Use of computed tomography adrenal gland measurement for differentiating ACTH dependence from ACTH independence in 64 dogs with hyperadenocorticism

Background: The measurement of adrenal gland size on computed tomography (CT) scan has been proposed for the etiological diagnosis of hyperadrenocorticism (HAC) in dogs. Symmetric adrenal glands are considered to provide evidence for ACTH‐dependent hyperadrenocorticism (ADHAC), whereas asymmetry suggests ACTH‐independent hyperadrenocorticism (AIHAC). However, there are currently no validated criteria for such differentiation. Objective: The aim of this retrospective study was to compare various adrenal CT scan measurements and the derived ratios in ADHAC and AIHAC cases, and to validate criteria for distinguishing between these conditions in a large cohort of dogs. Animals: Sixty‐four dogs with HAC (46 ADHAC, 18 AIHAC). Methods: Dogs with confirmed HAC and unequivocal characterization of its origin were included. Linear measurements of adrenal glands were made on both cross‐sectional and reformatted images. Results: An overlap was systematically observed between the AIHAC and ADHAC groups for all measurements tested. Overlaps also were observed for ratios tested. For the maximum adrenal diameter ratio derived from reformatted images (rADR), only 1/18 AIHAC dogs had a rADR within the range for ADHAC. For a threshold of 2.08, the 95% confidence intervals for estimated sensitivity and specificity extended from 0.815 to 1.000 and from 0.885 to 0.999, respectively, for AIHAC diagnosis. Conclusion and Clinical Importance: Measurements from cross‐sectional or reformatted CT scans are of little use for determining the origin of HAC. However, rADR appears to distinguish accurately between ADHAC and AIHAC, with a rADR > 2.08 highly suggestive of AIHAC.     

噻重氮苯基脲对文冠果愈伤组织诱导与分化的影响

以文冠果茎段和幼嫩叶片为外植体,分别进行了茎段和幼嫩叶片的组织培养试验,研究了附加不同浓度的噻重氮苯基脲(TDZ)愈伤组织和不定芽分化的影响。结果表明:MS+TDZ 0.05 mg/L+6-BA 1.0 mg/L+NAA 0.01 mg/L培养基对幼叶的诱导分化培养效果最好;MS+TDZ 0.02 mg/L+6-BA 1.0 mg/L+NAA 0.02 mg/L培养基对茎段诱导不定芽的效果最好;而TDZ在文冠果生根培养中不起作用。     

雏鸡马立克氏病强毒感染后淋巴细胞化学发光的变化

本研究采用化学发光（ＣＬ）法测定雏鸡马立克氏病强毒（ｖＭＤＶ）人工感染后免疫器官淋巴细胞活性氧自由基（ＡＯＲ）产生水平。结果为：脾脏淋巴细胞ＣＬ值于７、１４和５６日龄显著高于健康对照雏鸡（Ｐ＜０．０５，Ｐ＜０．０１）；胸腺淋巴细胞ＣＬ值４２和５６日龄显著高于健康对照雏鸡（Ｐ＜０．０５）；法氏囊淋巴细胞ＣＬ值１４、２８和４２日龄显著高于健康对照雏鸡（Ｐ＜０．０５）。     

Pig major acute-phase protein and apolipoprotein A-I responses correlate with the clinical course of experimentally induced African Swine Fever and Aujeszky's disease

In the present work, we studied the acute phase protein response after experimental virus infection in pigs. The animals were experimentally infected with African Swine Fever (ASF) or Aujeszky's disease (AD) viruses. The clinical course of ASF infection correlated with increasingly high levels of pig Major Acute-phase Protein (pig-MAP) (mean value of 6 mg/mL on day 6 post infection (p.i.), from 6 to 9 times higher than day 0) and sharp apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) decrease (mean value of 0.5 mg/mL, from 4 to 10 times lower than day 0 on day 4 p.i.). AD-clinical signs appeared at day 3 p.i., both in vaccinated (moderate clinical signs) and non-vaccinated pigs (severe outcome within 48 h p.i.). Pig-MAP and apo A-I profiles also followed clinical signs (changing from 0.70 mg/mL to around 3 mg/mL and from around 3 mg/mL to 0.96 mg/mL, respectively in non-vaccinated animals), with minor changes in concentration in the vaccinated group. Haptoglobin levels significantly increased in ASF and AD infected animals (mean maximum values of 2.77 and 3.96 mg/mL, respectively). Minor differences for the C-Reactive Protein in the case of ASF were observed, whereas its concentration increased more than 7 times in AD-infection. The albumin level was not modified in either case. The correlation of clinical signs to our data suggests the potential use of pig-MAP and apo A-I in monitoring infections in swine.     

Characterisation of the pig acute phase protein response to road transport

The acute phase protein (APP) response was evaluated after prolonged transportation of pigs under commercial conditions. Elevated serum APP concentrations were observed in two groups of boars immediately after their arrival at a destination farm compared with within-animal control samples obtained one month later. The effect was more pronounced in the first group of pigs conveyed under average transport conditions (Transport 1, 24 h), although the second group was transported for a longer time period (Transport 2, 48 h) but in superior transport conditions. In a second trial, pigs were sampled before transport, on arrival at an abattoir (following 12 h transport), and at the slaughter-line (after 6 h lairage). Significant increases in major acute phase protein (Pig-MAP), haptoglobin, serum amyloid A, C-reactive protein, and a decrease in apolipoprotein A-I, were observed at slaughter. The results demonstrate that shipment of pigs by road can result in an APP response that is probably related to the stress of transport.     

