Cervical swabs and serum samples were taken from Swiss herds of sows with high rates of irregular return to oestrus (group A) and from control herds without reproductive problems (group B. The genital tracts of 21 slaughtered sows of group A were also examined. The swabs and genital tracts were screened for Chlamydiae by a new 16S rRNA PCR and the sera by an ELISA for Chlamydiaceae lipopolysaccharide. Chlamydophila (Cp) abortus was isolated from seven of the 65 swabs taken from group A but from none of the 128 swabs taken from group B. Chlamydia suis was present in swabs from both groups A (1.5 per cent) and B (2.3 per cent). In addition, Cp abortus was detected in 33.3 per cent of the genital tracts. Of the 193 sera tested, 61.7 per cent were positive, with no significant difference between group A (52.3 per cent) and group B (66.4 per cent). Chlamydia-like organisms were detected in 28.2 per cent of the swabs from group A and in 22 per cent of those from group B.

Declining female fertility has become a global health concern. It results partially from an abnormal circadian clock caused by unhealthy diet and sleep habits in modern life. The circadian clock system is a hierarchical network consisting of central and peripheral clocks. It not only controls the sleep-wake and feeding-fasting cycles but also coordinates and maintains the required reproductive activities in the body. Physiologically, the reproductive processes are governed by the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis in a time-dependent manner. The HPG axis releases hormones, generates female characteristics, and achieves fertility. Conversely, an abnormal daily rhythm caused by aberrant clock genes or abnormal environmental stimuli contributes to disorders of the female reproductive system, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). Therefore, breaking the "time code" of the female reproductive system is crucial. In this paper, we review the interplay between circadian clocks and the female reproductive system and present its regulatory principles, moving from normal physiology regulation to disease etiology.

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As a lead-free thermoelectric material, SnTe is inhibited by its inherent high carrier concentration and high thermal conductivity. This work describes the synergistic effect on the modulation of band structure and microstructural defects of SnTe by Ag and Y codoping, which gives rise to band convergence and multiple microstructural defects (secondary phases, dislocations, and boundaries) in the matrix and endows Sn0.94Ag0.09Y0.05Te with an increased power factor of ∼2485 μW m–1 K–2, an extremely low lattice thermal conductivity of ∼0.61 W m–1 K–1, and a peak zT as high as ∼1.2 at 873 K. This work reveals that the combination of Ag and Y could play a role in the synergistic optimization of electronic and phonon transport properties of SnTe by modifying the band structure and microstructures, providing guidance for enhancing the thermoelectric performance of the relevant materials.