Update on the diagnosis of Haemophilus parasuis infection in pigs and novel genotyping methods

Haemophilus parasuis causes Gl?sser's disease as well as a number of other diseases in pigs. The diagnosis of H. parasuis-associated disease is usually established by clinical signs, pathological findings and bacterial isolation but diagnosis is complicated by the existence of non-virulent strains and the early colonisation of the upper respiratory tract of healthy piglets. Moreover, several strains can be found on a farm and even within a single animal so it is important to determine the specific strain that is causing the clinical outbreak. Recently, genotyping methods have been developed with the goal of correlating genotype with the degree of virulence of H. parasuis strains. The association between genotype and virulence in H. parasuis is challenging due to the lack of knowledge of the complete genomic sequence and virulence factors of this bacterium.     

Effects of Sewage on the Chemical Composition of Piracicaba River,Brazil

Water samples were collected from 7 locations along major rivers of Piracicaba River basin for 22 months. The 4 upstream points represent non-polluted sites and the 3 downriver points represent polluted sites. Due to sewage input, concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), major conservative cations and anions increased significantly in the polluted sites. The major increases were observed for sodium, chloride and sulfate. Nitrate was an exception for this pattern, with similar concentrations between polluted and non-polluted sites. The probable cause was reduction of nitrate to ammonium in the polluted sites, where anoxic conditions prevail. Most of the variables had an inverse correlation with water discharge, especially in the polluted points. The sewage load was diluted by precipitation and surface waters.     

Preparation of Extruded Snacks with Flavored Flour Obtained from the Carcasses of Nile Tilapia: Physicochemical,Sensory, and Microbiological Analysis

This study aimed to develop extruded snacks including flour obtained from Nile tilápia carcasses, and then evaluate the chemical composition, colorimetry, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, and microbiology. There was a significant increase in the levels of crude protein, ether extract, ash, and minerals, as well as a reduction in carbohydrates as more flour was included in the snacks. Increased levels of flavored flour caused reduction in the brightness of snacks. Oxidative rancidity was not detected in snacks. The inclusion of flour improved the nutritional value of extruded snacks without changing sensory characteristics. Microbiologically, the snacks are suitable for human consumption.     

Interactions of baseflow habitat constraints: Macroinvertebrate drift,stream temperature,and physical habitat for anadromous salmon in the Calapooia River,Oregon

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A comparison between marine and terrestrial invertebrate meals for mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio) diets: Impact on growth,haematology and health

Invertebrate meals (e.g. polychaetes and insects) present novel and sustainable high‐quality nutrient sources for use in fish feed formulations. To test this innovative source, an eleven‐week feeding trial was conducted evaluating the effects of replacing the fishmeal (FM) component as an example of a superior protein source (FM CTRL) with ragworm meal (RW, Nereis virens) and/or silkworm pupae (SWP, Bombyx mori) in mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio) diets. Three experimental diets with partial replacement of FM (diets: RW + FM, SWP + FM and RW + SWP + FM) were formulated. All diets were formulated to be iso‐nitrogenous, iso‐lipidic and iso‐energetic. Growth performance and feed utilization indices were assessed, and the feeding trial concluded with the analysis of haematological parameters to provide an indication of carp physiological and health status. Mean weight gain was greatest in mirror carp fed RW + FM (60.83 fish^?1 day^?1; P < 0.05 vs. all other diets) followed by SWP + FM (40.62 g fish^?1 day^?1; P < 0.05 vs. all other diets). The least weight gain was achieved in fish fed FM + SWP + RW+ and FM CTRL (34.34 and 33.96 g fish^?1 day^?1, respectively; not significantly different from each other). Fish fed on RW + FM diet had significantly lower plasma ammonia concentrations than any other dietary groups (P = 0.04). Mirror carp fed on SWP + FM diet (111.52 units mL^?1) were observed to have a marked enhancement in alternative complement activity than FM CTRL (79.21 units mL^?1, P = 0.041). Both ragworm and silkworm pupae meal present attractive sustainable functional feed component in carp diets, with benefits on enhancing growth performance and specific physiological parameters.     

A Novel C1q Domain-Containing Protein Isolated from the Mollusk Modiolus kurilensis Recognizing Glycans Enriched with Acidic Galactans and Mannans

