Coupling landscape graph modeling and biological data: a review

Landscape Ecology - Landscape graphs are widely used to model networks of habitat patches. As they require little input data, they are particularly suitable for supporting conservation decisions...     

Role of Tumour Necrosis Factor α in Stimulation of Prostaglandins F2α and E2 Release by Cultured Porcine Endometrial Cells

The present studies were undertaken to examine the effect of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) alpha on prostaglandins (PGs) F(2alpha) and E(2) release by cultured porcine endometrial cells harvested on days 13-16 after oestrus in comparison to stimulation with oxytocin (OT) and luteinizing hormone (LH). A time-dependent effect of TNFalpha (10 ng/ml) on PGF(2alpha) release was observed in stromal and luminal epithelial cells. Moreover, TNFalpha increased PGF(2alpha) secretion from both endometrial cell types with effective concentrations of 1 (p < 0.05), 10 and 50 ng/ml (p < 0.01). The effect of TNFalpha (10 ng/ml) on endometrial PGF(2alpha) and PGE(2) release was compared with OT (100 nmol/l) and LH (100 ng/ml). All factors affected PGF(2alpha) secretion from stromal cells, however, the stimulation tended to be more potent after OT and LH (p < 0.01) than after TNFalpha (p < 0.05) treatment. In epithelial cells, only TNFalpha was able to stimulate PGF(2alpha) release (p < 0.001). PGE(2) secretion from stromal cells increased after incubation with TNFalpha and OT (p < 0.05). Only LH stimulated PGE(2) release from epithelium (p < 0.001), and its action was very effective when compared with TNFalpha or OT (p < 0.01). Summarizing, TNFalpha induces both PGs secretion from cultured porcine endometrium, but preferentially stimulates PGF(2alpha) release from luminal epithelial cells. Therefore, similarly to OT and LH, TNFalpha may be considered as a potential modulator of endometrial PGF(2alpha) production during luteolysis in the pig.     

Effect of breed of cattle on innate resistance to infection with <i>Babesia bovis, B bigemina and Anaplasma marginale

Objective To assess the innate resistance of naive Bos taurus, Bos taurus cross Bos indicus and Bos indicus cattle to virulent Babesia bovis, B bigemina and Anaplasma marginale parasites. Design Groups of 10, pure B indicus, fi B indicus cross,/B indicus cross and pure B taurus steers were infected with virulent B bovis, B bigemina and A marginale parasites. Procedure Sequential infections were carried out by intravenous inoculation of infected blood containing 1 times 10⁸ parasites of B bovis, followed by B bigemina and then A marginale. To assess resistance, measurements were made of parasitaemia, rectal temperature, packed cell volume and the number within a group requiring chemotherapy to control infection. There was a recovery period between each infection. Results Infection with B bovis showed that pure B indicus steers were significantly more resistant to B bovis infection than the other groups, with none of this group requiring treatment. There was no significant difference between fi B indicus cross and/B indicus cross with 30% and 20%, respectively, of steers in these groups requiring treatment. The pure B taurus steers were significantly more affected then those in the other three groups with 80% requiring treatment. Infections of B bigemina produced a mild response in comparison to that of B bovis and none of the steers required treatment. However, the pure B taurus group was significantly more affected than the other three groups for all other measurements. After the A marginale infection, B indicus steers were moderately affected with 50% requiring treatment, whereas 70% of the fi B indicus group, 80% of the /B indicus cross group and 100% of the pure B taurus group required treatment. Conclusions All breeds of cattle, ranging from pure B indicus to pure B taurus may be at risk of severe disease if exposed to virulent A marginale. The results confirm that pure B indicus cattle are relatively resistant to B bovis, but there could be a significant risk of severe mortalities if cross-bred herds are exposed to virulent infection.     

Focal eosinophilic proctitis with associated rectal prolapse in a pony

Focal intramural nodules were palpated in the rectal wall of a 12-year-old pony mare presented for rectal prolapse. Eosinophilic proctitis was diagnosed by examination of fine needle aspirates and biopsy of the largest rectal nodule. After treatment with a course of corticosteroids, the rectal nodule and accompanying peripheral eosinophilia resolved. There was no recurrence of the condition during the follow-up period of 20 months. Focal eosinophilic proctitis appeared to be an unusual cause of tenesmus and rectal prolapse in this case.     

Molecular genetic and physiologic background of the growth hormone-IGF-I axis in relation to breeding for growth rate and leanness in pigs

The GH-IGF-I axis is of major importance for the regulation of body growth and composition, and cellular proliferation and differentiation processes. Selective breeding aiming to improve growth rate and/or body composition is accompanied by changes of the GH-IGF-I axis. Research aiming to elucidate the genetic and physiologic mechanism(s) underlying these changes may best use single-trait selection lines. Two such pig selection lines, one for growth rate and one for high lean content, were used in experiments to investigate the mechanisms of the GH-IGF-I axis change during selection. This contribution reviews the selection-related changes in the GH-IGF-I axis as the consequences of selection for whole body growth rate or body composition and effects on local tissue growth rate. A model explaining the observed effects and consequences for the pressure on the physiology is presented. In short, selection related demand for GH induces GH synthesis until a limit is reached. After that the pulsatile GH plasma profile changes, which may also affect expression profiles of genes regulating body composition.     

Carbon footprint including effect of carbon storage for selected wooden facade materials

Abstract

The outer facade constitutes a substantial volume of the total consumption of materials used in a building and the need for maintenance of the facade makes it especially interesting from a life cycle perspective. The range of wooden materials and products used for facades has different impacts over the life cycle, but the analyses so far have not included a time-adjusted global warming potential (GWP). Wooden facade materials were assessed with respect to their life cycle carbon footprint based on the environmental product declarations (EPD) and adjusted according to EN15804. The results showed low impacts of untreated Scots pine heartwood (≈1 kg CO₂-eq. per square meter [m²]), medium for thermally modified Scots pine, coated Norway spruce and oil/copper–organic preservative-treated Scots pine (1–5 kg CO₂-eq. per m²) and high for furfurylated Scots pine and acetylated Radiata pine (5–10 kg CO₂-eq. per m²). The results with time-adjustment showed that these methods have a potential large effect on the carbon footprint of wooden claddings. The inclusion of biogenic carbon flows and timing seems to be more important than the difference between the product when biogenic carbon is not included. This fact highlights the importance time-adjusted GWP would have for wood products EPDs.