Polyphenol oxidase,alpha-amylase and beta-amylase activities of Triticum monococcum, Triticum turgidum and Triticum aestivum: A two-year study

Enzymatic activity often reduces the nutritional value of wheat flour during food manufacturing, causing compound degradation and/or heat damage. The choice of wheat varieties with low enzymatic activity could therefore help to preserve the nutritional quality of food. The aim of this research was to evaluate polyphenol oxidase, alpha-amylase and beta-amylase activities in whole meal flours of 59 accessions belonging to different wheat species and subspecies, cropped in two years. The extraction pH (7.0), reaction pH (5.5) and reaction temperature (45 °C) were determined by preliminary trials. The ANOVA highlighted significant differences for all enzymes among species/subspecies and, for amylases, between cropping years; however, the year influence was overwhelming only for alpha-amylase. Einkorn showed the highest polyphenol oxidase (362.1 ± 9.46 U/g DM) as well as the lowest alpha-amylase (0.20 ± 0.006 CU/g DM) and beta-amylase (12.0 ± 0.36 B3U/g DM) activities. The embryo/scutellum had the highest polyphenol oxidase and alpha-amylase values, followed by the bran and the endosperm; in contrast, beta-amylase was evenly distributed in the bran and the endosperm, and was absent in the embryo/scutellum.     

Length–mass allometries in amphibians

Body mass is rarely recorded in amphibians, and other body measurements (e.g. snout to vent length, SVL) are generally collected instead. However, length measurements, when used as proxies of body mass in comparative analyses, are problematic if different taxa and morphotypes are included. We developed allometric relationships to derive body mass from SVL measurements. We fitted phylogenetic generalized least square models for frogs (Anura) and salamanders (Caudata) and for several families separately. We tested whether allometric relationships differed between species with different habitat preferences and between morphs in salamanders. Models were fitted with SVL–mass measurements for 88 frog and 42 salamander species. We assessed the predictive performance of the models by cross‐validation. Overall, the models showed high explained variance and low forecasting errors. Models differed among semi‐aquatic, terrestrial and arboreal frogs, and between paedomorphic and non‐paedomorphic salamanders. Body mass estimates derived from our models allow for comparability of studies on multiple taxa and can be used for testing theories built upon evolutionary and ecological processes which are directly related to body mass.     

FEASIBILITY FOR USING HYPOFRACTIONATED STEREOTACTIC VOLUMETRIC MODULATED ARC RADIOTHERAPY (VMAT) WITH ADAPTIVE PLANNING FOR TREATMENT OF THYMOMA IN RABBITS: 15 CASES

Thymoma is a relatively common tumor in rabbits. Treatment with surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy alone or in combination has been reported with varying outcomes. Stereotactic volumetric modulated arc radiotherapy delivered in a hypofractionated manner allows high doses of radiation to be delivered to the target volume while allowing sparing of adjacent critical structures. This therapy is ideally suited for thymomas in rabbits given their size, the difficulty of multiple anesthesia episodes and the complexity of the radiotherapy plans required due to the tumor's proximity to the heart, lungs, and mediastinal structures. Fifteen rabbits with thymoma were prospectively recruited for this observational, single institution, single arm clinical study. All rabbits were imaged with both computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A total dose of 40 Gy in six fractions was delivered using a single arc over an 11‐day period with repeat CT simulation done every other fraction for adaptive planning. Follow‐up evaluation was done through repeat CT and MRI imaging and revealed complete responses using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria. Two rabbits had died at 618 and 718 days, 10 were alive and three were lost to follow‐up. Observed acute and late effects were graded according to the Veterinary Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (VRTOG) criteria and were found to be minimal.     

Monitoring of antimicrobial resistance in healthy dogs: first report of canine ampicillin-resistant Enterococcus faecium clonal complex 17

National surveillance programs on antimicrobial usage and antimicrobial resistance in animals have been established in various countries but few of them include bacteria from pets. The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in healthy dogs and to search for resistance phenotypes of clinical relevance. Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. were isolated from faecal swabs obtained from 127 dogs. Disk diffusion was used to measure antimicrobial susceptibility in 117 Escherichia coli, 10 Enterococcus faecium and 51 Enterococcus faecalis of canine origin. Resistance was relatively low compared with food animal species in Denmark. All Escherichia coli isolates were susceptible to broad-spectrum aminopenicillins, third generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones. Despite the low prevalence of resistance, statistical analysis of questionnaire data revealed a significant association (p=0.02) between recent antimicrobial treatment and resistance in Escherichia coli. Interestingly, two dogs were found to shed Enterococcus faecium resistant to ampicillin. Multilocus sequence typing of these isolates indicated that the two isolates belonged to sequence types associated with human nosocomial infections, and one (ST-192) was genetically related to human epidemic clonal complex 17. The detection of ampicillin-resistant Enterococcus faecium warrants further studies on the prevalence of these bacteria in dogs and on the possible implications to both animal and human health. The results suggest that distinct methods for detection and assessment of antimicrobial resistance in animals should be considered depending on the target animal species and the purposes of the study.     

