An experimental study of charcoal degradation in a boreal forest

Degradation rates of pyrogenic carbon (PyC) under natural environmental conditions are largely unknown. Here we present results from a field experiment monitoring the change in mass, C- and N concentrations of a variety of charcoal types in a Norwegian boreal forest over a period of 20 months. The charcoal types represent different feedstock tree species, production temperature regimes, and placements in the forest, i.e. above ground, in the humus layer or in contact with the mineral subsoil. The types of charcoal had different initial C concentrations mainly depending on their production temperature. Nevertheless, all types of charcoal at all placements in the forest showed an initial drop in their C concentrations, which subsequently rose back to reach near initial values in part of the charcoal types. In part of the charcoal types, N concentrations decreased throughout the experiment, exhibiting considerable variation among feedstock species, production temperature regime, and placements in the forest. C/N ratios rose especially in charcoal made from wood of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), and charcoal that had been stored in contact with the mineral subsoil showed the most rapid mass gain. Our results confirm the important influence of production temperature and feedstock type on the degradation of charcoal, but they also show that microbial activity and environmental conditions play significant roles in charcoal degradation and thus for the fate of pyrogenic carbon under natural conditions.     

杜洛克与二花脸杂交猪群体SNP偏分离分析

偏分离（TRD）是生物中普遍存在的现象,本研究拟在高密度基因芯片判断基因型的大规模群体中挖掘猪基因组标记位点的偏分离位点并探究其潜在的遗传机制。本研究用60K Illumina Porcine SNP芯片对1 020头F2资源家系（杜洛克与二花脸杂交F0-F2群体）进行基因型分型,用偏分离分析软件TRDscan （BF>100）和TDT （P<0.01）方法在单个位点上检测偏分离信号,并对二者共有的显著信号位点附近100 kb窗口的基因进行功能分析。此外,本研究还利用单倍型分型的软件包PHASEBOOK采用多位点连锁分析的策略分析了父源和母源配子中的偏分离区域,并在该区域内搜寻潜在的QTLs。结果表明：1）在单位点的偏分离分析中共鉴定到44个显著的偏分离位点,筛选到23个相关基因;对父本和母本特异性偏分离效应进行分析时,分别鉴定到27和35个显著偏分离位点,其中,分别有11和25个位点的100 kb附近有已注释的功能基因。2）基于单倍型多位点连锁的偏分离结果显示,父本显著偏分离位点位于5和13号染色体上,在该偏分离区域内搜寻功能相关的QTL,共搜寻到3个与繁殖性状（木乃伊数、产活仔数、黄体数）有关的QTLs;分析母本偏分离位点时,在4、6和12号染色体上定位到显著偏分离区域,结合已知的猪QTL数据库,共找到了5个与繁殖性状相关的QTLs。本研究利用大规模猪家系数据系统地鉴别了猪基因组的偏分离位点,为解析猪中的偏分离现象和进一步探究其生物学机制提供了一定的参考作用。     

New technique of sex preselection for increasing female ratio in boar sperm model

In this study, we tried to optimize the porcine semen extender conditions to maximize the differences between live X chromosome-bearing (X) spermatozoa and to Y chromosome-bearing (Y) spermatozoa without a decline in the fertility rate at different pH conditions during storage. We observed the viability of X and Y boar spermatozoa in acidic (pH 6.2), original (pH 7.2), and alkaline condition (pH 8.2) for 5 days to investigate the effect of storage conditions on the X to Y spermatozoa ratio. The functional parameters of spermatozoa were also examined to evaluate sperm quality. Sperm motility was preserved at pH 7.2 and pH 6.2 for 3 days, while sperm motility at pH 8.2 decreased significantly after 2 days. Non-capacitated spermatozoa increased while capacitated spermatozoa decreased during storage. Sperm viability decreased significantly duration-dependent under all pH conditions, but there was no significant difference during storage at pH 6.2 and 7.2. The X: Y ratio of live spermatozoa in acidic condition was maximized (1.2:1) without affecting the sperm function and fertility-related protein expression after 2 days compared to original conditions. Moreover, insemination of sows using acidic extender increased the number of female pups on days 1 and 2 of preservation. These results indicate that the production of female offspring may increase when acidic BTS is used for 2 days without affecting the success rate of AI. Above all, this method is simple and economical compared to other methods.     

黄土高原亚高山草地退化对土壤种子库的影响

本试验对黄土高原亚高山草地不同退化程度下土壤种子库的物种组成、种子密度、分布特征以及影响因素进行了研究。结果表明,研究区地上植物有31种,分属于14科、25属;种子库植物有32种,分属于14科、31属;种子库的83.45%都分布于浅层土壤中（0~5 cm）。随着草地退化程度的加重,地上植被和地下种子库中多年生植物的比例减少,种子库密度与丰富度都显著下降（P<0.001）;极度退化样地的地上一年生植物增多,物种组成与地下种子库相似;轻度和中度干扰的样地中,地上植物与种子库的物种的组成具有显著差异（P<0.01）。总之,亚高山草地退化对土壤种子库产生了较大的影响,其中土壤pH与水分是影响种子库密度与丰富度主要的环境因素。极度退化草地种子库密度极低,地上植被靠自然更新很难恢复,需人工辅助。     

