Risk based culling for highly infectious diseases of livestock

ABSTRACT: The control of highly infectious diseases of livestock such as classical swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease, and avian influenza is fraught with ethical, economic, and public health dilemmas. Attempts to control outbreaks of these pathogens rely on massive culling of infected farms, and farms deemed to be at risk of infection. Conventional approaches usually involve the preventive culling of all farms within a certain radius of an infected farm. Here we propose a novel culling strategy that is based on the idea that farms that have the highest expected number of secondary infections should be culled first. We show that, in comparison with conventional approaches (ring culling), our new method of risk based culling can reduce the total number of farms that need to be culled, the number of culled infected farms (and thus the expected number of human infections in case of a zoonosis), and the duration of the epidemic. Our novel risk based culling strategy requires three pieces of information, viz. the location of all farms in the area at risk, the moments when infected farms are detected, and an estimate of the distance-dependent probability of transmission.     

Neuraminidase production by Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae

In order to characterise neuraminidase activity by Erysipelothrix, 85 isolates of Erysipelothrix spp. from a variety of sources including human clinical, marine and terrestrial animals, and the environment were investigated for neuraminidase production. Neuraminidase activity was detected by a peanut lectin haemagglutination method. The effects of media, incubation conditions and pH on the production and activity of neuraminidase were also investigated. Enzyme activity was detected only in the supernatants of the isolates of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae which had been incubated in cooked meat broth and Todd Hewitt broth supplemented with horse serum after 16 and 36 h incubation at 37 degrees C. The maximum titres were reached at 40 h in cooked meat broth and 56 h in Todd Hewitt broth supplemented with horse serum. All 58 isolates and the type strain (ATCC 19414) of E. rhusiopathiae produced detectable neuraminidase activity with titres between 10 and 320. The optimal pH for the enzyme activity varied among the isolates with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0 covering the highest enzyme activity of the most. There was no statistically significant difference in the level of neuraminidase activity between isolates from different sources (p > 0.05). Neuraminidase activity was not detected in the non-pathogenic Erysipelothrix spp. such as E. tonsillarum. Neuraminidase was detected only in E. rhusiopathiae suggesting its possible role as a virulence factor. Enzyme production and activity were medium and pH dependent. The peanut lectin haemagglutination assay is a simple, rapid and sensitive method and is particularly useful for the analysis of multiple samples.     

Notification for intended animal research - remarks on the future procedures on the basis of the European Union Laboratory Animal Guideline 2010/63/EU

The new Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes causes a need of several changes in German animal welfare law. On the basis of the regulations in the Directive, adjustments of the existing notification procedures are unavoidable. The Directive includes provisions for a simplified administrative procedure which differs significantly from the existing notification procedures. In any case, an application process will be required for projects in the meaning of the Directive. This contribution comments on the conceivable changes of the existing notification procedure. The implementation of the provisions of the Directive into national law has to be done near-term as the Directive is applicable from January 1st 2013. In advance, political and legal procedures must be passed through, the adapted regulations are to be notified by the European Commission and last but not least the authorities and user establishments must have enough time to implement the necessary changes.     

Growth of Mycoplasma bovis in organ cultures of bovine foetal trachea and comparison with Mycoplasma dispar

Inoculation of tracheal organ cultures from bovine foetuses with Mycoplasma bovis resulted in a loss of cellular structure of the lamina propria, followed 20-22 days later by lifting and detachment of overlying epithelium. The effect was associated with large numbers of M. bovis, identified by immunoperoxidase labelling and electromicroscopy, infiltrating between the epithelial cells and amassing in the lamina propria, especially in the region of the basement membrane of the epithelium. Ciliary activity was undiminished for up to 18 days following inoculation and little or no cytopathic effect on the ciliated epithelium was seen in spite of the close proximity of large numbers of organisms. In contrast, M. dispar was restricted to the margin of the ciliated epithelium where, as previously reported, it caused pyknosis, sloughing and flattening of the epithelium with consequent loss of ciliary activity. The cytopathology observed for each mycoplasma bore a close similarity to the behaviour of the two mycoplasmas in vivo and it is suggested that the organ culture system may be a useful and relevant system to elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms for each mycoplasma.     

Activating mutations of NOTCH1 in human T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Very rare cases of human T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) harbor chromosomal translocations that involve NOTCH1, a gene encoding a transmembrane receptor that regulates normal T cell development. Here, we report that more than 50% of human T-ALLs, including tumors from all major molecular oncogenic subtypes, have activating mutations that involve the extracellular heterodimerization domain and/or the C-terminal PEST domain of NOTCH1. These findings greatly expand the role of activated NOTCH1 in the molecular pathogenesis of human T-ALL and provide a strong rationale for targeted therapies that interfere with NOTCH signaling.     

Amygdalar and hippocampal theta rhythm synchronization during fear memory retrieval

The amygdalohippocampal circuit plays a pivotal role in Pavlovian fear memory. We simultaneously recorded electrical activity in the lateral amygdala (LA) and the CA1 area of the hippocampus in freely behaving fear-conditioned mice. Patterns of activity were related to fear behavior evoked by conditioned and indifferent sensory stimuli and contexts. Rhythmically synchronized activity at theta frequencies increased between the LA and the CA1 after fear conditioning and became significant during confrontation with conditioned fear stimuli and expression of freezing behavior. Synchronization of theta activities in the amygdalohippocampal network represents a neuronal correlate of conditioned fear, apt to improve neuronal communication during memory retrieval.     

