The effect of lactic acid bacterial starter culture and chemical additives on wilted rice straw silage

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are suitable for rice straw silage fermentation, but have been studied rarely, and rice straw as raw material for ensiling is difficult because of its disadvantages, such as low nutrition for microbial activities and low abundances of natural populations of LAB. So we investigated the effect of application of LAB and chemical additives on the fermentation quality and microbial community of wilted rice straw silage. Treatment with chemical additives increased the concentrations of crude protein (CP), water soluble carbohydrate (WSC), acetic acid and lactic acid, reduced the concentrations of acid detergent fiber (ADF) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF), but did not effectively inhibit the growth of spoilage organisms. Inoculation with LABs did not improve the nutritional value of the silage because of poor growth of LABs in wilted rice straw. Inoculation with LAB and addition of chemical materials improved the quality of silage similar to the effects of addition of chemical materials alone. Growth of aerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria was inhibited by this mixed treatment and the LAB gradually dominated the microbial community. In summary, the fermentation quality of wilted rice straw silage had improved by addition of LAB and chemical materials.     

Prevalence and Characterization of Salmonella Isolated from Feral Pigs Throughout Texas

Feral pigs are one of the most abundant free‐roaming ungulates in the United States, yet their role in the ecology and transmission of foodborne pathogens is poorly understood. Our objectives were to estimate the prevalence of Salmonella shedding among feral pigs throughout Texas, to identify risk factors for infection, and to characterize the isolates. Faecal samples were collected from feral pigs in Texas from June 2013 through May 2015. Standard bacteriologic culture methods were used to isolate Salmonella from samples, and isolates were characterized via serotyping and anti‐microbial susceptibility testing. The prevalence of faecal Salmonella shedding among sampled pigs was 43.9% (194/442), with positive pigs originating from 50 counties. Pigs sampled during fall and summer were significantly more likely to be shedding Salmonella than pigs sampled during winter. High serovar diversity was evident among the isolates, and many of the detected serovars are leading causes of human salmonellosis. The most common serovars were Montevideo (10.0%), Newport (9.1%), and Give (8.2%). Resistance to anti‐microbial agents was rare. The burgeoning feral pig population in the United States may represent an emerging threat to food safety.     

COMPARISON OF SONOGRAPHIC FEATURES OF BENIGN AND NEOPLASTIC DEEP LYMPH NODES IN DOGS

The differentiation of benign vs. neoplastic lymph nodes impacts patient management. Specific sonographic features are typically considered when assessing lymph nodes in dogs. However, the usefulness of these criteria in distinguishing benign vs. malignant lymph nodes remains largely unknown, especially for deep lymph nodes. Our aim was to compare sonographic features in benign and neoplastic deep lymph nodes with the hope of identifying predictive criteria. Thirty‐one deep lymph nodes (16 mesenteric, 10 medial iliac, three hepatic, one sternal, and one cranial mediastinal) in 31 dogs were examined prospectively with B‐mode and Color flow Doppler. Lymph nodes were aspirated using ultrasound‐guidance and final diagnosis were established based on cytologic and/or histopathologic interpretation. Prevalence of each sonographic feature and combinations of two features was calculated for each group and compared using a χ²‐test or Student's t‐test for unequal variances. Ten lymph nodes were benign (hyperplastic and/or inflammatory) and 21 were neoplastic. All were hypoechoic, except for one neoplastic lymph node. Maximal short‐axis diameter (P=0.0006) and long‐axis diameter (P=0.01), and SA/LA ratio (P=0.008) were increased significantly for neoplastic (2.8, 5.5 cm, and 0.50, respectively) vs. benign (1.2, 3.8 cm, and 0.34, respectively) lymph nodes. The prevalence of other features was similar between groups. Doppler evaluation was possible in 77% of lymph nodes, but there was no significant difference between groups. When any two ultrasound features were combined, the only difference between benign and neoplastic lymph nodes was for the combination of contour regularity and appearance of the perinodal fat (P=0.03).     

Association of Obesity with Serum Leptin,Adiponectin, and Serotonin and Gut Microflora in Beagle Dogs

Background

Serotonin (5‐hydroxytryptamine, 5HT) is involved in hypothalamic regulation of energy consumption. Also, the gut microbiome can influence neuronal signaling to the brain through vagal afferent neurons. Therefore, serotonin concentrations in the central nervous system and the composition of the microbiota can be related to obesity.

Objective

To examine adipokine, and, serotonin concentrations, and the gut microbiota in lean dogs and dogs with experimentally induced obesity.

Animals

Fourteen healthy Beagle dogs were used in this study.

