Evaluation of a Killed Vaccine Against Porcine Pleuropneumonia Due to Haemophilus pleuropneumoniae

A bacterin containing serotypes 1 and 5 of Haemophilus pleuropneumoniae was developed for the prevention and the control of porcine pleuropneumonia. It was injected intramuscularly into three groups of ten piglets, the first group with one dose, the second one with two doses and the third one with three doses at two-week intervals. Another group of ten piglets did not receive the vaccine. All the piglets were then challenged by an aerosol of mixed suspensions of H. pleuropneumoniae serotypes 1 and 5. Two and three injections of vaccine completely prevented mortality, whereas half of the control piglets and of those receiving only one dose of vaccine died. All surviving piglets, both control and vaccinated, had severe signs of respiratory disease for at least 36 hours after exposure to challenge. Moreover, vaccination did not induce the production of antibodies at high titers. Local reactions were not noted after vaccination and at postmortem; ten weeks after the challenge, there were no signs of abscess formation or induration.     

Effects of increased nitrogen supply on the lignification of poplar wood

The short-term influence of adequate and high nitrogen fertilization on poplar lignification was investigated. The high nitrogen supply decreased lignin staining in the newly formed secondary xylem, indicating that lignin deposition was affected. Acetyl bromide determinations gave a 9-10% decrease in lignin content; however, Klason lignin content was unchanged. Thioacidolysis showed that elevated N supply affected lignin structure such that there was a reduced frequency of lignin units involved in beta-O-4 bonds, a reduced syringyl/guaiacyl ratio, an increased frequency of p-hydroxyphenyl lignin units, more guaiacyl units with free phenolic groups, and more p-hydroxybenzoic acid ester-linked to poplar lignins. These features suggest that lignins from poplars grown under high N bear structural similarities to lignins formed during early stages of wood development. The findings also indicate that a gravitational stimulus inducing the formation of tension wood and high N availability lead to similar and additive effects on lignin content and structure.     

蛋白质激发子Hrip1对小麦黄矮病的诱抗作用

小麦黄矮病是由大麦黄矮病毒（barley yellow dwarf virus,BYDV）引起的一种小麦病毒病,其传播介体是小麦蚜虫,在小麦生产中造成巨大的经济损失。近年来,植物诱导抗性作为一种新兴的植物病虫害防治措施引起了广泛的关注。蛋白质激发子Hrip1可以激活多种植物的免疫防御反应诱导植物产生广谱抗性。本研究评价了Hrip1对小麦黄矮病的诱抗效果。用30 μg/mL的Hrip1溶液进行小麦浸种和幼苗喷雾,随后接种BYDV,接种后第14 d,Hrip1对小麦黄矮病控制效果在50%以上,接种后第21 d控制效果仍在30%以上。实时荧光定量PCR检测结果显示,在Hrip1处理的小麦幼苗体内,BYDV外壳蛋白mRNA的数量显著低于对照组;EPG结果显示,在Hrip1处理的小麦幼苗上,麦二叉蚜寻找叶片刺吸位点和韧皮部取食位点的时间增加。以上结果表明：Hrip1能够有效地抑制BYDV在小麦体内的增殖;影响传毒媒介麦二叉蚜的取食行为,抑制其传毒能力。此外,Hrip1处理小麦能有效缓解BYDV引起的叶片黄化和植株矮化的症状。因此,Hrip1可以作为生物诱导剂综合控制小麦黄矮病。     

Effects of no‐take area size and age of marine protected areas on fisheries yields: a meta‐analytical approach

