Lymphocyte subsets and specific IgG antibody levels in clindamycin-treated and untreated dogs experimentally infected with Babesia gibsoni

This study was carried out to clarify the role of lymphocyte subpopulations and Babesia-specific antibody on the treatment of clindamycin in dogs infected with B. gibsoni. Ten beagle dogs were divided into two groups: an untreated group (5 dogs) and a clindamycin-treated group (5 dogs), which was administered clindamycin at 25 mg/ kg body weight, per os, q 12 hr from 7 days to 21 days post-infection (PI). On the acute stage of infection, clindamycin treatment resolved anaemia and other clinical findings. There were no significant differences between treated and untreated dogs either in parasitemia levels or Babesial IgG antibody levels. However, morphological changes that indicated degeneration in the majority of parasites were observed. The numbers of CD4(+) showed a significant increase in treated dogs, especially after treatment. On the chronic stage, CD4(+) cells maintained high level both of the treated and untreated dogs. Although parasitemia maintained low level, their relapses were occurred on the 49th day PI in treated dogs and on the 42nd and 63rd PI in untreated dogs. A rapid humoral antibody response was observed in treated dogs, however, lower humoral antibody responses in untreated dogs after relapses. The antibody levels of treated dogs were significantly higher than those of untreated dogs. These results suggested that clindamycin might not eliminate rapidly parasites from peripheral blood, but damage parasites, which might stimulate efficiently humoral and cellular immunity against Babesia infection, and result in an improvement of clinical conditions.     

Evaluation of rubber seed oil as lipid source in red tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) diet

Rubber seed oil has a high potency to be used as a new lipid source within red tilapia diet. However, the rubber seed oil contains antinutritional factor such as hydrogen cyanide (HCN). HCN is classified into heat‐labile; therefore, heating effectively reduces the HCN content. Based on this fact, this research evaluated the use of rubber seed oil with and without heating as lipid source in red tilapia diet. Four isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets were prepared as experimental diet. Each test diet contains different lipid sources such as crude palm oil + corn oil (CTRL), crude palm oil + rubber seed oil with heating (CPO:PRSO), 100% rubber seed oil with heating (PRSO) and 100% RSO without heating (URSO). In average, there were no significant differences (Tukey: p < .05) among test diet except diet with 100% rubber seed oil without heating. It concluded that 100% rubber seed with heating within test diet has no effect on growth, feed performance, blood profile, cholesterol plasma, body and liver glycogen, malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD).     

Characterization of Small-size Egg-bearing Thai ss-strain Rotifers Brachionus rotundiformis and Their First Offspring

This study selected small (100–120 μm) egg-bearing females from a local Thai ss population and characterized their first offspring's life history in an attempt to produce small-size rotifers. Mean lorica length of selected small adult females was 120 ± 6 μm at the time of collection, and this mean length did not increase over their lifetime. While their first offspring life span was only 5.11 ± 0.35 d, the reference population longevity was higher, 9.65 ± 0.4 d. The length of reproductive period of offspring from the small-size egg-bearing female was 2.58 ± 0.38 d, shorter than that of reference population 6.83 ± 0.58 d. Although the rate of egg production was not different between small egg-bearing female and reference population, the total number of eggs produced by the small egg-bearing female's first offspring was lower (4.78 ± 0.60) compared to the reference population (11.83 ± 1.26). The small egg-bearing female's first offspring had a higher egg to lorica length ratio (76.1 ± 1.64%) than the reference population (56.6 ± 1.3%), indicating a relatively high investment in reproduction. The small egg-bearing female's first offspring reached only 125 ± 6 μm in 36 h, and further culture of their offspring over 35 d resulted in a mean offspring size, 163 ± 11 μm, similar to the reference population (159 ± 16 μm). This shows that population mean size reduction is not likely to result from selecting small egg-bearing females within a single generation. The unique reproductive characteristics of small egg-bearing female place it in its own category.     

Resistance of nineteen cultivars of subterranean clover to four races of Phytophthora clandestina

Summary The resistance of 19 cultivars of subterranean clover was screened against 4 races of P. clandestina by mycelial inoculation of roots of 10-day-old seedlings growing in water agar and by growing seedlings in pasteurised potting mix containing infested vermiculite in controlled conditions. The cultivars showed differential resistance (vertical resistance) to races of the pathogen and can be divided into 4 resistance groups. Cultivars Clare, Esperance, Green Range, Junee, Mount Barker, Rosedale, Woogenellup and Yarloop were susceptible to all races. Cultivars Bacchus Marsh, Denmark, Enfield, Gosse, Goulburn, Karridale, Larisa, Leura and Trikkala were susceptible to races 1 and 3, but resistant to races 0 and 2. Cultivar Meteora was susceptible to races 2 and 3, but resistant to races 0 and 1. Cultivar Seaton Park (LF) was resistant to all races. Cultivars also varied in their race-non-specific (horizontal) resistance: cultivars that were susceptible to particular races usually varied in their degree of susceptibility to those races. In particular, Junee was more resistant to all four races than the other cultivars within its group. Similarly, cultivars Gosse, Larisa, Denmark and Trikkala were more resistant to races 1 and 3 than the other cultivars in their group. Races of the pathogen varied in their aggressiveness as well as in their virulence, as shown by the variation in aggressiveness of different isolates of race 0.     

