Babesia canis canis and Babesia canis vogeli infections in dogs from northern Portugal

Canine babesiosis represents an important veterinary medical problem. This study describes the molecular characterization of babesial parasites detected in eight clinically suspected dogs from northern Portugal, affected by lethargy, muscle tremors, weight loss, pale mucous membranes, hyperthermia or red-coloured urine. Microscopic examination of peripheral blood smears showed large intraerythrocytic piroplasms morphologically compatible with Babesia canis in all eight animals. DNA was extracted from blood on filter paper, and a Babesia spp. infection confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of a 408bp fragment of the 18S rRNA gene. Analysis of PCR-derived sequences revealed that seven dogs were infected with B. canis canis and one with B. canis vogeli. This is the first molecular identification report of both the species B. canis and the subspecies B. canis canis and B. canis vogeli in dogs from Portugal.     

Heat stroke in dogs: A retrospective study of 54 cases (1999-2004) and analysis of risk factors for death

The medical records of 54 dogs presented to the Hebrew University Veterinary Teaching Hospital and diagnosed with heat stroke were retrospectively reviewed. Data abstracted included history, clinical and clinicopathological signs at admission, treatment, disease progression, and outcome. Exertional and environmental heat stroke were present in 63% (34 of 54) and 37% (20 of 54) of the dogs, respectively, and 78% (42 of 54) were examined between June and August. The mean temperature and heat discomfort index in the particular days of heat stroke were significantly increased (P < .001, P < .001, respectively) compared with their corresponding average daily values. In 27 dogs the body temperature was > or = 41 degrees C (105.8 degrees F). Belgian Malinois (15%, odds ratio [OR] = 24, 95% confidence interval [CI95%] 8.2-64.5), Golden and Labrador Retrievers (21%, OR = 2.08, CI95% 0.95-4.2), and brachycephalic breeds (25%, OR = 1.7, CI95%], 0.81-3.21) were overrepresented, whereas small breeds (<8 kg) were underrepresented (2%, OR = 0.08, CI95%, 0.002-0.48). Thrombocytopenia (45 of 54 dogs) and prolongation of the prothrombin (PT) and activated thromboplastin (aPTT) times (27 of 47 dogs) were recorded during hospitalization. Disseminated intravascular coagulation (P = .013) and acute renal failure (P = .008), diagnosed in 28 of 54 and 18 of 54 of the cases, respectively, were risk factors for death. The overall mortality rate was 50%. Hypoglycemia (<47 mg/dL, P = .003), prolonged PT (>18 seconds, P = .05), and aPTT (>30 sec, P < .001) at admission were associated with death. Serum creatinine >1.5 mg/dL (P = .003) after 24 hours, delayed admission (>90 minutes, P = .032), seizures (P = .02), and obesity (P = .04) were also risk factors for death. Heat stroke in dogs results in serious complications and high fatality rate despite appropriate treatment.     

Curcumin bioavailability from enriched bread: the effect of microencapsulated ingredients

Human bioavailability of curcumin from breads enriched with 1 g/portion of free curcumin (FCB), encapsulated curcumin (ECB), or encapsulated curcumin plus other polyphenols (ECBB) was evaluated. Parental and metabolized curcuminoids and phenolic acids were quantified by HPLC/MS/MS in blood, urine, and feces collected over 24 h. The concentrations of serum curcuminoids were always below 4 nmol/L and those of glucuronides 10-fold less. Encapsulation delayed and increased curcuminoid absorption as compared to the free ingredient. Serum and urinary concentrations of ferulic and vanillic acid were between 2- and 1000-fold higher than those of curcuminoids, with ECBB eliciting the highest amounts. Fecal curcuminoids were 6-fold more abundant after ECB than FCB, while phenolic acids after ECBB quadruplicated those after ECB. Curcuminoid encapsulation increased their bioavailability from enriched bread, probably preventing their biotransformation, with combined compounds slightly reducing this effect. Phenolic acids are the major metabolites of curcuminoids and may contribute to their biological properties.     

