The Impact of the Mode of Pheasant Hanging on the Biogenic Amine Concentration in Muscles

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of hanging position of hunted pheasant carcasses (secured by the head as compared to hanging position secured by the legs) on the biogenic amine concentration in the thigh and breast muscles. The carcasses of feathered game (Phasianus colchicus), left entirely untreated after hunting and placed in a storage space at a pre-set temperature of 7 °C for 21 days were used in the study. Samples of breast and thigh muscles were taken at regular weekly intervals. Measurement of biogenic amines (putrescine, cadaverine, tyramine, tryptamine, histamine, phenylethylamine) was based on high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry. Higher biogenic amine concentrations were detected in the muscles (both breast and thigh) of pheasants hanging by their legs compared to pheasants hanging by their heads (no statistically significant difference in biogenic amine concentration between monitored groups was, however, established). Higher concentrations of biogenic amines were found in the thigh muscles compared to breast muscles in both monitored groups. The obtained results show, that hanging the carcasses of pheasants during storage by the head is more suitable method in term of biogenic amine concentration than storing carcasses hanging by the legs

Changes in Selected Biochemical Indices Resulting from Various Pre-sampling Handling Techniques in Broilers

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Since it is not yet clear whether it is possible to satisfactorily avoid sampling-induced stress interference in poultry, more studies on the pattern of physiological response and detailed quantification of stress connected with the first few minutes of capture and pre-sampling handling in poultry are required. This study focused on detection of changes in the corticosterone level and concentrations of other selected biochemical parameters in broilers handled in two different manners during blood sampling (involving catching, carrying, restraint, and blood collection itself) that lasted for various time periods within the interval 30-180 seconds.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Stress effects of pre-sampling handling were studied in a group (n = 144) of unsexed ROSS 308 broiler chickens aged 42 d. Handling (catching, carrying, restraint, and blood sampling itself) was carried out in a gentle (caught, held and carried carefully in an upright position) or rough (caught by the leg, held and carried with lack of care in inverted position) manner and lasted for 30 s, 60 s, 90 s, 120 s, 150 s, and 180 s. Plasma corticosterone, albumin, glucose, cholesterol, lactate, triglycerides and total protein were measured in order to assess the stress-induced changes to these biochemical indices following handling in the first few minutes of capture.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Pre-sampling handling in a rough manner resulted in considerably higher plasma concentrations of all biochemical indices monitored when compared with gentle handling. Concentrations of plasma corticosterone after 150 and 180 s of handling were considerably higher (P < 0.01) than concentrations after 30-120 s of handling regardless of handling technique. Concentrations of plasma lactate were also increased by prolonged handling duration. Handling for 90-180 seconds resulted in a highly significant elevation of lactate concentration in comparison with 30 s handling regardless of handling technique. Similarly to corticosterone concentrations, a strong positive correlation was found between plasma lactate and duration of pre-sampling handling. Other biochemical indices monitored did not show any correlation pattern in connection with duration of pre-sampling handling.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results indicate that the pre-sampling procedure may be a considerably stressful procedure for broilers, particularly when carried out with lack of care and exceeding 120 seconds.</p

A neonatal pustule:Langerhans cell histiocytosis

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare, clinically heterogeneous disease that most commonly occurs in pediatric populations. Congenital self-limited LCH is a benign variant of LCH. It most commonly presents as a diffuse eruption and reports of single lesion cases are infrequent in the literature. Even in the case of congenital self-limited LCH, there is potential for future multisystem relapse, making long-term follow-up important. We present a case of single lesion self-limited LCH in a full-term male infant with interesting morphology. Physical examination revealed a painless, 6 millimeter, well-demarcated, papule encircled by erythema with central hemorrhage. An infectious workup was negative and a punch biopsy was obtained, which showed a dermal infiltrate of histiocytes consistent with a diagnosis of LCH. The lesion healed without intervention within three weeks. Our case highlights the need for dermatologists to consider LCH in the differential diagnosis for lesions of varying morphology in children, as proper identification is necessary to monitor for multisystem recurrence

Transport-induced mortality in Pekin ducks transported for slaughter in the Czech Republic

