Adherence of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 1 to swine buccal epithelial cells involves fibronectin

The swine pathogen Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 1 was investigated for its ability to adhere to swine, rat, and human buccal epithelial cells (BEC). The highest number of bacteria adhered was to swine BEC. This binding ability was affected by heating, extreme pH, treatment with sodium dodecyl sulfate, ethylenediamine tetraacetate, or periodate, and proteolysis, suggesting that cell-surface glycoproteins participate in adherence and that adherence is based mostly on ionic interactions. Mannose and swine fibronectin may play a direct role in this interaction. Convalescent-phase serum from naturally infected pigs inhibited the adhesion. There was a correlation between bacterial pathogenicity as well as host specificity and the capacity for adherence to swine BEC. Adhesion to swine BEC provides a convenient method to study in vitro the adherence of A. pleuropneumoniae and other pathogens of the pig respiratory tract.     

Soil CO2 emission in sugarcane management systems

Sugarcane management systems affect soil attributes such as the carbon cycle. This fact has stimulated the sugar and alcohol industry to refine the sugarcane production systems by replacing the pre-harvest burning (PB) and manual harvest with mechanized harvesting followed by residue deposition. The aim of this study was to evaluate different management systems with respect to C cycling carbon dioxide and soil parameters (chemical, physical and biological) which were determined over the season. Three sugarcane cultivation systems were evaluated at the following periods: (a) PB, (b) 5-year green harvest and (c) 10-year green harvest. The results indicated that CO₂ emission was 36% greater in the 10-year sugarcane green harvest system than in the PB system. The bulk density and macroporosity were the factors that were most affected by the different sugarcane management systems and that significantly influenced soil CO₂ emissions. The principal component analysis showed that soil CO₂ emission was 18% influenced by base saturation (V%) and 14% by pH, especially in the PB area. Additionally, 19% was affected by carbon and macroporosity in the 5- and 10-year green harvest areas, respectively. From our results, it can be concluded that the most CO₂ emissions are in the areas of sugarcane green, this is due to the higher carbon concentration when compared with the area of burning sugarcane. The parameters that most influenced the CO₂ emissions were bulk density, porosity, macroporosity, pH and V%.     

Effects of vaccination against brucellosis and clostridia on the intake,performance, feeding behavior,blood parameters,and immune responses of dairy heifers calves

The aim of this study was to identify possible effects of different vaccination strategies (concomitantly or not) against brucellosis and clostridia on intake, performance, feeding behavior, blood parameters, and immune responses of dairy heifers calves. Fifty heifers calves were enrolled [38 Gyr (Zebu, Bos taurus indicus) and 12 5/8 Holstein Gyr]. At 120 d of age, animals were randomly distributed among 3 groups: B (n = 18), vaccinated against brucellosis; C (n = 14), vaccinated against clostridia and CB (n = 18), vaccinated concomitantly for both. Rectal and thermographic temperatures were evaluated on days 1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7,10, 14, and 28 relatives to the vaccination day. Feed and water intake, body weight (BW), and feeding behavior were monitored daily by an electronic feeding system. Blood was sampled on days 0, 3, 7, 14, and 28, relative to the vaccination day for determination of glucose and -hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) concentrations. Blood sampled on day 0 (prevaccination) and on days 28 and 42 were used to evaluate the immune response against Brucella abortus and clostridia. There was an increase in rectal temperature between the first and the third day postvaccination in the 3 groups. The thermography revealed an increase of local temperature for 7 d on groups B and CB. Group C had increased local temperature for a longer period, lasting for up to 14 d. Dry mater intake was reduced for groups B and CB, but no alteration was observed for group C. No alterations regarding initial BW, final BW, average daily weight gain, and feed efficiency were observed. No differences were observed for the 3 vaccination groups for blood parameters throughout the evaluation period. The concomitant vaccination against brucellosis and clostridia led to lower neutralizing antibody titers against epsilon toxin of Clostridium perfringens and botulinum toxin type C of C. botulinum (C > CB > B). When cellular proliferation assay and serological tests to B. abortus were evaluated, no differences were observed between groups B and CB. The present results indicate that the concomitant vaccination against brucellosis and clostridia has no relevant impact on the intake, performance, and feeding behavior of dairy calves. However, the concomitant vaccination of vaccines against these 2 pathogens impacts animal immunity against clostridial infections.     