Inheritance of resistance to two Septoria tritici isolates in spring and winter bread wheat cultivars

Summary All possible crosses (including reciprocals) were made among four winter bread (Aurora, Bezostaya 1, Kavkaz, and Trakia) and two Israeli spring wheat cultivars (spring x winter diallel), and among two South American spring wheats (Colotana and Klein Titan) with the same Israeli cultivars (spring x spring diallel) to study the inheritance of resistance to septoria tritici blotch. Parents, F₁, F₂ and backcrosses were grown in two separated blocks in the field over two years. One block was inoculated with isolate ISR398A1 and another with ISR8036. Each plant was assessed for plant height (cm), days to heading (from emergence or transplanting), and percent pycnidia coverage on the four uppermost leaves. Plant height and maturity had insignificant effects on pycnidia coverage. No cytoplasmic effects could be detected. In the spring x winter diallel general combining ability (GCA) was the major component of variation. Significant specific combining ability (SCA) was present in all cases. Partial dominance was operative in populations inoculated with ISR398A1. Resistance in the winter wheats was controlled by a small number of genes (usually two). The four winter wheats derive their resistance to ISR398A1 from their common parent Bezostaya 1 which lacks the 1B/1R wheat-rye translocation. Their resistance is readily overcome by ISR8036. Inheritance of the South American wheats can be explained by additive effects, with a small number of genes of recessive mode affecting resistance to both isolates. Breeding strategies that favor additive, and additive x dominance gene action should be pursued.     

Factors affecting reduction of selenate to elemental selenium in agricultural drainage water by Enterobacter taylorae

Microbial reduction of selenate [Se(VI)] to elemental selenium [Se(0)] is a useful technique for removing Se from agricultural drainage water. A series of batch experiments were conducted in the laboratory to determine the effects of yeast extract (50-1000 mg/L), salinity (EC, 5-75 dS/m), and NO(3)(-) (5-100 mg/L) on the removal of Se(VI) (2000 microg/L) from drainage water by Enterobacter taylorae. Results showed that relatively high amounts of yeast extract (500 mg/L) were needed for E. taylorae to effectively reduce Se(VI) to Se(0). During a 7-day experiment, approximately 95% of added Se(VI) was reduced to Se(0) in the low-salinity drainage water (5 dS/m) with NO(3)(-) values of 5-50 mg/L. In the high-salinity drainage water (50-75 dS/m), reduction of Se(VI) to Se(0) was limited. E. taylorae was also capable of reducing Se(VI) to Se(0) in the San Joaquin Valley drainage water, with a reduction of the added Se(VI) to Se(0) (73.8%) and Se(-II) (20%). This study suggests that E. taylorae may be used to treat Se(VI)-contaminated drainage water in the field.     

Tallgrass prairie management and bird nest success along roadsides

The attributes of roadside vegetation, an important bird habitat in grassland ecosystems, have been shown to affect bird abundance, distribution composition, and diversity, yet there are relatively few works on reproductive success of birds nesting along roadsides. Because roadsides are linear habitats, management at the landscape scale can affect nest success in roadsides through bottom-up and top-down effects. In northeastern Oklahoma tallgrass prairie is subjected annually to prescribed spring fires. In the short term fires can alter both arthropod abundance and predator access to nests. We explored effects of burning on bird nest success with a five-year study along roads that traversed tallgrass prairie habitat. Using data from ∼1400 nests of 23 species, we generated nest survival curves for groups of altricial species defined by nest substrate (ground, shrub, tree, or culvert). We then determined if these curves were affected by management practice (spring burning), food abundance (arthropod biomass), and habitat attributes (tree density and height). Nest substrate had a large effect on nest success: despite their shorter nest exposure period, ground nests were least successful and culvert nests were most successful. An increase in arthropod biomass following burning was possibly the cause for the increased nest success in burned plots, regardless of substrate, suggesting bottom-up control. Tree height and nest height were correlated positively with nest success, whereas tree density had no effect. Conversely, nest predation rates were correlated negatively with nest success, with ground nests experiencing the highest predation, culvert nests the lowest. Our results suggest that burning may increase nest success through bottom-up processes, but some species may not benefit from the increase in food abundance as a result of a concomitant increase in predation.     

Transfer of Heavy Metals from Soils to Vegetables and Associated Human Health Risks at Selected Sites in Pakistan

Contamination of the food chain with heavy metals is considered as one of the major environmental pathways of human exposure to metals leading to potential health risks. This study aimed to investigate the concentrations of heavy metals such as copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and manganese (Mn) in agricultural soils and food crops (fruit, leaf, and root vegetables), and their associated health risks to the local population in selected southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. The concentrations of the selected metals in soil varied over a wide range, in the following decreasing order: Mn > Zn > Cr > Ni > Cu. The bioaccumulation of metals in vegetables was within the permissible risk limits, except for Cr which showed higher contamination in all the tested food crops. The trend of metal transfer factors for different vegetables was in the order of Cu > Ni > Cr > Mn > Zn, while the calculated daily intake of metals (DIM) in adults and children through consumption of food crops was in the decreasing order of Mn > Zn > Ni > Cr > Cu. The health risk index (HRI) values for the heavy metals for both adults and children were less than 1. Therefore, no significant health risk is anticipated for the local consumers through ingestion of these food crops.     

