Impact of anti-inflammatories, beta-blockers and antibiotics on leaf litter breakdown in freshwaters

Pharmaceuticals are now recognised as important pollutants in freshwater systems but a shortcoming of effects studies is that they have focused on structural endpoints and impacts on ecosystem functioning are poorly understood. The decomposition of organic matter is an important functional process in aquatic systems and it is known that this can be impacted by the presence of pollutants. Previous studies on leaf litter breakdown have only considered the effects of antibiotics and not other groups of drugs though. The current study investigated the effects of anti-inflammatories, a beta-blocker and an antibiotic on microbially mediated breakdown of leaf litter in the laboratory, colonisation of leaf packs by benthic macroinvertebrates when placed in a stream and shredding of leaf litter by these organisms. Furthermore, the effects of single compounds relative to their mixture were assessed. It was found that exposure of leaf litter to the study compounds did not influence its breakdown by microbes in the laboratory or macroinvertebrates in a stream. Exposure of leaf litter to pharmaceuticals also had no effect on its colonisation by macroinvertebrates in this study. Many unknowns remain, however, and further studies of the effects of pharmaceuticals on structural and functional endpoints are needed to aid aquatic conservation

Over-the-Counter Monocyclic Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in Environment—Sources, Risks, Biodegradation

Recently, the increased use of monocyclic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs has resulted in their presence in the environment. This may have potential negative effects on living organisms. The biotransformation mechanisms of monocyclic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the human body and in other mammals occur by hydroxylation and conjugation with glycine or glucuronic acid. Biotransformation/biodegradation of monocyclic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the environment may be caused by fungal or bacterial microorganisms. Salicylic acid derivatives are degraded by catechol or gentisate as intermediates which are cleaved by dioxygenases. The key intermediate of the paracetamol degradation pathways is hydroquinone. Sometimes, after hydrolysis of this drug, 4- aminophenol is formed, which is a dead-end metabolite. Ibuprofen is metabolized by hydroxylation or activation with CoA, resulting in the formation of isobutylocatechol. The aim of this work is to attempt to summarize the knowledge about environmental risk connected with the presence of over-the-counter antiinflammatory drugs, their sources and the biotransformation and/or biodegradation pathways of these drugs

Lawsonia intracellularis proliferative enteropathy in a filly

Proliferative enteropathy (PE) caused by the obligate intracellular bacterium Lawsonia intracellularis is a disease of high economic impact in swine worldwide. In most other species the disease occurs as a sporadic infection. This paper reports a PE caused by L. intracellularis in a 9-month-old Pura Raza Española filly with a history of profuse diarrhoea. Pathological lesions consisted of a severe proliferative enteritis associated with argyrophilic bacteria in the apical cytoplasm of proliferating crypt epithelium. Characteristic PCR products confirmed the presumptive diagnosis of L. intracellularis infection. To our knowledge this is the first report of PE in a horse in Europe caused by L. intracellularis

Using a digital internal communication strategy for digital capability development

This study aims to illustrate the multidimensional perspective of digital internal communication defined and applied in the context of strategic communication, and how digital capability development and training are embedded. We use a conceptual approach to integrate literature from the fields of digital transformation, digital internal communication, and digital human resource capability development. The findings reveal that an organisational system’s technical (channels and platforms, and policy) and social (leadership, culture, and collaboration) digital elements are interrelated across all communication levels, contributing to digital capability development. Furthermore, digital trust is required for and enforced by effective learning in the digital space. This study proposes a holistic digital internal communication strategy focusing on developing digital human resource capabilities as a strategic training initiative in organisational settings to promote strategic communication. Hence, a strategic map for digital capability development and training offers senior leadership a practical and adaptable tool. It allows them to create their own organisation-specific digital human resource initiatives, contributing to organisational learning and trust-building as the bedrock of organisational sustainability and success

Immune dysregulation in flea allergy dermatitis--a model for the immunopathogenesis of allergic dermatitis

