A new Badnavirus species detected in Bougainvillea in Brazil

Badnavirus in Bougainvillea spectabilis showing virus-like symptoms was identified by the presence of bacilliform particles, measuring 125–130 × 30–40 nm in leaf-dip preparations and by analysis of its putative open reading frame 3 sequence. The virus, tentatively named Bougainvillea bacilliform virus (BBV), had the highest identities (up to 60%) with Spiraea yellow leaf spot virus, Gooseberry vein banding associated virus, Taro bacilliform virus, and Citrus yellow mosaic virus. In phylogenetic analysis, BBV clustered with Badnavirus putative species. Attempts to transmit the virus to several hosts failed. This is the first report of a new Badnavirus detected in Bougainvillea.     

Assessment of primers designed for the subspecies-specific discrimination among Babesia canis canis, Babesia canis vogeli and Babesia canis rossi by PCR assay

Canine babesiosis is an infectious disease caused by either Babesia gibsoni or Babesia canis protozoans. The latter is also classified under three different phylogenetic groups, referred to as subspecies B. canis canis, B. canis vogeli and B. canis rossi. The objective of the present study was to validate and standardize a PCR assay to discriminate the organisms at the subspecies level. First, the reference sequences of the 18S rRNA, 5.8S rRNA and 28S rRNA genes, including the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) and 2 (ITS2) of the most common species and subspecies of the genus Babesia were retrieved from the GenBank database. Subspecies-specific primers (BAB3, BAB4 and BAB5) and one genus-specific primer were designed from the alignment of the sequences. The PCR assays were evaluated in three different combinations of primer pairs in order to assure complete specificity for each reaction. The results of the tests had demonstrated effectiveness of the novel primer pairs BAB1/BAB3, BAB1/BAB4 and BAB1/BAB5 for the amplification of the subspecies-specific target fragments of 746 bp (B. c. canis), 546 bp (B. c. vogeli) and 342 bp (B. c. rossi) by PCR. The original enzymatic amplification assays with novel primers reported in this paper were confirmed to be a reliable tool for the specific discrimination among B. canis subspecies by single-step PCR assays.     

Clinical evaluation of protein electrophoresis of cerebral spinal fluid

Protein fractions of cerebral spinal fluid samples were analyzed in an effort to find a reliable, minimally invasive and cost effective method of diagnosing cervical vertebral myelopathy. There were six separate protein fractions analyzed by electrophoresis. In this study we specifically looked for a post beta spike in horses with spinal cord compression. There was no correlation in our study between horses with a post beta spike and CVM as diagnosed by a myelogram.     

Gene pool and connectivity patterns of Pinna nobilis in the Balearic Islands (Spain,Western Mediterranean Sea): Implications for its conservation through restocking

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Use of Hydrodynamic Cavitation for Algae Removal: Effect on the Inactivation of Microalgae Belonging to Genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Scenedesmus</Emphasis>

Excessive algae growth has generated conflicts on the use of water supplies; therefore, the focus on new technologies to remove algae from water bodies is demanding. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of hydrodynamic cavitation on the inactivation of microalgae belonging to genus Scenedesmus. A laboratory-scale experimental apparatus was built in order to accomplish this goal; it consisted of a Venturi device designed to generate the cavitation phenomenon. Suspended microalgae samples were treated for 60 minutes under different cavitation intensities (cavitation number—Cv—ranging from 0.17 to 0.27). Results evidenced that microalgae decay over time can be modeled through first-order kinetics. The maximum removal efficiency (85%) was recorded at the highest cavitation intensity (Cv?=?0.17). The removal efficiency decreased as the cavitation number increased. Hydrodynamic cavitation was effective in inactivating Scenedesmus; it produced irreversible damages to cell morphology such as flotation spines removal, cell wall lesions, cytoplasm extravasation, and cavity formation. Assumingly, hydrodynamic cavitation has great potential to treat eutrophic water bodies. Furthermore, it represents a sustainable removal technique, since it does not produce secondary pollution.     

Prevalence of the causes of fleece derangement among sheep flocks in New South Wales

SUMMARY An investigation of sheep flocks with unknown histories of fleece derangement, selected at random from the main sheep raising areas of New South Wales, showed that Psorergates ovis was present in 53 of the 177 flocks surveyed and In 162 of the 3495 sheep examined. Of the single causes of fleece derangement, the most prevalent was grass seed contamination (15.7%) followed by Infestation with sheep body lice, Bovicola ovis, (14.7%) and Infestation with Itch mite (7.8%). The prevalence of fleece derangement was significantly higher on sheep In which lice were the only ectoparasites found than on those In which Itch mites were the only ectoparasites present. The greatest prevalence of P ovis was In flocks In the Young, Yass, Mudgee and Tenterfield districts. In most affected flocks, more than one potential cause of fleece derangement was present. Itch mite Infestation was more prevalent in flocks that received no treatment for ectoparasites than in those that had been treated in the year preceding the survey. Our results did not support a commonly held belief among farmers that arsenical compounds control Infestations of Itch mites more effectively than other types of pesticides. There was no significant difference in prevalence of fleece derangement between flocks treated with different pesticide groups and those that received no treatment, but mean fleece derangement score was significantly lower in sheep treated with organophosphates than in untreated sheep. Infestations of lice were significantly more prevalent in sheep from flocks treated with synthetic pyrethroids than from those treated with organophosphates or those that received no treatment.     