Regulation of protein degradation pathways by amino acids and insulin in skeletal muscle of neonatal pigs

Background

The rapid gain in lean mass in neonates requires greater rates of protein synthesis than degradation. We previously delineated the molecular mechanisms by which insulin and amino acids, especially leucine, modulate skeletal muscle protein synthesis and how this changes with development. In the current study, we identified mechanisms involved in protein degradation regulation. In experiment 1, 6- and 26-d-old pigs were studied during 1) euinsulinemic-euglycemic-euaminoacidemic, 2) euinsulinemic-euglycemic-hyperaminoacidemic, and 3) hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic-euaminoacidemic clamps for 2 h. In experiment 2, 5-d-old pigs were studied during 1) euinsulinemic-euglycemic-euaminoacidemic-euleucinemic, 2) euinsulinemic-euglycemic-hypoaminoacidemic-hyperleucinemic, and 3) euinsulinemic-euglycemic-euaminoacidemic-hyperleucinemic clamps for 24 h. We determined in muscle indices of ubiquitin-proteasome, i.e., atrogin-1 (MAFbx) and muscle RING-finger protein-1 (MuRF1) and autophagy-lysosome systems, i.e., unc51-like kinase 1 (UKL1), microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3), and lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2 (Lamp-2). For comparison, we measured ribosomal protein S6 (rpS6) and eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) activation, components of translation initiation.

Results

Abundance of atrogin-1, but not MuRF1, was greater in 26- than 6-d-old pigs and was not affected by insulin, amino acids, or leucine. Abundance of ULK1 and LC3 was higher in younger pigs and not affected by treatment. The LC3-II/LC3-I ratio was reduced and ULK1 phosphorylation increased by insulin, amino acids, and leucine. These responses were more profound in younger pigs. Abundance of Lamp-2 was not affected by treatment or development. Abundance of eIF4E, but not rpS6, was higher in 6- than 26-d-old-pigs but unaffected by treatment. Phosphorylation of eIF4E was not affected by treatment, however, insulin, amino acids, and leucine stimulated rpS6 phosphorylation, and the responses decreased with development.

Conclusions

The rapid growth of neonatal muscle is in part due to the positive balance between the activation of protein synthesis and degradation signaling. Insulin, amino acids, and, particularly, leucine, act as signals to modulate muscle protein synthesis and degradation in neonates.     

On-farm selection for quality and resistance to pest/diseases of cocoa in Sulawesi: (ii) quality and performance of selections against Phytophthora pod rot and vascular-streak dieback

The cocoa industry in Sulawesi, the main region of cocoa production in Indonesia, is threatened by destructive diseases, including vascular-streak dieback (VSD) caused by the basidiomycete Oncobasidium theobromae and stem canker and Phytophthora pod rot (PPR) or black pod, caused by Phytophthora palmivora. Using the considerable genetic diversity of cocoa on farms, host resistance was identified and tested with the participation of farmers. Forty-nine local and international cocoa selections with promising resistance characteristics (as well as susceptible controls) were side-grafted onto mature cocoa in a replicated trial with single-tree plots. Developing grafts were assessed in the dry season for severity of VSD infection, scored from 0 (no infection) to 4 (graft death). All of the 49 clones in the trial became infected with VSD in at least some replicates. Average severity varied from 0.2 to 1.6. Potential VSD-resistance was found in eight clones, including DRC 15, KA2 106 and a local Sulawesi selection, VSD2Ldg. Some of the most susceptible clones were local Sulawesi selections from areas with a history of little or no VSD. Thirty-four pod-bearing clones were evaluated over a 2-year period for yield, quality and resistance to natural infections of PPR. Cumulative PPR incidence for all clones was 22% but varied from 8.6 to 43% among clones. Clones with less than 15% PPR incidence were designated as resistant, including DRC 16 and local Sulawesi selections, Aryadi 1, Aryadi 3 and VSD1Ldg. Scavina 12 was moderately resistant in the trial with a PPR incidence of 23%. Cumulative incidences of the mirid, Helopeltis spp., determined in the same evaluation period, indicated that DRC16 was the most susceptible clone with an incidence of 52% in ripe pods and 23% in immature pods. In comparison, KKM4 showed evidence of resistance to Helopeltis spp., with incidences of 34 and 0.8% in ripe and immature pods, respectively. The impact of diseases and pests (including cocoa pod borer) on bean losses and bean quality varied between clones but generally the bean size (or bean count) was affected more than the fat content or shell content.     

Model-based maximum covariance analysis for irregularly observed climatological data

In climatology, maximum covariance analysis (MCA) is one of the most popular tools for investigating association between two multivariate variables across time and space. These association studies are important because many climate phenomena such as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the North Atlantic Oscillation are results of interaction between these variables. Despite its popularity, maximum covariance analysis does not provide straightforward statistical inference on its estimates and furthermore it does not provide an objective way to handle irregularly observed data, frequently encountered in climatology. The aim of this article is to describe a modelbased maximum covariance analysis that can accommodate irregularly observed data. The methodology combines maximum covariance analysis’s relationship with Tucker inter-battery factor analysis and the state-space methodology for missing data. The methodology is illustrated with an application to investigate association between Irish winter precipitation and global sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies.