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Piglet mortality in outdoor production systems varies across the year, and a reason for this variation could be fluctuations in hut climate, as ambient temperature might influence piglet survival, both directly and indirectly. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate the impact of farrowing hut climate and year variation on stillbirth and liveborn mortality. A large-scale observational study was conducted at five commercial organic pig-producing herds in Denmark from June 2015 to August 2016. Both year variation (F 3,635=4.40, P =0.004) and farrowing hut temperature (F 2,511=6.46, P =0.002) affected the rate of stillbirths. The risk of stillborn piglets was lowest in winter and during this season larger changes in hut temperature between day 1 prepartum and the day of farrowing increased the risk of stillbirths (F 1,99=6.39, P =0.013). In addition, during the warm part of the year stillbirth rate increased at temperatures ⩾27°C. Year variation also affected liveborn mortality (F 3,561=3.86, P =0.009) with a lower rate of liveborn deaths in spring. However, the hut climate did not influence liveborn deaths. Consequently, other factors than hut climate may explain the influence of year variation on liveborn mortality. These could be light differences causing seasonality in reproduction and lactation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Denmark has national clinical indicator programs for adult patients diagnosed with depression and schizophrenia, respectively. Within each program, the responsible steering group (SG) decided to add some indicators based upon patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). Aims: The primary aim was to describe the process of selecting PROMs and defining a national measurement concept for use in clinical practice and for indicator monitoring and the secondary aim s to collect patient recommendations for implementation. Methods: An interdisciplinary SG of healthcare professionals and a Patient Peer Board (PPB) representing both patient groups co-created the output in an iterative process. The work included literature search, PPB workshops, SG meetings, ratings of PROM topics and items, and a pilot. The PPB discussed the following: item relevance, mode of data collection, graphical format of the online PROMs, and display of results. Finally, requirements for PROM patient information were identified. Based upon input from the PPB, the SG selected the items and specified the measurement concept. Results: The PPB prioritized 20 of 53 suitable items and suggested alternative wording and answer categories. A pilot was performed and 19 items covering well-being, lack of well-being, impairment of functioning, and overall health were selected for clinical testing. The patients recommended concrete, unambiguous, easily understandable information and procedures for data collection and display of results. Conclusions: The iterative co-creation process based upon a high degree of patient involvement resulted in a set of PROMs, a national measurement concept, and patient recommendations for implementation. The cooperation between patients and professionals was successful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Puccinia horiana, causal agent of the disease commonly known as chrysanthemum white rust (CWR), is a quarantine-significant fungal pathogen of chrysanthemum in the United States and indigenous to Asia. The pathogen was believed to have been eradicated in the United States but recently reappeared on several occasions in northeastern United States. The objective of the study presented here was to determine whether P. horiana could systemically infect chrysanthemum plants, thus providing a means of survival through winters. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed the development of P. horiana on the surface and within leaves, stems, or crowns of inoculated chrysanthemum plants artificially exposed to northeastern U.S. winter temperatures. P. horiana penetrated leaves directly through the cuticle and then colonized the mesophyll tissue both inter- and intracellularly. An electron-dense material formed at the interface between fungal and host mesophyll cells, suggesting that the pathogen adhered to the plant cells. P. horiana appeared to penetrate mesophyll cell walls by enzymatic digestion, as indicated by the absence of deformation lines in host cell walls at penetration sites. The fungus was common in vascular tissue within the infected crown, often nearly replacing the entire contents of tracheid cell walls. P. horiana frequently passed from one tracheid cell to an adjacent tracheid cell by penetration either through pit pairs or nonpitted areas of the cell walls. Individual, presumed, fungal cells in mature tracheid cells of the crown and stems arising from infected crowns suggested that the pathogen might have been moving at least partially by means of the transpiration stream. The demonstration that chrysanthemum plants can be systemically infected by P. horiana suggests that additional disease control measures are required to effectively control CWR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shoulder ulcerations are common in breeding sows in production systems but the consequences for the animals in terms of pain or discomfort are not well-described. This study presents data from a histopa-thological examination of shoulders of sows, specially focusing on the peripheral nerves in the region and the behavioural responses towards palpation of animals with traumatic neuromas