Selenium nutrition of hybrid striped bass (Morone chrysops × M. saxatilis) bioavailability, toxicity and interaction with vitamin E

Two concurrent 12-week feeding trials were conducted to evaluate the bioavailability of inorganic sodium selenite and organic seleno-DL-methionine and to investigate the potential interaction between selenium and vitamin E in juvenile hybrid striped bass. In experiment 1, purified diets utilizing casein, gelatin and an amino acid premix as protein sources with a basal selenium concentration of 0.11 mg Se   kg⁻¹ were supplemented with either Na₂SeO₃ to provide selenium concentrations of 1.19, 2.00, 5.17 and 21.23 mg Se kg⁻¹ or with seleno-DL-methionine to provide 0.90, 1.26 and 2.55 mg Se kg⁻¹ and fed to juvenile hybrid striped bass in aquaria. A second experiment evaluated potential interactions by feeding these purified diets with or without supplemental vitamin E or sodium selenite, singularly or in combination. No overt selenium deficiency signs were exhibited by fish in either of the experiments; however, signs of selenium toxicity including retarded weight gain (WG), reduced feed intake and feed efficiency ratio (FER) as well as increased mortality, were observed in fish fed the diet containing more than 20 mg Se kg⁻¹. Whole-body selenium and whole-body selenium retention were linearly influenced by sodium selenite and selenomethionine. However, there was no significant effect of dietary selenium, vitamin E or their interaction on WG, FER and survival. Slope-ratio analysis showed that bioavailability of seleno-DL-methionine as a selenium source for juvenile hybrid striped bass was significantly ( P  < 0.01) higher (3.3-fold) than sodium selenite.     

Assessing the abundance and distribution of eggs of sardine, Sardinops sagax, and round herring, Etrumeus whiteheadi, on the western Agulhas Bank, South Africa, using a continuous, underway fish egg sampler

A continuous, underway fish egg sampler (CUFES) was employed to assess the abundance and distribution of eggs of both sardine, Sardinops sagax , and round herring, Etrumeus whiteheadi , on the Western Agulhas Bank, South Africa, during September 1996. Samples were collected while underway along six inshore/offshore transects, and at stations along the transects. Volumetric estimates of egg density (eggs m⁻³) from on-station CUFES samples were highly correlated with both volumetric and areal (eggs m⁻²) estimates of egg density from samples collected from CalVET net hauls at these stations, demonstrating the validity of this novel sampling technique. Sardine and round herring eggs were encountered in a band running parallel to the coast and extending from 10 to 30 nautical miles offshore to the shelf edge, and highest egg densities were associated with strong north-west-flowing currents in the region of the shelf edge. Collecting samples while underway increased the precision of the estimate of mean egg density for sardine eggs but not for round herring eggs. The use of CUFES in obtaining a fine-scale resolution of sardine egg distribution, and as a tool for stock assessment, are discussed.     

Ultrasound Confirmation of Ovulation in Mares: A Normal Corpus Luteum or a Haemorrhagic Anovulatory Follicle?

The most common pathological anovulatory condition that occurs spontaneously during the breeding season in the mare is the haemorrhagic anovulatory follicle (HAF). A relatively high proportion of mares, soon after ovulation, develop a corpus haemorrhagicum (CH) with a central lacuna. This type of corpora lutea may resemble an HAF, which may complicate the accurate diagnosis of ovulation. The main objective of this study was to compare the ultrasound data of mares examined frequently with HAFs and CHs to elucidate whether it is possible to distinguish them from each other. A total of 135 ovulating mares were classified according to the morphology of the corpus luteum (CL) in mares with: a solid CL, a CH with small or with large central cavities. Ultrasound characteristics of the development of 11 HAF and 13 CHs with a large central cavity were compared. The pre‐ovulatory follicular diameter of ovulatory mares was significantly correlated with the diameter of CH with large central cavities. The percentage of mares with post‐ovulatory areas eligible to be mistaken with a CH was <25%. Although a predictive diagnosis of an HAF/CH can be made on the basis of several ultrasonographic endpoints, the only parameter that allows a definitive diagnosis is the thickness of the luteal border. This is <3 mm in HAFs in contrast to >5 mm in CHs. However, this only applies when the unidentified structure has non‐organized contents.     

Chloramphenicol 4. Responsible topical use in ophthalmology

Chloramphenicol has gained widespread use in the topical treatment of ocular infections. The rationale for this use was based on the ability of chloramphenicol to penetrate the cornea and enter the anterior segment, together with its broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity. However, routine use in corneal ulceration or keratitis is not desirable. Hypopyon, when present, is usually sterile. Concerns about human exposure to chloramphenicol and its recent prohibition of use in food-producing animals, raise the need to review its indications and discuss alternatives. The role of chloramphenicol in ocular therapeutics is examined in this article.     

