Сучасний розподіл радіонуклідів у лісових екосистемах Полісся України

Подано матеріали стосовно розподілу 137Cs у компонентах лісових екосистем на прикладі соснових насаджень у різних типах лісорослинних умов – свіжих і вологих борах, вологих суборах. Отримані дані можна використовувати при реабілітації лісів, що зазнали радіоактивного забруднення.В статье представлены материалы относительно распределения 137Cs в компонентах лесных экосистем на примере сосновых насаждений в разных типах лесорастительных условий – свежих и влажных борах, влажных суборах. Полученные данные можно использовать при реабилитации лесов после радиоактивного загрязнения.Data on 137Cs distribution in the components of forest ecosystems on the example of pine stands in different forest site conditions – fresh and wet bors and wet subors – are presented. Obtained data can be used for forest rehabilitation after radioactive contamination

Вплив різних факторів на соматотипологічні ознаки

To determine which species of Culicoides biting midges carry Schmallenberg virus (SBV), we assayed midges collected in the Netherlands during autumn 2011. SBV RNA was found in C. scoticus, C. obsoletus sensu stricto, and C. chiopterus. The high proportion of infected midges might explain the rapid spread of SBV throughout Europe

Збереження шахтного фонду і проблеми реструктуризації вугільної галузі: ретроспектива та перспективи

Розглянуто стан шахтного фонду вугільної галузі в цілому та вугільного району Донбасу в ретроспективі та окреслено перспективи його збереження та відтворення. Ключові слова: шахтний фонд, реструктуризація, технічний рівень, відтворення, інновації.Рассмотрено состояние шахтного фонда угольной отрасли в целом и угольного района Донбасса в ретроспективе и очерчены перспективы его сохранения и воссоздания. Ключевые слова: шахтный фонд, реструктуризация, технический уровень, воссоздание, инновации.The state of mine fund of coal industry is considered on the whole and coal district of Donbassa in a retrospective view and the prospects of his maintainance and recreation are outlined. Key words: mine fund, restructurisation, technical level, re-creation, innovations

A prospective cohort study on the acute:chronic workload ratio in relation to injuries in high level eventing horses:A comprehensive 3-year study

In human sport science, the acute:chronic workload (ACWR) ratio is used to monitor an athlete's preparedness for competition and to assess injury risks. The aim of this study was to investigate whether acute and chronic workload calculations for external and internal loads (e.g. high-speed work distance and associated exertional effort) were associated with injury risk in elite eventing horses and to identify workloads performed by horses competing in different competition and at different fitness levels. Training load and injury data were collected from 58 international eventing horses (CCI2*–CCI5* level) over 1–3 years. A total of 94 individual competition seasons were monitored. During this period, heart rate (HR; beat/min) and GPS data were collected of all their conditional training sessions and competitions. External load was determined as the distance (m) covered at high speed (HS1; velocity between 6.6 and 9.5 m/s), and sprint speed (SS2; velocity>9.5 m/s). Internal load was calculated for HS and SS, using individualized training impulses (TRIMP3; AU). For internal and external workload HS and SS the acute (1-week) and chronic (4-week) workloads were calculated and ACWR4 determined. The injury data in relation to ACWR was modelled with a multilevel logistic regression. Akaike's information criterion was used for model reduction. Sixty-four soft tissue injuries were registered from a total of 2300 training sessions and competitions. External and internal workload at HS and SS were significantly affected by the year and fitness level of horses. Competition level and year significantly affected the distances covered at SS. The ACWR of high-speed distance of the present week (OR; 0.133, 95 % CI; 0.032, 0.484) and the previous week (OR 3.951, 95 % CI; 1.390, 12.498) were significantly associated with injury risk. Competition level and chronic workload had no significant effect on injuries. In agreement with findings in human athletes, acute spikes of workload in eventing horses increased the risk of injury. Evaluation of horses’ workload can be used to design and effectively monitor training programs and can help to improve equine welfare by reducing injury risk