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are often promoted as tools for biodiversity conservation as well as for fisheries management. Despite increasing evidence of their usefulness, questions remain regarding the optimal design of MPAs, in particular concerning their function as fisheries management tools, for which empirical studies are still lacking. Using 28 data sets from seven MPAs in Southern Europe, we developed a meta‐analytical approach to investigate the effects of protection on adjacent fisheries and asking how these effects are influenced by MPA size and age. Southern European MPAs showed clear effects on the surrounding fisheries, on the ‘catch per unit effort’ (CPUE) of target species, but especially on the CPUE of the marketable catch. These effects depended on the time of protection and on the size of the no‐take area. CPUE of both target species and the marketable catch increased gradually by 2–4% per year over a long time period (at least 30 years). The influence of the size of the no‐take area appeared to be more complex. The catch rates of the entire fishery in and around the MPA were higher when the no‐take areas were smaller. Conversely, catch rates of selected fisheries that were expected to benefit most from protection increased when the no‐take area was larger. Our results emphasize the importance of MPA size on its export functions and suggest that an adequate, often extended, time frame be used for the management and the evaluation of effectiveness of MPAs.     

Evaluation of cystatin C as an endogenous marker of glomerular filtration rate in dogs

Cystatin C is a cysteine protease inhibitor produced by all nucleated cells. It is freely filtered by the glomerulus and is unaffected by nonrenal factors such as inflammation and gender. Because of greater sensitivity and specificity, cystatin C has been proposed to replace creatinine as a marker of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in humans. The aims of this study were to validate an automated assay in canine plasma and to evaluate the usefulness of cystatin C as a marker of GFR in dogs. Western blotting was used to demonstrate cross-reactivity of an anti-human cystatin C antibody. An immunoturbidimetric assay was used to detect cystatin C in 25 clinically healthy dogs and 25 dogs with renal failure. Mean cystatin C concentration in the healthy dogs and the dogs with renal failure was 1.08 +/- 0.16 mg/L and 4.37 +/- 1.79 mg/L respectively. Intra- and interassay variability was <5%. The assay was linear (r = .974) between 0.14 and 7.53 mg/L. Both cystatin C and creatinine concentrations were measured in banked, frozen serum from 20 remnant kidney model dogs and 10 volume-depleted dogs for which GFR measurements by exogenous creatinine clearance had been determined previously. In the remnant kidney model, cystatin C was better correlated with GFR than creatinine (r = .79 versus .54) but was less well correlated with GFR in volume-depleted dogs (r = .54 versus .95). GFR measurements were repeated in the remnant kidney model dogs 60 days after initial GFR measurements. At this time, cystatin C and creatinine concentrations correlated equally well with GFR (r = .891 versus .894, respectively). Cystatin C concentration is a reasonable alternative to creatinine for screening dogs with decreased GFR due to chronic renal failure.     

Comparative responses to sodium selenite and organic selenium supplements in Belgian Blue cows and calves

Belgian Blue (BB) beef cattle is particularly prone to selenium (Se) deficiency due to the poor Se content of soil and roughages on rearing farms and the higher requirements of this hypermuscled breed. The goal of this trial was to compare the effects of different forms and concentrations of Se supplementation on Se status, health and performance in 60 pregnant Se-deficient BB cows. Cows were allocated to 3 experimental groups receiving selenized-yeast at 0.5 ppm Se on total ration (Y–Se 0.5), Na–selenite at 0.5 ppm Se on total ration (Na–Se 0.5) and Na–selenite at 0.1 ppm Se on total ration (Na–Se 0.1), respectively. Cows were supplemented from 2 months before calving until 2 months after calving. Data on performance, health and Se status of the dams and their calves were analyzed using a linear model, least squares means and logistic regression. At the end of the study, plasmatic Se (pSe) was significantly higher (P < 0.01) in cows receiving Y–Se than in cows from other groups. Glutathion-peroxidase in erythrocytes (GSH-pxe) was higher in Y–Se and Na–Se 0.5 than Na–Se 0.1 group (P < 0.01). Se content in colostrum and milk was significantly higher (P < 0.01) in Y–Se than other groups. At birth, Se status of calves from group Y–Se was significantly higher than those of other groups (P < 0.01). Plasmatic Se in calves remained higher for 75 days after birth in Y–Se compared to other groups (P < 0.01). Diarrhoea was the most commonly observed disease in the calves and, during the first 15 days of life, diarrhoea occurred in 6%, 21% and 35% of calves from groups Y–Se, Na–Se 0.5 and Na–Se 0.1, respectively. Over the whole 75 days trial period, incidence of diarrhoea was 19, 29 and 65%, respectively. Average daily gain (ADG) in calves born from Y–Se group of cows tended to be higher than in Na–Se 0.5 (P = 0.06) and Na–Se 0.1 (P < 0.05) but there was no difference between Na–Se 0.5 and Na–Se 0.1 (P > 0.1). At the same dosage, Y–Se conferred better Se status in both dams and their calves than did Na–Se. Requirement of 0.1 ppm Se seems to be insufficient in BB to optimise health and performance. Regarding health status and ADG in calves, Y–Se seems also to result in better performance.     

