Identifying antimicrobial resistance genes of human clinical relevance within Salmonella isolated from food animals in Great Britain

To investigate the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance genes of human clinical relevance in Salmonella isolated from livestock in Great Britain. Two hundred and twenty-five Salmonella enterica isolates were characterized using an antimicrobial resistance gene chip and disc diffusion assays. Plasmid profiling, conjugation experiments and identification of Salmonella genomic island 1 (SGI1) were performed for selected isolates. Approximately 43% of Salmonella harboured single or multiple antimicrobial resistance genes with pig isolates showing the highest numbers where 96% of Salmonella Typhimurium harboured one or more resistance genes. Isolates harbouring multiple resistances divided into three groups. Group 1 isolates harboured ampicillin/streptomycin/sulphonamide/tetracycline resistance and similar phenotypes. This group contained isolates from pigs, cattle and poultry that were from several serovars including Typhimurium, 4,[5],12:i:-, Derby, Ohio and Indiana. All Group 2 isolates were from pigs and were Salmonella Typhimurium. They contained a non-sul-type class 1 integron and up to 13 transferrable resistances. All Group 3 isolates harboured a class 1 integron and were isolated from all animal species included in the study. Most isolates were Salmonella Typhimurium and harboured SGI1. Salmonella isolated from livestock was shown to harbour antimicrobial resistance genes although no or little resistance to third-generation cephalosporins or ciprofloxacin, respectively, was detected. The preponderance in pigs of multidrug-resistant Salmonella Typhimurium makes it important to introduce control measures such as improved biosecurity to ensure that they do not pass through the food chain and limit human therapeutic options.

A high prevalence of antimicrobial resistant Escherichia coli isolated from pigs and a low prevalence of antimicrobial resistant E-coli from cattle and sheep in Great Britain at slaughter

The incidence of antimicrobial resistance and expressed and unexpressed resistance genes among commensal Escherichia coli isolated from healthy farm animals at slaughter in Great Britain was investigated. The prevalence of antimicrobial resistance among the isolates varied according to the animal species; of 836 isolates from cattle tested only 5.7% were resistant to one or more antimicrobials, while only 3.0% of 836 isolates from sheep were resistant to one or more agents. However, 92.1% of 2480 isolates from pigs were resistant to at least one antimicrobial. Among isolates from pigs, resistance to some antimicrobials such as tetracycline (78.7%), sulphonamide (66.9%) and streptomycin (37.5%) was found to be common, but relatively rare to other agents such as amikacin (0.1%), ceftazidime ( 0.1%) and coamoxiclav (0.2%). The isolates had a diverse range of resistance gene profiles, with tet(B), sul2 and strAB identified most frequently. Seven out of 615 isolates investigated carried unexpressed resistance genes. One trimethoprim-susceptible isolate carried a complete dfrA17 gene but lacked a promoter for it. However, in the remaining six streptomycin-susceptible isolates, one of which carried strAB while the others carried aadA, no mutations or deletions in gene or promoter sequences were identified to account for susceptibility. The data indicate that antimicrobial resistance in E. coli of animal origin is due to a broad range of acquired genes.

The re-identification of great bustard (Otis tarda) from Fishbourne Roman Palace, Chichester, West Sussex, as common crane (Grus grus)

This paper details the results of recent reanalysis of the animal remains from the 1960s excavations at Fishbourne Roman Palace, West Sussex. It argues that specimens originally identified as belonging to the great bustard are, in fact, misidentified remains of common crane. This discovery has important connotations. First, these findings need to be reported so that the avian archaeological record can be updated to avoid future syntheses of Romano-British faunal remains incorrectly including great bustard. Secondly, interpretations of the zooarchaeological remains at Fishbourne Palace will alter, due to the differing ecological histories of bustards and cranes.

