Effect of feeding intensity and milking system on nutritionally relevant milk components in dairy farming systems in the North East of England

There is increasing concern that the intensification of dairy production reduces the concentrations of nutritionally desirable compounds in milk. This study therefore compared important quality parameters (protein and fatty acid profiles; α-tocopherol and carotenoid concentrations) in milk from four dairy systems with contrasting production intensities (in terms of feeding regimens and milking systems). The concentrations of several nutritionally desirable compounds (β-lactoglobulin, omega-3 fatty acids, omega-3/omega-6 ratio, conjugated linoleic acid c9t11, and/or carotenoids) decreased with increasing feeding intensity (organic outdoor ≥ conventional outdoor ≥ conventional indoors). Milking system intensification (use of robotic milking parlors) had a more limited effect on milk composition, but increased mastitis incidence. Multivariate analyses indicated that differences in milk quality were mainly linked to contrasting feeding regimens and that milking system and breed choice also contributed to differences in milk composition between production systems.     

Composted biosolids as a source of iron for hybrid poplars (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Populus</Emphasis> sp.) grown in northwest New Mexico

Composted sewage sludge (biosolids) supply plant available Fe and may represent a sustainable alternative to more costly chelated Fe fertilizers currently used to supplement nutrition in hybrid poplar test plots of elevated soil pH. To test the response of poplars, field plots were amended with composted biosolids at two agricultural rates: 22.75 and 44.5 Mg ha⁻¹. Iron EDDHA served as a fertilizer check and control plots received no amendment. The hybrid poplar OP-367 (Populus deltoides × P. nigra) was planted on a 3.6 m grid spacing. Significant amounts of P and Fe originating from the sewage treatment process were detected in soils 13 months after amending. Chlorosis evaluated with a SPAD-502 meter, showed that poplars amended with biosolids remained the least chlorotic and had greater tree growth when compared to Fe EDDHA and control plots during two growing seasons. Biosolids show promise as a cost effective alternative for the remediation of Fe chlorosis in hybrid poplar agroforestry plantations and present new opportunities in northwestern New Mexico for municipalities seeking solid waste land disposal options.     

Core terrestrial habitat for conservation of local populations of salamanders and wood frogs in agricultural landscapes

Pond-breeding amphibians require aquatic and terrestrial habitats to complete their lifecycles, and preservation of both habitats is necessary for maintaining local populations. Current wetland regulations focus primarily on aquatic habitats, and criteria to define critical upland habitats and regulations to protect them are often ambiguous or lacking. We examined the association between the presence of seven pond-breeding amphibian species and the landscape composition surrounding 54 wetlands located within the Till Plains and the Glaciated Plateau ecoregions of Ohio, USA. We quantified landscape composition within 200 m of the wetland (“core terrestrial zone”) and the area extending from 200 m to 1 km from the wetland (“broader landscape context zone”). We constructed binary logistic regression models for each species, and evaluated them using Akaike Information Criterion. Presence of spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum), Jefferson's salamander complex (A. jeffersonianum) and smallmouth salamanders (A. texanum) was positively associated with the amount of forest within the core zone. Presence of wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) was positively associated with the amount of forest within the core zone and the amount of forest within the broader landscape context zone. Presence of tiger salamanders (A. tigrinum tigrinum) was negatively associated with the cumulative length of paved roads within 1 km of the site, and presence of red-spotted newts (Notophthalmus v. viridescens) was negatively associated with the average linear distance to the five nearest wetlands. Overall salamander diversity was positively associated with the amount of forest within the core zone, and negatively associated with the presence of predatory fish and cumulative length of paved roads within 1 km of the site. Our results confirm the strong association between the structure of surrounding upland areas and amphibian diversity at breeding ponds, and stress the importance of preserving core terrestrial habitat around wetlands for maintaining amphibian diversity.     

Tim50 maintains the permeability barrier of the mitochondrial inner membrane

Transport of metabolites across the mitochondrial inner membrane is highly selective, thereby maintaining the electrochemical proton gradient that functions as the main driving force for cellular adenosine triphosphate synthesis. Mitochondria import many preproteins via the presequence translocase of the inner membrane. However, the reconstituted Tim23 protein constitutes a pore remaining mainly in its open form, a state that would be deleterious in organello. We found that the intermembrane space domain of Tim50 induced the Tim23 channel to close. Presequences overcame this effect and activated the channel for translocation. Thus, the hydrophilic cis domain of Tim50 maintains the permeability barrier of mitochondria by closing the translocation pore in a presequence-regulated manner.     

