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.     

利用SOM聚类分析及主成分分析方法鉴定小麦品种萌发期耐盐性

为了研究不同小麦品种萌发期的耐盐性,为小麦萌发期耐盐性鉴定提供快速、准确的鉴定方法和理论依据。本研究以40个冬小麦品种为试验材料,通过主成分分析法(PCA)与神经网络自组织映射(SOM)聚类分析法,研究盐胁迫对40个小麦品种萌发期各项形态指标的影响。主成分分析法结果表明,发芽势、发芽率、最长根长、第一片叶长及胚芽鞘长在PCA下载荷量最大;根据SOM聚类分析结果,‘德抗961’等4个小麦品种属于高度耐盐品种,‘济麦22’等14个小麦品种属于耐盐性品种,‘济麦20’等16个品种属于中等耐盐性品种,‘鲁麦21’等6个小麦品种属于盐敏感性品种。发芽势、发芽率、最长根长、第一片叶长、胚芽鞘长能够作为萌发期小麦耐盐性筛选的主要评价指标,并且结合主成分、SOM聚类分析方法进行小麦萌发期耐盐性鉴定更为科学、方便。     

地被菊花粉萌发及花粉活力的研究

用ME的盐类和维生素附加16％聚乙二醇4000(PEG4000)和15％蔗糖对野菊及新红、塞旗红、玫瑰红的花粉进行培养。结果表明，萌发率分别为80．2％、85．3％、61．3％和46．5％。PE‰对菊花萌发有明显促进作用。但庶糖的作用不能被PEG所取代。菊花花粉萌发较合适的温度为10-20℃，在4-8℃时，萌发率及速度迅速降低，35℃萌发虽快。但花粉管短且破裂。在4℃条件下花粉可贮藏4-14d。但不宜干燥贮藏。     

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.     

Mid-storage and pre-sowing seed treatments for lettuce and carrot

Mid-storage hydration-dehydration treatments with medium-vigour lettuce seed very effectively reduced physiological deterioration in storage and ultimately showed better field emergence and final yield. Soaking-drying treatment of high-vigour lettuce seed was not effective. Pre-sowing treatment of medium-vigour lettuce seed, though less effective than mid-storage treatment, gave better field performance, but high-vigour seed did not benefit from the treatment. For carrot, both mid-storage and pre-sowing seed treatments proved beneficial, with the former showing better performance than the latter. Unlike lettuce, well-preserved carrot seed responded positively to the pre-sowing treatment.     

百脉根种子硬实处理与耐藏性的探讨

地百脉根种子硬实用不同方法处理和对不同贮藏时间种子耐藏性的测定结果表明：贮藏１年种子含硬实率５９．３％。经擦破种皮或硫酸浸种处理，硬实率明显下降，发芽势，发芽率显著提高；种子随贮藏期的增长，硬实率明显下降，其发芽势，发芽率，活力指数以及直播出苗率，幼细苗存活率等亦随贮藏时间的延长而下降；种子电导值则随贮藏时间的延长而增大。     

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.