Mechanical transmission of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus throughout a coordinated sequence of events during cold weather

Using a field-based model, mechanical transmission of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) was assessed throughout a coordinated sequence of events that replicated common farm worker behavior during cold weather (< 0°C). The model involved fomites (boots and containers), vehicle sanitation, transport, and the movement of personnel. A field strain of PRRSV was inoculated into carriers consisting of snow and water, and carriers were adhered to the undercarriage of a vehicle. The vehicle was driven approximately 50 km to a commercial truck washing facility where the driver's boots contacted the carriers during washing, introducing the virus to the vehicle interior. The vehicle was then driven 50 km to a simulated farm site, and the driver's boots mechanically spread virus into the farm anteroom. Types of containers frequently employed in swine farms (styrofoam semen cooler, metal toolbox, plastic lunch pail, and cardboard animal health product shipping parcel) contacted drippings from footwear on the anteroom floor. The truck wash floor, vehicle cab floor mats, boot soles, anteroom floor, and the ventral surface of containers were sampled to track the virus throughout the model. Ten replicates were conducted, along with sham-inoculated controls. At multiple sampling points PRRSV nucleic acid was detected in 8 of 10 replicates. In each of the 8 PCR-positive replicates, infectious PRRSV was detected on the surfaces of containers by virus isolation or swine bioassay. All sham-inoculated controls were negative. These results indicate that mechanical transmission of PRRSV can occur during coordinated sequence of events in cold weather.     

Effect of potassium salts on alleviation of lime‐induced chlorosis in soybean 1

Studies were conducted to determine the efficacy of K salts in alleviating lime‐induced chlorosis. Greenhouse studies using a Gibbon silt loam [fine‐silty, mixed (calcareous), mesic Typic Haplaquoll] and a 1: 1 mixture of Gibbon soil and washed sand were conducted with KCl, KNO₃, K₂SO₄, K₂HPO₄, or KHCO₃ applied at rates of 0, 250, and 500 mg K/kg soil. An FeEDDHA treatment was included for comparison. Similar studies were conducted at two field sites known to produce lime‐induced chlorosis. Potassium salts were applied at 0, 20, and 40 g K/m of row. In the greenhouse, plants treated with KCl, KNO₃, and K₂SO₄ on Gibbon soil were less chlorotic than controls or plants treated with K₂HPO₄, or KHCO₃. No K treatment totally alleviated chlorosis except FeEDDHA. Chlorophyll correlated positively with chlorosis rating. No relationship was found between leaf Fe uptake and chlorosis. Plants grown in soil/sand exhibited no chlorosis and had lower Fe uptake than plants grown in Gibbon soil. Thus chlorosis was not due strictly to low soil‐Fe availability or inadequate Fe uptake. Bicarbonate in the soil solutions of both growth media treated with KCl was lower than controls which may explain the reduced chlorosis associated with this treatment.

One field site showed positive effects of K treatments on chlorosis rating, chlorophyll concentration, and seed yield. No treatment was as effective as FeEDDHA in influencing plant growth or yield. Total leaf Fe concentration was unrelated to leaf chlorophyll concentration. Inorganic cation/anion ratios in the plant were from 4.4–8.4 which could cause net H⁺ efflux by the plant and alkalinization of plant tissues. One possibility is that H⁺ efflux solubilizes P in the rhizosphere, which after uptake could immobilize Fe in the plant. Application of KCl, KNO₃, and K₂SO₄ generally lowered HCO₃ content of the upper 15 cm of both soils. High bicarbonate could increase rhizosphere P availability and increase immobilization of Fe in the plant.     

