Avian mycobacteriosis in companion birds: 20-year survey

The causative agents of avian mycobacteriosis in pet birds are rarely identified. The aim of this study is to add information about the etiology of avian mycobacteriosis. The identification of mycobacterium species in 27 cases of avian mycobacteriosis in pet birds was investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing of a rRNA hypervariable region. Avian mycobacteriosis appeared to be an infrequent diagnosis. Interestingly, a few cases of avian mycobacteriosis were recorded in very young birds. The most commonly affected species were the canary (Serinus canarius), the Eurasian goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) and the red siskin (Spinus cucullatus). All but one bird were infected with Mycobacterium genavense. Mycobacterium avium was identified only in one case.     

Degradation of pyrethrin residues on stored durum wheat after postharvest treatment

In this paper, pyrethrin levels during a postharvest treatment on stored durum wheat were studied. Two experiments were carried out at single and double the dose recommended by the manufacturer. In all trials, the initial deposition of pyrethrins levels was below the fixed maximum residue level of 3 mg/kg. The fate of pyrethrins in the two experiments was similar, and the total content of pyrethrins remained unchanged for 22 days with a complete dissipation in 8 months. In the single dose experiment, half-life times of pyrethrins I and II were 46 and 72 days, while for the double dose, pyrethrins I and II were 41 and 53 days, respectively.     

Assessment of anthocyanins in grape (Vitis vinifera L.) berries using a noninvasive chlorophyll fluorescence method

Anthocyanins (Anths) in grape (Vitis vinifera L.) berries harvested at véraison from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier cultivars were assessed nondestructively by measuring chlorophyll fluorescence (ChlF) excitation spectra. With increasing Anth content, less excitation light was transmitted to the deeper Chl layers, and thus the ChlF signal decreased proportionally. By applying Beer-Lambert's law, the logarithm of the ratio between the fluorescence excitation spectra (log FER) from a green and a red berry gave the in vivo absorption spectrum of Anths, which peaked at about 540 nm. Absolute quantitative nondestructive determination of Anths for each berry was obtained by the log FER calculated for two excitation wavelengths, 540 and 635 nm (absorbed and not-absorbed by Anths, respectively) of ChlF at 685 nm. Over a range of skin colors going from green to purple, the relationship between the log [ChlF(635)/ChlF(540)] and the Anth concentration of berry extracts was fairly well fitted (r 2 = 0.92) using a power function. Reflectance spectra on the same berry samples were also measured, and Anth reflectance indices, which were originally developed for apples and table grapes, were derived. The log FER Anth index was superior to the reflectance-ratio-based index, but was as good as the color index for red grapes (CIRG) calculated from the whole visible reflectance spectrum. The proposed log FER method, applied by means of suitable portable devices, may represent a new, rapid, and noninvasive tool for the assessment of grape phenolic maturity in vineyards.     

Response of white clover genotypes to evaluation environments of dense and spaced planting, and implications for selection

Twelve genotypes were grown for two years asmonocultures in the evaluation environments (EE) ofspaced planting (SP) and dense planting (DP). Drymatter (DM) yield, seed yield and their contributingtraits were recorded. The environments were comparedfor: i) genotype performance, and selection efficiencyfor the target environment of DP, and ii) estimates ofgenetic correlations between traits. DP was obtainedby close transplanting of clonal cuttings. EE × Ginteraction occurred for DM yield over harvests, andstolon density, petiole length, inflorescenceproduction and number of florets per inflorescence averagedover repeated measurements. Interaction effectsleading to relatively higher DM yield in SP tended tobe associated positively with those for the othertraits and featured the genotypes with greater abilityto colonize bare soil by stolon production. Theinteraction effects decreased with time and generallydisappeared (p < 0.05) by the end of the experiment,when the environments reached a similar DM yield andstolon density. EE × G interaction also occurred forseed yield (p < 0.08), recorded at the second year.Indirect selection in SP for performance in DP waspredicted to be less efficient for DM yield (–40%),seed yield (–23%) and the other traits subject to EE ×G interaction, compared with direct selection in DP.Evaluation under SP led to identification of severalgenetic correlations that were not confirmed under DP.DP compared with the traditional SP evaluationtechnique is more labour-demanding but allows for i)increasing the selection efficiency and/or decreasingthe time needed for a reliable evaluation, and ii)obtaining a more reliable estimation of geneticcorrelations for ordinary agricultural environments.     