Agroforestry systems recover tree carbon stock faster than natural succession in Eastern Amazon,Brazil

Agroforestry Systems - The potential of agroforestry systems (AFS) for atmospheric carbon sequestration in degraded tropical lands is of key interest for climate change and rural development...     

Effect of Diet Processing Method and Ingredient Substitution on Feed Characteristics and Survival of Larval Walleye, Sander vitreus

Two methods were developed for the production of larval fish diets. The first method, microextrusion marumerization (MEM), has been tested in laboratory feeding trials for many years and produces particles that are palatable and water stable. The second method, particle‐assisted rotational agglomeration (PARA), produced diets that have lower density than diets produced by MEM. Each method was used to produce diets in the 250‐ to 400‐ and 400‐ to 700‐μm range and compared with a reference diet (Fry Feed Kyowa * [FFK]) for feeding larval walleye in two experiments. The effect of substituting 4% of the fish meal with freeze‐dried artemia fines was also investigated. In the first experiment, 30‐d survival was greater (P < 0.05) for fish fed a diet produced by PARA without Artemia (49.1.0%) than for fish fed the same diet produced by MEM (27.6%). The addition of Artemia to a diet produced by MEM did not increase survival of larval walleye. Fish fed the reference diet had 24.4% survival. In the second experiment, there was an effect of both processing method and Artemia supplementation, and an interaction of these effects, on survival. Fish fed a diet produced by PARA without Artemia supplementation had 48.4% survival, and fish fed the same diet produced by MEM had only 19.6% survival. Inclusion of 4% freeze‐dried Artemia improved (P < 0.04) survival of fish fed MEM particles but not those fed PARA particles. Fish fed FFK had greater weight gain than fish fed other diets in both experiments. Data indicate that the PARA method of diet processing produces smaller, lower density particles than the MEM process and that diets produced by the PARA process support higher survival of larval walleye with low capital and operating costs.     

Resolvin D1, a Metabolite of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid,Decreases Post-Myocardial Infarct Depression

We hypothesized that inflammation induced by myocardial ischemia plays a central role in depression-like behavior after myocardial infarction (MI). Several experimental approaches that reduce inflammation also result in attenuation of depressive symptoms. We have demonstrated that Resolvin D1 (RvD1), a metabolite of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) derived from docosahexaenoic acid, diminishes infarct size and neutrophil accumulation in the ischemic myocardium. The aim of this study is to determine if a single RvD1 injection could alleviate depressive symptoms in a rat model of MI. MI was induced in rats by occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery for 40 min. Five minutes before ischemia or after reperfusion, 0.1 μg of RvD1 or vehicle was injected in the left ventricle cavity. Fourteen days after MI, behavioral tests (forced swim test and socialization) were conducted to evaluate depression-like symptoms. RvD1 reduced infarct size in the treated vs. the vehicle group. Animals receiving RvD1 also showed better performance in the forced swim and social interaction tests vs. vehicle controls. These results indicate that a single RvD1 dose, given 5 min before occlusion or 5 min after the onset of reperfusion, decreases infarct size and attenuates depression-like symptoms.