Detection of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brucella</Emphasis> sp. infection through serological,microbiological, and molecular methods applied to buffaloes in Maranhão State,Brazil

The aim of the current study is to diagnose Brucella spp. infection using methods such as serology, bacterial isolation, and molecular analysis in buffaloes bred in Maranhão State. In order to do so, 390 samples of buffalo serum were subjected to serological tests, to Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and to 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) combined with slow agglutination test (SAT). Vaginal swabs were collected from seropositive animals and subjected to bacterial isolation and to generic PCR. According to the serological test, 16 animals had a positive reaction to the confirmatory test (2-ME/SAT). As for bacterial isolation, three samples resulted in the isolation of Brucella spp.-characteristic colonies, which were confirmed through PCR. These results confirmed Brucella spp. infection in the buffalo herd from Maranhão State.     

Dynamic modeling and control of pressure dyeing machine’s running roller system

Key factor determining production quality is the deformation control between running rollers of pressure dyeing machine during the operation. Currently the industrial communities try to alleviate the defects by taking experiments. This study aims to approve theoretical practicality of providing controller and its parameters suitable to abolish vibration displacement in operating pressure dyeing machine in order to improve pressure dyeing quality and lengthen machine’s life. Firstly, the dynamic equation of the pressure dyeing machine’s running roller is derived and its corresponding open-loop transfer function is obtained from modal summation method. Then, the root locus method is used to design a controller which is realizable in the industrial communities. Simulation indicates that the designed controller not only can eliminate vibration response generated during pressure dyeing process and reducing greatly the previous process defects by making the two running rollers smoothly contact with each other. The solution is a high efficient way to ameliorate pressure dyeing process with low cost and easy access.     

Suppression subtractive hybridization and microarray analysis reveal differentially expressed genes in the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lr39/41</Emphasis>-mediated wheat resistance to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Puccinia triticina</Emphasis>

Wheat leaf rust caused by Puccinia triticina (Pt) is one of the most severe fungal diseases threatening the global wheat production. The use of leaf rust resistance (Lr) genes in wheat breeding programs is the major solution to solve this issue. Wheat isogenic line carrying the Lr39/41 gene has shown a moderate to high resistance to most of the Pt pathotypes detected in China. In the present study, a typical hypersensitive response (HR) was observed using microscopy in leaves of the Lr39/41 isogenic line inoculated with the avirulent Pt pathotype THTT from 48 h-post inoculation. Two Lr39/41 resistance-associated suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) libraries with a total of 6000 clones were established. Microarray hybridizations were performed on all obtained SSH clones using RNAs extracted from leaves of the Pt-inoculated and non-inoculated Lr39/41 isogenic lines, and leaves of the Pt-inoculated and non-inoculated Thatcher susceptible lines. Differentially expressed clones were analyzed by significance analysis of microarrays (SAM), followed by further sequencing. A total of 36 Lr39/41-resistance-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, many of which had been previously reported to be involved in the plant defense response. The expression levels of eight selected DEGs during different stages of the Lr39/41-mediated resistance were further quantified by a qRT-PCR assay. Several pathogenesis-related (PR) and HR-related genes seem to be crucial for the Lr39/41-mediated resistance. In general, a brief profile of DEGs associated with the Lr39/41-mediated wheat resistance to Pt was drafted.     

Alien species of aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) found in Serbia,new to the Balkan Peninsula

New alien species of aphids (Illinoia liriodendri (Monell), Wahlgreniella nervata (Gillete), Takecallis arundicolens (Clarke) and Tinocallis takachihoensis Higuchi) have been found for the first time in Serbia. These records are new for the Balkan Peninsula. Data of Ericaphis scammelli (Mason), species recently mentioned in Serbia, are also presented in the text. The species have been found during the last five years at four sites (Belgrade, Zemun, Mladenovac and Bojnik) on five cultivated plants. Ericaphis scammelli is a pest of blueberry and a vector of Blueberry scorch virus. The other four develop colonies on decorative plants: I. liriodendri has been found on Liriodendron tulipifera, W. nervata on Rosa sp., T. arundicolens on Pseudosasa japonica and T. takachihoensis on Ulmus x hollandica. The origin of three of the species (E. scammelli, I. liriodendri and W. nervata) is North America and two (T. arundicolens and T. takachihoensis) have come from East Asia. Their morphology, biology and the damage they inflict are discussed here, as well as their potential economic and environmental threat. Only parthenogenetic viviparous females of all 5 species have been collected. Their biology has not been studied enough in Europe and needs further examination. Original drawings of all species are presented.     

