Standardization of the outbred BALB/c mice as a suitable animal model for <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">Besnoitia caprae</Emphasis> studies

The Apicomplexan parasite Besnoitia caprae infects wild and domestic goats. Knowledge on Besnoitia caprae specially an optimized animal model is sparse. Experimental infections with tachyzoites of BC-Pars obtained from BALB/c mice were conducted in outbred mice to determine the infectivity and LD50 of Besnoitia caprae. Six groups of five mice were intraperitoneally infected with 12.5 × 10³, 25 × 10³, 5 × 10⁴, 1 × 10⁵ and 2 × 10⁵ tachyzoites and a control inoculum of DMEM, respectively. Although morbidity and mortality were observed in all groups, two mice in the 12.5 × 10³ group showed alopecia and skin lesions on 60 days post-infection (DPI). Histopathological and molecular examination of skins confirmed B. caprae infection. The LD₅₀ was calculated as 25 × 10^3.2 tachyzoites per mouse. The results indicate that outbred BALB/c mice can be used as a suitable model of besnoitiosis and to screen candidate treatments and to test the efficacy of vaccines for besnoitiosis.     

Field-specific variable rate fertilizer application based on rice growth diagnosis and soil testing for high quality rice production

This study was carried out to verify the applicability of variable rate fertilization (VRF) based on soil testing and diagnosis of rice plant growth for high quality rice production of var. Chucheongbyeo at the farm level. The field trials were conducted at Icheon in Gyeonggi province on a 10 ha farm consisting of 45 experimental fields. For comparative study, 15 field trials were carried out adopting fertilizer management (FPM) practices currently used by farmers. FPM fields were managed by each rice grower using current cultivation methods, but in each VRF field fertilizer application was prescribed using soil test results and the amount of N fertilizer for top-dressing at panicle initiation stage was calculated using rice growth value at that stage. In VRF fields, the total amount of N fertilizer application was less (72 kg ha⁻¹) than that in FPM fields (103 kg ha⁻¹). However, the amount of K₂O fertilizer application was more in VRF fields (60 kg ha⁻¹) than that in FPM fields (52 kg ha⁻¹). The amount of P₂O₅ fertilizer application was similar between the VRF and FPM fields. Plant height was significantly shorter and the number of tillers was significantly more at VRF fields than at the FPM fields. Coefficient of variation (CV) of each growth characteristic measured in VRF was lower than that of FPM fields at panicle initiation stage. There was no difference in culm and panicle length and panicle number between them at the grain filling stage, but CV of panicle numbers per m² decreased in VRF compared with that of the FPM fields. Rice yield was not different between VRF and FPM fields despite higher brown rice recovery and 1,000-grain weight in VRF fields. Under VRF management, head rice yield increased due to an increase in head rice ratio accompanied by a reduction in brown rice protein content and variation of quality characteristics. These results suggest that VRF application based on soil tests and measurement of rice growth value at panicle initiation stage has the potential for quality control and production of high quality rice through increasing uniformity of growth and reducing the variability in quality among individual fields.     

Dietary Supplementation of Brown Seaweed and/or Nucleotides Improved Shrimp Performance,Health Status and Cold-Tolerant Gene Expression of Juvenile Whiteleg Shrimp during the Winter Season

This study was aimed to evaluate the efficiency of Sargassum polycystum and nucleotides- supplemented diets to improve immune response and cold-tolerance of juvenile Litopenaeus vannamei. Four treatments were evaluated: T1, the control, shrimp received only a basal diet; T2, a basal diet with 500 ppm nucleotides; T3, a basal diet with 500 ppm S. polycystum powdered; T4, a basal diet with 500 ppm nucleotides and 500 ppm S. polycystum powdered. Shrimp were fed experimental diets for 56 days. Results revealed shrimp fed T4 diet exhibited the best significant improvement in water quality, survival, growth, and feed utilization indices followed by T2, and T3, while T1 showed the worst values. Additionally, nonspecific immune responses (phagocytosis (%), lysozyme, phenoloxidase, super oxide dismutase (SOD) activity, total nitric oxide) were improved with 1.7–3.2-fold in T4 higher than T1. Histomorphology of hepatopancreas in T4 showed the most increased activation of the hepatic glandular duct system compared with the other treatments. Moreover, nucleotides/seaweed-supplemented diets upregulated relative expression of cMnSOD, Penaeidin4, and heat shock protein70 (HSP70) genes, while translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) was downregulated. In conclusion, the synergistic effects of both S. polycystum and nucleotides have many advantages as a growth promoter, immunostimulant, antimicrobial, and cold-tolerant stimulant to L. vannamei.     

