Factors contributing to the outcome of stocking programmes in Cuban reserviors

Abstract In less-developed countries, fisheries enhancement using stocking is a common practice to manage reservoirs for biomass production. In many cases, there appears to be little control over whether the stocking activity is appropriate or necessary. Cuban reservoir fisheries have been usually managed to maximize fish biomass. Blue tilapia have been introduced and supplemented in reservoirs, and Chinese carp are introduced and maintained in reservoirs throughout the entire island. Supplemental stocking with introduced fish species is a usual practice to manage large and medium-sized reservoirs. Small and very small reservoirs have been managed as semi-intensively enhanced fisheries with carp and tilapia stocking. The main purposes of the present paper are to study the factors contributing to the outcome of stocking programmes in reservoirs and to test the hypotheses that supplementary stocking for self-sustained fish populations usually cannot contribute to increase fish yield. Yield and stocking data by groups of fish species were available for Cuban reservoirs. Total fish yield was only slightly related to total fish stocking density for the complete set of reservoirs. However, this result was mainly because of the relationship between total yield and cyprinid stocking for semi-intensively-used reservoirs. Tilapia yield was not significantly related to tilapia stocking for both extensively and semi-intensively-used reservoirs. However, yield and stocking for cyprinids were highly related for both reservoir subsets. Therefore, cyprinid stocking was effective in certain reservoirs, but tilapia stocking was not effective in any reservoir. Moreover, tilapia stocking was a superfluous activity for reservoirs where tilapia have an adequate natural reproduction cycle.     

Reduction of Twin Pregnancy in the Mare by Transvaginal Ultrasound-Guided Aspiration

Diagnosis and management of twin pregnancies in the mare are an ongoing challenge in equine reproduction. Early detection of twin and manual crush of one vesicle are the main steps in the management of twins. Few studies were carried out about the use of transvaginal ultrasound-guided aspiration (TUGA) for reduction of twins in the mare. In this study, the efficiency of TUGA for management of twin pregnancies was investigated. Reduction of unicornuate twins between 16 and 25 days of gestation gave a success rate of 70.0% (14 viable foals/20 twin pregnancies); when reduction was performed after day 40 of gestation, all mares (one unicornuate; three bicornuate) lost both. For those cases in which the window for early crush of a twin vesicle has been missed, TUGA can be successfully used to reduce twin pregnancy between 16 and 25 days of gestation.     

Experimental infection of cattle, sheep and pigs with 'Hobi'-like pestivirus

To date, limited information is available on the ability of 'Hobi'-like pestiviruses (putative bovine viral diarrhoea 3) to infect and cause disease in animal species traditionally affected by pestiviruses. In order to obtain new insights into host range and pathogenic potential of this atypical pestivirus, BVDV-seronegative calves (n=5), lambs (n=5) and piglets (n=5) were experimentally infected with the European 'Hobi'-like strain Italy-1/10-1, whereas two animals per species served as uninfected controls. Appearance of clinical signs, leukopenia, viremia, viral shedding and seroconversion were monitored for 28 days post-infection. Calves and lambs were successfully infected, displaying respiratory signs (nasal discharge), moderate hyperthermia and leukopenia, viremia and viral shedding through the nasal and faecal routes. Antibody responses were observed in both animal species by ELISA and virus neutralisation assays. In contrast, inoculated piglets did not display any clinical signs nor leukopenia and viral RNA was not detected in any biological samples. Nevertheless, the presence of detectable antibodies by virus neutralisation accounted for a successful, albeit limited infection of these animals.     

Egg size and its relationship with fecundity,newborn length and female size in Cuban poeciliid fishes (Teleostei: Cyprinodontiformes)

Abstract – This study describes the relationship between egg size (ES) and brood size (BS), newborn length (NL) and female total length (FTL) in ten species of Cuban poeciliids. Variability and the level of association among variables are analysed and comparisons of ES among species established. Egg size has the lowest variability among the analysed variables and in most species is not correlated with BS, when the effect of FTL is controlled. Cuban poeciliids, thought to be primarily lecithotrophic, can be separated in two groups according to ES, NL and BS relative to FTL. One such group inhabits mountain streams and produces large eggs and small broods. The other group is distributed in lowland wetlands and produces small eggs and large broods. In Cuban poeciliids, ES and NL are highly correlated, which suggests adaptive value for ES.     

