Brucellosis in migratory sheep flock from Maharashtra,India

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease worldwide distributed and having the economic as well as public health importance. The prevalence of brucellosis among sheep flock having history of abortions was studied. A total of 229 samples comprising of 157 blood and 72 clinical samples (vaginal swabs) were collected from 157 animals. Clinical samples were processed for the isolation of Brucella melitensis. Serum samples (n = 157) were tested by Rose Bengal plate test (RBPT) and i-ELISA. A total of 68 (43.31%) and 104 (66.24%) samples were positive by RBPT and ELISA, respectively. Brucella isolates (n = 2) were recovered from clinical samples. Both isolates demonstrated amplification for bcsp 31 and IS711 genes. On AMOS PCR, both the isolates amplified at 731 bp, i.e., belongs to B. melitensis species. The incidence of B. melitensis in a migratory flock warns the thorough testing and culling of Brucella-infected sheep from the flock on a continuous basis; otherwise, such incidence will be routine and poor farmers will be at a loss.     

Soil and nutrients losses under different crop covers in vertisols of Central India

Purpose

Accelerated erosion removes fertile top soil along with nutrients through runoff and sediments, eventually affecting crop productivity and land degradation. However, scanty information is available on soil and nutrient losses under different crop covers in a vertisol of Central India. Thus, a field experiment was conducted for 4 years (2010–2013) to study the effect of different crop cover combinations on soil and nutrient losses through runoff in a vertisol.

Materials and methods

Very limited information is available on runoff, soil, and nutrient losses under different vegetative covers in a rainfed vertisol. Thus, the hypothesis of the study was to evaluate if different crop cover combinations would have greater impact on reducing soil and nutrient losses compared to control plots in a vertisol.

This experiment consisted of seven treatment combinations of crop covers namely soybean (Glycine max) (CC₁), maize (Zea mays) (CC₂), pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) (CC₃), soybean (Glycine max)?+?maize (Zea mays) ??1:1 (CC₄), soybean (Glycine ma x))?+?pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) ?2:1 (CC₅), maize (Zea mays)?+?pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) ??1:1 (CC₆), and cultivated fallow (CC₇). The plot size was 10?×?5 m with 1% slope, and runoff and soil loss were measured using multi-slot devisor. All treatments were arranged in a randomized block design with three replications.

Results and discussion

Results demonstrated that the runoff and soil loss were significantly (p?<?0.05) higher (289 mm and 3.92 Mg ha^?1) under cultivated fallow than those in cropped plots. Among various crop covers, sole pigeon pea (CC₃) recorded significantly higher runoff and soil loss (257 mm and 3.16 Mg ha^?1) followed by that under sole maize (CC₂) (235 mm and 2.85 Mg ha^?1) and the intercrops were in the order of maize?+?pigeon pea (211 mm and 2.47 Mg ha^?1) followed by soybean?+?maize (202 mm and 2.38 Mg ha^?1), and soybean?+?pigeon pea (195 mm and 2.15 Mg ha^?1). The lowest runoff and soil loss were recorded under soybean sole crop (194 mm and 2.27 Mg ha^?1). The data on nutrient losses indicated that the highest losses of soil organic carbon (SOC) (25.83 kg ha^?1), total nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) (7.76, 0.96, 32.5 kg ha^?1) were recorded in cultivated fallow (CC₇) as compared to those from sole and intercrop treatments. However, sole soybean and its intercrops recorded the minimum losses of SOC and total N, P, and K, whereas the maximum losses of nutrients were recorded under pigeon pea (CC₃). The system productivity in terms of soybean grain equivalent yield (SGEY) was higher (p?<?0.05) from maize?+?pigeon pea (3358 kg ha^?1) followed by that for soybean?+?pigeon pea (2191 kg ha^?1) as compared to sole soybean. Therefore, maize?+?pigeon pea (1:1) intercropping is the promising option in reducing runoff, soil-nutrient losses, and enhancing crop productivity in the hot sub-humid eco-region.

Conclusions

Study results highlight the need for maintenance of suitable vegetative cover as of great significance to diffusing the erosive energy of heavy rains and also safe guarding the soil resource from degradation by water erosion in vertisols.

     

Optimization of production of nucleopolyhedrovirus ofHelicoverpa armigera throughout larval stages

Studies were carried out to optimize production of nucleopolyhedrovirus of American bollworm,Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), by treating larvae individually with an inoculum dose that allowed maximal larval growth and also gave the highest occlusion bodies (OB) yield/larva. The maximum virus yield of 12.2x 10⁹ OB/larva was obtained when 6-day-old larvae were fed individually with a dose of 1 x 10³ OB. Topical spiracular treatment of larvae as old as 8 days with 10 μ of 2x 10⁷ OB ml^-1 gave the highest yield, of 15.2x 10⁹ OB from 13-day-old larvae, of 12.8x 10⁸ OB from prepupae and of 1.49x 10⁸ OB from pupae at the time of their death. These studies showed that dietary inoculum is the best route for 6-day-old larvae and topical spiracular treatment is the best for 8-day-old larvae.     

