Mites and ticks (Acari) in Shanxi Province, China: an annotated checklist.

This paper reviews the research on mites and ticks in Shanxi Province before 1 January 2015. We provided a checklist of 189 species belonging to 4 orders-Ixodida: 24 species in 2 families and 9 genera; Mesostigmata: 74 species in 12 families and 34 genera; Sarcoptiformes: 17 species in 10 families and 14 genera and Trombidiformes: 74 species in 15 families and 47 genera. Information on the host/habitat and distribution is given for each species. Historical mistakes in records are corrected and the classification of the known species is updated.

Research on the practical parameters of sex pheromone traps for the oriental fruit moth.

BACKGROUND: The oriental fruit moth (OFM) is a worldwide fruit-boring insect pest. In China, OFM monitoring traps use a sex pheromone lure, but their overall design is varied. As such, there is a critical need to develop a standardised OFM trap design. In this field study, ten different trap shapes in varying combinations of colours and sizes (such as trap length and surface area) were examined. RESULTS: The results showed that there was no significant difference in the trapping efficiency between eight colours. The ship-shaped trap could kill more OFM in a short period, whereas the automatic watering basin trap could be more effective in the long run. The optimal trapping diameter of the basin trap was 25 cm. The trapping efficiency of triangle traps with diameters of less than 10 cm was better than that of triangle traps with diameters of over 30 cm. The trapping number of pasteboard traps obviously declined when the surface area increased, and the pasteboard trap with a single board possessed excellent trapping efficiency. CONCLUSION: The results provide useful information for the design of standardised sex pheromone traps for monitoring as well as trapping of OFM in the field.

Effects of alpha-tocopheryl acetate supplementation in preslaughter diet on antioxidant enzyme activities and fillet quality of commercial-size Sparus macrocephalus / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

This study examined the effects of dietary alpha-tocopheryl acetate supplementation on antioxidant enzyme activities and fillet quality in commercial-size Sparus macrocephalus. Three hundred fish [main initial weight (350+/-12) g] were divided into three groups (E250, E500 and E1000) and reared in 9 cages. The fish were fed for 8 weeks with three diets containing different levels of dietary alpha-tocopheryl acetate (289, 553, 1 069 mg/kg). Over the experimental period, fish were fed to satiation and reached a final mean weight of (465+/-28) g without significant body weight difference and proximate composition difference. Fillet alpha-tocopherol was significantly (P<0.05) different between groups, reaching levels of 14.2, 22.1, 30.9 microg/mg fillet for groups E250, E500 and E1000, respectively. Total serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity increased significantly (P<0.05) in fish fed the diets high in alpha-tocopheryl acetate, but serum glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity was unaffected. In storage on ice, fillets of fish fed the diets high in alpha-tocopheryl acetate exhibited significantly lower (P<0.05) levels of oxidation. These results suggested that increased dietary alpha-tocopheryl acetate could increase its flesh deposition, increase the activity of SOD and prevent lipid peroxidation of Sparus macrocephalus fillets in retail storage on ice.

Influence of fasting on muscle composition and antioxidant defenses of market-size Sparus macrocephalus / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

The study was conducted to investigate fasting effects on flesh composition and antioxidant defenses of market-size Sparus macrocephalus. Two hundred fish (main initial weight 580 g) were divided into two groups (control and fasted) and reared in 6 cages. After two weeks of adaptation, group I fasted for 28 d; group II was fed normally as a control. In 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28 d, 6 fish per group were sampled for proximate flesh composition, liver antioxidant enzyme activities and malondialdehyde flesh content analyses. In fasted fish, the reduction of lipid content in muscle occurred after day 3, and, compared to controls, the content of protein decreased from day 14, the activities of liver antioxidative enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) increased from day 3, and flesh malondialdehyde levels increased from day 21. Flesh fat reduction shows that fasting may be used as a technique to reduce flesh lipid content in Sparus macrocephalus. However, considering flesh protein loss and the subsequent oxidative stress, the fasting technique should be used with precautions.

[Effect of pricking blood therapy at Ashi points on peripheral pain mediums in the acute gouty arthritis rat].

OBJECTIVE: To study the analgesic mechanism of pricking blood therapy at Ashi points in the acute gouty arthritis rat. METHODS: Forty rats were randomly divided into a blank group, a model group, an indomethacin group and a pricking blood group. Except the blank group, other groups were injected with sodium urate liquor into the ankle cavity to develop the acute gouty arthritis rat model, and the indomethacin group received gastric perfusion of indomethacin, and the pricking blood group were treated with pricking blood therapy at Ashi points. The peripheral pain mediums K+, NE, DA, (5-HT contents were determined. RESULTS: The K+, DA, 5-HT contents in the pricking blood group decreased significantly as compared with the model group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05); there was no significant difference in the content of NE between the pricking blood group and the model group. CONCLUSION: Pricking blood at Ashi points can effectively inhibit release of the peripheral pain mediums K+, DA and 5-HT.

Effects of dietary supplementation with clostridium butyricum on the growth performance and humoral immune response in Miichthys miiuy / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

The effects of dietary supplementation with Clostridium butyricum on growth performance and humoral immune response in Miichthys miiuy were evaluated. One hundred and fifty Miichthys miiuy weighing approximately 200-260 g were divided into five groups and reared in 15 tanks with closed circuiting culture system. The animals were fed 5 diets: basal diet only (control) or supplemented of the basal diet with C. butyricum at doses of 10(3) (CB1), 10(5) (CB2), 10(7) (CB3) or 10(9) (CB4) CFU/g. Compared with the control, the serum phenoloxidase activity was significantly increased by the supplementation (P<0.05), acid phosphatases activity was increased significantly (P<0.05) at the doses of 10(9) CFU/g. Serum lysozyme activity peaked at dose of 10(7) CFU/g and in the skin mucus at dose of 10(9) CFU/g. Immunoglobulin M level in the serum and skin mucus was increased except at dose of 10(3) CFU/g (P<0.05). The growth at the dose of 10(9) CFU/g was higher than that of the control (P<0.05). It is concluded that supplementation of C. butyricum can mediate the humoral immune responses and improve the growth performance in Miichthys miiuy.

Effects of the dietary supplementation with fructooligosaccharides on the excretion of nitrogen and phosphorus in Miichthys miiuy fries / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Effects of dietary supplementation with fructooligosaccharides on the excretion of nitrogen and phosphorus in Miichthys miiuy fries were investigated. Nine hundred Miichthys miiuy fries were divided into 3 groups, each with triplicates. The basal diet and the basal diet supplemented with carnitine groups were considered as the negative and positive controls respectively. Results showed that the nitrogen concentration in excreted feces decreased significantly in fries fed the diet supplementation with 1000 x 10(-6) fructooligosaccharides and 200 x 10(-6) carnitine (P<0.05). The ammonic-nitrogen concentration decreased significantly in the carnitine group only (P<0.05), indicating the decreasing tendency caused by the supplementation with fructooligosaccharides. Supplementation with both did not have significant effects on the concentration of phosphorus in feces of Miichthys miiuy fries.