Morphological aspects of the capybara stomach (Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris): gross and microscopic structure

The digestive system of the capybara has been investigated because of its coprofagia habits, important for their absorptive activity. These species present differences in terms of gastrointestinal morphological characters when compared with other rodents. Macroscopiclly, the stomach of the capybara is constituted of the following parts: cardiac, pyloric, body, fundic and gastric diverticulum. It presents two curvatures, one big and another small. Externally, the presence of gastric bands (tenias) is observed. With regards to the volumetric view, the gastric capacity varies from 850 to 2010 ml, with an average of 1498.57 ml. So, the stomach of this animal can be classified as a simple stomach, in the format of a curved sack and similar to an inverted letter 'J'. The gastric mucous membrane presents a surface filled by numerous tortuous gastric folds and longitudinally distributed along all its extension. The mucous tunic also possesses recesses located among the successive gastric folds, which were denoted as gastric parts with numerous openings described as gastric pits. In the cardiac part, a glandular epithelium with cardiac glands is noticed containing a lot of parietal and mucous neck cells. The fundic part, body and gastric diverticulum contain proper gastric glands with main, parietal and mucous neck cells. Finally, the pyloric part has pyloric glands with two cellular types, mucous neck and parietal cells.     

A fructose‐based extender protects Colossoma macropomum spermatozoa against chilling injuries

Our study assessed the efficiency of a formulated new extender in maintaining viability and morphological integrity of Colossoma macropomum spermatozoa under chilling storage. Semen was diluted in the test extender and BTS? (Beltsville Thawing Solution) and exposed to a short‐term storage at 4.6 ± 0.6°C for 96 hr. Both extenders were able to maintain 17% ± 8% motile spermatozoa by the end of experiment. Sperm dilution in test extender did not affect the morphologically normal cells (61% ± 6%) up to 48 hr of chilling, being higher than in BTS? (50% ± 6%) (p < 0.05). After 96 hr, samples kept in the test extender had 50% of normal spermatozoa, whereas those kept in BTS? presented only 38% of normal cells. Chilling storage increased the incidence of cells with strongly coiled flagella in BTS^?. Our study is the first to evaluate in detail the spermatozoa morphology as indicative of C. macropomum semen viability. The new extender was able to protect the spermatozoa against increase in coiled flagellum injuries.     

Urea cycle enzymes through the development of pacu (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Piaractus mesopotamicus</Emphasis>): the role of ornithine carbamoyl transferase

The present work reports the activities of urea cycle enzymes during the ontogenic development of the teleost pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus). Urea cycle enzymes from the kidney and liver of adult fish were compared with those from the fish's embryonic phases. Samples were evaluated over all phases of embryonic development, the larval period and alevin. Ammonia and urea concentrations were determined during embryogenesis and in the plasma of adult fish. Except for carbamoyl phosphate synthetase-III (CPS-III), all enzymes of the urea cycle were expressed in the larvae and alevins as well as in the liver and kidney of adult fish. In spite of the low level of activity of the ornithine urea cycle (OUC) enzymes compared to those in mammals, and the low levels of tissue urea concentration compared to ammonia, the ureogenesis was evaluated in pacu. Ammonia seems to be the main nitrogenous waste during embryonic development. In this phase glutamine synthetase (GS) may play a role in ammonia detoxification, and the OUC enzymes can be individually involved in functions other than urea production. The presence of ornithine carbamoyl transferase (OCT) in all developmental phases of pacu and in the adult liver and kidney suggests that this enzyme is performing different metabolic pathways. OCT in the kidney, wherein the activity is less than in the liver, should work in the biosynthesis of polyamines and control the arginine plasma concentration given that renal arginase and argininosuccinate synthetase-argininosuccinate lyase are more active than from the liver. We suppose that OCT during the embryogenesis is a control step regulating the cellular concentration of ornithine for polyamines synthesis.     

