Micropropagation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eucalyptus grandis</Emphasis> × <Emphasis Type="Italic">E. urophylla</Emphasis> AEC 224 clone

Genetic transformation systems require protocols that allow regenerating transgenic plants from transformed tissues. This study aimed to establish a protocol for indirect organogenesis in leaf explants of a Eucalyptus grandis  ×  E. urophylla AEC 224 clone. During callogenesis stage, several concentrations of NAA and then NAA or 2,4-D combined with TDZ were tested in JADS culture medium for 30 days, followed by subculture of the explants in the regeneration medium, containing 5.0 µM BA and 0.5 µM NAA for another 30 days. In these media, the explant oxidation rate was high (95 %). Thus, in order to reduce oxidation, different culture media were compared: WPM, MS, JADS and modified QL, followed by explant transfer onto regeneration medium. The highest percentage of regeneration and the lowest oxidation rate were achieved on WPM medium. Then, NAA and 2,4-D were tested in combination with TDZ and also TDZ and BA combined with NAA in WPM medium. The most efficient culture media in terms of shoot regeneration were WPM supplemented with 0.25 µM TDZ and 0.1 µM NAA during 30 days for callus induction and then with 5.0 µM BA and 0.5 µM NAA for another 30 days. This protocol yielded a regeneration rate of 43 %, with a low oxidation of tissues. A rooting experiment was conducted using half strength MS medium and comparing three concentrations of IBA (2.46, 4.90 and 7.35 µM). The highest rooting percentage (35 %) was obtained on medium containing 2.46 µM IBA. Once the shoots were rooted, acclimatization in a greenhouse was not challenging and plant survival reached 100 %.     

Methods for the characterisation of breadcrumb,an important ingredient of stuffed pasta

Very few methods have been proposed to evaluate the technological characteristics of breadcrumb, an ingredient of stuffed pasta. Nevertheless, the physical properties of this raw material can play a relevant role in modifying the filling texture, which is important both for the filling workability and product consistency after cooking. The aim of this study was to determine the most suitable methodologies for describing breadcrumb characteristics, with particular attention to those features that can potentially influence the performance of this ingredient. Three lots of two different types of commercial breadcrumb were analysed for their chemical composition, particle size distributions, pasting properties, and water binding capacity. The texture of breadcrumb/water dispersion was also evaluated using different methods. Chemical analyses did not prove to give a satisfactory differentiation between samples. On the contrary, the different rheological tests adopted (Bostwick, Farinographic, and compression test) turned out to be very effective in describing the thickening properties of breadcrumb. In particular, a statistically significant differentiation (P < 0.05) between the samples was obtained by means of the Bostwick consistometer, an easy to use, rapid and cheap instrument that turned out to be suitable for defining the technological characteristics of breadcrumb.     

Pseudocereals as alternative sources for high folate content in staple foods

Total folate content was determined in the pseudocereals amaranth (four varieties), quinoa and buckwheat in comparison to four cereal species (eight wheat varieties, four barley varieties, one oat variety, one rye variety). Amaranth and quinoa were found to possess very high total folate contents: in amaranth, total folate ranged from 52.8 to 73.0 and in quinoa it was 132.7 μg/100 g dm, about ten times as much as in wheat. The bran fractions contained on average 124% of total folate, while only 57% on average was present in the flour fractions.     

Effect of land-use on small mammal abundance and diversity in a forest–farmland mosaic landscape in south-eastern Norway

During the last century the boreal forests of south-eastern Norway have been converted into patchworks of agricultural areas, clear-cuts and even-aged conifer monocultures. Even though Scandinavian forest ecosystems are strongly influenced by small mammals’ dynamics, the effects of anthropogenic changes on these communities are still debated. We conducted an extensive capture–mark–recapture study to examine the relative abundance and distribution of 11 species of small mammals during the reproductive season with respect to all available landscape-scale habitat types and fine-scale vegetation characteristics.     

