Outpacing the resistance tsunami: Antimicrobial stewardship in equine medicine,an overview

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is the term increasingly used to describe the multiple approaches needed to sustain the efficacy of antimicrobial drugs in the face of the increasing development and spread of antimicrobial resistance in bacterial pathogens, and the global crisis in medicine that it is engendering. The concept and the practices associated with AMS continue to evolve but the general approach is a dynamic and multifaceted one of continuous improvement based on reducing, improving, monitoring and evaluating the use of antimicrobials so as to preserve their future efficacy and to protect human and animal health. Using many equine examples, this basic overview discusses the multiple and interacting elements of AMS: Practice guidelines, infection control and prevention, clinical microbiology, resistance and use surveillance, dosage, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, regulation, education and owner compliance, leadership, coordination and measurement. There have been impressive advances in recent years in reporting and analysis of AMR in horses, in the scrutiny and assessment of how antimicrobial drugs are used in horses and in identification of areas for improvement including dosing, surgical prophylaxis, infection control, development of practice standards and the use of clinical microbiology. Antimicrobial stewardship is taking shape as we start to see the emergence of evidence-based recommendations but far more is required. Containing and even rolling back AMR will need the continued engagement of practitioners, equine national and international practitioner organisations, researchers and educators in the academic community, horse owners, regulators and others.     

我国脲醛树脂制备技术研究概述

介绍了我国近年来脲醛树脂制备技术和实际应用概况,总结了生产实践中较为实用的树脂制备和改性方法,探讨了脲醛树脂目前存在问题,并指出发展方向。     

橡胶树优树无性系自然越冬过程生理指标变化研究

以橡胶树5个人工杂交子代优树无性系苗木为材料，通过自然越冬低温处理，以抗寒品种GT1为对照，测定了5个时间梯度下10个生理指标的变化过程，并利用隶属函数法对各无性系抗寒性进行综合评价。结果表明，整个自然越冬过程中各无性系间相对含水量、相对电导率、超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）和过氧化物酶（POD）活性、超氧阴离子（OFR）、氨基酸（AA）、脯氨酸（Pro）、可溶性糖及可溶性蛋白含量等生理指标差异均达到了极显著（P<0.01）水平；温度较高时各无性系间丙二醛（MDA）含量差异未达到显著水平。自然越冬过程中，各生理指标呈现不同的变化规律，其中相对含水量和脯氨酸含量呈先降后升变化，SOD、POD酶活性及可溶性蛋白含量呈“升—降—升”变化，相对电导率、MDA和可溶性糖含量呈“降—升—降”变化、OFR含量呈先升后降、AA含量呈“降—升—降—升”变化。各无性系间抗寒性差异较明显，应用隶属函数法综合评价抗寒性由强到弱依次为629号＞626号＞182号＞223号＞GT1（对照）＞628号。     

不同黑胫病发病程度下植烟根际土壤酶活性及细菌群落结构差异比较

土传病害的发生与土壤环境,特别是微生物群落结构变化密切相关,田间自然发病条件下探讨土传病害发生、发展过程中土壤环境因子的变化特征,可更加科学地评价病害发生与土壤环境因子变化的关系,为进一步了解土传病害发生机理提供必要科学依据。选择云南烟草黑胫病危害较为严重的3个植烟区(石林板桥、保山耇街、保山珠街)统一种植高感黑胫病烤烟品种红花大金元,调查定点田块病害发生情况并根据病害调查标准将发病烟株划分不同程度(正常烟株、轻度发病烟株、中度发病烟株、重度发病烟株)。同时在保山耇街试验点采集不同发病程度烟株根际土壤,分析比较其土壤酶活性及细菌群落的差异。研究结果表明:各调查点不同发病程度烟株根际土壤与脲酶、蔗糖酶、酸性磷酸酶、过氧化氢酶活性随发病程度增加均呈下降趋势;土壤16S rRNA高通量测序及多样性分析表明,与土壤细菌门类水平优势群落组成相似,并且随发病程度放线菌门相对丰度呈下降趋势,而酸杆菌门呈上升趋势;不同发病程度根际土壤细菌群落属水平上相对丰度差异较大,其中甾体杆菌属(Steroidobacter)、阿达尔杆菌属(Adhaeribacter)、根瘤菌属(Mesorhizobium)、杜氏杆菌属(Tumebacillus)随发病程度呈先下降后上升的趋势;细菌群落α多样性指数均不同程度低于健康根际土壤,且均表现为轻度发病烟株根际土壤α多样性指数最低,其中shannon和simpson指数轻度发病烟株显著低于健康烟株;PCoA主成分分析表明,根际土壤细菌群落结构随发病程度发生了明显分离,且沿第二主成分坐标轴上细菌群落结构分离随发病程度呈逐渐增大趋势。综上所述,不同发病程度烟株根际主要环境因子存在较大差异,土壤酶活性受到不同程度抑制,细菌群落组成发生趋向性变化,群落结构发生趋向性改变,土壤微生物多样性降低。     

