Distribution of Toxocara infection in the environment and in definitive and paratenic hosts in Estonia

The aim of the study was to elucidate the distribution and possible transmission routes of Toxocara spp. infection in Estonia. Out of 454 faecal and sand samples collected from park lawns and sandpits in the town of Tartu, 19 were Toxocara positive (4.2%). Out of the 45 sandpit samples 17.8% were Toxocara positive. Cat faeces was found in 21 sandpit samples. Parasitological necropsies were performed on 41 euthanised stray dogs and 27 cats in the Tallinn Dog Home. Additionally, 13 wild free-roaming brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) were captured from the Tallinn Dog Home territory, necropsied and studied for the presence of Toxocara larvae. Toxocara canis adults were found in 14.6% of the dogs and Toxocara cati (syn. mystax) adults in the small intestines of 48.2% of the cats examined. Larval infection was detected in the kidney and liver in 5 dogs (12.2%). Our study demonstrated only low-level larval Toxocara infections in adult dogs. Toxocara larvae were not found in cats and brown rats. According to the results of this study, cats more often carry Toxocara infection than dogs. Under our conditions, stray and free-roaming cats are the main contaminators of the environment with Toxocara eggs. Children playing in sandpits are the main risk group for larval toxocarosis.     

Discrimination of alleles and copy numbers at the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Q</Emphasis> locus in hexaploid wheat using quantitative pyrosequencing

Speltoid spikes are characterized by pyramidal spike morphology featuring an elongated rachis and tenacious glumes. Speltoids are considered undesirable spike aberrants in wheat breeding leading to increased heterogeneity within a cultivar candidate. As a consequence, the presence of speltoids may result in rejection of a cultivar candidate during official field trials or denial of cultivar certification during seed multiplication. A reliable method is, thus, required to assess the occurrence of speltoids, early on in a wheat breeding program. The domestication gene Q located on the long arm of wheat chromosome 5A is known to suppress the speltoid phenotype in wheat. Here, a quantitative pyrosequencing assay was developed to distinguish between normal wheat plants, which possess two copies of the Q allele, and aberrants, which are either aneuploids lacking the correct number of chromosome 5A copies or plants which carry the primitive q allele. An accurate and reproducible determination of the Q gene copy number was achieved for different wheat genotypes based on homoeologous sequence quantification with two primer combinations at the Q locus. Single plants with one to four copies of the Q allele could be detected by quantitative pyrosequencing which corresponded to the occurrence of speltoid (1 Q allele), normal (2 Q alleles), and compact (more than 2 Q alleles) spikes. Q and q specific alleles could be differentiated at SNP position 2299 of the Q gene. This SNP is assumed to be related to the emergence of free-threshing wheat forms. To our knowledge this is the first report for detection of aneuploids and differentiation of Q alleles in bread wheat using pyrosequencing technology. In future, quantitative pyrosequencing assay can be applied in wheat breeding programs to carry out marker-assisted selection against the presence of speltoid spike aberrants.     

Food sovereignty, urban food access, and food activism: contemplating the connections through examples from Chicago

The idea of food sovereignty has its roots primarily in the response of small producers in developing countries to decreasing levels of control over land, production practices, and food access. While the concerns of urban Chicagoans struggling with low food access may seem far from these issues, the authors believe that the ideas associated with food sovereignty will lead to the construction of solutions to what is often called the ??food desert?? issue that serve and empower communities in ways that less democratic solutions do not. In Chicago and elsewhere, residents and activists often see and experience racial and economic inequalities through the variety of stores and other food access sites available in their community. The connections between food access, respect, and activism are first considered through a set of statements of Chicagoans living in food access poor areas. We will then discuss these connections through the work and philosophy of activists in Chicago centered in food sovereignty and food justice. Particular focus will be placed on Growing Power, an urban food production, distribution, and learning organization working primarily in Milwaukee and Chicago, and Healthy South Chicago, a community coalition focused on health issues in a working class area of the city.     

