Tentative analysis of the interceptions of non‐indigenous organisms in Europe during 1995–20041

We analysed the notifications of non‐compliance reported by EPPO for 29 European countries for the period 1995–2004. Although gaps probably existed for some of these countries, a total of 8889 interceptions of non‐indigenous pests were reported, among which insects were largely dominant (75.9%) followed by nematodes (11.7%). Pests came predominantly from Asia (38.2%) but intra‐European exchanges contributed roughly the same proportion of pests (33.2%). The predominant commodities on which pests arrived were cut flowers (22.3%), plants for planting and potted plants (19.1%) and vegetables (18.7%) but bonsais (8.6%) appeared to contribute more than wood/bark (3.7%) and wood derivates (2.3%). Among the intercepted insects, two orders were quite equally dominant, Diptera (30.7% of which 66.7% of agromyzids) and Homoptera (30.0% among which 82.7% of aleyrodids), far above Coleoptera (17.8% of which 28.1% of cerambycids) and Lepidoptera (9.3% of which 72.6% of noctuids). The intercepted insect species reported as identified with certainty constituted a list of 302 entities, Bemisia tabaci (Aleyrodidae) and Liriomyza huidobrensis (Agromyzidae) showing the largest number of individuals. The discrepancies observed for some species between a limited number of interceptions and their effective establishment in Europe (e.g. only 1 interception for the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera) could be useful for identifying the invasion pathways.     

Surgical treatment of lumbosacral instability caused by discospondylitis in four dogs

OBJECTIVE: To describe a surgical technique involving distraction and stabilization of the lumbo-sacral vertebral segment using an external skeletal fixator in dogs with lumbosacral instability caused by discospondylitis. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective clinical study. ANIMALS: Four client-owned dogs. METHODS: Medical records of all dogs diagnosed with discospondylitis from 1994 to 1997 were identified and reviewed. Four dogs with lumbosacral discospondylitis requiring surgical treatment were then specifically studied. Surgical technique, clinical signs, preoperative diagnostic investigation, radiographic findings, and the results of short-term and long-term reevaluations were recorded. RESULTS: Twelve dogs with discospondylitis were identified, 4 of which had lumbosacral discospondylitis. These 4 dogs underwent surgical distraction and stabilization because they failed to respond to medical treatment. Three dogs received a cancellous bone graft between L7 and S1 and had rapid interbody fusion of this vertebral segment. The dog that did not receive a graft did not have interbody fusion at the time of fixator removal. This did not affect the final clinical outcome. Lumbosacral pain and neurological deficits present before surgery rapidly subsided after the procedure. All dogs received concurrent antibiotic treatment for a minimum of 4 weeks. All dogs were clinically normal at the time of fixator removal and all continued to do well during the follow-up period (8-48 months; mean, 27.5 months). CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Lumbosacral discospondylitis may not respond well to conservative treatment because of the mobility of the affected space. Surgical treatment involving distraction and stabilization to obtain intervertebral fusion is very effective in treating lumbosacral instability caused by discospondylitis.     

Genetic variation of foot-and-mouth disease virus isolates recovered from persistently infected water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)

Genetic variation of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) isolates, serotype O, recovered serially over a 1-year period from persistently infected buffalos was assessed. The persistent state was established experimentally with plaque-purified FMDV, strain O(1)Campos, in five buffalos (Bubalus bubalis). Viral isolates collected from esophageal-pharyngeal (EP) fluids for up to 71 weeks after infection were analyzed at different times by nucleotide sequencing and T(1) RNase oligonucleotide fingerprinting to assess variability in the VP1-coding region and in the complete genome, respectively. Genetic variation increased, although irregularly, with time after infection. The highest values observed for the VP1-coding region and for the whole genome were 2.5% and 1.8%, respectively. High rates of fixation of mutations were observed using both methodologies, reaching values of 0.65 substitutions per nucleotide per year (s/nt/y) and 0.44s/nt/y for nucleotide sequencing and oligonucleotide fingerprinting, respectively, when selected samples recovered at close time periods were analyzed. The data herein indicate that complex mixtures of genotypes may arise during FMDV type O persistent infection in water buffalos, which can act as viral reservoirs and also represent a potential source of viral variants. These results fit within the quasi-species dynamics described for FMDV, in which viral populations are constituted by related, non-identical genomes that evolve independently from each other, and may predominate at a given time.     

