, with an electrophoretic pattern 1/5/7. The results of this study suggest that the virus is highly pathogenic and can be transmitted enterically as well as via the body surface of mud crab. Although the genomic organization of this virus is different from that of the other crab reoviruses, CcRV-W2 and DpPV, all three of these reoviruses have similar electrophoresis patterns. Therefore, MCRV may be a new member of the DpPV and CcRV-W2 group.     

Effects of mutations in Drosophila nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits on sensitivity to insecticides targeting nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

Several strains of Drosophila melanogaster possess mutant alleles in nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunits, Dα1 and Dβ2 that confer resistance to neonicotinoids such as imidacloprid and nitenpyram, and Dα6, that confers resistance to spinosyns. These mutant strains were bioassayed with a selected set of nAChR active insecticides including neonicotinoids, spinosad, and sulfoxaflor, a new sulfoximine insecticide. All of the neonicotinoids examined, except dinotefuran showed reduced insecticidal efficacy on larvae of the Dα1 mutant, suggesting that this subunit may be important in the action of these insecticides. All of the neonicotinoids, including dinotefuran, showed reduced insecticidal efficacy on larvae possessing the Dβ2 mutation. A similar pattern of broad neonicotinoid resistance to that of Dβ2 alone was also observed for larvae with both the mutations (Dα1 + Dβ2). The Dβ2 mutation exhibited a lower level of cross-resistance to sulfoxaflor (<3-fold) than to any of the neonicotinoids (>13-fold). In contrast, there was no cross-resistance for any of the neonicotinoids or sulfoxaflor in adult flies with the Dα6 mutation, which confers high levels of resistance to spinosad. Thus in the D. melanogaster strains studied, target site resistance observed for the neonicotinoids and the spinosyns does not translate directly to resistance towards sulfoxaflor.     

Ⅰ型鸭肝炎病毒SH株全基因组序列测定与分析

本研究从上海市某鸭场发病鸭群中分离到1株DHV-1型强毒株,对其进行毒价测定、琼脂扩散试验和动物回归实验,结果显示：按103.41 ELD50/0.2 mL接种1日龄雏鸭,该毒株对雏鸭有明显的致病性,死亡率为60%,肝脏病变率为100%。经全基因组测序显示：该毒株长度为7652 nt,含626 nt的5＇非编码区和314 nt的3＇非编码区,编码一个2249 aa大小的多聚蛋白。根据Blast比对发现,该毒株属于经典的DHV-1A群,与韩国经典强毒株R85952（99.7%）和中国分离强毒株HP-1（99.3%）的同源性最高。     

盐胁迫对三种盐生禾草种子萌发及其胚生长的影响

采用不同浓度的NaCl、Na₂CO₃和二者混合盐的胁迫,对羊草、野大麦和朝鲜碱茅种子的发芽率、发芽速度、胚根和胚芽的影响以及盐胁迫解除后的发芽率、胚根和胚芽的生长进行测定与分析。结果表明,随着Na₂CO₃和混合盐溶液浓度的增加,羊草和野大麦种子的发芽率、发芽速度、胚根和胚芽的相对生长均呈下降趋势;而12.5mmol/LNaCl和37.5mmol/LNa⁺混合盐的低浓度胁迫对朝鲜碱茅种子的萌发、胚根和胚芽的生长有促进作用,但发芽速度则随着盐浓度的升高而降低;Na₂CO₃溶液对3种禾草胚根和胚芽的生长均有明显的抑制作用;3种盐分胁迫对羊草和朝鲜碱茅胚根生长的影响均大于胚芽生长;朝鲜碱茅种子萌发时的耐盐性强于野大麦和羊草;盐胁迫解除后,3种禾草的发芽率随原胁迫盐浓度的增加呈升高趋势。     

甘南草原3种啮齿动物的食性及其营养生态位特征

研究啮齿动物的食性及其营养生态位特征不仅可以了解高寒草甸环境变化下物种的食性适应特征,还可探讨多种啮齿动物的种间关系。本研究采用粪便显微组织观察法,分析了甘南草原高原鼠兔（Ochotona curzoniae）、高原鼢鼠（Eospalax baileyi）和喜马拉雅旱獭（Marmota himalayana）3种啮齿动物的食性及营养生态位特征。结果发现：3种啮齿动物所采食的植物种类基本相同,但其比例各异;高原鼢鼠所采食的植物主要是珠芽蓼（Polygonum viviparum）和鹅绒委陵菜（Potentilla anserina）等杂类草,且对莎草科（Cyperaceae）植物的采食量显著高于其它两种动物,高原鼠兔主要采食禾本科（Poaceae）植物,喜马拉雅旱獭则主要采食禾本科和菊科（Asteraceae）植物;营养生态位宽度依次为喜马拉雅旱獭>高原鼢鼠>高原鼠兔,其中高原鼠兔与喜马拉雅旱獭的营养生态位重叠最大（0.52）。3种啮齿动物在食物上存在分化,营养生态位分离,是其共存的重要原因。