Biodegradation of the fungicide iprodione by Zygosaccharomyces rouxii strain DBVPG 6399

Iprodione is a contact fungicide used to control several pathogens such as Botrytis cinerea, Monilia, and Sclerotinia. This paper reports the ability of an iprodione-resistant strain of Zygosaccharomyces rouxii to degrade iprodione at a concentration of 1 mg L(-1). The yeast Z. rouxii was chosen also for its ability to grow at high osmolarity. Also of note is that in bioremediation situations and in the food industry such resistance could be important. The kinetic and metabolic behaviors of the fungicide in the media are described. The results show a new transformation pathway of iprodione by the yeast leading to the formation of N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-2,4-dioxoimidazoline, 3-isopropylhydantoin, and 3,5-dichloroaniline. These compounds were identified by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and GC-MS analyses. This study provides a basis to employ yeast strains in biodegradation studies in relation to their ability in the disappearance and degradation of xenobiotics into simpler molecules.     

Metal ions restore the proteolytic resistance of denatured conglutin gamma, a lupin seed glycoprotein, by promoting its refolding

The susceptibility to trypsin of conglutin gamma, a lupin seed glycoprotein affected by this enzyme only when in a non-native conformation, was used to study the effect of Zn(2+) and other metal ions on the structural dynamics of the protein. When acid-treated trypsin-susceptible conglutin gamma was incubated at neutral pH in the presence of Zn(2+), it became resistant to tryptic attack, contrary to the protein treated in the absence of Zn(2+). The time course of this refolding event has been quantitatively evaluated by SDS-PAGE. Amino acid sequencing of the major polypeptide fragments, produced by trypsin before completion of the refolding process, indicated that only a few cleavable bonds were accessible to the enzyme. This suggested that the presence of metal ions affected the pathway of degradation of the protein, by inducing its folding. Among the other metal ions tested, Ni(2+) also promoted the adoption of a trypsin-resistant conformation of conglutin gamma, whereas Mn(2+) and Ca(2+) had only much lower effects. The relevance of these findings for a deeper understanding of the in vivo degradation of plant food proteins and how it is affected by metal ions are discussed.     

Environmental biogeochemistry of mercury in Antarctic ecosystems

Polar regions are recognized as important sinks for long-range transport and deposition of Hg derived from natural and anthropogenic sources at lower latitudes. In previous studies we found enhanced Hg accumulation in soils, mosses and lichens from ice-free areas of Victoria Land facing the Terra Nova Bay coastal polynya. This study extends research to the distribution of organic C, total N, S, Hg, Al and Fe in surface soils, cyanobacterial mats and short sediment cores from four lacustrine ecosystems, each with different environmental characteristics and varying distances from the polynya. Results show that planktonic and benthic mats from lakes, along with mosses in the watershed, are the main sinks for Hg in summer meltwater. The C-normalized Hg concentrations in short sediment cores were higher in samples from lakes more exposed to marine aerosols from the coastal polynya. Reactive halogens in the aerosol promote the oxidation and deposition of atmospheric Hg in coastal ecosystems. The analysis of sediment cores did not reveal increasing Hg concentrations in recent sediments, except in the Lake 14 at Edmonson Point. The latter ice-free area is unaffected by the polynya and the increase in Hg concentrations in surface sediments could be due to local changes in lake water level and S biogeochemistry. Although change in sea ice coverage may enhance the role of Antarctic coastal ecosystems as sink in the global Hg cycle, our results seem to exclude possible risks for Antarctic terrestrial and freshwater organisms.     

