Brain proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy findings in a Beagle dog with genetically confirmed Lafora disease

Cortical atrophy has been identified using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in humans and dogs with Lafora disease (LD). In humans, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1HMRS) of the brain indicates decreased N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) relative to other brain metabolites. Brain 1HMRS findings in dogs with LD are lacking. A 6-year-old female Beagle was presented with a history of a single generalized tonic-clonic seizure and episodic reflex myoclonus. Clinical, hematological, and neurological examination findings and 3-Tesla MRI of the brain were unremarkable. Brain 1HMRS with voxel positioning in the thalamus was performed in the affected Beagle. It identified decreased amounts of NAA, glutamate-glutamine complex, and increased total choline and phosphoethanolamine relative to water and total creatine compared with the reference range in healthy control Beagles. A subsequent genetic test confirmed LD. Abnormalities in 1HMRS despite lack of changes with conventional MRI were identified in a dog with LD.     

Analysis of the Mycosporine-Like Amino Acid (MAA) Pattern of the Salt Marsh Red Alga Bostrychia scorpioides

This study presents the validation of a high-performance liquid chromatography diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) method for the determination of different mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) in the red alga Bostrychia scorpioides. The investigated MAAs, named bostrychines, have only been found in this specific species so far. The developed HPLC-DAD method was successfully applied for the quantification of the major MAAs in Bostrychia scorpioides extracts, collected from four different countries in Europe showing only minor differences between the investigated samples. In the past, several Bostrychia spp. have been reported to include cryptic species, and in some cases such as B. calliptera, B. simpliciuscula, and B. moritziana, the polyphyly was supported by differences in their MAA composition. The uniformity in the MAA composition of the investigated B. scorpioides samples is in agreement with the reported monophyly of this Bostrychia sp.     

Effects of nitrogen fertilization and irrigation on N2O emissions from a sandy soil in Germany

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of supplemental irrigation on the amount of N₂O emissions on a sandy soil in north-east Germany. N₂O flux measurements were carried out over two vegetation periods from the emergence of plants to harvest. The level of N₂O emissions was low, which is typical for sandy soils in north-east Germany. In both periods, irrigation had no increasing effect on N₂O emissions. Relevant factors were the soil temperature and the soil water-filled pore space (WFPS), which were mainly influenced by weather conditions. This may indicate that nitrification was the main source of N₂O emissions. In conclusion, this study has confirmed that sandy soils under weather conditions of north-east Germany generally have a very low potential for N₂O emissions.     

First report of the papaya mealybug,Paracoccus marginatus (Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae), in Tahiti,French Polynesia

The papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus Williams and Granara de Willing (Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae), is a polyphagous pest that damages many tropical crops. It is native to Central America and spread to the Caribbean region and South America in the 1900s. Since then, it has accidentally been introduced to several islands in the Pacific region and some countries in Africa and Asia. The first record of this mealybug in Polynesia was in Hawaii, in 2004. This paper presents the first report of this pest in Tahiti (French Polynesia), where it was found in March 2017 on papaya (Carica papaya) and frangipani trees (Plumeria spp.). Its presence, which is mainly in the inhabited part of the island of Tahiti, suggests the recent introduction of the pest in French Polynesia. Several coccinellid predators have been found feeding on the mealybug in Tahiti: Cryptolaemus montrouzieri, Hyperaspis pantherina and Scymnus spp. None of its parasitoids have been found yet.     

Assessing meiofaunal variation among individuals utilising morphological and molecular approaches: an example using the Tardigrada

Background  

Meiofauna – multicellular animals captured between sieve size 45 μm and 1000 μm – are a fundamental component of terrestrial, and marine benthic ecosystems, forming an integral element of food webs, and playing a critical roll in nutrient recycling. Most phyla have meiofaunal representatives and studies of these taxa impact on a wide variety of sub-disciplines as well as having social and economic implications. However, studies of variation in meiofauna are presented with several important challenges. Isolating individuals from a sample substrate is a time consuming process, and identification requires increasingly scarce taxonomic expertise. Finding suitable morphological characters in many of these organisms is often difficult even for experts. Molecular markers are extremely useful for identifying variation in morphologically conserved organisms. However, for many species markers need to be developed de novo, while DNA can often only be extracted from pooled samples in order to obtain sufficient quantity and quality. Importantly, multiple independent markers are required to reconcile gene evolution with species evolution. In this primarily methodological paper we provide a proof of principle of a novel and effective protocol for the isolation of meiofauna from an environmental sample. We also go on to illustrate examples of the implications arising from subsequent screening for genetic variation at the level of the individual using ribosomal, mitochondrial and single copy nuclear markers.     

