Interleukin-4 increases cortisol release and decreases adrenal androgen release from bovine adrenal cells

ACTH is the primary regulator of adrenal function during acute stress. However, during chronic inflammatory stress additional factors play a major role in the regulation of adrenal secretion. Many cytokines circulate in the blood and are synthesized and released from adrenal tissue. Furthermore, these peptides modify adrenal function. Recently, interleukin-4 (IL-4) was demonstrated to be released from a human adrenal tumor cell line. Therefore, we hypothesized that normal bovine adrenocortical cells could express IL-4 and that this cytokine may modify adrenal function. We determined that IL-4 and IL-4 receptors (IL-4R) are expressed in the bovine adrenal cortex whereas the expression of IL-4 and IL-4R in the adrenal medulla was not apparent. Exposure of dispersed bovine adrenocortical cells isolated from the zona fasciculate to IL-4 did not modify basal release of cortisol. However, the ACTH-stimulated release of cortisol from the bovine adrenal cells was augmented by IL-4. IL-4 exposure had no affect on adrenal androgen release from bovine zona reticularis cells, but IL-4 inhibited the ACTH-stimulated release of adrenal androgens from these cells. The effects of IL-4 on ACTH-stimulated cortisol and adrenal androgen release were dependent upon the IL-4 incubation interval and the IL-4 concentration. Because communication between the immune and endocrine systems is important in inflammatory conditions, IL-4 may play a role in coordinating the adrenal response to inflammatory stress.     

Comparative in vitro antimicrobial efficacy of commercial ear cleaners

The aim of this study was to compare the antimicrobial efficacy of ear cleaners against Staphylococcus intermedius, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Malassezia pachydermatis. Single isolates of each organism were incubated in duplicate at 38 °C for 30 min with each ear cleaner diluted 1/2 to1/256 in phosphate‐buffered saline. Positive and negative controls were included. Aliquots were then incubated for 16–18 h on sheep blood agar (bacteria) or for 3 days on Sabouraud's dextrose agar (Malassezia) at 38 °C. The lowest dilutions exhibiting 100% antimicrobial efficacy for S. intermedius were: Cleanaural^® Dog 1/32; Sancerum^® 1/16; Otoclean^® 1/4; EpiOtic^® 1/2; MalAcetic^® 1/2; and Triz Plus^® 1/2. The results for P. aeruginosa were Sancerum^® and Triz Plus^® 1/16; Cleanaural^® Dog and EpiOtic^® 1/8; Otoclean^® 1/4; and MalAcetic^® 1/2. Results for M. pachydermatis were: Cleanaural^® Dog 1/32; Sancerum^®, Otoclean^®, EpiOtic^® and Triz Plus^® 1/8; and MalAcetic^® 1/4. Cleanaural^® Cat, MalAcetic HC^® and Triz EDTA^® did not display any antimicrobial activity at any dilution. Antimicrobial activity appeared to be associated with the presence of isopropyl alcohol, parachlorometaxylenol and a low pH. The results of this study may help clinicians make evidence‐based decisions when selecting ear cleaners for use in individual cases.     

A food politics of the possible? Growing sustainable food systems through networks of knowledge

There is increased recognition of a common suite of global challenges that hamper food system sustainability at the community scale. Food price volatility, shortages of basic commodities, increased global rates of obesity and non-communicable food-related diseases, and land grabbing are among the impediments to socially just, economically robust, ecologically regenerative and politically inclusive food systems. While international political initiatives taken in response to these challenges (e.g. Via Campesina) and the groundswell of local alternatives emerging in response to challenges are well documented, more attention is needed to the analysis of similarities between community approaches to global pressures. While we are not suggesting the application of a template set of good practices, the research reported in this paper point to the benefits of both sharing good practices and enabling communities to adopt good practices that are suited to their place-based capacities. The work also suggests that sharing community-derived good practices can support and reinforce global networks of sustainable community food systems, foster knowledge co-creation and ultimately cement collective action to global pressures. In turn these networks could enhance the sustainability and resilience of community food systems and facilitate wide scale food system transformation.     

Using Species Proportions to Quantify Turnover in Biodiversity

Quantifying species turnover is an important aspect of biodiversity monitoring. Turnover measures are usually based on species presence/absence data, reflecting the rate at which species are replaced. However, measures that reflect the rate at which individuals of a species are replaced by individuals of another species are far more sensitive to change. In this paper, we propose families of turnover measures that reflect changes in species proportions. We study the properties of our measures, and use simulation to assess their success in detecting turnover. Using data on the British farmland bird community from the breeding bird survey, we evaluate our measures to quantify temporal turnover and how it varies across the British mainland.     