C1q domain-containing (C1qDC) proteins are a group of biopolymers involved in immune response as pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) in a lectin-like manner. A new protein MkC1qDC from the hemolymph plasma of Modiolus kurilensis bivalve mollusk widespread in the Northwest Pacific was purified. The isolation procedure included ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by affinity chromatography on pectin-Sepharose. The full-length MkC1qDC sequence was assembled using de novo mass-spectrometry peptide sequencing complemented with N-terminal Edman’s degradation, and included 176 amino acid residues with molecular mass of 19 kDa displaying high homology to bivalve C1qDC proteins. MkC1qDC demonstrated antibacterial properties against Gram-negative and Gram-positive strains. MkC1qDC binds to a number of saccharides in Ca²⁺-dependent manner which characterized by structural meta-similarity in acidic group enrichment of galactose and mannose derivatives incorporated in diversified molecular species of glycans. Alginate, κ-carrageenan, fucoidan, and pectin were found to be highly effective inhibitors of MkC1qDC activity. Yeast mannan, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), peptidoglycan (PGN) and mucin showed an inhibitory effect at concentrations three orders of magnitude greater than for the most effective saccharides. MkC1qDC localized to the mussel hemal system and interstitial compartment. Intriguingly, MkC1qDC was found to suppress proliferation of human adenocarcinoma HeLa cells in a dose-dependent manner, indicating to the biomedical potential of MkC1qDC protein.     

Combining ability analysis of earliness and yield of potato (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Solanum tuberosum</Emphasis> L.) genotypes in Uganda

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a major food and cash crop mainly grown by small-scale farmers in the highland regions of Uganda. Changing global weather patterns require varieties that are able to grow within the short rainfall cycles and yield optimally under the prevailing conditions. The objectives of this study were to estimate the combining ability effects for early maturity, yield and yield related traits in potato. Eighteen F¹ families generated from two sets of 12 parents using a North Carolina Design II were evaluated for days to 50% flowering, leaf senescence, yield and yield related traits in two different locations. Both additive and non-additive genetic effects influenced the expression of traits. However, additive genetic effects were predominant over the non-additive for most of the traits. The GCA/SCA ratios were 0.68 and 0.78 for days to 50% flowering and average tuber weight. Broad sense heritability estimates were 0.70 for total tuber weight and 0.78 for days to 50% flowering. The predominance of additive genetic effects imply that, genetic gains can be achieved through different selection methods and traits transferred to the respective progenies. Parents Rwangume, 396,038.107, 395,011.2, NKRK19.17, 393,077.54, Kimuri, and 392,657.8 had desirable GCA effects for the number of days to flowering and yield related traits. Families of Rwangume?×?NKRK19.17, 393,077.54?×?395,011.2, 396,038.107?×?Rwangume and 396,038.107?×?395,011.2 had desirable SCA effects for yield and number of days to 50% flowering. The selected parents and families will be subjected to further clonal evaluation and selection.     

Environmental influences on Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) catch per unit effort in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence

The Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) population in the western Atlantic supports substantial commercial and recreational fisheries. Despite quota establishment and management under the auspices of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, only small increases in population growth have been estimated. In contrast to other western bluefin tuna fisheries indices, contemporary estimates of catch per unit effort (CPUE) in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence have increased rapidly and are at record highs. This area is characterized by the Cold Intermediate Layer (CIL) that is defined by waters <3°C and located at depths of 30–40 m in September. We investigated the influence of several in situ environmental variables on the bluefin tuna fishery CPUE using delta‐lognormal modelling and relatively extensive and consistent oceanographic survey data, as well as dockside monitoring and mandatory logbook data associated with the fishery. Although there is considerable spatial and temporal variation of water mass characteristics, the amount of available habitat in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (assuming a > 3°C thermal ambit) for bluefin tuna has been increasing. The percentage of the water column occupied by the CIL was a significant environmental variable in the standardization of CPUE estimates. There was also a negative relationship between the spatial extents of the CIL and the fishery. Properties of the CIL account for variation in the bluefin tuna CPUE and may be a factor in determining the amount of available feeding habitat for bluefin tuna in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence.     

State-of-the-art review of goat TSE in the European Union, with special emphasis on PRNP genetics and epidemiology

Scrapie is a fatal, neurodegenerative disease of sheep and goats. It is also the earliest known member in the family of diseases classified as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) or prion diseases, which includes Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and chronic wasting disease in cervids. The recent revelation of naturally occurring BSE in a goat has brought the issue of TSE in goats to the attention of the public. In contrast to scrapie, BSE presents a proven risk to humans. The risk of goat BSE, however, is difficult to evaluate, as our knowledge of TSE in goats is limited. Natural caprine scrapie has been discovered throughout Europe, with reported cases generally being greatest in countries with the highest goat populations. As with sheep scrapie, susceptibility and incubation period duration of goat scrapie are most likely controlled by the prion protein (PrP) gene (PRNP). Like the PRNP of sheep, the caprine PRNP shows significantly greater variability than that of cattle and humans. Although PRNP variability in goats differs from that observed in sheep, the two species share several identical alleles. Moreover, while the ARR allele associated with enhancing resistance in sheep is not present in the goat PRNP, there is evidence for the existence of other PrP variants related to resistance. This review presents the current knowledge of the epidemiology of caprine scrapie within the major European goat populations, and compiles the current data on genetic variability of PRNP.