Evidence for widespread Leishmania infantum infection among wild carnivores in L. infantum periendemic northern Spain

Leishmania spp. infection was investigated in tissue samples of wild carnivores from the Spanish Basque Country (BC), by PCR and DNA sequencing. The region is at the northern periphery of Leishmania infantum endemic Iberian Peninsula and infection in the dog (reservoir) or other species has not been previously reported. Leishmania kinetoplast DNA was detected by real-time PCR (rtPCR) in 28% (44/156) of animals. Specifically, in 26% of Eurasian badgers (n = 53), 29% of foxes (n = 48), 29% of stone martens (n = 21) and in 25–50% of less numerous species including genets, wild cats, pole cats, European mink and weasels. Infected animals particularly badgers, were most prevalent in the southernmost province of the BC (Araba) in areas dominated by arable land. Subsequent amplification and sequencing of a fragment of the rRNA internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) from a subset of rtPCR positives samples confirmed the species as L. infantum, showing a high sequence homogeneity with ITS2 sequences of L. infantum from dogs and humans from southern Spain. In summary, this study reports for the first time L. infantum infection in wild carnivores from the BC including in stone martens, pole cats and minks in which infection has not been previously described. It supports the need to study infection in dogs and people in this region and is an example of the value of infection surveillance in wildlife to assess potential risks in the domestic environment and their role in spreading infections in non-endemic areas.     

Efficacy of formic acid in gel for Varroa control in Apis mellifera L.: importance of the dispenser position inside the hive

The efficacy of formic acid in a gel matrix was evaluated in two groups of honeybee colonies. In Group 1, a dispenser with 120 g of formic acid (70%) in gel was placed on the brood combs and another dispenser with the same dose was located on the hive bottom (total dose, 240 g). Group 2 received two doses of 240 g of formic acid (70%) in gel and each application was applied in two dispensers containing 120 g of the formic acid solution each and they were located over the brood chamber (total dose, 480 g). In Group 2, the period between both applications was 15 days, and the efficacies after the first and both applications were calculated. Significant differences were registered for final efficacy between both groups. When final efficacy of Group 1 was compared with efficacy after first application of Group 2, significant differences were found (P=0.0005). Same doses in different positions within the hive have different final efficacy. The higher efficacy was registered when the dispensers were placed over brood combs and on the hive bottom. It is suggested that efficacy is related to dispenser position within the hive.     

The Effect of Chromosome 1B/1R Translocation on the Yield Potential of Certain Spring Wheats (Triticum aestivum L.)

Nearly 50 percent of the 1988 advanced breeding lines of the CIMMYT bread wheat breeding program possess the 1B/1R homozygous translocation. Hence, a trial was conducted to estimate the effect of 1B/1R chromosome translocation on the yield potential of some of our high-yielding spring wheats, where non-limiting levels of fertility, moisture, preventive pest and disease programs were used. In conclusing the 1B/1R lines seemed to have increased their above-ground biomass yield, number of spikes per meter², 1000-grain weight and test weight. They also exhibited a slight advantage over the 1B homozygous lines on grain yield. The observed difference, however, was non-significant, as was the plant height difference observed among the two groups. Varietal comparisons indicated that the 1B/1R group headed later than the 1B group.     

The measurements of acid detergent fibre in rapeseed by visible and near-infrared spectroscopy

Visible and near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) calibrations for acid detergent fibre (ADF) in intact rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) were performed for two different sample volumes (10 ml, 500 seeds approximately; and 1 ml, 50 seeds approximately). The inclusion of brown and yellow‐seeded cultivars in this work has allowed the whole range of ADF currently described in the literature for this character to be covered. Chemometric techniques have been used for developing calibration equations for both procedures when measuring the two different seed sample volumes. On the basis of the coefficient of determination in the cross‐validation (R²cv) obtained for the 10 and 1 ml assays (0.80 and 0.73), and SECV/SEL ratios (2.30 and 2.57), respectively, both equations showed an accuracy sufficient for screening purposes in an ADF range from 6.80 to 13.46% dry wt, which is presented in this work.     