Effect of introduced exotic tree litter on consumption patterns of the introduced exotic isopod Armadillidium vulgare

The feeding preferences and consumption rates of the exotic woodlouse Armadillidium vulgare were measured on litters from the autochthonous Rio Grande cottonwood and the exotic Russian olive. When offered a choice between five litter types (green and shed leaves of Russian olive and cottonwood, and fruits of Russian olive), the isopods consumed more of the exotic plant litter (green leaves and the fruits of Russian olive) than of the autochthonous cottonwood. When offered only one diet, consumption rates of green leaves and fruits of Russian olive were again the highest. Feeding was related with N and C:N ratios of the litter, with highest consumption of diets with low and high C:N ratios and lowest consumption of diets with intermediate C:N ratios. The N content was highest (and C:N ratios lowest) on isopods feeding shed leaves of Russian olive. Growth was not related to the amount or the C:N ratio of the food consumed, being highest for animals feeding on shed leaves of cottonwood. Our results show that the consumption patterns and the C and N body composition of the exotic woodlouse A. vulgare are altered when fed with Russian olive litter, suggesting that the replacement of the autochthonous cottonwood by the exotic Russian olive may negatively affect the maintenance of the population of these exotic detritivores in the area.     

Development of qualitative and semiquantitative immunoassay-based rapid strip tests for the detection of T-2 toxin in wheat and oat

Novel qualitative as well as semiquantitative rapid strip tests for screening of T-2 mycotoxin in agricultural commodities were developed. Colloidal gold particles were coated with monoclonal anti-T-2 antibodies and used as detector reagent, indicating the strip test results by formation of up to two colored lines in a competitive assay format. The test line comprises a protein conjugate of the T-2 mycotoxin and the control line an antispecies-specific antibody to confirm the correct test development. To perform the test, 5 g of sample was extracted in a ratio of 1:5 with methanol/water (70:30) by shaking for 3 min and the extract directly used without further cleanup steps. The T-2 toxin lateral flow device (LFD) presented has a cutoff level around 100 microg/kg for naturally contaminated wheat and oat. The semiquantitative test may be used in the lower micrograms per kilogram range and allows for rapid semiquantitative photometric classification of the level of sample contamination. For both tests, results were obtained within 4 min. The developed LFDs therefore allow for the first time fast and on-site screening for the determination of T-2 toxin in cereals.     

Sensing of tomato plant response to hypoxia in the root environment

A severe drawback in hydroponic production systems and irrigated field cultivation arises due to the risk of hypoxia, provoked by water logging in the root environment. The effects of hypoxia become temporarily visible when plants are irreversibly damaged. For this reason, non-invasive methods are required for detecting hypoxia in good time. In five experiments, tomato plants at two stages of development were grown in containers in aerated nutrient solution. Aeration was interrupted to trigger hypoxic conditions in the root environment. Whereas young plants were able to adapt to hypoxia in the root environment and survived, mature plants wilted two days after aeration interruption and died rapidly. A decrease in leaf photosynthesis, leaf transpiration rates and efficiency of the photosystem II was observed in older plants, while leaf diffuse reflectance changed slowly. On the other hand, if young plants were able to adapt to hypoxia in the root environment and survived, no clear reduction of leaf photosynthesis and the efficiency of the photosystem II arose, although the dry matter growth was decreased by 50%. Changes in leaf colour and reflectance spectra occurred. The latter indicated changes in the profile of the carotenoids. The ratio of intensities at 550 and 455 nm in particular provided a sensitive and diagnostic parameter for hypoxia in the root zone of adapted plants which, nevertheless, displayed severe growth limitation.     

