The neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) is expressed in the bovine lung

In neonatal calves, maternal immunoglobulin (Ig) is transferred into respiratory secretion which contributes to protection against pathogens. The early predominance of IgG1 in respiratory tract secretions is progressively reduced in favor of IgA by age but in the lower, bronchoalveolar system secreted IgG remains the dominant secreted Ig even in adulthood. The trans-epithelial transport of secretory IgA into mucosal secretions is carried out by the polymeric Ig receptor. However, the mechanism by which IgG crosses epithelial cells to provide defense on mucosal surfaces is still unknown. In order to investigate the possibility that the neonatal Fc receptor, FcRn is involved in this transport we have first analyzed the localization of this receptor in the upper and lower respiratory tracts. Consistent with the in situ hybridization data, immunohistochemistry showed undetectable expression in the tracheal epithelial cells, relatively weak expression in epithelial cells of the bronchi, apparent staining those lining the bronchioli and randomly scattered signal over the alveolar tissue. The bovine FcRn may thus play a role in IgG transport across mucosal epithelial barriers as a trafficking receptor and ensure IgG predominance in the lower respiratory tract.     

Improving contract design and management for urban green-space maintenance through action research

The provision of services related to green-space maintenance, such as grass cutting, tree pruning, litter collection, or weed control, is an integrated part of urban green-space management. Since contracting out has become common practice in urban green-space management, it is now a key challenge to develop well-functioning frameworks for managing the provision of outsourced green-space maintenance. With the public sector reform of the New Public Management, an emphasis on the four tenets of specification, pricing, monitoring, and enforcement of service provisions is now pervasive in the ‘standard framework’ for contract design and management. Based on an action research intervention, this paper puts forward an ‘extended’ framework for the design and management of green-space maintenance contracts that can help managers of urban green space to devise contract designs and management practices better adapted for green-space maintenance. The action research intervention took place as a part of efforts by the Danish Palaces and Properties Agency to improve green-space maintenance contracting in historic parks and gardens by implementing a performance management scheme. In addition to assessing the merits of the performance management scheme, the paper focuses on a new set of tenets related to the role of coordination, communication, motivation, and restraint of power.     

Synbiotics suppress the release of lactate dehydrogenase,promote non‐specific immunity and integrity of jejunum mucosa in piglets

The aim of our experiment was to study how synbiotics are able to deal with the problems of post‐weaning piglets. Lactobacillus plantarum – Biocenol^TM LP96 (CCM 7512), Lactobacillus fermentum – Biocenol^TM LF99 (CCM 7514) and flaxseed (rich in n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids) were administered to 36 conventional piglets from a problematic breed with confirmed presence of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and Coronavirus. The experimental piglets were supplied with probiotic cheeses and crushed flax‐seed in the period starting 10 days before weaning and lasting up to 14 days post‐weaning. Piglets in the control group were supplied only control cheese. The impact of such additives on the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH; spectroscopic and electrophoretic assay), alteration of immunity (index of metabolic activity), jejunum histology (light microscopy), and health of conventional piglets from a problematic breed (monitoring of hematology, consistency and moisture of feces and body temperature) were examined. We found significant decrease in LDH leakage in the blood serum and tissue extracts, indicating better cell membrane integrity in the individual organs of animals. Probiotics and flaxseed applied together seem to be a good source of nutrients to improve the immune status and the integrity of jejunum mucosa during infection. © 2015 Japanese Society of Animal Science     

Leaf Removal Treatments Combined with Kaolin Particle Film Technique from Different Directions of Grapevine’s Canopy Affect the Composition of Phytochemicals of cv. Muscat Hamburg (<Emphasis Type="Italic">V. Vinifera</Emphasis> L.)

In some viticulture regions of the world, high temperature and irradiance can negatively affect the grapevine growth and grape quality. Particle film technology is a remarkable tool, leading to decrease in environmental stress conditions for grape production. In current study, leaf removal and kaolin particle film treatments were performed on east and west sides of grapevine’s canopy of cv. Muscat Hamburg and five different treatments were respectively evaluated: Control (C), leaf removal treatment from east side of grapevine’s canopy (LR-E), leaf removal treatment from east side of grapevine’s canopy plus kaolin particle film treatment (LR-E + K), leaf removal treatment from west side of grapevine’s canopy (LR-W), leaf removal treatment from west side of grapevine’s canopy plus kaolin particle film treatment (LR-W + K). In present research, the higher total phenolic compounds contents were measured in LR-W (2010.56?mg GAE/kg fw), LR-W + K (2006.42?mg GAE/kg fw), LR-E (1925.58?mg GAE/kg fw), LR-E + K (1913.15?mg GAE/kg fw) and C treatment (1851.46?mg GAE/kg fw). Furthermore, means of higher total anthocyanin content were obtained from LR-W (737.68?mg GAE/kg fw), LR-W + K (736.16?mg GAE/kg fw), LR-E (706.50?mg GAE/kg fw), LR-E + K (701.94?mg GAE/kg fw) and C treatment (679.12?mg GAE/kg fw). Consequently, it was observed that both LR-W and LR-W + K treatments had especially advantages in terms of increasing grape quality attributes of cv. Muscat Hamburg; were followed by LR-E and LR-E + K treatments.     