Association mapping and marker development of the candidate genes (1 → 3),(1 → 4)-β-d-Glucan-4-glucanohydrolase and (1 → 4)-β-Xylan-endohydrolase 1 for malting quality in barley

Cell wall degradation is a crucial process within the malting process of barley. Therefore, the haplotype diversity of genes for two cell wall degrading enzymes, (1 → 3),(1 → 4)-β-d-Glucan-4-glucanohydrolase and (1 → 4)-β-Xylan-endohydrolase 1, was investigated and associations to malting quality parameters were performed. The (1 → 3),(1 → 4)-β-d-Glucan-4-glucanohydrolase gene glb2 had two major haplotypes defined by three SNPs and one INDEL, which explained 8.9 and 9.5% of the total variation of malt extract content and viscosity in the spring barley gene pool, respectively. The most significant associations of (1 → 4)-β-Xylan-endohydrolase 1 gene X-1 were found for diastatic power, saccharification VZ45 and soluble nitrogen with 18, 12 and 8% of the total variation explained by SNP3 in the spring barleys. High-throughput markers were developed for both genes which can be used for marker assisted selection.     

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius among dogs admitted to a small animal hospital

The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP) among dogs admitted to a small animal hospital during a 17-month period, to characterize these isolates and to initially screen for possible factors associated with MRSP carriage. Swabs were taken from the nose/pharynx and the perineum as well as from wounds and skin infections (if present) of 814 dogs before entering the small animal hospital. A questionnaire for background information was completed. The staphylococcal species and methicillin resistance were confirmed pheno- and genotypically. The identified MRSP isolates were characterized by SCCmec typing, testing for susceptibility to 25 antimicrobial agents and SmaI-directed pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. A first screening for possible risk factors for MRSP carriage was performed by means of unifactorial contingency tables and CART analysis. Sixty (7.4%) dogs were positive for MRSP. All MRSP isolates harboured a type II-III SCCmec cassette and showed extended resistance to antimicrobial agents. Fifteen different SmaI patterns were observed. The major factors that clustered with MRSP carriage were former hospitalization and antibiotic treatment within the last six months before sampling. This study showed that only a minor part of the sampled dogs carried multi-resistant MRSP isolates. The facts that prior hospitalization and/or antibiotic therapy are potential associated factors for MRSP carriage underline the necessity of a judicious use of antibiotics in small animal medicine.     

Impacts of chronic marine oil pollution and the murre hunt in Newfoundland on thick-billed murre Uria lomvia populations in the eastern Canadian Arctic

We developed a deterministic and stochastic age-based matrix projection population model to assess and quantify the impact of mortality caused by chronic oil pollution and legal hunting on thick-billed murre Uria lomvia populations breeding and wintering in eastern Canada. We calculate the potential population growth rate in the absence of anthropogenic mortality sources using a modeling technique that translates absolute number of birds killed from anthropogenic mortality to potential survival rates in the absence of these anthropogenic impacts. The intrinsic growth rate of the deterministic matrix based on vital rates from Coats Island (λ_d=1.0102), as well as the stochastic growth rate (λ_s=1.0098, 95% C.I. 0.9969-1.0226), matched observed population trends. Hunting mortality reduced population growth rate by 0.020 (0.012-0.039), oiling mortality reduced population growth rate by 0.025 (0.012-0.039). Combined these sources reduced the population growth rate by 0.047 (0.033-0.610). Although thick-billed murre populations are stable or slowly growing in eastern Canada, anthropogenic sources of mortality are reducing the ability of the population to grow, and increase vulnerability in these populations to changes in their environment and other pulse perturbations. Our modeling technique could be used to assess specific anthropogenic impacts on populations where a vital rates and numbers killed are known, but no long-term trend information is available.     

Examination of the prevalence of skin injuries in debeaked fattened turkeys

Within the framework of a cooperative research project, turkey health as well as numerous aspects of animal welfare were examined in various intensive commercial farms with varying rearing forms. The present study demonstrates the prevalence of skin injuries concerning living animals as well as carcasses of slaughtered turkeys of both sexes. Although all turkeys were debeaked, prevalences of skin injuries at a value of 12.8% with male turkeys and 13.8% with female turkeys could be found at the age of 16 weeks. Within the scope of medically inspections skin injuries were mainly established in the head region, especially the snood as well as in the region of the back. By means of their clinical picture pecking wounds and scratch injuries could be distinguished. Skin lesion produced primary as a result of scratching the skin surface, could be enlarged by the animal itself or by conspecifics by beak pecking, especially after bleeding, in spite of debeaked upper beak. Injuries in the head region, especially of the snood, could be explained mainly as a result of pecking by conspecifics by reason of their clinical picture and were found mainly in male turkeys. Skin injuries in the region of the back, especially at the coxal tuberosity, were identified primarily as scratch marks. They were found mainly in female turkeys. A statistically significant correlation of the injury prevalence to particular husbandry parameters discussed in the literature as "predisposing" or "limiting" factors (e.g., population density, light regime or offer of employment material) could not be established in this study. At the meat inspection fresh scratching injuries at the chest and the hind legs were diagnosed most often. Especially fresh injuries of the carcass point to a misguided behaviour of the staff concerning animal handling during loading and transport which is not conform to animal welfare.     

