Bacteraemia in 66 cats and antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates (1995-2004)

Bacterial blood culture results of 292 privately owned cats presented to the Clinic for Small Animal Medicine, Ludwig Maximilian University Munich with signs of sepsis were evaluated retrospectively. Of the blood cultures, 23% were positive. In 88%, a single bacterial species was isolated. Of all bacterial isolates, 45% were Gram-positive, 43% were Gram-negative, and 12% were obligate anaerobes. The most frequently isolated bacteria were Enterobacteriaceae, obligate anaerobic species, Staphylococcus species and Streptococcus species. Of the cats with positive blood cultures, 32% were pretreated with antibiotics. Of all bacterial isolates, 77% were susceptible to enrofloxacin, 69% to chloramphenicol, 67% to gentamicin, and 64% to amoxycillin clavulanic acid. Only enrofloxacin reached an in vitro efficacy of more than 70% against Gram-positive and more than 74% against Gram-negative bacteria.     

Pedogenic carbonate recrystallization assessed by isotopic labeling: a comparison of 13C and 14C tracers

The C isotopic composition (δ¹³C) of pedogenic carbonates reflects the photosynthetic pathway of the predominant local vegetation because pedogenic (secondary) CaCO₃ is formed in isotopic equilibrium with soil CO₂ released by root and rhizomicrobial respiration. Numerous studies show the importance of pedogenic carbonates as a tool for reconstructing paleoecological conditions in arid and semiarid regions. The methodological resolution of these studies strongly depends on the time scale of pedogenic carbonate formation, which remains unknown. The initial formation rate can be assessed by ¹⁴C labeling of plants grown on loess and subsequent incorporation of ¹⁴C from rhizosphere CO₂ into newly formed carbonate by recrystallization of loess CaCO₃. We tested the feasibility of ¹⁴C and ¹³C tracers for estimating CaCO₃ recrystallization rates by simultaneous ¹⁴C and ¹³C labeling and comparison with literature data. ¹⁴C labeling was more efficient and precise in assessing recrystallization rates than ¹³C labeling. This is connected with higher sensitivity of ¹⁴C liquid scintillation counting when compared with δ¹³C measurement by IRMS. Further, assessment of very low amounts of incorporated tracer is more precise with low background signal (natural abundance), which is true for ¹⁴C, but is rather high for ¹³C. Together, we obtained better reproducibility, higher methodological precision, and better plausibility of recrystallization rates calculated based on ¹⁴C labeling. Periods for complete CaCO₃ recrystallization, extrapolated from rates based on ¹⁴C labeling, ranged from 130 (125–140) to 240 (225–255) y, while it was ≈ 600 (365–1600) y based on the ¹³C approach. In terms of magnitude, data from late‐Holocene soil profiles of known age provide better fit with modeled recrystallization periods based on the ¹⁴C approach.     

Discrimination of ‘San Marzano’ accessions: A comparison of minisatellite, CAPS and SSR markers in relation to morphological traits

‘San Marzano’ (SM) is one of the most widely known tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) cultivars, and is a classic example of a local variety with a premium value. Unfortunately, the original cultivated form is underrepresented in the Protected Denomination of Origin (PDO) area because of the incidence of contaminant and phenotypically similar genotypes. Our aim was to examine the ability of three DNA marker systems (minisatellite, cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) and simple sequence repeat (SSR)) to reveal the genetic diversity of tomato accessions that were, based on a morphological analysis, very similar. The data indicate that both minisatellites and SSRs can be used to genetically distinguish the analysed materials. Furthermore, these two marker systems depict relationships consistent with the hierarchal pattern obtained by the morphological data. As locally cultivated tomato accessions are often characterised by some degree of genetic variability, our results will be valuable in facilitating the purification, management and breeding of tomato germplasms. The differences between the marker systems employed are also discussed in relation to their usefulness in the agro-food chain.     

