Comparison of DNA probe test and cultivation methods for detection of Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis in caprine and ovine faeces

OBJECTIVE: To compare a DNA probe test with two cultivation methods for the detection of Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis in goat and sheep faeces. DESIGN: Comparison of the results of the three methods with histological examination as the reference standard. PROCEDURE: Faecal specimens were obtained from goats and sheep originating from flocks known to be affected with paratuberculosis and tested for Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis with a DNA probe test and two cultivation methods (old conventional culture and new double incubation method in Herrold's and Lowenstein-Jensen medium). RESULTS: In goats, the sensitivity of the various tests were for the DNA probe test 17.2%, for the double incubation culture method 25.4% and for the old conventional culture method 22.8% using the histopathological results as reference. In sheep the sensitivity of the various tests were for the DNA probe test 13.2%, for the double incubation culture method 8.8% and for the old conventional culture method 5.9% using the histopathological results as reference. The specificity of the above tests was 100% in goats and sheep and the specificity of the double incubation culture method in goats was 91%. CONCLUSIONS: The DNA probe test is a rapid and specific test that could be used in a control program if the sensitivity of the test were improved and possibly in combination with another test.     

Prevention of blowfly strike on coarse and fine woolled sheep with the insect growth regulator dicyclanil

OBJECTIVE: To assess a ready-to-use formulation of dicyclanil to prevent blowfly strike on coarse and fine woolled sheep under New Zealand conditions. DESIGN: Randomized clinical field trials. PROCEDURE: In a first field trial, coarse wooled sheep treated with a ready-to-use, 5% dicyclanil formulation were compared with untreated control sheep for up to 21 weeks. In a second field trial, fine woolled sheep, treated with the same dicyclanil formulation, were compared with untreated sheep for up to 19 weeks. Efficacy was assessed by calculating the aggregated cumulative strike rate. RESULTS: For trial 1 (coarse woolled sheep) the aggregated cumulative strike rate at the end of the trial at week 21 after treatment reached 3.9% and 19.1% for treated and untreated sheep, respectively. For the treated animals the aggregated cumulative strike rate reached the 1% and 2% benchmarks between weeks 11 and 12. For trial 2 (fine woolled sheep) the aggregated cumulative strike rate at the end of the trial at week 19 reached 0.6% and 7.5% for treated and untreated sheep, respectively. Wool length at the time of application did not substantially influence the efficacy of dicyclanil. CONCLUSION: Under New Zealand field conditions, a ready-to-use 5% spray-on formulation of dicyclanil protected coarse woolled sheep for at least 12 weeks and fine woolled sheep for at least 19 weeks.     

Tolerance to the Nephrotoxic Component of Narthecium ossifragum in Sheep: The Effects of Repeated Oral Doses of Plant Extracts

Young adult sheep were dosed with extracts of Narthecium ossifragum plants by the oral or parenteral routes and the resulting nephrotoxicity was assessed from the increases in the concentrations of creatinine and urea in the serum. Following single intraruminal or intraperitoneal doses of extracts derived from 30 g N. ossifragum (wet weight) per kg live weight (kg lw), serum creatinine concentrations increased from about 100 mol/L to between 260 and 510 mol/L. The serum urea concentrations increased from about 5–8 mmol/L to between 11 and 66 mmol/L in individual sheep. Daily intraruminal administration of 5–30 g/kg lw to three sheep over a 10- or 15-day period increased creatinine concentrations from 100 mol/L to 300–760 mol/L, and urea concentrations from 5–8 mmol/L to 35 mmol/L. A single intraperitoneal challenge dose of 30 g/kg lw, delivered 7 or 12 days after the final intraruminal dose, did not lead to increased serum creatinine or urea concentrations, indicating that oral treatment had apparently resulted in an increased tolerance to the nephrotoxic principle(s) in N. ossifragum.     

“黄白散”对兔接种RHD疫苗后免疫功能的影响

在注射兔病毒性出血症 (RHD)疫苗后 ,30只兔随机分为 2组 ,试验组兔饲喂含 1 5 %黄白散的饲料。从接种到第 1 80天 ,每组取兔 8只 ,每隔 1 5d采血 1次 ,检测血凝抑制 (HI)抗体 ;在接种前 1天及接种后 5、 1 0、 1 7、 2 4、 31、 41、 5 1d ,每组取兔 1 0只 ,采血检测ANAE+淋巴细胞百分率 ;在 1 80、 2 4 0、 30 0d时 ,每组分别取兔 5只做攻毒保护试验。结果表明 :2组兔HI抗体峰值分别为 7 3log2和 9 8log2 ,差异极显著 (P <0 0 1 ) ;试验组疫苗保护期可延长 60d ;试验组ANAE+率从第 1 0天至 5 1天与对照组比较 ,差异极显著(P<0 0 1 )。所以黄白散可增强兔接种RHD疫苗后的特异性免疫功能 ,增强RHD疫苗的免疫效果。     

模拟降水量对毛乌素沙柳幼苗蒸发蒸腾的潜在影响

选择毛乌素沙地优势灌木沙柳为对象,研究157.5、315、472.5和630 mm 4种人控年降水量,对沙柳幼苗蒸发蒸腾作用的影响.结果表明,沙柳蒸发蒸腾量随着降水量的增加而逐渐增大,从157.5 mm增至630 mm,日蒸散量分别为1.63、3.11、4.37和5.66 mm,其中沙地蒸发量占主要部分.少量降水时,幼苗蒸腾速率明显呈现"午睡”现象,而充足降水则能消除"午睡”现象.相关分析结果表明,环境因子,如沙地含水率、太阳有效辐射、大气温度和饱和水汽压差,以及植物因素,如叶面积指数、叶片温度和气孔导度等,均能显著影响沙柳的蒸腾作用.     