Characterization of the drop-size distribution and velocity-diameter relation of the throughfall under the maize canopy

In this study, we used a pair of optical disdrometers, one under and one outside the maize canopy, to measure the drop-size and the velocity distribution of hydrometeors during 12 storms and identified four distinct regions by examining how the fraction of drops recorded on the throughfall changed with respect to the drop diameter. The first region, containing drops with diameters smaller than 0.5 mm, showed an elevated number on the throughfall. Their numbers were comparable to the numbers of drops that lacked enough energy to adhere to the leaf. The second region, featuring drops with diameters larger than 0.5 mm and smaller than 3 mm, had a number ratio very close to the canopy gap fraction, indicating that their most likely origin was direct throughfall. The third region entailed drops with diameters ranging from 3 mm to 5.5 mm that featured a high throughfall to rainfall count ratio, with one of the diameter classes having higher counts under the canopy than outside of it. Through simplified calculations, we showed that drop weights in this region should exceed surface tension forces and lead to their detachment. In the fourth and final region, the throughfall to rainfall ratio decreased converging to the canopy gap fraction. By comparing the number of drops on each of the 440 diameter/velocity classes under and outside of the canopy, we were able to identify preferential drop sizes on the throughfall, i.e. classes of drop diameters with higher drop-size distributions under the canopy. The drop classes presenting higher counts under the canopy had diameters ranging from 3.25 mm to 5.75 mm with velocities between 1.4 m s⁻¹ and 5 m s⁻¹. We were able to trace the origin of those drops to heights of between 0.10 m and 1.05 m within the canopy, confirming that these drops constitute the indirect throughfall. The capability to estimate the detachment height of drops allows us to reconstruct the drop-size distribution at different levels of the canopy and offers unique insight into the mechanics of interception, indirect throughfall formation and re-interception of raindrops by the maize canopy.     

Biogeochemical cycles of nutrients in tropical Eucalyptus plantations: Main features shown by intensive monitoring in Congo and Brazil

The sustainability of fast-growing tropical Eucalyptus plantations is of concern in a context of rising fertilizer costs, since large amounts of nutrients are removed with biomass every 6–7 years from highly weathered soils. A better understanding of the dynamics of tree requirements is required to match fertilization regimes to the availability of each nutrient in the soil. The nutrition of Eucalyptus plantations has been intensively investigated and many studies have focused on specific fluxes in the biogeochemical cycles of nutrients. However, studies dealing with complete cycles are scarce for the Tropics. The objective of this paper was to compare these cycles for Eucalyptus plantations in Congo and Brazil, with contrasting climates, soil properties, and management practices.The main features were similar in the two situations. Most nutrient fluxes were driven by crown establishment the two first years after planting and total biomass production thereafter. These forests were characterized by huge nutrient requirements: 155, 10, 52, 55 and 23 kg ha^?1 of N, P, K, Ca and Mg the first year after planting at the Brazilian study site, respectively. High growth rates the first months after planting were essential to take advantage of the large amounts of nutrients released into the soil solutions by organic matter mineralization after harvesting. This study highlighted the predominant role of biological and biochemical cycles over the geochemical cycle of nutrients in tropical Eucalyptus plantations and indicated the prime importance of carefully managing organic matter in these soils. Limited nutrient losses through deep drainage after clear-cutting in the sandy soils of the two study sites showed the remarkable efficiency of Eucalyptus trees in keeping limited nutrient pools within the ecosystem, even after major disturbances. Nutrient input–output budgets suggested that Eucalyptus plantations take advantage of soil fertility inherited from previous land uses and that long-term sustainability will require an increase in the inputs of certain nutrients.     

Carcass yield and meat quality in broilers fed with canola meal

1. This study evaluated the effects of canola meal in broiler diets on carcass yield, carcass composition, and instrumental and sensory analyses of meat.

2. A total of 320 one-day-old Cobb broilers were used in a 35-d experiment using a completely randomised design with 5 concentrations of canola meal (0, 10, 20, 30 and 40%) as a dietary substitute for soya bean meal.

3. Polynomial regression at 5% significance was used to evaluate the effects of canola meal content. The following variables were measured: carcass yield, chemical composition of meat, and instrumental and sensorial analyses.

4. The results showed that carcass yield exhibited a quadratic effect that was crescent to the level of 18% of canola meal based on the weight of the leg and a quadratic increase at concentrations up to 8.4% of canola meal based on the weight of the chest. The yield of the chest exhibited a linear behaviour.

5. The chemical composition of leg meat, instrumental analysis of breast meat and sensory characteristics of the breast meat was not significantly affected by the inclusion of canola meal. The chemical composition of the breast meat exhibited an increased linear effect in terms of dry matter and ether extract and a decreased linear behaviour in terms of the ash content.

6. In conclusion, soya bean meal can be substituted with canola meal at concentrations up to 20% of the total diet without affecting carcass yield, composition of meat or the instrumental or sensory characteristics of the meat of broilers.     

