Significant mortality of large ruminants due to hypothermia in northern and central Lao PDR

An extreme cold exposure event occurred between March 14th and 19th 2011 in northern and central Lao PDR resulting in a major mortality of cattle and buffalo. At least six northern and one central province reported losses, involving 46 districts and 1,384 smallholder farmers, with a total of 7,162 cattle and 3,744 buffalo reported to have died in association with cold weather. Affected animals were observed to shiver, display slow and shallow respiration, lose consciousness and eventually die. Many deaths occurred at night and were recorded in both sexes and all ages of large ruminants. However, mortalities occurred mostly in animals that were free-grazing in the forest and natural grassland, and exposed to the cold weather. Some housed animals that were provided with warmth from shelter and fires and supplementary feed did not die. Samples from dead animals collected for laboratory analysis confirmed that bacterial or viral pathogens were not present. The cause of the mortality was attributed to hypothermia, and the economic losses were estimated at USD 2,463,912.00. Xieng Khouang Province reported the most severe losses with deaths of 4,600 cattle and 1,665 buffalo. At Thong Haihin meteorological station in this province on March 16th and 17th 2011, minimum temperatures recorded were 6.7°C and 7.5°C and rainfall recorded was 36.6 mm and 61.7 mm, respectively. This was the first reported extreme cold event in living memory occurring between the end of dry season and beginning of the wet season in northern Laos. This event is reported in detail as it caused a major loss of wealth for poor smallholder farmers and indicates that strategies to minimise the impact of extreme cold weather events need to be included in livestock development extension programmes.     

An automated sensor-based method of simple behavioural classification of sheep in extensive systems

Automated sensor-based behaviour classification systems are already developed and used for cattle in an agricultural context.To develop a similar tool for sheep we investigated the use of pitch and roll tilt sensors to provide information about sheep behaviour. The aim was to determine if different behaviour types associated with grazing can be accurately identified using tilt sensor data. We collected data from two adjacent enclosures at two contrasting sites, one in the Southern Uplands grazed by Cheviot ewes and one in the Western Highlands of Scotland grazed by Scottish Blackface ewes. In addition to our observations of ewes on hill pasture we also observed collared ewes in flat and gently sloped fields and in a shed to evaluate the tilt data. The data was analysed using three classification methods, a linear discriminant analysis, a classification tree method, and a manually developed decision tree consisting of four “if then” loops.We found that we can distinguish between the two behaviour categories “active” and “inactive”, even if only pitch tilt data is used. All three methods provide very good classification predictions with more than 90% correct results. However, the classification tree method was less robust than the other methods. Using the manually developed decision tree, we produced results of activity that were robust and credible.By using the behaviour classification we are able to collect data on different genotypes, systems or management options in sheep farming, and in combination with GPS we will be able to improve management strategies and gain information about grazing ecology. It can also be seen as a first step to support farmers with a viable system to comply with welfare regulations in the light of European Union Common Agricultural Policy and as an integral part for future developments regarding virtual fencing technology for sheep.     

