Effect of group size and maize silage dietary levels on behaviour,health, carcass and meat quality of Mediterranean buffaloes

The effects of different dietary levels of maize silage (10% v. 36% DM) and group size (7 v. 14 animals) were assessed on growth performance and in vivo digestibility of 28 male fattening buffaloes. In addition, the effects of diet on meat quality and group size on behaviour and immune response were separately evaluated. Animals were weighed and assigned to three groups. The high silage – low size group (HL) was fed a total mixed ration (TMR) containing 36% DM of maize silage and consisted of seven animals (age 12.7±2.6 months; BW 382.2±67.7 kg at the start of the study). The low silage – low size group (LL) was fed a TMR containing 10% DM of maize silage and consisted of seven animals (age 13.0±2.7 months; BW 389.4±72.3 kg). The high silage – high size group (HH) was fed the 36% maize silage DM diet and consisted of 14 animals (age 13.9±3.25 months; BW 416.5±73.9 kg). Total space allowance (3.2 indoor+3.2 outdoor m²/animal) was kept constant in the three groups, as well as the ratio of animals to drinkers (seven animals per water bowl) and the manger space (70 cm per animal). Growth performance, carcass characteristics and digestibility were influenced neither by dietary treatment nor by group size, even if the group fed 36% maize silage diet showed a higher fibre digestibility. No effect of diet was found on meat quality. Group size did not affect the behavioural activities with the exception of drinking (1.04±0.35% v. 2.60±0.35%; P<0.01 for groups HL and HH, respectively) and vigilance (2.58±0.46% v. 1.20±0.46%; P<0.05 for groups HL and HH, respectively). Immune responses were not affected by group size.     

The effects of a novel synthetic emulsifier product on growth performance of chickens for fattening and weaned piglets

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of a novel synthetic emulsifier product (AVI-MUL TOP) on the growth performance of chickens for fattening and weaned piglets. The emulsifier product consists of 50% vegetal bi-distillated oleic acid emulsified with 50% glyceryl polyethyleneglycol ricinoleate. In experiment 1, 480 1-day-old female Cobb500 chickens for fattening were assigned to two treatments: (1) a control diet (CTR); and (2) the control diet+the emulsifier (AMT, 1 g/kg from day 0 to day 10, 0.75 g/kg from day 10 to day 20 and 0.5 g/kg from day 20 to day 34 of the trial). AMT supplementation increased BW on days 20 and 34 (P<0.01). Dietary AMT increased the average daily gain and average daily feed intake (ADFI) from day 10 to day 20, from day 20 to day 34 and from day 0 to day 34 (P<0.01). A reduced feed conversion ratio was observed in the AMT group from day 10 to day 20 (P<0.01). In experiment 2, 96 Stambo HBI×Dalland piglets were weaned at 24 days and assigned to two treatments (the basal diet without the product (CTR) or with 2 g/kg emulsifier from day 0 to day 14 and 1.5 g/kg from day 14 to day 42 (AMT)). There was an increase in the ADFI associated with AMT supplementation from day 14 to day 42 (P=0.04). These results indicated that supplementation with the synthetic emulsifier may significantly improve the growth performance of chickens for fattening and numerically improve that of weaned piglets.     

Inadequacy of species-level designations for ecological studies of coastal migratory fishes

Synopsis The species is not always appropriate as a unit of measure when used in quantitative ecological studies. Analyses of fish trophic relationships in coastal areas indicate that, in many instances, more substantial ecological differences exist among life stages of a given species than among similar trophic units of different species. The use of a species in quantitative ecological studies can lead to problems of interpretation concerning the relationships of coastal fishes to complex habitats. Use of the species as a convenient unit of measure substitutes a basically taxonomic entity for more relevant life-history stages in ecological determinations. Niche breadth of a given species can be so extensive that quantitative determinations of significant ecological processes are difficult to make. Migratory coastal fishes undergo diverse ontogenetic trophic transformations. Without adequate recognition of the complex ecological stages that characterize such fishes, the oversimplification that characterizes many ecological studies in coastal areas will continue. This simplification, and the attendant overgeneralization that follows, tends to add to the continuing problem of unverified models and the inability to identify causal relationships in estuarine and coastal systems. Quantitative ecological studies would benefit from an approach that includes the use of identifiable, ontological trophic entities.     

