Investigations of the Distribution and Persistence of Salmonella and Ciprofloxacin‐Resistant Escherichia coli in Turkey Hatcheries in the UK

This study aimed at gaining information on the presence of Salmonella in UK turkey hatcheries and possible epidemiological links between breeding farms, hatcheries and finishing farms. The presence of ciprofloxacin‐resistant E. coli in hatchery samples, as well as in faecal samples from farms, and trends in occurrence of resistance were also investigated. Over a 2 year‐period, four British turkey hatcheries were visited and intensively sampled for the presence of Salmonella and ciprofloxacin‐resistant E. coli. In two hatcheries, a link could be demonstrated between the presence of certain Salmonella serovars in the hatcheries and on breeding and finishing farms. Within the hatcheries, serovars linked to breeding farms were found more frequently in the poult processing and dispatch areas, whereas serovars identified as ‘resident hatchery contaminants’ were predominantly found inside the hatcher cabinets. Ciprofloxacin‐resistant isolates of S. Senftenberg were identified in one hatchery, which coincided with enrofloxacin treatment of some of the breeding flocks. Ciprofloxacin‐resistant E. coli was found in two hatcheries, and the majority of these isolates showed multidrug resistance.     

Effects of Cultivars,Organic Cropping Management,and Environment on Antioxidants in Whole Grain Rice

Whole grain rice contains functional antioxidants such as phenolics, flavonoids (including proanthocyanidins), vitamin E homologs (tocopherols and tocotrienols), and γ‐oryzanol that have positive effects on human health. These antioxidants are secondary metabolites in plants that can be induced under external stress. The objectives of this study were to quantify the effects of cultivars, crop management method (organic and conventional), and growing environment on the concentrations of these antioxidants in whole grain rice. Cultivars and environment contributed to a higher percentage of variation in the concentrations of these antioxidants than did crop management method. Cultivars accounted for a greater proportion of the variation than environment for all traits except total tocotrienols and γ‐oryzanol. Cultivars that are high in concentrations of these antioxidants were identified, but no one cultivar contained the highest concentration of all antioxidants evaluated. These cultivar differences indicate that improvement for phytochemical and antioxidant traits can be accomplished through traditional breeding. Because of the limited effect of crop management on these antioxidants, choice of cultivar should be the focus for organic production of whole grain rice high in these antioxidants.     

Relating tradable credits for biodiversity to sustainability criteria in a dynamic landscape

Tradable biodiversity credit systems provide flexible means to resolve conflicts between development and conservation land-use options for habitats occupied by threatened or endangered species. We describe an approach to incorporate the influence of habitat fragmentation into the conservation value of tradable credits. Habitat fragmentation decreases gene flow, increases rates of genetic drift and inbreeding, and increases probabilities of patch extinction. Importantly, tradable credit systems will change the level of fragmentation over time for small and/or declining populations. We apply landscape equivalency analysis (LEA), a generalizable, landscape-scale accounting system that assigns conservation value to habitat patches based on patch contributions to abundance and genetic variance at landscape scales. By evaluating habitat trades using two models that vary the relationship between dispersal behaviors and landscape patterns, we show that LEA provides a novel method for limiting access to habitat at the landscape-scale, recognizing that the appropriate amount of migration needed to supplement patch recruitment and to offset drift and inbreeding will vary as landscape pattern changes over time. We also found that decisions based on probabilities of persistence alone would ignore changes in migration, genetic drift, and patch extinction that result from habitat trades. The general principle of LEA is that habitat patches traded should make at least equivalent contributions to rates of recruitment and migration estimated at a landscape scale. Traditional approaches for assessing the “take” and “jeopardy” standards under the Endangered Species Act based on changes in abundance and probability of persistence may be inadequate to prevent trades that increase fragmentation.     

ULTRASONOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CISTERNA CHYLI IN EIGHT DOGS AND FOUR CATS

Ultrasonography of the cisterna chyli has been used in humans to diagnose increased lymphatic flow or lymph flow obstruction and to guide percutaneous embolization of the thoracic duct via the cisterna chyli. The aim of this study was to describe the ultrasonographic characteristics of the dorsal portion of cisterna chyli in dogs and cats with chylous ascites or chylothorax and in a group of healthy dogs and cats. The aorta and the cranial mesenteric artery were used as anatomic landmarks. Ultrasonography was performed before and 2 h after a fatty meal in healthy dogs and cats. The visualized structure was confirmed to be a dilated cisterna chyli at necropsy in a dog with chylous ascites. The confirmed or presumed cisterna chyli was consistently detected using ultrasonography in nonfasted healthy animals and clinically affected animals and appeared as an anechoic tubular structure, without detectable flow, at the right dorsolateral aspect of the aorta. It had a similar ultrasonographic appearance in patients with chyloabdomen and in nonfasted healthy dogs and cats. There was considerable overlap in diameters of the cisterna chyli for affected and healthy animals. The shape and size of the cisterna chyli in an individual animal were variable during the same ultrasound examination and between different examinations. This study demonstrated the appearance of the presumed dorsal portion of the cisterna chyli by ultrasonography and might provide useful preliminary data for further studies into the feasibility of ultrasound‐guided injections or aspirations of the cisterna chyli in dogs and cats.     

Effect of Pre‐Treatment of Ovine Sperm on Male Pronuclear Formation and Subsequent Embryo Development Following Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of various methods of sperm pre‐treatment on male pronuclear (MPN) formation and subsequent development of ovine embryos derived from in vitro‐matured oocytes and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). The effect of treatment of injected oocytes with dithiothreitol (DTT) on embryo development was also assessed. In Exp. 1, the injected oocytes with non‐treated sperm were activated with three different procedures. The cleavage and blastocyst rates in those activated with DTT was lower (p < 0.05) than those activated with either ionomycin (Io) + 6‐dimethylaminopurine (6‐DMAP) or DTT + I + 6‐DMAP. In Exp. 2, the effects of sperm pre‐incubated with DTT, sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) or DTT + SDS as well as two‐time frozen/thawed sperm (without cryoprotectant) on MPN formation and oocyte activation were examined. The non‐treated sperm served as controls. The MPN formation in DTT + SDS group was higher (p < 0.05) than other groups except for freeze–thaw group. No difference in the rate of activated ICSI oocytes was observed among groups. In Exp. 3, the effect of pre‐treatment of sperm on subsequent development of ICSI embryos and blastocyst cell numbers were examined. The rates of cleavage and blastocyst formation as well as the blastocyst cell numbers were similar among the pre‐treated and control groups. In conclusion, pre‐treatment of sperm with DTT + SDS positively affected MPN formation, although the subsequent development capacity of the resulting embryos remained limited. Moreover, DTT was not effective on oocyte activation compared with Io + 6‐DMAP after ICSI.     

The effect of lactic acid bacterial starter culture and chemical additives on wilted rice straw silage

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are suitable for rice straw silage fermentation, but have been studied rarely, and rice straw as raw material for ensiling is difficult because of its disadvantages, such as low nutrition for microbial activities and low abundances of natural populations of LAB. So we investigated the effect of application of LAB and chemical additives on the fermentation quality and microbial community of wilted rice straw silage. Treatment with chemical additives increased the concentrations of crude protein (CP), water soluble carbohydrate (WSC), acetic acid and lactic acid, reduced the concentrations of acid detergent fiber (ADF) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF), but did not effectively inhibit the growth of spoilage organisms. Inoculation with LABs did not improve the nutritional value of the silage because of poor growth of LABs in wilted rice straw. Inoculation with LAB and addition of chemical materials improved the quality of silage similar to the effects of addition of chemical materials alone. Growth of aerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria was inhibited by this mixed treatment and the LAB gradually dominated the microbial community. In summary, the fermentation quality of wilted rice straw silage had improved by addition of LAB and chemical materials.