Comparative effects of soy protein concentrate,enzyme‑treated soybean meal,and fermented soybean meal replacing animal protein supplements in feeds on growth performance and intestinal health of nursery pigs

Background Soy protein supplements,with high crude protein and less antinutritional factors,are produced from soybean meal by different processes.This study evaluated the comparative effects of various soy protein supplements replacing animal protein supplements in feeds on the intestinal immune status,intestinal oxidative stress,mucosaassociated microbiota,and growth performance of nursery pigs.Methods Sixty nursery pigs(6.6±0.5 kg BW)were allotted to five treatments in a randomized complete block design with initial BW and sex as blocks.Pigs were fed for 39 d in 3 phases(P1,P2,and P3).Treatments were:Control(CON),basal diet with fish meal 4%,2%,and 1%,poultry meal 10%,8%,and 4%,and blood plasma 4%,2%,and 1%for P1,P2,and P3,respectively;basal diet with soy protein concentrate(SPC),enzyme-treated soybean meal(ESB),fermented soybean meal with Lactobacillus(FSBL),and fermented soybean meal with Bacillus(FSBB),replacing 1/3,2/3,and 3/3 of animal protein supplements for P1,P2,and P3,respectively.Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure in SAS 9.4.Results The SPC did not affect the BW,ADG,and G:F,whereas it tended to reduce(P=0.094)the ADFI and tended to increase(P=0.091)crypt cell proliferation.The ESM did not affect BW,ADG,ADFI,and G:F,whereas tended to decrease(P=0.098)protein carbonyl in jejunal mucosa.The FSBL decreased(P<0.05)BW and ADG,increased(P<0.05)TNF-α,and Klebsiella and tended to increase MDA(P=0.065)and IgG(P=0.089)in jejunal mucosa.The FSBB tended to increase(P=0.073)TNF-α,increased(P<0.05)Clostridium and decreased(P<0.05)Achromobacter and alpha diversity of microbiota in jejunal mucosa.Conclusions Soy protein concentrate,enzyme-treated soybean meal,and fermented soybean meal with Bacillus could reduce the use of animal protein supplements up to 33%until 7 kg body weight,up to 67%from 7 to 11 kg body weight,and entirely from 11 kg body weight without affecting the intestinal health and the growth performance of nursery pigs.Fermented soybean meal with Lactobacillus,however,increased the immune reaction and oxidative stress in the intestine consequently reducing the growth performance.

Weed Management Practices in Nursery Propagation

Weeds are inimical to the nursery growers as they negatively interfere with the growth and aesthetic value of nursery crops. Propagated crops are more vulnerable to weed competition. Nursery growers are adopting hand weeding, mulching, and different herbicides to get rid of the weeds in propagation. However, the most effective and efficient methods for weed control in propagation are still obscure. In this study, we comprehensively review the most used propagation techniques and weed management practices along with their pros and cons. Hand weeding is the most common method of weed control, but it is labor intensive and costly. Nowadays, herbicides are widely used for weeds management. But there are a limited number of registered and labelled herbicides for greenhouse use. Most of the herbicides contain dinitroanilines (DNAs) which inhibit root growth. Along with the leaching problem, several detrimental effects of herbicides have been revealed in propagation. Considering drawbacks of the use of herbicides, mulching in propagation is gaining popularity. But mulch type and depth may affect rooting of cuttings and weed control efficacy. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct additional research aimed at discovering efficient mulching materials and preemergence herbicides for weed control during propagation, while preserving root initiation, plant development, and growth.

Interpreting Chinese Nursery Rhymes from Mental Space Theory

Although nursery rhymes and other texts for children often involve implausible or even fantastic combinations of elements,children seem to have no trouble following them.The paper tries to account for the phenomenon in perspective of mental space theory,suggesting that children are adept at the sort of mental process called as conceptual integration.

