Prevalence of antibodies against feline coronavirus and Chlamydophila felis in Swedish cats

Serum samples from 214 Swedish cats with no signs of infectious disease were analysed for the presence of antibodies against Chlamydophila felis (Cp felis), while 209 of these were also analysed for feline coronavirus (FCoV) antibodies. The prevalence of antibodies against Cp felis was 11%, with no significant difference between purebred and mixed breed cats. The overall prevalence of antibodies against FCoV was 31%, significantly higher among pure breed cats (65%) than among mixed breed cats (17%). A high proportion of cats with antibodies against FCoV had relatively high antibody titres, and was therefore likely to be shedding FCoV in faeces. For Cp felis, the majority of seropositive animals had relatively low antibody titres, and the risk of these animals infecting others is not known.     

Thresholds of landscape change: a new tool to manage green infrastructure and social–economic development

An understanding of how and where a landscape can be improved with green infrastructure is important for the development of land-use policies. However, it is still a big challenge to manage landscapes due to a lack of condition-based diagnosis and consistent conflicts with social–economic interests. The purpose of this study is to identify the thresholds of landscape change and to explore new reference lines of policy decision-making for balancing social–economic development and green infrastructure management. Five different landscape types and their thresholds of landscape change were identified using parametric and piecewise linear models in the district of Haidian, Beijing, PR China, and their changes and social–economic drivers were analyzed with principal component analysis and a stepwise linear regression model for the time period 1991–2010. It is shown that different thresholds of different landscapes do exist and can be identified by the area of their key elements of green infrastructure. Integrating these thresholds into a social–economic context, it is shown where and how social–economic variables can be manipulated quantitatively to achieve development targets with respect to green infrastructure in individual towns and the entire district. Green infrastructure can be managed by changing just a small proportion of social–economic investment. This paper provides a useful tool to achieve a sustainable development by balancing green infrastructure with social–economic interests.     

Host-response patterns of intramammary infections in dairy cows

Many different bacterial species have the ability to cause an infection of the bovine mammary gland and the host response to these infections is what we recognize as mastitis. In this review we evaluate the pathogen specific response to the three main bacterial species causing bovine mastitis: Escherichia coli, Streptococcus uberis and Staphylococcus aureus. In this paper we will review the bacterial growth patterns, host immune response and clinical response that results from the intramammary infections. Clear differences in bacterial growth pattern are shown between bacterial species. The dominant pattern in E. coli infections is a short duration high bacteria count infection, in S. aureus this is more commonly a persistent infection with relative low bacteria counts and in S. uberis a long duration high bacteria count infection is often observed. The host immune response differs significantly depending on the invading bacterial species. The underlying reasons for the differences and the resulting host response are described. Finally we discuss the clinical response pattern for each of the three bacterial species. The largest contrast is between E. coli and S. aureus where a larger proportion of E. coli infections cause potentially severe clinical symptoms, whereas the majority of S. aureus infections go clinically unnoticed. The relevance of fully understanding the bovine host response to intramammary infection is discussed, some major gaps in our knowledge are highlighted and directions for future research are indicated.     

Aryldiones incorporating a [1,4,5]oxadiazepane ring. Part 2: chemistry and biology of the cereal herbicide pinoxaden

BACKGROUND: Pinoxaden is a new cereal herbicide that provides outstanding levels of post‐emergence activity against a broad spectrum of grass weed species for worldwide selective use in both wheat and barley. RESULTS: Factors influencing activity and tolerance to pinoxaden were in part linked to distinct structural parts of the active ingredient. Three complementary contributions that decisively impact upon the herbicidal potency against grasses were identified: a preferred 2,6‐diethyl‐4‐methyl aromatic substitution pattern, a dione area suitable for proherbicide formation and beneficial adjuvant effects. The uptake and translocation pattern of pinoxaden when coapplied with its tailored adjuvant were analysed by autoradiography, indicating extensive and rapid penetration, followed by effective distribution throughout the plant. Crop injury reduction on incorporation of the [1,4,5]oxadiazepane ring into the aryldione template was reinforced with safener technology. Comparative studies on the behaviour of pinoxaden applied either alone or in combination with the safener cloquintocet‐mexyl demonstrated that addition of the safener resulted in significant enhancement of metabolic degradation in wheat and barley, providing excellent crop tolerance and a substantial selectivity margin without adverse effects on weed control. CONCLUSION: The biological potential of pinoxaden and its active principle pinoxaden dione in terms of grass weed control and tolerance in cereals was fully exploited by inclusion of the safener cloquintocet‐mexyl in the formulation in combination with a specific and tailor‐made tank‐mix adjuvant based on methylated rape seed oil. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Competition for nitrogen between adult European beech and its offspring is reduced by avoidance strategy

Plant growth, reproduction, and biomass allocation may be affected differently by nitrogen availability depending on tree size and age. In this context, competition for limited N may be avoided by different strategies of N acquisition between different vegetation components (i.e., seedlings, mature trees, other woody and herbaceous understorey). This study investigated in a field experiment whether the competition for N between different vegetation components in beech forests was prevented via seasonal timing of N uptake and affected by microbial N use. For this purpose, a removal approach was used to study the seasonal effects on N uptake and N metabolites in adult beech trees and beech natural regeneration, as well as soil microbial processes of inorganic N production and utilisation. We found that the competition for N between beech natural regeneration and mature beech trees was reduced by seasonal avoidance strategies (“good parenting”) of N uptake regardless of the N sources used. In spring, organic and inorganic N uptake capacity was significantly higher in beech seedlings compared to adult beech trees, whereas in autumn mature beech trees showed the highest N uptake rates. Removal of vegetation components did not result in changes in soil microbial N processes in the course of the growing season. Thus, N resources released by the removal of vegetation components were marginal. This consistency in soil microbial N processes indicates that competition between plants and soil microorganisms for N was not avoided by timing of acquisition during the vegetation period, but existed during the entire growing season. In conclusion, N nutrition in the studied forest ecosystem seems to be optimally attuned to European beech.     

