A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the effect of EFF1001, an Actinidia arguta (hardy kiwi) preparation, on CADESI score and pruritus in dogs with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis

Canine atopic dermatitis (AD) is common and new therapies are beneficial. This multicentric, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study tested the efficacy of Actinidia arguta (hardy kiwi) (EFF1001) in dogs with mild/moderate AD. The study was divided into two stages. Stage 1 lasted 6 weeks. In the first 2 weeks prednisolone [days 1–3: 0.2 mg/kg twice daily (BID), days 4–14: 0.2 mg/kg every other day (EOD)] was administered. Responsive dogs were placed on prednisolone 0.2 mg/kg EOD + assigned test article [either placebo or EFF1001 (30 mg/kg)] once daily for 4 weeks. Stage 1 responders were advanced to stage 2, which involved 4 weeks of just EFF1001. Clinicians scored lesions using Canine Atopic Dermatitis Extent and Severity Index (CADESI) and owners scored pruritus using a Pruritus Visual Analogue Scale. Seventy-seven dogs were enrolled, 76 were randomized on day 14, and 57 (57/76 = 75%) completed stage 1 (27 in EFF1001 and 30 in placebo). At the end of stage 1, 35 of 57 dogs (35/57 = 61%) responded (18 in EFF1001 and 17 in placebo) and advanced to stage 2. At completion of stage 1, CADESI scores did not significantly differ between groups while pruritus decreased in EFF1001 group and approached significance. At completion of stage 2, 19 dogs (19/35 = 54%) responded (15/19 = 79% had received EFF1001 and 4/19 = 21% placebo in stage 1). After completing stage 2, dogs placed on EFF1001 throughout the study were 3.5 times more likely to either maintain or improve scores than those that started it in stage 2. It is concluded that EFF1001 is beneficial adjunctive therapy after prolonged use.     

Clostridioides difficile on Ohio swine farms (2015): A comparison of swine and human environments and assessment of on‐farm risk factors

Swine are known reservoirs for Clostridioides difficile, formerly known as Clostridium difficile, and transmission from swine to human farm workers is strongly suggested by previous studies. This cross‐sectional study evaluated the potential role of farm environmental surfaces, including those in worker breakrooms and swine housing areas, in the possible transmission of C. difficile from swine to farm workers. Environmental surfaces and piglet faeces at 13 Ohio swine farms were sampled in 2015. Typical culturing techniques were performed to isolate C. difficile from samples, and amplification of toxin genes (tcdA, tcdB and cdtB) and PCR‐ribotyping were used to genetically characterize recovered isolates. In addition, sequencing of toxin regulatory gene, tcdC, was done to identify the length of identified deletions in some isolates. A survey collected farm‐level management risk factor information. Clostridioides difficile was recovered from all farms, with 42% (188/445) of samples testing positive for C. difficile. Samples collected from all on‐farm locations recovered C. difficile, including farrowing rooms (60%, 107/178), breakrooms (50%, 69/138) and nursery rooms (9%, 12/129). Three ribotypes recovered from both swine and human environments (078, 412 and 005) have been previously implicated in human disease. Samples taken from farrowing rooms and breakrooms were found to have greater odds of C. difficile recovery than those taken from nursery rooms (OR = 40.5, OR = 35.6, p < .001 respectively). Farms that weaned ≥23,500 pigs per year had lower odds of C. difficile recovery as compared to farms that weaned fewer pigs (OR = 0.4, p = .01) and weekly or more frequent cleaning of breakroom counters was associated with higher odds of C. difficile recovery (OR = 11.7, p < .001). This study provides important insights into the presence and characterization of C. difficile found in human environments on swine farms and highlights how these areas may be involved in transmission of C. difficile to swine farm workers and throughout the facility.     

Two-dimensional simulation of airflow and carbon dioxide transport over a forested mountain: Part I: Interactions between thermally-forced circulations

Local-scale wind regimes over an idealized two-dimensional (2D) mountain having similar horizontal and vertical scales as Vancouver Island were investigated using a high-resolution mesoscale model. The model-generated flow outputs were then used as ersatz data to assess the impact of limiting assumptions in the eddy-covariance (EC) method as well as the effectiveness of tower flux data time-filtering for the main tower site of the Fluxnet-Canada British Columbia flux station. In this paper, we describe the simulated mesoscale and local-scale flow regimes, and in Part II we describe their use in assessing tower-data analyses of CO₂ fluxes.The numerical model was enhanced to include parameterizations for: tree drag, radiation effects of forest canopies on the surface energy budget, and soil heat conduction. Simulations were performed both over an idealized bare hill and over a forested hill. The simulated flow involved interactions between the land/sea breeze, convective thermals, and mountain circulations under fair-weather conditions.The resulting simulated winds over the forested slope were much weaker than those over a bare slope. The nocturnal drainage flow over the forested slope was separated into sub-canopy and above-canopy regimes due to the temperature inversion at treetop. The strongest downslope flows occurred above the canopy with a minimum velocity occurring in the upper canopy where canopy drag is the strongest. The overturning of large convective eddies during daytime resulted in intermittent downslope flows under the canopy during the day. Wind regimes had a rapid shift from upslope to downslope flow above the canopy just after sunset. Further testing will be made using 3D simulations with higher resolution.     

