Correction to: Individual based modelling of fish migration in a 2-D river system: model description and case study

Landscape Ecology - In the original publication of the article, the third author name has been misspelt. The correct name is given in this Correction. The original version of this article was revised.     

Variance in leaf spot susceptibility in chestnut trees of different species and hybrids

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Prior to the first occurrence of chestnut blight in 1976, leaf spot caused by Cylindrosporium castaneae was one of the most important diseases of European...     

Digestibility of Quinoa (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Chenopodium quinoa</Emphasis> Willd.) Protein Concentrate and Its Potential to Inhibit Lipid Peroxidation in the Zebrafish Larvae Model

Quinoa protein concentrate (QPC) was extracted and digested under in vitro gastrointestinal conditions. The protein content of QPC was in the range between 52.40 and 65.01% depending on the assay used. Quinoa proteins were almost completely hydrolyzed by pepsin at pH of 1.2, 2.0, and 3.2. At high pH, only partial hydrolysis was observed. During the duodenal phase, no intact proteins were visible, indicating their susceptibility to the in vitro simulated digestive conditions. Zebrafish larvae model was used to evaluate the in vivo ability of gastrointestinal digests to inhibit lipid peroxidation. Gastric digestion at pH 1.2 showed the highest lipid peroxidation inhibition percentage (75.15%). The lipid peroxidation activity increased after the duodenal phase. The digest obtained at the end of the digestive process showed an inhibition percentage of 82.10%, comparable to that showed when using BHT as positive control (87.13%).     

Characterization of the surface properties of cellulosic fibers in fibrous and ground forms by IGC and contact angle measurements

Surface properties of fibrous and ground cotton and linen were investigated by inverse gas chromatography (IGC) and the contact angle with different liquids was also measured on fabrics composed of both fibers. Results proved that dispersion component of surface tension (γ _s ^d ) determined by IGC depends not only on the surface energy, but also on several factors influencing the adsorbability of probe molecules on the cellulosic substrates. For cotton samples, the trapping of n-alkanes among waxy molecules in the outer layer of fibers can be presumed. This effect results in larger γ _s ^d for cotton fibers than for linen in spite of the higher wettability of the linen fabrics. Besides the surface energy and trapping effects, the grinding also influences the γ _s ^d values. Specific enthalpy of adsorption (ΔH _A ^ab ) of polar probes could be determined on all linen samples, but only on the ground cotton sample. Lewis acid-base character calculated for linen and ground cotton samples depends on the same effects as the γ _s ^d does. The similar ΔH _A ^ab values of chloroform (acidic) and THF (basic) measured on each of the samples support the conclusion that the surface character is amphoteric, which is also proved by the high ΔH _A ^ab values of the amphoteric ethyl acetate and acetone probes.     

Sorbent Materials Characterization Based on Mechanical or Thermal Pretreated Montmorillonite Modified by Surfactant Loading for Improved Chromium Retention

Water, Air, & Soil Pollution - The treatment efficiency of Chlorella sorokiniana and Scenedesmus species, immobilized in sodium alginate, was evaluated for removing nitrate from groundwater....     

Major outer membrane proteins of Brucella spp.: past,present and future

The major outer membrane proteins (OMPs) of Brucella spp. were initially identified in the early 1980s and characterised as potential immunogenic and protective antigens. They were classified according to their apparent molecular mass as 36–38 kDa OMPs or group 2 porin proteins and 31–34 and 25–27 kDa OMPs which belong to the group 3 proteins. The genes encoding the group 2 porin proteins were identified in the late 1980s and consist of two genes, omp2a and omp2b, which are closely linked in the Brucella genome, and which share a great degree of identity (>85%). In the 1990s, two genes were identified coding for the group 3 proteins and were named omp25 and omp31. The predicted amino acid sequences of omp25 and omp31 share 34% identity. The recent release of the genome sequence of B. melitensis 16 M has revealed the presence of five additional gene products homologous to Omp25 and Omp31. The use of recombinant protein technology and monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) has shown that the major OMPs appear to be of little relevance as antigens in smooth (S) B. abortus or B. melitensis infections i.e. low or no protective activity in the mouse model of infection and low or no immunogenicity during host infection. However, group 3 proteins, in particular Omp31, appear as immunodominant antigen in the course of rough (R) B. ovis infection in rams and as important protective antigen in the B. ovis mouse model of infection. The major OMP genes display diversity and specific markers have been identified for Brucella species, biovars, and strains, including the recent marine mammal Brucella isolates for which new species names have been proposed. Recently, Omp25 has been shown to be involved in virulence of B. melitensis, B. abortus and B. ovis. Mutants lacking Omp25 are indeed attenuated in animal models of infection, and moreover provide levels of protection similar or better than currently used attenuated vaccine strain B. melitensis Rev.1. Therefore, these mutant strains appear interesting vaccine candidates for the future. The other group 3 proteins identified in the genome merit also further investigation related to the development of new vaccines.     

