A Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Choleraesuis outbreak in weaned piglets in Serbia: clinical signs,pathologic changes,and microbiologic features

Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Choleraesuis is rarely detected in Europe, but the clinical disease has been reported in wild boars. We describe here the clinical findings, pathologic changes, and microbiologic features of swine salmonellosis caused by S. enterica serovar Choleraesuis in weaned piglets in Serbia. In April 2019, on a large farrow-to-finish pig farm, increased mortality was reported in weaned piglets, marked by lethargy, anorexia, pyrexia, and respiratory distress. Gross pathology revealed dermal cyanosis, mesenteric lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, interstitial pneumonia, and colitis. By direct culturing of lung, liver, spleen, and lymph nodes, S. enterica ser. Choleraesuis variant Kunzendorf was isolated after years of absence of the disease in pig farms in Europe. The source of this salmonellosis outbreak caused by S. enterica ser. Choleraesuis remains unknown.     

Hydrolytic action of Lactobacillus casei CRL 705 on pork muscle sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar proteins.

Lactobacillus casei CRL 705 was screened, among other meat isolates, for its proteinase and aminopeptidase activities toward synthetic substrates and, according to that, selected for specific assays on muscle proteins. The hydrolytic effects of whole cells, cell free extracts (CFE), and the combination of both on muscle sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar protein extracts was evaluated by SDS-PAGE and reverse phase HPLC analyses. The proteinase activity of whole cells caused the degradation of a great number of sarcoplasmic protein bands. A partial hydrolysis was also associated with CFE that when combined with whole cells showed an important additional degradation. Peptide profiles from sarcoplasmic protein extracts were greatly modified regardless of the addition of whole cells or CFE, although their combination intensified these changes. The generation of free amino acids was remarkable when whole cells and CFE were incorporated together to sarcoplasmic protein extracts.     

CHRONIC RENAL FAILURE ASSOCIATED WITH NEPHROLITHIASIS, URETEROLITHIASIS, AND RENAL DYSPLASIA IN A 2-YEAR-OLD QUARTER HORSE GELDING

A 2-year-old quarter horse gelding presented for evaluation of polyuria and polydipsia. Azotemia was detected on serum chemistry profile. Small, misshapen, hyperechoic kidneys with decreased corticomedullary demarcation, hydronephrosis, and a right nephrolith were noted ultrasonographically. The diagnosis of end-stage kidney disease and dysplasia was made histopathologically using ultrasound-guided biopsy. Two ureteroliths were found in the right ureter via cystoscopy, and a nephrolith was seen in the right kidney at necropsy. Clinical, ultrasonographic, and pathologic features of equine urolithiasis and renal dysplasia are discussed.     

Maßstabsabhängige räumliche Variabilität mikrobieller Bodenkenngrößen in einem Buchenwald

Scale-dependent spatial variability of microbiological characteristics in soil of a beech forest The spatial variability of the microbial biomass content (C_mic), the microbial respiration rate (basal respiration) and the metabolic quotient (qCO₂) was analyzed in sandy Cambisols and Luvisols in a beech forest in Northern Germany. Highest variability of microbiological features and, thus, the distance of independent samples was around 10 m that is discussed with reference to spatial hierarchy. Structural changes between the 10 m and 50 m grid were suggested for the Ah horizon due to the break of correlations of C_mic content and the contents of C_org and plant-available Ca, Mg, K and N_t. The C_mic content correlated with the C_org content close to tree trunks and ecotones like borders of the forest and clearings. The qCO₂ did not generally increase with declining pH value. High H⁺ concentrations and C_org content in the litter layer near to the tree trunk indicated retarded microbial mineralization rates. High proportion of microorganisms that are resistant to low pH value and adjusted ro readily-degradable substrates seems to dominate in the soil close to the tree.     

牙鲆海水循环养殖系统生物膜上3种细菌的数量与代谢活性

从牙鲆(Paralichthys olivaceus)海水循环养殖系统中移动床生物滤器载体生物膜上获取异养细菌、氨化细菌和硝化细菌样本.异养细菌用平板涂布法计数,其代谢活性以培养8 h的氧吸收速率表示.氨化细菌、氨氧化细菌(AOB)和亚硝酸氧化细菌(NOB)用MPN法计数,其代谢活性分别以培养24h NH+<4>-N浓度的增加、NH+<4>-N浓度的减少和NO-<2>-N浓度的减少表示.结果表明,生物膜成熟之后,4种生理类群细菌的数量和代谢活性基本保持稳定.异养细菌数量为10-7～108CFU·m-2(载体),氨化细菌、AOB和NOB数量分别为107～108MPN·m-2(载体)、105～106MPN·m-2(载体)和105～106MPN·m-2(载体).分批培养测得异养细菌的氧吸收速率、氨化细菌的氨化速率、AOB的氨氧化速率和NOB的亚硝酸氧化速率分别是0.591～0.738g(O2)·m-2·d-1、0.081～0.135 g(Nh+4-N)·m-2.d-1、0.017～0.031 g(Nh+4-N)·m-2·d-1和0.020～0.038 g(NO-2N)·m-2·d-1.异养细菌的氧吸收速率、氨化细菌的氨化速率和AOB的氨氧化速率与异养细菌、氨化细菌和AOB的数量呈正相关.移动床生物滤器生物膜的平均氨和亚硝酸盐去除速率为(0.121±0.076)g(NH+4-N)·m-2·d-1和(0.139±0.181)g(NO-2-N)·m-2·d-1.同时测定了底物浓度和pH对氨化细菌、AOB和NOB代谢活性的影响.结果显示,氨化细菌的氨化速率、AOB的氨氧化速率和NOB的哑硝酸氧化速率与底物浓度(蛋门胨、NH+4-N和NO-2-N)呈线性相关,pH为8.0时3种生理类群细菌的代谢活性较pH6.5或pH9.5时高.[中国水产科学,2009,16(1):97-103]     