Changes in the carbon concentrations and other soil properties of some Scottish agricultural soils: Evidence from a resampling campaign

The change in soil carbon (C) concentration, soil pH and major nutrients for approximately 1,000 topsoil sampled from on-farm experimental sites over a thirty-year period from 1950 to 1980 in north-east Scotland are summarized. This period coincided with increased agricultural intensification, which included regular liming and fertilizer additions. During 2017, 37 of these sites were resampled and reanlaysed. While pH and extractable phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) increased over this period, there was no detectable change in the percentage loss on ignition. Composite soil samples were taken by auger from a depth of 0–15 cm and compared with the corresponding archived samples collected at the initiation of each experiment. Analysis of these resampled soils indicated no significant change in soil carbon (C), although soil pH, extractable magnesium (Mg) and K and Nitrogen (N) concentrations were significantly greater (p < .001) but extractable soil P concentration was significantly less (p = .015) compared with the original samples. Even though measuring C concentration alone is a poor indicator of overall changes in soil C stocks, it does provide a relative quick “early warning” of C losses that would justify a more comprehensive measure of stocks.     

Genetic diversity and aggressiveness of Calonectria pteridis in Eucalyptus spp.

Calonectria leaf blight, caused by Calonectria pteridis, is currently one of the main foliar diseases in eucalypt plantations in Brazil. In warm and high rainfall regions, the disease can be a limiting factor for eucalypt production when planting susceptible genotypes. The most effective method for controlling this disease in the field is the use of resistant genotypes, which requires knowledge of the genetic variability and aggressiveness of the pathogen population for effective deployment of plant resistance. This work evaluated the genetic diversity and aggressiveness of C. pteridis populations obtained from infected eucalypt plants in Monte Dourado (Pará state) and Imperatriz (Maranhão state), Brazil. To study the genetic diversity, 16 ISSR primers were tested, five of which amplified polymorphic, reproducible and informative bands. Thirty-one closely related genotypes were identified from 84 isolates studied, indicating that the population has a low genetic diversity. The aggressiveness of seven isolates, selected according to geographic origin and their clustering in the ISSR-based dendogram, was determined by inoculation of a hybrid Eucalyptus grandis × E. urophylla clone under controlled conditions. Disease severity was assessed by both measuring the percentage of plant defoliation and assigning a score according to a diagrammatic scale of symptoms. A high correlation between the two evaluation methods was observed, which revealed significant differences in aggressiveness among the isolates. The diagrammatic scale is recommended for disease evaluation because results are obtained much faster, before the occurrence of severe defoliation. No correlation between clustering in the ISSR-based phylogenetic analysis and aggressiveness was observed.     

黏虫蛹性别的快速鉴别方法

根据黏虫Mythimna separata(Walker)蛹生殖孔的位置、腹部腹节的外部形态学特征、生殖孔(产卵孔)至排泄孔之间的距离,快速、准确鉴别黏虫蛹性别。雌蛹第8腹节腹面中央的生殖孔与第9腹节的产卵孔连接形成一纵裂缝,裂缝两侧平坦,无突起。生殖孔下端与第9腹节的前缘连接、产卵孔下端与第10腹节的前缘连接,形成2个明显的"人"字纹。雄蛹第8腹节无纵裂缝,在第9腹节腹面中央的生殖孔呈现的纵裂缝连接第10腹节,裂缝两边各有一个半圆形瘤状突起。雌雄蛹排泄孔均在第10腹节腹面,雌蛹产卵孔下端至排泄孔上端之间的距离为(400.85±151.10)μm,雄蛹生殖孔下端至排泄孔上端之间的距离为(178.21±93.59)μm,约为雌蛹相应距离的一半。采用该方法观察的270头羽化蛹的性别鉴别准确率100%。该方法对于快速鉴别黏虫蛹的性别、开展黏虫相关的生物学研究以及预测预报等具有重要的参考价值。     

