Improving the reproductive,immunity and health status of rabbit does using honey bee venom

The aim of the present study was to investigate the long-term effect of using bee venom (BV) on the reproductive performance, immune, and health status of rabbit does and its effect on their litters. Sixty mature does, from Spanish V-line rabbit stock, were randomly assigned to four homogeneous groups with 15 does each. The 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd groups were injected twice weekly under the neck skin with 0.1 ml solution contains 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 mg BV/rabbit respectively. The 4^th group served as a control group. From the results, litter size at birth, litter weight and survival rate at weaning age as well as milk yield were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) increased in BV groups than in the control group. Serum estradiol 17-β (E2) was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher (15%) in the rabbit does treated with BV compared to the control group. The treated does with BV at any study doses showed a gradual and significant (p ≤ 0.05) decrease (12%) in serum progesterone levels (P4) compared to the control. They also showed a significant (p≤0.05) increase in conception (17%) and fertility rates (10%) compared to the control does. Treatment of rabbit does with BV caused a gradual and significant (p ≤ 0.05) reduction in both aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (16%) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (37%) liver enzyme activities. Additionally, results have shown that BV resulted in a gradual and significant (p ≤ 0.05) increase in total antioxidant capacity (TAC), antioxidative enzymes such as glutathione S-transferase (GST) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), serum IgG, IgM and IgA levels with significant (p ≤ 0.05) decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in BV groups compared to the control group. Results suggest that BV can be used in rabbit farming as an effective and safe alternative to artificial chemical drugs (sexual-stimulants) to improve certain reproductive traits, immune response and health.     

Fractionation of soil humic acids by preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of concentrated urea

To separate soil humic acids (HAs) into their constituents and characterize them, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) was carried out in the presence of 7 M urea using a preparative electrophoresis system. Two types of soil HAs were fractionated into nine fractions by PAGE. The dark-colored constituents were recovered from the electrophoretic fractions by precipitation on acidification, and the brown-colored constituents dissolved in the acidic solution of fast-moving fractions were recovered by adsorption onto DAX-8 resin. High-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) confirmed that the constituents of the HAs were separated based on their molecular size by PAGE. The dark-colored constituents exhibited higher degrees of humification than did the corresponding unfractionated HAs, except for the constituents remaining in the electrophoretic gels at the end of electrophoresis. Diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy revealed that the chemical properties of the dark-colored constituents changed regularly: the content of carboxyl groups decreased and the proportions of proteinous, aliphatic and polysaccharide moieties increased with increasing molecular size. The humification degrees of the constituents adsorbed onto DAX-8 resin were considerably lower than those of the corresponding unfractionated HAs. The chemical properties of the DAX-8-adsorbed constituents were different from those of the dark-colored constituents. Observation of electrophoretic fractions under blue light (470 nm) and HPSEC with fluorescence detection at an excitation wavelength of 460 nm and an emission wavelength of 520 nm showed that green fluorescent substances were largely concentrated in the smallest molecular size fractions and were partitioned into both the dark-colored precipitates and DAX-8-adsorbed fractions. The proportion of organic carbon recovered by precipitation and adsorption onto DAX-8 resin was 45–63%, indicating that substantial parts of the HA constituents were missing. The unrecovered constituents were considered to be acid-soluble, nearly colorless substances. The dissociation of the acid-soluble constituents from the acid-insoluble dark-colored constituents during the preparative PAGE of soil HAs was ascribed to disruption of hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions caused by concentrated urea.     

Detection,isolation and characterization of cowpea mosaic virus in Egypt

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Cowpea mosaic virus is among the most economically important viruses infecting cowpea. Incidence of infection was assessed in two governorates in Egypt,...     

新开垦沙土地棉花叶面积指数变化试验

通过随机区组试验研究了新疆新开垦沙土地种植棉花叶面积指数变化。结果表明:新开垦沙土地对棉花叶面积指数变化规律无影响;新疆（南疆）新开垦沙土荒地应选种适应性强的中棉所47号棉花品种。      

Effect of allele combinations at Ppd-1 loci on durum wheat grain filling at contrasting latitudes

Flowering time is the most critical developmental stage in wheat, as it determines environmental conditions during grain filling. Thirty-five spring durum genotypes carrying all known allele variants at Ppd-1 loci were evaluated in fully irrigated field experiments for three years at latitudes of 41°N (Spain), 27°N (northern Mexico) and 19°N (southern Mexico). Relationships between weight of central grains of main spikes (W) and thermal time from flowering to maturity were described by a logistic equation. Differences in flowering time between the allele combination causing the earliest (GS100/Ppd-B1a) and the latest (Ppd-A1b/Ppd-B1a) flowering were 7, 20 and 18 days in Spain, northern Mexico and southern Mexico, respectively. Flowering delay drastically reduced the mean grain filling rate (R) and W at all sites. At autumn-sowing sites, an increase of 1°C in mean temperature during the first half of the grain filling period decreased W by 5.2 mg per grain. At these sites, W was strongly dependent on R. At the spring-sowing site (southern Mexico), W depended on both R and grain filling duration. Our results suggest that incorporating the allele combinations GS100/Ppd-B1a and GS105/Ppd-B1a (alleles conferring photoperiod insensitivity) in newly released varieties can reduce the negative effects of climate change on grain filling at the studied latitudes.     