Utilisation of mucilage C by microbial communities under drought

Root mucilage modulates soil-plant-water dynamics, but its interactions with microbial community functioning remain poorly understood. The aims of this study were to estimate (I) the impacts of mucilage and soil water content on the microbial community composition and (II) the mucilage consumption by individual microbial groups. C4 root mucilage from maize (at 40 and 200 μg C per gram dry soil, corresponding to 10 and 50% of soil microbial biomass, respectively) was added in single pulses to a C3 soil at two moisture levels: optimum (80% of water-holding capacity (WHC)) and drought (30% of WHC). After 15 days of incubation, the microbial community composition was studied by phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) analysis and incorporation of mucilage-derived ¹³C into individual microbial groups was determined by compound-specific isotope analysis. Microbial community composition remained largely unaffected by mucilage addition but was affected by moisture. Whereas an increase in water content reduced mucilage ¹³C recovery in PLFA for the low-dose mucilage amendment from 19 to 9%, it had no effect under the high-dose amendment (11–12%). This suggests that the role of mucilage for microbial functioning is especially pronounced under drought conditions. The fungal PLFA 18:2ω6,9 was present only under drought conditions, and fungi profited in their mucilage C utilisation from the lower competitiveness of many bacterial groups under drought. In this study, Gram-negatives (G?, characterised by PLFA 18:1ω9c, 18:1ω7c, 16:1ω7c and cy17:0) showed the highest mucilage-derived ¹³C in PLFA, especially at the high-dose amendment, suggesting them to be the major decomposers of mucilage, especially when the availability of this C source is high. Gram-positives (G+) included different sub-groups with distinct responses to moisture: G+ 1 (a15:0) were only competitive for mucilage C under drought, whereas G+ 3 (i17:0) were only able to utilise mucilage-derived C under optimal moisture conditions. During the 15-day incubation, they built up more than 40% of their membranes from mucilage-derived C, suggesting that in the case of high availability, mucilage can act as an important C source for this microbial group. However, under drought, G? 1 and fungi were incorporating the most mucilage C into their membranes (approx. 20% of PLFA-C). The observation that, for some groups, the high-dose mucilage amendments under drought led to higher ¹³C incorporation into PLFA than under optimum moisture suggests that mucilage can compensate drought effects for particular microbial groups. Thus, mucilage may not only act as a C source for microorganisms but may also mitigate drought effects for specific rhizosphere microbial groups.     

Confirmation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Peronospora agrimoniae</Emphasis> as a distinct species

Leaves with typical symptoms of downy mildew were found on common agrimony in the Czech Republic in 2014 and 2015 and at several locations in Germany from 2010 to 2014. The causal agent of downy mildew of agrimony was often reported as Peronospora agrimoniae, but sometimes also as P. sparsa. Morphological characteristics of the pathogens found in both countries are in the range of previous works for P. agrimoniae, but also other downy mildews parasitic on Rosaceae, rendering their discrimination based on published observations difficult. For molecular identification sequencing of several loci (nrITS rDNA, cox1 and cox2) was performed. Phylogenetic analyses based on nrITS rDNA clearly separated P. agrimoniae from other Peronospora species infecting Rosaceae. Thus, considering P. agrimoniae as separate species seems justified. Two German specimens were identical to two Czech samples in both nrITS rDNA and cox1 mtDNA sequences, but differed in a single nucleotide substitution in cox2 region. To our knowledge, this is the first verified record of P. agrimoniae on common agrimony in the Czech Republic.     

River damming drives population fragmentation and habitat loss of the threatened Danube streber (Zingel streber): Implications for conservation

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Biopore history determines the microbial community composition in subsoil hotspots

Biopores are hotspots of nutrient mobilisation and shortcuts for carbon (C) into subsoils. C processing relies on microbial community composition, which remains unexplored in subsoil biopores. Phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs; markers for living microbial groups) and amino sugars (microbial necromass markers) were extracted from two subsoil depths (45–75 cm ; 75–105 cm) and three biopore types: (I) drilosphere of Lumbricus terrestris L., (II) 2-year-old root biopores and (III) 1.5-year-old root biopores plus six 6 months of L. terrestris activities. Biopore C contents were at least 2.5 times higher than in bulk soil, causing 26–35 times higher Σ PLFAs g^-1 soil. The highest Σ PLFAs were found in both earthworm biopore types; thus, the highest soil organic matter and nutrient turnover were assumed. Σ PLFAs was 33% lower in root pores than in earthworm pores. The treatment affected the microbial community composition more strongly than soil depth, hinting to similar C quality in biopores: Gram-positives including actinobacteria were more abundant in root pores than in earthworm pores, probably due to lower C bioavailability in the former. Both earthworm pore types featured fresh litter input, promoting growth of Gram-negatives and fungi. Earthworms in root pores shifted the composition of the microbial community heavily and turned root pores into earthworm pores within 6 months. Only recent communities were affected and they reflect a strong heterogeneity of microbial activity and functions in subsoil hotspots, whereas biopore-specific necromass accumulation from different microbial groups was absent.     

