Piscine reovirus in wild and farmed salmonids in British Columbia,Canada: 1974–2013

Piscine reovirus (PRV) was common among wild and farmed salmonids in British Columbia, western Canada, from 1987 to 2013. Salmonid tissues tested for PRV by real‐time rRT‐PCR included sections from archived paraffin blocks from 1974 to 2008 (n = 363) and fresh‐frozen hearts from 2013 (n = 916). The earliest PRV‐positive sample was from a wild‐source steelhead trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), from 1977. By histopathology (n = 404), no fish had lesions diagnostic for heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI). In some groups, lymphohistiocytic endocarditis affected a greater proportion of fish with PRV than fish without PRV, but the range of Ct values among affected fish was within the range of Ct values among unaffected fish. Also, fish with the lowest PRV Ct values (18.4–21.7) lacked endocarditis or any other consistent lesion. From 1987 to 1994, the proportion of PRV positives was not significantly different between farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L. (44% of 48), and wild‐source salmonids (31% of 45). In 2013, the proportion of PRV positives was not significantly different between wild coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch (Walbaum), sampled from British Columbia (5.0% of 60) or the reference region, Alaska, USA (10% of 58).     

Effect of ruminal dosing of mechanical stimulating brush on rumination time, ruminal passage rate and rumen fermentation status in Holstein steers fed a concentrate diet

This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of ruminal dosing of a mechanical stimulating brush on rumination time, ruminal passage rate and rumen fermentation status in steers fed a concentrate diet at maintenance level. Animals were dosed three Rumen Faibu (RF) per head through the rumen fistulae (RF treatment) and not dosed (control) in a change‐over design. The organic cell wall content of the concentrate diet was 12.7% of dry matter. Daily time spent on rumination was very short in both treatments with 24 min in RF treatment and 15 min in control. The turnover rate of ruminal fluid in RF treatment was higher than that in control. There were no differences in ruminal pH and total volatile fatty acid concentration between RF treatment and control. Acetic and butyric acid concentrations were not different between the treatments. Propionic acid concentration tended to be higher in the animals on RF treatment than in control animals. The RF dosing in Holstein steers fed a low fiber diet did not affect the rumination time, but increased rumen digesta passage rate and ruminal propionic acid production.     

Qualitative tear film and conjunctival goblet cell assessment of cats with corneal sequestra

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the tear film qualitatively and conjunctival goblet cell numbers in cats with and without corneal sequestra. ANIMALS STUDIED AND PROCEDURES: This was a prospective evaluation of 11 cats with corneal sequestra and 14 control eyes that were either the contralateral normal eye when the sequestrum was unilateral or from control cats of similar age with no ocular disease. All cats in this study were examined by a veterinary ophthalmologist. The ophthalmic examinations included a neuro-ophthalmic evaluation, Schirmer tear tests, fluorescein staining, tear film break-up times, applanation tonometry, biomicroscopy, and indirect ophthalmoscopy. The palpebral conjunctiva at the dorsal nasal, ventral nasal, dorsal temporal and ventral temporal fornices were biopsied after topical anesthetic was applied to the cornea and conjunctiva. The conjunctival biopsies were fixed in formalin and sectioned routinely and stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and periodic acid-Schiff. These slides were examined by light microscopy by a blinded examiner. Goblet cell numbers were compared to conjunctival basal epithelial cell numbers by region. The goblet cell numbers by region from the eyes with sequestra was statistically compared to those from eyes without sequestra, with a student's paired t-test. Conjunctival swabs were collected from the cats with corneal sequestra and submitted for polymerase chain reaction for Herpes felis, Chlamydia psiitticia, and Mycoplasma felis. The corneal sequestra were removed by surgical keratectomy and fixed and stained routinely, and examined by light microscopy. RESULTS: No neurologic abnormalities were detected in any of the cats. The Schirmer tear tests (eyes with sequestra 14+/-5.1 mm/min; normal eyes 15+/-6.8 mm/min) and intraocular pressures (eyes with sequestra 21+/-6.6; normal eyes 22+/-5.8) were within normal reference ranges for cats. Biomicroscopic examinations revealed varied sizes and depths of brown- and amber-colored corneal sequestra. No abnormalities were noted on indirect ophthalmoscopic examinations. The tear film break-up time was 21 s (+/-12) for the normal eyes (n=14) and 14 s (+/-13) in eyes with corneal sequestra (n=11). The average goblet/epithelial cell ratios by region for the normal eyes and the eyes with sequestra respectively were 0.66, 0.56 for the dorsal nasal fornix, 0.68, 0.57 for the ventral nasal fornix, 0.63, 0.48 for the temporal dorsal fornix, and 0.55, 0.49 for the temporal ventral fornix. There were no significant differences in tear film break-up times and goblet cell numbers in eyes with corneal sequestra and those without sequestra. Three conjunctival swabs from two of 11 cats with sequestra were positive with PCR for Herpes felis virus. These included one cat with bilateral sequestra and one cat with unilateral corneal sequestrum. CONCLUSIONS: The pathogenesis of feline corneal sequestra does not appear to be linked primarily to abnormal goblet cell numbers, qualitative tear film abnormalities, and accelerated tear film break-up time.     