Use of Cholesterol‐Loaded Cyclodextrin in Donkey Semen Cryopreservation Improves Sperm Viability but Results in Low Fertility in Mares

The use of cholesterol‐loaded cyclodextrin (CLC) on semen cryopreservation has been related with better sperm viability in several species; however, the effect on fertility is not known in donkey semen. Ejaculates (n = 25) from five donkeys were diluted in S‐MEDIUM with 0, 1, 2 or 3 mg of CLC/120 × 10⁶ spermatozoa. Semen was frozen, and thawed samples were evaluated by computer‐assisted sperm analyser system (CASA), supravital test, hyposmotic swelling test and fluorescent dyes to assess the integrity of sperm membranes. Mares (n = 60) were inseminated with frozen‐thawed semen treated with the doses of 0 or 1 mg CLC. Percentages of sperm with progressive motility and with functional plasma membrane were greater (p < 0.05) in the CLC‐treated groups than in the control. Percentages of intact plasma membrane and intact plasma membrane and acrosome detected by fluorescent dyes were also greater (p < 0.05) in CLC‐treated groups. Although no difference (p > 0.05) in conception rates was detected between groups (control, 3/30, 10%; CLC‐treated, 1/30, 3.3%), fertility was low for artificial insemination programs in mares. Therefore, we firstly demonstrated that frozen semen treated with CLC in S‐MEDIA extender before freezing improves the in vitro sperm viability, but semen treated or not with CLC in S‐MEDIUM extender results in a very low conception rate in mares inseminated with thawed donkey semen.     

Rabies virus and Histoplasma suramericanum coinfection in a bat from southeastern Brazil

Bats are essential to the global ecosystem, but their ability to harbour a range of pathogens has been widely discussed, as well as their role in the emergence and re‐emergence of infectious diseases. This paper describes the first report of coinfection by two zoonotic agents, rabies virus (RABV) and the fungus Histoplasma suramericanum in a bat. The bat was from the Molossus molossus species, and it was found during the daytime in the hallway of a public psychiatric hospital in a municipality in São Paulo State, southeastern Brazil. RABV infection was diagnosed by the direct fluorescent antibody test and mouse inoculation test. The fungus was isolated by in vitro culture. Both diagnoses were confirmed by molecular techniques. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the fungus isolate had proximity to H. suramericanum in the Lam B clade, while the RABV isolate was characterized in the Lasiurus cinereus lineage. Since the M. molossus bat was found in a peri‐urban transition area (urban/peri‐urban), the possibility of cross‐species transmission of this RABV lineage becomes more plausible, considering that this scenario may provide shelter for both M. molossus and L. cinereus. These are relevant findings since there has been an increase in bat populations in urban and peri‐urban areas, particularly due to environmental modifications and anthropogenic impacts on their habitat. Thus, the detection of two zoonotic agents in a bat found in a public hospital should raise awareness regarding the importance of systematic surveillance actions directed towards bats in urban areas.     

Zinc and Amino-Acids on the Yield and Nutritional State of Alfalfa Grown in the Tropical Soil

Zinc (Zn) deficiency is common among crops grown in the tropics in acid and weathered soils. In response, the use of amino-acids (AAs) to increase the uptake of this nutrient has been increasing dramatically in recent years. Nevertheless, there is a scarcity of results reported on the effect of applying AAs and adequate quantities of Zn on alfalfa grown under tropical edaphoclimatic conditions. Therefore, a greenhouse experiment was conducted with a completely randomized block in a factorial scheme (4×2) of four Zn rates of 0, 4, 8, and 16 mg kg^?1) with and without spraying of AAs during the sprouting phase, to study the effects on the shoot dry weight (SDW) yield, nutritional state, physiological parameters, and soil fertility. The harvests were repeated over time (three cuts). The SDW yield was significantly influenced up to a rate of 4.0 mg kg^?1 of Zn, after which it stabilized. Independent of the Zn rate, the application of AAs did not influence the SDW yield. Based on the averages for the three cuts, only the Zn rates altered the photosynthesis and chlorophyll content, with no effect of the AAs. The concentrations of Zn in the soil extracted by the Mehlich 1 and diethylenetraminepenta acetic acid (DTPA)- triethanolamine (TEA) methods were strongly and significantly correlated (r = 0.99, P ≤ 0.05) with the Zn rates and the Zn concentrations in the plant tissue. The agronomic, physiological, and zinc use efficiencies diminished with increased Zn rates, while the inverse occurred with the Zn efficiency index.