Identification of blackeye cowpea mosaic virus from germplasm of yard-long bean and from soybean,and the relationships between blackeye cowpea mosaic virus and cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus

Two potyvirus isolates, one from germplasm of yard-long bean (Vigna unguiculata ssp.sesquipedalis) introduced into the Netherlands, and another one from soybean plants (Glycine max) in Indonesia, were compared with two virus isolates of blackeye cowpea mosaic virus (BICMV) from the USA and a Moroccan isolate of cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus (CAMV). It is proposed that all five isolates be now considered BICMV on the basis of host ranges, symptoms and serology. From our results, and a reassessment of the literature it is suggested to drop the name CAMV in favour of BICMV.Samenvatting Twee potyvirussen, de een in Nederland ingevoerd met genenmateriaal vanVigna unguiculata ssp.sesquipedalis en de ander uit planten van sojaboon (Glycine max) in Indonesië, werden vergeleken met twee isolaten van blackeye cowpea mosiac virus (BICMV) en een Marokkaans isolaat van cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus (CAMV). Op grond van waardplantenreeksen, symptomen en serologie stellen de auteurs voor om alle vijf isolaten te beschouwen als BICMV. Gebaseerd op de verkregen resultaten en een kritische beschouwing van de literatuur wordt de aanbeveling gedaan om de naam CAMV te laten vallen ten gunste van BICMV.     

Concentrations of plasma luteinising hormone,prolactin, progesterone and androgens during the ovulatory cycle of the Turkey

1. Changes in the concentrations of plasma luteinising hormone (LH), prolactin, androgen and progesterone were measured during the ovulatory cycle of the turkey.

2. Single pre‐ovulatory peaks of plasma LH, androgen and progesterone were observed which took 8, 8 and 12 h respectively, to increase and return to base‐line values. The concentration of plasma prolactin tended to be elevated between 6 h before and 6 h after the LH peak with the maximum values occurring after the peak.

3. The changes in the concentrations of plasma LH and progesterone were 3‐ and 7‐fold respectively while 2‐fold changes were observed in the concentrations of plasma androgen and prolactin.

4. The pre‐ovulatory concentration of plasma progesterone and prolactin began to decrease 4 and 6 h respectively, after the pre‐ovulatory peak of LH.

5. Ovulation and oviposition occurred 6 to 8 h and 36.10+ 0.57 h (SEM) ( n= 11) respectively after the pre‐ovulatory peak of LH.

6. In birds kept on 14 h light/d, pre‐ovulatory peaks of LH were initiated only during a 10 to 11‐h period starting within 2 h after the onset of darkness.

7. A comparison between these data and those from the fowl suggest that the egg is retained in the turkey's oviduct for about 3 to 4 h longer than in the fowl.     

Hepatic lipidosis: Liver characteristics and acute phase proteins in affected turkeys

The hepatic lipidosis (HL) in fattening turkeys is a disease has been known for a long time, but the cause and pathogenesis is still not clarified. A recent study reported unexplained high levels of iron in liver tissue of fattening turkeys suffering from HL. In this study, the iron status, possible infectious or inflammatory influences in form of an acute phase reaction and the analysis of fatty acid pattern in liver tissue of turkeys affected by HL were examined. Three cases of HL on three different fattening turkey farms were investigated during the outbreak of the disease. Clinically affected and non-affected animals were subjected to a pathological examination, where the diagnosis HL or non-affected was made. In total, 70 birds were examined (40 with HL, 30 without HL) and blood and liver samples were taken. Additionally, samples from 15 slaughtered birds were taken as a further control group. In liver tissue, the iron content and the content of long-chain fatty acids were determined; in blood samples, ferritin and transferrin were measured. The iron content in liver tissue was more than three times higher for animals with HL than among non-affected animals and the control group. The transferrin levels were lowest for animals with HL, highest in the control group and in between for non-affected animals. The fatty acid pattern in liver tissue of affected animals indicated a shift from polyunsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids compared to the control group and the non-affected animals. Overall, the non-affected animals of a flock affected by HL were similar to the healthy animals of the abattoir. The low acute phase protein levels for animals with HL together with high iron contents could indicate a previous malnutrition/starvation period and/or severe liver damage for those animals suffering from HL.     

Do public attitudes affect conservation effort? Using a questionnaire-based survey to assess perceptions,beliefs and superstitions associated with frogs in South Africa

Globally, amphibians are among the least appreciated vertebrates and are often negatively perceived by the general public. Such attitudes are particularly prevalent in South Africa, where fear, superstitions and myths associated with frogs are pervasive in some cultures. These attitudes could have harmful consequences both for the animals concerned and conservation efforts. This study aimed to investigate attitudes to frogs throughout South Africa across multiple age and ethnic groups. We used a multi-language survey in both hard-copy and online versions. Respondents (n = 2 295) comprised both genders across six age groups and five ethnic groups. A functionalist approach using structural equation modelling was used to assess how liking of frogs and cultural beliefs varied with socio-demographic factors. Attitudes varied significantly between groups, with males more likely to like frogs than females and age and level of education also significantly linked to liking. The influence of cultural beliefs and lack of knowledge also directly influenced negative attitudes towards frogs. More than 60% of respondents expressed an interest in learning more about frogs, indicating an opportunity for improving attitudes through educational outreach. The findings of this study can be used to inform current efforts to protect amphibians in South Africa through social interventions.     

