Crooked calf disease: a histological and histochemical examination of eight affected calves

Macroscopic, histopathologic, and histochemical investigations were made on a group of eight neonatal Angus X Hereford calves, selected from an ongoing outbreak of crooked calf disease among calving heifers. Arthrogryposis of the forelimbs was seen to varying degrees in all eight animals, and torticollis was present in six calves. Histopathology, using hematoxylin and eosin stain, did not reveal any striking or consistent lesion in the affected animals; the majority of the tissues sampled were normal. Muscle samples were processed for adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) and NADH-tetrazolium reductase (NADH-tr) histochemistry, and the data suggest that a primary myopathy is not responsible for the congenital anomalies in the affected calves.     

Protection against enzootic pneumonia of pigs: intraperitoneal inoculation with live LKR strain of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae

Pigs obtained from a mycoplasma-free piggery were randomised into 4 groups of 9. Groups 1 and 2 were injected by the intraperitoneal route with liquid culture of the LKR strain of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae. Group 1 was injected once and group 2 twice. Group 3 was made up of pigs inoculated by the intranasal route with the virulent Beaufort strain of M. hyopneumoniae; they served as the source of infection for the challenge. Group 4 were uninfected, uninjected controls. Six weeks after the last injection, groups from 1 to 4 were placed in contact. Seven of the pigs in the 1-dose group and 6 in the 2-dose group were free of lesions at necropsy 6 weeks after challenge. Of the two pigs with lesions in the 1-dose group one had only a small lesion but the other had extensive lesions; it had not shown an antibody response after injection of culture. The lesions in the 3 pigs in the 2-dose group were all small. All 9 control pigs had lesions which varied from medium to large in size. The difference in the incidence of pneumonia between the injected and control groups was significant (P less than 0.05) and the proportion of severely affected pigs in the vaccinated groups was significantly lower (P greater than 0.01). There was no difference between those given one dose of vaccine and those receiving 2 doses.     

Multisystemic abscesses in African green monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops) with invasive Klebsiella pneumoniae--identification of the hypermucoviscosity phenotype

Invasive Klebsiella pneumoniae is an emerging disease of humans characterized by abscesses in the liver or other sites involving bacteria with the unique hypermucoviscosity phenotype. Over several months, 7 African green monkeys in our research colony developed abscess formation in multiple locations and succumbed to disease. K. pneumoniae was identified by bacterial culture in 6 monkeys and immunohistochemistry in 1 additional monkey. All monkeys had been housed in, or had contact with monkeys housed in, 1 animal room in our facility. All affected monkeys had 1 or more abscesses, most notably in the abdomen, but also affecting the lungs, cerebellum, and skin. Abdominal abscesses and associated adhesions entrapped loops of bowel, forming palpable masses. Abdominal masses were located at the root of the mesentery, the ileocecocolic junction, or the pelvic inlet. In 1 case, culture, serotyping, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of the bacterial isolate identified K. pneumoniae expressing the hypermucoviscosity phenotype and capsular serotype K2 and determined that the K. pneumonia was genetically rmpA(+)/magA(-).     

Morphological and functional comparison of lingual papillae in suckling and adult feral cats: Forensic evidence

Feral cats are considered as strays and are more likely to hunt in the street. We investigated the effect of environmental adaptations on the structures of lingual papillae in feral cats, which could be used as forensic evidence for their identification. There are no reported studies about the structural comparison of lingual papillae between suckling and adult feral cats. The present study described the lingual papillae of both suckling and adult cats macroscopically and microscopically via light and scanning electron microscopy. A total of nine tongue samples each for suckling and adult feral cats were examined grossly and histologically. Papillae distributions of suckling cats were similar to those observed in adult cats. Meanwhile, the shapes of those papillae were markedly different from that of corresponding papillae in adults. The change in taste bud position and size seemed to be related to the progressive growth of the papillae between adult and suckling cats; absence of taste buds in foliate papillae of feral cats at any stage; and marginal papillae which were a characteristic feature for all suckling cats. All previous elements could be affected by the specific feeding behaviour and mastication mode adaptation in suckling and adult feral cats which might help to identify suckling and adult feral cats among other breeds and animal species. We anticipate these findings may provide promising forensic evidence to discriminate between adult and suckling feral cat remains as well as prediction of environmental harshness and feeding behaviour.     

欧洲禽肉需求量将继续增长

据欧盟最新的家禽数据显示,虽然欧盟在2009年禽肉产量增长了0.6%,但在2010年预计将下降0.5%. 2009年禽肉进口量和出口量在数量上相差无几,但相关数据表明,如果按价值计算,进口额则显得相对较高,这是因为欧盟出口的禽肉都是低价值的欧盟内部不愿食用的产品,而进口的禽肉绝大部分都是以高于欧盟内部价格进口的高价值的鸡胸肉和火鸡胸肉.     

Extractability and Molecular Modifications of Gliadin and Glutenin Proteins Withdrawn from Different Stages of a Commercial Ethanol Fuel/Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles Process Using a Wheat Feedstock

Extractability and molecular modifications of gliadin and glutenin proteins withdrawn from different stages of a commercial ethanol fuel/distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) process using a wheat feedstock were investigated. Materials were taken postliquefaction (PL), postdistillation (whole stillage), and postdrying (DDGS) during the process and then fractionated to separate the gliadins and the soluble high‐ and low‐molecular‐weight glutenins following a modified Verbruggen extraction method. Each fraction was characterized based on the extraction efficiencies within various aqueous alcohols of propan‐1‐ol, electrophoretic patterns, intrinsic and extrinsic fluorescence, free and total sulfhydryl content, and total disulfide bond levels. Findings indicated significant changes to the composition of extracted proteins and modifications to the protein structure (i.e., surface properties and conformation) throughout the ethanol/DDGS process, beginning with the first step of production (PL, ≈83°C). Overall, processing resulted in a shift toward an unextractable gluten matrix, accompanied by increases in hydrophobicity, disulfide bridging, and excessive protein aggregation.     

Clay addition to lime-amended biosolids overcomes water repellence and provides nitrogen supply in an acid sandy soil

The addition of clay to lime-amended biosolids has been proposed as a soil amendment (LaBC^®) for remediating acidic-sandy soil. We investigated whether the presence of clay in LaBC^® altered soil microbial processes over a 30-week period. Aerobic-incubation and CO₂ respiration assays were used to monitor water repellence and chemical and microbiological properties of amended soil. Dry LaBC^® was applied at equivalent wet weight of 50, 100 and 150 t ha^?1. In addition, dry components of LaBC^® (lime, clay, lime + clay (LAC) and lime + biosolids (LAB)) were applied separately at rates equivalent to their fractions within LaBC^®. Inclusion of clay in LaBC^® was effective in eliminating water repellence at all application rates. Inclusion of clay in LaBC^® decreased nitrogen (N) release from the biosolids (by 58 %), even at 50 t ha^?1, but only during the first 2 weeks of incubation. LaBC^® consistently decreased soil microbial respiration compared with LAB alone when applied at 150 t ha^?1 thereby protecting organic matter decomposition. There was no significant N release with lime and clay amendment alone or in combination (LAC) in the absence of the biosolids. There may be a complex interaction between clay, lime and organic matter, but each may have had a role in altering N release from biosolids at different times during the 30-week incubation. Addition of clay to LAB increased its effectiveness in remediating this water-repellent, acidic-sandy soil and prolonged the N release from the biosolids following soil amendment.