The hidden value of artisanal fisheries in Honduras

Declining fisheries catches are a global trend, with management failing to keep pace with growth in fishing effort and technological advances. The economic value of Honduras’ catches was estimated within the industrial and artisanal sectors. Catches were found to be 2.9 times greater than the official statistics between 1950 and 2015. The merging of industrial and artisanal catch data masked the decline in industrial catches and hid the strong growth of artisanal fisheries. In 1996, annual artisanal fisheries landed catches surpassed the industrial fishery sector, and in 2000, the annual net value of artisanal fisheries eclipsed the value of the industrial fisheries. These data highlight the importance of artisanal fisheries in Honduras and challenge the long‐held belief that the industrial sector contributes more to the national economy. The global paucity of fisheries data highlights the need for comprehensive strategies to collect more detailed and accurate fisheries data.     

Chlorella vulgaris Extracts as Modulators of the Health Status and the Inflammatory Response of Gilthead Seabream Juveniles (Sparus aurata)

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of short-term supplementation, with 2% Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris) biomass and two 0.1% C. vulgaris extracts, on the health status (experiment one) and on the inflammatory response (experiment two) of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata). The trial comprised four isoproteic (50% crude protein) and isolipidic (17% crude fat) diets. A fishmeal-based (FM), practical diet was used as a control (CTR), whereas three experimental diets based on CTR were further supplemented with a 2% inclusion of C. vulgaris biomass (Diet D1); 0.1% inclusion of C. vulgaris peptide-enriched extract (Diet D2) and finally a 0.1% inclusion of C. vulgaris insoluble fraction (Diet D3). Diets were randomly assigned to quadruplicate groups of 97 fish/tank (IBW: 33.4 ± 4.1 g), fed to satiation three times a day in a recirculation seawater system. In experiment one, seabream juveniles were fed for 2 weeks and sampled for tissues at 1 week and at the end of the feeding period. Afterwards, randomly selected fish from each group were subjected to an inflammatory insult (experiment two) by intraperitoneal injection of inactivated gram-negative bacteria, following 24 and 48 h fish were sampled for tissues. Blood was withdrawn for haematological procedures, whereas plasma and gut tissue were sampled for immune and oxidative stress parameters. The anterior gut was also collected for gene expression measurements. After 1 and 2 weeks of feeding, fish fed D2 showed higher circulating neutrophils than seabream fed CTR. In contrast, dietary treatments induced mild effects on the innate immune and antioxidant functions of gilthead seabream juveniles fed for 2 weeks. In the inflammatory response following the inflammatory insult, mild effects could be attributed to C. vulgaris supplementation either in biomass form or extract. However, the C. vulgaris soluble peptide-enriched extract seems to confer a protective, anti-stress effect in the gut at the molecular level, which should be further explored in future studies.     

Canine leishmaniasis with nephrotic syndrome and aortic and caudal vena cava thromboembolism

Objective – To describe a case of leishmaniasis associated with nephrotic syndrome and aortic and caudal vena cava thrombosis in a dog. Case Summary – A 3‐year‐old male Boxer was referred to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lisbon, with vomiting, polyuria, polydipsia, lethargy, anorexia, and weight loss. On admission, the dog was thin, quiet, and dehydrated. Initial laboratory abnormalities were compatible with a diagnosis of leishmaniasis (confirmed by serology and bone marrow aspirate), and nephrotic syndrome. Three days later, the animal developed lumbar pain, paraparesis, and absent femoral pulses. Coagulation tests showed a marked reduction in antithrombin (AT) and a mild increase in serum fibrinogen concentration. A diagnosis of thromboembolism was made. In spite of treatment aimed at controlling the primary condition and decreasing further thrombus formation, necrosis developed in the distal right pelvic limb and the nail beds of the left pelvic limb. Against medical advice, medication was stopped and, 15 days later, the dog returned to the hospital, showing extensive necrosis of both pelvic limb extremities. Euthanasia was performed at the owner's request. Necropsy showed a thrombus localized at the distal aorta and extending into the right iliac artery, and an additional thrombus extending from both femoral veins onto the caudal vena cava. New or Unique Information Provided – Thromboembolic disease is rare in dogs with leishmaniasis with nephrotic syndrome. This case suggests that a marked decrease in AT and a mild increase in serum fibrinogen may elicit a hypercoagulable state in these patients.