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.     

Impact of climate change on maize yield in China from 1979 to 2016

Climate change severely impacts agricultural production, which jeopardizes food security. China is the second largest maize producer in the world and also the largest consumer of maize. Analyzing the impact of climate change on maize yields can provide effective guidance to national and international economics and politics. Panel models are unable to determine the group-wise heteroscedasticity, cross-sectional correlation and autocorrelation of datasets, therefore we adopted the feasible generalized least square(FGLS) model to evaluate the impact of climate change on maize yields in China from 1979–2016 and got the following results:(1) During the 1979–2016 period, increases in temperature negatively impacted the maize yield of China. For every 1°C increase in temperature, the maize yield was reduced by 5.19 kg 667 m–2(1.7%). Precipitation increased only marginally during this time, and therefore its impact on the maize yield was negligible. For every 1 mm increase in precipitation, the maize yield increased by an insignificant amount of 0.043 kg 667 m–2(0.014%).(2) The impacts of climate change on maize yield differ spatially, with more significant impacts experienced in southern China. In this region, a 1°C increase in temperature resulted in a 7.49 kg 667 m–2 decrease in the maize yield, while the impact of temperature on the maize yield in northern China was insignificant. For every 1 mm increase in precipitation, the maize yield increased by 0.013 kg 667 m–2 in southern China and 0.066 kg 667 m–2 in northern China.(3) The resilience of the maize crop to climate change is strong. The marginal effect of temperature in both southern and northern China during the 1990–2016 period was smaller than that for the 1979–2016 period.     

去雄对睡莲花瓣开放角度及生理生化特征的影响

为揭示睡莲(基部被子植物)的开花特性,探究雄蕊在睡莲花瓣节律性开放过程中的作用.本研究以蓝鸟睡莲(Nymphaea 'Blue Bird')为实验材料,在去雄(摘除雄蕊)后记录花瓣开放角度和萎蔫时间,并于去雄后第6、24、48及72小时测定花瓣的生理生化指标变化.结果 显示,去雄后睡莲花瓣的开放角度小于对照组,在第48小时与对照组开放角度差异最大,达到49.31°,而去雄后花瓣萎蔫的时间与对照组相同,均出现在第72小时;去雄引起了花瓣多项生理生化指标发生变化,其中,含水量在第24小时与72小时显著低于对照组,比对照组分别低0.7％与0.9％;可溶性糖含量变化显著,在第24小时和48小时比对照组分别高出0.48与0.68 mg/g;脯氨酸(Pro)含量在第72小时显著高于对照组;过氧化物酶(POD)活性从第24小时起比对照组显著升高;而丙二醛(MDA)含量则与对照组无明显差异.以上结果说明,去雄导致了睡莲花瓣开放角度及生理状态发生改变,该发现进一步地揭示了睡莲的开花特性,首次证明了雄蕊对于花瓣节律性开放具有调节作用,为花瓣开放闭合及切花保鲜等领域的研究提供了新的思路.     

"三团一队"定点扶贫模式的绩效、困境与优化路径 ——基于西北农林科技大学帮扶合阳县的考察

高校不仅担负教书育人的根本任务,其作为重要的社会力量,也承担着定点扶贫的责任与使命.高校在定点扶贫过程中,可以充分发挥科技、人才以及智力等独特优势.经过多年的不断探索,已有许多高校探索出定点扶贫的经典模式.基于西北农林科技大学"三团一队"定点扶贫模式在帮扶合阳县所取得的成效以及"三团一队"保障机制不健全、扶贫工作主要发力点不突出、多主体共同参与程度不够以及社会力量吸引不足的困境,探索优化路径,以此来完善"三团一队"定点扶贫模式.     

桉树不同成熟度叶片营养元素内循环特征

揭示桉树人工林不同成熟度的叶片器官所需营养元素变化以及土壤肥力对其影响,对于桉树营林和科学施肥具有重要的生产指导意义。选取广西隆安县小林镇和田东县思林镇的桉树2代萌芽林作为研究对象,测定两个人工林嫩叶、成熟叶、黄叶的C、N、P、K、B、Ca、Mg以及土壤C、N、P、K、Ca、Mg元素含量,并进行相关分析。结果表明,植物叶片的N、P、K、Mg营养元素转移规律是黄叶向成熟叶和嫩叶转移,但C、Ca、B营养元素则是随着叶片的生长发育逐渐积累,黄叶中含量最高,说明施肥时应关注Ca、B元素的持续和有效供给。两片人工林都表现出类似的规律,说明土壤肥力的差异不影响桉树人工林叶片营养元素的内循环规律。桉树嫩叶营养元素含量及其生态化学计量比学特征具有与成熟叶和黄叶不同的表征,在营养物质研究中应予以足够重视。     

不同阶段猪用颗粒饲料物理性能的对比分析

对某饲料厂不同阶段猪用4种颗粒饲料的物理性能包括直径、长度、硬度、容重、含粉率和耐久性指数（Pellet Durability Index, PDI）等进行测定,对结果进行归类总结并采用统计学的方法参照有关标准进行分析。结果表明,4种颗粒饲料直径在2.87~3.94 mm之间,母猪料直径最大,小猪料最小,两两之间差异显著（P<0.05）,而且随着猪只年龄的增加,颗粒饲料的直径呈递增趋势。颗粒长度在8.62~11.94 mm之间,以大猪料最长,小猪料最短,长径比偏高。颗粒硬度在3.86~6.47 kg之间,以大猪料最大,小猪料最小,中小猪料显著低于大猪料和母猪料（P<0.05）,只有小猪料符合有关要求。颗粒容重在576.7~614.6 g/L之间,母猪料最大,小猪料最小,两两之间差异显著（P<0.05）,与直径呈相同的增减趋势。含粉率以小猪料最大,且只有小猪料与大猪料之间差异显著（P<0.05）。颗粒PDI以大猪料最大,小猪料最小,各阶段猪料的含粉率和PDI均符合有关要求。建议饲料厂家注重颗粒饲料物理性能指标的控制,调整饲料配方和工艺参数,不断改进颗粒饲料的质量。     

罗霄山片区生态补偿机制优化研究 ——以井冈山市为例

生态补偿是促进生态文明建设和推进脱贫攻坚的重要举措.罗霄山片区是我国生态建设和扶贫开发重点区域之一,深入探究生态补偿机制对促进罗霄山片区可持续发展具有重要的现实意义.近年来,井冈山市积极开展生态综合补偿试点,取得一定成效,但也存在政府色彩偏重、市场机制不活等诸多问题.着眼于解决生态补偿机制市场化运作不充分问题,本文提出了优化生态补偿机制的总体思路、重点方向以及相关制度性保障措施.     

滴灌下生物质改良材料对盐渍土水盐氮运移的调控效应

为探究生物质改良材料对滴灌盐渍土水、盐、肥运移过程的调控效应，采用土箱模拟试验，研究了水肥一体化滴灌条件下，生物炭和腐殖酸两种改良材料对盐渍土水、盐、氮运移和再分布过程及其时空分布特征的影响规律。结果表明：在滴灌条件下，盐渍土壤水盐的时空动态变化表现出明显的水分入渗驱动的盐分运移过程和蒸发扩散驱动的水盐再分布过程；铵态氮含量在时间上表现出先增大、后减小的变化趋势，在空间上的运移再分布特征较弱；硝态氮含量初始时空分布表现出与水盐相似的运移特征，受铵态氮硝化作用的多重影响，后期空间分布与铵态氮空间分布相似；生物炭通过提高土壤饱和导水率，增大了入渗阶段土壤水、盐、氮的运移速率和分布范围；腐殖酸通过提高土壤田间持水率增大了再分布过程土壤水、盐、氮的分布范围和强度，同时其对尿素的水解和硝化过程表现出更强的抑制效果。应用生物质改良材料在改变土壤物理性状进而调控滴灌土壤水盐运移的同时，还影响土壤氮素转化运移过程及其分布，这为水肥一体化滴灌盐渍农田的节水、控盐、减肥治理提供了理论基础。     

白云国家森林公园适老性评价及优化分析

指出了人口老龄化是社会发展的必然趋势,也是当前中国面临的重要社会问题之一,国家和地方各级政府出台了一系列政策,切实保障老年人的权益。森林公园除保护其范围内自然环境和自然资源外,为人们的游憩、疗养、避暑和文化娱乐等提供了良好的环境,逐渐成为老年人休闲娱乐生活的选择。选取浙江丽水白云国家森林公园为研究对象,通过实地踏查、问卷调查和随机访谈等方法,深入调查了老年人个人基本资料及背景、活动状况和使用情况,对3类典型空间和4类景观元素进行了详细地分析,针对不足之处提出了相应的优化建议,以期为相关公园绿地的适老性规划设计提供建设思路。