ULTRASONOGRAPHIC FINDINGS IN 38 HORSES WITH SEPTIC ARTHRITIS/TENOSYNOVITIS

Septic arthritis/tenosynovitis in the horse can have life‐threatening consequences. The purpose of this cross‐sectional retrospective study was to describe ultrasound characteristics of septic arthritis/tenosynovitis in a group of horses. Diagnosis of septic arthritis/tenosynovitis was based on historical and clinical findings as well as the results of the synovial fluid analysis and/or positive synovial culture. Ultrasonographic findings recorded were degree of joint/sheath effusion, degree of synovial membrane thickening, echogenicity of the synovial fluid, and presence of hyperechogenic spots and fibrinous loculations. Ultrasonographic findings were tested for dependence on the cause of sepsis, time between admission and beginning of clinical signs, and the white blood cell counts in the synovial fluid. Thirty‐eight horses with confirmed septic arthritis/tenosynovitis of 43 joints/sheaths were included. Degree of effusion was marked in 81.4% of cases, mild in 16.3%, and absent in 2.3%. Synovial thickening was mild in 30.9% of cases and moderate/severe in 69.1%. Synovial fluid was anechogenic in 45.2% of cases and echogenic in 54.8%. Hyperechogenic spots were identified in 32.5% of structures and fibrinous loculations in 64.3%. Relationships between the degree of synovial effusion, degree of the synovial thickening, presence of fibrinous loculations, and the time between admission and beginning of clinical signs were identified, as well as between the presence of fibrinous loculations and the cause of sepsis (P ≤ 0.05). Findings indicated that ultrasonographic findings of septic arthritis/tenosynovitis may vary in horses, and may be influenced by time between admission and beginning of clinical signs.     

Consumer Preferences for Farmed Seafood: An Italian Case Study

ABSTRACT

European consumers prefer wild over farmed aquatic food and consider it healthier and tastier. Consumers are increasingly paying attention to sustainability and welfare of farmed fish. Such expectations might be met by organic certification, but this represents a cost for the producer. It is crucial to know consumer habits about farmed aquatic food consumption and willingness to pay for certification. Data about Italian consumers’ preferences regarding farmed organic aquatic food were collected by an online questionnaire. A total of 8,657 answers were analyzed, patterns associated with demographics were investigated, and the degree of correlation among answers was calculated. The majority (75%) of family units buy less than 2 kg of farmed aquatic food per month, spending on average 20–50 €. About 40% never consume organic aquaculture products because of lack of knowledge, unavailability, and high price. Slightly over half (55%) of consumers, regardless of age, sex, and area, were willing to pay a premium price for organic-certified aquatic food, seen as antibiotic free, traceable, and sustainable. Organic food in general is well known, and distrust is the main reason that consumers avoid it, while organic aquatic food is still in its infancy, and lack of knowledge is associated with low consumption.     

Pulmonary rhodococcosis in a cat

Feline Rhodococcus equi infection is rare, despite the bacteria is widespread in the environment. R equi infection is typically observed in equine species but the infection has also been reported in dogs, cats and other domestic animals. There are a few reports regarding pulmonary R equi infection in cats and the disease appears to be limited to the skin and the subcutaneous tissue. This report describes the pathological, microbiological and the virulence features associated with an acute necrosuppurative pneumonia in a cat. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of feline pulmonary R equi infection in Italy.     

Evaluation of risk and vulnerability using a Disease Flow Centrality measure in dynamic cattle trade networks

A new method for the calculation of a centrality measure (Disease Flow Centrality, DFC), which takes into account temporal dynamics of livestock movement networks, is proposed. The method is based on a network traversal algorithm which represents an epidemic process more realistically compared with traditional graph traversal algorithms used in the calculation of centrality measures on static networks. The new approach was tested on networks generated from all the registered movements of cattle in Italy in the years 2007, 2008 and 2009 and the results were compared to those obtained by classical centrality measures. The results show that DFC values often differ substantially from those of other centrality measures and that these DFC values tend to be more unstable in time. The DFC offers several advantages for assessing risk and vulnerability of specific holdings and of an entire network, using recent movement data from national livestock databases. Some examples also indicate how the basic approach in the DFC calculation could be expanded into a more complex epidemic model by incorporating weights and how it could be combined with a geo-spatial perspective.     

Urine sampling for real-time polymerase chain reaction based diagnosis of canine leishmaniasis.

A real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was used for quantifying Leishmania infantum DNA in urine samples from naturally infected dogs. Forty-one infected dogs were divided into 3 groups: 22 dogs showing only cutaneous signs (group 1), 12 dogs showing hematuria (group 2), and 7 dogs affected by severe nephropathy (group 3). Groups 2 and 3 dogs showed altered laboratory parameters related to an impairment of renal function. The real-time PCR analysis showed higher levels of Leishmania DNA in the lymph node aspirates from all groups of infected dogs versus those measured in their blood or urine. Interestingly, urine samples from dogs belonging to groups 2 and 3 contained a higher Leishmania DNA load than that detected in their blood. This finding suggests that a real-time PCR analysis of urine from infected dogs could be a useful and noninvasive tool for monitoring the severity of leishmaniasis.