Explanation and Elaboration Document for the STROBE‐Vet Statement: Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology—Veterinary Extension

The STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) statement was first published in 2007 and again in 2014. The purpose of the original STROBE was to provide guidance for authors, reviewers, and editors to improve the comprehensiveness of reporting; however, STROBE has a unique focus on observational studies. Although much of the guidance provided by the original STROBE document is directly applicable, it was deemed useful to map those statements to veterinary concepts, provide veterinary examples, and highlight unique aspects of reporting in veterinary observational studies. Here, we present the examples and explanations for the checklist items included in the STROBE‐Vet statement. Thus, this is a companion document to the STROBE‐Vet statement methods and process document (JVIM_14575 “Methods and Processes of Developing the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology—Veterinary (STROBE‐Vet) Statement” undergoing proofing), which describes the checklist and how it was developed.     

槐属植物新品种DUS测试指南性状特征研究

通过资料搜集、野外调查和定点观测,研究了槐属国内外近30种、近20变种变型、10余栽培变种及授权植物新品种,从分类学的角度对槐属植物主要形态性状和生长性状进行了准确描述和科学分级,筛选确定了40个基本性状,并对每个基本性状的表达状态进行描述分级,共划分了153个表达状态或等级.利用这些性状表达和分级可以对现有槐属植物种...     

OIE抗菌药耐药性国际标准

兽用抗菌药耐药性已经成为一个全球普遍关注的公共健康问题,各国际组织都积极采取相应的措施控制耐药性的产生和蔓延。介绍了国际组织世界动物卫生组织OIE制定的五个国际标准,包括协调抗菌药耐药性监督和检测程序指南、畜牧业抗菌药消耗量监测指南、兽用抗菌药慎用指南、抗菌药敏感性检测的实验室方法指南、动物源抗菌药耐药性对公共健康潜在影响的风险分析方法指南,以期为我国政策制定者和决策者参照国际标准制定出符合我国国情的耐药性相关指南。     

Assessment of soil contamination by potentially toxic elements in the aljustrel mining area in order to implement soil reclamation strategies

Land pollution due to past mining activities is a major environmental issue in many European countries. The Aljustrel mine (SW Portugal), located in the western sector of the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IBP) presents a negative visual and environmental impact as a consequence of the mining activity that has developed since the Roman era. Its impacts are also a restraint on the life quality of the population. The exposure of pyrite and other sulphides to air are responsible for the pollution observed in soils, surface water and stream sediments. This paper investigates the pollution load of potential toxic elements in soil samples collected around the Aljustrel mining area. The aim is to assess the levels of soil contamination with respect to average concentrations of toxic elements in the region and to understand the partitioning and availability of pollutants in the area. The results showed severe soil contamination (mainly As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn). The concentrations of As (up to 3936 mg kg⁻¹) and certain heavy metals (up to 5414 mg kg⁻¹ Cu, 61·6 mg kg⁻¹ Cd, 20 000 mg kg⁻¹ Pb and 20 000 mg kg⁻¹ Zn) are two orders of magnitude above the regional South Portuguese Zone (SPZ) background values. The median concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn exceed the values established for world soils, the European Union, Portugal and Andalusia. The results suggest that the distribution patterns of Co, Cr and Ni element concentrations in the Aljustrel area are primarily influenced by the lithology and geochemistry nature of bedrock. The soil background of this geological domain is characterized by relatively high heavy metal contents, essentially derived from the parent rocks. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil disturbance and post-logging forest recovery on bulldozer paths in Sabah, Malaysia