Sperm subpopulations influence the pregnancy rates in cattle

This study aimed to study the characteristics and subpopulations of spermatozoa from bulls with low and high reproductive performance based on pregnancy rates. Based on historical records of pregnancy rate from four farms, 24 bulls were selected. Two groups were established, with low pregnancy rates (n = 12; LOW), including bulls that presented pregnancy rates <52.27% (33.33% to 51.81%); and a group with high pregnancy rates (n = 12; HIGH), with pregnancy rates >52.27% (52.27% to 69.64%), after fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI). The thawed sperm straws were analysed to sperm kinetics, morphology, plasma membrane integrity and sperm subpopulations. The LOW group exhibited a higher proportion of static cells (p < .05). In contrast, the HIGH group showed greater percentages for membrane integrity and total and progressive motility, and cells with fast and medium velocity (p < .05). In the cluster procedures, four sperm subpopulations were established. The low-fertility bulls presented the highest percentage of subpopulation 2 (41.46%), characterized by slow and progressive spermatozoa. The high-fertility bulls exhibited the highest percentage of subpopulation 3 (37.17%), characterized by fast and nonlinear spermatozoa. Results from this study indicated that bulls with greater percentages of fast and nonlinear spermatozoa seem to have greater fertilization capacity and the subpopulations analysis can be considered a tool to identify ejaculates with high fertility.     

A logistic analysis of the factors determining the decision of smallholder farmers to intercrop: A case study involving rubber–tea intercropping in Sri Lanka

The factors influencing the decision of smallholder farmers to adopt new farming technologies were studied with reference to rubber–tea intercropping in Sri Lanka. Rubber–tea intercropping has been recommended previously to rubber farmers as a means to improve productivity and income during the early pre-tapping phase of rubber growth. Although crop trials have shown that the two crops are agronomically compatible and potentially produce a combined economic yield superior to the yield of a sole crop grown on the same area of land, there is little evidence of widespread adoption of this practice among smallholder farmers in Sri Lanka. The aim of the study was to determine the major factors that influence the decision to undertake rubber–tea intercropping and to construct a predictive model that describes the likelihood of adoption of intercropping by traditional smallholder rubber growers. A rapid rural appraisal (RRA) was undertaken based on semi-structured interviews of 90 smallholder farmers in the main rubber growing low wet zone of Sri Lanka. Among a number of factors shown to significantly influence the decision to intercrop tea with rubber, three were shown to operate independently, namely level of income, source of income (i.e. solely from own farm or from farm plus additional off-farm enterprises), and availability of land considered suitable for tea cultivation. A statistical model developed through correlation and logistic analysis, which predicts the likelihood of a smallholder adopting intercropping based on these factors, is presented and discussed. The most likely combination of circumstances (82% probability) under which rubber–tea intercropping is practiced is shown to be where the farmer’s income is greater than Rs. 10,000 per month, where the farmer’s income is based solely on own farm enterprises, and where more than 80% of the farmer’s land area was judged to be suitable for tea cultivation. Conversely, 30% of smallholder farmers that chose not to intercrop did possess land suitable for tea cultivation. Qualitative responses to the RRA indicated that limitation of technical knowledge was the main problem subsequently faced by rubber farmers who had adopted rubber–tea intercropping. Results indicate that there is need for both income support through farm subsidies and further agricultural extension services, if rubber–tea intercropping is to be adopted more widely in Sri Lanka. The wider usefulness of the developed logistic model in determining the likelihood of adoption of intercropping by smallholder farmers is discussed.     

