Critical disease components of common bacterial blight to effectively evaluate resistant genotypes of snap bean

Common bacterial blight (CBB) caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli (Xap) is the main bacterial disease of snap bean. The present work aimed to select snap bean genotypes that are resistant to CBB based on three components of resistance: area under the disease progress curve, latent period, and lesion diameter on pods (DL). A completely randomized two-factor factorial design with six replications was used to evaluate leaves and pods of 14 snap bean and three common bean genotypes (PI 207262, BAC-6 and A-794) with high resistance to CBB. Two Xap isolates, 1394-98 and 775-90, were used to inoculate leaves and pods. Data were analyzed using nonparametric statistics. Significant differences were observed among the evaluated genotypes for all of the components of resistance, except for DL. The snap bean UENF 1482 demonstrated good performance in two disease resistance components. For this reason, this genotype can be recommended for use in breeding programs that aim to generate snap bean genotypes resistant to Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli.     

Forty years of soil research funded by the European Commission: Trends and future. A systematic review of research projects

The European Green Deal with its high ambition has set the European Union (EU) on a promising path towards greater soil protection. The EU Soil Strategy 2030, the Biodiversity Strategy 2030, the Farm to Fork Strategy, the Zero Pollution, the Nature Restoration Law and the European Climate Law, among others, include actions to protect our soils. Research and Innovation (R&I) will play a key role in developing new knowledge and tools enabling the transition to healthy soils. The main aim of this paper is to analyse past and near-future trends in EU's funding for R&I on soil-related issues. For this purpose, a review of EU-funded soil projects was conducted based on the data available in the Community Research and Development Information Service and the official portal for European data. Our analysis shows that over the past 40 years, the EU has invested significantly in developing integrated knowledge about the relationships between soil functions and ecosystem services and how human-induced pressures affect soil health. Following the adoption of the EU Soil Thematic Strategy in 2006, there was an increase in research funding for soil-related research. Furthermore, our analysis also illustrates an interesting interplay of permanent and changing soil themes. The Horizon Europe Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’, which aims to establish a network of 100 living labs and lighthouses to lead the transition towards healthy soils and safeguard human and planetary health by 2030, provides a further incentive for soil research. Together with the EU Soil Strategy 2030 and the new proposal for a Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience (Soil Monitoring Law), and the EU Soil Observatory (EUSO), the three instruments set up the political framework, concrete measures, and a monitoring system needed for the protection, restoration and sustainable use of soils.     

Insulin sensitivity decreases with obesity, and lean cats with low insulin sensitivity are at greatest risk of glucose intolerance with weight gain

This study quantifies the effects of marked weight gain on glucose and insulin metabolism in 16 cats which increased their weight by an average of 44.2% over 10 months. Significantly, the development of feline obesity was accompanied by a 52% decrease in tissue sensitivity to insulin and diminished glucose effectiveness. In addition, glucose intolerance and abnormal insulin response occurred in some cats. An important finding was that normal weight cats with low insulin sensitivity and glucose effectiveness were at increased risk of developing impaired glucose tolerance with obesity. High basal insulin concentrations or low acute insulin response to glucose also independently increased the risk for developing impaired glucose tolerance. Male cats gained more weight relative to females and this, combined with their tendency to lower insulin sensitivity and higher insulin concentrations, may explain why male cats are at greater risk for diabetes. Results suggest an underlying predisposition for glucose intolerance in some cats, which is exacerbated by obesity. These cats may be more at risk of progressing to overt type 2 diabetes mellitus.     

Sward structure management for a maximum short‐term intake rate in annual ryegrass

This study tested the hypothesis that different sward structures, which were constructed by varying the pre‐ and post‐grazing sward heights of annual ryegrass pasture (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) in southern Brazil, affect the short‐term intake rate (STIR) by dairy cows. Treatments consisted of four sward‐management strategies defined by a combination of two pre‐ (25 and 15 cm) and two post‐grazing sward heights (10 and 5 cm): 15‐05, 15‐10, 25‐05 and 25‐10. A completely randomized block design with four replicates was used for the experimental design. The STIR was determined by the double‐weighing technique. Jaw movements were evaluated using automatic recorders (IGER Behaviour Recorder). The results showed that treatment 25‐10 allowed the animals to collect more herbage with a greater bite mass and thus resulted in a greater STIR. Treatments in which sward height was reduced to 10 cm generally favoured the ingestion process than treatments with a post‐grazing sward height of 5 cm.     