Assessing the potential of marine Natura 2000 sites to produce ecosystem‐wide effects in rocky reefs: A case study from Sardinia Island (Italy)

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Dual Targeting of PTP1B and Aldose Reductase with Marine Drug Phosphoeleganin: A Promising Strategy for Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes

An in-depth study on the inhibitory mechanism on protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) and aldose reductase (AR) enzymes, including analysis of the insulin signalling pathway, of phosphoeleganin, a marine-derived phosphorylated polyketide, was achieved. Phosphoeleganin was demonstrated to inhibit both enzymes, acting respectively as a pure non-competitive inhibitor of PTP1B and a mixed-type inhibitor of AR. In addition, in silico docking analyses to evaluate the interaction mode of phosphoeleganin with both enzymes were performed. Interestingly, this study showed that phosphoeleganin is the first example of a dual inhibitor polyketide extracted from a marine invertebrate, and it could be used as a versatile scaffold structure for the synthesis of new designed multiple ligands.     

Formulation of New Media from Dairy and Brewery Wastes for a Sustainable Production of DHA-Rich Oil by Aurantiochytrium mangrovei

Mozzarella stretching water (MSW) is a dairy effluent generated from mozzarella cheese production that does not have a real use and is destined to disposal, causing environmental problems and representing a high disposal cost for dairy producers. Spent brewery yeast (SBY) is another promising food waste produced after brewery manufacturing that could be recycled in new biotechnological processes. Aurantiochytrium mangrovei is an aquatic protist known as producer of bioactive lipids such as omega 3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω3 LC-PUFA), in particular docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). In this work MSW and SBY have been used to formulate new sustainable growth media for A. mangrovei cultivation and production of DHA in an attempt to valorize these effluents. MSW required an enzymatic hydrolysis to enhance the biomass production. The new media obtained from hydrolysed MSW was also optimized using response surface methodologies, obtaining 10.14 g L⁻¹ of biomass in optimized medium, with a DHA content of 1.21 g L⁻¹.     

Modelling the biomass yield and the impact of seabream mariculture in the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian Seas (Italy)

An individual-based model for Sparus aurata was developed, taking into account the effects on the growth rate of water temperature, food availability and diet composition. The model was identified on the basis of the recent literature regarding the physiological ecology of this species. It was subsequently calibrated and validated by using original field data collected at two Italian fish farms located, respectively, in the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian Seas. The mass budget of uneaten food and faeces was computed using the model at each farm: the optimal ingestion rate of a fish was computed based on its wet weight and the temperature of the water, while the faeces estimation considered the different digestibility of lipids, carbohydrates and proteins in the diet. From an applied perspective, the future use of this growth model in relation to mariculture site selection and monitoring might typically be to estimate both the yield and the amount of uneaten food and faeces discharged from a fish cage. This second output represents a useful input for deposition models which are routinely used in the field of mariculture monitoring by different EU countries. The integration of growth and deposition models in a single system could provide a useful tool for the site-selection and monitoring of finfish mariculture operations in Mediterranean environments.     

Surface Properties of Gluten Investigated by a Fluorescence Approach

The surface properties of glutens isolated from a durum wheat cultivar (Capeiti) and two bread wheats (Riband and Hereward) were investigated using intrinsic and extrinsic fluorescence. Intrinsic fluorescence decreased on increasing protein concentration and increased after urea addition. The extrinsic fluorescence was evaluated by a titration with 8‐anilino‐1‐naphthalene sulphonate (ANS), an hydrophobic probe. The saturating concentration for ANS and its dissociation constant (Kd) were determined. The hydrophobicity of durum and bread wheat gluten showed a different behavior increasing the protein concentration: Capeiti was not influenced, but there was a change on the gluten surface for Riband and Hereward. The significance in understanding gluten structure and the relevance of the surface properties are discussed.     

Bird communities and extended biotic index (EBI) in some tributaries of the Tiber river

1. Riparian birds and macroinvertebrates were studied in five reaches of four tributaries of the Tiber river (Italy). The first aim was to check if stream quality, assessed by extended biotic index (EBI) values, could represent change in the riparian zone, assessed through the bird community. The second was to consider whether stream quality affects the presence of riverine bird species. 2. Stream quality and richness of the riparian bird community were related. In streams with more disturbed macroinvertebrate communities, but also in agricultural areas, the relative frequency of granivorous species increased in the riparian zone. 3. Dippers Cinclus cinclus occurred exclusively in reaches with the best stream quality, but the relationship between grey wagtails Motacilla cinerea and stream quality was less clear. 4. These results support the judicious use of riverine and riparian birds as biological indicators. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.