Koi herpesvirus epizootic in cultured carp and koi, Cyprinus carpio L., in Taiwan

Koi herpesvirus (KHV) poses a significant threat to cultured koi and common carp, both Cyprinus carpio L. Since the first reported case in Israel in 1998, KHV has rapidly spread worldwide. This study investigates the spread of KHV to Taiwan by collecting 49 cases of suspected common carp and koi infections from 2003 to 2005 for analysis. Clinical signs included lethargy, anorexia, increased respiratory movements and uncoordinated swimming. Hyperaemia, haemorrhage on body surface and necrotic gill filaments were recorded. Gill epithelial hyperplasia, necrosis and eosinophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies were observed by histological examination, while virions were detected using transmission electron microscopy. By detecting the presence of the KHV thymidine kinase (TK) gene and the KHV 9/5 gene using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), 37 cases were identified as KHV-positive, and the cumulative mortality of infected fish was 70-100%. Positive cases showed identical sequences for the genes analysed, implying that they were of the same origin. For the KHV 9/5 gene sequence, these cases exhibited 100% identity with the Japanese strain (TUMST1, accession number AP008984) and 99% identity with the Israeli (KHV-I, DQ177346) and US (KHV-U, DQ657948) strains. Additionally, a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay was performed and found to be more sensitive than PCR tests, suggesting its potential use as a rapid diagnostic method for KHV. This is the first epidemiological study of KHV infection in cultured common carp and koi in Taiwan.     

Evaluation of suitable temperature range for post‐harvest processing of mud crabs through cardiac performance

Measurements of either heartbeats or heart rate variability provide important information on metabolic changes and stress responses. In this study, we aimed to determine the suitable temperature conditions for maintaining product quality for post‐harvest processing of mud crab (Scylla serrata) through measuring cardiac performance. A bundle of implanted electrodes was used to record the electrocardiogram, from which the heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) were derived to evaluate the physiological performances of the crabs under tying at different seawater temperatures. The lowest standard deviation of HR was detected at the seawater temperature of 18°C for the group of ascending temperatures and at 10°C for the group of descending temperatures. Lower HRV was detected at the range from 10 to 14°C. The results suggest that the temperature range of 14–18°C is suitable to reduce variability in heart rate and may decrease physiological stress. These conditions might help maintain the quality of live crabs during post‐harvest processing and transportation.     

Global Distribution and Prevalence of Arcobacter in Food and Water

The emerging foodborne and waterborne pathogen, Arcobacter, has been linked to various gastrointestinal diseases. Currently, 19 species are established or proposed; consequently, there has been an increase in the number of publications regarding Arcobacter since it was first introduced in 1991. To better understand the potential public health risks posed by Arcobacter, this review summarizes the current knowledge concerning the global distribution and the prevalence of Arcobacter in food and water. Arcobacter spp. were identified in food animals, food‐processing environments and a variety of foods, including vegetables, poultry, beef, dairy products, seafood, pork, lamb and rabbit. A wide range of waterbodies has been reported to be contaminated with Arcobacter spp., such as wastewater, seawater, lake and river water, drinking water, groundwater and recreational water. In addition, Arcobacter has also been isolated from pets, domestic birds, wildlife, zoo and farm animals. It is expected that advancements in molecular techniques will facilitate better detection worldwide and aid in understanding the pathogenicity of Arcobacter. However, more extensive and rigorous surveillance systems are needed to better understand the occurrence of Arcobacter in food and water in various regions of the world, as well as uncover other potential public health risks, that is antibiotic resistance and disinfection efficiency, to reduce the possibility of foodborne and waterborne infections.     

Chemical and physical changes required for producing dimensionally stable wood-based composites

Summary High temperature (240°C) contact treatment was shown to be a very effective method of stabilizing panels bonded with heat resistant adhesive. Chemical analyses of post treated boards indicate that chemical changes of the wood components due to contact heat treatment were negligible. The results support the concept that high temperature post treatment of boards at temperatures above the softening points of lignin and carbohydrate components, caused plastic flow in situ which relieved internal stresses built up during hot pressing. Consequently, springback in wood-based composites diminished leaving panels much more stable than conventional products. Also, dimensionally stable wood-based composites had a better inherent ability to withstand severe exposure conditions than the regular boards.The authors wish to thank G. Bastien and B. S. Lethbridge for technical assistance. One of the authors (W.S.) is grateful to the Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung, Vienna, Austria for financial support (Proj. No. J0128C)     

"Lard fruit" domesticated in China

In this article the attention is drawn to the domestication of Hodgsonia macrocarpa, a melon species with oil-containing seeds. It can yield annually two and a half kilogrammes of edible oil per plant.     

Molecular and biochemical mechanisms of organophosphate resistance in laboratory-selected lines of the oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis)

Genetic and biochemical factors leading to resistance to various organophosphate (OP) based insecticides were studied in lines selected for OP-resistance in the oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis. Lines were separately selected for resistance to naled, trichlorfon, fenitrothion, fenthion, formothion, and malathion. Overall, these lines showed increased resistance ratios ranging from 13.7- to 814-fold relative to a susceptible (S) line. Also, in these newly selected lines the same three point mutations in the ace gene, previously identified in resistance studies and designated as I214V, G488S and Q643R, were found. As expected, the enzyme from the resistant lines showed lower overall activity and reduced sensitivity to inhibition by fenitrothion, methyl-paraoxon and paraoxon compared to the wild type acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme. The apparent V_max values for esterase from the resistant lines were 1.2-3.69 times higher than that of the S line. Although only the naled-, trichlorfon- and fenthion-r lines showed lower esterase affinities (based on apparent K_m values) compared with the S line, all of the V_max/K_m ratios were higher in the resistant lines compared to that of the S line. The OP-resistant lines also displayed an overall similar pattern of isozyme expression, except for one additional band found only in the naled-r line and one band that was absent in the trichlorfon-, malathion-, and fenthion-r lines. Our results also show that overall, multiple examples of high OP resistance in selected lines of B. dorsalis exhibiting the same genetic alterations in the ace gene seen previously resulted in different effects on esterase enzyme activity in relation to various OP compounds.