Effects of vaccination against brucellosis and clostridia on the intake,performance, feeding behavior,blood parameters,and immune responses of dairy heifers calves

The aim of this study was to identify possible effects of different vaccination strategies (concomitantly or not) against brucellosis and clostridia on intake, performance, feeding behavior, blood parameters, and immune responses of dairy heifers calves. Fifty heifers calves were enrolled [38 Gyr (Zebu, Bos taurus indicus) and 12 5/8 Holstein Gyr]. At 120 d of age, animals were randomly distributed among 3 groups: B (n = 18), vaccinated against brucellosis; C (n = 14), vaccinated against clostridia and CB (n = 18), vaccinated concomitantly for both. Rectal and thermographic temperatures were evaluated on days 1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7,10, 14, and 28 relatives to the vaccination day. Feed and water intake, body weight (BW), and feeding behavior were monitored daily by an electronic feeding system. Blood was sampled on days 0, 3, 7, 14, and 28, relative to the vaccination day for determination of glucose and -hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) concentrations. Blood sampled on day 0 (prevaccination) and on days 28 and 42 were used to evaluate the immune response against Brucella abortus and clostridia. There was an increase in rectal temperature between the first and the third day postvaccination in the 3 groups. The thermography revealed an increase of local temperature for 7 d on groups B and CB. Group C had increased local temperature for a longer period, lasting for up to 14 d. Dry mater intake was reduced for groups B and CB, but no alteration was observed for group C. No alterations regarding initial BW, final BW, average daily weight gain, and feed efficiency were observed. No differences were observed for the 3 vaccination groups for blood parameters throughout the evaluation period. The concomitant vaccination against brucellosis and clostridia led to lower neutralizing antibody titers against epsilon toxin of Clostridium perfringens and botulinum toxin type C of C. botulinum (C > CB > B). When cellular proliferation assay and serological tests to B. abortus were evaluated, no differences were observed between groups B and CB. The present results indicate that the concomitant vaccination against brucellosis and clostridia has no relevant impact on the intake, performance, and feeding behavior of dairy calves. However, the concomitant vaccination of vaccines against these 2 pathogens impacts animal immunity against clostridial infections.     

Diagnosis of Mycobacterium bovis infection in calves sensitized by mycobacteria of the avium/intracellulare group

Because of the frequent exposure of cattle to mycobacteria of the avium/intracellulare group, an investigation was carried out into the possible repercussions thereof on the diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis. Three calves from a bovine tuberculosis-free herd, scored avian reactors in the gamma-interferon assay for bovine tuberculosis, were sedated and inoculated endotracheally with a virulent Mycobacterium bovis strain. Then, three other avian reactors were housed with the above donor calves. Mycobacterium bovis was isolated from the nasal swabs of the three endotracheally infected, donor calves. On these samples, TB complex-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for IS6110 were also positive, albeit with a different time kinetics. The three contact-infected calves showed clear immunological signs of infection; however, their nasal swabs were always PCR-negative and only Mycobacterium avium was isolated. In the endotracheally infected donor calves there was a rise of the gamma-interferon responses to avian and bovine purified protein derivative (PPD) tuberculins, which reached the same stable plateau levels over the whole experiment. The above effect was also observed in the contact-infected calves, even though the response to avian PPD tuberculin always remained at a higher level. By using conventional bovine and avian PPD tuberculins, the comparative intradermal test was generally positive in endotracheally infected, as opposed to contact-infected calves; a positive intradermal test for M. bovis was obtained in two contact-infected calves by different bovine PPD tuberculins based on M. bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) secreted or somatic antigens. It was concluded that M. bovis infection may be concealed for some time in cattle sensitized by mycobacteria of the avium/intracellulare group and that different diagnostic procedures should be adopted for such animals.     

Wild rabbit restocking for predator conservation in Spain

The decline of rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) populations in Mediterranean Spain has been shown to be one of the main threats to rabbit-specialist predators such as the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardina) and the Spanish imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti), two species which are in serious danger of extinction. Consequently, corrective measures such as increasing rabbit populations by restocking have been carried out to help the recovery of predator populations. In order to determine the general applicability of rabbit restocking for predator conservation, we performed three experimental restockings and evaluated their success in relation to season, habitat quality and the number of animals introduced. Rabbits were released either in large or small numbers in all four seasons of the year, and in habitat types defined as `poor' or `rich' according to the food availability for rabbits. For each restocking we evaluated rabbit survival, degree of residency and expected population increase. As a rule, the highest restocking success occurred whenever smaller number of rabbits were released in the richest quality habitat. Restocking during the breeding season was less successful than in other seasons. Problems concerning intraspecific competition, reproductive failure and diseases are discussed.     

Investigating biochemical processes to assess deadwood decay of beech and silver fir in Mediterranean mountain forests

Context

We investigated the relationships between decay classes, morphological characteristics and chemical compounds in Abies alba Mill. and Fagus sylvatica L. stumps in two forest stands in the central Apennines (Italy). The analysis of deadwood decomposition is important in estimating carbon sequestration potential and carbon residence time in forest ecosystems. In addition, deadwood decomposition affects nutrient cycling and microhabitat distribution.

Aims

The overall aim of this study was to investigate the decomposition processes in a mountainous Mediterranean ecosystem, and specifically to assess changes in chemical variables (lignin, cellulose, carbon and nitrogen content) in deadwood during the decomposition process, in relation to decay classes and to the species.

Methods

Cross-sections were collected from stumps. Samples were assigned to visually discernible decay classes, and cellulose, lignin and carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) content in relation to total dry mass were analysed during the decay process.