The effects of land‐use change on plant–soil–erosion relations,Nyereg Hill,Hungary

Vegetation of the Tihany Peninsula in Hungary has undergone serious changes caused by heavy trampling and overgrazing during the last century. In Tihany, the vegetation started to change towards anthropogenic associations. After grazing ceased, vegetation started to rearrange. There were no significant changes in species composition on trampled areas (on the ridge of the hill) between the examinations in 1994 and 2002. As a result of ceased grazing, the proportion of natural species was high in the grasslands of the S Nyereg Hill in 1994, while during the 2002 investigations, forest and scrub expanded at a rate that did not leave space for grassland on shallow soils and slope steppe (closing dry grasslands on hilly areas). The coverage of Elymus repens decreased, while Festuca species increased. The possible effects of plant‐cover change on soil loss were examined with the USLE (Universal Soil Loss Equation) model on the sloping areas. Eliminating harmful effects can decrease soil degradation, but the original state of soils can be restored only after a long period (hundreds of years). Further degradation of soils assists the expansion of drought‐resistant species and weeds in the associations. In 2007, soil‐thickness measurements and on‐site examinations were carried out to check the results of the former surveys and modeling.     

Effect of Free Manganese Activity on Yield and Uptake of Micronutrient Cations by Barley and Oat grown in Chelator-buffered Nutrient Solution

The uptake of micronutrient cations in relation to varying activities of Mn²⁺ was studied for barley (Hordeum vulgare L. var. Thule) and oat (Avena sativa L. var. Biri) grown in chelator buffered nutrient solution. Free activities of Mn²⁺ were calculated by using the chemical speciation programme GEOCHEM-PC. Manganese deficient conditions induced elevated concentrations of Zn and Fe in shoots of both species. The corresponding antagonistic relationship between Mn and Cu could only be seen in barley. The observed antagonistic relationships were only valid as long as the plant growth was limited by Mn deficiency. The Mn concentration in both plant species increased significantly with increasing Mn²⁺ activity in the nutrient solution. The concentration of Mn in the shoots of oat was higher than for barley except under severe Mn deficiency where it was found equal for both species. Manganese was accumulated in the roots of barley at high Mn²⁺ activity. The different shoot concentrations of Mn between barley and oat are therefore attributed to the extent of Mn translocation from roots to shoots. Manganese deficiency induced a significant increase in the shoot to root ratio in both species.     

管理肉种鸡的产蛋行为

法国和讲法语的北非国家是至今为止小体型、轻体重肉鸡的最大市场。许多法国种鸡育种公司正对这一需求作出反应,如肉鸡生产商Goasduff公司（一个管理出色的家族型企业,对他们的父母代鸡群定下了明确的目标）就拥有大部分小型种鸡。他们采取特殊的管理措施以取得合理的产蛋性能。     

Isolation of Mycoplasma capricolum-like strains from chickens

Members of the genus Mycoplasma infect a wide range of hosts, but individual Mycoplasma species tend to exhibit a considerable degree of host specificity. We characterized Mycoplasma strain 700, isolated from a kidney of a layer hen in Spain and Mycoplasma strains ULB-A and ULB-B, isolated from the air sac and from the bile of stunted broiler chickens in Slovenia. The serologic examination showed that these three strains are antigenically unrelated to all of the recognized Mycoplasma species of avian origin, but closely related to the ruminant mycoplasma Mycoplasma capricolum subspecies capricolum (M. capricolum). The comparison of their 16S rRNA gene sequences with the sequence of M. capricolum (California kid) revealed 99.66% sequence identity for the strain 700 and 99.59% identity for strains ULB-A and ULB-B. Moreover, the predicted DnaK sequences of the M. capricolum-like strains, isolated from chickens, were identical to DnaK sequences of M. capricolum. Comparison of their dnaK gene sequences with M. capricolum showed 99.64% sequence identity for strain 700 and 99.27% identity for strains ULB-A and ULB-B. In the flock from which M. capricolum-like strains ULB-A and ULB-B were isolated, the majority of chickens (83% of the chickens examined) raised antibodies reacting with M. capricolum antigens. Notably, the infection of chickens with M. capricolum-like strains represents an unusual exception to the range of Mycoplasma species host specificity.