Non‐phytate phosphorus requirements and efficacy of a genetically engineered yeast phytase in male lingnan yellow broilers from 1 to 21 days of age

This experiment was conducted to investigate the requirement of non‐phytate phosphorus (nPP) and efficacy of a genetically engineered yeast phytase in performance and tibia characteristics by male Lingnan Yellow broilers from 1 to 21 days of age. A total of 2640 1‐day‐old male chicks were randomly allotted to one of 11 dietary treatments, which consisted of six replicate floor pens with 40 birds per pen. All treatments had the same levels of all nutrients except for phosphorus and phytase. The control group (treatment 1) was fed the basal diet without dicalcium phosphate or phytase supplementation. Dietary concentrations of nPP were 0.11%, 0.19%, 0.27%, 0.35%, 0.43%, 0.51% and 0.59% respectively for treatments 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, through addition of dicalcium phosphate (chemistry grade) to the basal diet. Diets 8–11 were supplemented with a genetically engineered yeast phytase 250, 500, 750 U/kg and a commercial phytase product 500 U/kg in basal diet respectively. The results showed that 0.46% and 0.51% nPP were required for maximum body‐weight gain and optimum tibia development indicators respectively. However, 0.59% nPP had a negative effect on bird growth. The equivalency value of the genetically engineered yeast phytase was estimated to be 874 U/kg to liberate 0.1% nPP.     

Impressions and purchasing intentions of Japanese consumers regarding pork produced by ‘Ecofeed,’ a trademark of food‐waste or food co‐product animal feed certified by the Japanese government

Impressions and purchasing intentions of Japanese consumers regarding pork produced by ‘Ecofeed’, a trademark of food‐waste or co‐product animal feeds certified by the Japanese government, were investigated by a questionnaire on the Internet. ‘Ecofeed’ did not elicit specific impressions as compared to domestic, imported, Kurobuta (in Japan), and specific pathogen‐free (SPF) pork. Purchasing intent for ‘Ecofeed’ pork was the second lowest of the five pork products. Knowledge and purchasing experience regarding ‘Ecofeed’ pork was the lowest of the five pork products. Respondents were classified into four categories according to their impressions of ‘Ecofeed’ pork. The largest category of respondents did not have any specific impression of ‘Ecofeed’ pork and had little knowledge of pork farming. A category that had a positive impression for ‘Ecofeed’ pork had high knowledge of the pork farming system. In order to establish ‘Ecofeed’ pork in Japan, our results suggest that information disclosure and education about ‘Ecofeed’, its certification system, environmental benefits and the current self‐efficiency ratio of animal feed, are needed.     

Restoring wetland biodiversity using research: Whole‐community facilitation by beaver as framework

• 1. Wetlands are declining worldwide, and there is a great need for their restoration and creation. One natural agent of wetland engineering is beavers, Castor spp., which have returned or are returning to many parts of their former range.
• 2. We initially studied the facilitative effect of the beaver Castor canadensis on a waterbird community consisting of three waders and four ducks in boreal wetlands in southern Finland. Both waterbird species diversity and abundance increased when beavers impounded a pond. Common teal Anas crecca and green sandpiper Tringa ochropus were the species showing the most positive numerical response, but the other five species also increased upon flooding.
• 3. This article evaluates how the results of the study have been used in management, both in theory and practice. The whole‐community facilitation concept has been taken up in numerous articles considering the restorative effects of beavers. It has also been used as ecological background when planning and executing man‐made wetland projects in Finland within both the public and the private sectors.
• 4. Our study and its publication in Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems have set a foundation for further evidence‐based management of waterbird communities. As the results show, having beavers as wetland managers is a feasible tool for creating and restoring wetlands for waterbirds and other biota. Moreover, wetland restoration projects are becoming more popular endeavours, owing to an understanding of the diverse benefits of wetlands. Flooding by beavers is used as a model for managers when creating man‐made wetlands; for example, in urban areas where it is difficult to maintain beavers.

     

Following a tick bite: double infections by tick-borne encephalitis virus and the spirochete Borrelia and other potential multiple infections

In Central Europe and large parts of Asia, tick-borne-encephalitis (TBE) and Lyme borreliosis caused by the spirochetal bacterium of the genus Borrelia are among the most common diseases transmitted by the bite of a tick. When in regions with overlapping TBE virus and Borrelia endemicity, a tick bite causes the victim to become ill, it is important that appropriate serological and other laboratory investigations form part of the differential diagnosis. Account must always be taken of the fact that a tick bite may be followed by a double infection with the TBE virus and Borrelia. For this reason, a comprehensive diagnostic work-up aimed at detecting co-infection by both pathogens, even when the tick bite occurs in an endemic region for both pathogens but the initial clinical symptoms suggest an infection with only one of the two pathogens. The present article discusses a number of published cases of a co-infection with TBE virus and Borrelia and other potential multiple infections.     

