A longitudinal study of unweaned piglets raised by smallholder farmers in the Philippines

We conducted a longitudinal study to obtain detailed baseline information about the health and productivity of unweaned piglets raised by smallholder pig raisers in the Philippines, and to identify constraints and opportunities to smallholder-piglet production. At two sites in the Philippines, we collected data about 242 litters from 173 sows in 102 herds during on-farm visits over 12-18 months. Preweaning mortality at the northern and southern sites was 17 and 9%, respectively. Of the piglet deaths at the northern site, 49% occurred within 24h of birth. Pig raisers used few of the recognised interventions known to reduce neonatal piglet mortality, although >50% of litters were given iron injections at the northern site and kept in a farrowing pen with a barrier at the southern site. Creep feeding was more common at the northern site but the nutritive value of the feeds given to piglets was low. We used repeated-measures and time-to-event analyses. Our results suggest that targeted extension (addressing, in particular, management issues relating to neonatal piglets) can contribute to increased productivity of unweaned piglets.     

Hydrogen peroxide localization and antioxidant status in the recovery of apricot plants from European Stone Fruit Yellows

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) localization and roles of peroxidases, malondialdehyde and reduced glutathione were compared in leaves of apricot (Prunus armeniaca) plants asymptomatic, European Stone Fruits Yellows (ESFY)-symptomatic and recovered. Nested PCR analysis revealed that Candidatus Phytoplasma prunorum, is present in asymptomatic, symptomatic and recovered apricot trees, confirming previous observations on this species, in which recovery does not seem to be related to the disappearance of phytoplasma from the plant.H₂O₂was detected cytochemically by its reaction with cerium chloride, which produces electron-dense deposits of cerium perhydroxides. H₂O₂was present in the plasmalemma of the phloem cells of recovered apricot plant leaves, but not in the asymptomatic or symptomatic material. Furthermore, by labelling apricot leaf tissues with diaminobenzidine DAB, no differences were found in the localization of peroxidases.Protein content in asymptomatic, symptomatic and recovered leaves was not significantly different from one another. In contrast, guaiacol peroxidase activity had the following trend: symptomatic > recovered > asymptomatic, whereas reduced glutathione content followed the opposite trend: asymptomatic > recovered > symptomatic. Moreover, no differences were observed in malondialdehyde concentrations between asymptomatic, symptomatic and recovered leaves. The overall results suggest that H₂O₂ and related metabolites and enzymes appear to be involved in lessening both pathogen virulence and disease symptom expression in ESFY-infected apricot plants.     

Biological and DNA evidence of two dissimilar populations of the Rhipicephalus sanguineus tick group (Acari: Ixodidae) in South America

In this work, the biology, mitochondrial DNA and fertility of hybrids from two strains of Rhipicephalus sanguineus, from Brazil and Argentina, were compared. Engorged larvae, nymphs and adults from Argentina weighed more and the engorgement period of adult females was significantly longer than those of their Brazilian counterparts, whereas adult female tick yield rate was higher for the Brazilian strain. High intraspecific divergence of mitochondrial DNA was detected between R. sanguineus from Brazil and Argentina. On the other hand, a strong genetic relationship was detected between European and Argentinean R. sanguineus populations while the Brazilian population appeared to be related to the African Rhipicephalus turanicus. Adult hybrid females laid eggs, which were mostly unviable, whereas a mean of more than 1400 larvae hatched per egg mass from pure Brazilian and Argentinean strains. These results showed that differences between these strains are greater than previously assumed and that the biosystematic status of R. sanguineus ticks from South America should be re-evaluated. Wide variations, such as these might account for the reported worldwide differences in biology and vector capacity of this species.     

Synthesis of some 3-phenyl-1-substituted(or 1,1- disubstituted)prop-2-yn-1-ols and their in-vivo activity against some phytopathogenic fungi

Thirty-two 3-phenyl-1-monosubstituted(or 1, 1-disubstituted)prop-2-yn-1-ols, mostly with heterocyclic substituents, and four derivatives, were synthesised and tested in vivo against eight fungal plant pathogens of different taxonomic classes. No compound showed a wide spectrum of activity, however, nine of them were effective against Sphaerotheca fuliginea on Cucumis sativus, both in direct protectant tests and in systemic protectant tests by root application.     