Study the Physical,Chemical, Mineralogical,and Geo-technical Properties of Soils Used in Pottery Industries,Kurdistan-lraq

The study area is located in Duhok and Sulaimania province in Kurdistan region, lraq. Study soils developed from parent material that has derived from limestone. Randomize, composed and disturbed surface soil samples were collected. The bulk soils were air dried, crushed and passed through 2 mm sieve. Standard methods were used for chemical, physical, geotechnical and mineralogical analyses of soil samples. The results indicated that the study soils texture were clay to loam clay, this texture was considered as suitable for ceramic and pottery industries as a result of increasing clay contents that ranged between 301 g/kg and 676 g/kg. Soil consistence depending on geotechnical properties increased the ability of study soils for resistance rapture and deformation. Existence the high amount of cementing agents in study soils such as organic matter, iron oxides and particularly total carbonate （247.2-308.8 g/kg） act to reduce the bad effect of the smectite minerals group （high shrinkage） in soils of study locations through increasing the resistance of these soils for rupture and deformation. The existing of Kaolinite, palygorskite and chlorite allows clay to be dried in ceramic and pottery industries without cracking from shrinkage. Study soils were different in their colors as a result of existence, different pigmentation materials that led to coloring soils with different colors in turn caused coloring of pottery and ceramic materials. Since, there are no available academic studies or researches about this subject in Kurdistan region in addition the clay pottery and ceramic sector still has a good market at the same time using this type of soils for arts, therefore, this study was conducted.     

Prevalence of Brucellosis in Horse North-East of Iran

Brucella preferentially infects cattle, swine, sheep, and goats. However, some epidemiological surveys have been carried out to investigate nonruminants, such as horses. Horse brucellosis has been found in clinical cases, but there are few epidemiologic patterns. Between May 2008 and April 2009, a total of 120 horses were screened for brucella infections in Mashhad, Iran, by the rose bengal test and the tube agglutination test. Sera from three horses were found positive by rose bengal test and tube agglutination test, and therefore the prevalence rate was 2.5%. In horses, the highest individual seroprevalence was in an animal kept close under the intensive system, with other animals such as cattle, sheep, and goats. The zoonotic aspects of brucellosis from the horse must, therefore, be considered because the disease is important from a public health standpoint. The present study documents the first serological evidence of Brucella spp. infection in horses in Iran.     

Synthesis and characterization of new copolymers from glycidyl methacrylate and tetrahydrofurfuryl acrylate: Determination of reactivity ratios

The new copolymers from different feed compositions of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and tetrahydrofurfuryl acrylate (THFA) were synthesized using free radical polymerization in toluene at 70±1 °C using benzoyl peroxide (BPO) as initiator. The polymers were characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and FTIR spectroscopic techniques. The polydispersities of the copolymers suggest a strong tendency for chain termination by disproportionation. The glass transition temperature of the copolymers increases with increase in GMA content. The thermal stability of the copolymers increases with increase in THFA content. The copolymer compositions were determined using ¹H NMR analysis. Reactivity ratios for GMA and THFA as determined by the Mao-Huglin method were r₁=0.379 and r₂=0.266. The results showed that all these copolymerizations are strictly linear systems describable by the Mayo-Lewis equation based on the terminal model and that accurate reactivity ratio data can be obtained.     

Plant and soil fertility characteristics of different winter wheat fields in the Huang-huai-hai plain of China

High-profile nutrient accumulation has caused low nutrient use efficiency and environmental pollution. A total of 140 points in farmers’ wheat fields were investigated and sampled under a typical winter wheat and summer maize rotation system in the Huang-huai-hai Plain of China (HPC). The average wheat yield in the high-yield field is more than 10% relative to the mid-low-yield areas based on historical data. The results showed in the high-yield wheat field the effective spike number was the main yield component, followed by 1000-grain weight. Uptake contents and ratios of N, P₂O₅ and K₂O in the whole wheat plant were also examined. Along the soil depth, organic matter (OM), alkali-hydrolyzable N (AN), available P (AP) and available K (AK) concentration gradually decreased. Soil critical values of AN, AP and AK in the 0–20?cm depth needed to achieve the maximum grain yield were 85.9, 17.7 and 114.2?mg kg^?1 calculated by the significant linear-plus-plateau model between wheat grain yield and soil nutrient concentration at harvest, respectively. These results indicated that the rational application of fertilizer based on the soil nutrient supply capacity and residual nutrients in root zone and optimum planting density are key determinants of grain production in the HPC.     

