Preliminary characterization of Lactococcus garvieae bacteriophage isolated from wastewater as a potential agent for biological control of lactococcosis in aquaculture

Lactococcosis, a significant emerging disease of fish caused by Lactococcus garvieae, has become one of the devastating problems due to its serious economic damage in aquaculture. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize a lytic phage infecting L. garvieae as a potential bioagent for the treatment of lactococcosis. In this regard, one strain of L. garvieae was isolated from diseased rainbow trout, and then, following biochemical and molecular identifications, its specific phage, WWP-1, which was able to destroy L. garvieae cells through the lytic cycle, was isolated from a municipal wastewater sample. Transmission electron microscope revealed that the isolated phage possesses an icosahedral head and a non-contractile short tail, resembled to members of the family Podoviridae. Moreover, phage WWP-1 represented optimal antibacterial activity at temperatures ranging from 15 to 30 °C, suggesting that it could be very effective at rainbow trout rearing temperature. Restriction profile analysis revealed that NdeI can digest WWP-1 genome while EcoRI, EcoRV, and BamHI were incapable of cutting its DNA. According to the in vivo experiment result, WWP-1 could decrease mortality rate of infected rainbow trout in aquaculture. The results suggest that this naturally occurring bacteriophage could be considered as a promising agent to control the disease caused by L. garvieae strains in rainbow trout rearing.     

Identifying Soil and Plant Nutrition Factors Affecting Yield in Irrigated Mature Pistachio Orchards

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the potential use of a hybrid Genetic Algorithm-Artificial Neural Network (GA–ANN) method for predicting pistachio yield and for identifying the determinant factors affecting pistachio yield in Rafsanjan region, Iran. A total of 142 pistachio orchards were selected randomly and soil samples were taken at three depths. Besides, water samples and leaves from branches without fruit were taken in each sampling point. Management information and pistachio yields were achieved by completing a questionnaire. Primarily, 58 variables affecting pistachio yield were measured, and then 26 out of them were selected by minimizing mean square error (MSE) using a feature selection (FS) method. The results showed that the accuracy of the method was acceptable. Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis showed that the main determinant features affecting the pistachio yield were the irrigation water amount, leaf phosphorus, soil soluble magnesium, electrical conductivity (EC), and leaf nitrogen.     

Stimulation in the movement and uptake of phosphorus in response to magnetic P solution and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in Ocimum basilicum

A greenhouse experiment was conducted to assess the effects of magnetic field, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and phosphorus (P) concentration in the nutrient solution (0, 5, 10, 20, or 40 mg L^?1) on the mobility and accumulation of P in soil and plant tissues of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.). The experiment was designed as a factorial combination and treatments were arranged in a completely randomized design with four replicates. Magnetic field increased water-soluble P in the soil and P concentration in plant shoot by 30.0% and 13.0%, respectively, in comparison to the control. The application of magnetic field and inoculation of AMF at 10 mg P L^?1 increased the P translocation efficiency by 23.3% and 17.8%, respectively. Overall, our results demonstrated that the use of magnetic field and AMF could be an effective tool for enhancing of uptake and movement efficiency of P even at low concentrations.     

Accidental salinomycin intoxication in calves

Twenty-four 10- to 16-week-old calves in a dairy herd in Birjand, Iran, inadvertently received an excessive dose of salinomycin mixed with barley grain. There was 58% mortality within 10 d. The calves had high serum AST, LDH, and CK activities; histopathologic lesions in myocardium, liver, and kidneys; and clinical signs associated with acute and congestive heart failure.     

The study lentil adaptations to highland winter-sown environments in Northeastern Iran

One hundred lentil genotypes accessions of Mashhad Lentil Collection (MLC) were evaluated at Chenaran, Iran with three planting dates [10 Oct., 10 Nov. (fall) and 28 Mar. (spring) during 2008/09 growing seasons]. Evaluation based on winter survival percentage showed that in 2008/09 growing season, percentage of highly tolerant, tolerant, moderately tolerant, moderately susceptible and susceptible genotypes were 22, 61, 16, 1 and 0 respectively. In the first planting date more than 50% of genotypes were ranked as highly tolerant, however it was decreased to 12% and 5% of genotypes in the second and third planting dates, respectively, in this year. According to the fall plantings data, the length of growth duration of samples in fall plantings were 2.3 times higher than spring planting, and also in the first planting that was 5, 25 and 255 percent more than 2^nd and 3^rd planting dates, respectively. The height of fall plants were more than spring plants and in the first year fall planting genotypes were about 38% taller than the same planting. The number of pod per plant in fall planting was 2 times higher than spring planting. More than 22% of accessions had 125 pods per plant in 1^st and 2^nd planting in this year. In the 2008/09 growing seasons the yield of lentil genotypes in fall planting were more than 4 and about 2 times of spring planting, respectively. In the 2008/09 growing seasons 39% of spring planting samples produced less than 50 gr/m² seed yield. It seems that the improvement of seed yield in the fall planting were due to suitable winter survival of plants fallowed by better usage of rainfall and escaping from drought and heat stress of the end of spring. Results showed that there were some cold tolerant accessions in MLC and it is possible to provide cold tolerant cultivars for fall planting in Mashhad conditions.     