Effects of genetic and environmental factors on chronic lower airway disease in horses

Background : Environment and genetics influence the manifestation of recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), but the associations of specific factors with mild, moderate, and severe clinical signs are unknown.
Hypothesis : We hypothesized that sire, feed, bedding, time outdoors, sex, and age are associated with clinical manifestations of mild, moderate, and severe lower airway disease.
Animals : Direct offspring of 2 RAO-affected Warmblood stallions (F1S1, n = 172; F1S2, n = 135); maternal half-siblings of F1S1 (mHSS1, n = 66); and an age-matched, randomly chosen control group (CG, n = 33).
Methods : A standardized questionnaire was used to assess potential risk factors and to establish a horse owner assessed respiratory signs index (HOARSI 1–4, from healthy to severe) according to clinical signs of lower airway disease.
Results : More F1S1 and F1S2 horses showed moderate to severe clinical signs (HOARSI 3 and HOARSI 4 combined, 29.6 and 27.3%, respectively) compared with CG and mHSS1 horses (9.1 and 6.2%, respectively; contingency table overall test, P < .001). Sire, hay feeding, and age (in decreasing order of strength) were associated with more severe clinical signs (higher HOARSI), more frequent coughing, and nasal discharge.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance : There is a genetic predisposition and lesser but also marked effects of hay feeding and age on the manifestation of moderate to severe clinical signs, most markedly on coughing frequency. In contrast, mild clinical signs were not associated with sire or hay feeding in our populations.     

A comparison of mortality rates between top height trees and average site trees

? Although comparisons between methods of selecting trees for site index estimates are well documented in the literature, little is known on mortality rates of different canopy tree cohorts used for that purpose.

? This study was initiated to test the hypothesis that the mortality rates of top height trees are lower than those of codominants only or a combination of codominant and dominant trees. To test this hypothesis, we used records from a network of permanent sample plots in Québec and studied the fate of different cohorts of site trees for five different species.

? Our results did not show clear evidence of lower mortality rates for top height trees. Instead we found that depending on the species, top height trees have lower (Populus tremuloides, Pinus banksiana), higher (Picea mariana, Abies balsamea) or equal mortality rates (Betula papyrifera) than codominant trees or codominant and dominant trees combined.

? These results suggest a tendency for shade intolerant species to maintain lower top height tree mortality rates over time when compared to shade tolerant species. In the latter case, it is also shown that spruce budworm epidemics (Choristoneura fumiferana) did not change the pattern of mortality rates of site trees of A. balsamea.

     

Mixing history affects gluten protein recovery, purity, and glutenin re-assembly capacity from optimally developed flour–water batters

Batters, from three wheat cultivars, were mixed up to their maximal consistency (t_peak) at different mixing speeds (N) and flour/water ratios [Auger, F., Morel, M.H., Lefebvre, J., Dewilde, M., Redl, A., 2008. A parametric and microstructural study of the formation of gluten network in mixed flour–water batter. Journal of Cereal Science 48, 349–358]. Gluten and starch were extracted from those batters using a process which included two successive steps: dilution and sieving. In order to reveal the specific influence of the mixing step, a standardized gentle washing and sieving procedure was selected. Mixing the batters at t_peak guaranteed a high and stable gluten protein recovery (ca. 82%) irrespective of mixing conditions. SE-HPLC analysis of protein, from flours and batters sampled at t_peak, demonstrated that mixing led to the almost total breakdown of the unextractable glutenin polymers (ca. 80%), whereas their re-assembly occurred during gluten extraction. The extent of glutenin re-assembly in gluten was influenced by the batter mixing history and was mainly related to the number of mixing rotations (N.t_peak). Gluten protein contents were also found related to N.t_peak. We proposed that the leaching of starch from the batter during gluten extraction was controlled by the elasticity of the protein network, i.e. the gluten content in unextractable glutenin. An innovating scheme relating the glutenin re-assembly capacity to the irreversible thiol protein oxidation is proposed.     

Cultivation of three color strains of Gracilaria domingensis in an integrated organic system

Species of the genus Gracilaria are widely distributed around the world, and many are wild harvested and cultivated for phycocolloid production (agar) and human food. This study investigated the growth performance of three color strains of Gracilaria domingensis in an integrated organic system. The three chromatic variants (red, green, and brown) were cultured in a shrimp farm at two depths (surface and 20 cm). The highest relative growth rates were obtained in the first week of cultivation for all three strains studied. Although the growth rates and biomass were slightly higher at a depth of 20 cm, significant differences were not observed at different depths (p < 0.05). The growth of the three strains varied significantly over time (p < 0.001). The maximal growth values obtained were 11.25 ± 1.50% day−1 (red), 12.76 ± 3.96% day−1 (green), and 7.86 ± 1.75% day−1 (brown). The mean growth rates for the whole period were 4.63 ± 6.97, 3.38 ± 9.09, and 2.16 ± 6.61% day−1 for the red, green, and brown strains, respectively. The pigment content (chlorophyll a, phycocyanin, and phycoerythrin) of the three strains studied was higher at a depth of 20 cm, while the maximum electron transport rate (ETRmax) and photosynthetic efficiency were higher at the surface. The high growth rates obtained in this study demonstrate the great potential of this species for integrated organic farming. Moreover, the ecological success shown by the red strain suggests that this strain is the most suitable for integrated cultivation.