Climate on the Southern Black Sea coast during the Holocene: implications from the Sofular Cave record

We present the updated Holocene section of the Sofular Cave record from the southernBlackSeacoast (northern Turkey); an area with considerably different present-day climate compared to that of the neighboring Eastern Mediterranean region. Stalagmite δ13C, growth rates and initial (234U/238U) ratios provide information about hydrological changes above the cave; and prove to be more useful than δ18O for deciphering Holocene climatic variations. Between ∼9.6 and 5.4 ka BP (despite a pause from ∼8.4 to 7.8 ka BP), the Sofular record indicates a remarkable increase in rainfall amount and intensity, in line with other paleoclimate studies in the Eastern Mediterranean. During that period, enhanced summertime insolation either produced much stronger storms in the following fall and winter through high sea surface temperatures, or it invoked a regional summer monsoon circulation and rainfall. We suggest that one or both of these climatic mechanisms led to a coupling of the BlackSea and the Mediterranean rainfall regimes at that time, which can explain the observed proxy signals. However, there are discrepancies among the Eastern Mediterranean records in terms of the timing of this wet period; implying that changes were probably not always occurring through the same mechanism. Nevertheless, the Sofular Cave record does provide hints and bring about new questions about the connection between regional and large scale climates, highlighting the need for a more extensive network of high quality paleoclimate records to better understand Holoceneclimate.

Determination of Holocene cave temperatures from Kr and Xe concentrations in stalagmite fluid inclusions

From the concentrations of dissolved atmospheric noble gases in water, a so-called “noble gas temperature” (NGT) can be determined that corresponds to the temperature of the water when it was last in contact with the atmosphere. Here we demonstrate that the NGT concept is applicable to water inclusions in cave stalagmites, and yields NGTs that are in good agreement with the ambient air temperatures in the caves. We analysed samples from two Holocene and one undated stalagmite. The three stalagmites originate from three caves located in different climatic regions having modern mean annual air temperatures of 27 °C, 12 °C and 8 °C, respectively. In about half of the samples analysed Kr and Xe concentrations originated entirely from the two well-defined noble gas components air-saturated water and atmospheric air, which allowed NGTs to be determined successfully from Kr and Xe concentrations. One stalagmite seems to be particularly suitable for NGT determination, as almost all of its samples yielded the modern cave temperature. Notably, this stalagmite contains a high proportion of primary water inclusions, which seem to preserve the temperature-dependent signature well in their Kr and Xe concentrations. In future work on stalagmites detailed microscopic inspection of the fluid inclusions prior to noble gas analysis is therefore likely to be crucial in increasing the number of successful NGT determinations.

Prehistoric activity in Peterstone Great Wharf Palaeochannels: field survey 2005-6

This is an interim report on research carried out at the intertidal site of Peterstone Great Wharf, located on the Wentlooge Levels, c. 7 km east of Cardiff. The project is the first detailed survey and excavation of a site originally recorded in 1996-7 as part of a larger survey of the intertidal zone from Cardiff to the Second Severn Crossing. The 1997 survey produced important evidence for prehistoric human activity preserved within four palaeochannels. Significant erosion has taken place since then. A new survey of the foreshore has identified additional palaeochannels not seen in 1997 which form part of a more complex system of inter-cutting channels, many containing wood structures including short lines of timbers on the channel edge. Artefacts include a wooden axe handle, antler artefacts, an animal bone assemblage and some pottery of Beaker and Bronze Age date. The finds are thought to derive from a nearby, possibly eroded, settlement. The channels have trapped artefacts and preserved evidence of a range of activities, including what are interpreted as possible boat landings and fishing structures.

Croig Cave: a late Bronze Age ornament deposition and 3,500 years of coastal foraging in NW Mull, Scotland

Activity within caves provides an important element of the later prehistoric and historic settlement pattern of western Scotland. This contribution reports on a small-scale excavation within Croig Cave, on the coast of north-west Mull, that exposed a 1.95m sequence of midden deposits and cave floors that dated bewteen c 1700 BC and AD 1400. Midden analysis indicated the processing of a .... 950 BC, a penannular copper bracelet a discrete ritual episode within the cycle of otherwise potentially mundane activities. Lead isotope analysis indicates an Irish origin for the copper ore. A piece of iron slag within later midden deposits, dated to c 400 BC, along with high frequencies of wood charcoal, suggest that smithing or smelting may have occurred within the cave. High zinc levels in the historic levels of the midden c AD 1200 might indicate intensive processing of seaweed.