Brucellosis in Brazil

This paper reviews the epidemiology of bovine, swine, ovine, caprine, and canine brucellosis in Brazil. The zoonotic aspects of Brucella infection in Brazil is also discussed. Emphasis is given to the new program for the control of brucellosis in cattle and buffaloes that is likely to provide important insights into the prospects and strategies for controlling brucellosis in developing countries.     

Electro-acupuncture and Chinese herbs for treatment of cervical intervertebral disk disease in a dog

A non-ambulatory dog with tetraparesis following a pain episode that had evolved over 2 months was submitted for medical treatment and diagnosed with intervertebral disk disease at C3-C4 and dorsal extradural compression at C1-C2 and C3-C4 using myelography and computed tomography. The dog experienced ambulation recovery after 15 days of treatment with only electroacupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, with marked improvement occurring after only 10 treatments. Six months of follow-up demonstrated that the dog was stable and had no recurrence of symptoms. Therefore, it was concluded that the combination of electroacupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine was responsible for motor rehabilitation.     

Identification of S-alleles in pear (Pyrus communis L.) cv. ‘Rocha’ and other European cultivars

In this work we report the cloning and identification of S-RNase alleles responsible for gametophytic self-incompatibility (GSI) of ‘Rocha’ pear and of 13 other European pear cultivars that might be used as its pollinators. Partial sequences of S-RNase alleles were amplified by PCR with specific primers hybridising in conserved regions of previously identified S-RNase alleles of Pyrus communis, cloned and sequenced and the S-genotype of eight pear cultivars was fully determined. Three cultivars (‘General Léclerc’ (SqSl), ‘Tosca’ (SbSl) and ‘Alexandrine Douillard’ (SbSk)) shared no S-alleles with ‘Rocha’ (SaSe) and shall be totally compatible with this cultivar. None of the cultivars analysed showed an identical amplification pattern to the one observed in ‘Rocha’, so the other cultivars shall be at least semi-compatible. One new allele was identified in P. communis cv. ‘Beurré d’Avril’ (designated as St). The determination of both S-RNase alleles of cvs ‘Rocha’, ‘Beurré Precoce Morettini’ (SeSk) and ‘Tosca’ and the identification of one S-RNase allele in cvs ‘Carapinheira’ (Sb), ‘Amêndoa’ (Se), ‘Pérola’ (Sk) and ‘Beurré d’Avril’ (St) are important contributions for the effort recently developed worldwide to establish groups of sexual compatibility among European pears.     

Variability in feeding ecology of a South American cichlid: a reason for successful invasion in mediterranean‐type rivers?

Abstract –  Ecological attributes behind the success of the South American cichlid Australoheros facetus in mediterranean-type rivers remain unclear. This study addresses this issue, by analysing its abundance and feeding patterns in the lower Guadiana drainage (Portugal), during the dry season of 2003. Despite slight spatial variations in abundance and individual size, A. facetus seemed well established in the Guadiana, Vascão and Ardila rivers. No seasonal or size-related changes in feeding intensity were found, but the diet changed across rivers, over time and throughout ontogeny. Feeding seemed highly generalist, with fish apparently reacting to both spatial and temporal changes in food supply and tending to use the most abundant and easily accessible food items. Overall prey breadth was broad relative to that of other native and non-native species. It is suggested that a generalist feeding strategy may play a significant role in the establishment of non-native fish in mediterranean-type rivers.     

Mild to moderate overweight in dogs: is there an impact on routine hematological and biochemical profiles,echocardiographic parameters and cardiac autonomic modulation?

Veterinary Research Communications - Obesity is considered the most common nutritional disease of dogs. Even though overt obesity is more likely to impair health, even moderately overweight dogs...     

