Prevalence of Isospora suis and Eimeria spp. in suckling piglets and sows in Poland

The aim of this investigation was to determine the prevalence of coccidian infections in suckling piglets and sows in Poland. The research was carried out in 14 out of 16 Polish provinces in the years 2003-2005. The investigation was conducted on three types of farms: large farms (>100 sows), medium farms (25-100 sows) and small farms (<25 sows). Diarrhoea of unweaned piglets was observed on all the examined farms. Overall, 780 litters of suckling piglets from 104 farms and 267 mother sows were examined. The faeces were analyzed with the modified McMaster method. Isopsora suis was found in 217 (27.8%) litters from 70 (66.7%) farms. Eimeria spp. was detected only in 20 (2.6%) litters from 12 (11.5%) farms. On the large farms I. suis infection was detected in 31.7% of litters whereas Eimeria spp. in 1.4% of them. On the medium sized farms I. suis was found in 18.1% of litters and Eimeria spp. in 0.6%. On the small farms I. suis was detected in only 13.2% of litters, whereas Eimeria spp. in as many as 28.9%. I. suis and Eimeria spp. oocysts were found in 18 (6.7%) and 16 (6%) sows respectively. From 72 sows producing I. suis infected piglets only 12 (16.7%) shed I. suis oocysts and as little as 4 (5.6%) shed Eimeria oocysts. In the remaining 56 sows (77.8%) no cases of coccidian infections were detected. The results of this investigation demonstrate the high prevalence of I. suis in suckling piglets on the large swine farms in Poland.     

Prevalence,species distribution and antimicrobial resistance patterns of methicillin-resistant staphylococci in Lithuanian pet animals

Background

The bacterial genus Staphylococcus consists of many species that causes infections in pet animals. Antimicrobial resistant staphylococci cause infections that are difficult to treat and they are important from the point of one health perspective. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus (MRS) species, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in diseased pet animals (Group A) and kennel dogs (Group B) in Lithuania and to characterize the isolates according to their antimicrobial resistance.

Results

Twenty-one MRS isolates were obtained from 395 clinical samples (5.3 %; CI 95 % 3.5-8.0) of Group A animals. Sixteen, four and one isolates were from dogs, cats and a pet rabbit, respectively. The mecA gene was present in 20 isolates, whereas one isolate was positive for the mecC gene. Twenty-one MRS isolates (20.0 %; CI 95 % 13.5-28.6) were obtained from the vagina of female dogs (n = 105) (Group B). All isolates carried the mecA gene. Twelve MRS species were isolated of which S. pseudintermedius was the most common (18/42) followed by S. haemolyticus (8/42) and S. lentus (4/42). MRSA was not found. All MRS strains were susceptible to vancomycin, linezolid, daptomycin and quinupristin/dalfopristin. Resistance to tetracycline (16/21), clindamycin (15/21) and erythromycin (14/21) was the most common types of resistance in Group A animals. Three isolates also demonstrated resistance to rifampin. Resistance toward gentamicin (16/21), ciprofloxacin (15/21), macrolides (15/21) and tetracycline (12/21) was the most common in kennel dogs (Group B). The most common genes encoding resistance to antimicrobials (excluding beta-lactams) in isolates from Group A pets were tetK (21/42), aph(3′)-IIIa (11/42) and aac(6'')-Ie-aph(2'''')-Ia (9/42).

Conclusions

A wide range of MRS species were found in pet animals in Lithuania. MRSA was not found.     

Biodegradability of dissolved organic matter extracted from a chronosequence of forest‐floor materials

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is an important part of the microbially utilizable organic matter in soils. This paper describes an incubation experiment by which the lability and mobility of DOM extracted from forest‐floor materials are related to their age and degree of degradation. DOM extracted from a chronosequence of decomposing leaves (green leaves, fresh fallen leaves, litter [1 y weathering], fibric matter [2–3 y], hemic matter [>3 y], or peat [100+ y]) was applied to intact soil cores, and the CO₂ produced over 5 d was measured to determine biodegradability. Biodegradability of DOM varied somewhat along the chronosequence, with the green leaves yielding more CO₂ on an equal C basis than the older substrates and equivalent to glucose which was used as a reference substrate. Thus, the DOM extracts of the older substrates contain some refractory components. The humic‐acid content (or that of its precursors) of the extracts from older substrates relates to the lowered lability. The hydrophobic and hydrophilic content of DOM extracted from substrates was not related to CO₂ production in the incubation studies conducted.     

