Material in the middle ear of dogs having magnetic resonance imaging for investigation of neurologic signs

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and potential significance of finding material in the middle ear of dogs having magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Of 466 MR studies reviewed, an increased signal was identified in the tympanic bulla in 32 (7%) dogs. Cavalier King Charles spaniels, Cocker spaniels, Bulldogs, and Boxers were over-represented compared to the population of dogs having MR imaging. Five (16%) dogs had definite otitis media and one (3%) had a meningioma invading the middle ear. Of the remaining dogs, 13 (41%) had possible otitis media and 13 (41%) had neurologic conditions apparently unrelated to otitis media. The most common appearance of material in the middle ear was isointense in T1-weighted images and hyperintense in T2-weighted images. There was no apparent correlation between the signal characteristics of the material and the diagnosis. Enhanced signal after gadolinium administration was observed affecting the lining of the bulla in dogs with otitis media and in dogs with unrelated neurologic conditions. In dogs without clinical signs of otitis media, finding an increased signal in the middle ear during MR imaging may reflect subclinical otitis media or fluid accumulation unrelated to inflammation. Brachycephalic dogs may be predisposed to this condition.     

Adherence of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 1 to swine buccal epithelial cells involves fibronectin

The swine pathogen Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 1 was investigated for its ability to adhere to swine, rat, and human buccal epithelial cells (BEC). The highest number of bacteria adhered was to swine BEC. This binding ability was affected by heating, extreme pH, treatment with sodium dodecyl sulfate, ethylenediamine tetraacetate, or periodate, and proteolysis, suggesting that cell-surface glycoproteins participate in adherence and that adherence is based mostly on ionic interactions. Mannose and swine fibronectin may play a direct role in this interaction. Convalescent-phase serum from naturally infected pigs inhibited the adhesion. There was a correlation between bacterial pathogenicity as well as host specificity and the capacity for adherence to swine BEC. Adhesion to swine BEC provides a convenient method to study in vitro the adherence of A. pleuropneumoniae and other pathogens of the pig respiratory tract.     

Identification and Characterisation of Bacteria Causing Soft-rot in Agave tequilana

Agave tequilana is the raw material for the production of the alcoholic beverage tequila. A bacterial disease has affected the A. tequilana crop in recent years. Previous reports based on colony and cell morphology, Gram stain and potato rot indicated that Erwinia sp. is the main pathogen. We isolated a several bacterial isolates capable of producing soft-rot symptoms in greenhouse pathogenicity assays. An extensive characterisation involving pathogenicity tests, fatty acid profile, metabolic and physiological properties, ribosomal DNA sequence and intergenic transcribed spacer amplification (ITS-PCR) and restriction banding pattern (ITS-RFLP) was made of each isolate. Three different species: Erwinia cacticida, Pantoea agglomerans and Pseudomonas sp. were identified. Fatty acid and metabolic profiles gave low similarity values of identification but 16S rDNA sequence, ITS-PCR and ITS-RFLP confirmed the identification of E. cacticida. In the phylogenetic tree, E. cacticida from blue agave was grouped neither with E. cacticida type strains nor with Erwinia carotovora. This is the first report that associates E. cacticida with A. tequilana soft-rot symptoms.     

Evaluation of Olive Cultivars for Resistance to Verticillium dahliae

Resistance of 23 important olive cultivars to Verticillium dahliae has been evaluated in four experiments under controlled conditions. Nine-month-old nursery olive plants were inoculated with a cotton non-defoliating (ND) (V4) or a cotton defoliating (D) (V117) isolate of V. dahliae. Resistance was evaluated by assessing symptom severity using a 0–4 rating scale and estimating the area under disease progress curves. The percentage of plants killed and of those which recovered from the disease were used as additional parameters for including a particular cultivar into a defined category. Most of the evaluated cultivars were susceptible, although at different levels, to both isolates of V. dahliae. All cultivars were more susceptible to the D pathotype than to the ND one. A group of 11 cultivars, including several important Spanish cultivars, were susceptible or extremely susceptible to both pathotypes of V. dahliae. A second group showed differences of resistance depending on the pathotype used. They were susceptible or extremely susceptible to the D pathotype but resistant or moderately susceptible to the ND one. Finally, 'Frantoio', 'Oblonga' and 'Empeltre' were moderately susceptible to the D isolate of V. dahliae and resistant to the ND one. The resistance of 'Empeltre' was evident by the plant ability to recover from infection with either isolates. 'Empeltre' is considered to be a valuable cultivar for inclusion in breeding programmes for resistance to Verticillium wilt.     

