Evaluation of Brain Tissue or Cerebrospinal Fluid with Broadly Reactive Polymerase Chain Reaction for Ehrlichia,Anaplasma, Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia,Bartonella, and Borrelia Species in Canine Neurological Diseases (109 Cases)

Background: Vector‐transmitted microorganisms in the genera Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, Rickettsia, Bartonella, and Borrelia are commonly suspected in dogs with meningoencephalomyelitis (MEM), but the prevalence of these pathogens in brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of dogs with MEM is unknown. Hypothesis/Objectives: To determine if DNA from these genera is present in brain tissue and CSF of dogs with MEM, including those with meningoencephalitis of unknown etiology (MUE) and histopathologically confirmed cases of granulomatous (GME) and necrotizing meningoencephalomyelitis (NME). Animals: Hundred and nine dogs examined for neurological signs at 3 university referral hospitals. Methods: Brain tissue and CSF were collected prospectively from dogs with neurological disease and evaluated by broadly reactive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia, Bartonella, and Borrelia species. Medical records were evaluated retrospectively to identify MEM and control cases. Results: Seventy‐five cases of MUE, GME, or NME, including brain tissue from 31 and CSF from 44 cases, were evaluated. Brain tissue from 4 cases and inflammatory CSF from 30 cases with infectious, neoplastic, compressive, vascular, or malformative disease were evaluated as controls. Pathogen nucleic acids were detected in 1 of 109 cases evaluated. Specifically, Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii DNA was amplified from 1/6 dogs with histopathologically confirmed GME. Conclusion and Clinical Importance: The results of this investigation suggest that microorganisms in the genera Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, Rickettsia, and Borrelia are unlikely to be directly associated with canine MEM in the geographic regions evaluated. The role of Bartonella in the pathogenesis of GME warrants further investigation.     

Preliminary investigation into the prevalence of mucormycosis in the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) in three catchments in north-west Tasmania

Objective To investigate the distribution and prevalence of mucormycosis in platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) from the Inglis, Emu and Black-Detention catchment areas in north-west Tasmania. Procedure A field study was performed and resulted in the examination of 44 wild platypuses; in addition, one dead platypus and two live platypuses were examined after they were independently submitted to a local veterinary clinic. Results No cases of mucormycosis were conclusively diagnosed. One platypus with signs consistent with those previously described in cases of mucormycosis was captured in the Emu River catchment. However, laboratory tests did not provide a definitive diagnosis for the lesion. Two platypuses from the Inglis catchment area had signs very similar to those previously described in cases of mucormycosis, but laboratory tests found Corynebacterium ulcerans to be the likely cause of the cutaneous ulcers on one of these platypuses and an unidentified fungal agent to be the cause of a cutaneous nodule in the other. Conclusions These findings do not prove that mucormycosis is absent from the populations studied. However, they may indicate that the prevalence of disease is low. The possibility that Mucor amphibiorum is present in a subclinical form in platypuses, or infecting another reservoir, is not excluded. The findings also suggest that caution should be exercised when diagnosing mucormycosis based on clinical findings alone and raise the possibility that some cases may have been incorrectly diagnosed.     

解淀粉芽孢杆菌在畜禽养殖中的应用研究进展

解淀粉芽孢杆菌是自然界中广泛存在的非致病性微生物,在代谢过程能产生多种生物活性物质,对病原菌和真菌具有较好的抑制效果。近些年,随着对解淀粉芽孢杆菌的深入研究,一些生物活性物质被分离、提取、纯化,不同用途的解淀粉芽孢杆菌制剂逐渐在畜牧、水产养殖业中得以应用。作者针对解淀粉芽孢杆菌在畜禽养殖业中的应用及作用机制进行了总结和分析,以期为今后研究和开发利用解淀粉芽孢杆菌提供参考。     

Anthelmintic efficacy of pumpkin seed (Cucurbita pepo Linnaeus, 1753) on ostrich gastrointestinal nematodes in a semiarid region of Paraíba State, Brazil

The aim of this study was to verify the in vivo effectiveness of pumpkin seed (Curcubita pepo Linnaeus, 1753) in naturally infected ostriches in the Cariri zone, semiarid region of Paraíba State, Brazil. Forty-eight ostriches were used, African Black breed, of 14 to 36 months old, naturally infected by gastrointestinal nematodes. These animals were divided into four groups of 12 ostriches. Group 1 consists of animals treated with 0.5 g/kg live weight (l. w.) of pumpkin seed meal; group 2 received 1 g/kg l. w. of pumpkin seed meal; group 3 was treated with Albendazole 5 %, at the dosage of 1 mL/10 kg l. w.; and Group 4 was the control group and do not received treatment. Groups 1 and 2 received the treatment for three consecutive days, orally, at intervals of 7 days, totaling nine administrations. The Albendazole 5 % was administered one time, at the beginning of the experiment, according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. The groups treated with pumpkin seed showed a significant decrease in egg counts per gram of feces (EPG), wherein group 2 (1 g/kg l. w.) was the most effective. The control and drug groups showed no reduction in EPG. The results of the present study demonstrate that the administration of pumpkin seed was effective in controlling gastrointestinal helminths in naturally infected ostriches.     

