The value of a craft brewery: On the relationship between craft breweries and property values

Recent literature and public discourse emphasize the role of craft breweries in the revitalization process of economically distressed neighborhoods across the U.S. With this, many are reporting rising property values in areas surrounding craft breweries. This research examines the impacts of craft breweries on both residential and commercial property values in a case study of Charlotte, North Carolina. Estimating a series of hedonic models which incorporate a difference‐in‐difference estimator, we find that craft breweries have a positive impact on residential property values. While many areas in close proximity to a craft brewery appear to have been associated with relatively higher price premiums even before the opening of the brewery, breweries tend to add to this premium, especially in center‐city neighborhoods. We find no significant impacts on commercial property values. These results are informative to policy makers considering revising zoning laws and other regulations in efforts to promote the growth of craft breweries and spur economic development in their local economies.     

Mycoplasma bovis and otitis in dairy calves in the United Kingdom

Signs of severe otitis media in 20% of dairy calves on one farm were associated with Mycoplasma bovis infection, based on isolation from the external ear canal and nares. Affected calves seroconverted to M. bovis and no other significant bacteria were isolated. Infection was considered likely to have originated from cows in the milking herd based on evidence of seroconversion and detection of infection in a milk sample. M. bovis infection should be considered when investigating otitis problems in calves.     

Rice Pi-ta gene Confers Resistance to the Major Pathotypes of the Rice Blast Fungus in the United States

ABSTRACT The Pi-ta gene in rice prevents the infection by Magnaporthe grisea strains containing the AVR-Pita avirulence gene. The presence of Pi-ta in rice cultivars was correlated completely with resistance to two major pathotypes, IB-49 and IC-17, common in the U.S. blast pathogen population. The inheritance of resistance to IC-17 was investigated further using a marker for the resistant Pi-ta allele in an F(2) population of 1,345 progeny from a cross of cv. Katy with experimental line RU9101001 possessing and lacking, respectively, the Pi-ta resistance gene. Resistance to IC-17 was conferred by a single dominant gene and Pi-ta was not detected in susceptible individuals. A second F(2) population of 377 individuals from a reciprocal cross between Katy and RU9101001 was used to verify the conclusion that resistance to IC-17 was conferred by a single dominant gene. In this cross, individuals resistant to IC-17 also were resistant to IB-49. The presence of Pi-ta and resistance to IB-49 also was correlated with additional crosses between 'Kaybonnet' and 'M-204', which also possess and lack Pi-ta, respectively. A pair of primers that specifically amplified a susceptible pi-ta allele was developed to verify the absence of Pi-ta. We suggest that Pi-ta is responsible for resistance to IB-49 and IC-17 and that both races contain AVR-Pita genes.     

Differential effects of the endocrine-disrupting compounds bisphenol-A and octylphenol on gonadotropin secretion, in prepubertal ewe lambs

This study examined the effects of long-term exposure to the endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) Bisphenol-A (BPA) and Octylphenol (OP) on gonadotrophin secretion in pre-pubertal female sheep. Four-week-old, female lambs were randomly allocated to four groups (n=6), and twice each week treated with i.m. injections of either corn oil (vehicle controls), diethylstilbestrol (DES; 0.175mg/kg), BPA (3.5mg/kg) or OP (3.5mg/kg). After 5 weeks of treatment, animals were ovariectomized (ovx) and ovary weights recorded. Two weeks later, blood samples were collected from lambs every 15min for 6h, for LH pulse analysis. Animals were then euthanased and adrenal and kidney weight recorded. An age-related increase in tonic LH secretion was noted in Control, BPA- and OP-treated lambs, but was absent in DES-treated lambs. Following ovx, LH secretion increased in all except DES-treated lambs; FSH concentrations increased in all groups. BPA and DES significantly suppressed LH pulse frequency (C: 6.7+/-0.3pulses/6h, DES: 1.5+/-0.8pulses/6h, BPA: 2.3+/-0.8pulses/6h) and amplitude (C: 7.1+/-1.0ng/ml, DES: 1.9+/-0.6ng/ml, BPA: 1.6+/-0.4ng/ml). OP had no effect on LH secretion (Frequency: 5.8+/-0.5pulses/6h, amplitude: 8.0+/-2.0ng/ml). Ovary weight was similar among all groups. Results show that chronic in vivo exposure of prepubertal female lambs to BPA, at levels lower than those reported previously, can have significant effects on LH secretion that are comparable to those seen following exposure to the known xenoestrogen, DES. Exposure to an equal dose of the EDC OP, over the equivalent period of time was without effect on gonadotropin secretion in the prepubertal ewe lamb. These results indicate that exposure of prepubertal female lambs to the EDC BPA can induce significant effects on gonadotropin secretion, the potential long-term effects of exposure and the effects of these changes on reproductive performance and efficacy, therefore, merit further study.     

