The microbial diversity and structure in peatland forest in Indonesia

The microbial community structure and function under forest in tropical peatlands are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the microbial community structure and diversity in natural peat swamp forest soil, disturbed peat soil and mineral soil in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, using 454 pyrosequencing. The results showed that the natural peat soil had the greatest fungal species richness (Chao1), which was significantly (p < .05) larger than that in the other two soils. Community structure of both fungi and bacteria in natural peat soil differed significantly from that in the disturbed peat soil (p = .039 and p = .045, respectively). Ascomycota (40.5%) was the most abundant phylum across the three soils followed by Basidiomycota (18.8%), Zygomycota (<0.1%) and Glomeromycota (<0.1%). The linear discriminant analysis with effect size (LEfSe) showed that Ascomycota (p < .05) and genus Gliocephalotrichum (p < .05) dominated in natural peat soil. Functionally, pathotrophs were more abundant in disturbed peat soil (p < .05). Proteobacteria (43.8%) were the most abundant phylum followed by Acidobacteria (32.6%), Actinobacteria (9.8%), Planctomycetes (1.7%). Methylocystis, Telmatospirillum, Syntrophobacter, Sorangium and Opitutus were the more abundant genera in disturbed peat soil, whereas Nevskia and Schlesneria were more abundant in mineral soil and natural peat soil, respectively. The natural peat forest soil supported a more diverse microbiology; however, the land use of such a soil can change its microbial community structure. The results provide evidence that the disturbance of tropical peat land could lead to the introduction and spread of a large number of fungal diseases     

Low prevalence of zoonotic multidrug‐resistant bacteria in veterinarians in a country with prudent use of antimicrobials in animals

The occurrence of multidrug‐resistant zoonotic bacteria in animals has been increasing worldwide. Working in close contact with livestock increases the risk of carriage of these bacteria. We investigated the occurrence of extended‐spectrum beta‐lactamase (ESBL) and plasmidic AmpC beta‐lactamase producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL/pAmpC‐PE) and livestock‐associated methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA‐MRSA) in Finnish veterinarians (n = 320). In addition to microbiological samples, background information was collected. Bacterial whole genome sequencing was performed to deduce sequence types (STs), spa types and resistance genes of the isolates. In total, 3.0% (9/297) of the veterinarians carried ESBL producing Escherichia coli, with one ESBL producing E. coli isolate producing also AmpC. Seven different STs, sequences of several different plasmid groups as well as several different bla_ESBL/pAmpC genes existed in different combinations. No carbapenemase or colistin resistance genes were detected. MRSA was detected in 0.3% (1/320) of the samples. The strain belonged to LA‐MRSA clonal complex (CC) 398 (ST398, spa type 011, lacking Panton‐Valentine leukocidin genes). In conclusion, this study shows low carriage of multidrug‐resistant zoonotic bacteria in Finnish veterinarians. However, finding LA‐MRSA for the first time in a sample from a veterinarian in a country with prudent use of animal antimicrobials and regarding the recent rise of LA‐MRSA on Finnish pig farms, a strong recommendation to protect people working in close contact with animals carrying LA‐MRSA CC398 is given. Further studies are needed to explain why the prevalence of LA‐MRSA in veterinarians is lower in Finland than in other European countries.     

The detection of lumpy skin disease virus in samples of experimentally infected cattle using different diagnostic techniques

