Broad range 16S rRNA gene PCR compared to bacterial culture to confirm presumed synovial infection in horses

The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the accuracy of broad range 16S rRNA gene PCR compared to bacterial culture for the detection of synovial infection in horses. The study included 57 synovial fluid samples from horses with presumed synovial infection and a control group consisting of 31 synovial fluid samples originating from clinically normal horses and horses with aseptic synovial inflammation. All samples were analysed by 16S PCR with reverse line blot (RLB) hybridisation. Synovial fluid samples were cultured using conventional agar plate methods (APM) and/or blood culture medium (BCM). The results of the study showed a superior detection rate (89.5%) for 16S PCR with RLB. Bacterial culture had lower sensitivity, but highly acceptable detection rates (77.6%) were observed using BCM. APM had very low sensitivity (37.8%) and infection was never detected by plate isolation without positive incubation in BCM. The highest sensitivity (91.8%) for the detection of synovial infection was achieved when the results of incubation in BCM and 16S PCR were combined. For all the tests, the specificity was higher than 90%.     

Phenology, damage and parasitoids of the apple leaf cutter Coenorhinus pauxillus (Germ.) (Col.: Attelabidae)

An outbreak on apple permitted a closer look at Coenorhinus pauxillus (Germar) (Col.: Attelabidae). The adult weevils emerge from mid-March onwards and attack the first unfolding leaves. Infested leaves drop when the larvae are in the 1^st or 2^nd instar, and it takes a further 4 weeks before the larvae are ready to pupate. Rearing of field-collected eggs and larvae is described. Leaf decomposition is an essential condition for pupation, as the fully-grown larvae do not leave their mine actively. Part of the population pupates more or less immediately and produces adult weevils in autumn. However, up to 70?% of the weevils remain in prolonged diapause; their pupation does not take place before the summer of the following year. Damage by the weevil involves not only the loss of leaves of flower clusters and shoots, but also feeding damage to young fruits. Two parasitoids were found. Observations indicate that 3?–?4 subsequently more abundant generations of Anaphes brachygaster Debauche (Hym.: Mymaridae) develop in eggs of C. pauxillus. Probles brevicornis Horstmann (Hym.: Ichneumonidae, Tersilochinae) emerges in May and oviposits in young weevil larvae on the tree. The parasitoid does not develop into a pupa until its host starts pupating. The outbreak of apple leaf cutter did not decline over three years, but did not spread into adjacent plantings.     

Prediction of total phenols,condensed tannins,and 3-deoxyanthocyanidins in sorghum grain using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy

The reported high phenolic levels in sorghum have led an interest from sorghum breeding programs in developing and identifying germplasms with high phenolic levels, which require screening a large number of samples to find those with the highest levels. Since wet chemistry screening methods are slow, expensive, and destructive, the use of NIR calibration curves could be an alternative. The objectives of this project were to determine the variation range in total phenols, condensed tannins, and 3-deoxyanthocyanidin levels in a diverse set of sorghum genotypes and to assess the predictive value of NIR curves to estimate these compounds in sorghum. A calibration curve to estimate each compound was developed and validated with an independent validation set. Calibration curve correlations for total phenols, condensed tannins, and 3-deoxyanthocyanidins were r = 0.98, 0.97, and 0.99, respectively. Correlations between NIR-predicted values and reference values in the validation set were significant for total phenols (r = 0.93), condensed tannins (r = 0.81) and 3-deoxyanthocyanidin (r = 0.82). These indicated that sufficient variation for these compounds existed within sorghum and that NIR calibration curves could be used to rapidly and non-destructively predict total phenols, condensed tannins, and 3-deoxyanthocyanidins concentrations in whole grain sorghum.     

Ciguatoxin in moray eels raising the risk for seafood safety in Viet Nam

Fisheries Science - Recently, suspected ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) cases caused by the consumption of moray eels, popular seafood for locals and tourists, have been reported in Viet Nam....     

Effect of soil copper on the response of soil fungal communities to the addition of plant residues

Organic residues provide the fundamental energy supply supporting soil fungal communities. Provision of adequate energy is required for soil microbial communities to adapt and function in the presence of ecological stress, such as copper (Cu) contamination. However, contamination can also lead to decreased ecological fitness of microorganisms, limiting their ability to access substrates. Thus, complex interactions exist between substrates, metals, energy supply/accessibility, fungal communities and their processes, and these have implications for ecosystem processes. We investigated the interaction between energy resources and Cu tolerance on soil fungal communities, including Fusarium and Trichoderma (model disease causing and beneficial genera). Using quantitative PCR and DGGE fingerprinting, the effects of increasing soil Cu levels (0 to >3000 mg Cu kg⁻¹ soil) on size and structure of soil fungal communities were tested under basal and plant-residue (medic; Medicago trunculata) added conditions. The interaction between increasing soil Cu levels and the addition of plant resources on fungal community structure was tested using multivariate analysis. The relative size (DNA copies per unit of soil DNA) of soil fungal communities, including Trichoderma and Fusarium, significantly (P < 0.05) increased (94% and 32% respectively) with addition of medic to soil. In medic-applied samples, the bacterial to fungal ratio decreased, demonstrating the selective influence of the cellulose-rich substrate on the fungal community. Under the high nutrient conditions fungal DNA increased as a fraction of the total soil DNA, demonstrating the tolerance of fungi to Cu (relative to other microbiota) given adequate energy resources. Copper had no impact on the abundance of Fusarium or Trichoderma, but significantly affected community structure (PERMANOVA; P < 0.05). With increasing Cu, species selection and replacement could be observed, particularly in soils where medic had been included. Plant residue addition itself was a highly selective factor affecting the structure of communities of Trichoderma and Fusarium (P < 0.05). The effects of increasing Cu could be seen in both medic and basal soils for Trichoderma, but only in the basal treatments for soil Fusarium. This was due to very low dispersion in Fusarium community structure in the medic-added treatment (PERMDISP; P < 0.05). The results show the interactive influence of organic matter inputs and heavy metal contamination on size and structure of soil fungal communities. The data show that species selection and replacement is an important mechanism for community adaptation to increasing levels of soil Cu, and this mechanism can be influenced by addition of resources to the soil.