Prevalence and analysis of potential risk factors for Cryptosporidium parvum infection in lambs in Zaragoza (northeastern Spain)

An epidemiologic study was carried out to investigate the prevalence of and to identify factors associated with the risk of Cryptosporidium infection in sheep in Zaragoza (northeastern Spain). Faecal samples from 583 lambs aged from 1 day to 3 months and 205 ewes older than 1 year were collected at 89 farms in the two regions of the province of Zaragoza with the highest sheep population (Zaragoza and Ejea de los Caballeros). In every sheep farm, data of the factors potentially associated with the likelihood of C. parvum infection were analysed: geographical location, season, size of herd, number of lambs in the herd at sampling time, lambing period, cleaning of lambing area and presence of diarrhoeic lambs in the farm. C. parvum oocysts were identified by using the Ziehl-Neelsen technique in 344 lambs (59%) from 75 farms (84.4%). Infected lambs ranged from less than 7 days to 90 days of age, although the percentage of animals shedding oocysts peaked at 8-14 days of age (76.2%). Statistical analysis showed that infection rates were significantly higher in lambs aged between 1 and 21 days (66.4%) than in those aged between 22 and 90 days (23%) (P<0.0001, chi(2)). Analysis of correlation between excretion of oocysts and diarrhoea revealed a relationship in all age groups and the probability of presenting diarrhoea was significantly higher for lambs shedding oocysts (86.3%) than for those which did not excrete the parasite (32.2%) (P<0.0001, chi(2)). Similarly, cryptosporidial infection rates were significantly higher in diarrhoeic (79.4%) than in non-diarrhoeic lambs (22.4%). Furthermore, infection intensity was correlated with the presence of clinical symptoms. Presence of diarrhoeic lambs in the farm was the only factor significantly associated with an increased risk of infection since the percentage of herds testing positive was significantly higher in farms with diarrhoeic lambs (91.3%) than in those without cases of neonatal diarrhoea (12.5%) (P<0.0001, chi(2)). Factors associated with a decreased risk of C. parvum infection in lambs included low numbers of lambs in the farm and cleaning of the lambing area. Additionally, lambs 8-14 days of age were less likely to be infected at the first lambing period and in spring/autumn. Cryptosporidial infection was also detected in 16 ewes (7.8%) which excreted few oocysts and without diarrhoea.     

Comparative performance of tests using cytosolic or outer membrane antigens of Brucella for the serodiagnosis of canine brucellosis

Although some ELISA tests using cytoplasmic or outer membrane antigens of Brucella have been developed to improve the diagnosis of canine brucellosis, the performance of these assays has not been compared. In the present study three ELISA tests using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-free cytoplasmic proteins (CPs) of Brucella abortus, the lumazine synthase (LS) of Brucella spp. or a hot-saline (HS) extract of Brucella canis containing outer membrane antigens were used to test sera from dogs with suspected or confirmed brucellosis (n=36) and from dogs with pathological conditions other than brucellosis (n=212). In the first group the proportion of positive results was 92, 92 and 81% for the ELISAs with HS, CP and LS, respectively, and 94% of the samples were positive by at least one ELISA test. Three dogs that were negative by agglutination (2ME-RSAT) had a positive result by at least one ELISA, and this discrepancy was attributed to the lower analytical sensitivity of agglutination tests. This hypothesis was confirmed by a serological follow-up of seven dogs recently infected with B. canis in three of which the illness was diagnosed earlier by one or more ELISA tests than by 2ME-RSAT. Among dogs having pathological conditions other than brucellosis, specificities were 94.3, 96.7 and 96.7% for the ELISAs with HS, CP and LS, respectively. This study shows that HS-ELISA and CP-ELISA are highly specific and sensitive for the diagnosis of canine brucellosis and can detect the infection by B. canis shortly after the exposure to the pathogen.     

A genetic map of an interspecific diploid pseudo testcross population of coffee

Coffee is globally one of the most important export crops and is a prominent part of the economy in more than 50 countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia. In Colombia, it has been the leading export commodity for more than a century. However, genetic research on coffee has been rather sparse and mainly focused on the two major cultivated species, Coffea arabica L. and C. canephora P., leaving unexplored the genetic potential in other species. In this study, an interspecific mapping population consisting of 101 F₁ hybrid plants from a cross between the diploid species C. liberica and C. eugenioides was evaluated for genetic segregation at 618 molecular marker loci. Of these, 168 SSRs and two ESTs exhibited polymorphic patterns that allowed segregation analysis and genetic linkage estimations. A genetic map consisting of 146 co-dominant loci and 11 predicted linkage groups was constructed using the mapping software JoinMap 3.0. The conjoined maternal/paternal map length is 798.68 cM, has an average saturation density of 6.01 cM/interval, and covers an estimated 66–86 % of the diploid coffee genome. Approximately 24 % of loci had null alleles, and 23.5 % exhibited segregation distortion. Knowledge derived from this study has important applications for quantitative trait locus analysis and marker-assisted selection in Colombian coffee breeding programs.     