莫索湾垦区不同土质棉田的土壤水分及群体生理

通过对重壤土和沙壤土两个不同类型的棉田生长状况、植物生理状况和土壤水分状况及土壤温度的研究。结果表明,沙壤土的不保水性和高温使土壤很快变干,造成棉株蒸腾速率下降,气孔阻抗增加,气叶温差变小,形成热害,致使吐絮期提前,影响到了生长状况和经济产量。根据土壤质地造成的灌溉效果的差异,提出在重壤土地采用“大灌量、长周期”,沙壤土地采用“小灌量、短周期”因地配水的灌溉制度,是北疆棉区获得高产应当推行的水分管理技术措施。     

A New Cell Wall Located N-rich Protein is Strongly Induced During the Hypersensitive Response in Glycine Max L.

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merill, cv. Williams 82) plants and cell cultures respond to avirulent pathogens with a hypersensitive reaction. After inoculation of soybean with Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea, carrying the avirulence gene avrA, or zoospores from the fungus Phytophthora sojae Race 1, a resistance-gene-dependent cell death programme is activated. A new gene was identified by differential display of mRNAs that is specifically activated during the early phase of incompatible pathogen-soybean interactions but does not respond to compatible pathogens. The gene is strongly induced within 2h after addition of P. sojae zoospores. A similar kinetic pattern was observed for P. syringae (avrA) inoculated soybean cell cultures. The gene encodes a deduced protein of 368 amino acids with a very high content of asparagine and was therefore termed N-rich protein (NRP). The protein is composed of two distinct domains, of which only the C-terminal domain has striking homology to proteins of unknown function from other plants. An antibody raised against the recombinant NRP recognizes a protein of 42kDa. The protein is located in the cell wall as indicated by cell fractionation studies. Comparison of the genomic DNA-sequence with the cDNA, identified two introns within the open reading frame. The NRP-gene is not directly induced by salicylic acid or hydrogen peroxide, indicating a distinct and specific signal transduction pathway which is only activated during programmed cell death. The NRP-gene appears to be a new marker in soybean activated early in plant disease resistance.     

Fungicidal activity of beta-thujaplicin analogues

The fungicidal activity of analogues of beta-thujaplicin, a natural product responsible for the durability of heartwood of several cupressaceous trees, was investigated in vitro on the growth of different white and brown rot fungi involved in wood biodegradation, Coriolus versicolor, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Poria placenta and Gloephyllum trabeum. The study shows that 2-hydroxycyclohepta-2,4,6-trienone (tropolone), easily prepared according to a literature procedure, possesses interesting fungicidal activity when compared to beta-thujaplicin, azaconazole, tebuconazole and copper oxine, which suggests this compound should be examined further as a potential biocide for wood preservation.     

Identification of Trichoderma SKT-1, a biological control agent against seedborne pathogens of rice

Trichoderma SKT-1 was previously reported as a powerful biological control agent against seedborne pathogens of rice, but the taxonomic disposition of the fungal isolate was not clear. Trichoderma SKT-1 produced irregular pyramidal warts on conidia and had an optimum growth temperature of 30°C. Morphological characteristics and colony growth were identical to those of known species of Trichoderma, including the newly recognized species T. asperellum. The 5.8S rDNA with the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region (ca. 514 bp) of the fungus was compared with those of known species to determine the phylogenetic placement of the fungus. The length and sequence of the regions from Trichoderma SKT-1 were completely identical to those of an isolate of T. asperellum NRRL 5242 (AJ230669). On the basis of these results, we concluded that Trichoderma SKT-1 was T. asperellum.     

Control of Phytophthora cryptogea in the hydroponic forcing of witloof chicory with the rhamnolipid-based biosurfactant formulation PRO1

Rhamnolipids, extracellular metabolites of Pseudomonas aeruginosa with surfactant properties, proved to be very effective in controlling the spread of brown root rot disease caused by Phytophthora cryptogea in the hydroponic forcing system of witloof chicory ( Cichorium intybus var. foliosum ). The biosurfactant was applied as the product PRO1, a formulation of 25% rhamnolipids in oil. Both an in vitro screening and in vivo experiments in a mini-hydroponic system demonstrated the ability of PRO1 to control brown root rot. A 25  µ g mL⁻¹ rhamnolipids nutrient solution was enough to obtain good control of an artificial infection with a zoospore suspension of P. cryptogea . The biosurfactant PRO1 performed well in a semicommercial system under growers' conditions. A treatment of 25  µ g mL⁻¹ rhamnolipids (100  µ g mL⁻¹ PRO1) reduced the disease incidence significantly in two independent experiments. However, PRO1 was not effective when a mycelial suspension was used as inoculum. Rhamnolipids have good potential to limit the spread of P. cryptogea in the hydroponic forcing system of witloof chicory, and can be used as a preventive measure against brown root rot.