Prevalence of pathogens causing subclinical mastitis in 15 dairy herds in the Republic of Ireland

: Milk samples from 285 cows in 15 dairy herds were collected for bacteriological analysis. Cows were selected on the basis of a somatic cell count (SCC) exceeding 200,000 cells per ml at the three most recent milk recordings prior to sampling. Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus uberis were the predominant isolates accounting for 21% (n = 61) and 19% (n = 53) of isolates, respectively. Streptococcus uberis was more frequently isolated from split-calving herds than from spring-calving herds and this difference was statistically significant (P < 0.005). Herds with suboptimal housing had a significantly greater prevalence of S. uberis than did herds where housing was adequate (P < 0.005). The isolation rates for S. aureus was significantly greater in herds where parlour hygiene was suboptimal (P < 0.05).     

Thermostability of the rabies virion. Optical density measurement technique applications

The thermal degradation of rabies virus was determined by the variation in optical density at 260 nm during temperature rise. This variation, linked to denaturation of RNA, was seen by an irreversible sigmoidal curve. Analysis of the state of the virion by ultracentrifugation did not show any alteration in sedimentation. Electron microscopy revealed a release of nucleic acid of the virions which were burst to a greater or lesser degree. The technical conditions of these measurements--speed of temperature rise and virus preparation--are defined. The form of the curve and the different measurements which develop from it, enable the influence of numerous factors linked either to the sodium, calcium and magnesium environment, or to an alteration of the virus by chemical substances, especially inactivation agents, to be observed. The study of the thermal degradation of rabies virus is an interesting method of determining the action of different factors on the stability of the virion.     

Global mineralogical and aqueous mars history derived from OMEGA/Mars Express data

Global mineralogical mapping of Mars by the Observatoire pour la Mineralogie, l'Eau, les Glaces et l'Activité (OMEGA) instrument on the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft provides new information on Mars' geological and climatic history. Phyllosilicates formed by aqueous alteration very early in the planet's history (the "phyllocian" era) are found in the oldest terrains; sulfates were formed in a second era (the "theiikian" era) in an acidic environment. Beginning about 3.5 billion years ago, the last era (the "siderikian") is dominated by the formation of anhydrous ferric oxides in a slow superficial weathering, without liquid water playing a major role across the planet.     

Prospective study of bacterial overgrowth syndrome in eight dogs

Eight dogs with cutaneous lesions, clinical signs and cytological findings compatible with bacterial overgrowth syndrome were compared with four healthy dogs. The affected dogs were treated for 28 days with 30 mg/kg/day cephalexin. The results showed that the syndrome was a superficial cutaneous disorder characterised by marked pruritus, greasy seborrhoea, offensive odour, erythema, lichenification, hyperpigmentation, excoriations and alopecia involving principally the ventral aspect of the body, but no papules, pustules, epidermal collarettes or crusts; it was caused by overgrowths of Staphylococcus intermedius all over the body surface. Histopathological findings included a superficial, perivascular, hyperplastic and spongiotic dermatitis with a mixed inflammatory infiltrate, but no lesions suggestive of a true pyoderma. In the affected dogs, anti-staphylococcal immunoglobulin G levels were high, but anti-staphylococcal immunoglobulin E levels were low, suggesting that staphylococcal hypersensitivity is not the underlying pathogenic process. The antibiotic treatment improved the condition of all the dogs, but five of the eight had an underlying allergic skin disease.     

Measuring and modelling the actual energy involved in aggregate breakdown

This work investigates the distribution of soil aggregates for Vertisols and Ferrasols as a function of the actual energy involved in dispersion, known as the dispersive energy. For Vertisols showing an aggregate hierarchy, the breakdown of aggregates 2–50 μm is modelled using the aggregate liberation and dispersion characteristic curve indicating a stepwise breakdown of soil aggregates. Meanwhile, for Ferrasols, the breakdown of 2–50 μm aggregates increases monotonically with increasing dispersive energy, which is indicative of the direct release of silt and clay from the disruption of aggregates. For soils displaying an aggregate hierarchy, the relative rate constant of aggregate liberation is much larger than the relative rate constant of the aggregate dispersion. Furthermore, the redistribution of aggregates for a number of size ranges within the 2–50 μm fraction illustrates a number of different pathways in aggregate breakdown, and the assumption that aggregates follow an exponential decay may not detect the presence of a weakly expressed aggregate hierarchy. The exponential decrease in ultrasonic power over time for the Ferrasols, as opposed to the prominent drop or steps in the curves for the Vertisols, confirms the lack of a prominent aggregate hierarchy.     

Allochrony as a potential driver for reproductive isolation in adaptive radiations of European whitefish ecomorphs

In northern Fennoscandian lakes, monophylogenetic lineages of postglacial fishes are radiating into several adaptive forms, but the speciation process is still at an incipient stage. The speciation process has received increased attention over the years, but the underlying mechanisms and drivers are still debated and poorly understood. European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus [L.]) is the most abundant fish species in these lakes and has evolved into several ecomorphs adapted to different trophic niches and habitats. Genetic divergence has been observed among these ecomorphs, but the mechanism(s) responsible for the ongoing build-up of reproductive isolation has still to be revealed. As these systems are young in evolutionary time (<10 kyr), prezygotic and postzygotic extrinsic isolation mechanisms are thought to be more likely to contribute to the reproductive isolation than intrinsic isolation mechanisms. We determined the gonadosomatic index (GSI) of three ecomorphs in two replicated lake systems and used GSI as a proxy to investigate the prezygotic isolation mechanism, allochrony, as a driving factor of divergence in this adaptive radiation of whitefish. We found that the three ecomorphs differed in GSI values within and between lakes, suggesting different spawning times of the ecomorphs. We also show that males of one ecomorph had equal onset of maturity as another ecomorph, giving novel insights into the ongoing gene flow observed between ecomorphs. The result supports allochrony as a driver for the divergence process of whitefish ecomorphs, but more evidence is still needed to rule out that the three ecomorphs make use of different spawning grounds.