Publications by authors named "R K Gast"
Some biological systems exhibit both direct and retrograde propagating signal waves despite unidirectional coupling. To explain this phenomenon, we study a chain of unidirectionally coupled Wilson-Cowan oscillators. Surprisingly, we find that changes in the homogeneous global input to the chain suffice to reverse the wave propagation direction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe poultry-housing environment plays a significant role in the transmission and persistence of the egg-associated pathogen Enteritidis in laying flocks. The commercial egg industry is in the midst of a transition toward cage-free housing, but the food safety ramifications of this shift are not yet certain. The present study assessed internal organ colonization by Enteritidis in layer pullets reared in cage-free housing and infected at two different ages.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- - Weeds are valuable for research because they affect agriculture and can quickly adapt to changes caused by human activities.
- - A shortage of genomic data limits the understanding of how weeds rapidly adapt, especially regarding traits like resistance to herbicides and stress tolerance.
- - The International Weed Genomics Consortium aims to create genomic resources that enhance weed control research and support crop breeding by providing insights into adaptation and stress tolerance.
Role of dust in Salmonella transmission on chicken farms is not well characterised. Salmonella Typhimurium (ST) infection of commercial layer chickens was investigated using a novel sprinkling method of chicken dust spiked with ST and the uptake compared to a conventional oral infection. While both inoculation methods resulted in colonisation of the intestines, the Salmonella load in liver samples was significantly higher at 7 dpi after exposing chicks to sprinkled dust compared to the oral infection group.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The study investigates the effectiveness of a live attenuated vaccine (Vaxsafe ST) in reducing the shedding of harmful bacteria in layer poultry by altering gut microbiota through oral vaccination at different doses and diluents.
- Results show that while the vaccine minimally affected overall gut microbiota diversity, significant differences in microbial community composition were observed between vaccinated and unvaccinated chickens.
- Chicken age had a more pronounced impact on gut microbiota changes compared to the vaccine dosage or diluent, with older chicks exhibiting higher microbial diversity and changes in specific bacterial genera.