Soil pore-water environment and CO2 emission in a Luvisol as influenced by contrasting tillage

Little is known how contrasting tillage (deep ploughing, top- and sub-soil loosening with straight or bent leg cultivator [BLC], direct drilling [DD]) affect important soil physical properties (total porosity [TP], pore size distribution [PSD], water release characteristics [WRC]) and CO₂ emissions from a Luvisol. The study was aimed to alleviate compaction on land that had been under reduced tillage for 4 successive years. Undisturbed core samples were collected from 5–10, 15–20 and 25–30 cm depths for soil WRCs, TP and pore-size distribution determination. A closed chamber method was used to quantify the CO₂ emissions from the soil. Soil loosening with straight or BLC produced the highest total soil porosity (on average 0.48 m³ m^?3) within 5–30 cm soil layer, while conventional tillage (CT) gave 6%, DD up to 25% reduction. Sub-surface loosening with a BLC was the most effective tool to increase the amount of macro- and mesopores in the top- and sub-soil layers. It produced 21% more macro- and mesopores within 25–30 cm soil layer as compared to the soil loosened with a straight leg cultivator. Plant available water content under CT and DD was lower as compared to that under deep loosening with straight or BLC (23% and 18%, respectively). DD produced 12% lower soil surface net carbon dioxide exchange rate than CT and by 25–28% lower than deep soil loosening with straight or BLC. The increase in micropores within 25–30 cm soil layer caused net carbon dioxide exchange rate reduction. The amount of mesopores within the whole 5–30 cm soil layer acted as a direct dominant factor influencing net CO₂ exchange rate (NCER) (Pxy = ?3.063; r = 0.86).     

Foliar resistance to the late blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary in a backcross of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivar Ando

ABSTRACT

Regardless of variable environmental conditions and changing pathogen populations, the Estonian potato cultivar (cv.) Ando has shown elevated field resistance to Phytophthora infestans for over 40 years. One of cv. Ando’s parents, the Latvian cultivar Agra, is considered a cultivar of medium to low resistance, the other parent, line 382-48, has a well-known source of resistance, Solanum demissum, in its pedigree. Segregation of late blight disease severity in a population of 95 hybrid plants from cv. Ando’s backcross to cv. Agra (cv. Ando x cv. Agra BC1) in field trials of three consecutive years (2013?2015) and in a test of a single pathogen isolate fits a model of additive action of multiple unlinked race-specific resistance genes responsible for the field resistance of cv. Ando. At least some of the resistance genes in cv. Ando’s genome do not function in juvenile plants and are developmentally upregulated.     

Assessing the extent to which temporal changes in waterbird community composition are driven by either local,regional or global factors

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The parameters of energetic status of the wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) spermatozoa

The energetic status of fresh sperm of wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) was presented in selected males (n=10) with motility rate ≥80%. Purine and pyridine nucleotides: adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), adenosine monophosphate (AMP), guanosine triphosphate, guanosine diphosphate, guanosine monophosphate, inosine monophosphate, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate; nucleosides: adenosine, guanosine and inosine; bases: hypoxanthine, xanthine and uric acid were determined using the high‐performance liquid chromatography method. The average value of adenylate energy charge in the group was 0.77 ± 0.10, and the mean total adenine nucleotide content (TAN) was 65.1 ± 18.3 pmol × 10^?6 spermatozoa. The mean concentrations of ATP, ADP and AMP were 43.5, 11.8 and 9.9 pmol × 10^?6 spermatozoa respectively. The concentrations of the other energetic nucleotides studied were lower. In all males studied (n=23) with a motility rate from 0% to 95%, no statistically significant correlation between the per cent of motile sperm and ATP concentration was found (R_s=0.35), whereas the correlation between the per cent of motile sperm and ADP was statistically significant (R_s=0.60). A negative correlation was found between hypoxanthine and the per cent of motile spermatozoa (R_s=?0.44). Our results suggest that hypoxanthine is the final product of salmon spermatozoa of adenine nucleotide catabolism.     

