Use of computer tomography for imaging of Crassicauda grampicola in a Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus).

A mature male Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus) stranded along the coasts of Friuli Venezia Giulia, northeast Italy, in May 2001. Parasitic infection with Crassicauda grampicola is often found in the tympanic bullae and pterygoid sinuses in many of the Risso's dolphins examined from the same area. For this reason, it was decided to perform computed tomography of the head to assess this imaging technique for the diagnosis of crassicaudosis in dolphins. A full postmortem examination confirmed the pathologic findings of the computed tomography scan. This technique can be considered a useful adjunct in the diagnosis of cranial crassicaudosis in live dolphins.     

Antioxidant properties of low molecular weight phenols present in the mediterranean diet

The antioxidant capacity of low molecular weight phenols found in olive fruit and in virgin olive oil has been investigated. The radical scavenging activity of some of the investigated phenols is higher than that of the most used antioxidants, and among them, 3,4- or 2,5-dihydroxyl phenols are also able to chelate copper ions leading to chelates that are only slightly active in the promotion of free radical reactions. The ability of tested phenols to reduce Cu(II) and their activity-structure relationships was also studied, showing that their reducing capacity is connected to the presence of a specific ligand of the reduced ion. The number of reduced ions per mole of phenol is lower than that calculated for some flavonols and isoflavones so exerting a lower prooxidant action. This fact may be important in vivo when free transition metal ions are involved in oxidation processes.     

Cross-crop effects on larval growth,survivorship and fecundity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Helicoverpa armigera</Emphasis>

The cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera is a destructive pest that affects a variety of crop plants. Because of its polyphagous feeding habit, mobility as adults, and high fecundity, the expanding infestations of H. armigera in different crops have caused economic losses and difficulties for pest population management. In Brazil, a sequence of different crop systems in the same area and crop rotation during the year can create a spatio-temporal mosaic of crops where H. armigera can persist. However, the consequences of the simultaneous and/or alternating presence of host plants for H. armigera populations through generations are unknown. In this study, we simulated, in the laboratory, hypothetical situations for the availability of soybean and cotton crops in the landscape. We evaluated the effects of: (1) the number of generations during which a population feeds on a host-plant species; (2) the succession of host-plant species on which populations have fed for two generations; and (3) the parental host plant on the fitness of H. armigera populations. Only the current host plant on which larvae fed affected the performance of the H. armigera populations. Decrease of mortality rates during the immature period was slowed when the larvae fed on soybean. The lowest value of reproductive potential (R ₀) was found for individuals originating from mating between females and males reared in cotton. Our results indicated that pest-management and biological-control plans for H. armigera should be developed on a regional scale rather than for just a specific crop area.     

Study of gastrointestinal parasites in water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) reared under Mexican humid tropical conditions

Tropical Animal Health and Production - The objective was to determine the frequency of gastrointestinal parasites (GP) genera affecting water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) reared under humid tropical...     

Liberalization of Peru's formal seed sector

During the 1990s, the Government of Peru began to aggressivelyprivatize agriculture. The government stopped loaning money to farmers' cooperatives and closed the government rice-buying company. The government even rented out most of its researchstations and many senior scientists lost their jobs. As part of this trend, the government eliminated its seed certification agency. Instead, private seed certification committees were set up with USAID funding and technical advise from a US university. The committees were supposed to become self-financing (bycertifying seed grown by small seed producers) and each committee was supposed to encourage the development of a group of small seed-producing firms, clustered around the seedcertification agency. The amazing thing is that many of the seed committees actually accomplished these goals. The agronomists who staffed the committees stood by their jobs,even after US funding ended, even though the committees' income was (at best) modest, and occasionally under the threat of violence from the extreme left. Some seed certificationcommittees failed and others did not. Some of the problems with Peruvian agricultural liberalization can be seen in regard to the seed programs of maize, rice, potatoes, and beans. For example, the government abandoned most research, yet could not resist creating certain distortions in the seed market (e.g.,buying large amounts of seed and distributing them for political ends).     

Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Equine Ocular Diseases: A Retrospective Study of 38 Eyes

Ocular ultrasonography in horses represents a valuable imaging diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of intraocular and periocular diseases, particularly when cornea or lens opacities preclude ophthalmoscopy of deeper structures. The authors studied normal and pathological aspects of the eye. Nineteen horses with opacities of the dioptric structures underwent an ultrasound examination. This technique allowed the diagnosis of a posterior synechia (1), cataracts (8), vitreous opacities (6), retinal detachment (3), and a foreign body (1). Ultrasonography provided helpful information about the structure and vascular pattern when the conventional ophthalmic evaluation was unable to achieve a correct diagnosis.     

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Soils from European High Mountain Areas

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed in 70 soils distributed in mountain areas such as Montseny (300?C1,700 m), Pyrenees (1,500?C2,900 m), Alps (1,100?C2,500 m), and Tatras (1,400?C1,960 m). Average total PAH concentrations, excluding retene and perylene, were about 400 ng/g in the Pyrenees and 1,300?C1,600 ng/g in the other mountain ranges. No correlations between PAH concentrations and total organic carbon were observed. Retene was the major PAH in the Pyrenean soils of lower altitude. No altitudinal dependence was found between soil PAH concentrations and elevation for the whole dataset. However, in the Tatra soils a statistically significant correlation with altitude was observed involving higher concentrations at higher altitude. This correlation was due to the statistically significant altitudinal dependence of the more volatile PAHs. Another observed altitudinal trend concerned the benz[a]anthracene/(benz[a]anthracene + chrysene + triphenylene) and the benzo[a]pyrene/(benzo[a]pyrene + benzo[e]pyrene) ratios that exhibited a decrease in the more chemically labile compounds, benz[a]anthracene and benzo[a]pyrene, respectively, in the soils located at higher altitude. This observation is consistent with the expected higher photooxidation at higher mountain altitude.     

Near and Mid Infrared Spectroscopy to Detect Malolactic Biotransformation of Oenococcus oeni in a Wine-Model

The aim of this work was to verify the potential of infrared （IR） spectroscopy in near and mid regions to detect the beginning of the malolactic fermentation （MLF） occurring in a model-wine and the further cells autolysis. MLF in wine is a secondary biotransformation due to lactic acid bacteria that usually occurs spontaneou,;ly or after starter inoculation at the end of alcoholic fermentation. Nowadays, it is desirable to supply winemakers with a new rapid and non-destructive approach to monitor MLF progress and 1R spectroscopy technology appears to be suitable for this purpose. The transformation of L-malic acid into L-lactic acid was carried out by inoculating a synthetic wine with an Oenococcus oeni culture and it was monitored through microbiological and chemical methods. At the same time, Fourier transform near infrared （FT-NIR） spectral data, in diffusive transflection mode using an optic probe, and FT-IR spectra, using an germanium crystal attenuated total reflectance （ATR） cell, were collected. Principal component analysis of the spectra was able to identify absorption bands related to the key molecular modifications that took place during the L-malic acid transformation. Thus, the samples were discriminated according to the fermentation phase. Although this study is a preliminary approach, results confirm that near infrared （NIR） and mid infrared （MIR） spectroscopy could be successfully applied to detect the start of MLF and the autolysis of the lactic acid bacteria （LAB） cells.