Detection of Echinococcus multilocularis infection in a colony of cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) using serology and ultrasonography.

Five animals in a colony of cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) died or were euthanatized because of alveolar echinococcosis, during a period of 5 years. The remainder of the colony was screened for possible infection with Echinococcus multilocularis, using serology and ultrasonography. A total of 46 animals out of a group of 55 were examined. The presence of anti-Em2 antibodies analyzed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was demonstrated in 3 monkeys. In 2 of these 3 monkeys, multilocular structures compatible with metacestodal cysts in the liver were identified, using ultrasonography. The presence of alveolar echinococcosis was subsequently confirmed at postmortem examination in 1 animal. The other animals are still alive. Two other monkeys were negative in the serological examination but had cystic structures in the liver, which were identified as bile duct cysts at postmortem examination in 1 animal. The other monkey is still alive. These findings suggest that serology for antibodies against the Em2 antigen may represent a useful method in identifying animals that might be infected with E. multilocularis and are therefore at risk of developing fatal alveolar echinococcosis.     

In vitro adherence of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius to canine corneocytes is influenced by colonization status of corneocyte donors

The current knowledge of in vitro adherence of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius to canine corneocytes is limited to comparative analyses between strains, staphylococcal species or corneocytes collected from different breeds, body sites and hosts. However, the role played by colonization status of corneocyte donors remains unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the adherence properties of commensal S. pseudintermedius strains to corneocytes collected from dogs with different colonization status. For this purpose, corneocytes were collected from five dogs that were classified as persistently colonized (D1 and D2), intermittently colonized (D3 and D4) or non-colonized (D5) on the basis of the results of a previous longitudinal study. Adherence to corneocytes originating from each of the five dogs was assessed by an in vitro adhesion assay using four genetically unrelated strains isolated from the colonized dogs (S1 to S4). Irrespective of their host of origin, all strains adhered significantly better to corneocytes from D1 and D2 than to corneocytes from D3, D4 and D5 (P < 0.0001). The mean count of cells adhering to corneocytes from persistently colonized dogs was on average three times higher than the mean count using corneocytes from the other dogs. A significant difference between strains was only observed for one strain-corneocyte combination (S2-D4), indicating that S. pseudintermedius adherence to corneocytes is driven by host factors and only marginally influenced by strain factors. This finding has important implications for understanding and preventing S. pseudintermedius skin colonization and infection.     

Should the domestic buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) be considered in the epidemiology of Bovine Herpesvirus 1 infection?

Only limited information is available on the epidemiology and pathogenesis of Bovine Herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) in domestic buffalos. In this study, a virulent BoHV-1 field strain isolated from cattle was inoculated into buffaloes to evaluate their susceptibility to the virus and to investigate the establishment of viral latency through clinical, virological and serological investigations. Latency was also studied by attempting viral reactivation using pharmacological induction. Six of seven male, 5 months old buffaloes were intranasally inoculated with BoHV-1; the other animal was kept as negative control. The animals were clinically monitored during the post-infection (P.I.) and the post-pharmacological induction (P.P.) periods. During these periods, nasal and rectal swabs, and blood samples, with and without anticoagulant, were collected at 2–3 day intervals. On culling the animals, 206 days P.I., their trigeminal ganglia and tonsils were collected. No clinical signs referable to BoHV-1 were observed throughout the experimental period. However, seropositivity was detected in all infected animals within day 20 P.I., using BoHV-1 glycoprotein E and glycoprotein B competitive ELISAs (IDEXX) and virus neutralisation test. In real-time PCR (RT-PCR), five of these animals were positive, at least once, for nasal or rectal swabs, during the P.I. period. The sixth infected animal was found positive only in the trigeminal ganglia after culling. Ganglia were also positive for two other animals. Virus isolation in permissive cell-lines was successful for a part of the RT-PCR positive samples. The detected viruses were confirmed by genetic analysis as identical to the inoculated strain. No evidence of infection was observed in the negative control. This study represents the first experimental transmission of BoHV-1 in buffaloes, confirming their susceptibility to infection and their possible role as host/reservoirs of BoHV-1.     

