Thermal features,ambient temperature and hair coat lengths: Limitations of infrared imaging in pregnant primitive breed mares within a year

Infrared thermography is a non-invasive technique which allows to distinguish between pregnant and non-pregnant animals. Detecting accurate body surface temperatures can be challenging due to external factors altering thermograph measurements. This study aimed to determine the associations between the ambient temperature, the hair coat features and the temperatures of mares' abdomens. It compared pregnant and non-pregnant mares throughout 11 months. The research was carried out on 40 Konik Polski mares, which were divided into pregnant and non-pregnant groups. The temperature (Tmax, maximal; Taver, average; Tmin, minimal) of the mares' abdomen was evaluated in two regions of interest: the whole area of the lateral surface of the mares' abdomen (Px1) and the flank area of the lateral surface of mares' abdomen (Px2). During the increasing period, the slopes in the linear regression equation did not differ significantly for ambient (Tamb) and surface temperatures in both groups. In the decreasing period, the slopes did not differ significantly for Tamb and Tmax in the non-pregnant group. They also did not differ for Tamb and Taver in Px1 and Tamb and Tmin in Px1 in both pregnant and non-pregnant groups respectively. Other slopes varied significantly (p < .001). There was no evidence of parallel changes in hair coat features and measured temperatures. The flank area appears more suitable for thermal imaging in pregnant mares due to the seasonal fluctuations in hair coat lengths.     

母貂体重体长与产仔数的多元回归分析

对94只母貂的体重(x1),体长(x2),管围(x3)与其产仔数(y)采用相关分析及多元回归分析,建立了产仔数的估测模型^y=1.666-0.005x1+0.332x2,经检验此模型的适合度,回归系数和复相关系数均差异显著(P<0.05)。模型预测效果良好,为准备配种期母貂的体况调整提供了科学的参考依据。     

Correlation between corneal sensitivity and quantity of reflex tearing in cows,horses, goats,sheep, dogs,cats, rabbits,and guinea pigs

Objective Guinea pigs have a very low threshold of corneal sensitivity and at the same time nearly no reflex tearing compared to dogs, cats, and horses. The question arose whether there is a general correlation between corneal sensitivity and the quantity of reflex tearing. Animals studied Totally 160 animals of 8 different species (20 animals per species) were investigated. Procedures The corneal touch threshold (CTT) was measured with a Cochet–Bonnet esthesiometer. The palpebral fissure length (PFL) was measured with a calliper ruler. The Schirmer tear test (STT) was modified by adapting the width of the STT strip to the PFL of every species. For the STT II, 0.4% oxybuprocaine was applied. Results Corneal touch threshold: Cows (1.67 g/mm²), horses (1.23 g/mm²), sheep (1.13 g/mm²), goats (1.44 g/mm²), dogs (2.16 g/mm²), and cats (1.33 g/mm²) show similar CTT values. In contrast, rabbits (6.21 g/mm²) and guinea pigs (7.75 g/mm²) show a significantly lower CTT. Tear Production Difference STT I ? STT II: Rabbits have the greatest decline in tear production with 38.4%, followed by sheep (33.3%), dogs (31.1%), cats (24.7%), cows (23.7%), horses (18.0%), and goats (14.0%). Guinea pigs have no decline, but a slight increase of ?16.0%. Correlation CTT and STT II ? STT I Difference: Pearson’s correlation coefficient shows a small, but significant correlation. The coefficient of determination can only forecast a value with 7.1% certainty. Conclusions The high variance and low reproducibility of results suggest that the measuring devices are inappropriate to assess the evaluated parameters. Therefore, no assured correlation between the corneal sensitivity and the quantity of reflex tearing could be found.     

Characterization of polymorphisms of transferrin receptor and their association with susceptibility to ETEC F4ab/ac in pigs

Diarrhoea caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) expressing F4 (F4ab, F4ac and F4ad) fimbriae is a significant cause of mortality and morbidity in newborn and weaned pigs. The locus controlling susceptibility towards ETEC F4ab/ac has been mapped to SSC13q41, in which TFRC (transferrin receptor) was localized and considered as a positional candidate gene for ETEC F4ab/ac receptor. In this study, we determined susceptibility/resistance to ETEC F4ab/ac in a total of 755 F2 animals from a White Duroc x Erhualian intercross using a microscopic enterocyte adhesion assay. We identified two TFRC polymorphisms (SNPs 591 A>G and 632 A>G) in a single exon after comparative sequencing analysis of 2371-bp amplicons containing the complete coding region of TFRC using RNA of eight full-sib F2 animals with susceptible and resistant phenotypes. The intron sequences flanking the two exon polymorphisms were obtained, revealing an intron polymorphism (SNP 291 C>T). We genotyped the 19 founder animals of the White Duroc x Erhualian intercross for the identified polymorphisms, showing that only the 291 C>T polymorphism is a highly informative marker. We further genotyped all 59 F1 and 755 F2 animals for the 291 C>T polymorphism, and the association of this polymorphism with susceptibility/resistance to ETEC F4ab/ac in these F2 animals was evaluated by the transmission disequilibrium test. The result showed that the 291 C>T polymorphism is not a causal mutation, however, has a significant linkage disequilibrium with the ETEC F4ab/ac, especially F4ac receptor locus.     