Effects of AG1 and AG2 QTLs on Nonstructural Carbohydrate and Seed Management Options for Rice Seedling Growth and Establishment under Flooding Stress

Rice (Oryza sativa) plants acquired excess photosynthates in the form of nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs) in their stems and grain. Despite keen interest in rice NSC, the dynamics of NSC accumulation, translocation and re-accumulation have not yet been well investigated. AG1 and AG2 QTLs associated with flooding tolerance through catalyzing starch into soluble sugar in germinating seeds. Here we conducted three experiments, greenhouse and field to lay the groundwork for large-scale diversity studies on grain NSC and some agronomic traits under direct-seeded rice (DSR) system, using elite lines incorporating AG1, AG2 and AG1-AG2 QTLs into the popular varieties PSB Rc82 and Ciherang-Sub1 along with the donors Kho Hlan On (AG1) and Ma-Zhan Red (AG2). In germinating seedlings, soluble sugars increased, while starch concentration decreased gradually especially in the tolerant checks and AG1-AG2 introgression lines under flooded soil. Soluble sugar accumulation in stem started to increase from the vegetative stage and peaked at the panicle initiation stage then gradually decreased towards the maturity stage. But Sub1-AG lines had higher sugar and starch concentrations at different growth stages than other genotypes in wet season 2016 and dry season 2017. Plant survival rate was positively correlated with the stem NSC at the early vegetative stage (21 days after sowing), and stem NSC was positively associated with plant height at different growth stages. Among the tested seeding rate, the most suitable seeding rate, 4 g/m² with shallow burial depth (0.5 cm), resulted in better seedling establishment, relatively higher seedling vigor index and higher leaf area index under flooding in DSR system. Introgression of AG1-AG2 QTLs had no any negative impact on nonstructural carbohydrate, germination rate, and growth and biomass production.     

盐胁迫对扁桃砧木营养器官离子吸收的影响

温室条件下,用NaCl和Na2SO4处理石头扁桃、桃扁桃和毛桃,处理浓度为0,75,150,300和350 mmol/L,处理10,20 d分别取叶、根和茎,测定各器官中离子吸收与分布变化规律。研究结果表明,盐胁迫下,3种砧木根、茎、叶中Na ,Cl-,SO42-含量及Na /K 比均随盐浓度的增加和处理时间的延长而增加,K 含量变化规律不稳定,但桃扁桃根、茎和叶片中K 略高于其他两个品种;石头扁桃根、茎、叶片中Na /K 比值高于其它两个品种,桃扁桃中Na /K 比值最低。桃扁桃根部Na ,Cl-和SO42-含量高于石头扁桃和毛桃,而叶片和茎中Na ,Cl-和SO42-含量却低于石头扁桃和毛桃。桃扁桃根部能够积累较多的Na ,阻止和减少了Na 向地上部的运输,从而减轻了Na2SO4对它的伤害,进而表明了桃扁桃耐盐能力较强。     

Abnormalities in the juvenile stage of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) reared at different temperatures: types, prevalence and effect on growth

Osteological malformations are always considered an important problem in intensive aquaculture. This work studies the effect of rearing temperature on malformations in sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax. To this end, two batches of the species were subjected to the following incubation/cultivation temperatures: 15 °C/natural and 19/19 °C, from fertilization until 190 days after hatching. The different malformations were studied in 1643 juveniles at 190 days and classified by categories. The Chi-square statistic was calculated to verify the relationship between the presence of anomalies and the application of different temperatures. The percentage of anomalies observed in individuals reared at a high temperature (19/19 °C) was 66.44%. In both temperature systems, opercular malformations were those which caused a greater delay in growth. The results found indicated that temperature played a very important role in the development of deformations, which may be of interest from the viewpoint of aquaculture.     

Current status and prospects of farming the giant river prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii (De Man) in Bangladesh

Giant river prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) farming plays an important role in the economy of Bangladesh. Presently, it is cultured in around 50 000 ha area with total annual production of 23 240 t. Traditional extensive prawn farming has been expanding over the last three decades through the introduction and adoption of improved culture systems, such as culture of prawn‐carps, prawn‐shrimp‐fish and prawn‐fish‐rice as concurrent and rotational systems. Efforts for the development of improved techniques on broodstock management, seed production and rearing and grow‐out of prawn have been made over the last decade. The outcomes are low‐cost feed for broodstock, production of post‐larvae in net cages (hapa), all‐male prawn culture, periphyton based prawn‐tilapia culture, C/N based prawn culture, organic prawn farming, prawn‐mola culture and prawn‐carp‐mola polyculture. Despite the development of culture technologies, a number of challenges for sustainable development of prawn farming need to be overcome to realize the potentials of this promising sector. Good aquaculture practises at all levels and application of measures for quality control and food safety would ensure sustainable development of prawn farming in Bangladesh.     

An outbreak of enzootic bovine leukosis in upper Egypt: clinical,laboratory and molecular-epidemiological studies

In 1989, 220 Holstein Friesian cattle (212 heifers and eight bulls) were imported from Minnesota, USA, to form a closed dairy herd in Arab El-Aoumar, Assiut, Upper Egypt. In November 1996, some abnormal signs such as loss of weight, decreased milk yield, external lymphadenopathy and decreased appetite were observed on this farm. Serological screening by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed a seroprevalence of antibodies directed against bovine leukaemia virus (BLV) of 37.7% in cattle under 2 years old and of 72.8% in animals more than 2 years old. Diagnosis was confirmed by the detection of BLV proviral DNA using polymerase chain reaction with primers amplifying a fragment of the env gene. Out of 21 tested leucocyte fractions from individual animals, 15 were positive showing a BLV-specific amplicon of 444 base pairs. Analysis of the amplicons for restriction fragment length polymorphisms and DNA sequencing results allowed the isolates to be typed. Since this was the first recorded case of enzootic bovine leukosis in Upper Egypt, strict quarantine measures were adopted and all serologically positive animals in the herd were culled.