Effects of agricultural management on nematode–mite assemblages: Soil food web indices as predictors of mite community composition

Biological indicators based on abundances of soil organisms are powerful tools for inferring functional and diversity changes in soils affected by agricultural perturbations. Field plots, combining organic and conventional practices with no tillage, conservation tillage and standard tillage maintained different nematode assemblages and soil food webs. Soil food web indices based on nematode assemblages were reliable predictors of the trophic composition of functional characteristics of soil mite assemblages. Bacterial-feeding and predatory nematodes, together with predatory mites, were abundant in the organic-no till treatments and were associated with high values of the Enrichment and the Structure Index based on nematode assemblages. Conventional-Standard tillage treatments had high abundances of fungal- and plant-feeding nematodes and algivorous mites, associated with high values of the Basal and Channel Index. This study validates the hypothesis that nematode-based soil food web indices are useful indicators of other soil organisms such as mites, with similar functional roles and environmental sensitivities.     

Classification, nomenclature, and plant pathogenic bacteria - a clarification

ABSTRACT In a recent Letter to the Editor of Phytopathology, proposals were made for endorsement and for rejection of selected names of plant pathogenic Pseudomonas spp. and Xanthomonas spp. We believe that support for, and rejection of, several names was based on misconceptions concerning the Approved Lists of Bacterial Names and entails misinterpretations of several Rules of the International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria. This letter aims to clarify those misconceptions and misinterpretations.     

Sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma in a binturong (Arctictis binturong).

An adult, female binturong (Arctictis binturong) was examined due to lethargy, inappetence, and an abdominal mass. Diagnostic investigations, including radiographs, abdominal ultrasound, clinical laboratory findings, and a fine-needle aspirate of the mass, were suggestive of a sarcoma with metastasis. Necropsy and histopathologic findings confirmed a widely disseminated sarcomatoid variant of a renal cell carcinoma, likely originating in the left kidney, with metastasis to the right kidney, spleen, pancreas, liver, mesenteric lymph nodes, and lungs. This is the first report of this neoplasm in a binturong and only the second report in the veterinary literature. Sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma is a rare histologic variant of renal cell carcinoma that is aggressive, commonly metastatic, and associated with a very poor prognosis in humans. Accurate antemortem diagnosis of this tumor may be complicated by its biphasic morphology, which may resemble carcinoma or sarcoma (or both), often necessitating the use of immunohistochemical techniques.     

Induction of prolonged larval feeding stage by juvenile hormone analogues inTribolium Castaneum

Dietary ZR-512 and ZR-619 at concentrations of 10 — 1000 ppm induced prolongation of the larval feeding period up to tenfold, increasing larval weight up to double that of untreated larvae. A comparison study of four juvenoids, using 200 ppm of ZR-512, ZR-515, ZR-619 or ZR-777, showed that ZR-515 elicits the highest larval weight (6.2 mg) and ZR-777 the lowest (3.6 mg). In all cases a pronounced enhancement of larval weight — of 50 — 250% relative to untreated larvae (2.4 mg) — was obtained.Tr. castaneum larvae reared up to their 3rd instars on a diet containing 100 ppm of ZR-512, ZR-515, ZR-619 or ZR-777 and then transferred to a juvenile hormone-free diet, were not affected. The period between 4th instar larva and pupation should therefore be considered as critical for juvenile hormone effect. The induced prolongation of the larval stage after juvenile hormone treatment was followed by a pronounced enhancement of cuticle phenoloxidase activity, indicating an alteration of the larval biochemical processes. Although juvenile hormone treatment inhibitsTr. castaneum pupation and emergence, it markedly prolongs larval feeding stage and weight and thus accelerates damage.     

Effects of maternal protein-energy malnutrition and cold stress on neutrophil function of bovine neonates

The effects of maternal protein or calorie deprivation (or both) on the bactericidal activity of neutrophils and sera from newborn calves subjected to cold stress were studied. Nutritional deficiencies in the dam had little effect on in vitro bactericidal activity of neutrophils and base-line sera taken at birth. Neutrophils obtained at birth destroyed Staphylococcus aureus but not Escherichia coli when incubated with either unheated or heated autologous base-line sera. Heat treatment of base-line sera to inactivate complement did not alter bacterial growth. When incubated in the presence of autologous base-line sera, neutrophils from 3-day-old calves were no more active in the destruction of either bacterium than were neutrophils from newborn calves. However, addition of day 3 (immunoglobulin-containing) sera enabled day 3 neutrophils to destroy E coli (P < 0.0001). The increased destruction of E coli by day 3 neutrophils and day 3 sera was not affected by heat treatment of the sera. Maternal protein deficiency significantly increased (P < 0.05) destruction of E coli by day 3 neutrophils and sera. This effect was independent of energy levels. There were no differences observed in the bactericidal activity of neutrophils and sera taken from calves exposed to 1 C or 21 C environmental chambers for 3 days. Also, cold stress-nutritional stress interactions were not detected.     

Field efficacy of ivermectin plus praziquantel oral paste against naturally acquired gastrointestinal nematodes and cestodes of horses in North America and Europe

The efficacy of an oral formulation of ivermectin plus praziquantel in the reduction of nematode and cestode egg counts in horses was assessed in 273 horses under field conditions at 15 sites in North America (n = 6) and Europe (n = 9). Horses were confirmed by fecal examination to have natural infections of strongyles (100%) and tapeworms (76%). Replicates of four horses were formed at each site, and in each replicate three animals received ivermectin (0.2 mg/kg body weight) plus praziquantel (1 mg/kg body weight) oral paste and one animal remained untreated or received vehicle paste. Fecal samples were collected for fecal nematode and cestode egg counting before and 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, and 16 days after treatment. Horses treated with ivermectin plus praziquantel oral paste had significantly (P <.01) lower posttreatment strongylid and cestode egg counts (reductions of 98% or more) than controls. Combined site analyses revealed that 95% or 96% of the horses positive for cestode eggs before treatment that were treated with ivermectin plus praziquantel were negative for cestode eggs at each posttreatment fecal examination. No adverse reactions attributable to ivermectin plus praziquantel oral paste treatments were observed. The results of the studies demonstrated that ivermectin plus praziquantel paste was highly effective in reducing egg shedding by gastrointestinal nematodes and cestodes, and no adverse reactions were observed in horses treated under field conditions.     

High stability of nuclear microsatellite loci during the early stages of somatic embryogenesis in Norway spruce

Somatic embryos of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) differentiate from proembryogenic masses (PEMs), which are subject to autodestruction through programmed cell death. In PEMs, somatic embryo formation and activation of programmed cell death are interrelated processes. We sought to determine if activation of programmed cell death in PEMs is caused by genetic aberrations during somatic embryogenesis. Based on the finding that withdrawal of auxin and cytokinin induces programmed cell death in PEMs, 1-week-old cell suspensions were cultured in medium either with or without auxin and cytokinin and then transferred to maturation medium containing abscisic acid. We analyzed the stability of three nuclear simple sequence repeat (SSR) microsatellite markers at successive stages of somatic embryogenesis in two cell lines. There were no mutations at the SSR loci at any of the successive developmental stages from PEMs to cotyledonary embryos, irrespective of whether or not the proliferation medium in which cell suspensions had been cultured contained auxin or cytokinin. The morphologies of plants regenerated from the cultures were similar, although withdrawal of auxin and cytokinin significantly stimulated the yield of both embryos and plants. We conclude, therefore, that the high genetic stability of somatic embryos in Norway spruce is unaffected by the induction of programmed cell death caused by withdrawal of auxin and cytokinin.