Prevalence of serum antibodies to Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in cattle in Galicia (northwest Spain)

Prior to establishing a control and prevention program for Johne's disease in cattle in Galicia (northwest Spain), a survey was conducted to estimate the prevalence of the disease. For this survey, 61,069 animals of at least 1-year of age from 2735 randomly selected herds were bled and samples analyzed with a commercial ELISA. The estimated true individual-level prevalences – assuming the manufacturer's reported test sensitivity of 48.5% and specificity of 98.9% – were 3.02% in dairy cattle, 1.03% in beef cattle and 2.83% in animals from farms with both dairy and beef cattle. True herd prevalences (with herds declared positive if one or more animals tested positive) were 10.69% for dairy herds, 0% for beef herds and 2.71% for mixed herds. When herds were declared positive if at least two animals tested positive, true herd prevalences were 14.75% for dairy herds, 1.47% for beef herds and 12.01% for mixed herds. Assuming a higher specificity of 99.4%, true individual-level prevalences increased to 4.03% in dairy herds, 2.07% in beef herds and 3.84% in mixed herds. Herd prevalences were 27.77%/18.79%, 2.78%/2.40% and 5.70%/12.24% (using the one/two-animal cut-offs) in dairy, beef and mixed herds, respectively. In conclusion, these results seem to indicate that a small percentage of cows and a rather high percentage of dairy herds in this region are MAP-seropositive.     

Postoperative analgesic effects of either a constant rate infusion of fentanyl,lidocaine, ketamine,dexmedetomidine, or the combination lidocaine‐ketamine‐dexmedetomidine after ovariohysterectomy in dogs

ObjectiveTo evaluate the postoperative analgesic effects of a constant rate infusion (CRI) of either fentanyl (FENT), lidocaine (LIDO), ketamine (KET), dexmedetomidine (DEX), or the combination lidocaine-ketamine-dexmedetomidine (LKD) in dogs.Study designRandomized, prospective, blinded, clinical study.AnimalsFifty-four dogs.MethodsAnesthesia was induced with propofol and maintained with isoflurane. Treatments were intravenous (IV) administration of a bolus at start of anesthesia, followed by an IV CRI until the end of anesthesia, then a CRI at a decreased dose for a further 4 hours: CONTROL/BUT (butorphanol 0.4 mg kg⁻¹, infusion rate of saline 0.9% 2 mLkg⁻¹ hour⁻¹); FENT (5 μg kg⁻¹, 10 μg kg⁻¹hour⁻¹, then 2.5 μg kg⁻¹ hour⁻¹); KET (1 mgkg⁻¹, 40 μg kg⁻¹ minute⁻¹, then 10 μg kg⁻¹minute⁻¹); LIDO (2 mg kg⁻¹, 100 μg kg⁻¹ minute⁻¹, then 25 μg kg⁻¹ minute⁻¹); DEX (1 μgkg⁻¹, 3 μg kg⁻¹ hour⁻¹, then 1 μg kg⁻¹ hour⁻¹); or a combination of LKD at the aforementioned doses. Postoperative analgesia was evaluated using the Glasgow composite pain scale, University of Melbourne pain scale, and numerical rating scale. Rescue analgesia was morphine and carprofen. Data were analyzed using Friedman or Kruskal–Wallis test with appropriate post-hoc testing (p < 0.05).ResultsAnimals requiring rescue analgesia included CONTROL/BUT (n = 8), KET (n = 3), DEX (n = 2), and LIDO (n = 2); significantly higher in CONTROL/BUT than other groups. No dogs in LKD and FENT groups received rescue analgesia. CONTROL/BUT pain scores were significantly higher at 1 hour than FENT, DEX and LKD, but not than KET or LIDO. Fentanyl and LKD sedation scores were higher than CONTROL/BUT at 1 hour.Conclusions and clinical relevanceLKD and FENT resulted in adequate postoperative analgesia. LIDO, CONTROL/BUT, KET and DEX may not be effective for treatment of postoperative pain in dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy.     

