Information sheet 25: Elodea nutallii, Nuttall's Pondweed

Information sheet on control of Elodea specie

Do trees in UK-relevant river catchments influence fluvial flood peaks?: a systematic review

This report describes a systematic review of the evidence in support of the primary question “Do trees in UK-relevant river catchments influence fluvial flood peaks?

Prognostic factors of a lower CD4/CD8 ratio in long term viral suppression HIV infected children

Background Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) is associated with marked immune reconstitution. Although a long term viral suppression is achievable, not all children however, attain complete immunological recovery due to persistent immune activation. We use CD4/CD8 ratio like a marker of immune reconstitution. Methods Perinatal HIV-infected children who underwent a first-line cART, achieved viral suppression in the first year and maintained it for more than 5 years, with no viral rebound were included. Logistic models were applied to estimate the prognostic factors, clinical characteristics at cART start, of a lower CD4/CD8 ratio at the last visit. Results 146 HIV-infected children were included: 77% Caucasian, 45% male and 28% CDC C. Median age at cART initiation was 2.3 years (IQR: 0.5-6.2). 42 (30%) children received mono-dual therapy previously to cART. Time of undetectable viral load was 9.5 years (IQR: 7.8, 12.5). 33% of the children not achieved CD4/CD8 ratio >1. Univariate analysis showed an association between CD4/CD8 <1 with lower CD4 nadir and baseline CD4; older age at diagnosis and at cART initiation; and a previous exposure to mono-dual therapy. Multivariate analysis also revealed relationship between CD4/CD8 <1 and lower CD4 nadir (OR: 1.002, CI 95% 1.000-1.004) as well as previous exposure to mono-dual therapy (OR: 0.16, CI 95% 0.003-0.720). Conclusions CD4/CD8 > 1 was not achieved in 33% of the children. Lower CD4 nadir and previous exposure to suboptimal therapy, before initiating cART, are factors showing independently association with a worse immune recovery (CD4/CD8 < 1)

Pig paramyxovirus of the blue eye disease binding to a 116 kda glycoprotein expressed in pig neuronal membranes

Pig paramyxovirus of the blue eye disease (PPBED) is a novel member of the paramyxoviridae family which infects pigs. In neonatal pigs it causes neurological damage, whereas in adult pigs it affects the reproductive function. As PPBED damages the new-born pig central nervous system (CNS), it is important to study whether PPBED binds to the membrane proteins of all brain tissue, or selectively binds to neuronal tissue of the brain stem, olfactory bulb, hippocampus, cerebellum, frontal, temporal and parietal brain cortex. It is also important to establish whether it also infects neurones obtained from new-born, 60-day-old and adult pigs, and the role of carbohydrate residues in virus binding. The effect on virus binding of polyclonal antibodies against viral envelope proteins was also studied. Binding studies were performed using dot blot and virus overlay protein binding assays. PPBED was able to bind to membrane proteins from all brain regions, particularly to a protein band of approximately 116 kDa. Neuraminidase treatment of neuronal membrane proteins decreased virus binding; subsequent treatments with ?-galactosidase and manosidase did not increase virus binding inhibition. N-glycosidase F and trypsin also decreased virus binding, but not the O-glycanase. Antibodies against viral haemagglutinin-neuraminidase blocked virus binding more efficiently than antibodies against viral fusion protein. In conclusion: (1) PPBED is able to bind to pig neurones of all brain regions studied and at all ages analysed; (2) a 116 kDa membrane protein containing sialic acid residues with an N-linked oligosaccharide chain was specifically recognized; (3) PPBED haemagglutinin-neuraminidase protein seems to play a central role in neural receptor recognition

Electrophysiological and morphological alterations in peripheral nerves by the pig paramyxovirus of blue eye disease in neonatal pigs

The pig paramyxovirus of blue eye disease (PPBED) produces central nervous system (CNS) damage leading to death in piglets. However, when PPBED was injected into the muscle and came into contact with hind limb peripheral nerves and was transported to the CNS, it did not cause death and could be a mechanism by which to induce protection. This study analyses whether PPBED causes electrophysiological and morphological alterations in infected hind limb peripheral nerves. It also studies, whether PPBED induces the onset of haemagglutination inhibitory antibodies (HIA) when it is transported to the spinal cord after medial gastrocnemius (MG) intramuscular injection. PPBED was detected by an immunohistochemical method and nerve morphology was studied using electron microscopy. The physiological status of the nerve was evaluated with electrophysiological techniques. The electrical threshold of the infected MG nerve increased four- or five-fold compared to that in the ipsilateral lateral gastrocnemius or in the MG nerve on the control side. The infected nerve fibres underwent myelin sheet disarrangement and their internal fibre diameter decreased. PPBED induced the onset of HIA

Blue eye disease porcine rubulavirus (PoRv) infects pig neurons and glial cells using sialo-glycoprotein as receptor

