Multivariate Analyses for Determining the Association of Field Porcine Fertility With Sperm Motion Traits Analysed by Computer‐Assisted Semen Analysis and With Sperm Morphology

This study investigates the association of semen traits with boar fertility. The fertility outcome (farrowing rate – FR and total piglets born – TB) of 14 boars was obtained from a field trial conducted during 10 week of breeding period on a commercial farm using multiparous sows (n = 948) through single‐sire mating with 2 × 10⁹ motile sperm cells per artificial insemination (AI) dose. Sperm motion parameters, evaluated with computer‐assisted semen analysis system in raw and stored semen at 17°C for 240 h, in addition to morphological sperm defects, measured on the collection day, were included in the analysis to determine which semen traits were important to discriminate the fertility potential of ejaculates from these boars. The data underwent multivariate cluster, canonical and discriminant analyses. Four clusters of boars were formed based on fertility outcome. One boar, with the lowest FR and TB values (89.7% and 11.98), and two boars, with the highest FR and TB values (97.8% and 14.16), were placed in different clusters. The other boars were separated in two distinct clusters (four and seven boars), including boars with intermediate TB (12.64 and 13.22) but divergent values for FR (95.9% vs 91.8%). Semen traits with higher discriminatory power included total motility, progressive motility, amplitude of lateral head displacement and cytoplasmatic droplets. Through multivariate discriminant analysis, more than 80% of the 140 ejaculates were correctly classified into their own group, showing that this analysis may be an efficient statistical tool to improve the discrimination of potential fertility of boars. Nevertheless, the validation of the relationship between fertility and semen traits using this statistical approach needs to be performed on a larger number of farms and with a greater number of boars.     

Rapid Identification of Helicoverpa armigera and Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Using Ribosomal RNA Internal Transcribed Spacer 1

Rapid identification of invasive species is crucial for deploying management strategies to prevent establishment. Recent Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) invasions and subsequent establishment in South America has increased the risk of this species invading North America. Morphological similarities make differentiation of H. armigera from the native Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) difficult. Characteristics of adult male genitalia and nucleotide sequence differences in mitochondrial DNA are two of the currently available methods to differentiate these two species. However, current methods are likely too slow to be employed as rapid detection methods. In this study, conserved differences in the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) of the ribosomal RNA genes were used to develop species-specific oligonucleotide primers that amplified ITS1 fragments of 147 and 334 bp from H. armigera and H. zea, respectively. An amplicon (83 bp) from a conserved region of 18S ribosomal RNA subunit served as a positive control. Melting temperature differences in ITS1 amplicons yielded species-specific dissociation curves that could be used in high resolution melt analysis to differentiate the two Helicoverpa species. In addition, a rapid and inexpensive procedure for obtaining amplifiable genomic DNA from a small amount of tissue was identified. Under optimal conditions, the process was able to detect DNA from one H. armigera leg in a pool of 25 legs. The high resolution melt analysis combined with rapid DNA extraction could be used as an inexpensive method to genetically differentiate large numbers of H. armigera and H. zea using readily available reagents.     

Reproduction in Domestic Buffalo

The domestic buffalo is an indispensable livestock resource to millions of smallholder farmers in developing countries, particularly in Asia. Although its reproductive biology is basically similar to that of cattle, there are important differences and unique characteristics that need to be considered in order to apply modern reproductive technologies to improve its productivity. Under most smallholder production systems, the reproductive efficiency of buffalo is compromised by factors related to climate, management, nutrition and diseases. However, when managed and fed properly, buffalo can have good fertility and provide milk, calves and draught power over a long productive life. The basic technical problems associated with artificial insemination in buffalo were largely overcome two decades ago, but the technology has not had the expected impact in some developing countries, because largely of infrastructural and logistic problems. Approaches involving the use of hormones for treating anoestrus and for synchronizing oestrus have had varying rates of success, depending on the protocols used and the incidence of underlying problems that cause infertility. Embryo technologies such as multiple ovulation embryo transfer, in vitro embryo production, cryopreservation and cloning are being intensively studied but have had far lower success rates than in cattle. Improving the productivity of buffalo requires an understanding of their potential and limitations under each farming system, development of simple intervention strategies to ameliorate deficiencies in management, nutrition and healthcare, followed by judicious application of reproductive technologies that are sustainable with the resources available to buffalo farmers.     

