Walking the dog and moving the cat: rabies serology in the context of international pet travel schemes

Data of 13'469 blood samples from 10'999 dogs and 2'470 cats tested for rabies neutralizing antibodies within the framework of pet travel schemes were analysed for single and combined factors influencing antibody titres and failures. The time span between vaccination and drawing the blood sample was confirmed as a major source of failure in dogs with a proportion of 23 % at 4 months after primary vaccination (single dose). Failures in dogs and cats (titre < 0.5 IU) were significantly reduced after double primary vaccination (2 doses within 7 - 10 days), although failures reached comparable levels in dogs as early as 6 months after vaccination. In contrast, failure after vaccination was generally below 5 % in dogs and absent in cats after a booster applied at earliest 12 months after single primary vaccination. Statistically significant differences between the failures of the vaccine brands ?Rabisin? (1.5 %), ?Defensor? (6.7 %), ?Nobivac Rabies? (11.0 %) and ?Rabdomun? (18.2 %) were found in dogs but also between the titres induced in cats. Significant differences were found between different dog breeds with some small breeds showing a significantly higher responsiveness. Taken together, a new regimen for rabies vaccination consisting of double primary vaccination with a short interval of 7 - 10 days and a one-year booster appears to be highly recommended for dogs and cats.     

Aporphine alkaloids,clerodane diterpenes,and other constituents from Tinospora cordifolia

Phytochemical investigation of the methanol extract of Tinospora cordifolia aerial parts led to the isolation of four new and seven known compounds. The structures of two new aporphine alkaloids, N-formylasimilobine 2-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-β-d-glucopyranoside (tinoscorside A, 1) and N-acetylasimilobine 2-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-β-d-glucopyranoside (tinoscorside B, 2), a new clerodane diterpene, tinoscorside C (3), and a new phenylpropanoid, sinapyl 4-O-β-d-apiofuranosyl-(1 → 6)-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (tinoscorside D, 6) were determined by extensive spectroscopic methods including FTICR-MS and 1D and 2D NMR.     

Relationship of wood composition to growth traits of selected open-pollinated families of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eucalyptus urophylla</Emphasis> from a progeny trial in Vietnam

Lignin and cellulose contents and wood basic density were related to diameter at breast height (DBH) in six fast-growing and five slow-growing families from a combined progeny test and seedling seed orchard of Eucalyptus urophylla grown for 10 years in northern Vietnam. The mean cellulose content of the fast-growing families was significantly higher than that of the slow growing-families (40.0 and 37.1%, respectively), and for individual trees cellulose content was significantly correlated phenotypically with DBH. Wood basic density was significantly lower in the fast-growing group than in the slow-growing group (0.506 and 0.535 g cm⁻³, respectively), and was significantly negatively correlated phenotypically with DBH. The lignin contents were not significantly different between groups. Cellulose content and wood basic density were not correlated. The main conclusion is that there is no obstacle to combining high growth rate with high cellulose content, for plantation of forests intended mainly for pulpwood.     

Clay dispersion and its relation to surface charge in a paddy soil of the Red River Delta,Vietnam

Dispersion is an important issue for clay leaching in soils. In paddy soils of the Red River Delta (RRD), flooding with fresh water and relatively high leaching rates can accelerate dispersion and the translocation of clay. For the clay fraction of the puddled horizon of a typical paddy soil of the RRD, the effect of various cations and anions as well as humic acid (HA) at different pH values on the surface charge (SC) were quantified and the dispersion properties were determined in test tubes and described by the C₅₀ value. In the <2 µm fraction, dominated by illite, the proportion of 2:1 vs. 1:1 clay minerals is 5:1. The organic‐C content of the clay fraction is 2.2%. Surface charge was found to be highly pH‐dependent. At pH 8 values of –32 and at pH 1 of –8 mmol_c kg^–1 were obtained. Complete dispersion was observed at pH > 4, where SC is > –18 mmol_c kg^–1. The flocculation efficiency of Ca strongly depends on the pH. At pH 4, the C₅₀ value is 0.33, 0.66 at pH 5, and 0.90 mmol L^–1 at pH 6. At pH 6, close to realistic conditions of paddy soils, the effect of divalent cations on the SC and flocculation decreases in the order: Pb > Cu > Cd > Fe^II > Zn > Ca > Mn^II > Mg; Fe^II was found to have a slightly stronger effect on flocculation than Ca. An increase in concentrations of Ca, Mn^II, and Mg from 0 to 1 mmol L^–1 resulted in a change in SC from –25 to approx. –15 mmol_c kg^–1. In comparison, the divalent heavy‐metal cations Pb, Cu, Cd, and Zn were found to neutralize the SC more effectively. At a Pb concentration of 1 mmol L^–1, the SC is –2 mmol_c kg^–1. From pH 3 to 5, the dispersion of the clay fraction is facilitated rather by SO than by Cl^–, which can be explained by the higher affinity of SO to the positively charged sites. With an increase of the amount of HA added, the SC continuously shifts to more negative values, and higher concentrations of cations are needed for flocculation. At pH 3, where flocculation is usually observed, the presence of HA at a concentration of 40 mg L^–1 resulted in a dispersion of the clay fraction. While high anion concentrations and the presence of HA counteract flocculation by making the SC more negative, Fe^II and Ca (C₅₀ at pH 6 = 0.8 and 0.9 mmol L^–1, respectively) are the main factors for the flocculation of the clay fraction. For Fe^II and Ca, the most common cations in soil solution, the C₅₀ values were found to be relatively close together at pH 4, 5, and 6, respectively. Depending on the specific mineralogical composition of the clay fraction, SC is a suitable measure for the determination of dispersion properties and for the development of methods to keep clay particles in the soil in the flocculated state.     

