| detailed anatomy of the cranial cervical ganglion in the dromedary camel (camelus dromedarius). | the detailed morphology and topography of the cranial cervical ganglion (ccg) with its surrounding structures were studied in 10 sides of five heads of adult one-humped camel to determine its general arrangement as well as its differences and similarities to other animals. the following detailed descriptions were obtained: (1) the bilateral ccg was constantly present caudal to cranial base at the rostroventral border of the occipital condyle over the caudolateral part of nasopharynx; (2) the ccg ... | 2015 | 25950508 |
| immunohistochemical and lectin histochemical studies on the developing olfactory organs of fetal camel. | little is known about the development of the olfactory organs of camel. in this study, prenatal development and neuronal differentiation of the vomeronasal organ (vno) and the olfactory epithelium (oe) of the one-humped camel were studied by immunohistochemistry and lectin histochemistry. a neuronal marker, protein gene product (pgp) 9.5, but not a marker of fully differentiated olfactory receptor cells, olfactory marker protein, intensely labeled the olfactory receptor cells of the vno and oe a ... | 2015 | 25950169 |
| dorsal laminectomy for treatment of cervical vertebral stenotic myelopathy in an alpaca. | an 11-year-old male breeding alpaca was evaluated for a 2-day history of lowered head carriage and lethargy. | 2015 | 25932939 |
| molecular characterization of the llamas (lama glama) casein cluster genes transcripts (csn1s1, csn2, csn1s2, csn3) and regulatory regions. | in the present paper, we report for the first time the characterization of llama (lama glama) caseins at transcriptomic and genetic level. a total of 288 casein clones transcripts were analysed from two lactating llamas. the most represented mrna populations were those correctly assembled (85.07%) and they encoded for mature proteins of 215, 217, 187 and 162 amino acids respectively for the csn1s1, csn2, csn1s2 and csn3 genes. the exonic subdivision evidenced a structure made of 21, 9, 17 and 6 ... | 2015 | 25923814 |
| laboratory investigation and phylogenetic analysis of an imported middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus case in greece. | rapid and reliable laboratory diagnosis of persons suspected of middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov) infection is important for timely implementation of infection control practices and disease management. in addition, monitoring molecular changes in the virus can help elucidate chains of transmission and identify mutations that might influence virus transmission efficiency. this was illustrated by a recent laboratory investigation we conducted on an imported mers-cov case in g ... | 2015 | 25919137 |
| camelid wellness. | wellness management and environmental enrichment of new world camelids is multifaceted and should include everything from how they are fed and housed to how they are interacted with and handled. camelid feeding regimens should be based on sound nutritional concepts, designed for specific animal groups, and begin with an appropriate forage base. provide housing, shelter, substrate, and feeders designed for the needs and behaviors of camelids. herd management should include regularly obtaining wei ... | 2015 | 25902272 |
| what is your diagnosis? abdominal fluid from an adult alpaca. | | 2015 | 25899216 |
| isolation and characterization of antigen-specific alpaca (lama pacos) vhh antibodies by biopanning followed by high-throughput sequencing. | the antigen-binding domain of camelid dimeric heavy chain antibodies, known as vhh or nanobody, has much potential in pharmaceutical and industrial applications. to establish the isolation process of antigen-specific vhh, a vhh phage library was constructed with a diversity of 8.4 × 10(7) from cdna of peripheral blood mononuclear cells of an alpaca (lama pacos) immunized with a fragment of izumo1 (izumo1pff) as a model antigen. by conventional biopanning, 13 antigen-specific vhhs were isolated. ... | 2015 | 25888581 |
| presence of middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus antibodies in saudi arabia: a nationwide, cross-sectional, serological study. | scientific evidence suggests that dromedary camels are the intermediary host for the middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov). however, the actual number of infections in people who have had contact with camels is unknown and most index patients cannot recall any such contact. we aimed to do a nationwide serosurvey in saudi arabia to establish the prevalence of mers-cov antibodies, both in the general population and in populations of individuals who have maximum exposure to camels ... | 2015 | 25863564 |
| parasitic diversity found in coprolites of camelids during the holocene. | knowledge of parasitic infections to which fauna was exposed in the past provides information on the geographical origin of some parasites, on the possible dispersal routes and for archaeological fauna on the potential zoonotic risk that human and animal populations could be exposed. the aim of the present study was to examine the gastrointestinal parasite present in camelid coprolites collected from the archaeological site cerro casa de piedra, cave 7 (ccp7), patagonia, argentina. coprolites we ... | 2015 | 25859925 |
| a sunken ship of the desert at the river danube in tulln, austria. | rescue excavations recovered a skeleton that resurrect the contemporary dramatic history of austria in the 17th century as troops besieged vienna in the second osmanic-habsburg war. unique for central europe is the evidence of a completely preserved camel skeleton uncovered in a large refuse pit. the male individual of slender stature indicates a few but characteristic pathological changes revealing not a beast of burden but probably a valuable riding animal. anatomical and morphometrical analys ... | 2015 | 25831121 |
| streamlined method for parallel identification of single domain antibodies to membrane receptors on whole cells. | owing to their minimal size, high production yield, versatility and robustness, the recombinant variable domains (nanobodies) of camelid single chain antibodies are valued affinity reagents for research, diagnostic, and therapeutic applications. while their preparation against purified antigens is straightforward, the generation of nanobodies to difficult targets such as multi-pass or complex membrane cell receptors remains challenging. here we devised a platform for high throughput identificati ... | 2015 | 25819371 |
| lack of middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus transmission from infected camels. | to determine risk for middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus transmission from camels to humans, we tested serum from 191 persons with various levels of exposure to an infected dromedary herd. we found no serologic evidence of human infection, suggesting that zoonotic transmission of this virus from dromedaries is rare. | 2015 | 25811546 |
