Structural requirements for repellency: norsesquiterpenes and sesquiterpenoid derivatives of nootkatone against the Formosan subterranean termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

BACKGROUND: Research has shown that the family of grapefruit flavors called nootkatones have significant repellant and toxic effects to Formosan subterranean termites (Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki). RESULTS: Nineteen synthetic nootkatone derivatives, along with three commercially available nootkatone derivatives, were tested for repellent activity against C. formosanus by a choice assay in a petri dish with a two‐step triage procedure. Based on the repellency threshold value, the relationships between structure and activity are discussed. CONCLUSION: Four derivatives of nootkatone have very high repellency and toxicity to C. formosanus, 9 times the potency of the primary compound nootkatone. Four other compounds have between 2 and 3 times the repellency of nootkatones, and three compounds are equal in their repellency to nootkatone. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Assessment of leaf cover and crop soil cover in weed harrowing research using digital images

Objective assessment of crop soil cover, defined as the percentage of leaf cover that has been buried in soil because of weed harrowing, is crucial to further progress in post‐emergence weed harrowing research. Up to now, crop soil cover has been assessed by visual scores, which are biased and context‐dependent. The aim of this study was to investigate whether digital image analysis is a feasible method to estimate crop soil cover in the early growth stages of cereals. Two main questions were examined: (i) how to capture suitable digital images under field conditions with a standard high‐resolution digital camera and (ii) how to analyse the images with an automated digital image analysis procedure. The importance of light conditions, camera angle, size of recorded area, growth stage and direction of harrowing were investigated, in order to establish a standard for image capture and an automated image analysis procedure based on the excess green colour index was developed. The study shows that the automated digital image analysis procedure provided reliable estimations of leaf cover, defined as the proportion of pixels in digital images determined to be green, which were used to estimate crop soil cover. A standard for image capture is suggested and it is recommended that digital image analysis be used to estimate crop soil cover in future research. The prospects of using digital image analysis in future weed harrowing research are discussed.     

Effects of ketoprofen alone or in combination with local anesthesia during the castration of bull calves on plasma cortisol,immunological, and inflammatory responses

To determine the effects of the anti-inflammatory ketoprofen, alone or with local anesthesia (LA) during castration on cortisol, immune, and acute phase responses, 40 Friesian calves (215 +/- 3.5 kg) were assigned as follows: 1) control, 2) surgical castration (SURG), 3) SURG following ketoprofen (3 mg/kg BW i.v.; SURG + K), 4) SURG following LA (9 mL of 2% lidocaine hydrochloride to each testis; SURG + LA), or 5) SURG following LA and K (SURG + LA + K). Total cortisol response was greater (P < 0.05) in SURG, SURG + LA, and SURG + K + LA calves than in control calves and was not different between control and SURG + K calves. The interval to peak cortisol was longer (P < 0.05) for SURG + K + LA calves than for either SURG or SURG + K calves. On d 3, KLH-induced interferon-gamma production was lower (P < 0.05) in SURG calves than in control calves, whereas concanavalin A-induced interferon-gamma production was lower (P < 0.05) in all castration groups than in control. On d 1 after surgery, fibrinogen was higher (P < 0.05) in SURG and SURG + LA calves than in control calves, whereas SURG + LA + K calves had lower (P < 0.05) fibrinogen than did SURG calves. Haptoglobin was higher (P < 0.05) in SURG calves on d 1, 3, and 7 than in control calves. On d 1 after surgery, SURG + K and SURG + LA + K calves had lower (P < 0.05) haptoglobin concentrations than SURG calves, whereas SURG + K calves had lower (P < 0.05) levels than SURG calves on d 3. In conclusion, surgical castration induced a significant elevation in cortisol secretion; the rise in cortisol was reduced to control levels by the administration of ketoprofen but not local anaesthetic. Thus, systemic analgesia using ketoprofen is more effective than local anesthesia during castration to alleviate the associated stress response.     

Parasites in Kentucky Thoroughbreds at necropsy: emphasis on stomach worms and tapeworms

A total of 363 Thoroughbreds (62 males, 292 females, and 9 geldings), 1 to 26 years of age, were examined at necropsy for internal parasites for about a 12-month period from February 1981 through February 1982. Emphasis was on examining the stomach for nematodes and the small intestine and cecum for tapeworms. Parasites recovered from the stomach and infection rates were: Habronema spp--immature (24%), H muscae--adult (38%), Draschia megastoma--immature (13%), D megastoma--adult (62%), and Trichostrongylus axei--adult (4%); lesions caused by D megastoma were found upon gross observation in 58% of the stomachs. The tapeworm, Anoplocephala perfoliata, was recovered from 54% of the horses; A magna was not found. There was no obvious difference in infection rates of the stomach worms and tapeworms according to age or sex of the horses. Seasonal differences were apparent only for immature Habronema spp and immature D megastoma for which infection rates began increasing in June, peaking in October, and declining thereafter. Presence of 4 additional species of parasites was recorded, but only a cursory examination was made for them. These were the large strongyles, Strongylus vulgaris, S edentatus, and S equinus, from the cecum and a filariid, Setaria spp (probably S equina), from the abdominal cavity, for which recovery rates from the horses were 8%, 8%, 1%, and 7%, respectively.     