Comparison of small-scale and large-scale mixing characteristics: Correlations between small-scale and large-scale mixing and extensional characteristics of wheat flour dough

Mixing measurements provide valuable information about dough strength and stability (STAB) traits. These measurements are important in milling and baking operations, and for varietal selection in wheat breeding programmes. There are several techniques with different sample sizes used for measuring these traits so there is interest in examining the agreement between methods in terms of genotypic (varietal) rankings. This issue has been investigated by using two different mixing methods, a small-scale Mixograph (2 g) and large-scale Farinograph (50 g) using data from a doubled haploid population (190 lines) from a Chara (excellent dough strength)×WW2449 (poor dough strength) cross. The cross was grown in a field trial at the Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute (WWAI) in 2000. Eleven mixing traits were measured and compared according to a statistical design. The estimated genetic correlation matrix for six of the 11 mixing traits, dough development time (DDT), STAB, mixing tolerance index (MTI), maximum bandwidth (MBW), bandwidth at peak resistance (BWPR) and peak resistance (PR) revealed that for these dough-strength-related parameters, both methods were measuring equivalent traits, although individual parameters had widely different coefficients of variation. In this population, PR was correlated with the extensibility trait length determined by large-scale extension testing. None of the large-scale or small-scale mixing traits was an effective predictor of the small-scale extensibility parameter extensibility at Rmax (Ext_Rmax). The data verified that small-scale Mixograph tests are a robust and efficient alternative to large-scale Farinograph tests for both commercial breeding and research.     

Protective effects of dietary chamomile tea on diabetic complications

Matricaria chamomilla L., known as "chamomile", has been used as an herbal tea or supplementary food all over the world. We investigated the effects of chamomile hot water extract and its major components on the prevention of hyperglycemia and the protection or improvement of diabetic complications in diabetes mellitus. Hot water extract, esculetin (3) and quercetin (7) have been found to show moderate inhibition of sucrase with IC50 values of 0.9 mg/mL and 72 and 71 microM, respectively. In a sucrose-loading test, the administration of esculetin (50 mg/kg body weight) fully suppressed hyperglycemia after 15 and 30 min, but the extract (500 mg/kg body weight) and quercetin (50 mg/kg body weight) were less effective. On the other hand, a long-term feed test (21 days) using a streptozotocin-induced rat diabetes model revealed that the same doses of extract and quercetin showed significant suppression of blood glucose levels. It was also found that these samples increased the liver glycogen levels. Moreover, chamomile extract showed potent inhibition against aldose reductase (ALR2), with an IC50 value of 16.9 microg/mL, and its components, umbelliferone (1), esculetin (3), luteolin (6), and quercetin (7), could significantly inhibit the accumulation of sorbitol in human erythrocytes. These results clearly suggested that daily consumption of chamomile tea with meals could contribute to the prevention of the progress of hyperglycemia and diabetic complications.     

Children Consuming Cassava as a Staple Food are at Risk for Inadequate Zinc, Iron, and Vitamin A Intake

Cassava contains little zinc, iron, and β-carotene, yet it is the primary staple crop of over 250 million Africans. This study used a 24-hour dietary recall to test the hypothesis that among healthy children aged 2–5 years in Nigeria and Kenya, cassava’s contribution to the childrens’ daily diets is inversely related to intakes of zinc, iron, and vitamin A. Dietary and demographic data and anthropometric measurements were collected from 449 Kenyan and 793 Nigerian children. Among Kenyan children 89% derived at least 25% of their dietary energy from cassava, while among the Nigerian children 31% derived at least 25% of energy from cassava. Spearman’s correlation coefficient between the fraction of dietary energy obtained from cassava and vitamin A intake was r = −0.15, P < 0.0001, zinc intake was r = −0.11, P < 0.0001 and iron intake was r = −0.36, P < 0.0001. In Kenya, 59% of children consumed adequate vitamin A, 22% iron, and 31% zinc. In Nigeria, 17% of children had adequate intake of vitamin A, 57% iron, and 41% zinc. Consumption of cassava is a risk factor for inadequate vitamin A, zinc and/or iron intake.     

Fragmentation of China’s landscape by roads and urban areas

China’s major paved road-ways (national roads, provincial roads, and county roads), railways and urban development are rapidly expanding. A likely consequence of this fast-paced growth is landscape fragmentation and disruption of ecological flows. In order to provide ecological information to infrastructure planners and environmental managers for use in landscape conservation, land-division from development must be measured. We used the effective-mesh-size (M_eff) method to provide the first evaluation of the degree of landscape division in China, caused by paved roads, railways, and urban areas. Using M_eff, we found that fragmentation by major transportation systems and urban areas in China varied widely, from the least-impacted west to the most impacted south and east of China. Almost all eastern provinces and counties, especially areas near big cities, have high levels of fragmentation. Several eastern-Chinese provinces and biogeographic regions have among the most severe landscape fragmentation in the world, while others are comparable to the least-developed areas of Europe and California. Threatened plant hotspots and areas with high mammal species diversity occurred in both highly fragmented and less fragmented areas, though future road development threatens already moderately divided landscapes. To conserve threatened biodiversity and landscapes, we recommend that national and regional planners in China consider existing land division before making decisions about further road development and improvement.