Ochratoxin A in porcine blood and in consumed feed samples

The aim of the study was to estimate occurrence of ochratoxin A (OA) in feeds and the metabolite residues in porcine blood serum in Poland. Samples were collected in the period from February to May, 1999, in the southern Wielkopolska region. Altogether 40 and 45 samples of feed and porcine blood serum, respectively, were analyzed for OA. Percentage of samples contaminated with OA, both in case of feeds and blood, collected in the winter season was considerably higher than that for the spring season. The percentages for feeds were as follows: 47.6 and 26.3 %, while for porcine serum: 66.7 and 50.0 %, respectively winter and spring. In 25 % of cases ochratoxin A was present in both types of investigated material (feed, blood), whereas in 27.5 % of samples this metabolite was detected in blood only, or in 7.5 % only in the feed. The presence of OA was found neither in the feed nor in the serum in 40 % of all cases. In subgroups (feed, blood) the concentration in the whole collective of positive samples were in the range 0.3–13.5 ng/g and 0.3–69.5 ng/ml, respectively, while median values were 2.3 ng/g and 6.0 ng/ml. Only one feed and three porcine serum samples, were found to be contaminated at concentration levels higher than 10 ng/g or 10 ng/ml.     

Q-factor analysis as a tool for phylogenetic studies of morphometric data

The statistical procedure of Q-factor analysis was applied with the aim to detect complex morphological characters, which clearly separate taxonomic groups. Since Q-factor analysis, unlike cluster analysis, does not prescribe a hierarchical grouping, the results can be interpreted phylogenetically using an outgroup comparison. The essential steps of the approach are demonstrated by an empirical study on the phylogeny of Callitrichinae. Except for some complications concerning the determination of the number of relevant factors and factor rotation, the procedure proved to be a suitable instrument for phylogenetic research.     

A software tool for fetal blood flow analysis

Doppler ultrasonography is a widely used technique for determination of the fetal blood flow pattern. Determination of the waveform qualities was done manually, with considerable inter- and intraobserver variations. In order to limit the variations and the time-consuming data entry, a Fetal Blood Flow Analysis software program was developed to facilitate ease of determination of Doppler signals. This article describes the development and unique features of the software program, made specifically to meet the obstetric and gynecology department's needs.     

Ochratoxin A: Occurrence as Natural Contaminant of a Corn Sample

Ochratoxin A was detected as a natural contaminant for the first time. It was present in a corn sample.     

An extracellular beta-galactofuranosidase from Aspergillus niger and its use as a tool for glycoconjugate analysis

Aspergillus niger produces an extracellular beta-galactofuranosidase, which can specifically hydrolyse beta-D-galactofuranose (Galf) from glycoconjugates. The production of this enzyme can be induced by the addition of a Galf-containing A. niger mycelial wall extract. However, on other carbon sources accumulation occurred only during the starvation conditions of the late stationary phase. Extracellular glucoamylases from this stage of cultivation possessed significantly lower levels of Galf than those from the earlier exponential growth phase when beta-galactofuranosidase is absent, suggesting in situ beta-galactofuranosidic hydrolysis. The beta-galactofuranosidase responsible was subsequently purified to homogeneity and characterised. It is a glycoprotein of 90 kDa (determined by SDS-PAGE) with activity against beta-linked Galf residues, with a Km of 4 mM against p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-galactofuranoside and a pH optimum of 3-4. The preparation did not contain other contaminating glycosidase activities; p-nitrophenyl-beta-D- and -alpha-D-galactopyranose, and alpha-D-methyl-Galf were not hydrolysed. Results are presented to show that this enzyme could be employed as a useful tool for the analysis of glycoconjugates containing biologically important Galf components.     

