Oral infection with a Shiga toxin-negative Escherichia coli O157:H7 strain elicits humoral and cellular responses but does not protect sheep from colonisation with the homologous strain

We have previously shown that rectally inoculated sheep excrete Escherichia coli O157:H7 during weeks to months without developing a clear antibody response. However, antibodies against this bacterium were observed in naturally infected sheep, which most likely became orally infected. To understand this difference, sheep were orally inoculated with the same Shiga toxin-negative E. coli O157:H7 strain that was used for the rectal inoculation. A primary oral inoculation resulted in shedding of E. coli O157:H7 in the faeces and detection of antibody responses against intimin, EspA and EspB. The antibody titres waned as shedding decreased. A secondary inoculation resulted in longer shedding, even though a booster antibody response occurred. Cellular responses followed a similar pattern as the antibody levels, albeit with a lower secondary response. The presence of antigen-specific antibody-secreting cells indicates involvement of both a systemic response in the spleen and a local immune response in the terminal rectum. These results suggest that E. coli O157:H7 has to pass the small intestine to evoke antibody responses.     

Metabolism of the lignan macromolecule into enterolignans in the gastrointestinal lumen as determined in the simulator of the human intestinal microbial ecosystem

Estrogenic plant compounds from the human diet such as the lignan secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG, 1) can exert biological activity in the human body upon ingestion and bioactivation to enterodiol (END, 5) and enterolactone (ENL, 6). Bioavailability of lignans is influenced by the food matrix and gut microbial action, of which the latter is subject to a large interindividual variation. In this study, the fate of the lignan precursor SDG, present in the lignan macromolecule of flax seed ( Linum usitatissimum), was determined during an artificial stomach and small intestinal digestion and during metabolism by two different enterolignan phenotypes in a TWINSHIME environment (TWIN Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem). The lignan macromolecule acted as a delivery system of SDG in the large intestine. SDG was only hydrolyzed into secoisolariciresinol (SECO, 2) through microbial action in the ascending colon, after which it was bioactivated into enterolignans from the transverse colon onward. Single demethylation was a first step in the bioactivation, followed by dehydroxylation. Enterolignan phenotypes remained stable throughout the experimental period. The establishment of END and ENL production equilibria reflected the subdominance of ENL-producing bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.     

Arsenic Concentration in Tobacco Leaves: A Study on Three Commercially Important Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) Types

In recent years, arsenic (As) has received increased attention as humans may be exposed to it through occupational and environmental exposure. Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) like other crops can uptake this element from the soil, which may lead to human exposure. Here, we report on a survey on arsenic in cured or processed tobacco leaves obtained from Africa, Asia, Europe, South and North America. A total of 1,431 leaf samples of flue-cured, burley, and Oriental tobaccos were obtained from various sampling locations during 2002 to 2004. Arsenic concentration in the samples averaged 0.4?±?0.6 μg g^?1 as determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Recorded values from most samples showed that concentrations of arsenic were usually found at the lower end of the distribution. Significant differences were found among tobacco types, sampling locations, and crop years. Arsenic concentrations were rather low in the majority of regions investigated, which is compatible with data from the literature. However, sample size was small and sampling geographically restricted. Our results would need to be validated with a larger dataset.     

Use of pyrolysis/GC–MS combined with thermal analysis to monitor C and N changes in soil organic matter from a Mediterranean fire affected forest

In Mediterranean ecosystems, forest fires are a common phenomenon. They involve the transformation of vegetation and litter, leaving charred residues and so influencing the carbon cycle by changing (a) the amounts of soil organic matter and (b) the proportions within it of pools with differing stability. In addition to affecting C cycles, fires also affect the amounts of N within soil organic matter, and its availability.     

Soil–landscape relationships in the basalt-dominated highlands of Tigray,Ethiopia

Though knowledge about the distribution and properties of soils is a key issue to support sustainable land management, existing knowledge of the soils in Tigray (Northern Ethiopian Highlands) is limited to either maps with a small scale or with a small scope. The goal of this study is to establish a model that explains the spatial soil variability found in the May-Leiba catchment, and to open the scope for extrapolating this information to the surrounding basalt-dominated uplands. A semi-detailed (scale: 1/40 000) soil survey was conducted in the catchment. Profile pits were described and subjected to physico-chemical analysis, and augerings were conducted. This information was combined with information from aerial photographs and geological and geomorphologic observations. The main driving factors that define the variability in soil types found were: 1) geology, through soil parent material and the occurrence of harder layers, often acting as aquitards or aquicludes; 2) different types of mass movements that occupy large areas of the catchment; and 3) severe human-induced soil erosion and deposition. These factors lead to “red-black” Skeletic Cambisol–Pellic Vertisol catenas on basalt and Calcaric Regosol–Colluvic Calcaric Cambisols–Calcaric Vertisol catenas on limestone. The driving factors can be derived from aerial photographs. This creates the possibility to extrapolate information and predict the soil distribution in nearby regions with a comparable geology. A model was elaborated, which enables the user to predict soil types, using topography, geomorphology, geology and soil colours, all of which can be derived from aerial photographs. This derived model was later applied to other catchments and validated in the field.     