The postnatal development of the mucosal immune system and mucosal tolerance in domestic animals

The mucosal immune system is exposed to a range of antigens associated with pathogens, to which it must mount active immune responses. However, it is also exposed to a large number of harmless antigens associated with food and with commensal microbial flora, to which expression of active, inflammatory immune responses to these antigens is undesirable. The mucosal immune system must contain machinery capable of evaluating the antigens to which it is exposed and mounting appropriate effector or regulatory responses. Since the immune system is likely to have evolved initially in mucosal tissues, the requirement to prevent damaging allergic responses must be at least as old as the adaptive immune system, and studies of the mechanisms should include a range of non-mammalian species. Despite the importance for rational design of vaccines and for control of allergic reactions, the mechanisms involved are still largely unclear. It is not clear that the classical experimental protocol of "oral tolerance" is, in fact, measuring a biologically important phenomenon, nor is it clear whether tolerance is regulated in the evolutionarily recent organised lymphoid tissue (the lymph nodes) or the more ancient, diffuse architecture in the intestine. The capacity of the immune system to discriminate between "dangerous" and "harmless" antigens appears to develop with age and exposure to microbial flora. Thus, the ability of an individual or a group of animals to correctly regulate mucosal immune responses will depend on age, genetics and on their microbial environment and history. Attempts to manipulate the mucosal immune system towards active immune responses by oral vaccines, or towards oral tolerance, are likely to be confounded by environmentally-induced variability between individuals and between groups of animals.     

Automated detection and tracking of marine mammals: A novel sonar tool for monitoring effects of marine industry

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OSTEOCHONDROSIS LESIONS OF THE CANINE SHOULDER: CORRELATION OF POSITIVE CONTRAST ARTHROGRAPHY AND ARTHROSCOPY

In this study the correlation between positive contrast arthrography and arthroscopy was evaluated in a series of 20 shoulder joints (12 dogs) with radiographic and clinical evidence of osteochondrosis. The joints were consecutively examined by arthrography and arthroscopy. In 12 joints arthrography revealed the presence of a cartilage flap, and this finding was confirmed by arthroscopy. In 3 out of 8 joints where arthrography failed to demonstrate rupture of the cartilage, arthroscopy revealed the presence of a distinct fissure line. In 2 joints arthroscopy demonstrated a lesion comparable with chondromalacia and in 3 only a dimple in the articular cartilage was found. In 2 joints arthroscopy revealed the presence of small joint mice not detected by arthrography. Kissing lesions on the surface of the glenoid cavity opposite to cartilage flaps could be demonstrated as well. Evaluation of synovial inflammation, judged by the aspect and pattern of the synovial villi, correlated well with histologic findings. These results indicate that arthroscopy is a complementary examination in painful joints where arthrography fails to demonstrate rupture of the articular cartilage. It could be the procedure of choice if diagnostic and surgical arthroscopy can be combined. However, arthrography remains the technique of choice to demonstrate joint mice within the bicipital tendon sheath.     

The dark side of technological advances in analysis of microbial ecosystems

Recent technological advances mean that samples from animal experiments may be analysed more cheaply, more easily and with a much greater return of data than previously. Research groups are frequently faced with a choice of continuing to use established technology in which they may have made a significant investment of time and resources, and have significant amounts of reference data, or switching to new technology where reference data may be limited. Apart from cost, the choice needs to be based on a comparison between the increase in data available from future experiments by switching and the value of comparison with reference data from historical experiments analysed with earlier technology. One approach to this problem is to ensure that sufficient quantity and variety of samples are taken from each experiment and appropriately stored to allow re-establishment of a sufficiently large reference set and to avoid the need to repeat animal experiments. The establishment of ‘biobanks' of experimental material will require funding for infrastructure, consistent storage of metadata and, importantly,horizon-scanning to ensure that samples are taken appropriately for techniques which will become accessible in future. Such biobanks are a recognised resource in human medicine, where the value of samples increases as more analysis is carried out and added to the metadata.