Barley growth,yield, antioxidant enzymes,and ion accumulation affected by PGRs under salinity stress conditions

Application of plant growth regulator (PGR) may alleviate some negative effects of environmental stresses such as salinity. A controlled environment experiment was conducted to study barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Reyhane) growth, yield, antioxidant enzymes and ions accumulation affected by PGRs under salinity stress conditions at Shiraz University during 2012. The treatments were PGRs at four levels—water (as control), cycocel (CCC, 19 mM), salicylic acid (SA, 1 mM), and jasmonic acid (JA, 0.5 mM)—and four salinity levels—no stress (0.67 dS m^?1, as control), 5, 10, and 15 dS m^?1, which were arranged in a factorial experiment based on completely randomized design with four replicates. The results showed that salinity stress significantly decreased plant height, peduncle length, leaf area, ear length, grain number, dry weight, grain yield, harvest index, potassium (K⁺) accumulation, and potassium/sodium (K⁺/Na⁺) concentration ratio, which were closely associated with stress severity. However, PGRs compensated some of these negative effects, so that SA foliar application had the most ameliorative effect. Salt stress also increased Na⁺ accumulation as well as the activity of peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Since ion discrimination and enhanced antioxidant enzymes are associated with salt tolerance, in this experiment PGRs application might have enhanced K⁺ accumulation and antioxidant enzyme activity. The activity of SOD and K⁺/Na⁺ ratio were found to be useful in salt tolerance manipulation in barley plants.     

Effect of Temperature and Alkaline pH on the Physicochemical Properties of the Protein Isolates Extracted from the Whole Ungutted Lanternfish (Benthosema pterotum)

The aim of this study was to evaluate functional properties of the protein extracted from lanternfish (Benthosema pterotum). Extraction of the fish protein was performed in alkaline pHs (10 and 12) followed by precipitation at its isoelectric pH. The effects of different extraction temperatures (0, 4, 11, 25, and 30°C) were also studied. The results showed that the protein recovery yield was higher when extracted at pH 12 compared to pH 10. Furthermore, some functional properties including water holding capacity, oil holding capacity, emulsifying capacity, foaming capacity, and solubility of the protein isolated at pH 12 were higher than that isolated at pH 10 (p < 0.05). The color evaluation (L*, a*, and b*) of the samples showed protein isolated at pH 12 was lighter (higher L*) than protein isolated at pH 10, but redness (a* value) declined in both samples. Evaluation of different extraction temperatures showed that protein recovery yield and functional properties were improved with increasing temperature. Fish protein isolate can be used in the formulation of value-added products because of their distinctive functional properties.     

Effect of dietary Moringa oleifera leaves on the performance,ileal microbiota and antioxidative status of broiler chickens

In this study, we investigated the effect of Moringa oleifera leaves (MOL) supplements on the performance, ileal microbiota carcass traits and biochemical and antioxidant parameters of broiler chickens. MOL was added to starter, grower and finisher diets at four levels (0%, 0.5%, 1.0% and 5.0%). A total of 320 one-day-old mixed-sex Cobb-500 broiler chicks were divided equally into four treatment groups, with 5 replicates of 16 chicks each until 42 days of age. Compared to the control group, chicks fed 0.5% and 1% MOL exhibited a higher final body weight (FBW), greater weight gain (BWG), and better average daily gain (ADG). Feed intake (FI) gradually decreased as the inclusion rate of MOL in the broilers' diet increased to 5%. The best feed conversion ratio (FCR), protein efficiency ratio (PER) and performance index (PI) were observed in broilers that were fed the MOL diet. The percentage of abdominal fat in broilers decreased significantly in response to dietary supplementation with MOL. The haematological profile in the MOL group revealed a lower WBC count and lymphocyte percentage but higher heterophil and H/L ratio without affecting haemoglobin and RBC count. The inclusion of MOL increased total serum protein, Ca and P levels but decreased glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, AST and ALT concentrations. Moreover, dietary MOL increased the activities of GSH, CAT and SOD, GPx and GST while decreasing the TBARS level. The pH value decreased in the ileum of broilers fed the 1% and 5% MOL diet compared to the other treatments. Decreased ileal counts of E. coli, Salmonella and Staphylococcus spp. were observed whereas the total ileal Lactobacillus spp. count increased in broilers fed the MOL diet. In conclusion, the MOL supplement can enhance growth performance and antioxidant status, alter ileal microbiota and protect against enteropathogens with no deleterious effects on the broiler chickens.