The Content of Dietary Fibre and Polyphenols in Morphological Parts of Buckwheat (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Fagopyrum tataricum</Emphasis>)

In this report, we presented the profile of polyphenolic substances in flowers, leaves, stalk and roots of Fagopyrum tataricum estimated by using RP–UHPLC–ESI-MS equipment (reversed-phase ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry). The neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre, acid detergent lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose were also determined. Flowers, leaves, stalk and roots showed varying levels of dietary fibre and polyphenols. The highest content of neutral and acid detergent fibre were found in the roots (63.92 and 45.45% d.m., respectively) while the most rich in phenolic compounds were flowers (4.8 mg/1 g d.m.). Root and stalk contained the highest level of cellulose, 38.70 and 25.57% d.m., respectively. Among the investigated polyphenolic substances such as: 2,6-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 3,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 4-hydrobenzoic acid, caffeic acid, catechin, chlorogenic acid, fagopyrin, ferulic acid, myricetin, gallic acid, isovanilic acid, isovitexin, kaempferol, luteolin, p-coumaric acid, procyanidin B2, quercetin, quercetin 3-D galactoside, rutin, syringic acid and vitexin, we observed that the contents of rutin and chlorogenic acid were the highest. We found some correlation between dietary fibre fractions and individual phenolic substances. The levels of acid detergent fibre (ADF), cellulose and hemicellulose were negatively correlated with isovitexin, kaempferol, vitexin, fagopyrin, caffeic acid and procyanidin B2 content. In this investigation, two solvents (water and methanol) were estimated regarding their extraction efficiency of phenolic compounds. Taking these results into consideration, we recommend using methanol as the extractor to isolate chlorogenic acid, fagopyrin, kaempferol, procyanidin B2, quercetin, quercetin 3-D-galactoside, rutin, vitexin, and water for other investigated polyphenolic substances obtained from Fagopyrum tataricum.     

Effect of sublethal α-cypermethrin exposure on main macromolecules concentration,energy content,and malondialdehyde concentration in free-feeding <Emphasis Type="Italic">Danio rerio</Emphasis> larvae

α-Cypermethrin (Cyp) is a synthetic insecticide used to control pests in agricultural crops and to protect human health against noxious insects; this toxic can reach aquatic systems through ground infiltration or by runoff and could affect the aquatic biota. The present study was aimed at evaluating the acute toxicity of Cyp on zebrafish (Danio rerio) exogenous feeding larvae of 10 and 20 days post-fertilization (dpf), and of sublethal concentrations on only 10-dpf larvae. Proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, glycogen concentration, and total energy contents, as well as malondialdehyde (MDA) quantification, through thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, as a lipid peroxidation biomarker, were assessed in free-feeding larvae exposed to sublethal Cyp concentrations. The LC₅₀ for 10-dpf larvae was 1.94 µg L^?1, and these were more sensitive than 20-dpf larvae (3.56 µg L^?1). The amount of protein, carbohydrates, and glycogen were not significantly affected (p > 0.05), but sublethal Cyp concentrations exposure caused decrement in lipids from 9.05 to 3.74 µg larva^?1, as well as a reduction in MDA and in the total energy content, which affected significantly the development of this fish. Although Cyp is considered an insecticide of reduced residual effect in the environment, the present study revealed that relatively low Cyp concentrations produced significant toxic effects on exogenous feeding fish larvae, a situation that could contribute to increase deaths during this already critical developmental stage in which high mortality is observed frequently.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Streptococcus agalactiae</Emphasis> from tilapia (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oreochromis</Emphasis> sp.) transmitted to a new host,bighead carp (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Aristichthys nobilis</Emphasis>), in China