| transabdominal ultrasonography for pregnancy diagnosis and estimation of gestational age in dromedary camels. | the objective of this study was to evaluate the use of transabdominal ultrasonography as a method for pregnancy diagnosis and establish some foetal biometrics guidelines of pregnancy staging. transabdominal ultrasonography was performed weekly on six pregnant camels from the 4th to the 19th week and at 2-week intervals from the 20th to the 52nd week of gestation. six areas were selected for examination: caudal abdominal (caa), inside the thigh, above the base of the udder; middle abdominal (mia) ... | 2015 | 25800152 |
| passive immunotherapy with dromedary immune serum in an experimental animal model for middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection. | middle east respiratory syndrome (mers) is a highly lethal pulmonary infection. serum from convalescent mers patients may provide some benefit but is not readily available. in contrast, nearly all camels in the middle east have been infected with mers-cov. here, we show that sera obtained from mers-immune camels augment the kinetics of mers-cov clearance and reduce the severity of pathological changes in infected lungs, with efficacy proportional to the titer of mers-cov-neutralizing serum antib ... | 2015 | 25787284 |
| development of a vhh-based erythropoietin quantification assay. | erythropoietin (epo) quantification during cell line selection and bioreactor cultivation has traditionally been performed with elisa or hplc. as these techniques suffer from several drawbacks, we developed a novel epo quantification assay. a camelid single-domain antibody fragment directed against human epo was evaluated as a capturing antibody in a label-free biolayer interferometry-based quantification assay. human recombinant epo can be specifically detected in chinese hamster ovary cell sup ... | 2015 | 25764454 |
| fully human vh single domains that rival the stability and cleft recognition of camelid antibodies. | human vh single domains represent a promising class of antibody fragments with applications as therapeutic modalities. unfortunately, isolated human vh domains also generally display poor biophysical properties and a propensity to aggregate. this has encouraged the development of non-human antibody domains as alternative means of antigen recognition and, in particular, camelid (vhh) domains. naturally devoid of light chain partners, these domains are characterized by favorable biophysical proper ... | 2015 | 25737448 |
| reliable typing of mers-cov variants with a small genome fragment. | middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov) is an emerging pathogen that causes lower respiratory tract infection in humans. camels are the likely animal source for zoonotic infection, although exact transmission modes remain to be determined. human-to-human transmission occurs sporadically. the wide geographic distribution of mers-cov among dromedary camels and ongoing transmissions to humans provides concern for the evolution of a mers-cov variant with efficient human-to-human tran ... | 2015 | 25728084 |
| engineered high-affinity nanobodies recognizing staphylococcal protein a and suitable for native isolation of protein complexes. | in addition to its high affinity for antibody fc domains, staphylococcal protein a has been shown to bind certain fab domains. we investigated this in order to develop a small, recombinant protein a-binding alternative to immunoglobulin g (igg) from nanobodies, single-domain antibodies derived from a camelid variant igg's variable region. we engineered a nanobody with affinity solely for protein a as well as a dimerized version of higher affinity for typical multidomain protein a constructs. bec ... | 2015 | 25707320 |
| activity of heat shock genes' promoters in thermally contrasting animal species. | heat shock gene promoters represent a highly conserved and universal system for the rapid induction of transcription after various stressful stimuli. we chose pairs of mammalian and insect species that significantly differ in their thermoresistance and constitutive levels of hsp70 to compare hsp promoter strength under normal conditions and after heat shock (hs). the first pair includes the hspa1 gene promoter of camel (camelus dromedarius) and humans. it was demonstrated that the camel hspa1a a ... | 2015 | 25700087 |
| light and scanning electron microscopical examination of the third stage larva of physocephalus dromedarii (nematoda: spirocercidae)--an abomasal nematode of the one humped camel (camelus dromedarius). | the life cycle of physocephalus dromedarii was studied under experimental conditions. larvae obtained from naturally infected scarabaeus cristatus and aphodius sp. (coleoptera: scarabaeidae) were measured and examined in light and scanning electron microscopy and used to infect a dromedary as final host as well as chicken, mice and a toad as possible paratenic hosts. larvae with the same morphology and similar measurements were found in naturally infected reptiles (trapelus flavimaculatus, eryx ... | 2015 | 25687524 |
| the cd markers of camel (camelus dromedarius) milk cells during mastitis: the lpam-1 expression is an indication of possible mucosal nature of the cellular trafficking. | studying the cellular populations of the camel mammary glands through the expression pattern of the cd markers and adhesion molecules is a mean to define whether the cellular trafficking pathway is peripheral or mucosal nature. camel milk cells from 8 gram-positive and 5 gram-negative infected camels were examined with flow cytometry using cross-reacting antibodies like, anti-cd4(+), cd8(+), wc+1(+)γδ, cd62l, cd11a(+)/cd18, lpam-1, cxcr2. the overall results indicated high flow cytometry output ... | 2015 | 25666226 |
| a comprehensive whole-genome integrated cytogenetic map for the alpaca (lama pacos). | genome analysis of the alpaca (lama pacos, lpa) has progressed slowly compared to other domestic species. here, we report the development of the first comprehensive whole-genome integrated cytogenetic map for the alpaca using fluorescence in situ hybridization (fish) and chori-246 bac library clones. the map is comprised of 230 linearly ordered markers distributed among all 36 alpaca autosomes and the sex chromosomes. for the first time, markers were assigned to lpa14, 21, 22, 28, and 36. additi ... | 2014 | 25662411 |
| camelid single-domain antibody fragments: uses and prospects to investigate protein misfolding and aggregation, and to treat diseases associated with these phenomena. | the deposition of misfolded peptides and proteins in the form of amyloid fibrils is the hallmark of nearly fifty medical disorders, including alzheimer's disease, parkinson's disease, prion diseases and type ii diabetes. these disorders, referred to as amyloidoses, generally become apparent late in life. their psycho-sociological and economic incidence in western societies will be therefore considerable in the coming decades due to the ageing of the population. neither preventing nor curative tr ... | 2015 | 25656912 |