Methods

Seven Beagle dogs in the obese group were fed commercial food ad libitum, over a period of 6 months to increase their weight and seven Beagle dogs in lean group were fed a restricted amount of the same diet to maintain optimal body condition over a period of 6 months. Peripheral leptin, adiponectin, 5HT, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF‐5HT) levels were measured by ELISA. Fecal samples were collected in lean and obese groups 6 months after obesity was induced. Targeted pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene was performed using a Genome Sequencer FLX plus system.

Results

Leptin concentrations were higher in the obese group (1.98 ± 1.00) compared to those of the lean group (1.12 ± 0.07, P = .025). Adiponectin and 5‐hydroytryptamine of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF‐5HT) concentrations were higher in the lean group (27.1 ± 7.28) than in the obese group (14.4 ± 5.40, P = .018). Analysis of the microbiome revealed that the diversity of the microbial community was lower in the obese group. Microbes from the phylum Firmicutes (85%) were predominant group in the gut microbiota of lean dogs. However, bacteria from the phylum Proteobacteria (76%) were the predominant group in the gut microbiota of dogs in the obese group.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Decreased 5HT levels in obese group might increase the risk of obesity because of increased appetite. Microflora enriched with gram‐negative might be related with chronic inflammation status in obese dogs.     

Herd diagnosis of low pathogen diarrhoea in growing pigs – a pilot study

Background

The major indication for antibiotic use in Danish pigs is treatment of intestinal diseases post weaning. Clinical decisions on antibiotic batch medication are often based on inspection of diarrhoeic pools on the pen floor. In some of these treated diarrhoea outbreaks, intestinal pathogens can only be demonstrated in a small number of pigs within the treated group (low pathogen diarrhoea). Termination of antibiotic batch medication in herds suffering from such diarrhoea could potentially reduce the consumption of antibiotics in the pig industry. The objective of the present pilot study was to suggest criteria for herd diagnosis of low pathogen diarrhoea in growing pigs.Data previously collected from 20 Danish herds were used to create a case series of clinical diarrhoea outbreaks normally subjected to antibiotic treatment. In the present study, these diarrhoea outbreaks were classified as low pathogen (<15% of the pigs having bacterial intestinal disease) (n =5 outbreaks) or high pathogen (≥15% of the pigs having bacterial intestinal disease) (n =15 outbreaks). Based on the case series, different diagnostic procedures were explored, and criteria for herd diagnosis of low pathogen diarrhoea were suggested. The effect of sampling variation was explored by simulation.

Results

The diagnostic procedure with the highest combined herd-level sensitivity and specificity was qPCR testing of a pooled sample containing 20 randomly selected faecal samples. The criteria for a positive test result (high pathogen diarrhoea outbreak) were an average of 1.5 diarrhoeic faecal pools on the floor of each pen in the room under investigation and a pathogenic bacterial load ≥35,000 per gram in the faecal pool tested by qPCR. The bacterial load was the sum of Lawsonia intracellularis, Brachyspira pilosicoli and Escherichia coli F4 and F18 bacteria per gram faeces. The herd-diagnostic performance was (herd-level) diagnostic sensitivity =0.99, diagnostic specificity =0.80, positive predictive value =0.94 and negative predictive value =0.96.

Conclusions

The pilot study suggests criteria for herd diagnosis of low pathogen diarrhoea in growing pigs. The suggested criteria should now be evaluated, and the effect of terminating antibiotic batch medication in herds identified as suffering from low pathogen diarrhoea should be explored.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/2046-0481-67-24) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Effects of Impact Dehuller Rotor Speed on Dehulling Characteristics of Diverse Oat Genotypes Grown in Different Environments

Commercial processing of oats for human consumption generally requires impact dehulling to isolate groats from the hull. Impact dehulling involves feeding oat grain into the center of a spinning rotor that expels the grain against the walls of the dehuller. The force of the impact breaks the hull from the groat. We have tested the effect of rotor speed on dehulling efficiency, groat breakage, and unbroken groat yield on 18 oat genotypes from replicated plots in six different environments. Dehulling efficiency and groat breakage increased with rotor speed with all genotypes and environments, but there were significant genotypic and environmental effects as well. In general, genotypes with higher test weight and kernel density dehulled more efficiently at slower rotor speeds. Oat genotypes with higher oil and protein concentrations in their groats tended to break less during dehulling. Oats from hotter, drier environments suffered greater groat breakage. Maximal unbroken groat yield represented a balance between dehulling efficiency and groat breakage, but groat proportion and dehulling efficiency appeared to be the most important factors contributing to groat yield.     

Utilization of municipal organic wastes in agriculture: where do we stand,where will we go?

