Solubilization of selected free fatty acids in palm oil by biodegradable ethoxylated surfactants

The solubilization of three major components, viz., palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids, in palm oil by ethoxylated surfactants was investigated. The results were analyzed in terms of the molecular properties of surfactants and free fatty acids (FFAs). It was found that the solubilities of these FFAs in various micellar solutions depend not only on their octanol-water partition coefficients (Kow), but also on their physicochemical properties. The study on the solubilization kinetics was conducted by choosing palmitic acid as a model solubilizate and Tergitol 15-S-7 as the model surfactant. A first-order film diffusion model, which accounts for the direct uptake of organic molecules at a solid surface into surfactant micelles, was adopted to analyze the effect of surfactant on dissolution of palmitic acid. It was observed that the presence of surfactant reduced the mass-transfer coefficient. Instead, the overall mass-transfer rate was enhanced because of the much higher driving force from the increased solubilization capacity.     

Biological Degradation and Chemical Oxidation Characteristics of Coke-Oven Wastewater

Biological and chemical oxidation characteristics of two kinds ofcoke-oven wastewaters, A and B, discharged from a conventional batch coke-oven and a newly developed continuous coke-oven, respectively, were studied for selecting effective treatment processes of the wastewaters. Pollutants contained in Wastewater-A could be removed by biological process with a sufficient effluent quality, while those which existed in Wastewater-Bcould not be satisfactorily removed. Microbial community structure investigation using the respiratory quinone profile clarified that Pseudomonas putida (dominant quinone: ubiquinone-9) was a dominant species in the biological treatmentsystem. The refractory organic pollutants, existed in Wastewater-B,were mineralized more effectively by Fenton's reagent than by ozone. A wastewater treatment process, in which Fenton's oxidation is followed by a biological treatment, was proposed forthe treatment of Wastewater-B based on the experimental results.     

Infectious aetiologies of mastitis on Korean dairy farms during 2008

The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of different mastitis pathogens in 1255 milk samples collected from 368 lactating cows on 24 dairy farms in Korea during 2008. The proportion of cows and quarter milk samples having SCC ? 200,000 cells/ml, an indicator of udder infection, was 54.3% (200/368 cows) and 35.5% (446/1255 samples), respectively. Of the 446 milk samples subjected to bacteriological examination, 16.5% (74) showed no bacterial growth and 3.5% (16) were contaminated. In total, 356 of 1255 (28.3%) samples were bacteriologically positive, from which 415 bacteria were isolated. The most frequently isolated pathogen was coagulase-negative staphylococci (40.7%), followed by Gram-negative bacteria (19.5%) other than Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus (12.2%), Streptococcus uberis (5.3%), Enterococcus spp. (4.8%), E. coli (4.5%), and environmental streptococci (3.1%) other than S. uberis. This study demonstrates that environmental pathogens were the vast majority of bacteria isolated from mastitic bovine milk samples in Korea.     

Antigenic differences between H5N1 human influenza viruses isolated in 1997 and 2003

To assess whether the antigenic properties of H5 hemagglutinin (HA) change over time due to antigenic drift, we produced a panel of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against the HA of the index H5N1 human influenza A virus, A/Hong Kong/156/97. By immunizing mice with a plasmid expressing this HA and boosting the initial immunization with cell lysates transfected with the plasmid, a total of six hybridomas producing HA-specific mAbs were established: four to the HA1 subunit with hemadsorption-inhibiting activity and two to the HA2 subunit. None of the mAbs to HA1 could bind to the HA of a recent human isolate, A/Hong Kong/213/2003, indicating that there are substantial antigenic differences between the H5N1 human influenza virus isolated in 1997 and that isolated in 2003.     

Phenotypic and genetic characterization of Erwinia carotovora from mulberry (Morus spp.)

Phenotypic and genetic characteristics of nine bacterial strains isolated from mulberry ( Morus spp.), which were originally described as Erwinia carotovora ssp. carotovora (Ecc), were investigated. Based on the results of biochemical tests, these bacterial strains were divided into two different types, type 1 and type 2. Two strains of type 1 were similar to Ecc, whereas seven strains of type 2 were distinct from Ecc. A polyphasic study that included serological assay, specific PCR assay for E. carotovora ssp. atroseptica (Eca), PCR-RFLP of a pectate lyase ( pel ) gene and RAPD-PCR was performed on the type 2 strains, and the data were compared with those of related E. carotovora subspecies. The results of serological and specific PCR assays for Eca showed that the type 2 strains were distinct from Eca. In RFLP analysis of the pel gene using Sau 3AI, the type 2 strains showed a unique RFLP pattern. On the basis of RAPD analysis, similarity of RAPD patterns within the type 2 strains was very high. A unique RAPD fragment was isolated from the type 2 strains and used as a probe for Southern hybridization. This probe hybridized only with PCR products from the type 2 strains. Based on phenotypic, serological and genetic characteristics, the type 2 strains isolated from mulberry may belong to a distinct E. carotovora subspecies other than Eca or Ecc.     