长江口口门海域水体重金属时间变化趋势及预测

通过对2004—2017年长江口口门区域水体中Cu、Zn、Pb、Hg和As 5种重金属含量的调查,分析了北支、南支北港和北港北沙3个区域水体重金属含量的变化趋势及影响因素,并对未来几年重金属的含量进行了预测研究。结果显示,Cu和Pb在2011—2017年间整体呈现下降趋势,下降幅度低于2004—2008年, Zn和As在2011—2017年间一直处于稳定的下降趋势,Hg的下降趋势较小,5种重金属均在2011年和2015年前后污染物排放量增加时出现不同幅度的增长,且径流量较大的区域增长幅度较大;分析其影响因素得出,由于早期水体中重金属含量较高,治理投入成效大于污染物排放的影响,故2004—2008年Cu、Zn、Pb和As含量与环境治理投入呈显著负相关,与排污量之间相关性不显著;而在重金属含量控制到较低水平后,治理难度增加,成效减弱,污染物排放量成为了控制重金属含量的主要影响因素,故2011—2017年的重金属含量与环境治理投入相关性不显著,与排污量呈显著正相关;由于长江口3个区域在盐度和径流量等因素上存在差异,采用了ARIMA模型对不同区域的重金属分别进行预测,预测得出2020—2022年长江口口门处3个区域水体中重金属含量较低,变化趋势较为平稳,该模型具有较高的精度,误差在5.19%～11.82%之间,分区域预测可以突出不同区域重金属含量及变化特征,预测结果更具针对性,能够为未来治理方案的拟定提供一定依据。     

红蓝LED光照强度对茶树生长及生物化学成分的影响

以‘黔湄601’一年生茶树苗为试材,光量比为1∶3的LED红蓝光作为光源,探讨不同光照强度对茶树幼苗生长特性的影响、光合色素及生物化学成分的变化趋势,探索茶树苗生长发育对光强的响应机制。采用LED精准调节光质和光强,设置50μmol·m-2·s-1、100μmol·m-2·s-1、150μmol·m-2·s-1、200μmol·m-2·s-14个处理。结果表明,不同光强处理15 d后,50μmol·m-2·s-1光照强度有利于茶树叶色素含量的增加及Ca/Cb值的降低;100μmol·m-2·s-1光照强度有利于茶树叶茶多酚含量的降低及氨基酸含量的增加,酚氨比值最低;150μmol·m-2·s-1光照强度对茶树叶重增加有促进作用;200μmol·m-2·s-1光照强度有利于茶树叶茶多酚含量的增加和氨基酸、光合色素含量的减少;酚氨比值最高,光合色素含量最低。红蓝LED光照强度过低、过高都不利于茶叶品质形成,综合考虑,100μmol·m-2·s-1光照强度最有利于茶叶功能成分的积累,是茶叶LED光源设施栽培的理想光照强度。本研究结果对于设施茶树种植具有重要的参考意义。     

Effects of temperature and lipid droplet adherence on mortality of hatchery-reared southern hake Merluccius australis larvae

Effects of exogenous (water temperature) and endogenous (lipid droplet adherence) factors were experimentally tested on early survival of southern hake Merluccius australis reared under controlled conditions. Experiments to determine the effect of temperature (10, 12 and 14 °C) on larval growth rates and yolk-sac absorption rates of unfed southern hake were carried out under laboratory conditions. There was no significant differences in growth rates at the temperature range tested (ANCOVA, F = 0.164, p > 0.25), but yolk-sac absorption rates and mortality increased with temperature (ANCOVA, F = 53.84, p < 0.001). A high percentage (between 31 and 81%) of hake eggs showed a lipid droplet not adhered (i.e., freely moving in the yolk, and not located in the posteriormost portion of the yolk-sac). In a second experiment, fed southern hake larvae with the lipid droplet not adhered during embryonic development did not survive after yolk-sac absorption. This study provides the first data on the influence of the lipid droplet absorption on larval survival of cultured hake, and can be used as an early indication of the quality of the batch.