Two-dimensional simulation of airflow and carbon dioxide transport over a forested mountain: Part II. Carbon dioxide budget analysis and advection effects

We apply a high-resolution atmospheric model to assess the influence of mesoscale advection of CO₂ on the estimation of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) using eddy-covariance CO₂ flux measurements at a Fluxnet-Canada forest site located on sloping terrain on Vancouver Island, Canada. The numerical simulation is performed for fair-weather conditions over an idealized two-dimensional mountain bounded by water. The model is enhanced to include a CO₂ budget with a treatment of canopy photosynthesis and soil respiration.The simulation captures the transport of CO₂ by nocturnal drainage flows and weak land breezes. The resulting vertical profiles and time evolution of CO₂ concentration show a significant variation near the ground, associated with stability changes in the atmospheric boundary layer. The simulated vertical CO₂ gradients are found to be large around sunset and sunrise. The decrease of CO₂ concentration over land after midnight and the CO₂ accumulation over the neighboring water surface indicate CO₂ advection.A CO₂ budget analysis of the numerical-model output shows that the mean horizontal and vertical advection have significant fluctuations and opposite signs during daytime, with the net result that they largely counteract each other. At night, mean advection results in the underestimation by 20% of the nocturnal respiration. The estimated NEE at night is dominated by sub-grid-scale vertical flux in this simulation. Further evaluation using 3D simulations with higher resolution is needed to see if our results hold where vertical fluxes are much better resolved.     

Oxygenic Photoautotrophic Growth Without Photosystem I

Contrary to the prediction of the Z-scheme model of photosynthesis, experiments demonstrated that mutants of Chlamydomonas containing photosystem II (PSII) but lacking photosystem I (PSI) can grow photoautotrophically with O2 evolution, using atmospheric CO2 as the sole carbon source. Autotrophic photosynthesis by PSI-deficient mutants was stable both under anaerobic conditions and in air (21 percent O2) at an actinic intensity of 200 microeinsteins per square meter per second. This PSII photosynthesis, which was sufficient to support cell development and mobility, may also occur in wild-type green algae and higher plants. The mutants can survive under 2000 microeinsteins per square meter per second with air, although they have less resistance to photoinhibition.     

Physiological responses of horses to 24 hours of transportation using a commercial van during summer conditions

Fifteen mature horses (mares, n = 6); geldings, n = 9) were used to assess the physiological responses of 24 h of transport in a commercial van under California summer conditions. The study was conducted on four consecutive days, and data were collected on d 1 and d 2 to obtain baseline values and to determine any diurnal variation in the individual measurements. Travel commenced on d 3 at 0800 for 24 h, with a total of 1,622 km traveled. Blood samples were collected at 0800, 1100, 1400, 2000, and 0200 each day. Horses were weighed and rectal temperatures recorded at 0800 each day and at 2000 each day except d 3. Body weight, rectal temperature, serum cortisol, serum lactate, and white blood cell (WBC) counts exhibited diurnal variation (P = .0001) on d 1 and d 2. Body weight immediately after unloading showed a 6% loss. At 24 h following transit, a 3% deficiency in body weight loss remained. The WBC counts showed a progressive increase with duration of travel and peaked at the termination of transport. Dehydration measures of hematocrit and total protein increased during transport and returned to baseline during the posttransport period. Serum concentrations of lactate, creatine kinase and aspartate aminotransferase increased during transport and in the early posttransit period, but returned to baseline values at the conclusion of the 24-h posttransport period. Glucose concentration increased with the initiation of transport and did not decrease to baseline concentration at the end of the 24-h posttransport period. Plasma cortisol and neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio increased with duration of transit and returned to baseline during the posttransport period. These data clearly showed physiological responses of horses undergoing 24 h of transport including changes in muscle metabolism, stress indices, dehydration and immune parameters, and body weight. These responses may increase disease susceptibility and influence energy availability for athletic performance following long-term transport of horses.     

Responses of horses to trailer design, duration, and floor area during commercial transportation to slaughter

Nine trailer loads of horses (n = 306) transported to slaughter facilities with distances ranging 596 to 2,496 km were studied to characterize the type of horses used in commercial markets and the physiological responses and number of injuries due to transportation under summer environmental conditions. Slaughter horse candidates were middle-aged (11.4+/-.4 yr), possessed moderately fleshy body condition, weighed 432+/-3.3 kg, and were of Quarter Horse or Thoroughbred breeding. The mean weight loss during commercial transport was 4%. The percentage of injured horses was greater (P < .05) for two-tiered "pot-belly" (29.2%) compared with straight-deck (8.0%) trailers; however, the stress indicators of cortisol and neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio and rectal temperature showed greater (P < .05) responses following transport in straight-deck trailers. As trip duration increased from 5 h 45 min to 30 h, muscle fatigue (lactate concentration) and dehydration (hematocrit and total protein concentration) were the major physiological considerations, especially in durations over 27 h. The percentage of horses injured was less (P < .05) in trailers with 1.14 to 1.31 m2 of floor area per horse than in trailers with 1.40 to 1.54 m2 of floor area per horse. However, most physiological responses (white blood cell count, total protein concentration, and neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio) to transportation were less (P < .05) in horses provided with the greater floor area.