Generation of organic waste is increasing worldwide and strategies for its environmentally sound use must be developed and optimized. Regulations in European countries and the USA differ largely with respect to requirements of organic waste quality and the quantities of pollutants which can be added to the soil. Research has shown beneficial effects regarding the improvement of soil fertility. Enrichment of total metals in soil was attributed to long‐term sludge application but the effect on bioavailability of metals must be further clarified. A number of organic pollutants, such as hydrophobic persistent organic contaminants and surfactants, are known to accumulate in organic wastes. However, the former interact strongly with organic matter in the sludge‐soil‐plant system and systemic plant uptake is generally assumed to be minimal. Surfactants may cause adverse environmental impacts when they enter sewage systems in high loads and accumulate in sludge. Surfactants and some of their metabolites are not readily biodegraded in non‐aerated environments. Due to their toxicity and estrogenic activity, of nonylphenol for example, more research is needed to optimize analytical techniques and to trace their behavior in soil. Some options to cope with the risks of huge amounts of organic waste and also some benefits are presented: (1) further limitation of standards for pollutants and reduced application rates; (2) improved treatment of sewage sludge to reduce the total and bioavailable portions of both heavy metals and organic pollutants; (3) adaptation of waste application rates to soil properties such as sorption capacity for pollutants; (4) harmonization of analytical protocols for organic contaminants, i.e. surfactants and metabolites, enabling a more thorough monitoring of the wastes which are to be applied onto soils.     

What proteomic analysis of the apoplast tells us about plant–pathogen interactions

Plant pathogens have developed different strategies during their evolution to infect and colonize their hosts. In the same way, plants have evolved different mechanisms acting against potential pathogens trying to infect and colonize their tissues. Regulation of a wide variety of proteins is required in order to perceive the pathogen and to activate the plant defence mechanisms. The apoplast is the first compartment where these recognition phenomena occur in most plant–pathogen interactions, allowing the exchange of different molecules and facilitating inter‐ and intracellular communication in plant cells. Proteomic analysis of the apoplast in recent years has found the initial biochemical responses involved in pathogen recognition and early defence responses. However, this proteomic approach requires some specific experimental conditions to obtain an extract free of cytoplasmic proteins and nonprotein contaminants that affect the subsequent stages of separation and quantification. Obtaining the highest proportion of proteins from the apoplastic space in infected tissues requires different steps such as extraction of apoplastic washing fluids and preparation of total secreted proteins (protein precipitation, solubilization, separation and digestion). Protein identification using mass spectrometry techniques and bioinformatics tools identifying peptides for the extracellular exportation is required to confirm the apoplastic location. This review compiles the most commonly used techniques for proteomic studies, focusing on the early biochemical changes occurring in the apoplast of plants infected by a wide range of pathogens. The scope of this approach to discover the molecular mechanisms involved in the plant–pathogen interaction is discussed.     

Arytenoid Lateralization for Treatment of Laryngeal Paralysis in 10 Cats

Objective— To describe the signalment, history, clinical signs, surgical technique, and outcome for cats with laryngeal paralysis that had arytenoid lateralization.
Study Design— Case series.
Animals— Cats with laryngeal paralysis (n=10).
Methods— Medical records (1996–2002) for cats with laryngeal paralysis that had arytenoid lateralization were reviewed for signalment, history, clinical signs, degree of paralysis, cause, concurrent medical conditions, surgical technique, and outcome. Follow-up information was obtained from owners or referring veterinarians.
Results— Of 10 cats, 9 had bilateral and 1 had unilateral laryngeal paralysis. Arytenoid lateralization were unilateral (n=7), bilateral (1), and staged bilateral procedures (2), 10 days and 3 years apart, respectively. Postoperatively, 1 cat had persistent inspiratory noise because of minimal enlargement of the rima glottidis and 2 cats required a temporary tracheostomy for management of laryngeal swelling. Three cats developed aspiration pneumonia and died 4, 7, and 150 days after surgery; all 3 had bilateral (simultaneous or staged) procedures. Of the 7 remaining cats, 4 were alive at follow-up and 3 had died of causes unrelated to arytenoid lateralization. The calculated mean survival time for all 10 cats was 406 days (median, 150 days; range, 4–1825 days).
Conclusions— Arytenoid lateralization was effective at enlarging the rima glottidis and reducing signs of airway obstruction in most cats.
Clinical Relevance— Unilateral arytenoid lateralization is a feasible option for the surgical management of cats with marked clinical signs; however, bilateral procedures should be avoided or at least performed with considerable caution because of the apparent risk for aspiration pneumonia.