Performance of Mixed Species and Mono‐specific Algal Diets for Culture of Larval Western School Prawns,Metapenaeus dalli

The effect of three mono‐specific and four combinations of the diatoms Chaetoceros muelleri, Chaetoceros calcitrans, and the chlorophyte Tetraselmis suecica on survival, development, and dry weight of the western school prawn, Metapenaeus dalli, was assessed from protozoea I until mysis I. The development and dry weight of larvae were significantly greater when fed diets comprising C. muelleri and/or T. suecica. A fourth diet, consisting of all three microalgal species also performed just as well. Survival alone was a poor measure of the performance of the various diets. Larvae fed with C. calcitrans, either alone or in a mixed diet with either C. muelleri or T. suecica, had significantly slower development and lower dry weight. Overall performance, assessed using the normalized biomass development index, determined that both mono‐specific and mixed diets containing C. muelleri and T. suecica were among the best for M. dalli larvae. These results for M. dalli are consistent with those found for commercially grown penaeid prawns. This study enhances the limited knowledge on the feeding requirements of metapenaeid prawn larvae. Moreover, the results will help improve hatchery methods for the aquaculture‐based enhancement of M. dalli in the Swan‐Canning Estuary and potentially increase the abundance of this iconic recreational species.     

Rhynchosporium leaf scald disease incidence: seed source and spatial pattern

A programme of field trials for the study of the winter barley–Rhynchosporium commune pathosystem is reported. The associated seedborne disease rhynchosporium leaf scald is regarded as having an important impact on barley yields. The analysis in this study relates to the impact of the seed source (commercial or farm-saved seed) on disease incidence and to the spatial pattern of rhynchosporium leaf scald disease incidence. Disease incidence data were calculated from field data recorded as disease severity. Mean disease incidence was higher in the crops grown from farm-saved seed than in those grown from commercial seed, although great agronomic significance cannot be attached to this result. The spatial pattern of rhynchosporium leaf scald disease incidence was characterized in terms of the binary power law (BPL) and was indicative of an aggregated pattern. Programme-wide BPL results were described using a novel phytopathological application of a random coefficients model. These results have application in field sampling for rhynchosporium leaf scald disease.     

Selection,optimization and characterization of molecular tests for the detection of Tobacco ringspot virus (TRSV)

The aim of the study was to select, optimize and characterize RT‐PCR tests for the detection of Tobacco ringspot virus (TRSV) in post‐entry quarantine. Among five different tests, the Poojari et al. (Journal of Virological Methods 235, 112–118) and Jossey & Babadoost (Plant Disease 90, 1361) conventionnal RT‐PCR tests were chosen and optimized for this purpose. Ten TRSV isolates, 17 healthy plants from the genera Vitis, Prunus and Malus, four other Nepoviruses or Secoviridae isolates and serial dilutions of three TRSV isolates were used for the complete characterization of the optimized tests. In the tested conditions, the Poojari and Jossey & Babadoost tests respectively showed 100% and 95% inclusivity, 100% and 100% exclusivity, 100% and 96.4% analytical specificity, 100% and 100% diagnostic specificity, [10^?7; 10^?1] and [10^?8; 10^?2] limit of detection dilution factors (analytical sensitivity), 91.1% and 90.0% repeatability, 90.3% and 91.1% reproducibility and 100% and 100% selectivity. Due to its higher inclusivity, the optimized Poojari test is recommended for the detection of TRSV isolates for post‐entry quarantine purposes, but can also be used for global surveys. The optimized Jossey & Babadoost test showed the best analytical sensitivity, suggesting that combining both tests can further enhance detection.