The long way down--are carbon and oxygen isotope signals in the tree ring uncoupled from canopy physiological processes?

The carbon (δ(13)C) and oxygen (δ(18)O) stable isotope composition is widely used to obtain information on the linkages between environmental drivers and tree physiology over various time scales. The tree-ring archive can especially be exploited to reconstruct inter- and intra-annual variation of both climate and physiology. There is, however, a lack of information on the processes potentially affecting δ(13)C and δ(18)O on their way from assimilation in the leaf to the tree ring. As a consequence, the aim of this study was to trace the isotope signals in European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) from leaf water (δ(18)O) and leaf assimilates (δ(13)C and δ(18)O) to tree-ring wood via phloem-transported compounds over a whole growing season. Phloem and leaf samples for δ(13)C and δ(18)O analyses as well as soil water, xylem water, leaf water and atmospheric water vapour samples for δ(18)O analysis were taken approximately every 2 weeks during the growing season of 2007. The δ(13)C and δ(18)O samples from the tree rings were dated intra-annually by monitoring the tree growth with dendrometers. δ(18)O in the phloem organic matter and tree-ring whole wood was not positively related to leaf water evaporative enrichment and δ(18)O of canopy organic matter pools. This finding implies a partial uncoupling of the tree-ring oxygen isotopic signal from canopy physiology. At the same time, internal carbon storage and remobilization physiology most likely prevented δ(13)C in tree-ring whole wood from being closely related to intra-annual variation in environmental drivers. Taking into account the post-photosynthetic isotope fractionation processes resulting in alterations of δ(13)C and δ(18)O not only in the tree ring but also in phloem carbohydrates, as well as the intra-annual timing of changes in the tree internal physiology, might help to better understand the meaning of the tree-ring isotope signal not only intra- but also inter-annually.     

Role of importin-beta in coupling Ran to downstream targets in microtubule assembly

The guanosine triphosphatase Ran stimulates assembly of microtubule asters and spindles in mitotic Xenopus egg extracts. A carboxyl-terminal region of the nuclear-mitotic apparatus protein (NuMA), a nuclear protein required for organizing mitotic spindle poles, mimics Ran's ability to induce asters. This NuMA fragment also specifically interacted with the nuclear transport factor, importin-beta. We show that importin-beta is an inhibitor of microtubule aster assembly in Xenopus egg extracts and that Ran regulates the interaction between importin-beta and NuMA. Importin-beta therefore links NuMA to regulation by Ran. This suggests that similar mechanisms regulate nuclear import during interphase and spindle assembly during mitosis.     

Effects of Foliar Fertilization on Incidence of Berry Shrivel and Bunch Stem Necrosis in Vitis vinifera L. CVS ‘Pinot Blanc’ and ‘Zweigelt’

Berry shrivel and bunch stem necrosis are the economically most important physiological disorders of grapevine. The nutritional status of the plant is considered as one of the main elicitors for the occurrence of these disorders. For foliar fertilization trials, two vineyards that had previously been affected by both diseases were selected in Southwest Germany, one with the variety ‘Zweigelt’ and one with Pinot Blanc. By the use of potassium, magnesium, and calcium foliar fertilizers, a rapid increase of different nutrients in the plants should be caused and the effects on the diseases observed. In 2010, no significant differences in the fertilization treatments were found for both varieties. In ‘Pinot Blanc’, significantly more berries were affected by berry shrivel in 2011 in plots treated with calcium fertilizer compared to those treated with potassium and magnesium. Plots with magnesium fertilizer showed significantly less berries affected by berry shrivel than the untreated control.