成都平原不同耕作模式的农田效应研究—— II.土壤综合质量评价

 【目的】研究成都平原不同耕作模式对土壤质量性状的影响,探索建立适合当地生产条件的土壤质量评价体系,筛选出适宜该地的耕作模式,为提高当地土壤生产力水平、改善土壤质量提供借鉴。【方法】通过长期定位试验获取不同耕作模式对土壤性状及作物生产指标的影响效应,采用主成分分析的方法筛选评价指标,运用因子分析法对土壤质量进行综合评价。【结果】筛选出的评价土壤综合质量的指标在不同土壤层次存在明显差别：0—10 cm土层的主要影响因子为毛管孔隙度、土壤比重、土壤饱和渗水速率、土壤紧实度、土壤有机质;10—20 cm土层的主要影响因子为总孔隙度、非毛管孔隙度、饱和渗水速率、土壤吸湿水、土壤紧实度;0—20 cm土层的主要影响因子为非毛管孔隙度、土壤比重、土壤饱和渗水速率、土壤紧实度。其中,不同土层的共同影响因子——土壤饱和渗水速率和土壤紧实度是目前当地土壤质量的限制因子。土壤质量综合评价结果表明0—10 cm土层以麦稻双免耕作模式最好,10—20 cm土层麦免+稻旋最好,0—20 cm土层麦免+稻旋最好。【结论】在本研究的试验条件和当地实际情况下,对成都平原土壤质量具有良好效益的耕作模式为麦免+稻旋模式。     

Parallel declines in pollinators and insect-pollinated plants in Britain and the Netherlands

Despite widespread concern about declines in pollination services, little is known about the patterns of change in most pollinator assemblages. By studying bee and hoverfly assemblages in Britain and the Netherlands, we found evidence of declines (pre-versus post-1980) in local bee diversity in both countries; however, divergent trends were observed in hoverflies. Depending on the assemblage and location, pollinator declines were most frequent in habitat and flower specialists, in univoltine species, and/or in nonmigrants. In conjunction with this evidence, outcrossing plant species that are reliant on the declining pollinators have themselves declined relative to other plant species. Taken together, these findings strongly suggest a causal connection between local extinctions of functionally linked plant and pollinator species.     

Newcastle disease virus outbreaks: Vaccine mismatch or inadequate application?

Newcastle disease (ND) is one of the most important diseases of poultry, and may cause devastating losses in the poultry industry worldwide. Its causative agent is Newcastle disease virus (NDV), also known as avian paramyxovirus type 1. Many countries maintain a stringent vaccination policy against ND, but there are indications that ND outbreaks can still occur despite intensive vaccination. It has been argued that this may be due to antigenic divergence between the vaccine strains and circulating field strains. Here we present the complete genome sequence of a highly virulent genotype VII virus (NL/93) obtained from vaccinated poultry during an outbreak of ND in the Netherlands in 1992-1993. Using this strain, we investigated whether the identified genetic evolution of NDV is accompanied by antigenic evolution. In this study we show that a live vaccine that is antigenically adapted to match the genotype VII NL/93 outbreak strain does not provide increased protection compared to a classic genotype II live vaccine. When challenged with the NL/93 strain, chickens vaccinated with a classic vaccine were completely protected against clinical disease and mortality and virus shedding was significantly reduced, even with a supposedly suboptimal vaccine dose. These results suggest that it is not antigenic variation but rather poor flock immunity due to inadequate vaccination practices that may be responsible for outbreaks and spreading of virulent NDV field strains.     

Serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid endothelin-1 concentrations as diagnostic biomarkers of canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Background: Diagnosis of canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is challenging. Endothelin‐1 (ET1) is a biomarker of IPF in humans, but whether ET1 can detect and differentiate IPF from other canine respiratory diseases is unknown. Objective: To evaluate whether measurement of the concentration of ET1 in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) can be used to distinguish canine IPF from chronic bronchitis (CB) and eosinophilic bronchopneumopathy (EBP). Animals: Twelve dogs with IPF, 10 dogs with CB, 6 dogs with EBP, 13 privately owned healthy West Highland White Terriers (WHWT), and 9 healthy Beagle dogs. Methods: Prospective, case control study. ET1 concentration was determined by ELISA in serum and in BALF. Results: No significant difference in serum ET1 concentration was detected between healthy Beagle dogs and WHWT. Serum ET1 concentration was higher in dogs with IPF (median interquartile range; 2.32 pg/mL, 2.05–3.38) than healthy Beagle dogs (1.28, 1.07–1.53; P < .001), healthy WHWT (1.56, 1.25–1.85; P < .001), dogs with EBP (0.94 0.68–1.01; P = .001), and dogs with CB (1.54 0.74–1.82; P = .005). BALF ET1 concentration was below the detection limit in healthy WHWT and in dogs with CB, whereas it was measurable in all dogs with IPF. A cut‐off serum concentration of 1.8 pg/mL had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 81.2% for detection of IPF, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.818. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Serum ET1 can differentiate dogs with IPF from dogs with EBP or CB. ET1 can be detected in BALF of dogs with IPF.     