Spatiotemporal patterns of mountain whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni) in response to a restoration of longitudinal connectivity

To examine the role of longitudinal connectivity on the spatial and temporal dynamics of mountain whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni), we quantified movement and population dynamics following installation of the Landsburg Dam fishway, Cedar River, WA, USA. Mountain whitefish is widely distributed, poorly studied and not the focus of restoration. Before the fishway, mountain whitefish were not observed above the dam. Here, we focus on snorkel counts collected at reach and mesohabitat (e.g. pools) scales over 11 summers on the 20‐km above‐dam segment following restoration. A camera within the ladder provided number, size and movement timing, thereby informing on behaviour and recolonisation. Segment‐scale abundance increased following fish passage reaching an asymptote in 7 years, and mountain whitefish were detected throughout the main stem in 10 years. Annual movement through the ladder increased over time and was positively correlated with instream abundance and discharge, but negatively correlated with water temperature. About 60% of fish movements occurred in spring and early summer, potentially for foraging opportunities. Reach‐scale abundance peaked between 7 and 10 km from the dam; deep, cool (~10.6 to 11.6°C) conditions characterised these reaches. At the mesohabitat scale, mountain whitefish detection increased with depth and velocity after accounting for distance from the dam. Our results show how restoring longitudinal connectivity allowed this nontarget species to colonise newly available habitat. Their response supports the critical roles of longitudinal connectivity and environmental conditions, that manifest at different spatial scales, in dictating how freshwater fish respond to habitat disturbance.     

Laser altimetry of small-scale features on 433 Eros from NEAR-Shoemaker

During the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR)-Shoemaker's low-altitude flyover of asteroid 433 Eros, observations by the NEAR Laser Rangefinder (NLR) have helped to characterize small-scale surface features. On scales from meters to hundreds of meters, the surface has a fractal structure with roughness dominated by blocks, structural features, and walls of small craters. This fractal structure suggests that a single process, possibly impacts, dominates surface morphology on these scales.     

Evaluation of reticulocyte hemoglobin content (RET‐He) in the diagnosis of iron‐deficient erythropoiesis in dogs

Background

Reticulocyte hemoglobin content provided by the Siemens ADVIA (CHr) is an established marker of iron deficiency. The IDEXX ProCyte Dx hematology analyzer now provides a similar variable, reticulocyte hemoglobin equivalent (RET‐He).

Objectives

The objective was to evaluate RET‐He and its diagnostic utility in dogs, and to calculate a cutoff value for diagnosing iron‐deficient erythropoiesis (IDE). Furthermore, the prevalence of RET‐He values below this cutoff value was established.

Methods

One hundred and seventy‐one CBCs of healthy dogs were used to establish a RI. Stability of RET‐He was evaluated by repeated measurements over 48 hours (n = 10). The 25‐run coefficient of variation (CV) was calculated, and correlation and bias between measurements of RET‐He and CHr were assessed (n = 190). A cutoff value for diagnosing IDE was calculated. The utility of RET‐He in the detection of IDE was evaluated in 123 dogs. The prevalence of low RET‐He values was assessed retrospectively in a multicenter study (2012–2014) under participation of 7 veterinary clinics.

Results

Reticulocyte hemoglobin equivalent with an RI of 22.2 to 28.6 pg was statistically stable over 48 hours (P = .10). The CV was 1.8%. A fair correlation (ρ = 0.74) between RET‐He and CHr with a small bias of ?0.6 pg was found. The cutoff value for diagnosing IDE was 20.9 pg (sensitivity: 85%; specificity: 99%). The prevalence of RET‐He values below 20.9 pg was 10.3% (1084/10,553 dogs).

Conclusions

RET‐He on the ProCyte Dx is a precise screening tool in dogs to detect iron‐deficient erythropoiesis.     

Estimating nocturnal ecosystem respiration from the vertical turbulent flux and change in storage of CO2

Micrometeorological measurements of nighttime ecosystem respiration can be systematically biased when stable atmospheric conditions lead to drainage flows associated with decoupling of air flow above and within plant canopies. The associated horizontal and vertical advective fluxes cannot be measured using instrumentation on the single towers typically used at micrometeorological sites. A common approach to minimize bias is to use a threshold in friction velocity, u_*, to exclude periods when advection is assumed to be important, but this is problematic in situations when in-canopy flows are decoupled from the flow above. Using data from 25 flux stations in a wide variety of forest ecosystems globally, we examine the generality of a novel approach to estimating nocturnal respiration developed by van Gorsel et al. (van Gorsel, E., Leuning, R., Cleugh, H.A., Keith, H., Suni, T., 2007. Nocturnal carbon efflux: reconciliation of eddy covariance and chamber measurements using an alternative to the u_*-threshold filtering technique. Tellus 59B, 397–403, Tellus, 59B, 307-403). The approach is based on the assumption that advection is small relative to the vertical turbulent flux (F_C) and change in storage (F_S) of CO₂ in the few hours after sundown. The sum of F_C and F_S reach a maximum during this period which is used to derive a temperature response function for ecosystem respiration. Measured hourly soil temperatures are then used with this function to estimate respiration R_Rmax. The new approach yielded excellent agreement with (1) independent measurements using respiration chambers, (2) with estimates using ecosystem light-response curves of F_c + F_s extrapolated to zero light, R_LRC, and (3) with a detailed process-based forest ecosystem model, R_cast. At most sites respiration rates estimated using the u_*-filter, R_ust, were smaller than R_Rmax and R_LRC. Agreement of our approach with independent measurements indicates that R_Rmax provides an excellent estimate of nighttime ecosystem respiration.