Effects of Phosphate Type on the Quality of Vacuum-Tumbled Catfish Fillets

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of various agglomerated phosphate blends on the quality of vacuum-tumbled catfish fillets. Catfish fillets were tumbled with a brine solution at 15% over initial, raw weight prior to tray-packing and storage at 4°C for 10 days. Fillets were evaluated for protein exudate, tumbling yield, color, pH, cooking loss, tenderness, purge loss, and shelf life. A specific blend of agglomerated sodium phosphates (AGSP) that contains mono-, tri-, and polyphosphates had significantly less protein (p < 0.05) exudate and significantly higher pH (p < 0.05) than other treatments. All phosphate treatments significantly increased (p < 0.05) tenderness and significantly decreased (p < 0.05) purge loss, but agglomerated phosphate blends significantly decreased (p < 0.05) cooking loss and yellowness. Psychrotrophic plate counts for all phosphate treatments were similar to the control at each storage time. All phosphate treatments improved the yield and quality of catfish fillets, but the use of AGSP may optimize quality attributes.     

Hanging Drop Monoculture for Selection of Optimal Antioxidants During In Vitro Maturation of Porcine Oocytes

We analysed the effect of three antioxidants that have different functional mechanisms on the in vitro maturation (IVM) of porcine oocytes. Single oocyte monoculture using the hanging drop (HD) system has some advantages such as improving analysis efficiency brought by the smaller number of samples than the number of oocytes cultured in one drop. Direct effects of ligands on single oocytes could also be detected without considering the effects of paracrine factors from other oocytes. After 22 h of pre‐culture, denuded oocytes were cultured for 22 h with 0.01 and 0.1 μg/ml of L‐carnitine (LC), lactoferrin (LF) or sulforaphane (SF) in the presence/non‐presence of oxidant stress induced by H₂O₂ supplementation to evaluate the reducing effects against oxidative stress on nuclear maturation. As a result, compared with LC and SF, LF showed effective reduction in oxidative stress at a lower concentration (0.01 μg/ml), suggesting that LF is a more effective antioxidant in porcine oocyte IVM. Additionally, LF also increased maturation rate even in culture without H₂O₂. Our results clearly suggest that the HD monoculture system is useful for screening the substances that affect porcine oocyte culture.     

Induction of superoxide dismutase,malate dehydrogenase and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase during enhancing resistance of common bean against Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli by exogenous salicylic acid

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Bacterial blight of common bean caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli (Xap) is one of the most devastating diseases and causes serious yield...     

The breed prevalence of dog erythrocyte antigen 1.1 in the Onderstepoort area of South Africa and its significance in selection of canine blood donors

The blood group antigen Dog Erythrocyte Antigen (DEA) 1.1 is clinically the most important canine blood group as DEA 1.1 antibodies are capable of causing acute haemolytic, potentially life-threatening transfusion reactions. Dogs do not have naturally occurring antibodies to DEA 1.1 but are rapidly sensitised by the first incompatible transfusion. The prevalence of DEA 1.1 in the general dog population is estimated at 42-46%. Canine blood donors registered with the Onderstepoort Animal Blood Bank (n = 93) as well as potential donors (n = 140) were typed for DEA 1.1 using a monoclonal antibody card kit. All dogs came from the Onderstepoort area, near Pretoria, Gauteng province, South Africa. Overall prevalence of DEA 1.1 was 47%. Prevalence was 47% in purebred dogs and 48% in mongrels. Distinct breed differences were noted with less than 20% of German shepherd dogs and Boxers and greater than 75% of Rottweilers, Great Danes, St Bernards and Dalmations testing DEA 1.1 positive. Knowledge of local breed differences will increase effectiveness of blood donor recruitment.     

Prevalence and risk factors of Coxiella burnetii seropositivity in Danish beef and dairy cattle at slaughter adjusted for test uncertainty

Antibodies to Coxiella burnetii have been found in the Danish dairy cattle population with high levels of herd and within herd seroprevalences. However, the prevalence of antibodies to C. burnetii in Danish beef cattle remains unknown. The objectives of this study were to (1) estimate the prevalence and (2) identify risk factors associated with C. burnetii seropositivity in Danish beef and dairy cattle based on sampling at slaughter.     

