Using Bacillus subtilis E20‐fermented soybean meal as replacement for fish meal in the diet of orange‐spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides,Hamilton)

The potential of Bacillus subtilis E20‐fermented soybean meal (FSBM) as a partial alternative component of fish meal (FM) in fed diets of orange‐spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) was evaluated in this study. An FM‐based diet and seven diets containing 10%, 20% and 30% and 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% of FM replaced by soybean meal (SBM) and FSBM, respectively, were fed to grouper for 84 days to evaluate possible substitution levels of FM by tracking growth performance, digestive enzyme activity and morphological changes in the liver and distal intestine. No significant differences in survival and muscle composition of grouper were found between controls and treatments. Growth performance and feed efficiency of fish fed diets with FM replaced by FSBM up to 30% were not significantly different from controls, whereas significantly decreased growth performance and feed efficiency occurred with diets containing >20% of SBM. Based on the feed efficiency, the maximum substituted levels of FM by SBM and FSBM in grouper diets were 18.36% and 29.32%, respectively, based on broken‐line analyses. Histopathological changes in the liver and distal intestine, and significantly lower activity levels of digestive enzymes, including pepsin in the stomach and trypsin, chymotrypsin, amylase and lipase in the distal intestine, were found in fish fed a diet containing 30% of FM replaced by SBM. However, these parameters were improved by the substitution of FSBM. It is therefore believed that FSBM has great potential to be used as a protein source in grouper diets in partial replacement of FM.     

Chemotherapeutic efficacy of imidocarb dipropionate on experimentalEperythrozoon ovis infection in sheep

Summary Non-splenectomised Cheviot and Soay sheep experimentally infected with Eperythrozoon ovis were treated subcutaneously with two doses of 4 mg/kg of imidocarb dipropionate 24 hours apart. A rapid reduction in E. ovis parasitaemias following the first injection of imidocarb was observed and E. ovis organisms were not demonstrable 48 hours after the first treatment. However, recrudescences of infection were observed 14 and 28 days after treatment in the Soay and Cheviot sheep respectively. Side-effects associated with treatment were registered in the Cheviot sheep but not in the Soay sheep.

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Resumen Ovejas no esplenectomizadas de las razas Cheviot y Soay infectadas experimentalmente conEperythrozoon ovis, fueron tratadas subcutáneamente con dos dosis de 4 mg/kg de dipropionato de imidocarb, con un intervalo de 24 horas. Se notó una sensible reducción delE. ovis despues de la primera inyección, desapareciendo el organismo a las 48 horas del primer tratamiento. Sin embargo, se observaron recaídas a los 14 y 28 días despues del tratamiento en las ovejas Soay y Cheviot respectivamente. Se notaron efectos colaterales asociados al tratamiento en ovejas Cheviot pero no en las Soay. Intoxicaciones fueron observadas en los animales Cheviot pero no en los Soay.

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Résumé Des moutons non splénectomisés des races Cheviot et Soay, expérimentalement infectés parE. ovis, ont été traités par inoculation sous-cutanée de deux doses de 4 mg/kg de propionate d’Imidocarb à 24 heures d’intervalle. On constate une réduction rapide des parasitémies àE. ovis après la première injection;E. ovis ne pouvait plus être mis en évidence 48 heures après le premier traitement. Cependant, une récurrence de l’infection a été observée 14 jours après le traitement pour la race Soay et 28 jours pour la race Cheviot. Des effets secondaires associés au traitement ont été enregistrés chez les Cheviots mais non sur les Soays.

     

Pathological findings in the bulbourethral glands of bulls

The bulbourethral glands of 323 Bos indicus or B. indicus crossbred bulls more than 1 1/2 years old were examined in an abattoir study. Bulbourethral adenitis was diagnosed grossly and confirmed by histological examination in 4 (1.2%). Unilateral chronic interstitial inflammation was seen in 2 cases; one of these was associated with a degenerative-type seminal vesiculitis. In the others adenitis was bilateral; in one case it was associated with a concretion and foreign (plant) material in the principal duct of the left bulbourethral gland; in the other bilateral case, numerous calculi were present and microscopically, a chronic active and diffuse inflammation was observed. Chemical analysis of the calculi showed calcium oxalate and tricalcium phosphate to be the most important components. Corynebacterium spp was isolated from the lesion with multiple calculi but attempts to isolate Chlamydia spp, Mycoplasma spp and Brucella abortus from the 4 adenitis cases were unsuccessful. Congenital abnormalities such as glandular fusion (2.2%) or unilateral aplasia (0.6%) were also observed. Cysts were the most common finding (19.2%), and duct dilation was frequent (7.1%). The significance of these findings in relation to fertility is considered.     

秋水仙素诱变薄皮甜瓜同源四倍体研究

为了获得四倍体薄皮甜瓜材料,研究薄皮甜瓜多倍体的特征特性,以二倍体薄皮甜瓜金美为材料,以0.2%、0.4%、0.6%的秋水仙素采用滴苗和浸种2种方法进行诱变四倍体试验,并通过染色体观察和细胞学鉴定对其进行倍性分析。结果表明,滴苗法比浸种法诱变率高,其中以0.4%秋水仙素滴苗诱变率最高,为6.67%;与二倍体相比,四倍体植株子叶和真叶长宽比变小,茎增粗,节间变短,花冠变大,果肉变厚,种子增宽,可育性降低,中心可溶性固形物含量增高;保卫细胞变大,气孔密度变小,保卫细胞内叶绿体数目增加;获得了同源四倍体材料。     

