The prevalence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cryptosporidium</Emphasis> species in diarrhoeic lambs in Kars province and potential risk factors

This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium species in diarrhoeic lambs and investigate some risk factors in Kars province (Northeastern region of Anatolia) in Turkey. Four hundred faecal samples were taken from the rectums of clinically diarrhoeic and aged to 1-month-old lambs from 34 sheep farms in 20 villages in March-April 2007 and examined by using the modified acid-fast staining technique. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium species was found as 38.8% (155/400). Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in 90.0% (18/20) of villages and in 76.5% (26/34) of the sheep farms. Infection rates were detected as: 44.4% (67/151) in 1-week-old lambs, 37.5% (39/104) in 2-week-old lambs, 40.0% (38/95) in 3-week-old lambs, and 22.0% (11/50) in 4-week-old lambs. Farms classified according to their zoohygienic conditions and fine, average and bad conditioned farms were contaminated with Cryptosporidium with the percentages of 14.7%, 20.6% and 41.2%, respectively. Clinical cryptosporidiosis was determined in 35.0% of the villages (7/20) and in 29.4% of the sheep farms (10/34), Cryptosporidium oocysts were found in 81.3% of the lambs (91/112) in these farms. Cryptosporidiosis may be a major epidemiological significance in lambs in Kars province, and suggests that naturally infected lambs may be reservoirs of Cryptosporidiosis infections for calves even for humans too.     

Salt-induced perturbation in growth,physiological attributes,activities of antioxidant enzymes and organic solutes in mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) cultivars differing in salinity tolerance

A pot experiment was conducted to appraise the inhibitory effects of salt stress on biochemical attributes in the three mungbean cultivars (NCM-209, NCM-89 and NM-92). Salt stress caused a significant decrease in plant height, shoot relative water contents, photosynthetic pigments, endogenous levels of K⁺ and K⁺/Na⁺ ratios and increase in cellular levels of H₂O₂, MDA, Na⁺ and Cl^?. However, cv. NCM-209 was found to be tolerant in terms of lower salt-induced decline in K⁺, K⁺/Na⁺ ratio and photosynthetic pigments. The endogenous levels of H₂O₂ and MDA were also lower in cv. NCM-209. Salt stress markedly also affected different yield attributes in all mungbean cultivars. Again cultivar NCM-209 exhibited less inhibitory effects of salt stress on different growth attributes. Salt stress resulted in a marked increase in the activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase) in mungbean cultivars. Activity of peroxidase was maximal in cv. NCM-209 and catalase activity was maximal in cv. NCM-89, whereas cvs. NCM-89 and NM-92 showed higher activities of superoxide dismutase. Similarly activity of ascorbate peroxidase was higher in cv. NM-92. It could be inferred from data of antioxidant enzymes that mungbean cultivars cannot be categorized as salt tolerant or sensitive on the basis of a single antioxidant enzyme.     

Molecular characterisation of quinolone resistance in Escherichia coli from animals in Turkey

The aim of this study were to detect the gyrA, parC and marR mutations and qnr genes (qnrA, qnrB and qnrS) in 120 strains of Escherichia coli isolated from animals. European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing and Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute disc diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) tests, respectively, were used to determine fluoroquinolone (FQ) resistance, and molecular methods were used to detect the mutations and the genes. E coli isolates with an MIC of ≥8 mg/l had mutation at Ser-80 in parC in addition to mutations at Ser-83, Asp-87 or both in gyrA. The nucleotide change was detected in marR (Ser-3?→?Asn, Ala-53?→?Glu, Gly-103?→?Ser, Tyr-137?→?His). Only four E coli isolates (3.3 per cent) contained qnrA and qnrS, and qnrB was not detected. Two E coli isolates from healthy calves also contained qnrA and qnrS. The MICs of enrofloxacin and danofloxacin for qnr-containing E coli isolates ranged from 32 mg/l to 256 mg/l. The results of this study indicated that the FQ-resistant E coli isolates presented an alteration in gyrA (Ser-83?→?Leu, Asp-87?→?Asn) and parC (Ser-80?→?Ile) with high MICs (8-256 mg/l), and there was a low prevalence of qnr genes among E coli isolated from animals.     

A cytotoxic triterpenoid saponin from under-ground parts of Gypsophila pilulifera Boiss.& Heldr

A cytotoxic triterpenoid saponin was isolated from the under-ground parts of Gypsophila pilulifera Boiss.& Heldr. (Caryophyllaceae) naturally grow in the southwestern region of the Turkey. The structures of saponin was elucidated as 3-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→2)-[β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)]-β-D-glucuronopyranosyl quillaic acid 28-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)-[β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→4]-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-fucopyranosyl ester on the basis of extensive spectral analysis and chemical evidence. The separated triterpenoid saponin was isolated from Gypsophila pilulifera for the first time. The saponin compound displayed significant cytotoxicity against A549 cell line with IC(50) values >16μM.     