Impact of Rice Nursery Nutrient Management, Seeding Density and Seedling Age on Yield and Yield Attributes

To help farmers in the mid hills of Nepal improve their crop management and rice yields, we conducted a study testing different nursery management options and their effect on grain yield and yield components under rainfed conditions. The experiment was conducted in a farmer’s field during the cropping season 2009 and 2010 at Sundarbazar, Lamjung, Nepal, using a 3-factor factorial RCB design with 3 replications. The three management factors tested were 1) fertilizer management in the nursery, 2) seeding density, and 3) seedling age at transplanting, using the rainfed lowland rice variety Radha-4. There were eight treatment combinations, consisting of two levels of fertilization (0 and 20:20:0:13 kg NPKS ha-1 at 15 DAS), two levels of seeding density (607 and 303 g·m-2) and two seedling ages (20 and 40 days old). Two years’ results showed that top-dressed fertilizer in the nursery had no consistent effect on grain yield. However, lower seeding density (303 g·m-2) resulted in taller plants, more productive tillers m-2, less sterility and higher grain yield. In addition, older seedlings (40 days) produced taller plants, more productive tillers, more filled grains, and a higher grain and straw yield. The interaction analysis between both factors indicated that 40 days old seedling with a low seeding density produced the highest grain yield, both in the drought season 2009 and the high-yielding season 2010. The economic analysis confirmed that the treatment with low seeding density and 40 days old seedlings produced by far the highest net returns and B:C ratio in both seasons, independent of the fertilizer treatment. The combination of these two management components is therefore economically viable and profitable, and can be recommended to farmers. However, the results need to be confirmed for other varieties used by farmers in the region.

Dietary substitution of soybean oil with coconut oil in the absence of dietary antibiotics supports growth performance and immune function in nursery and grower pigs

Background:We hypothesized that supplementation of nursery and grower pig diets with coconut oil in the absence of antibiotics would yield maintenance of glucose homeostasis,growth performance,and immune function similar to what is achieved with nursery and grower pig diets containing antibiotics.Pigs received the same base treatment diets from d24(weaning)to d71 of age and had blood and fecal samples collected on d24,d31,d45 and d71 for measurement of whole blood glucose,serum insulin,cortisol and cytokines,and fecal microbiome.Pigs had weekly weights and daily feed consumption measured throughout the study.Animals were euthanized at d71 and subcutaneous fat and ileal contents were collected for assessment for fatty acids and microbiome,respectively.Diet treatments consisted of 2%soybean oil plus antibiotics(ABX;n=22),2%soybean oil without antibiotics(NABX;n=22),and 2%coconut oil without antibiotics(COC;n=22).Statistical analysis examined the effect of diet within each timepoint using a repeated measures ANOVA.Results:Pigs fed COC diet had decreased serum insulin levels,maintained feed intake,feed conversion and weight gain,and,based on serum cytokines and fecal microbiome,were immunologically similar to ABX-fed pigs.However,NABX-fed pigs performed similarly to the ABX-fed pigs in all parameters except for serum cytokines.Additionally,there was no difference in the incidence of diarrhea between any of the diet treatments.Conclusions:This study demonstrates that dietary antibiotics are not necessary to maintain growth performance in nursery and grower pigs.However,dietary antibiotics appear to modulate circulating cytokine levels.Dietary coconut oil is neither harmful nor helpful to growth performance or immune function in nursery and grower pigs but does modulate serum insulin levels.Therefore,while coconut oil fed at 2%by weight is a suitable substitute for dietary antibiotics,this study suggests that no substitute for dietary antibiotics is needed at all.

Temporal and spatial variation of fish community and their nursery in a tropical seagrass meadow

Fish species composition and spatio-temporal variability of the community were studied in a tropical seagrass meadow located in a lagoon in the eastern part of North Sulawesi. The diversity of fish community in the seagrass meadows was relatively high, with the Shannon-Wiener index ranging from 1.57 to 3.69. The family Apogonidae was the most dominant in abundance(8.27 ind./(100 m^2)) and biomass(28.49 g/(100 m^2)). At the species level,Apogon lateralis and Sphaeramia orbicularis were the most dominant species in abundance and biomass,respectively. For spatial distribution on species, the end, middle and mouth of the lagoon clustered together as a whole, which may be due to the substrate types found in those zones. The fish species, fish abundance and fish biomass were greater in the dry and wet seasons than in the transition season, which is explained by the strong monsoon, which provides a more suitable environment and food for the fish. The maximum length of 93.10% of the captured species was less than their length at maturity, indicating that seagrass meadows are nursery habitats for many fishes. Therefore, protection of the seagrass meadows is essential for fisheries and sustainable resource utilization.

