Vegetation and Flora of the Sand Deposits of the Mississippi River Valley in Northwestern Illinois

This study was undertaken to determine vascular plant species composition, vegetation structure, and floristic quality of the major plant communities in the windblown sand deposits of northwestern Illinois during the growing seasons of 2002 through 2005. The major plant communities of the Ayers Sand Prairie Nature Preserve in Carroll County, Big River State Forest in Henderson County, Lost Mound Unit of the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge in Carroll and Jo Daviess counties, and the Thomson-Fulton Sand Prairie Nature Preserve located in Whiteside County were examined and the importance values determined for the plant species present. Located on broad terraces of the Mississippi River, these nature preserves and natural areas are remnants of a larger grassland/savanna/forest complex that contained extensive marsh; wet, mesic, and dry sand prairie; sand savanna; and sand forest communities. Most of the sand deposits are now cultivated and the original vegetation is found only in protected remnants, some of which are relatively large. The mature dry sand prairies were dominated by Schizachyrium scoparium; other important species were Opuntia macrorhiza, Dichanthelium villosissimum, Ambrosia psilostachya, and Tephrosia virginiana. Other assemblages of prairie and exotic species were encountered in successional sand prairie communities. Generally, the mature prairie communities in these preserves and natural areas had 35 or more species present in the study plots. Savanna and closed canopy forest communities were also examined. The dry sand savannas were dominated by Quercus velutina and Q. marilandica, dry sand forests were dominated by Q. velutina, and dry-mesic sand forests were dominated by Q. alba and Q. velutina.Illinois Department of Natural Resources; Illinois Nature Preserves Commissionpublished or submitted for publicationis peer reviewe

Geographic variation in the PRNP gene and its promoter, and their relationship to chronic wasting disease in North American deer

PRNP genotypes, number of octarepeats (PHGGGWGQ) and indels in the PRNP promoter can influence the progression of prion disease in mammals. We found no relationship between presence of promoter indels in white-tailed deer and mule deer from Nebraska and CWD presence. White-tailed deer with the 95 H allele and G20D mule deer were more likely to be CWD- free, but unlike other studies white-tailed deer with the 96S allele(s) were equally likely to be CWD-free. We provide the first information on PRNP genotypes and indels in the promoter for Key deer (all homozygous 96SS) and Coues deer (lacked 95 H and 96S alleles, but possessed a uniquely high frequency of 103 T). All deer surveyed were homozygous for three tandem octarepeats

Time and temperature stability of Tritrichomonas foetus in phosphate-buffered saline as evaluated by a reverse transcription real-time PCR assay and field analysis

Tritrichomonas foetus (TF) is a significant reproductive pathogen of cattle, and sample collection, handling, transport, and testing are significant hurdles to surveillance programs. Recent methods have been developed that allow for the direct detection of TF using a reverse transcription real-time PCR (direct RT-qPCR) approach. To evaluate these methods, a comparative analysis was conducted to assess the technical performance of this assay with a commercially available real-time PCR (qPCR) assay. In addition, the evaluation of two types of collection media (PBS and TF transport tube) was conducted that evaluated sample stability from 0 to 3 days when stored at 4°C or 25°C. Extended incubation times for PBS media were also evaluated (5, 7, and 14 days) at both refrigeration and frozen temperatures to evaluate the effect of extended transport time on samples. Limits of detection (LODs), dynamic range, and RNA stability were assessed using lab-cultured TF spiked into samples of normal bovine smegma collected in PBS or TF transport media, and performance was assessed on field samples collected in parallel. 100% agreement was found between direct RT-qPCR and qPCR at 10 parasites/extraction and a LOD of 1 parasite/extraction. Differences in detection were not observed in either collection media when incubated at either temperatures for up to 3 days of incubation. In addition, the extended incubation experiments indicate that samples containing 10 parasites/extraction can be detected at 4°C for 5 days with a mean Cq 26.34 (95% CI: 23.11–29.58) and detected at −20°C for 7 or 14 days, with a mean Cq 29.55 (95% CI: 27.73–31.37). A significant decrease in detectable RNA was observed in samples containing <10 parasites/extraction at −20°C for 14 days, which should be considered for long-term storage. In summary, direct RT-qPCR was found to be equivalent or superior to qPCR and PBS was not significantly different from TF transport media. The findings of the current study allows for more flexibility during sample collection and transport and ultimately enhancement of TF surveillance programs