| middle east respiratory syndrome: an emerging coronavirus infection tracked by the crowd. | in 2012 in jordan, infection by a novel coronavirus (cov) caused the first known cases of middle east respiratory syndrome (mers). mers-cov sequences have since been found in a bat and the virus appears to be enzootic among dromedary camels across the arabian peninsula and in parts of africa. the majority of human cases have occurred in the kingdom of saudi arabia (ksa). in humans, the etiologic agent, mers-cov, has been detected in severe, mild and influenza-like illness and in those without an ... | 2015 | 25656066 |
| prevalence of middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov) in dromedary camels in abu dhabi emirate, united arab emirates. | high seroprevalence of middle east respiratory syndrome corona virus (mers-cov) in dromedary camels has been previously reported in united arab emirates (uae). however, the molecular detection of the virus has never been reported before in uae. of the 7,803 nasal swabs tested in the epidemiological survey, mers-cov nucleic acid was detected by real-time pcr in a total of 126 (1.6 %) camels. positive camels were detected at the borders with saudi arabia and oman and in camels' slaughter houses. m ... | 2015 | 25653016 |
| camelid nanobodies with high affinity for broad bean mottle virus: a possible promising tool to immunomodulate plant resistance against viruses. | worldwide, plant viral infections decrease seriously the crop production yield, boosting the demand to develop new strategies to control viral diseases. one of these strategies to prevent viral infections, based on the immunomodulation faces many problems related to the ectopic expression of specific antibodies in planta. camelid nanobodies, expressed in plants, may offer a solution as they are an attractive tool to bind efficiently to viral epitopes, cryptic or not accessible to conventional an ... | 2015 | 25648551 |
| inhibition of angiogenesis in human endothelial cell using vegf specific nanobody. | angiogenesis is an important step in tumor development and metastasis. vascular endothelial growth factor (vegf) plays an important role in progression of angiogenesis. vegf121 and vegf165 are the most relative forms of vegf family which contain the full biological activity. nanobodies derived from camelidae are the smallest biding site of antigen. unique characteristic of nanobodies make them as a useful candidate for research. in this report, we describe the isolation of vegf specific nanobodi ... | 2015 | 25645505 |
| single-molecule imaging in live cell using gold nanoparticles. | optimal single particle tracking experiments in live cells requires small and photostable probes, which do not modify the behavior of the molecule of interest. current fluorescence-based microscopy of single molecules and nanoparticles is often limited by bleaching and blinking or by the probe size. as an alternative, we present in this chapter the synthesis of a small and highly specific gold nanoprobe whose detection is based on its absorption properties. we first present a protocol to synthes ... | 2015 | 25640421 |
| a cytogenetic and comparative map of camelid chromosome 36 and the minute in alpacas. | recent advances in camelid genomics have provided draft sequence assemblies and the first comparative and gene maps for the dromedary (cdr) and the alpaca (lpa). however, no map information is currently available for the smallest camelid autosome-chr36. the chromosome is also of clinical interest because of its involvement in the minute chromosome syndrome (mcs) in infertile alpacas. here, we developed molecular markers for camelid chr36 by direct sequencing cdr36 and lpa minute and by bioinform ... | 2015 | 25634498 |
| functional histology of the ovarian follicles as determined by follicular fluid concentrations of steroids and igf-1 in camelus dromedarius. | ovaries were collected from sexually mature non-pregnant dromedary she-camels. follicles 6 to 19 mm in diameter per pair of ovaries were randomly selected and classified into clear (n = 30), or opaque (n = 14) based on macroscopic examination of the follicle surface, and then were divided into four classes: clear follicles with 6- 9.9 and 10-19 mm diameter; opaque follicles with 6- 9.9 and 10-19 mm diameter. follicular fluid (ff) was aspirated for measurement of estradiol-17β, progesterone and i ... | 2015 | 25633585 |
| development and validation of a rapid immunochromatographic assay for detection of middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus antigen in dromedary camels. | we present here a rapid immunochromatographic assay for the detection of middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov) antigen in the nasal swabs of dromedary camels. the assay is based on the detection of mers-cov nucleocapsid protein in a short time frame using highly selective monoclonal antibodies at room temperature. the relative sensitivity and specificity of the assay were found to be 93.90% and 100%, respectively, compared to that of the upe and open reading frame 1a (orf1a) re ... | 2015 | 25631809 |
| intraocular pressure in clinically normal dromedary camels (camelus dromedarius). | to determine the intraocular pressure (iop) in healthy dromedary camels (camelus dromedarius). | 2015 | 25629912 |
| erratum: camelid genomes reveal evolution and adaptation to desert environments. | | 2015 | 25629688 |
| relationship between the size of the dominant follicle, vaginal electrical resistance, serum concentrations of oestradiol and progesterone and sexual receptivity during the follicular phase of the dromedary camel (camelus dromedarius). | thirteen dromedaries were used to study the relationship between the size of the dominant follicle, vaginal electrical resistance (ver), sexual receptivity, and serum concentrations of oestradiol-17β (e2) and progesterone (p4) throughout the follicular phase. on a daily basis, the animals experienced teasing with a vasectomised camel, trans-rectal ultrasound examination of the ovaries, and measurement of ver and blood collection for serum e2 and p4. results revealed no significant differences be ... | 2015 | 25618533 |
| camelid nanobodies: killing two birds with one stone. | in recent years, the use of single-domain camelid immunoglobulins, termed vhhs or nanobodies, has seen increasing growth in biotechnology, pharmaceutical applications and structure/function research. the usefulness of nanobodies in structural biology is now firmly established, as they provide access to new epitopes in concave and hinge regions - and stabilize them. these sites are often associated with enzyme inhibition or receptor neutralization, and, at the same time, provide favorable surface ... | 2015 | 25614146 |
| a report on the genital myiasis by wohlfahrtia magnifica in camel herds in southwest of iran. | myiasis is a disease of vertebrate animals caused by different fly larvae. wohlfahrtia magnifica is responsible for serious losses in animal husbandry in eurasia. larvae of w. magnifica parasitize several warm-blooded vertebrates and are responsible for a severe traumatic myiasis of mucosal membranes or wounds. this myiasis has been reported in many european areas, but for the first time was reported from iran. larvae infestation was observed in five camels out of 35 (14.28%) around the perinea ... | 2014 | 25610587 |
