Whole genome sequence analysis to detect signatures of positive selection for high fecundity in sheep

Ovulation rate and prolificacy are the most important reproductive traits that have major impact on the efficiency of lamb meat production. Here, we compared the whole genomes of the Romanov sheep, known as one of the high prolific breeds, and four other sheep breeds namely Assaf, Awassi, Cambridge and British du cher, to identify genetic mechanisms underlying prolificacy in sheep. Selection signature analysis revealed 637 and 477 protein‐coding genes under positive selection from F_ST and nucleotide diversity (Pi) statistics, respectively. Further analysis showed that several candidate genes including LEPR, PDGFRL and KLF5 genes are involved in sheep prolificacy. The identified candidate genes in the selected regions are novel and provide new insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying prolificacy in sheep and can be useful in sheep breeding programmes to develop improved breeds for high reproductive efficiency.     

Length of lags in responses of milk yield and somatic cell score on test day to heat stress in Holsteins

We used daily records from provincial Japanese weather stations and monthly test‐day records of milk production to investigate the length of the lags in the responses of cows’ milk yield and somatic cell score (SCS) to heat stress (HS). We also investigated the HS thresholds in milk yield and SCS. Data were a total of 17,245,709 test‐day records for milk and SCS in Holstein cows that had calved for the first time between 2000 and 2015, along with weather records from 60 weather stations. Temperature–humidity index (THI) values were estimated by using average daily temperature and average daily relative humidity. Adjusted THI values were calculated by using temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation. The model contained herd, calving year, month of test day, age group, days in milk, and THI as a fixed effect. THIs for each day from 14 days before the test day until the test day were used to represent the HS effects. The HS occurring 3 days, and between 8 and 10 days, before the test day had the greatest effect on the milk yield and SCS, respectively. The threshold THI values for the HS effect were about 60–65 for both traits.     

伊维菌素微乳无菌检查方法学的研究

本试验旨在对伊维菌素微乳制剂进行无菌检查方法学验证和无菌检查试验,确认本试验所用的方法适用于该制剂的无菌检查。按《中国兽药典》2005版一部(附录118)所载"无菌检查法"项下进行试验,通过对阳性对照菌、不同量冲洗液等条件的选择,采用薄膜过滤法对10瓶供试品(每种试验菌的样品量)进行检测,建立了无菌检查方法。经方法验证,用400mL 0.1%蛋白胨水溶液冲洗后,含供试品容器中的7个阳性菌试验组与阳性菌对照组相比均生长良好,说明供试品的该检验量在该检验条件下无抑菌作用或其抑菌作用可以忽略不计,可以用该方法进行供试品的无菌检查。对3批供试品进行无菌检查,阳性对照菌均在24h内生长良好,阴性对照均澄清,无菌生长,3批供试品均澄清,无菌生长,无菌检查试验结果符合规定。     

Serological evidence for exposure to bovine viral diarrhoea virus in sheep co-grazed with beef cattle in New Zealand

ABSTRACT

Aims: To determine whether sheep that co-grazed with cattle that were suspected to be positive for bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) virus had serological evidence of exposure to the virus.

Methods: Eighteen commercial farms that routinely co-grazed cattle and sheep in the same paddocks were recruited through purposive sampling. The recruiting veterinarians identified nine farms with cattle herds that were known or highly suspected to be positive for BVD and nine farms that were considered to be free of BVD. Blood samples were taken from 15 ewes aged 1 year on each farm and samples were submitted to a commercial diagnostic laboratory to test for antibodies against pestiviruses using an ELISA. All samples that were positive were then tested using a virus neutralisation test (VNT)for antibodies against BVD virus.

Results: Of the 270 blood samples, 17 were positive for pestivirus antibodies by ELISA and these originated from two farms that were known or suspected to have BVD virus-positive cattle. None of the samples from the nine flocks co-grazed with cattle herds that were known or suspected to be BVD virus-negative were positive for pestivirus antibodies. Within the two positive farms, 2/15 samples from the first farm and 15/15 samples from the second farm were antibody-positive. When the 17 positive blood samples were submitted for VNT, all 15 samples from the second farm tested positive for BVD virus antibodies with the highest titre being 1:512.

Conclusions and clinical relevance: In this small sample of New Zealand sheep and beef farms with suspected BVD infection in cattle, there was evidence of pestivirus exposure in co-grazed sheep. Although we were unable to confirm the origin of the exposure in these sheep, these findings highlight that farmers who are trying to eradicate BVD from their cattle should be mindful that the infection may also be circulating in sheep, and both populations should be considered a possible risk to each other for generating transient and persistent infections. Further work is needed to estimate the true prevalence of New Zealand sheep flocks that are affected by BVD and the associated economic impacts.     

海南不同地区香蕉假茎象甲对几种杀虫剂的敏感性测定

采用虫体浸渍法,测定了海南澄迈和儋州两地的香蕉假茎象甲成虫对480克/升毒死蜱EC、77.5%敌敌畏EC、40%辛硫磷EC、40%丙溴磷EC、25%丙溴?辛硫磷EC、20%三唑磷EC等6种杀虫剂对的敏感性。结果表明,6种药剂对澄迈和儋州两地区的香蕉假茎象甲的毒力大小顺序相同,毒死蜱＞丙溴?辛硫磷＞丙溴磷＞三唑磷＞敌敌畏＞辛硫磷;儋州地区的香蕉假茎象甲对6种药剂的敏感性均高于澄迈地区。     

原料乳中尿素掺假快速检测方法的研究

针对目前市场上出现的原料奶中掺尿素的现状，研究了一种方法可以快速检测掺假乳中的尿素，利用简单的试纸即可检测出乳中尿素。本文研究了试纸的制作工艺，以及试纸的干扰性。结论：原料奶中Ca、Zn和Cu到了一定浓度会影响试纸显色，其余金属影响不大。     

沛县鸭传染性浆膜炎的病原分离鉴定及药敏试验

收集沛县具有典型鸭传染性浆膜炎症状的34份病死鸭进行细菌的分离培养。总共得到18株疑似鸭疫里默氏杆菌（RA）,从中随机选取10株RA进行生化鉴定及动物回归试验,经确认后使用本地区常见的抗菌药进行了纸片法药敏试验,结果发现RA分离菌株对头孢噻肟、氧氟沙星、阿莫西林＋棒酸等药物敏感度较好,对氟苯尼考、丁胺卡那、阿奇霉素等药物敏感度很低。研究结果为该地区鸭传染性浆膜炎的药物防治提供了很好的理论依据。     

玉米种子培养皿法发芽试验误差分析

培养皿法是玉米种子发芽试验常采用快捷方便的方法,但此方法的发芽率比较低、变异系数较大,不能反映种子本来固有的发芽水平。对此,笔者进行了培养皿法发芽试验的研究,结果表明,在培养皿内种胚向下是造成发芽率低和变异系数大的原因,若将种胚全部向上置放,就能减少发芽率的误差,体现出玉米种子的正常发芽水平。