Influence of crop residue management, cropping system and N fertilizer on soil N and C dynamics and sustainable wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production

Management of N is the key for sustainable and profitable wheat production in a low N soil. We report results of irrigated crop rotation experiment, conducted in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), Pakistan, during 1999–2002 to evaluate effects of residue retention, fertilizer N application and mung bean (Vigna radiata) on crop and N yields of wheat and soil organic fertility in a mung bean–wheat sequence. Treatments were (a) crop residue retained (+residue) or (b) removed (−residue), (c) 120 kg N ha⁻¹ applied to wheat, (d) 160 kg N ha⁻¹ to maize or (e) no nitrogen applied. The cropping system was rotation of wheat with maize or wheat with mung bean. The experiment was laid out in a spit plot design. Postharvest incorporation of crop residues significantly (p < 0.05) increased the grain and straw yields of wheat during both years. On average, crop residues incorporation increased the wheat grain yield by 1.31 times and straw yield by 1.39 times. The wheat crop also responded strongly to the previous legume (mung bean) in terms of enhanced grain yield by 2.09 times and straw yield by 2.16 times over the previous cereal (maize) treatment. Application of fertilizer N to previous maize exerted strong carry over effect on grain (1.32 times) and straw yield (1.38 times) of the following wheat. Application of N fertilizer to current wheat produced on average 1.59 times more grain and 1.77 times more straw yield over the 0 N kg ha⁻¹ treatment. The N uptake in wheat grain and straw was increased 1.31 and 1.64 times by residues treatment, 2.08 and 2.49 times by mung bean and 1.71 and 1.86 times by fertilizer N applied to wheat, respectively. The soil mineral N was increased 1.23 times by residues, 1.34 times by mung bean and 2.49 times by the application of fertilizer N to wheat. Similarly, the soil organic C was increased 1.04-fold by residues, 1.08 times by mung bean and 1.00 times by the application of fertilizer N. We concluded that retention of residues, application of fertilizer N and involvement of legumes in crop rotation greatly improves the N economy of the cropping system and enhances crop productivity in low N soils.     

Impact of Bt-cotton on soil microbiological and biochemical attributes

Transgenic Bt-cotton produces Bt-toxins (Cry proteins) which may accumulate and persist in soil due to their binding ability on soil components. In the present study, the potential impacts of Bt- and non-Bt genotypes of cotton on soil microbial activity, substrate use efficiency, viable microbial population counts, and nutrient dynamics were studied. Two transgenic Bt-cotton genotypes (CIM-602 CIM-599) expressing cry1 Ac gene and two non-Bt cotton genotypes (CIM-573 and CIM-591) were used to evaluate their impact on biological and chemical properties of soil across the four locations in Punjab. Field trials were conducted at four locations (Central Cotton Research Institute-Multan, Naseer Pur, Kot Lal Shah, and Cotton Research Station-Bahawalpur) of different agro-ecological zones of Punjab. Rhizosphere soil samples were collected by following standard procedure from these selected locations. Results reveled that Bt-cotton had no adverse effect on microbial population (viable counts) and enzymatic activity of rhizosphere soil. Bacterial population was more in Bt-cotton rhizosphere than that of non-Bt cotton rhizosphere at all locations. Phosphatase, dehydrogenase, and oxidative metabolism of rhizosphere soil were more in Bt-cotton genotypes compared with non-Bt cotton genotypes. Cation exchange capacity, total nitrogen, extractable phosphorous, extractable potassium, active carbon, Fe and Zn contents were higher in rhizosphere of Bt-cotton genotypes compared with non-Bt cotton genotypes. It can be concluded from present study that the cultivation of Bt-cotton expressing cry1 Ac had apparently no negative effect on metabolic, microbiological activities, and nutrient dynamics of soils. Further work is needed to investigate the potential impacts of Bt-cotton on ecology of soil-dwelling insects and invertebrates before its recommendation for extensive cultivation.