Multi-year,post-harvesting impact assessment in a neotropical secondary Atlantic Forest

European Journal of Forest Research - Subject to overexploitation in the past centuries, the Atlantic Forest is subject to very rigorous protection rules. However, the law is a controversial issue...     

Dichanthium hay combined with green cassava foliage or pelleted cassava foliage as fed for Black Belly rams

Tropical Animal Health and Production - Intake, digestion and nitrogen retention were measured in fifteen 1-year-old Black Belly rams that had an average weight of 35.3...     

Comparing recombinant MPB70/SahH and native 20-kDa protein for detecting bovine tuberculosis using ELISA

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a zoonosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis. Test-and-cull protocols and gross pathological examinations of abattoir animals as well as milk pasteurization have been implemented to prevent the spread of tuberculosis from animals to humans worldwide. Despite the importance of precise and rapid diagnostic tests, conventional methods including intradermal skin tests and γ-interferon assays are limited by the high rate of false-negative results for cattle in the late infectious stage and due to laborious and time-consuming procedures. Therefore, antibody detection methods such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) are urgently needed to supplement the established approaches and expand the diagnostic window. This study was conducted to develop a bTB ELISA by evaluating recombinant and native proteins and various assay parameters. We produced recombinant MPB70 and SahH (M70S) and a native 20-kDa protein (20K) and optimized the ELISA protocol. The 20K ELISA showed 94.4% sensitivity and 98.2% specificity with an optimal sample-to-positive ratio cut-off of 0.531. The sensitivity and specificity of M70S ELISA were 94.4% and 97.3%, respectively, with an optimal sample-to-negative ratio cut-off of 1.696. Both assays showed acceptable diagnostic efficiency and could be used for bTB diagnosis in combination with established methods for herd screening and to expand the diagnostic window.     

Large-scale detection and quantification of harmful soil compaction in a post-mining landscape using multi-configuration electromagnetic induction

Fast and accurate large-scale localization and quantification of harmfully compacted soils in recultivated post-mining landscapes are of particular importance for mining companies and the following farmers. The use of heavy machinery during recultivation imposes soil stress and can cause irreversible subsoil compaction limiting crop growth in the long term. To overcome or guide classical point-scale methods to determine compaction, fast methods covering large areas are required. In our study, a recultivated field of the Garzweiler mine in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, with known variability in crop performance was intensively studied using non-invasive electromagnetic induction (EMI) and electrode-based electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). Additionally, soil bulk density, volumetric soil water content and soil textures were analysed along two transects covering different compaction levels. The results showed that the measured EMI apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) along the transects was highly correlated (R² > .7 for different dates and depths below 0.3 m) to subsoil bulk density. Finally, the correlations established along the transects were used to predict harmful subsoil compaction within the field, whereby a spatial probabilistic map of zones of harmful compaction was developed. In general, the results revealed the feasibility of using the EMI derived ECa to predict harmful compaction. They can be the basis for quick monitoring of the recultivation process and implementation of necessary melioration to return a well-structured soil with good water and nutrient accessibility, and rooting depths for increased crop yields to the farmers.     

High-resolution images and drone-based LiDAR reveal striking patterns of vegetation gaps in a wooded spinifex grassland of Western Australia

Landscape Ecology - Vegetation patterns in hummock grasslands of Australia’s arid interior can be very complex. Additionally, the grasslands are interspersed with variable amounts of trees...     

Representation of Potato Virus Y Control Strategies in Current and Past Extension Literature

The aphid-vectored Potato virus Y (PVY) is currently seen as an important limiting factor in the production of potatoes in many countries. Using a content-analysis approach, we investigated the German extension literature for recommendations regarding the control of PVY. Media included articles from periodicals addressing farmers and agricultural textbooks published in the last five decades (1955–2004). In the current literature (1995–2004), the clearly dominating strategy was found to be insecticidal control, although this strategy has been subject to some criticism in the scientific literature. Over the last five decades we also found a strongly increasing representation of insecticidal strategies. Furthermore, over this period of time, information diversity, measured as the number of different strategies proposed per article or per textbook, decreased consistently. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article () contains supplementary material that is available to authorized users.     

Variation of inflammatory dynamics and mediators in primiparous cows after intramammary challenge with Escherichia coli

ABSTRACT: The objective of the current study was to investigate (i) the outcome of experimentally induced Escherichia coli mastitis in primiparous cows during early lactation in relation with production of eicosanoids and inflammatory indicators, and (ii) the validity of thermography to evaluate temperature changes on udder skin surface after experimentally induced E. coli mastitis. Nine primiparous Holstein Friesian cows were inoculated 24 ± 6 days (d) after parturition in both left quarters with E. coli P4 serotype O32:H37. Blood and milk samples were collected before and after challenge with E. coli. The infrared images were taken from the caudal view of the udder following challenge with E. coli. No relationship was detected between severity of mastitis and changes of thromboxane B2 (TXB2), leukotriene B4 (LTB4) and lipoxin A4 (LXA4). However, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) was related to systemic disease severity during E. coli mastitis. Moreover, reduced somatic cell count (SCC), fewer circulating basophils, increased concentration of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and higher milk sodium and lower milk potassium concentrations were related to systemic disease severity. The thermal camera was capable of detecting 2-3°C temperature changes on udder skin surface of cows inoculated with E. coli. Peak of udder skin temperature occurred after peak of rectal temperature and appearance of local signs of induced E. coli mastitis. Although infrared thermography was a successful method for detecting the changes in udder skin surface temperature following intramammary challenge with E. coli, it did not show to be a promising tool for early detection of mastitis.     

绵羊FecB基因打靶载体构建

利用peGFP-C1,pRET.IL.PGK-TK和pMD19-T Simple等基本质粒,构建绵羊FecB基因打靶载体。以克隆载体pMD19-T Simple为载体骨架,插入一个正选择标记eGFP基因、一个负选择标记基因HSV-tk基因,并在eGFP基因两侧各添加一个同源长臂和同源短臂,从而构建绵羊FecB基因打靶载体。结果:经多个限制性内切核酸酶酶切鉴定和测序证实,所构建的基因打靶载体符合设计要求,表明成功构建了绵羊FecB基因打靶载体。