Context‐dependent responses of food‐hoarding to competitors in Apodemus peninsulae: implications for coexistence among asymmetrical species

Superior species may have distinct advantages over subordinates within asymmetrical interactions among sympatric animals. However, exactly how the subordinate species coexists with superior species is unknown. In the forests west of Beijing City, intense asymmetrical interactions of food competition exist among granivorous rodents (e.g. Apodemus peninsulae, Niviventer confucianus, Sciurotamias davidianus and Tscherskia triton) that have broadly overlapping habitats and diets but have varied body size (range 15–300 g), hoarding habits (scatter vs larder) and/or daily rhythm (diurnal vs nocturnal). The smallest rodent, A. peninsulae, which typically faces high competitive pressure from larger rodents, is an ideal model to explore how subordinate species coexist with superior species. Under semi‐natural enclosure conditions, we tested responses of seed‐hoarding behavior in A. peninsulae to intraspecific and interspecific competitors in the situations of pre‐competition (without competitor), competition (with competitor) and post‐competition (competitor removed). The results showed that for A. peninsulae, the intensity of larder‐hoarding increased and the intensity of scatter‐hoarding declined in the presence of intraspecifics and S. davidianus, whereas A. peninsulae ceased foraging and hoarding in the presence of N. confucianus and T. triton. A. peninsulae reduced intensity of hoarding outside the nest and moved more seeds into the nest for larder‐hoarding under competition from intraspecific individuals and S. davidianus. In most cases, the experimental animals could recover to their original state of pre‐competition when competitors were removed. These results suggest that subordinate species contextually regulate their food‐hoarding strategies according to different competitors, promoting species coexistence among sympatric animals that have asymmetrical food competition.     

Expression of the high mobility group A1 (HMGA1) and A2 (HMGA2) genes in canine lymphoma: analysis of 23 cases and comparison to control cases

Overexpression of high mobility group A (HMGA) genes was described as a prognostic marker in different human malignancies, but its role in canine haematopoietic malignancies was unknown so far. The objective of this study was to analyse HMGA1 and HMGA2 gene expression in lymph nodes of canine lymphoma patients. The expression of HMGA1 and HMGA2 was analysed in lymph node samples of 23 dogs with lymphoma and three control dogs using relative quantitative real‐time RT‐PCR. Relative quantity of HMGA1 was significantly higher in dogs with lymphoma compared with reference samples. HMGA2 expression did not differ between lymphoma and control dogs. With the exception of immunophenotype, comparison of disease parameters did not display any differences in HMGA1 and HMGA2 expression. The present findings indicate a role of HMGA genes in canine lymphoma. This study represents the basis for future veterinary and comparative studies dealing with their diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic values.     

Genetic diversity,anti‐microbial resistance,plasmid profile and frequency of the Vi antigen in Salmonella Dublin strains isolated in Brazil

Salmonella Dublin is strongly adapted to cattle causing enteritis and/or systemic disease with high rates of mortality. However, it can be sporadically isolated from humans, usually causing serious disease, especially in patients with underlying chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to molecularly type S. Dublin strains isolated from humans and animals in Brazil to verify the diversity of these strains as well as to ascertain possible differences between strains isolated from humans and animals. Moreover, the presence of the capsular antigen Vi and the plasmid profile was characterized in addition to the anti‐microbial resistance against 15 drugs. For this reason, 113 S. Dublin strains isolated between 1983 and 2016 from humans (83) and animals (30) in Brazil were typed by PFGE and MLVA. The presence of the capsular antigen Vi was verified by PCR, and the phenotypic expression of the capsular antigen was determined serologically. Also, a plasmid analysis for each strain was carried out. The strains studied were divided into 35 different PFGE types and 89 MLVA‐types with a similarity of ≥80% and ≥17.5%, respectively. The plasmid sizes found ranged from 2 to >150 kb and none of the strains studied presented the capsular antigen Vi. Resistance or intermediate resistance was found in 23 strains (20.3%) that were resistant to ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, imipenem, nalidixic acid, piperacillin, streptomycin and/or tetracycline. The majority of the S. Dublin strains studied and isolated over a 33‐year period may descend from a common subtype that has been contaminating humans and animals in Brazil and able to cause invasive disease even in the absence of the capsular antigen. The higher diversity of resistance phenotypes in human isolates, as compared with animal strains, may be a reflection of the different anti‐microbial treatments used to control S. Dublin infections in humans in Brazil.     

Identical genotypes of community‐associated MRSA (ST59) and livestock‐associated MRSA (ST9) in humans and pigs in rural China

This study investigated the prevalence of MRSA in samples taken in households, with and without backyard pigs in villages in a rural area of Shandong Province, China. Community‐associated MRSA and livestock‐associated MRSA, belonging to ST59 and ST9, respectively, were identified in both humans and pigs. The genotypic and phenotypic comparison of isolates indicates that bidirectional transmission of MRSA has occurred between humans and pigs in the villages.