Bovine spongiform encephalopathy: epidemiological features 1985 to 1990.

Following the identification of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the British cattle population in 1986 epidemiological studies were launched. This paper provides an updated account of the epidemiological features of BSE from 1985, when the first cases, based on clinical histories, occurred, until 1990. The number of cases up to December 1989 represents an annual incidence of 3.9 confirmed cases per 1000 adult animals in Great Britain. Many more dairy herds were affected than beef suckler herds, a difference attributable to the difference in feeding practices between the two herd types. The geographical variation in incidence previously described has persisted with the highest incidence in the south and east of England. Other features of the epidemiology, including the low within-herd incidence, remained unaltered from the earlier findings. The results support the previously suggested hypothesis that the outbreak of BSE was due to the sudden exposure of the cattle population to a scrapie-like agent in 1981/82. There was no evidence of direct transmission between cattle during the period considered.     

Ovarian follicular characteristics, embryo recovery, and embryo viability in heifers fed high-fat diets and treated with follicle-stimulating hormone.

Postpubertal beef heifers (n = 55) were used to examine the effects of high-fat diets, independently of energy intake, on nonesterified fatty acid and lipoprotein metabolic patterns, ovarian follicular dynamics, and embryo recovery/viability after FSH superstimulation. High-lipid (HL) diets (5.4% added fat) increased (P < .01) serum concentrations of cholesterol, but not of nonesterified fatty acids, during the 35-d period before FSH treatment. Development of medium-sized (5 to 9.9 mm) follicles was enhanced (P < .05) during this period in heifers fed the HL diet. The HL diet increased total cholesterol (P < .05) and progesterone (P = .14) concentrations in follicular fluid obtained at ovariectomy (n = 10) 60 h after the onset of FSH treatment, but neither estradiol-17 beta nor androstenedione was affected. Granulosa cells recovered from FSH-induced, estrogen-active follicles in heifers fed the HL diet produced greater quantities of progesterone (P = .06) and less estradiol-17 beta (P < .05) in vitro than did granulosa cells from heifers fed the normal lipid diet. Dietary treatment did not influence FSH-stimulated recruitment of medium and large follicles, number of ovulations, embryo recovery, or embryo viability. Data suggest that increments in dietary fat intake can alter specific aspects of ovarian steroidogenic potential and can increase the population of medium-sized follicles theoretically available for maturation and harvest during the estrous cycle. However, conditions that limited the latter process in the current experiment are not understood and require further investigation.     

Experimental infection of pregnant gilts with swine hepatitis E virus

To determine the effect of swine hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection on pregnant gilts, their fetuses, and offspring, 12 gilts were intravenously inoculated with swine HEV. Six gilts, who were not inoculated, served as controls. All inoculated gilts became actively infected and shed HEV in feces, but vertical transmission was not detected in the fetuses. There was no evidence of clinical disease in the gilts or their offspring. Mild multifocal lymphohistiocytic hepatitis was observed in 4 of 12 inoculated gilts. There was no significant effect of swine HEV on fetal size, fetal viability, or offspring birth weight or weight gain. The offspring acquired anti-HEV colostral antibodies but remained seronegative after the antibodies waned by 71 days of age. Swine HEV infection induced subclinical hepatitis in pregnant gilts, but had no effect on the gilts' reproductive performance, or the fetuses or offspring. Fulminant hepatitis associated with HEV infection was not reproduced in gilts.     

Flow alteration and thermal pollution depress modelled growth rates of an iconic riverine fish,the Murray cod Maccullochella peelii

The serial discontinuity concept (SDC) proposes that hypolimnetic‐releasing impoundments cause major disruptions to the naturally occurring physical, chemical and biological gradients of rivers but that this impact diminishes with distance downstream. Such a gradient in discharge, flow velocity and temperature regime occurs below a large hypolimnetic‐releasing impoundment, the Hume Dam, on the River Murray in south‐eastern Australia. To examine the effects of this disturbance gradient on a warm‐water large‐bodied freshwater fish, the Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii), a bioenergetics model was developed and calibrated to explore energy expended under differing water velocities and temperature regimes. Model simulations predicted negative growth of juveniles directly downstream of the impoundment, due largely to the energetic costs associated with active and, to a lesser extent, standard metabolism outweighing the achievable energetic gains through food consumption. As flow velocity and temperature regimes became more favourable downstream, so did the simulated growth of the species. It was not until +239 km downstream of the impoundment that the model predicted that flow velocity and temperature regimes were suitable for greater weight gains. The modelled growth responses of juvenile Murray cod are consistent with the predictions of the SDC, emphasising that changes in the bioenergetics of individuals are likely to be reflected in reduced growth rates under the changed flow velocity and temperature regimes imposed by disturbance gradients. This research represents a valuable step in the biological understanding of Murray cod within variable riverine environments and emphasises the urgency required to mitigate impacts associated with hypolimnetic impoundments.     

绵羊卵泡发育过程中关键信号通路研究进展

卵泡从原始卵泡发育为成熟卵泡，直至排卵、黄体发育等过程都受到精密的调控，产生大量的优势卵泡是绵羊产多羔及实现快速扩繁的关键因素。研究发现，相关信号通路和转录因子通过影响绵羊卵泡中卵母细胞、颗粒细胞的生长，进而调控卵泡的发育成熟，对这些信号通路进行深入了解，有助于探索卵泡发育的调控机制，早日实现绵羊高效繁育。Notch是卵泡发育过程中发挥重要作用的高度保守信号通路，PI3K/AKT/mTOR信号通路各成员都是广泛存在于细胞内的信号转导分子，在卵泡发育早期发挥了主要作用，还有间隙连接（gap junction，GJ）和跨带突触（transzonal projections，TZPs）等物理连接方式，在细胞间的交流通讯起到重要作用。作者详细介绍了Notch信号通路、PI3K/AKT/mTOR信号通路、间隙连接及跨带突触的结构功能在绵羊卵泡发育中的调控作用，为进一步探明绵羊卵泡发育的调控机制提供参考。