Protein adsorption on nano-scaled, rippled TiO2 and Si surfaces

We synthesized nano-scaled periodic ripple patterns on silicon and titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) surfaces by xenon ion irradiation, and performed adsorption experiments with human plasma fibrinogen (HPF) on such surfaces as a function of the ripple wavelength. Atomic force microscopy showed the adsorption of HPF in mostly globular conformation on crystalline and amorphous flat Si surfaces as well as on nano-structured Si with long ripple wavelengths. For short ripple wavelengths the proteins seem to adsorb in a stretched formation and align across or along the ripples. In contrast to that, the proteins adsorb in a globular assembly on flat and long-wavelength rippled TiO(2), but no adsorbed proteins could be observed on TiO(2) with short ripple wavelengths due to a decrease of the adsorption energy caused by surface curvature. Consequently, the adsorption behavior of HPF can be tuned on biomedically interesting materials by introducing a nano-sized morphology while not modifying the stoichiometry/chemistry.     

Antimicrobial resistance of commensal Escherichia coli from dairy cattle associated with recent multi-resistant salmonellosis outbreaks

The use of antimicrobial drugs in livestock is suspected to contribute to bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AR) development. Dairy farms experiencing recent outbreaks of salmonellosis involving multi-resistant (MR) Salmonella strains were compared to control farms with respect to AR among bovine commensal E. coli isolates. For most antimicrobials tested, the percentage of AR E. coli isolated from salmonellosis-affected farms was significantly higher than that from control farms. Calf E. coli from both case and control farms had greater levels of AR than cow isolates. Commensal E. coli isolates from case farms and calves tended to more frequently be MR. These data are consistent with the existence of higher antimicrobial selection pressure on farms with recent salmonellosis outbreaks, however, the directionality of the relationship remains to be elucidated. An improved understanding of the epidemiology of AR bacteria in livestock production, both at the herd and molecular level, is essential to mitigate risk to public health and food safety.     

Weather and human impacts on forest fires: 100 years of fire history in two climatic regions of Switzerland

Understanding the factors driving past fire regimes is crucial in the context of global change as a basis for predicting future changes. In this study, we aimed to identify the impact of climate and human activities on fire occurrence in the most fire-prone regions of Switzerland. We considered forest fires, land use and meteorological data over the period 1904-2008 in the neighboring mountain cantons (states) of Valais and Ticino, which are characterized by distinct climatic regimes.The presence/absence of fire ignitions was analyzed using the Nesterov ignition index (as a proxy for fire weather), road density (for ignition sources), livestock density (for biomass removal), and change in forest area (for fire-prone abandoned agricultural areas).We found that fire weather played a key role in fire occurrence in both regions. Road and livestock densities had similar influences in the two cantons. However, while the increase in forest area was well correlated with fire occurrence in Ticino, no such correlation was evident in Valais, probably because land abandonment and forest cover change have been less extensive there. Our findings emphasize the non-linear nature of the relationships between fire occurrence and anthropogenic drivers, as we found thresholds above which road density was no longer correlated with fire occurrence. This implies that the projected future increase and spatial concentration of the human population may not result in a further increase in fire risk in intermediately to densely populated areas in both cantons.The driving factors behind fire activity differ slightly in the two cantons, in particular with increasing forest area enhancing fire occurrence in Ticino but not in Valais. These differences should be taken into account when assessing future fire risk, especially in Valais where the potential for an increase in the fire-prone area is still high. Fires are likely to become more frequent in a warmer climate, but future fire activity may develop differently in the two cantons. This should be taken into account when planning optimized fire prevention measures. This case study should help to better understand fire activity in highly populated regions where fire activity is still moderate but might markedly increase under a projected more fire-prone climate.     

一种新的评估风味乳制品感官属性的整体评估法浅析

介绍了风味乳制品感官表现分析的历史、概念及人在品尝食物时的感官次序,详细阐述了如何利用一种新的整体评估法对风味乳制品的感官表现进行评价。通过对照实验阐明了可以通过添加特定风味改良剂（食品用香精）,使风味乳制品的风味与口感达到最佳状态,从而提升风味乳制品的喜好度。     

Effect of Previous Experience on Grazing Patterns and Diet Selection of Brangus Cows in the Chihuahuan Desert

The ability to adapt to different environments is critical when livestock are moved because of drought or other management considerations. The impact of previous experience on grazing patterns and diet selection of Brangus cows in desert conditions was evaluated. Cows originating from a humid-subtropical environment (Leona, Texas) were brought to the Chihuahuan Desert (naïve) and evaluated against cows that spent their life in the Chihuahuan Desert (native) and cows that were born and raised in the Chihuahuan Desert but were moved to Leona, Texas during the preceding 3 yr (tourist). In addition, native cows with recent experience in desert conditions were compared with naïve cows and tourist cows that had not been in the Chihuahuan Desert for at least 3 yr. All cows were mature and had similar pedigrees (n = 21). Cows from the three groups were tracked in three extensive pastures (> 1 000 ha) for three 8–10-d periods during winter, early summer, and later summer. Cows never grazed in the experimental pastures before the study, but native and tourist cows had grazed adjacent pastures. Fecal near-infrared spectroscopy was used to estimate diet quality. Naïve cows used 335 ha ± 83 standard error (SE) less area (P = 0.06) and were 479 m ± 105 SE closer to water (P = 0.03) than cows born and raised in the Chihuahuan Desert (native and tourist cows pooled) when first evaluated in winter. After pooling all data, native cows were farther (P = 0.06) from water (730 m ± 283 SE) and spent less time at water (10.53% ± 3.93 SE) than cows that did not spend their entire life in the desert (naïve and tourist pooled). During winter and early summer (drought conditions), naïve cows selected diets with lower (P < 0.05) crude protein (CP) than cows born in the desert, but during late summer after abundant precipitation naïve cows selected a diet with higher (P = 0.07) CP. Although Brangus cows are highly adaptable, animals raised in nearby pastures appear to have advantages over naïve animals when grazing Chihuahuan Desert rangeland.     

