Correlation between a proteolytic method and a radioimmunoassay for porcine serum pepsinogen concentrations

The measurement of serum pepsinogen concentrations by enzymatic method and immunoassay provides diagnostic values and should be helpful in the detection of gastric diseases related to a rise of blood pepsinogen. In the present study, the correlation between a conventional enzymatic method and a recently developed radioimmunoassay (RIA) for serum pepsinogen A was investigated. A total of 123 sera samples of porcine foetuses (n = 28), adult healthy pigs (n = 56), pigs with parakeratosis (n = 25) and pigs with ulceration of the pars oesophagea (n = 14) were tested. Overall, there was a slight correlation between the two methods (r = 0.60). In relation to individual animal groups, the correlations (r) were 0.39 (P>0.05), 0.74 (P<0.001), 0.19 (P>0.05) and 0.34 (P>0.05) in foetuses, healthy pigs, pigs with parakeratosis and pigs with ulcers, respectively. In both methods, pepsinogen concentrations (means+/-SE) were significantly higher (P<0.05) in pigs with parakeratosis (1778 +/- 86.00 mUTyr/L; 690 +/- 53.00 ng/mL) and in pigs with ulcers (2026 +/- 153.00 mUTyr/L; 1747 +/- 94.00 ng/mL) when compared to healthy pigs (935 +/- 58.00 mUTyr/L; 275 +/- 35.00 ng/mL). The proteolytic method gave a significant increased activity (P<0.05) in foetuses (1150 +/- 82.00 mUTyr/L) vs. (935 +/- 58.00 mUTyr/L) in healthy adult pigs, indicating an additional proteolytic activity in the sera of foetuses or neonates.     

广州地区禽类隐孢子虫病的初步调查

采用饱和蔗糖浮卵法，对广州地区５个鸡场，５个鸭场和３个鹅场的隐孢子虫自然感染情况进行了调查，８８２份鸡的粪样中隐孢子虫卵囊阳性者有１２４份，其阳性率为７４．１％，１００４份鸭的粪样中阳性者２７３份，其阳性率为２７．２％，５７１份鹅的粪样中阳性者为７１份，其阳性率为１２．４％，根据卵囊形态和大小，卵囊鉴定为贝氏隐孢子虫。     

Effects of Hyptis spicigera Lam. (Labiatae) on the behaviour and development of Callosobruchus maculatus F. (Coleoptera: Bruchidae), a pest of stored cowpeas

Abstract

The use of beni seed, Hyptis spicigera Lam. (Labiatae), to protect stored cowpeas from bruchid attacks is a widespread practice in West Africa. More knowledge about its actual effects on storage pests is needed to enhance its effectiveness. In this laboratory study, repellent and lethal effects of powder and essential oil from H. spicigera on Callosobruchus maculatus, the main pest of stored cowpeas, were studied. Repellency tests undertaken with a Y-tube olfactometer showed that powder was repulsive for C. maculatus adults. On the other hand, this product had no insecticidal activity. Essential oil had a dose-dependent insecticidal effect while sublethal doses repelled the adults. Both products reduced oviposition by 15 – 19 and 7 – 78% according to the doses of powder and essential oil, respectively, tested. Similarly, egg viability decreased with increasing doses of powder and essential oil used in a range of 40 – 75 and 24 – 86%, respectively. Only essential oil was lethal to C. maculatus larvae developing within cowpea seeds; however, oil activity was age-dependent, younger instars being more susceptible. These results are discussed with a view of controlling C. maculatus populations in stored cowpeas.     

Plant training for induced defense against insect pests: a promising tool for integrated pest management in cotton

Enhancing cotton pest management using plant natural defenses has been described as a promising way to improve the management of crop pests. We here reviewed various studies on cotton growing systems to illustrate how an ancient technique called plant training, which includes plant topping and pruning, may contribute to this goal. Using examples from cotton crops, we show how trained plants can be brought to a state of enhanced defense that causes faster and more robust activation of their defense responses. We revisit the agricultural benefits associated with this technique in cotton crops, with a focus on its potential as a supplementary tool for integrated pest management (IPM). In particular, we examine its role in mediating plant interactions with conspecific neighboring plants, pests and associated natural enemies. We propose a new IPM tool, plant training for induced defense, which involves inducing plant defense through artificial injury. Experimental evidence from various studies shows that cotton training is a promising technique, particularly for smallholders, which can be used as part of an IPM program to significantly reduce insecticide use and to improve productivity in cotton farming. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effects of non-genetic and crossbreeding factors on daily milk yield of Ayrshire × (Sahiwal × Ankole) cows in Mahwa station (Burundi)

