Gastral Drumming in Vespula germanica (Hymenoptera: Vespidae): Vibrational Communication at Night Suggests Additional Roles in Colony Organization

Gastral drumming (GD) is a type of vibrational communication that has been reported in several species of yellowjackets and hornets. Despite early claims that it acts as a hunger signal, a more recent study found evidence that it acts as a nest-based food-recruitment signal, the first reported for eusocial wasps. Early studies also claimed, without supporting data, that it is produced most often in the early morning hours when the sun rises. Here, I recorded drumming continuously in colonies of Vespula germanica (Fabricius) to assess whether production was highest in the morning. Although I found no evidence in support of greater early morning production, I found, surprisingly, that it is produced at night, a time when foraging does not occur. When these results are combined with the results from previous studies on this species and similar findings in honey bees, they suggest that GD may be a modulatory signal, which acts by increasing general activity levels and by increasing the rate that individuals come into contact with social cues.     

Infection criteria,inoculum sources and splash dispersal pattern of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Colletotrichum acutatum</Emphasis> causing bitter rot of apple in New Zealand

Infection of Malus x domestica cv. Royal Gala fruit by Colletotrichum acutatum causing bitter rot was studied in the temperate climate of New Zealand. Temperatures above 15 °C were required for lesions to develop on detached apple wound-inoculated or inoculated without wounding with C. acutatum spores, regardless of maturity. A wetness period of 72 h was required for infection of mature detached apple fruit without wounding. On wound-inoculated detached apple fruits, sporulation was related to temperature and followed a similar pattern. In the field, a mean temperature above 15 °C for 72 h after wound-inoculation was required for lesions to develop. Buds were a more important source of inoculum than twigs, and it was shown that C. acutatum could be isolated more frequently from outer bud scales than from inner scales. Asymptomatic infection of vegetative and reproductive buds was detected. C. acutatum was detected on asymptomic surface-sterilised petals and fruit, more commonly during summer than spring. Symptomless sterilised leaves generally yielded C. acutatum throughout the season, but isolations were more frequent in summer. Recovery of inoculum using a splash meter to detect vertical dispersal showed that in summer inoculum was primarily splashed up from the ground. In spring, inoculum was recovered in similar quantities from all heights up to a metre, suggesting that splash dispersal occurs from the canopy as well as from the ground. A disease cycle for C. acutatum infecting apples and causing bitter rot in New Zealand is suggested.     

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase of sheep adipose tissue: problems of the assay and adaptation during fetal development

The rate of fatty acid synthesis of perirenal adipose tissue of fetal lambs decreased by 90% during the last month of gestation. There was also a 90% decrease in the activity of fatty acid synthetase during this period, but the activity of this enzyme exceeded lipogenic flux by a factor of 10. The activity of acetyl CoA carboxylase in the active state (initial activity) was very similar to the lipogenic flux in adipose tissue from lambs at 120 d of gestation; although activity decreased towards term, the decline was insufficient to account for the fall in rate of fatty acid synthesis. The study also shows that assay of acetyl CoA carboxylase in the active state of ovine adipose tissue and of caprine mammary gland requires the presence of citrate, thus differing from that for rat adipose tissue. Evidence that pyruvate carboxylase can interfere in the assay of acetyl CoA carboxylase also is presented.     

Suspect osteogenesis imperfecta in a male kitten

A 4.5-month-old, male domestic shorthair was presented with bilateral femoral fractures after falling from a low height. Radiographs revealed reduced radio-opacity and thin cortices of all long bones. A presumptive diagnosis of osteodystrophy, secondary to osteogenesis imperfecta, was made on postmortem examination.     

Detection of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in ovine faeces by direct quantitative PCR has similar or greater sensitivity compared to radiometric culture

The aims of this study were to develop a new real-time quantitative PCR (QPCR) assay based on IS900 for detection and quantification of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) DNA in faeces, and to use this to detect infected sheep. Both the C and S strains of MAP were detected by the QPCR assay, and no cross reactions were detected with 51 other species of mycobacteria including 10 which contained IS900-like sequences. One copy of IS900 fragment cloned into plasmid pCR2.1 and 1 fg of MAP genomic DNA were consistently detected, while in spiked faecal samples the detection limit was 10 viable MAP per gram of ovine faeces. A total of 506 individual ovine faecal samples and 27 pooled ovine faecal samples with known culture results were tested. The QPCR assay detected 68 of 69 BACTEC culture positive individual faeces and there was a strong relation between time to detection in culture and DNA quantity measured by QPCR (r= -0.70). In pooled faecal samples, QPCR also agreed with culture (kappa=0.59). MAP DNA was detected from some culture negative faecal samples from sheep exposed to MAP, suggesting that the QPCR has very high analytical sensitivity for MAP in faecal samples and detects non-viable MAP in ovine faeces. None of the faecal samples from 176 sheep that were not exposed to MAP were positive in QPCR. This is the first report of a direct faecal QPCR assay that has similar sensitivity to a gold standard radiometric culture assay.     

