UTILITY OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING FOR DISTINGUISHING NEOPLASTIC FROM NON-NEOPLASTIC BRAIN LESIONS IN DOGS AND CATS

The aim of this study was to identify magnetic resonance (MR) signs that aid differentiation of neoplastic vs. non-neoplastic brain diseases in dogs and cats. MR images of 36 dogs and 13 cats with histologic diagnosis of intracranial disease were reviewed retrospectively. Diagnoses included 30 primary and three metastatic brain tumors, 11 infectious/inflammatory lesions, three vascular, one degenerative disease, and one developmental malformation. Upon univariate analysis of 21 MR signs, there were seven that had a significant association with neoplasia: single lesion (P = 0.004), shape (P = 0.015), mass effect (P = 0.002), dural contact (P = 0.04), dural tail (P = 0.005), lesions affecting adjacent bone (P = 0.008), and contrast enhancement (P = 0.025). Increasing age was also found to be associated with neoplasia (P = 0.0001). MR signs of non-neoplastic brain diseases in dogs and cats were more variable than those of brain neoplasia.     

A Spatially and Temporally Disaggregated Anthropogenic Emission Inventory in the Southern Balkan Region

ICP Forest Monitoring data collected for more than 10 years made it possible to analyse key factors responsible for changes in forest conditions on a regional European scale. Observation routines may vary between different countries, which makes it difficult to gain more insight into stress-effect relationships. The effects on defoliation of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) of air concentrations and wet deposition of acidifying compounds, as well as effects of meteorological, site, stand and tree variables were investigated in Lithuania to test the hypothesis that spatial and temporal changes in pine defoliation were closely associated with atmospheric inputs of acidity. Over the period 1994–2004 crown defoliation of more than 8,000 pine trees was monitored in totally 45 stands distributed among three National Parks, where Integrated Monitoring Stations were situated. Air concentrations of SO2, and $ {\text{SO}}^{{{\text{2 - }}}}_{{\text{4}}} $ and $ {\text{NH}}^{{\text{ + }}}_{{\text{4}}} $ deposition, as well as spring and summer precipitation and mean winter temperature were shown to be the key factors affecting defoliation. The acidifying compounds accounted for nearly 58% of the variance in pine defoliation. Meteorological factors increased the degree of explanation to 65%, and stand and site variables to 79%.     

Development and validation of a tertiary simulation model for predicting the growth of the food microorganisms under dynamic and static temperature conditions

The use of predictive modeling software may markedly contribute to the better understanding of the microbial behavior in foods. In this paper, the development and validation of a tertiary model, which provides predictions of microbial growth in foods under dynamic or static temperature conditions, is presented. In particular, the UGPM (Unified Growth Prediction Model) software applies the Baranyi and Roberts (1994) primary model, coupled to a secondary temperature model, in order to simulate growth of a given microorganism during storage of a specific food or food category. The software, intended to be used by both expert and non-expert users, may be a valuable decision support tool for the food industry, by assisting in the management of foods based on their actual shelf-life and microbial safety, thereby limiting the deterministic “best-by” practice for the determination of shelf-life. The latter is commonly based solely on empirical observations and has high uncertainty. This in turn, may result in the rejection of large quantities of unspoiled or safe foods, or even in the distribution of spoiled and unsafe foods, due to ignorance of the effect of temperature abuse on the microbial spoilage and safety of products.     

Time-mortality relationships of larvae and adults of grain beetles exposed to extreme cold

