This study was conducted at Fafan Research Center, Golajo research site to evaluate the effect of Moringa stenopetala and pigeon pea leaf supplementation on growth performance of short-eared Somali goat breed. A total...This study was conducted at Fafan Research Center, Golajo research site to evaluate the effect of Moringa stenopetala and pigeon pea leaf supplementation on growth performance of short-eared Somali goat breed. A total of fifteen yearling indigenous short-eared Somali goat breeds with an initial weight of 15.2 ± 0.30 kg were assigned to three treatment groups using completely randomized design. Pigeon pea (Pp) and Moringa stenopetala (MS) feeds were formulated using 0%, 5%, and 10% inclusion levels of MSLM and PPLM as experimental diets, respectively. The feed of the experiment was prepared in two levels (2 kg of Moringa stenopetala and 2 kg of pigeon pea) and was supplemented to experimental animals in treatments one and two, respectively. The average e initial body weight of selected male goats was 18.82 ± 0.37, 18.8 ± 0.37 and 17.8 ± 0.37 kg under treatment groups T1, T2 and control respectively. Data was analyzed using general linear model (GLM) procedure of SAS computer package Version 9.0 (SAS, 2002). The final weights gain (FWG) of goats on T1 and T2 of experimental group was significantly (P 0.05) the final weight gain of goat supplemented on Moringa stenopetala (T1) and pigeon pea levels (T2). The mean average weight gains (AWG) obtained from the supplemented group in this study were 7.50 ± 0.37 and 7.82 ± 0.37 kg for T1 and T2, whereas mean weight gains for un-supplemented goats were found to be 6.26 ± 0.37 kg. Feeding of dried Moringa stenopetala and pigeon pea leaves mixture improved body weights and average daily body weight gain without affecting feed intake and overall health of Somali goat breed. As Moringa stenopetala and pigeon pea leaves are rich nitrogen/protein source, they can be used effectively as substitute for conventional concentrate in the diet of growing goats at small holder farmer’s level where they can be grown in abundance. Therefore, for higher quality of forage and higher total DM yield for animal feeding, moringa should be harvested at wider harvesting intervals of at least 6th- to 8th-week intervals. Similarly, for pigeon peas, 4- to 6-week harvesting interval can result in optimum forage as well as feed quality and resulted in better growth performances for Somali short-eared goat breeds.展开更多
Pigeons and certain other avian species produce a milklike secretion in their crop sacs to nourish offspring,yet the detailed processes involved are not fully elucidated.This study investigated the crop sacs of 225-da...Pigeons and certain other avian species produce a milklike secretion in their crop sacs to nourish offspring,yet the detailed processes involved are not fully elucidated.This study investigated the crop sacs of 225-day-old unpaired non-lactating male pigeons(MN)and males initiating lactation on the first day after incubation(ML).Using RNA sequencing,ribosomeprofiling,andsingle-cell transcriptome sequencing(scRNA-seq),we identified a significant up-regulation of genes associated with ribosome assembly and protein synthesis in ML compared to MN.Results from scRNA-seq analysis identified 12distinct cell types and 22 clusters,with secretory epithelial cells(SECs)exhibiting marked expression of plasma cell markers,including IGLL1 and MZB1.RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization(RNA FISH)and IgY quantification confirmed the critical role of SECs in producing endogenous IgY during lactation.We propose that fibroblast-derived BAFF signals activate SECs,mimicking B cell transformation and enhancing protein production through the unfolded protein response(UPR).These findings shed light on the cellular dynamics of pigeon milk production and contribute to a broader understanding of avian biology.展开更多
Pigeon peas, a type of pulse, have immense nutritional potential to improve health in arid and semi-arid regions. However, unlocking this potential relies heavily on understanding their technological properties, such ...Pigeon peas, a type of pulse, have immense nutritional potential to improve health in arid and semi-arid regions. However, unlocking this potential relies heavily on understanding their technological properties, such as hydration rate, volumetric expansion, and cooking time. These properties directly influence processing, accessibility, and acceptability as a food source. However, there is limited information on technological properties of improved varieties. The study aimed to determine technological properties of improved pigeon pea varieties grown in Machakos County. Seven improved pigeon peas varieties namely: KARI Mbaazi 1, KARI Mbaazi 2, ICEAP 00850, KAT 60/8, Mituki, Egerton Mbaazi 1, Egerton Mbaazi 2 and ICEAP 00554 (control variety) were used in this study. These varieties were tested for water absorption capacity (WAC), volumetric expansion, density, cooking time (CT) and total soluble solids (TSS) in the broth. The experiment was arranged in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) replicated three times. Data analysis was conducted using SAS software version 9.1.3 (SAS, 2006). Means separation was done using Tukey’s honestly significant difference (HSD) at 95% Confidence Level. There were significant differences in water absorption capacity (WAC), volumetric expansion, density, TSS, and CT among the improved varieties (p p < 0.05). KARI Mbaazi 2 exhibited the greatest volumetric expansion after cooking (VEAC) at 11%. Additionally, control variety recorded the highest water absorption capacity (125.48%), which was significantly greater compared to the improved pigeon pea varieties. Cooking time in minutes was shortest for Mituki (46.0) and KAT 60/8 (55.7) and longest for both KARI Mbaazi 1 and ICEAP00850 at 160 minutes. All the varieties showed high TSS ranging from 10.5 to 26.7% indicating the potential to select varieties with desired flavour profiles. Improved pigeon pea varieties (Mituki and KAT60/8) displayed desired technological properties alongside the control variety. These findings inform the specific culinary applications and nutritional needs which enhance utilisation of pigeon peas as food. Further research is needed to determine the impact of the technological properties on the digestibility and glycaemic index of pigeon peas.展开更多
Hammer mill is widely used in the feed processing industry.During its operation,the material is thrown against the inner wall of the sieve after being broken by the hammer.Limited by the annular structure sieve,the gr...Hammer mill is widely used in the feed processing industry.During its operation,the material is thrown against the inner wall of the sieve after being broken by the hammer.Limited by the annular structure sieve,the grinded material tends to produce a"air-material circulation layer"on the inner wall of the sieve,leading to problems such as low grinding efficiency and high grinding energy consumption.Considering the disruptive characteristics of the special profile structure of a pigeon's wing on the airflow field,we extract the geometric characteristics of the coupling element and optimize the related structural parameters.Based on the principles of bionics,a new wing sieve is then designed,and its efficient grinding mechanism is studied.Compared to the commercial sieve,the experimental results indicate the bio-inspired sieve can significantly improve the material productivity and grinding quality.展开更多
