Dipolar antiferromagnetism and quantum criticality in LiErF₄

Magnetism has been predicted to occur in systems in which dipolar interactions dominate exchange. We present neutron scattering, specific heat, and magnetic susceptibility data for LiErF(4), establishing it as a model dipolar-coupled antiferromagnet with planar spin-anisotropy and a quantum phase transition in applied field H(c|| = 4.0 ± 0.1 kilo-oersteds. We discovered non-mean-field critical scaling for the classical phase transition at the antiferromagnetic transition temperature that is consistent with the two-dimensional XY/h(4) universality class; in accord with this, the quantum phase transition at H(c) exhibits three-dimensional classical behavior. The effective dimensional reduction may be a consequence of the intrinsic frustrated nature of the dipolar interaction, which strengthens the role of fluctuations.     

Immune response to Rhodococcus equi ATCC 33701-secreted proteins in mice and identification of immunogenic recombinant proteins by dot-blotting

Rhodococcus equi remains a significant pathogen, causing severe pneumonia in foals. The development of vaccines and serologic diagnosis could be greatly facilitated by studying the humoral immune response to this equine pathogen. In this study, a crude extract of R. equi ATCC 33701-secreted proteins combined with the Montanide® ISA70 adjuvant was found to be highly immunogenic in mice with the highest titer of 99,000 on day 42 after the first subcutaneous immunization. This immune response was dependent on the quantity of proteins injected and the presence of adjuvant. By dot-blotting, eight recombinant secreted proteins were identified to react strongly with sera from immunized mice. Of these eight proteins, four were detected as immunogenic only when administered in conjunction with adjuvant. This screening strategy led to the identification of promising new candidates for vaccine development.     

Establishment of diagnostic criteria for feline nonflea-induced hypersensitivity dermatitis

Hypersensitivity dermatitides (HD) are commonly seen in cats, and they are usually caused by environmental, food and/or flea allergens. Affected cats normally present with one of the following clinical reaction patterns: head and neck excoriations, usually symmetrical self-induced alopecia, eosinophilic skin lesions or miliary dermatitis. Importantly, none of these clinical presentations is considered to be pathognomonic for HD skin diseases, and the diagnosis of HD is usually based on the exclusion of other pruritic diseases and on a positive response to therapy. The objectives of this study were to propose sets of criteria for the diagnosis of nonflea-induced HD (NFHD). We recruited 501 cats with pruritus and skin lesions and compared clinical parameters between cats with NFHD (encompassing those with nonflea, nonfood HD and those with food HD), flea HD and other pruritic conditions. Using simulated annealing techniques, we established two sets of proposed criteria for the following two different clinical situations: (i) the diagnosis of NFHD in a population of pruritic cats; and (ii) the diagnosis of NFHD after exclusion of cats with flea HD. These criteria sets were associated with good sensitivity and specificity and may be useful for homogeneity of enrolment in clinical trials and to evaluate the probability of diagnosis of NFHD in clinical practice. Finally, these criteria were not useful to differentiate cats with NFHD from those with food HD.     

Drought and frost resistance of trees: a comparison of four species at different sites and altitudes

Context   

Drought and frost resistances are key factors for the survival and distribution of tree species.     

Prognostic significance of morphological subtypes in canine malignant lymphomas during chemotherapy

The aim of this study was to determine the response of different morphological subtypes of canine lymphoma to a standardized therapeutic protocol. Diagnosis of lymphoma was based on cytohistological analysis and immunophenotyping with antibodies against CD3 and CD79a of an enlarged lymph node or an extranodal mass. Fifty-seven cases were classified according to the updated Kiel classification adapted to the canine species, into 24 B-cell lymphomas (20 centroblastic polymorphic and four Burkitt-type subtypes), and 33 T-cell lymphomas (10 pleomorphic mixed, 10 lymphoblastic, eight unclassifiable high grade plasmacytoid, and five small clear-cell subtypes). All dogs were clinically staged at diagnosis. The protocol used l-asparaginase, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisone. First remission duration and overall survival time were evaluated. Although the T-cell phenotype was associated, on the whole, with a poor prognosis, as previously reported in veterinary and human medicine, the study showed significant prognostic differences between the B- and the T-cell subtypes of canine lymphoma and suggests that clinico-morphological characterization of the disease is justified in dogs, as in humans.     

