Suitability and limitations of portion-specific abattoir data as part of an early warning system for emerging diseases of swine in Ontario

Background  

Abattoir data have the potential to provide information for geospatial disease surveillance applications, but the quality of the data and utility for detecting disease outbreaks is not well understood. The objectives of this study were to 1) identify non-disease factors that may bias these data for disease surveillance and 2) determine if major disease events that took place during the study period would be captured using multi-level modelling and scan statistics. We analyzed data collected at all provincially-inspected abattoirs in Ontario, Canada during 2001-2007. During these years there were outbreaks of porcine circovirus-associated disease (PCVAD), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) and swine influenza that produced widespread disease within the province. Negative binomial models with random intercepts for abattoir, to account for repeated measurements within abattoirs, were created. The relationships between partial carcass condemnation rates for pneumonia and nephritis with year, season, agricultural region, stock price, and abattoir processing capacity were explored. The utility of the spatial scan statistic for detecting clusters of high partial carcass condemnation rates in space, time, and space-time was investigated.     

西江广东鲂天然繁殖场生态环境调查与评价

2001年在广东鲂产卵期间,对广东鲂天然繁殖场西江水系中两大渔场设立6个监测点进行水质监测分析,并对该水域水质现状作出环境评价。分析了水温、pH值、溶解氧、氨氮、磷酸盐、亚硝酸盐等二十个监测项目,其中青皮塘只有磷酸盐一项超标,超标率为100%,其余均未超标;罗旁超标项目三项,其中悬浮物、磷酸盐超标率为100%、氨氮超标率为33.3%,其余项目未超标。采用均值型综合污染指数评价法对两渔场水质进行评价,两渔场磷酸盐污染最为严重,分担率青皮塘为63.49%,罗旁为46.09%,综合污染指数均值青皮塘为0.59,罗旁为0.52,均属轻度污染。     

Metastatic cervical teratoma of infancy

The first case of a documented metastatic cervical teratoma of infancy is presented with a review of diagnostic considerations. Early biopsy of suspicious neonatal head and neck masses is recommended. Complete resection of the teratoma should be considered as soon as clinically possible.     

Involvement of respiratory processes in the transient knockout of net CO2 uptake in Mimosa pudica upon heat stimulation

Leaf photosynthesis of the sensitive plant Mimosa pudica displays a transient knockout in response to electrical signals induced by heat stimulation. This study aims at clarifying the underlying mechanisms, in particular, the involvement of respiration. To this end, leaf gas exchange and light reactions of photosynthesis were assessed under atmospheric conditions largely eliminating photorespiration by either elevated atmospheric CO₂ or lowered O₂ concentration (i.e. 2000 μmol mol^?1 or 1%, respectively). In addition, leaf gas exchange was studied in the absence of light. Under darkness, heat stimulation caused a transient increase of respiratory CO₂ release simultaneously with stomatal opening, hence reflecting direct involvement of respiratory stimulation in the drop of the net CO₂ uptake rate. However, persistence of the transient decline in net CO₂ uptake rate under illumination and elevated CO₂ or 1% O₂ makes it unlikely that photorespiration is the metabolic origin of the respiratory CO₂ release. In conclusion, the transient knockout of net CO₂ uptake is at least partially attributed to an increased CO₂ release through mitochondrial respiration as stimulated by electrical signals. Putative CO₂ limitation of Rubisco due to decreased activity of carbonic anhydrase was ruled out as the photosynthesis effect was not prevented by elevated CO₂.     

BCG vaccine mediated reduction in the MHC-II expression of macrophages and dendritic cells is reversed by activation of Toll-like receptors 7 and 9

Tuberculosis is a major cause of death in mankind and BCG vaccine protects against childhood but not adult tuberculosis. BCG avoids lysosomal fusion in macrophages decreasing peptides required for activating CD4 T cells and Th1 immunity while suppressing the expression of MHC-II by antigen presenting cells (APCs). An in vitro model of antigen presentation showed that ligands for TLR-9, 7, 4 and 1/2 increased the ability of APCs to present antigen-85B of BCG to CD4 T cells, which correlated with an increase in MHC-II expression. TLR-activation led to a down-regulation of MARCH1 ubiquitin ligase which prevents the degradation of MHC-II and decreased IL-10 also contributed to an increase in MHC-II. TLR-activation induced up-regulation of MHC-II was inhibited by the blockade of IRAK, NF-kB, and MAPKs. TLR-7 and TLR-9 ligands had the most effective adjuvant like effect on MHC-II of APCs which allowed BCG vaccine mediated activation of CD4 T cells.