Composition,function,and timing:exploring the early‑life gut microbiota in piglets for probiotic interventions

Background The establishment of a robust gut microbiota in piglets during their early developmental stage holds the potential for long-term advantageous effects.However,the optimal timeframe for introducing probiotics to achieve this outcome remains uncertain.Results In the context of this investigation,we conducted a longitudinal assessment of the fecal microbiota of 63 piglets at three distinct pre-weaning time points.Simultaneously,we gathered vaginal and fecal samples from 23 sows.Employing 16S rRNA gene and metagenomic sequencing methodologies,we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the fluctuation patterns in microbial composition,functional capacity,interaction networks,and colonization resistance within the gut microbiota of piglets.As the piglets progressed in age,discernible modifications in intestinal microbial diversity,composition,and function were observed.A source-tracking analysis unveiled the pivotal role of fecal and vaginal microbiota derived from sows in populating the gut microbiota of neonatal piglets.By D21,the microbial interaction network displayed a more concise and efficient configuration,accompanied by enhanced colonization resistance relative to the other two time points.Moreover,we identified three strains of Ruminococcus sp.at D10 as potential candidates for improving piglets’weight gain during the weaning phase.Conclusions The findings of this study propose that D10 represents the most opportune juncture for the introduction of external probiotic interventions during the early stages of piglet development.This investigation augments our comprehension of the microbiota dynamics in early-life of piglets and offers valuable insights for guiding forthcoming probiotic interventions.

Improving the accuracy of genomic prediction for meat quality traits using whole genome sequence data in pigs

Background Pork quality can directly affect customer purchase tendency and meat quality traits have become valu-able in modern pork production.However,genetic improvement has been slow due to high phenotyping costs.In this study,whole genome sequence(WGS)data was used to evaluate the prediction accuracy of genomic best linear unbiased prediction(GBLUP)for meat quality in large-scale crossbred commercial pigs.Results We produced WGS data(18,695,907 SNPs and 2,106,902 INDELs exceed quality control)from 1,469 sequenced Duroc×(Landrace×Yorkshire)pigs and developed a reference panel for meat quality including meat color score,marbling score,L*(lightness),a*(redness),and b*(yellowness)of genomic prediction.The prediction accuracy was defined as the Pearson correlation coefficient between adjusted phenotypes and genomic estimated breeding values in the validation population.Using different marker density panels derived from WGS data,accuracy differed substantially among meat quality traits,varied from 0.08 to 0.47.Results showed that MultiBLUP outperform GBLUP and yielded accuracy increases ranging from 17.39%to 75%.We optimized the marker density and found medium-and high-density marker panels are beneficial for the estimation of heritability for meat quality.Moreover,we conducted genotype imputation from 50K chip to WGS level in the same population and found average concord-ance rate to exceed 95%and r^(2)=0.81.Conclusions Overall,estimation of heritability for meat quality traits can benefit from the use of WGS data.This study showed the superiority of using WGS data to genetically improve pork quality in genomic prediction.

突发公共卫生事件中公众参与志愿服务的动机研究

志愿服务作为社会公众参与应对突发事件的有效组织形式,在突发公共卫生事件应急管理中发挥显著作用。《中国志愿服务发展报告(2021-2022)》中指出,要充分发挥志愿服务在疫情防控、抢险救灾等领域的重要作用[1]。志愿服务是指自愿贡献个人的时间和精力,在不为物质报酬的前提下,为推动人类发展、社会进步和社会福利事业而提供的服务[2],是社会治理的重要组成力量,更是社会文明进步的重要标志。是加强精神文明建设、培育和践行社会主义核心价值观的重要内容[3]。为更好地提高公众参与志愿服务意愿,本研究从公众参与志愿服务的各类影响因素入手,对突发公共卫生事件下公众参与志愿服务的动机进行深度解剖,探索志愿服务动机与志愿服务行为之间的关系,为引导和鼓励公众积极参与志愿服务提供借鉴与参考。