Fractionation of cereal flour by sedimentation in non-aqueous systems. II. Rheological characterisation and baking performance of the protein fraction

A previously described method for the non-aqueous fractionation of cereal flours by sedimentation in non-aqueous solvents was carried out using flours of three wheat cultivars differing in baking performance, as well as one rye and one barley flour. The method was based on differences in the densities of starch (higher) and protein (lower). Thus, suspending finely milled flour in an inert solvent mixture with a density in between the densities of starch and protein yielded a sedimented starch fraction and a protein-rich fraction at the surface of the solvent. Further purification of this upper fraction provided a protein fraction, a middle fraction, and a lipid fraction. The protein fractions were examined by means of rheological methods such as micro-extension tests and creep-recovery tests. They also were reconstituted to standard flour with a protein content of 13.5%, which was used for micro-scale baking tests. Compared to aqueous isolated gluten, the hydrated protein fractions from wheat were much more extensible and had a lower resistance to extension. The baking performance of the wheat protein fractions was superior to gluten and comparable to the native wheat flours. The protein fraction from rye gave a wheat-like bread crumb, whereas the barley protein was not suited for bread making.     

Conservation value of forest plantations for bird communities in western Kenya

Tree plantations of native and exotic species are frequently used to compensate for forest loss in the tropics. However, these plantations may support lower species diversity and different communities than natural forest. We therefore investigated bird communities in stands of natural forest, different types of tree plantations and secondary forest in Kakamega Forest, western Kenya. We compared birds differing in habitat specialisation, i.e. forest specialists, generalists, and visitors. We recorded significant differences in mean species richness and number of individuals among the different forest types. Stands of natural forest and plantations of indigenous tree species comprised more species and individuals than plantations of exotic tree species and secondary forest. This was caused by a significant decline of forest specialists and generalists from natural forest and indigenous plantations to exotic plantations and secondary forest. Species composition of the bird communities did not differ between natural forest stands and plantations of a mixture of indigenous tree species, but clearly changed between natural forest and plantations of single tree species. These findings demonstrate that natural forest areas are needed for the conservation of forest bird diversity, but that plantations with a mixture of indigenous tree species can have similarly high conservation value.     

DUPLEX-ULTRASONOGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF THE COMMON CAROTID ARTERY IN THE RESTING, SEDATED AND ANESTHETIZED HORSE

The aim of this study was to determine the blood flow in the carotid artery during halothane anaesthesia by means of duplex-sonography. Seventeen warm blood horses were evaluated in dorsal and lateral recumbency and the results were compared with the values of the same horses resting and under sedation. The cross sectional area of the vessels, the time-averaged maximal blood velocity, time-averaged maximal blood flow and the resistance index were determined and the flow profile was evaluated. During halothane anesthesia the total blood flow shows a significant increase which is not dependent on the positioning of the horse. Mean blood velocity is decreased by sedation and significantly increased during anesthesia. Reduced peripheral resistance is expressed by a decline of the resistance index. After sedation and during recumbency there is an increase in diameter of the carotid artery.     

Comparison of T-cell subpopulations in cats naturally infected with feline leukaemia virus or feline immunodeficiency virus

T-cell subsets were studied by flow cytometry in 58 feline leukaemia virus (FeLV)-positive cats with naturally acquired FeLV infection to determine whether the changes in CD4⁺ or CD8⁺ T cell populations differed from those observed in 55 feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)-positive cats with naturally acquired FIV infection. The sole criterion for inclusion into the study was seropositivity. Mean (SD) CD4⁺ T cell values of FeLV positive cats were decreased to 31·1 (8·0) per cent and their CD8⁺ T cell values were increased to 22·8 (6·3) per cent in comparison with uninfected control cats (37·9 [9·5] per cent CD4⁺; 15·2 [6·3] per cent CD8⁺). The CD4⁺/CD8⁺ ratio was reduced to 1·5 (0·7), compared with 3·0 (1·5) in 39 FeLv- and FIV-negative control cats. Differences from control values were significant, but there was no significant difference between CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ lymphocytes of FeLV- versus FIV-infected cats. These findings indicate that FeLv and FIV have similar effects on T lymphocyte subsets. Both retrovirus infections can induce immunodeficiency, both viruses infect a broad range of lymphohaemopoietic cells, despite having different primary target cells, and can induce the killing of lymphocytic cells in vitro. It is concluded that a decreased CD4⁺/CD8⁺ ratio is not restricted to FIV infections but may also occur in FeLv infection.