Extended terbutryn persistence and herbicidal activity effected by superphosphate fertilizer

Microorganisms play a major role in the degradation and detoxification of most soilapplied pesticides. Any interference with soil microbial activity may affect the persistence as well as the effectiveness of the pesticide. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of granulated superphosphate fertilizers on terbutryn (2-(tert-butylamino)-4-(ethylamino)-6-(methylthio)-l,3,5-triazine) degradation and on its herbicidal activity. Concentrations exceeding 1% of superphosphate in the soil slowed down terbutryn degradation; a concentration of 3% completely inhibited terbutryn degradation for nearly 60 days. When terbutryn was impregnated on the surface of superphosphate granules, the concentration of the fertilizer that inhibited terbutryn degradation was reduced from 3% to 0.1%. Bioassays with mustard seedlings confirmed the results obtained by chemical analysis of terbutryn. The decrease in the rate of terbutryn degradation was not specific to superphosphate. The inhibition of degradation could be attributed mainly to the concentration of the salt in the soil solution, expressed as electrical conductivity values, and not to the pH of the soil or to the type of the salt. Terbutryn was found to be quite stable on the surface of the superphosphate granule. At the concentrations tested, superphosphate did not affect root growth. The optimal weight of the impregnated granule for extending terbutryn activity was 125 mg, containing 0.2% terbutryn. A greenhouse experiment confirmed the findings that fertilizers could serve as potential inhibitors of terbutryn degradation.     

Effects of intra-mammary bacterial infection with coagulase negative staphylococci and stage of lactation on shedding of epithelial cells and infiltration of leukocytes into milk: comparison among cows, goats and sheep

The effects of mammary gland bacterial infection and stage of lactation on leukocyte infiltration into the mammary gland were compared among cows, goats and sheep. Animals were at two stages of lactation: mid or late. In mid-lactation animals, bacterial-free glands and coagulase negative Staphylococcus (CNS)-infected glands were compared. In late lactation only uninfected glands were studied. Of mid-lactation bacteria-free animals, goats had the highest number of leukocytes and % polymorphonuclears (PMNs), whereas sheep had the lowest and leukocytes number in cows were intermediate between sheep and goats. Based on %PMN, two cell clusters were found in sheep, which overlapped with the parallel cell clusters of cows and goats, but with a slightly higher number of leukocytes in each cell cluster. At late lactation, goats had higher values for %PMN and leukocyte numbers in comparison to cows, which had a similar cellular profile to sheep. The cellular immune response to CNS infection was similar for the three animal species, although the number of cells was different, while the basal cell level at mid-lactation and especially at the end of lactation was species specific.     

Steam treatment to prevent carrot decay during storage

Organically grown carrots (Daucus carota L.) have a relatively short storage and shelf life, mainly because chemical measures cannot be implemented to control plant pathogens. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that steam treatments substantially reduced decay of stored organically grown carrots. Prior to being packaged, winter carrots were exposed to 3 s of steam. After 60 days of storage at 0.5°C plus an additional week at shelf conditions (20°C), 2% of the carrots were decayed, as opposed to 23% in the nontreated control. When carrot was inoculated with the fungi Alternaria alternata, [(Fr. : Fr.) Keissler] A. radicina (Meier) and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum [(Lib.) De Bary], percentages of decay, after similar periods of storage and shelf life, were 5% for steam-treated carrot and 65% for the nontreated control. In semi-commercial experiments carrots were treated with steam during the sorting process, and similar results were obtained. Higher decay was found in spring-grown carrots because of the presence of the bacterium Erwinia carotovora.sub. sp. carotovora     

Assessment of synthetic chemicals for disruption of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus response to attractant-baited traps in an urban environment

The red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier (Coleoptera, Curculionidae), is one of the most severe pests of ornamental palm species in urban areas of Mediterranean countries. Aiming to discover inhibitory semiochemicals for RPW population management in urban environments, we conducted electroantennographic (EAG) screenings of 17 commercially available synthetic compounds, representing three groups of plant volatiles (isoprenoids, phenyl propanoid derivatives and fatty acid derivatives) known for their repellent effects toward insects. These tests were followed by trap-based screenings of EAG-active menthone, α-pinene and methyl salicylate, singly and in combination, under urban conditions. In EAG bioassays, RPW antennae of both sexes showed positive dose-dependent responses to 13 of the 17 synthetic chemicals with significant differences among them. In field trapping experiments, conducted in the city of Palermo, Italy, from weeks 31 to 38 in 2010 and 2011, α-pinene, tested singly or in combination with methyl salicylate (2010) or menthone (2011), reduced trap catches by about 30% to 40%. Methyl salicylate and menthone alone were inactive. In conclusion, RPW is significantly affected by α-pinene. This isoprenoid is a promising disruptant for semiochemical-based management of this pest. In addition, identification of a large number of EAG-active chemicals could serve as a database for future design of active repellents or attractants of RPW adults.     