Estimation of the basic reproduction number for Streptococcus equi spp. equi outbreaks by meta-analysis of strangles outbreak reports

Background Streptococcus equi spp. equi (S. equi), the cause of strangles in horses, is considered a highly contagious pathogen affecting equines and the equine industry worldwide. Fundamental epidemiological characteristics of outbreaks, such as the basic reproduction number (R-0), are not well described. Objectives Estimate R-0 for S. equi in equine populations from outbreak data. Study design Systematic review and meta-analysis of published and unpublished data. Methods A literature search for outbreak reports was carried out. Depending on data available in the reports, the early epidemic growth rate or final attack rate (AR) approach was used to estimate the basic reproduction number for that outbreak. Other recorded outbreak characteristics were the type of housing (group vs. individual). An overall estimate for R-0 was computed by meta-analysis. Results Data from eight outbreaks were extracted from peer-reviewed publications. Data from two additional, non-published outbreaks was also included in the meta-analysis. A conservative estimate for R-0 was 2.2 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.9-2.5). A less conservative estimate, including outbreaks with a 100% AR for which a lower limit R-0 was estimated, was 2.7 (95% CI 2.1-3.3). Main limitations Few papers describing longitudinal incidence data were found so most estimates were based on the outbreaks' final size. Several outbreaks had a 100% attack rate and could therefore only be included as a lower limit estimate in the meta-analysis. The reported result therefore may be an underestimation. Conclusions This estimate for R-0 for S. equi informs parameters for future mathematical modelling, quantifies desired preventive vaccine coverage and helps evaluate the effect of prevention strategies through future modelling studies

The Equine Faecal Microbiota of Healthy Horses and Ponies in The Netherlands:Impact of Host and Environmental Factors

Several studies have described the faecal microbiota of horses and the factors that influence its composition, but the variation in results is substantial. This study aimed to investigate the microbiota composition in healthy equids in The Netherlands under standard housing and management conditions and to evaluate the effect of age, gender, horse type, diet, pasture access, the season of sampling and location on it. Spontaneously produced faecal samples were collected from the stall floor of 79 healthy horses and ponies at two farms. The validity of this sampling technique was evaluated in a small pilot study including five ponies showing that the microbiota composition of faecal samples collected up to 6 h after spontaneous defaecation was similar to that of the samples collected rectally. After DNA extraction, Illumina Miseq 16S rRNA sequencing was performed to determine microbiota composition. The effect of host and environmental factors on microbiota composition were determined using several techniques (NMDS, PERMANOVA, DESeq2). Bacteroidetes was the largest phylum found in the faecal microbiota (50.1%), followed by Firmicutes (28.4%). Alpha-diversity and richness decreased significantly with increasing age. Location, age, season, horse type and pasture access had a significant effect on beta-diversity. The current study provides important baseline information on variation in faecal microbiota in healthy horses and ponies under standard housing and management conditions. These results indicate that faecal microbiota composition is affected by several horse-related and environment-related factors, and these factors should be considered in future studies of the equine faecal microbiota

Estimation of the basic reproduction number for Streptococcus equi spp. equi outbreaks by meta-analysis of strangles outbreak reports

BACKGROUND: Streptococcus equi spp. equi (S. equi), the cause of strangles in horses, is considered a highly contagious pathogen affecting equines and the equine industry worldwide. Fundamental epidemiological characteristics of outbreaks, such as the basic reproduction number (R0 ), are not well described. OBJECTIVES: Estimate R0 for S. equi in equine populations from outbreak data. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis of published and unpublished data. METHODS: A literature search for outbreak reports was carried out. Depending on data available in the reports, the early epidemic growth rate or final attack rate (AR) approach was used to estimate the basic reproduction number for that outbreak. Other recorded outbreak characteristics were the type of housing (group vs. individual). An overall estimate for R0 was computed by meta-analysis. RESULTS: Data from eight outbreaks were extracted from peer-reviewed publications. Data from two additional, non-published outbreaks was also included in the meta-analysis. A conservative estimate for R0 was 2.2 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.9-2.5). A less conservative estimate, including outbreaks with a 100% AR for which a lower limit R0 was estimated, was 2.7 (95% CI 2.1-3.3). MAIN LIMITATIONS: Few papers describing longitudinal incidence data were found so most estimates were based on the outbreaks' final size. Several outbreaks had a 100% attack rate and could therefore only be included as a lower limit estimate in the meta-analysis. The reported result therefore may be an underestimation. CONCLUSIONS: This estimate for R0 for S. equi informs parameters for future mathematical modelling, quantifies desired preventive vaccine coverage and helps evaluate the effect of prevention strategies through future modelling studies

