African savanna raptors show evidence of widespread population collapse and a growing dependence on protected areas.

The conversion of natural habitats to farmland is a major cause of biodiversity loss and poses the greatest extinction risk to birds worldwide. Tropical raptors are of particular concern, being relatively slow-breeding apex predators and scavengers, whose disappearance can trigger extensive cascading effects. Many of Africa's raptors are at considerable risk from habitat conversion, prey-base depletion and persecution, driven principally by human population expansion.

Abundant Citizen Science Data Reveal That the Peacock Butterfly Recently Became Bivoltine in Belgium.

The peacock butterfly is abundant and widespread in Europe. It is generally believed to be univoltine (one generation per year): adults born in summer overwinter and reappear again in spring to reproduce. However, recent flight patterns in western Europe mostly show three peaks during the year: a first one in spring (overwintering butterflies), a second one in early summer (offspring of the spring generation), and a third one in autumn.

Wintering bird communities are tracking climate change faster than breeding communities.

Global climate change is driving species' distributions towards the poles and mountain tops during both non-breeding and breeding seasons, leading to changes in the composition of natural communities. However, the degree of season differences in climate-driven community shifts has not been thoroughly investigated at large spatial scales. We compared the rates of change in the community composition during both winter (non-breeding season) and summer (breeding) and their relation to temperature changes.

Waarnemingen.be - Plant occurrences in Flanders and the Brussels Capital Region, Belgium.

Waarnemingen.be - Plant occurrences in Flanders and the Brussels Capital Region, Belgium is a species occurrence dataset published by Natuurpunt. The dataset contains almost 1.

A database on the distribution of butterflies (Lepidoptera) in northern Belgium (Flanders and the Brussels Capital Region).

In this data paper, we describe two datasets derived from two sources, which collectively represent the most complete overview of butterflies in Flanders and the Brussels Capital Region (northern Belgium). The first dataset (further referred to as the INBO dataset - http://doi.org/10.

[A man who contracted hepatitis E in the Netherlands].

A 55-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of malaise, jaundice en cholestatic liver function impairment, 4 days after his return from vacation in Surinam. Serological tests were positive for IgG and IgM antibodies to hepatitis E virus (HEV) and serum PCR was positive, consistent with HEV infection. The infection was acquired in the Netherlands and not abroad, considering the incubation period.

Evaluation of an in-house cat scratch disease IgM ELISA to detect Bartonella henselae in a routine laboratory setting.

Cat scratch disease (CSD) is caused by Bartonella henselae infection and is a common cause of regional lymphadenopathy. The diagnosis of CSD largely depends on serology, but detection of B. henselae in an affected lymph node by PCR is also an important diagnostic tool.

The use of Bartonella henselae-specific age dependent IgG and IgM in diagnostic models to discriminate diseased from non-diseased in Cat Scratch Disease serology.

Cat Scratch Disease (CSD) is caused by Bartonella henselae infection and is a common cause of regional lymphadenopathy. The diagnosis of CSD largely depends on serology, but is hampered by both low sensitivity and specificity of the applied IgG and IgM assays. Using an in-house ELISA, we detected a significant age-dependent increase in the IgG levels in the general population compared to CSD patients.

Comparison of a Treponema pallidum IgM immunoblot with a 19S fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption test for the diagnosis of congenital syphilis.

We compared an in-house Treponema pallidum IgM immunoblot (IB) with a 19S fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (IgM) test during routine use for the diagnosis of congenital syphilis (CS) in a national reference laboratory in a nonendemic setting. The overall agreement between the assays was high (97%), and 19S positive samples had at least 2 reactive bands in the IB. The high agreement is mainly caused by the large number of negative results (95%).

Bayesian estimation of hepatitis E virus seroprevalence for populations with different exposure levels to swine in The Netherlands.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is ubiquitous in pigs worldwide and may be zoonotic. Previous HEV seroprevalence estimates for groups of people working with swine were higher than for control groups. However, discordance among results of anti-HEV assays means that true seroprevalence estimates, i.

