Improved health, welfare and viability in young pigs: how to encourage piglets to use their nest

This factsheet evaluates piglet nest design and management to reduce piglet mortality and health problems. Additionally, it presents the results of the Core Organic Cofund project POWER on a piglet nest’s relevance for animal welfare and its environmental impact

Improved health, welfare and viability in young pigs: designing an organic farrowing pen

This factsheet evaluates farrowing pen design to reduce piglet mortality and health problems. Additionally, it presents the results of the Core Organic Cofund project POWER on a farrowing pen design’s relevance for animal welfare and its environmental impact

Spatial aggregation of time-variant stream water ages in urbanizing catchments

Date of Acceptance: 25/03/2015 Acknowledgements The help of Clara F. Soulsby with the sampling is gratefully acknowledged.Peer reviewedPostprin

Modeling chloride transport using travel time distributions at Plynlimon, Wales

Here we present a theoretical interpretation of high-frequency, high-quality tracer time series from the Hafren catchment at Plynlimon in mid-Wales. We make use of the formulation of transport by travel time distributions to model chloride transport originating from atmospheric deposition and compute catchment-scale travel time distributions. The relevance of the approach lies in the explanatory power of the chosen tools, particularly to highlight hydrologic processes otherwise clouded by the integrated nature of the measured outflux signal. The analysis reveals the key role of residual storages that are poorly visible in the hydrological response, but are shown to strongly affect water quality dynamics. A significant accuracy in reproducing data is shown by our calibrated model. A detailed representation of catchment-scale travel time distributions has been derived, including the time evolution of the overall dispersion processes (which can be expressed in terms of time-varying storage sampling functions). Mean computed travel times span a broad range of values (from 80 to 800 days) depending on the catchment state. Results also suggest that, in the average, discharge waters are younger than storage water. The model proves able to capture high-frequency fluctuations in the measured chloride concentrations, which are broadly explained by the sharp transition between groundwaters and faster flows originating from topsoil layers

Longer and better lives for patients with atrial fibrillation:the 9th AFNET/EHRA consensus conference

Aims: Recent trial data demonstrate beneficial effects of active rhythm management in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and support the concept that a low arrhythmia burden is associated with a low risk of AF-related complications. The aim of this document is to summarize the key outcomes of the 9th AFNET/EHRA Consensus Conference of the Atrial Fibrillation NETwork (AFNET) and the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA). Methods and results: Eighty-three international experts met in Münster for 2 days in September 2023. Key findings are as follows: (i) Active rhythm management should be part of the default initial treatment for all suitable patients with AF. (ii) Patients with device-detected AF have a low burden of AF and a low risk of stroke. Anticoagulation prevents some strokes and also increases major but non-lethal bleeding. (iii) More research is needed to improve stroke risk prediction in patients with AF, especially in those with a low AF burden. Biomolecules, genetics, and imaging can support this. (iv) The presence of AF should trigger systematic workup and comprehensive treatment of concomitant cardiovascular conditions. (v) Machine learning algorithms have been used to improve detection or likely development of AF. Cooperation between clinicians and data scientists is needed to leverage the potential of data science applications for patients with AF. Conclusions: Patients with AF and a low arrhythmia burden have a lower risk of stroke and other cardiovascular events than those with a high arrhythmia burden. Combining active rhythm control, anticoagulation, rate control, and therapy of concomitant cardiovascular conditions can improve the lives of patients with AF

Longer and better lives for patients with atrial fibrillation: the 9th AFNET/EHRA consensus conference.

AIMS: Recent trial data demonstrate beneficial effects of active rhythm management in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and support the concept that a low arrhythmia burden is associated with a low risk of AF-related complications. The aim of this document is to summarize the key outcomes of the 9th AFNET/EHRA Consensus Conference of the Atrial Fibrillation NETwork (AFNET) and the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA). METHODS AND RESULTS: Eighty-three international experts met in Münster for 2 days in September 2023. Key findings are as follows: (i) Active rhythm management should be part of the default initial treatment for all suitable patients with AF. (ii) Patients with device-detected AF have a low burden of AF and a low risk of stroke. Anticoagulation prevents some strokes and also increases major but non-lethal bleeding. (iii) More research is needed to improve stroke risk prediction in patients with AF, especially in those with a low AF burden. Biomolecules, genetics, and imaging can support this. (iv) The presence of AF should trigger systematic workup and comprehensive treatment of concomitant cardiovascular conditions. (v) Machine learning algorithms have been used to improve detection or likely development of AF. Cooperation between clinicians and data scientists is needed to leverage the potential of data science applications for patients with AF. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with AF and a low arrhythmia burden have a lower risk of stroke and other cardiovascular events than those with a high arrhythmia burden. Combining active rhythm control, anticoagulation, rate control, and therapy of concomitant cardiovascular conditions can improve the lives of patients with AF

On the Variability of Hydrologic Catchment Response: Inherent and External Controls