but without ulcers. The study included 155 sows from seven Danish herds initially screened and stratified according to absence/presence and size of shoulder ulcers 3-4 weeks post-partum, out of which 71 were free of ulcer-ations and 84 had different stages of ulceration. Before collection, sows were subjected to shoulder pal-pation and behavioural responses were registered. From the consecutive pattern of development of ulcerations it is evident that shoulder ulcerations develop from top-to-bottom. A high frequency of traumatic neuromas was found in both healed and unhealed lesions. The observa-tion of viable nerve-ends in shoulder ulcerations makes it likely that ulcerations are associated with pain. Moreover, the presence of traumatic neuromas in healed ulcerations indicates that there is discomfort even after the lesions have healed. This is further supported by the behavioural finding that rubbing behaviour in response to palpation was increased on the day of sample collection of the shoulders in sows with traumatic neuromas but without shoulder ulcers (P= 0.053). Further studies are needed for final confirmation but these results suggest that shoulder ulcers may be associated with pain even after healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previously, we hypothesized that summer "extreme" diurnal temperature highs in the southeastern United States were responsible for the yearly absence or delay of soybean rust development until fall. Utilizing temperature-controlled growth chambers, a diurnal temperature pattern of 33°C high and 20°C low reduced urediniospore production by 81%. However, that study did not consider the influence of frequency of extreme temperatures on soybean rust. We now report that a temperature high of 35°C for 1 h on three consecutive days, initiated 15 days after inoculation, when lesions had formed, reduced urediniospore production by 50% and required 9 to 12 days for sporulation to resume once the extreme temperature highs ceased. Furthermore, three consecutive days in which the temperature high was 37°C, beginning immediately after inoculation and subsequent dew period, reduced lesion numbers by 60%. The combined effects of reduced numbers of lesions and urediniospores per lesion caused by extreme temperature highs can account for observed absence or delay of soybean rust development in the southeastern United States until fall. A comparison of frequency of extreme temperature highs with numbers of counties reporting presence of soybean rust from 2005 to 2012 verified that extreme temperature highs may be largely responsible for absence or delay of soybean rust development. This is the first report showing the effect of frequency of extreme temperature highs on development of soybean rust. Because the south-to-north progression of soybean rust is required for the disease to occur in the major soybean-production regions of the United States, temperatures in the southeastern United States have a major effect on the entire U.S. soybean industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although considerable information exists regarding the importance of moisture in the development of soybean rust, little is known about the influence of temperature. The purpose of our study was to determine whether temperature might be a significant limiting factor in the development of soybean rest in the southeastern United States. Soybean plants infected with Phakopsora pachyrhizi were incubated in temperature-controlled growth chambers simulating day and night diurnal temperature patterns representative of the southeastern United States during the growing season. At 3-day intervals beginning 12 days after inoculation, urediniospores were collected from each plant and counted. The highest numbers of urediniospores were produced when day temperatures peaked at 21 or 25°C and night temperatures dipped to 8 or 12°C. When day temperatures peaked at 29, 33, or 37°C for a minimum of 1 h/day, urediniospore production was reduced to 36, 19, and 0%, respectively, compared with urediniospore production at the optimum diurnal temperature conditions. Essentially, no lesions developed when the daily temperature high was 37°C or above. Temperature data obtained from the National Climatic Data Center showed that temperature highs during July and August in several southeastern states were too high for significant urediniospore production on 55 to 77% of days. The inhibition of temperature highs on soybean rust development in southeastern states not only limits disease locally but also has implications pertaining to spread of soybean rust into and development of disease in the major soybean-producing regions of the Midwestern and northern states. We concluded from our results that temperature highs common to southeastern states are a factor in the delay or absence of soybean rust in much of the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For over 30 years, it has been known that Phakopsora pachyrhizi is unusual in that it penetrates from urediniospores directly through the leaf cuticle without entering stomates. This unusual mode of penetration suggests that disease resistance mechanisms might exist for soybean rust that do not exist for most rust diseases. As a result, we decided to conduct a histological study using transmission electron microscopy to further elucidate the mechanisms of penetration and early establishment of P. pachyrhizi in soybean leaves. Based on our study, it was concluded that P. pachyrhizi utilizes primarily mechanical force, perhaps with the aid of digestive enzymes, to