Relationship of blood corticosterone, immunoglobulin and haematological values in young crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) to water temperature, clutch of origin and body weight

Objective To examine whether sub-optimal temperature induced stress and immunosuppression in farmed saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) hatchlings. Design A clinico-pathological study. Animals A total of 140 hatchlings were used. Procedure Body weight and length, plasma corticosterone and immunoglobulin concentrations and total and differential white blood cell counts were measured in 140 hatchlings from five clutches divided between five water temperature treatment groups. Initially all groups were housed at 32°C for 10 weeks, then two groups (L, LC) were changed to low temperature (28°C) and two groups (H, HC) to high temperature (36°C), while one group (C) remained at 32°C. The LC and HC groups were maintained at these temperatures for 10 days, after which the water temperature of both groups was returned to 32°C. Blood samples were collected twice (at 6 and 9 weeks of age) before the initial temperature change, and at 10 days and 4 weeks after the initial temperature change (at 11.5 and 14 weeks of age). Results Except for an increase in plasma corticosterone in the HC group and a decrease in the L group when the temperature change was first introduced, changes in plasma corticosterone were not significant. There were no significant changes in immunoglobulin concentrations. There were, however, significant decreases in the total white cell and lymphocyte counts in the LC group after the temperature was decreased to 28°C, and an increase in these counts after water temperature was returned to 32°C. Clutch of origin had significant effects on body weight and length gains, and there were negative relationships between body weight and corticosterone concentrations and between body weight and immunoglobulin concentrations. Conclusions As haematological changes indicative of stress were not associated with significant changes in serum corticosterone, immunosuppression in young crocodiles may be independent of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal cortical axis.     

An analysis of sap flow in mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans) forests of different age

Diurnal measurements of sap velocity were made in 50-, 90-, 150- and 230-year-old mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans F. Muell.) forests in the North Maroondah catchment (southeast Australia) over the periods January 8, 1990 to April 4, 1990 and October 29, 1990 to April 16, 1991. Over the two periods, daily mean sap velocities for the four forests, in order of increasing age, were 11.5, 11.4, 9.9 and 11.8 cm h(-1) respectively. Daily mean sap velocity did not differ significantly among the 50-, 90- and 230-year-old plots. However, in the 150-year-old trees it was significantly smaller by an average of 14%. Sap velocity varied diurnally and also between positions within individual trees and among trees both within and between stands. Despite this variability, the sampling intensity and duration were sufficient to establish that behavior was highly correlated among individuals within plots. There was a significant decline with age in the overstory sapwood conducting area of these forests. In order of increasing age, the values were 6.7, 6.1, 4.2 and 4.0 m(-2) ha(-1), respectively. When combined with daily mean sap velocity, these data allowed the calculation of overstory water use. Over the experimental period, water use of the overstory decreased with age ranging, on average, from 1.86 mm day(-1) for the 50-year-old plot to 0.81 mm day(-1) for the 230-year-old plot. Mean daily water use for the two intermediate-aged forests was 1.67 and 1.00 mm day(-1), respectively. Annual water use decreased with forest age from 679 mm for the 50-year-old stand to 296 mm for the 230-year-old stand. This difference corresponds to 3.8 x 10(3) m(3) ha(-1). The annual water use of the intermediate-aged stands was 610 and 365 mm for the 90- and 150-year-old stands, respectively.     

Evaluation of Bacterial Effects on Folic Acid Loss in Fortified,Nixtamalized Corn Masa Flour

Many Mexican women are deficient in folic acid. Fortification of the corn tortilla could be an effective way to help increase the folic acid levels among the Mexican population. Previous studies have shown significant folic acid losses in the masa dough as it is held before baking. This loss in folic acid could be owing to utilization by lactic acid bacteria naturally present in the masa. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of bacteria native to corn masa on the folic acid content in masa. Bacteria in dough samples from six mills in Guadalajara, Mexico, were isolated and identified. Bacterial isolates were inoculated into sterile fortified corn masa flour, which was converted to masa and held at 56°C for 0, 3, and 6 h, replicating the conditions of freshly milled masa as held before baking. All samples, including the control, showed losses of folic acid between 66 and 79% w/w in the first 3 h of incubation. Because folic acid degradation in the sterile control sample was not different than the inoculated sample results, the decline in folic acid was not owing to bacteria (mainly Streptococcus spp.) present in the masa flour but appeared to be a chemical degradation related to time and temperature.     