EFFECTS OF INTRAVENOUS DEXMEDETOMIDINE ON CARDIAC CHARACTERISTICS MEASURED USING RADIOGRAPHY AND ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY IN SIX HEALTHY DOGS

Dexmedetomidine is a highly specific and selective α2‐adrenergic receptor agonist widely used in dogs for sedation or analgesia. We hypothesized that dexmedetomidine may cause significant changes in radiographic and echocardiographic measurements. The objective of this prospective cross‐sectional study was to test this hypothesis in a sample of six healthy dogs. Staff‐owned dogs were recruited and received a single dose of dexmedetomidine 250 μg/m² intravenously. Thoracic radiography and echocardiography were performed 1 h before treatment, and repeated 10 and 30 min after treatment, respectively. One observer recorded cardiac measurements from radiographs and another observer recorded echocardiographic measurements. Vertebral heart score and cardiac size to thorax ratio on the ventrodorsal projection increased from 9.8 ± 0.6 v to 10.3 ± 0.7 v (P = 0.0007) and 0.61 ± 0.04 to 0.68 ± 0.03 (P = 0.0109), respectively. E point‐to‐septal separation and left ventricle internal diameter in diastole and systole increased from 2.4 ± 1.1 to 6.6 ± 1.9 mm, 32.3 ± 8.1 to 35.5 ± 8.8 mm, and 19.4 ± 6 to 27.0 ± 7.2 mm, respectively (P < 0.05). Fractional shortening and sphericity index decreased from 40.7 ± 5.8 to 24.4 ± 2.9%, and 1.81 ± 0.07 to 1.58 ± 0.04, respectively (P < 0.05). Moderate‐to‐severe mitral regurgitation and mild pulmonic regurgitation occurred in all dogs after dexmedetomidine administration. Findings indicated that dexmedetomidine could cause false‐positive diagnoses of valvular regurgitation and cardiomegaly in dogs undergoing thoracic radiography and echocardiography.     

Antibiotic susceptibility and prevalence of erythromycin ribosomal methylase gene, erm(B) in Streptococcus spp

The aim of this study was to investigate drug resistance and the genetic relatedness of erythromycin-resistant Streptococcus spp. from different animals and humans in Taiwan. Cumulatively, 248 isolates were collected from 15 animal species and human patients and the susceptibilities of the isolates to six antimicrobial agents including azithromycin (AZI), clarithromycin (CLAR), erythromycin (ERY), spiramycin (SPIR), amoxicillin (AMO), and enrofloxacin (ENRO) were determined by the agar dilution method. The results indicated that resistance among the 248 strains was highest for SPIR, followed by ENRO, CLAR, ERY, AZI, and AMO. The most common resistotypes of the isolates from mammals and aquatic animals were AZI-CLAR-ERY-SPIR (27.5%) and SPIR (55.1%), respectively. The presence of ERY-resistant genes was confirmed by PCR. The erm gene was amplified from 28 isolates (20.6%) by PCR for further investigation. The predominant erm gene in the ERY-resistant isolates was the erm(B) gene. The phylogenetic analysis of the erm(B) gene results indicated that there was a close genetic relationship among all the strains but the genotypic clusters did not show clear segregation of the isolates according to the source or region.     

Sperm Motilities in Waigieu Seaperch,Psammoperca waigiensis: Effects of Various Dilutions,pH, Temperature,Osmolality, and Cations

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of varying dilutions, pH, temperature, osmolality, and cations on sperm motility parameters in waigieu seaperch, Psammoperca waigiensis. The maximum velocity of average in path (VAP), percentage of motile cells (MOT), and duration of sperm motility (DSM) were observed when semen was diluted in artificial seawater (ASW) at a ratio of 1:100 (144.9 ± 0.6 µm/sec, 95.6 ± 0.4%, and 230.3 ± 2.3 sec, respectively), at 30 C (142.0 ± 0.6 µm/sec, 93.6 ± 0.4%, and 238.3 ± 0.9 sec, respectively), and pH 8 (144.8 ± 0.6 µm/sec, 93.3 ± 0.4%, and 234.0 ± 1.5 sec, respectively). Maximum VAP, MOT, and DSM were obtained in each solution containing 0.6 M NaCl (143.8 ± 1.0 µm/sec, 91.3 ± 2.0%, and 230.6 ± 4.2 sec, respectively), 0.6 M KCl (135.1 ± 3.1 µm/sec, 91.1 ± 3.1%, and 230.3 ± 3.7sec, respectively), 0.2M CaCl₂ (105.3 ± 4.7μm/sec, 47.9 ± 2.7%, and 120.7 ± 1.3 sec, respectively), 0.2 M MgCl₂ (107.3 ± 3.0 m/s, 42.1 ± 3.3%, and 120.3 ± 4.8 sec, respectively), and osmolality of 400 mOsm/kg (145.1 ± 2.5 µm/sec, 93.0 ± 2.1%, and 346.5 ± 4.4s, respectively). We used these mediums as artificial insemination media for fertilizing matured eggs. The results showed that the fertilization and hatching rates in 0.6 M NaCl (75.3 ± 0.6% and 57.0 ± 2.4%, respectively), ASW (70.8 ± 1.2% and 51.2 ± 1.8%, respectively), or 400 mOsm/kg (72.9 ± 1.8% and 55.3 ± 1.6%, respectively) were higher than that in seawater (63.9 ± 1.2% and 39.2 ± 3.9%, respectively). In conclusion, using 0.6 M NaCl, ASW, or 400 mOsm/kg as an artificial insemination medium is effective for fertilizing of waigieu seaperch.