Along with the flourishing of brain-computer interface technology,the brain-to-brain information transmission between different organisms has received high attention in recent years.However,specific information transm...Along with the flourishing of brain-computer interface technology,the brain-to-brain information transmission between different organisms has received high attention in recent years.However,specific information transmission mode and implementation technology need to be further studied.In this paper,we constructed a brain-to-brain information transmission system between pigeons based on the neural information decoding and electrical stimulation encoding technologies.Our system consists of three parts:(1)the“perception pigeon”learns to distinguish different visual stimuli with two discrepant frequencies,(2)the computer decodes the stimuli based on the neural signals recorded from the“perception pigeon”through a frequency identification algorithm(neural information decoding)and encodes them into different kinds of electrical pulses,(3)the“action pigeon”receives the Intracortical Microstimulation(ICMS)and executes corresponding key-pecking actions through discriminative learning(electrical stimulation encoding).The experimental results show that our brain-to-brain system achieves information transmission from perception to action between two pigeons with the average accuracy of about 72%.Our study verifies the feasibility of information transmission between inter-brain based on neural information decoding and ICMS encoding,providing important technical methods and experimental program references for the development of brain-to-brain communication technology.展开更多
[Objective]This study aimed to explore the inheritance pattem of feather color in hybrid offspring of Texan pigeon and American Silver King pigeon, so as to provide a theoretical basis for the breeding of feather colo...[Objective]This study aimed to explore the inheritance pattem of feather color in hybrid offspring of Texan pigeon and American Silver King pigeon, so as to provide a theoretical basis for the breeding of feather color auto-sexing strains. [Method]The segregation situation of feather color in the male and female offspring of Texan pigeon （♂）×American Silver King pigeon （♀）（TKYW） and American Silver King pigeon （♂） ×Texan pigeon （♀） （YWTK） was analyzed. [Result]The feather color of TKYW offspring was all slate gray. Among the offspring of YWTK, the feather color of the males was all slate gray, while the feather color of the females was all silver gray; and the ratio between different colors was 1：1 （P 〉 0.05）. The F1 generation of YWTK was subjected to selfing, and the feather color of the male and female F2 generation was analyzed. It was found that the ratio of silver gray （male） to slate gray （male） to silver gray （female） to slate gray （female） was 1：1：1：1 （P 〉 0.05）. On the basis of the above results, it could be preliminarily predicated that the feather color control genes of Texan pigeon are Z^BZB and Z^BW and those of American Silver King pigeon are Z^bZ^b and Z^bW. There is a cumulative effect on B which is dominant for b. [Conclusion] This study will better solve the problem of male and female identification of pigeon in the early period.展开更多
Objective The macula lagena in birds is located at the apical end of the cochlea and contains many tiny otoliths. The macula lagena is innervated and has neural projections to the brainstem, but its physiological func...Objective The macula lagena in birds is located at the apical end of the cochlea and contains many tiny otoliths. The macula lagena is innervated and has neural projections to the brainstem, but its physiological function is still unclear. It remains disputable that it is because otoliths in the lagena are rich in elements Fe and Zn that birds can obtain geomagnetic information for homing. To clarify this issue, we carried out a study to determine whether or not otoliths in the lagena of homing pigeons are richer in magnetic elements than those in the saccule and the utricle. Methods The contents of ferromagnetic elements （Fe, Co, Ni） and other metal elements in lagenal otoliths of adult homing pigeons were precisely analyzed with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry （ICP-MS） of high sensitivity, and then they were compared with those in saccular and utricular otoliths （all the contents were normalized to Ca）. Results In adult homing pigeons, the contents of ferromagnetic elements （Fe, Co, Ni） in lagenal otoliths were less than 0.7% （normalized to Ca element） and were the same order in magnitude as those in saccular and utricular otoliths. The content of Fe in lagenal otoliths was not significantly different from that in utricular otoliths and was even lower than that in saccular otoliths. The content of Co in lagenal otoliths was lower than that in saccular otoliths and higher than that in utricular otoliths. The content of Ni in lagenal otoliths was not significantly different from that in saccular otoliths and was higher than that in utricular otoliths. The contents of other metal elements Na, Mg, K, Al, Mn and Pb in lagenal otoliths were not significantly different from those in utricular and saccular otoliths. The contents of metal elements Zn, Ba and Cu in lagenal otoliths were lower than those in saccular otoliths. Conclusion The contents of magnetic elements in lagenal otoliths of homing pigeons are not much higher than those in utricular and saccular otoliths, which does not support the hypothesis that birds depend on high contents of Fe and Zn in lagenal otoliths for sensation of geomagnetic information. Similarities in morphology, element ingredient and element content between lagenal otoliths and utricular otoliths suggest that the two types of otolithic organs may play similar roles in sensing gravitational and acceleration signals.展开更多
Animal robots have outstanding advantages over traditional robots in their own energy supplies,orientation,and natural concealment,delivering significant value in the theories and applications of neural science,nation...Animal robots have outstanding advantages over traditional robots in their own energy supplies,orientation,and natural concealment,delivering significant value in the theories and applications of neural science,national security,and other fields.Presently,many animal robots have been fabricated,but researches about the applications of avian robots are still lacking.In this study,we constructed a Pigeon Robot System(PRS),optimized the electric stimulation parameters,assessed the electric stimulus of navigation,and evaluated the navigation efficiency in the field.Biphasic pulse constant current pattern was adapted,and the optimal stimulus parameters of 4 nuclei tested were of amplitude 0.3 mA,5 pulse trains,frequency 25 Hz,5 pulses,and a 25%duty cycle.Effective ratio of left and right steering behavior response to electric stimulus dorsointermedius ventralis anterior nuclei was 67%and 83%,respectively(mean value 75%).Electrical stimulation efficiency was 0.34-0.68 and path efficiency was 0.72-0.85 among pigeon robot individuals in the open field.Neither electrical stimulation efficiency nor path efficiency differed significantly(P>0.05),suggesting that the navigational PRS performance was not biased in either direction.PRS can achieve continuous navigation along simple pathways and provide the necessary application infrastructure and technical reference for the development of animal robot navigation technology.展开更多
A pigeon robot is an ideal experimental animal for research in flying animal robots.The majority of current research publications have entailed electrical stimulation of the motor nuclei to regulate movement forcibly,...A pigeon robot is an ideal experimental animal for research in flying animal robots.The majority of current research publications have entailed electrical stimulation of the motor nuclei to regulate movement forcibly,and although a“virtual fear”behavior model has been proposed,the structure,location,and function of the nuclei that generate fear emotions remain obscure.Previous studies have shown that the Stratum Griseum Periventriculare(SGP)of pigeons is homologous to the mammalian periaqueductal gray(PAG),which plays an essential role in mammalian fear.To reveal the role of fear mediated by the SGP in behavioral regulation,we evaluated the structure and location of the SGP by histologic identification combined with magnetic resonance imaging,and analyzed the behavior of the SGP by electrical stimulation.Finally,the function of the SGP was verified with escape testing and homing experiments in an open field.Our results showed that the SGP is located in the pigeon midbrain and divided into two subregions,the dorsal part of the stratum griseum periventriculare(SGPd)and the ventral part of the stratum griseum periventriculare(SGPv)(the ranges were AP1.5–4.75 mm,ML1.75–6.75 mm,and DV2.2–7.1 mm),and that wired and wireless electrical stimulation freezing was the dominant behavior.In the escape test,SGP electrical stimulation caused the pigeons to flee to a safe place,while in the open-field homing test,electrical stimulation of the SGP induced evasive behavior in pigeons away from their original homing route.These results confirm that the SGP plays a crucial role in fear,and that electrical stimulation of this nucleus induces corresponding fear behaviors.展开更多