Results of molecular analysis of an archaeological hemp (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cannabis sativa</Emphasis> L.) DNA sample from North West China

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) cultivation and utilization is an ancient practice to human civilization. There are some controversies on the origin and subsequent spread of this species. Ancient plant DNA has proven to be a powerful tool to solve phylogenetic problems. In this study, ancient DNA was extracted from an archaeological specimen of Cannabis sativa associated with archaeological human remains from China. Ribosomal and Cannabis specific chloroplast DNA regions were PCR amplified. Sequencing of a species-specific region and subsequent comparison with published sequences were performed. Successful amplification, sequencing and sequence comparison with published data suggested the presence of hemp specific DNA in the archeological specimen. The role of Humulus japonicus Sieb. et Zucc. in the evolution of Cannabis is also indicated. The identification of ancient DNA of 2500 years old C. sativa sample showed that C. sativa races might have been introduced into China from the European–Siberian center of diversity.     

Soils and land use in the Tigray highlands (Northern Ethiopia)

Land use in a 208 ha representative catchment in the Tigray Highlands, Dogu'a Tembien district in Northern Ethiopia was studied in relation to soil geography. Typical soils are Vertisols, Vertic Cambisols, Cumulic Regosols, Calcaric Regosols and Phaeozems. Patterns of land use vary greatly within the catchment and results from χ²‐tests showed strong associations (p < 0·001) between soil type and land use and crop production system. There is a strong association between cropland and colluvium high in basaltic content because the most fertile soils, such as Vertisols and Vertic Cambisols, have developed on this material. Preference is for autochthonous soils on in situ parent material, irrespective of the rock type, to be put under rangeland. Land use by smallholders in Dogu'a Tembien appears to be the result primarily of the interaction between environmental and social factors. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dietary copper supplementation modulates performance and lipid metabolism in meat goat kids

Forty-eight male Lezhi black goat kids with similar body weight ((12.09±1.70) kg) and age ((60±5) d) were used to determine the effect of dietary copper (Cu), in the form of reagent grade Cu sulfate (CuSO₄∙5H₂O), on performance, serum lipid profile, and the relative mRNA abundance of genes involved in lipid metabolism.  Goat kids were stratified by body weight and randomly assigned to one of 4 treatment groups.  Each treatment consisted of 12 replicate pens with each pen containing one goat kid.  Treatment groups received the basal diet with no supplemental Cu (control), basal diet plus 10 mg of Cu kg^–1 of dry matter (DM), basal diet plus 20 mg of Cu kg^–1 of DM, or basal diet plus 30 mg of Cu kg^–1 of DM.  Goats were housed individually in pens and fed a high-concentrate pelleted diet for 60 d.  Average daily gain, average daily feed intake and feed:gain of goats were not affected by dietary Cu supplementation (P>0.10).  No differences were detected in serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, and high density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations of goat kids fed with different Cu concentrations (P>0.05).  However, serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations decreased linearly (P=0.01) as the concentration of dietary Cu increased.  Intramuscular fat content of longissimus muscle increased (P=0.002) quadratically and liver Cu concentrations increased (P<0.001) linearly as dietary Cu concentration increased.  Compared with the control, dietary supplementation of 20 mg Cu kg^–1 DM decreased the relative mRNA abundance of fatty acid-binding protein 4 (P=0.01) and lipoprotein lipase (P=0.05), and tended to decrease the relative mRNA abundance of carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (P=0.06) in longissimus muscle of goats.  The relative mRNA abundance of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (P<0.001), carnitine acetyltransferase (P=0.001), and carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (P=0.001) were also decreased in liver by Cu supplementation.  These results indicate that dietary supplementation of Cu modified lipid metabolism by increasing muscular fat and decreasing serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol, and the modification might be associated with the reduction of relative mRNA abundance of genes for oxidation of long-chain fatty acid in muscle and liver of Lezhi black goat kids.     

Short-term spatiotemporal variation of soil CO2 emission,temperature, moisture and aeration in sugarcane field reform areas under the influence of precipitation events

Soil CO₂ emission (FCO₂) in agricultural areas results from the interaction of different factors such as climate and soil conditions. Our objective was to investigate the spatiotemporal variation of FCO₂, temperature (T_soil), moisture (M_soil) and air-filled pore space (AFPS), as well as their interactions, during the sugarcane field reform. The study was conducted on a 90 × 90 m sampling grid with 100 points at 10 m spacings. Ten assessments of FCO₂, T_soil and M_soil were carried out at each point over a 28-day period. The greatest mean values of FCO₂ (0.74 g m⁻² hr⁻¹) and M_soil (31.7%) were obtained on Julian day 276, 2013, being associated with precipitation events at the study site. Also, the smallest values of AFPS (19.17%) and T_soil (20.90°C) were observed on the same day. The spatial variability of FCO₂, T_soil, M_soil and AFPS was best described by an adjusted spherical model, although an exponential model better fitted some results. The spatial pattern of all soil attributes showed little temporal persistency, indicating a high complexity for FCO₂ during precipitation. Correlation maps assisted in identifying regions where M_soil and AFPS better controlled the emission process and where T_soil was important. A major challenge for world agriculture is to increase the efficiency of conventional soil management practices. We highlight the importance of the spatial pattern of soil properties that directly influence the CO₂ emission dynamics. Future mitigation actions should involve less intense tillage and ensure homogeneous applications of soil inputs, thereby reducing production costs and the contribution of these activities to CO₂ emissions during the sugarcane field reform.