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a disease of cattle, primarily in Africa and Madagascar and rarely in the Middle East. It is caused by a capripoxvirus that belongs to the family Poxviridae. The disease is of economic importance in endemic areas. Effective control of LSD requires accurate and rapid laboratory techniques to confirm a tentative clinical diagnosis. Comparative studies on different diagnostic tests used at different stages of the disease have not been done. The aim of this study was to compare several of these tests. Six seronegative bulls, between 11 and 20 months of age, were infected intravenously and kept in an insect-free facility. The course of the infection was monitored. During a 3-month period blood samples and skin biopsies were collected for virus isolation and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Skin biopsies were also examined using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The incubation period in infected animals varied from 4-5 days. The length of the viraemic period did not correlate with the severity of clinical disease. Viraemia was detected from 1-12 days using virus isolation and from 4-11 days using the PCR, which is longer than has previously been reported. Virus was isolated from skin biopsies until Day 39 post infection (p.i.) and PCR could demonstrate viral DNA until Day 92 p.i. Transmission electron microscopy of negatively stained skin biopsies detected LSD virus only in one of the four bulls that developed skin lesions until Day 33 p.i. The PCR was a fast and sensitive method to demonstrate viral DNA in blood and skin samples. It could detect viral nucleic acid in skin lesions 53 days longer than virus isolation. Virus isolation from blood and skin samples was sensitive and reliable, but as a single test it may be too time-consuming to use although this depends on how rapidly the diagnosis must be confirmed. In conclusion, this study showed the PCR to be superior in detecting LSD virus from blood and skin samples. However, virus isolation is still required when the infectivity of the LSD virus is to be determined.     

Goals for public participation implied by sustainable development, and the preparatory process of the Finnish National Forest Programme

Since the UNCED in 1992, National Forest Programmes (NFP) have been widely acknowledged as a means to implement internationally agreed upon sustainability goals for forest management. However, national forest programmes are prepared and implemented in national political, social and ecological contexts, which vary significantly between countries. Finland has a long tradition of “forest programming”, starting from the 1950s, which has contributed to the institutions and culture of preparing such programmes. These programmes have traditionally been prepared in governmentally facilitated committees and working groups in close collaboration with interest groups and representatives of research and administration.In this paper, we develop goals for participation in a policy decision-making process. These goals, based on sustainable development definitions and policies, include: (1) generating new relevant information, (2) incorporating all relevant interests, and (3) contributing to reaching public agreement.Demands for increasing public awareness, inclusion of different views as well as respect for procedural citizen rights were obvious expectations also behind Finland's National Forest Programme 2010 that was made in 1999. The new forms of participation applied in the already well-developed interest-group-integrating policy preparation system provided an opportunity to take the participation goals more seriously. According to our analysis, the arguments arising from the new forms of participation were strongly in line with those already previously present in Finnish forest policy discourse, and the new forms of participation functioned merely as legitimating and awareness raising systems.     

Preclinical evaluation of rapeseed, raspberry, and pine bark phenolics for health related effects

Rapeseed, raspberry, and pine bark are promising bioactive sources of plant phenolics selected from among ca. 100 previously screened plant materials for in vitro preclinical evaluation of health related effects. Phenolic extracts and isolated fractions of the selected materials were investigated for antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiinflammatory, and antimutagenic properties as well as for cell permeability. It was shown that rapeseed and pine bark phenolics and raspberry anthocyanins were good or excellent antioxidants toward oxidation of phosphatidylcholine membrane (liposomes), rapeseed oil (crude) phenolics were effective radical scavengers (DPPH test), and both raspberry and pine bark phenolics inhibited LDL oxidation. Rapeseed oil phenolics, principally vinylsyringol, raspberry anthocyanins, and pinoresinol and matairesinol, the principal components of pine bark phenolic isolate, were effective against formation of the proinflammatory mediator, prostaglandin E(2). Raspberry ellagitannins inhibited the growth of Proteus mirabilis and Klebsiella oxytoca. Pine bark and rapeseed had minor effects on the permeability of model drugs in Caco-2 experiments. None of the tested extracts were mutagenic nor toxic to Caco-2 cells or macrophages. Thus, phenolic isolates from rapeseed, raspberry, and pine bark and are safe and bioactive for possible food applications including functional foods intended for health benefit.     