Trypanocidal activity of extracts and fractions of Bertholletia excelsa

Crude extracts and fractions of Bertholletia excelsa stem barks were tested for trypanocidal activity. Acetone and methanol extracts showed significant in vitro trypanocidal activity against trypomastigote form of Trypanosoma cruzi since in the concentration of 500 microg/ml, the parasites were reduced in 100% and 90.3% respectively, whereas the triterpene betulinic acid pure isolated from hexane extract presented 75.4%.     

Investigations on the antinociceptive activity of crude extracts from Croton cajucara leaves in mice

The crude leaf extracts of Croton cajucara Benth. were studied for their antinociceptive property in chemical and thermal models of nociception in mice. All the tested extracts (hexanic, chloroformic and methanolic), at oral doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg demonstrated significant inhibition of acetic acid-induced writhing and the second phase response of formalin, but did not manifest a significant effect in hot-plate test.     

The influence of the ethanol pumping of wheat straw and of the beating of pulp on the resulting paper sheets

This paper reports on the influence of independent variables in the pulping of wheat straw (viz. cooking temperature and time, and ethanol concentration), and of the number of PFI beating revolutions to which the pulp is subjected, on the yield and Shopper-Riegler index of the pulp, and on the breaking length, stretch, burst index and tear index of the resulting paper sheets. By using a central composite factor design and the BMDP software suite, equations that relate each dependent variable to the different independent variables were obtained that reproduce the experimental results for the dependent variables with errors less than 25% at temperatures, times, ethanol concentrations and numbers of PFI beating revolutions in the ranges 140–180°C, 60–120 min, 40–80% and 0–1750, respectively. Ensuring the optimal Shopper-Riegler index for the pulp (73.18°SR), and also the optimal breaking length (6276 m), stretch (2.57%) and burst index (3.72 kN/g) for the papers sheets, entails using a high temperature (180°C), a large number of PFI beating revolutions (1750) and medium-to-high ethanol concentration and time values; these conditions, however, decrease the tear index for the paper sheets below the optimum level (4.60 mNm²/g). A high temperature and a large number of PFI beating revolutions, in conjunction with a low ethanol concentration (60%) and a short time (60 min), can be used to save solvent and increase the production; the values thus obtained for the dependent variables differ by less than 30% from their optimum levels in the worst case.     

A new dihydroxysterol from the marine phytoplankton Diacronema sp

Diacronema sp. was cultured and its sterols were separated by column chromatography on silica gel. The new sterol 24-ethyl-4alpha-methyl-cholestane-3,20-diol (1) was characterised by NMR and MS spectrometry, as well as (22E)-24-ethyl-4alpha-methyl-5alpha-cholest-22-en-3beta-ol (2) and beta-sitosterol, the major components of the sterol fractions. Neither the biosynthetic origin of the new dihydroxysterol nor its role in the biochemistry of Diacronema is known.     

Seasonal variation of inorganic nitrogen and net mineralization in a salt marsh ecosystem

Inorganic nitrogen pools and net mineralization were estimated in three sites of a Tagus estuary salt marsh in Portugal throughout 1 year. Ammonium (NH₄ ⁺) was the major form of inorganic nitrogen found in the salt marsh soil. Extractable NH₄ ⁺ concentrations showed a marked seasonal pattern with a concentration peak during the hotter months of July/August. The great majority (>99%) of the total nitrogen in the soil was found in sedimented organic matter, not readily available for plant uptake. Net nitrogen mineralization, determined using a field incubation method, showed a peak during the months of June/July which resulted in an increase on nitrogen availability. With the exception of the lower salt marsh, estimated rates of in situ net nitrogen mineralization in the soil during summer were well related to the increase in plant aboveground biomass and plant nitrogen pools, indicating that the process is an important source of available nitrogen for plant uptake and growth. Annual net nitrogen mineralization ranged between 2.4 and 4.5gNm^–2yr^{– 1} being significantly higher for the lower salt marsh site. Rates of net nitrogen mineralization were relatively low during most of the year with a particularly active period from June to August, possibly due to an effect of temperature on soil microbial activity.