Mortality effects of low temperature exposure to −16 °C were investigated on larvae and adults of the grain beetles Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.) (Coleoptera: Silvanidae) and Trogoderma granarium (Everts) (Coleoptera: Dermestidae), in the laboratory. The main effects and interactions of exposure time (0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24 and 48 h), developmental stage (larva and adult) and individual’s age (young and old) were examined. After 4 h of exposure 100% mortality has been achieved in most of the treatments. The only exceptions were that of old larvae of T. granarium and O. surinamensis, and adults of T. granarium which needed 48, 8, and 24 h, respectively. T. granarium was the most cold-hardy species irrespective of developmental stage, and age, followed in decreasing order by O. surinamensis and T. confusum. Younger adults were generally more susceptible to cold in the cases of O. surinamensis and T. confusum. On the contrary, older adults of T. granarium suffered higher mortality than younger ones. Larvae of T. granarium were generally more cold-tolerant than adults but the opposite pattern was observed in O. surinamensis and T. confusum. Main effects of exposure time, developmental stage and individual’s age on mortality proved to be significant for all species, with the exception of T. granarium where the effect of developmental stage proved to be insignificant. Lethal time values were estimated via probit analysis. Values of LT₅₀ ranged between 0.7 and 1.0 h for T. confusum, 0.7-1.9 h for O. surinamensis and 1.2-3.4 h for T. granarium. Our results are discussed with findings from relevant studies and the possibility of including extreme cooling to IPM programs against stored product pests is investigated.     

Effect of synthetic insecticides on the larvae of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Coccinella septempunctata</Emphasis> from Greek populations

Coccinella septempunctata L. is one of the most abundant ladybird species in Greece, preying on several aphid species and other arthropods, of which many are pests of cultivated plants. These pests are usually controlled with chemical insecticides. During this process, however, beneficials are also exposed to pesticides. The development of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs against aphids requires the evaluation of the effects of insecticides on beneficial insects. We evaluated the LD₅₀ of imidacloprid, acetamiprid, bifenthrin and deltamethrin on first, second, third and fourth instar larvae of C. septempunctata by topical application. Moreover, we studied their sublethal effects (LD₁₀) on the development, weight and prey consumption of fourth instar larvae. The topical application bioassays showed that deltamethrin and bifenthrin were highly toxic to all larval instars, whereas imidacloprid and acetamiprid were less toxic to fourth instar larvae. The LD₁₀ dose significantly affected, developmental time, adult weight and daily predation. These results show the importance of assessing potential effect of insecticides on C. septempunctata for developing effective IPM programs of aphids in Greece.     

Effect of high temperatures on survival and longevity of the predator Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant

The effect of high temperature on survival and longevity of Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) female adults was studied in the laboratory by daily exposure of the beetles to 35°C (mean r.h. 52%) combined with 1-, 2- and 3-h intervals of thermal treatment at 38, 40, 42 and 44°C (r.h. 46–48%). Fifty percent of females survived until the 12th–13th day of the thermal treatment at 38°C (depending on the exposure time), the 2nd–10th day at 40°C for 1–2 h exposure and the 4th–5th day at 42°C for 1 h exposure. Survival was 25–38% on the 1st–2nd day of the thermal treatment at 40, 42 and 44°C for 3, 2 and 1 h of exposure, respectively. Three hours of exposure of female C. montrouzieri at 42°C and 2 h exposure at 44°C were lethal for the beetles. Mean longevity of the predator was 33.13?±?1.22 days at 35°C and was significantly shorter as the temperature of the thermal treatments increased from 38^o to 44°C. These results suggest that daily temperature regimes of 35°C combined with 38–40°C for 1–3 h are marginal for the survival and longevity of the C. montrouzieri, whereas temperatures above 42°C are lethal even at short exposure. These results can partly justify the inability of C. montrouzieri to be permanently established in Pakistan environments and could contribute to a pre-evaluation assay of its potential adaptability in such environmental systems.     

Use of Rice Husk Ash as an Admixture to Remove Chromium from a Tannery Waste

This laboratory-scale study explored the use of rice husk ash (RHA) as an admixture to stabilize and solidify the waste sludge from a chrome-tanning process. Various ratios of RHA and tannery sludge were used, ranging from 0.25 to 1.0 by weight of the cement content, resulting in an experimental matrix of 16 runs. It was observed that although the compressive strength of solidified sludge improved at longer curing times, the increase was moderate after 7 days of curing. In addition, higher RHA and/or sludge ratios progressively reduced the strength of the samples. On the other hand, curing time had a positive effect on chromium leachability since the leaching concentration decreased considerably with an increase in curing time, up to 28 days. Furthermore, both the RHA and/or sludge content affected leachability, producing acceptable results, from a Thai regulatory perspective, at ratios of 0.50 or lower. Finally, the solidified sludge can be disposed of in a secure landfill and/or used as a construction material in a number of applications.