Objective:To detect and characterize Chlamydophila psittaci(C.psittaci) in asymptomatic feral pigeons in central Thailand.Methods:A total 814 swabs from the trachea and cloacae of 407non-clinical feral pigeons in cent...Objective:To detect and characterize Chlamydophila psittaci(C.psittaci) in asymptomatic feral pigeons in central Thailand.Methods:A total 814 swabs from the trachea and cloacae of 407non-clinical feral pigeons in central Thailand were collected and tested for the presence of C.psittaci.Results:A 10.8%of feral pigeons in the sample group were positive as determined by nested PCR primer specific to C.psittaci.The outer membrane protein A(orupA) gene of positive samples exhibited amino acid identity of C.psittaci ranging from 71 to 100%and were grouped in genotype B.Exceptionally,BF1676-56 isolate was closely related to Chlamydia avium with99%identification of the I6 S ribosomal(r) RNA gene.Conclusions:This is the first report on C.psittaci isolated from asymptomatic feral pigeons in Thailand,which provides knowledge for the disease status in pigeon populations in Thailand.展开更多
A closed-loop teleprompter system was used to isolate and manipulate social interactivity in thenatural courtship interactions of pigeons Columbia livia. In Experiment 1, a live face-to-face real-time interaction betw...A closed-loop teleprompter system was used to isolate and manipulate social interactivity in thenatural courtship interactions of pigeons Columbia livia. In Experiment 1, a live face-to-face real-time interaction between 2 courting pigeons （Live） was compared to a played back version of thevideo stimulus recorded during the pairs Live interaction. We found that pigeons were behavinginteractively; their behavior depended on the relationships between their own signals and those oftheir partner. In Experiment 2, we tested whether social interactivity relies on spatial cues presentin the facing direction of a partner＇s display. By moving the teleprompter camera 90~ away from itsoriginal location, the partner＇s display was manipulated to appear as if it is directed 90~ away fromthe subject. We found no effect of spatial offset on the pigeon＇s behavioral response. In Experiment3, 3 time delays, 1 s, 3s, and 9s, a Live condition, and a playback condition were chosen to investi-gate the importance of temporal contiguity in social interactivity. Furthermore, both opposite-sex（courtship） and same-sex （rivalry） pairs were studied to investigate whether social-context affectssocial interactivity sensitivity. Our results showed that pigeon courtship behavior is sensitive totemporal contiguity. Behavior declined in the 9 s and Playback conditions as compared to Live con-dition and the shorter time delays. For males only, courtship behavior also increased in the 3-sdelay condition. The effect of social interactivity and time delay was not observed in rivalry inter-actions, suggesting that social interactivity may be specific to courtship.展开更多
In this study,waste pigeon guano(PG)was re-utilized as an ideal biomass adulterant to improve the photocatalytic activity of the pristine graphitic carbon nitride(g-C_(3)N_(4)).Waste PG and melamine were employed as p...In this study,waste pigeon guano(PG)was re-utilized as an ideal biomass adulterant to improve the photocatalytic activity of the pristine graphitic carbon nitride(g-C_(3)N_(4)).Waste PG and melamine were employed as precursors to fabricate a novel porous multielement-doped g-C_(3)N_(4)(CN-PG-S)nanosheets photocatalyst via in situ thermal polycondensation coupled with thermal exfoliation strategy.The CN-PG-S owned abundant uniformly porous structures,superior conductivity,and excellent photocatalytic abilities,resulting in highly-efficient H_(2)-production(1950μmol g^(–1) h^(–1))and Cr(Ⅵ)reduction(99.1%)un-der visible light,which increased by 22.9-folds and 5.3-folds more than that of pristine g-C_(3)N_(4).The non-metallic(P,S,and O)and metallic elements in CN-PG-S played a crucial role in expanding the visible-light absorption range and promoting the separation-migration of photogenerated electron-hole pairs.And the uniformly porous nanosheet structure of CN-PG-S shortens the diffusion paths of photogenerated carri-ers and exposes more active sites for photocatalytic reactions.This study proposed an eco-friendly re-sources integration strategy of waste PG to prepare excellent CN-PG-S photocatalysts for highly-efficient H_(2)-production and Cr(VI)reduction.展开更多
[Objective] This study aimed to make a survey of domestic pigeons for infection with Eimeria species of coccidia was conducted in Guangdong Province, southern China. [Method] A total of 244 fecal samples(102 from Huiz...[Objective] This study aimed to make a survey of domestic pigeons for infection with Eimeria species of coccidia was conducted in Guangdong Province, southern China. [Method] A total of 244 fecal samples(102 from Huizhou, 83 from Jiangmen, 35 from Chaozhou and 24 from Guangzhou, respectively) in four pigeon breeding farms between June 2012 and March2013 were collected and examined microscopically. [Results] Eimeria oocysts were seen in 223(91.4%) fecal samples, with three species, namely E. labbeana, E.columbae and E. kapotei. E. labbeana was the most common species in Guangdong provinces with an overall prevalence of 91.4%, while a slightly lower incidence of E. columbae and E. kapotei species was detected with11.1% and 6.6%, representatively. The prevalence in different months varied ranging from 83.3% to 91.7%, with the highest prevalence in summer. Nestling groups showed obviously high infection than adult pigeons. [Conclusion] The present survey indicated the wide and severe prevalence of Eimeria infection in Guangdong domestic pigeons, which suggested that integrated measures should be taken to control and prevent coccidiosis of pigeons in this province.展开更多
The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between gene expression of nutrient（amino acid, peptide, sodium and proton） transporters in the small intestine and embryonic growth in domestic pigeon...The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between gene expression of nutrient（amino acid, peptide, sodium and proton） transporters in the small intestine and embryonic growth in domestic pigeons（Columba livia）. One hundred and twenty-five fertilized eggs were randomly assigned into five groups and were incubated under optimal conditions（temperature of 38.1 °C and relative humidity of 55%）. Twenty embryos/birds from each group were sacrificed by cervical dislocation on embryonic day（E） 9, 11, 13, 15 and day of hatch（DOH）. The eggs, embryos（without yolk sac）, and organs（head, brain, heart, liver, lungs, kidney, gizzard, small intestine, legs, and thorax） were dissected, cleaned, and weighed. Small intestine samples were collected for RNA isolation. The m RNA abundance of intestinal nutrient transporters was evaluated by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction（RT-PCR）. We classified these ten organs into four types according to the changes in relative weight during embryonic development. In addition, the gene expression of nutrient transporters was differentially regulated by embryonic day. The m RNA abundances of b^0,＋AT, EAAT3, y^＋LAT2, Pep T1, LAT4, NHE2, and NHE3 increased linearly with age, whereas m RNA abundances of CAT1, CAT2, LAT1, EAAT2, SNAT1, and SNAT2 were increased to higher levels on E9 or E11 and then decreased to lower levels until DOH. The results of correlation analysis showed that the gene expressions of b^0,＋AT, EAAT3, Pep T1, LAT4, NHE2, NHE3, and y^＋LAT2 had positive correlations with body weight（0.71〈correlation coefficient（CC）〈0.82, P〈0.0001）, while CAT1, CAT2, EAAT2, SNAT1, and SNAT2 had negative correlations with body weight（-0.86〈CC〈-0.64, P〈0.0001）. The gene expressions of b^0,＋AT, EAAT3, LAT4, Pep T1, NHE2, NHE3, and y^＋LAT2 showed positive correlations with intestinal weight（0.80〈CC〈0.91, P〈0.0001）, while CAT1, CAT2, and EAAT2 showed negative correlations with intestinal weight（-0.84〈CC〈-0.67, P〈0.0001）. It was concluded that the differences between growth trajectories of organs and gene expression of nutrient transporters in small intestine were due to their functional and physiological properties, which provided a comprehensive study of amino acid and peptide transporter m RNA in the small intestine during embryonic growth of pigeons.展开更多