Performance and carcass characteristics of lambs fed diets with increasing levels of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mimosa tenuiflora</Emphasis> (Willd.) hay replacing Buffel grass hay

This study evaluated the performance and carcass characteristics of lambs fed diets with increasing levels of Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) hay replacing Buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris). Twenty-eight Santa Inês male lambs with an average body weight (BW) of 20.3 ± 1.49 kg(mean ± SD) were allocated in individual stalls and distributed in a completely random design with four treatments (0, 20, 40, and 60 g/100 g total DM M. tenuiflora hay replacing Buffel grass hay in diet) with seven replications. M. tenuiflora hay at the level of 20% dry matter (DM) total replacing Buffel grass hay increased final weight (P = 0.006), total weight gain (P < 0.001), average daily weight gain (ADWG; P < 0.001), DM intake (P < 0.001), and feed efficiency (P < 0.001). Intake of crude protein, NDF_ap, ADF_ap, ash, ether extract, total and non-fibrous carbohydrates, and total digestible nutrients presented a positive quadratic effect with M. tenuiflora hay replacing Buffel grass hay and 40 g/100 g total DM level presented greater intake. There were positive quadratic effects by M. tenuiflora hay inclusion at 20 g/100 g total DM level on slaughtering weight (P = 0.005), hot carcass weight (P = 0.002), cold carcass weight (P = 0.002), empty body weight (P = 0.001), hot carcass yield (P = 0.002), cold carcass yield (P = 0.003), and increase linear on biological yield (P = 0.003). There was no influence on cooling weight loss (P = 0.284). M. tenuiflora hay may be included in lamb diets at amounts up to 20 g/100 g total DM substitution of Buffel grass hay because increase in the nutrients intake, growth performance, and carcass characteristics.     

Immunohistochemical study of the inflammatory infiltrate associated with feline cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas and precancerous lesions (actinic keratosis).

The distribution of T lymphocytes (CD3+), B lymphocytes (CD79+), immunoglobulin-containing plasma cells (IgG, IgM and IgA), macrophages (Mac387+) and MHC Class II antigen was analysed in the inflammatory infiltrate associated with cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) from 23 cats. Peri-tumoural skin (12 cases) and precancerous lesions of actinic keratosis (nine cases) were also evaluated for the expression of MHC Class II. The results revealed that an abundant inflammatory infiltrate was associated with the majority of SCC. This infiltrate was composed mainly of CD3+ T lymphocytes, B cells (CD79+) and IgG-bearing plasma cells, and the intensity of infiltration increased with the degree of invasiveness of the tumour. The number of CD3+ T cells and CD79+ cells was significantly increased in well-differentiated SCC compared with moderately differentiated tumours, whereas the number of IgM+, IgA+ plasma cells and Mac387+ macrophages was low or moderate and did not change significantly with histologic grade or invasiveness. MHC Class II antigen was expressed by infiltrating lymphocytes and macrophages, and by fibroblasts. A variable number of neoplastic cells (10% to 80%) in 10 SCC, and keratinocytes of basal layers in seven of nine cases of actinic keratosis also expressed MHC Class II, whereas keratinocytes of normal skin were always negative for this antigen. These results suggest that CD3+ T lymphocytes, CD79+ B cells and IgG-bearing plasma cells may participate in down-regulation of tumour growth, since these cell types were particularly numerous in well-differentiated and mildly invasive SCC, as well as in actinic keratosis. The expression of MHC Class II by neoplastic cells could enhance this local anti-tumour immune response.     

Structural and ultrastructural study of the intracranial portion of the oculomotor, trochlear and abducent nerves in dog

The right intracranial portion of the oculomotor, trochlear and abducent nerves were removed from six adult German shepherd dogs and analysed by light and electron microscopy. In all cases the nerve sectional area was calculated. Unmyelinated and myelinated fibres were analysed and number, diameter and cross-sectional area were calculated. In myelinated fibres, also calculated were the corresponding axon area and diameter, and myelin sheath thickness. The mean number of myelinated fibres was 8543.50 +/- 1231.85 being the unmyelinated 1402 +/- 241.58 in the oculomotor nerve; 1509 +/- 223.17 and 287.67 +/- 72.28 in the trochlear nerve and 2473.00 +/- 211.41 and 231.25 +/- 92.67 respectively in the abducent. The mean diameter was 10.23 +/- 0.68 microm in myelinated and 0.43 +/- 0.21 for unmyelinated in oculomotor nerve, 10.53 +/- 0.55 microm and 0.33 +/- 0.04 for the trochlear, and 10.45 +/- 1.27 microm and 0.47 +/- 0.09 in the abducent nerve respectively. This study reveals that oculomotor, trochlear and abducent nerves of the dog show structural and ultra-structural features similar to the same nerves in other species.