Some characteristics of vaginal prolapse in Nepali buffaloes

Prolapse of vagina is one of the important maternal abnormalities during pregnancy in cattle and buffaloes. A field investigation was carried out on 26 Murrah graded buffaloes to study clinical characteristics of vaginal prolapse in buffaloes in Nepal. Fifty-seven percent of the 26 buffaloes with vaginal prolapse were either heifers or in first lactation. Sixty-five percent of the cases were in seventh month of pregnancy or later. About three quarters of the cases occurred between June and October. Twelve cases (63%) of the 19 animals excluding 7 heifers had a history of vaginal prolapse in previous gestations. A half of the buffaloes were showing prolapse of the vagina even when they were in standing position and showing moderate or vigorous straining. After the conventional treatments, twenty-three buffaloes retained the replaced vagina and calved normally. One animal aborted although the vagina was retained. Two buffaloes had severest degree of vaginal prolapse complicated with edema, injury and cyanosis, and they did not respond to the treatment. The two buffaloes had frequently recurrent prolapse and subsequently died. Early detection and prompt treatment may be imperative to control the vaginal prolapse in buffaloes.     

Response of Chickens to Infection with Newcastle Disease Virus Isolated from a Guinea Fowl

An isolate of Newcastle disease virus obtained from a guinea fowl was characterized as a viscerotropic velogenic strain based upon pathogenicity index studies. Following inoculation of the viral isolate oronasally into 3-week-old chickens, clinical signs appeared after an incubation period of 4–5 days and included dullness, depression, dyspnoea, diarrhoea and leg paralysis. The virus caused a mortality of 56% with haemorrhages at the tip of the glands of the proventriculus and caecal tonsil. Histopathological changes were prominent in the lymphoid organs, being characterized by depletion, degeneration and necrosis of the lymphoid tissues. The brain was the first organ affected, with changes being noticed 3 days after infection. Isolation of virus from various organs was more frequent from 5 to 10 days after infection, but the virus persisted in some of the organs until 21 days after infection. In spite of the high mortality, a good immune response was elicited by the isolate, as was evident from the antibody titre.     

Impact of Buckwheat Flavonoids on In Vitro Starch Digestibility and Noodle‐Making Properties

The effects of various buckwheat materials (buckwheat flour [BF], dietary fiber extract [DE], flavonoids extract [FE], and rutin‐enhanced flavonoids extract [REFE]) on starch digestibility and noodle‐making properties were evaluated. When FE and REFE were incorporated into noodles, the amount of rapidly digestible starch and the predicted glycemic index (pGI) were reduced. However, BF and DE did not significantly decrease the pGI value of noodles. When assessing noodle properties, hardness was increased with increasing content of buckwheat materials, whereas other texture parameters were not significantly affected by buckwheat addition. All noodles were similar in regard to water absorption and swelling index, but cooking loss was slightly increased in FE and REFE noodles. FE and REFE demonstrated higher flavonoid stability during noodle making and, additionally, were more effective at reducing starch digestibility than BF and DE. REFE, specifically, does not generate quercetin (the cause of a bitter taste), and, therefore, REFE was effective in suppressing the hydrolysis of starch in the noodles, lowering the pGI.     

Comparison of the swimming performance of farmed and wild gilthead sea bream, Sparus aurata

Farmed gilthead sea bream, Sparus aurata, frequently escape from the sea cages and interact with wild populations. The impact of these interactions on the wild populations will depend, in part, on differences in performance of the bream. This study compared the swimming performance of the wild and farmed fish in a current channel. The absolute critical swimming speed (U_crit) increased with increasing size while the relative U_crit decreased. Even at the same length there were noticeable performance differences between the individuals. The wild sea bream have significantly higher (P<0.05) absolute U_crit performance (0.86±0.01 m s⁻¹) than the farmed fish (0.79±0.01 m s⁻¹) and significantly higher (P<0.05) relative U_crit performance (4.52±0.05 BL s⁻¹) than the farmed fish (4.21±0.05 BL s⁻¹). The present study suggests that cultured sea bream may not have the ability to compete with wild sea bream in native seawaters.     

Tonic activation of NMDA receptors by ambient glutamate enhances excitability of neurons

Voltage clamp recordings and noise analysis from pyramidal cells in hippocampal slices indicate that N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are tonically active. On the basis of the known concentration of glutamate in the extracellular fluid, this tonic action is likely caused by the ambient glutamate level. NMDA receptors are voltage-sensitive, thus background activation of these receptors imparts a regenerative electrical property to pyramidal cells, which facilitates the coupling between dendritic excitatory synaptic input and somatic action potential discharge in these neurons.     