Haemorrhagic Colitis Associated with Enterohaemorrhagic \u3ci\u3eEscherichia coli\u3c/i\u3e O165:H25 Infection in a Yearling Feedlot Heifer

Introduction: Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) cause haemorrhagic colitis and haemolytic uraemic syndrome in humans. Although EHEC infection typically results in haemorrhagic colitis in all ages of human patients, in cattle it is usually limited to 1- to 5-week-old nursing calves. Case Presentation: A 1-year-old feedlot beef heifer was moribund with neurological signs and bloody diarrhoea. At necropsy, the colonic mucosa contained multiple grossly visible haemorrhagic erosions, each measuring \u3c1 mm in diameter. Histologically, foci corresponding to the gross erosions had E. coli O165 antigen-positive bacterial rods adherent to the apical surfaces of degenerate and necrotic colonic mucosal epithelial cells in association with attaching and effacing lesions, and also within cytoplasmic vacuoles in some of these cells. An E. coli O165:H25 strain was isolated from the colonic mucosal tissue, and by microarray analysis was found to contain virulence genes corresponding to type III secretion system (T3SS) structure and regulation (cesD, cesT, escD, escF, escN/escV, escR, escT, ler, sepL, sepQ), T3SS effectors (espA, espB, espC, espD, espD, espF, espH, espJ, nleB, nleC, nleD, nleH, tir), serine proteases (eatA, espC, espP), Shiga toxin (stx2), EHEC-haemolysin (ehxA), and adhesins [intimin-ε (eae-ε), type 1 fimbria (fimA, fimB, fimH), type IV pili (pilA, pilB, pilC, pilM, pilP, pilQ) and non-fimbrial adhesin (efa1/lifA)]. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of disease in cattle associated with EHEC O165:H25 infection, the oldest bovine EHEC disease case with isolation of the pathogen and the first bovine case to demonstrate grossly evident, haemorrhagic, colonic mucosal erosions associated with EHEC infection

Haemorrhagic Colitis Associated with Enterohaemorrhagic \u3ci\u3eEscherichia coli\u3c/i\u3e O165:H25 Infection in a Yearling Feedlot Heifer

Introduction: Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) cause haemorrhagic colitis and haemolytic uraemic syndrome in humans. Although EHEC infection typically results in haemorrhagic colitis in all ages of human patients, in cattle it is usually limited to 1- to 5-week-old nursing calves. Case Presentation: A 1-year-old feedlot beef heifer was moribund with neurological signs and bloody diarrhoea. At necropsy, the colonic mucosa contained multiple grossly visible haemorrhagic erosions, each measuring \u3c1 mm in diameter. Histologically, foci corresponding to the gross erosions had E. coli O165 antigen-positive bacterial rods adherent to the apical surfaces of degenerate and necrotic colonic mucosal epithelial cells in association with attaching and effacing lesions, and also within cytoplasmic vacuoles in some of these cells. An E. coli O165:H25 strain was isolated from the colonic mucosal tissue, and by microarray analysis was found to contain virulence genes corresponding to type III secretion system (T3SS) structure and regulation (cesD, cesT, escD, escF, escN/escV, escR, escT, ler, sepL, sepQ), T3SS effectors (espA, espB, espC, espD, espD, espF, espH, espJ, nleB, nleC, nleD, nleH, tir), serine proteases (eatA, espC, espP), Shiga toxin (stx2), EHEC-haemolysin (ehxA), and adhesins [intimin-ε (eae-ε), type 1 fimbria (fimA, fimB, fimH), type IV pili (pilA, pilB, pilC, pilM, pilP, pilQ) and non-fimbrial adhesin (efa1/lifA)]. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of disease in cattle associated with EHEC O165:H25 infection, the oldest bovine EHEC disease case with isolation of the pathogen and the first bovine case to demonstrate grossly evident, haemorrhagic, colonic mucosal erosions associated with EHEC infection