| biochemical composition and protein profile of alpaca (vicugna pacos) oviductal fluid. | knowledge and assessment of the constituents of the oviductal fluid (of) in camelids is necessary for a correct formulation of specific culture media for the development of reproductive biotechnology. this study is the first describing the biochemical composition and sds-page protein profile of alpaca oviductal fluid in non-pregnant animals and animals that have completed the first month and second month of gestation. samples were also classified into oviducts that were ipsilateral or contralate ... | 2015 | 25592861 |
| histochemical structure and immunolocalisation of the hyaluronan system in the dromedary oviduct. | we investigated the local modulation of some histochemical properties of oviducts of the dromedary (camelus dromedarius), focusing on the immnolocalisation of hyaluronic acid (ha) synthases (has2 and has3), hyaluronidases (hyal2 and hyal1) and the ha receptor cd44 in the ampulla and isthmus. abundant acidic mucopolysaccharides (glycosaminoglycans) were detected by alcian blue staining along the luminal surface of both ciliated and non-ciliated epithelial cells (le). staining for has2 was higher ... | 2015 | 25562384 |
| a survey of rift valley fever and associated risk factors among the one-humped camel (camelus dromedaries) in sudan. | rift valley fever (rvf) is a mosquito-borne viral disease of domestic livestock and wild ruminants. in camels rvf may cause abortion among pregnant camels, but is most often asymptomatic among other camels. in this study, a seroepidemiological survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of rvfv antibodies and to identify the potential risk factors associated with rvfv seropositivity among the sudanese one-humped camel (camelus dromedaries) in khartoum state, sudan. a cross sectional study w ... | 2015 | 27293548 |
| retargeted oncolytic adenovirus displaying a single variable domain of camelid heavy-chain-only antibody in a fiber protein. | conditionally replicative adenoviruses are promising agents for oncolytic virotherapy. various approaches have been attempted to retarget adenoviruses to tumor-specific antigens to circumvent deficiency of receptor for adenoviral binding and to provide an additional level of tumor specificity. functional incorporation of highly specific targeting molecules into the viral capsid can potentially retarget adenoviral infection. however, conventional antibodies are not compatible with the cytoplasmic ... | 2015 | 27119101 |
| passive transfer of maternal immunity in the dromedary (camelus dromedarius), involvement of heavy chain antibodies. | in many mammalian species, newborns are agammaglobulinemic; thus, colostrum and milk are the main sources of early protective antibodies. these antibodies are produced in the mother's serum and transferred to mammalian glands a few days before parturition. here, we have studied the transfer of immunity from a she-camel immunized with human serum albumin (hsa) to her calf via colostrum and milk. our results show that hsa-specific antibodies are produced in the mother's serum and are subsequently ... | 2015 | 25547806 |
| human-dromedary camel interactions and the risk of acquiring zoonotic middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection. | middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov) cases without documented contact with another human mers-cov case make up 61% (517/853) of all reported cases. these primary cases are of particular interest for understanding the source(s) and route(s) of transmission and for designing long-term disease control measures. dromedary camels are the only animal species for which there is convincing evidence that it is a host species for mers-cov and hence a potential source of human infections ... | 2016 | 25545147 |
| evaluation of disulfide bond position to enhance the thermal stability of a highly stable single domain antibody. | single domain antibodies are the small recombinant variable domains derived from camelid heavy-chain-only antibodies. they are renowned for their stability, in large part due to their ability to refold following thermal or chemical denaturation. in addition to refolding after heat denaturation, a3, a high affinity anti-staphylococcal enterotoxin b single domain antibody, possesses a melting temperature of ∼84°c, among the highest reported for a single domain antibody. in this work we utilized th ... | 2014 | 25526640 |
| structural insights and biomedical potential of ignar scaffolds from sharks. | in addition to antibodies with the classical composition of heavy and light chains, the adaptive immune repertoire of sharks also includes a heavy-chain only isotype, where antigen binding is mediated exclusively by a small and highly stable domain, referred to as vnar. in recent years, due to their high affinity and specificity combined with their small size, high physicochemical stability and low-cost of production, vnar fragments have evolved as promising target-binding scaffolds that can be ... | 2015 | 25523873 |
| bayesian inference on the effect of density dependence and weather on a guanaco population from chile. | understanding the mechanisms that drive population dynamics is fundamental for management of wild populations. the guanaco (lama guanicoe) is one of two wild camelid species in south america. we evaluated the effects of density dependence and weather variables on population regulation based on a time series of 36 years of population sampling of guanacos in tierra del fuego, chile. the population density varied between 2.7 and 30.7 guanaco/km2, with an apparent monotonic growth during the first 2 ... | 2014 | 25514510 |
| remote regulation of glucose homeostasis in mice using genetically encoded nanoparticles. | means for temporally regulating gene expression and cellular activity are invaluable for elucidating underlying physiological processes and would have therapeutic implications. here we report the development of a genetically encoded system for remote regulation of gene expression by low-frequency radio waves (rfs) or a magnetic field. iron oxide nanoparticles are synthesized intracellularly as a gfp-tagged ferritin heavy and light chain fusion. the ferritin nanoparticles associate with a camelid ... | 2015 | 25501906 |
| the postpartum period in dromedary camels: uterine involution, ovarian activity, hormonal changes, and response to gnrh treatment. | the aim of the present study was to investigate the time for complete uterine involution and resumption of ovarian activity in postpartum dromedary camels, relative to hormonal changes. a total of six females were examined by ultrasonography twice weekly starting 3d after parturition. gnrh was administered when the follicles reached ≥0.9cm diameter. blood samples were collected for hormonal analysis. results revealed that the mean intervals for complete involution of the previously gravid horn, ... | 2014 | 25465362 |
