Mitral valve bacterial endocarditis, caused by Corynebacterium sp, was diagnosed in a dog. The bacteria had characteristics unlike those commonly recognized for most species of Corynebacterium. The primary source of bacteremia was suspected to be a pilonidal cyst of the sacrum. The dog was treated with a first-generation cephalosporin for 6 weeks, and the pilonidal cyst was surgically removed. Physical examination 1 year after initial examination revealed no abnormalities other than a cardiac murmur. On echocardiographic examination 1 year after treatment, the vegetative lesion was still present; however, chamber dimensions had returned to normal. Wall thickness and contractility remained increased. 相似文献
Plant diversity generally promotes biomass production, but how the shape of the response curve changes with time remains unclear. This is a critical knowledge gap because the shape of this relationship indicates the extent to which loss of the first few species will influence biomass production. Using two long-term (≥13 years) biodiversity experiments, we show that the effects of diversity on biomass productivity increased and became less saturating over time. Our analyses suggest that effects of diversity-dependent ecosystem feedbacks and interspecific complementarity accumulate over time, causing high-diversity species combinations that appeared functionally redundant during early years to become more functionally unique through time. Consequently, simplification of diverse ecosystems will likely have greater negative impacts on ecosystem functioning than has been suggested by short-term experiments. 相似文献
Grasses and legumes are grown together worldwide to improve total herbage yield and the quality of forage, however, the causes of population oscillations of grasses and legumes are poorly understood. Especially in grasslands, earthworms are among the most important detritivore animals functioning as ecosystem engineers, playing a key role in nutrient cycling and affecting plant nutrition and growth. The objectives of the present greenhouse experiment were to quantify the effects of earthworms on grass–legume competition in model grassland systems at two harvesting dates – simulating the widespread biannual mowing regime in Central European grasslands.The presence of earthworms increased the productivity of grasses and legumes after 6 weeks but only that of grasses after another 10 weeks. In mixed treatments, the presence of grasses and earthworms decreased legume shoot biomass, the amount of nitrogen (N) in shoot tissue and the number of legume flowerheads while the presence of legumes and earthworms increased the amount of N in grass shoots and the infestation of grasses with aphids. Analyses of 15N/14N ratios indicate that, compared to legumes, grasses more efficiently exploit soil mineral N and benefit from legume presence through reduced “intra-functional group” competition. In contrast to previous experiments, we found no evidence for N transfer from legumes to grasses. However, legume presence improved total herbage and N yield.Earthworms likely modulate the competition between grasses and legumes by increasing soil N uptake by plants and thereby increasing the competitive strength of grasses. Earthworms function as essential driving agents of grass–legume associations by (I) increasing grass yield, (II) increasing the amount of N in grass hay, (III) increasing the infestation rate of grasses with aphids, and (IV) potentially reducing the attractiveness of grass–legume associations to pollinators. 相似文献
Landscape and local habitat traits moderate wild bee communities. However, whether landscape effects differ between local habitat types is largely unknown.
Objectives
We explored the way that wild bee communities in three distinct habitats are shaped by landscape composition and the availability of flowering plants by evaluating divergences in response patterns between habitats.
Methods
In a large-scale monitoring project across 20 research areas, wild bee data were collected on three habitats: near-natural grassland, established flower plantings and residual habitats (e.g. field margins). Additionally, landscape composition was mapped around the research areas.
Results
Our monitoring produced a dataset of 27,650 bees belonging to 324 species. Bee communities on all three habitats reacted similarly to local flower availability. Intensively managed grassland in the surrounding landscape had an overall negative effect on the studied habitats. Other landscape variables produced diverging response patterns that were particularly pronounced during early and late season. Bee communities in near-natural grassland showed a strong positive response to ruderal areas. Flower plantings and residual habitats such as field margins showed a pronounced positive response to extensively managed grassland and woodland edges. Response patterns regarding bee abundance were consistent with those found for species richness.