Inhibition Kinetics of Ammonia Oxidation Influenced by Silver Nanoparticles

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have significantly increased in production and use for anti-microbial propose. This agent, after used, is released into sewerage system resulting in possibility to inactivate non-targeted microorganisms in wastewater treatment plants. In this study, the inhibitory effect of AgNPs on ammonia oxidation was investigated using respirometric assay. The initial concentrations of AgNPs and ammonia ranged 0.25?C10.00 and 14?C280?mg/L, respectively. Half saturation constant (K _s) for ammonia oxidation was found to be 15.9?mg?N/L. Under the presence of AgNPs, the maximum oxygen uptake rate and K _s declined. The effect of AgNPs was proved to follow an uncompetitive-like inhibition kinetic type with the inhibition coefficients (K _i) of 5.5?mg/L. Increasing AgNPs from 0.25 to 10.00?mg/L inhibited 4 to 50?% of ammonia-oxidizing activities at the initial ammonia concentrations from 14 to 280?mg/L. Based on transmission electron microscopic observation, AgNPs could damage the microbial cells. All findings indicated that AgNPs substantially reduced ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms and their activities. Thus, special attention should be made to manage discharge of AgNPs into the environment.     

Colorectal hamartomatous polyposis and ganglioneuromatosis in a dog

A 5-month-old female Great Dane puppy was treated for hematochezia, tenesmus, and rectal prolapse by resection of a 10-cm-long segment of colon and rectum. Grossly, the colorectal segment had diffuse mucosal and submucosal thickening with multiple polypoid nodules. The histologic diagnosis was colorectal hamartomatous polyps with ganglioneuromatosis. Duplication of PTEN was detected by quantitative multiplex polymerase chain reaction testing. The presence of 2 hamartomatous colorectal lesions with PTEN mutation is similar to human Cowden syndrome.     

Improved solvent extraction procedure and high-performance liquid chromatography-evaporative light-scattering detector method for analysis of polar lipids from dairy materials

A normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography-evaporative light-scattering detector method employing dichloromethane, methanol, and acetic acid/triethylamine buffer as the mobile phase was developed for analysis of polar lipids (PLs). This method was applicable for analysis of PLs from both dairy materials and soy lecithin. All of the PLs of interest such as glycolipids, phospholipids, and sphingomyelin were well separated with a total run time of 22.5 min and without necessitating the removal of neutral lipids beforehand. Peak retention times were stable, and the method was reproducible. In this study, a modified method of using solvents for extraction of PLs from dairy matrices was also investigated. The modified method offered higher extraction efficiency, consumed less time, and in some cases saved solvent use.     

Optimization of in vitro embryo production and zygote vitrification for the indigenous Vietnamese Ban pig: The effects of different in vitro oocyte maturation systems

The Vietnamese Ban pig is a precious genetic resource that needs to be preserved. In vitro embryo production from in vitro matured (IVM) oocytes is an important tool for the utilization of cryopreserved porcine sperm. The aim of this study was to compare two media for the IVM of Ban pig oocytes. Immature oocytes were subjected to IVM either in a non‐defined (TCM‐199 + pig follicular fluid) or in a defined base medium (POM + epidermal growth factor). At the end of IVM, the oocytes were in vitro fertilized (IVF) with frozen Ban sperm. Ten hours after IVF, the oocytes were either subjected to orcein staining to check fertilization and maturation status or cultured in vitro for 7 days. There was no difference between the two IVM media in terms of percentages of oocyte maturation and blastocyst production. However, the percentage of male pronuclear formation after IVF and the total cell numbers in blastocysts were higher with the defined system. Zygotes obtained by the two IVM systems survived vitrification at similar rates. In conclusion, the two IVM systems were both effective for the production of Ban pig embryos; however, better embryo quality was achieved with the defined one.     

Effects of electroporation treatment using different concentrations of Cas9 protein with gRNA targeting Myostatin (MSTN) genes on the development and gene editing of porcine zygotes

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of seven concentrations of Cas9 protein (0, 25, 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1,000 ng/µl) on the development and gene editing of porcine embryos. This included the target editing and off‐target effect of embryos developed from zygotes that were edited via electroporation of the Cas9 protein with guide RNA targeting Myostatin genes. We found that the development to blastocysts of electroporated zygotes was not affected by the concentration of Cas9 protein. Although the editing rate, which was defined as the ratio of edited blastocysts to total examined blastocysts, did not differ with Cas9 protein concentration, the editing efficiency, which was defined as the frequency of indel mutations in each edited blastocyst, was significantly decreased in the edited blastocysts from zygotes electroporated with 25 ng/µl of Cas9 protein compared with that of blastocysts from zygotes electroporated with higher Cas9 protein concentrations. Moreover the frequency of indel events at the two possible off‐target sites was not significantly different with different concentrations of Cas9 protein. These results indicate that the concentration of Cas9 protein affects gene editing efficiency in embryos but not the embryonic development, gene editing rate, and non‐specific cleavage of off‐target sites.