Evaluation of routine depopulation, cleaning, and disinfection procedures in the live bird markets, New York

During the past years surveillance for avian influenza has been conducted in the live bird markets (LBMs) in New York as well as other states along the east coast. Repeated attempts to eradicate H5 and H7 influenza from the New York markets have focused efforts on the LBMs themselves. Despite repeated mandatory market closures accompanied by cleaning and disinfecting (C/D) procedures, avian influenza virus continued to be isolated. In an effort to assess the adequacy of the C/D procedure, samples were collected in temporal proximity to the depopulation and C/D. Comparison of the pre-C/D (83% virus positive), at C/D approval (1.6% positive) and post-C/D testing (33% positive) indicate that the current procedures of C/D can be effective at eliminating these influenza viruses. However, reinfection via introduction of influenza-virus-positive birds can occur shortly after the market reopens.     

Zinc phosphate protects tomato plants against Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - The purpose of this study was to determine whether zinc phosphate treatments of tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L.) can attenuate bacterial speck...     

Evaluation,tissue culture propagation,and dissemination of ‘Saba’ and ‘Pelipita’ plantains in Costa Rica

Fruit characteristics of the disease-resistant bluggoe-type (ABB) cooking bananas (Musa × paradisiaca L.) ‘Saba’ and ‘Pelipita’ were compared with those of the susceptible ‘Currare’ (‘Horn’). Yields of ‘Saba’ and ‘Pelipita’ were similar to those of ‘Currare’; however, ‘Saba’ and ‘Pelipita’ yielded fewer hands with a greater number of small fruit when compared with ‘Currare’. Shoot-tip cultures of both clones were readily initiated on a modified Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with N⁶-benzyladenine (BA) in combination with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Propagation cultures were initiated by splitting shoot tips along their longitudinal axis and re-culturing the individual pieces to basal medium supplemented with 5 mg l^?1 BA. Transfer of axillary shoots to hormone-free medium resulted in rapid and extensive root formation. Plantlet survival after transfer to methyl bromide-treated soil exceeded 90%. Establishment in the field was achieved following procedures normally used for vegetative propagation of this crop. Trial plantings of in vitro propagated ‘Saba’ and ‘Pelipita’ were established in various provinces of Costa Rica for grower evaluation and for future comparison of growth and reproductive development with plants of these and other cultivars propagated from corms.     

Anatomical and Morphometric Variations in the Arterial System of the Domestic Cat

We document the anatomical architecture and frequency of occurrence of variations in the branching pattern of the brachiocephalic artery and the origin of the internal iliac arteries in the domestic cat, a widely used model organism in both anatomical training and research. Based on the study of 56 preserved specimens, we observed three distinct arrangements in the branching pattern of the brachiocephalic artery. The most common pattern (52% of the examined specimens) was that in which the brachiocephalic artery was divided into two branches, the left common carotid artery and a common branch for the right subclavian artery and the right common carotid artery. The frequency of occurrence of each variation type was independent of the gender and body size. The internal iliac arteries originated caudal to the point at which the external iliac arteries branched off from the abdominal aorta. However, the portion of the abdominal aorta between the external and internal iliac arteries varied greatly in length and was not significantly correlated with its width, nor with body size or gender. This study is the first to report and quantify the occurrence of such variations in North American cats. Given the anatomical similarity between the cat and other felids, the results of this study can be applied to other species, including endangered species.     

Comparison of levels and duration of detection of antibodies to bovine viral diarrhea virus 1, bovine viral diarrhea virus 2, bovine respiratory syncytial virus,bovine herpesvirus 1, and bovine parainfluenza virus 3 in calves fed maternal colostrum or a colostrum-replacement product

Colostrum-replacement products are an alternative to provide passive immunity to neonatal calves; however, their ability to provide adequate levels of antibodies recognizing respiratory viruses has not been described. The objective of this study was to compare the serum levels of IgG at 2 d of age and the duration of detection of antibodies to bovine viral diarrhea virus 1 (BVDV-1), bovine viral diarrhea virus 2 (BVDV-2), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1), and bovine parainfluenza virus 3 (BPIV-3) in calves fed maternal colostrum (MC) or a colostrum replacement (CR) at birth. Forty newborn male Holstein calves were assigned to the CR or the MC group. Group CR (n = 20) received 2 packets of colostrum replacement (100 g of IgG per 470-g packet), while group MC (n = 20) received 3.8 L of maternal colostrum. Blood samples for detection of IgG and virus antibodies were collected from each calf at birth, at 2 and 7 d, and monthly until the calves became seronegative. Calves in the MC group had greater IgG concentrations at 2 d of age. The apparent efficiency of absorption of IgG was greater in the MC group than in the CR group, although the difference was not significant. Calves in the CR group had greater concentrations of BVDV neutralizing antibodies during the first 4 mo of life. The levels of antibodies to BRSV, BHV-1, and BPIV-3 were similar in the 2 groups. The mean time to seronegativity was similar for each virus in the 2 groups; however, greater variation was observed in the antibody levels and in the duration of detection of immunity in the MC group than in the CR group. Thus, the CR product provided calves with more uniform levels and duration of antibodies to common bovine respiratory viruses.     

Administration of Probiotic Strain to Improve Sea Bream Wellness during Development

Two bacterial strains Lactobacillus fructivorans (AS17B), isolated from adult sea bream (Sparus aurata) gut, and Lactobacillus plantarum (906), isolated from human faeces, were administered contemporaneously, during sea bream development using Brachionus plicatilis and/or Artemia salina and dry feed as vectors. The probiotic treatment influenced gut colonization: at 35 days post-hatching (p.h.) L. fructivorans was not present in the gut, but the treatment induced colonization by L. plantarum. At 66 days p.h., L. fructivorans was evident also in the control; moreover, when suitable environmental conditions appeared in the post-metamorphosis gastro-intestinal tract, competition between L. plantarum and L. fructivorans occurred. At 90 days p.h., L. plantarum was displaced by L. fructivorans that became significantly higher with respect to the control. In treated groups, probiotic administration significantly decreased larvae and fry mortality.     