Influence of land use on water quality in a tropical landscape: a multi-scale analysis

There is a pressing need to understand the consequences of human activities, such as land transformations, on watershed ecosystem services. This is a challenging task because different indicators of water quality and yield are expected to vary in their responsiveness to large versus local-scale heterogeneity in land use and land cover (LUC). Here we rely on water quality data collected between 1977 and 2000 from dozens of gauge stations in Puerto Rico together with precipitation data and land cover maps to (1) quantify impacts of spatial heterogeneity in LUC on several water quality indicators; (2) determine the spatial scale at which this heterogeneity influences water quality; and (3) examine how antecedent precipitation modulates these impacts. Our models explained 30–58% of observed variance in water quality metrics. Temporal variation in antecedent precipitation and changes in LUC between measurements periods rather than spatial variation in LUC accounted for the majority of variation in water quality. Urbanization and pasture development generally degraded water quality while agriculture and secondary forest re-growth had mixed impacts. The spatial scale over which LUC influenced water quality differed across indicators. Turbidity and dissolved oxygen (DO) responded to LUC in large-scale watersheds, in-stream nitrogen concentrations to LUC in riparian buffers of large watersheds, and fecal matter content and in-stream phosphorus concentration to LUC at the sub-watershed scale. Stream discharge modulated impacts of LUC on water quality for most of the metrics. Our findings highlight the importance of considering multiple spatial scales for understanding the impacts of human activities on watershed ecosystem services.     

Influence of Dietary Levels of Magnesium on Growth, Tissue Mineral Content, and Resistance of Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus Challenged with Edwardsiella ictaluri

Juvenile channel catfish were fed purified diets supplemented with magnesium (Mg) from Mg sulfate at levels of 0, 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1,000 mg/kg and 0, 200, 400, 600, and 800 mg/kg in two separate feeding studies. In study I, the effect of dietary levels of Mg on growth response, vertebral mineral content, and macrophage chemotaxis were evaluated. Study II had similar objectives except that whole body mineral content was measured, and resistance of channel catfish to Edwardsiella ictaluri challenge was also determined. Fish with an average weight of 10.89 g were stocked at a rate of 50 fish/110‐L aquarium (study I). In study II, fish with an average weight of 4.14 g were stocked at rates of 40 fish/110‐L aquarium. Prior to stocking, each batch of fish was acclimated to laboratory conditions and fed the basal diet for 2 wk. The concentration of Mg in rearing water was 1.8 mg/L. Each diet was fed to fish in quadruplicate and triplicate aquaria to apparent satiation for 10 wk for studies I and II, respectively. Fish fed the basal diet started to die as early as 3 d after the study began (17 d of feeding the diet without Mg supplementation). In both studies, weight gain, survival, and feed efficiency were lowest for fish fed the basal diet but increased with increasing dietary levels of Mg. However, the differences between the values of each of these parameters for fish fed diets containing supplemental Mg were not always significant. Magnesium‐deficiency signs observed were anorexia, sluggishness, convulsions, deformed snout, vertebral curvature, muscle flaccidity, and high mortality. Vertebral and whole body ash concentrations were high, but Mg content was low for fish fed the basal and the 200‐mg Mg diets. Bone Ca content did not differ among fish fed different diets (study I), but whole body Ca tended to increase for fish fed the basal diet, suggesting the possibility of calcification of soft tissues. Macrophage chemotaxis in the presence of exoantigen was highest for fish fed diets supplemented with Mg at 400 and 200 mgkg for studies I and II, respectively. When expressed in terms of chemotaxis index, however, maximum or near maximum value was observed at a dietary Mg level of 400 mg/kg. Thus, a dietary level of Mg of 400 mg/kg from Mg sulfate was required for optimum growth and survival, maintaining high tissue levels of Mg, prevention of muscle flaccidity and skeletal deformity, and stimulating macrophage chemotaxis. Dietary levels of Mg had no effect on the resistance of juvenile channel catfish to Edwarsiella. ictaluri challenge.     

Nasopharyngeal tooth foreign body in a dog

An 8-year-old Shih-tzu dog was presented with a 2-week history of cough and nasal discharge. Upon presentation, the dog had constant open-mouth breathing with stertor and blood-tinged mucopurulent nasal discharge. Oral examination revealed a missing right mandibular second premolar tooth and severe periodontal disease. Computed tomography showed a radiodense, retropharyngeal foreign body. The foreign body was removed using caudal rhinoscopy. The foreign body was the right mandibular second premolar covered by thick calculus.     

Recent developments and improvements in ornamental fish packaging systems for air transport

Current ornamental fish packaging systems are characterized by very high fish loading densities and high metabolic wastes in the transport water after shipment. They focus mainly on management of the quality of transport water. Recent studies using the guppy as a model fish showed that post‐shipment mortality could be reduced through enhancement of the stress resistance of the fish, and hence emphases should also be placed on the preparation of the fish for transport and recovery of the fish after shipment. Farmers can contribute significantly by applying nutritional prophylaxis before harvesting. Exporters may use the salinity stress test to identify fish lots of good quality for transport, apply health prophylaxis to eradicate parasites and optimize other techniques such as starvation of the fish or addition of salt to the transport water to enhance the stress resistance of the fish. Importers may adopt proper acclimation procedure and allow fish to recover in low salinity water to reduce post‐shipment mortality. As the main bulk of post‐shipment mortality is stress‐mediated and occurs during the 1‐week recovery period, the industry should consider revising the basis of the current warranty system for their customers, from death on arrival to cumulative mortality at 7 days post shipment (or death after 7 days, DA7), in order to cut down fish losses after shipment.