Effect of Marcela Extract (Achyroclines satureiodes) on the Shelf Life of Minced Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Sausages

The effect of marcela extract (ME) on the shelf life of minced tilapia sausages was evaluated in this study. The level of phenolic compounds in the ME was 114.1 ± 2.9 mg GAE/g extract, and the DPPH free radical scavenging activity was 94.95 ± 1.34%. The ME protected the samples from color changes during storage. The addition of 0.5 and 0.75% ME significantly decreased lipid oxidation and microbial growth. The ME did not impact the sausages’ sensory quality, and the addition of 0.75% prevented sensory rejection during storage.     

小麦水分状况的光反射测量

反射测量可用于对作物的水分状况进行快速而经济的评估。该研究以土壤最大持水量为标准，设65%、52%、39%、32.5%、26%和19.5%共6个水处理水平。小麦叶片光反射的测量用数码相机进行，测量结果用L*a*b*颜色系统进行评估和分析。在该三维系统中，参数a*和b*分别描述绿/红和蓝/黄颜色的比例，参数L*用来描述颜色的浅淡。结果表明，随水胁迫加剧，小麦叶片光反射参数a*(绿/红)和/或b*(蓝/黄)在9个特定波段表现出有规律的增加，植株含水率与光反射参数b*之间呈线性负相关关系，其中与510～780 nm波段的光反射参数b*之间的决定系数r^{2最大，达到0.95。因此光反射测量可以作为小麦水分状况测量的一个重要工具。}     

Design,optimization, and application of a conventional PCR assay with an internal control for detection of ‘Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis’ 16S rDNA in domestic cats from Brazil

Background: ‘Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis’ (CMtc) is a hemotrophic bacterial species that can, alone or in combination, induce anemia in cats. The diagnostic test of choice for hemoplasma infections is PCR. Conventional PCR assays have been developed for the detection of Mycoplasma haemofelis (Mhf) and ‘Candidatus M. haemominutum’ (CMhm) but not for CMtc. Although real‐time PCR assays have been reported for all of the feline hemoplasmas, the expense of necessary instrumentation precludes its use in Brazil and many other countries. Objectives: The goals of this study were to develop and optimize a conventional PCR assay to diagnose CMtc using an internal control to detect false‐negative results, and to evaluate the occurrence of CMtc infection in domestic cats from Brazil. Methods: Species‐specific primers were designed and a PCR assay was developed for the detection of CMtc 16S rDNA in cat blood. Sensitivity was determined by serial 10‐fold dilutions of plasmid and DNA extracted from blood from an experimentally infected cat. EDTA blood samples from 373 cats were collected. DNA was extracted using a silica‐based protocol and tested using the PCR assay. Results: Primer concentration, annealing temperature, and MgCl₂ concentration were optimized in the presence and absence of the internal control. Two samples negative for the internal control were excluded. Of the remaining 371 samples (117 healthy and 254 unhealthy cats), 17 (4.6%) were positive for CMtc. Conclusion: These results demonstrate the utility of an optimized PCR assay to detect CMtc in feline blood samples. We also report for the first time the prevalence of CMtc infection in domestic cats in Brazil.     

Correlations entre le thymus et les hormones sexuelles chez le cobaye

Relations between thymus and sex hormones in Guinea Pigs Male and female Guinea Pigs were treated for different periods of time with sex hormones and gonadotropins. There were changes in the cytology and architecture of the thymic parenchyma. The most important conclusion was that folliculin has a strong involuting effect on the thymus and leads to the appearance of cells with Foà-Kurloff bodies. This effect is independent of hypophyseal stimulation. The obtained results underline the existence of close relations between thymus and gonads, and especially between the thymus and the estrogen secretion in the theca interna of the ovarian follicle.     