Stereotaxic instrument is an indispensable tool for numerous types of neuroscience studies and is routinely performed in neuroscience laboratories as part of a variety of experimental procedures.Due to the development...Stereotaxic instrument is an indispensable tool for numerous types of neuroscience studies and is routinely performed in neuroscience laboratories as part of a variety of experimental procedures.Due to the development of robotics and automation,the stereotaxic instrument for rodents has made great progress,while it is relatively backward and scarce for birds.A digital stereotaxic instrument for pigeons(Columba livia),a classic animal model for learning,memory and cognition,was developed in this study.Its performance was verified from three aspects including stereotaxic accuracy,stereotaxic stability and stereotaxic reproducibility.The developed stereotaxic instrument has the following characteristics:(1)a digital positioning system was used,which is characterized by high stereotaxic accuracy;(2)a novel head-fixation system was developed to increase the adaptability of head-fixation;(3)a four-point fixation method was suggested,improving the stability of head-fixation;(4)the stereotaxic instrument has strong versatility,which can be suitable for a wide variety of birds.Moreover,the proposed stereotaxic instrument has better positioning accuracy and stability,which will promote the study of neural mechanisms for pigeons.展开更多
Isolates of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) from deceased wild and domestic pigeons in Kazakhstan were obtained from the Almaty region during 2005 and were genotypically analyzed by using reverse transcription polymeras...Isolates of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) from deceased wild and domestic pigeons in Kazakhstan were obtained from the Almaty region during 2005 and were genotypically analyzed by using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with primers specific to the viral fusion (F) protein gene. Part of the amplified F protein DNA product (nucleotide sequence 47-422) and the deduced amino acid sequences were compared phylogenetically with those from strains previously reported in other geographic regions. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the Kazakhstanian pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 (PPMV-1) isolates belong to genotype VI or 4bii. To our knowledge, this is the first reported VI isolates that possess the sequences of 112 GKRQKR116* F117 within the F0 protein. The information is fundamental to improving the efficiency of control strategies and vaccine development for NDV.展开更多
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase has been purified from pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) seeds and subjected to characterization. The enzyme was purified 123.69 fold with a yield of 21.37% by ammonium sulphate fractionatio...Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase has been purified from pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) seeds and subjected to characterization. The enzyme was purified 123.69 fold with a yield of 21.37% by ammonium sulphate fractionation, PEG-4000 precipitation, CM cellulose column chromatography and DEAE cellulose column chromatography. The catalytically active enzyme is a dimer of 113 KDa with a subunit molecular weight of 55 KDa. Thermal inactivation of enzyme follows first order kinetics at 30°C and 40°C with half life of 6 and 1.5 min respectively. Km value for glucose-6-phosphate and NADP+ was found to be 2.68 mM and 0.75 mM respectively whereas Vmax value was found to be 0.11 U/mL and 0.13 U/mL respectively. The enzyme shows more affinity towards NADP+ than glucose-6-phosphate. The pKa value was found to be 10.41 indicating that the amino acid residue at active site might be lysine. The enzyme exhibited maximum catalytic activity at pH 8.2. The enzyme was found to be highly thermosensitive with gradual loss of activity above 30°C temperature.展开更多
Objective;To determine the presence of zoonotic tick-borne bacteria in feral pigeons(Columba lixia domestica) from urban areas.Methods:Spleen samples from 84 feral pigeons,found dead with traumatic injuries in urban a...Objective;To determine the presence of zoonotic tick-borne bacteria in feral pigeons(Columba lixia domestica) from urban areas.Methods:Spleen samples from 84 feral pigeons,found dead with traumatic injuries in urban areas,were examined by PCR to detect DNA of Anaplasma phagocytophilum,Bartonella spp.,Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato.Coxiella burnetii.Rickettsia spp.,and Chlamydnphila spp.Results:Twenty(23.8%) pigeons were infected by tick-borne agents,in particular 2(2.38%) animals resulted positive for Bartonella spp.,5(5.95%) for Coxiella burnetii.5(5.95%) for Rickettsia spp.,13(15.47%) for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato.All birds scored negative for anaplasma phagocytophilum.Moreover,17(20.23%) pigeons were positive for Chlamydophila spp.and among them 10(11.9%) for Chlamydophila psittaci,Mixed infections by two or three agents were detected in 8(9.52%) animals.Conclusions:Feral pigeons living in urban and periurban areas are a hazard for the human health as source of several pathogens.The obtained results confirm pigeons as reservoirs of chlamydial agents and suggest that they may be involved in the epidemiology of zoonotic tick-borne infections too.展开更多
The study was carried out on the impact assessment of the form and nature of the different nitrogen sources used in culture on growth and nodulation of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp) during 3 months of observa...The study was carried out on the impact assessment of the form and nature of the different nitrogen sources used in culture on growth and nodulation of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp) during 3 months of observation on sandy soil of Mount Amba (at the University of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo). Height and collar diameter growth, underground and total biomass dry weight, number and dry pea nodules and nodulation index have been evaluated at 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks of growth to assess the response of the legume to mineral nitrogen and organic nitrogen from chickens manure and pig feces. After observations, it appears that all the treatments soil showed different effects on growth and nodulation of pigeon pea. Therefore, only the soil received 1 kg of pig feces stimulated (p ≤ 0.05) the development of pigeon pea which resulted in good growth (nodulation 116.8 nodules and nodulation index of 5.0) and biomass production (25.3 gr per plant) while the addition of chicken manure, whatever the dose, reduced them.展开更多
