Evaluation of the effects of climate change on forest watershed hydroecology using the RHESSys model: Seolmacheon catchment

Paddy and Water Environment - This study examines the effects of future climate changes on watershed hydroecology, including runoff, evapotranspiration, soil moisture content, gross primary...     

Potential of indigenous Bacillus spp. as probiotic feed supplements in an extruded low‐fish‐meal diet for juvenile olive flounder,Paralichthys olivaceus

A 12‐week feeding trial was designed to assess the probiotic potential of indigenous Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and/or Bacillus subtilis singly or in combination with Bacillus licheniformis in an extruded feed for olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) juveniles. A high fish meal (FM) diet (control) and a low‐FM diet containing an alternative protein blend (30% FM replacement, FM30) were formulated. Three other experimental diets were prepared by inclusion of B. amyloliquefaciens (BA), B. subtilis (BS), or a mixture of B. amyloliquefaciens, B. subtilis, and B. licheniformis (BASL) into FM30 diet, with a final concentration of 10⁶ CFU/g diet. Results indicated that the FM30 diet was well tolerated by flounder, and the overall performance was not affected by dietary treatments. Lysozyme activity and total immunoglobulin level were significantly reduced in flounders when fed with the FM30 diet compared with the BASL and BA diets, respectively. The Bacillus additives neither enriched the relative abundance of the corresponding Bacillus spp. in the relevant gut microbiota of olive flounder nor modulated the presumptive gene functions of the gut microbiome. Despite the absence of growth‐promoting effect, the tested probiotics could still be economically viable for use as immunostimulants in commercial flounder diets with partial FM replacement.     

Estriolum Treatment in the Bitch: A Risk for Uterine Infection?

Purulent vaginal discharge in a bitch in which ovariohysterectomy has been performed is often caused by inflammation of the uterine stump. The inflammation is due to either cystic endometrial hyperplasia (CEH) induced primarily by progesterone from remnant ovarian tissue or exogenous progestagens, or it is due to the presence of unabsorbed suture material. This report describes a 9-year-old Irish setter with hemopurulent vaginal discharge and non-pruritic symmetrical alopecia, which had undergone ovariohysterectomy 3.5 years ago and which had been treated with estriolum daily for the past 2.5 years because of urinary incontinence. Vaginoscopy revealed hemopurulent discharge throughout the vagina and vestibule. Cytological examination of ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsies of a large mass in the hypogastricum, which appeared to be the uterine cervical stump, revealed septic purulent inflammation. The concentration of plasma progesterone was low and the concentration of plasma 17-ß oestradiol did not increase after gonadotrophin-releasing hormone administration. No remnant ovarian tissue was found by abdominal ultrasonography, laparotomy, or histological examination of mesovarian pedicles. Laparotomy revealed uterine stump empyema. Histological examination of the surgically removed mass excluded both CEH and unabsorbed suture material as the cause of the stump empyema. Instead, it is hypothesized that the long-term treatment with estriolum was a causative factor. This suggests that bitches treated with estriolum should be examined regularly.     

Evanescent-wave biosensor for field serodiagnosis of tortoise mycoplasmosis

Disease has become an increasingly important issue for wildlife management over the past two decades. Adequate surveillance is fundamental for disease prevention and control, thus there is an increasing need for diagnostic assays for wildlife management. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of a field-portable biosensor adapted for rapid detection of specific antibodies in tortoise plasma that reflect a history of exposure to Mycoplasma agassizii, which is an agent of tortoise upper respiratory tract disease. Banked plasma samples were tested in two blinded trials, and the parameters that define the reliability of a diagnostic test were estimated based on externally validated tortoise plasma controls. The mean sensitivity of the biosensor (ability to identify exposed tortoises in the group of all exposed individuals) was 78%; the mean specificity (unexposed individuals with negative test result, out of all unexposed individuals tested) was 73%; the mean positive predictive value (exposed individuals with positive test, out of all individuals with positive test) was 82%; the mean negative predictive value (unexposed individuals with negative test, out of all individuals with negative test) was 68%. In a 15-min field-portable format, the biosensor was able to discriminate between true seropositive (n=34) and true seronegative (n=23) tortoise plasma with overall accuracy of 84%. The goals established for the tortoise population can help managers decide whether potential diagnostic errors should impact management decision-making, and whether the benefits of the field-portable format of the biosensor assay outweigh any potential disadvantages.     