Definition and clinical evaluation of a recruiting airway pressure based on the specific lung elastance in anesthetized dogs

ObjectiveTo determine the specific lung elastance (SE_L) in anesthetized dogs and to evaluate the efficacy of a SE_L-based recruiting airway pressure (RP_aw) at improving global and regional lung aeration.Study designRetrospective and prospective clinical study.AnimalsA total of 28 adult dogs were included in the retrospective study and six adult dogs in the prospective study.MethodsRetrospective study: SE_L and SE_L-based RP_aw were determined using previously published data. In mechanically ventilated dogs undergoing thoracic computed tomography (CT), SE_L was calculated as ΔP_L/(V_T/EELV), where ΔP_L is the driving transpulmonary pressure, V_T is the tidal volume and EELV is the end-expiratory lung volume. The ratio of lung to respiratory system elastance (E_L/E_rs) was determined. SE_L and E_L/E_rs were used to calculate the SE_L-based RP_aw. Prospective study: dogs underwent thoracic CT at end-expiration and at end-inspiration using the SE_L-based RP_aw, and global and regional aeration was determined. For analysis of regional aeration, lungs were divided into cranial, intermediate and caudal regions. Regional compliance was also calculated. A p value <0.05 was considered significant.ResultsThe SE_L and E_L/E_rs were 12.7 ± 3.1 cmH₂O and 0.54 ± 0.07, respectively. The SE_L-based RP_aw was 29.1 ± 7.6 cmH₂O. In the prospective study, the RP_aw was 28.2 ± 1.3 cmH₂O. During RP_aw, hyperinflation increased (p = 0.0003) whereas poorly aerated (p < 0.0001) and nonaerated (p = 0.01) tissue decreased. Normally aerated tissue did not change (p = 0.265). Regional compliance was higher in the intermediate (p = 0.0003) and caudal (p = 0.034) regions compared with the cranial region. Aeration did not differ between regions (p > 0.05).Conclusions and clinical relevanceAn SE_L-based RP_aw reduces poorly and nonaerated lung tissue in anesthetized dogs. In nonsurgical anesthetized dogs, an RP_aw near 30 cmH₂O is effective at improving lung aeration.     

Cat and dog ownership and management patterns in central Italy

Three hundred and ninety-seven randomly selected households were interviewed by telephone to determine the numbers and management of owned cats and dogs in the Teramo Province of Italy. The households were selected using stratified random sampling for each municipality; municipalities were combined into coastal, central hills and mountain regions for analysis. The interviews were completed during May and June of 2004 with a response rate of 74% (397/536). Forty-six percent of households (n=181) owned pets; 15% of all households (n=60) owned cats and 33% (n=130) owned dogs. Twenty-seven of these households (7%) owned both cats and dogs. Data were provided on 91 cats evenly divided between males and females. The median age was 3 years (range 0.2-10 years). Forty-one percent of cats (36/87) entered the household as strays. Nearly half lived entirely outside. Seventy percent (62/88) had visited a veterinarian at least once; 43% (39/91) were sterilized. About 1/3 had had a litter and all litters were considered accidental rather than planned. Age, indoor/outdoor status, veterinarian visit and region were all associated with sterilization. Age, confined to a yard, veterinary visit and region were associated with allowing the cat to roam freely. Data were provided on 182 dogs. Sixty-two percent (113/181) were male, with a median age of 4 years (range newborn to 17 years) and 40% (72/181) were purebred. Almost half were acquired as a gift. Sixty-two percent (112/180) were kept entirely outside despite the fact that 82% (147/180) were considered companions rather than working dogs. Almost all of the dogs had been to a veterinarian at least once; only 20% (n=29) were sterilized. Male dogs were significantly less likely to be sterilized than females. Almost half the dogs had had at least one litter. Seventy-six percent (137/180) of dogs knew some basic commands. Sex, source and training to sit/stay/come were significantly associated with whether the dog was sterilized. Dog size, confinement to a yard, trained to leash walk, veterinary visit and region were predictors of roaming freely. Source and trained to leash walk were associated with dog registration. For cats and dogs, education about sterilization seemed to be critically important. For dogs, factors relating to training, which may reflect the strength of the human-animal bond, were also important.