Energetic eco‐physiology of the soil microbiota in two landscapes of southern and northern Germany

Interactions between microbial communities and organic matter were analyzed for soils from the project regions ’︁Ecosystem Research in the Agricultural Landscape/FAM, Munich’ in southern Germany and ’︁Ecosystem Research in the Bornhöved Lake district’ from northern Germany using ratios between microbial biomass content (C_mic), microbial metabolic quotient (qCO₂) and organic carbon content (C_org). In the agricultural soils in southern Germany, the qCO₂/C_org ratio differed significantly with respect to agricultural management in contrast to ecophysiological C_mic/C_org ratio. In addition, C_mic/C_org ratio decreased from 39 to 21 mg C_mic g^—1 C_org and qCO₂/C_org ratio increased from 72 to 180 mg CO₂‐C g^—1 C_mic h^—1 (g C_org g^—1 soil)^—1 with increasing soil depth. For the upper soil horizons from the landscape in northern Germany the two quotients differed significantly with reference to land use showing highest microbial colonization under grassland and lowest under beech forest. In contrast, C use efficiency was lowest in arable field under maize monoculture and highest in a wet grassland having a high organic C content.     

A new look at an old practice: Benefits from soil water accumulation in long fallows under Mediterranean conditions

The practice of long fallowing, by omitting a year of cropping, is gaining renewed focus in the low rainfall zone of the northern agriculture region of Western Australia. The impetus behind this practice change has been a reduced use of pasture breaks in cereal crop rotations, and the belief that a fallow can improve soil water accumulation and thus buffer the negative effects of dry seasons on crop yields. We evaluated the benefits of long fallowing (full stubble retention, no weed growth allowed) in a continuous wheat sequence via simulation modelling with APSIM at two rainfall locations and five soil types. The simulated benefits to long fallowing were attributable to soil water accumulation only, as the effects on soil nitrogen, diseases or weeds were not evaluated.The long-term (100 years) mean wheat yield benefit to fallowing was 0.36-0.43 t/ha in clay, 0.20-0.23 t/ha in sand and loam, and 0-0.03 t/ha in shallow sand and shallow loams. Over the range of seasons simulated the response varied from −0.20 to 3.87 t/ha in the clay and −0.48 to 2.0 t/ha for the other soils. The accumulation of soil water and associated yield benefits occurred in 30-40% of years on better soils and only 10-20% on poorer soils. For the loam soil, the majority of the yield increases occurred when the growing-season (May-September) rainfall following the fallow was low (<210 mm) and the difference in plant available soil water at sowing between fallowed and continuously cropped soil was high (>30 mm), although yield increase did occur with other combinations of growing-season rainfall and soil water. Over several years of a crop sequence involving fallow and wheat, the benefits from long fallowing due to greater soil water accumulation did not offset yield lost from omitting years from crop production, although the coefficient of variation for inter-annual farm grain production was reduced, particularly on clay soils during the 1998-2007 decade of below-average rainfall. We conclude that under future drying climates in Western Australia, fallowing may have a role to play in buffering the effects of enhanced inter-annual variability in rainfall. Investigations are required on the management of fallows, and management of subsequent crops (i.e. sowing earlier and crop density) so as to maximise yield benefits to subsequent crops while maintaining groundcover to prevent soil erosion.     

Effect of Lactic Acid on Protein Solubilization and Starch Yield in Corn Wet‐Mill Steeping: A Study of Hybrid Effects

To better understand the role of lactic acid (LA) in corn wet‐milling, steeping studies were performed on different yellow dent corn hybrids using four different solutions containing LA, sulfur dioxide (SO₂), a combination of LA and SO₂, or no added chemicals. Although there was variation in protein solubilization among the hybrids, protein release was consistently higher when LA was included in the steepwater than when it was excluded (both with and without SO₂). Several groups have reported that starch recoveries are improved when steepwater contains LA. To explore the relationship between protein solubilization and starch yield as effected by LA, several yellow dent hybrids were steeped in 0.20% SO₂ and 0.50% LA‐0.20% SO₂ solutions and milled to recover starch by a 100‐g laboratory corn wet‐milling procedure. In all instances, both starch yields and protein solubilization were enhanced in solutions containing LA. These results support the hypothesis that direct dissolution of the endosperm protein matrix by LA contributes to the improved starch recoveries.