Erarbeitung einer methode zur verwendung von altdaten der moore für die kennzeichnung von flächenbodenformen

Die Bewertung von Bodenfunktionen in Mooren ist derzeitig aufgrund fehlender Bewertungsmethoden als auch Bewertungsparameter nur unbefriedigend möglich. Das Ziel der Forschungsarbeit war die Erarbeitung einer Methode, vorhandene Altdaten für die Kennzeichnung von Flächenbodenformen in Bodenkarten so aufzubereiten, dass Idealprofile mit entsprechenden Datensätzen für die Bewertung von Bodenfunktionen bereitgestellt werden können. Zur Auswertung kamen folgende Materialien: Datensätze von verschiedenen hydrologisch‐genetischen Moortypen mit Informationen zur Stratigraphie, Art der Torfe und Mudden, Zersetzungsgrad, Tiefe der Substratwechsel, wesentliche physikalische und hydrologische Bodenkennwerte sowie digitalisierte Bodenkarten 1:25000. Die entwickelte Methode stellt eine Abfolgevorschrift mit Zuordnungsregeln dar. Informationen über den hydrologisch‐genetischen Moortyp und die Art der liegenden Schicht ermöglichen eine Vorhersage des Bodensubtyps. Zwei Stufen der Bodenentwicklung wurden beschrieben: vererdetes und vermulmtes Niedermoor. Unter Verwendung von Verknüpfungsregeln und Expertwissen ist es möglich, Idealprofile für Flächenbodenformen inhaltlich zu beschreiben. Durch Zuordnung von GIS‐Karten können dann Bodenfunktionen für definierte Flächen bewertet werden.     

Expression of mRNA for proglucagon and glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) receptor in the ruminant gastrointestinal tract and the influence of energy intake

Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) is a potent trophic gut hormone, yet its function in ruminants is relatively unknown. Experiment 1 was conducted as a pilot study to establish the presence of GLP-2 in ruminants and to ascertain whether it was responsive to increased nutrition, as in non-ruminants. Concentrations of intact GLP-2 in the blood and gut epithelial mRNA expression of proglucagon (GCG) and the GLP-2 receptor (GLP2R) were measured in 4 ruminally, duodenally, and ileally cannulated steers. Steers were fed to meet 0.75 × NE_M for 21 d, and then increased to 1.75 × NE_M requirement for another 29 d. Blood samples and ruminal, duodenal, and ileal epithelium biopsies were collected at low intake (Days −6 and −3), acute high intake (Days 1 and 3), and chronic high intake (Days 7 and 29) periods. Experiment 2 investigated the mRNA expression pattern of GCG and GLP2R in epithelial tissue obtained from the forestomachs (rumen, omasum, and abomasum) and intestines (duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and colon) of 18 forage-fed Angus steers (260 kg BW). In Experiments 1 and 2, real-time polymerase chain reaction showed that expression of GCG and GLP2R mRNA was detectable in forestomach tissues, but expression was greater (P < 0.001) in small intestinal and colon tissue. High energy intake tended (P = 0.07) to increase plasma GLP-2 during the acute period and was paralleled by a 78% increase (P = 0.07) in ileal GCG mRNA expression. After this initial adaptation, duodenal GCG mRNA expression increased (P = 0.08) during the chronic high intake period. Duodenal GLP2R mRNA expression was not affected by energy intake, but ileal GLP2R expression was increased after 29 d of high energy intake compared to both the low and acute high intake periods (P = 0.001 and P = 0.01, respectively). These data demonstrate that cattle express GCG and GLP2R mRNA primarily in small intestinal and colon tissues. Increased nutrient intake increases ileal GCG mRNA and plasma GLP-2, suggesting that GLP-2 may play a role in the trophic response of the ruminant gastrointestinal tract to increased feed intake.     

Standardized method for the Holmen pellet tester (NHP100) as a tool for evaluating the physical quality of fish feed

The fish feed production industry requires reliable methods measuring the physical quality of feed before it is being released to the customer. The Holmen pellet tester (NHP 100) could be adapted for this purpose, but the special characteristics of fish feed require particular care during testing. The aim of the study was to determine the standardized conditions for using the Holmen tester as a tool measuring the durability of fish feed. Screening tests were performed on commercial fish feed samples to assess the effects of temperature, pressure and cleaning the instrument between runs. The operating pressure was found to be the most important factor that can influence the results. The temperature of the operating air can also alter the results; increased temperatures can cause oil to melt and leak from the pellets. Cleaning the instrument between analyses can also affect the results. This study shows that when these factors are maintained at a standardized level, the Holmen pellet tester is a valuable tool for assessing the physical quality of fish feed giving additional information on the quality of feed pellets compared to other durability tests like DORIS.