The study was carried out at the Mahwa station located in Bututsi natural region in South of Burundi at 1850 m of altitude. The objective of the study was to assess the effects of days in milk, cow's calving age, type of crossbreeding, year and month of lactation, parity on daily milk yield of crossbreds Ayrshire (AY) × Sahiwal (S) × Ankole (A) cows. Milk yields were obtained from 9 cows (S) that have been both milked and suckled during the entire lactation, on 8 cows (M) only milked during the entire lactation and on 150 cows (SM) suckled before and milked after weaning. Data were analyzed using the procedure GLM in SAS for S,M, and SM cows separately. All factors affected significantly daily milk yields (P < 0.001). Least-squares means (LSM) for daily milk yields were highest at the 8th (7.16 ± 0.07 l), 8th (7.63 ± 0.35 l), and 7th (7.34 ± 0.39 l) day in milk for SM, S and M lactations, respectively. The Wood model was able to detect 2 main groups of curve shape: standard for SM and S cows and atypical decreasing for M cows. An important decrease in milk production was observed around the 120th day in SM cows corresponding to the weaning period. Crossbreeding improved milk production and highest yields were observed with 50% to 75% of Ayrshire inheritance (LSM = 5 ± 0.05 to 5.51 ± 0.02 l/day). A significant increase was observed from 1977 to 1992 due to the improvement of genetic and management techniques. During this period, LSM raised from 1.26 ± 0.11 l to 4.74 ± 0.03 l per day for SM cows. Unfortunately, the 1993 civilian war destabilized the managerial techniques and consequently, the milk production decreased in Mahwa station. In all cows, milk production was significantly higher from December to May (LSM = 3.96 ± 0.03 l/day) during the rainy season than in September (LSM = 3.12 ± 0.03 l/day) at the end of the dry season.     

Explaining seasonal fluctuations of measles in Niger using nighttime lights imagery

Measles epidemics in West Africa cause a significant proportion of vaccine-preventable childhood mortality. Epidemics are strongly seasonal, but the drivers of these fluctuations are poorly understood, which limits the predictability of outbreaks and the dynamic response to immunization. We show that measles seasonality can be explained by spatiotemporal changes in population density, which we measure by quantifying anthropogenic light from satellite imagery. We find that measles transmission and population density are highly correlated for three cities in Niger. With dynamic epidemic models, we demonstrate that measures of population density are essential for predicting epidemic progression at the city level and improving intervention strategies. In addition to epidemiological applications, the ability to measure fine-scale changes in population density has implications for public health, crisis management, and economic development.     

Manual topping decreases bollworm infestations in cotton cultivation in Mali

In sub-Saharan areas of Africa, cotton growers no longer cut the shoot tips from plants (topping), although manual topping was promoted at the start of the 20th century to improve yield and, surprisingly, to reduce pest incidence. In these areas, the bollworms Helicoverpa armigera Hübner, Earias spp., and Diparopsis watersi Rothschild are responsible for the majority of cotton yield losses, and the use of pyrethroids has resulted in resistance in field populations of H. armigera. In the face of these problems and given the scarcity of literature on the effects of topping on pest control, we assessed bollworm infestation levels in 12 trials comparing manual topping and non-topping cotton plots in Mali over a six-year period (2002, 2003, and 2005 to 2008). Topping was performed at the emergence of the 15th sympodial branch or at 10 days after the first flower opening. Our results showed no significant difference in seed cotton yields between topped and non-topped cotton. Bollworm infestations (all species) were always lower on topped cotton and 7 out of 12 trials showed significantly lower infestations on topped cotton. In plots of topped cotton, we recorded an average of 56% fewer H. armigera larvae, 68% fewer Earias spp. larvae, and 71% fewer D. watersi larvae with respectively 5, 4, and 3 out of 12 trials with significant differences in favor of topping and no significant difference in favor of non-topping. To our knowledge, our study is the first to report decreases in D. watersi larval infestation with cotton topping. Further studies are required to understand the mechanisms involved in these effects and to ensure that topping is economically attractive for farmers.     

Simulation studies of Senegalese Grasshopper ecosystem interactions II: the role of egg pod predators and birds

We present a simulation study of the role of birds and egg pod predators in the population dynamics of the Senegalese grasshopper. The model was an energetics-driven ecosystem model that included a natural Sahelian grass, millet, grasshoppers, the egg pod predators bombyliidae and Tenebrionidae, and 24 species of birds that prey on grasshopper nymphs and adults. The model simulated the rain-dependent dynamics and migration along a five-location south–north transect in Niger and Senegal, and the main outputs were the grasshopper pressure on the transect, measured as accumulated transect grasshopper days, and the density of eggs ready to emerge the following rainy season. The model was calibrated using observations from transects in Niger (2003, 2004) and Senegal (2004).

When input data from Niger 2003 and 2004 were applied, simulated reductions in grasshopper pressure during the rainy season from egg pod predators and birds, respectively, were within a range of 18–25%, but taken together the overall reduction in grasshopper pressure ranged between 35 and 37%. Using input from Senegal (2004) the birds accounted for reductions of around 25%.

When the impact of the natural enemies was measured in terms of reduction in the density of eggs hatching the following year, the simulated impact of the egg pod predators ranged between 45 and 83% and that of the birds between 33 and 39%, and the two groups combined caused reductions between 60 and 75%.

Analyses of the sensitivity to the bird species, added one by one, showed ‘predator saturation’ along the Niger transects (with low grasshopper density) but not along the Senegal transect.

For Niger, the sensitivity analyses revealed Cattle Egret, Grey-headed Sparrow, Chestnut-bellied Starling, Buffalo Weaver, Sudan Golden Sparrow, Grey Hornbill, Red-billed Hornbill and Abyssinian Roller to be the most important individual species. For Senegal the top-five individual bird species were Village Weaver, Buffalo Weaver, Savile's Bustard, Grey-headed Sparrow and Abyssinian Roller.     

不同水分条件下秸秆覆盖对冬小麦生长的影响

在充分灌溉、轻度水分胁迫和重度水分胁迫条件下,秸秆覆盖可以有效降低作物需水量,同无秸秆覆盖对照相比分别降低了14.42%、9.58%和6.47%。秸秆覆盖可以提高土壤的保墒作用;各种水分条件下,秸秆覆盖对于作物产量都有着显著影响。