Insecticidal activities of crude extracts and phospholipids from Chenopodium ficifolium against melon and cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii

Several organic solvent extracts of Chenopodium ficifolium were tested for their insecticidal activity against melon and cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii, on cucumber plants. Both methanol and ethanol extracts, at 5000 μg ml⁻¹, were highly active giving over 80% control. The other crude extracts displayed moderate or weak insecticidal activity giving control in the range of 16–69%. Two phospholipids were isolated as insecticidal active substances from C. ficifolium. Their chemical structures were identified as 1-palmitoyl-2-(3-trans)-hexadecenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoglycerol and 1-palmitoyl-2-linoleoyl-3-glycerophosphocholine by GC–MS, EDS, mass and NMR spectral analyses. Both compounds displayed a dose-dependent mortality of A. gossypii. Furthermore, the liquid formulation that was obtained by partitioning with n-hexane from the methanol extract of C. ficifolium controlled melon and cotton aphid on cucumber plants effectively. These results indicate that extracts of C. ficifolium have potential for development as botanical insecticides for controlling A. gossypii infesting cucumber plants.     

Leaf chlorophyll fluorescence discriminates herbicide resistance in Echinochloa species

Timely detection of herbicide resistance at an early stage of crop cultivation is essential to help farmers find alternative solutions to manage herbicide resistance in their fields. In this study, maximum quantum yield of PS II [F_v/F_m = (F_m – F_o)/F_m] was measured at the 4–5 leaf stage to discriminate between herbicide‐resistant and susceptible biotypes of Echinochloa species. The differences in F_v/F_m between herbicide‐resistant and susceptible Echinochloa spp. were consistent with the whole‐plant assay based on I₅₀ (herbicide doses causing a 50% inhibition of F_v/F_m) and GR₅₀ (herbicide doses causing a 50% reduction in plant fresh weight) values and R/S ratios (herbicide resistance index), regardless of the mode of action of the tested herbicides. A PS II inhibitor caused the fastest inhibition of F_v/F_m, compared with ACCase and ALS inhibitors, after herbicide treatment. The required time for discrimination between herbicide‐resistant and susceptible Echinochloa spp. was 64 h after PS II inhibitor treatment, much shorter than those of ACCase and ALS inhibitor‐treated plants, which required 168 and 192 h respectively. The leaf chlorophyll fluorescence assay provided reliable diagnostics of herbicide resistance in Echinochloa spp. with significant time savings and convenient measurement in field conditions compared with the conventional whole‐plant assay.     

Characteristics of ammonia and carbon dioxide releases from layer hen manure

1.?Ammonia (NH₃) is an important gaseous pollutant generated from manure in commercial poultry farms and has been an environmental, ecological, and health concern. Poultry manure also releases carbon dioxide (CO₂), which is a greenhouse gas and is often used as a tracer gas to calculate building ventilation.

2.?A 38-d laboratory study was conducted to evaluate the characteristics of NH₃ and CO₂ releases from layer hen manure using 4 manure reactors (122 cm tall, 38 cm internal diameter), which were initially filled with 66 cm deep manure followed by weekly additions of 5 cm to simulate manure accumulation in commercial layer houses.

3.?The average daily mean (ADM) NH₃ and CO₂ release fluxes for the 4 reactors during the entire study were 161?5 ± 21?1 µg/s.m² (ADM ± 95% confidence interval) and 10?0 ± 0?3 mg/s.m², respectively. The daily mean NH₃ and CO₂ releases in individual reactors varied from 35?2 to 679?1 µg/s.m² and from 6?6 to 20?5 mg/s.m², respectively.

4.?The ADM NH₃ release flux was within the range of those obtained in 4 high-rise layer houses by Liang et al. (2005 Liang, Y, Xin, H, Wheeler, EF, Gates, RS, Li, H, Zajaczkowski, JS, Topper, PA, Casey, KD, Behrends, BR, Burnham, DJ and Zajaczkowski, FJ. 2005. Ammonia emissions from US laying hen houses in Iowa and Pennsylvania. Transactions of the ASAE, 48: 1927–1941. [Crossref] [Google Scholar], Transactions of the ASAE, 48). However, the CO₂ release flux in this study was about 10 to 13 times as high as the data reported by Liang et al. (2005 Liang, Y, Xin, H, Wheeler, EF, Gates, RS, Li, H, Zajaczkowski, JS, Topper, PA, Casey, KD, Behrends, BR, Burnham, DJ and Zajaczkowski, FJ. 2005. Ammonia emissions from US laying hen houses in Iowa and Pennsylvania. Transactions of the ASAE, 48: 1927–1941. [Crossref] [Google Scholar]). Fresh manure had greater NH₃ release potential than the manure in the reactors under continuous ventilation. Manure with higher contents of moisture, total nitrogen, and ammonium in the 4th weekly addition induced 11 times higher NH₃ and 75% higher CO₂ releases immediately after manure addition compared with pre-addition releases.     