Residue levels and effectiveness of pyrimethanil vs imazalil when using heated postharvest dip treatments for control of Penicillium decay on citrus fruit

The influence of fungicide concentration and treatment temperature on residue levels of pyrimethanil (PYR) in comparison with the commonly used fungicide imazalil (IMZ) was investigated in orange fruits following postharvest dip treatments. The dissipation rate of PYR residues was recorded as a function of storage conditions. The fungicide efficacy against green and blue molds caused by Penicillium digitatum and Penicillium italicum, respectively, was evaluated on different citrus varieties following the fungicide application at 20 or 50 degrees C. Residue levels of PYR in Salustiana oranges were significantly correlated with the fungicide dosage, but residue concentrations were notably higher (ca. 13-19-fold) after treatment at 50 degrees C as compared to treatments at 20 degrees C. After treatment at temperatures ranging from 20 to 60 degrees C, PYR and IMZ residues in Salustiana oranges were significantly correlated with dip temperatures. Dissipation rates of PYR during storage were negligible in both Salustiana and Tarocco oranges. Results obtained on wounded, noninoculated Miho satsumas revealed that when treatments were performed at 50 degrees C, PYR or IMZ concentrations needed to achieve the complete control of decay were 8- and 16-fold less than by treatment at 20 degrees C. When fruits were inoculated with either P. digitatum or P. italicum, the application of 400 mg L(-1) PYR at 20 degrees C or 100 mg L(-1) PYR at 50 degrees C similarly reduced green and blue mold development. These results were corroborated by storage trials on Marsh grapefruits and Tarocco oranges. The lowest concentration of PYR required to achieve almost total protection of the fruit against decay accounted for 100 mg L(-1) at 50 degrees C and 400 mg L(-1) at 20 degrees C, respectively. Treatments did not affect fruit external appearance, flavor, and taste. It is concluded that postharvest PYR treatment represents an effective option to control green and blue mold in citrus fruit and that integration of fungicide applications and hot water dips may reduce the possibility of selecting fungicide-resistant populations of the pathogen, as a consequence of increased effectiveness of the treatment.     

Pharmacokinetics and milk penetration of moxifloxacin after intravenous and subcutaneous administration to lactating goats

The pharmacokinetics of moxifloxacin was studied following intravenous (IV) and subcutaneous (SC) administration of 5 mg/kg to healthy lactating goats (n = 6). Moxifloxacin concentrations were determined by high performance liquid chromatography assay with fluorescence detection. The moxifloxacin plasma concentration versus time data after IV administration could best be described by a two compartment open model. The disposition of SC administered moxifloxacin was best described by a one-compartment model. The plasma moxifloxacin clearance (Cl) for the IV route was 0.43 +/- 0.02 L/kg (mean +/- SE). The steady-state volume of distribution (Vss) was 0.79 +/- 0.08 L/kg. The terminal half-life (t1/2lambdaz) was 1.94 +/- 0.41 and 2.98 +/- 0.48 h after IV and SC administration, respectively. The absolute bioavailability was 96.87 +/- 10.27% after SC administration. Moxifloxacin penetration from blood to milk was quick for both routes of administration and the high AUCmilk/AUCplasma and Cmax-milk/Cmax-plasma ratios reached indicated a wide penetration of moxifloxacin into the milk. From these data, it appears that a 5 mg/kg SC dose of moxifloxacin would be effective in lactating goats against bacterial isolates with MIC < or = 0.20 microg/mL in plasma and MIC < or = 0.40 microg/mL in milk.     

A giant European dinosaur and a new sauropod clade

Fossils of a giant sauropod dinosaur, Turiasaurus riodevensis, have been recovered from terrestrial deposits of the Villar del Arzobispo Formation (Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary) of Riodeva (Teruel Province, Spain). Its humerus length (1790 millimeters) and estimated mass (40 to 48 metric tons) indicate that it may have been the most massive terrestrial animal in Europe and one of the largest in the world. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that the fossil represents a member of a hitherto unrecognized group of primitive European eusauropods that evolved in the Jurassic.