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.     

延迟收获对长江中游春玉米农艺性状及机收质量的影响

为探明长江中游玉米籽粒机械直收适宜品种与配套农艺措施，2018—2019年选用不同玉米品种，测定不同机收时间下玉米关键农艺性状、产量及机收质量指标。结果表明，收获时间对春玉米机收产量与机收质量均有显著影响。延迟1周收获后籽粒容重显著增加，机收产量显著提高，2年平均提高9.72%；而延迟2周收获则有降低机收产量的趋势。2年收获时杂质率总体≤3%，而机收籽粒破碎率与损失率均>5%，是该区域春玉米籽粒机收面临的主要问题。籽粒厚度、籽粒含水率和百粒重是影响机收籽粒破碎率的关键性状，三者与机收籽粒破碎率均呈显著的倒二次曲线关系；玉米的倒伏率、穗位高和重心高度是影响机收损失率的关键性状，倒伏率与机收损失率呈显著正相关，而穗位高和重心高度与机收损失率均呈显著的二次曲线关系。延迟收获能显著降低籽粒含水量，从而降低籽粒破碎率，但继续延迟收获有增加倒伏的风险。综上，长江中游春玉米成熟后适时延迟7~10 d收获，可有效降低籽粒含水量与机收籽粒破碎率，提高玉米籽粒机收产量。     

不同秧龄对沿江地区双季晚稻秧苗素质及产量的影响

以早熟高产品种上农粳2号和镇稻18为材料,采用常规毯苗机械栽插,分别设置20 d、24 d、28 d、32 d等4个秧龄处理,研究不同秧龄对沿江地区双季晚稻秧苗素质、生育进程、茎蘖动态及产量构成的影响。结果表明,随秧龄天数增加,参试品种的绿叶数、茎基宽和根系盘结力均逐渐升高;与20 d、24 d和28 d秧龄的处理相比,32 d秧龄处理的成熟期提前4~5 d,茎蘖高峰期提早15 d左右,结实率显著升高;与24 d秧龄处理相比,上农粳2号和镇稻18在32 d秧龄处理下的产量分别提高10.26%和20.82%。在秧苗强化化控和苗床管理的条件下,安徽沿江地区常规毯苗机插的栽插秧龄可延长至32 d。     

A releaser pheromone that attracts methyltestosterone- treated immature fish in the urine of ovulated female rainbow trout

SUMMARY: Behavioral experiments concerning a releaser pheromone in the urine of female rainbow trout were performed using immature fish administered orally with 17α-methyltestosterone (MT) during the non-spawning season. The urine was collected by catheter. The frequency of entries of test fish was recorded in each channel scented by test and control solutions in a Y-maze trough. The behavior of both MT-treated and control fish demonstrated that they could not discriminate the differences between distilled and environmental water as control solutions. There was also no difference between MT-treated and control fish when distilled and environmental water were introduced. The MT-treated immature fish were attracted to the channel scented by ovulated female urine. Neither coelomic fluid nor the immature female urine had any effect on the behavioral responses of MT-treated fish, while immature control fish had no preference for the urine of ovulated females. These results suggest in rainbow trout that ovulated female urine contains a releaser pheromone to attract mature males, and that androgens are involved in the sensory mechanisms detecting the releaser pheromone in fish.     

烘丝温度和时间对生丝机械性能的影响

从刚落下的丝片上摇取小绞丝,分别在25—180℃和30、60、90min下进行干热处理后,测定其机械性能。结果表明:在90—100℃、30—60分钟时,生丝的强伸力、初始模量以及抱合等机械性能都较好,烘丝温度太高,时间太长都会对生丝机械性能产生不良的影响。     

赤霉素及机械处理的相互作用对破除Sandersonia aurantiaca种子休眠的研究

在预备试验的基础上，选用了21种促进种子发芽的方法，结果显示，完整的s．aurantiaca种子对任何处理都无响应，砂纸磨擦 近胚根处切除小部分可使种子发芽率提高至11％。以上处理结合300mg／L GA3溶液的使用可破除种子休眠，使种子发芽率提高到69％以上。结果还表明，S．aurantiaca种子发芽的适宜温度为20℃；25℃ 16h／d光照及30℃的条件可降低种子的发芽率。研究还对S．aurantiaca种子的吸胀能力以及所含抑制物对生菜种子发芽的影响进行了比较。初步得出，S．aurantiaca种子具有种皮限制和种胚休眠的双重休眠机制，GA3和机械处理的相互作用可破除种子休眠。     

Adverse impact of industrial animal agriculture on the health and welfare of farmed animals

Industrial animal agriculture is grounded in the concept of maximizing productivity and profit. Selective breeding for maximum productivity in one characteristic of the animal (e.g. milk yield in cows, or breast meat in broiler chickens) has resulted in genotypes and phenotypes that may predispose the animals to poor health and welfare. The conditions in which these individuals are kept may also frustrate many inherited behaviors that they are strongly motivated to perform. In order to curb the resulting harmful aberrant behaviors, such as feather‐pecking in chickens, we sometimes resort to mutilating the animals. In many places chickens are routinely de‐beaked by means of a hot metal guillotine. Compassion in World Farming (an international organization that promotes the humane treatment of farm animals) believes that it is unethical to treat sentient beings in such ways. We have a duty to respect farm animals' sentience by providing them with housing conditions that take their needs and wants into account, and by reverting to the use of dual‐purpose, slower‐growing breeds that have the potential for good welfare. Alternatives to current farming practices are available, and we owe it to the animals, and to our consciences, to pursue them.     

三阶时滞泛函微分方程解的渐近性

本文讨论一类三阶时滞泛函微分方程解的渐近性质,给出了若干解的有界性及解趋于零的判定准则.     

输气管道水化物堵塞的预防和处理

阐述了输气管道内水化物的成因，特性及游离水的来源，并对其进行了分析，根据分析结果，给出了预测管道内水化物形成区域的方法，提出了三项预防水化物的措施，（1）施工阶段避免过多使用弯管，（2）投产前增加吹扫次数，彻底清除水，（3）运行初期定期注入抑制剂，指出对已形成水化物的管道段，可采取尽快降低运行压力，加热，注醇和放空等措施进行处理。