Carcass conformation and cut composition of Creole goat from Guadeloupe

Carcass data base of 164 Creole male goats was used in order to provide factual data on the carcass conformation. Standardised procedures of carcass measuring and cutting were followed. The European official grid of light lamb is implemented for meat goat in the French West Indies and included five levels. Weights of carcass, cuts and tissues, quality scores and linear measurements were analysed. Feeding system, age at slaughter and weight were taken into account for statistical analysis. There were significant differences among carcass conformation classes (CC) for many traits except for the fat score, leg length and compactness ratio (carcass width on length): 2.2, 34.5 cm and 0.30 on average, respectively. The values of chilled carcass weight and yield and the carcass linear measurements steadily increased until conformation class 4 or 5: 6.7 to 11.2 kg, 49% to 55% and 52.4 to 58.0 cm carcass length. For the weights of carcass cuts, significant differences appeared between two groups: classes 1 and 2 vs. classes 3, 4 and 5. Regardless of the carcass weight, the distribution of prime cuts remained similar. The indices calculated on a weight basis (kg/cm), either for the carcass or the leg, increased significantly (P < 0.01): with 54% and 63% difference between the two extreme classes, respectively. The muscle, bone and fat proportions in the shoulder did not vary between CC with 0.72, 0.22 and 0.06, respectively. Corresponding traits in leg were 0.74, 0.23 and 0.03; the last two were different (P < 0.05) from class 1 to class 5. The muscle/bone ratios calculated either in shoulder or in leg ranged from 3.1 to 3.6 (P > 0.05).     

Rewiring MAP kinase pathways using alternative scaffold assembly mechanisms

How scaffold proteins control information flow in signaling pathways is poorly understood: Do they simply tether components, or do they precisely orient and activate them? We found that the yeast mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase scaffold Ste5 is tolerant to major stereochemical perturbations; heterologous protein interactions could functionally replace native kinase recruitment interactions, indicating that simple tethering is largely sufficient for scaffold-mediated signaling. Moreover, by engineering a scaffold that tethers a unique kinase set, we could create a synthetic MAP kinase pathway with non-natural input-output properties. These findings demonstrate that scaffolds are highly flexible organizing factors that can facilitate pathway evolution and engineering.     

Tear film breakup times in young healthy cats before and after anesthesia

The objectives of this study were: (i) to determine tear film breakup times (BUTs) in young healthy cats; (ii) to determine tear film BUTs in feline eyes within 8-20 h following general anesthesia; (iii) to determine if tear film BUTs vary significantly preoperatively when compared with values obtained 8-20 h postoperatively; (iv) to determine if Schirmer tear test (STT) values correlate with tear film BUTs in young healthy cats; and (v) to determine if the isolation of particular etiologic agents from conjunctival swabs of healthy cats affects tear film BUTs. We studied eighteen healthy Domestic Short-haired (n=14) and Domestic Long-haired (n=4) cats, with normal ocular examinations, ranging in age from 0.5 to 3 years. Complete ophthalmic examinations, including tear film BUTs, were performed on all cats. Conjunctival swabs from each eye of all cats and blood samples from all cats were collected and submitted for polymerase chain reaction screening for feline herpes virus, Chlamydophila felis, Mycoplasma spp., and calicivirus. In 10 of 18 cats, STT values and tear film BUTs were measured before general anesthesia was administered and again within 8-20 h following the end of anesthesia. Mean preanesthesia tear film BUTs for all 18 cats were 17.4+/-4.6 s OD and 16.0+/-4.5 s OS. Mean postanesthesia tear film BUT results were 12.5+/-4.3 and 13.1+/-4.0 s OD and OS, respectively. Postanesthesia tear film BUTs were significantly more rapid than those measured before anesthesia (OD only). There was also a positive correlation, both before and after anesthesia, between STT values in both eyes (OU) and tear film BUTs OU. The isolation or lack of isolation of conjunctival microorganisms using PCR did not significantly affect tear film BUTs. Mean tear film BUT in young healthy domestic cats is 16.7+/-4.5 s. Tear BUT is positively correlated with STT values. Although mean tear film BUTs OD at 8-20 h following anesthesia were more rapid than preanesthesia values, this difference did not appear clinically relevant.     