Microtubule stabilization reduces scarring and causes axon regeneration after spinal cord injury

Hypertrophic scarring and poor intrinsic axon growth capacity constitute major obstacles for spinal cord repair. These processes are tightly regulated by microtubule dynamics. Here, moderate microtubule stabilization decreased scar formation after spinal cord injury in rodents through various cellular mechanisms, including dampening of transforming growth factor-β signaling. It prevented accumulation of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans and rendered the lesion site permissive for axon regeneration of growth-competent sensory neurons. Microtubule stabilization also promoted growth of central nervous system axons of the Raphe-spinal tract and led to functional improvement. Thus, microtubule stabilization reduces fibrotic scarring and enhances the capacity of axons to grow.     

The role of indigenous trees for the conservation of biocultural diversity in traditional agroforestry land use systems: The Bungoma case study: In-situ conservation of indigenous tree species

In order to precisely assess the role of agroforestry for the conservation of (agro-)biological diversity there is a need to adjust sampling methods used in plant sociology. This study is on the contribution of agroforestry land use to the in-situ conservation of indigenous trees within a typical East-African smallholder farming system in Western Kenya. A modified approach to measuring species richness and abundance is presented. The selection of tree-rich structures was done according to management patterns rather than considering syntaxonomic classifications from the vegetation science point of view. This approach, which is better suited to the strongly human-influenced vegetation of agroecosystems, employs between-management unit diversity measures to help evaluate abundance and constancy of species in particular management units. The predominant off-farm vegetation patterns are riverine forests, rocky hillsides, hedgerows, wooded grassland relicts, woodlands or colline forest relicts and tree groves whereas the noticeable tree-rich on-farm management units are homegardens, homesteads, life fences, coffee- and banana-groves and annual cropping fields. 98% out of all indigenous tree species known from Bungoma, occur in off-farm lands. 53% of the indigenous tree species occur in tree rich on-farm management units while 47% of the indigenous trees are dependent on the maintenance of off-farm lands. Hedgerows embody the most promising secondary vegetation structure that shows ample potential to accommodate a wide range of indigenous perennial species outside the natural vegetation formations. The pattern of distribution of various vegetation structures, and the mixture with diverse tree-based on-farm plots are interesting features in regard to floristic and eco-diversity on a landscape level. In this respect, three areas that show different population densities and distinct agro-historical conditions were compared. In regions of particular high population density the degree of association of various functional land use forms and woodland structures – each characterised by its own floristic make-up – is comparatively high. In contrast, in regions with less population but that were settled at a later date, one encounters fewer stands of woody plants with lower numbers of species. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Stress exposure during the preimplantation period affects blastocyst lineages and offspring development

We found retardation of preimplantation embryo growth after exposure to maternal restraint stress during the preimplantation period in our previous study. In the present study, we evaluated the impact of preimplantation maternal restraint stress on the distribution of inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE) cells in mouse blastocysts, and its possible effect on physiological development of offspring. We exposed spontaneously ovulating female mice to restraint stress for 30 min three times a day during the preimplantation period, and this treatment caused a significant increase in blood serum corticosterone concentration. Microscopic evaluation of embryos showed that restraint stress significantly decreased cell counts per blastocyst. Comparing the effect of restraint stress on the two blastocyst cell lineages, we found that the reduction in TE cells was more substantial than the reduction in ICM cells, which resulted in an increased ICM/TE ratio in blastocysts isolated from stressed dams compared with controls. Restraint stress reduced the number of implantation sites in uteri, significantly delayed eye opening in delivered mice, and altered their behavior in terms of two parameters (scratching on the base of an open field test apparatus, time spent in central zone) as well. Moreover, prenatally stressed offspring had significantly lower body weights and in 5-week old females delivered from stressed dams, fat deposits were significantly lower. Our results indicate that exposure to stress during very early pregnancy can have a negative impact on embryonic development with consequences reaching into postnatal life.