Discrepancies in the bilateral intradermal test and serum tests in atopic horses

BACKGROUND: In equine atopic patients intradermal testing (IDT) and immunoglobulin (Ig)E serology are used frequently. There is little evidence regarding the reproducibility of the IDT and IgE serology in horses. OBJECTIVES: To compare the results of a simultaneously performed IDT on the left and right side of the neck in atopic horses, and to compare these results with allergen-specific IgE serology. ANIMALS: Ten equine patients from a university hospital population with chronic urticaria and/or pruritus. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The IDT was performed using 16 allergens and the results were evaluated after 30 min, 1, 4 and 24 h. Thirteen allergens also were analysed in duplicate with two monoclonal allergen-specific IgE enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). RESULTS: Good agreement (Kappa > 0.6) between left and right IDT was found only for Dermatophagoides farinae, Lepidoglyphus destructor, birch pollen mixture and perennial rye at 30 min, birch pollen mixture at 1 h, and Acarus siro and nettle and common mugwort mixture at 4 h. The bilateral comparison of the other allergens and even the same allergens at other time points showed little or no concordance between left and right IDT. The interlaboratory comparison between both ELISAs, and the comparison between the ELISAs and IDT, showed a good agreement for two of 13 allergens: D. farinae and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Based on these preliminary data, IDT and IgE serological test results should be interpreted with great care and further studies are needed to indicate the clinical relevance of these findings

Herzgeräusche als Zufallsbefunde bei tierärztlichen Kauf- oder Verfassungsuntersuchungen : Befundung und Verlauf bei 77 klinisch gesunden Pferden

Seventy-seven horses referred to the Utrecht university clinic for accidentally found heart murmurs, were examined clinically and ultrasonographically. In a follow-up, the influence of these findings on later performance and sale value was evaluated. The 77 horses referred between January 1997 and February 2002 were divided into 2 groups. In the horses of group A, murmurs were found during pre-purchase examination (n=62) and in the horses of group B, during equestrian events (n=15). Twenty-four horses were between I and 5 years old and 53 horses were 5 years or older (48% of the latter group performed at a moderate to high level). In 62 (80%) horses, murmurs were found on the left side, in 12 (16%) on both sides and in 3 (4%) on the right side. In 7% of the horses, the intensity of the murmurs was "loud" (grade V or VI), in 53% "moderate" (grade III and IV) and in 40% "minor" (grade I or 11). In 63 horses, mitral insufficiency (MI) was found: in 12 only MI, in 14 MI + tricuspid insufficiency (TI), in 14 MI + aortic insufficiency (AI), in 20 MI + TI + AI, and in 3 MI + other problems. Six horses also showed atrial fibrillation (AF), Fifteen horses with MI showed increased left atrial diameter (14 cm or more). In most cases, auscultation and echocardiographical findings correlated well. Telephone questionnaires were obtained from 71 owners, while 10 owners could not give any information on present performance of the horse. Five owners of horses with severe alterations reported decreased performance and 1 horse had died. Twenty owners mentioned that their horse was not sold, while 12 horses were sold for a lower price. It is concluded that cardiac murmurs in Warmblood horses found during pre-purchase examination or veterinary control are often not related to decreased performance but may have significant influence on sale value