THE DISCUSSION ON THE MEASURES OF INCREASING NURSERY STOCK QUALITY IN FRIGID REGION OF CHINA

Through several years seedling-growing experiments in nursery in Daxing‘anMountains forest region,the author posed that the seedling cultivated for the region mustpossess the characteristics of being suited to thin and meager soil and having strongresistance to adverse conditions.For this purpose,the cultivation regime ought to bedirectization,standardization and programmatization;seedling growth ought to be promotedby regulating ecological conditions;and the mursery stock quality ought to be tested usingvigor index.

Addition of tert-butylhydroquinone(TBHQ)to maize oil reduces lipid oxidation but does not prevent reductions in serum vitamin E in nursery pigs

Background: Maize oil is abundantly used in foods and feeds and is highly susceptible to oxidation. Consequently,commercially available antioxidants should be evaluated for effectiveness against lipid oxidation in swine diets. Our study was conducted to evaluate growth performance of nursery pigs fed oxidized maize oil and to determine effects of using antioxidants on oxidative status in a 2 × 2 factorial design. Two hundred eight weaned pigs were blocked by initial BW into 13 blocks, resulting in 4 pigs per pen and 13 pens per treatment. Dietary treatments included 6% unoxidized or oxidized maize oil, and 0 or 60 mg/kg of tert-butylhydroquinone(TBHQ), which was added after lipid oxidation. Data for growth performance were collected from 5 time periods of a two-phase feeding program(Phase 1 = d 0 to 12 and Phase 2 = d 13 to 34). Serum and liver samples were collected from one pig per pen, which had initial BW closest to average BW to determine oxidative status on d 34.Results: Oxidized maize oil was heated for 12 h at 185 °C with 12 L/min of air, yielding a peroxide value(PV) of 5.98 m Eq O2/kg and TBARS of 0.11 mg MDA eq/g. Addition of TBHQ to diets containing oxidized maize oil decreased PV by 37% and increased the oil stability index by 69%. Final BW, ADG, ADFI, and G:F of pigs were not different among the four dietary treatments. However, pigs fed oxidized maize oil tended(P < 0.08) to increase hepatosomatic index by 5% compared with those fed unoxidized oil, and this was not affected by adding TBHQ.The serum vitamin E concentration of pigs fed oxidized maize oil was less(P < 0.03) than pigs fed unoxidized oil,but this reduction was not reversed by adding TBHQ. Finally, the serum and liver selenium concentration were not different among the treatments.Conclusions: The addition of TBHQ did not affect growth performance and vitamin E status in pigs fed moderately oxidized maize oil, but TBHQ reduced lipid oxidation, enhanced the oil stability, and appeared to reduce oxidative stress.

Role of milk carbohydrates in intestinal health of nursery pigs: a review

Intestinal health is essential for the resistance to enteric diseases and for nutrient digestion and absorption to support growth.The intestine of nursery pigs are immature and vulnerable to external challenges,which cause negative impacts on the structure and function of the intestine.Among nutritional interventions,the benefits of milk are significant for the intestinal health of pigs.Milk coproducts have traditionally been used in starter feeds to improve the growth of nursery pigs,but their use is somewhat limited due to the high costs and potential risks of excessive lactose on the intestine.Thus,understanding a proper feeding level of milk carbohydrates is an important start of the feeding strategy.For nursery pigs,lactose is considered a highly digestible energy source compared with plant-based starch,whereas milk oligosaccharides are considered bioactive compounds modulating intestinal immunity and microbiota.Therefore,milk carbohydrates,mainly composed of lactose and oligosaccharides,have essential roles in the intestinal development and functions of nursery pigs.The proper feeding levels of lactose in starter feeds could be variable by weaning age,body weight,or genetic lines.Effects of lactose and milk oligosaccharides have been broadly studied in human health and animal production.Therefore,this review focuses on the mechanisms of lactose and milk oligosaccharides affecting intestinal maturation and functions through modulation of enterocyte proliferation,intestinal immunity,and intestinal microbiota of nursery pigs.

