Sheep as a new experimental host for Babesia divergens

Babesia divergens was cultivated in sheep erythrocytes in RPMI 1640 supplemented with 10% Fetal Calf Serum (FCS) or sheep serum. In vitro cultures in sheep red blood cells were initiated with human erythrocytes infected in vitro with B. divergens Rouen 1987 or with gerbil blood infected with several isolates from bovine origin. After the first subcultures on sheep erythrocytes, a ten-fold multiplication of the parasites was obtained within 48 h. Erythrocytes from three splenectomized sheep were infected in vitro with B. divergens; when parasitaemia reached 10%, the animals were inoculated with homologous parasitized erythrocytes. All sheep expressed hyperthermia with a peak between the 6th and the 9th day post-infection (p-i) and a transitory parasitaemia 10 days p-i. In vitro primary cultures were performed on two of these sheep, demonstrating the parasite persistence at very low parasitaemia in the infected animals. Splenectomized sheep can be used as a new model for B. divergens chronic infection.     

Echinochrome A Treatment Alleviates Atopic Dermatitis-like Skin Lesions in NC/Nga Mice via IL-4 and IL-13 Suppression

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease in which skin barrier dysfunction leads to dryness, pruritus, and erythematous lesions. AD is triggered by immune imbalance and oxidative stress. Echinochrome A (Ech A), a natural pigment isolated from sea urchins, exerts antioxidant and beneficial effects in various inflammatory disease models. In the present study, we tested whether Ech A treatment alleviated AD-like skin lesions. We examined the anti-inflammatory effect of Ech A on 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced AD-like lesions in an NC/Nga mouse model. AD-like skin symptoms were induced by treatment with 1% DNCB for 1 week and 0.4% DNCB for 5 weeks in NC/Nga mice. The results showed that Ech A alleviated AD clinical symptoms, such as edema, erythema, and dryness. Treatment with Ech A induced the recovery of epidermis skin lesions as observed histologically. Tewameter^® and Corneometer^® measurements indicated that Ech A treatment reduced transepidermal water loss and improved stratum corneum hydration, respectively. Ech A treatment also inhibited inflammatory-response-induced mast cell infiltration in AD-like skin lesions and suppressed the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, such as interferon-γ, interleukin-4, and interleukin-13. Collectively, these results suggest that Ech A may be beneficial for treating AD owing to its anti-inflammatory effects.     

EVALUATION OF CANINE LUMBOSACRAL STENOSIS USING INTRAVENOUS CONTRAST-ENHANCED COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY

The objective of this study was to evaluate intravenous contrast-enhanced computed tomography as a technique for predicting the within-level location(s) of compressive soft tissues in the canine lumbosacral spine. Pre-operative intravenous contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the L5-S3 vertebral levels was performed in 12 consecutive large breed dogs with lumbosacral stenosis. The images were evaluated for enhancement of soft tissues by two radiologists who were unaware of the surgical findings. For each within-level location (dorsal canal, ventral canal, right lateral recess, left lateral recess) enhancement was classified as present, absent or equivocal. The results were compared with the results of surgical exploration and histopathology of excised tissues. The positive predictive values of intravenous contrast-enhanced computed tomography for compressive soft tissues involving the dorsal canal, ventral canal and lateral recesses were 83%, 100%, and 81% respectively. Negative predictive values for compressive soft tissues involving these locations were 29%, 50%, and 40% respectively.     

