Intussusception following renal transplantation in dogs (author's transl)]

In a consecutive and non-selected study of 54 kidney transplanted dogs, 12 cases of intussusception of the small intestine developed in 8 dogs. The patogenesis is still unknown. It has been postulated that the time of the operation (4--7 hours) and the segmental termination of the post-operative atony in the intestine are essential factors in this fatal complication. The last 16 dogs in this material were peroperatively treated with antikolinergics (Mestinon NFN), which was continued until normal function of the intestine. In these dogs there were no evidence of intussusception. The value of this profylaxis is open to discussion and it is essential to solve the problem of intussusception through a "blind" and controlled trial.     

Interpretation of serum antibody response to Anoplocephala perfoliata in relation to parasite burden and faecal egg count

REASON FOR PERFORMING STUDY: Increased knowledge is needed to assist in the interpretation of presently available diagnostic techniques for infection by the tapeworm Anoplocephala perfoliata in horses. HYPOTHESIS: The suggested cut-off level of an A. perfoliata specific ELISA may not adequately reflect the actual infection level. Hence, faecal egg counts may be a more useful diagnostic test for individual horses than previously reported. METHODS: Eighty-four horses admitted for slaughter at a Danish abattoir were examined for the presence of A. perfoliata. The number of tapeworms, their stage of development and gross pathological mucosal lesions were recorded and compared with serum antibody responses and faecal egg counts. Faecal egg counts were determined in samples from A. perfoliata infected horses using a semi quantitative centrifugation/flotation technique. Blood samples collected at slaughter were analysed by ELISA to determine serum antibody levels against A. perfoliata 12/13 kDa excretory/secretory antigens. RESULTS: Macroscopically visible tapeworms were detected in 24 (29%) of the horses. The overall sensitivity of the faecal egg count was found to be 0.46; however, if the detection limit was increased to above 20 tapeworms, sensitivity increased to 0.89. There was a correlation of 0.71 between worm burden and egg count. The antibody levels correlated significantly with infection intensity despite a wide variation among horses with similar levels of infection. The optimal cut-off value was determined using receiver operating characteristic analysis. If cut-off was chosen at optical density (OD) = 0.7, sensitivity was 0.68 and specificity 0.71. CONCLUSIONS: Both diagnostic methods were capable of revealing potentially pathogenic infections, with the faecal egg count being more applicable on the individual horse level. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: In the population of Danish horses investigated the serum ELISA test should be interpreted such that horses in need of anti-Anoplocephala treatment have an OD = 0.7 or above.     

基于稳健统计学确定高潜在污染土壤Cu、Pb基线值

土壤重金属基线值的确定对于评价重金属积累现状具有重要意义。在存在人为污染的情况下,土壤重金属数据经常强烈地偏离正态分布和对数正态分布,影响统计分析结果的可信度,而稳健统计方法可以降低离群值对统计分析结果的影响。本研究以张家港为研究区域,采用稳健回归方法,建立表层和底层土壤Cu、Pb的回归关系,通过底层土壤Cu、Pb含量计算表层土壤Cu、Pb基线值,并对土壤Cu、Pb积累状况进行评价。结果表明,稳健回归方法确定的表层土壤Cu、Pb基线值可以反映出不同样点间,土壤Cu、Pb背景含量的自然变异。与稳健统计学方法相比,使用国家土壤环境质量标准值,或大区域（江苏省）的土壤背景值,评价自然背景本身存在变异区域的土壤重金属积累状况时,可能会产生较大的误差。     

A new framework of spatial targeting for single-species conservation planning

Context

Organisations acting to conserve and protect species across large spatial scales prioritise to optimise use of resources. Spatial conservation prioritization tools typically focus on identifying areas containing species groups of interest, with few tools used to identify the best areas for single-species conservation, in particular, to conserve currently widespread but declining species.

Objective

A single-species prioritization framework, based on temporal and spatial patterns of occupancy and abundance, was developed to spatially prioritize conservation action for widespread species by identifying smaller areas to work within to achieve predefined conservation objectives.