Pathological Conditions of the Reproductive Organs of Male Stray Dogs in the Tropics: Prevalence, Risk Factors, Morphological Findings and Testosterone Concentrations

The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of and risk factors for pathological conditions of the reproductive organs in stray dogs under tropical conditions. Three hundred and eighteen dogs were examined post-mortem in the period from 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003. Before killing, a blood sample (from the cephalic vein) for testosterone assay was taken. Pathological conditions of the reproductive organs were found in 135 of the dogs (42.5%) and in 175 of the testes (64.8%). The most frequent pathologies found were testicular degeneration, cryptorchidism, testicular hypoplasia and testicular tumours (in 15.1%, 6.6%, 6.6% and 5.4% of the dogs and 15.1, 4.6, 6.0 and 3.5 of the testes, respectively). Transmissible venereal tumour (TVT) was seen in 5.4% of the dogs. Testicular degeneration was more common in old dogs and underweight dogs (p < 0.05). Testicular tumours were 14.3 times more common in cryptorchid dogs. Age was another important factor for the development of testicular tumours (p < 0.05). Lower levels of testosterone concentration (p < 0.05) were observed in dogs with advanced testicular degeneration (0.7 +/- 0.8 nM), dogs with hypoplastic testicles (0.8 +/- 0.9 nM) and dogs with one degenerated and one retained testis or with bilateral cryptorchidism (1.2 +/- 0.9 nM) compared to dogs with one or two normal testes (7.0 +/- 5.5 nM). Testicular volume and weight were significantly lower in degenerated, hypoplastic and retained testes compared with the contralateral normal testis. Some spermatogenic activity was found in three of the retained testes, producing oligozoospermic smears with a high percentage of sperm abnormalities. No comparable epidemiological data about male pathological conditions of the reproductive organs in the dog is available. The prevalence found in this study, yet, appears high.     

Effect of Insemination–Ovulation Interval and Addition of Seminal Plasma on Sow Fertility to Insemination of Cryopreserved Sperm

In swine, the use of frozen-thawed (FT) sperm for artificial insemination (AI) is limited because of poor sow fertility, possibly associated with a post-thaw capacitation-like status resulting in fewer fully viable sperm. Sow fertility to AI with FT sperm may improve with deeper deposition of sperm within the female tract, insemination very close to ovulation, or reversal of cryocapacitation by seminal plasma (SP). We performed two experiments to examine these suggestions. In experiment 1, 122 multiparous Yorkshire sows received 600 IU equine chorionic gonadotrophin at weaning and 5 mg pLH 80 h later to control time of ovulation. The predicted time of ovulation (PTO) was 38 h after pLH injection. Thereafter, sows were assigned on the basis of parity to a single AI of FT sperm at 2 h before PTO, or at 12 h before PTO, or FT sperm supplemented with 10% SP at 12 h before PTO. Control sows received fresh semen at 12 h before PTO. All semen doses were adjusted to 3 x 10(9) live cells and deposited into the cervix. Experiment 2 employed 99 multiparous crossbred sows and repeated the treatments of experiment 1 except that all FT inseminations were intrauterine. In both experiments, farrowing rates were lower (p < 0.01) following FT inseminations with no effect of time of insemination or of supplemental SP. In experiment 1, litter size was smaller following FT insemination (p < 0.05), but no effect on litter size was evident in experiment 2. Supplemental SP had no effect on litter size in either experiment. The lack of effect of either SP or timing of FT insemination on sow fertility suggests that the non-lethal sperm cryoinjury affecting fertility involves more than just cryocapacitation.     

Dermal and serological response against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in sheep bred for resistance and susceptibility to fleece-rot

Genetically select lines of Merino sheep have been bred at Trangie (NSW Agriculture and Fisheries) for resistance (R) or susceptibility (S) to fleece-rot and flystrike. It is believed that fleece characters are primarily responsible for the R or S phenotype. When transferred to the wetter coastal environment of Sydney, R and S sheep with no more than 6 weeks wool cover, continued to show significant differences in the incidence and severity of fleece-rot dermatitis. To test the hypothesis that these sheep might also exhibit differences in their local skin reactions and immune responsiveness, 3 intradermal injections of killed Pseudomonas aeruginosa were administered at monthly intervals. After primary intradermal challenge, R sheep had a higher incidence of skin induration and a stronger inflammatory response (increased induration diameter) than S sheep. Compared to S sheep, R sheep also developed higher levels of circulating antibodies against whole cell antigen and both inner and outer membrane proteins of P. aeruginosa. These responses were maintained in R sheep with each consecutive challenge while S sheep showed a decline in their immune responsiveness. Differences in antibody response against outer membrane proteins were also detected when antigenically naive sheep from each genetic line were sensitised by epicutaneous challenge with P. aeruginosa under experimental wetting conditions. Intradermal challenge of these animals 6 months later with outer membrane proteins, revealed a late maximum (72 h) in the development of induration diameters for R sheep while S animals showed maximal induration diameters by 24 h. However, there was no significant difference in induration response between 24 h and 72 h within each group of sheep.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Serum immunoglobulin concentrations in genetically different types of suckling beef calves in a tropical environment

Factors influencing the serum concentrations of gamma-globulin (gamma-G) during the neonatal period were studied in Shorthorn x Hereford (SH), Africander x SH and Brahman x SH calves born to cows grazing in a tropical environment. There were no significant effects of age of dam, sex or breed of calf on the gamma-G concentrations of calves from birth to 48 hours of age. Concentrations of gamma-G fell within two ranges: group A, 10 to 20 g/l and group B, 35 to 70 g/l. The number of calves in each group was not significantly different between breeds and overall 30% of calves were in group A. Body weight gain from birth to 10-day-old was greater (P less than 0.01) in calves in group B than in group A. Plasma cholesterol concentrations in 10-day-old calves were higher in group B than in group A calves supporting the interpretation that group B calves had higher milk intakes. Identification of calves receiving adequate amounts of colostrum has fundamental significance for the efficient production of cattle in the tropics.