We examined the extent of soil disturbance associated with bulldozer yarding and the regrowth of woody vegetation on bulldozer paths (skid trails) in selectively logged dipterocarp forest. In an area logged in 1993, using conventional, i.e., uncontrolled, harvesting methods, about 17% of the area was covered by roads and skid trails. In contrast, in a 450-ha experimental area where reduced-impact logging guidelines were implemented, 6% of the area was similarly disturbed. Skid trails in the reduced-impact logging areas were less severely disturbed than those in conventional logging areas; the proportion of skid trails with subsoil disturbance was less than half that in conventional logging areas. Four years after logging, woody plant recovery on skid trails was greater in areas logged by reduced-impact than by conventional methods. Skid trails where topsoil had been bladed off had less woody vegetation than skid trails with intact topsoil. In a chronosequence of logging areas (3, 6, and 18 years after logging), species richness and stem densities of woody plants (>1 m tall, <5 cm dbh) were lower on skid trail tracks than on skid trail edges or in adjacent forest. Both richness and density increased with time since logging, but even 18 years after logging, abandoned skid trails were impoverished in small woody stems compared with adjacent forest. Minimizing soil and stand disturbance during logging appears to allow a more rapid recovery of vegetation on bulldozed soils, but the long-term fate of trees growing on compacted soils remains uncertain.     

Welfare Auditing and Certification for Broiler Chickens

The chicken broiler industry has moved deliberately in developing guidelines and audit procedures for best animal welfare practices. The National Chicken Council (NCC) and its member companies, with the assistance of numerous organizations and academic professionals, have made tremendous progress in identifying welfare issues in broilers, defining these in the guidelines, and taking steps to ensure compliance by a proper audit process and documentation. Even though the many entities involved in the welfare process might have been confusing initially, individual companies and customers now have choices to make in the audit process that, if wisely done, will document humane practices or the need for changes to improve them.Now, NCC and its member companies are looking forward to an orderly and professional welfare and audit process. They are encouraging adequate training for auditors and the use of audit guidelines that are based on a respectable knowledge of the science and industry practices. NCC companies are interested in and will support audits and auditors who are qualified for the job at hand, even though such auditors may arrive by a number of different routes. Regardless of any initial confusion within this process, broiler companies will go to almost any lengths to satisfy reasonable needs and demands of their customers, knowing that the ultimate implementation of the welfare process depends on what the customer needs. Also, we realize that the final consumer eventually pays for any added service or feature, and it is in the interest of everyone along this product-process chain to keep animal welfare demands reasonable, affordable, and based on what has been proven to be most humane in both science and practice.     

Germination requirements for 29 terrestrial and wetland wild plant species appropriate for phytotoxicity testing

BACKGROUND: Species selected for phytotoxicity testing have been limited to a few standard crop species owing to restrictive recommendations at the regulatory level. However, guidelines by the Organisation for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD) were recently amended in 2006 to include a list of herbaceous non‐crop plant species suitable for testing. The objective of this study was to outline the optimum germination requirements for a selection of wild species for which seeds were readily available from commercial suppliers. RESULTS: Of the 29 herbaceous terrestrial and wetland species included in this study, all achieved 50% germination and 23 reached > 70% germination to meet the criterion outlined in the OECD guidelines. Most species attained their maximum germination within 14 days or less. Cold stratification of imbibed seeds improved germination for 14 species. Increasing sowing soil depth did not improve seed germination. The variance attained in this experiment between replicates was low, especially for species with > 70% germination (standard error ～5%). CONCLUSION: The present study showed that 23 of the 29 species tested required minimal pretreatments and produced consistent, reliable and uniform germination reaching at least 70%. The inclusion of wild plant species in regulatory testing should be given real consideration. Copyright © 2008 Crown in the right of Canada. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd     

林木植物新品种DUS测试指南编写方案的探讨

论述了林木新品种DUS测试的重要意义及植物DUS测试的国内外现状, 探讨了在我国开展林木新品种DUS测试指南编写工作的总体思路、具体方案及操作原则等。总体思路和实施方案为:学习UPOV关于植物新品种保护特异性、一致性、稳定性测试指南编制原则、相关规定及我国部分农作物编制的成功经验; 收集林木现有品种(系)的有关资料, 内容包括:品种的表型特征、适应性、生长特征、抗性特征、适生环境等; 整理汇总资料, 参照UPOV的原则选择测试性状体系及设计科学的田间测试操作规程; 结合UPOV评价体系和具体树种的育种现状, 建立我国具体林木属(种)的新品种DUS测试指南技术标准和可能的DNA指纹档案。