Molecular typing of enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus isolated from bovine mastitis in Korea

One hundred and sixty-six Staphylococcus aureus isolates from mastitic milk samples from different cows on 26 farms were investigated for staphylococcal enterotoxins(SEs) and toxic shock syndrome toxin-1(TSST-1) by polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and reverse passive latex agglutination assay(RPLA). SEs and the TSST-1 gene were detected in thirty-seven isolates based on a multiplex PCR; SEA was detected in 32 isolates, SEB in 3 isolates, SEC in 1 isolate, and SEA and the TSST-1 gene in 1 isolate. Of the 37 enterotoxigenic isolates, thirty-three isolates were enterotoxigenic according to RPLA, where 29 isolates produced SEA, 3 isolates produced SEB, and 1 isolate produced SEC. The enterotoxin-producing S. aureus isolates were further characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis(PFGE). A macrorestriction analysis revealed 11 PFGE patterns. Among the 33 enterotoxigenic S. aureus isolates, 45.4% exhibited the same PFGE pattern I. Accordingly, although the enterotoxin-producing S. aureus isolates from bovine mastitis were genetically diverse, 1 common genotype prevailed on the farms, indicating that PFGE pattern I isolates may be the most disseminated in Korea.     

Influence of the Dietary Level of Iron from Iron Methionine and Iron Sulfate on Immune Response and Resistance of Channel Catfish to Edwardsiella ictaluri

Channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus fingerlings were fed purified diets supplemented with iron at levels of 0, 20, 60, and 180 mg/kg from iron sulfate (FeS) or 5, 10, 20, 60, and 180 mg/kg from iron methionine (FeM) in triplicate tanks for 8 wk. Fish were then divided into two groups and subjected to different assays to measure disease resistance and individual immune functions. Representative fish from each dietary treatment were challenged by bacterial immersion with virulent Edwardsiella ictaluri , and mortality due to enteric septicemia was recorded. Other fish were immunized with 0.2–mL formalin-killed E. ictaluri and boosted 21 d post-immunization. Antibody response was determined by FAST-ELISA. Chemiluminescent and chemotaxis assays were performed using peritoneal macrophages. Supplementation of the diet with various levels of iron from FeS or FeM did not significantly affect antibody production. Chemotactic migration by macrophages was depressed in iron-deficient fish and a level of 60 mgkg from either FeS or FeM provided the highest chemotactic indexes. A deficiency of dietary iron was found to increase mortality of channel caffish due to enteric septicemia of catfish (ESC). However, more studies should be conducted to better understand the effects of sources and levels of dietary iron on immune responses and disease resistance in channel caffish.     

Recruit of porcine oocytes excluded from nuclear transfer program for the production of embryos following parthenogenetic activation

To evaluate whether oocytes excluded from somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) could be utilized for embryo production by parthenogenetic activation (PA), porcine oocytes with poor morphology after maturation culture were excluded from SCNT and subsequently used for PA with different stimuli. In the first set of experiment, either electric pulse of different strengths (1.75, 2.0 or 2.25 kV/cm for 30 microsec each) or chemicals with different treatment durations [7% ethanol for 5 min followed by exposure to 6-dimethylaminopurine (6-DMAP) for 0, 2, 3 or 4 hr] was employed. Development to the 8-cell and morula stages was significantly (P<0.05) improved by electric stimulation of 2.0 kV/cm, while blastocyst formation was enhanced by chemical treatment of ethanol and 6-DMAP for 4 hr. Subsequently, oocytes were parthenogenetically activated by one of four stimuli; 1) optimal electric (2.0 kV/cm for 30 microsec), 2) optimal chemical (ethanol followed by 6-DMAP for 4 hr), 3) electric then chemical and 4) vice versa. On the other hand, oocytes with normal morphology were subjected to the same experimental treatments for the control. Regardless of oocyte type, a combination of electric and chemical stimulations did not further stimulate preimplantation development, compared with electric activation only. However, combinational treatment greatly increased the cell number of blastocysts in SCNT-excluded oocytes (21.9 to 22.9 vs. 16.9 cells/blastocyst), while such effect was not found in normal oocytes (22.2 to 23.3 cells/blastocyst). In conclusion, porcine oocytes excluded from SCNT still have a potential to develop blastocysts after PA and this might contribute to increasing the efficiency of SCNT for various purposes. A combined activation by electricity and chemical yielded the best rate of preimplantation development with increasing the quality of blastocyst.     

Simultaneous quantitation of equine cytokine mRNAs using a multi-probe ribonuclease protection assay

A rapid multi-probe ribonuclease protection assay (RPA) was developed to quantitate equine-specific cytokine mRNA levels in activated equine monocyte-derived macrophages (EMDM) and equine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (EPBMC). Eleven template plasmids specific to 10 equine cytokine genes and the beta-actin gene were generated from which radiolabeled anti-sense RNA probes were produced. The multi-probe RPA simultaneously quantitated mRNA levels of equine IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12 p35, IL-12 p40, IFN-gamma, TGF-1beta and TNF-alpha in EPBMC and EMDM with coefficients of variation as low as 0.03-0.08 (3-8%) when normalized to beta-actin expression. This sensitive and rapid assay provides a valuable tool for studies of equine immune responses.