Growth and Survival of Holstein and Brown Swiss Calves Reared Outdoors in Individual Hutches

The effects of outdoor raising of Brown Swiss and Holstein replacement calves in individual hutches were studied on a farm having northern Mediterranean climatic conditions. A total of 240 female calves was used with 30 calves of each breed and born in each of the four seasons. The animals were kept for 3 months in individual hutches and then in groups of 10 until 6 months of age. The birth weights of the Brown Swiss and Holstein calves were 37.2±0.21 and 37.9±0.22, respectively. The average birth weights were highest in spring and lowest in winter. Breed and seasonal effects were evident at 6 months. The live weights for the two breeds at 6 months were 114.1±1.3 and 126.3±1.5 kg, respectively. The numbers of health disorders were significantly higher in the first month of life. Mortalities occurred in the following months, being 2.5% in Holsteins and 5% in Brown Swiss by 6 months of age. The results indicated that calves can be reared outdoors successfully.     

Isolation of Dermatophilus congolensis from a cat

Dermatophilus congolensis was isolated from a cat with dermatitis. The isolate was sensitive to oxytetracyclin, streptomycin and penicillin but resistant to ampicillin, amoxicillin, gentamycin and cefoperazone.     

Assessment of morphological changes and determination of best cane collection time for 140 RU and 5 BB

This study was carried out to assess morphological changes in the canes of 140 Ru and 5 BB and to determine best time for cane collection. The first part of the study included the morphological assessment of the rootstock canes during the winters of 2003–2004 and 2004–2005. Canes collected in the second part of the study in 2005–2006 were grown in pots to relate the changes with the vegetative growth characteristics.     

Bacterial species isolated from cats with lower urinary tract infection and their susceptibilities to cefovecin

Background

The aim of this study was to determine the bacterial species recovered from 61 cats with lower urinary tract infection (LUTI), and their susceptibility to cefovecin in vitro.

Results

The clinical signs and final clinical diagnosis for cats with confirmed LUTI were also reported. After physical examination of the cats, urine samples including ≥5-6 leucocytes in microscopic evaluation were cultured using bacteriological techniques. The isolates were identified by conventional microbiological methods and tested for in vitro susceptibility using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method recommended by the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute. Bacterial growth was observed in 16 of 61 urine samples. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests showed that 13 of 16 (81%) isolates were susceptible to cefovecin. The most frequently isolated bacterium from cats with signs of lower urinary tract infection, was Escherichia coli.

Conclusion

Cefovecin was found to be effective in cats with LUTI. Because cefovecin is a new antimicrobial agent in veterinary medicine, there are only few studies about urine culture of cats with LUTI. It is the first study on in vitro activity of cefovecin against bacterial isolates from cats with lower urinary infections in Istanbul, Turkey.     

Genotoxicity effects of Flusilazole on the somatic cells of Allium cepa

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the fungicide flusilazole on somatic cells of Allium cepa. For evaluation of cytogenetic effects, root meristem cells of A. cepa were treated with 10, 20, 30 and 45 ppm (EC₅₀ concentration) for 24, 48 and 72 h. The mitotic index and different types of chromosomal abnormalities such as bridges, stickiness and laggards were determined in both control and test groups. Acridine orange/Ethidium bromide double staining and fluorescence microscope was used to determine the stability of chromosome structure. Data obtained from staining process indicated that ratio of necrotic cells significantly increased by the flusilazole presoaking. The RAPD-PCR method was used and the higher doses treated-group (45 ppm) was more distant to the control group compare with others.     

EFFECTS OF VARIOUS CROP LOADS AND LEAF FERTILIZER ON GRAPEVINE YIELD AND QUALITY

Crop loads and leaf fertilizers are highly important for yield and quality of grapevine. This research was conducted in the Konya province of Turkey in 2008 and 2009. The effects of crop loads and leaf fertilizers were investigated on yield and quality of Vitis vinifera L. cv. ‘Gök üzüm’. The combined leaf fertilizer (TAR??-ZF) significantly increased quality parameters such as berry length, berry weight, maturity index, juice yield and drying index of grapevine. Increasing crop load values (16, 21, and 26 buds/vine) increased fresh grape yield and juice yield; however, maturity index and drying index decreased in comparison to the control. According to these results, it was suggested that to produce a high yield 26 buds/vine pruning and non-fertilization could be utilized or to increase quality parameters 16 buds/vine pruning, and fertilization may be applied on grapevine cultivation.     