| metagenomic analysis of viromes of dromedary camel fecal samples reveals large number and high diversity of circoviruses and picobirnaviruses. | the recent discovery of middle east respiratory coronavirus and another novel dromedary camel coronavirus uae-hku23 in dromedaries has boosted interest in search of novel viruses in dromedaries. in this study, fecal samples of 203 dromedaries in dubai were pooled and deep sequenced. among the 7330 assembled viral contigs, 1970 were assigned to mammalian viruses. the largest groups of these contigs matched to picobirnaviridae, circoviridae, picornaviridae, parvoviridae, astroviridae and hepevirid ... | 2014 | 25461537 |
| use of salivary cortisol to evaluate the influence of rides in dromedary camels. | animals in captivity and in the wild face numerous challenges, including the risk of enduring acute or chronic stress. in captivity, facilities attempt to alleviate the risk of chronic stress by providing environmental enrichment, shown to minimize behavioral disorders and stress in several species. one potential form of enrichment in zoos is training animals to provide rides for guests, however, the effect of this activity on the welfare of individual animals has never been examined. we validat ... | 2015 | 25452030 |
| semen collection using phantom in dromedary camel. | semen collection is relatively long, unsafe, and tedious procedure in dromedary camel. the innovation of safe, hygienic, and simple approach to collect semen could make great progress in development of ai program in this species. this study investigated two methods of semen collection using phantom and artificial vagina in dromedary camel. semen was collected using phantom (n = 4 bulls; 26 collections) and artificial vagina (n = 6 bulls; 11 collections) and diluted with inra96 at the ratio of 1: ... | 2014 | 25449548 |
| seminal plasma and serum fertility biomarkers in dromedary camels (camelus dromedarius). | eight healthy fertile (control) and 11 infertile male dromedaries were used to investigate whether specific seminal plasma and serum fertility biomarkers could be related to their in vivo fertility. eight fertility biomarkers and testosterone were determined in both seminal plasma and serum of all studied camels during the rutting season using commercial kits. results revealed a significant (p < 0.01) difference in semen parameters between the control and infertile camels. there was a significan ... | 2015 | 25434775 |
| effect of pregnancy and embryonic mortality on milk production in dromedary camels (camelus dromedarius). | the main objective of the present study was to compare milk production in pregnant versus nonpregnant dromedary camels. in addition, we described the effect of embryonic mortality on lactation and measured serum progesterone levels until d 60 to 90 of gestation. twenty-five multiparous camels were selected in midlactation for 2 studies in consecutive years. camels were mated naturally when the size of the dominant follicle reached 1.2 to 1.5cm. pregnancy was diagnosed by ultrasonography and prog ... | 2015 | 25434338 |
| mers coronavirus neutralizing antibodies in camels, eastern africa, 1983-1997. | to analyze the distribution of middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov)-seropositive dromedary camels in eastern africa, we tested 189 archived serum samples accumulated during the past 30 years. we identified mers-cov neutralizing antibodies in 81.0% of samples from the main camel-exporting countries, sudan and somalia, suggesting long-term virus circulation in these animals. | 2014 | 25425139 |
| hematology of camelids. | interpretation of camelid hematology results is similar to that of other mammals. obtaining accurate results and using appropriate reference intervals can be a bit problematic, particularly when evaluating the erythron. camelid erythrocytes vary from other mammals in that they are small, flat, and elliptical. this variation makes data obtained from samples collected from these species prone to error when using some automated instruments. normal and abnormal findings in camelid blood are reviewed ... | 2015 | 25421025 |
| cd26/dpp4 cell-surface expression in bat cells correlates with bat cell susceptibility to middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov) infection and evolution of persistent infection. | middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov) is a recently isolated betacoronavirus identified as the etiologic agent of a frequently fatal disease in western asia, middle east respiratory syndrome. attempts to identify the natural reservoirs of mers-cov have focused in part on dromedaries. bats are also suspected to be reservoirs based on frequent detection of other betacoronaviruses in these mammals. for this study, ten distinct cell lines derived from bats of divergent species were ... | 2014 | 25409519 |
| bartonella dromedarii sp. nov. isolated from domesticated camels (camelus dromedarius) in israel. | bartonella spp. are fastidious, gram-negative bacilli that cause a wide spectrum of diseases in humans. most bartonella spp. have adapted to a specific host, generally a domestic or wild mammal. dromedary camels (camelus dromedarius) have become a focus of growing public-health interest because they have been identified as a reservoir host for the middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus. nevertheless, data on camel zoonoses are limited. we aimed to study the occurrence of bartonella bactere ... | 2014 | 25409267 |
| middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus: epidemiology and disease control measures. | the emergence of middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov) infection in 2012 resulted in an increased concern of the spread of the infection globally. mers-cov infection had previously caused multiple health-care-associated outbreaks and resulted in transmission of the virus within families. community onset mers-cov cases continue to occur. dromedary camels are currently the most likely animal to be linked to human mers-cov cases. serologic tests showed significant infection in adu ... | 2014 | 25395865 |
| spectroscopic and thermodynamic properties of recombinant heat shock protein a6 from camelus dromedarius. | heat shock protein a6, also known as hsp70b', is a member of the hsp70 family of molecular chaperones. under stressed conditions, the level of hspa6 increases substantially, and the protein has been targeted as a biomarker of cellular stress in several studies. we report the spectroscopic and thermodynamic properties of arabian camel species chspa6, determined by measurement of intrinsic and extrinsic fluorescence emission, and use of far-uv circular dichroism and dynamic multimode spectroscopy. ... | 2015 | 25395330 |
| preliminary study of plants used in ethnoveterinary medicine in tunisia and in italy. | a survey relative to the use of plants for the cure of animals in tunisia was conducted in order to make a comparison with the same species (or similar ones) in central and southern italy. | 2014 | 25371582 |
