Oesophagogastric ulceration in pigs: A visual morphological scoring guide

Objective: To provide a visual guide for oesophagogastric ulcer scoring and recognition of different morphological changes in the pars oesophagea. Design: Pig stomachs were collected at slaughter and visually evaluated and scored for parakeratosis, erosion and ulceration in the pars oesophagea. Results: A visual and descriptive guide is presented that will aid in the objective assessment and scoring of oesophagogastric ulceration in pigs within the pig health monitoring system (PHMS), namely to the four categories of 0 = normal stomach, 1 = parakeratosis and thickened epithelium, 2 = erosions and 3 = developed ulcers with and without stenosis. Conclusion: A visual guide has been developed that illustrates the full range of morphological changes that can occur in the pars oesophagea of the stomach within the few currently recognised stages of the disease.

An evaluation of genetic analyses, skull morphology and visual appearance for assessing dingo purity: implications for dingo conservation

The introgression of domestic dog genes into dingo populations threatens the genetic integrity of 'pure' dingoes. However, dingo conservation efforts are hampered by difficulties in distinguishing between dingoes and hybrids in the field. This study evaluates consistency in the status of hybridisation (i.e. dingo, hybrid or dog) assigned by genetic analyses, skull morphology and visual assessments. Of the 56 south-east Queensland animals sampled, 39 (69.6%) were assigned the same status by all three methods, 10 (17.9%) by genetic and skull methods, four (7.1%) by genetic and visual methods; and two (3.6%) by skull and visual methods. Pair-wise comparisons identified a significant relationship between genetic and skull methods, but not between either of these and visual methods. Results from surveying 13 experienced wild dog managers showed that hybrids were more easily identified by visual characters than were dingoes. A more reliable visual assessment can be developed through determining the relationship between (1) genetics and phenotype by sampling wild dog populations and (2) the expression of visual characteristics from different proportions and breeds of domestic dog genes by breeding trials. Culling obvious hybrids based on visual characteristics, such as sable and patchy coat colours, should slow the process of hybridisation.

Sexing Sirenians: Validation of Visual and Molecular Sex Determination in Both Wild Dugongs (Dugong dugon) and Florida Manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris)

Sexing wild marine mammals that show little to no sexual dimorphism is challenging. For sirenians that are difficult to catch or approach closely, molecular sexing from tissue biopsies offers an alternative method to visual discrimination. This paper reports the results of a field study to validate the use of two sexing methods: (1) visual discrimination of sex vs (2) molecular sexing based on a multiplex PCR assay which amplifies the male-specific SRY gene and differentiates ZFX and ZFY gametologues. Skin samples from 628 dugongs (Dugong dugon) and 100 Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) were analysed and assigned as male or female based on molecular sex. These individuals were also assigned a sex based on either direct observation of the genitalia and/or the association of the individual with a calf. Individuals of both species showed 93 to 96% congruence between visual and molecular sexing. For the remaining 4 to 7%, the discrepancies could be explained by human error. To mitigate this error rate, we recommend using both of these robust techniques, with routine inclusion of sex primers into microsatellite panels employed for identity, along with trained field observers and stringent sample handling.

Fisheries Queensland Long Term Monitoring Program Underwater Visual Census of twenty-four reefs on the Great Barrier Reef between 1999 and 2004.

In 1999, the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI), Fisheries Queensland undertook a new initiative to collect long term monitoring data of various important stocks including reef fish. This data and monitoring manual for the reef fish component of that program which was based on Underwater Visual Census methodology of 24 reefs on the Great Barrier Reef between 1999 and 2004. Data was collected using six 50m x 5m transects at 4 sites on 24 reefs. Benthic cover type was also recorded for 10m of each transect. The attached Access Database contains 5 tables being: SITE DETAILS TABLE Survey year Data entry complete REF survey site ID Site # (1-4) Location (reef name) Site Date (date surveyed) Observer 1 (3 initials to identify who estimated fish lengths and recorded benthic cover) TRANSECT DETAILS Survey ID Transect Number (1-6) Time (the transect was surveyed) Visibility (in metres) Minimum Depth surveyed (m) Maximum Depth surveyed (m) Percent of survey completed (%) Comments SUBSTRATE Survey ID Transect Number (1-6) then % cover of each of eth following categories of benthic cover types Dead Coral Live Coral Soft Coral Rubble Sand Sponge Algae Sea Grass Other COORDINATES (over survey sites) from -14 38.792 to -19 44.233 and from 145 21.507 to 149 55.515 SIGHTINGS ID Survey ID Transect Number (1-6) CAAB Code Scientific Name Reef Fish Length (estimated Fork Length of fish; -1 = unknown or not recorded) Outside Transect (if a fish was observed outside a transect -1 was recorded) Morph Code (F = footballer morph for Plectropomus laevis, S = Spawning colour morph displayed)

Zeaxanthin biofortification of sweet-corn and factors affecting zeaxanthin accumulation and colour change

Zeaxanthin, along with its isomer lutein, are the major carotenoids contributing to the characteristic colour of yellow sweet-corn. From a human health perspective, these two carotenoids are also specifically accumulated in the human macula, and are thought to protect the photoreceptor cells of the eye from blue light oxidative damage and to improve visual acuity. As humans cannot synthesise these compounds, they must be accumulated from dietary components containing zeaxanthin and lutein. In comparison to most dietary sources, yellow sweet-corn (Zea mays var. rugosa) is a particularly good source of zeaxanthin, although the concentration of zeaxanthin is still fairly low in comparison to what is considered a supplementary dose to improve macular pigment concentration (2 mg/person/day). In our present project, we have increased zeaxanthin concentration in sweet-corn kernels from 0.2 to 0.3 mg/100 g FW to greater than 2.0 mg/100 g FW at sweet-corn eating-stage, substantially reducing the amount of corn required to provide the same dosage of zeaxanthin. This was achieved by altering the carotenoid synthesis pathway to more than double total carotenoid synthesis and to redirect carotenoid synthesis towards the beta-arm of the pathway where zeaxanthin is synthesised. This resulted in a proportional increase of zeaxanthin from 22% to 70% of the total carotenoid present. As kernels increase in physiological maturity, carotenoid concentration also significantly increases, mainly due to increased synthesis but also due to a decline in moisture content of the kernels. When fully mature, dried kernels can reach zeaxanthin and carotene concentrations of 8.7 mg/100 g and 2.6 mg/100 g, respectively. Although kernels continue to increase in zeaxanthin when harvested past their normal harvest maturity stage, the texture of these 'over-mature' kernels is tough, making them less appealing for fresh consumption. Increase in zeaxanthin concentration and other orange carotenoids such as p-carotene also results in a decline in kernel hue angle of fresh sweet-corn from approximately 90 (yellow) to as low as 75 (orange-yellow). This enables high-zeaxanthin sweet-corn to be visually-distinguishable from standard yellow sweet-corn, which is predominantly pigmented by lutein.