Sequencing of Culex quinquefasciatus establishes a platform for mosquito comparative genomics

Culex quinquefasciatus (the southern house mosquito) is an important mosquito vector of viruses such as West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis virus, as well as of nematodes that cause lymphatic filariasis. C. quinquefasciatus is one species within the Culex pipiens species complex and can be found throughout tropical and temperate climates of the world. The ability of C. quinquefasciatus to take blood meals from birds, livestock, and humans contributes to its ability to vector pathogens between species. Here, we describe the genomic sequence of C. quinquefasciatus: Its repertoire of 18,883 protein-coding genes is 22% larger than that of Aedes aegypti and 52% larger than that of Anopheles gambiae with multiple gene-family expansions, including olfactory and gustatory receptors, salivary gland genes, and genes associated with xenobiotic detoxification.     

Intravascular danger signals guide neutrophils to sites of sterile inflammation

Neutrophils are recruited from the blood to sites of sterile inflammation, where they contribute to wound healing but may also cause tissue damage. By using spinning disk confocal intravital microscopy, we examined the kinetics and molecular mechanisms of neutrophil recruitment to sites of focal hepatic necrosis in vivo. Adenosine triphosphate released from necrotic cells activated the Nlrp3 inflammasome to generate an inflammatory microenvironment that alerted circulating neutrophils to adhere within liver sinusoids. Subsequently, generation of an intravascular chemokine gradient directed neutrophil migration through healthy tissue toward foci of damage. Lastly, formyl-peptide signals released from necrotic cells guided neutrophils through nonperfused sinusoids into the injury. Thus, dynamic in vivo imaging revealed a multistep hierarchy of directional cues that guide neutrophil localization to sites of sterile inflammation.     

Combination of Trabectedin and Gemcitabine for Advanced Soft Tissue Sarcomas: Results of a Phase I Dose Escalating Trial of the German Interdisciplinary Sarcoma Group (GISG)

Background: Evaluation of the potential efficacy and safety of combination therapies for advanced soft tissue sarcomas (STS) has increased substantially after approval of trabectedin and pazopanib. Trabectedin’s introduction in Europe in 2007 depended mainly on its activity in so-called L-sarcomas (liposarcoma and leiomyosarcoma); combination of trabectedin with other chemotherapies used in STS seems of particular interest. Methods: We initiated within the German Interdisciplinary Sarcoma Group (GISG) a phase I dose escalating trial evaluating the combination of trabectedin and gemcitabine in patients with advanced and/or metastatic L-sarcomas (GISG-02; ClinicalTrials.gov {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT01426633","term_id":"NCT01426633"}}NCT01426633). Patients were treated with increasing doses of trabectedin and gemcitabine. The primary endpoint was to determine the maximum tolerated dose. Results: Five patients were included in the study. Two patients were treated on dose level 1 comprising trabectedin 0.9 mg/m² on day 1 and gemcitabine 700 mg/m² on days 1 + 8, every 3 weeks. Due to dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) in both patients (elevated transaminases and thrombocytopenia), an additional three patients were treated on dose level −1 with trabectedin 0.7 mg/m² plus gemcitabine 700 mg/m². Of these three patients, two demonstrated another DLT; therefore, the trial was stopped and none of the dose levels could be recommended for phase II testing. Conclusion: The GISG-02 phase I study was stopped with the conclusion that the combination of gemcitabine and trabectedin is generally not recommended for the treatment of patients with advanced and/or metastatic leiomyosarcoma or liposarcoma. Also, this phase I study strongly supports the necessity for careful evaluation of combination therapies.