Conclusion
We advise the consideration of local habitat type and seasonality when assessing the effect of landscape context on bee communities. A reduction in the intensity of grassland management enhances bee diversity in a broad range of habitats. Moreover, wild bee communities are promoted by habitat types such as ruderal areas or woodland edges.
Focus of this study was to evaluate the most suitable breed/crossbred and the appropriate nutritional strategies to increase marbling in beef muscle and to improve its healthy properties, in particular the n‐3 fatty acids content. One hundred and seventy‐six heifers of three crossbreed commonly reared by Emilia‐Romagna farmers: 48 Bleu Belge × Freisian (ITA), 48 Charolais × Aubrac (FRA), and 80 Angus (ANG) were used. Animals of each breed were randomly subdivided in two experimental groups that received two diets, differing for the dietary lipid source. Control group (C) received a basal diet containing protected vegetable fats, whereas treated one (T) received the same basal diet supplemented with 0.9 kg/head/day of extruded flaxseed. After slaughtering, a sample of Longissimus thoracis was collected from each animal for meat quality analysis. Our results demonstrated that, in a shorter fattening period, ANG animals obtained the best dry matter intake, average daily gain and the best fattening scores. ITA and ANG meat presented the highest marbling scores. ANG breed had the highest amount of C18:1, the highest unsaturated/saturated fatty acids ratio and the lowest n‐6/n‐3 ratio. The T animals, independently from breed, showed the highest amount of α‐linolenic acid (ALA). In addition, ANG‐T meat presented the highest ALA content. 相似文献
Rotifer growth performance and microbial community changes associated with rotifer cultures were monitored while different
feed types (Nannochloropsis oculata paste and the commercial yeast based feed CS-3000), different regimes (daily changes, changes per batch and no changes) and
mixtures of three probionts (Phenylobacterium sp.; Gluconobacter sp. and Paracoccus denitrificans) were provided. It was shown that the dominant bacterial species in the cultures receiving either N. oculata or CS-3000 were different. However, in cultures receiving both feeds (either switching between feeds on a daily basis or
on a batch basis), a high similarity in microbial community fingerprint was found. The presence of probionts was detected
by the end of four batch culture cycles in spite of strong shifts of the bacterial community. By group discriminant analysis,
it was found that Phenylobacterium sp. and Paracoccus sp. contributed positively to the CS-3000-fed group, while Gluconobacter sp. contributed positively to the N. oculata-fed group, although they did not appear as very dominant species. 相似文献
This paper examines the influences of Malaysia's Federation Land Development Authority (FELDA) scheme in fostering inclusive rural development. Based on the model of holistic inclusive development, the paper investigates the performance of FELDA from four perspectives: social development, industrialisation, modernisation and basic needs. The main findings of the study indicate that, to a large extent, the scheme has successfully stimulated both the social and economic development of the community. Nonetheless, establishing a strong trust, social cohesion and rapport between the public authorities and community remain the main challenges in determining the success of this state‐led agenda. Moreover, keeping traditional values in the modern system will be the key principle for the sustainability of the programme if plans are made to adopt the scheme in other regions. 相似文献
The location and cell damage caused by Vibrio anguillarum, the causative agent of classical vibriosis, within the developing gut of the newly hatched sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax (L.), is unknown. A gnotobiotic sea bass model was used to investigate the early interactions of V. anguillarum with sea bass larvae. In the present study, germ‐free sea bass larvae were orally exposed to a V. anguillarum HI‐610 pathogen labelled with the green fluorescent protein (GFP‐HI‐610) and sampled at regular intervals. Pathogenic colonization of gut enterocytes was observed 2 h post‐exposure (p.e.) and onwards, whereas bacteria within the swim bladder were visualized 48 h p.e and onwards. Ultrastructural findings demonstrated direct bacterial contact with the host cell in the oesophageal mucosa and putative attachment to microvilli of mid‐ and hindgut enterocytes. The present findings form a starting point for studies assessing the impact of potential candidates (probiotics, prebiotics, antimicrobial peptides) to mitigate bacterial virulence. 相似文献