Pig neural cells express glycoproteins with sialylated N-linked oligosaccharide chains (SNOC) which are used by the porcine rubulavirus (PoRv) as receptors. Pig neuronal or glial cell cultures were employed to investigate (a) whether PoRv infects such cells using a molecule expressing SNOC, and (b) the role of viral envelope glycoproteins in establishing the infection. Enriched neuronal or glial cell cultures were exposed to PoRv and infection was detected immunocytochemically. Neuronal cultures prepared from neonatal pigs were treated enzymatically to eliminate sialic acid or N-linked oligosaccharide chains. Primary neural cultures were exposed to anti-HN or anti-F preincubated with PoRv to study the role of the viral glycoproteins. In enriched cultures, PoRv infected neurons and glial cells, and sialic acid expressed in N-linked oligosaccharide chains appeared to play a central role in infection. It was concluded that HN and F viral glycoproteins are required to infect neurons and glial cells. � 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Polyhydroxybutyrate production by Saccharophagus degradans using raw starch as carbon source

Biosynthesis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) from raw starch as the carbon source by the polysaccharide-digesting bacteria Saccharophagus degradans was investigated in a fed-batch culture. The production and properties of the PHB synthesized from starch were compared to those obtained using glucose as carbon source. In fed-batch cultures, S. degradans accumulated 21.35 and 17.46% of PHB, using glucose or starch as carbon source, respectively. The physical properties of the biopolymer produced from each carbon source were similar between them. Molecular mass, melting temperature and heat of fusion were 54.23kDa, 165.61°C and 59.59J/g, respectively, using glucose; and 57.07kDa, 174.31°C and 67.66J/g, respectively, using starch. This is the first work describing the capability of S. degradans to utilize raw starch as the sole carbon source for the production of PHB. © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

Dopamine release modifies intracellular calcium levels in tyrosine hydroxylase-transfected C6 cells

Glioma cell line C6, transfected with tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) cDNA under the control of the glial fibrillary acid protein promoter (C6-THA cells), elicited a reduction in the apomorphine-induced turning behavior when they are implanted in Parkinson's disease models. Nevertheless, dopamine (Da) release has not been explicitly demonstrated nor has a possible mechanism of release been implicated. In this study, the in vitro Da release by C6 and C6-THA cells after chemical stimulation with KCl or glutamate was quantified using HPLC. Modifications in intracellular calcium levels in response to KCl stimulation and participation of Da receptor-mediated feedback in calcium regulation were also studied using FLUO 3 as a calcium concentration indicator. C6-THA cells release dopamine in basal conditions, and increase its release after KCl or glutamic acid stimulation. In a fraction of C6 and C6-THA cells, a transient intracellular calcium increase was observed after KCl stimulation, but C6-THA cells demonstrated a faster rate of calcium removal. C6 cells express mRNA from all five subtypes of Da receptors as demonstrated by real time PCR. D1 receptors were most abundant in C6 cells and its expression was further increased in C6-THA cells. Blocking D1-like receptors in C6-THA cells with the specific antagonist drug SCH-23390 induced a decrease in intracellular calcium removal rate, resembling non-manipulated C6 cells' calcium clearance. Da release by C6-THA cells could be related to calcium dependent mechanisms. Furthermore, production of Da by C6-THA cells seems to upregulate the expression of D1 receptors' mRNA. © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Installation of surface grips for the restoration and management of wet grasslands on mineral soils

A key tool for restoration and management of lowland wet grasslands is the control of ditch water levels. Past research has shown that ditch water level control alone may have limit effect on in-field water table levels in soils of low hydraulic conductivity that restrict lateral movement of water between the ditches to the intervening land units. The installation of grips or foot-drains (shallow channels that mimic natural surface topography) has been proposed and implemented as a means of linking ditch water levels and in-field wetness. This project set out to test the effectiveness of grips of different spacing on lowland grazing marshes underlain by mineral soils at three sites across southern England (Pawlett, Somerset; Otmoor, Oxfordshire; Berney, Norfolk), using water table levels and soil moisture measurements to index hydrological response and invertebrates as a measure of ecological response. The three sites had different soil properties (Otmoor heavy clays, Berney and Pawlett had well-structure soils). Volumetric soil moisture content showed a strong relationship with water-table depth in the well structured soils of Pawlett and Berney, but this was a weaker relationship at Otmoor with its low permeability soil. Overall, the results suggest that installation of grips can increase invertebrate numbers and biomass in wet grasslands on mineral soils, particularly where the soils are not well structured. Optimum grip spacing varies with soil type; in poorly structured soils (such as Otmoor) grips need to be closely spaced (5m) to drain surface water, but will have little impact on the soil water table. In well-structure soils (such at Pawlett) grips can be about 20 m apart and still strongly influence the water table. Where soils have high permeability (such as Berney) grips or ditches can even be 60-70 m apart. An adequate source of water, infrastructure to maintain specific seasonal water levels and a means of evacuating excess water are essential requirements for a controlled water-regime. The case studies illustrated the need for a site-specific approach because the combination of these factors pertaining at any particular site will vary. The bird behaviour studies at Otmoor showed that pools of shallow water with slight slopes and a patchy vegetation structure provide valuable feeding habitats for both redshank and lapwing. The cross-sectional profile of the grips should therefore be shallow to maximise margins. This was support by the land managers at each site who indicated that shallow grips made it easier to use machinery on the site, such as mowers. By the end of the project, the grips at Otmoor were already showing infestation by emergent vegetation such as Typha latifolia that would reduce conveyance. Grips would need regular management to maintain their hydrological properties, such as clearance or possibly re-cutting every few year