Link between genotype and antimicrobial resistance in bovine mastitis-related Staphylococcus aureus strains, determined by comparing Swiss and French isolates from the Rhône Valley.

Staphylococcus aureus is a major bovine mastitis pathogen. Although the reported antimicrobial resistance was generally low, the emergence of new genetic clusters in bovine mastitis requires examination of the link between antimicrobial resistance and genotypes. Here, amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) profiles and standard antimicrobial resistance profiles were determined in order to characterize a total of 343 S. aureus cow mastitis isolates from two geographically close regions of Switzerland and France. AFLP profiles revealed similar population compositions in the two regions, with 4 major clusters (C8, C20, C97, and C151), but the proportions of isolates in each cluster significantly diverged between the two countries (P = 9.2 × 10⁻⁹). Antimicrobial resistance was overall low (< 5% resistance to all therapeutically relevant molecules), with the exception of penicillin resistance, which was detected in 26% of the isolates. Penicillin resistance proportions differed between clusters, with only 1 to 2% of resistance associated with C20 and C151 and up to 70% associated with bovine C97. The prevalence of C20 and C8 was unexpectedly high and requires further investigation into the mechanism of adaptation to the bovine host. The strong association of penicillin resistance with few clusters highlights the fact that the knowledge of local epidemiology is essential for rational choices of antimicrobial treatment in the absence of susceptibility testing. Taken together, these observations argue in favor of more routine scrutiny of antimicrobial resistance and antibiotic-resistant clones in cattle and the farm environment.

Targeted Small Business Link, March 2010, Vol. 3, no. 1

Targeted Small Business News from the Business Development Division of the Iowa Department of Economic Development

Targeted Small Business Link, September 2010, Vol. 3, no. 3

Small Business News from the Iowa Department of Economic Development

Targeted Small Business Link, June 2010, Vol. 3, no. 2

Targeted Small Business News from the Iowa Department of Economic Development

A link between eumelanism and calcium physiology in the barn owl.

In many animals, melanin-based coloration is strongly heritable and is largely insensitive to the environment and body condition. According to the handicap principle, such a trait may not reveal individual quality because the production of different melanin-based colorations often entails similar costs. However, a recent study showed that the production of eumelanin pigments requires relatively large amounts of calcium, potentially implying that melanin-based coloration is associated with physiological processes requiring calcium. If this is the case, eumelanism may be traded-off against other metabolic processes that require the same elements. We used a correlative approach to examine, for the first time, this proposition in the barn owl, a species in which individuals vary in the amount, size, and blackness of eumelanic spots. For this purpose, we measured calcium concentration in the left humerus of 85 dead owls. Results showed that the humeri of heavily spotted individuals had a higher concentration of calcium. This suggests either that plumage spottiness signals the ability to absorb calcium from the diet for both eumelanin production and storage in bones, or that lightly spotted individuals use more calcium for metabolic processes at the expense of calcium storage in bones. Our study supports the idea that eumelanin-based coloration is associated with a number of physiological processes requiring calcium.

Targeted Small Business Link, January 2011 Vol. 4, no. 1

Targeted Small Business news from the Iowa Department of Economic Development

State of Iowa Transportation Map, 1952

This document is the State Map of Iowa, both front and back of the year in the title. All maps were are in pdf format and can be used as a historical reference.

State of Iowa Transportation Map, 1953

This document is the State Map of Iowa, both front and back of the year in the title. All maps were are in pdf format and can be used as a historical reference.

State of Iowa Transportation Map, 1954

This document is the State Map of Iowa, both front and back of the year in the title. All maps were are in pdf format and can be used as a historical reference.

State of Iowa Transportation Map, 1955

This document is the State Map of Iowa, both front and back of the year in the title. All maps were are in pdf format and can be used as a historical reference.

State of Iowa Transportation Map, 1956

This document is the State Map of Iowa, both front and back of the year in the title. All maps were are in pdf format and can be used as a historical reference.

State of Iowa Transportation Map, 1957

This document is the State Map of Iowa, both front and back of the year in the title. All maps were are in pdf format and can be used as a historical reference.

State of Iowa Transportation Map, 1958

This document is the State Map of Iowa, both front and back of the year in the title. All maps were are in pdf format and can be used as a historical reference.