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.     

强化型EM菌剂对金针菇菌糠堆肥的影响

为提高EM菌剂在菌糠堆肥中的应用效果,加速腐熟进程,改善堆肥质量,采用纤维素酶与木聚糖酶高产菌株黑曲霉SNH-7、蛋白酶高产菌株枯草芽孢杆菌SNK-103与EM菌剂进行复配,研制强化型EM菌剂,并研究其对菌糠堆肥的影响。结果表明：与普通EM菌剂相比,接种强化型EM菌剂的处理堆肥过程中微生物代谢更加旺盛,温度、pH、EC值、总有机碳、可溶性有机碳、总氮、铵态氮、硝态氮、C/N、腐植酸和黄腐酸含量等理化指标的升高或降低幅度更大,腐熟进程加快;成品堆肥的GI提高,C/N降低,总氮、硝态氮、总腐植酸和游离腐植酸的含量升高,生物安全性更好、肥效更高。说明在EM菌剂中补充纤维素酶、木聚糖酶和蛋白酶高产菌株,可强化其对纤维素、木质素和蛋白质的降解能力,在无辅料、高C/N、低pH的不利条件下,添加该菌剂能加速堆肥进程,提高堆肥质量。     

河套平原典型县域耕地土壤养分空间变异特征研究

为研究河套平原地区土壤养分状况,探究县域尺度土壤养分的空间变异性与分布特征,以杭锦后旗县域耕地为对象,采用实地调查和地统计学相结合的方法,研究该区耕层土壤有机质、全氮、有效磷、速效钾养分含量状况,分析土壤养分空间分布及其变异特征。结果表明,研究区耕层土壤有机质、全氮、速效磷和速效钾平均含量依次为13.90 g/kg、0.93 g/kg、16.25 mg/kg和170.79 mg/kg,土壤有机质和全氮处于缺乏状态,速效磷含量中等,而速效钾的含量较为丰富。从空间变异及相关性看,各土壤养分的变异程度都为中等变异,有机质和速效钾为中等相关性,全氮和有效磷均为弱相关性。从空间分布格局看,土壤有机质与全氮分布规律相近,呈现西北部高、东南部和东北部低的特点;土壤速效钾整体分布较为均衡;速效磷空间差异明显,呈东高西低格局。针对该地区土壤养分含量及分布规律,在进行养分管理过程中,应以控氮、稳磷、稳钾、全区规划与重点应对相结合的原则,坚持以有机肥为主、有机与无机相结合的施肥策略。对县域尺度耕地土壤养分状况的调查研究和统计分析,明晰了区域土壤养分空间分布特征及其与土地利用方式之间的关系,为河套平原耕地土壤养分管理、地力培育以及合理施肥运筹等提供科学依据。     

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。     

衍生气相色谱法测定土壤中的氟化物

优化了土壤中氟化物的前处理方法。采用 NaOH熔融土壤，使得熔融后的土壤中的氟化物能够溶于水，在中性偏酸的条件下，采用三甲基氯硅烷(TMCS)对提取液中的氟离子进行衍生，加入带有正戊烷内标的甲苯进行吸收，然后取甲苯层后进行气相色谱仪(FID检测器)检测。本方法采用外标法定量，精密度 σ<3%，回收率在 85%~110%之间，相比国标 GB/T 22104-2008方法能排除离子干扰，可用于土壤中氟化物准确定量分析。     

叶面滞尘量对大叶黄杨光谱特征影响研究

  目的  叶面滞尘会影响植被光谱特征，削弱植被指数对植被的响应能力，影响反演评估的准确性。为探究叶面滞尘量对植被光谱响应特征及预测模型的影响，本文以北京市常见常绿绿化树种大叶黄杨为研究对象展开研究。  方法  从封闭区域、半封闭区域、开放区域，采集叶片样本，并收集环境灰尘。通过室内控制试验，利用ASD FildSpec Handheld光谱仪测量不同滞尘量叶片的高光谱数据，选取5个特征波段，通过光谱角的方法研究了叶面滞尘量对叶片光谱特征的影响，以及滞尘量对叶面滞尘量预测模型的精度和稳定性影响。  结果  随着叶面滞尘量的增加，植被光谱曲线特征逐渐减弱，灰尘的特征逐渐增强，但光谱曲线的总体变化趋势基本一致。当叶面滞尘量 > 120 g/m2时，光谱曲线的基本表现为灰尘的光谱特征。当叶面滞尘量较少时，预测模型的模拟精度相对较高，随着滞尘量的增加，所有模拟预测模型的决定系数均减小；当叶面滞尘量 > 120 g/m2时，预测模型对叶面滞尘量的模拟预测能力将更差，并且均方根误差（RMSE）随着叶片单位面积滞尘量的增加而增大，模拟预测模型的稳定性及预测精度逐渐降低。光谱角对滞尘叶片350 ~ 1 770 nm波段区间的光谱变化十分敏感，利用叶片光谱角检测滞尘程度不需要分区域讨论，只需与阈值做简单的比较，方法简便易行。  结论  本研究通过室内控制试验，研究叶面滞尘量对植被光谱响应特征，可为建立滞尘植被光谱反射物理模型提供参考与借鉴。      