EFFECTS OF SOIL MOISTURE CONTENT ON DRY NURSERY SEEDLING QUALITY OF LATE DOUBLE CROPPING RICE IN SOUTH CHINA

In the present paper, an experiment was conducted to study the effects of soil moisture content on dry nursery seedling quality in Guangzhou in 1995. Through comparing the difference of dry nursery seedlings and wet nursery seedlings, we found a close relationship between soil moisture content and seedling growth. The seedling emergence of dry nursery seedling was more even, tidy and faster, and the survival rate was higher than that of wet nursery seedling. Dry nursery seedlings had small plant stature, slow leaf stretching speed and low individual seedling dry weight, but had high dry/fresh weight ratio. This was abeneficial factor for seedlings to recover from transplanting shock more quickly. As com-pared with the wet nursery seedlings, dry nursery seedlings had poor rooting ability,but had more vigorous white roots and fewer rust roots. It was the possibly important reasonfor dry nursery seedlings to form strong“explosive force”.

Impacts of weaning weights and mycotoxin challenges on jejunal mucosa-associated microbiota,intestinal and systemic health,and growth performance of nursery pigs

Background:This study aimed at investigating the effects of mycotoxin challenge on the growth and physiology of nursery pigs with different weaning weights.Results:At weaning,10 pigs were euthanized to collect jejunal mucosa and 90 pigs were assigned following a randomized complete block design in a 2×2 factorial arrangement of treatments with 3 pigs per pen.Factors were:weaning weight(light:body weight,BW<7.5 kg or heavy:BW>9.0 kg);and dietary mycotoxins(supplementation of 0.2 mg/kg aflatoxins,2.0 mg/kg deoxynivalenol).All diets had titanium dioxide as an external marker at 0.5%.Growth performance and fecal score were recorded until pigs achieved 20 kg BW(light pigs average BW=21.1 kg and heavy pigs average BW=20.5 kg).Pigs were sampled for blood,ileal digesta,jejunal tissue and mucosa at 20 kg BW.Data were analyzed using the mixed procedure of SAS.At weaning,light pigs had decreased(P<0.05)jejunal interleukin-8,increased(P<0.05)tumor necrosis factor-α,and increased(P<0.05)α-diversity indexes of jejunal mucosa-associated microbiota.At 20 kg of BW,light pigs had decreased(P<0.05)average daily gain(ADG),average daily feed intake(ADFI),and gain to feed ratio(G/F).Mycotoxins decreased(P<0.05)BW,ADG,ADFI,and G/F.Light pigs tended to have increased fecal score on d 0(P=0.080),d 10(P=0.069),and increased(P<0.05)fecal score at 20 kg.Mycotoxins decreased the apparent ileal digestibility of nitrogen(P<0.05).Light pigs had increased(P<0.05)intestinal malondialdehydes and interleukin 8.Mycotoxins tended to increase(P=0.060)intestinal tumor necrosis factor-α.Conclusions:Nursery pigs with light weaning weight were more susceptible to jejunal inflammation and had impaired intestinal health due to weaning stress,whereas mycotoxins diminished the health and growth of nursery pigs regardless of weaning weight.

EFFECTS OF SEEDING DENSITY AND BASIC MANURE ON THE GROWTH OF DRY NURSERY SEEDLINGS IN LATE DOUBLE CROPPING RICE IN SOUTH CHINA

During the period of dry nursery seedling raising of late double cropping indica rice in South China, both chemical fertilizer and farmyard manure did not show obvious effect on the growth of shoot and root in young seedlings at 4-leaf stage （18-day-old seedling）, but had significant effects on root growth in old seedlings with 6-7 leaves （27-day-old seedling） at suitable seeding densities (65-125g m-2). There were satistically significant differences （at 0.01 or 0.05 levels）between treatments in root number and rooting ability of root-pruned seedlings.

Effects of Different Ventilation Modes and Outlet Height on Nursery Piggery Environment

In order to study the effects of ventilation modes and outlet height on the airflow field of a nursery piggery,computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technology was used to simulate the wind speed and temperature of an experimental pig house in the cold northern region.This study was conducted with simulation and a comparative analysis of transverse ventilation,longitudinal ventilation and roof air intake modes.Furthermore,the effects of the air outlet height of 0.7,0.6 and 0.5 m with the roof air inlet mode on the environment in the pig house were studied.Field experiments verified the model of roof air intake model.The results showed inadequate ventilation in both the vertical and horizontal ventilation.However,the airfield gradients were less variable and more balanced when using the rooftop air intake mode.The variation of outlet height significantly affected nursery pig houses’ airflow velocity and temperature.Roof air inlet mode with an outlet height of 0.7 m was better than the other two.The normalized mean square error (NMSE) of air velocity and temperature was less than 0.01,and the simulation analysis could genuinely reflect the distribution of the airflow field in the nursery.

