Colonisation of conventional weaned pigs by enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) and its hazard potential for human health

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) bacteria frequently cause severe enteric diseases primarily in children and in young rabbits. Their pathogenicity for pigs has been tested by oral infection of colostrum-deprived newborn, and of severely immunosuppressed weaned pigs, but colonisation of conventional weaned pigs by porcine EPEC has not been experimentally studied. EPEC show similarities to enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) additionally carrying shiga toxin genes integrated into the chromosome by lambdoid phages. We have demonstrated earlier that the porcine EPEC prototype strain P86-1390 (O45) could be transduced in vivo (in ligated loops of weaned pigs), by Stx2 phage derived from a human EHEC. Thus, the ability of this porcine EPEC strain to colonise conventional weaned pigs under farming conditions became a question of relevance to human health. To clarify this question, four intragastric infection experiments were performed on a total of 95 conventional weaned pigs. The EPEC P86-1390 and other well-characterised porcine EPEC strains were applied to 54 pigs, leaving 41 weaned pigs as negative controls. In three experiments moderate predispositions were applied: coinfections with enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) or with low-virulence TGE coronavirus, application of fumonisin B1 with a normal therapeutic dose of dexamethasone, and the increase of soybean protein concentration in the feed. A total of 41 weaned pigs served as negative controls inoculated with a commensal porcine E. coli. Housing conditions simulated the farm environment. As an overall result, ileal segments of 18.5% of infected pigs were shown to be colonised by EPEC, while no EPEC were detected in the ilea of controls. Among predisposing factors occurring on farms, feed protein content increased by 20% (26.3% crude protein, provided by 48% soybean meal) seemed to enhance EPEC colonisation and resulted in the mobilisation of spontaneous latent EPEC/ETEC infection. The results indicate that under normal farm conditions porcine EPEC may colonise conventional weaned pigs by inducing ileal attaching effacing (AE) lesions with reasonable frequency, without clinical signs. The results also suggest that conventional weaned pigs may represent undetected reservoirs of porcine EPEC, potentially giving rise to the emergence of new types of EHEC due to natural transduction by Stx phages.     

Effects of alternative management practices on the economics,energy and GHG emissions of a wheat–pea cropping system in the Canadian prairies

In recent years alternative farming practices have received considerable attention from Canadian producers as a means to improve their net return from grain and oilseed production. Enhancing the efficiency of nitrogen fertilizer use, including a pulse crop in the rotation, reducing tillage and pesticide use are seen as viable options to reduce reliance on fossil fuel, lower input costs and decrease the risk of soil, air and water degradation. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of 16 alternative management practices for a 2-year spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–field pea (Pisum sativum L.) rotation on economic returns, non-renewable energy use efficiency, and greenhouse gas emissions. The alternative management methods for wheat consisted of a factorial combination of high vs. low soil disturbance one pass seeding, four nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates (20 kg N ha^?1, 40 kg N ha^?1, 60 kg N ha^?1 and 80 kg N ha^?1), and recommended vs. reduced rates of in-crop herbicide application. Alternative management practices for field pea were high vs. low soil disturbance one pass seeding. The resulting 16 cropping systems were evaluated at the whole farm level based on 4 years (two rotation cycles) of data from field experiments conducted on two Orthic Black Chernozem soils (clay loam and loam textures) in Manitoba, Canada. The highest net returns on the clay loam soil were for the high disturbance system with 60 kg N ha^?1 applied to wheat and the recommended rates of in-crop herbicides. The lowest application rate of N, together with low disturbance seeding, provided the highest economic returns on the loam soil. Energy use efficiency was highest for the lowest rate of N application for both tillage systems. The highest rate of N fertilizer and recommended rates of in-crop herbicide produced little additional yield response, lower net returns, and higher GHG emissions. An increase in N fertilizer application from 20 kg ha^?1 to 80 kg ha^?1 increased whole farm energy requirements by about 40%, while reducing herbicide rates had negligible effects on grain yields and total energy input. Overall, as N fertilizer rate increased, the associated GHG emissions were not offset by an increase in carbon retained in the above-ground crop biomass. Moderate to high soil test NO₃-N levels at experimental sites reduced the potential for positive yield responses to N fertilizer in this study, thus minimizing the economic benefits derived from N fertilizer application.     

The relationship between the occurrence of undifferentiated bovine respiratory disease and titer changes to bovine coronavirus and bovine viral diarrhea virus in 3 Ontario feedlots.