Assessment of Diversity of Antimicrobial Resistance Phenotypes and Genotypes of \u3ci\u3eMannheimia haemolytica\u3c/i\u3e Isolates from Bovine Nasopharyngeal Swabs

The threat of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) for cattle operations is exacerbated by increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Mannheimia haemolytica, a leading cause of BRD. Characterization of AMR in M. haemolytica by culture and susceptibility testing is complicated by uncertainty regarding the number of colonies that must be selected to accurately characterize AMR phenotypes (antibiograms) and genotypes in a culture. The study objective was to assess phenotypic and genotypic diversity of M. haemolytica isolates on nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) from 28 cattle at risk for BRD or with BRD. NPS were swabbed onto five consecutive blood agar plates; after incubation up to 20 M. haemolytica colonies were selected per plate (up to 100 colonies per NPS). Phenotype was determined by measuring minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for 11 antimicrobials and classifying isolates as resistant or not. Genotype was indirectly determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF MS). NPS from 11 of 28 cattle yielded at least one M. haemolytica isolate; median (range) of isolates per NPS was 48 (1–94). NPS from seven cattle yielded one phenotype, 3 NPS yielded two, and 1 NPS yielded three; however, within a sample all phenotypic differences were due to only oneMIC dilution. On each NPS all M. haemolytica isolated were the same genotype; genotype 1 was isolated from three NPS and genotype two was isolated from eight. Diversity of M. haemolytica on bovine NPS was limited, suggesting that selection of few colonies might adequately identify relevant phenotypes and genotypes

Producing Texas Fruits and Nuts Organically.

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Experimental infection of conventional nursing pigs and their dams with \u3ci\u3ePorcine deltacoronavirus\u3c/i\u3e

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is a newly identified virus that has been detected in swine herds of North America associated with enteric disease. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the pathogenicity, course of infection, virus kinetics, and aerosol transmission of PDCoV using 87 conventional piglets and their 9 dams, including aerosol and contact controls to emulate field conditions. Piglets 2–4 days of age and their dams were administered an oronasal PDCoV inoculum with a quantitative real-time reverse transcription (qRT)-PCR quantification cycle (Cq) value of 22 that was generated from a field sample having 100% nucleotide identity to USA/Illinois121/2014 determined by metagenomic sequencing and testing negative for other enteric disease agents using standard assays. Serial samples of blood, serum, oral fluids, nasal and fecal swabs, and tissues from sequential autopsy, conducted daily on days 1–8 and regular intervals thereafter, were collected throughout the 42-day study for qRT-PCR, histopathology, and immunohistochemistry. Diarrhea developed in all inoculated and contact control pigs, including dams, by 2 days post-inoculation (dpi) and in aerosol control pigs and dams by 3–4 dpi, with resolution occurring by 12 dpi. Mild to severe atrophic enteritis with PDCoV antigen staining was observed in the small intestine of affected piglets from 2 to 8 dpi. Mesenteric lymph node and small intestine were the primary sites of antigen detection by immunohistochemistry, and virus RNA was detected in these tissues to the end of the study. Virus RNA was detectable in piglet fecal swabs to 21 dpi, and dams to 14–35 dpi

Contemporary contestations over working time: time for health to weigh in

Non-communicable disease (NCD) incidence and prevalence is of central concern to most nations, along with international agencies such as the UN, OECD, IMF and World Bank. As a result, the search has begun for ‘causes of the cause’ behind health risks and behaviours responsible for the major NCDs. As part of this effort, researchers are turning their attention to charting the temporal nature of societal changes that might be associated with the rapid rise in NCDs. From this, the experience of time and its allocation are increasingly understood to be key individual and societal resources for health (7–9). The interdisciplinary study outlined in this paper will produce a systematic analysis of the behavioural health dimensions, or ‘health time economies’ (quantity and quality of time necessary for the practice of health behaviours), that have accompanied labour market transitions of the last 30 years - the period in which so many NCDs have risen sharply