Availability of Micro-Tom mutant library combined with TILLING in molecular breeding of tomato fruit shelf-life

Novel mutant alleles of an ethylene receptor Solanum lycopersicum ETHYLENE RESPONSE1 (SlETR1) gene, Sletr1-1 and Sletr1-2, were isolated from the Micro-Tom mutant library by TILLING in our previous study. They displayed different levels of impaired fruit ripening phenotype, suggesting that these alleles could be a valuable breeding material for improving shelf life of tomato fruit. To conduct practical use of the Sletr1 alleles in tomato breeding, genetic complementation analysis by transformation of genes carrying each allele is required. In this study, we generated and characterized transgenic lines over-expressing Sletr1-1 and Sletr1-2. All transgenic lines displayed ethylene insensitive phenotype and ripening inhibition, indicating that Sletr1-1 and Sletr1-2 associate with the ethylene insensitive phenotype. The level of ethylene sensitivity in the seedling was different between Sletr1-1 and Sletr1-2 transgenic lines, whereas no apparent difference was observed in fruit ripening phenotype. These results suggested that it is difficult to fine-tune the extent of ripening by transgenic approach even if the weaker allele (Sletr1-2) was used. Our present and previous studies indicate that the Micro-Tom mutant library combined with TILLING could be an efficient tool for exploring genetic variations of important agronomic traits in tomato breeding.     

Minimum alveolar concentration for blunting adrenergic responses (MAC-BAR) of sevoflurane in dogs

It is well known that heart rate or arterial blood pressure may increase in response to surgical stimulation despite the absence of a purposeful movement. However, there is limited information regarding anesthetic requirement for blunting adrenergic response in dogs. This study was designed to compare the minimum alveolar concentrations of sevoflurane required to prevent autonomic response (MAC-BAR) and purposeful movement (MAC) in dogs. Sevoflurane MAC-BAR and MAC were determined in 5 beagle dogs by judging dogs' response to a noxious electrical stimulus applied to the gingiva. The sevoflurane MAC-BAR was significantly higher than MAC (3.33 ± 0.48 vs 2.10 ± 0.28%, P=0.005). These results suggested that autonomic responses occurred at sevoflurane anesthetic concentrations at which purposeful movements were absent.     

Health assessment of free-ranging and captive Matschie's tree kangaroos (Dendrolagus matschiei) in Papua New Guinea

Medical evaluations were performed on free-ranging and captive Matschie's tree kangaroos (Dendrolagus matschiei) in Papua New Guinea. The health assessment included physical examination, morphometrics, cloacal swab; and blood, hair, and feces collection. Radio-collars were placed on free-ranging tree kangaroos to determine home range and forest habitat use. The free-ranging tree kangaroos were lightly anesthetized with tiletamine/zolazepam for the data collection. A total of nine free-ranging and seven captive tree kangaroos were evaluated; medical samples were collected from six and five animals, respectively. Results of physical examination, anesthetic monitoring, serum vitamin, mineral, trace nutrient, and electrolytes, whole blood heavy metal analysis, mycobacterial screening, and fecal examinations are presented. Free-ranging tree kangaroos had significantly lower values for beta carotene, copper, selenium, molybdenum, lead, and arsenic and significantly higher values for vitamin E than captive individuals. Cloacal swabs were all negative for Mycobacterium avium via polymerase chain reaction. Some free-ranging and captive individuals had positive coprologic exams revealing Eimeria spp. oocysts and strongyle spp. type ova. These are the first medical and anesthetic data published on Matschie's tree kangaroos from Papua New Guinea.     