Methods

We demonstrate our approach for 29 widespread bird species in the UK, using breeding bird atlas data from two periods to define distribution, relative abundance and change in relative abundance. We selected occupied 10-km squares with abundance trends that matched species conservation objectives relating to maintaining or increasing population size or range, and then identified spatial clusters of squares for each objective using a Getis-Ord-Gi* or near neighbour analysis.

Results

For each species, the framework identified clusters of 20-km squares that enabled us to identify small areas in which species recovery action could be prioritized.

Conclusions

Our approach identified a proportion of species’ ranges to prioritize for species recovery. This approach is a relatively quick process that can be used to inform single-species conservation for any taxa if sufficiently fine-scale occupancy and abundance information is available for two or more time periods. This is a relatively simple first step for planning single-species focussed conservation to help optimise resource use.

     

Evidence from tag recapture experiments that fish learn to avoid fishing gear

We found evidence that tagging induced trap shyness in snapper (Pagrus auratus), i.e., tagged fish had a reduced probability of recapture by the method by which they had originally been caught. Tagging experiments in 1985 and 1994 involving single release over a short period and single recapture were conducted on a closed population (SNA 1: East Northland-Hauraki Gulf-Bay of Plenty). Initial capture was by trawling and by line fishing, while recapture over an extended period included other methods. A test for trap shyness that removed the possible effects of spatial and fish size heterogeneity gave a significant result for both years. The data suggested that the trap shyness effect might have been smaller for trawl-released fish than for line-released fish. However, we estimated a single trap shyness factor (0.71). There was also some evidence for attenuation of trap shyness over time.     

Spatiotemporal Distribution of Two Euschistus spp. Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in Southeastern Farmscapes

Stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) are ubiquitous, cryptic, phytophagous pests that are found in many crops. In agroecosystems, individuals disperse from adjacent noncrop hosts and tend to aggregate or cluster within fields. In this study, we characterized the distribution of Euschistus servus (Say) and Euschistus tristigmus (Say) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) over 2 yr at three southeastern United States farmscapes. Stink bugs were captured in pheromone-baited traps, and Spatial Analysis by Distance Indices (SADIE) used to identify the location of significant aggregations by habitat type and season. Euschistus servus adults were more likely to be captured in pecan orchards, cotton, other crops, or unmanaged habitats than in woodland habitats. Significant aggregations of E. servus were detected in a variety of habitats including pecan, corn, cotton, peanut, and tobacco, as well as fallow and hay fields, pastures, and hedgerows. Fewer adult E. tristigmus were captured than E. servus adults, and E. tristigmus adults were typically trapped and aggregated in woodland habitats. The resulting data provide an important understanding regarding the seasonal movement and relative abundance levels of stink bug populations, which are critical to the development of integrated pest management strategies.     

Effect of dietary components on the gut microbiota of aquatic animals. A never‐ending story?

It is well known that healthy gut microbiota is essential to promote host health and well‐being. The intestinal microbiota of endothermic animals as well as fish are classified as autochthonous or indigenous, when they are able to colonize the host's epithelial surface or are associated with the microvilli, or as allochthonous or transient (associated with digesta or are present in the lumen). Furthermore, the gut microbiota of aquatic animals is more fluidic than that of terrestrial vertebrates and is highly sensitive to dietary changes. In fish, it is demonstrated that [a] dietary form (live feeds or pelleted diets), [b] dietary lipid (lipid levels, lipid sources and polyunsaturated fatty acids), [c] protein sources (soybean meal, krill meal and other meal products), [d] functional glycomic ingredients (chitin and cellulose), [e] nutraceuticals (probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics and immunostimulants), [f] antibiotics, [g] dietary iron and [h] chromic oxide affect the gut microbiota. Furthermore, some information is available on bacterial colonization of the gut enterocyte surface as a result of dietary manipulation which indicates that changes in indigenous microbial populations may have repercussion on secondary host–microbe interactions. The effect of dietary components on the gut microbiota is important to investigate, as the gastrointestinal tract has been suggested as one of the major routes of infection in fish. Possible interactions between dietary components and the protective microbiota colonizing the digestive tract are discussed.