Validation of a human immunoturbidimetric assay to measure canine albumin in urine and cerebrospinal fluid.

The aim of this study was to validate an automated immunoturbidimetric assay used to quantify human albumin in urine and to accurately measure canine albumin concentrations in both urine and cerebrospinal fluid. The partial homology existing between human and canine albumin limited the accuracy of the human assays in measuring canine albumin without method modifications. Thus, the assay was modified by calibrating the analyzer with calibrators made in the laboratory containing known concentrations of canine albumin. To prepare the set of calibrators, the albumin concentration of pooled sera of healthy dogs was assessed in 5 replicates using the BromocresolGreen assay. Pooled samples were aliquoted and serially diluted to obtain the expected concentrations of albumin (0.5, 1, 5, 13, and 30 mg/dl) for establishing the canine calibration curve. Thereafter, the performance was assessed by analyzing canine urine and CSF The modified assay accurately quantified canine albumin in both specimens, as indicated by the following. Intra- and interassay variability was 0.92% and 2.74%, respectively; recovery was 99.66% and 99.07% in urine and 105.02% in CSF No interference was detected when hemolysate and glucose were added to urine. The test was linear within the verified range (0-225 mg/dl). These results demonstrate that the modified human albumin immunoturbidimetric assay can be a useful tool in the veterinary diagnostic laboratory. It is accurate and tends itself to automatization on chemistry analyzers.     

Production,chemical composition,and fatty acid profile of milk from buffaloes fed with cupuaçu (Theobroma grandiflorum) cake and murumuru (Astrocaryum murumuru) cake in the Eastern Amazon

The objective was to evaluate the effect of concentrate supplementation using by-products of the Amazonian industry on milk production, milk composition, and milk fatty acid profile of dairy buffaloes. Twelve lactating buffaloes (544.5 ± 35.6 kg, 6.4 ± 2.2 years old, 59 ± 6 days in milk) were allotted in a pasture of Mombaça grass and managed under rotational grazing (4 days occupancy/28 days rest). A 3 × 3 Latin square was adopted, and each animal alternately received three supplementary treatments based on corn bran + soybean meal or cupuaçu cake or murumuru cake for 21 days per treatment. Murumuru cake increased the levels of lauric acid and myristic acid in the milk (p < 0.05). Murumuru cake reduced the unsaturated fatty acid contents in the milk compared with animals fed control diet or cupuaçu cake (24.27% vs. 25.24% vs. 25.08%). The n-6/n-3 ratio was 2.6, 1.97, and 2.0 in the control, cupuaçu, and murumuru groups, respectively. Based on this parameter, cakes made from cupuaçu as well as murumuru could be considered to be adequate for inclusion in dairy water buffalo feed. However, the murumuru cake addition requires some caution because its use induces the secretion of higher levels of lauric and myristic fatty acids that are related to human cardiovascular disease.     

Sentinel lymph node mapping with computed tomography lymphography for mast cell tumours and a comparison between regional and sentinel lymph node histological status: Sixty-two cases

It is known that the regional lymph node (RLN) may not correspond to the sentinel lymph node (SLN) (the first lymph node draining the tumour), and many diagnostic techniques have recently been aimed at its detection. Although lymphoscintigraphy is the gold standard in both human and veterinary medicine for SLN mapping, it is relatively unavailable in veterinary medicine due to costs and difficult management of the radiotracer. This prospective study evaluated, as a first aim, the feasibility and sensitivity of the computed tomography lymphography (CTL) in detecting the SLN in 62 mast cell tumours (MCTs). The second aim was to evaluate the accuracy of the CTL in identifying the most representative lymph node of the patient's lymphatic status; the histological status of the SNL was compared with that of the RLN, to see in how many cases the patient's stage would have changed according to the RLN. When the RLN turned out to be also the SLN it was decided to excise, as a control LN, the one localised in the neighbourhood of the MCT (neighbouring lymph node; NLN). The detection rate was 90%, with failure of SLN identification in six cases. In 18 (32%) of 56 MCTs with a diagnostic CTL, the SLN did not correspond to the RLN. Forty-five MCTs were surgically removed, together with their corresponding SLN and RLN/NLN. Since the clinical stage of the patient would have changed in only 7% of cases, CTL is a reliable method of detecting the SLN and, for staging purposes, there is no need to remove other LNs.     

Firm Demography and Regional Development: Evidence from Italy

This article contributes to the literature on firm demography and regional development in at least three different ways. First, consumption, rather than employment, which is the most common variable seen in literature, is used to measure the impact of firm demography on regional development. Second, while the literature is mainly focused on the relationship between new business formation and regional development, we investigate both entry and exit flows of firms. Third, we decompose each of these flows into spatial and sectoral components. The empirical investigation looks at the Italian regions with reference to the period 2004–2009. Results seem to be substantially divergent between the South and the rest of Italy.     

The ecosystem services concept: a new Esperanto to facilitate participatory planning processes?

