Studies on the comparative effectiveness of permethrin and deet against bloodsucking arthropods

A comparison was made of the effectiveness of permethrin and deet against Ornithodoros parkeri (Acari: Argasidae), Leptotrombidium fletcheri (Acari: Trombiculidae), Rhodnius prolixus (Heteroptera: Reduviidae), Phlebotomus papatasi and Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae), Anopheles Stephensi, Anopheles albimanus, Aedes taeniorhynchus, Aedes aegypti and Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae), Glossina morsitans (Diptera: Glossinidae) and Xenopsylla cheopis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae), using dose-response methods. At the ED₉₅ (95% effective dose) level, deet was more potent (P<0.05) than permethrin against all species except O. parkeri and R. prolixus. In addition, the slope of the dose-response line for deet was greater than that for permethrin against all species except O. parkeri and R. prolixus. Permethrin exhibited repellent and/or toxic effects, depending on the dose used and the individual tolerances of members of the insect test population.     

Aircraft noise - a threat to aviation

Almost five years ago, the Sixteenth Session of the ICAO Assembly adopted a resolution on aircraft noise in the vicinity of airports. The resolution was followed by a special international meeting on noise in Montreal in 1969 which called for recommendations for the development of noise requirements for existing subsonic jet aircraft “as a matter of the utmost urgency.” Despite increasing public, local and congressional demands for noise relief and the demonstrated technical feasibility of modifying current aircraft to afford significant noise reductions, nothing of a tangible nature, other than research, has been accomplished to date. While curfews and restrictive legislation limiting the growth of aviation have abounded, U.S. governmental agencies have failed to carry out the mandate given them by Public Law 90-411 in 1968 which directed the FAA to “... prescribe and amend such rules and regulations ... to provide for the control and abatement of aircraft noise ...”, as far as the existing fleet of aircraft is concerned.     

SCINTIGRAPHIC CHARACTERIZATION OF THE EQUINE FOREDIGIT AND METACARPOPHALANGEAL REGION FROM BIRTH TO SIX MONTHS OF AGE

Both foredigits and metacarpophalangeal joints of six Quarter Horse foals were scanned serially to six months of age using ⁹⁹Tc-methylene diphosphonate. Dorsal scans were made on day 1 and at two, four, six, ten, 14, 18, 22 and 26 weeks of age. Scans were assessed visually for distal third metacarpal, proximal phalangeal, and middle phalangeal physeal appearance and closure. Scans were also evaluated by computer region-of-interest (ROI) and line-profile analysis to characterize the physes quantitatively. Physeal region radioactivity relative to a disphyseal reference region was greatest at four weeks for all physes. Scintigraphic physeal closure of all physes occurred at approximately six months of age with a range of four and one half to greater than six months. The study was conducted to allow better assessment of diffuse and focal physeal disease by determining developmental times at which normal physeal region radioactivity has decreased enough to not obscure abnormal radioactivity and by quantifying scintigraphic physeal appearance which enables computer analysis to detect visually indeterminate physeal abnormalities.     

Genetic Variability and Structure of Canadian Populations of the Sapstain Fungus Ceratocystis resinifera

ABSTRACT Genomic DNA was extracted from 129 isolates of Ceratocystis resinifera, a species belonging to the C. coerulescens complex, and 19 polymorphic random amplified polymorphic DNA markers were used to study the population genetic structure of this fungus. The analysis suggested a moderate value for genetic diversity (H(S) = 0.209). However, when monomorphic markers and rare alleles, representing 89 markers, also were included in the calculation, the genetic diversity of Canadian populations of C. resinifera appeared to be much lower (H(S) = 0.045). This could be explained by two hypotheses: (i) recent introduction of this species into North America and (ii) clonal reproduction (by selfing). No specialization by C. resinifera for coniferous tree species was observed based on genetic differentiation index between isolates sampled from Pinus and Picea spp. and on phylogenetic analysis using Dice coefficient of association. In spite of a low genetic diversity, a very high genetic differentiation was observed among the nine geographical populations studied (F(ST) = 20.8%). The genetic differences were especially striking when populations from Eastern Canada were compared with populations from Western Canada (phiST = 0.27%; P < 0.001), suggesting that a geographic reproductive barrier occurs in Central Canada. This barrier may be the consequence of a weak migration of insect vectors of C. resinifera due to reduced presence of hosts in the Canadian Great Plains, where extensive agriculture occurs. However, results from pairwise F(ST) matrix and phylogeny of haplotypes suggest that the barrier is not totally impenetrable because some gene flow occurred from the west and from the east in the Big River (Saskatchewan) population located in the middle of the Great Plains.     

Minimally invasive patent ductus arteriosus occlusion in 5 dogs

OBJECTIVE: To report a technique for minimally invasive occlusion of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) and outcome in 5 dogs. STUDY DESIGN: Clinical cases. Animals: Five, 4-6-month-old, dogs with PDA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Titanium ligating clips were used for PDA closure in all dogs. Three dogs had video-enhanced mini-thoracotomy PDA occlusion. Two other dogs had thoracoscopic PDA occlusion using a custom-designed thoracoscopy clip applicator. RESULTS: Thoracoscopic PDA occlusion was successful in both dogs in which it was attempted. Complete PDA closure was achieved in 4 dogs. Three months after surgery, the largest dog had residual ductal flow that hemodynamically was insignificant. CONCLUSIONS: Although technically demanding, minimally invasive PDA occlusion is a safe and reliable technique in dogs. Preoperative measurement of the diameter of the PDA is crucial to determine if complete closure with metal clips can be achieved. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Minimally invasive PDA occlusion should be considered as an alternative to occlusion via conventional thoracotomy.     

Optical spectroscopy of individual single-walled carbon nanotubes of defined chiral structure

We simultaneously determined the physical structure and optical transition energies of individual single-walled carbon nanotubes by combining electron diffraction with Rayleigh scattering spectroscopy. These results test fundamental features of the excited electronic states of carbon nanotubes. We directly verified the systematic changes in transition energies of semiconducting nanotubes as a function of their chirality and observed predicted energy splittings of optical transitions in metallic nanotubes.