Evaluation of an outbreak of West Nile virus infection in horses: 569 cases (2002)

OBJECTIVE: To characterize an outbreak of West Nile virus (WNV) infection in horses in North Dakota in 2002, evaluate vaccine effectiveness, and determine horse characteristics and clinical signs associated with infection. DESIGN: Retrospective study. ANIMALS: 569 horses. PROCEDURE: Data were obtained from veterinary laboratory records, and a questionnaire was mailed to veterinarians of affected horses. RESULTS: Affected horses were defined as horses with typical clinical signs and seroconversion or positive results of virus isolation; affected horses were detected in 52 of the 53 counties and concentrated in the eastern and northeastern regions of the state. Among affected horses, 27% (n = 152) were vaccinated against WNV, 54% (309) were not, and 19% (108) had unknown vaccination status; 61 % (345) recovered, 22% (126) died, and 17% (98) had unknown outcome. The odds of death among nonvaccinated horses were 3 and 16 times the odds among horses that received only 1 or 2 doses of vaccine and horses that were vaccinated according to manufacturer's recommendations, respectively. Horses with recumbency, caudal paresis, and age > 5 years had higher odds of death, whereas horses with incoordination had lower odds of death, compared with affected horses without these characteristics. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Vaccination appears to have beneficial effects regarding infection and death caused by WNV.     

Objective measurement of pruritus in dogs: a preliminary study using activity monitors

Pruritus is an important clinical sign and quality-of-life measure in canine dermatology, but can be difficult to assess objectively. Several studies in humans have used activity monitors to measure nocturnal scratching in patients with atopic dermatitis. The results correlate with observation of scratching, scoring in atopic dermatitis indices and levels of inflammatory chemokines. The aim of this study was to examine whether an activity monitor could be used to detect elevated interexercise (i.e. 'resting') activity in atopic dogs compared to healthy dogs. Five healthy dogs and six dogs with atopic dermatitis were fitted with a collar-mounted activity monitor (Actiwatch) that recorded the piezo-electric voltage generated over 15-s epochs for 7 days. Data from defined periods of exercise, playing, etc., were disregarded. Within each group, median (+/- interquartile range) epoch activity was similar during the day (atopic 21.0 [9.8-24.8]; healthy 5.1 [4.6-6.0]) and evening (atopic 19.1 [10.9-25.2]; healthy 5.8 [5.3-11.7]), and significantly lower overnight (atopic 5.8 [4.1-15.7]; healthy 2.5 [1.6-4.4]) (Mann-Whitney test; P < 0.05). The mean epoch activity, however, was significantly higher in atopic dogs compared to healthy dogs for all three time periods (P < 0.05). This study provides preliminary evidence that activity monitors could objectively assess canine pruritus in the normal home environment.     

Thrice out of Africa: ancient and recent expansions of the honey bee, Apis mellifera

We characterized Apis mellifera in both native and introduced ranges using 1136 single-nucleotide polymorphisms genotyped in 341 individuals. Our results indicate that A. mellifera originated in Africa and expanded into Eurasia at least twice, resulting in populations in eastern and western Europe that are geographically close but genetically distant. A third expansion in the New World has involved the near-replacement of previously introduced "European" honey bees by descendants of more recently introduced A. m. scutellata ("African" or "killer" bees). Our analyses of spatial transects and temporal series in the New World revealed differential replacement of alleles derived from eastern versus western Europe, with admixture evident in all individuals.