Landscape Ecology - Several case studies investigated the role of ecosystem services in participatory planning processes. However, no systematic study exists that cuts across a large number of...     

Prevalence of antibodies against Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale in broilers and breeders in Southern Brazil

In this investigation, we determined the prevalence of the Ornithobacerium rhinotracheale (ORT) infection in broilers and broiler breeders in southern Brazil. We also correlated the presence of antibodies in broilers with performance. Sera from 1550 broilers from 50 flocks were collected during the slaughter time in nine companies with federal veterinary inspection of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Sera from 480 meat-type breeders of 40 flocks from 14 companies in southern Brazil were also analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the prevalence of antibodies was determined. The prevalence of ORT antibodies in broiler flocks was 63.83%, but in each individual flock only 6.52% of the birds were positive. The prevalence in broiler breeder flocks was 100.00%, and in each individual flock 94.62% of the birds were positive. There was a positive correlation between the presence of antibodies to ORT and decreased body weight in broilers. There was no significant correlation between presence of antibodies to ORT and age, lineage, efficiency index, feed conversion, and mortality. There was a positive correlation between the presence of respiratory signs and antibodies to ORT, although the reverse correlation was not significant. These results confirm that ORT is present and widespread in broilers and broiler breeders in southern Brazil.     

Plant P5C reductase as a new target for aminomethylenebisphosphonates

A series of N-substituted derivatives of aminomethylenebisphosphonic acid were evaluated as potential inhibitors of delta1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (EC 1.5.1.2), the enzyme that catalyzes the last step in proline biosynthesis, partially purified from Arabidopsis thaliana suspension cultured cells. At millimolar concentrations, three compounds out of 26 were found to interfere with the catalytic mechanism. One of them, namely, 3,5-dichloropyridyl-aminomethylenebisphosphonic acid, retained such inhibitory activity in the micromolar range. Kinetic analyses ruled out the possibility that the inhibition could simply rely upon the chelating properties of bisphosphonates and showed mechanisms of a noncompetitive type against NADH and an uncompetitive type against delta1-pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid, with KI values of 199 +/- 6 and 10.3 +/- 1.5 microM, respectively. A computer-aided docking analysis, performed on the basis of the crystal structure of the enzyme from Streptococcus pyogenes, suggested that this phosphonate may interact with amino acid residues near the binding site of delta1-pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid, thus blocking the substrate in a pocket and preventing its interaction with NADH. Because in higher plants the step catalyzed by delta1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase is shared by all pathways leading to proline synthesis, such a compound may represent a lead structure to be exploited for the design of new substances endowed with herbicidal activity.     

Distribution of flavonoids and furocoumarins in juices from cultivars of Citrus bergamia Risso

HPLC separation of flavonoids and furocoumarins in the crude juices of three cultivars of Citrus bergamia Risso ("Castagnaro", "Fantastico", and "Femminello") was carried out on a C18 reversed phase column. The analysis was performed in a single run using a DAD detector coupled with an ESI-MS-MS source. Two furocoumarins (bergapten and bergamottin) were detected and quantified simultaneously with the sixteen flavonoid components previously found in industrial bergamot juice. Full characterization of the furocoumarins was performed by (1)H NMR analysis on samples separated by means of preparative HPLC. The free-radical scavenging ability of cultivar juices was assessed by using DPPH radical. The data presented show that the "Femminello" cultivar, even though it is the least common of the three, is by far the richest in health-promoting bioactive compounds (both flavonoids and furocoumarins). Given the range of applications of furocoumarins, the preparative separation described herein is proposed as a simple and rapid method to obtain this class of compounds in good yield from crude juice.     

Exploiting trap color to improve surveys of longhorn beetles

Journal of Pest Science - Longhorn beetles are commonly moved among continents within wood packaging materials used in trades. Visual inspections carried out at points of entry often fail to detect...     

Epidemiological Analysis of Leptospira spp. Infection in Equids from the Brejo Paraibano Microregion of Brazil

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease that occurs in humans and several animal species, including cattle, pigs, and horses, and it has a worldwide distribution. In equids, leptospirosis manifests through recurrent uveitis and abortion and other reproductive disorders. The objective of the present study was to investigate the epidemiological situation of Leptospira spp. infection in equids from the Brejo Paraibano microregion in the northeast of Brazil, that is, to assess the prevalence of and identify the major risk factors for infection. For this purpose, blood samples were taken from 257 equids (204 horses, 46 mules, and 7 donkeys), and a microscopic agglutination test (MAT) was used as serological analysis, with 24 serovars of Leptospira spp. as antigens. Antibodies were observed in 16.2% of horses, 13.0% of mules, and 28.6% of donkeys. Animals between the ages of 2.5 and 11 years had a risk of infection 0.4 times lower than those younger than 2.5 years old (odds ratio, 0.4; 95% confidence interval, 0.18-0.90). Further studies are needed to identify potential wild reservoirs and the main routes of infections.