Congenital sensorineural deafness in dogs: a molecular genetic approach toward unravelling the responsible genes

Deafness is often diagnosed in different dog breeds and has been identified as a significant problem for breeders, owners and clinicians. The aetiology can be inherited or acquired, and a distinction must be made between sensorineural and conductive forms of deafness. This paper provides a brief overview of the varieties of findings in different dog breeds and in one breed in particular including prevalence, phenotypic and gender associations, histology, modes of inheritance and the number of contributing genes in congenital sensorineural deafness. We have also described molecular genetic approaches to canine hearing loss and discuss how comparative genomics could help reduce the prevalence of deafness in affected breeds leading to new insights into the molecular mechanisms of auditory function in both dogs and humans.     

A prospective study of postoperative surgical site infections in dogs and cats

OBJECTIVE: To assess postoperative surgical site infection (SSI) rate and to identify associated predictive factors. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective clinical study. ANIMALS: Dogs and cats that had surgery (1010 interventions) during 58 weeks from April 1999 to June 2000. METHODS: Data sheets were completed by clinicians. Patients were controlled for clinical evidence of SSI at suture removal. Two definitions of SSI ("infection" and "infection/inflammation") were developed specifically for this study and used for statistical analysis. Logistic regression models were built in order to identify significant predictive factors for SSI. RESULTS: Wounds with "infection/inflammation" occurred in 5.8% and "infected" wounds in 3% of patients. The outcome "infection" was associated with 3 major risk factors (duration of surgery, increasing number of persons in the operating room, dirty surgical site) and 1 protective factor (antimicrobial prophylaxis). The outcome "infection/inflammation" was associated with 6 significant factors (duration of anesthesia, duration of postoperative intensive care unit stay, wound drainage, increasing patient weight, dirty surgical site, and antimicrobial prophylaxis). CONCLUSIONS: SSI frequency in companion animals is comparable with the frequency observed in human surgical patients. Several significant predictive factors for SSI in small animals surgery were identified. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Baseline information for SSI surveillance in our hospital and for comparison with other studies was defined. The factors identified may help to predict infections in surgical patients and to take adequate preventive measures for patients at risk.     

Effect of enrofloxacin in the carrier stage of Haemophilus parasuis in naturally colonized pigs

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of enrofloxacin in the carrier stage of Haemophilus parasuis in naturally colonized weaned pigs. Twenty-three pigs colonized by H. parasuis received either 7.5 mg/kg body weight (BW) of enrofloxacin or a saline solution intramuscularly at weaning. Nasal and tonsillar swab samples were collected daily throughout the study and at necropsy and tested by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The H. parasuis isolates obtained from samples collected at necropsy were subjected to genotyping by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus polymerase chain reaction (ERIC-PCR) and a multiplex PCR for the detection of the virulence-associated trimeric autotransporter (vtaA) genes. Haemophilus parasuis was detected in the nasal cavity and tonsils of pigs in the control group throughout the study. Antibiotic-treated pigs tested negative for H. parasuis at 1 d post-treatment and the proportion of nasal samples that tested positive was higher for control pigs than for treated pigs at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 d post-treatment and at 2, 4, and 5 d post-treatment for tonsil samples (P < 0.003). Genotyping by ERIC-PCR demonstrated that pigs were colonized with a common H. parasuis strain at the end of the study. Isolates were negative for the vtaA gene, which indicates the absence of vtaA virulence factor. In conclusion, enrofloxacin significantly reduced the H. parasuis load in naturally colonized pigs, but was unable to completely eliminate the organism.     

Micropylar pollen tube guidance by egg apparatus 1 of maize

Pollen tube guidance precedes the double fertilization of flowering plants. Here, we report the identification of a small maize protein of 94 amino acids involved in short-range signaling required for pollen tube attraction by the female gametophyte. ZmEA1 is exclusively expressed in the egg apparatus, consisting of the egg cell and two synergids. Chimeric ZmEA1 fused to green fluorescent protein (ZmEA1:GFP) was first visible within the filiform apparatus and later was localized to nucellar cell walls below the micropylar opening of the ovule. Transgenic down-regulation of the ZmEA1 gene led to ovule sterility caused by loss of close-range pollen tube guidance to the micropyle.