Several outbreaks of Streptococcus agalactiae infection of bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis) were observed in China. The molecular epidemiology and pathogenicity of S. agalactiae in bighead carp and tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) is poorly understood. In the present study, we identified S. agalactiae strains isolated from diseased bighead carp using the API 20 Strep kit and 16S rDNA sequencing and determined whether these strains came from tilapia. Of the 46 identified S. agalactiae strains, 24 strains were successfully isolated from diseased bighead carps, 20 S. agalactiae strains were isolated from tilapia, and two S. agalactiae strains were isolated from tiger frog (Hoplobatrachus chinensis). The results of molecular typing, including multilocus sequence typing, molecular serotyping, surface protein gene detection, and virulence-related gene detection showed that the 44 strains from bighead carp and tilapia were highly similar, whereas different from tiger frog GBS strains. Remarkably, the bighead carp strain Hn1404 showed high virulence in bighead carp and zebrafish. Moreover, this strain was pathogenic to Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). In addition, comparative genomic analysis showed that isolate Hn1404 had a close relationship with the bighead carp and tilapia S. agalactiae strains. All the analyses of the genetic characteristics of bighead carp and tilapia strains showed that tilapia S. agalactiae strains could be transmitted to other fish species such as bighead carp.     

Phytochemical Profile,Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities of the Carob Tree (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ceratonia siliqua</Emphasis> L.) Germ Flour Extracts

This work aimed to evaluate the phytochemical content and to determine the antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of methanol extracts of the carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua L.) germ flour. The extracts were rich in phenolic compounds, had considerable antioxidant activity, and reduced the viability of cervical (HeLa) cancer cells. The chemical content and the biological activities of the extracts were significantly affected by gender and cultivar. Female cultivar Galhosa had the highest levels of phenolic compounds, and the highest antioxidant activity. Extracts from the hermaphrodite trees and from the female cultivars Galhosa and Costela/Canela exhibited the highest cytotoxic activity. The most abundant compound was theophylline. The phenolic content was correlated to both antioxidant and cytotoxic activities. Our findings provide new knowledge about the health implications of consuming food supplemented with carob germ flour.     

Landscape genetics of the foundational salt marsh plant species black needlerush (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Juncus roemerianus</Emphasis> Scheele) across the northeastern Gulf of Mexico

Context

Common species important for ecosystem restoration stand to lose as much genetic diversity from anthropogenic habitat fragmentation and climate change as rare species, but are rarely studied. Salt marshes, valuable ecosystems in widespread decline due to human development, are dominated by the foundational plant species black needlerush (Juncus roemerianus Scheele) in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico.

Objectives

We assessed genetic patterns in J. roemerianus by measuring genetic and genotypic diversity, and characterizing population structure. We examined population connectivity by delineating possible dispersal corridors, and identified landscape factors influencing population connectivity.

Methods

A panel of 19 microsatellite markers was used to genotype 576 samples from ten sites across the northeastern Gulf of Mexico from the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) to the Apalachicola NERR. Genetic distances (F_ST and D_ch) were used in a least cost transect analysis (LCTA) within a hierarchical model selection framework.

Results

Genetic and genotypic diversity results were higher than expected based on life history literature, and samples structured into two large, admixed genetic clusters across the study area, indicating sexual reproduction may not be as rare as predicted in this clonal macrophyte. Digitized coastal transects buffered by 500 m may represent possible dispersal corridors, and developed land may significantly impede population connectivity in J. roemerianus.

Conclusions

Results have important implications for coastal restoration and management that seek to preserve adaptive potential by sustaining natural levels of genetic diversity and conserving population connectivity. Our methodology could be applied to other common, widespread and understudied species.