Technique for screening immune-enhancing polysaccharides in food using 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-differentiated HL60 cells

A technique for screening immune-enhancing polysaccharides in food using the phagocytotic activity of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (VD3)-differentiated HL60 cells is presented. HL60 cells, a human acute promyelocytic cell line, can differentiate along the monocytic lineage following exposure to VD3 or phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA). For differentiated cells along the monocytic pathway, HL60 cells were maintained in RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with 10% FBS and 120 nM VD3 for more than 1 week. VD3-differentiated HL60 cells were seeded into 48-well plates, YG-labeled microspheres and polysaccharides were added and mixed using a plate shaker at 1100 rpm for 30 s, and then the mixture was incubated overnight at 37 degrees C in 5% CO2. The cells were fixed with 2% formaldehyde and resuspended in phosphate-buffered saline. The rate of phagocytosis was measured with a flow cytometer. VD3-differentiated cells but not non- and PMA-differentiated cells resulted in an elevation of phagocytic activity by various immune-enhancing polysaccharides in foods.     

Dissolution of wood in ionic liquids

The present paper demonstrates that both hardwoods and softwoods are readily soluble in various imidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs) under gentle conditions. More specifically, a variety of ionic liquids can only partially dissolve wood chips, whereas ionic liquids such as 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride and 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride have good solvating power for Norway spruce sawdust and Norway spruce and Southern pine thermomechanical pulp (TMP) fibers. Despite the fact that the obtained solutions were not fully clear, these ionic liquids provided solutions which permitted the complete acetylation of the wood. Alternatively, transparent amber solutions of wood could be obtained when the dissolution of the same lignocellulosic samples was attempted in 1-benzyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride. This realization was based on a designed augmented interaction of the aromatic character of the cation of the ionic liquid with the lignin in the wood. After dissolution, wood can be regenerated as an amorphous mixture of its original components. The cellulose of the regenerated wood can be efficiently digested to glucose by a cellulase enzymatic hydrolysis treatment. Furthermore, completely acetylated wood was found to be readily soluble in chloroform, allowing, for the first time, detailed proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra and NMR diffusion measurements to be made. It was thus demonstrated that the dissolution of wood in ionic liquids now offers a variety of new possibilities for its structural and macromolecular characterization, without the prior isolation of its individual components. Furthermore, considering the relatively wide solubility and compatibility of ionic liquids with many organic or inorganic functional chemicals or polymers, it is envisaged that this research could create a variety of new strategies for converting abundant woody biomass to valuable biofuels, chemicals, and novel functional composite biomaterials.     

An architectural framework that may lie at the core of the postsynaptic density

The postsynaptic density (PSD) is a complex assembly of proteins associated with the postsynaptic membrane that organizes neurotransmitter receptors, signaling pathways, and regulatory elements within a cytoskeletal matrix. Here we show that the sterile alpha motif domain of rat Shank3/ProSAP2, a master scaffolding protein located deep within the PSD, can form large sheets composed of helical fibers stacked side by side. Zn2+, which is found in high concentrations in the PSD, binds tightly to Shank3 and may regulate assembly. Sheets of the Shank protein could form a platform for the construction of the PSD complex.     