匹伐他汀对体外培养人脐静脉血内皮祖细胞数量及功能的影响

目的：通过体外培养人脐静脉血内皮祖细胞（endothelial progenitor cells,EPCs）,观察他汀类新药（匹伐他汀）对EPCs数量及增殖、迁移和粘附功能的影响。方法：采用密度梯度离心法分离培养人脐静脉血单个核细胞,将其接种在包被有人纤维连接蛋白培养板上,培养7 d后,收集贴壁细胞,加入不同浓度匹伐他汀（分别为0.001 μmol/L、0.01 μmol/L、0.1 μmol/L、1.0 μmol/L）培养24 h,用免疫荧光法观察EPCs 吸收FITC-UEA-I 和Dil-acLDL情况对EPCs 进行鉴定,然后分别采用MTT 比色法、改良的Boyden小室、粘附能力测定实验对各实验组测定,来观察匹伐他汀对EPCs 数量及增殖、迁移和粘附功能影响。结果：匹伐他汀组与对照组相比,匹伐他汀显著提高了体外培养EPCs的数量及增殖、迁移与粘附能力（P〈0.05）。匹伐他汀浓度在0.1 μmol/L 时对EPCs影响达到最大。随着药物浓度的继续增大,EPCs的上述功能反呈下降趋势,但1.0 μmol/L 组仍高于对照组。结论：匹伐他汀能增加体外培养EPCs的数量及增殖、迁移和粘附能力,可作为EPCs 培养的一种改良方法,为其更好的应用于临床具有重要的意义。     

A part of the Japan Sea form of the threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus, spawns in the seawater tidal pools of western Hokkaido Island, Japan

The Japan sea form of the threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus, was found to spawn in the seawater tidal pool of the Cape Benkei, western Hokkaido Island, Japan, in 2001 and 2003. Nest-guarding males, adult females and juveniles of this form were also observed in four tidal pools of the Capes Benkei, Kabuto and Kamui, in 2001–2003. Otolith Sr:Ca ratios in sticklebacks collected from these tidal pools were relative high from the core to the edge, suggesting they lived in seawater environments throughout its life cycle. These findings suggest that a part of the Japan Sea formȁ9s individuals in western Hokkaido Island have the potential to breed in the coastal sea and the life history style has evolved in dependence on the seawater environment.     

Can conditions experienced during migration limit the population levels of birds?

Populations of migratory birds are usually considered to be limited by conditions in breeding or wintering areas, but some might be limited by conditions encountered on migration. This could occur at stopover sites where competition for restricted food supplies can reduce subsequent survival or breeding success, or during the flights themselves, when adverse weather can occasionally kill large numbers of individuals. Competition for food could act in a density-dependent manner and help to regulate populations, whereas weather effects are more likely to act in a density-independent manner. The evidence for these views is explored in this paper. When preparing for migration, birds must normally obtain more food per day than usual, in order to accumulate the body reserves that fuel their flights. Birds often concentrate in large numbers at particular stopover sites, where food can become scarce, thus affecting migratory performance. Rates of weight gain, departure weights, and stopover durations often correlate with food supplies at stopover sites, sometimes influencing the subsequent survival and reproductive success of individuals, which can in turn affect subsequent breeding numbers. Many studies have provided evidence for interference and depletion competition at stopover sites, relatively few for migration conditions influencing the subsequent breeding or survival of individuals, and even fewer for effects on subsequent breeding numbers. Migrants in flight occasionally suffer substantial mortality in storms, especially over water, sometimes involving many thousands of birds at a time. Other mass mortalities have resulted from atypical ‘winter-like’ weather, occurring soon after the arrival of summer migrants in their breeding areas or just before their departure in autumn. Again, many thousands of birds at a time have been killed in such incidents, causing reductions of 30–90% in local breeding densities. In some bird species, migration-related events can at times have substantial effects on the year-to-year changes in breeding population levels. Nonetheless, the difficulties involved in investigating migrating birds at different points on their migration routes have so far limited the number of studies on the influence of events during migration periods on population levels.     

