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.     

Protective efficacy of an H5/H7 trivalent inactivated vaccine produced from Re-11, Re-12, and H7-Re2 strains against challenge with different H5 and H7 viruses in chickens

We developed an H5/H7 trivalent inactivated vaccine by using Re-11, Re-12, and H7-Re2 vaccine seed viruses, which were generated by reverse genetics and derived their HA genes from A/duck/Guizhou/S4184/2017(H5 N6)(DK/GZ/S4184/17)(a clade 2.3.4.4 d virus), A/chicken/Liaoning/SD007/2017(H5 N1)(CK/LN/SD007/17)(a clade 2.3.2.1 d virus), and A/chicken/Guangxi/SD098/2017(H7 N9)(CK/GX/SD098/17), respectively. The protective efficacy of this novel vaccine and that of the recently used H5/H7 bivalent inactivated vaccine against different H5 and H7 N9 viruses was evaluated in chickens. We found that the H5/H7 bivalent vaccine provided solid protection against the H7 N9 virus CK/GX/SD098/17, but only 50–60% protection against different H5 viruses. In contrast, the novel H5/H7 trivalent vaccine provided complete protection against the H5 and H7 viruses tested. Our study underscores the importance of timely updating of vaccines for avian influenza control.     

山东小麦玉米机械化种植模式

通过调研山东75家新型农业经营组织生产情况，分析规模生产条件下山东小麦玉米种植规格、各环节作业方式和机械配备等生产现状与存在问题，提出了一种适合规模化生产的小麦玉米机械化种植模式，并对各环节作业提出了技术要求。      

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。     

金华市农业机械化投入机制初探

农业机械化是农业现代化的基础，是现代化的先决条件，发展农业机械化迫切需要加大投入。为此，分析了金华市现阶段农机化投入的现状及存在的问题；提出了通过建立政府、集体、信贷、农户、外资等“多位一体”的投入机制，加大农机化投入，促进农机化事业健康发展的思路。     

电子时代的医学图书馆馆员和循证医学

 

简要阐述了循证医学的概念及其基本特点，探讨了电子时代循证医学对于医学图书馆员的要

求，同时提出了电子时代医学图书馆员应该具备的知识和技能。

     

沼肥对苹果生物性状的试验初报

笔者对苹果施用沼肥后的生物性状进行了长达4a的对比试验研究，采取对比设计法，在叶、枝、花、果等器官的相关指标取得了极为明显的效果，在果业生产上有极好的推广价值。     

优质高产紫花苜蓿新品种CW 400

CW 400系宁夏固原市农科所2000年从美国西海岸种子公司引入,通过多年多点试验、鉴定,2006年经宁夏回族自治区农作物品种审定委员会审定推广,适宜干旱半干旱地区种植.     

百脉根单株产量主要农艺性状的相关和通径分析

通过对百脉根单株的11个农艺性状的相关分析,结果表明:分枝长度(X2)、分枝节间数(X3)、分枝茎粗(X4)、侧枝数(X6)、侧枝长度(X7)、侧枝节间数(X8)、侧枝茎粗(X9)对单株产量(Y)的作用达到极显著水平,分枝数(X1)、自然高度(X11)与单株产量的相关性达到显著水平,而分枝叶柄长度(X5)、侧枝叶柄长度(X10)则与产量的相关性不显著.通径分析结果表明:各性状对产量的直接效应从大到小依次为:分枝长度(1.121 6)>分枝节间数(0.346 3)>侧枝长度(0.114 6)>分枝数(0.106 4)>分枝茎粗(0.084 6)>侧枝节间数(0.034 2)>侧枝茎粗(0.028 9)>侧枝数(0.021 6)>侧枝叶柄长度(-0.043 6)>分枝叶柄长度(-0.065 4)>自然高度(-0.748 2).