废气再循环改善生物柴油发电机的经济性和排放性

在单缸风冷四冲程柴油发电机上,采用0、16%、28%EGR(exhaust gas recirculation,废气再循环)率,分别以柴油和生物柴油为燃料进行了试验,测试并分析了经济性,NOx、HC、CO和烟度的排放性能。研究表明:生物柴油油耗高于柴油,在0、16%和28%EGR率时,生物柴油的体积油耗平均高出柴油约9%、10%和17%;与无废气再循环相比,16%和28%EGR率时,燃用柴油平均可减少NOx约17%和35%,燃用生物柴油平均可减少NOx约10%和24%,生物柴油的NOx排放量高于柴油平均约6.5%和17%;燃用柴油时随EGR率增大,HC的排放量增大,16%和28%EGR率时,生物柴油的HC排放低于柴油平均约6%和28.5%;28%EGR率时,生物柴油CO排放量低于柴油,平均降低约24%;随EGR率增大,生物柴油的烟度增大,燃用生物柴油在小负荷和中负荷时烟度高于柴油。     

6个品种鸡LPL基因的PCR-RFLP分析

采用PCR-RFLP方法对金水乌鸡、武定鸡、湖北红鸡、青脚麻鸡、矮黄鸡和隐性白羽肉鸡6个品种共计360只鸡LPL基因进行多态性分析,选用Hha Ⅰ、HaeⅢ、Hinf Ⅰ、Bam HⅠ、EcoRⅠ和PstⅠ 6种限制性内切酶对PCR产物进行单酶切,结果发现HinfⅠ-RFLP具有多态性,有AA和tBB两种基因型,采用独立性X2检验方法检验该基因座频率分布差异,结果表明,蛋用品种湖北红鸡与药用观赏型珍禽金水乌鸡间差异显著(P<0.05);矮黄鸡、隐性白羽鸡2个肉鸡品种间的差异不显著,而它们与其它品种间的差异均达到极显著水平(P<0.01);金水乌鸡、武定鸡、青脚麻鸡3个品种间差异不显著。     

Temperature effect on Chalara fraxinea: heat treatment of saplings as a possible disease control method

Ash dieback is an emerging disease caused by the fungus Chalara fraxinea that severely affects Fraxinus excelsior and F. angustifolia stands in Europe. Previous studies have shown that this pathogen prefers temperatures around 20°C, while its growth in pure cultures at 30°C proved to be very limited. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of temperature on the development and growth of C. fraxinea in pure cultures and in plant tissues, as well as to test the heat tolerance of F. excelsior saplings. The sensitivity of fungus to heat in ash tissues was higher than in pure cultures. Low isolation success rate from diseased ash tissue after a five‐hour hot water treatment at 36°C and the relatively high survival rate of ash saplings after hot water treatments at 36°C and 40°C indicate possibilities for the development of a C. fraxinea eradication method in ash saplings. Field monitoring showed that in hot weather periods, thermal conditions inside the ash tissues can be extreme enough to markedly decrease the viability of C. fraxinea in infected plant tissues.     

烟草马铃薯Y病毒病相关基因eIF4E的片段克隆及RNAi载体构建

以感病烟草品种为材料,提取总RNA,根据已报道的eIF4E基因cDNA的序列,在保守区域和差异区域分别设计特异性引物,采用RT-PCR克隆出eIF4E基因的目的片段。以中间载体pKANNIBAL和表达载体pART27为基础,构建成以CaMV35S启动子为驱动的含有“正向eIF4E目的片段-pdk intron-反向eIF4E目的片段”的RNAi烟草表达载体,构建的RNAi载体将抑制eIF4E基因表达,为了解其基因功能和烟草抗病毒育种打下基础。     

Management implications of earwigs' overwintering sites in a Mediterranean citrus grove

To promote earwigs as natural enemies of pests, or to control their populations if they damage crops, earwigs can be managed during their overwintering period on the ground. Here, we obtained more than a ton of soil to study earwigs' overwintering sites in a citrus grove. We found four species of earwigs: Forficula pubescens, Euborellia annulipes, Euborellia moesta, and Nala lividipes. Surprisingly, and although the European earwig Forficula auricularia is abundant in the citrus canopies the rest of the year, we did not find any F. auricularia, indicating that this species spends the winter outside the citrus grove. Therefore, farmers willing to manage European earwig populations in citrus orchards need to consider the possibility that earwigs may spend the winter outside the field. Earwigs that were overwintering in the citrus grove were more abundant at the south side beneath the canopies than at the north side or between rows, indicating that management practices such as soil tillage can impact overwintering earwigs only beneath the canopies, but not between citrus rows. Overall, our results provide insights into how earwig populations can be successfully managed during winter in citrus orchards.