West Nile virus infection in horses in Saudi Arabia (in 2013–2015)

West Nile virus (WNV) is an important emerging zoonotic arbovirus giving rise to clinical syndromes of varying severity in humans and horses. Culex mosquitoes are the main vector. Although WNV has been reported in many countries in the Middle East and Asia, little is known about its prevalence in equine populations in the Arabian Peninsula. We have carried out a serological study on 200 horses to assess WNV infection in the Eastern and Central regions of Saudi Arabia in 2013–2015. Sera were tested for the presence of WNV antibodies in parallel using a commercial enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit and microneutralization (MN) tests. In comparison with the MN assay used as “gold standard,” we find the ELISA had a sensitivity of 94.7% and specificity of 80.1%. The prevalence of WNV neutralizing antibody ranged from 5 (17.3%) of 29 sera collected in Riyadh up to 15 (55.6%) of 27 sera collected from Al‐Qateef. These findings highlight the need to be aware of the possibility of WNV disease in humans and horses presenting with central nervous system disease in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.     

Multiresidue HPLC methods for phenyl urea herbicides in water

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods for the determination of phenyl urea herbicides in water are described. The target compounds include chlortoluron, diuron, fluometuron, isoproturon, linuron, metobromuron, metoxuron, monuron, neburon, and siduron. Water was subjected to solid phase extraction (SPE) using either automated SPE with 47 mm C(18) Empore disks or on-line precolumn concentration. Herbicides were separated on a C(18) reversed phase column with an acetonitile-water gradient and were detected with either a diode array detector (DAD) or a postcolumn photolysis and derivatization (PPD) detector system. Photolysis converted the phenyl ureas to monoalkylamines that were derivatized to fluorescent isoindoles by reaction with o-phthalaldehyde and 2-mercaptoethanol. The DAD monitoring at 245 nm was linear over three decades with instrument detection limits of approximately 0.01 mg/L. SPE efficiency was between 48 and 70% in laboratory reagent water, but use of the internal standard quantitation method improved accuracy. High total dissolved solids and total organic carbon values in surface water improved recoveries relative to laboratory reagent water for all of the phenyl ureas. In Colorado River water spiked at 1 or 50 microg/L, mean recoveries ranged from 74 to 104%. Method detection limits (MDLs) ranged from 4 to 40 ng/L (parts per trillion) with the DAD instrument. PPD detection was highly specific but resulted in a slight loss in chromatographic efficiency and average MDLs approximately 5 times higher using a single set of detection conditions. The study indicates that methods based on SPE followed by HPLC with diode array or PPD detection have practical utility for trace analysis of phenyl ureas in drinking water or surface waters.     

A Numerical Approach to Simulate the Biogeochemical Involvement in a Coastal Reduced Groundwater Environment

Bacteria-mediated reduction processes play a decisive role in the water quality alterations in the subsurface environment of coastal aquifers. Availability of organic carbon as the electron donor with other electron acceptors such as NO₃ ^?, MnO₂, Fe(OH)₃ and SO₄ ^2? induces different bacteria to activate under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. A two-dimensional reactive transport model has been developed to simulate the bacteria-mediated reduction reactions in a coastal aquifer. The model explains the utilisation of O₂, NO₃ ^?, MnO₂, Fe(OH)₃ and SO₄ ^2? as electron acceptors for the oxidation of organic carbon in the aquifer under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The conceptual model consists of three different phases named as bio phase, mobile phase and matrix phase. Model parameters are adopted from literature on bacteria-mediated multi-component modelling and bioremediation processes. Monod kinetic equation is assumed to formulate the bacterial growth. The model explains the behaviours of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria under the availability of organic carbon. Two scenarios are tested and numerical results are discussed. The present numerical study highlights the possibility of the simulation of the formation of reduced environments in coastal aquifers which has not received much attention of groundwater modelling community yet.     

Ambiguous genetic relationships among coconut (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cocos nucifera</Emphasis> L.) cultivars: the effects of outcrossing,sample source and size,and method of analysis

A prior analysis of eight coconut cultivars with 15 microsatellite (SSR) markers drew unexpected relationships between two of the out-crossing tall cultivars evaluated: ‘Atlantic Tall’ and ‘Panama Tall’. We further investigated the relationships between these eight cultivars by increasing the number of individuals studied (particularly for ‘Atlantic Tall’ and ‘Panama Tall’), by including 28 more molecular markers, and by adding two other cultivars to our analysis. Our results show that five to ten coconut individuals do not represent a dependable sample to withdraw conclusions regarding cultivar/variety relationships, particularly when studying out-crossing genotypes. As suggested in the prior study, a high level of hybridization was observed between the ‘Atlantic Tall’ and ‘Panama Tall’ cultivars. However, at this time we were able to identify distinct groups for each one of these two cultivars. The two clustering methods used (Neighbor Joining, NJ and Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic mean, UPGMA) produced dendrograms that resolved contrasting cultivar relationships, especially for the ‘Atlantic Tall’ and ‘Panama Tall’ cultivars. We discuss the implications of our results in regard to current scenarios of coconut domestication and future considerations when assessing genetic relationships among different varieties.