The effects of enrofloxacin on canine tendon cells and chondrocytes proliferation <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis>

Enrofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic has been used widely in humans and domestic animals, including dogs, because of its broad-spectrum activity and relative safety. The side effects of fluoroquinolone, induced tendinopathy, tendonitis, spontaneous tendon rupture and cartilage damage, remain incompletely understood. In the present study, we investigated the in vitro effects of enrofloxacin on cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis in canine Achilles tendon cells and chondrocytes. Cell growth and proliferation after treating with enrofloxacin for 2–6 days was quantified by a colorimetric 2,3-bis{2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl}-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxyanilide inner salt (XTT) assay. The results showed that enrofloxacin could inhibit the proliferation of canine tendon cells and chondrocytes at increasing concentrations (10–200 μg/ml). The inhibition of proliferation of canine tendon cells and chondrocytes after exposure to enrofloxacin were associated with induction of apoptosis, as evidenced by the typical nuclear apoptotic condensed nuclei found using Hoechst 33258 staining. It was demonstrated that canine tendon cells and chondrocytes treated with 200 μg/ml enrofloxacin for 4 days exhibited apoptotic features and fragmentation of DNA. Enrofloxacin also increased the apoptosis of canine tendon cells and chondrocytes in a dose and time-dependent manner. The results indicate that enrofloxacin inhibits cell proliferation, induces apoptosis and DNA fragmentation, which might explain enrofloxacin-induced tendinopathy and cartilage damage.     

The rate of Salmonella spp. infection in zoo animals at Seoul Grand Park, Korea

Salmonellosis is an important zoonotic disease that affects both people and animals. The incidence of reptile-associated salmonellosis has increased in Western countries due to the increasing popularity of reptiles as pets. In Korea, where reptiles are not popular as pets, many zoos offer programs in which people have contact with animals, including reptiles. So, we determined the rate of Salmonella spp. infection in animals by taking anal swabs from 294 animals at Seoul Grand Park. Salmonella spp. were isolated from 14 of 46 reptiles (30.4%), 1 of 15 birds (6.7%) and 2 of 233 mammals (0.9%). These findings indicate that vigilance is required for determining the presence of zoonotic pathogen infections in zoo animals and contamination of animal facilities to prevent human infection with zoonotic diseases from zoo facilities and animal exhibitions. In addition, prevention of human infection requires proper education about personal hygiene.     

Seroprevalence and risk factors for influenza A viruses in pigs in Peninsular Malaysia

Following a series of H5N1 cases in chickens and birds in a few states in Malaysia, there was much interest in the influenza A viruses subtypes that circulate among the local pig populations. Pigs may act as a mixing vessel for avian and mammal influenza viruses, resulting in new reassorted viruses. This study investigated the presence of antibodies against influenza H1N1 and H3N2 viruses in pigs from Peninsular Malaysia using Herdcheck Swine Influenza H1N1 and H3N2 Antibody Test Kits. At the same time, the presence of influenza virus was examined from the nasal swabs of seropositive pigs by virus isolation and real time RT-PCR. The list of pig farms was obtained from the headquarters of the Department of Veterinary Services, Malaysia, and pig herds were selected randomly from six of 11 states in Peninsular Malaysia. A total of 727 serum and nasal swab samples were collected from 4- to 6-month-old pigs between May and August 2005. By ELISA, the seroprevalences of swine influenza H1N1 and H3N2 among pigs were 12.2% and 12.1% respectively. Seropositivity for either of the virus subtypes was detected in less than half of the 41 sampled farms (41.4%). Combination of both subtypes was detected in 4% of all pigs and in 22% of sampled farms. However, no virus or viral nucleic acid was detected from nasal samples. This study identified that the seropositivity of pigs to H1N1 and H3N2 based on ELISA was significantly associated with factors such as size of farm, importation or purchase of pigs, proximity of farm to other pig farms and the presence of mammalian pets within the farm.     

Detection and molecular characterization of calf diarrhoea bovine coronaviruses circulating in South Korea during 2004-2005

Although the widespread occurrence of calf diarrhoea (CD) bovine coronavirus (BCoV) infections have been reported in most cattle producing countries, only the genetic differences in the BCoVs from American and Canadian isolates and/or strains have been identified and compared. Hence, it is unclear if the BCoVs circulating in the other countries have distinct genetic characteristics. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and genetic diversity of CD BCoVs based on the deduced amino acid (aa) sequences of the spike (S) and haemagglutinin/esterase (HE) proteins in South Korea. RT-PCR and nested PCR using the primer pairs specific to the nucleocapsid gene, BCoVs detected the BCoVs in 56 (15.6%) of 359 diarrhoeic faecal samples. Phylogenetic analysis of the entire S gene indicated that 10 Korean CD BCoV strains clustered with other Korean BCoV strains with different clinical forms but were different from the American and Canadian BCoV strains. Moreover, the phylogenetic data of the aa sequences of the HE gene revealed all the Korean CD strains to be distinct from the other Korean BCoV strains with different clinical forms. These results suggest that the Korean BCoVs cause endemic infections in diarrhoeic calves in Jeonnam province and have taken a different evolutionary pathway from the BCoVs in other countries. Moreover, the different BCoV strains are circulating in the different clinical forms in South Korea. These results also suggest that vaccines against the BCoVs can be developed with each Korean BCoV in different clinical forms.