A comparison of different drying techniques for energy and amino acid analyses of poultry excreta

1. Broilers were fed on wheat‐casein or wheat‐soyabean meal diets and the excreta collected after 12 and 24 h. Samples of excreta were freeze dried or dried in a force draught oven at 60 or 80 °C.

2. Drying procedure and collection time significantly influenced the determined energy and nitrogen concentrations of the excreta.

3. Drying excreta in an oven at 60 °G proved at least as effective as freeze drying for the majority of amino acids.     

Characterisation of a resource population of pigs screened for resistance to salmonellosis

The degree of resistance to Salmonella choleraesuis infection in a reference family purposely bred to map resistance genes was assessed. Aspects of the innate and specific immune system were studied to find a parameter that might predict the resistance of pigs to salmonellosis. The family was bred from commercial full-sister pairs of F1-gilts and four boars. One boar (G398) was identified as breeding susceptible offspring, and one boar (G402) as breeding resistant offspring on the basis of pyrexial responses and numbers of Salmonella in liver and spleen post mortem. The other two boars were classified as 'possible resistant' (Y2008) and 'unknown' (Y6101) respectively. Functional differences in immune cells (neutrophils and lymphocytes) between the offspring of G398 and G402 were detected. The most resistant piglets had a higher number of circulating neutrophils and better polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) function, but a lower mitogenic response of lymphocytes both pre- and post-infection and a lower antibody response. Between the offspring groups of Y2008 and Y6101 no differences were found in the number of viable Salmonella in liver and spleen at post mortem or in immune cell function, however, the survival rate of these offspring groups was clearly different. Twenty three percent of the Y2008-offspring and 33% of the Y6101-offspring reached the predetermined humane clinical endpoint before the end of the experiment. Our findings suggest a role for several inherited immunological traits, including PMN function and lecithin-induced mitogenic proliferation, which appear to influence resistance to salmonellosis.     

Presence of human Giardia in domestic,farm and wild animals,and environmental samples suggests a zoonotic potential for giardiasis

Giardia lamblia which parasitize humans belong to either of two genotypes, A or B, based on specific signature sequences in the 5' end of the small subunit (16S) ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene. These two genotypes also were found in cysts from fecal samples of animal origin such as dogs, cats, some farm animals and wild animals. In addition, trophozoites recovered from cysts obtained from environmental samples belonged to these two genotypes as well, suggesting that the G. lamblia genotypes A and B are widespread and possibly zoonotic. Trophozoites were recovered from rats and these isolates might belong to another genotype of G. lamblia. Deer mice and one dog appeared to be parasitized by genotypes of Giardia with close affinity to G. microti. This species, therefore, also consists of a genotype complex.     

Real time polymerase chain reaction for rapid and quantitative determination of Cystofilobasidium infirmominiatum on the surfaces of apple,pear, and sweet cherry fruit

The objectives of this study were to develop primers and a real time PCR protocol for the postharvest biocontrol yeast Cystofilobasidium infirmominiatum (Cim). The application of this technology was developed to quantify Cim on the surfaces of apple, two pear cultivars, and sweet cherry fruit treated over a range of concentrations. Statistically significant relationships were observed between Cim DNA on fruit surfaces, expressed as μg/m², and CFU/L of dip suspensions for apple, pear, and sweet cherry. In addition, the relationship for each fruit was significantly different from the other three fruits. Threshold values of concentrations of Cim DNA on the fruit surface were calculated based on regression equations and a dose of 2.0 × 10¹¹ CFU/L of dip suspension, the dose for optimum decay control, and were 4.8, 7.0, 16.5, and 25.2 μg/m² for Bosc pear, Lapins sweet cherry, d’Anjou pear, and Golden Delicious apple, respectively. Monitoring Cim DNA concentration on fruit surfaces will assure that Cim is being properly applied to fruit and that a sufficient number of cells are present for optimum decay control.     

