State of the art and future trends of European and Italian aquaculture

This paper describes the main features of fish aquaculture in Europe and Italy focusing attention on single sectors of the farmed species and their trend for the future. Over recent years, European and Italian aquaculture have shown a markedly different trend from that of world aquatic production. Asia, particularly China, has recorded a constant and rapid growth and Latin America a moderate development. Nowadays, European farmers are concerned with adapting their product to market demand and diversifying the fish species reared. After a discussion about the main European production statistics regarding finfish aquaculture production, we consider the most important aspects in the promotion of production and consequent consumption of farmed fish.     

Bovine dermatophilosis,A re-emerging pandemic disease in zimbabwe

To determine the current distribution of bovine dermatophilosis in Zimbabwe, participatory rural appraisals were held at 36 locations in six districts. Results showed that bovine dermatophilosis is no longer confined to Hwange-Lupane area, but is now endemic in Gokwe, Sanyati, Kwekwe, and Kadoma. Virgin outbreaks of the disease were preceded by the appearance of Amblyomma variegatum ticks within an area. Spreading to new geographical areas (cited above) occurred during the liberation struggle (1975/79), droughts (1992/93, 1995/96), and of late, the land re-distribution exercise (2000–2002). Immediately after the war (1980/82), both the ticks and the disease were first cited in Gokwe whereas prior to that (1922–1980), both were confined to Hwange-Lupane area in the northwestern parts of Zimbabwe. Transmission from Gokwe to Sanyati, and from Sanyati to Chenjiri, occurred during the droughts of 1992/93 and 1995/96 respectively. In all the cases, the spreading of dermatophilosis was secondary to reduced tick control on cattle. The presence of dermatophilosis in the highveld (Kwekwe, Kadoma), a prime cattle production zone for the country, is a major threat to livestock production. These results have policy implications for tick and tick-associated diseases (dermatophilosis) control strategies for Zimbabwe.     

Cytochrome P450 (CYP1A) induction in sea bream (Sparus Aurata) gills and liver following exposure to polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs)

Veterinary Research Communications -     

Antimicrobial resistance and genotypic characterization of coagulase-negative staphylococci over the dry period

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) have become the most frequently isolated organisms from bovine intramammary infections in recent years. While antimicrobial resistance (AR) is not considered a major problem among mastitis pathogens, concerns over emerging AR in general are increasing worldwide. Little information exists about the association between AR and one of the most common mastitis control measures, antibiotic dry cow therapy. The primary objective of the current study was to determine the prevalence of AR in CNS isolated before and after antimicrobial dry cow therapy. An additional objective was to genotypically characterize selected CNS isolates using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), to assess diversity and persistence of organisms over the dry period. Resistance against 10 antimicrobials was determined using a broth microdilution method and compared between CNS isolates collected at dry-off and at calving and from cows treated or not treated with intramammary antimicrobial products at dry-off (752 cows in total). Results suggested that increasing age of a cow and dry cow treatment when combined with high milk somatic cell count at dry-off and positive clinical mastitis history, were associated with increased AR to most beta-lactam antimicrobials and sulfadimethoxine. PFGE results suggested considerable diversity among the tested isolates as well as some clusters within cows and herds. PFGE would be useful in distinguishing between potentially persisting infections and cures and reinfections with different CNS strains.     

Effect of glimepiride and nateglinide on serum insulin and glucose concentration in healthy cats