Ant species richness and evenness increase along a metal pollution gradient in the Bolesław zinc smelter area

Ants are considered to be relatively resistant to metal pollution, but the effect of metal toxicity on ant communities is poorly understood. This work examined the relationship between ant species diversity and heavy metal pollution at 16 meadow and forest sites along a metal contamination gradient in a mining and smelting region near Olkusz, Poland. Menhinick's index was used to estimate species richness. Pielou's index of evenness (J), Simpson's index of diversity (D) and the slopes of rank-abundance curves were used to estimate of species evenness. Regardless of species composition differences between forest and meadow, the increase in species diversity with increasing metal pollution was very clear in both ecosystems. The more polluted the site, the more species were detected and the more similar in relative abundance they were. Consequently, the extent to which one or a few species dominated a community decreased. This result can be explained by indirect effects of metal pollution, that is, changes in species interactions rather than by changes in abiotic conditions.     

Sperm characteristics of chub Leuciscus cephalus (L.) collected in artificial condition after Ovopel and Ovaprim treatment

The effect of two commercial preparations containing different GnRH analogues with dopamine antagonists on quantitative and qualitative parameters of semen from chub Leuciscus cephalus L. collected in artificial conditions were examined. Semen was collected after the application of [(D‐Ala⁶, Pro⁹ NEt)‐mGnRH + metoclopramide] (Ovopel, n = 9), [(D‐Arg⁶, Pro⁹ Net)‐sGnR + domperidone] (Ovaprim, n = 9) and from the control group (0.9% NaCl, n = 9). Afterwards, semen volume, sperm concentration, total sperm production and semen pH were determined. Osmolality and pH of seminal plasma were also determined. Using the Computer‐assisted sperm analysis system (CASA), selected sperm parameters such as sperm motility (MOT %), progressively motile sperm (PRG, %), curvilinear velocity (VCL, μm s^?1), straight‐line velocity (VSL, μm s^?1), movement linearity (LIN, %), wobbling index (WOB, %), amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH, μm) and beat cross frequency (BCF, Hz) were analysed. While Ovopel can also be used to stimulate chub spermation, the application of Ovaprim was much more effective for obtaining higher amounts of semen.     

Biogenic and Anthropogenic Lipid Markers in Sediments from a Marsh Habitat Associated with the LCP Chemicals Superfund Site in Brunswick,Georgia, USA

The use of organic wastes in bioremediation of oil-contaminated desert soils has received little attention, although their use is cost-effective. We evaluated the use of spent mushroom compost (SMC), poultry manure (PM), and urea in the stimulation of respiration activities and oil degradation in a polluted desert soil. Moreover, we followed post treatment shifts in bacterial community structure using MiSeq sequencing. The addition of SMC and PM resulted in a significant increase in the evolved CO₂ from 8.7?±?1.9 to 25.7?±?1.6 and to 23.4?±?1.2 mg CO₂?g^?1 soil after 96 days of incubation, respectively. In contrast, changes in respiration activities after the addition of urea were insignificant. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis revealed that most of the alkanes (C₁₄-C₃₀) were degraded in all biostimulated soils at a rate of 0.12–0.19 mg g^?1 soil day^?1, which was significantly higher than in the untreated soil (P?Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria. While the relative abundance of Firmicutes remained unchanged after the addition of PM (37–48 % of total sequences), it increased in the urea treatment (44–87 %) and dramatically decreased in the SMC treatment (0.5–4.5 %). The remaining bacterial groups were still detectable after the treatments, although no clear treatment-related shifts could be observed, due to the large difference in the relative abundance of the same bacterial groups among the same replicates. We conclude that the use of organic wastes could be one of the ways of combating petroleum pollution in desert soils.