Effects of meiotic inhibitors and gonadotrophins on porcine oocytes in vitro maturation,fertilization and development

This study evaluated the effect of three reversible meiotic inhibitors (MINs) and their interaction with gonadotrophins (Gns) on the meiotic maturation and developmental competence of porcine oocytes. In experiment 1, the oocytes were matured for 22 hr in the presence or absence of dbcAMP (1 mM), cycloheximide (7 μM) or cilostamide (20 μM) with or without Gns, and for an additional 22 hr in the absence of MINs and Gns. At 22 hr of maturation, regardless of the presence of Gns, a higher proportion (p < .001) of oocytes cultured in the presence of MINs were effectively arrested at the germinal vesicle stage compared with the oocytes cultured without MINs. At 44 hr of maturation, the proportion of oocytes that reached MII was higher (p < .05) in groups with Gns compared with groups without Gns. In experiment 2, oocytes that were matured as in experiment 1 were inseminated and cultured for 7 days to evaluate fertilization parameters and blastocyst formation. Only oocytes from the dbcAMP + Gns group had higher (p < .05) efficiency of fertilization compared with the other treatment groups. The presence of dbcAMP during maturation also increased (p < .05) blastocyst formation and efficiency of blastocyst formation in both the presence and absence of Gns. These results indicate that the interaction of Gns with the tested MINs improved meiotic progression. In addition, regardless of supplementation with Gns, the presence of dbcAMP during the first maturation period increased and even doubled the capacity of oocytes to develop to the blastocyst stage.     

Prevalence of Bartonella species,Rickettsia felis,haemoplasmas and the Ehrlichia group in the blood of cats and fleas in eastern Australia

Objectives To define the prevalence of Bartonella spp., Rickettsia felis, Mycoplasma haemofelis, ‘Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum’ (Mhm) and ‘Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis’ (Mtc) in cats and their fleas in eastern Australia. Design and procedure Conventional PCR assays that detect Bartonella spp., M. haemofelis, Mhm, Mtc, Rickettsia spp., Ehrlichia spp., Anaplasma spp. and Neorickettsia spp. were performed on DNA extracted from blood and fleas collected from 111 cats. Cat sera were assayed by ELISA for IgG of Bartonella spp. Results DNA of M. haemofelis, Mtc and Mhm was amplified from 1 (0.9%), 1 (0.9%) and 17 cats (15.3%), respectively. Only DNA of Mhm was amplified from the 62 of 111 pooled flea samples (flea sets; 55.9%). Overall, the prevalence rates for Bartonella spp. DNA in the cats and the flea sets was 16.2% (18 cats) and 28.8% (32 flea sets), respectively. Bartonella spp. IgG was detected in 42 cats (37.8%), of which 11 (26.2%) were positive for Bartonella spp. DNA in their blood. R. felis DNA was amplified from 22 flea sets (19.8%), but not from cats. Overall, DNA of one or more of the organisms was amplified from 27% (30) of cats and 67.6% (75) of the flea sets. Conclusions This is the first Australian study to determine the prevalence of R. felis and B. clarridgeiae in both fleas and the cats from which they were collected. Flea-associated infectious agents are common in cats and fleas in eastern Australia and support the recommendation that stringent flea control be maintained on cats.     

Association of stomatal frequency and morphology in Lycopersicon species with resistance to Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria

Study of the stomata and leaf epidermis of eight Lycopersicon species has revealed a relationship between frequency of stomata, stomatal size and some morphological leaf characteristics, and resistance to bacterial leaf spot caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria. Significant correlations were found between the stomatal frequency in both adaxial and abaxial leaf epidermis and the number of bacterial lesions per leaf area ( r = 0.70 and 0.68, respectively) and the frequency of stomata in both adaxial and abaxial epidermis and disease incidence (percentage of diseased plants) ( r =0.87 and 0.80, respectively) for all the Lycopersicon species and one hybrid tested. A correlation was also found between disease incidence and number of bacterial lesions per leaf area ( r = 0.85). The length and width of stomata were correlated with frequency of stomata in adaxial and abaxial epidermis ( r = 0.85, 0.75, 0.89 and 0.90, respectively). The stomatal width was correlated with the number of bacterial lesions per cm² ( r =0.82; P = 0.0065). Scanning electron microscopic studies of the leaf surface and stomata indicated that other morphological features such as the raised stomatal complex in L. hirsutum and persistent, hydrophobic waxy coating of the epidermis in L. peruvianum may also be relevant in disease response.     

Quantifying Transport Between the Tropical and Mid-Latitude Lower Stratosphere

Airborne in situ observations of molecules with a wide range of lifetimes (methane, nitrous oxide, reactive nitrogen, ozone, chlorinated halocarbons, and halon-1211), used in a tropical tracer model, show that mid-latitude air is entrained into the tropical lower stratosphere within about 13.5 months; transport is faster in the reverse direction. Because exchange with the tropics is slower than global photochemical models generally assume, ozone at mid-latitudes appears to be more sensitive to elevated levels of industrial chlorine than is currently predicted. Nevertheless, about 45 percent of air in the tropical ascent region at 21 kilometers is of mid-latitude origin, implying that emissions from supersonic aircraft could reach the middle stratosphere.