Use of detached tomato leaves to test for resistance to tomato mosaic virus

Samenvatting Een methode werd ontwikkeld om de resistentie van in de kas geteelde tomateplanten tegen tomatemozaïek virus (ToMV) te bepalen. Bladeren van een vatbare en een resistente cultivar werden afgesneden en geïnoculeerd met ToMV. Na 6, 10 en 17 dagen werden de geïnoculeerde bladeren getoetst op de aanwezigheid van virus met ELISA en door inoculatie van bladeren vanNicotiana glutinosa. Met beide toetsmethoden kon de virustoename in de vatbare cultivar al vroeg na inoculatie duidelijk worden aangetoond. In de bladeren van de resistente cultivar was een zeer kleine hoeveelheid virus pas laat na de inoculatie aantoonbaar. Met deze methode is het mogelijk om de resistentie tegen ToMV te bepalen, tevens zaad te winnen en landbouwkundige eigenschappen te evalueren, zonder de plant te infecteren.     

Application of aldicarb in a drip-irrigated cotton field for the control of the Tobacco Whitefly(Bemisia Tabaci)

Cotton was grown in loess soil, in rows 1 m apart, and drip-lines were placed in the center of every second space between rows at a distance of 50 cm from the plants. Aldicarb was applied as granules (containing 15% a.i.) to the field on two dates (mid-June and mid-July) and incorporated into the soil(a) 25 cm from the plants,i.e., equidistant from the plants and the drip-lines, on both sides of the drip-lines; and(b) 50 cm from the plants,i.e., in the center of the spaçe between the rows, near the drip-line. Measurements of mortality ofBemisia tabaci larvae, and of the accumulation of aldicarb from the late (mid-July) treatment showed that best control of the pest and the highest aldicarb residues were obtained with the late treatment. The pest control effectiveness was found to depend on both date and location of aldicarb application. Early treatment (mid-June) was more effective if applied close (25 cm distance) to the plant stems, whereas late treatment (mid-July) was more effective if applied at a distance of 50 cm from the plant stems.     

Relation between lipid and fatty acid composition of eggs and larval survival in white pacific shrimp (Penaeus vannamei, Boone, 1931)

In this study, lipid classes and fatty acid composition were determinedin eggs of P. vannamei as a function of survival to zoeaIII stage. Spawns were reared individually to zoea III and grouped, accordingtotheir final survival to this larval stage, into spawns of high and lowsurvival.Eggs of individual spawns were analyzed for lipid and fatty acid composition ofneutral and polar lipids and the results were then grouped according tosurvivalto zoea III. The lipids within each group (high and low survival to zoea III)were pooled for the separation of phospholipids and the analysis of their fattyacid composition.Higher levels of triglycerides, carotenoids, and linoleic (18:2n-6) acid ineggs were associated with improved survival to zoea III. Linoleic acid washigher in spawns from the high survival group in both neutral and polarfractions and in most of the phospholipid classes analyzed. Docosahexanoic acid(DHA) was not related to survival to zoea, probably because its content washighenough (> 15% of total fatty acids) to satisfy embryo and early larvaldevelopment needs. A high content of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) was found inphosphatidylethanolamine, lysophosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, andphosphatidylinositol compared to other phospholipid classes, suggesting aspecific role of EPA in these lipids. These results describe the specificphospholipid composition of penaeid eggs and could (potentially) be used aspredictive indicators of larval quality for research and production purposes.     

Congenital cataracts in an Ayrshire herd: a herd case report

Background

Microbiological standards within pork slaughter processing plants in the European Union are currently governed by Commission Regulation (EC) 2073/2005, which describes detailed performance criteria at specific stages of the procedure (following carcass dressing and before chilling) for total viable counts (TVC), Enterobacteriaceae (EB) and Salmonella spp. In this study, 95 carcasses from an Irish pork slaughter plant were sampled by swabbing 100 cm² of surface at three sites (belly, ham, jowl) to examine the effects of eight processing stages (stunning, bleeding, scalding, singeing, polishing, evisceration, final inspection and chilling) on contamination levels.

Results

TVC ranged from approximately 1.7–6.3 log cfu cm² during sampling. There were significant reductions in TVC for all sites after scalding and singeing (p < 0.05), whilst there was a significant increase in counts after polishing and evisceration (p < 0.05) compared with preceding stages. EB counts indicated hygienic weak points in the examined slaughter plant leading to faecal (cross)-contamination, with elevated counts after stunning, bleeding and evisceration (p < 0.05), compared with final counts after chilling.

Conclusions

Although the bacterial numbers reported in this study may reflect specific plant practices and temporal influences, results show that contamination can be introduced at various steps in the process and highlight the importance of monitoring locations other than those required by legislation within the process. Monitoring can be used to establish baseline levels for high-risk stages specific to each plant and to assess the effectiveness of additional interventions.