penetrate the cuticle on the leaf surface. However, the lack of deformation lines in micrographs indicated that digestive enzymes, without mechanical force, are used by the penetration hypha to penetrate the outer and inner epidermal cell walls. Digestive enzymes, again indicated by the lack of deformation lines, are used by haustorial mother cells to breach the walls of mesophyll cells to form haustoria. The possibility exists for eventual determination of the precise roles of pressure and digestive enzymes in the development of soybean rust and elucidation of some of the determinants of resistance and susceptibility to this important plant disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resistance in soybean to Phakopsora pachyrhizi, the cause of soybean rust, is characterized by either reddish-brown (RB) lesions or an immune response. The RB type of resistance can be incomplete, as evidenced by the presence of sporulating uredinia within lesions. Susceptibility, on the other hand, is exemplified by tan-colored (TAN) lesions, and can be expressed in gradations of susceptibility or partial resistance that are less well defined. This study evaluated traits associated with incomplete or partial resistance to P. pachyrhizi in soybean by comparing 34 soybean accessions inoculated with four P. pachyrhizi isolates. Six accessions produced RB lesions to all four isolates, while 19 accessions produced TAN lesions, including plant introduction (PT) 200492 (Rpp1) and the susceptible check 'Williams'. Williams had among the largest area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) values and area under the sporulating uredinia progress curve (AUSUPC) values, while eight accessions had lower AUSUPC values. Of the known sources of single-gene resistance, only PI 230970 (Rpp2), PI 459025B (Rpp4), and PI 594538A (Rpp1b) had lower AUDPC and AUSUPC values than Williams. PI 594538A and PI 561356 had RB lesions and had the lowest AUDPC and AUSUPC values. Of the known sources of single-gene resistance, only PI 230970 (Rpp2) and PI 594538A (Rpp1b) produced fewer and smaller-diameter uredinia than Williams. This study characterized reactions to P. pachyrhizi in 34 accessions based on lesion type and sporulation, and defined incomplete resistance and partial resistance in the soybean-P. pachyrhizi interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decubital shoulder ulcers are lesions on the shoulders of sows kept in production systems, reported to have a relatively high prevalence, and to some extent be comparable with human pressure ulcers. In sows, the ulcers are caused by pressure inflicted by the flooring, leading to oxygen deficiency in the skin and the underlying tissue. This paper reviews existing knowledge about decubital shoulder ulcers in sows, focusing on the pathogenesis, classification and consequences in terms of pain and animal welfare. On the basis of available human as well as animal literature, we describe the primary causal factors, underlying mechanisms, suggested direction of progression as well as temporal development. We review suggested scales for the classification of decubital shoulder ulcers, and argue that none of these are useful for the classification of decubital shoulder ulcers in live sows. The knowledge of the welfare consequences of decubital shoulder ulcers is limited. On the basis of the tissue structures that are involved, we assume that the development and presence of decubital shoulder ulcers in sows are a painful and prolonged condition. It is concluded that the extent of the welfare problem related to decubital shoulder ulcers cannot be fully determined until a valid ante-mortem classification system is available, and knowledge about the duration of the condition (including the various stages), as well as the possible consequences in terms of pain or discomfort have been established. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background and Purpose: The angiotensin II type 1 (AT(1)) receptor belongs to family A of 7 transmembrane (7TM) receptors. The receptor has important roles in the cardiovascular system and is commonly used as a drug target in cardiovascular diseases. Interaction of 7TM receptors with G proteins or beta-arrestins often induces higher binding affinity for agonists. Here, we examined interactions between AT(1A) receptors and beta-arrestins to look for differences between the AT(1A) receptor interaction with beta-arrestin1 and beta-arrestin2.Experimental Approach: Ligand-induced interaction between AT(1A) receptors and beta-arrestins was measured by Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer 2. AT(1A)-beta-arrestin1 and AT(1A)-beta-arrestin2 fusion proteins were cloned and tested for differences using immunocytochemistry, inositol phosphate hydrolysis and competition radioligand binding.Key Results: Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer 2 analysis showed that beta-arrestin1 and 2 were recruited to AT(1A) receptors with similar ligand potencies and efficacies. The AT(1A)-beta-arrestin fusion proteins showed attenuated G protein signalling and increased agonist binding affinity, while antagonist affinity was unchanged. Importantly, larger agonist affinity shifts were observed for AT(1A)-beta-arrestin2 than for AT(1A)-beta-arrestin1.Conclusion and Implications: beta-Arrestin1 and 2 are recruited to AT(1A) receptors with similar ligand pharmacology and stabilize AT(1A) receptors in distinct high-affinity conformations. However, beta-arrestin2 induces a receptor conformation with a higher agonist-binding affinity than