Hydrologic catchment response varies in time. The goal of this dissertation is to investigate how and why it varies and what controls these variations. In order to tackle these questions the first step is to develop a method that permits the capturing of the temporal variation of transit time distributions (TTDs). To this end, the established transfer function-convolution approach using time series of stable water isotopes was modified so that it is now able to determine variable mean transit times (mTTs). The type and the shape parameter of the transfer function also vary in time. We found that antecedent moisture content, saturated hydraulic conductivity, soil depth and subsequent precipitation intensity are all potential controls. We propose a dimensionless number that integrates these controls and relates available storage to incoming and outgoing water fluxes in combination with information on antecedent moisture conditions to predict TTD type and shape. The individual TTDs for every time step produced by this model can be superimposed, summed and normalized to create a classification tool for catchments that is based on its general response behavior to precipitation events: the master transit time distribution. With this model in hand the hydrologic response for three consecutive monsoon seasons in ten nested subcatchments was examined. It was found that the major response controls were changing between the years in accordance with three hydrologic response modes. The mTT correlated most strongly with soil depth in the first year, with hydraulic conductivity in the second year and with curvature in the third year. These variations were produced by differences in precipitation patterns that led to differences in soil saturation and consequently to different dominant flow processes: in the first year most of the water left the catchment via fast flow paths (macropore flow, overland flow), in the second year shallow subsurface flow in the soil matrix was more dominant and in the third year most outflowing water derived from slow base flow. To better predict hydrologic catchment response we propose to apply a dimensionless number to determine the catchment response mode for every time step before selecting the appropriate response control

Oncolytic viruses encoding bispecific T cell engagers: a blueprint for emerging immunovirotherapies

Bispecific T cell engagers (BiTEs) are an innovative class of immunotherapeutics that redirect T cells to tumor surface antigens. While efficacious against certain hematological malignancies, limited bioavailability and severe toxicities have so far hampered broader clinical application, especially against solid tumors. Another emerging cancer immunotherapy are oncolytic viruses (OVs) which selectively infect and replicate in malignant cells, thereby mediating tumor vaccination effects. These oncotropic viruses can serve as vectors for tumor-targeted immunomodulation and synergize with other immunotherapies. In this article, we discuss the use of OVs to overcome challenges in BiTE therapy. We review the current state of the field, covering published preclinical studies as well as ongoing clinical investigations. We systematically introduce OV-BiTE vector design and characteristics as well as evidence for immune-stimulating and anti-tumor effects. Moreover, we address additional combination regimens, including CAR T cells and immune checkpoint inhibitors, and further strategies to modulate the tumor microenvironment using OV-BiTEs. The inherent complexity of these novel therapeutics highlights the importance of translational research including correlative studies in early-phase clinical trials. More broadly, OV-BiTEs can serve as a blueprint for diverse OV-based cancer immunotherapies

Go with the flow: Fragment retention patterns shape the vegetative dispersal of aquatic plants in lowland streams

The dispersal of aquatic plant propagules is highly facilitated in streams due to flow. As many aquatic plants predominantly spread through vegetative propagules, the specific retention and thus drift distance of dispersed plant fragments largely contribute to the rapid spread along the course of a stream. We determined fragment retention for four aquatic plant species (Elodea canadensis,Myriophyllum spicatum,Ceratophyllum demersum,Salvinia natans; representing four different common morpho-structural groups) in sections of small to medium-sized German streams with different levels of stream sinuosity. The number of fragments showed a logistic decline over drift distance. In two small streams, 90% of drifting fragments were retained at distances (D-90) of only 5-9 m and 19-70 m, while higherD(90)values of 116-903 m and 153-2,367 m were determined for sections of a medium-sized stream. The likelihood of retention thereby decreased significantly with increasing stream size and was reduced in straightened stream sections. Differences in retention were more strongly related to fragment buoyancy rather than fragment size and morphology. Increasing buoyancy significantly lowered the likelihood of fragment retention over drift distance by a factor of 3-8, whereas contrasting effects were documented for size and morphology of fragments. The relevance of different obstacles was highly stream section-specific and depended on obstacle abundance, distribution, and the degree of submergence/emergence. Our findings elucidate the dynamic retention patterns of plant fragments and highlight the strong interplay between extrinsic (stream) and intrinsic (fragment) properties. We conclude that straightened lowland streams of intermediate size promote the rapid dispersal of invasive aquatic plants and are particularly prone to invaders producing large amounts of small and highly buoyant plant fragments. Information on the species-specific fragment colonisation dynamics in the field is further required to improve our understanding of the vegetative dispersal capacity of invasive aquatic plants in stream ecosystems

Species-specific fragmentation rate and colonization potential partly explain the successful spread of aquatic plants in lowland streams

The vegetative spread potential of aquatic plant species is largely based on the quantity of dispersed plant fragments (propagule pressure) and their potential for regrowth and establishment, i.e., fragment regeneration and colonization. In streams, fragment dispersal is of particular significance as the exposure of plants to flow facilitates fragmentation and downstream drift of fragments. We conducted field investigations to quantify the relevance of fragment dispersal and the species-specific propagule pressure due to fragmentation in five small to medium-sized German streams. These field surveys were combined with determination of the potential for regeneration/colonization of fragments collected in the field indicated by relative root formation under standardized conditions. In general, the number of drifting fragments tended to increase with larger stream size. We documented species-specific differences in fragmentation rate, which contributed to weak correlations between the number of drift units and specific plant cover within four streams. The overall likelihood for root formation increased significantly with increasing fragment size and was highest for the invasive Elodea nuttallii (70% of fragments). We conclude that the fragment dispersal capacity in streams is highly species-specific and that propagule pressure alone cannot explain the successful spread of invasive species like Myriophyllum heterophyllum