Mucopolysaccharidosis type VI in a Miniature Poodle-type dog caused by a deletion in the arylsulphatase B gene

Abstract

AIM: To investigate and characterise an inborn error of metabolism in a dog with skeletal and ocular abnormalities.

METHODS: A 2.5-year-old small male Miniature Poodle-like dog was presented with gross joint laxity and bilateral corneal opacities. Clinical examination was augmented by routine haematology, serum chemistry, radiographs, pathology, enzymology and molecular genetic studies. Euthanasia was requested when the dog was 3 years of age because of progressively decreasing quality of life.

RESULTS: Radiology revealed generalised epiphyseal dysplasia, malformed vertebral bodies, luxation/subluxation of appendicular and lumbosacral joints with hypoplasia of the odontoid process and hyoid apparatus. These clinical and radiographic findings, together with a positive urinary Berry spot test for mucopolysaccharides, and metachromatic granules in leucocytes, were indicative of a mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS), a lysosomal storage disease. Histological lesions included vacuolation of stromal cells of the cornea, fibroblasts, chondrocytes, macrophages and renal cells. The brain was essentially normal except for moderate secondary Wallerian-type degeneration in motor and sensory tracts of the hind brain. Dermatan sulphate-uria was present and enzymology revealed negligible activity of N-acetylgalactosamine-4-sulphatase, also known as arylsulphatase B, in cultured fibroblasts and liver tissue. A novel homozygous 22 base pair (bp) deletion in exon 1 of this enzyme's gene was identified (c.103_124del), which caused aframe-shift and subsequent premature stop codon. The “Wisdom pure breed-mixed breed” test reported the dog as a cross between a Miniature and Toy Poodle.

CONCLUSIONS: The clinicopathological features are similar to those of MPS type VI as previously described in dogs, cats and other species, and this clinical diagnosis was confirmed by enzymology and molecular genetic studies. This is an autosomal recessively inherited lysosomal storage disease.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The prevalence of MPS VI in Miniature or Toy Poodles in New Zealand and elsewhere is currently unknown. Due to the congenital nature of the disorder, malformed pups may be subject to euthanasia without investigation and the potential genetic problem in the breed may not be fully recognised. The establishment of a molecular genetic test now permits screening for this mutation as a basis to an informed breeding policy.     

Descriptive epidemiological study of the use of antimicrobial drugs by companion animal veterinarians in New Zealand

Abstract

AIM: To describe the patterns of use of antimicrobial drugs by veterinary surgeons treating commonly presented bacterial infections in companion animals in New Zealand.

METHODS: A postal survey of 800 randomly selected companion animal veterinarians practicing in New Zealand was conducted between August and December 2008. Data were collected regarding the antimicrobials prescribed for recent cases of skin, ear and urinary tract infections; the use of culture and susceptibility testing; and veterinarian characteristics such as proportion of time spent treating companion animals and recent attendance at continuing professional development (CPD) events. Potential associations within the data were explored using extended mosaic plots and multivariable regression models.

RESULTS:Completed surveys from 393 respondents were available for analysis, providing data on systemic antimicrobial drug use for 1,799 cases of presumptive bacterial infections. The most frequently prescribed drugs were amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (864 cases, 48%), cephalexin (558, 31%), and fluoroquinolones (198, 11%). Of 359 cases of canine superficial pyoderma, 157 (44%) were treated with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and 155 (43%) were treated with cephalexin with median reported treatment durations of 7 and 10 days, for these two drugs respectively. Culture and susceptibility tests had been used in 376 of 1,984 (19%) of all reported cases and 160 (43%) of these were suspected urinary tract infections. Practitioners that spent 100% of their time treating companion animals and who had attended a CPD course related to companion animals within the 12 months prior to completing the survey were more likely to submit a sample for culture and susceptibility testing and to prescribe longer courses of antimicrobials for the treatment of canine pyoderma than practitioners who spent less than 100% of their time treating companion animals and had not attended a CPD course in the last 12 months.

CONCLUSIONS: Broad-spectrum drugs considered by the World Health Organisation to be critically important for human health, such as fluoroquinolones and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, are amongst the most frequently prescribed antimicrobials in companion animal medicine, and these drugs are often prescribed without submitting a sample for culture and susceptibility testing.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Many cases of superficial pyoderma were treated for less than the recommended duration of 21 days, which may contribute to a higher rate of recurrent pyoderma and the development of drug resistance within the causal bacteria. Veterinarians should be aware that the use of fluoroquinolones, in particular, should be based upon the results of a culture and susceptibility test.     