Effects of selection for color intensity on antioxidant capacity in maize (Zea mays L.)

Maize kernels with diverse colors have pigments and other substances with antioxidant capacity that can be highly beneficial for human health. Our objectives were to analyze antioxidant capacity of the different maize kernel colors, to investigate if selection for color intensity increases antioxidant capacity and to check the effect of bakery processing on antioxidant capacity. Pigment content was directly related to antioxidant capacity in maize kernels and also to the hydrophilic fraction, while the lipophilic fraction was not related to antioxidant capacity. Visual selection for kernel color increased anthocyanin content from 0.55 to 1.13 μmol/g of fresh weight in one unique cycle of selection. The traditional method for making maize bread out of whole maize flour has not significant effects on pigment content or antioxidant capacity. Therefore, maize bread made out of black or purple maize provides significant amounts of antioxidant substances potentially beneficial for human health.     

Selection for contrasting tocopherol content and profile in Ethiopian mustard

Tocopherols are compounds present in oilseeds with major effect on nutritional and technological properties of seed oils. Brassica spp. mainly contain varying concentrations of α‐tocopherol, with high vitamin E value, and γ‐tocopherol, which contributes to oil stability. The objective of this research was to select for contrasting tocopherol content and profile in Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinata A. Braun). A collection of 211 F_4:5 lines was evaluated for tocopherol content and profile, and divergent selection was conducted till the S_3:4 generation. Selection resulted in two lines with increased tocopherol content (244 and 243 mg/kg seed as average of four environments), one line with reduced tocopherol content (117 mg/kg), two lines with reduced α/γ‐tocopherol ratio (0.22 and 0.28) and two lines with increased α/γ‐tocopherol ratio (3.74 and 3.34). Control line C‐101 averaged 196 mg/kg with α/γ‐tocopherol ratio of 1.10. Reduced α/γ‐tocopherol ratio was controlled by recessive alleles at a single locus. Seed to plant correlation was high (r = 0.92), which suggests the feasibility of selecting at the single‐seed level.     

Determination of melamine content in amino resins by near-infrared spectroscopy

Melamine-urea-formaldehyde resin production has increased in the last years due to low formaldehyde emissions and improved moisture resistance when applied on wood-based panels. Melamine is a relatively high-cost raw material in the resin formulation and has a significant effect on wood-based panel properties. It is important for industry to implement efficient quality control methods to determine melamine content in resins. The main objective of this work was to develop chemometric techniques for off-line monitoring of melamine content using near-infrared spectroscopy. The use of interval partial least squares regression allowed identifying the most interesting spectral ranges for analysis (4,400–4,800 and 5,200–5,600 cm^?1) and the best preprocessing methods to use in the determination of this property. When the appropriate spectral range and preprocessing methods are selected, it is possible to obtain calibration models with high correlation coefficients.     

Date of pruning of Guazuma ulmifolia during the rainy season affects the availability, productivity and nutritional quality of forage during the dry season

Guazuma ulmifolia was experimentally pruned to determine when pruning should begin during the rainy season in order to extend the production of green tree-forage during the dry season. Three prunings (P-1, P-2, and P-3) were performed (5 weeks apart) during the rainy season (August, September, and October) and four forage harvests (C-a, C-b, C-c, and C-d) (3 weeks apart) took place during the dry season (February, March, and April). Over 2 years, forage biomass production was evaluated as total biomass (g dry matter tree^?1), biomass of the morphological components (leaves, stems, and dead matter), and nutritional quality (crude protein, fiber, lignin, and digestibility). Date of pruning affected the production of total biomass (P = 0.001) with the earliest pruning (P-1) yielding the greatest forage quantity, while stems (P = 0.022) and dead matter (P = 0.032) varied due to a year by pruning interaction. Total biomass, leaves, stems, and dead matter varied by the interaction between forage harvest and year for all four variables (P < 0.037). In both years, the largest forage harvest occurred in C-b (P < 0.05), leaf production was highest in C-a and C-b (P < 0.001), stem production was greatest in C-b (P = 0.013) and dead matter was highest in C-b and C-d (P = 0.002). Leaf crude protein ranged between 10 and 19 %, and the interaction of pruning by forage harvest by year was significant (P = 0.035). Digestibility, neutral and acid detergent fiber and lignin differed significantly because of the interaction between forage harvest and year (P < 0.005), with February showing the lowest values for fiber and the highest digestibility. The best time to prune G. ulmifolia is in August so that the young trees will produce more total biomass with a higher crude protein content. The most suitable moment for forage harvest is in February when the trees have more leaves with greater digestibility and less fiber.     