Descriptive Epidemiology for <i>Mycoplasma pneumoniae</i>Infection Using (Nursery) School Absenteeism Surveillance System, and Proposal for Countermeasures

Objective: We present descriptive epidemiology of Mycoplasma infection using the (Nursery) School Absenteeism Surveillance System ((N)SASSy) in addition to national official sentinel surveillance for infectious diseases (NOSSID). It is expected to be helpful for early detection and response to outbreak of Mycoplasma infection and also to be useful for antimicrobial resistance measures. Method: The study period was 2010-2014 seasons. The study area was the whole of Ibaraki prefecture, Japan. NOSSID reports the number of patients with Mycoplasma pneumonia from 13 sentinel hospitals. We compare the number of patients and the incidence rate of NOSSID with the same information in (N)SASSy. Result: In NOSSID, the largest number of patients by age was 27 patients of one year old in 2012. (N)SASSy showed that the incidence rate in the elementary schools is high in 2011 and 2012. Especially, the second grade students were the highest. Discussion: Even though Mycoplasma infection is well known as a pediatric disease, we showed that second grade was the highest in incidence at first. Because (N)SASSy is timely and real-time information collection, evaluation and sharing countermeasures with (nursery) schools, public health centers, and physicians are useful for students and nursery school children, and communities. Conclusion: Because mycoplasma infection is common pediatric infectious diseases and because some patients rarely develop severe infections, we must prevent larger outbreaks. (N)SASSy can provide timely intervention at the initial phase of outbreak by monitoring situations in (nursery) schools and comparing data to baseline information.

Research on Planning and Design of Landscape Nursery of Hohhot City in China Based on Quickbird Image

Based on Quickbird images, 1:1,000 topographic map, hydrologic data, soil distribution, regulation of plant diseases and insect pests, and materials of commonly used local tree species, 188.3 hm 2 of production land and 45.6 hm 2 of non production land have been divided on the land covering an area of 234 hm 2 . Production land has been divided into eight functional areas and non production land has been classified into five types. And 47 species have been planned in nursery seedlings area and Quickbird image has been well applied in the planning and design of landscape nursery.

Applying the Frame Theory to Translating Animal Metaphors in Cantonese Nursery Rhymes into English

From the perspective of the frame theory,with the analysis of animal metaphors in Cantonese nursery rhymes,this paper discusses the feasible translation strategies,suggesting that direct translation can be adopted for animal metaphors that can evoke the similar cognitive frame in both Cantonese and English cultural contexts.As for those without identical frame,translation without the original vehicle can be used for the metaphors of physicalification,while translation with annotation can be applied for the metaphors of personification.

Effects of Plantain (<i>Musa species</i>) as Shade on the Growth Performance of Cocoa Seedlings in the Nursery at Ibadan, Southwest, Nigeria

Nursery experiment was carried out at Ibadan, Nigeria between May 2004 and October 2005 to evaluate the use of plantain as a permanent cocoa nursery shade crop. Ibadan is located between latitude 07?10'N and longitude 03?52'E and lies at an altitude of about 122 metres above the sea level. The treatments consisted of six shade regimes provided by plantain spaced at 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and, 3.1 m apart, the control had no shade at all (open planted cocoa). Each treatment had one hundred cocoa seedlings planted in polythene bag filled with topsoil and laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) in three replications. Data on vegetative growth of cocoa seedlings were taken on monthly basis, while plantain height, girth, number of leaves, bunch weight, number of fingers and market value of each treatment were evaluated. Light intensity under each of the treatment was taken using light meter. Result showed that cocoa seedlings under plantain shade planted at 1.0 m and 1.5 m apart were higher in height relative to control and other treatments considered, shade regimes provided by spacing at 3.1 × 3.1 m and 2.5 m × 2.5 m apart on the other hand produced higher values for stem diameter and leaf area respectively compared to other treatments, the least values were recorded under 1.0 m × 1.0 m apart. Seedlings under 2.5 m and 3.1 m spacing were significantly (p > 0.05) higher for these parameters than other treatments. Higher incidence of weed was also recorded from the control. Plantain bunch obtained from 2.5 m and 3.1 m apart was higher than other treatments in terms of weight, number of fingers and market value, while the control (no plantain shade) did not give any economic returns. Hence, plantain planted at spacing of 2.5 m or 3.1 m apart could be recommended to the cocoa farmers in Nigeria as nursery shade instead of conventional method of using bamboo and palm fronds yearly without any additional economic return.

