DIAGNOSTIC SENSITIVITY OF ULTRASOUND,RADIOGRAPHY AND COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY FOR GENDER DETERMINATION IN FOUR SPECIES OF LIZARDS

Gender determination is frequently requested by reptile breeders, especially for species with poor or absent sexual dimorphism. The aims of the current study were to describe techniques and diagnostic sensitivities of ultrasound, radiography, and computed tomography for gender determination (identification of hemipenes) in four species of lizards. Nineteen lizards of known sex, belonging to four different species (Pogona vitticeps, Uromastyx aegyptia, Tiliqua scincoides, Gerrhosaurus major) were prospectively enrolled. With informed owner consent, ultrasound, noncontrast CT, contrast radiography, and contrast CT (with contrast medium administered into the cloaca) were performed in conscious animals. Imaging studies were reviewed by three different operators, each unaware of the gender of the animals and of the results of the other techniques. The lizard was classified as a male when hemipenes were identified. Nineteen lizards were included in the study, 10 females and nine males. The hemipenes were seen on ultrasound in only two male lizards, and appeared as oval hypoechoic structures. Radiographically, hemipenes filled with contrast medium appeared as spindle‐shaped opacities. Noncontrast CT identified hemipenes in only two lizards, and these appeared as spindle‐shaped kinked structures with hyperattenuating content consistent with smegma. Hemipenes were correctly identified in all nine males using contrast CT (accuracy of 100%). Accuracy of contrast radiography was excellent (94.7%). Accuracy of ultrasound and of noncontrast CT was poor (64.3% and 63.1%, respectively). Findings from the current study supported the use of contrast CT or contrast radiography for gender determination in lizards.     

甘氨酸铁对断奶仔猪生长性能的影响

试验选用72头杜长大断奶仔猪,随机分为3组,每组3个重复,每个重复8头。试验分为对照组Ⅰ(基础日粮含100 mg/kg无机铁)、对照组Ⅱ(基础日粮+50 mg/kg无机铁)、试验组(基础日粮+50 mg/kg甘氨酸铁),试验结果表明:对照组Ⅰ、对照组Ⅱ和试验组3个组之间差异不显著,试验组的日增重比对照组Ⅰ和对照组Ⅱ分别提高2.67%(P>0.05)和2.18%(P>0.05);从料肉比来看,试验组和对照组Ⅰ差异显著,但与对照组Ⅱ相比差异不显著。分别比对照组Ⅰ和对照组Ⅱ降低1.4%(P<0.05)和0.7%(P>0.05);在腹泻率方面,试验组与对照组Ⅰ之间差异显著(P<0.05),但与对照组Ⅱ之间差异不显著(P>0.05)。试验组比对照组Ⅰ和对照组Ⅱ分别降低93.3%和83.3%;育成率3组之间差异不显著;血清微量元素铁增加的趋势试验组均高于对照组Ⅰ和对照组Ⅱ,组间差异均不显著(P<0.05);试验组粪中微量元素铁的含量比对照组Ⅰ和Ⅱ分别降低30.02%和30.47%,且试验组和对照组Ⅰ、对照组Ⅱ之间差异极显著(P<0.01),但对照组Ⅰ和对照组Ⅱ之间差异不显著(P>0.05)。由此可见,在基础日粮中添加50 mg/kg(含二价铁)甘氨酸铁不仅能提高断奶仔猪生产性能,还能减少粪中微量元素铁的排放量。     

Comparative evaluation of PRRS virus infection in vaccinated and naïve pigs

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the time-course of the immune response to a field Porcine Respiratory and Reproductive Syndrome virus (PRRSV) strain in PRRS-naïve, untreated pigs, as well as in four groups of age and breed-matched pigs injected with a live attenuated PRRS vaccine, its adjuvant, an inactivated PRRS vaccine and an irrelevant, inactivated Porcine Circovirus type 2 (PCV2) vaccine, respectively. PRRSV infection was confirmed in all groups by PCR and antibody assays. The antibody response measured by ELISA took place earlier in pigs injected with the live attenuated vaccine, which also developed a much stronger serum-neutralizing antibody response to the vaccine strain. Yet, no clear protection was evidenced in terms of viremia against the field virus strain, which showed 11.1% nucleotide divergence in ORF7 from the vaccine strain. In vitro, the interferon (IFN)-γ response to PRRSV was almost absent on PVD 60 in all groups under study, whereas the prevalence of interleukin (IL)-10 responses to PRRSV was fairly high in PCV2-vaccinated animals, only. Results indicate that distinct patterns of immune response to a field PRRSV strain can be recognized in PRRS-vaccinated and naïve pigs, which probably underlies fundamental differences in the development and differentiation of PRRSV-specific immune effector cells.     