Serological testing for Bartonella henselae infections in The Netherlands: clinical evaluation of immunofluorescence assay and ELISA.

Cat-scratch disease (CSD), caused by Bartonella henselae infection, can mimic malignancy and can manifest atypically. Reliable serological testing is therefore of great clinical importance. The diagnostic performance of immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and ELISA was evaluated in a group of Dutch patients with proven CSD (clinical diagnosis confirmed by PCR).

Use of serological assays for diagnosis of hepatitis E virus genotype 1 and 3 infections in a setting of low endemicity.

Because of the occurrence of genotype 3 hepatitis E virus (HEV) in regions of low endemicity, it is important to validate the currently used serological assays for diagnosing infections with viruses belonging to this lineage, since these assays only use antigens derived from genotype 1 and 2 viruses. We evaluated the Genelabs enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the RecomBlot from Mikrogen for the detection of HEV-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG under conditions of low endemicity. We compared test results of 16 patients with locally acquired genotype 3 HEV, 8 genotype 1 patients, 167 healthy controls from the general population, and 101 cases with hepatitis due to other viral causes.

Detection of hepatitis E virus-specific immunoglobulin a in patients infected with hepatitis E virus genotype 1 or 3.

Currently, diagnosis of acute hepatitis E virus (HEV) in patients is primarily based on anti-HEV immunoglobulin M (IgM) detection. However, several investigations suggest the use of HEV-specific IgA for diagnosing acute HEV infections. We evaluated two commercially available assays, an IgA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (Diacheck) and an adapted immunoblot protocol (Mikrogen) for IgA detection and compared the performance in genotype 1- and 3-infected patients.

Swine-like hepatitis E viruses are a cause of unexplained hepatitis in the Netherlands.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections in developed countries are recognized as an imported disease related to travel to endemic regions. However, increasing evidence suggests that HEV infection may also occur in the developed countries and that swine may act as a possible reservoir. To investigate the indigenous transmission of HEV in the Netherlands, sera from 50 blood donors and 1027 sera from patients with acute hepatitis were screened with an ELISA for HEV-specific IgG and IgM.

Hepatitis E is a cause of unexplained hepatitis in The Netherlands.

Background: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the major etiologic agent of enterically transmitted viral hepatitis in much of the developing world. Evidence provided in recent years shows that HEV is also prevalent in very low numbers in non-endemic countries. Recently, a cluster of three patients with acute hepatitis E but no history of travel to endemic countries was discovered in the geographical area provided with service by the Public Health Laboratory Groningen and Drenthe, The Netherlands.

Efficacy of donor vaccination before hematopoietic cell transplantation and recipient vaccination both before and early after transplantation.

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation is followed by humoral immunodeficiency. We evaluated whether antibody levels can be improved by recipient vaccination on day -1 and 50 and whether the levels can be further improved by donor vaccination on day -20. A total of 85 patients were randomized or assigned to one of the following strategies of immunization with Streptococcus pneumoniae polysaccharides, Haemophilus influenzae polysaccharide-protein conjugate, tetanus toxoid (protein recall antigen) and hepatitis B surface antigen (protein neo-antigen): (1) donor on day -20, recipient on days -1, +50 and +365 (D(-20)R(-1,50,365)); (2) donor nil, recipient on days -1, +50 and +365 (D(N)R(-1,50,365)); or (3) donor nil, recipient on day +365 (D(N)R(365)).

Factors affecting antibody levels after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.

To obtain insight into the mechanism(s) of posttransplantation humoral immunodeficiency, we evaluated factors affecting serum antibody levels against polio, tetanus, Haemophilus influenzae, and Streptococcus pneumoniae in 87 patients. Patients with hematologic malignancies were randomized to receive marrow versus blood stem cells, which contain approximately 10 times more lymphocytes than marrow. Blood stem cell recipients did not have higher antibody levels than marrow recipients.