This study investigated effects of post-training treatment with phaclofen, GABAB receptor antagonist, on the memory of food location and on the expression of Synapsin I in the hippocampus of pigeons. Pigeons were trai...This study investigated effects of post-training treatment with phaclofen, GABAB receptor antagonist, on the memory of food location and on the expression of Synapsin I in the hippocampus of pigeons. Pigeons were trained in food location (7 sessions) and underwent post-training treatment with phaclofen (0.3 mg/kg, i.p.;PHAC), saline (SAL) or non-treated (NTR). Testing for memory persistence occurred 7 days after the last training session (PHACR, SALR and NTRR Groups). Pigeons treated with phaclofen had lower latency and higher correct choice values than saline and non-treated controls (p < 0.05). Analysis of hippocampus tissue indicated that Synapsin I-positive cell counts were higher in pigeons treated with phaclofen than in saline and non-treated controls (p < 0.05). Data indicated enhancement of consolidation and persistence of food location memory, and up-regulation of Synapsin I expression in the hippocampus of pigeons, which were related with post-training blockade of GABAB receptors.展开更多
文摘This study was conducted at Fafan Research Center, Golajo research site to evaluate the effect of Moringa stenopetala and pigeon pea leaf supplementation on growth performance of short-eared Somali goat breed. A total of fifteen yearling indigenous short-eared Somali goat breeds with an initial weight of 15.2 ± 0.30 kg were assigned to three treatment groups using completely randomized design. Pigeon pea (Pp) and Moringa stenopetala (MS) feeds were formulated using 0%, 5%, and 10% inclusion levels of MSLM and PPLM as experimental diets, respectively. The feed of the experiment was prepared in two levels (2 kg of Moringa stenopetala and 2 kg of pigeon pea) and was supplemented to experimental animals in treatments one and two, respectively. The average e initial body weight of selected male goats was 18.82 ± 0.37, 18.8 ± 0.37 and 17.8 ± 0.37 kg under treatment groups T1, T2 and control respectively. Data was analyzed using general linear model (GLM) procedure of SAS computer package Version 9.0 (SAS, 2002). The final weights gain (FWG) of goats on T1 and T2 of experimental group was significantly (P 0.05) the final weight gain of goat supplemented on Moringa stenopetala (T1) and pigeon pea levels (T2). The mean average weight gains (AWG) obtained from the supplemented group in this study were 7.50 ± 0.37 and 7.82 ± 0.37 kg for T1 and T2, whereas mean weight gains for un-supplemented goats were found to be 6.26 ± 0.37 kg. Feeding of dried Moringa stenopetala and pigeon pea leaves mixture improved body weights and average daily body weight gain without affecting feed intake and overall health of Somali goat breed. As Moringa stenopetala and pigeon pea leaves are rich nitrogen/protein source, they can be used effectively as substitute for conventional concentrate in the diet of growing goats at small holder farmer’s level where they can be grown in abundance. Therefore, for higher quality of forage and higher total DM yield for animal feeding, moringa should be harvested at wider harvesting intervals of at least 6th- to 8th-week intervals. Similarly, for pigeon peas, 4- to 6-week harvesting interval can result in optimum forage as well as feed quality and resulted in better growth performances for Somali short-eared goat breeds.
基金supported by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Jiangxi Province,China (JXARS-09)Science and Technology Program of Guangdong Province,China (2020B1212060060)。
文摘Pigeons and certain other avian species produce a milklike secretion in their crop sacs to nourish offspring,yet the detailed processes involved are not fully elucidated.This study investigated the crop sacs of 225-day-old unpaired non-lactating male pigeons(MN)and males initiating lactation on the first day after incubation(ML).Using RNA sequencing,ribosomeprofiling,andsingle-cell transcriptome sequencing(scRNA-seq),we identified a significant up-regulation of genes associated with ribosome assembly and protein synthesis in ML compared to MN.Results from scRNA-seq analysis identified 12distinct cell types and 22 clusters,with secretory epithelial cells(SECs)exhibiting marked expression of plasma cell markers,including IGLL1 and MZB1.RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization(RNA FISH)and IgY quantification confirmed the critical role of SECs in producing endogenous IgY during lactation.We propose that fibroblast-derived BAFF signals activate SECs,mimicking B cell transformation and enhancing protein production through the unfolded protein response(UPR).These findings shed light on the cellular dynamics of pigeon milk production and contribute to a broader understanding of avian biology.
文摘Pigeon peas, a type of pulse, have immense nutritional potential to improve health in arid and semi-arid regions. However, unlocking this potential relies heavily on understanding their technological properties, such as hydration rate, volumetric expansion, and cooking time. These properties directly influence processing, accessibility, and acceptability as a food source. However, there is limited information on technological properties of improved varieties. The study aimed to determine technological properties of improved pigeon pea varieties grown in Machakos County. Seven improved pigeon peas varieties namely: KARI Mbaazi 1, KARI Mbaazi 2, ICEAP 00850, KAT 60/8, Mituki, Egerton Mbaazi 1, Egerton Mbaazi 2 and ICEAP 00554 (control variety) were used in this study. These varieties were tested for water absorption capacity (WAC), volumetric expansion, density, cooking time (CT) and total soluble solids (TSS) in the broth. The experiment was arranged in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) replicated three times. Data analysis was conducted using SAS software version 9.1.3 (SAS, 2006). Means separation was done using Tukey’s honestly significant difference (HSD) at 95% Confidence Level. There were significant differences in water absorption capacity (WAC), volumetric expansion, density, TSS, and CT among the improved varieties (p p < 0.05). KARI Mbaazi 2 exhibited the greatest volumetric expansion after cooking (VEAC) at 11%. Additionally, control variety recorded the highest water absorption capacity (125.48%), which was significantly greater compared to the improved pigeon pea varieties. Cooking time in minutes was shortest for Mituki (46.0) and KAT 60/8 (55.7) and longest for both KARI Mbaazi 1 and ICEAP00850 at 160 minutes. All the varieties showed high TSS ranging from 10.5 to 26.7% indicating the potential to select varieties with desired flavour profiles. Improved pigeon pea varieties (Mituki and KAT60/8) displayed desired technological properties alongside the control variety. These findings inform the specific culinary applications and nutritional needs which enhance utilisation of pigeon peas as food. Further research is needed to determine the impact of the technological properties on the digestibility and glycaemic index of pigeon peas.
基金supported by Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Grant No.2682021ZTPY067)Sichuan Science and Technology Program(Grant NO:2021YFG0194).
文摘Hammer mill is widely used in the feed processing industry.During its operation,the material is thrown against the inner wall of the sieve after being broken by the hammer.Limited by the annular structure sieve,the grinded material tends to produce a"air-material circulation layer"on the inner wall of the sieve,leading to problems such as low grinding efficiency and high grinding energy consumption.Considering the disruptive characteristics of the special profile structure of a pigeon's wing on the airflow field,we extract the geometric characteristics of the coupling element and optimize the related structural parameters.Based on the principles of bionics,a new wing sieve is then designed,and its efficient grinding mechanism is studied.Compared to the commercial sieve,the experimental results indicate the bio-inspired sieve can significantly improve the material productivity and grinding quality.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(62301496)the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program of China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(GZC20232447)+1 种基金the Program for Science and Technology of Henan Province of China(242300421411)the Key Scientific and Technological Projects of Henan Province(232102210072,232102210098).