高温条件下在奶牛日粮中添加活性酵母粉对奶牛产奶量、饲料利用率和消化率的影响

试验旨在研究高温条件下在奶牛日粮中添加活性酵母粉（LY）对奶牛产奶量、饲料利用率和消化率的影响。试验选择42头奶牛，其中14头为初产牛，28头为经产牛。对照组饲喂基础日粮，试验组以干物质为基础添加LY 0．025％（啤酒酵母）。LY含量一周调整两次。以2h为以1个周期从30头奶牛中取4个瘤胃试样，并测定其氨氮含量。连续3d收集30头奶牛粪便样本，测定其日粮表观消化率。     

Using the Tabor Atomizer System to maintain weight and firmness in stored potato tubers

A new fogger — the Tabor Atomizer System — features unique atomizers, based on compressed air and water. The droplets produced have a very small mass (less than 10m,) and behave like a dry cloud, producing 96%–98% relative humidity (RH) without depositing free water on the tubers. After 6 months of storage at 10 C, with 96%–98% RH applied with the Tabor Atomizer System (room A), 92%–94% applied with a spin-disk humidifier (room B), and 82%–86% with no added humidity (room C), the weight losses for stored potatoes were 2%, 7%, and 12%, respectively. The firmness of the tubers expressed as newtons (N) required to penetrate the tubers before storage and after 6 months in room A, B, or C was 76, 74, 68, or 63 N, respectively.     

Charging effects on bonding and catalyzed oxidation of CO on Au8 clusters on MgO

Gold octamers (Au8) bound to oxygen-vacancy F-center defects on Mg(001) are the smallest clusters to catalyze the low-temperature oxidation of CO to CO2, whereas clusters deposited on close-to-perfect magnesia surfaces remain chemically inert. Charging of the supported clusters plays a key role in promoting their chemical activity. Infrared measurements of the stretch vibration of CO adsorbed on mass-selected gold octamers soft-landed on MgO(001) with coadsorbed O2 show a red shift on an F-center-rich surface with respect to the perfect surface. The experiments agree with quantum ab initio calculations that predict that a red shift of the C-O vibration should arise via electron back-donation to the CO antibonding orbital.     

Effect of 1-methylcyclopropene on volatile emission and aroma in cv. Anna apples

The rapidly ripening summer apple cultivar Anna was treated with 0.1 micro L(-1) and 1 microL L(-1) 1-methylcyclopropene (MCP) at harvest and kept at 20 degrees C, or stored for 5 weeks at 0 degrees C and then transferred to 20 degrees C. Total volatiles were not reduced by treatment with 0.1 microL L(-1) MCP, but were 70% lower in fruits treated with 1 microL L(-1) MCP than in untreated fruits. Ethylene production was 50% and 95% inhibited by 0.1 microL L(-1) and 1 microL L(-1) MCP, respectively. The volatiles produced by fruit at harvest were predominantly aldehydes and alcohols, with some acetate esters as well as 2-methyl butyl acetate and beta-damascenone. During ripening, the acetate and butyrate esters increased greatly and alcohols and aldehydes decreased. MCP-treated apples retained more alcohols, aldehydes, and beta-damascenone volatiles than did untreated apples. Sensory evaluation found that control and 0.1 microL L(-1) treated apples developed more fruity, ripe, and overall aromas, but the preference was for the 1 microL L(-1) treated apples with a less ripe aroma.     

Biological activity of natural phytoecdysteroids from Ajuga iva against the sweetpotato whitefly Bemisia tabaci and the persea mite Oligonychus perseae

BACKGROUND: Ecdysteroids are steroid hormones that control moulting and govern several changes during metamorphoses in arthropods. The discovery of the same molecules (phytoecdysteroids) in several plant species displayed a wide array of rather beneficial agricultural impact. Many representatives of the genus Ajuga plants contain phytoecdysteroids with a 5β‐7‐ene‐6‐one system exhibiting physiological activities in insects. RESULTS: By means of chromatographic (silica gel column, TLC) and LC‐MS, two major ecdysteroids (20‐hydroxyecdysone and cyasterone) have been isolated and identified from Israeli carpet bugle Ajuga iva (L.) Schreber (Lamiales: Lamiaceae) plants. Ajuga iva extract fractionated on the silica gel column yielded two fractions that showed high activity against the sweetpotato whitefly Bemisis tabaci and the persea mite Oligonychus perseae. A dose of 5 mg AI L^?1 of the purely identified A. iva ecdysterone significantly reduced fecundity, fertility and survival of these pests, while commercial 20‐hydroxyecdysone at the same dose had lesser effects. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate considerable efficacy of natural phytoecdysteroids against major agricultural pests, and suggests that these materials should be considered for potential development of friendly control agents. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

A study of acute and chronic anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of thiamine in mice

Background: Thiamine (VitB1) is a vitamin with various important physiological functions and postulated therapeutic effects. Its use as an analgesic in neuropathic pain has been undergoing in clinical settings. However, there has been little experimental investigation on this effect. In this study, anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of thiamine were investigated in mice. Methods: Three doses of thiamine (50, 100 and 125 mg/kg) were used by intraperitoneal injection in this study. Acute and chronic anti-nociceptive effects were examined using hot plate test alone and after sciatic nerve ligation, respectively. Imipramine (40 mg/kg) was used as positive control. Anti-inflammatory effects of thiamine on acute and chronic inflammation were assessed using xylene-induced edema in ears and granuloma caused by compressed cotton implantation, respectively. Sodium diclofenac (15 mg/kg) was used as positive control. Open field test was performed to differentiate the mice responses in the acute anti-nociceptive tests. Results: All three doses of thiamine showed significant analgesic effects in non-ligated mice and also in neuropathic pain in ligated animals. Increasing the dose of thiamine correlated with a more pronounced and sustained effect. Acute anti-inflammatory investigation showed that thiamine injected 30 or 60 minutes before xylene application reduced the weight of edematic ears. However, the effect of thiamine was less pronounced than diclofenac. Furthermore, when injected once daily for 7 days, all doses of thiamine significantly reduced the weight of the cotton disks, showing suppression of granuloma formation. Conclusion: Taken together, it has been shown that thiamine possesses remarkable analgesic activities and also has significant anti-inflammatory effects, confirming its clinical use in controlling pain and less in inflammation.