蝴蝶兰快速繁殖技术的研究

[目的]对蝴蝶兰种子诱导原球茎和芽苗再生的条件进行研究。[方法]建立蝴蝶兰种子无菌播种高效萌发体系,以及原球茎诱导和芽苗再生的培养体系,对其各生长阶段的培养基以及所添加的激素组合及浓度进行选择。[结果]对种子萌发来说,选择授粉后120d未开裂的蝴蝶兰果荚内的种子播种为宜;最适培养基pH值为5．2～5．6。蝴蝶兰种子萌发最适宜的培养基为：花宝1号（300倍稀释）＋3mg／L6-BA4-0．1mg／LNAA＋20g／L蔗糖＋2g／L蛋白胨＋0．2％活性炭＋6g／L琼脂;在此条件下,蝴蝶兰的萌发率最高达65％。培养基中添加活性炭能有效防止蝴蝶兰芽苗的褐化现象．添加蛋白胨能促进蝴蝶兰种子萌发和幼苗的生长。[结论]该方法研究了蝴蝶兰种子诱导原球茎和芽苗再生的培养条件,为蝴蝶兰的种质栽培提供了理论依据。     

Effects of time and concentration on mortality of phosphine-resistant Sitophilus oryzae (L) fumigated with phosphine

The effects of exposure period and phosphine concentration on mortality of susceptible and resistant Sitophilus oryzae (L) were investigated. Although S oryzae is one of the world's most serious pests of stored grain there are few data on the practical significance of phosphine resistance in this species. The strains investigated were an Australian susceptible strain, a homozygous resistant strain exhibiting a level of resistance common in Australia and an unselected field strain from China with a much stronger resistance. Fumigations were carried out at 25 degrees C on adults and mixed-age cultures. For adults of all three strains and mixed-age cultures of the susceptible and resistant Australian strains, the relationship between concentration and time could be described by equations of the form Cnt = k. In all cases n < 1, indicating that time was a more important variable than concentration. In all fumigations of adults the resistant strains were harder to kill than the susceptible strain. However, in fumigations of mixed-age cultures, which contained the tolerant pupal stage, the difference between susceptible and resistant strains was more pronounced at lower concentrations than higher concentrations. For example, at 0.02 mg litre-1 the estimated LT99.9 for mixed-age cultures of the Australian resistant strain (27 days) is 3.4 times that of the susceptible strain (8 days), but at 1 mg litre-1 there is no difference between the two strains (4 days). Limited data on the Chinese resistant strain supported this finding. Twenty-three days exposure at 0.02 mg litre-1 had no effect on mixed-age cultures of this strain, but there were no survivors after 5 days exposure to 1 mg litre-1.     

利用注射叶片法快速鉴定大豆GmCRY1和GmCRY2基因功能

将大豆隐花色素基因GmCRY1、GmCRY2构建在N端含有绿色荧光蛋白(GFP)的pEGAD载体上,并转化农杆菌EHA105菌株.将含有上述基因的EHA105菌液分别注射到大豆单叶及复叶叶片中,观察长日条件下(16 h光照/8h黑暗)和短日条件下(8h光照/16 h黑暗)注射植株的开花时间.结果叶片注射含GmCRY1基...     

荸荠开花习性和人工辅助授粉结实特性观察

【目的】了解荸荠开花习性和人工辅助授粉结实特性,为荸荠杂交育种提供参考依据。【方法】以桂蹄2号荸荠为材料,观察荸荠茎及花序生长情况,了解荸荠开花规律和雌雄蕊生长情况,并通过显微观察人工辅助授粉和自然授粉部位,对比荸荠在人工辅助授粉和自然授粉后的结子情况。【结果】同一花茎的花序雌、雄蕊分别在花茎约长37.00和46.90 cm时达到盛期,两者平均高度差为9.84 cm,时间差为28.5 h;上午9:00~11:00是进行人工辅助授粉的最佳时段,授粉雌蕊约7.0 h后迅速萎蔫;通过人工辅助授粉的结子率明显高于自然授粉的结子率,人工辅助授粉的结子率为43.0%,自然授粉的结子率仅为15.5%。【结论】人工辅助授粉可大幅度提高荸荠结子率,且荸荠两性花的特性和雌、雄蕊生长及盛期均存在时间差,是荸荠开展人工辅助授粉的关键因素。     

Campylobacter monitoring in German broiler flocks: an explorative time series analysis

Campylobacter, a major zoonotic pathogen, displays seasonality in poultry and in humans. In order to identify temporal patterns in the prevalence of thermophilic Campylobacter spp. in a voluntary monitoring programme in broiler flocks in Germany and in the reported human incidence, time series methods were used. The data originated between May 2004 and June 2007. By the use of seasonal decomposition, autocorrelation and cross-correlation functions, it could be shown that an annual seasonality is present. However, the peak month differs between sample submission, prevalence in broilers and human incidence. Strikingly, the peak in human campylobacterioses preceded the peak in broiler prevalence in Lower Saxony rather than occurring after it. Significant cross-correlations between monthly temperature and prevalence in broilers as well as between human incidence, monthly temperature, rainfall and wind-force were identified. The results highlight the necessity to quantify the transmission of Campylobacter from broiler to humans and to include climatic factors in order to gain further insight into the epidemiology of this zoonotic disease.     

播期和密度对麦茬中粳稻皖稻68生育期和产量形成的影响

研究不同播期和移栽密度试条件下皖稻68的生育期和产量形成的变化情况,结果表明,皖稻68生育期天数随播期的推迟而递减,但推迟到6月14日播种仍可正常成熟;移栽密度对生育期无明显影响。不同播期同期栽插的,随播期推迟产量下降,但因秧龄长短的原因,穗数随播期推迟而增加,每穗粒数、结实率和千粒重递减;增加移栽密度有利于增加穗数而增产。本试验条件下皖稻68作为沿淮麦茬稻栽培,育秧移栽的以5月5日和15日播种,移栽密度为30.0万/hm2和40.0万/hm2产量最高,机插秧以5月25日左右播种为宜,直播稻以6月4日至14日为播种适期。