Efficacy of dinotefuran, permethrin and pyriproxyfen combination spot-on against Aedes aegypti mosquitoes on dogs

A spot-on formulation combining permethrin, dinotefuran and pyriproxyfen (Vectra 3D? spot-on solution for dogs - one 10-25kg pipette contains 196mg dinotefuran, 1429mg permethrin and 17mg pyriproxyfen) was evaluated in adult Beagle dogs in a study designed to measure its efficacy to control Aedes aegypti (anti-feeding effect and mortality effect). The trial was performed according to Animal Welfare and Good Clinical Practice. Twelve dogs (five males and seven female, >3 years old, weighing 8.8-13.0kg) were randomly allocated to treatment groups on pre-treatment mosquito counts: six dogs served as untreated controls, and six dogs were treated with the test formulation. Treatment consisted of applying a combination formulation to deliver at least 46.6mgkg(-1) permethrin, 6.40mgkg(-1) dinotefuran and 0.57mgkg(-1) pyriproxyfen. The combination is designed to control fleas, ticks, sand flies and mosquitoes. Each dog was infested with approximately 100 adult unfed A. aegypti once before treatment (day 6) then at 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days post-treatment. Counts and engorgement determination of dead and live mosquitoes were performed after 1h exposure period. In the treated group (group A), the repellency effect of the product based on engorgement status (anti-feeding effect), was 91.5%, 94%, 94.7%, 94% and 87% at 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days post-treatment. Mortality effect or insecticidal efficacy calculated at the end of the 1-h exposure was almost identical when calculated 24h after the 1-h exposure and remained above 93% until the end of the in-life phase. No adverse events were observed following treatment, including observations conducted 2, 4 and 24h after the last dog was treated.     

Ultrasonographic characterization of the feline cardia and pylorus in 34 healthy cats and three abnormal cats

A prospective study was performed in 34 fasted healthy cats to describe the normal ultrasonographic anatomy of the cardia and pylorus. Measurements were obtained for the caudal esophageal wall thickness (Ew), cardia wall thickness (Cw), pyloric wall thickness (Pw), thickness of the pyloric muscularis (Mp), length of the thicker part of the proximal duodenal submucosa (Dl). Among the 34 cats, 24 were examined using a linear transducer, and 10 with a microconvex transducer. Ew and Cw could be measured in 70% of the cats when a linear transducer was used, in 100% of the cats when a microconvex probe was used, Pw and Mp could be measured in 100% of the cats whatever probe was used. The submucosa of the most proximal part of the duodenum was thicker in half of the cats in longitudinal section. The muscularis layer of the pylorus was triangular in longitudinal section and thicker than the muscularis of the proximal duodenum. The mean for Ew, Cw, Pw, Mp, and DI was 4.9 mm (SD = 1.1), 5 mm (SD = 0.6), 4.4 mm (SD = 0.6), 2.5 mm (SD = 0.5), and 4.7 mm (SD = 2.38), respectively. Three cats with abnormalities of the cardia and pylorus are also described to illustrate clinical implications.     

A miniaturised method to quantify microbial mineralisation of C-labelled organic compounds in small soil samples

A miniaturised method developed to measure the mineralisation of ¹³C-labelled organic compounds in small soil samples is presented. Soil samples (<0.5 g) were placed in wells of microtiter plates with CO₂ traps (NaOH-soaked glass microfiber filters) and amended with ¹³C-labelled substrate. The microtiter plate was covered with a seal and placed in a microplate clamp system to ensure that each well was airtight. After incubation, the CO₂ traps were transferred to tightly sealed glass phials under CO₂-free atmosphere and the ¹³C-labelled CO₂ was released by addition of H₃PO₄. The CO₂ was measured by micro-GC and its isotopic signature was determined using a GC-IRMS. The qualitative and quantitative efficiency of the microplate system was demonstrated by comparison with direct measurement of CO₂ in the headspace of phials in which similarly treated soil samples had been incubated. The two methods showed similar mineralisation rates for added ¹³C-substrates but the apparent mineralisation of soil organic matter was greater with the microtiter plate method. The microplate system presented here is suitable for studying the mineralisation of different kinds of ¹³C-labelled substrates in small soil samples and allows analysis of functional and molecular characteristics on the same micro-samples.     