稻虱缨小蜂耐热品系的生物和生态学特征

稻虱缨小蜂Anagrus nilaparvatae Pang et Wang是控制稻飞虱种群暴发的主要寄生性天敌之一，高温是制约其种群动态的重要因子。为了解35℃高温驯化获得的稻虱缨小蜂耐热品系（NR品系）的生防潜力，对不同温度下该品系的发育历期、有效积温、寄主卵选择、产卵量以及极端高温胁迫参数进行了测定。结果发现，与未经高温驯化的稻虱缨小蜂品系（HZ品系）相比，20℃时，NR品系雄蜂的发育速率显著高于HZ品系，这一差异主要表现在卵-幼虫中期和蛹期的发育时间明显缩短。NR品系在高温下能维持正常的产卵能力，35℃下NR品系产卵量仍能达到18.80粒/雌。NR品系有更强的耐极端温度的能力，50℃下NR品系雄蜂的热击倒时间为15.19 min，比HZ品系雄蜂长3.03 min。补充不同营养对NR品系的产卵量存在影响，35℃条件下补充10%蔗糖既能延长其寿命，也能提高产卵量。以上研究结果表明高温驯化得到的稻虱缨小蜂品系在35℃高温环境中能维持正常的生长发育和寄生能力，具备适应稻田夏季高温环境的潜力。     

Preparation and properties of solid polymer electrolyte based on imidazolium-based ionic liquids for structural capacitors

We prepared solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) composed of poly(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether acrylate (1A9OMe) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate ([EMIm][OTF]) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl) imide ([EMIm][TFSI]) as the ionic liquid. The SPEs formed by appropriately adding ionic liquids in the 1A9OMe prior to thermal cure. The ratio of 1A9OMe and ionic liquid was 1:9, 3:7, and 5:5, respectively. The characterization of solid polymer electrolytes were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in the attenuated total reflectance mode (FTIR-ATR), Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and glavanostatic charge-discharge test. The highest ionic conductivity of SPEs was found to be 4.90×10^?4 S/cm in a 1A9OMe/[EMIm][OTF] of 3:7. As IL contents were increased, the specific capacitance of supercapacitor was increased. The specific capacitance of supercapacitor for ionic liquid with large ion size was lower than that for ionic liquid with smaller ion size.     

Plant species identification using fecal DNAs from red-eared slider and Reeves’ pond turtle in agricultural canals for rural ecosystem conservation

Fecal DNA samples from the red-eared slider and Reeves’ pond turtle, suspected pests of lotus root paddies, were used to identify the plant species eaten by these turtles in order to develop a strategy for rural ecosystem conservation. The fecal samples were obtained from young and adult individuals (mostly female) of both species living in agricultural canals surrounding lotus root paddies in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan. The samples were screened for the presence or absence of DNA from nine plant species using PCR and plant species-specific primers for the rbcL gene of chloroplast DNA. In the red-eared slider, our analysis identified seven plant species in the fecal DNA samples of adults and three plant species in those of young individuals. In Reeves’ pond turtle, our analysis identified two plant species from adult fecal samples and one species from those of young individuals. Thus, adult red-eared sliders consume a greater range of plants than young red-eared sliders or Reeves’ pond turtles. Both turtle species, independently of age, consumed lotus plants and were likely to cause feeding damage to lotus roots. Considering the plant species detected in adult red-eared sliders and these plant habitats, we suggest that this adult turtle is likely to travel between the agricultural canals and the lotus root paddies. These findings will help the development of strategies for preventing damage to lotus roots by these turtles; furthermore, they indicate that fecal DNA analysis will be applicable to investigation of the feeding habits of other animal species.     

Vole abundance and reindeer carcasses determine breeding activity of Arctic foxes in low Arctic Yamal,Russia

Background

High latitude ecosystems are at present changing rapidly under the influence of climate warming, and specialized Arctic species at the southern margin of the Arctic may be particularly affected. The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), a small mammalian predator endemic to northern tundra areas, is able to exploit different resources in the context of varying tundra ecosystems. Although generally widespread, it is critically endangered in subarctic Fennoscandia, where a fading out of the characteristic lemming cycles and competition with abundant red foxes have been identified as main threats. We studied an Arctic fox population at the Erkuta Tundra Monitoring site in low Arctic Yamal (Russia) during 10 years in order to determine which resources support the breeding activity in this population. In the study area, lemmings have been rare during the last 15 years and red foxes are nearly absent, creating an interesting contrast to the situation in Fennoscandia.

Results

Arctic fox was breeding in nine of the 10 years of the study. The number of active dens was on average 2.6 (range 0–6) per 100 km² and increased with small rodent abundance. It was also higher after winters with many reindeer carcasses, which occurred when mortality was unusually high due to icy pastures following rain-on-snow events. Average litter size was 5.2 (SD = 2.1). Scat dissection suggested that small rodents (mostly Microtus spp.) were the most important prey category. Prey remains observed at dens show that birds, notably waterfowl, were also an important resource in summer.

Conclusions

The Arctic fox in southern Yamal, which is part of a species-rich low Arctic food web, seems at present able to cope with a state shift of the small rodent community from high amplitude cyclicity with lemming dominated peaks, to a vole community with low amplitude fluctuations. The estimated breeding parameters characterized the population as intermediate between the lemming fox and the coastal fox ecotype. Only continued ecosystem-based monitoring will reveal their fate in a changing tundra ecosystem.