Non-target toxicology of a new mosquito larvicide, trypsin modulating oostatic factor

Trypsin modulating oostatic factor (TMOF), a peptide hormone originally isolated from the ovaries of adult Aedes aegypti, is currently under commercial development as a new pesticide chemistry with a novel mode of action for the control of larval mosquitoes. The objective of the current research is to evaluate potential risks of the use of TMOF as an insecticide on non-target organisms. TMOF (YDPAP₆) was degraded in vitro (as determined by HPLC and LC/MS) to DPAP₆, PAP₆, and then AP₆ by leucine aminopeptidase, a pancreatic enzyme found in the digestive system of vertebrates. The rate of degradation of TMOF and PAP₆ was significantly greater than that of DPAP₆, while no metabolism of AP₆ was found. TMOF technical insecticide was produced on a commercial scale by recombinant yeast (heat-killed before application). The technical TMOF when administered in a single dose by gavage to male and female mice at 2000 mg dry weight/kg body weight produced no negative effects as compared to controls up to 12 days after treatment. When male and female mallard ducks were treated by gavage with 1250 mg dry weight of technical TMOF/kg body weight each day for 5 days, again no toxic effects were noted through 35 days after the last treatment. TMOF technical insecticide was also applied to the shaved skin of male and female rabbits at the rate of 2000 mg/kg for 1-2 days, with no effect. The end point observations in these in vivo experiments were mortality; changes in growth rate, behavior, body structure, and color; and possible lesions observed during necropsy. Finally, Daphnia incubated with technical TMOF in rearing water at the level of 1.0 × 10⁶ yeast cells/ml (10 mg/ml) also demonstrated no negative effects on mortality, growth, molting, time to first brood, and production of viable neonates. It appears from these studies that TMOF can be degraded by vertebrate digestive proteases and technical TMOF is not toxic to the non-target organisms examined.     

Evaluation of a Midhumeral Block of the Radial,Ulnar, Musculocutaneous and Median (RUMM Block) Nerves for Analgesia of the Distal Aspect of the Thoracic Limb in Dogs

Objective: To evaluate a technique for midhumeral peripheral nerve blockade in the dog. Study Design: Cadaveric technique development; in vivo placebo‐controlled, prospective crossover study. Animals: Canine cadavers (n=38) and 8 clinically healthy, adult hound dogs. Methods: A technique for peripheral block of the radial, ulnar, musculocutaneous, and median nerves (RUMM block) was evaluated using cadaver limbs. Eight purpose‐bred, research dogs were anesthetized; a RUMM block was performed on each thoracic limb. One limb from each dog randomly received 0.5% bupivacaine and the opposite limb was assigned to receive sterile saline solution as a control. After recovery from anesthesia, skin sensation at selected dermatomes was evaluated for 24 hours using a mechanical stimulus. Weight‐bearing, conscious proprioception, and withdrawal reflex were also evaluated. One month after initial testing, each dog was reanesthetized and each limb received the opposite treatment. Results: Sensory thresholds were significantly increased over baseline measurements when compared with control limbs for all nerves. Complete sensory block was achieved in radial (15/16), ulnar (3/16), musculocutaneous (8/16), and median (11/16) nerves, using a mechanical stimulus of analgesia. Complete simultaneous block of all nerves was only obtained in 1 of 16 limbs. Conclusion: RUMM block resulted in desensitization of the skin in the associated dermatomes for 4–10 hours. Complete sensory block of the dermatomes supplied by the radial nerve was most consistent. Clinical Relevance: RUMM block may be an effective technique to provide adjunctive analgesia for dogs undergoing surgery of the distal aspect of the thoracic limb.     

Microphthalmia in Texel lambs

AIM: To describe an outbreak of congenital microphthalmia in Texel lambs in New Zealand. METHODS: Affected eyes were fixed in 10% formol saline, processed routinely for histopathology and stained with haematoxylin and eosin, Holme's silver and haematoxylin with and without luxol fast blue, and luxol fast blue alone. RESULTS: Macroscopically, the globes and optic nerves were hypoplastic. Histologically, all embryonic components of the eye were present, but the lens, ciliary body, iris and retina were dysplastic. Axons of the hypoplastic optic nerve were poorly myelinated. CONCLUSIONS: Congenital microphthalmia occurs in Texel sheep in New Zealand, and is likely inherited as an autosomal recessive trait.     