Reduced Amylose Effects on Bread and White Salted Noodle Quality

Amylose content in wheat endosperm is controlled by three Wx loci, and the proportion of amylose decreases with successive accumulation of Wx null alleles at the three loci. The proportion of amylose is believed to influence end‐use quality of bread and Asian noodles. The objectives of this study were to determine influence of the allelic difference at Wx‐B1 locus on bread quality, bread firmness, and white salted noodle texture in a spring wheat cross segregating for the Wx‐B1 locus and in a set of advanced spring wheat breeding lines differing in allelic state at the Wx‐ B1 locus. In addition, we examined the relationship between amylose content and flour swelling properties on bread and noodle traits. Fifty‐four recombinant inbred lines of hard white spring wheat plus parents were grown in replicated trials in two years, and 31 cultivars and breeding lines of hard spring wheat were grown in two locations. Bread and white salted noodles were processed from these trials. The presence of the Wx‐B1 null allele reduced amylose content by 2.4% in a recombinant inbred population and 4.3% in a survey of advanced breeding lines and cultivars compared with the normal. The reduced amylose was accompanied by an average increase in flour swelling power (FSP) for the Wx‐B1 null group of 0.8 g/g for the cross progeny and 2.3 g/g for the cultivar survey group. The Wx‐B1 allelic difference did not affect flour protein in cross progeny where the allelic difference was not confounded with genetic background. Bread from the Wx‐B1 null groups on average had increased loaf volume and was softer than the normal group for the cross progeny and cultivar survey group. The Wx‐B1 allelic difference altered white salted noodle texture, most notably noodle springiness and cohesiveness where the Wx‐B1 null groups was more springy and more cohesive than the normal groups for both sets of genetic materials. Flour protein was more highly related to loaf volume than were FSP or amylose. Both flour protein and FSP were positively related to noodle textural traits, but especially noodle springiness and cohesiveness.     

Preferential erosion of black carbon on steep slopes with slash and burn agriculture

In this study we investigated the quantitative and qualitative aspects of soil organic matter (SOM) losses caused by water erosion within a small catchment in Northern Laos, under steep slopes and slash and burn agriculture. The soils in the region have a high contribution of black carbon to soil organic matter and high erosion rates. The aim of the study was to quantify the erosion of black carbon and to identify the processes involved. The conceptual approach included the measurement of contents of SOM, black carbon and mineral bound SOM in bulk soils, sediments eroded from 1 m² plots and in sediments at the outlet of the 0.6 ha catchment. Additionally, the enrichment factors of bulk SOM, BC and mineral bound SOM were calculated for eroded sediments.     

Virus neutralizing antibodies against a panel of 18 BVDV isolates in calves vaccinated with Rispoval RS-BVD

Seven of nine colostrum-deprived calves, free from infection with bovine virus diarrhoea virus (BVDV), were vaccinated with Rispoval RS-BVD on two occasions, 21 days apart, while the other two were kept as BVDV infection controls. The virus neutralizing (VN) serum antibodies induced by vaccination were tested for their ability to neutralize 18 European BVDV isolates, including laboratory reference strains and recent field isolates, both cytopathic and non-cytopathic biotypes as well as genotypes I and II. The strains were isolated in Belgium, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. While there were large variations in the vaccine-induced VN titres of the individual calves against all the strains, e.g. the titres against Osloss NCP, the European reference strain ranged from 1.7 to 6.7 (1:log2), serum from each animal was capable of neutralizing between nine and all 18 of the strains tested. Nevertheless, from the results of this study, it can be concluded that in colostrum-deprived BVDV seronegative calves, Rispoval RS-BVD can stimulate the production of VN antibodies capable of neutralizing a wide range of antigenically diverse European isolates of BVDV, including genotypes I and II.     

Effects on Soft Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Quality of Increased Puroindoline Dosage

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain hardness affects many end‐product quality traits and is controlled primarily by the Hardness (Ha) locus that contains the Puroindoline a and b genes (Pina and Pinb, respectively). All soft hexaploid wheats carry the same Pin alleles, and hard wheats carry a mutation in Pina or Pinb. Here we test the heritability and milling and flour quality effects of increased Pin dosage in soft wheat. Previous experiments have suggested that grain softness can be enhanced by increasing Ha locus dosage through chromosome substitutions. Segregation data from a cross of cultivar Chinese Spring substitution lines with six doses of the Ha locus to the locally adapted soft wheat cultivar Vanna indicate that the substituted B genome Ha locus was not transmitted and that the A genome Ha locus was transmitted normally. Genotypes with the added Pins on the A genome produced seeds that were 7.4 hardness units softer. These softer double Ha genotypes were lower in flour yields, but produced flour with lower ash content, reduced starch damage, and smaller mean particle size. Soft wheats with increased Ha dosage may be useful in improving soft wheat quality through its effects on particle size and starch damage.     