Covalent immobilization of urease to modified ethyl cellulose

Graft polymerization technology is a good way to modify polymers. New functional groups are added to polymer structure using graft polymerization. Enzyme immobilization could be done from these added functional groups. Ethyl cellulose was selected as a support for enzyme immobilization and no many studies has been conducted about it. It is insoluble in water and suitable for reuse. In this study, methacrylic acid was graft polymerized to ethyl cellulose using benzophenone. In graft polymerization studies, optimum amounts of methacrylic acid and benzophenone were determined as 60 mmol and 0.6 g, respectively. Percentage of graft polymerization was maximum in toluene as solvent and optimum graft polymerization time was found as 3 hours. The graft polymerization percentage was 225.7 % at optimum conditions. This value was very good for UV-induced graft polymerization technique. FT-IR spectra of ethyl cellulose and methacrylic acid graft polymerized ethyl cellulose showed that graft polymerization was carried out successfully. -COOH groups were added to ethyl cellulose structure after graft polymerization. Then, urease was immobilized to methacrylic acid graft polymerized ethyl cellulose using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimetylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide as the condensing agent which accelerates the reaction between -COOH from methacrylic acid graft polymerized ethyl cellulose and -NH2 from urease. Optimization studies were also performed for the immobilization of urease. Optimized values for urease immobilization; optimum amount of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimetylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide was found as 5 mg, temperature was determined as 37 °C, 2 hours were selected as optimum time, pH and amount of urease were found to be pH 7 and 10 mg, respectively. Remained activity of immobilized urease was 1.74 % before optimization studies. After optimization of immobilization studies, this ratio has increased to 29.85 %. The immobilized urease activity was increased 17.2 times.     

Control of a new turf pest, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dorcadion pseudopreissi</Emphasis> (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), with the entomopathogenic nematode <Emphasis Type="Italic">Heterorhabditis bacteriophora</Emphasis>

The use of biological control in turf has increased to avoid possible negative effects on humans. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) belonging to the families Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae have control potential against many economically important insect pests. In the present study, the efficacy of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora against a new pest on turf, Dorcadion pseudopreissi, was examined in the field. Cages (1 × 1 × 1 m) with female and male D. pseudopreissi were placed on two kinds of turf: Lolium perenne and Festuca arundinacea. After beetles had deposited eggs into the moist soil surface, the cages were removed and H. bacteriophora was applied at 0.5 million infective juveniles/m² to half the plots. Application of H. bacteriophora caused a statistically significant reduction in numbers of beetle larvae in L. perenne plots and a non-significant reduction in F. arundinacea plots. The area damaged by D. pseudopreissi was significantly reduced by nematode application in both turf species. The number of nematodes declined after application, but small numbers could still be detected after 6 months.     

Phenotypic and molecular characterization of Yersinia ruckeri isolates from rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, Walbaum, 1792) in Turkey

The aim of the study was the phenotypic and molecular characterization of Yersinia (Y) ruckeri strains, the causative agent of Enteric Redmouth Disease (ERM), by antibiotyping, random amplified polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) and sodium dodecylsulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) patterns of whole cell proteins. For this aim, a total of 97 Y ruckeri isolates were analyzed. The isolates were distinguished into ten antibiotypes and six phenotypes according to their resistance properties and whole cell protein profiles, respectively. Also, a glycoprotein band of approximately 25.5 kDa was observed in all Y ruckeri strains tested. In all strains, six different RAPD types were observed. In conclusion, Y ruckeri strains isolated from rainbow trout of fish farms in Turkey showed variation according to their phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, and the use of these three typing techniques in double and triple combinations could be more useful for discriminating the strains.