补播羊草和黄花苜蓿对退化草甸植物群落特征的影响

呼伦贝尔草原区是我国北方重要的生态屏障,近年来不合理的利用方式导致该地区退化草地面积不断扩大,为了探究牧草补播时间及补播比例对呼伦贝尔退化草甸草原植物群落特征的影响,为该地区退化草地修复提供依据。本研究以羊草（Leymus chinensis（Trin.） Tzvel.）和黄花苜蓿（Medicago falcata L.）为试验材料,采用双因素随机区组试验设计,通过测定幼苗数、高度、生物量等群落指标,并综合评价补播效果,结果表明：夏播羊草和黄花苜蓿幼苗数量显著高于春播和秋播（P<0.05）,夏播和秋播植物群落总生物量呈增加趋势,春播则呈减少趋势;补播措施提高了退化草地植物群落Shannon-Weiner指数、Simpson指数和Pielou指数,豆科和禾本科植物重要值呈增加趋势,其他科植物呈下降趋势。呼伦贝尔地区夏季补播羊草和黄花苜蓿以1∶3补播效果较好,而春播由于恢复时间短,需进一步观察。     

施肥对割草地羊草功能性状和化学计量学的影响

本研究以羊草（Leymus chinensis）为研究对象,测定羊草植物功能性状、营养元素和化学计量等多个指标,进行多角度综合系统的研究,阐释羊草割草地羊草种群对不同改良措施的响应特点及变化规律。运用单、双因素方差分析、相关分析和主成分分析方法对相关指标进行统计分析。结果表明：大多数羊草功能性状对施肥处理较为敏感,但随着施肥年份增加,部分指标敏感程度减弱;高浓度（N 10.5 g·m^-2+P 5.1 g·m^-2）施肥处理显著增加了株高和茎长,茎长成为羊草株高增长的主要因素;高浓度（N 10.5 g·m^-2+P 5.1 g·m^-2）施肥处理有利于羊草种群地上生物量的增加;羊草氮含量随着施肥年份增加逐渐增加,羊草氮含量与羊草C：N存在高度负相关,施肥（N 10.5 g·m^-2+P 5.1 g·m^-2）处理下羊草叶片和茎的C：N,羊草个体和叶片C：P最低。     

基于最小数据集的喀斯特不同利用方式下土壤质量评价

为了探究贵州喀斯特区域不同土壤利用方式对土壤质量的影响,我们对该地区的林地、人工草地、天然草地、农田、弃耕地5种土地利用方式下的土壤理化性质进行研究。基于最小数据集对该区域的土壤质量进行评价,构建的最小数据集包括：土壤pH值、容重、全盐、阳离子交换量、全氮、有效铜、有效铁等指标。结果表明：全量数据集和最小数据集获得的土壤质量均表现为林地 > 人工草地 > 天然草地 > 农田 > 弃耕地;人工草地、天然草地、农田、林地的土壤质量等级为二级,位于土壤质量分级中的"较高"水平,弃耕地土壤质量为三级,位于"中等"水平。以上结果表明,人为对自然生态系统的开垦降低了土壤的质量。     

ASVCP guidelines: quality assurance for portable blood glucose meter (glucometer) use in veterinary medicine

Portable blood glucose meters (PBGM, glucometers) are a convenient, cost effective, and quick means to assess patient blood glucose concentration. The number of commercially available PBGM is constantly increasing, making it challenging to determine whether certain glucometers may have benefits over others for veterinary testing. The challenge in selection of an appropriate glucometer from a quality perspective is compounded by the variety of analytic methods used to quantify glucose concentrations and disparate statistical analysis in many published studies. These guidelines were developed as part of the ASVCP QALS committee response to establish recommendations to improve the quality of testing using point‐of‐care testing (POCT) handheld and benchtop devices in veterinary medicine. They are intended for clinical pathologists and laboratory professionals to provide them with background knowledge and specific recommendations for quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC), and to serve as a resource to assist the provision of advice to veterinarians and technicians to improve the quality of results obtained when using PBGM. These guidelines are not intended to be all‐inclusive; rather they provide a minimum standard for management of PBGM in the veterinary setting.     

Effects of different dl‐selenomethionine and sodium selenite levels on growth performance,immune functions and serum thyroid hormones concentrations in broilers

This trial was conducted in a 2 × 3 + 1 factorial arrangement based on a completely randomized design to evaluate the effects of different dl ‐selenomethionine (dl ‐Se‐Met) and sodium selenite (SS) levels on growth performance, immune functions and serum thyroid hormones concentrations in broilers. A total of 840 Ross 308 broilers (7 days old) were allocated by body weight to seven treatments (three replicates of 40 birds each treatment) including (1) basal diet (containing 0.04 mg of selenium (Se)/kg; control) without supplementary Se; (2, 3 and 4) basal diet + 0.05, 0.15 or 0.25 mg/kg Se as SS; (5, 6 and 7) basal diet + 0.05, 0.15 or 0.25 mg/kg Se as dl ‐Se‐Met. The experiment lasted 42 days. The results revealed that dietary Se supplementation improved (p < 0.05) average daily gain, feed efficiency, immune organ index, serum immunoglobulin A (IgA), immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin M (IgM) and triiodothyronine (T₃) concentrations and decreased (p < 0.01) thyroxine (T₄)/T₃ ratio in serum compared with the control. Broilers receiving the dl ‐Se‐Met‐supplemented diets had higher (p < 0.05) feed efficiency, thymus index, the amounts of IgA, IgG, IgM and T₃ as well as lower (p < 0.05) serum T₄ concentrations and T₄/T₃ ratio than those consuming the SS‐supplemented diets. Serum IgA and IgM levels of broilers fed 0.15 mg Se/kg were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those of broilers fed 0.05 or 0.25 mg Se/kg. In summary, we concluded that dl ‐Se‐Met is more effective than SS in increasing immunity and promoting conversion of T₄ to T₃, thus providing an effective way to improve the growth performance of broilers. Besides, based on a consideration of all experiment indices, 0.15 mg Se/kg was suggested to be the optimal level of Se supplementation under the conditions of this study.