文摘Along with the flourishing of brain-computer interface technology,the brain-to-brain information transmission between different organisms has received high attention in recent years.However,specific information transmission mode and implementation technology need to be further studied.In this paper,we constructed a brain-to-brain information transmission system between pigeons based on the neural information decoding and electrical stimulation encoding technologies.Our system consists of three parts:(1)the“perception pigeon”learns to distinguish different visual stimuli with two discrepant frequencies,(2)the computer decodes the stimuli based on the neural signals recorded from the“perception pigeon”through a frequency identification algorithm(neural information decoding)and encodes them into different kinds of electrical pulses,(3)the“action pigeon”receives the Intracortical Microstimulation(ICMS)and executes corresponding key-pecking actions through discriminative learning(electrical stimulation encoding).The experimental results show that our brain-to-brain system achieves information transmission from perception to action between two pigeons with the average accuracy of about 72%.Our study verifies the feasibility of information transmission between inter-brain based on neural information decoding and ICMS encoding,providing important technical methods and experimental program references for the development of brain-to-brain communication technology.
基金Supported by Key Research and Development Program of Jiangsu Province(Modern Agriculture)(BE2017348)~~
文摘[Objective]This study aimed to explore the inheritance pattem of feather color in hybrid offspring of Texan pigeon and American Silver King pigeon, so as to provide a theoretical basis for the breeding of feather color auto-sexing strains. [Method]The segregation situation of feather color in the male and female offspring of Texan pigeon （♂）×American Silver King pigeon （♀）（TKYW） and American Silver King pigeon （♂） ×Texan pigeon （♀） （YWTK） was analyzed. [Result]The feather color of TKYW offspring was all slate gray. Among the offspring of YWTK, the feather color of the males was all slate gray, while the feather color of the females was all silver gray; and the ratio between different colors was 1：1 （P 〉 0.05）. The F1 generation of YWTK was subjected to selfing, and the feather color of the male and female F2 generation was analyzed. It was found that the ratio of silver gray （male） to slate gray （male） to silver gray （female） to slate gray （female） was 1：1：1：1 （P 〉 0.05）. On the basis of the above results, it could be preliminarily predicated that the feather color control genes of Texan pigeon are Z^BZB and Z^BW and those of American Silver King pigeon are Z^bZ^b and Z^bW. There is a cumulative effect on B which is dominant for b. [Conclusion] This study will better solve the problem of male and female identification of pigeon in the early period.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.30470560 and 30730041)the National Basic Research Program of China (No.2007CB512306)the Knowledge Innovation Project of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No.KSCX1-YW-R-36)
文摘Objective The macula lagena in birds is located at the apical end of the cochlea and contains many tiny otoliths. The macula lagena is innervated and has neural projections to the brainstem, but its physiological function is still unclear. It remains disputable that it is because otoliths in the lagena are rich in elements Fe and Zn that birds can obtain geomagnetic information for homing. To clarify this issue, we carried out a study to determine whether or not otoliths in the lagena of homing pigeons are richer in magnetic elements than those in the saccule and the utricle. Methods The contents of ferromagnetic elements （Fe, Co, Ni） and other metal elements in lagenal otoliths of adult homing pigeons were precisely analyzed with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry （ICP-MS） of high sensitivity, and then they were compared with those in saccular and utricular otoliths （all the contents were normalized to Ca）. Results In adult homing pigeons, the contents of ferromagnetic elements （Fe, Co, Ni） in lagenal otoliths were less than 0.7% （normalized to Ca element） and were the same order in magnitude as those in saccular and utricular otoliths. The content of Fe in lagenal otoliths was not significantly different from that in utricular otoliths and was even lower than that in saccular otoliths. The content of Co in lagenal otoliths was lower than that in saccular otoliths and higher than that in utricular otoliths. The content of Ni in lagenal otoliths was not significantly different from that in saccular otoliths and was higher than that in utricular otoliths. The contents of other metal elements Na, Mg, K, Al, Mn and Pb in lagenal otoliths were not significantly different from those in utricular and saccular otoliths. The contents of metal elements Zn, Ba and Cu in lagenal otoliths were lower than those in saccular otoliths. Conclusion The contents of magnetic elements in lagenal otoliths of homing pigeons are not much higher than those in utricular and saccular otoliths, which does not support the hypothesis that birds depend on high contents of Fe and Zn in lagenal otoliths for sensation of geomagnetic information. Similarities in morphology, element ingredient and element content between lagenal otoliths and utricular otoliths suggest that the two types of otolithic organs may play similar roles in sensing gravitational and acceleration signals.
基金funded by the Henan Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Brain-Computer Interface Technology(grant no.HNBBL17004)The reviewers are thanked for their helpful advice.
文摘Animal robots have outstanding advantages over traditional robots in their own energy supplies,orientation,and natural concealment,delivering significant value in the theories and applications of neural science,national security,and other fields.Presently,many animal robots have been fabricated,but researches about the applications of avian robots are still lacking.In this study,we constructed a Pigeon Robot System(PRS),optimized the electric stimulation parameters,assessed the electric stimulus of navigation,and evaluated the navigation efficiency in the field.Biphasic pulse constant current pattern was adapted,and the optimal stimulus parameters of 4 nuclei tested were of amplitude 0.3 mA,5 pulse trains,frequency 25 Hz,5 pulses,and a 25%duty cycle.Effective ratio of left and right steering behavior response to electric stimulus dorsointermedius ventralis anterior nuclei was 67%and 83%,respectively(mean value 75%).Electrical stimulation efficiency was 0.34-0.68 and path efficiency was 0.72-0.85 among pigeon robot individuals in the open field.Neither electrical stimulation efficiency nor path efficiency differed significantly(P>0.05),suggesting that the navigational PRS performance was not biased in either direction.PRS can achieve continuous navigation along simple pathways and provide the necessary application infrastructure and technical reference for the development of animal robot navigation technology.
文摘A pigeon robot is an ideal experimental animal for research in flying animal robots.The majority of current research publications have entailed electrical stimulation of the motor nuclei to regulate movement forcibly,and although a“virtual fear”behavior model has been proposed,the structure,location,and function of the nuclei that generate fear emotions remain obscure.Previous studies have shown that the Stratum Griseum Periventriculare(SGP)of pigeons is homologous to the mammalian periaqueductal gray(PAG),which plays an essential role in mammalian fear.To reveal the role of fear mediated by the SGP in behavioral regulation,we evaluated the structure and location of the SGP by histologic identification combined with magnetic resonance imaging,and analyzed the behavior of the SGP by electrical stimulation.Finally,the function of the SGP was verified with escape testing and homing experiments in an open field.Our results showed that the SGP is located in the pigeon midbrain and divided into two subregions,the dorsal part of the stratum griseum periventriculare(SGPd)and the ventral part of the stratum griseum periventriculare(SGPv)(the ranges were AP1.5–4.75 mm,ML1.75–6.75 mm,and DV2.2–7.1 mm),and that wired and wireless electrical stimulation freezing was the dominant behavior.In the escape test,SGP electrical stimulation caused the pigeons to flee to a safe place,while in the open-field homing test,electrical stimulation of the SGP induced evasive behavior in pigeons away from their original homing route.These results confirm that the SGP plays a crucial role in fear,and that electrical stimulation of this nucleus induces corresponding fear behaviors.