Differences between primiparous and multiparous dairy cows in the inter-relationships between metabolic traits, milk yield and body condition score in the periparturient period

During the early postpartum period dairy cows mobilize fat and muscle to support lactation. This is associated with alterations in blood metabolite and hormone profiles which in turn influence milk yield and fertility. This study developed models to determine how metabolic traits, milk yield and body condition score were inter-related at different times in the periparturient period and to compare these relationships in primiparous (PP, n=188) and multiparous (MP, n=312) cows. Data from four previous studies which included information on blood metabolic parameters, parity, milk yield, body condition score and diet were collated into a single dataset. Coefficients of polynomial equations were calculated for each trait between -1 week pre-calving and week +7 postpartum using residual maximum likelihood modelling. The completed dataset was used in a multiple correlation model to determine how the best fit curves were related to each other over time. PP cows had higher concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-I and lower beta-hydroxybutyrate concentrations throughout, higher leptin concentrations pre-partum and both the peak in non-esterified fatty acids and the nadir in urea concentration occurred earlier after calving. These differences were associated with significantly lower milk production. Leptin concentrations fell at calving and were related to body condition score. Insulin was negatively correlated with yield in MP cows only. In MP cows the relationship between insulin-like growth factor-I and yield switched from negative to positive between weeks +4 and +7. Both beta-hydroxybutyrate and urea were positively related to yield in PP cows. In contrast, in MP cows beta-hydroxybutyrate was negatively correlated with yield and urea was strongly related to body condition score but not yield. These results suggest that there are differences in the control of tissue mobilization between PP and MP cows which may promote nutrient partitioning into growth as well as milk during the first lactation.     

Mesenchymal stem cell therapy in equine musculoskeletal disease: scientific fact or clinical fiction?

The goal in the therapeutic use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in musculoskeletal disease is to harness the regenerative nature of these cells focussing on their potential to grow new tissues and organs to replace damaged or diseased tissue. Laboratory isolation of MSCs is now well established and has recently been demonstrated for equine MSCs. Stem cell science has attracted considerable interest in both the scientific and clinical communities because of its potential to regenerate tissues. Research into the use of MSCs in tissue regeneration in general reflects human medical needs, however, the nature, prevalence and prognosis of superficial digital flexor tendonitis has put equine veterinary science at the forefront of tendon regeneration research. Much has been investigated and learnt but it must be appreciated that in spite of this, the field is still relatively young and both communities must prepare themselves for considerable time and effort to develop the technology into a highly efficient treatments. The promise of functional tissue engineering to replace old parts with new fully justifies the interest. At present, however, it is important to balance the understanding of our current limitations with a desire to progress the technology.     

精确农业支持技术在我国的应用与发展

重点讲述了精确农业的主要支持技术：“3S”技术、田间变量信息采集与处理技术、智能型处方农业机械、变量投入技术以及系统集成技术在我国的应用，并分析了我国发展精确农业技术研究的热点与应考虑的问题。     

刺五加生境与药用成分含量关系的研究进展

通过文献检索刺五加生境、栽培、光合等对药用成分含量影响研究的相关论文并进行分析总结,讨论生境与刺五加药用成分含量的关系及最佳栽培模式.得知刺五加在野生生境下,黄酮含量与光照呈明显相关,含量呈季节性变化,春秋高,夏季低;皂苷类成分含量则随光强的增大而降低,无季节性变化;其它成分含量无明显的季节变化.较适宜的生境为60%～70%光照,黄酮类与皂苷类均可获得较好的含量与产量.利用不同的栽培密度或遮荫调节光照强度,进行仿生栽培或野生抚育,创造适宜刺五加生活生长的环境条件,并根据其各有效成分在不同部位及不同时期的含量差异,来确定刺五加适宜生产模式及采收期,将有助于刺五加人工栽培产量和药效成分含量的提高.