Effects of short-term oral administration of propranolol on tear secretion in clinically normal dogs

This study evaluated the effects of short-term oral administration of propranolol on tear secretion in 15 clinically normal crossbreed dogs. The treatment group (n = 8) received propranolol (2 mg/kg q8h) orally for 7 days. The control group (n = 7) received placebo during the study. Schirmer I tear tests were performed on both eyes 1 d prior to drug administration (T(0)), at 1 (T(1)), 3 (T(3)), and 7 (T(7)) days of treatment. Tear production in dogs, measured by STT, was not significantly reduced in both groups.     

Effects of artemisinin in broiler chickens following chronic oral intake

Artemisinin has been used for centuries to treat malaria, intestinal tract helminthosis, diarrhea, and used as an antipyretic and sedative agent, but the usage in veterinary medicine is a new field. Recently, it has been used successfully to control experimental poultry coccidiosis. The present study aimed to determine the effects of different doses of artemisinin in broiler chickens with chronic usage. Sixty birds divided into one control and four treatment groups that fed rations mixed with artemisinin at doses of 17, 34, 68, and 136 ppm for 36 days. During the experiment, birds showed no clinical signs except anemia. In microscopic examinations, heart, lung, and spleen had no lesion, but liver, kidney, and brain showed various lesions. Degenerative lesions like intracytoplasmic eosinophilic inclusions were seen in both kidney and liver but fatty change was seen only in liver. There was no relationship between severity of the liver lesions and drug dosage. Central chromatolysis, scattered neuronal necrosis, and mild spongy changes were observed in five regions of the brain that were chosen for sectioning (motor cortex, cerebellar nuclei, midbrain nuclei, and hindbrain nuclei at two separate levels). Severity of lesions in brain was dose-dependent, and cerebral cortex was the most vulnerable area. Haematologic tests showed lower values for hematocrit and red blood cell count dose-dependently. In conclusion, artemisinin is a promising drug for prevention and control of coccidiosis in broiler chickens and its side effects are not too much serious especially at therapeutic doses.     

INFLUENCE OF SALINITY AND AMMONIUM: NITRATE RATIO ON GROWTH,PHOTOSYNTHESIS, FATTY ACID AND THE ACTIVITY OF ANTIOXIDATIVE ENZYMES IN CANOLA

The effects of sodium chloride (NaCl) salinity (0 and 200 mM) and ammonium (NH₄):nitrate (NO₃) ratios (100:0, 25:75, 50:50, and 75:25) on growth, photosynthesis, fatty acids and the activity of antioxidative enzymes were investigated in canola plants. Leaf area and fresh and dry weights of leaves were significantly reduced by the salinity. The reduction in vegetative characteristics varied in both salinized and unsalinized plants according to the NH₄:NO₃ ratios so that the lowest reduction was observed with the 50:50 (NH₄:NO₃) ratio. Increased NH₄ up to 50 percent (50:50) of total N, promotes the yield at both salinized and unsalinized plants. In both salinized and unsalinized plants, the increased NH₄ and NO₃ ratio in the nutrient solution reduced the photosynthetic (Pn) rate and stomatal conductance; however, the reduction in Pn rate was severely impaired at a higher ratio of NH₄ in the nutrient solution. In both salinized and unsalinized plants, the 75:25 ratio had the lowest potassium (K) and sodium (Na) content; however, the K/Na ratio was the highest in 50:50 ratio. An increase of NH₄ in the solution led to a significant increase in NH₄ content in both salinized and unsalinized plants. Salinity increased NH₄ content so that the salinized plant had nearly twice as high NH₄ content in the leaves. The activity of nitrate reductase was increased by increasing NH₄ from 0 to 50% and then reduced at a higher ratio of NH₄ in the solution. The activities of antioxidative enzymes increased in salinized plants regardless of the NH₄:NO₃ ratios. In salinized plants, the activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase enzymes were increased by 44.4 % and 97.5%, respectively. Within salinized and unsalinized treatments, the highest activities of all antioxidant were observed in 75:25 ratio, while they remained unchanged for all NH₄:NO₃ ratios. The increased NH₄ content in the solution increased the oil content and the maximum oil content in both salinized and unsalinized plant was obtained in both 50:50 and 75:25 ratios. The percentage of oleic acid was affected by both salinity and NH₄:NO₃ ratios. The ratios of NH₄:NO₃ had no effect on the protein content; however, salinity reduced the protein content by 20%.     

Evaluation of growth indices and quantitative traits of safflower under organic farming and conventional agriculture

Application of organic fertilizers in sustainable agriculture systems improves yield sustainability of field crop production. The current research has been formed to investigate the effects of various levels of vermicompost (zero, 3, 6 and 9 t ha^?1) in combination with foliar spraying of potassium humate (0, 1, 2 and 3 mL L^?1) on spring safflower, in Iran during 2012–2013. In addition, inorganic fertilization has been considered as conventional agriculture (CA). In the current experiment, growth indices, seed yield, yield components and flower yield were evaluated. The results showed that the maximum leaf area index, total dry weight and crop growth rate have been determined at 9 t ha^?1 vermicompost and 3 mL L^?1 K-humate while the maximum netto assimilation rate has existed in CA at the emergence of flower buds. Likewise, the results indicated that vermicompost leads to a significant increase in seed yield, flower yield and yield components except 1000 seed weight. Flower yield, head number per plant and seed number per head were affected by K-humate concentrations and increased significantly from 1 to 3 mL L^?1. It should be mentioned that 9 t ha^?1 vermicompost and 3 mL L^?1 K-humate produced the highest seed and flower yield.