Monitoring for the development of antimicrobial resistance during the use of olaquindox as a feed additive on commercial pig farms

Since 1982, when olaquindox was introduced as a pig-feed additive in the UK, about 12 commercial farms in Suffolk have been monitored annually to check for the possible emergence of resistance to olaquindox and chloramphenicol among the coliform flora of the pigs and their environment. In spite of the sampling variability and the impossibility of controlling the use of feed additives and management on the farms, the overall results obtained were consistent and, it is suggested, the method is widely applicable. A steady, albeit low, increasing incidence and level of resistance to olaquindox was recorded (1982-1984) on farms using it and, to a lesser degree, on neighbouring farms that did not. No significant increase in the level of chloramphenicol resistance was observed. Genetical studies on a selection of olaquindox-resistant isolates suggested that the genes determining resistance were likely to be borne on the chromosome.     

Glucan from spent brewer's yeast: preparation,analysis and use as a potential immunostimulant in shrimp feed

Spent brewer's yeast was autolysed and the residual solids were further treated with hot alkali to produce a fraction containing 95% (w/w) carbohydrate, with a glycogen content of 42% and an apparent glucan content of ca. 53% (w/w). FTIR and solid state C-NMR spectra basically showed a spectrum characteristic for an impure -glucan. In vitro, this glucan induced release of prophenoloxidase from intact black tiger shrimp haemocytes. When fed to shrimp at 0.2% (w/w of the feed) for 3 days, significant increases in phenol oxidase, the number of haemocytes and the bacterial killing activity against the pathogen Vibrio harveyi were observed. Furthermore, this feeding resulted in the appearance of an inducible -(1,3)-glucanase in the liver. Methods to analyse the fractions are discussed and a number of commercial products with potential immune stimulating properties have been included for comparative purposes.     

Recent advances in the use of Sus scrofa (pig) as a model system for proteomic studies

Of the numerous animal models available for proteomic studies only a small number have been successfully used in understanding human biology. To date, rodents have been widely employed in proteomic and genomic studies but often these models do not truly mimic the relevant human conditions. On the other hand, the pig shows similarity in size, shape and physiology to human and has been used as a major mammalian model for many studies concerning xenotransplantation, cardiovascular diseases, blood dynamics, nutrition, general metabolic functions, digestive-related disorders, respiratory diseases, diabetes, kidney and bladder diseases, organ-specific toxicity, dermatology and neurological sequelae. With the substantially improved knowledge of the structure and function of the pig genome in the last two decades it has been found that this animal shares a high sequence and chromosomal structure homology with humans. Nevertheless, in comparison to other available model organisms, very little work has been devoted to pig proteomics until recently. Keeping this in mind, the present review will highlight some of the advantages and disadvantages of pig as a model system for proteomic studies.     

Procrustes analysis as a tool for land management

Generalized Procrustes analysis (GPA) is a multivariate technique that involves transformations of data matrices to provide optimal comparability. We propose GPA to quantify the concordance among sets of variables that characterize natural, human and productive subsystems. When the land use fits in with the physical support of agricultural production, people's well-being should be evident in a high concordance between the land use and the social conditions. In a situation of instability each set of variables operates in diverse directions resulting in lower resilience and sustainability. Two GPA were performed, between physical support and land use data sets (concordance = 67.4%), and between land use and social conditions data sets (concordance = 65.3%). The interplay between the pair of concordance values constitutes a bi-dimensional index which serves as an ecological indicator. Based on bootstrap confidence interval, the 49 counties of the Pampa Ecoregion, Argentina, were classified in medium, high or low concordance. The lack of concordance is an indicator of imbalances which may contribute to guide environmental management.     

Digital roentgen analysis as a tool for kinematic studies of the shoulder--a study of radiation dosage

The radiation exposure during biomechanical investigation of the shoulder joint done with a digital radiography system (Polytron 1000 VR - Siemens) was measured experimentally. Total radiation dose and surface dose were determined by phantom measurements. The radiation exposure per image is about 1/6 to 1/7 of that of a conventional study. The digital radiography system used is thus suitable for kinesiologic studies of large joints in healthy volunteers.     