Data on the numbers of Pekin ducks transported to slaughterhouses between 2009 and 2014 and the numbers of ducks that died during these transports were recorded in cooperation with the State Veterinary Administration of the Czech Republic. In the monitored period, a total of 12,327,017 ducks were transported, of which 9,545 (0.077%) died. The levels of transport-related mortality over these years varied significantly (P < 0.001); the lowest mortality was observed in 2011 (0.059%) and the highest in 2013 (0.089%). The impact of distance on transport-related mortality in ducks was demonstrated. The lowest transport-related mortality (0.052%) was found for distances shorter than 50 km. It was significantly (P < 0.001) lower than the mortality rates connected with longer journeys. The greatest mortality rates were found for transport distances of 101-200 km (0.105%). In addition, the season of the year significantly affected transport-related mortality in Pekin ducks. The highest death losses were found in the summer (0.090%). Death losses of ducks connected with summer transports were significantly higher (P < 0.001) in comparison with transport-related mortality rates in any other season of the year. The lowest death losses were found in duck transports carried out in the autumn and winter (0.069% and 0.072%, respectively) with no significant difference between those two seasons. Shortening transport distances and maintaining a suitable micro-climate inside transport vehicles especially in the summer are thus two important factors that can contribute to reducing transport-related mortality in Pekin ducks in commercial practice

Causes of admission, length of stay and outcomes for common kestrels in rehabilitation centres in the Czech Republic

Rehabilitation centres help injured animals to recover and return back to the wild. This study aimed to analyse trends in intake and outcomes for the common kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) admitted into rehabilitation centres in the Czech Republic. From 2010 to 2019, a total of 12,923 kestrels were admitted to 34 rehabilitation centres with an increasing trend (rSp = 0.7697, P < 0.01) being found during the monitored period. Subadult kestrels (34.70%) and kestrels injured by power lines (26.57%) were most often admitted. Most kestrels in the rehabilitation centres died or had to be euthanized (81.66%), only 15.90% of the birds could be released back into the wild. The median length of stay in rehabilitation centres for kestrels that were subsequently released was 35 days. Considering survival rates, the most critical threat to kestrels was poisoning (100% of the cases resulted in death) but mortality of the kestrels admitted for most other reasons also exceeded 80%. Given the low success rate of the care of kestrels in rehabilitation centres and the relatively small proportion returned to the wild, it is essential to eliminate the causes leading to their admission, that is, to protect their natural habitats and to prevent unnecessary capture

Comparative genomics of Czech vaccine strains of Bordetella pertussis.

Bordetella pertussis is a strictly human pathogen causing the respiratory infectious disease called whooping cough or pertussis. B. pertussis adaptation to acellular pertussis vaccine pressure has been repeatedly highlighted, but recent data indicate that adaptation of circulating strains started already in the era of the whole cell pertussis vaccine (wP) use. We sequenced the genomes of five B. pertussis wP vaccine strains isolated in the former Czechoslovakia in the pre-wP (1954-1957) and early wP (1958-1965) eras, when only limited population travel into and out of the country was possible. Four isolates exhibit a similar genome organization and form a distinct phylogenetic cluster with a geographic signature. The fifth strain is rather distinct, both in genome organization and SNP-based phylogeny. Surprisingly, despite isolation of this strain before 1966, its closest sequenced relative appears to be a recent isolate from the US. On the genome content level, the five vaccine strains contained both new and already described regions of difference. One of the new regions contains duplicated genes potentially associated with transport across the membrane. The prevalence of this region in recent isolates indicates that its spread might be associated with selective advantage leading to increased strain fitness

Negative Trends in Transport-related Mortality Rates in Broiler Chickens

The high incidence of deaths during transport for slaughter is associated with poor welfare and represents a considerable loss to the poultry industry. In the period from 2009 to 2014, all shipments of broiler chickens to poultry processing plants were monitored in the Czech Republic and the numbers of chickens transported and those dying as a result of their transport were recorded and analysed. Overall transport-related mortality of broiler chickens transported for slaughter in the Czech Republic was 0.37%. It ranged from 0.31% to 0.72%, the increase approximately corresponding to the increasing transport distance. Statistically highly significant (p<0.001) differences were found when comparing transport-related mortality rates in individual seasons of the year. The greatest mortality (0.55%) was associated with transports carried out in winter months whereas the lowest death losses (0.30%) were found in chickens transported for slaughter in summer months. Our study revealed greater transport-related mortality rates in broiler chickens transported for slaughter in the Czech Republic than expected when considering earlier studies. The most pronounced increases were found in transports for shorter distances and in winter months. However, an increase was found at all transport distances monitored except for distances exceeding 300 km and all seasons except for summer. Furthermore, a general increasing tendency in chicken losses during the monitored period was found. The particularly alarming finding is that the mortality of broiler chickens being transported to processing plants has been showing a long-term increasing tendency over the last two decades. Further research should focus on the identification of specific factors leading to such high and growing mortality rates and developing practical guidelines to improve the welfare of the birds in transit accordingly