An assay for quantitative virulence in Rhynchosporium commune reveals an association between effector genotype and virulence

Detailed knowledge of the evolutionary genetics of virulence is needed to understand and predict host–pathogen dynamics. This study used a virulence assay based on digital image analysis and treated virulence as a quantitative rather than a binary trait. Such quantitative data may better reflect the genetic underpinning of virulence in many pathogen systems and provide better resolution in statistical investigations. A greenhouse experiment based on a common garden design was conducted to measure virulence (% of leaf area covered by lesions) of 126 genetically distinct isolates of the barley scald pathogen, Rhynchosporium commune, originating from nine field populations around the world. Virulence in this pathosystem was found to be a quantitative trait with a continuous distribution in all populations. By comparing population genetic differentiation for virulence and neutral microsatellite markers (i.e. a Q_ST/G_ST comparison), evidence that virulence is under stabilizing selection across populations was found. Heritability values were high and ranged from 0·52 to 0·96 with a mean heritability of 0·84. Virulence was positively correlated with spore production as predicted by the trade‐off theory of virulence evolution. Furthermore, an association analysis between virulence and sequence haplotypes of three known necrosis‐inducing effector genes (NIP1, NIP2 and NIP3) revealed a significant effect of NIP2 haplotypes and NIP1 deletions. Overall, the results support a quantitative model for virulence in the R. commune–barley pathosystem and very high evolutionary potential for this trait.     

A feasible method for humane slaughter of eel (Anguilla anguilla L.): electrical stunning in fresh water prior to gutting

It was observed that farmed eels could be rendered unconscious and insensible instantaneously by passing an electrical current through fresh water. The general epileptiform insult on the EEG was characterized by a tonic/clonic and an exhaustion phase. After stunning, the ECG (electro‐cardiogram) revealed fibrillation. The electrical stunning parameters were on average 194 ± 4 V and 0.636 ± 0.040 A/dm² for 1.6 ± 0.4 s. Within a confidence level of 95%%, taking into account the number of animals with a reliable EEG (n = 29), at least 93% of all eels are effectively stunned in fresh water by an average current of 0.636 ± 0.040 A/dm². The behaviour of groups of five eels, which were able to move freely in the water was observed before and after stunning with 50 V and 0.17 A/dm². After 3‐s stunning, two eels were turned upside down. They changed to a normal position after 10 and 13 s respectively. Subsequently, all eels were very active in swimming behaviour and stopped swimming after 75 s. When stunned for a longer duration, all eels were turned upside down and stopped breathing for a limited period of time. In the last experiment the eels were stunned in fresh water (500 μS) with a voltage of 200 V for approximately 1 s, which was followed by 50 V for 5 min. As soon as the stunning started the water was de‐oxygenated by flushing nitrogen to kill the eels by suffocation during the period of unconsciousness and insensitivity. The oxygen saturation decreased from 74 ± 10 to 23 ± 11% at 22 °C. After stunning no brain activity and no responses to pain stimuli were observed on the EEG. The heart rate increased (P < 0.05) after stunning, which was followed by a significant decrease. Only 1 out of 18 eels returned partially from upside down to a normal position 2 h after stunning; however, the eel did not respond to pain stimuli in behaviour. The developed stunning procedure can be recommended for humane slaughter of 50‐kg batches of eels.     

Inactivation of TNF signaling by rationally designed dominant-negative TNF variants

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a key regulator of inflammatory responses and has been implicated in many pathological conditions. We used structure-based design to engineer variant TNF proteins that rapidly form heterotrimers with native TNF to give complexes that neither bind to nor stimulate signaling through TNF receptors. Thus, TNF is inactivated by sequestration. Dominant-negative TNFs represent a possible approach to anti-inflammatory biotherapeutics, and experiments in animal models show that the strategy can attenuate TNF-mediated pathology. Similar rational design could be used to engineer inhibitors of additional TNF superfamily cytokines as well as other multimeric ligands.