Cacao-fruit tree intercropping effects on cocoa yield, plant vigour and light interception in Côte d’Ivoire

A major challenge for cocoa producers in Côte d’Ivoire is to seek alternative shade trees or crop associations to adapt their planting devices and techniques to the shortage of forests. The recent tendency developed by farmers is to plant simplified orchards combining cacao and fruit trees. An on-farm trial was set up in a 5-year-old cocoa farm to compare a cacao monocrop planted at densities of 1,115 trees ha^?1 with cacao intercropped with orange or avocado trees, both at 44 trees ha^?1. Observations were done on incident light received by the cacao, vigour, growth and cocoa yields. On average, the cacaos received 100 % light in the monocrop, 89.6 % under orange trees and 80.6 % of incident light under avocado trees. They yielded 64.0 pods tree^?1 year^?1 in the monocrop (equivalent to 2.54 kg dry cocoa beans tree^?1), 30.3 pods tree^?1 when combined with orange trees and 28.3 pods tree^?1 with avocado trees. The two combinations allowed cocoa yields equivalent to those observed in the region (0.58 kg dry cocoa beans tree^?1). Vigour and yield were very highly correlated with the incident light received. Both the yield and the incident light are a logistic function of the planting distance from the shade tree. The inflexion point of the logistic functions corresponds to the minimum planting distance between the cacao and the intercropped fruit trees. On this basis, we suggest that the cacaos should not be planted closer than 6.50 ± 0.2 m to the orange or avocado trees.     

A survey of Culicoides developmental sites on a farm in northern Spain,with a brief review of immature habitats of European species

Culicoides species (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) belonging to the Obsoletus and Pulicaris groups are considered to be the main vectors of bluetongue virus (BTV) in non Mediterranean Europe. Selected terrestrial microhabitats (n = 17) on a farm in northern Spain were sampled repeatedly over a year-long period and characterized for use by Culicoides species for immature development. Concurrent use of CDC light traps showed the presence of 37 species and 66,575 specimens of adult Culicoides. A total of 28 species and 11,396 individuals emerged from laboratory-maintained soil samples. Culicoides obsoletus and Culicoides scoticus (pooled as Obsoletus complex) were particularly abundant (comprising 58.6% and 74.5% of the total collections in light traps and emergence traps respectively). Potential key vectors of animal viruses (such as BTV) were found in two main terrestrial types of microhabitats. In the case of C. obsoletus, different types of manure (old and composted manure, manure mixed with organic matter, and fresh manure) produced most of the specimens. In contrast, larvae of C. scoticus and Culicoides lupicaris were associated with soil substantially comprised of rotting leaf litter that included the parasitic plant Lathraea clandestina. Several species, Culicoides festivipennis, Culicoides punctatus and Culicoides brunnicans, were very common in mud at pond margins. Indeed, pond microhabitats and runoff below barn rooflines supported the greatest species richness. In the pond habitat, 49.4% of Culicoides specimens emerged from mud at the water edge, as opposed to 50 cm above (32.4%) and 1 meter above waterline (18%). Similar species richness, but statistically significant differences in abundance, were observed among the four pond microhabitats. Overall, the majority of the specimens were found in the upper layer (0–3 cm), except in manure, where they preferred deeper layers (>6 cm). Maximum peaks of abundance occurred in both light traps and soil samples in summer months, whereas increased captures in autumn were noticed only in light traps. Both trapping systems failed to collect adult Culicoides midges in the coldest months of December, January and February. The literature on immature habitats of species suspected in BTV transmission in Europe, the Pulicaris group and particularly the Obsoletus group, is briefly reviewed.