Raising the level: orangutans use water as a tool

We investigated the use of water as a tool by presenting five orangutans (Pongo abelii) with an out-of-reach peanut floating inside a vertical transparent tube. All orangutans collected water from a drinker and spat it inside the tube to get access to the peanut. Subjects required an average of three mouthfuls of water to get the peanut. This solution occurred in the first trial and all subjects continued using this successful strategy in subsequent trials. The latency to retrieve the reward drastically decreased after the first trial. Moreover, the latency between mouthfuls also decreased dramatically from the first mouthful in the first trial to any subsequent ones in the same trial or subsequent trials. Additional control conditions suggested that this response was not due to the mere presence of the tube, to the existence of water inside, or frustration at not getting the reward. The sudden acquisition of the behaviour, the timing of the actions and the differences with the control conditions make this behaviour a likely candidate for insightful problem solving.     

Selection of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains for use as a microbial feed additive

Saccharomyces cerevisiae ITCCF 2094, NCIM 3052, 1031, 1032, NCDC 42, 45, 47, 49 and 50 were screened for their tolerance to pH 2.0-7.0, various concentrations (0.00, 0.10, 0.25 0.50 and 1.0%) of a mixture of acetic, propionic and butyric acids (70:20:10), and bile salts (0.00, 0.30, 0.60 and 0.90%). Low pH (2.0-4.0) and addition of organic acids or bile salts in the medium inhibited the growth of all the strains tested, but the percentage of inhibition was variable in the different strains of yeast. Two of the strains showing maximum tolerance, 42 and 49, were further tested for in vitro dry matter degradability (IVDMD) using green berseem, wheat straw and oat hay as substrates. Saccharomyces cerevisiae 49 enhanced the IVDMD of berseem and wheat straw whereas S. cerevisiae 42 was ineffective. Based on the results of the present experiment, S. cerevisiae NCDC 49 can be considered as the best strain which might tolerate the adverse conditions in the gastrointestinal tract when used as a live microbial feed supplement in the diet of the animals.     

A case study and use of sedimentation equilibrium analytical ultracentrifugation as a tool for biopharmaceutical development

Analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) has re-emerged as a powerful technique for protein characterisation. We report the pivotal role sedimentation equilibrium AUC has played in the development of macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α) as a protein therapeutic. MIP-1α has potential clinical applications in cancer but its clinical use is limited, since it associates to form large insoluble aggregates in physiological buffers. Using AUC as a screening technique, we have produced a biologically active variant of MIP-1α, BB-10010, which has a reduced tendency to aggregate in physiological buffers. The aggregation of protein based pharmaceuticals is routinely monitored by size exclusion chromatography (SEC). Comparison of the data acquired by SEC and AUC, demonstrates that owing to the complexity of BB-10010, AUC analysis is required in addition to SEC to provide a rigorous characterisation of molecular association. This work has been extended to include the use of AUC as an analytical tool to monitor the quality of BB-10010 during formulation and stability studies. Accepted: 6 October 1996     

Reversible blockade of rodent whisking: Botulinum toxin as a tool for developmental studies

Studies of sensorimotor systems such as the whisking system of rodents have suggested that associations between body movements and their sensory consequences during development may make an important contribution to the functional organization of the system. In the present study we have explored the possible utility of Botulinum toxin for developmental studies of whisking. Botox selectively blocks whisking-generated afference leaving other sources of whisker afference intact. We describe appropriate modes of injection, define dosage levels, and assess the effects of prolonged whisking paralysis during development upon the basic motor competency of the adult rat. Our findings indicate that: (a) Botulinum toxin may be used to block whisking behavior in adult and developing rats, (b) that the duration of the whisking paralysis produced by Botox treatment blockade is dose dependent in both developing and adult animals, (c) that the blockade is functionally reversible and (d) that Botox treatment during development does not impair either the kinematics or the rhythmic patterning of adult whisking behavior. Botox may be a useful tool for studying the role of experiential factors in the development of "active touch" in rodents.