beta-arrestin1. Thus, this study demonstrates that beta-arrestins interact with AT(1A) receptors in different ways and suggest that AT(1) receptor biased agonists with the ability to recruit either of the beta-arrestins selectively, would be possible to design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean rust, caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi, was first discovered in the continental United States in the fall of 2004. The potential for economic loss in the United States hinges largely on whether or not the pathogen can survive winters in the absence of soybean. Kudzu (Pueraria lobata) is known to be a host for P. pachyrhizi in Asia and South America and is widely distributed in the southern United States. This study examined reactions of kudzu collected from several areas of the southeastern United States to three isolates of P. pachyrhizi, one each from Alabama, Louisiana, and Brazil. Susceptible tan (TAN) lesions, resistant reddish-brown (RB) lesions and immune (IM) response, previously described on soybean, were produced on kudzu based on the evaluation of 125 plants. However, in contrast to soybean, the RB response on kudzu was common, with approximately 50% frequency . IM responses to at least one isolate were observed on five individual plants, and two plants were immune to all three pathogen isolates used in the test. TAN lesions averaged 3. 2 uredinia per lesion with an average diameter per of 121 μm. In contrast, RB lesions had an average of 0.3 uredinia per lesion with an average uredinialm diameter of 77 μm. In 25 of 39 (64%) instances in which multiple plants tested from a site, each reacted the same to the individual pathogen isolates. This suggested a tendency for plants at specific sites to be genetically identical with respect to rust reaction. Only 19 of 125 (15%) individual plants produced a different reactions to one isolate than to the other two isolates. When four kudzu plants previously shown to produce only TAN lesions to P. pachyrhizi isolates Alabama 04-1, Brazil 01-1, and Louisiana 04-1 were inoculated with eight additional isolates from several areas of the world, all 11 isolates produced only TAN lesions. Likewise, when five other plants previously shown to produce only RB lesions when inoculated with the three isolates were inoculated with the 11 isolates all produced only RB lesions. These results suggest that susceptibility or resistanceto P. pachyrhizi in individual kudzu plants often is broad, extending over a wide range of P pachyrhiziisolates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of the host range of Phakopsora pachyrhizi is important to agriculture in the United States because of the distinct possibility that economic losses could occur to crops other than soybean. Furthermore, it is possible that alternative hosts could provide a means of overwintering of the pathogen, providing inoculum to initiate epidemics in future years. To clarify the potential importance of soybean rust on nonsoybean legumes and their role in overwintering of the disease, multiple accessions of clover, cowpea, pea, kudzu, lima bean, snap bean, and single accessions of coffee senna, Florida beggarweed, hemp sesbania, hyacinth bean, partridge pea, and showy crotalaria were inoculated under greenhouse conditions with urediniospores of P. pachyrhizi; infected soybean plants served as a control. The four criteria used to assess susceptibility were lesion density, proportion of lesions with sporulating uredinia, average number of uredinia per lesion, and average uredinia diameter, each determined 2 weeks following inoculation. Based on lesion densities, percentage of lesions with sporulation, and average numbers of uredinia per lesion, soybean, kudzu, and pea were the most susceptible species, followed by snap bean. However, because infected pea plants defoliated rapidly, urediniospore production presumably was limited, lessening the potential for epidemics on pea. Cultivars of snap bean produced numerous brown to reddish-brown lesions, many of which sporulated, but numbers of uredinia per lesion were lower than on soybean, kudzu, or pea. The presence of both tan (susceptible) and reddish-brown (resistant) lesions on kudzu demonstrated physiological differentiation on that host. Some kudzu plants appeared to be potentially excellent hosts for overwintering of the disease. The average number of uredinia per lesion appeared to be a valid measurement with which to compare host susceptibilities, and may have epidemiological significance. High susceptibility of a host was characterized by numerous uredinia with a wide range of sizes within individual lesions. In contrast, low susceptibility to rust was characterized by no or a few small uredinia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asian soybean rust (ASR), caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi and recently discovered for the first time in continental United States, has been of concern to the U.S. agricultural industry for more than 30 years. Since little soybean rust resistance is known, and resistance is often difficult to detect or quantitate, we initiated a project to develop a better, more quantitative, method. The methodology determined the average numbers and diameters of uredinia in lesions that developed on leaves of inoculated plants 14 days after inoculation. It was used to compare virulence of P. pachyrhizi isolates from Asia and Australia and P. meibomiae from Puerto Rico and Brazil, collected as many as 30 years earlier, with isolates of P. pachyrhizi recently collected from Africa or South