大白猪繁殖性状遗传参数估计及影响因素的效应分析

本研究对7 945窝大白母猪妊娠周期、总产仔数、产活仔数、健仔数、弱仔数、畸形数、死仔数、木乃伊及死胎数9个繁殖性状进行了最小二乘分析,分析了胎次、配种季节及妊娠周期分类对母猪繁殖性能的影响;并利用动物模型REML(约束最大似然)方法估计动物繁殖性状的遗传力及性状之间的遗传相关.结果表明,胎次对畸形数(P=0.2619)和木乃伊(P=0.4639)影响不显著(P >0.05),对其他7个繁殖性状影响极显著(P <0.01);配种季节对妊娠周期、产活仔数、弱仔数、木乃伊、死仔数及健仔数影响极显著(P <0.01),对畸形数(P=0.3993)影响不显著(P> 0.05),对总产仔数和死胎数影响显著(P <0.05).妊娠周期对木乃伊影响显著(P <0.05),对其他7个性状影响极显著(P <0.01).妊娠周期遗传力最高,为0.34,其他繁殖性状遗传力都低于0.2,为低遗传力性状.总产仔数与妊娠周期之间存在负遗传相关(r_g=-0.10),与产活仔数及健仔数之间存在较强的正遗传相关,遗传相关都超过0.80.妊娠周期与其他繁殖性状之间的遗传相关较小,最高的为妊娠周期与畸形数之间的遗传相关为-0.17.由此得出结论,妊娠周期属于中等遗传力性状,妊娠周期不仅受到胎次、季节等环境因素的影响,而且也受总产仔数等繁殖性状的影响,妊娠周期可作为养猪生产的间接指标.     

Milk Protein Polymorphism in Kangayam Cattle

This paper reports the milk protein polymorphism, the allele frequencies of variants and the possible linkages among various combinations of milk protein phenotypes in the Kangayam cattle of south India. Milk samples from 156 Kangayam cows were typed by starch gel and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis for caseins and whey proteins, respectively. All the four milk protein components studied, _s1-casein, -casein, -lactoglobulin and -lactalbumin, exhibited polymorphism with high allele frequencies of 0.9231±0.0151 for _s1-casein C, 0.9263±0.0148 for -casein A, 0.9135±0.0159 for -lactoglobulin B and a relatively high frequency of 0.6218±0.0275 for -lactalbumin A. The mean heterozygosity estimated over all the four milk protein loci was 0.2420. Genetic equilibrium was observed among all the loci studied, except -lactalbumin. Linkage analysis confirmed the non-independence between _s1- and -caseins and between caseins and -lactalbumin phenotypes.     

猪、犬旋毛虫DNA限制性片段长度多态性分析

以旋毛虫国际标准虫种Ｔ．ｓｐｉｄａｉｓ和Ｔ．ｎａｔｉｖａ作对照,应用ＤＮＡ限制性片段长度多态性（ＲＦＬＰ）技术对黑龙江省猪、大旋毛虫进行虫种鉴定。结果显示：猪旋虫和Ｔ．ｓｐｉｒｌａｉｓ酶切图谱相同;犬旋毛虫和Ｔ．ｎａｔｉｖａ酶谱一致,结果提示,黑龙江猪旋毛虫为Ｔｓｐｉｒａｌｉｓ,犬旋毛虫为Ｔ．ｎａｔｉｖａ。     

PCR／PFLP鉴别伉禽白血病病毒

用PCR方法从禽白血病病毒（avian leukosis virus,ALY）亚群毒株RAV－1、RAV－2感染或未感染的SPF鸡胚成纤维细胞（CEF）分别扩增出1．2kb基因手段。RAV－1囊膜基因可初BglⅡ分为2条相近的600bp片段，RAV－2囊膜基因被BamHI分为2条约600bp片段，对照组基因片段（内源性病毒）不被BglⅡ和BamHI切割。结果显示，ALV囊膜基因PCR／RFLP可用于诊断禽白血病和鉴别不同的AVL毒株。     

航天诱变紫花苜蓿第一代植株(SP1)表型变异及基因多态性分析

采用正交设计优化紫花苜蓿(Medicagosativa L.)SSR-PCR反应体系,从17对SSR引物中筛选出6对扩增产物具有稳定多态性的引物,检测第1代植株的基因多态性。结果表明:4个紫花苜蓿品种德福(Defi)、德宝(Derby)、阿尔刚金(Algonguin)、三得利(Sanditi)共检测到25个等位基因,每对引物检测出2～8个等位基因,平均为4.17个。结合植株较高、叶色较深、叶片较大、多叶4个表型突变指标,检测经过表型变异筛选的植株等位基因频率及每个位点的多态性信息量(PIC),PIC在0.2216～0.8328之间变化,平均为0.6366。分析多态基因植株与表型变异的相关性,根据检测结果初步确定了13株突变植株,为后继世代遗传变异的多代跟踪及选育奠定基础。     

微粒体甘油三酯转运蛋白研究进展

从微粒体甘油三酯转运蛋白(MTP)结构、功能、活性与多态性、脂代谢中的作用、表达与调节等方面综述了微粒体甘油三酯转运蛋白是一种重要的脂质转运蛋白,着重论述了MTP与脂代谢关系、MTP表达与调节.MTP的活性、基因表达状态是控制极低密度脂蛋白合成、装配和分泌速率的重要因素,研究MTP基因表达与调节对预防动物脂肪肝、提高畜禽生产品质,探讨人类脂类代谢性疾病和心血管疾病等重要疾病形成机制,对防治这些疾病具有重要的临床意义.