Serological evidence of previous viral exposure (titer at arrival) and current viral exposure (titer increase) during a 28-day study period, was used to determine if bovine coronavirus (BCV) or bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) was associated with the occurrence of undifferentiated bovine respiratory disease (UBRD) in feedlot calves. Neutralizing antibody titers to BCV and BVDV were determined for 852 animals from 3 Ontario feedlots. Calves at 2 of the 3 feedlots (n = 753) received a modified live 4-way viral vaccine containing BVDV. On arrival at the feedlots, 90% of animals were seropositive for BCV, while 39% of animals were seropositive for BVDV. This evidence of previous exposure to both viruses was associated with reduced subsequent UBRD risk. Evidence of exposure to BCV during the study period was common, as 50% of animals showed a 16-fold or greater titer increase; however, treatment for UBRD was not associated with titer change. Although the majority of animals were vaccinated for BVDV at arrival, within a feedlot, animals treated for UBRD had larger titer increases to BVDV than non-treated animals. Based on our findings we infer that BCV was not causally related to UBRD occurrence, however consistent with other literature, BVDV may be causally related to UBRD occurrence.     

Mutations in U4atac snRNA, a component of the minor spliceosome, in the developmental disorder MOPD I

Small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) are essential factors in messenger RNA splicing. By means of homozygosity mapping and deep sequencing, we show that a gene encoding U4atac snRNA, a component of the minor U12-dependent spliceosome, is mutated in individuals with microcephalic osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism type I (MOPD I), a severe developmental disorder characterized by extreme intrauterine growth retardation and multiple organ abnormalities. Functional assays showed that mutations (30G>A, 51G>A, 55G>A, and 111G>A) associated with MOPD I cause defective U12-dependent splicing. Endogenous U12-dependent but not U2-dependent introns were found to be poorly spliced in MOPD I patient fibroblast cells. The introduction of wild-type U4atac snRNA into MOPD I cells enhanced U12-dependent splicing. These results illustrate the critical role of minor intron splicing in human development.     

A formation mechanism for catalytically grown helix-shaped graphite nanotubes

The concept of a spatial-velocity hodograph is introduced to describe quantitatively the extrusion of a carbon tubule from a catalytic particle. The conditions under which a continuous tubular surface can be generated are discussed in terms of this hodograph, the shape of which determines the geometry of the initial nanotube. The model is consistent with all observed tubular shapes and explains why the formation process induces stresses that may lead to "spontaneous" plastic deformation of the tubule. This result is due to the violation of the continuity condition, that is, to the mismatch between the extrusion velocity by the catalytic particle, required to generate a continuous tubular surface, and the rate of carbon deposition.     

Plant circadian clocks increase photosynthesis, growth, survival, and competitive advantage

Circadian clocks are believed to confer an advantage to plants, but the nature of that advantage has been unknown. We show that a substantial photosynthetic advantage is conferred by correct matching of the circadian clock period with that of the external light-dark cycle. In wild type and in long- and short-circadian period mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana, plants with a clock period matched to the environment contain more chlorophyll, fix more carbon, grow faster, and survive better than plants with circadian periods differing from their environment. This explains why plants gain advantage from circadian control.     

Zusammenhang zwischen Fertilität und Kopfschwanzkoppelung bei Eberspermien

Abstract: Relationship between the implantation of the tails and the fertility in boars In this study ejaculates of 47 different breed and age boars were examined. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the implantation of the tails and the fertility in boars. From the evaluation of 115 ejaculates it was observed that the rate of abaxial implantation of the tails in ejaculates of boars was very fluctuating. The rate of axial and abaxial implantation of the tails was stable in the ejaculates of the same boars. Although some studies indicate that abaxial implantation can be the reason for infertility the present authors observed better fertilisation results with ejaculates having higher percentages of abaxial spermatozoa.     

Synchronized Induction of Pubertal Estrus in Gilts with Gonadotropins and Prostaglandin F2α Analogs: Clinical Observation.

Contents Clinical field observations on more than 7 500 pubertal gilts from four breeds and several locations, but under similar management, are reported. Standard procedures with pubertal gilts (grouping, special diets, boar exposure) did not bring sufficient numbers of gilts into heat within the first 6 days after grouping for efficient use of artificial insemination. Adding treatment with PMSG/hCG on day one of grouping, doubled the percentage of gilts in heat by day 6, from 25–30% to 57–60%. Treatment on day 1 with the PGF analogs alfaprostol or Enzaprost, followed by PMSG/hCG on day 5, increased the percentage of gilts in heat from 10–15% during the first 5 days to 75–80% between days 6 and 10. Hormonal treatments enlarged litter size by 0.5–0.7 piglets, respectively.