Prostaglandin Endoperoxide Synthase 2 (PTGS2) and Prostaglandins F2α and E2 Synthases (PGFS and PGES) Expression and Prostaglandin F2α and E2 Secretion Following Oestrogen and/or Progesterone Stimulation of the Feline Endometrium

Sex steroids in synergy with prostaglandins (PG) are involved in the regulation of cyclic ovarian function. In this study, we investigated the mRNA expression of three genes involved in arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism and hence PG production in domestic cats: PG‐endoperoxide synthase (PTGS2), PGF_2α synthase (PGFS) and PGE₂ synthase (PGES). Feline endometria (n = 16) were collected at oestrus and mid and late phases of pseudopregnancy. In addition, the effects of E₂ and/or P₄ on PG secretion and gene expression on endometrial explants were studied in an in vitro culture system. Expression levels of all examined genes were up‐regulated at the mid phase of pseudopregnancy. The effects of E₂ and/or P₄ treatment on both PG secretion and expression of the genes were observed after 12 h of culture. Expression of PGES was significantly up‐regulated by E₂ plus P₄ at oestrus and the mid phase of pseudopregnancy and was also up‐regulated by a single treatment with P₄ at late pseudopregnancy (p < 0.05). Simultaneous incubation with E₂ and P₄ up‐regulated PTGS2 gene expression at oestrus and mid‐luteal phase (p < 0.05). Progesterone plus E₂ significantly increased PGE₂ secretion at oestrus and the mid phase of pseudopregnancy. However, treatment with E₂ and/or P₄ affected neither PGF_2α secretion nor PGFS expression at any phase after 12 h of culture. The overall findings indicate that genes involved in PG synthesis are up‐regulated at the mid phase of pseudopregnancy. An increase in PGE₂ secretion and up‐regulation of PGES and PTGS2 are the main responses of the endometrium to treatment with E₂ and P₄ at oestrus and the mid phase of pseudopregnancy in the cat. These data support the hypothesis that ovarian sex steroids via endometrial PGE₂ are involved in endocrine homoeostasis, especially at oestrus and the mid, but not the late, phase of pseudopregnancy in cats.     

A Case of Successful Pregnancy in a Ewe with Uterus Didelphys

Uterus didelphys is a rare congenital abnormality of the reproductive tract. Although it occurs in various species, there are no published reports describing pregnancy outcome in association with this abnormality. Herein we describe a case of successful unilateral singleton pregnancy in a ewe incidentally found to have uterus didelphys during the course of a biomedical research study. The pregnancy was established using assisted reproductive techniques and interrupted in late gestation, at which point the abnormality was identified. Serial ultrasound assessment of foetal biometry revealed a normal foetal growth trajectory. Despite a 45% reduction in placentome number, total placentome weight was near normal secondary to compensatory placentome growth and development. To our knowledge, this is the first detailed report of normal foetal growth in an animal with uterus didelphys and illustrates the ability of the ovine placenta to adapt to a reduced number of placentomes and maintain foetal nutrient supply.     

Mixed-effect non-linear modelling for diameter estimation along the stem of Tectona grandis in mid-western Brazil

This study evaluated the efficiency of taper functions and the application of mixed-effect modelling for diameter estimation along the stems of Tectona grandis. We sampled 266 trees of Tectona grandis, measuring the diameter at relative heights for volume determination, grouping the data according to three form-factor classes. Six taper functions were fitted, selecting the function with better fit performance. Six taper functions were fitted, selecting the function with better fit performance. The selected function was fitted in its basic formulation, and with the mixed non-linear modelling technique in different scenarios, and for the stem stratified in three portions of the total height. The precision and selection of the adjusted models were evaluated regarding the coefficient of determination, standard error of estimate, the Akaike information criterion, bias, quadratic error and absolute bias. According to the statistical criteria used, the model of Kozak was selected for the adjustments. For diameter estimation, the scenario with two coefficients as random effects provided an accuracy increase of 11.91%, and the mixed non-linear modelling better estimated the stem diameter for the stratified stems. In conclusion, the model of Kozak can be used to describe the stem shape of Tectona grandis, and the mixed-effect non-linear model approach was the best technique to estimate diameter along the stem of Tectona grandis.