The microstructure of high--critical current superconducting films

The microstructure of superconducting films that have shown high-critical current densities has been studied. The films are shown to be epitaxial and contain twins and precipitates. The main difference between these films and low current carrying samples is the absence of grain boundaries. These boundaries are therefore identified as the cause of the lower critical current in ceramic samples.     

Spatially Resolved Observation of Supercurrents Across Grain Boundaries in YBaCuO Films

Spatially resolved resistivity measurements of current transport across individual grain boundaries have been made on superconducting YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7). These experiments were done by low-temperature scanning electron microscopy with a resolution of 1 to 2 micrometers, and they show directly the limitation of the critical current density caused by grain boundaries in YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7). Furthermore, complex spatial patterns of the current transport across grain boundaries were observed. These patterns reflect self-excited resonances of the grain boundaries and are closely correlated to the unexplained "sub-gap structure" in the current-voltage characteristics of polycrystalline YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7).     

DUBA: a deubiquitinase that regulates type I interferon production

Production of type I interferon (IFN-I) is a critical host defense triggered by pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs) of the innate immune system. Deubiquitinating enzyme A (DUBA), an ovarian tumor domain-containing deubiquitinating enzyme, was discovered in a small interfering RNA-based screen as a regulator of IFN-I production. Reduction of DUBA augmented the PRR-induced IFN-I response, whereas ectopic expression of DUBA had the converse effect. DUBA bound tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 3 (TRAF3), an adaptor protein essential for the IFN-I response. TRAF3 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that preferentially assembled lysine-63-linked polyubiquitin chains. DUBA selectively cleaved the lysine-63-linked polyubiquitin chains on TRAF3, resulting in its dissociation from the downstream signaling complex containing TANK-binding kinase 1. A discrete ubiquitin interaction motif within DUBA was required for efficient deubiquitination of TRAF3 and optimal suppression of IFN-I. Our data identify DUBA as a negative regulator of innate immune responses.     

Ribotyping of Indian Isolates of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pasteurella multocida</Emphasis> Based on 16S and 23S rRNA Genes

The applicability of ribotyping based on 16S and 23S rRNA was evaluated for molecular epidemiological studies. Forty-eight isolates of Pasteurella multocida isolated from different hosts and geographical locations and one reference isolate were ribotyped. Only four ribotypes were found. All the isolates including reference isolate from wild carnivores had the same ribotype, though they had different serotypes. The isolate from a tiger had one band in addition to the bands present in the major ribotype. The isolates from lions represented two ribotypes; of these ribotypes, one (r2) had an additional band of 3.6 kbp, which was absent in all other ribotypes. The second ribotype (r4) from a lion had one band missing (6 kbp) that was present in the other ribotypes. These isolates were further typed using ERIC-PCR and REP-PCR. With ERIC-PCR and REP-PCR, higher D values of 0.83 and 0.89 were obtained. The current study revealed that ribotyping is not a very efficient typing tool for use in molecular epidemiology for differentiation of isolates.     

Humoral and Delayed-type Hypersensitive Responses againstListeria monocytogenes Phosphatidylinositol-specific Phospholipase C in Experimentally Infected Buffaloes

The kinetics of antibody production against phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) and the isolation pattern of Listeria monocytogenes from bacteriological samples were studied following oral infection of buffalo calves with 3 x 10(9) cells each of pathogenic L. monocytogenes. Antibodies to PI-PLC appeared by 4-8 days post infection (PI), with a peak between days 7 and 16 PI, when tested by indirect plate-ELISA. Subsequently, antibody titres in all the animals declined and became undetectable on days 26-35 PI onwards until the study concluded on day 211 PI. Dot-ELISA could detect the antibodies to PI-PLC 1-2 days earlier and at higher titres as compared to plate-ELISA. L. monocytogenes could be recovered from faeces, nasal swabs and haemocultures from days 2 to 33, days 2 to 21 and days 11 to 17 PI, respectively. Antibodies to PI-PLC were detected during the course of active infection but their titres declined sharply once animals became culturally negative. Sonicated antigen elicited the highest delayed-type hypersensitivity response, followed by PI-PLC and listeriolysin O.     

Isolation of pathogenic Listeria monocytogenes and detection of antibodies against phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C in buffaloes

The isolation of pathogenic Listeria spp. in bacteriological samples, and anti-phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (anti-PIPLC) antibodies in sera of buffaloes were studied. Isolation of the pathogen was attempted from the samples by selective enrichment in University of Vermont Medium and plating onto Dominguez-Rodriguez isolation agar. Pathogenicity of the isolates was tested by Christie, Atkins, Munch Petersen test and mice incoulation test. Listeria spp. and L. monocytogenes were isolated from 8.8 and 2.4%, and 4.8 and 1.6% of 125 each meat and blood samples, respectively. Out of the 125 samples each of feacal, nasal and vaginal swabs from buffaloes 8 and 4%, 13.6 and 2.4%, and 6.4 and 2.4% were positive for Listeria spp. and L. monocytogenes, respectively. L. ivanovii was confirmed from 0.8% vaginal sample. A total of 125 serum samples were tested by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PIPLC) based indirect ELISA of which 4.0% turned out to be seropositive.