Resin pocket occurrence in Norway spruce depending on tree and climate variables

Resin or pitch pockets cause a significant reduction in timber quality of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst). Their occurrence is very variable within the stem and between trees and stands. Researchers have suggested several causes of resin pocket formation with a majority arguing in favour of storms as the main causing factor.     

Factors associated with variation in Neospora caninum bulk-milk S/P ratios in initially bulk-milk negative testing Dutch dairy herds

We conducted a study on 81 initially bulk-milk ELISA negative dairy herds taken from a random sample of Dutch dairy herds to evaluate variation in bulk-milk S/P ratios and to study reasons for bulk-milk conversion. These herds were repeatedly (3-month intervals) tested between April 2004 and August 2005 and serostatus of all animals had previously been established as negative (N), low-positive (LP) or high-positive (HP). Of these herds, herd- and test-related factors associated with variation in sample over positive (S/P) ratios were analysed using a multivariable linear-mixed model with ‘herd’ as random effect. In addition, changes of animal serostatus in converting herds were described. S/P ratios were calculated as the optical density of the bulk-milk sample minus the optical density of the negative serum control divided by the difference in optical density between the positive and negative serum control.

Sixteen bulk-milk conversions in 12 dairy herds were seen with few indications of serological conversion in lactating cattle except for one herd in which recrudescence of infection appeared likely in nine cows. The effect of HP serostatus on bulk-milk S/P ratio was 2–3 times stronger compared with LP serostatus. In addition, bulk-milk S/P-ratio increased when the proportion of HP animals between 1 and 60 days in milk increased and decreased when the average milk-production level of the herd increased. Besides these herd-related factors, the use of different ELISA-testkits between test rounds had a significant effect on the S/P-ratio in bulk-milk samples.     

Spatial Assessment of Land Degradation Risk for the Okavango River Catchment,Southern Africa

The Okavango catchment in southern Africa is subject to environmental as well as socio‐economic transformation processes such as population growth and climate change. The degradation of soil and vegetation by deforestation and overgrazing is one of the downsides of this development, reducing the capacity of the land to provide ecosystem functions and services. In this study, climate simulations are brought together with secondary socioeconomic, pedologic and remote‐sensing data in a GIS‐based assessment of the factors commonly associated with land degradation risk. A high resolution overview is provided for decision‐makers and stakeholders in the region by identifying priority intervention areas where a long‐term decline in ecosystem function and land productivity is most likely to occur. The approach combines 19 risk factors into seven individual ratings for topography, landcover, soil, demography, infrastructure, livestock pressure and climate. These ratings are then weighted and combined into an integrated degradation risk index (DRI). The results show that the land degradation risk is quite heterogeneously distributed in the study area and caused by different factors. Three hot‐spots are identified and compared, one of which is in the far northwestern part of the catchment, one around the local center Rundu and one on the outskirts of the Okavango Delta. We conclude that the approach is suitable to give an overview on degradation risk in the study area, although the classification process is a crucial procedure that should be standardized for further research. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sterile insect technique and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Wolbachia</Emphasis> symbiosis as potential tools for the control of the invasive species <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila suzukii</Emphasis>

Drosophila suzukii, a vinegar fly originated from Southeast Asia, has recently invaded western countries, and it has been recognized as an important threat of a wide variety of several commercial soft fruits. This review summarizes the current information about the biology and dispersal of D. suzukii and discusses the current status and prospects of control methods for the management of this pest. We highlight current knowledge and ongoing research on innovative environmental-friendly control methods with emphasis on the sterile insect technique (SIT) and the incompatible insect technique (IIT). SIT has been successfully used for the containment, suppression or even eradication of populations of insect pests. IIT has been proposed as a stand-alone tool or in conjunction with SIT for insect pest control. The principles of SIT and IIT are reviewed, and the potential value of each approach in the management of D. suzukii is analyzed. We thoroughly address the challenges of SIT and IIT, and we propose the use of SIT as a component of an area-wide integrated pest management approach to suppress D. suzukii populations. As a contingency plan, we suggest a promising alternative avenue through the combination of these two techniques, SIT/IIT, which has been developed and is currently being tested in open-field trials against Aedes mosquito populations. All the potential limiting factors that may render these methods ineffective, as well as the requirements that need to be fulfilled before their application, are discussed.