两种普鲁兰类酵母菌株Aureobasidium pullulans对三种核果类褐腐病菌Monilinia laxa,Monilinia fructicola和Monilinia fructigena的生物控制作用

本试验研究了从"Redhaven"桃果肉中分离得到的两种拮抗酵母菌株L1和L8对三种核果类褐腐病原菌(Monilinia laxa,Monilinia fructicola及Monilinia fructigena)的离体和活体拮抗效果。这两种拮抗菌株是经初步验证能够减轻桃和油桃的褐腐病症状后筛选出的,并最终通过分子生物学及形态学手段鉴定为Aureobasidium pullulans(出芽短梗霉菌)。通过活体接种三种褐腐病菌的试验研究发现,两种拮抗菌的高压灭菌悬液及无菌过滤液对果实褐腐病的发生均无抑制作用,而含有L1和L8菌株的菌悬液可完全抑制M.laxa和M.fructicola引起的褐腐病的发生,并使M.fructigena引起的褐腐病发病率分别降低70%和90%。在另一项试验中,将油桃用两种拮抗菌液处理后接种三种褐腐病菌,然后将其在0℃下贮藏21 d,再在20℃下放置7 d。结果表明,低温抑制了褐腐病的发生,处理和对照果实均无褐腐病的症状。但在20℃下放置7 d后,对照果实的褐腐病发病率均超过了45%,而LI和L8处理分别可以将接种M.fructigena病原菌果实褐腐病的发病率降低89.8%和91.2%,说明两种拮抗菌的处理可完全抑制接种M.laxa和M.fructicola引起的果实褐腐病的发生。两种拮抗酵母菌株的最佳抑菌浓度为108CFU.mL-1,L1在107CFU.mL-1浓度时也具有较好的抑菌效果。L8菌株在107CFU.mL-1浓度时对由M.fructigena和M.fructicola引起的果实褐腐病无抑制活性,处理与对照果实无差异。而对于接种了M.laxa的油桃果实,与对照相比,107CFU.mL-1浓度的L8菌株却可显著降低褐腐病的发病率。尽管在0℃和20℃下贮藏的油桃果实伤口处的L1和L8菌的数量增长较慢,但已经足够控制果实褐腐病的发生。综上所述,本项研究确定了可作为开发采后生物杀菌剂活性成分的两种A.pullulans拮抗菌株,并用于抑制引起核果类作物采后严重经济损失的三种Monilinia真菌。     

Anatomicohistological Characteristics of the Female Genital Organs of the White‐lipped Peccary (Tayassu pecari) in the Peruvian Amazon

This study examined the anatomical and histological characteristics of the genital organs of the female white‐lipped peccary in the wild in different reproductive stages, collected by rural hunters in the North‐eastern Peruvian Amazon. Mean ovulation rate was 2.12 ± 0.83 follicles and litter size was 1.78 ± 0.41 embryos or fetuses per pregnant female, resulting in a low rate of reproductive wastage, averaging 0.33 ± 0.66 (16.04%) oocytes or embryos per pregnancy. The ovulation rate and the anatomical performance of the uterus could limit the prolificacy of this species. Females in follicular phase showed follicular waves suggesting the synchronous growth of a cohort of follicles. Different uterine and vaginal epithelium features changed in accordance with the reproductive state of the female. Pregnant females and females in the luteal phase presented a significant proliferation of endometrial uterine glands, characterized by hyperplasia and branching of endometrial glands, and increase in the proportion of cervical epithelial cells with periodic acid‐schiff (PAS)‐positive granules compared with that in females in the follicular phase. Females in the follicular phase showed a more developed vaginal epithelium (in thickness and in layer composition) than females in the luteal phase and pregnant females.     

Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of Prototheca zopfii in a dog with enteric signs

This is a case report of enteric protothecosis caused by Prototheca zopfii in an eight-year-old male mixed breed dog with a history of chronic bloody diarrhea, loss of appetite and weight loss. Algae were isolated from rectal scrapings in defibrinated sheep blood agar and dextrose Sabouraud agar. Cytological evaluation showed the presence of globular and cylindrical organisms with a defined capsule and variable number of endospores, characteristic of the genus Prototheca, in the rectum of the animal. Scanning electron microscopy of P. zopfii strains at different development stages confirmed the diagnosis of algal infection. Molecular identification using a conserved 18S rDNA gene sequence determined that the strain belonged to genotype 2. This report describes success on treatment of canine protothecosis, diagnosed based on clinical, cytological, microbiological, scanning electron microscopy and genotypical findings.