Less hazardous alternative herbicides to control weeds in immature oil palm

In 2002, the Malaysian government had banned the use of the hazardous herbicide, paraquat. Most growers perceive that paraquat is the most effective herbicide and provides the fastest mode of action to control weeds. An experiment was conducted at MAB Agriculture-Horticulture, Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia, from February 2004 to February 2005 to evaluate the efficacy and ability of the less hazardous herbicides, glufosinate ammonium and glyphosate, as an alternative to the hazardous herbicide, paraquat, in controlling weeds in immature oil palm (<3 years old). The results showed that paraquat needed high rates, 600 and 800 g ha⁻¹, to control weeds effectively. However, lower rates of glufosinate ammonium (200 g ha⁻¹) and glyphosate (400 g ha⁻¹) gave excellent weed control. The results showed that the efficacy of glufosinate ammonium and glyphosate were much better than paraquat. The results also showed that, with no direct contact with the plants, paraquat, glufosinate ammonium, and glyphosate had no adverse effect on the vegetative and generative growth of oil palm in this study. These results proved that the less hazardous herbicides, glufosinate ammonium and glyphosate, could be used as an alternative to paraquat to control weeds in immature oil palm.     

不同繁殖节律母牦牛冷暖季血浆褪黑激素RP-HPLC测定

为研究不同季节、不同繁殖节律和繁殖活动期与静止期成年母牦牛血浆MLT分泌水平的差异,应用反相高效液相色谱法(RP-HPLC)检测成年母牦牛血浆 MLT 浓度.供试母牦牛63头,分为A、B、C 3组,每组21头.A组:1年1胎,繁殖活动期;B组:2年1胎,全奶,繁殖静止期;C组:2年1胎,半奶,繁殖活动期.在暖季的7月21-23日和冷季的11月21-23日,自然光制:12.00L:12.00D和14.65L:9.35D,日落前2 h开始采血,持续50min,颈静脉采血每头20 mL,肝素抗凝,离心取血浆.1年1胎母牦牛血浆MLT浓度((68.90±5.82) pg/mL)高于2年1胎全奶个体((44.38±2.61)pg/mL) (P< 0.01)和2年1胎半奶个体((57.51±3.82)pg/mL)(P<0.05);母牦牛血浆 MLT 浓度暖季高于冷季(P<0.05),表明其具有季节波动,并提示除光照外牦牛 MLT 分泌还与气温等环境因子有关;母牦牛血浆 MLT 浓度繁殖活动期高于繁殖静止期(P<0.05).母牦牛MLT分泌存在季节波动,母牦牛季节性繁殖和繁殖节律受到MLT水平的影响.     

Mouse embryo co‐culture with autologous cumulus cells and fetal development post‐embryo transfer

This study was conducted to examine the potential for implantation and sustainable fetal development of mouse embryos cultured from the pronuclear to blastocyst stage. Pronuclear embryos from ICR mice (Harlan Sprague‐Dawley) were cultured in Sydney IVF sequential media (Cook) to the blastocyst stage in medium only or co‐cultured with autologous cumulus cells. We also experimented with co‐culture in 100 µL drops. Drop co‐culture produced blastocyst formation rates with a mean of 47.0%, which was significantly higher (P < 0.05) compared to embryos cultured in identical culture conditions except without cumulus cells at 27.3%. Blastocysts obtained in vitro in Cook medium only and co‐cultured in Cook medium with cumulus cells were transferred to pseudopregnant females of ICR strain. The day of blastocyst transfer into surrogate females was designated as post‐transfer of blastocyst day 1 (PT 1). The implantation and fetal development was compared to embryo transfer of in vivo derived blastocysts, which served as controls. There were no statistical differences for implantation and fetal development rates for blastocysts cultured in vitro in either Cook medium only or co‐culture in Cook medium with cumulus cells compared to in vivo‐derived blastocysts. The advantage of the co‐culture system is in generating more blastocysts available for transfer.     

精氨酸对免疫应激仔猪肠道组织Toll样受体基因表达的影响

本试验旨在考察饲粮添加精氨酸( arginine,Arg)对免疫应激仔猪生长性能和肠道组织细胞膜外Toll样受体(TLR2、TLR4、TLR5、TLR6)基因表达的影响.选用(24±1)日龄的断奶、平均体重(7.19±0.63) kg的杜洛克×长白×大白公猪20头,随机分为4个处理,分别为饲喂基础饲粮+注射生理盐水(对...     

Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex antibodies in free-ranged wild boar and wild macaques in selected districts in Selangor and reevaluation of tuberculosis serodetection in captive Asian elephants in Pahang,Peninsular Malaysia

Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic inflammatory and zoonotic disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) members, affecting several domestic animals, wildlife species and humans. The preliminary investigation was aimed to detect antibody against MTBC among indigenous wildlife which are free-ranged wild boar, free-ranged wild macaques and captive Asian elephants in selected areas of Selangor and elephant conservation centre in Pahang, respectively. The results indicate that MTBC serodetection rate in wild boar was 16.7% (7.3–33.5 at 95% confidence interval (CI)) using an in-house ELISA bPPD IgG and 10% (3.5–25.6 at 95% CI) by DPP^®VetTB assay, while the wild macaques and Asian elephant were seronegative. The univariate analysis indicates no statistically significant difference in risk factors for sex and age of wild boar but there was a significant positive correlation (P<0.05) between bovine TB in dairy cattle and wild boar seropositivity in the Sepang district.     

Virus-induced changes in the response of faba bean to infection by Botrytis

Prior infection of faba bean with the viruses bean yellow mosaic and bean leaf roll increased host susceptibility to subsequent infection by Botrytis fabae and B. cinerea. Cell necrosis beneath inoculum droplets, rate and extent of lesion spread and sporulation of B. fabae were all increased on detached leaves from virus-infected compared with healthy plants. Changes were most marked in young leaves showing conspicuous symptoms of systemic virus infection and in plants virus-infected for at least 2-4 weeks. Localized lesions produced by B. cinerea or a low concentration of B. fabae conidia (10³ spores/ ml) showed increased cell necrosis but were not transformed into aggressive, spreading lesions on virus-infected leaves.     

The effects of sowing depth and flooding on the emergence, survival, and growth of Fimbristylis miliacea (L.) Vahl

Glasshouse experiments were conducted from March to July 2003 to determine the effects of sowing depth, and the time, duration, and depth of flooding on the emergence, survival, and growth of Fimbristylis miliacea (L.) Vahl. The treatments that were evaluated in the first experiment were three seeding depths (0, 0.5, and 1.0 cm), while in the second experiment, three flooding depths (saturated soil with no standing water and soil with water depths of 5 and 10 cm) and three flooding durations (7, 14, and 21 days from sowing) were evaluated. In the third experiment, three flooding depths (saturated soil with no standing water, and soil with water depths of 5 and 10 cm) and four flooding regimes (7, 14, 21 or 28 days after sowing [DAS]) were evaluated. Surface seeding gave the highest emergence rate compared to the 0.5 cm and 1.0 cm soil depths. A significantly higher emergence rate was recorded with the saturated conditions than with the flooded conditions. A flooding duration of ≥ 14 days showed a clear trend of reduced emergence with increasing flooding depth. A significantly higher survival rate, plant height, root length, number of leaves, and dry matter were recorded at soil saturation followed by the 5 cm and 10 cm flooding depths when flooding was simulated at 7 and 14 DAS. When the flooding was delayed to 21 and 28 DAS, the 10 cm flooding depth was required to suppress this weed. The results provide sufficient evidence to confirm that from deeper seed burial (1 cm sowing depth), flooding depths of ≥ 5 cm of durations of 14 and 21 days and at the onset of flooding within 14 DAS were effective in suppressing the emergence and growth of F. miliacea .     

生物钟基因Clock研究进展

在哺乳动物中,Clock基因是最早被发现和鉴定的生物钟基因。它编码BHLH／PAS转录因子家族成员,是动物近日节律的调控者,在节律时钟的组织中起着中心作用。小鼠Clock基因长约100 kb,有24个外显子,cDNA全长约10 kb。它影响小鼠的发情周期和妊娠情况。人类hClk的cDNA编码蛋白(CLOCK)序列为2538 bp,其中89％与鼠类似。846个氨基酸残基,其中96％与鼠的CLOCK蛋白一致。位于4号染色体长臂(4q12),含20个外显子,其内含子／外显子的组成也与小鼠一样。