Influence of the freshness grade of raw fish on the formation of volatile and biogenic amines during the manufacture and storage of vinegar-marinated anchovies

Volatile and biogenic amines from three batches of anchovies, marinated in vinegar, were studied. The anchovies had been vacuum-packed and kept in refrigerated storage for 3 months. Trimethylamine and total volatile basic nitrogen levels were very low and constant throughout marinating and storage process: less than 1 and 10 mg/100 g, respectively. Certain amine levels, mainly those of tyramine and serotonin, increased slightly, particularly during storage. However, even the highest recorded levels were much lower than those considered to be hazardous for human consumption. To study the influence of raw material freshness in the amine profile, two laboratory trials using fresh and spoiled anchovies and simulating the industry standard marinating process were carried out. Levels for both volatile and biogenic amines were dependent on raw material quality, proving consistently higher in those deriving from nonfresh fish. Vinegar marinating leads to a decrease in the accumulation of amines in anchovy while their concentration in the vinegar solution increases due to the vinegar effect as solvent extractor.     

Rank comparisons of maize germplasm evaluations repeated over locations and years

Summary The availability of yield and combining ability data on germplasm bank accessions may increase their use, but collection of this type of data from a large number of accessions is difficult and expensive. This study was conducted to determine whether the members of the top 20% of evaluated accessions changed so extensively, when evaluations were repeated over locations and years, that initial evaluations conducted in one location were misleading. Thirty-four Yugoslavian maize (Zea mays L.) accessions were evaluated for yield per se and as test crosses to eight testers in three Iowa locations during three years. Overall best accessions were assumed to be those that performed best, as judged by all of the data. The highest yields occurred in Kanawha, Iowa, in 1987, which had favorable climatic conditions for maize production, whereas the lowest were in Kanawha in 1985, which had the least desirable conditions. In these two years, however, one testcross evaluation placed more of the actual overall best accessions in the top 20% of the highest yielding accessions for that particular evaluation. More overall best were ranked in the top 20% in the year with less desirable conditions. The efficiency of an environment in ranking the best accessions in the top 20%, while excluding the worst 20%, ranged from 16% in Nashua, Iowa, in 1985 to 48% in Nashua in 1986. Repeating evaluation trials over years was no more efficient than repeating them over locations, or vice versa. Initial germplasm evaluations should be repeated either over locations or years, to increase the probability of identifying the rare agronomically valuable accessions and eliminating poorer-yielding ones.     

Effects of an Extended Hatchery Phase and Vaccination against Enteric Septicemia of Catfish on the Production of Channel Catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, Fingerlings

The present study was conducted to evaluate production management methods to improve overall survival of channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, fry to the fingerling stage by incorporating the use of a live, attenuated vaccine against Edwardsiella ictaluri and employing an extended hatchery phase. In this experiment, four treatments were used. In Treatment 1, 10‐d posthatch (PH) fry were vaccinated and then directly stocked into earthen ponds. In Treatments 2 and 3, 10‐d PH fry were sham‐vaccinated (control) and vaccinated, respectively, kept in nursery tanks for 22 d, and then stocked into earthen ponds. Fry in Treatment 4 were sham‐vaccinated at 10 d PH, kept in nursery tanks for 22 d, and then vaccinated prior to stocking into earthen ponds. Mean fingerling yield at harvest ranged from 4716 kg/ha in Treatment 1 to 8112 kg/ha in Treatment 4. Mean individual fish weight ranged from 38.8 g in Treatment 1 to 40.9 g in Treatment 4, and feed conversion ratios (FCR) ranged from 1.15 in Treatment 4 to 1.51 in Treatment 1. Mean survival ranged from 47.5% in Treatment 1 to 73.4% in Treatment 4. In specific comparisons to evaluate the nursery effect (Treatments 1 and 3), yield and overall survival were significantly different (P < 0.05) between these two treatments. In specific comparisons to evaluate the effect of the use of the vaccine (Treatments 2, 3, and 4), overall survival was significantly different (P < 0.05) between Treatment 2 (sham‐vaccinated control with nursery phase) and Treatment 4 (vaccinated at 32 d PH with nursery phase). No significant differences (P > 0.05) in yield, average weight, and FCR were observed between treatments. Results indicate that implementing an extended hatchery phase and vaccination strategy with older fry can improve overall survival of fingerling fish.     

I. Epidemiology and bacterial flora of normal and diseased respiratory tracts

Summary The prevalence of caprine pneumonia in Nigeria is high during the rainy and “harmattan” seasons. In this investigation the important bacteria isolated both from normal and diseased respiratory tracts of goats were pasteurellae and mycoplasmata.

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Resumen La prevalencia de la neumonía caprina en Nigeria es alta durante las estaciones lluviosas y “harmatten”. En esta investigación las bacterias importantes aisladas de tractos respiratorios de cabras normales y enfermas fueron pasteurellae y micoplasmata.

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Résumé L'incidence de la pneumonie caprine au Nigeria est forte durant la saison des pluies et celle du “harmattan”. Dans cette étude, les bactéries importantes isolées dans les voies respiratoires saines et atteintes des chèvres sont des pasteurelles et des mycoplasmes.

     

Herpes simplex virus encephalitis in human UNC-93B deficiency

Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) encephalitis (HSE) is the most common form of sporadic viral encephalitis in western countries. Its pathogenesis remains unclear, as it affects otherwise healthy patients and only a small minority of HSV-1-infected individuals. Here, we elucidate a genetic etiology for HSE in two children with autosomal recessive deficiency in the intracellular protein UNC-93B, resulting in impaired cellular interferon-alpha/beta and -lambda antiviral responses. HSE can result from a single-gene immunodeficiency that does not compromise immunity to most pathogens, unlike most known primary immunodeficiencies. Other severe infectious diseases may also reflect monogenic disorders of immunity.