基金financially supported by the Monitoring and Surveillance Center for Zoonotic Diseases in Wildlife and Exotic Animals.Faculty of Veterinary Science.Mahidol University
文摘Objective:To detect and characterize Chlamydophila psittaci(C.psittaci) in asymptomatic feral pigeons in central Thailand.Methods:A total 814 swabs from the trachea and cloacae of 407non-clinical feral pigeons in central Thailand were collected and tested for the presence of C.psittaci.Results:A 10.8%of feral pigeons in the sample group were positive as determined by nested PCR primer specific to C.psittaci.The outer membrane protein A(orupA) gene of positive samples exhibited amino acid identity of C.psittaci ranging from 71 to 100%and were grouped in genotype B.Exceptionally,BF1676-56 isolate was closely related to Chlamydia avium with99%identification of the I6 S ribosomal(r) RNA gene.Conclusions:This is the first report on C.psittaci isolated from asymptomatic feral pigeons in Thailand,which provides knowledge for the disease status in pigeon populations in Thailand.
文摘A closed-loop teleprompter system was used to isolate and manipulate social interactivity in thenatural courtship interactions of pigeons Columbia livia. In Experiment 1, a live face-to-face real-time interaction between 2 courting pigeons （Live） was compared to a played back version of thevideo stimulus recorded during the pairs Live interaction. We found that pigeons were behavinginteractively; their behavior depended on the relationships between their own signals and those oftheir partner. In Experiment 2, we tested whether social interactivity relies on spatial cues presentin the facing direction of a partner＇s display. By moving the teleprompter camera 90~ away from itsoriginal location, the partner＇s display was manipulated to appear as if it is directed 90~ away fromthe subject. We found no effect of spatial offset on the pigeon＇s behavioral response. In Experiment3, 3 time delays, 1 s, 3s, and 9s, a Live condition, and a playback condition were chosen to investi-gate the importance of temporal contiguity in social interactivity. Furthermore, both opposite-sex（courtship） and same-sex （rivalry） pairs were studied to investigate whether social-context affectssocial interactivity sensitivity. Our results showed that pigeon courtship behavior is sensitive totemporal contiguity. Behavior declined in the 9 s and Playback conditions as compared to Live con-dition and the shorter time delays. For males only, courtship behavior also increased in the 3-sdelay condition. The effect of social interactivity and time delay was not observed in rivalry inter-actions, suggesting that social interactivity may be specific to courtship.
基金This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.52070171 and 52030003)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(Grant No.2022M710138).
文摘In this study,waste pigeon guano(PG)was re-utilized as an ideal biomass adulterant to improve the photocatalytic activity of the pristine graphitic carbon nitride(g-C_(3)N_(4)).Waste PG and melamine were employed as precursors to fabricate a novel porous multielement-doped g-C_(3)N_(4)(CN-PG-S)nanosheets photocatalyst via in situ thermal polycondensation coupled with thermal exfoliation strategy.The CN-PG-S owned abundant uniformly porous structures,superior conductivity,and excellent photocatalytic abilities,resulting in highly-efficient H_(2)-production(1950μmol g^(–1) h^(–1))and Cr(Ⅵ)reduction(99.1%)un-der visible light,which increased by 22.9-folds and 5.3-folds more than that of pristine g-C_(3)N_(4).The non-metallic(P,S,and O)and metallic elements in CN-PG-S played a crucial role in expanding the visible-light absorption range and promoting the separation-migration of photogenerated electron-hole pairs.And the uniformly porous nanosheet structure of CN-PG-S shortens the diffusion paths of photogenerated carri-ers and exposes more active sites for photocatalytic reactions.This study proposed an eco-friendly re-sources integration strategy of waste PG to prepare excellent CN-PG-S photocatalysts for highly-efficient H_(2)-production and Cr(VI)reduction.
基金Support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.31402186 and 31302086)the Pearl River Science and Technology New Star Project(Grant No.2012J2200059 and 2014J2200096)+1 种基金the Dean Foundation of Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences(Grant No.201413)the Science and Technology Plan Projects of Guangdong Province(Grant No.2015A020209075,2013B031500005,2014B070706011 and 2013B060400037)
文摘[Objective] This study aimed to make a survey of domestic pigeons for infection with Eimeria species of coccidia was conducted in Guangdong Province, southern China. [Method] A total of 244 fecal samples(102 from Huizhou, 83 from Jiangmen, 35 from Chaozhou and 24 from Guangzhou, respectively) in four pigeon breeding farms between June 2012 and March2013 were collected and examined microscopically. [Results] Eimeria oocysts were seen in 223(91.4%) fecal samples, with three species, namely E. labbeana, E.columbae and E. kapotei. E. labbeana was the most common species in Guangdong provinces with an overall prevalence of 91.4%, while a slightly lower incidence of E. columbae and E. kapotei species was detected with11.1% and 6.6%, representatively. The prevalence in different months varied ranging from 83.3% to 91.7%, with the highest prevalence in summer. Nestling groups showed obviously high infection than adult pigeons. [Conclusion] The present survey indicated the wide and severe prevalence of Eimeria infection in Guangdong domestic pigeons, which suggested that integrated measures should be taken to control and prevent coccidiosis of pigeons in this province.
基金Project supported by the Spark Program of Guangdong,China(No.2012A020603012)
文摘The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between gene expression of nutrient（amino acid, peptide, sodium and proton） transporters in the small intestine and embryonic growth in domestic pigeons（Columba livia）. One hundred and twenty-five fertilized eggs were randomly assigned into five groups and were incubated under optimal conditions（temperature of 38.1 °C and relative humidity of 55%）. Twenty embryos/birds from each group were sacrificed by cervical dislocation on embryonic day（E） 9, 11, 13, 15 and day of hatch（DOH）. The eggs, embryos（without yolk sac）, and organs（head, brain, heart, liver, lungs, kidney, gizzard, small intestine, legs, and thorax） were dissected, cleaned, and weighed. Small intestine samples were collected for RNA isolation. The m RNA abundance of intestinal nutrient transporters was evaluated by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction（RT-PCR）. We classified these ten organs into four types according to the changes in relative weight during embryonic development. In addition, the gene expression of nutrient transporters was differentially regulated by embryonic day. The m RNA abundances of b^0,＋AT, EAAT3, y^＋LAT2, Pep T1, LAT4, NHE2, and NHE3 increased linearly with age, whereas m RNA abundances of CAT1, CAT2, LAT1, EAAT2, SNAT1, and SNAT2 were increased to higher levels on E9 or E11 and then decreased to lower levels until DOH. The results of correlation analysis showed that the gene expressions of b^0,＋AT, EAAT3, Pep T1, LAT4, NHE2, NHE3, and y^＋LAT2 had positive correlations with body weight（0.71〈correlation coefficient（CC）〈0.82, P〈0.0001）, while CAT1, CAT2, EAAT2, SNAT1, and SNAT2 had negative correlations with body weight（-0.86〈CC〈-0.64, P〈0.0001）. The gene expressions of b^0,＋AT, EAAT3, LAT4, Pep T1, NHE2, NHE3, and y^＋LAT2 showed positive correlations with intestinal weight（0.80〈CC〈0.91, P〈0.0001）, while CAT1, CAT2, and EAAT2 showed negative correlations with intestinal weight（-0.84〈CC〈-0.67, P〈0.0001）. It was concluded that the differences between growth trajectories of organs and gene expression of nutrient transporters in small intestine were due to their functional and physiological properties, which provided a comprehensive study of amino acid and peptide transporter m RNA in the small intestine during embryonic growth of pigeons.
