Global Hotspots of Conflict Risk between Food Security and Biodiversity Conservation

This work contributes to the Belmont Forum/FACCE-JPI DEVIL project (grant number NE/M021327/1), and AM is supported by a BBSRC EastBio Studentship (http://www.eastscotbiodtp.ac.uk/). The Conservation Biology Institute are acknowledged for provision of data as well as BirdLife International, IUCN, NatureServe, and USGS for their contribution of the species range map data used in producing data available from the Biodiversity Mapping website (http://biodiversitymapping.org).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Simulating soil carbon sequestration from long term fertilizer and manure additions under continuous wheat using the DailyDayCent model

Bangabandhu Fellowship on Science and ICT project, Ministry of Science and Technology, People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Open Access via Springer Compact AgreementPeer reviewedPublisher PD

Ausweitung des ökologischen Landbaus in Deutschland – Voraussetzungen, Strategien, Implikationen, politische Optionen

The main aim of the study was to develop political strategies and measures to support the extension of organic farming in Germany. The work followed a multi-method approach framed by Social Marketing theory. Asking for hindrances, proposals for action and the perception of organic farming and organic food a literature and a discourse analysis, focus groups with consumers and farmers as well as interviews with actors of the value creation chain were done. Based on the results of the different analyses and the already existing policies nine strategies for the extension of organic farming were formulated and checked by a number of criteria. As a central result it turned out that no significant contribution to the extension of organic farming can be achieved with only one strategy. Therefore a strategic concept needs to address several issues simultaneously and must include a mix of supply and demand orientated strategies. It is recommended to closer determine the strategies through a participatory process that should lead to a medium-term concept. Within this process more differentiated political aims concerning the structure of the sector or special organic product markets should be set

Combination Therapy of Viral Leukemia: Statolon, Radiation and Transplantation

Author Institution: Celluar and Radiation Biology Laboratories, Clinical Radiation Therapy Research Center, Division of Radiology, Allegheny General HospitalStudies were carried out to determine the effectiveness of treating murine viral leukemia by combining statolon therapy with irradiation and transplantation therapy. The experimental design involved inoculating Rauscher leukemia-infected mice with statolon, a potent interferon inducer, prior to lethal whole-body irradiation and following hematopoietic cell transplantation. The data show that treating the leukemic animals in this manner resulted in positive responses from all indices of leukemia development investigated. These responses included a 42% decrease in spleen weight at autopsy, a 21% increase in survival at 30 days, and significantly decreased white blood cell counts and spleen weight during the treatment period. Although the effect of the combination therapy was not permanent and further refinement of the experimental protocol is necessary, it appears to be a promising method of treating viral leukemia

Use of recombinant ApxIV in serodiagnosis of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae infections and development of an ApxIV ELISA

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (App) is the etiological agent of porcine pleuropneumonia. The virulence of the fifteen serotypes of App is mainly determined by the three major RTX toxins ApxI, ApxII and ApxIII, which are secreted by the different serotypes in various combinations. A fourth RTX toxin, ApxIV, is produced by all 15 serotypes specifically during infection of pigs, but not under in vitro conditions. Pigs infected with App show specific antibodies directed against ApxIV. The analysis of sera of experimentally infected pigs revealed that ApxIV-immunoblots detected App infections in the second to third week post infection. We developed an indirect ELISA based on purified recombinant N’-terminal moiety of ApxIV that showed a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 93.8%

The Power of Expert Opinion in Ecological Models Using Bayesian Methods: Impact of Grazing on Birds

