Serological Investigation of Swine Reproductive Failure Diseases in Some Large-Scale Pig Farms in Henan Province

[ Objective] To investigate the prevalence situation of swine reproductive failure diseases in Henan Province and provide reference for the immunization and prevention of swine reproductive failure diseases. [ Method] Between May 2009 and April 2010, all serum samples from the Henan Agriculture University, Animal Disease Detection and Diagnosis Center were detected, including 6 825 serum samples for detecting classical swine fever （CSF） antibody, 2 609 for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome （PRRS） antibody, 1 177 for pseudorabies rabies virus gE （PRV） antibody, 123 for porcine parvovirus （PPV） antibody and 53 for chlamydiosis antibody. [ Result] The antibody positive rates of sere for de- tecting above five diseases were 63.28%, 61.44%, 25.49%, 39.84% and 5.66%, respectively. [ Conclusion] The immunization and prevention of CSF, PRRS, PPV and PR in Henan Province needs to be strengthened urgently, and the chlamvdiosis has been effectively controlled.

Current updates on laboratory techniques for the diagnosis of male reproductive failure

The incidence of male reproductive failure leading to infertility, whether due to delayed parenthood, environmental issues, genetic factors, drugs, etc., is increasing throughout the world. The diagnosis and prognosis of male subfertility have become a challenge. While the basic semen assessment has been performed for many years, a number of studies question the value of the traditional semen characteristics. This is partly due to inadequate methods and standardization, limited knowledge of technical requirements for quality assurance, and an incomplete understanding of what clinical information a semen assessment can provide. Laboratories currently performing semen and endocrine assessment show great variability. The World Health Organization （WHO） manual for the evaluation of semen has been the core of andrology and fertility evaluation that has helped in further development of this field over many years. These include the physical appearance of the ejaculate, assessments of sperm count, motility, vitality, morphology, and functional aspects of the sperm and semen sample. These tests also include male endocrine profile, biochemical evaluation of the semen, detection of antisperm antibodies in serum, the use of computer-aided sperm analysis （CASA）, sperm DNA integrity, and its damage due to oxidative stress. Assisted reproductive techniques （e.g., IVF, ICSI） have shown great success but are too expensive. Further development in this field with newer techniques and extensive training/instructions can improve accuracy and reduce variability, thus maintaining the quality and standards of such an evaluation. There is an urgent need to have standardized training centers and increased awareness in this area of men＇s health for reproductive success.

Cytogenetic Study on Couples with a History of Reproductive Failure in China

Objective To investigate the incidence of chromosome abnormalities in couples with reproductive failure in China and explore the relationship between chromosome abnormalities and reproductive failure.Methods A total of 2 158 couples with reproductive failure were enrolled. Lymphocyte culture and harvest were performed according to standard methods. Karyotypes were analyzed by G-banding in all cases and C-banding or R-banding in some cases if necessary.Results Altogether 137 abnormal karyotypes were found and the chromosomal abnormality rate was 3.17%. Among them 3 were numeral abnormalities, 134 were structural aberrations including 90 cases of reciprocal translocations, 34 cases of Roertsonian translocations, 9 cases of inversions, 1 case of deletion： and 43 kinds of which were identified as the first reported karyotypes in world by the National Teaching Center of Medical Cytogenetics in Hunan, China. Totally 378 chromosome heteromorphisms were also detected and the rate was 8.76%.Conclusion Structural aberrations were the major abnormal karyotypes in couples with reproductive failure. Reciprocal and Robertsonian translocations occupied the largest proportions in structural aberrations, and a tendency that the rate of chromosome aberration increases with the times of miscarriages was presented. In addition, heteromorphism rate of chromosomes was high in such patients. Chromosome analysis is an important and necessary part of the etiological research in couples with reproductive failure.

High day and night temperatures impact on cotton yield and quality——current status and future research direction

Heat waves,and an increased number of warm days and nights,have become more prevalent in major agricultural regions of the world.Although well adapted to semi-arid regions,cotton is vulnerable to high temperatures,particularly during flowering and boll development.To maintain lint yield potential without compromising its quality under high-temperature stress,it is essential to understand the effects of heat stress on various stages of plant growth and development,and associated tolerance mechanisms.Despite ongoing efforts to gather data on the effects of heat stress on cotton growth and development,there remains a critical gap in understanding the distinct influence of high temperatures during the day and night on cotton yield and quality.Also,identifying mechanisms and target traits that induce greater high day and night temperature tolerance is essential for breeding climate-resilient cotton for future uncertain climates.To bridge these knowledge gaps,we embarked on a rigorous and comprehensive review of published literature,delving into the impact of heat stress on cotton yields and the consequential losses in fiber quality.This review encompasses information on the effects of heat stress on growth,physiological,and biochemical responses,fertilization,cotton yield,and quality.Additionally,we discuss management options for minimizing heat stress-induced damage,and the benefits of integrating conventional and genomics-assisted breeding for developing heat-tolerant cotton cultivars.Finally,future research areas that need to be addressed to develop heat-resilient cotton are proposed.

Extreme climatic events in relation to global change and their impact on life histories

Extreme weather conditions occur at an increasing rate as evidenced by higher frequency of hurricanes and more extreme precipitation and temperature anomalies. Such extreme environmental conditions will have important implications for all living organisms through greater frequency of reproductive failure and reduced adult survival. We review examples of reproductive failure and reduced survival related to extreme weather conditions. Phenotypic plasticity may not be sufficient to allow adaptation to extreme weather for many animals. Theory predicts reduced reproductive effort as a response to increased stochasticity. We predict that patterns of natural selection will change towards truncation selection as environmental conditions become more extreme. Such changes in patterns of selection may facilitate adaptation to extreme events. However, effects of selection on reproductive effort are difficult to detect. We present a number of predictions for the effects of extreme weather conditions in need of empirical tests. Finally, we suggest a number of empirical reviews that could improve our ability to judge the effects of extreme environmental conditions on life history [Current Zoology 57 （3）： 375-389, 2011].