Evaluation of a poliovirus-binding inhibition assay as an alternative to the virus neutralization test.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based poliovirus-binding inhibition (PoBI) test to detect and quantify antibodies to polioviruses was optimized and evaluated for use in population studies as an alternative to the virus neutralization test (NT) in tissue culture. The sensitivities of the inhibition ELISA compared with the NT in an inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV)-vaccinated population were 98.6, 97.

Poliovirus-specific immunoglobulin A in persons vaccinated with inactivated poliovirus vaccine in The Netherlands.

In The Netherlands the inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) is used for protection against poliomyelitis. It is not clear if parenteral vaccination with IPV can lead to priming of the mucosal immune system. We developed and evaluated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for the detection of poliovirus serotype-specific immunoglobulin A (IgA) and secretory IgA antibodies.

The concept of metabolic clearance rate in endocrinology. A case study of growth hormone in different lines of meat-type chickens.

Disappearance of growth hormone from blood (plasma) was studied in young broiler chickens in two experiments: a) following single injection of GH (50 micrograms or 250 micrograms/kg) to anesthetized chicks; b) injection of GH (50 micrograms/kg) (under anesthesia) to two lines of broilers selected for either rapid growth or feed efficiency. Clearance of GH never followed a single negative exponential curve. Characterization of the disappearance by a single metabolic clearance rate and half-life time were found to be inaccurate and inappropriate on methodological grounds.

Immunocytochemical demonstration of progesterone and estrogen receptors in feathers and skin of adult hens.

Clinical evidence indicates that ovarian steroids are involved in the control of moulting in the chicken. This immunocytochemical study investigates if feather papillae and growing feathers are target tissues for ovarian steroids. Progesterone (PR) and estrogen (ER) receptors were demonstrated using monoclonal antibodies in feathers and surrounding skin of laying hens.

Growth hormone response to TRH in male broiler chickens selected for body weight gain or food conversion and reared at either a moderate or a high ambient temperature.

The aim of the present experiment was to study the growth hormone (GH) response upon thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) challenge (2 micrograms/kg body weight) in broiler chickens selected for body weight gain (GL line: fat line) or for feed efficiency (FC line: lean line) reared at either a moderate (33-23 degrees C) or high (33 degrees C) ambient temperature. A higher plasma GH level at 5 min after TRH administration was observed in the high temperature conditioned chickens of both lines. Also at high ambient temperature, an enhanced GH decrease between 15 min and 30 min post-injection and a higher acute elimination rate was calculated compared to moderate ambient temperature.

Concentrations of hormones, glucose, triglycerides and free fatty acids in the plasma of broiler chickens selected for weight gain or food conversion.

1. The concentrations of growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), reverse-triiodothyronine (rT3), triglycerides (Tri), free fatty acids (FFA) and glucose (Glu) were determined at 2, 4 and 6 weeks of age in blood plasma of male and female chickens of broiler lines selected for body weight (GL) or food conversion (FC). 2.

The effect of clenbuterol supplementation on growth performance and on plasma hormone and metabolite levels of broilers.

In the present experiment, clenbuterol was supplemented (.42 ppm) from Day 1 or from 2 or 4 wk of age until slaughter age (6 wk). The effects on growth performance and on plasma hormone and metabolite profiles were investigated at 2, 4, and 6 wk of age in male and female broilers.

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) is not thyrotropic but somatotropic in fed and starved adult chickens.

Adult fed and starved Warren chickens, 2 yr of age, and approaching the end of the second laying year, were injected iv with 1 of the following products: 10 micrograms of thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH); 100 micrograms of bovine thyrotropin (bTSH); 100 micrograms of ovine growth hormone (oGH); saline. The influence on plasma concentrations of thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3) or chicken GH (cGH) were followed. Prior to injection, it was clear from the control values that starvation for 3 d decreased plasma levels of T3 and increased cGH, whereas 7 d of fasting increased T4 and cGH.