Genetic parameters and selection gains in early clonal evaluation trials: implications for cassava breeding

The objective of this study was to estimate and compare genetic parameters in early cassava breeding phases (clonal evaluation trials—CET and preliminary yield trials—PYT) in full-sib (F₁) and self-pollinated (S₁) families, besides estimating the genetic gains. Twenty-three F₁ and six S₁ families were evaluated using the augmented block design in CET and the randomized complete block design in PYT for fresh root yield (FRY), root dry matter content (DMC) and starch yield (STY). In CET, most of the variance was due to environmental (\(\sigma_{e}^{2}\)) followed by variance within F₁ and S₁ (\(\sigma_{Clone/Fam}^{2}\)) families, with the exception of DMC in S₁ families. PYT presented the opposite behavior. In contrast, specifically for S₁ families, the variance between families (\(\sigma_{ Fam}^{2}\)) was more important than \(\sigma_{e}^{2}\) and \(\sigma_{Clone/Fam}^{2}\) in PYT. The heritability of families (\(h_{Fam}^{2}\)) was lower than individual broad-sense heritability (\(h_{g}^{2}\)) in all trials and families. Regardless of the family type and trial, family accuracy (\(r_{ggFam}\)) was lower than the clone accuracies (\(r_{ggCl}\)). Predicted gains using the selection index (SI) applied to best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) were higher in PYT compared with CET and higher in F₁ families in comparison with S₁. There was also low coincidence in clone selection in both trials (30 and 45% for F₁ and S₁ families, respectively). For cassava breeding, it is recommended to obtain a higher number of clones per family and to use the SI with moderate intensity, particularly in CET.     

Morphological variation of starch granules in S<Subscript>1</Subscript> cassava progenies

The need to develop new cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) varieties with different starch characteristics has greatly motivated new research. The aim of this study was to evaluate morphological alterations in starch granules as well as genetic gains in segregating S₁ cassava populations. Starch from accessions (S₀): BGM0222, BGM1378 and BGM1662 and from their self-fertilized progenies (S₁): F0222, F1378 and F1662, with 78, 80 and 76 individuals, respectively, were evaluated for the following traits: area (ArStGr, µm²), perimeter (PrStGr, µm), length (LeStGr, µm) and number of starch granules (NuStGr). Moreover, some agronomic traits of the S₁ progenies were evaluated at harvest such as: plant height (PlaHei), shoot yield (ShoYi), root yield (RoYi), starch yield (StYi), and root dry matter content (DMC). With the selection of transgressive individuals in S₁ progenies, it is possible to obtain selection gains for values higher and lower than the average of the S₀ genitors, whereas selection gains can reach up to 16.58, 8.39, 7.87 and 34.18% for ArStGr, LeStGr, PrStGr, and NuStGr, respectively. Average size of the starch granule varied from 9.8 to 12.37 µm among individuals in an S₁ progeny. Positive and high correlations between the individuals were found for some morphological characteristics of the cassava starch granule but not strongly correlated with agronomic traits. Therefore, it is possible to select S₁ cassava individuals for agronomic characteristics without losing other important starch traits. Cassava-segregating populations allow the obtainment of individuals with different morphological characteristics as for starch granules, enabling obtainment of genetic gains with the selection.     

鹰嘴豆种质资源多样性评价〖FQ(+27mm\.163mm,X-W〗〖HT4〗〖CD43mm〗

以151份鹰嘴豆种质资源为材料,采用主成分分析、相关分析及聚类分析方法,对151份材料5个表型性状和5个产量相关因子的遗传多样性进行分析。结果表明,多样性指数最高的是百粒质量,其次是粒型;性状变异系数最大的是株型,其次是单株粒数。主成分分析表明,主要信息集中在6个主成分,其累计贡献率达84.48%;10个性状两两之间存在显著或极显著相关,其中单株荚数与株高、粒色、株型及百粒质量4个性状间呈显著或极显著相关;聚类分析结果表明,151份材料在欧氏距离1.059 2处划分为4类,第1类百粒质量最大,即籽粒较大;第2类株高最高,产量居中;第3类各性状都相对居中;第4类株高最低,单株荚数和单株粒数最大。本研究结果将为育种人员选配杂交组合,亲本选配、杂种优势利用等提供亲缘关系远近数据支撑。     

湿度对肉鸡健康的影响及应对措施

随着肉鸡养殖集约化的发展,环境对肉鸡健康的影响越来越突出。湿度是肉鸡舍环境的重要指标之一,然而在肉鸡饲养生产过程中常常忽略对湿度的管理。低湿或高湿都不利于肉鸡的健康生长。加强对肉鸡舍湿度的监测及研究湿度对肉鸡健康的影响对指导鸡舍湿度的合理调控和健康养殖的发展具有重要意义。作者通过总结和分析舍内湿度对肉鸡热调节、生长性能、繁殖性能、血液指标、肉品质及呼吸道等方面的影响及舍内湿度的监测和管理方法,为深入研究湿度对肉鸡健康影响的作用机制及合理调控肉鸡舍湿度提供参考。     

隔年秸秆还田对连作玉米养分积累及叶片生理特性的影响

以秸秆不还田为对照,设置秸秆深翻还田和旋耕还田配施秸秆腐熟剂、深翻和旋耕还田不施秸秆腐熟剂5个处理,测定玉米茎秆、叶片、穗部和子粒氮磷钾养分积累量及叶片生理活性,研究秸秆还田配施秸秆腐熟剂对玉米生长及产量的影响。结果表明,不同秸秆还田方式显著提高玉米穗位叶以上第3叶(上位叶)及穗位叶以下第3叶(下位叶)叶绿素含量、叶片超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性、茎鞘氮和钾积累量,并提高玉米产量,增产率为7.56%～28.00%。旋耕和深翻秸秆还田配施腐熟剂处理显著提高穗位叶叶绿素含量,显著降低叶片丙二醛(MDA)活性,显著提高叶片磷积累量;深翻还田配施腐熟剂极显著提高叶片、穗部、子粒氮积累量。冷凉地区玉米秸秆还田提高玉米叶片生理活性,旋耕还田配施秸秆腐熟剂增产率高,干物质积累量较多;深翻还田配施腐熟剂显著提高玉米叶片、穗部和子粒氮积累量。