Oil Oxidation in Corn Flour from Grains Processed with Alkaline Cooking by Use of Peroxide Value, UV and FTIR

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of alkaline cooking on the oxidative stability of oil in corn flour. A central composite design was used to study the combined effect of lime concentration (%) and steep time (h) on peroxide value (PV); specific extinction coefficients at 232 and 270 nm (K₂₃₂ and K₂₇₀); and FTIR absorbance at 3009 cm^?1, 3444 cm^?1, and 3530 cm^?1 in oils from corn flour obtained by alkaline cooking. The results indicate that lime concentration and steep time affected the PV, K₂₃₂, and K₂₇₀. A decrease of 2.56 % was observed in the IR absorption bands, corresponding to the polyunsaturated fatty acids. The FTIR spectra also showed absorption bands related to the secondary oil oxidation products.     

Antioxidant Activity Evaluation of New Dosage Forms as Vehicles for Dehydrated Vegetables

A dehydrated vegetables mixture loaded in four pharmaceutical dosage forms as powder, effervescent granulate, sugar granulate and gumdrops were investigated for their antioxidant capacity using 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radical scavenging capacity assay, oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay and ferric reducing antioxidant potential assay. Total phenolic content of dehydrated vegetables powder mixture was also measured by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, so as to evaluate its contribution to their total antioxidant function. The effect of different temperatures on stability of these systems after 90 days storage was also evaluated. These formulations presented strong antioxidant properties and high phenolic content (279 mg gallic acid equivalent/g of sample) and thus could be potential rich sources of natural antioxidants. Antioxidant properties differed significantly among selected formulations (p?<?0.05). Generally, the losses were lower in samples stored under refrigeration. To interpret the antioxidant properties a kinetic approach was performed. Degradation kinetics for the phenolic content and antioxidant capacity followed a zero-order function. Effervescent granulate was the formulation which underwent faster degradation. Contrary, sugar granulate and gumdrops were much more slowly. Time required to halve the initial amount of phenolic compounds was 589?±?45 days for samples stored at 4?º C, and 312?±?16 days for samples stored at room temperature. These developed dosage forms are new and innovative approach for vegetable intakes in population with special requirements providing an improvement in the administration of vegetables and fruits.     

DOES MEASUREMENT OF SMALL INTESTINAL DIAMETER INCREASE DIAGNOSTIC ACCURACY OF RADIOGRAPHY IN DOGS WITH SUSPECTED INTESTINAL OBSTRUCTION?

The ratio between maximal small intestinal (SI) diameter and the height of the body of the fifth lumbar vertebra (L5) in radiographs has been reported as a diagnostic test in dogs with suspected intestinal obstruction. In order to assess the effect of the SI/L5 ratio on the accuracy of radiographic diagnosis of intestinal obstruction, lateral abdominal radiographs of 37 dogs with small intestinal obstruction and 48 nonobstructed dogs were mixed and examined independently by six observers who were unaware of the final diagnosis and who represented a range of experience. Observers first examined radiographs subjectively and stated the likelihood of obstruction (definitely not, probably not, equivocal, probably, definitely). Observers subsequently reexamined the radiographs, determined the SI/L5 ratio, and again stated the likelihood of obstruction. The most frequent cause of obstruction was foreign body (29/37, 78%). Dogs with SI obstruction had a significantly larger median SI/L5 ratio than nonobstructed dogs (P = 0.0002). Using an SI/L5 ratio of 1.7 for diagnosis of intestinal obstruction, sensitivity and specificity were 66%. Use of the SI/L5 ratio was not associated with increased accuracy of diagnosis for any observer, regardless of experience, hence this test may have no diagnostic impact.