Results

Results showed how C/N ratio decreased over decades due to an increase in nitrogen content. On the contrary, carbon concentration in stumps remained substantially stable. Lignin degraded slowly in comparison with cellulose and differences between species were observed.

Conclusion

The hypothesis that the conifer species would decompose faster than deciduous species did not prove correct. The slower decay of lignin compared to cellulose suggested that lignin could be an important long-term source of soil organic carbon, and that this process could be greatly affected by forest species mixtures. Finally, decomposition processes in the investigated montane?CMediterranean forests were definitely faster than in the colder climates of northern Europe.     

Effects of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles in Different Metabolic Pathways in the Freshwater Microalga <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chlorella sorokiniana</Emphasis> (Trebouxiophyceae)

The products that employ nanoparticles (NPs) in their composition have increased since the beginning of NP production; hence, their availability in the environment, especially in aquatic ecosystems, tends to increase. In these ecosystems, the phytoplankton is immersed in a complex matrix of nutrients, excreted materials, and other chemical compounds, which can influence the metabolic strategy of microalgae. One of the metabolic ways is mixotrophy, a situation whereby microalgae perform photosynthesis and use dissolved organic carbon at the same time. Most toxicity evaluations do not consider such a metabolic route, but this can represent a preferential metabolism in natural environments. The present study aimed at evaluating the effects of NP-TiO₂ at a log concentration range of ??3.10 to 0.89, on photosynthesis, growth, viability, and biochemical composition of the microalgae Chlorella sorokiniana during photoautotrophic and mixotrophic growth (glucose as the organic carbon source). The results showed lower chlorophyll a and photosynthetic activity in mixotrophy than in photoautotrophy, which can be due to a decreased need for photosynthesis in mixotrophy. Photoautotrophy cultures were sensitive to NPs, reaching 39% of viability at log 0.89, while in mixotrophy, cell viability was not affected by NPs. The biochemical composition and cell density changed as a function of NP concentrations, with increase in the protein/carbohydrate ratio in both treatments. The results showed that C. sorokiniana is more resistant to NPs during mixotrophic growth, but with changes in biochemical composition, whereas the photoautotrophic cultures were more sensitive to the increase in NP concentrations.     

Biochemical profiles, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and multilocus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) for typing Staphylococcus aureus isolated from dairy products

The study concerns 130 Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from different raw-milk dairy products (122 isolates) and human samples (eight isolates). Four different typing techniques were applied: biochemical profiles (Biolog GP), restriction fragment length polymorphism of coagulase gene (coaRFLP), random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and multilocus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA). Moreover multiplex-PCR was used to study the distribution of genes encoding staphylococcal enterotoxins. The results of this study reveal marked genomic and phenotypic variability among the tested S. aureus. The considered techniques were all found useful for strain typing, but, based on discriminatory power as the key parameter of the typing system, MLVA and Biolog GP were found to be the most powerful techniques. The methods showed little concordance in terms of discerning the clusters of related strains.     

Hydrocarbon and fatty acid composition of cheese as affected by the pasture vegetation type

The determination of the geographical origin of dairy products is an ongoing issue. In this paper the effects of botanical diversity of two pastures on the hydrocarbon and fatty acid composition of cheese fat were studied, over 2 years of experimentation. Two areas in the Italian southwestern Alpine region, dominated by Trifolium alpinum (T) and Festuca nigrescens (F) vegetation, respectively, were chosen, and milk obtained from cows grazing on these pastures was used to produce a semihard traditional cheese. Cheese samples showed a significantly different composition of most linear hydrocarbons, odd-chain (C15, C17, and C17:1) and unsaturated (trans-11,cis-15-C18:2, C18:3, C20:4n-6, C20:4n-3, and 20:5n-3) fatty acids, according to pasture type. The ratio between C(29) and C(27) linear hydrocarbons, unlike the absolute content of the single molecules, showed a good discriminating ability between the two pastures and was little affected by the natural variability due to the climatic and environmental factors.     

Vibrational circular-dichroism spectroscopy of homologous cyclic peptides designed to fold into β helices of opposite chirality

Cyclic β-helical peptides have been developed as model structured biomolecules for examining peptide adsorption and conformation on surfaces. As a key prerequisite to circular-dichroism (CD) analysis of these model peptides on surfaces, their conformations and the corresponding vibrational spectra in the 1400-1800 cm?1 range were analyzed by vibrational circular-dichroism (VCD) spectroscopy in solution. The two model peptides ("β Leu and β Val") were examined in chloroform, where they each fold into a homogeneous well-defined antiparallel double-stranded β-helical species, as determined previously by NMR and electronic CD spectroscopy. Because the β-helical conformations of β Leu and β Val are well characterized, the VCD spectra of these peptides can be unambiguously correlated with their structures. In addition, these two β-helical peptides differ from one another in two key respects that make them uniquely advantageous for CD analysis--first, while their backbone conformations are topologically similar, β Leu and β Val form helices of opposite chiralities; second, the two peptides differ in their sequences, i.e., composition of the side chains attached to the backbone. The observed VCD spectra for β Leu and β Val are roughly mirror images of each other, indicating that the VCD features are dominated by the chirality and conformation of the peptide backbone rather than by the peptide sequence. Accordingly, spectra similarly characteristic of peptide secondary structure can be expected for peptides designed to be structural analogs of β Leu and β Val while incorporating a variety of side chains for studies of surface adsorption from organic and aqueous solvents.