Genetic improvement of Orius laevigatus for better fitness feeding on pollen

Journal of Pest Science - In many protected crops, augmentative biological control heavily relies on generalist predators, which continuous presence on the crop allows an early response to pest...     

Evolutionary dynamics of immune-related genes and pathways in disease-vector mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are vectors of parasitic and viral diseases of immense importance for public health. The acquisition of the genome sequence of the yellow fever and Dengue vector, Aedes aegypti (Aa), has enabled a comparative phylogenomic analysis of the insect immune repertoire: in Aa, the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae (Ag), and the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster (Dm). Analysis of immune signaling pathways and response modules reveals both conservative and rapidly evolving features associated with different functional gene categories and particular aspects of immune reactions. These dynamics reflect in part continuous readjustment between accommodation and rejection of pathogens and suggest how innate immunity may have evolved.     

Fertilization management affects the alkaline phosphatase bacterial community in barley rhizosphere soil

There is increasing interest in good agriculture practices that address the issues of sustainability, reduction in inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides while maintaining crop yield and soil fertility. It is important that soil microbial diversity and function are not impaired by altered agricultural practice. In this study, as indicators of soil quality, the bacterial community structure was evaluated from a long-term field trial managed with conventional and low-input fertilization/pesticide regimes. The low-input plots under study received approximately one fifth less N fertilizer than the conventional-input plots, a maximum of half the recommended application rates of fungicides and pesticides and no externally added P source. A non-culturable approach was taken using polymerase chain reaction–denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis of 16S rRNA and alkaline phosphomonoesterase [phosphatase] (ALP) genes in an attempt to relate bacterial community structure to respective field management regimes. To identify the ALP bacteria in these plots, randomly selected ALP clones were sequenced. The results based on Shannon diversity indices and community structure analysis of ALP genes suggest differences in community diversity and structure under conventional and low-input barley sites in most sampling seasons. We conclude that soil fertilization management affects the ALP bacteria in the barley rhizosphere, while the overall changes in bacterial community in these sites are prominently due to seasonal variation compared to crop or input regimes. The randomly selected ALP sequences identified from these sites were mostly from the Alpha and Gamma classes of Proteobacteria.     

An Evaluation of the Influence of Stock Origin and Out-migration History on the Disease Susceptibility and Survival of Juvenile Chinook Salmon

Abstract

Various methods have been developed to mitigate the adverse effects of the Federal Columbia River Power System on juvenile Pacific salmon out-migrating through the Columbia River basin. In this study, we found that hatchery-reared spring Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in the river are in varying degrees of health, which may affect delayed mortality and the assessment of the effectiveness of management actions to recover listed stocks (e.g., barging fish downstream versus leaving fish in the river). A laboratory disease challenge with Listonella anguillarum was completed on fish from Rapid River Hatchery and Dworshak National Fish Hatchery (NFH) with different out-migration histories: (1) transported by barge, (2) removed from the river before barging, or (3) left to travel in-river. Barged fish from Rapid River Hatchery experienced less mortality than fish from Dworshak NFH. No statistical differences were found between the hatcheries with fish that had in-river out-migration histories. We suggest that the stressors and low survival associated with out-migration through the hydropower system eliminated any differences that could have been present. However, 18–25% of the fish that were barged or collected before barging died in the laboratory before the disease challenge, compared with less than 2% of those that traveled in-river. Owing to disproportionate prechallenge mortality, the disease-challenged populations may have been biased; thus, they were also considered together with the prechallenge mortalities. The synthesis of prechallenge and disease-challenged mortalities and health characteristics evaluated during out-migration indicated that the benefit of barging was not consistent between the hatcheries. This finding agrees with adult survival and delayed mortality estimates for the individual hatcheries determined from adult returns. The results suggest that the health status of fish and their history before entering the hydropower system (hatchery of origin and out-migration path) are critical variables affecting the conclusions drawn from studies that evaluate mitigation strategies.