禽流感病毒抗原超滤浓缩重要参数的动态变化

采用世界先进的切向流超滤浓缩技术，对禽流感病毒（H9N2亚型）超滤浓缩成倍体积，测定血凝价HA和半数感染量EID50。结果HA成倍增加，废液HA呈阴性，病毒回收率达100％；受宿主鸡胚系统的影响，EID50与病毒量之间不是简单的直线关系，但病毒的活性不受影响。结果表明，所用超滤系统适用于禽流感病毒抗原的浓缩。     

Towards an integrated understanding of green space in the European built environment

In recent years social, economic and environmental considerations have led to a reevaluation of the factors that contribute to sustainable urban environments. Increasingly, urban green space is seen as an integral part of cities providing a range of services to both the people and the wildlife living in urban areas. With this recognition and resulting from the simultaneous provision of different services, there is a real need to identify a research framework in which to develop multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research on urban green space. In order to address these needs, an iterative process based on the delphi technique was developed, which comprised email-mediated discussions and a two-day symposium involving experts from various disciplines. The two outputs of this iterative process were (i) an integrated framework for multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research and (ii) a catalogue of key research questions in urban green space research. The integrated framework presented here includes relevant research areas (i.e. ecosystem services, drivers of change, pressures on urban green space, human processes and goals of provision of urban green space) and emergent research themes in urban green space studies (i.e. physicality, experience, valuation, management and governance). Collectively these two outputs have the potential to establish an international research agenda for urban green space, which can contribute to the better understanding of people's relationship with cities.     

Water deficits at anthesis reduce CO(2) assimilation and yield of lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) trees

Ten-year-old 'Tai So' lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) trees growing on a sandy loam soil in subtropical South Africa (latitude 25 degrees S) were watered weekly (well-watered treatment) or droughted from late July until January (drought treatment). After 16 weeks, at which time the trees obtained most of their water from below 150 cm, average soil water content at 0 to 150 cm depth was 14.5 +/- 0.1% in the well-watered treatment and reached a minimum of 7.6% in the drought treatment. At Week 7, minimum leaf water potential (Psi(L)) in the morning and early afternoon declined to -2.6 and -2.8 MPa, respectively, in droughted trees compared with -1.5 and -2.2 MPa, respectively, in well-watered trees. From Week 9, stomatal conductance and net CO(2) assimilation rate ranged from 70 to 300 mmol m(-2) s(-1) and 3 to 13 micro mol CO(2) m(-2) s(-1), respectively, in well-watered trees. The corresponding values for droughted trees were 50 to 180 mmol m(-2) s(-1) and 2 to 6 micro mol CO(2) m(-2) s(-1). Five weeks after rewatering the droughted trees, gas exchange had not recovered to the rate in well-watered trees, although tree water status recovered within a week of rewatering. In the well-watered trees, water use (E(t)) was 26 +/- 1 mm week(-1) with evaporation (E(p)) of 20 to 70 mm week(-1) indicating a crop factor (k(c) = E(t)/E(p)) of 0.4 to 1.2. Before anthesis, tree water status did not affect extension growth of floral panicles or leafy shoots. In contrast, no vegetative shoots were initiated after fruit set in the droughted trees when Psi(L) in the morning declined to -2.5 MPa. Water deficits reduced initial fruit set by 30% and final fruit set by 70% as a result of fruit splitting (41.2 +/- 4.0% versus 10.0 +/- 1.3%). Water deficits did not alter the sigmoidal pattern of fruit growth, but reduced yield from 51.4 +/- 5.5 kg tree(-1) in well-watered trees to 7.4 +/- 3.3 kg tree(-1) in droughted trees.