BACKGROUND: Flea allergy dermatitis (FAD) is a common skin disease in dogs and can be induced experimentally. It often coexists with other allergic conditions. So far no studies have investigated the quantitative production of cytokine mRNA in skin biopsies and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in flea allergic dogs. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to improve the understanding of the immunopathogenesis of allergic dermatitis as a response to fleabites. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Allergic and non-allergic dogs were exposed to fleas. Before and after 4 days of flea exposure mRNA was isolated from biopsies and PBMC. Production of chymase, tryptase, IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma mRNA was measured by real-time RT-PCR. The inflammatory infiltrate in the skin was scored semi-quantitatively. The number of eosinophils, mast cells (MC) and IgE+ cells/mm2 was evaluated to complete the picture. RESULTS: FAD was associated with a higher number of MC before flea exposure and with a significant increase of eosinophils after flea exposure as compared to non-allergic dogs. The number of IgE+ cells was higher in allergic dogs before and after flea exposure. In allergic dogs mRNA for most cytokines and proteases tested was higher before flea exposure than after flea exposure. After exposure to fleas an increased mRNA production was only observed in non-allergic dogs. In vitro stimulation with flea antigen resulted in a decreased expression of most cytokines in allergic dogs before flea exposure. In contrast, in PBMC, only increased levels of IL-4 and IL-5 mRNA were observed in allergic dogs before flea exposure. However, after flea exposure and additional stimulation with flea antigen the production of mRNA for all cytokines tested was significantly increased in allergic dogs. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that the response in biopsies and PBMC is different and that FAD is associated with a TH2 response

Proliferative enteropathy (Lawsonia intracellularis) outbreak in rabbits in Brazil Surto de enteropatia proliferativa (Lawsonia intracellularis) em coelhos no Brasil

An outbreak of Lawsonia intracellularis infection in rabbits, which occurred in 1988 in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, is reported. The disease had an acute course (24-48 hours) with clinical signs characterized by brownish or green diarrhea and dehydration. Occasionally, the animals died one day after the onset of diarrhea, without showing any other clinical signs. At necropsy, the ileum was prominent, firm and had a thickened wall; it was dilated in the caudal direction and had a somewhat reticulated appearance, perceptible through the serosa. The thickened mucous membrane had finely corrugated aspect and a shiny surface. The ileocecal valve and surrounding areas were slightly edematous and irregular. The Peyer's patches were sometimes more evident. There was moderate enlargement of the mesenteric lymph nodes. The histological examination revealed different degrees of hyperplasia of the epithelial cells of intestinal crypts consisting of poorly differentiated, hyperchromatic cells with high mitotic index, arranged in a pseudostratified layer which, in some cases, reached the apical portions of the villi. The inflammatory infiltrate between the hyperplastic epithelial cells was composed of lymphocytes, plasma cells, macrophages, some eosinophils and globular leukocytes. Silver impregnation revealed large numbers of bacteria with morphology of the genus Lawsonia in the apical pole of cryptal enterocytes. These bacteria reacted positively to a Lawsonia intracellularis polyclonal antibody by the avidin-biotin immunohistochemistry method.<br>Descreve-se um surto de infecção por Lawsonia intracellularis em coelhos em Mendes, Estado do Rio de Janeiro. A doença manifestou-se, de forma aguda (24-48 horas), com sintomatologia caracterizada por diarréia marrom ou esverdeada, e desidratação. Ocasionalmente, os animais morriam um dia após o início da diarréia, sem apresentar outros sintomas. À necropsia verificou-se íleo proeminente, firme, com parede muito espessada, progressivamente dilatado no sentido caudal e com aspecto algo reticulado perceptível através da serosa. A mucosa espessada tinha aspecto finamente corrugado e superfície brilhante. A válvula íleo-cecal e imediações do ceco encontravam-se um pouco edemaciadas e irregulares. Por vezes, as placas de Peyer estavam maisevidentes. Observou-se também moderado aumento de volume dos linfonodos mesentéricos. O exame histológico revelou diferentes graus de hiperplasia das células epiteliais das criptas intestinais (células pouco diferenciadas, hipercromáticas, arranjadas de forma pseudo-estratificada e com alto índice mitótico) que, em parte dos casos, atingia a porção apical das vilosidades. A infiltração inflamatória, entre as células epiteliais hiperplásicas, era composta por linfócitos, plasmócitos, macrófagos, alguns eosinófilos e leucócitos globulóides. A impregnação por prata revelou grande número de bactérias com morfologia compatível com às do gênero Lawsonia no pólo apical dos enterócitos das criptas. Essas bactérias reagiram positivamente ao anticorpo policlonal para Lawsonia intracellularis pelo método imunohistoquímico de avidina biotina