Patterns of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infections in Belgian farrow-to-finish pig herds with diverging disease-course

Patterns of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mh) infections were investigated in five clinically infected herds and in five herds subclinically infected with Mh. In the clinically infected herds, housing and management conditions were good whereas these conditions were poor in the subclinically infected herds. In each herd, serum antibodies against Mh were detected in pigs of different ages and nasal swabs were taken for Mh detection using nested PCR (nPCR). The percentage of seropositive pigs in the clinically infected herds increased from 8% in pigs of 9 weeks to 52% in pigs of 18 weeks and seroconversion was most shown between 12 and 15 weeks. In the subclinically infected herds, the percentages increased from 2 to 24% and most of the pigs became seropositive between 15 and 18 weeks. The percentage of nPCR positive pigs at 6 weeks was 16 and 0% in the clinically and subclinically infected herds, respectively. The results demonstrate that the seroprevalences were higher in the clinically infected herds and that most of the pigs became infected with Mh at a younger age. It can be concluded that additional factors different from housing and management, like differences among Mh strains, may determine the infection pattern of Mh and the clinical course of the infection.     

Clinical Use of Deslorelin for the Control of Reproduction in the Bitch

This study was conducted to evaluate clinical efficacy of deslorelin for inhibiting reproduction in the bitch. Ten adult healthy bitches or bitches with mammary neoplasia for which owners were requesting suppression of cyclicity without performing gonadectomy were administered a 4.7- or a 9.4-mg deslorelin implant subcutaneously. The first implant of deslorelin was administered in anoestrus (n = 5) or in dioestrus (n = 5). Treatment was repeated every 5 months for as long as necessary based on the clinical situation of the dog and owner's desires. Some of the bitches implanted in anoestrus came in heat within 4–15 days after treatment, while none of the bitches implanted in dioestrus showed heat during treatment. Suppression of reproductive cyclicity was successfully achieved in 6/10 bitches for 1–4 years. No behavioural and local/general side-effects were observed in any of the treated bitches. The 4.7-mg deslorelin implant may work well for suppression of cyclicity provided that it is administered in dioestrus and at intervals of 4.5 months. A 9.4-mg implant may be more suitable for this use although its efficacy may also be shorter than 12 months. Owner compliance is an important limiting factor.     

Serological and biochemical follow-up in cattle naturally infected with Fasciola hepatica, and comparison with a climate model for predicting risks of fasciolosis

Several biological parameters were measured in 31 heifers naturally infected with Fasciola hepatica during one grazing season in the Belgian Ardennes. A forecast model based on daily temperature used to assess the risk of fasciolosis was fitted to this assay. Cattle were turned out to two pastures. Each pasture was divided into two plots: one was treated with calcium cyanamide and the other was left untreated. The Lymnaea truncatula snails were counted on three different occasions. The results indicated a poor molluscicide efficiency. Body weight gains, anti-Fasciola antibody levels, faecal egg counts, levels of sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (gamma GT), packed cell volumes, white blood cells and differential leucocyte counts were determined monthly. No statistically significant difference was observed between animals from the two plots regardless of the recorded data. No correlation was found between body weight gains and other biological data. The sampling date had a significant effect on the antibody responses within a same group, and on the enzymatic levels for all groups combined. The forecast results were consistent with the recorded data. Temperature was a major bioclimatic constraint on the transmission of life cycle, and risk of infection occurred mainly in late spring (May/June) and in early September. Current results might be used to issue advice on the need for flukicide treatment of cattle. The indicators of the infection considered alone were useless and it is concluded that herd diagnosis of fasciolosis may rely on the rise of specific antibody levels, possibly associated with an increase in hepatic enzyme activities.     

Resolution of chylothorax after resection of rib chondroma in a dog

A six-year-old, male dobermann was presented with a history of dyspnoea and bouts of coughing. Radiography and computed tomography of the thorax showed pleural effusion and a well-circumscribed, calcified mass of 10 cm in diameter, appearing to originate from the left first rib. Thoracocentesis revealed that the pleural fluid was chylous in nature. An incisional biopsy was performed, which gave a histological diagnosis of chondroma. Resolution of the chylothorax after en-bloc surgical removal of the tumour suggested that the rib tumour was the initiating cause of the chylothorax. Seventeen months later, rib neoplasia recurred without pleural effusion, and was removed successfully. To the authors' knowledge, rib chondroma, which is an unusual tumour in dogs, has not been previously documented as a cause of chylothorax.