America. Susceptible reactions to P. pachyrhizi resulted in tan-colored lesions containing 1 to 14 uredinia varying greatly in size within individual lesions. In contrast, on these same genotypes at the same time of year, resistance to other P. pachyrhizi isolates was typified by 0 to 6 small uredinia in reddish-brown to dark-brown lesions. Using appropriate rust resistant and rust susceptible genotypes as standards, examination of uredinia 14 days after inoculation allowed quantitative comparisons of sporulation capacities, one measure of susceptibility or resistance to soybean rust. The study verified the presence and ability to detect all known major genes for resistance to soybean rust in the original sources of resistance. It demonstrated that soybean lines derived from the original PI sources, and presumed to possess the resistance genes, in actuality may lack the gene or express an intermediate reaction to the rust pathogen. We suggest that a determination of numbers and sizes of uredinia will detect both major gene and partial resistance to soybean rust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: From 26 to 28 May 2004 an international seminar was held in Wageningen, the Netherlands, about current knowledge and advice on rodent management on organic pig and poultry farms in Western Europe. This paper summarizes the discussions. Rodent management is necessary to protect the food production chain from health hazards to livestock and humans. Some organic farmers prefer biological rodent control, but since rodents can also transmit diseases this bears certain risks for the production of healthy livestock and safe food. Effective rodent management requires a thorough understanding of the biology of the pest species concerned. These can be divided into two groups: field rodents, such as voles, and commensal rodents like house mice and rats. The objective of managing field rodents is to minimize livestock exposure to these vectors, and to regulate their populations in case their density is expected to grow dramatically. Infestation of livestock facilities with commensal rodents can be prevented, but once they are present, their eradication must be aimed for. General elements of rodent management are (1) the prevention of rodent infestations through strategic actions such as modifying the habitat or rodent proofing of the buildings, (2) monitoring their appearance and population density, and (3) rodent control measures. A number of possible management actions is described to provide a basis for examining the measures'' social acceptability, their economic and environmental impacts, and their efficacy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Health and welfare problems in organic pig production may differ from problems in conventional pig herds as a result of differences in management. Control of animal health problems in organic herds is affected by the restrictions in medicine use and prophylactic medication as well as by the risk of wildlife contact and difficulties in cleaning and disinfection imposed by the access to outdoor areas. To monitor risk factors for diseases and to control these risks factors as a means to prevent diseases, we suggest the implementation of health management based on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (the HACCP concept). The development of a HACCP system requires the quantification of risk factors by means of epidemiological studies or alternatively by an expert panel. This paper describes a procedure for developing a HACCP system for welfare problems in organic sow herds. A panel of farm advisers assessed the impact of different risk factors on problems in organic pig production and suggested possible control points. Further work concentrates on evaluating the control points and drawing up action plans to include in the system. The advantage of HACCP in herd health management is the preventative approach focusing on risk factors. Additionally, the continuous documentation of observations and corrective actions integrated in the concept is important when evaluating the herd health management. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To determine the potential for Tilletia indica; cause of Karnal bunt of wheat; to survive and become established in new areas; a teliospore longevity study was initiated in Kansas; Maryland; Georgia; and Arizona. Soil from each location was infested with T. indica teliospores and placed in polyester mesh bags. The bags were placed within soil from the same location within polyvinyl chloride pipes. Pipes were buried in the respective plots such that the bags were at 5-; 10-; and 25-cm depths. Each pipe was open at the ends to allow interaction with the outside environment; however fitted with screens preventing possibility of teliospore escape. In the Karnal bunt-quarantine area of Arizona; bags of infested soil also were placed outside the pipes. Teliospore-infested soil from each location was maintained dry in a laboratory. During the first 2 years; viability declined more rapidly in pipes than outside pipes; and more rapidly in fields in Kansas and Maryland than in Georgia or Arizona. After 2 years; viability declined nearly equally. In the laboratory over 3 years; viability decreased significantly more rapidly in dry soil from Kansas or Maryland than in dry soil from Georgia or Arizona; while pure teliospores remained unchanged. We hypothesized that soils; irrespective of weather; affect teliospore longevity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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