Effects of Thinning and Induced Drought on Microbiological Soil Properties and Plant Species Diversity at Dry and Semiarid Locations

Soil properties and plant species diversity are key elements of forest ecosystem functioning and are affected directly by climate change. The aim of this work was to study plant species diversity, physicochemical and soil microbiological properties and enzymatic activities after induced drought conditions and thinning at semiarid (Calasparra) and dry (Yeste) Pinus halepensis Mill. forest stands. Different plots affected by a wildfire event 17 years ago, with or without thinning 5 years after the fire event, were selected. A 15% rainfall reduction over 3 years was also carried out. Physicochemical soil properties (soil texture, pH, carbonates, total organic carbon, electrical conductivity and total N and P), soil enzymes (urease, phosphatase, β‐glucosidase and dehydrogenase activities), carbon mineralisation and soil microbial biomass carbon were analysed in the selected study areas. Shannon and Simpson indices were calculated, and total plant cover and plant species richness were evaluated. The results showed no differences in microbiological soil properties and soil enzyme activities when comparing thinned and unthinned plots; conversely, plant species diversity indices were affected by thinning. Induced drought affected only total cover and species richness, which were lower at Yeste. Significant site variation was also observed in soil properties, species richness and total plant cover, as opposed to the plant species diversity indices. We conclude that soil properties recover in the midterm after thinning activities, and they resist against a 15% rainfall reduction under potential climate change conditions remaining steady after induced drought. The plant community presents different responses to drought depending on the experimental site. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Long‐term Effects of Pine Plantations on Soil Quality in Southern Spain

This work evaluated how pine plantations established on old fields and degraded lands influence soil properties in comparison with adjacent unplanted areas that undergo into secondary succession, and native forests, analysing the effects of abiotic variables and stand characteristics in the afforestation process. Thirty‐two paired sites (pine plantations versus unplanted areas) and 10 native forests were selected in the SE Spain. In total, 74 soil profiles were studied, and 222 composite soil samples were collected at three different depths. Soil organic carbon, cation exchange capacity, and C : N ratio showed significantly greater values in pine plantations in relation to the unplanted areas (0–5 cm), and the mean values of soil organic carbon, nitrogen (N), C : N ratio, and cation exchange capacity in these pine plantations were similar to those found under native forests. Only K⁺ concentrations were clearly higher in the native forests than in the other land uses for all depths analysed. Pine plantations in the drier and warmer areas showed lower soil quality in relation to the paired unplanted areas, as well as the younger and denser ones; it may be because under these situations, more time is needed to produce an improvement. In fact, the paired net variations increased with the stand age and/or tree size. In conclusion, pine plantations were in general more efficient in improving parameters related to soil quality, especially in locations with high soil water retention capacity, which in our study area were found at higher and cooler elevations. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Forest Restoration and Check‐Dams to Reduce Catchment Sediment Yield

Reforestations and check‐dams are two commonly used measures to reduce soil erosion rates and sediment export from highly eroding catchments. Here, we evaluated the impact of the construction of 94 check‐dams and land use changes (caused by agricultural abandonment and reforestations) on sediment yield in the Upper Taibilla catchment (320 km², SE Spain) from 1956 to 2000. We combined land use change analysis, field surveys, and application of the WaTEM‐SEDEM erosion and sediment yield prediction model for nine scenarios combining land use maps (1956, 1987, and 2000) and different numbers of check‐dams throughout the catchment. Land use changes alone reduced sediment yield up to 14%, but in combination with check‐dams, the reduction in sediment yield reached 44 ± 6%. Sediment yield reduction was higher in smaller sub‐catchments, with, on average, a higher transport capacity than larger catchments, illustrating the scale dependency of human impacts on sediment fluxes and the buffer capacity of larger catchments. From an economical perspective, the construction of check‐dams was estimated to be more expensive than reforestation programs in the studied catchment, while adding more check‐dams did not always result in a proportional reduction of sediment yield. This indicates that optimizing check‐dam distribution relative to land use patterns is crucial to decrease catchment sediment yield. Check‐dams have a large and instantaneous impact on sediment yield over a restricted time period, while reforestations have important sustained effects at a lower economic cost. These contrasting effects require a careful evaluation for optimal effective catchment management. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling Discharge and Sediment Yield at Catchment Scale Using Connectivity Components

