Management of paddlefish fry and juveniles in Bulgarian conditions

When paddlefish larvae were reared in tanks and fed on zooplankton, a length of 12–15 cm and a weight of 9.2 g had been obtained by the second month after hatching. After a further 2-months of pond rearing, the survival rate was 48%, and the juveniles had reached an average weight of 27.74 g and length of 22.5 cm. Much better growth rate was achieved when both paddlefish fry and juveniles were reared only on artificial food in tanks. At the end of the first month, a weight of 11.6 g had been reached; at the second month the paddlefish weight was 33.29 g, at the third month it was 60.2 g, and at the fourth month it was 127.7 g. There were two cases in which, respectively, 1,000 and 1,500 paddlefish with an average body weight of 33–60 g were stocked in a reservoir. At the age 5 months the fish had reached, or exceeded, an average weight of 500 g, and, after 1 year, it was over 700 g, which is an indicator of the good rearing opportunities this reservoir offered.     

Bradycardia, altered thermographic patterns, and dysphonia associated with cervical laxity in an Ankole-Watusi bull

A native African bull was examined for ataxia of 10 days' duration. Clinical signs included bradycardia, ataxia, hypermetria, and dysphonia. Cerebrospinal creatine kinase activity was high. Thermographic evidence of bilateral accessory nerve dysfunction was observed. This finding was supported by electromyographic studies. Survey and positive contrast radiographs were nondiagnostic. Clinical signs exacerbated after radiographic examination. Treatment included dexamethasone and flunixin meglumine administered IV.     

Prevalence and genetic characterization of Hepatitis E virus in paired samples of feces and serum from naturally infected pigs

This study describes the distribution of Hepatitis E virus (HEV) in a naturally infected swine population and the genetic relatedness of HEV strains on swine farms in Spain. Of fecal and serum samples collected from 131 pigs and manure-ditch samples collected from 17 farms, HEV was detected in 16%, 14%, and 59%, respectively, for an overall prevalence rate of 23%. The maximum prevalence rates for feces and serum were in pigs 5 to 12 wk old. A high prevalence of the virus in feces (18%) was observed in sows. Gene sequencing was performed on 6 strains from feces, serum, and manure ditch: the nucleotide identities varied from 81.5% to 99% when compared with those of other strains of genotype 3 isolated from swine. This is the first study in Europe to show the variation in virus distribution by age in feces and serum in a naturally infected swine population.     

Structure of a NHEJ polymerase-mediated DNA synaptic complex

Nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) is a critical DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair pathway required to maintain genome stability. Many prokaryotes possess a minimalist NHEJ apparatus required to repair DSBs during stationary phase, composed of two conserved core proteins, Ku and ligase D (LigD). The crystal structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis polymerase domain of LigD mediating the synapsis of two noncomplementary DNA ends revealed a variety of interactions, including microhomology base pairing, mismatched and flipped-out bases, and 3' termini forming hairpin-like ends. Biochemical and biophysical studies confirmed that polymerase-induced end synapsis also occurs in solution. We propose that this DNA synaptic structure reflects an intermediate bridging stage of the NHEJ process, before end processing and ligation, with both the polymerase and the DNA sequence playing pivotal roles in determining the sequential order of synapsis and remodeling before end joining.     

罗马尼亚沙棘资源建设和利用状况

沙棘,亚欧种,1753年植物学家Karl von Linné发现了沙棘并分类为"植物志"的第1023种.沙棘(Hippophae rhamnoides)被认为是希腊语"闪闪发亮的马"的语源.罗马尼亚的专家论证了沙棘对动物健康的影响,特别是皮肤方面,沙棘还有着消除肠内病菌的作用.     

Highly sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for chlorpyrifos. Application to olive oil analysis

Highly sensitive enzyme-linked immunoassays for chlorpyrifos, one of the most applied insecticides, are presented. Several haptens were synthesized for immunoreagent production and ELISA development. The best immunoassays obtained are based on an indirect coated-plate immunoassay format. Two assays were optimized; one shows a limit of detection of 0.3 ng L(-1), an I50 of 271 ng L(-1), and a dynamic range between 4 and 16 474 ng L(-1). The other one has a limit of detection of 0.07 ng L(-1), an I50 of 7 ng L(-1), and a dynamic range between 0.4 and 302 ng L(-1). The assays were used to quantify chlorpyrifos in olive oil using a simple and rapid sample extraction procedure. The good recoveries achieved in both assays (109% mean value) and the agreement with values given by the GC reference method (110% mean value) indicate their potential for either screening or laboratory quantification.     