| adenovirus vector expressing stx1/stx2-neutralizing agent protects piglets infected with escherichia coli o157:h7 against fatal systemic intoxication. | hemolytic-uremic syndrome (hus), caused by shiga toxin (stx)-producing escherichia coli (stec), remains untreatable. production of human monoclonal antibodies against stx, which are highly effective in preventing stx sequelae in animal models, is languishing due to cost and logistics. we reported previously that the production and evaluation of a camelid heavy-chain-only vh domain (vhh)-based neutralizing agent (vna) targeting stx1 and stx2 (vna-stx) protected mice from stx1 and stx2 intoxicatio ... | 2015 | 25368111 |
| effects of vacuum level and pulsation rate on milk ejection and milk flow traits in tunisian dairy camels (camelus dromedarius). | this work aims to compare the effects of milking at two vacuum levels (38 and 48 kpa) and three pulsation rates (60, 90, and 120 cpm) on milk production and milk flow characteristics. six multiparous maghrebi camels in late lactation and once daily milked were used. the best combination of setting for camel's milking was high vacuum and low pulsation rate (48 kpa/60 cpm). milk yield and average and peak milk flow rate were the highest, while milking time was the shortest using this combination o ... | 2015 | 25348647 |
| bioengineering of bacteria to assemble custom-made polyester affinity resins. | proof of concept for the in vivo bacterial production of a polyester resin displaying various customizable affinity protein binding domains is provided. this was achieved by engineering various protein binding domains into a bacterial polyester-synthesizing enzyme. affinity binding domains based on various structural folds and derived from molecular libraries were used to demonstrate the potential of this technique. designed ankyrin repeat proteins (darpins), engineered ob-fold domains (obodies) ... | 2015 | 25344238 |
| camelid genetics and reproductive biotechnologies. | | 2016 | 25326629 |
| the prevalence of linguatula serrata nymphs in mesenteric and mediastinal lymph nodes in one-humped camels (camelus dromedarius) slaughtered in rafsanjan slaughterhouse, iran. | linguatula serrata is a well-known zoonotic parasite belonging to the order of pentastomida which infects both human and animals. human can be infected by both the nymph stage, causing a disease condition called nasopharyngeal linguatulosis or halzoun syndrome and the egg, a condition called visceral linguatulosis. the aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of nymphal stages of l. serrata in mesenteric and mediastinal lymph nodes of one-humped camels slaughtered in rafsanjan slaughterh ... | 2014 | 25320486 |
| camelid heat stress: 15 cases (2003-2011). | this case series describes novel findings associated with heat stress in 15 cases in south american camelids that had no pre-existing illnesses and which had clinical signs of illness after exposure to a warm environment. novel findings include decreased packed cell volume and albumin concentration and mild spinal axonal degeneration. heat stress should be considered in weak camelids with a history of hyperthermia. | 2014 | 25320390 |
| immunohistochemical studies for the neuronal elements in the vomeronasal organ of the one-humped camel. | the neuronal elements of the vomeronasal organ (vno) of camel were investigated immunohistochemically. pgp 9.5 labeled the receptor cells in the vomeronasal sensory epithelium, but not the supporting or basal cells. omp stained some receptor cells, but no immunoreactive signals for omp were detected in the non-sensory epithelium. plcβ2 labeled scattered cells in the sensory epithelium and a larger number of cells in the non-sensory epithelium. double labeling immunohistochemistry revealed that t ... | 2015 | 25319516 |
| clinical findings and survival in 56 sick neonatal new world camelids. | information pertaining to clinical presentation and outcome of neonatal new world camelids (nwc) is limited when compared to calves and foals. | 2015 | 25319312 |
| cholesterol addition aids the cryopreservation of dromedary camel (camelus dromedarius) spermatozoa. | the cryopreservation of dromedary camel (camelus dromedarius) sperm has proved challenging with little success reported. the routine application of artificial insemination with frozen semen would assist the flow of valuable genetic material nationally and internationally. the current study sought to examine the effects of cholesterol (cholesterol-loaded cyclodextrin [clc]) preloading on camel sperm cryosurvival. ejaculates (n = 3 males; 3 ejaculates per male) were collected using an artificial v ... | 2015 | 25312816 |
| highly efficient production of vhh antibody fragments in brevibacillus choshinensis expression system. | anti-izumo1pff vhh (variable domain of camelid heavy chain antibody) clones, n6 and n15, from immunized alpaca (lama pacos) phage library were efficiently expressed and their vhh products were secreted into the culture medium of brevibacillus choshinensis hpd31-sp3, e.g., at a level of 26-95mg in 100ml conventional flask culture. with a 3-l scale fed-batch culture for 65h, the n15 vhh protein with c-terminal his-tag was produced at ∼3g/l culture medium. the n6 and n15 proteins were easily purifi ... | 2015 | 25286401 |
| expression cloning of camelid nanobodies specific for xenopus embryonic antigens. | developmental biology relies heavily on the use of conventional antibodies, but their production and maintenance involves significant effort. here we use an expression cloning approach to identify variable regions of llama single domain antibodies (known as nanobodies), which recognize specific embryonic antigens. a nanobody cdna library was prepared from lymphocytes of a llama immunized with xenopus embryo lysates. pools of bacterially expressed cdnas were sib-selected for the ability to produc ... | 2014 | 25285446 |
| daily regulation of body temperature rhythm in the camel (camelus dromedarius) exposed to experimental desert conditions. | in the present work, we have studied daily rhythmicity of body temperature (tb) in arabian camels challenged with daily heat, combined or not with dehydration. we confirm that arabian camels use heterothermy to reduce heat gain coupled with evaporative heat loss during the day. here, we also demonstrate that this mechanism is more complex than previously reported, because it is characterized by a daily alternation (probably of circadian origin) of two periods of poikilothermy and homeothermy. we ... | 2014 | 25263204 |
| [middle-east respiratory syndrome]. | mers-cov is the sixth type of corona virus to cause disease in humans. this virus can cause severe respiratory infections, particularly in patients with underlying conditions. although dromedary camels appear to be the most important source in primary cases, nosocomial transmission has proved to be a major cause of secondary infections. in accordance with the case definitions formulated by the dutch national institute for public health and the environment (rivm), in those patients who present wi ... | 2014 | 25248740 |
