Utility of fungal polymerase chain reaction on nasal swab samples in the diagnosis and monitoring of sinonasal aspergillosis in dogs

BackgroundIn dogs with sinonasal aspergillosis (SNA) the utility of PCR in the diagnosis and monitoring of the disease after treatment has not been assessed.ObjectivesTo evaluate the presence of fungal DNA using quantitative PCR targeting Aspergillus fumigatus (Aspfum) and Aspergillus spp. (PanAsp), and PCR targeting multiple fungal species (PanFun), in samples obtained from nasal cavities of dogs with SNA, other nasal diseases and healthy dogs.AnimalsSixty‐two dogs including 20 with SNA, 12 with cured SNA (of which 10 are from the SNA group), 20 dogs with Non‐SNA nasal disease, and 20 healthy dogs.MethodsProspective cross‐sectional study. Aspfum, PanAsp, and PanFun were performed on blindly collected nasal swabs obtained in anesthetized dogs.ResultsIn SNA dogs, Aspfum and PanAsp were positive in 13/20 and 14/20 dogs. In all dogs in the 3 other groups, A. fumigatus DNA was not detected using Aspfum. PanAsp was positive in 3 non‐SNA dogs: 1 with cured SNA and 2 with Non‐SNA nasal disease. A Ct cut‐off value of 33.3 for Aspfum demonstrated 65% sensitivity and 100% specificity. A Ct cut‐off value of 34.5 for PanAsp demonstrated 70% sensitivity and 96.2% specificity. PanFun was positive in 16/20, 12/12, 19/20, and 7/20 dogs in the SNA, cured SNA, Non‐SNA, and healthy groups, respectively.Conclusion and Clinical Importance Aspfum and PanAsp on blindly collected nasal swabs can be useful for the detection of SNA at diagnosis and at cure, especially when more invasive methods are not available.     

Early cretaceous uplift in the ellsworth mountains of west antarctica

Apatite fission-track analysis of samples covering a 4.2-kilometer vertical section from the western flank of Vinson Massif, Antarctica's highest mountain, indicates that the Ellsworth Mountains were uplifted by 4 kilometers or more during the Early Cretaceous following the initial separation of East and West Gondwana and accompanying the opening of the Weddell Sea. Relief of at least 1.8 kilometers has persisted in the Ellsworth Mountains since the Early Cretaceous, and a maximum of 3 kilometers of uplift has occurred since that time.     

Effect of partial or total replacement of forage fish by a dry diet on the quality of reproduction in pikeperch, Sander lucioperca

The aim of this preliminary study was to evaluate the influence of different feeding regimes on the quality of reproduction in pikeperch. Three diets were tested: forage fish (FF), a commercial dry feed (DD) and a mix of both (FD).  The diets were given to fish throughout a complete reproductive cycle. During the spawning season, couples were injected with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and let to spawn on nests. Proportion of running males, spawning and hatching success and larval quality (weight, length, body protein, total lipid, fatty acid and lipid class compositions and resistances to osmotic shock and starvation stress tests at hatching) were evaluated. The proportion of running male was lower in the DD group than in the FF and FD groups (54% for DD against 76–89% for FF and FD). In addition, 25%, 62.5% and 75% of injected couples gave spawning that hatched in DD, FF and FD groups respectively. Larval quality parameters were not significantly different between treatments. The results indicate that overall quality of reproduction was higher in FF and FD treatments than in DD. It suggests that the dry feed used was not totally adequate for pikeperch reproduction. Relations between breeder reproductive performances and the feed compositions are discussed.     

Environmental DNA as a non‐invasive sampling tool to detect the spawning distribution of European anadromous shads (Alosa spp.)

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Fungal flora and ochratoxin a production in grapes and musts from france

Eleven samples of grapes and musts used in red table wines were investigated for the occurrence of potential ochratoxin A (OTA)-producing molds. From these samples, 59 filamentous fungi and 2 yeasts were isolated. Among the 30 genera isolated, Deuteromycetes were the most frequent (70%) followed by Ascomycetes (10%). Six of the eleven grapes samples were contaminated by potentially ochratoxinogenic strains (Penicillium chrysogenum and Aspergillus carbonarius). When cultivated in vitro on solid complex media, the 14 strains of A. carbonarius produced OTA. No other species produced OTA under the same conditions. Among must samples, eight of eleven were found to be contaminated by OTA (concentrations from <10 to 461 ng/L). There is a strong correlation between the presence of ochratoxin-producing strains on grapes and OTA in musts. These findings should be connected with the OTA contamination of human blood in these areas and in France.