One of our greatest challenges as researchers is predicting impacts of landuse on biota and predicting the impact of livestock grazing on birds is no exception. Insufficient data and poor survey design often yield results that are not statistically significant or difficult to interpret because researchers cannot disentangle the effects of grazing from other disturbances. This has resulted in few publications on the impact of grazing on birds alone. Ecologists with extensive experience in bird ecology in grazed landscapes could inform an analysis when time and monetary constraints limit the amount of data that can be collected. Using responses from twenty well-recognised ecologists throughout Australia we capture this expert knowledge and incorporate it into a statistical model using Bayesian methods. Although relatively new to ecology, Bayesian methods allow straightforward probability statements to be made about specific models or scenarios and they allow the integration of different types of information, including scientific judgement while formally accommodating and incorporating the uncertainty in the information provided. Data on bird density was collected across three broad levels of grazing (no/low, moderate and high) typical of sub-tropical Australia. This field data was used in conjunction with expert data to produce estimates of species persistence under grazing. The addition of expert data through priors in our model strengthened results under at least one grazing level for all but one bird species examined. When experts were in agreement credible intervals were tightened substantially, whereas when experts were in disagreement results were similar to those evaluated in the absence of expert information. In fields where there is extensive expert knowledge, yet little published data, the use of expert information as priors for ecological models is a cost effective way of making more confident predictions about the effect of management on biodiversity

Speciating Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolates from poultry and humans using six PCR-based assays

Six previously published polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays each targeting different genes were used to speciate 116 isolates previously identified as Campylobacter jejuni using routine microbiological techniques. Of the 116 isolates, 84 were of poultry origin and 32 of human origin. The six PCR assays confirmed the species identities of 31 of 32 (97%) human isolates and 56 of 84 (67%) poultry isolates as C. jejuni. Twenty eight of 84 (33%) poultry isolates were identified as Campylobacter coli and the remaining human isolate was tentatively identified as Campylobacter upsaliensis based on the degree of similarity of 16S rRNA gene sequences. Four of six published PCR assays showed 100% concordance in their ability to speciate 113 of the 116 (97.4%) isolates; two assays failed to generate a PCR product with four to 10 isolates. A C. coli-specific PCR identified all 28 hippuricase gene (hipO)-negative poultry isolates as C. coli although three isolates confirmed to be C. jejuni by the remaining five assays were also positive in this assay. A PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay based on the 16S rRNA gene was developed, which contrary to the results of the six PCR-based assays, identified 28 of 29 hipO-negative isolates as C. jejuni. DNA sequence analysis of 16S rRNA genes from four hipO-negative poultry isolates showed they were almost identical to the C. jejuni type strain 16S rRNA sequences ATCC43431 and ATCC33560 indicating that assays reliant on 16S rRNA sequence may not be suitable for the differentiation of these two specie

Review of the Marine Monitoring Program (MMP)

The Marine Monitoring Program (MMP) monitors the condition of inshore water quality and aims to link this to changes in the health of key inshore environments (coral reefs and seagrass). This report provides a review of each of the 5 programs based on the best available information that was provided by the MMP providers at the time of the review

Update on Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infections in pigs : knowledge gaps for improved disease control

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M. hyopneumoniae) is the primary pathogen of enzootic pneumonia, a chronic respiratory disease in pigs. Infections occur worldwide and cause major economic losses to the pig industry. The present paper reviews the current knowledge on M. hyopneumoniae infections, with emphasis on identification and analysis of knowledge gaps for optimizing control of the disease. Close contact between infected and susceptible pigs is the main route of M. hyopneumoniae transmission. Management and housing conditions predisposing for infection or disease are known, but further research is needed to better understand M. hyopneumoniae transmission patterns in modern pig production systems, and to assess the importance of the breeding population for downstream disease control. The organism is primarily found on the mucosal surface of the trachea, bronchi and bronchioles. Different adhesins and lipoproteins are involved in the adherence process. However, a clear picture of the virulence and pathogenicity of M. hyopneumoniae is still missing. The role of glycerol metabolism, myoinositol metabolism and the Mycoplasma Ig binding protein-Mycoplasma Ig protease system should be further investigated for their contribution to virulence. The destruction of the mucociliary apparatus, together with modulating the immune response, enhances the susceptibility of infected pigs to secondary pathogens. Clinical signs and severity of lesions depend on different factors, such as management, environmental conditions and likely also M. hyopneumoniae strain. The potential impact of strain variability on disease severity is not well defined. Diagnostics could be improved by developing tests that may detect virulent strains, by improving sampling in live animals and by designing ELI-SAs allowing discrimination between infected and vaccinated pigs. The currently available vaccines are often cost-efficient, but the ongoing research on developing new vaccines that confer protective immunity and reduce transmission should be continued, as well as optimization of protocols to eliminate M. hyopneumoniae from pig herds