| [dromedary camels and middle east respiratory syndrome: mers coronavirus in the 'ship of the desert']. | middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov) is a novel coronavirus, identified in patients with respiratory symptoms in the middle east. accumulating evidence points to dromedary camels as being reservoirs. mers-cov has been isolated from dromedaries, and dromedary mers-cov is nearly identical to human mers-cov. camel and human mers-cov genome sequences from the same geographic areas cluster together. both on the arabian peninsula and in africa high percentages of adult dromedaries a ... | 2014 | 25248734 |
| novel camelid antibody fragments targeting recombinant nucleoprotein of araucaria hantavirus: a prototype for an early diagnosis of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. | in addition to conventional antibodies, camelids produce immunoglobulins g composed exclusively of heavy chains in which the antigen binding site is formed only by single domains called vhh. their particular characteristics make vhhs interesting tools for drug-delivery, passive immunotherapy and high-throughput diagnosis. hantaviruses are rodent-borne viruses of the bunyaviridae family. two clinical forms of the infection are known. hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (hfrs) is present in the ... | 2014 | 25243411 |
| effect of changes in milking routine on milking related behaviour and milk removal in tunisian dairy dromedary camels. | we studied the effects of changes in the milking routine (lack or presence of 30-s prestimulation, 0 or 1, 2 or 4-min delay between preparation and cluster attachment) and environmental perturbation (unusual loud sounds capable of frightening animals just after stall entry or during the course of milking) on milk removal and milking-related behaviour in dairy dromedary camels. a 30-s prestimulation decreased incidence of bimodal milk flow curves and increased occurrence of the best milk ejection ... | 2014 | 25234858 |
| immunogenicity of an adenoviral-based middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus vaccine in balb/c mice. | a new type of coronavirus has been identified as the causative agent underlying middle east respiratory syndrome (mers). the mers coronavirus (mers-cov) has spread in the middle east, but cases originating in the middle east have also occurred in the european union and the usa. eight hundred and thirty-seven cases of mers-cov infection have been confirmed to date, including 291 deaths. mers-cov has infected dromedary camel populations in the middle east at high rates, representing an immediate s ... | 2014 | 25192975 |
| dromedary mers-cov replicates in human respiratory tissues. | | 2014 | 25174550 |
| retraction: topography of retinal ganglion cells in the dromedary camel (camelus dromedarius). | this article released online on july 30, 2014 as advance publication has been retracted by the editorial board of journal of veterinary medical science due to a violation of the journal's "information for authors". | 2014 | 25141781 |
| influence of stimulation by electroejaculation on myocardial function, acid-base and electrolyte status, and hematobiochemical profiles in male dromedary camels. | this study was carried out to evaluate the effect of electroejaculation (eej) on myocardial function, acid-base balance, and hematobiochemical profiles in male dromedary camels. twenty sexually mature, apparently healthy male camels were assigned to eej. parallel, eight naturally mated male camels were enrolled as a control group. three blood samples were collected from each camel: just before (t0), directly after (t1), and 24 hours after (t2) eej or natural mating. the serum concentrations of t ... | 2014 | 25139755 |
| structural and mutational analysis of a monomeric and dimeric form of a single domain antibody with implications for protein misfolding. | camelid single domain antibodies (sdab) are known for their thermal stability and reversible refolding. we have characterized an unusually stable sdab recognizing staphylococcal enterotoxin b with one of the highest reported melting temperatures (t(m) = 85°c). unexpectedly, ∼10-20% of the protein formed a dimer in solution. three other cases where <20% of the sdab dimerized have been reported; however, this is the first report of both the monomeric and dimeric x-ray crystal structures. concentra ... | 2014 | 25136772 |
| genetic and demographic bottleneck analysis of indian camel breeds by microsatellite markers. | the genetic and demographic bottleneck analysis of indian camel breeds was carried out utilizing 40 microsatellite markers. allelic polymorphism was observed at 20 loci in the indian dromedary breeds. a total of 66 alleles were scored. the average number of alleles, expected heterozygosity and polymorphic information content were, respectively, 3.25 ± 0.27, 0.56 ± 0.04 and 0.49 ± 0.04 in bikaneri; 3.25 ± 0.25, 0.53 ± 0.03 and 0.46 ± 0.03 in jaisalmeri; 3.0 ± 0.21, 0.53 ± 0.04 and 0.45 ± 0.03 in ... | 2014 | 25134805 |
| anti-bactericidal properties of stingray dasyatis pastinaca groups v, iia, and ib phospholipases a2: a comparative study. | group iia secreted phospholipase a2 (group iia spla2) is known to display potent gram-positive bactericidal activity in vitro and in vivo. we have analyzed the bactericidal activity of the full set of native stingray and dromedary groups v, iia, and ib spla2s on several gram-positive and gram-negative strains. the rank order potency among both marine and mammal spla2s against gram-positive bacteria is group iia > v > ib, whereas gram-negative bacteria exhibited a much higher resistance. there is ... | 2014 | 25119545 |
| evaluation of the breeding soundness of male camels (camelus dromedarius) via clinical examination, semen analysis, ultrasonography and testicular biopsy: a summary of 80 clinical cases. | male camel infertility is a heterogeneous disorder. a variety of factors may adversely affect sperm production and function and impair fertility. this study was designed to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography and testicular biopsy in the evaluation of the breeding soundness of male dromedaries compared with results obtained by clinical examination and semen analysis. eighty-four male dromedary camels (5-15 years old) were used in this study during the rutting season (nove ... | 2014 | 25112541 |
| impotentia generandi in male dromedary camels: clinical findings, semen characteristics, and testicular histopathology. | the objective of this study was to describe the clinical findings, semen characteristics, and testicular histopathology in male dromedary camels affected with impotentia generandi (ig). according to the history, 82.6% (38/46) of the cases were classified as primary-ig (p-ig; never been able to impregnate a female), whereas 17.4% (8/46) were classified as secondary-ig (s-ig; acquired infertility). only one scrotal testis was observed in four cases, and no scrotal testis was observed in one case. ... | 2014 | 25107628 |
| evaluation of medetomidine-ketamine and medetomidine-ketamine-butorphanol for the field anesthesia of free-ranging dromedary camels (camelus dromedarius) in australia. | abstract we report the clinical course and physiologic and anesthetic data for a case series of 76 free-ranging dromedary camels (camelus dromedarius) chemically restrained, by remote injection from a helicopter, in the rangelands of western australia and south australia, 2008-11, to attach satellite-tracking collars. fifty-five camels were successfully anesthetized using medetomidine-ketamine (mk, n=27) and medetomidine-ketamine-butorphanol (mkb, n=28); the induction of anesthesia in 21 animals ... | 2014 | 25105812 |
