Untersuchungen zur Bekämpfung von Beifußblättriger Ambrosie (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) mit herbiziden Wirkstoffen

Measures for the control of A.??artemisiifolia have to be adjusted to allow for the plant density in the stands. In Brandenburg and Saxony numerous locations of A.??artemisiifolia with low density of the species have been reported. For those stands eradication arrangements are scheduled and also practicable. Furthermore there are, especially in Brandenburg, agricultural areas with a high density of A.??artemisiifolia. The goal in these locations is the control of further spread, combined with the reduction of allergean potential. Approaches to the control A.??artemisiifolia are demonstrated by testing of herbicides in different agricultural crops. High efficacy (up to 100%) was reached in maize using approved herbicides. The active substance imazamox showed the highest efficacy against A.??artemisiifolia in peas. Cultiviation of tribenuron-tolerant sunflower varieties and the use of tribenuron-methyl offers the opportunity to eliminate the competition of A.??artemisiifolia even in strongly infested areas. In grass land and public green space the active substance clopyralid controls A.??artemisiifolia well. Non-selective active substances like glyphosate and glufosinate are appropriate to control A.??artemisiifolia in non-crop areas. Organic farming shows a reduction of A.??artemisiifolia taking adequate agricultural measures. However further spread of A.??artemisiifolia cannot be prevented in organic farming.     

Application of RFLP analysis of recA, gyrA and rpoS gene fragments for rapid differentiation of Erwinia amylovora from Erwinia strains isolated in Korea and Japan

Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the PCR amplified fragments of recA, gyrA and rpoS genes was applied for the characterization of Erwinia amylovora and Erwinia strains, which cause fire blight and Asian pear blight in orchards. Primers, constructed on the basis of the published recA, gyrA and rpoS gene sequences of Erwinia carotovora, allowed us to amplify DNA fragments for RFLP differentiation of E. amylovora and E. pyrifoliae and finally to distinguish strains within these species and relate them to pear pathogens from Japan. Three to seven restriction endonucleases were applied for RFLP analysis of each gene fragment. The electrophoretic patterns generated after PCR–RFLP for each of the tested genes, were characteristic and specific for each species and allowed their differentiation. The data show that PCR–RFLP analysis of the recA, gyrA and rpoS gene fragments may be considered as a useful tool for the identification and differentiation of E. amylovora and E. pyrifoliae. Almost identical restriction patterns of the analyzed gene fragments indicated a high relationship of E. pyrifoliae strains from Korea and pear pathogens from Japan and a divergence to E. amylovora. For quick and effective differentiation of E. amylovora strains from Erwinia strains from Asia without nucleotide sequencing we recommend the amplification of recA and rpoS gene fragments and digestion of each of them with restriction endonuclease Hin6I.     

Application of arm-specific painting probes of horse X chromosome for karyotype analysis in an infertile Hutsul mare with 64,XX/65,XX+Xp karyotype: case report

A 5-year-old infertile Hutsul mare was subjected to cytogenetic analysis. Fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) using the equine Xp and Xq chromosome painting probes was carried out on chromosome preparations obtained after blood lymphocyte culture. These probes were generated by chromosome microdissection and a large number of spreads was analysed (525). The karyotype formula of the analysed mare was 64,XX/65,XX+Xp with the ratio of the two lines being 99.4 and 0.6, respectively. The goal of the study was to apply chromosome microdissection and the FISH technique for cytogenetic diagnostics.     

Temporal and spatial distribution of paramoebae in the water column--a pilot study

Amoebic gill disease is the main disease affecting the salmonid industry in Tasmania, but no information on the distribution of the causative pathogen, Neoparamoeba pemaquidensis, in the aquatic environment is available. This pilot study aimed to determine temporal and spatial distributions of paramoebae species in the water column, using an immuno-dot blot technique. Water samples were collected from inside fish cages at various depths (0.5, 5.5 and 11.0 m) in both summer and winter, as well as various distances (0, 0.5, 240, 280, 750 and 1100 m) away from the sea cage and farming site. Paramoebae densities were estimated using the most probable number technique (MPN). Temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, nitrite and nitrates, and bacterial counts were measured for each water sample. Data were analysed using a residual maximum likelihood test and significant associations between paramoebae densities and environmental factors were analysed. Results showed that densities were significantly higher in summer (P = 0.017), at 5.5 m depth (P = 0.029), and reduced to the lowest density at 1100 m away from the cage sites (P = 0.008). Bacterial counts, turbidity and temperature were found to be significantly associated with paramoebae densities.     

Thermographic Evaluation of Racehorse Performance

The present study was aimed at identifying the key thermographic diagnostic areas essential for monitoring the effect of training on racehorses. The study involved monitoring 15 racehorses in 13 imaging sessions over a period of 10 months. Temperature measurements were made at a total of 46 regions of interest (ROIs) at the distal parts of the limbs and the back. To account for the influence of ambient temperature on each ROI measurement, values were adjusted to a constant ambient temperature of 12°C, estimated using regression analysis. The horses in the study were divided into two groups based on the value of success rate in racing competition. During the research period, none of the horses were identified as injured by routine veterinary investigation. Successful horses had significantly warmer adjusted ROI temperatures than their less successful counterparts at both carpal joints, the third metacarpal bones, the left fetlock joint, the left front short pastern bone, the left tarsus joint, and the caudal part of the thoracic vertebrae. The study tested a protocol for recording body surface temperature in racehorses, which was shown to increase reliability by adjusting for variations in ambient temperature. When analyzed on the basis of sporting performance, the protocol identified 14 ROIs that were associated with superior performance, most of which were at the limbs on the left side.     

