Increasing number of Salmonella paratyphi B isolates from slaughtered poultry sent in to the national Salmonella reference laboratory.]

In the last years the number of isolations of Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar paratyphi B (S. paratyphi B) sent to the national salmonella reference laboratory of Germany has increased steadily. Most of the isolates originated from fowl or poultry products. The bacteriological, serological and biochemical properties of the isolates were investigated. Special emphasis was given to the utilization of d-tartrate which subgroups the serovar. All of them belonged to the d-tartrate positive variant, which is generally considered less virulent for humans and was formerly called S. java. The performance of various tests is compared and in addition the possibility of the spread within the production line is discussed.     

Genetic relationships among resynthesized,semi-resynthesized and natural <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica napus</Emphasis> L. genotypes

The allopolyploidization event that created cultivated oilseed rape Brassica napus L, followed by intense breeding, reduced its genetic diversity. Resynthesized (RS) B. napus L. obtained by interspecific hybridization between genotypes of B. rapa L. and B. oleracea L. can be a valuable source for broadening genetic diversity in cultivated oilseed rape. In this study, we determined the extent of DNA polymorphism among natural accessions of oilseed rape, resynthesized B. napus, their parental species and double-low quality semi-RS lines carrying the Rfo gene. Using 10 selected primer combinations, 522 polymorphic AFLP markers were scored in the complete set of 100 Brassica sp. To detect relationships between these genotypes, a cluster analysis was performed using the Jaccard’s distance. Resynthesized allopolyploids clustered directly between their diploid parents. Cultivated accessions of oilseed rape created a compact group away from resynthesized allopolyploids as well as semi-RS lines. The natural oilseed rape group, which consists of 49 cultivars and breeding lines of oilseed rape, is characterized by lower genetic diversity than the group of 33 accessions of resynthesized oilseed rape, and the analysis showed that the double-low quality semi-RS lines represent a specific genetic variation of B. napus. The de novo resynthesized B. napus lines and the semi-RS lines of double-low quality generated from them, provide a significant opportunity for enrichment the gene pool of oilseed rape.     

Influence of zearalenone on reproductive system cell proliferation in gilts

Zearalenone (ZEA) is a macrocyclic lactone, estrogenic, diet-depending and fusaric micotoxin, which is produced on many kinds of cereals and feeds in the favourable conditions of humidity and temperature. The structure of ZEA is similar to the structure of estrogens and it enables binding to the estrogenic receptors. The stimulation of protein synthesis in the cells of the reproductive system, which causes intensification of cell proliferation, is one of the effects of ZEA actions. Oedema and vulva reddening are the clinical, external signs of ZEA intoxication in pigs. The aim of this study was to designate the degree of reproductive cell proliferation after low doses of ZEA were applied per os in sexually immature gilts with simultaneous monitoring of zearalenone and alpha-zearalenol levels in peripheral blood. The following were observed in the gilts examined fluctuations of zearalenone and alpha-zearalenol levels in blood, which were connected with entero-hepatic circulation and also numerous histopathological changes in ovarian follicle structure. These changes were present in the reproductive system of sexually immature gilts with a big contribution of PCNA-positive cells. The studies show that zearalenone application in sexually immature gilts caused ovarian follicle atresia and apoptoso-like changes in granule cells. Intensified cell proliferation, which was expressed with the growth of PCNA index, was observed in uterus and oviduct.     

A modeling analysis of the interaction between forest age and forest responsiveness to increasing CO2 concentration

Typically, forests have rotations of 10-200 years. On that time scale, anthropogenic increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2]) and the associated changes in climate are expected to be substantial. These changes will, therefore, almost certainly affect the growth of presently established forest stands. Most studies on the effects of increasing [CO2] on tree growth have been made with young plants. However, the growth of trees within a forest stand varies with age. As a consequence, it is difficult to infer from the available experimental data how rising [CO2] will affect forest productivity over a full rotation. In this study, various mechanisms that may account for the slowing of forest growth with age were introduced into the forest growth model CenW, to assess how these processes affect the modeled growth response to increasing [CO2]. Inclusion of allocation shifts with tree height, individual tree mortality, changing respiration load and nutrient dynamics or age-based reductions in photosynthetic capacity had only small effects on the response to increasing [CO2]. However, when photosynthesis of mature trees was decreased as a function of size, then the growth response to increasing [CO2] was reduced because, at the same age, trees were larger in elevated than in ambient [CO2]. No simple and generally valid interactions between increasing [CO2] and forest age were identified because of the large number of interacting processes, all of which are incompletely understood. Important age x climate change interactions on productivity must occur in real forests and need to be considered to understand likely future trends. However, these interactions are complex and difficult to test. It is therefore not yet possible to predict with confidence the modification of the CO2 response by forest age.     