Glimepiride and nateglinide are two common oral hypoglycemic agents currently being used with humans suffering from Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Neither drug has been tested with cats thus far and it is currently unknown whether either of these drugs exert any effect in cats or not. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of glimepiride and nateglinide on glucose and insulin responses in healthy control cats, in order to determine their potential use in diabetic cats. The intravenous glucose tolerance tests was carried out since it is an excellent test for evaluating pancreatic β-cell function for insulin secretion. Alterations in the insulin secretion pattern can be perceived as the earliest sign of β-cell dysfunction in many species, including cats. Nateglinide demonstrated a quick action/short duration type effect with serum glucose nadiring and insulin response peaking at 60 and 20 minutes, respectively. Alternatively, glimepiride is medium-to-long acting with serum glucose nadiring and insulin response peaking at 180 minutes and 60 minutes, respectively. Nateglinide’s potency was evident allowing it to induce a 1.5–2 higher preliminary insulin peak (3.7?±?1.1 pg/ml) than glimepiride’s (2.5?±?0.1 pg/ml), albeit only for a short period of time. Because glimepiride and nateglinide have a shared mode of action, no significant differences in overall glucose AUC_0-360min (24,435?±?2,940 versus 24,782?±?2,354 mg min/dl) and insulin AUC_0-360min (410?±?192 versus 460?±?159) in healthy control cats were observed. These findings may provide useful information when choosing a hypoglycemic drug suited for the treatment of diabetic cats depending on the degree of diabetes mellitus the cat is suffering from.     

功能基因组学在鉴别新的卵蛋白质中的应用

学角度而言,鸡蛋就像一个天然容器,它能够提供胚胎宫外发育所需的营养物质和生物活性分子[1,2].这意味着,鸡蛋里面必须包含能使生殖细胞发育为成熟小鸡的所有成分.鸡蛋中含有胚胎发育所需的维生素和蛋白质(蛋清和蛋黄),脂肪(蛋黄)和矿物质(蛋壳).鸡蛋也是人类不可缺少的食物.鸡蛋中氨基酸比例均衡有利于胃肠道吸收,因而营养价值很高[3,4].     

Retracted: Mycobacterium bovis BCG Danish Strain 1331 isolated from a periarticular lesion in a domestic cat

A 7-year-old male neutered domestic shorthair outdoor cat was referred for chronic left forelimb lameness, which had been treated with intra-articular injections of triamcinolone acetonide. A soft tissue swelling around the elbow joint, extending from the distal humerus to the proximal ulna, was surgically explored and biopsy samples obtained. Mycobacterium bovis was cultured from samples from the soft tissue and bone. The mycobacteria from the media were killed and the DNA extracted and tested on a multiplex real-time PCR for the absence of specific genes and the presence of mycobacterial genus markers. The PCR revealed bacillus Calmette-Guérin Danish Strain 1331; this was also isolated from the prescapular lymph node, muscle and bone, obtained at post mortem examination. Badgers had been vaccinated with the bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine SSI (Statens Serum Institute) in the area where the cat lived, in the spring and autumn of the previous year. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of infection with M. bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin Danish Strain 1331 in a domestic cat, potentially associated with annual vaccination of badgers in the proximity of the cat's home.     

Variation among stallions in sperm quality after single layer centrifugation

Although single layer centrifugation (SLC) selects robust spermatozoa from stallion semen, the effect of individual variation has not been studied in detail. The objective of this study was to determine the variation among stallions in the effects of SLC on sperm quality during cooled storage for up to 48 hr. Semen samples from seven stallions (18 ejaculates) were split, with one portion being used for SLC and the other serving as a control (CON). Sperm quality (kinematics, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, membrane integrity (MI) and chromatin integrity) were analysed at 0, 24 and 48 hr using computer-assisted sperm analysis and flow cytometry. Sperm quality was better in SLC than in CON at all timepoints, especially chromatin integrity and MI (p < .0001 for both), and some categories of ROS production (e.g. proportion of live hydrogen peroxide negative spermatozoa, p < .0001), but the degree of improvement varied among stallions and type of ROS (p < .05–p < .0001). Total and progressive motility were also better in SLC samples than in CON at 24 and 48 hr (p < .0001), although the effect on sperm kinematics varied. The interaction of treatment, time and stallion was not significant. In conclusion, sperm quality was better in SLC samples than in CON, although there was considerable individual variation among stallions. The improvement in sperm quality, particularly in chromatin integrity, was clearly beneficial, and therefore the use of this technique would be warranted for all stallion semen samples.