Surveys concerning the needs for and evaluation of distance learning in veterinary epidemiology

Distance learning courses in veterinary epidemiology, taught in French and spread over half a year, were organized in 2003 and 2004. They were the subject of surveys concerning need, evaluation, attaining learning objectives, and satisfaction, the results of which will be used to improve the course scheduled to take place in 2005.     

Comparison and differentiation of Wheat Yellow Mosaic Virus(WYMV), Wheat Spindle Streak Mosaic Virus (WSSMV) and Barley Yellow Mosaic Virus (BaYMV) isolates using WYMV monoclonal antibodies

Twelve monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were obtained by immunizing mice with a French isolate (F1) of wheat yellow mosaic virus (WYMV). Three of these (3D12, 2C1, 6C3) belong to the IgM class and the nine others to the IgG class (3D8, 3H1, 2B8, 1F2, 3C10, 4F12, 3H9, 1G5, 54). In antigen-coated plate (ACP) ELISA and indirect double antibody sandwich (IDAS) ELISA, all MAbs recognize the WYMV (F1) both in the form of purified particles and in wheat leaf extract. The analysis of numerous French isolates of WYMV shows a variable reactivity with MAbs 3D8, 3H1, 2B8, 3C10, 3H9 and 1G5 in IDAS — and ACP-ELISA. The Japanese isolate of WYMV and United States isolates of wheat spindle streak mosaic virus (WSSMV) were detected in IDAS- and ACP-ELISA by ten of the MAbs tested showing that the wheat bymoviruses originating from the three locations share a high epitopic homology. French isolates of barley yellow mosaic virus (BaYMV; pathotypes 1 and 2) were only detected in ACP-ELISA with MAbs 6C3, 3D8, 3H1 and 2B8 whereas the two Japanese strains (I-1, II-1) of MaYMV were recognized with these and also with that of 3C10. In IDAS-ELISA, the two Japanese strains were clearly detected by MAbs, 6C3, 3D8, 3H1, 1F2, 3C10 and 1G5 and the British and Belgian (pathotype 2) isolates only by that of 6C3. Only the Japanese strain of BaYMV, 1-1 could be detected with MAb 3H9 in this ELISA system.     

Influence of dietary phospholipids on early ontogenesis of fish

The aim of this paper is to provide explanations of how dietary phospholipid (PL) globally improves fish larval development, including growth and survival, digestive functions and skeletal development, and to propose optimal PL levels and sources in fish larval diets. Dietary incorporation of 8–12% PL related to dry matter (d.m.) promotes growth and enhanced survival in various species. Marine source PL, incorporating highly unsaturated fatty acids, was most efficient than soybean lecithin. This beneficial effect was explained by an enhancement in digestive functions, assessed by digestive enzyme activities and histomorphology. Nevertheless, 1.5–2.5% highly unsaturated fatty acids related to diet d.m. supplied by PL improved growth, survival and skeletal development, while 5% induced different skeletal deformities. The high incidence of deformities was associated with the down-regulation of genes involved in development, such as RXRα, RARα, RARβ and BMP-4, observed in the early stages in larvae fed a high highly unsaturated fatty acids level.     

Hepatitis B virus DNA sequences in lymphoid cells from patients with AIDS and AIDS-related complex

A lymphotropic virus HTLV-III/LAV was recently identified as the etiologic agent of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). In a study of concomitant hepatitis B infections in patients with AIDS or the AIDS-related complex, DNA sequences of hepatitis B virus (HBV) were found in fresh and cultured lymphocytes from patients with AIDS even in the absence of conventional HBV serological markers. Furthermore, the restriction DNA pattern was consistent with the integration of the viral DNA. These results should prompt additional studies to reevaluate a possible role of HBV as a cofactor in AIDS in addition to the HTLV-III/LAV causal agent.     