Conjunctival vaccination of the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) with bacille Calmette-Guérin

AIM: To determine the efficacy of conjunctival vaccination of captive brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) with bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), as measured by immunological responses to vaccination and response to intratracheal challenge with Mycobacterium bovis.

METHODS: Nine adult male brushtail possums were vaccinated by the instillation of a suspension of BCG strain Pasteur 1173P2 into the conjunctival sac of each eye. Each drop contained approximately 2.5 × 10⁵ colony forming units (cfu). At 8 weeks post-vaccination (pv) the vaccinated possums and 10 unvaccinated possums were challenged by intratracheal instillation of approximately 100 cfu of M. bovis. Cellular immune responses to bovine purified protein derivative (PPD) antigen were measured using the lymphocyte proliferation assay (LPA). Possums surviving to 50–51 days after challenge were euth anised and subjected to detailed post-mortem examination, including histopathology, to assess protection against tuberculosis. Sections of lung and spleen were cultured for M. bovis.

RESULTS: No conjunctival inflammation or other adverse reactions to the administration of the vaccine were evident macroscopically. The vaccinated group showed a systemic cellular immune response to bovine PPD antigen at 4 and 8 weeks pv, and the response at 8 weeks was significantly greater than at 4 weeks (p<0.05). Conjunctival vaccination induced significant levels of protective immunity, measured as less mass of tuberculous lesions in lung (p<0.05) and less dissemination of disease in vaccinated compared with unvaccinated possums (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Conjunctival vaccination with BCG induced a significant level of protective immunity against M. bovis infection in possums. This route of vaccination, together with intranasal aerosol vaccination, could be utilised in the delivery of an aerosolised vaccine using a device that sprays the vaccine suspension into the eyes and nose of possums.     

Malignant neoplasia in four alpacas.

Malignant neoplasia in 4 alpacas was characterized by acute onset of clinical signs and rapidly deteriorating condition. Postmortem examination revealed metastatic or multicentric neoplasia in the abdominal organs of alpacas 1, 3, and 4 and an extensive thoracic mass in alpaca 2. Immunohistochemical stains supported a diagnosis of B-cell lymphosarcoma in alpacas 1-3 and a neuroendocrine neoplasm in alpaca 4.     

Effect of ketoprofen,lidocaine local anesthesia,and combined xylazine and lidocaine caudal epidural anesthesia during castration of beef cattle on stress responses,immunity, growth,and behavior

To determine the effects of burdizzo castration alone or in combination with ketoprofen (K), local anesthesia (LA), or caudal epidural anesthesia (EPI) on plasma cortisol, acute-phase proteins, interferon-gamma production, growth, and behavior of beef cattle, 50 Holstein x Friesian bulls (13 mo old, 307 +/- 5.3 kg) were assigned to (n = 10/treatment): 1) control (handled; C); 2) burdizzo castration (B); 3) B following K (3 mg/ kg of BW i.v.; BK); 4) B following LA (8 mL into each testis and 3 mL s.c. along the line where the jaws of the burdizzo were applied with 2% lidocaine HCl; BLA); and 5) B following EPI (0.05 mg/kg of BW of xylazine HCl and 0.4 mg/kg of BW of lidocaine HCl as caudal epidural; BEPI). The area under the cortisol curve against time was lower (P < 0.05) in BK than in B, BLA, or BEPI animals. On d 1 after treatment, plasma haptoglobin concentrations were higher (P < 0.05) in B, BLA, and BEPI than in BK animals. On d 3, haptoglobin and plasma fibrinogen concentrations were higher (P < 0.05) in all castration groups than in C. On d 7, haptoglobin and fibrinogen concentrations remained higher (P < 0.05) in BLA than in B and C animals. On d 1, concanavalin A-induced interferon-gamma production was lower (P < 0.05) in B, BLA, and BEPI than in C, but there was no difference between BK and C animals. From d -1 to 35, ADG was lower (P < 0.05) in B, BLA, and BEPI animals, but not in BK compared with C animals. Overall, there was a higher (P < 0.05) incidence of combined abnormal postures in B than in C, BK and BEPI animals. Although the use of K and EPI decreased (P < 0.05) these postures compared with B alone or B with LA, there was no difference between the K and EPI treatment. In conclusion, burdizzo castration increased plasma cortisol and acute-phase proteins, and suppressed immune function and growth rates. Local anesthesia prolonged the increase in acute-phase proteins. Ketoprofen was more effective than LA or EPI in decreasing cortisol and partially reversed the reduction in ADG following castration. The use of K or EPI was more effective than LA in decreasing pain-associated behavioral responses observed during the first 6 h after treatment. Systemic analgesia with ketoprofen, a non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug, was more effective in reducing inflammatory responses associated with castration than LA or EPI.