Genetic parameters estimates for ewes’ behavioural reactivity towards their litter after lambing

In livestock, improving maternal reactivity towards the litter is an important issue in breeding strategies to promote production and animal welfare. As of yet, no studies have investigated the within-breed genetic variation of maternal reactivity in sheep. The objective of this study was to estimate the genetic parameters of maternal reactivity traits. A total of 1,095 primiparous and 1,441 multiparous Romane ewes were phenotyped 24 hr postlambing using a behavioural test (arena test, AT) over a 10-year experimental period. The test consisted of three successive phases evaluating the ewe's attraction to her litter, reactivity to separation from her litter, and reactivity to a conflict between attraction to her litter and avoidance of a motionless human. The ewes were reared exclusively on rangelands (South of France) and lambed outdoors in the spring. High-pitched bleating and low-pitched bleating in the AT were mostly highly heritable (0.39‒0.46). Heritabilities were moderate for proximity to the litter in the presence of a human (0.27) and low for locomotion and vigilance in the AT (0.09‒0.15). The measurements of a given behaviour in the three phases of the AT were highly genetically correlated. Few genetic correlations were found between the different behavioural traits in the AT, the highest correlations being between high-pitched bleating and low-pitched bleating (−0.43 to −0.77). In conclusion, our findings demonstrate moderate-to-high heritability for maternal reactivity traits. These traits could be included in genetic selection schemes to enhance maternal attachment provided there is no unfavourable link with other production traits.     

Postprandial venous ammonia concentrations in the diagnosis of hepatobiliary disease in dogs

A postprandial ammonia tolerance test (PPATT) was performed on normal dogs and dogs with signs that suggested they may have liver disease. All dogs underwent transcolonic scintigraphy, liver biopsy, or both and were assigned to extrahepatic disease, primary hepatocellular, and congenital portosystemic vascular anomalies (PSVA) groups. Each dog was fed a chicken and rice diet providing 25% of its estimated daily metabolizable energy requirement (MER) as an ammonia challenge. This is practical in patients with liver disease because ammonium chloride administration often causes vomiting or ammonia toxicity. Venous ammonia concentrations were measured before feeding and every 2 hours after feeding for 8 hours. No difference in mean ammonia concentrations between dogs with extrahepatic disease and control dogs was found. Therefore, the specificity of the PPATT was 100%. Dogs with hepatocellular disease showed no change in mean ammonia concentration at any time point, before or after feeding, but sensitivity was greatest when venous ammonia was measured 6 hours after feeding (sensitivity before feeding, 28%, and after feeding, 36%). Among dogs with congenital PSVA, mean ammonia concentrations were higher than the reference range at all time points before and after feeding, and peak mean ammonia concentration occurred 6 hours after feeding. In this group, the sensitivity of the PPATT was 81% before feeding and 91% 6 hours after feeding. This study demonstrates that the measurement of venous ammonia concentration is a useful test to detect congenital PSVA, and the sensitivity of the test may be improved by sampling 6 hours after feeding. The PPATT has poor sensitivity in detecting primary hepatocellular disease.     

德西黄三元杂交幼牛产肉性能研究

本文对甘肃省武威市凉州区新华乡的6头德西黄三元杂交牛11-12月龄育肥牛的产肉性能进行测定。其结果：育肥期末体重、日增重、屠宰率、净肉率、胴体产肉率、肉骨比、眼肌面积分别是322.67kg、1101.85g、55.33%、45.09％、81.47％、5.09、75.9cm^2。表明该三元杂交组合的肉用性能良好，比二元杂交的西黄有明显提高。     

Prevalence of clinical findings at examinations of young Swedish warmblood riding horses

Background

Soundness of an individual horse is important for animal welfare and owner economy. However, knowledge of health status in normal horse populations is limited due to lack of systematic health recordings. The aim of the investigation was to study the prevalence of veterinary clinical findings in 4-5-year-old Swedish warmblood riding horses, and their influence on overall health scores, where associations to future longevity has been indicated.

Results

The prevalence of clinical findings in 8,281 horses examined during 1983–2005 was studied according to a standardised protocol and related to overall health scores in linear statistical models. Effects of sex, age, examination event and changes over time were included. In total, 49% of the horses had clinical findings of medical health (MED), 42% in hooves (HOOF) and 74% of palpatory orthopaedic health (PALP). However, only 6%, 3% and 24% had moderate or severe findings, of MED, HOOF and PALP, respectively. Flexion test reactions were reported in 21% of the horses (5% moderate/severe), heavily influencing the overall score (H2). One fifth of these horses also had findings of unprovoked lameness while 83% had PALP findings (44% with moderate/severe findings). Acute clinical signs, i.e. heat or soreness, had a large influence on the H2 score but were rare, whereas more common clinical findings had smaller effects on overall health. Large variations in recorded health results were observed among events. A decrease in findings has occurred since 1983, in particular for PALP findings.