Human voice recognition depends on language ability

The ability to recognize people by their voice is an important social behavior. Individuals differ in how they pronounce words, and listeners may take advantage of language-specific knowledge of speech phonology to facilitate recognizing voices. Impaired phonological processing is characteristic of dyslexia and thought to be a basis for difficulty in learning to read. We tested voice-recognition abilities of dyslexic and control listeners for voices speaking listeners' native language or an unfamiliar language. Individuals with dyslexia exhibited impaired voice-recognition abilities compared with controls only for voices speaking their native language. These results demonstrate the importance of linguistic representations for voice recognition. Humans appear to identify voices by making comparisons between talkers' pronunciations of words and listeners' stored abstract representations of the sounds in those words.     

Effect of aging on lees and of three different dry yeast derivative products on Verdejo white wine composition and sensorial characteristics

A study was made of the effect of aging on lees and of three different commercial yeast derivative products of different composition and degree of purification on the phenolic compounds, color, proteins, polysaccharides, and sensorial characteristics of white wines. The results obtained showed that the lees and yeast derivative products can interact or adsorb some of the phenolic compounds present in wines, reducing their concentration. This reduction depends on the treatment applied, the phenolic compound analyzed, and the stage of vinification or aging process. The use of lees and yeast derivative products can reduce the color intensity and the browning of the wines immediately following treatment. The monosaccharide and polysaccharide content of yeast derivative products depends on the manufacturing process and degree of purification of the product, both of which have an influence on wine treatments. After 6 months in the bottle, both the aging on lees and the treatment with commercial yeast derivative products gave rise to wines with better sensorial characteristics than in the case of the control wines.     

An analytical method for the simultaneous determination of butachlor and benoxacor in wheat and soil

Butachlor is a chloroacetanilide herbicide successfully employed in weeding some important crops, and benoxacor is a safening compound able to induce the enzymatic mechanism of chloroacetanilide detoxification in plants. A practical method for a simultaneous detection of butachlor and benoxacor residues in wheat and in soil is described. The procedure can be performed by GC and HPLC. They were extracted with methanol and cleaned up by solid phase extraction (SPE). The analytes were satisfactorily separated via both GC and HPLC techniques, and no interferences were observed coming from plant or soil matrixes or reagents. The limit of quantitation was found to be 5.0 ng by GC and 20.0 ng by HPLC for butachlor and 2.5 ng by GC and 15.0 ng by HPLC for benoxacor. Butachlor recovery tests ranged from 85.4% to 91.7% in wheat shoots and 84.0% to 93.2% in soil; benoxacor recovery tests ranged from 86.5% to 90.8% in wheat shoots and 85.7% to 90.7% in soil. The reproducibility and the accuracy make this method a selective and sensitive tool for routine analyses.     

Contribution of the phenolic fraction to the antioxidant activity and oxidative stability of olive oil

Antioxidant activity of the phenolic fraction of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) was measured by means of a chemical and an electrochemical method. Both methods were tested in predicting the oxidative spoilage and stability to oxidation of 22 EVOO samples and resulted correlated with peroxide values and oxidative stability measured by Rancimat. The main phenolic compounds of EVOOs were detected by HRGC. To study the contribution of single polyphenols (PPs) to antioxidant activity of phenolic fraction and oxidative stability of EVOOs, multivariate statistical analyses were applied on HRGC data. An isomer of oleuropein aglycon was shown to affect significantly antioxidant activity of phenolic fraction but not oil stability to oxidation. No individual compounds was identified as the main cause of the overall antioxidant activity, and the total polyphenol determination by the Folin reagent was better correlated to antioxidant activity and oxidative stability than each tested PP or PPs groups such as o-diphenols.     

Comparison among differential pulse voltammetry, amperometric biosensor, and HPLC/DAD analysis for polyphenol determination

Polyphenols are widespread in vegetables and fruits. They can play an important role in human diet and health, and they influence the sensorial properties of many foods, and act as natural antioxidants. This study was conducted using HPLC/DAD, tyrosinase biosensor, and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) analyses to detect polyphenolic compounds in natural complex matrices. The analyses were applied to a series of both standards and natural extracts derived from grape, olives, and green tea. The pure compounds include phenolic acids, flavones, flavonols, catechins, tannins, and oleuropein. HPLC/DAD, DPV, and the biosensor approach were used as independent analytical techniques. Bare graphite screen-printed electrodes were employed in DPV and in the biosensor analysis. The most accurate data were obtained by HPLC/DAD analysis, while the DPV approach using screen-printed electrodes could represent a quick screening method for the determination of polyphenols in natural extracts. Use of the biosensor for the analysis of complex matrices needs further study in order to improve its performance.