Occurrence of ovine herpesvirus type-2 infection in sheep and cattle in Samsun Province, Turkey

July 2004, a cow with clinical signs of ovine herpesvirus type-2 infection which is known as sheep associated malignant catarrhal fever (SA-MCF) was reported in Samsun Province in Turkey. Blood samples were collected from the suspected cow, 10 sheep housed with it, and from 150 healthy sheep and 29 healthy cattle randomly selected from different places in Samsun Province. Nested polymerase chain reaction (n-PCR) was used to detect ovine herpesvirus type-2 (OvHV-2) DNA in the suspected cow and competitive- ELISA (c-ELISA) kits were used to detect antibodies against OvHV-2. The suspected cow was found to be n-PCR positive and c-ELISA negative. The serological results were as follows: All 10 (100%) of sheep housed with the suspected cow and 18 of 29 (62%) of the randomly selected cattle were found seropositive. All 150 randomly selected healthy sheep were seronegative. The overall percentage of seropositivity was 14.7% (28/190). OvHV-2 DNA was detected in the peripheral blood leucocyte (PBL) samples of the cow and of the 10 sheep housed with the suspected cow.     

Sodicity‐induced land degradation and its sustainable management: problems and prospects

Currently at least 20 per cent of the world's irrigated land is salt‐affected. However, projections of global population growth, and of an increased demand for food and fibre, suggest that larger areas of salt‐affected soil will need to be cropped in the future. About 60 per cent of salt‐affected soils are sodic, and much of this land is farmed by smallholders. Ameliorating such soils requires the application of a source of calcium (Ca²⁺), which replaces excess sodium (Na⁺) at the cation exchange sites. The displaced Na⁺ is then leached from the root zone through excess irrigation, a process that requires adequate flows of water through the soil. However, it must now be recognized that we can no longer conduct sodic soil amelioration and management solely with the aim of achieving high levels of crop productivity. The economic, social, and environmental impacts of different soil‐amelioration options must also be considered. A holistic approach is therefore needed. This should consider the cost and availability of the inputs needed for amelioration, the soil depth, the level to which sodicity needs to be reduced to allow cropping, the volume and quality of drainage water generated during amelioration, and the options available for drainage‐water disposal or reuse. The quality and cost of water available for post‐amelioration crops, and the economic value of the crops grown during and after amelioration should also be taken into account, as should farmers' livelihoods, the environmental implications of amelioration (such as carbon sequestration), and the long‐term sustainable use of the ameliorated site (in terms of productivity and market value). Consideration of these factors, with the participation of key stakeholders, could sustainably improve sodic soil productivity and help to transform such soils into a useful economic resource. Such an approach would also aid environmental conservation, by minimizing the chances of secondary sodicity developing in soils, particularly under irrigated agriculture. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation and use of amine-functionalized glycidyl methacrylate-g-poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers for removal of chromium(VI) from aqueous solution

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fibers were grafted with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) using benzoyl peroxide as initiator. 1,6-diaminohexane (HMDA) was then covalently attached to this GMA grafted PET fibers. Variations of time, temperature, initiator and monomer concentrations were investigated. HMDA-GMA-g-PET fibers were used as a new sorbent for removal of Cr(VI) ions from aqueous solutions through batch adsorption method. Effects of various parameters such as pH, treatment time, and initial ions concentration on the adsorption amount of ions onto reactive fibers were investigated. The adsorption rates of Cr(VI) ions were much higher on the HMDA-GMA-g-PET fiber than on GMA-g-PET and ungrafted PET fiber. Within 60 min, at pH 3, Cr(VI) was removed by 98 % while the initial concentration of ions was at 25 mg/l and by 94 % at 400 mg/l. The Cr(VI) ions adsorbed were easily desorbed by treating with 1M KOH within 10 min.     

The Prevalence of Bovine Hypodermosis in Kars Province,Turkey

A total of 1276 cattle from 76 farms in 8 villages were examined by palpation of the skin for evidence of hypodermosis. The effects of age, sex, breed, and colour of cattle on hypodermosis were investigated. The overall prevalence was 31.9%. The mean number of warble fly larvae on infested animals was 8.46. Hypodermosis infestations were encountered in all the villages visited. Within a herd, the intensity of infestion decreased with the age of cattle. Infestation rates of warble fly larvae were lower in native cattle, in females, and in piebald animals.     

Detection of rabies viral antigens in non-autolysed and autolysed tissues by using an immunoperoxidase technique

The objectives of this study were to determine the potential of an immunoperoxidase technique involving the avidin-biotin complex (ABC) stain for the diagnosis of rabies in fresh tissues and compare it with other standard methods, including the fluorescent antibody test (FAT), haematoxylin and eosin and Seller's stain, and to investigate its capacity to detect rabies antigen in autolysed tissues. Samples of non-autolysed brain from 81 domestic and wild animals suspected of having rabies were examined. Rabies antigen was detected by FAT in 41 of these samples and Negri bodies were detected in 40 (97.6 per cent) of them by the immunoperoxidase technique, in 25 by haematoxylin and eosin and in 22 by Seller's stain. The sensitivity of the immunoperoxidase technique decreased as the tissues were left to autolyse; after two days it was 91.2 per cent, after four days 70.6 per cent, and after seven days 11.8 per cent.