Hematologic abnormalities and flow cytometric immunophenotyping results in dogs with hematopoietic neoplasia: 210 cases (2002–2006)

Background: Growing interest in veterinary oncohematology has facilitated the recent development and advancement of new techniques, such as flow cytometry, for immunophenotyping hematopoietic neoplasia in animals. Objective: The aim of this retrospective study was to characterize hematologic abnormalities and flow cytometric immunophenotyping (FCI) results in cases of hematopoietic neoplasia in dogs. Methods: Signalment, CBC data, and FCI results were obtained for 210 dogs with blood samples submitted to our laboratory. Immunophenotyping was carried out using an Epics XL‐MCL flow cytometer and a panel of 10 antibodies (CD45, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD79, CD21, CD14, CD34, CD41/61, CD61). The prevalence and severity of hematologic abnormalities was determined for the different types of hematopoietic neoplasms. Results: Based on cell morphology and phenotype, cases were classified as: acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL, n=51), acute myeloid leukemia (AML, n=33), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL, n=61), and leukemic high‐grade lymphoma (L‐HGL, n=65). Most cases of ALL (47/51) and L‐HGL (41/65) had a B‐cell phenotype, while most cases of CLL (54/61) had a T‐cell phenotype, with a high prevalence of the large granular lymphocyte subtype (49/61). Anemia was found in 85% of all cases and was significantly more severe in ALL and AML compared with CLL and L‐HGL. Neutropenia was seen in 64–78% of acute leukemias (AML and ALL) in contrast to no cases of CLL and 11% of L‐HGL. Thrombocytopenia was seen in 88–90% of acute leukemias in contrast to 15% of CLL and 40% of L‐HGL. Thrombocytopenia was more prevalent (71% vs 22%) and significantly more severe in T‐cell vs B‐cell L‐HGL. Conclusion: A standard CBC is useful in suggesting the type of hemoproliferative disorder and may also help to predict the phenotype, especially in cases of L‐HGL.     

The anatomical distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility of yeast species isolated from healthy dogs

The aim of this work was to identify the predominant yeast species present at different anatomical sites in healthy dogs and to determine their in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility using a broth microdilution assay. Samples were collected from the preputial, vaginal, oral and perianal mucosae and the isolates cultured were identified according to their morphological characteristics and biochemical profile. Malassezia pachydermatis was the most commonly isolated yeast, followed by Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis, Candida albicans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Rhodotorula spp.Minimum inhibitory concentrations of the azole derivatives ketoconazole, itraconazole and fluconazole against Candida spp. were 0.03–16 μg/mL, 0.06 to >16 μg/mL and 0.5–64 μg/mL, respectively and Candida isolates were sensitive to caspofungin and amphotericin B. Although all isolates of M. pachydermatis were sensitive to itraconazole, fluconazole, ketoconazole and amphotericin B, they were found to be resistant to caspofungin. The study has highlighted that Candida spp., M. pachydermatis, S. cerevisiae and Rhodotorula spp. are part of the normal canine surface microbiota and some of these organisms exhibit in vitro resistance to commonly used antimicrobials.     

Long-term foliar persistence and efficacy of spinosad against beet armyworm under greenhouse conditions

BACKGROUND: The immediate lethality caused by spinosad has been widely studied on Spodoptera exigua (Hübner). However, long‐term effects can also provide valuable information on insecticide toxic action. Here, the persistence of spinosad on Capsicum annuum L. foliage and the lethal and sublethal effects of greenhouse‐aged foliar residues of this insecticide on third instars of S. exigua are reported. RESULTS: Foliage was collected at 0, 3, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 days after application, and spinosad residues were measured. Residues decreased over time according to first‐order kinetics. The average rate constant and half‐life of disappearance were 4.44 × 10^?3 and 156 days and 5.80 × 10^?3 and 120 days for 60 and 120 mg L^?1 respectively. Larval mortality gradually decreased, corresponding to the residues, but was still appreciable (35 and 65% for 60 and 120 mg L^?1 respectively) when the larvae were fed with foliage collected 50 days after treatment. Subsequently, pupal development was reduced and varied between 20 and 60% and between 21 and 41% for 60 and 120 mg L^?1, respectively, in all ages of leaf residues that were bioassayed. At all time points, the consumption rate by the larvae was reduced between 62 and 84% for both concentrations that were bioassayed. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that, under the present greenhouse conditions, the degradation of spinosad was slower than that reported by other authors in the field, and, because of that, its residues could cause lethal and sublethal effects to S. exigua larvae. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry