SURGICAL TECHNIQUES UTILIZED IN THE PRESENCE OF INFECTION

The infected wound must be cleaned physically and appropriate antimicrobial therapy instituted, based on the results of culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Where fluid or necrotic debris is still present, proper drainage should be utilized. Adequate immobilization, physiological dressings, and overall support of patient defense mechanisms will enhance healing and shorten the patient's recovery period.     

Use of the indirect fluorescent antibody technique for the detection of bluetongue virus antigen in tissue smears from Culicoides variipennis (diptera,ceratopogonidae)

An indirect fluorescent antibody test was used to detect Bluetongue virus (BTV) antigen in tissue smears prepared from laboratory-infected Culicoides variipennis. Insects were infected by intrathoracic inoculation and virus was detected in head, thorax and abdomen, in general increasing in titre over a period of 9 days, at which time the experiment was terminated. Reliable positive results by fluorescence were obtained from the fifth day post infection in head, thorax and abdomen smears. Since high titres of virus were found in the head, smears could therefore be prepared from the head alone, leaving the remainder of the insect for further tests.The technique iis useful in experiments involving the screening of large numbers of insects for possible BTV infection, although further work would be necessary to establish the reliability of the method for routine use.     

Insect hormones and growth regulators

The endocrine system that controls development and reproduction in insects has many unique features that could provide targets for insecticides with novel modes of action. Such insecticides, which act by disrupting the growth and development, are often called insect growth regulators. Three components of the endocrine system are discussed in this context, and an example of the specific chemical disruption of one of them, which could form the basis for the development of such insecticides, is described.     

Inconsistent effects of landscape heterogeneity and land-use on animal diversity in an agricultural mosaic: a multi-scale and multi-taxon investigation

Context

The landscape heterogeneity hypothesis states that increased heterogeneity in agricultural landscapes will promote biodiversity. However, this hypothesis does not detail which components of landscape heterogeneity (compositional or configurational) most affect biodiversity and how these compare to the effects of surrounding agricultural land-use.

Objectives

Our objectives were to: (1) assess the influence of the components of structural landscape heterogeneity on taxonomic diversity; and (2) compare the effects of landscape heterogeneity to those of different types of agricultural land-use in the same landscape across different taxonomic groups.

Methods

We identified a priori independent gradients of compositional and configurational landscape heterogeneity within an agricultural mosaic of north-eastern Swaziland. We tested how bird, dung beetle, ant and meso-carnivore richness and diversity responded to compositional and configurational heterogeneity and agricultural land-use across five different spatial scales.

Results

Compositional heterogeneity best explained species richness in each taxonomic group. Bird and ant richness were both positively correlated with compositional heterogeneity, whilst dung beetle richness was negatively correlated. Commercial agriculture positively influenced bird species richness and ant diversity, but had a negative influence on dung beetle richness. There was no effect of either component of heterogeneity on the combined taxonomic diversity or richness at any spatial scale.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that increasing landscape compositional heterogeneity and limiting the negative effects of intensive commercial agriculture will foster diversity across a greater number of taxonomic groups in agricultural mosaics. This will require the implementation of different strategies across landscapes to balance the contrasting influences of compositional heterogeneity and land-use. Strategies that couple large patches of core habitat across broader scales with landscape structural heterogeneity at finer scales could best benefit biodiversity.

     

Computer networking for scientists

Scientific research has always relied on communication for gathering and providing access to data; for exchanging information; for holding discussions, meetings, and seminars; for collaborating with widely dispersed researchers; and for disseminating results. The pace and complexity of modern research, especially collaborations of researchers in different institutions, has dramatically increased scientists' communications needs. Scientists now need immediate access to data and information, to colleagues and collaborators, and to advanced computing and information services. Furthermore, to be really useful, communication facilities must be integrated with the scientist's normal day-to-day working environment. Scientists depend on computing and communications tools and are handicapped without them.     

Optical chlorophyll measurements as predictors of total nitrogen,nitrogen fractions and in vitro ruminal nitrogen degradability in tropical grass forages

This study evaluated whether the FieldScout CM 1000 NDVI and Yara N–Tester models can produce accurate and reliable estimates of nitrogen (N), buffer-soluble nitrogen (BSN), buffer-insoluble nitrogen (BISN), non-protein nitrogen (NPN) and in vitro ruminal nitrogen degradability after 3, 12 and 24?h incubation (ND3, ND12 and ND24) in three tropical grasses: Brachiaria hybrid, Megathyrsus maximus and Paspalum atratum. Correlation between the Yara N-Tester and N, BISN and in vitro ruminal N degradability of the Brachiaria hybrid and M. maximus were high (r 0.67–0.83). The Yara N-Tester accounted for 81% and 86% (p 0.000) of N variability in the Brachiaria hybrid and M. maximus, respectively. The Yara N-Tester prediction models explained 72% and 70% (p 0.000) BISN variability in the Brachiaria hybrid and M. maximus, respectively. In vitro ND24 of the Brachiaria hybrid (R?2 0.75) and M. maximus (R?2 0.75) was also best predicted with the Yara N-Tester. Model validation showed generally low (≤0.90) concordance correlation coefficients except for Yara N-Tester N and ND24 in M. maximus. Random error was the main source of error. We conclude that the accuracy of the Yara N-Tester prediction models was superior to that of the FieldScout CM 1000 NDVI models, and that the Yara N-Tester can produce accurate and reliable estimates of Brachiaria hybrid and M. maximus N and M. maximus ND24.     

Weed Control in Southern Highbush Blueberry with S-metolachlor,Flumioxazin, and Hexazinone

Field studies were conducted in 2010, 2011, and 2012 at a commercial blueberry farm near Burgaw, NC to determine weed control and crop tolerance to S-metolachlor and flumioxazin alone or mixed with hexazinone. Herbicides were applied pre-budbreak and postharvest. Pre-budbreak applications consisted of hexazinone at 1.1 or 2.2 kg ai ha^?1, S-metolachlor at 1.4 or 2.8 kg ai ha^–1, and flumioxazin at 215 g ai ha^–1 alone and tank mixes of hexazinone or flumioxazin plus S-metolachlor. Additional treatments consisted of flumioxazin (215 g ha^–1), flumioxazin plus S-metolachlor (1.4 and 2.8 kg ha^–1), or hexazinone (1.1 kg ha^–1) plus S-metolachlor (1.4 and 2.8 kg ha^–1) applied pre-budbreak and followed by (fb) a postharvest application of flumioxazin (215 g ha^–1). Herbicide programs containing flumioxazin resulted in greater Maryland meadowbeauty control (73%) 5 to 6 weeks after treatment (WAT) than herbicide programs containing hexazinone at 1.1 or 2.2 kg ha^–1 (37% and 39%, respectively). Needleleaf rosette grass control remained ≥94% for all herbicide programs through 2 WAT. Hexazinone at 1.1 kg ha^–1 provided greater needleleaf rosette grass control (87%) than flumioxazin (71%) 5 to 6 WAT. Meadowbeauty and needleleaf rosette grass control by all herbicide programs was poor (≤39% and ≤57%, respectively) 16 to 18 WAT. Two weeks after post-harvest applications, herbicide programs receiving a post-harvest flumioxazin application had greater meadowbeauty and needleleaf rosette grass control (78% and 84%, respectively) than those programs without a post-harvest flumioxazin application (43% and 71%, respectively).