Septicemic proteus infection in Japanese quail chicks (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

Proteus infection was incriminated as the cause of severe depression, coma, and high mortality in successive broods of quail chicks. The pathological lesions comprised congestion of lungs, liver, and kidneys and mucus exudation in the trachea. The organism, isolated from the heart blood and lungs of affected chicks, was identified on biochemical tests as Proteus mirabilis. Pathogenicity of the isolate was tested in young albino mice and week-old quail chicks, which succumbed to infection within 48 hours of inoculation. Association of P. mirabilis with septicemic disease in Japanese quails has apparently been demonstrated for the first time.     

Molecular and pathological investigations of EHV-1 and EHV-4 infections in horses in Turkey

The aim of the present study was to investigate abortion storms that occurred in the Marmara region of Turkey in 2008-2009 using a real-time PCR. Two aborted foetuses were necropsied and histo-pathological findings reported herein. Ten lungs, 3 brains and one nasal swab from 10 aborted foetuses, 6 nasal swabs and 3 vaginal swabs from aborting mares were included in this study. EHV-1 was isolated from the lung, liver and brain of 1 aborted foetus. EHV-1 DNA was detected in the lungs, livers and spleens of 2 necropsied foetuses and in 3 lungs from 10 foetuses submitted for diagnosis. A brain from one of the aborted foetuses was also positive for EHV-1 DNA. EHV-4 DNA was detected only in a nasal swab of one of the tested foetuses. Neither EHV-1 nor EHV-4 DNA was detected in the swabs of aborting mares. Sequence analysis of the glycoprotein B of the strains was performed and a phylogenetic tree was generated. The results indicated that 4 of the 5 Turkish EHV-1 strains (TR02, TR03, TR04 and TR05) clustered together; the fifth strain (TR01) was slightly removed from the group and clustered with other EHV-1 from various origins. Single nucleotide polyporphism (SNP in ORF30) associated with neuropathogenesis was not detected in any of the strains. At necropsy, sub-milier focal necrosis in the liver and spleen was observed. Microscopically, focal coagulation necrosis and marked eosinophilic intranuclear and intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies in the hepatocytes localised around the necrotic areas in the liver. Severe coagulation necrosis in white pulp of the spleen was also observed.     

First Report on the Frequency and Molecular Detection of Neuropathogenic EHV-1 in Turkey

There has been an increase in outbreaks of neuropathogenic equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) in the United States and Europe. However, the presence and frequency of neuropathogenic EHV-1 in Turkish horses are not known at present. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of EHV-1 and neuropathogenic strains of EHV-1 in the Marmara Region of Turkey. Samples were analyzed for the presence of EHV-1 and neuropathogenic EHV-1 by real-time PCR TaqMan probe assays. Overall detection rate of EHV-1 was 45.5% (51 of 112). The detection rates were 70.5% (24 of 34) in aborted fetuses, 53.3% (8 of 15) in neonatal deads, 66.6% (4 of 6) in foals, 40% (2 of 5) in dead mares, and 25% (13 of 52) in living mares. Overall detection rate of neuropathogenic EHV-1 was 7.8% (4 of 51), and the real-time PCR results were confirmed by sequencing. Neuropathogenic strains of EHV-1 were detected in the brain and lung of two mares with neurological disease but without a history of abortion, in the brain of a foal that died of respiratory disorder, and in the nasal swab from a mare with a history of abortion. On histopathology, nonpurulent meningoencephalitis, hemorrhages, and vasculitis were seen in the brain. In conclusion, results of this study indicated, for the first time, that the neuropathogenic EHV-1 is circulating in the Marmara Region of Turkey. The results of this study also show that the current risk for non-neuropathogenic strains is high, whereas risk for the neuropathogenic EHV-1-G₂₂₅₄ strain seems to be low. As outbreaks of EHV-1 continue in the Marmara region of Turkey, surveillance for neuropathogenic EHV-1 genotype should be maintained.     

Common ragweed: An emerging threat for sunflower production and human health in Turkey

Common ragweed invasion poses serious risks to human health, biodiversity and agricultural production throughout the world. Although ragweed has an enormous potential to expand its range in Turkey, studies on ragweed have only concentrated on the Black Sea region. An exploratory survey was conducted to observe the level of ragweed occurrence on the nodes of predecided 10 × 10 km grids in the Thrace region of Turkey. Ragweed populations were observed in 44 out of 129 sites in a wide range of habitats, including roadsides, pastures, agricultural fields and non‐agricultural areas. The highest levels of ragweed infestation were recorded in the agricultural fields, followed by the roadsides. The most‐invaded crop was sunflower. The sunflower fields had the highest ragweed coverage as well and invasion even resulted in crop failure alongside the field borders. A spatial analysis of the data indicated that ragweed exhibited an aggregated pattern over the Thrace region. Ragweed distribution was not associated with the characteristics of the soils, which had a varying range of pH, electrical conductivity and texture. The results revealed that ragweed invasion can arise as a serious weed problem, interfering with the sustainability of sunflower production in Thrace and other sunflower‐producing regions of the country. A high degree of ragweed infestation also will contribute to the pollen level counts for the most crowded cities in the region, posing a serious danger to human health.