The Post‐Cervical Insemination does not Impair the Reproductive Performance of Primiparous Sows

The study evaluated the reproductive performance of primiparous sows submitted to post‐cervical insemination (PCAI) compared with cervical artificial insemination (CAI). Difficulty with catheter introduction, the occurrence of bleeding or semen backflow during insemination, and volume and sperm cell backflow up to 60 min after insemination were also evaluated. Sows were homogenously distributed, according to body weight loss in lactation, lactation length, weaned piglets, weaning‐to‐oestrus interval and total born in previous farrowing, in two treatments: PCAI (n = 165) with 1.5 × 10⁹ sperm cells in 45 ml (2.4 ± 0.04 doses per sow) and CAI (n = 165) with 3 × 10⁹ sperm cells in 90 ml (2.5 ± 0.04 doses per sow). During PCAI, sows were inseminated in the absence of boars. Transabdominal real‐time ultrasonography was performed at oestrus onset, immediately before the first insemination and at 24 h after last insemination. There was no difference (P > 0.05) between treatments in farrowing rate (91.5% × 89.1%) and litter size (12.5 × 11.9 piglets born, respectively for PCAI and CAI sows). Successful passage of the intrauterine catheter in all the inseminations was possible in 86.8% (165/190) of sows initially allocated to PCAI treatment. Difficulty of introducing the catheter in at least one insemination did not affect the reproductive performance of PCAI sows (P > 0.05). Bleeding during insemination did not affect (P > 0.05) the farrowing rate in both treatments, but litter size was reduced in CAI and PCAI sows (P ≤ 0.06). Percentage of spermatozoa present in backflow within 1 h after insemination was greater in CAI than PCAI sows (P < 0.01). More than 85% of primiparous sows can be successfully post‐cervical inseminated with doses containing 1.5 × 10⁹ sperm cells in the absence of the boar during insemination without impairing the reproductive performance.     

Manipulations of Shrimp Embryos: A Viable Technique for the Removal of the Hatching Envelope

The hatching envelope elevated around the spawned eggs of penaeoidean eggs presents a formidable barrier for manipulation of the embryo. By spawning eggs into seawater containing 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole and subsequently passing the eggs through Nitex screening approximately 45 min after spawning, the hatching envelope can be effectively removed with little or no damage to the embryos. The time and extent to which the envelope is removed can be varied. Embryos treated in this manner continue to develop and the method provides a new technique with which investigators can gain access to the surface of the egg or embryo.     

Temperatures, winds, and composition in the saturnian system

Stratospheric temperatures on Saturn imply a strong decay of the equatorial winds with altitude. If the decrease in winds reported from recent Hubble Space Telescope images is not a temporal change, then the features tracked must have been at least 130 kilometers higher than in earlier studies. Saturn's south polar stratosphere is warmer than predicted from simple radiative models. The C/H ratio on Saturn is seven times solar, twice Jupiter's. Saturn's ring temperatures have radial variations down to the smallest scale resolved (100 kilometers). Diurnal surface temperature variations on Phoebe suggest a more porous regolith than on the jovian satellites.     

Fungal Bioremediation of Creosote-Contaminated Soil: A Laboratory Scale Bioremediation Study Using Indigenous Soil Fungi

The aim of the study is to determine the efficacy of indigenous soil fungi in removing (PAHs) from creosote-contaminated soil with a view to developing a bioremediation strategy for creosote-contaminated soil. Five fungal isolates, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Penicillium, Aspergillus and Pleurotus, were separatelyinoculated onto sterile barley grains and incubated in the dark. Thecolonized barley was inoculated onto creosote-contaminated (250 000 mg kg^?1) soil in 18 duplicate treatments and incubated at 25 °C forseventy days. The soil was amended with nutrient supplements to give a C:N:Pratio of 25:5:1 and tilled weekly. Creosote removal was higher (between 78and 94%) in nutrient supplemented treatments than in the un-supplementedones (between 65 and 88%). A mixed population of fungi was more effective(94.1% in the nutrient amended treatment) in creosote removal than singlepopulations wit a maximum of 88%. Barley supported better fungal growthand PAH removal. Pleurotus sp. removed the creosote more than the other isolates. Two andthree-ring PAHs were more susceptible to removal than the 4- and 5-ringPAHs, which continued to remain in small amounts to the end of thetreatment. Reduction of creosote in the present study was higher than wasobserved in an earlier experiment using a consortium of microorganisms, mainly bacteria, on the same contaminated soil (Atagana, 2003).     

Threonine requirements of broiler chickens: Why do published values differ?

1. A statistical analysis of published data using restricted maximum likelihood showed that the age of the bird and the dietary crude protein concentration in test diets explained most of the variation in published threonine requirements. The sex of the bird and the main ingredients in the test diets were less important contributors of variation. The analysis resulted in a model that we tested in an accompanying paper. 2. Published data on threonine requirements are less variable than they first appear. There is no need for a plethora of studies on nutrient requirements other than those that test specific hypotheses, take a modelling approach and endeavour to explain requirements as units of nutrient per unit of production. 3. Models that use published data for predicting the responses of broilers to amino acids should first standardise the data by removing the variation due to factors such as age of bird, dietary crude protein content and the raw materials used in the ration.