Baltic Sea genetic biodiversity: Current knowledge relating to conservation management

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Pollution impacts on bird population density and species diversity at four non-ferrous smelter sites

Non-ferrous smelters pose a potential hazard for breeding bird populations, but comprehensive analyses of the impacts on bird population densities around smelter sites are currently lacking. We measured with point counts bird population densities around four smelter sites in Russia (Monchegorsk, Karabash and Revda) and Finland (Harjavalta) to explore the relationships between bird population density/species diversity and exposure level quantified by the potentially bioavailable copper concentrations in forest litter. Total bird densities, bird biomasses and species diversities decreased in the vicinity of all three Russian smelters. In Harjavalta, there were no pollution-related trends in total bird density or biomass, although species diversity (species number and Shannon’s index) decreased towards the pollution source. In general, the four smelters showed negative effects on bird populations in decreasing order of impact as follows: Monchegorsk > Karabash > Revda > Harjavalta, reflecting the amount of current and past emissions and consequent habitat change at each site. Our results suggest that around copper–nickel and copper smelters the pollution impact on bird diversity is accelerated when the litter copper level exceeds 1000 μg/g. However, even though bird densities and diversities reflected the exposure levels in our study, they were not associated with litter copper concentrations in a strictly dose-dependent manner, indicating that copper itself is not a primary cause for the changes in bird communities, but rather the combined effect of multiple pollutants on birds and especially on the resources necessary for breeding, such as food and suitable habitat.     

Pituitary adenoma predisposition caused by germline mutations in the AIP gene

Pituitary adenomas are common in the general population, and understanding their molecular basis is of great interest. Combining chip-based technologies with genealogy data, we identified germline mutations in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting protein (AIP) gene in individuals with pituitary adenoma predisposition (PAP). AIP acts in cytoplasmic retention of the latent form of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and also has other functions. In a population-based series from Northern Finland, two AIP mutations account for 16% of all patients diagnosed with pituitary adenomas secreting growth hormone and for 40% of the subset of patients who were diagnosed when they were younger than 35 years of age. Typically, PAP patients do not display a strong family history of pituitary adenoma; thus, AIP is an example of a low-penetrance tumor susceptibility gene.     

2.8 million years of Arctic climate change from Lake El'gygytgyn, NE Russia

The reliability of Arctic climate predictions is currently hampered by insufficient knowledge of natural climate variability in the past. A sediment core from Lake El'gygytgyn in northeastern (NE) Russia provides a continuous, high-resolution record from the Arctic, spanning the past 2.8 million years. This core reveals numerous "super interglacials" during the Quaternary; for marine benthic isotope stages (MIS) 11c and 31, maximum summer temperatures and annual precipitation values are ~4° to 5°C and ~300 millimeters higher than those of MIS 1 and 5e. Climate simulations show that these extreme warm conditions are difficult to explain with greenhouse gas and astronomical forcing alone, implying the importance of amplifying feedbacks and far field influences. The timing of Arctic warming relative to West Antarctic Ice Sheet retreats implies strong interhemispheric climate connectivity.     

Use of the Capripoxvirus homologue of Vaccinia virus 30 kDa RNA polymerase subunit (RPO30) gene as a novel diagnostic and genotyping target: development of a classical PCR method to differentiate Goat poxvirus from Sheep poxvirus

Sheep poxvirus (SPPV), Goat poxvirus (GTPV) and Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) are Capripoxviruses (CaPVs) responsible for causing severe poxvirus disease in sheep, goats and cattle, respectively. Serological differentiation of CaPVs is not possible and strain identification has relied on the implicitly accepted hypothesis that the viruses show well defined host specificity. However, it is now known that cross infections can occur and authentication of identity based on the host animal species from which the strain was first isolated, is not valid and should be replaced with molecular techniques to allow unequivocal strain differentiation. To identify a diagnostic target for strain genotyping, the CaPV homologue of the Vaccinia virus E4L gene which encodes the 30 kDa DNA-dependent RNA polymerase subunit, RPO30 was analyzed. Forty-six isolates from different hosts and geographical origins were included. Most CaPVs fit into one of the three different groups according to their host origins: the SPPV, the GTPV and the LSDV group. A unique 21-nucleotide deletion was found in all SPPV isolates which was exploited to develop a RPO30-based classical PCR test to differentiate SPPV from GTPV that will allow rapid differential diagnosis of disease during CaPV outbreaks in small ruminants.