Relationship of Dough Extensibility to Dough Strength in a Spring Wheat Cross

A negative relationship between dough strength and dough extensibility would pose a problem for breeding hard wheats, as both dough strength and dough extensibility are desirable. We derived 77 recombinant inbred lines (RIL) from a cross between hard red spring wheat cultivars McNeal and Thatcher. McNeal produces flour with stronger dough and lower extensibility than does Thatcher. RIL were evaluated for strength‐related properties using mixograph analysis and extensibility parameters using the Kieffer attachment to the TA.XT2 texture analyzer. Additionally, the RIL were test baked. Measurements using the mixograph and the Kieffer attachment were highly heritable. Maximum dough extensibility (Ext_max) was negatively correlated with resistance to extension (R_max) (r = ‐0.74) and with mixograph tolerance (r = ‐0.45). Loaf volume was correlated with both R_max (r = 0.42) and area under the extensigraph curve (r = 0.44) based on partial correlation analysis adjusted for protein differences. Ext_max was negatively correlated with loaf volume (r = ‐0.26). The McNeal allele for polymorphism at the Gli1‐B1 locus on chromosome 1BS caused high dough‐mixing tolerance and low dough extensibility. Our results suggest that traditional selection criteria in hard red spring wheat, including tolerance to dough mixing and high loaf volume, may result in reduced dough extensibility.     

Mutagenesis‐Derived Puroindoline Alleles in Triticum aestivum and Their Impacts on Milling and Bread Quality

Wheat (Triticum aestivum) end‐product quality is impacted by grain hardness, which is determined by the Hardness locus consisting of the Puroindoline a and Puroindoline b genes, Pina and Pinb, respectively. Hard wheats commonly contain just one of two Pin mutations. We previously demonstrated the creation and preliminary hardness testing of 46 Pin missense alleles. In this study we examine the degree that individual Pin missense alleles confer unique milling and bread quality traits. Three Pina (PINA‐R103K, ‐G47S, and ‐P35S) and four Pinb (PINB‐D34N, ‐T38I, ‐G46D, and ‐E51K) missense alleles were chosen because they impart variable grain hardness levels, with one allele conferring soft seed texture, three conferring intermediate hardness (single‐kernel characterization system [SKCS] hardness approximately 50), and three conferring hard grain texture (SKCS hardness greater than 60). All but two of the alleles (PINA‐R103K and PINA‐G47S) resulted in higher total flour yield when compared with wild‐type controls. All hard and intermediate hardness alleles had decreased break flour yield, but intermediate hardness allele PINA‐P35S had higher break flour yield than common hard allele Pinb‐D1b. Intermediate and hard alleles resulted in increased abundance of larger and reduced levels of smaller flour particles. None of the missense alleles differed from their controls for loaf volume. The seven selected Pin alleles imparted defined levels of grain hardness and milling properties not previously available that may prove useful in wheat improvement.     

Resolving the structure of ionized helium in the intergalactic medium with the far ultraviolet spectroscopic explorer

The neutral hydrogen (H I) and ionized helium (He II) absorption in the spectra of quasars are unique probes of structure in the early universe. We present Far-Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer observations of the line of sight to the quasar HE2347-4342 in the 1000 to 1187 angstrom band at a resolving power of 15,000. We resolve the He II Lyman alpha (Lyalpha) absorption as a discrete forest of absorption lines in the redshift range 2.3 to 2.7. About 50 percent of these features have H I counterparts with column densities N(H I) > 10(12.3) per square centimeter that account for most of the observed opacity in He II Lyalpha. The He II to H I column density ratio ranges from 1 to >1000, with an average of approximately 80. Ratios of <100 are consistent with photoionization of the absorbing gas by a hard ionizing spectrum resulting from the integrated light of quasars, but ratios of >100 in many locations indicate additional contributions from starburst galaxies or heavily filtered quasar radiation. The presence of He II Lyalpha absorbers with no H I counterparts indicates that structure is present even in low-density regions, consistent with theoretical predictions of structure formation through gravitational instability.