Oncology Virtual Issue Articles

The following two articles have been published online as part of the EVE Oncology Virtual Issue which is available online at wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/eve     

A Large‐scale,Rapid Public Health Response to Rabies in an Organ Recipient and the Previously Undiagnosed Organ Donor

This article describes and contrasts the public health response to two human rabies cases: one organ recipient diagnosed within days of symptom onset and the transplant donor who was diagnosed 18 months post‐symptom onset. In response to an organ‐transplant‐related rabies case diagnosed in 2013, organ donor and recipient investigations were conducted by multiple public health agencies. Persons with potential exposure to infectious patient materials were assessed for rabies virus exposure. An exposure investigation was conducted to determine the source of the organ donor's infection. Over 100 persons from more than 20 agencies spent over 2700 h conducting contact investigations in healthcare, military and community settings. The 564 persons assessed include 417 healthcare workers [5.8% recommended for post‐exposure prophylaxis (PEP)], 96 community contacts (15.6% recommended for PEP), 30 autopsy personnel (50% recommended for PEP), and 21 other persons (4.8% recommended for PEP). Donor contacts represented 188 assessed with 20.2% recommended for PEP, compared with 5.6% of 306 recipient contacts recommended for PEP. Human rabies cases result in substantial use of public health and medical resources, especially when diagnosis is delayed. Although rare, clinicians should consider rabies in cases of encephalitis of unexplained aetiology, particularly for cases that may result in organ donation.     

Climate and vegetation history of the midcontinent from 75 to 25 ka: A speleothem record from crevice cave, missouri, USA

Four Missouri stalagmites yield consistent overlapping records of oxygen and carbon isotopic changes and provide a climate and vegetation history with submillennial resolution from 75 to 25 thousand years ago (ka). The thorium-230-dated records reveal that between 75 and 55 ka, the midcontinental climate oscillated on millennial time scales between cold and warm, and vegetation alternated among forest, savanna, and prairie. Temperatures were highest and prairie vegetation peaked between 59 and 55 ka. Climate cooled and forest replaced grassland at 55 ka, when global ice sheets began to build during the early part of Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage 3.     

Transduction and Transplantation of Spermatogonia into the Testis of Ram Lambs through the Extra-testicular Rete

Spermatogonial transplantation will provide a new way to study spermatogenesis in domestic animals, disseminate male genetics and produce transgenic animals, if efficiency can be improved. We evaluated a 'surgical' method for transplanting donor cells into testes of ram lambs, where the head of the epididymis is reflected, and a catheter introduced into the extra-testicular rete testis. We also tested transduction of ram spermatogonia with a lentiviral (LV) vector as a means to identify permanent colonization, and introduce genes into donor cells. Eight ram lambs, 11- to 13-week olds, were the recipients: in five, spermatogonia were injected into one testis, and the contralateral testis was an un-manipulated control: in two, spermatogonia were injected into one testis and the contralateral was sham-injected: in one, both testes were injected. Six lambs received spermatogonia labelled with a cell-tracking dye and these were collected 1 or 2 weeks after transplantation; three lambs received spermatogonia transduced with a LV vector driving the expression of enhanced Green Fluorescence Protein and these were collected after 2 months. Donor cells were detected by immunohistochemistry in tubules of seven of nine recipient testes. Approximately 22% of tubule cross-sections contained donor cells immediately after transplantation, and 0.2% contained virally transduced cells 2 months after transplantation. The onset of spermatogenesis was delayed, and there were lesions in both injected and sham-injected testes. Despite the effects of the surgery, elongated spermatids were present in one recipient testis 2 months after surgery. The results suggest that, after modifying the surgical and transduction techniques, this approach will be a means to produce good colonization by donor spermatogonia in sheep testes.