Effect of the rootstock and interstock grafted in lemon tree (Citrus limon (L.) Burm.) on the flavonoid content of lemon juice

The grafting of the rootstock with the lemon tree is an agronomical technique used to improve production and/or quality of the fruit. The interstock has been used with different fruit trees to modulate the tree size, fruit production and quality, and the aging of the tree. The lemon trees grafted with interstocks increase their longevity, lemon production and quality; interstocks are also used to decrease the thickness of the trunk at the grafting point. This enlarging of the trunk provokes a decrease of the sap flow. In our study, "Verna" lemon trees were grafted with interstock between the rootstock and the lemon tree to follow the flavonoid content of the lemon juice. The lemon juice was obtained from the lemons collected of the grafted lemon trees. Two types of rootstocks were used: Citrus aurantium L. and Citrus macrophylla L. Seven interstocks from five cultivars of orange tree, one cultivar of lime tree, and one cultivar of tangerine tree were used. "Verna" lemon trees were also grafted directly to the rootstock. The rootstock was more important agronomic factor than the interstock on the total flavonoid content of lemon juice. The interstock grafting had only a small influence on the flavonoid content of the lemon juice, and it modulated the individual flavonoid content. Citrus aurantium L. rootstock and "Berna" and "Washington Navel" interstocks were the most appropriate to graft in the lemon tree. This interstock grafting technique does not increase the flavonoid content of the lemon juice. Regarding the individual flavonoids, the 6,8-di-C-glucosyl diosmetin was the most affected flavonoid by the type of rootstock used. The interstock used is able to alter the individual quantitative flavonoid order of eriocitrin, diosmin, and hesperidin. In addition, the HPLC-ESI/MS(n) analyses provided the identification of two new flavonoids in the lemon juice: Quercetin 3-O-rutinoside-7-O-glucoside and chrysoeriol 6,8-di-C-glucoside (stellarin-2). The occurrence of apigenin 6,8-di-C-glucoside (vicenin-2), eriodictyol 7-O-rutinoside, 6,8-di-C-glucosyl diosmetin, hesperetin 7-O-rutinoside, homoeriodictyol 7-O-rutinoside and diosmetin 7-O-rutinoside was also confirmed in lemon juice by this technique.     

In vitro gastrointestinal digestion study of pomegranate juice phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, and vitamin C

Pomegranate is an important source of bioactive compounds, such as anthocyanins, other phenolic compounds, and ascorbic acid. In the present work an in vitro availability method has been used to assay the influence of the physiological conditions in the stomach and small intestine. This method enables the study of the release of anthocyanins, vitamin C, and total phenols from the pomegranate juice and their transformations during gastrointestinal digestion. Results have shown that pomegranate phenolic compounds are available during the digestion in a quite high amount (29%). Nevertheless, due to pH, anthocyanins are largely transformed into non-red forms and/or degraded (97%), and similar results are obtained for vitamin C (>95% degradation).     

Novel inhibitors of the mitochondrial respiratory chain: oximes and pyrrolines isolated from Penicillium brevicompactum and synthetic analogues

The capacity of inhibition of the mammalian mitochondrial respiratory chain of brevioxime 5a, a natural insecticide compound isolated from Penicillium brevicompactum culture broth, and another 15 analogue compounds, other oximes 5b and 5c; two diastereomeric pyrrolidines 1c' and 1c' '; five pyrrolines 3c', 3c' ' (diastereomers between them), 3a, 3b, and 6; two oxazines 4c' and 4c' ' (also diastereomers between them); and four pyrrol derivatives 7-10, are analyzed in this paper. Compounds 3b, 3c', 3c' ', 4c', 4c' ', 5b, 5c, 6, and 10 were found to be inhibitors of the integrated electron transfer chain (NADH oxidase activity) in beef heart submitochondrial particles (SMP), establishing that all of them except compound 3b and 6 only affected to complex I of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. The most potent product was 5b, with an IC50 of 0.27 microM, similar to the IC50 values of other known complex I inhibitors. The diastereomeric pairs 1c'/1c' ', 3c'/3c' ', 4c'/4c' ', and 5c have not been previously described. Chemical characterization, on the basis of spectral data, is also shown.