Rapid effects of plant species diversity and identity on soil microbial communities in experimental grassland ecosystems

Changes in plant community structure, including the loss of plant diversity may affect soil microbial communities. To test this hypothesis, plant diversity and composition were experimentally varied in grassland plots cultivated with monocultures or mixtures of 2, 3 or 4 species. We tested the effects of monocultures versus mixtures and of plant species composition on culturable soil bacterial activity, number of substrates used and catabolic diversity, microbial biomass N, microbial respiration, and root biomass. These properties were all measured 10 months after seeding the experiment. Soil bacterial activity, number of substrates used and catabolic diversity were measured in the different plant communities using BIOLOG GN and GP microplates, which are redox-based tests measuring capacity of soil culturable bacteria to use a variety of organic substrates. Microbial biomass N, microbial respiration, and root biomass were insensitive to plant diversity. Culturable soil microbial activity, substrates used and diversity declined with declining plant diversity. Their activity, number of substrates used and diversity were significantly higher in plots with 3 and 4 plant species than in monocultures and in plots with 2 species. There was also an effect of plant species composition. Culturable soil microbial activity and diversity was higher in the four-species plant community than in any of the plant monocultures suggesting that the effect of plant diversity could not be explained by the presence of a particular plant species. Our results showed that changes in plant diversity and composition in grassland ecosystems lead to a rapid response of bacterial activity and diversity.     

Assessing the fertility of two mares cloned from the same founder animal

Two cloned mares, produced from the same sample of skin fibroblasts, were bred during four breeding seasons from their second year of age, as embryo donors, in exactly the same conditions, using the same stallions for both cloned mares. The aim of this study was to test the embryo donor potential of cloned mares and to compare the results obtained from two cloned mares of the same mare with other embryo donor mares (n = 31–39 per breeding season) at the same stud. For both cloned mares, 19 embryos were recovered by 43 collection attempts (44%) (7/22 for one; 12/21 for the other), 16 (84%) pregnancies (5/7 for one, 11/12 for the other) were obtained at day 14 post-ovulation (D₁₄), and 12 (3/7 for one; 9/12 for the other) foals were born. One cloned mare was a less efficient donor mare than the other (p < .05), In control donor mares, 623 embryo collections were performed, with a recovery rate (80%—496/623) significantly higher than for cloned mares. The recovery rate in the subpopulation of 2–5-year-old control donor mares (same age of cloned mares) (89%—127/143) and The recovery rate in the subpopulation of 12 control mares bred with the seven same stallions as clones (55%—17/31), were both higher than for cloned mare (p < .05). The success rate of transfer was not different between embryos produced by cloned mares (84%—16/19) and those produced by control donor mares (79%—392/496). However, the foaling rate per embryo collection was significantly lower for cloned mares (28%—12/43) than for control donor mares (52% - 325/623) (p < .05).     

Computed tomographic features of gastric and esophageal content in dogs undergoing CT myelography and factors influencing the presence of esophageal fluid

BackgroundGastroesophageal reflux (GER) has been reported to be a common finding in dogs under general anesthesia.ObjectivesThe aim of this retrospective study was to assess the esophageal and gastric contents in a population of dogs undergoing computed tomographic myelography (myelo-CT) examination and to evaluate the factors influencing the presence of esophageal fluid (gastric content, duration of anesthesia, body position, and intrinsic factors).MethodsEsophageal and gastric contents of 83 non-brachycephalic dogs were retrospectively assessed based on plain and myelo-CT scans. Age, weight, breed, sex, and the time between the 2 computed tomography [CT] scans were included.ResultsEsophageal fluid was present in 19% (16/83) of the animals, and 14% (12/83) and 46% (37/83), respectively, had fluid or food material in their stomachs. The frequency of observing esophageal fluid on myelo-CT scans was significantly increased compared with plain CT scans (p = 0.006). The presence of gastric fluid was significantly associated with an increased frequency of observing esophageal fluid compared to other gastric contents (p = 0.049; odds ratio, 3.1). The presence of esophageal fluid was not correlated with alimentary gastric contents (p = 0.17). Increased body weight and duration of anesthesia were significantly associated with an increased frequency of observing esophageal fluid (p = 0.022, p = 0.021).ConclusionsUnlike alimentary gastric contents, fluid gastric contents were correlated with the presence of esophageal fluid upon myelo-CT. The observation of fluid in the esophagus may be consistent with GER. This study provides data additional to pH monitoring studies of GER and may support previous studies recommending shorter pre-anesthetic fasting periods in dogs.