Translational activation of rpoS mRNA by the non-coding RNA DsrA and Hfq does not require ribosome binding

At low temperature, translational activation of rpoS mRNA, encoding the stationary phase sigma-factor, σS, involves the small regulatory RNA (sRNA) DsrA and the RNA chaperone Hfq. The Hfq-mediated DsrA-rpoS interaction relieves an intramolecular secondary structure that impedes ribosome access to the rpoS ribosome binding site. In addition, DsrA/rpoS duplex formation creates an RNase III cleavage site within the duplex. Previous biochemical studies suggested that DsrA and Hfq associate with the 30S ribosomal subunit protein S1, which implied a role for the ribosome in sRNA-mediated post-transcriptional regulation. Here, we show by ribosome profiling that Hfq partitions with the cytoplasmic fraction rather than with 30S subunits. Besides, by employing immunological techniques, no evidence for a physical interaction between Hfq and S1 was obtained. Similarly, in vitro studies did not reveal a direct interaction between DsrA and S1. By employing a ribosome binding deficient rpoS mRNA, and by using the RNase III clevage in the DsrA/rpoS duplex as a diagnostic marker, we provide in vivo evidence that the Hfq-mediated DsrA/rpoS interaction, and consequently the structural changes in rpoS mRNA precede ribosome binding. These data suggest a simple mechanistic model in which translational activation by DsrA provides a translationally competent rpoS mRNA to which 30S subunits can readily bind

Spectroscopic observation of RNA chaperone activities of Hfq in post-transcriptional regulation by a small non-coding RNA

Hfq protein is vital for the function of many non-coding small (s)RNAs in bacteria but the mechanism by which Hfq facilitates the function of sRNA is still debated. We developed a fluorescence resonance energy transfer assay to probe how Hfq modulates the interaction between a sRNA, DsrA, and its regulatory target mRNA, rpoS. The relevant RNA fragments were labelled so that changes in intra- and intermolecular RNA structures can be monitored in real time. Our data show that Hfq promotes the strand exchange reaction in which the internal structure of rpoS is replaced by pairing with DsrA such that the Shine-Dalgarno sequence of the mRNA becomes exposed. Hfq appears to carry out strand exchange by inducing rapid association of DsrA and a premelted rpoS and by aiding in the slow disruption of the rpoS secondary structure. Unexpectedly, Hfq also disrupts a preformed complex between rpoS and DsrA. While it may not be a frequent event in vivo, this melting activity may have implications in the reversal of sRNA-based regulation. Overall, our data suggests that Hfq not only promotes strand exchange by binding rapidly to both DsrA and rpoS but also possesses RNA chaperoning properties that facilitates dynamic RNA–RNA interactions

Defining a role for Hfq in Gram-positive bacteria: evidence for Hfq-dependent antisense regulation in Listeria monocytogenes

Small trans-encoded RNAs (sRNAs) modulate the translation and decay of mRNAs in bacteria. In Gram-negative species, antisense regulation by trans-encoded sRNAs relies on the Sm-like protein Hfq. In contrast to this, Hfq is dispensable for sRNA-mediated riboregulation in the Gram-positive species studied thus far. Here, we provide evidence for Hfq-dependent translational repression in the Gram-positive human pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, which is known to encode at least 50 sRNAs. We show that the Hfq-binding sRNA LhrA controls the translation and degradation of its target mRNA by an antisense mechanism, and that Hfq facilitates the binding of LhrA to its target. The work presented here provides the first experimental evidence for Hfq-dependent riboregulation in a Gram-positive bacterium. Our findings indicate that modulation of translation by trans-encoded sRNAs may occur by both Hfq-dependent and -independent mechanisms, thus adding another layer of complexity to sRNA-mediated riboregulation in Gram-positive species