Effect of intratesticular inoculation with Aujeszky's disease virus on genital organs of boars

Ten 8-10-month-old Belgian Landrace boars were intratesticularly inoculated with 500 TCID50 of a virulent Belgian Aujeszky's disease virus (ADV) isolate (75V19) in 0.1 ml volume. One control boar was similarly inoculated with phosphate-buffered saline solution. The genital organs of six inoculated boars were examined by virus isolation and immunofluorescence. In spite of high virus titers, the fluorescence in the testicles remained limited to a few small foci in the interstitial connective tissue and tunica albuginea at or close to the inoculation site. Neither virus replication, necrosis nor inflammatory lesions could be demonstrated in the epithelium of the seminiferous tubules. However, virus replication was regularly demonstrated in the serosa covering testicles, plexus pampiniformis, ductus deferens and tunica vaginalis. Virus was also isolated from the scrotal fluid. It is suggested that the serosa is the primary target tissue for ADV. The other four boars were inoculated to study the effect of ADV on semen. Severe morphologic alteration and lowered sperm cell concentrations were observed during several weeks after inoculation or until slaughter at 47, 53 and 58 days post inoculation. Virus was isolated from semen of only two out of four boars examined at 9 and 10 days post inoculation.     

In vitro dose–response of carvacrol, thymol, eugenol and trans-cinnamaldehyde and interaction of combinations for the antimicrobial activity against the pig gut flora

In vitro simulations of the gastric and small intestinal fermentation with varying doses of carvacrol, thymol, eugenol and trans-cinnamaldehyde and binary combinations thereof were carried out to calculate dose–response equations for the antimicrobial effect against the main pig gut flora components. Interaction effects were evaluated following the isobole method. In gastric simulations eugenol and trans-cinnamaldehyde showed clearly less inhibitory activity towards lactobacilli than carvacrol and thymol, which could also be observed in the small intestinal simulations. The minimum concentration for carvacrol, thymol, eugenol and trans-cinnamaldehyde in small intestinal simulations to reduce the number of total anaerobic bacteria compared to control with a probability of 99.7% was 255, 258, 223 and 56 mg/l respectively. This strong activity of trans-cinnamaldehyde was due to its effect against coliform bacteria; a dose of 104 mg/l gave a reduction of 1 log CFU/ml vs. 371, 400 and 565 mg/l for carvacrol, thymol and eugenol respectively. Few combinations demonstrated synergism; most mixtures showed zero interaction or antagonism. Only carvacrol + thymol was slightly synergistic.     

SALTIRSOIL: a simulation model for the mid to long‐term prediction of soil salinity in irrigated agriculture

The SALTIRSOIL model predicts soil salinity, sodicity and alkalinity in irrigated land using basic information on soil, climate, crop, irrigation management and water quality. It extends the concept of the WATSUIT model to include irrigation and crop management practices, advances in the calculation of evapotranspiration and new algorithms for the water stress coefficient and calculation of electrical conductivity. SALTIRSOIL calculates the soil water balance and soil solution concentration over the year. A second module, SALSOLCHEM, calculates the inorganic ion composition of the soil solution at equilibrium with soil calcite and gypsum at the soil’s CO₂ partial pressure. Results from comparing predicted and experimentally determined concentrations, observations and predictions of pH, alkalinity and calcium concentration in calcite‐saturated solutions agree to the second significant figure; in gypsum‐saturated solutions the standard difference between observations and predictions is <3% in absolute values. The algorithms in SALTIRSOIL have been verified and SALSOLCHEM validated for the reliable calculation of soil salinity, sodicity and alkalinity at water saturation in well‐drained irrigated lands. In simulations for horticultural crops in southeast Spain, soil solution concentration factors at water saturation, quotients of electrical conductivity (EC₂₅) at saturation to electrical conductivity in the irrigation water, and quotients of sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) are very similar to average measured values for the area.     

Chitosan nanoparticles enhance developmental competence of in vitro-matured porcine oocytes

Oxidative stress is inevitable as it is derived from the handling, culturing, inherent metabolic activities and medium supplementation of embryos. This study was performed to investigate the protective effect of chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) on oxidative damage in porcine oocytes. For this purpose, cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) derived from porcine slaughterhouse ovaries were exposed to different concentrations of CNPs (0, 10, 25 and 50 µg/ml) during in vitro maturation (IVM). Oocytes treated with 25 µg/ml CNPs showed significantly higher levels of GSH, along with a significant reduction in ROS levels compared to control, CNPs10 and CNPs50 groups. In parthenogenetic embryo production, the maturation rate was significantly higher in the CNPs25 group than that in the control and all other treated groups. In addition, when compared to the CNPs50 and control groups, CNPs25-treated oocytes showed significantly higher cleavage and blastocyst development rates. The highest concentration of CNPs reduced the total cell number and ratio of ICM: TE cells in parthenogenetic embryos, suggesting that there is a threshold where benefits are lost if exceeded. In cloned embryos, the CNPs25 group, as compared to all other treated groups, showed significantly higher maturation and cleavage rates. Furthermore, the blastocyst development rate in the CNPs25-treated group was significantly higher than that in the CNPs50-treated group, as was the total cell number. Moreover, we found that cloned embryos derived from the CNPs25-treated group showed significantly higher expression levels of Pou5f1, Dppa2, and Ndp52il genes, compared with those of the control and other treated groups. Our results demonstrated that 25 µg/ml CNPs treatment during IVM improves the developmental competence of porcine oocytes by reducing oxidative stress.     