Work Engagement of Nursery School Nurses and Its Related Factors in Japan

Purpose: This study aimed to clarify nursery school nurses’ work engagement and their pertinent related factors. Method: We conducted a survey of 136 nursery school nurses using an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire. Questionnaires were distributed to 186 people at licensed daycare centers in Ibaraki Prefecture. The following conclusions were obtained by analyzing 136 participants, excluding deficiencies: A multiple regression analysis (forced entry method) was performed. Results: The survey results show that most of the nurses in the nursery school were female, about 90$ were married, and about 70$ had children. Work engagement was generally high compared with other occupations. Moreover, it was influenced by their work-self balance (positive), the meaning of their work, and the leadership of bosses. It was suggested that there is a need for an environment where nurses can maintain a work-life balance, a place where childcare health activities can be carried out, and opportunities to participate in training and liaison meetings for nursery nurses to further enhance work engagement. Conclusion: It was influenced by work self-balance (positive), the meaning of their work, and boss leadership. It is suggested that nursery nurses further enhance their work engagement, and they need an environment where they can maintain a work-life balance, a place where they can engage in health activities in childcare, and opportunities for training and liaison meetings.

A Systemic-functional Approach to Ideational Metaphor in English Nursery Rhymes

Ideational metaphor is a typical type of grammatical metaphor. The analysis of grammatical metaphor in English nursery rhymes from the perspective of ideational metaphor, which tries to explore possible evidence of the existence of ideational metaphor in the language of young children-nursery rhymes. Children learn probably many equally complex systems as that of human language.

The Use of Cyanobacteria Arthrospira platensis and Cladoceran Daphnia magna as Complementary Protein and Lipid Sources in Transitional Diet for Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) Nursery

This study was conducted to evaluate the use of cyanobacteria Arthrospira platensis and cladoceran Daphnia magna biomass as complementary protein and lipid sources in diet supplementation for common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) nursery. Three experimental diets containing A. platensis and D. magna meal at different concentrations were compared to the commercial (control) diet. Each experimental diet (ED) was set to contain D. magna and A. platensis meal at a specific combination: 2% and 5%, 2% and 7%, and 4% and 5% for ED1, ED2 and ED3, respectively. The protein and lipid content of the experimental diets ranged from 43.20% to 44.60% dry weight (DW) and 10.64% to 13.42% DW, respectively;while the protein and lipid content of the control diet were 43.00% DW and 6.72% DW, respectively. After 20 days of feeding period, ED3 group obtained the highest final body weight (BW) (58.18 ± 35.24 mg), total biomass (1936 ± 1625 mg), food conversion rate (1.34 ± 0.04), and specific growth rate (12.86 ± 0.03% BW day–1) among all treatment groups (P > 0.05);while ED1 group obtained the highest survival (75.5% ± 7.47%) among all treatment groups (P > 0.05). The total bacterial count and total pathogenic Aeromonas sp. in the culture water of the treatment groups (ranged from 2.00 to 2.65 × 105 CFU mL–1 and 3.50 to 4.12 × 103 CFU mL–1, respectively) were lower compared to the water of the control group fed (3.73 × 105 and 4.70 × 103 CFU mL–1, respectively). No significant differences in physicochemical water quality parameters were observed among treatments (P > 0.05). The current study suggests that the combination of A. platensis and D. magna biomass can be used as complementary protein and lipid sources in diet supplementation for common carp larvae and can result in a comparable fish growth, survival and feed utilization in common carp culture at the nursery phase.