Effects of water status and soil fertility on the C-isotope signature in Pinus radiata

The efficiency with which trees use water is a major determinant of growth under water-limited conditions. We investigated whether increased access to water and nutrients alters water-use efficiency in Pinus radiata D. Don. Intrinsic transpiration efficiency, defined here as the ratio of CO(2) assimilated and water transpired at a given vapor pressure deficit, is determined by the difference between ambient atmospheric CO(2) concentration (c(a)) and leaf intercellular CO(2) concentration (c(i)). The mean value of c(i)/c(a) can be inferred from an analysis of carbon isotope discrimination (Delta) in wood samples. A total of 117 trees, growing at sites with widely varying soil and climatic conditions in Australia and New Zealand, were cored and distinct annual rings were analyzed for their carbon isotope ratio, and correlated with rainfall during the July-June growing season in the year in which the wood was grown. Where possible, carbon isotope ratios were compared for different years within the same trees. The c(i)/c(a) ratio decreased with decreasing water availability, suggesting that intrinsic transpiration efficiency increased with decreasing water availability. An increase in growing season rainfall of 900 mm resulted in an increase in Delta of about 2.0 per thousand, corresponding to a decrease in intrinsic transpiration efficiency of approximately 24%. A stronger relationship was obtained when carbon isotope discrimination was expressed as a function of the ratio of rainfall to potential transpiration. Carbon isotope discrimination was also negatively correlated with mean annual vapor pressure deficit at different sites. In contrast, nutrient availability had no significant effect on carbon isotope discrimination.     

Use of a process-based model to describe spatial variation in Pinus radiata productivity in New Zealand

The process-based model CenW was used to model the growth of Pinus radiata in New Zealand. The model was parameterised by comparison with data from 101 permanent sample plots, consisting of 1309 individual observations of stands at different ages of up to 32 years. The data covered the range of conditions under which P. radiata is grown in New Zealand. Observations consisted of stand density, and height and/or basal area. Input parameters consisted of site water-holding capacity, soil texture and soil nitrogen concentration, and daily records of minimum and maximum air temperatures, precipitation, solar radiation and atmospheric humidity. Using the same plant parameters for the full data set from all locations, we obtained excellent correspondence between predictions and observed data. Model efficiencies ranged from 0.828 to 0.892 for four growth indices that were either directly observed (height, basal area) or derived from the data (stand volume, mean stem diameter).Within New Zealand, stand productivity was found to be particularly sensitive to mean annual air temperature and mean total annual precipitation, with optima reached from 12-15 °C and 1500-2000 mm, respectively. Productivity exhibited little sensitivity to site fertility as soil nutrition was generally adequate for most sites. Spatial projections showed highest productivity in the moderately wet, warm northern and western regions of the North Island and lowest for cold sites at higher elevation, dry eastern areas of the South Island and the extremely wet sites on the West Coast of the South Island. The model runs provided robust estimates of productivity across the diverse environmental conditions in New Zealand.     

Influence of land use in small karst watersheds on the chemical status of peloid sediments on the eastern Adriatic coast

Background, Aim and Scope  

Most of the cathment areas supplying water and mineral matter to the Adriatic bays with healing mud/peloids are affected by various degrees of human impact, i.e. activity that is introducing various types of contaminants to environment. The bays represent shallow marine depositional environments where organic-rich sediments accumulate. Investigations for balneological characterization of several localities along the Croatian coast have shown that these organic-rich sediments may be classified as healing mud, i.e. peloids. Healing mud due to its balneologic features is in treatment of various diseases and in improvement of the overall health conditions and general well-being. Various components of mud, particularly trace elements, could be absorbed through dermal contact. Therefore, the study of the abundance of such potentially toxic elements as As, Pb, Hg, Cd, Se, Sb, Cu, Zn in marine sediments used as healing mud is necessary in order to know their mobility and to avoid possible intoxications.     

Soil carbon and nitrogen changes after clearing mulga (Acacia aneura) vegetation in Queensland,Australia: Observations,simulations and scenario analysis

In the work reported here we examine the changes in soil (organic) carbon and nitrogen that are observed after converting a stand of nitrogen-fixing mulga trees (Acacia aneura) to buffel-grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) pasture that contained no nitrogen-fixing legumes. A range of previously reported field measurements was compared against the output of CenW 3.1, a reformulated version of the CENTURY model.The model successfully reproduced the observed patterns of soil carbon, C:N ratios and nitrogen mineralisation rates under mulga vegetation. This included relatively small changes in carbon concentration down to 1 m, C:N ratios of around 11–13 across all soil depths, substantial nitrogen mineralisation rates to a depth of 90 cm and, after clearing, an on-going decrease in soil organic carbon and nitrogen stocks.Interpretation of experimental observations was made difficult by the addition of a large amount of ‘dead’ organic matter from killed mulga roots after clearance. This material may be excluded through sieving (to 2 mm) in measurements taken shortly after tree removal, but may be included in later-year sampling as the partly decomposed material might be able to pass through sieves. Past work has usually ignored consideration of dead coarse roots. For the site carbon budget, changes in live biomass and surface litter significantly outweighed the small changes in soil organic carbon, and changes in decaying coarse roots were quantitatively more important than changes in other organic carbon pools.Modelled nitrogen mineralisation rates were lower under buffel-grass than those under mulga and showed significant year-to-year variations that were in line with varying rainfall. It showed no consistent trend over the first 20 years after clearing because the effect of decreasing nitrogen stocks was balanced by an increase in organic matter quality with the change from lignin-rich mulga litter to buffel-grass litter with lower lignin concentration. Nitrogen mineralisation rates gradually decreased thereafter as nitrogen stocks continued to decrease but litter quality stabilised.A scenario analysis showed that soil carbon and nitrogen trends could be affected by changing the nitrogen budget through inclusion of legumes or cessation of nutrient removal by grazing animals. Inclusion of legumes was needed to halt the decline in soil nitrogen and to ensure the long-term maintenance, or increase, in nitrogen stocks.