Received November 18, 2009; accepted January 6, 2011     

Evaluation of antiplatelet effects of ticlopidine in cats

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether ticlopidine exerts an antiplatelet effect, estimate the pharmacodynamics of ticlopidine, and evaluate any acute adverse effects associated with administration of ticlopidine in cats. ANIMALS: 8 domestic purpose-bred sexually intact male cats. PROCEDURE: Ticlopidine was administered orally (50 mg, q 24 h; 100 mg, q 24 h; 200 mg, q 24 h; and 250 mg, q 12 h). Each treatment period consisted of 10 days of drug administration. Platelet aggregation studies with adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and collagen and evaluation of oral mucosal bleeding times (OMBTs) were performed on days 3, 7, and 10 during each drug administration. Serotonin was measured to evaluate secretion at baseline and on day 10 for cats that received the 250-mg dosage. RESULTS: A significant reduction in platelet aggregation was detected in response to ADP on days 7 and 10 at 100 mg, on day 3 at 200 mg, and on days 3, 7, and 10 at 250 mg. A significant increase in the OMBT and decrease in serotonin release on day 10 at 250 mg was also detected; however, the cats had anorexia and vomiting at the 250-mg dosage. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Although there was a consistent antiplatelet effect at the 250-mg dosage, there was dose-dependent anorexia and vomiting that we conclude precludes the clinical usefulness of this drug in cats.     

Immersion anaesthesia in goldfish (Carassius auratus) with three concentrations of alfaxalone

Objective

To evaluate the anaesthetic effects of three different alfaxalone doses to induce anaesthesia in goldfish.

In vitro antibiotic susceptibility of Mycoplasma iguanae proposed sp. nov. isolated from vertebral lesions of green iguanas (Iguana iguana).

Mycoplasma iguanae proposed species nova was isolated from vertebral abscesses of two feral iguanas (Iguana iguana) from Florida. Three strains were evaluated for sensitivity to a variety of antibiotics. The minimum inhibitory concentrations for M. iguanae, assessed by broth dilution methods, of clindamycin, doxycycline, enrofloxacin, oxytetracycline, and tylosin (all <1 microg/ml) were lower than those of chloramphenicol (32 micro/ml) and erythromycin (64 microg/ml). The profile was identical to that of Mycoplasma alligatoris, previously isolated from American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis). M. iguanae strain 2327T was subcultured without antibiotics to assess mycoplasmacidal activity. Clindamycin, doxycycline, oxytetracycline, and tylosin were bacteriostatic from 0.1 to 0.5 microg/ml, whereas enrofloxacin was bactericidal at 20 ng/ml. An enrofloxacin dosage of 5-10 mg/kg achieves peak plasma concentrations >1 microg/ml, with an elimination half-life of 6-20 hr, in alligators. Although concentrations achieved in the vertebrae by i.m. or i.v. injection are probably lower than those in plasma, these data suggest that enrofloxacin may be useful to treat M. iguanae mycoplasmosis in iguanas.     

New trend to use biochar as foliar application for wheat plants (Triticum Aestivum)

Biochar is a product resulting from pyrolyzing biomass and is rich in carbon and several mineral. Nowadays, biochar is widely applied to agricultural soils as a soil conditioner. This research focuses on using biochar as a foliar fertilizer for wheat plants. The experiment was carried out at Shebin El-kom, El-Menoufia, Egypt, during two successive winter seasons 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 to evaluate the effect of different concentrations of biochar on the plant growth, yield and the nutritive value of wheat plant. Results showed that, the high concentrations of biochar (300?mg/L) improved the growth and yield characteristics of wheat. Biochemical constituents as expressed as total sugars, protein, phenols and indoles, as well as free amino acids, and nitrogen varied by growth stage and concentration of biochar. As a result, biochar application can be utilized to enhance the cultivated food crop and decrease the dependence on chemical fertilizers.     

Anti-Phytophthora cinnamomi activity of Phlomis purpurea plant and root extracts

Phlomis purpurea (Lamiaceae), found in Quercus suber and Quercus ilex ssp. rotundifolia forest habitats in southern Portugal, is a non-host for the oomycete Phytophthora cinnamomi, the main biotic factor involved in cork oak and holm oak decline in the Iberian Peninsula. The effect of P. purpurea crude ethanol root extract was evaluated in vitro on P. cinnamomi mycelial growth, sporangial production, zoospore release and germination as well as on chlamydospore production and viability. The protection of cork oak against infection by the pathogen was also evaluated in planta. At 10 mg ml^?1, in vitro inhibition of the pathogen structures was 85–100 %. In addition, P. purpurea plants were shown to protect Q. suber and Q. ilex from P. cinnamomi infection and to reduce the inoculum potential in glasshouse trials, indicating the ability to reduce root infection by the pathogen. The results suggest that P. purpurea has the potential to reduce disease spread and that their root extracts could provide candidate substances for control of the important pathogen, P. cinnamomi.