Why Are There So Many Waterfowl and So Few Northern Bobwhites? Rethinking Federal Coordination

In this paper we ask whether we should we re-examine the future of upland gamebird management and greater federal oversight and partnerships in the twenty-first century. Management for waterfowl in North America has been successful because of the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) and the subsequent 1986 North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP). Although the MBTA included most migratory and non-migratory species, upland gamebirds, including the northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; bobwhite), were excluded and retained under state control. Although many waterfowl populations have been increasing, bobwhite populations have declined precipitously during much of the period. Excluding non-migratory gamebirds from the MBTA meant that the multistate coordinating efforts that made the MBTA successful for increasing the management of waterfowl have not been applied. The National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative (NBCI) has made a strong effort to unite states within the bobwhite range but does not have the federal anchoring and financial support that were given to states by the MBTA and NAWMP and currently integrate adaptive harvest, habitat management, and financial partnerships to acquire and manage wetlands that support waterfowl production. The NBCI Coordinated Implementation Program (CIP) is designed to serve the function of developing and monitoring habitat for bobwhites but is entirely voluntary and dependent entirely on state and non-governmental organization (NGO) funds, lacking federal grants and Federal Duck Stamp funds. To catch up with the successes of waterfowl, we discuss the implications of increasing coordination, partnerships, and funding mechanisms between the federal government, state governments, and NGOs to provide common landscape-level population monitoring and modeling, adaptive harvest regulations, habitat management goals, and a national upland gamebird stamp. © 2021 The Wildlife Society.     

Comparative evaluation of rumen‐protected fat,coconut oil and various oilseeds supplemented to fattening bulls

The effects of five different dietary fat supplements on fatty acid composition and oxidative stability of subcutaneous and kidney fat were evaluated in 36 Brown Swiss bulls and compared to a low fat diet in a monofactorial design. The following fat supplements were provided as additional fat at 30 g per kg feed dry matter: crystalline rumen‐protected fat, coconut oil, and three types of crushed whole oilseeds (rapeseed, sunflower seed and linseed). Adipose tissues reflected differences (P < 0.05) in dietary fatty acid composition although to a lower extent. Using protected fat, which contained elevated levels of trans fatty acids, and sunflower seed, containing a high proportion of linoleic acid, significantly increased C18:1 trans fatty acid proportion in the adipose tissues. The use of sunflower seed increased conjugated linoleic acid. The oilseeds resulted in lower amounts of C16:0 in favour of C18:0. Except for linseed, all fat supplemented groups improved oxidative stability of adipose tissues as compared with control. This was explained by lower proportions of unsaturated fatty acids in adipose tissue (protected fat), by elevated α‐tocopherol contents (rapeseed, sunflower seed) or by a combination of both (coconut oil). Fat colour remained unaffected by treatments. Compared to other fat supplements oilseeds, especially sunflower seed and rapeseed, can therefore be recommended to be fed to bulls in order to increase the proportions of C18 unsaturated fatty acids in adipose tissues and to maintain or improve oxidative stability.     

Stable Individual Profiles of Daily Timing of Migratory Restlessness in European Quail

Temporal characteristics of migratory behavior in birds are usually studied at the species and population levels, and rarely at the individual level. Variations among species and populations of the seasonal onset of migratory behavior have been widely investigated, but very little is known about its daily organization or whether birds are conservative in their behavior. The determination of intra‐ and inter‐individual variability is important for the study of genetic variations and can reveal the existence of different adaptation capacities within populations. This laboratory study analyzed intra‐ and inter‐individual variability of daily initiation and time course of nocturnal restlessness in partial‐migrant European quail (Coturnix coturnix coturnix). Thirty‐five quail were selected randomly from a captive stock, and their spring activity was recorded under natural daylenghs. Eighteen of the thirty‐five quail presented behavioral profiles of migrant birds. Migrant birds initiated their nocturnal activity punctually, and the time courses of the nocturnal activity of 88% of them revealed intra‐individual stability over six consecutive nights. All birds initiated their nocturnal activity after sunset and civil twilight, and they were more active at the beginning than the middle or end of the night, suggesting that their drive to migrate could be synchronized with particular skylight conditions. For the first time, stable individual profiles in the daily time course of migratory restlessness are shown. These results support previous findings concerning biological rhythms of quail and raise questions concerning the timing of migratory behavior.