6个桑树品种的耐盐性鉴定试验

种植耐盐性强的桑树品种是土壤盐渍化地区生态修复的技术途径之一.选择桂桑优12、桂桑优62、抗青283×抗青10、桂桑5号、桂桑6号、桑特优2号共6个桑树品种的实生苗供试,将供试桑苗种植于质量浓度分别为0 g/L(CK)、2 g/L、4 g/L、6 g/L的NaCl溶液中,在历时28 d的盐胁迫试验期,每隔7d测定和统计各处理组桑苗的枝高、叶片数量、最大叶长、最大叶宽、受害叶片数量和枯死植株数量等,初步评价供试桑品种实生苗对盐胁迫的耐受能力.结果表明:在不同浓度盐胁迫处理组桑苗生长均较好的桑树品种是桂桑优12和桑特优2号;桑苗受盐害指数和死亡率最低的桑树品种均是桂桑优12.试验结果提示,6个供试桑树品种中桂桑优12是耐盐性最强的品种.     

Canine bartonellosis: serological and molecular prevalence in Brazil and evidence of co-infection with Bartonella henselae and Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii

The purpose of this study was to determine the serological and molecular prevalence of Bartonella spp. infection in a sick dog population from Brazil. At the S?o Paulo State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Botucatu, 198 consecutive dogs with clinicopathological abnormalities consistent with tick-borne infections were sampled. Antibodies to Bartonella henselae and Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii were detected in 2.0% (4/197) and 1.5% (3/197) of the dogs, respectively. Using 16S-23S rRNA intergenic transcribed spacer (ITS) primers, Bartonella DNA was amplified from only 1/198 blood samples. Bartonella seroreactive and/or PCR positive blood samples (n=8) were inoculated into a liquid pre-enrichment growth medium (BAPGM) and subsequently sub-inoculated onto BAPGM/blood-agar plates. PCR targeting the ITS region, pap31 and rpoB genes amplified B. henselae from the blood and/or isolates of the PCR positive dog (ITS: DQ346666; pap31 gene: DQ351240; rpoB: EF196806). B. henselae and B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii (pap31: DQ906160; rpoB: EF196805) co-infection was found in one of the B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii seroreactive dogs. We conclude that dogs in this study population were infrequently exposed to or infected with a Bartonella species. The B. henselae and B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii strains identified in this study are genetically similar to strains isolated from septicemic cats, dogs, coyotes and human beings from other parts of the world. To our knowledge, these isolates provide the first Brazilian DNA sequences from these Bartonella species and the first evidence of Bartonella co-infection in dogs.     

Echinococcus multilocularis and Toxocara canis in urban red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Brussels, Belgium

During the last decades, European red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) have been implicated in the transmission of several viral or parasitic pathogenic agents to domestic animals and humans. In urban areas, risks of zoonoses transmission are likely to increase as a result of a higher rate of intra- and inter-species contacts. Foxes occur on 35% of the Brussels-Capital Region area and local densities reach up to 4 family groups per square kilometre. According to the directive 2003/99/ECC, a first survey for the presence in foxes of Echinococcus multilocularis and Toxocara canis was conducted in Brussels from 2001 to 2004. None of 160 foxes were found to be infected with E. multilocularis and 24 of 134 foxes were found to be infected with T. canis. Considering numbers of examined foxes, the sensitivity and the specificity of tests used for diagnosis, the 95% credibility intervals for the true prevalence of E. multilocularis and T. canis were estimated in a Bayesian framework to be 0 to 1.87% (median value of 0%) and 12.7 to 26% (median value of 18.7%), respectively. For T. canis, a significantly higher risk to be a carrier occurs in cubs and a significantly lower risk in adults.     

Perceptions of veterinarians and clients to expressions of clinical uncertainty

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore the attitudes of veterinarians and clients towards expressions of clinical uncertainty. METHODS: Questionnaires that assessed the respondent's attitudes towards expressions of clinical uncertainty were completed by clients at six small animal practices. In addition, questionnaires that evaluated what veterinarians thought their client's attitudes would be towards expressions of clinical uncertainty were completed by veterinarians. The responses from clients and veterinarians were statistically compared. RESULTS: Veterinarians significantly underestimated the desire of clients to be told about uncertainties in treatment and significantly overestimated how the expression of uncertainty would generally reduce client confidence. Veterinarians significantly overestimated the loss of client confidence resulting from saying "I am not sure about this" and from asking a nurse for advice. Both clients and veterinarians considered that verbal expressions of uncertainty would lead to a greater reduction in client confidence than behavioural expressions of uncertainty. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This study suggests that most clients want to be told about their veterinarian's clinical uncertainties, and how this uncertainty is expressed can markedly influence client confidence.