Teaching of undergraduate veterinary parasitology in some European countries

A review revealed that at 20 veterinary faculties in European countries parasitology is represented in the curriculum of veterinary medicine with an average of 105 core contact hours, devoted to lectures (58%) and practicals (42%). However, there is a high diversity between faculties with ranges of total contact hours between 48 and 156. Three faculties are close to the minimum of 70 core contact hours recommended by WAAVP (2002), and one faculty is below this limit. In one of the faculties parasitology is completely integrated into interdisciplinary teaching activities, in some others there are developments in this direction which include the risk of dissolving parasitology as a discipline. One faculty with a high degree of integrated teaching has already abolished the parasitological examination. Parasitology is preferentially taught in the years three, four and five of the curriculum, but there is great variation between the faculties. Most teachers in the faculties are veterinarians. In many faculties the large numbers of students and the unsatisfactory academic teaching staff:student ratio represent a significant problem. This problem may increase with more teaching obligations caused by new curricula. Due to the high diversity in content and structure of teaching curricula of veterinary medicine between veterinary faculties in Europe international and even national exchange of students is inhibited. Therefore, and for many other reasons more activities should be initiated towards harmonisation of the study curricula in Europe.     

Kritische Umweltbelastungen Landwirtschaft (Kul)‐Pflanzenschutzmittel‐ und Wachstumsregulatoreneinsatz

Im Rahmen einer Umweltverträglichkeitsbewertung werden quantifizierbare und kontrollfähige Kriterien des Pflanzenschutzmitteleinsatzes festgelegt und kritische Belastungen erarbeitet. Damit sollen sowohl Betriebsvergleiche ermöglicht als auch der Landwirtschaft ein Rahmen vorgegeben werden, der den tolerierbaren Bereich des Mitteleinsatzes absteckt. Mit Blick auf öffentliche Akzeptanzproblerne des Pflanzenschutzmitteleinsatzes sind neben potentiellen Umweltbeeinträchtigungen auch öffentliche Ängste in Bewertungsprozesse einzubeziehen. Die Kriterien Wirkstoffmenge, untersetzt nach Anwendungsgruppen, Mitteltoxizität und Ausbringungstechnologie könnten diesen Forderungen gerecht werden, da sie auf Minimierung der Wirkstoffmenge, Optimierung der Ausbringung und Auswahl mindertoxischer Mittel orientieren. Die kritische Belastung bildet somit nicht die Grenze zum umweltschädigenden, sondern zum unnötigen Bereich.     

Nearly singular magnetic fluctuations in the normal state of a high-Tc cuprate superconductor

Polarized and unpolarized neutron scattering was used to measure the wave vector- and frequency-dependent magnetic fluctuations in the normal state (from the superconducting transition temperature, Tc = 35 kelvin, up to 350 kelvin) of single crystals of La1.86Sr0.14CuO4. The peaks that dominate the fluctuations have amplitudes that decrease as T-2 and widths that increase in proportion to the thermal energy, kBT (where kB is Boltzmann's constant), and energy transfer added in quadrature. The nearly singular fluctuations are consistent with a nearby quantum critical point.     

Dietary astaxanthin supplementation for hatchery‐cultured red king crab,Paralithodes camtschaticus,juveniles

We conducted large‐scale production trials in Seward, Alaska, USA to investigate effects of dietary astaxanthin supplementation on survival, growth and shell colouration of recently settled juvenile (C1–C4) red king crabs (Paralithodes camtschaticus). We supplemented a control diet of commercial crustacean feeds with astaxanthin, and fed these diets to juvenile king crabs at densities of 2000 and 4000 crabs m^?2 for 56 days. We assessed survival and growth by counting crabs and individually measuring carapace width and weighing crabs at the start and end of the experiment, and quantified crab colour (hue, saturation, brightness) in digital photographs. Diets containing astaxanthin had higher survival, suggesting that astaxanthin may provide nutritional or immune system benefits. Crabs had lower hue, higher saturation and lower brightness values when fed diets containing astaxanthin, suggesting that red king crab colouration is plastic and responds to diet. Astaxanthin is likely an important dietary component for hatchery or laboratory reared red king crab juveniles, and should be considered for aquaculture and other rearing of this and possibly other crustacean species.     

Phosphorus supplements and fluorosis in cattle—a northern Australian experience

SUMMARY Chronic fluoride toxicosis caused lameness, dental lesions and illthrift in an extensive beef cattle herd in northern Australia. Up to 15% of the herd was lame and the disease forced the culling of large numbers of cows. The source of fluoride was fertiliser-grade monoammonium and diammonlum phosphate fed as part of a mineral supplement. Large quantities of mineral supplement were provided to the cattle because lameness was attributed to phosphorus deficiency, which is endemic in the area. Most lameness developed in the late dry season in the post-lactation phase. Severe lameness was caused by fractured pedal bones.     

Azomethines of sec-butylamine for the control of penicillium decay of oranges

Imines, synthesised by the reaction of sec-butylamine (SBA, 2-amino-butane) with pentan-2-one, heptan-2-one, octan-2-one, undecan-2-one, benzaldehyde and 2-furaldehyde, were evaluated as vapour-phase treatments to prevent the infection of oranges by Penicillium digitatum. All the imines provided decay control equivalent to SBA when they were introduced into the fruit container at a rate equivalent to 16.4 mg SBA litre^?1 air volume. The carbonyl compound component of the imines, tested alone at a five-fold higher rate, did not reduce fruit decay. All the imines were stable in the gaseous state in dry air. The imines of pentan-2-one and undecan-2-one were hydrolysed rapidly in a humid environment, indicating that their action against P. digitatum was due to the release of SBA into the atmosphere around the fruit. The instability of the imines of the aliphatic ketones makes them unsuitable as generators of SBA in packages. The imines derived from benzaldehyde and 2-furaldehyde were stable in moist air, but were hydrolysed to a significant degree on moist filter paper, especially at pH < 7. These aromatic imines were absorbed from the atmosphere by the fruit and were hydrolysed rapidly in water, and in a buffer solution that represented the environment in fresh injuries on fruit. Apparently all the imines tested generated SBA in the fruit environment, and this SBA accumulated at potential infection sites, where it prevented the development of decay.     

KINETICS OF DICHLOBENIL DEGRADATION IN SOIL

Summary. The rates of degradation of dichlobenil (2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile) in soil were determined at 67 and 267°C. The degradation followed first-order kinetics but at 67°C this occurred after an initial lag period of 10 weeks. The half-lives were 28 weeks (+ 10 weeks lag) at 6.7°C and 19 weeks at 26.7°C. The activation energy for the decomposition was the relatively low value of 3.57 kcal/mole, indicating that the degradation of dichlobenil is not as markedly affected by temperature as that of many other herbicides. The only detectable metabolite was 2,6-dichlorobenzamide, a compound that should have a substantially lower vapour pressure and a higher affinity for surfaces than the parent compound. Cinétique de la dégradation du dichlobénil dans le sol Résumé. Les taux de dégradation du dichlobénil (2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile) dans le sol ont été détermines à 6,7 et 26,7°C. La déSgradation suivit une loi cinétique du premier ordre, mais à 6,7°C ceci se produisit aprés une période initiate de latence de 10 semaines. Les demi-vies furent de 28 semaines (plus 10 semaines de latence) a 6,7°C et 19 semaines à. 26,7°C. L'énergie d'activation pour la décomposition s'établit à la valeur relativement faible de 3,57 kcal/mole; ceci indique que la dégradation du dichlobénil n'est pas aussi profondément affcctée par la température quc celle de beaucoup d'autres herbicides. Le seul métabolite detectable fut le 2,6-dichlorobenzamide, composé qui devrait avoir une pression de vapeur notablement plus faible et une affinité plus grande pour les surfaces que le composé apparenté. Kinetik des Dichlohenil-Abbaus im Boden Zusammenfassung. Es wurde die Abbaugeschwindigkeit von Dichlobenil (2,6-Dichlorbenzonitril) im Boden bei 6,7°C und 26,7°C bestinimt. Der Abbau entsprach einer Reaktion erster Ordnung. Bei 6,7°G setzte der Abbau nach einer lag-Phase von 10 Wochen ein. Die Halbwertzeiten betrugen 28 Wochen (+10 Wochen lag-Phase) bei 6,7°C und 19 Wochen bei 26,7°C. Die Aktivierungsenergie war verhältnisniässig niedrig und betrug 3,57 Kcal/Mol und zeigt, dass der Abbau von Dichlobenil durch Temperatur nicht so stark beeinflusst wird wie bei vielen anderen Herbiziden. Der einzige nachweisbare Metabolit war 2,6-Dichlorbenzamid, der einen wcsentlich nieddgeren Dampfdruck und eine grössere Affinität gegenüber Oberfiächen haben dürfte als die ursprüngliche Verbindung.     

Comparison of viability assays for Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts after disinfection

In order to test various viability assays for Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts were used to infect HCT-8 cells in vitro or baby mice. Infected cells were either stained with fluorescent anti-Cryptosporidium-antibody or lysed and subjected to C. parvum-specific PCR after 48 h. Titrations with infective oocysts were performed and compared to oocysts disinfected with Neopredisan for 2 h at varying concentrations. Caecal smears and histological sections from infected animals were examined in parallel. The number of foci of parasite development in vitro after immunofluorescent staining correlated well with the infection dose. PCR was less quantifiable and the results were not always reproducible, especially when low infection doses were used. Disinfection resulted in a dose-dependent reduction of oocyst infectivity when compared to the controls in all three assays. The infection of cells cultured in vitro with oocysts of C. parvum provides a suitable tool for the estimation of viability after treatment with chemical disinfectants. Immunofluorescence is easy to perform and gives quantitative results, while PCR-based detection of parasite DNA, although possible, requires the use of more sophisticated tools for quantification.