Kiwellin, a modular protein from green and gold kiwi fruits: evidence of in vivo and in vitro processing and IgE binding

Kiwellin, an allergenic protein formerly isolated from green kiwi fruit, has been identified as the most abundant component of the gold kiwi species. A protein named KiTH, showing a 20 kDa band on reducing SDS-PAGE and 100% identity with the C-terminal region of kiwellin, has been identified in the extract of the ripe green species. In vitro treatment of purified kiwellin with the protease actinidin from green kiwi fruit originated KiTH and kissper, a recently described pore-forming peptide. Primary structure analysis and experimental evidence suggest that kiwellin is a modular protein with two domains. It may undergo in vivo proteolytic processing by actinidin, thus producing KiTH and kissper. When probed with sera recognizing kiwellin from green kiwi fruit, KiTH showed IgE binding, with reactivity levels sometimes different from those of kiwellin. The IgE-binding capacity of kiwellin from gold kiwi fruit appears to be similar to that of the green species.     

Toxicity (EC50) comparisons of some animal wastes

Toxicity of various animal wastes, after mixing with deionized water, for 1 and 24 hr, was measured using Photobacterium phosphoreum. The EC₅₀ values determined by the ‘microtox’ toxicity test showed that the aqueous extracts of all animal wastes were toxic and the toxicity increased in the order: cattle, horse, sheep, pig and poultry. The observed toxicity was found not to be influenced by the amount of kjeldahl-N, NO₃ or NH₄ present in the waste-extract.     

Supercritical CO2 extract of Cinnamomum zeylanicum: chemical characterization and antityrosinase activity

The volatile oil of the bark of Cinnamomum zeylanicum was extracted by means of supercritical CO2 fluid extraction in different conditions of pressure and temperature. Its chemical composition was characterized by GC-MS analysis. Nineteen compounds, which in the supercritical extract represented >95% of the oil, were identified. (E)-Cinnamaldehyde (77.1%), (E)-beta-caryophyllene (6.0%), alpha-terpineol (4.4%), and eugenol (3.0%) were found to be the major constituents. The SFE oil of cinnamon was screened for its biological activity about the formation of melanin in vitro. The extract showed antityrosinase activity and was able to reduce the formation of insoluble flakes of melanin from tyrosine. The oil also delayed the browning effect in apple homogenate. (E)-Cinnamaldehyde and eugenol were found to be mainly responsible of this inhibition effect.     

Character analysis and numerical classification in a wheat collection from Sicily

Summary A study was undertaken using 48 characters observed in plants, spikes and seeds in order to determine the amount of information of different characters and their taxonomic importance in tetraploid wheat samples from Sicily. A classification of the material was also attempted using similarity indices.The most important characters appear: leaf pubescence, glume colour and length, and seed colour. Using all characters, similarity indices among samples were computed and a classification was worked out. This classification, which is very similar to those proposed by various scientists, produces hierarchical groups, showing different levels of merging, and offers very interesting hypotheses on the evolution of the Siciliandurum wheats.

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Merkmalsanalyse und numerische Klassifikation an einer Weizen-Kollektion aus Sizilien

Zusammenfassung Untersucht wurden 48 Pflanzen-, Ähren- und Kornmerkmale an Proben tetraploider Weizen aus Sizilien, um den Informationsgehalt unterschiedlicher Merkmale und ihren taxonomischen Wert zu erfassen. Anhand von Ähnlichkeitsindices wurde auch eine Klassifikation des Materials vorgenommen.Als bedeutsamste Merkmale erscheinen: Blattpubeszenz, Spelzenfarbe und-länge und Kornfarbe. Auf der Grundlage aller Merkmale wurden Ähnlichkeitsindices zwischen den Proben errechnet und eine Klassifikation ausgearbeitet. Diese ist den Klassifikationen anderer Wissenschaftler sehr ähnlich, ergibt hierarchische Gruppen mit unterschiedlichem Ähnlichkeitsniveau und ermöglicht die Aufstellung einer interessanten Hypothese zur Evolution der sizilianischendurum- Weizen.

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Virtual vineyard for grapevine management purposes: A RFID/GPS application

A method for combining data stored in an RFID microchip implanted inside grapevine plants and a GPS system is described. GIS software was used to register geographic coordinates of detected points, and to develop a specific database in which information useful for the positioning phase are stored. The final product is a digital map accessible via mobile or desktop systems that represents the “virtual vineyard”. In this digital representation, each grapevine plant marked by RFID can be selected, viewed and edited. Free-to-use software was implemented for use by consumers.