Studies on the Nutrition of Spotted Sand Bass Paralabrax maculatofasciatus: Effect of the Dietary Protein Level on Growth and Protein Utilization in Juveniles Fed Semipurified Diets

Two feeding trials were conducted to determine the digestibility of a casein-based semi-purified diet and the effects of different protein levels on growth and protein use of spotted sand bass Paralabrax maculatofasciatus juveniles. For trial I, a semipurified diet with vitamin-free casein as the sole source of protein was fed three times a day to apparent satiation, for a period of 20 d. Feces were collected by siphoning each tank. The digestibility of the experimental diet was high: 97% for protein, 89% for lipids, and 84% for gross energy, whereas that of organic matter was 78%. For trial II, seven diets were formulated using vitamin-free casein at graded levels (25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, and 55% protein). Triplicate tanks for each dietary treatment were stocked with fish and fed by hand three times a day to apparent satiation for 6 wk. Perfomance of fish fed the different diets was evaluated for survival, percent weight gain, specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio, and protein efficiency ratio. Survival was 100% for all treatments. Growth of spotted sand bass juveniles increased as the dietary protein increased, but no evidence of reaching a plateau was found. The daily feed intake values showed an inverse relation to the protein content of the diets. The feed conversion ratio did not differ among diets containing 40% protein or greater. The results indicate that spotted sand bass juveniles with 2.5-g mean weight need at least 55% dietary protein for best growth when casein is the sole protein source. However, in terms of feed conversion ratio, the requirement apparently could be lower.     

A Conus regularis Conotoxin with a Novel Eight-Cysteine Framework Inhibits CaV2.2 Channels and Displays an Anti-Nociceptive Activity

A novel peptide, RsXXIVA, was isolated from the venom duct of Conus regularis, a worm-hunting species collected in the Sea of Cortez, México. Its primary structure was determined by mass spectrometry and confirmed by automated Edman degradation. This conotoxin contains 40 amino acids and exhibits a novel arrangement of eight cysteine residues (C-C-C-C-CC-CC). Surprisingly, two loops of the novel peptide are highly identical to the amino acids sequence of ω-MVIIA. The total length and disulfide pairing of both peptides are quite different, although the two most important residues for the described function of ω-MVIIA (Lys2 and Tyr13) are also present in the peptide reported here. Electrophysiological analysis using superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neurons indicates that RsXXIVA inhibits Ca_V2.2 channel current in a dose-dependent manner with an EC₅₀ of 2.8 μM, whose effect is partially reversed after washing. Furthermore, RsXXIVA was tested in hot-plate assays to measure the potential anti-nociceptive effect to an acute thermal stimulus, showing an analgesic effect in acute thermal pain at 30 and 45 min post-injection. Also, the toxin shows an anti-nociceptive effect in a formalin chronic pain test. However, the low affinity for Ca_V2.2 suggests that the primary target of the peptide could be different from that of ω-MVIIA.     

A practical and reliable procedure for in vitro induction of tetraploid tomato

A relatively rapid, practical and reliable procedure for in vitro production of tetraploid tomato using colchicine is described. Using this procedure 11.11% generation of tetraploids was obtained after exposure of seedling shoot meristem explants with 8 mM colchicine for 96 h. Confirmation of tetraploid production (2n = 48), was determined by flow cytometry and verified by cytogenetic analysis of root tip preparations. The results indicate that the procedure is adequate for induction and screening of tetraploid tomato plantlets.     

Comparison of the Effect of the Aromatase Inhibitor, Anastrazole, to the Antioestrogen, Tamoxifen Citrate, on Canine Prostate and Semen

This study compared the efficiency of the aromatase inhibitor, anastrazole, with the antioestrogenic receptor blocker, tamoxifen, on normal (NRL) and hyperplastic prostate glands. Forty healthy dogs were classified as NRL (n = 18) or abnormal (ABN) with benign prostate hyperplasia (n = 22). The dogs were randomly assigned to one of the following six groups, treated for 60 days; oral placebo for normal (NRL-PLC; n = 6) and abnormal (ABN-PLC; n = 6), oral anastrazole 0.25–1 mg/day, for normal (NRL-ANZ, n = 6) and abnormal (ABN-ANZ, n = 8) and oral tamoxifen citrate 2.5–10 mg/day for normal (NRL-TMX; n = 6) and abnormal (ABN-TMX; n = 8) dogs. The dogs were evaluated before treatment and then monthly for 4 months. At the end of the treatment, the prostatic volume decreased by 28.5 ± 4.3%, 21.6 ± 6.3% and 0.7 ± 1.0% in the ABN-TMX, ABN-ANZ and ABN-PLC (p < 0.01), respectively. From then on, prostatic volume began to increase without reaching pre-treatment values at the end of the study. In the ABN animals, there were no differences for this parameter between ANZ and TMX treatment (p > 0.1), whereas in the NRL animals ANZ produced a less pronounced decrease (p < 0.05), libido, testicular consistency and scrotal diameter decreased during treatment in the TMX group (p > 0.05). These parameters and sperm volume, count, motility and morphological abnormalities remained unaltered throughout the study in the ANZ and PLC groups (p > 0.05). There were no haematological nor biochemical side effects. Anastrazole might offer a safe and effective alternative for the medical management of dogs with benign prostatic hyperplasia.