| histological and morphometric studies on the dromedary camel epididymis in relation to reproductive activity. | the reproductive efficiency of male dromedary camels under natural conditions is regarded to be low due to a relatively short breeding season and a long prepubertal period. this study was carried out to investigate the histological and morphometric changes in the sudanese dromedary camel epididymis in relation to the breeding (rutting) and non-breeding (non-rutting) seasons at monthly intervals up to one year. specimens were collected from different regions of the epididymis of 48 mature and hea ... | 2014 | 25104474 |
| immunohistochemical localization of androgen and progesterone receptors in the uterus of the camel (camelus dromedarius). | ten adult, cyclic female camels (camelus dromedarius) were used to describe the distribution of androgen (ar) and progesterone (pr) receptors in the uterus using immunohistochemistry. both ar and pr were distributed throughout the different compartments of the uterus with nuclear staining for ar and pr seen in the cells of epithelia (luminal and glandular), stroma and myometrial smooth muscles. ar immunostaining was not uniform in distribution and intensity; the surface epithelium and the glandu ... | 2014 | 25081941 |
| withdrawn:topography of retinal ganglion cells in the dromedary camel (camelus dromedarius). | ahead of print article has been retracted by the publisher. | 2014 | 25077665 |
| isolation of mers coronavirus from a dromedary camel, qatar, 2014. | we obtained the full genome of middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov) from a camel in qatar. this virus is highly similar to the human england/qatar 1 virus isolated in 2012. the mers-cov from the camel efficiently replicated in human cells, providing further evidence for the zoonotic potential of mers-cov from camels. | 2014 | 25075761 |
| antibodies against mers coronavirus in dromedary camels, kenya, 1992-2013. | dromedary camels are a putative source for human infections with middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus. we showed that camels sampled in different regions in kenya during 1992-2013 have antibodies against this virus. high densities of camel populations correlated with increased seropositivity and might be a factor in predicting long-term virus maintenance. | 2014 | 25075637 |
| mutational approaches to improve the biophysical properties of human single-domain antibodies. | monoclonal antibodies are a remarkably successful class of therapeutics used to treat a wide range of indications. there has been growing interest in smaller antibody fragments such as fabs, scfvs and domain antibodies in recent years. in particular, the development of human vh and vl single-domain antibody therapeutics, as stand-alone affinity reagents or as "warheads" for larger molecules, are favored over other sources of antibodies due to their perceived lack of immunogenicity in humans. how ... | 2014 | 25065345 |
| geographic distribution of mers coronavirus among dromedary camels, africa. | we found serologic evidence for the circulation of middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus among dromedary camels in nigeria, tunisia, and ethiopia. circulation of the virus among dromedaries across broad areas of africa may indicate that this disease is currently underdiagnosed in humans outside the arabian peninsula. | 2014 | 25062254 |
| launch of a voluntary camelid tb scheme. | | 2014 | 25059965 |
| detection of the middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus genome in an air sample originating from a camel barn owned by an infected patient. | middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov) is a novel betacoronavirus that has been circulating in the arabian peninsula since 2012 and causing severe respiratory infections in humans. while bats were suggested to be involved in human mers-cov infections, a direct link between bats and mers-cov is uncertain. on the other hand, serological and virological data suggest dromedary camels as the potential animal reservoirs of mers-cov. recently, we isolated mers-cov from a camel and its ... | 2014 | 25053787 |
| adp-ribosylation of p2x7: a matter of life and death for regulatory t cells and natural killer t cells. | adp-ribosyltransferases comprise a family of enzymes originally discovered as bacterial toxins and later characterised also in mammals. in mice, the adp-ribosyltransferase artc2.2 is expressed at the surface of t lymphocytes and has been studied extensively. in the presence of extracellular nad(+), artc2.2 adp-ribosylates several cell surface target proteins and thereby regulates their function. p2x7, an atp-gated cation channel, has been discovered as a prominent artc2.2 target at the surface o ... | 2015 | 25048544 |
| possible delayed respiratory depression following intrathecal injection of morphine and bupivacaine in an alpaca. | to describe general anesthesia and successful treatment of an alpaca, which developed respiratory arrest 2 hours after intrathecal injection of morphine and bupivacaine. | 2014 | 25041808 |
| optimization of storage and stability of camel liver glutathione s-transferase. | glutathione s-transferases (gsts) are multifunctional enzymes and play an important role in cellular detoxification. besides this, gsts act as cytosolic carrier proteins that bind hydrophobic compounds such as heme, bilirubin, steroids, and polycyclic hydrocarbons. gst has great importance in biotechnology, as it is a target for vaccine and drug development and biosensors development for xenobiotics. moreover, the gst tag has been extensively used for protein expression and purification. until n ... | 2015 | 25036813 |
| radiolabeled nanobodies as theranostic tools in targeted radionuclide therapy of cancer. | the integration of diagnostic testing for the presence of a molecular target is of interest to predict successful targeted radionuclide therapy (trnt). this so-called 'theranostic' approach aims to improve personalized treatment based on the molecular characteristics of cancer cells. moreover, it offers new insights in predicting adverse effects and provides appropriate tools to monitor therapy responses. recent findings using nanobodies emphasize their potential as theranostic tools in cancer t ... | 2014 | 25035968 |
| camelid reporter gene imaging: a generic method for in vivo cell tracking. | to combine the sensitivity of bioluminescent imaging (bli) with the 3d and quantitative properties of pinhole single-photon emission computed tomography (spect)/micro-computed tomography (ct) (phspect/micro-ct), we generated stable cell lines that express a yellow-fluorescent protein (yfp) and gaussia luciferase (gluc) fusion protein (yfp/gluc). for in vivo phspect detection of this yfp/gluc protein, a nanobody, targeted against yellow and green fluorescent proteins (anti-yfp-nb), was site speci ... | 2014 | 25024930 |