Knowledge about connectivity and what affects it, through space and time, is needed for taking appropriate action at the right place and/or time by stakeholders. Various conceptual frameworks for hydrological and sediment connectivity have been developed in recent years. For most of these frameworks, the objective was to conceptualise connectivity, not necessarily to infer it from measurements. Studies focussing on measurements of connectivity have so far not been done often. Because of lack of data on connectivity, few real‐world data have been used in recent connectivity modelling studies. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that existing data can be used to assess governing factors of connectivity, and how these change over time. Data from three catchments in Navarre, Northern Spain, were used to assess factors that influence hydrologic and sediment connectivity. These factors were used as components in a linear model for discharge and suspended‐sediment yield. Three components of connectivity were distinguished: topographical, biological and soil. Changes in the topographical component for the studied periods were considered relatively small, and, therefore, kept constant. Changes in the biological component were determined using the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index. Changes in the soil component were assessed using an Antecedent Precipitation Index. Nash–Sutcliffe model efficiency coefficients were between 0·49 through 0·62 for the discharge models and between 0·23 through 0·3 for the sediment‐yield models. We recommend applying the model at smaller spatial scales than catchment scale to minimise the lumping of spatial variability in the components. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Yessotoxins, a group of marine polyether toxins: an overview

Yessotoxin (YTX) is a marine polyether toxin that was first isolated in 1986 from the scallop Patinopecten yessoensis. Subsequently, it was reported that YTX is produced by the dinoflagellates Protoceratium reticulatum, Lingulodinium polyedrum and Gonyaulax spinifera. YTXs have been associated with diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) because they are often simultaneously extracted with DSP toxins, and give positive results when tested in the conventional mouse bioassay for DSP toxins. However, recent evidence suggests that YTXs should be excluded from the DSP toxins group, because unlike okadaic acid (OA) and dinophyisistoxin-1 (DTX-1), YTXs do not cause either diarrhea or inhibition of protein phosphatases. In spite of the increasing number of molecular studies focused on the toxicity of YTX, the precise mechanism of action is currently unknown. Since the discovery of YTX, almost forty new analogues isolated from both mussels and dinoflagellates have been characterized by NMR or LC-MS/MS techniques. These studies indicate a wide variability in the profile and the relative abundance of YTXs in both, bivalves and dinoflagellates. This review covers current knowledge on the origin, producer organisms and vectors, chemical structures, metabolism, biosynthetic origin, toxicological properties, potential risks to human health and advances in detection methods of YTXs.     

Fluctuating Fortunes of a Collective Enterprise: The Case of the Agroforestry Tree Seeds Association of Lantapan (ATSAL) in the Philippines

The Agroforestry Tree Seeds Association of Lantapan (ATSAL) in Bukidnon province of Mindanao, Philippines, was organized in 1998, facilitated by the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF). Farmers were trained on germplasm collection, processing and marketing of agroforestry tree seeds and seedlings. ATSAL has been marketing various tree seeds and seedlings with apparent success, and has provided training on seed collection and nursery management to farmers, government technicians, and workers from non-government organizations. This paper reports initial results of a continuing study to assess the effectiveness of ATSAL’s marketing strategy, including group dynamics, and the issues and challenges the group faces. It was found that during the first 2 years, ATSAL’s market share of highly demanded timber tree species grew rapidly, thus helping to disseminate widely these important species among farmers. ICRAF’s technical back-up was an advantage, increasing the Association’s market credibility. Subsequently, ATSAL extended its market to the central Philippines, but failed to meet the demand for seeds due to organizational limitations. Market competition exists, where a non-member was able to take a larger market share than was the group. Nonetheless, ATSAL has established its name as a viable community-based seed and seedling producer, maintaining a stronghold in local and regional markets. Collective action is important for smallholders to gain market access, but is unlikely to sustain sales. Facilitating smallholder collective action is essentially an arduous task, requiring the supporting agency to hold a firm grasp of market realities, to invest in the maintenance of collective action, to provide continuous technical back-up, and to ascertain the conditions that make collective action succeed.