Conclusions

Results of occurrence and relevance of evaluated clinical findings could be used for advice on preventive actions to keep horses sound, and possibly for benchmarking, and genetic evaluation of health traits. The distinct effect of event on recorded clinical findings emphasises that further harmonisation of veterinary examinations are desirable.     

川东鸭茅的生产试验研究

在影响川东鸭茅种子产量的诸多因素中，播种量和行距是主要因素之一。本试验采用的行距是30、60、90cm，10m^2小区的播种量分别为10、15、20g，进行2因子9处理3重复的生产试验。结果表明，组合A2B3的种子产量最高，达799g／10m^2,极显著高于其它组合。因此，建议种植川东鸭茅采用行距90cm、播种量0．67kg／667m^2。     

猪伪狂犬病油乳剂灭活疫苗的制备及安全性与免疫性试验

用本室分离鉴定的猪伪狂犬病毒鄂A经毒株接种仓鼠肾细胞（BHK－21）,制备病毒抗原液，毒价不低于10^-6TCID50/0.1ml。经一定浓度的甲醛溶液灭活后与油相佐剂乳化研制成油乳剂灭活油疫苗4批。本研究对该制品的安全性、免疫性进行了测定。对18g左右小白鼠接种0.3ml，初生仔猪、断奶仔猪及妊娠母猪加倍剂量注射，均未出现不良反应，安全性良好。对母猪的繁殖性能不产生影响。后备母猪及妊娠母清中和抗体指数于免疫后21d达到316以上，间隔35d加强免疫一次后，中和抗体指数可达1000以上。断奶仔猪及初生仔猪免疫后对强毒的攻击，保护率分别为100％及90.62％。     

苜蓿种带真菌及其致病性测定

对来自我国新疆,内蒙古,吉林,陕西,甘肃,宁夏,山东,黑龙江,山西,河北和江苏等１１个省（自治区）苜蓿产区的３０个审定登记品种的３８个苜蓿种子样品进行了系统的种带真菌检测研究;测定了２１种２５个真菌分离物对苜蓿幼苗根组织的入侵性及１９种真菌对苜蓿种子萌发和幼苗生长的影响。     

狂犬病毒中和抗体检测试验中病毒回归试验的重要性

狂犬病毒中和试验的病毒回归试验表明,病毒攻毒液的实际剂量与理论剂量不完全一致.建议在新版<中华人民共和国兽用生物制品质量标准>中增加对病毒攻毒实际剂量范围的规定,以使结果的判定更为合理.     

用大肠杆菌K99和F41菌毛抗原检测牛血清抗体的琼脂扩散试验的研究

用含２ｍｏｌ／Ｌ尿素的磷酸盐缓冲液以热处理方法提取的Ｋ９９和Ｆ４１菌毛作为抗原,对琼脂扩散试验方法进行研究。结果表明本试验方法简便,特异性强,敏感性高,可用于血清抗体检测;所制备的抗原稳定、重复性好。     

Investigation of the Effects of a Dietary Supplement on Insulin and Adipokine Concentrations in Equine Metabolic Syndrome/Insulin Dysregulation

High insulin concentrations are a common clinical feature of equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) and insulin dysregulation. Hyperinsulinemia can induce laminitis, so reduction of insulin concentrations in response to an oral challenge should decrease risk. In human studies, diets containing a polyphenol (resveratrol) led to improvements in insulin sensitivity. In rodents, the addition of leucine to a resveratrol supplement caused a decrease in the amount of resveratrol needed to achieve a clinical effect. We hypothesize a supplementation with a low dose of a synergistic polyphenol and amino acid blend including leucine (SPB+L) would improve metabolic health in EMS/insulin dysregulated horses. Fifteen EMS/ID horses received a high or low dose of SPB+ L daily for 6 weeks. Insulin during an oral sugar test (OST), body condition score, weight, baseline high-molecular-weight (HMW) adiponectin, triglycerides, nonesterified fatty acids, and tumor necrosis factor alpha were assessed before supplementation (PRE) and after supplementation (POST) via paired Student’s t-tests and a repeated-measures mixed-model analysis of variance (significant at P < .05). There were no differences between doses. Horses in the POST group weighed significantly less, had significantly higher baseline HMW adiponectin concentrations, and had significantly lower insulin concentrations at 60- and 75-minute time points (P < .05). Insulin concentrations of the horsesin the POST group, but not in the PRE group, were lower and similar to results from the study conducted three years before the present study (PRIOR) for 0- and 60-minute time points (P < .002). An increased HMW adiponectin level supports increasing insulin sensitivity after supplementation. These results suggest that SPB + L supplementation at either dose leads to improvements in the clinical manifestations of EMS/insulin dysregulation, potentially reducing laminitis risk.