A parasite survey of farmed Southern bluefin tuna, Thunnus maccoyii (Castelnau)

Farmed Southern bluefin tuna (SBT) were examined for parasites. Samples of harvest fish, mortalities and some fish showing clinical signs of disease were investigated. Targeted screening was conducted for a scuticociliate, Uronema nigricans, the myxosporean Kudoa sp. and a sanguinicolid digenean, Cardicola forsteri. General parasitological investigation revealed a diverse parasite community of didymozoid digeneans, two species of copepods, a polyopisthocotylean monogenean and larval cestodes. Targeted screening for U. nigricans exposed a low prevalence, most probably due to a lack of sensitivity in the test method. Few of the parasites examined pose a risk to the health of farmed SBT.     

The effect of transport on the quality of rabbit meat

The analyzed material included 40 hybrid rabbits slaughtered at the age of 90 days. The control group was transported directly after weaning, while the transport group was transported directly prior to slaughter. The experiment was designed to assess the transport stress, carcass and meat quality implications, taking into account the muscle type and sex. The transported animals were characterized by a higher level of blood cortisol, glucose and triglycerides (P < 0.0001), and a lower level of insulin (P < 0.0001) compared to the control group. In the presented study the time post‐mortem affected the pH decline in both rabbit groups (P < 0.0001). The lightness, redness and yellowness of rabbit meat were affected by the transport (P < 0.0001, P = 0.001 and P < 0.0001). The percentage of free water and its share in the total water was higher for the non‐transported rabbits compared to the transported ones (P < 0.0001). Moreover, the meat from the control group was characterized by greater plasticity compared to the transport group (P = 0.003). The chemical composition of rabbit meat was not changed by the effect of transport (P = 0.643–0.979). To conclude, the quality traits of meat from the transported hybrid rabbits clearly indicated the development of dark firm and dry‐like lower quality of meat.     

Localization of heat shock proteins and histopathological changes in the kidneys of transported pigs

To demonstrate the expression of heat shock proteins (Hsps) in the kidney, 5 kinds of Hsps, namely, Hsp70, Hsp72, Hsp86, Hsp90, and Hsp27, were examined in pigs after 6-h-transports by using western blot analysis. All 5 Hsps were detected in the kidneys of both the transported and control pigs. Hsp expression in the control pigs indicated that Hsps have some physiological functions in addition to stress-response functions. With the exception of Hsp27, a significant reduction was observed in all the levels of Hsps in the kidneys of the transport-stressed pigs after 6 h of transport, particularly in the levels of Hsp70 and Hsp72, which belong to the HSP70 family; and Hsp86 and Hsp90, which belong to the HSP90 family. The results indicate that 6-h-transports are not only related to renal pathological injury but also to a reduction in most of Hsp levels in the kidney. However, slight Hsp27 induction (P < 0.05) indicates that Hsps that undergo different changes following transportation stress are involved in different physiological functions. Whether the decreased amount of a certain Hsp may indicate damage and/or overuse and whether Hsps actually protect kidney tissue from such overuse remain to be elucidated.     

Effect of the periparturient period on serum lipid and cholesterol lipoprotein concentrations in goats (Capra hircus)

Blood samples were taken from 12 goats during the periparturient period (4 and 1 weeks before and 2, 10 and 30 days after delivery), and from 10 nonpregnant goats. The following variables were determined: total lipids (TL), triacylglycerol (TG), total cholesterol (TCH) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol fractions. One week before delivery TL (2.32 ± 0.12 g/l, P ≤ 0.05), TG (0.32 ± 0.16 mmol/l, P ≤ 0.001) and TCH concentrations (1.65 ± 0.42 mmol/l, P ≤ 0.05) were significantly increased as compared to non-pregnant goats (2.08 ± 0.28 g/l, 0.15 ± 0.05 mmol/l, 1.38 ± 0.19 mmol/l, respectively). After delivery, the concentrations of TL, TG, TCH and HDL decreased significantly. The lowest TG concentration was observed 2 days after delivery (0.18 ± 0.02 mmol/l), while TL (1.73 ± 0.21 g/l), TCH (0.95 ± 0.21 mmol/l) and HDL (0.74 ± 0.16 mmol/l) reached the lowest level 10 days after delivery. Two days after delivery a significant increase of LDL concentration was observed (0.38 ± 0.04 mmol/l); however, ten days after delivery a threefold decrease was shown in the LDL concentration (0.12 ± 0.04 mmol/l). A month after delivery all the variables studied reached levels similar to those measured in non-pregnant goats.