基金supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 62003146in part by the Key Scientific Research Projects of Colleges and Universities in Henan Province under Grant 21A413004+1 种基金in part by the Major Commission Project of Industrial Innovation and Development Research in Zhumadian City under Grant 2020ZDWT08in part Young Teacher Foundation of Huanghuai University.
文摘Stereotaxic instrument is an indispensable tool for numerous types of neuroscience studies and is routinely performed in neuroscience laboratories as part of a variety of experimental procedures.Due to the development of robotics and automation,the stereotaxic instrument for rodents has made great progress,while it is relatively backward and scarce for birds.A digital stereotaxic instrument for pigeons(Columba livia),a classic animal model for learning,memory and cognition,was developed in this study.Its performance was verified from three aspects including stereotaxic accuracy,stereotaxic stability and stereotaxic reproducibility.The developed stereotaxic instrument has the following characteristics:(1)a digital positioning system was used,which is characterized by high stereotaxic accuracy;(2)a novel head-fixation system was developed to increase the adaptability of head-fixation;(3)a four-point fixation method was suggested,improving the stability of head-fixation;(4)the stereotaxic instrument has strong versatility,which can be suitable for a wide variety of birds.Moreover,the proposed stereotaxic instrument has better positioning accuracy and stability,which will promote the study of neural mechanisms for pigeons.
基金USDA-ISTC partner project(K-747p,Institute of Microbiology and Virology funding,and USDA CRIS(6612-32000-038-00D)
文摘Isolates of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) from deceased wild and domestic pigeons in Kazakhstan were obtained from the Almaty region during 2005 and were genotypically analyzed by using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with primers specific to the viral fusion (F) protein gene. Part of the amplified F protein DNA product (nucleotide sequence 47-422) and the deduced amino acid sequences were compared phylogenetically with those from strains previously reported in other geographic regions. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the Kazakhstanian pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 (PPMV-1) isolates belong to genotype VI or 4bii. To our knowledge, this is the first reported VI isolates that possess the sequences of 112 GKRQKR116* F117 within the F0 protein. The information is fundamental to improving the efficiency of control strategies and vaccine development for NDV.
文摘Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase has been purified from pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) seeds and subjected to characterization. The enzyme was purified 123.69 fold with a yield of 21.37% by ammonium sulphate fractionation, PEG-4000 precipitation, CM cellulose column chromatography and DEAE cellulose column chromatography. The catalytically active enzyme is a dimer of 113 KDa with a subunit molecular weight of 55 KDa. Thermal inactivation of enzyme follows first order kinetics at 30°C and 40°C with half life of 6 and 1.5 min respectively. Km value for glucose-6-phosphate and NADP+ was found to be 2.68 mM and 0.75 mM respectively whereas Vmax value was found to be 0.11 U/mL and 0.13 U/mL respectively. The enzyme shows more affinity towards NADP+ than glucose-6-phosphate. The pKa value was found to be 10.41 indicating that the amino acid residue at active site might be lysine. The enzyme exhibited maximum catalytic activity at pH 8.2. The enzyme was found to be highly thermosensitive with gradual loss of activity above 30°C temperature.
文摘Objective;To determine the presence of zoonotic tick-borne bacteria in feral pigeons(Columba lixia domestica) from urban areas.Methods:Spleen samples from 84 feral pigeons,found dead with traumatic injuries in urban areas,were examined by PCR to detect DNA of Anaplasma phagocytophilum,Bartonella spp.,Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato.Coxiella burnetii.Rickettsia spp.,and Chlamydnphila spp.Results:Twenty(23.8%) pigeons were infected by tick-borne agents,in particular 2(2.38%) animals resulted positive for Bartonella spp.,5(5.95%) for Coxiella burnetii.5(5.95%) for Rickettsia spp.,13(15.47%) for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato.All birds scored negative for anaplasma phagocytophilum.Moreover,17(20.23%) pigeons were positive for Chlamydophila spp.and among them 10(11.9%) for Chlamydophila psittaci,Mixed infections by two or three agents were detected in 8(9.52%) animals.Conclusions:Feral pigeons living in urban and periurban areas are a hazard for the human health as source of several pathogens.The obtained results confirm pigeons as reservoirs of chlamydial agents and suggest that they may be involved in the epidemiology of zoonotic tick-borne infections too.
文摘The study was carried out on the impact assessment of the form and nature of the different nitrogen sources used in culture on growth and nodulation of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp) during 3 months of observation on sandy soil of Mount Amba (at the University of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo). Height and collar diameter growth, underground and total biomass dry weight, number and dry pea nodules and nodulation index have been evaluated at 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks of growth to assess the response of the legume to mineral nitrogen and organic nitrogen from chickens manure and pig feces. After observations, it appears that all the treatments soil showed different effects on growth and nodulation of pigeon pea. Therefore, only the soil received 1 kg of pig feces stimulated (p ≤ 0.05) the development of pigeon pea which resulted in good growth (nodulation 116.8 nodules and nodulation index of 5.0) and biomass production (25.3 gr per plant) while the addition of chicken manure, whatever the dose, reduced them.
文摘This study investigated effects of post-training treatment with phaclofen, GABAB receptor antagonist, on the memory of food location and on the expression of Synapsin I in the hippocampus of pigeons. Pigeons were trained in food location (7 sessions) and underwent post-training treatment with phaclofen (0.3 mg/kg, i.p.;PHAC), saline (SAL) or non-treated (NTR). Testing for memory persistence occurred 7 days after the last training session (PHACR, SALR and NTRR Groups). Pigeons treated with phaclofen had lower latency and higher correct choice values than saline and non-treated controls (p < 0.05). Analysis of hippocampus tissue indicated that Synapsin I-positive cell counts were higher in pigeons treated with phaclofen than in saline and non-treated controls (p < 0.05). Data indicated enhancement of consolidation and persistence of food location memory, and up-regulation of Synapsin I expression in the hippocampus of pigeons, which were related with post-training blockade of GABAB receptors.
