The serological responses of chickens to mass vaccination with a live V4 Newcastle disease virus vaccine in the field and in the laboratory 2. Layer pullets

Layer chickens on a commercial started pullet farm were vaccinated once at 31 to 52 days of age by drinking water or aerosol with live V4 Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vaccine. Flockmates which had been rehoused in laboratory isolation pens shortly beforehand were similarly vaccinated. Samples of birds were bled at intervals and the serums tested for haemagglutination inhibiting antibody to NDV. Log2 mean titres of up to 4.88 and assumed protection levels (based on the percentage of birds with log2 titres of 4 or greater) of up to 81%, were obtained in the field trials within 4 weeks of vaccination. A subsequent laboratory trial further compared the response of different breeds of chicken to different routes of vaccination. Differences were observed between breeds, routes of vaccination, and parallel field and laboratory trials. The results show that this V4 vaccine can produce an adequate serological response following mass vaccination of Australian layer pullets housed under commercial conditions, and that care should be exercised in extrapolating results obtained under laboratory conditions.     

High-quality binary protein interaction map of the yeast interactome network

Current yeast interactome network maps contain several hundred molecular complexes with limited and somewhat controversial representation of direct binary interactions. We carried out a comparative quality assessment of current yeast interactome data sets, demonstrating that high-throughput yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) screening provides high-quality binary interaction information. Because a large fraction of the yeast binary interactome remains to be mapped, we developed an empirically controlled mapping framework to produce a "second-generation" high-quality, high-throughput Y2H data set covering approximately 20% of all yeast binary interactions. Both Y2H and affinity purification followed by mass spectrometry (AP/MS) data are of equally high quality but of a fundamentally different and complementary nature, resulting in networks with different topological and biological properties. Compared to co-complex interactome models, this binary map is enriched for transient signaling interactions and intercomplex connections with a highly significant clustering between essential proteins. Rather than correlating with essentiality, protein connectivity correlates with genetic pleiotropy.     

Temperature and dietary factors affecting the nitrogen efflux rates of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell)

Total ammonia and total nitrogen efflux rates of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell), were measured under different temperature conditions (20, 25 and 30^°C) and feeding regimes (50% protein, 40% protein and non-fed for 10 days). Both ammonia and nitrogen efflux rates were directly related to temperature. At all experimental temperatures, the 50%-protein-fed groups excreted higher levels of ammonia nitrogen than both the 40% protein and non-fed groups. No correlation of relative ammonia efflux (% ammonia/nitrogen) with either temperature or diet was observed under these experimental conditions. Such alterations caused by temperature and diet may have significant implications for an aquaculture system as low levels of dissolved ammonia are synonymous with optimum water quality.     

Prevalence and molecular characterization of bovine coenurosis from Eastern Anatolian region of Turkey

This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and molecular characteristics of Coenurus cerebralis, the metacestode of Taenia multiceps in cattle from Erzurum province located in eastern region of Turkey between November 2009 and April 2010. Five of 1045 brains of cattle (0.47%) were found to be infected with Coenurus cysts. The characteristics and morphology of C. cerebralis were seen in all the cysts. The cyts from three infected cattle were genetically analyzed and confirmed to be T. multiceps metacestodes by NAD1 and COX1 mitochondrial gene sequence analysis. Pairwise comparison between the NAD1 sequences of the T. multiceps isolates from Erzurum and other T. multiceps isolates available in GenBank showed differences ranging from 0.6 to 2.9%, while COX1 sequences showed differences ranging from 0.2 to 2.6%. Considering the two genes, it was seen that all of the three isolates from Erzurum province were in the same group according to phylogenetic analyses. The present findings could provide a stimulus for future studies on the systematic relationships and epidemiology of lesser-known taeniid cestodes in the region, employing mitochondrial sequence data sets.     

Aedes vexans and Culex pipiens as the potential vectors of Dirofilaria immitis in Central Turkey

This study was carried out to investigate the potential vectors and relative mosquito infection rates of Dirofilaria immitis throughout two mosquito seasons (2008-2009) in Kayseri province where is located in Central Anatolian part of Turkey. For this aim, totally 1198 genomic DNA pools, extracted and grouped according to the species and collection site (1-17 specimens/pool) from 6153 mosquito specimens, were examined by PCR using species-specific primers for D. immitis. The captured mosquitoes from 46 focuses were survived under in vitro conditions for 7 days to allow the development of larval stages of D. immitis. DNA extraction was performed individually to both thorax-head and abdomens in order to determine infective and infected mosquito specimens, respectively. The most abundant mosquito species in the study area was determined as Ae. vexans (51.7%) and this was followed by Cx. pipiens (42.1%), Cx. theileri (3.1%), Cs. annulata (1.5%), An. maculipennis (1.0%) and Cx. hortensis (0.6%). The PCR results indicated that 9/312 and 12/312 pools from Ae. vexans abdomens and thorax-heads were positive for filarial DNAs, respectively where as 3/241 pools of each abdomens and thorax-heads from Cx. pipiens were positive for D. immitis DNAs. The minimum infection rates (MIRs) for Ae. vexans and Cx. pipiens were calculated as 0.41 and 0.12, respectively. Although D. immitis DNA's were found in both pools from Ae. vexans and Cx. pipiens, the calculated MIRs provide evidence that Ae. vexans could be the main potential vector of D. immitis in Kayseri.     

Stereological and histological analysis of the developing rat heart

We studied with quantitative and microscopical methods the heart of rats divided into five age groups: embryos at the age of 11 days, fetuses at the age of 16 days and 20 days and also heart samples of 3-day-old pups and young adults (5 weeks of age) were used (n = 10 samples in each group). At the end of the study; heart samples were obtained from all animals. Stereological estimations were performed on heart volume, volume of heart lumen (ventricles and atria), volume of myocardium, numerical density of the myocyte nuclei and mean nuclear diameter of myocytes. Volumetric values and numerical data were estimated via Cavalieri method and physical dissector, respectively. In this study, histological examination was performed at light and electron microscopic levels. The numerical density of the myocyte nuclei increased from fetuses to young adults. Differences between embryos and fetuses, between fetuses and 3-day-old pups, and between 3-day-old pups and young adults were statistically significant. These results indicate that myogenesis continued in the rat myocardium during prenatal life and after birth.