蚕粪中提取叶绿素铜钠盐的稳定性研究

以蚕粪为原料,95%的乙醇为溶剂提取叶绿素,并通过化学法制得叶绿素的铜纳盐。采用721分光光度计对叶绿素铜钠盐进行定性、定量测定,确定该色素测定系统中的最大波长为414nm。通过测量吸光值研究了几种常用食品添加剂对叶绿素铜钠盐稳定性的影响,并对其耐光、耐热、耐酸碱及耐氧化性、耐还原性进行探讨。结果表明:叶绿素铜钠盐在70℃以下稳定性较好;光照对叶绿素铜钠盐稳定性的影响较大;还原剂(Na2S2O3)对叶绿素铜钠盐稳定性的影响较大,氧化剂在短时间内对其稳定性的影响不大,但放置的时间不宜超过30min;叶绿素铜钠盐在pH值为6以上的溶液中较为稳定,且有机酸及单糖对其稳定性无明显影响。     

利用血液蛋白及酶多态性分析技术鉴定山羊亲缘关系的研究

选择血红蛋白(Hb)、运铁蛋白(Tf)、亮氨酸胺肽酶(LAP)、前白蛋白3(Pa3)、淀粉酶(Amy)对可能为同卵双生波尔山羊的亲缘关系鉴定。结果发现，除淀粉酶(Amy)和亮氨酸胺肽酶(Lap)外，其余位点均有多态性。由蛋白位点的基因型判定羔1、羔2基因型完全一致，是供体后代的概率为75G，受体后代的概率为22．8％，从而确认羔1、羔2的双亲为供体公羊和供体母羊。     

四倍体鸭茅产量及其构成因素的QTL定位

产量相关性状是复杂的数量性状,对鸭茅的单株产量及构成因素进行QTL分析,可提高育种中对产量性状优良基因选择的效率,同时为鸭茅遗传改良、基因克隆及分子标记辅助育种提供理论依据。以四倍体鸭茅“楷模”和“01436”为亲本杂交而成的作图群体为试验材料,于2014年对洪雅、宝兴两个不同生境下鸭茅株高、旗叶长、倒二叶长、旗叶宽、倒二叶宽、茎粗、花序长、分蘖数、单株干重等9个产量相关性状进行了表型鉴定及相关性分析。此外,在已构建的高密度鸭茅分子遗传图谱的基础上,采用MapQTL 5.0进一步对这些性状QTL定位分析。结果表明,绝大多数性状在亲本间呈显著差异且都整体表现出连续变异,符合数量性状遗传的特征;相关性分析表明,大多数产量相关性状均与干重极显著正相关,与单株干重相关性最好的依次为分蘖、株高;QTL分析发现,控制该9个农艺性状的QTL共60个,洪雅38个,宝兴22个,这些QTL分别定位于分子连锁图谱的1、2、3、4、5共5个连锁群上,单个QTL的贡献率为5.7%~24.7%,单个性状QTL个数为2~15个。其中,控制株高、花序长的QTL各12个,控制倒二叶长、茎粗的QTL各4个,控制旗叶宽、倒二叶宽的QTL各2个,控制单株干重的QTL有6个,影响分蘖的QTL为3个,与旗叶长相关的QTL最多15个。     

Anatomical characterization of hoof growth pattern in six Iranian sheep breeds and its possible implication for trimming recommendations

Tropical Animal Health and Production - The objective of this study was to compare hoof anatomy, hoof growth pattern, and hoof weight-bearing surface of six different Iranian sheep breeds to...