Body weight and protein content in the haemolymph of females of the zoophytophagous predator Brontocoris tabidus (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) with different diets and ages

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - The effect of different diets [1. Tenebriomolitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) pupae; 2. T. molitor pupae and Eucalyptus cloeziana plants; 3. T. molitor...     

Essential oils from Cymbopogon citratus and Lippia sidoides in the anesthetic induction and transport of ornamental fish Pterophyllum scalare

Fish Physiology and Biochemistry - This study verified the effects of essential oils from Lippia sidoides (EOLS) and Cymbopogon citratus (EOCC) on the anesthesia of freshwater angelfish...     

Herbivory affects ovarian development in the zoophytophagous predator <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brontocoris tabidus</Emphasis> (Heteroptera,Pentatomidae)

The effect of prey-based and combination prey and plant-based diets [Tenebrio molitor pupae alone; T. molitor pupae and Eucalyptus cloeziana plants; T. molitor pupae and Eucalyptus urophylla plants; and T. molitor pupae and Psidium guajava (guava) plants] on the morphometry of the ovary of Brontocoris tabidus (Signoret) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) was analyzed in the field. Females fed on T. molitor pupae without plants presented with smaller ovarioles. The number of oocytes per ovary was higher for B. tabidus females fed on a combination diet of E. urophylla and T. molitor pupae when compared to females fed only on prey. In addition to diet, the number of oocytes in the ovariole was shown to vary with the age of B. tabidus. The 21-day-old B. tabidus females were found to have a higher number of oocytes per ovariole than the 15-day-old females in all diet conditions. The 15-day-old females exhibited more developed oocytes when fed on diets containing both prey and eucalypts plants and less developed oocytes when fed with a combination diet containing guava plants or T. molitor pupae alone. The 21-one-day-old B. tabidus females which were fed with a diet without plants had smaller oocytes than those fed with plants. Herbivory improves the morphology of the ovary of B. tabidus, affecting the size of the reproductive structures and the oogenesis of this natural enemy in the field.     

Flow injection potentiometric system for the simultaneous determination of inositol phosphates and phosphate: phosphorus nutritional evaluation on seeds and grains

A simple flow injection potentiometric (FIP) system, which uses a tubular cobalt electrode, has been developed for phosphorus nutritional evaluation of seeds and grains. Inorganic phosphorus, P(i), is determined using a 1 x 10(-2) mol.L(-1) potassium phthalate buffer solution adjusted at pH 4. A sensitivity of 47 mV/decade and an operating range from 10 to 1000 mg.L(-1) (1 x 10(-4)-1 x 10(-2) M) of dihydrogen phosphate are obtained. The inositol phosphates amount, which is referred to the organic phosphorus, P(org), is directly determined from extracts using a 1 x 10(-2) mol.L(-1) Tris-HCl buffer solution adjusted at pH 8. A sensitivity of 127 mV/decade and an operating range of 10-1000 mg.L(-1) (2.5 x 10(-4)-5 x 10(-3) M) of P(org) (expressed as inositol hexakisphosphoric acid monocalcium) are achieved. Some samples of seed and grain are analyzed by an ICP-OES and a spectrophotometric method to compare results to the developed flow system; no significant differences at the 95% confidence level are observed using a paired t test. Other samples such as animal nursing feed, soybean meal, and corn are also analyzed with the proposed FIP system, showing a good correlation to the ICP-OES values.     

Soil calcium and pH monitoring sensor system

An agrarian sensorial system based on temperature, moisture, and all solid-state ion-selective potentiometric sensors was developed with the objective of monitoring the behavior of H+ and Ca2+ ions in soil and in real conditions, contributing with a new tool that tries to complement the current precision agriculture technology. The evaluation of the sensorial system to pH monitoring presented a good correlation between the results obtained by the system and the standard methodology, allowing us to notice the soil buffer capacity at different soil depths. With regard to calcium, the sensor system also presented an agreement between its results and those obtained by flame atomic absorption spectrometry, using a calibration model based on multiple linear regressions that allows the correct determination of Ca2+ concentrations in soil depths where the relative moisture is different. In this way, using well-known potentiometric sensors in a complex, discontinued, and heterogeneous matrix, such as soil, the sensorial system proved to be a useful task for agrochemical field applications.     

Pyloric outflow obstruction secondary to sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis in a dog

A 6-year-old, male neutered mixed breed dog was presented emergently with a three-week history of hyporexia, vomiting, diarrhoea and weight loss. Upon examination, the patient was dull, had generalised muscle atrophy, moderate abdominal pain and a mild amount of peritoneal effusion. A fluid-filled, distended, corrugated small bowel with marked gastroparesis and moderate peritoneal effusion was noted on abdominal ultrasonography. Endoscopy revealed hyperaemic and friable mucosa and a subjectively narrowed pylorus. Emergency exploratory celiotomy was performed due to worsening patient condition and revealed thick, diffuse, fibrous adhesions of the abdominal cavity. Based on these findings, sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis (SEP) was suspected. A large mass of omentum adjacent to the greater curvature of the stomach had caused a pyloric outflow obstruction. Adhesiolysis was attempted but was unsuccessful due to the friability of the small intestines. The dog was humanely euthanased under anaesthesia. A diagnosis of SEP was confirmed via necropsy. No underlying cause was identified. This is the first known case of a pyloric outflow obstruction secondary to SEP in a dog. Although rare, this condition should be considered as a differential for dogs with signs of a pyloric outflow obstruction with concurrent ascites and abdominal pain, hyporexia, vomiting and diarrhoea.     

Chemical composition and larvicidal activity of the essential oils from Eupatorium betonicaeforme (D.C.) Baker (Asteraceae)

The volatile composition of the essential oils from leaves and roots of Eupatorium betonicaeforme (D.C.) Baker was analyzed by GC-MS. A total of 12 compounds were identified. beta-Caryophyllene (12.4-41.7%), alpha-humulene (11.7-14.6%), gamma-muurolene (10.4-19.0%), bicyclogermacrene (15.0-17.5%), 2,2-dimethyl-6-vinylchroman-4-one (10.3-25.5%), and 2-senecioyl-4-vinylphenol (8.5-41.0%) were the most prominent constituents. The former two compounds were isolated and characterized by spectroscopic data. The essential oils and the isolated compounds were tested against Aedes aegypti larvae survival. The results obtained show that the essential oil from roots and 2,2-dimethyl-6-vinylchroman-4-one (10.3-25.5%) could be considered as natural larvicidal agents.     

Carcinocythemia: First report in a cat and literature review

A 6‐year‐old female neutered European Shorthair cat was presented with a 2‐day history of lethargy and hyporexia. On physical examination, the cat was slightly depressed and had a 2.5 cm nodule in the left 3^rd mammary gland. The hemogram revealed mild leukocytosis with mature neutrophilia and moderate thrombocytopenia. On blood smear evaluation, rare pleomorphic cells, possibly of epithelial origin, were observed mainly at the feathered edge. The animal died about 12 hours after presentation, and a necropsy was performed. On histopathology, the mammary nodule was diagnosed as a tubulopapillary adenocarcinoma with vascular invasion and widespread metastases. Immunocytochemical tests for cytokeratins (AE1/AE3) confirmed the epithelial phenotype of the neoplastic cells observed on the blood smear. The present report describes a feline mammary carcinoma with widespread metastases and the presence of malignant epithelial cells in the peripheral blood referred to as carcinocythemia. This condition has been previously described in people and dogs. To the author's knowledge, this is the first reported case of feline carcinocythemia. As in other species, the phenomenon was associated with a terminal phase of systemic malignancy.