Oestrid flies: eradication and extinction versus biodiversity.

Larvae of oestrid flies are obligate parasites of mammals. This article focuses on two potential drivers that could be forcing these flies into extinction: (i) the highly effective and widespread use of anti-parasitic drugs for domestic livestock; and (ii) the co-extinction of oestrids associated with non-domestic hosts that are endangered. Other oestrid species could be the victims of benign neglect in that they are so poorly studied that their disappearance might go unnoticed.

Cell-penetrating peptides: From mammalian to plant cells.

Internalization of cell-penetrating peptides, well described in mammalian cell system, has recently been reported in a range of plant cells by three independent groups. Despite fundamental differences between animal cell and plant cell composition, the CPP uptake pattern between the mammalian system and the plant system is very similar. Tat, Tat-2 pVEC and transportan internalisation is concentration dependent and non saturable, enhanced at low temperature (4 degrees C), and receptor independent.

Effects of dried distillers' grains with solubles (wheat-based) in feedlot cattle diets on feces and manure composition.

The use of dried distillers' grains with solubles (DDGS) in feedlot cattle (Bos taurus) diets is increasing as the bio-ethanol industry expands. This study investigated how wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) DDGS-based diets impact feedlot cattle nutrient and volatile fatty acid (VFA) excretion.

Escherichia coli O157:H7 strain origin, lineage, and Shiga toxin 2 expression affect colonization of cattle.

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 has evolved into an important human pathogen with cattle as the main reservoir. The recent discovery of E. coli O157:H7-induced pathologies in challenged cattle has suggested that previously discounted bacterial virulence factors may contribute to the colonization of cattle.

Cattle can develop immunity to paralysis caused by Dermacentor andersoni.

Cattle exposed to a paralyzing strain of Dermacentor andersoni (Stiles) were all paralyzed during an initial exposure, but the incidence of paralysis decreased to 17 and 0% after two subsequent exposures to virulent flat ticks. Cattle with a single exposure to paralyzing ticks became paralyzed when challenged with ticks that had been prefed on cattle. Western blots indicated that cattle developed antibody responses to 13 antigens in paralyzing tick saliva.

Trichothecenes in cereal grains.

Trichothecenes are sesquiterpenoid mycotoxins associated with fusarium head blight (FHB) of cereals, with worldwide economic and health impacts. While various management strategies have been proposed to reduce the mycotoxin risk, breeding towards FHB-resistance appears to be the most effective means to manage the disease, and reduce trichothecene contamination of cereal-based food products. This review provides a brief summary of the trichothecene synthesis in Fusarium species, their toxicity in plants and humans, followed by the current methods of screening and breeding for resistance to FHB and trichothecene accumulation.

Purification of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplifiable DNA from compost piles containing bovine mortalities.

Livestock production systems utilize composting as a method of disposal of livestock mortalities, but there is limited information on the rate and extent of carcass decomposition. Detection of specific DNA fragments by PCR offers a method for investigating the degradation of carcasses and other biological materials during composting. However, the purity of extracted DNA is critical for successful PCR analysis.

Translocation of cell-penetrating peptides and delivery of their cargoes in triticale microspores.

Microspore culture is contributing significantly in the field of plant breeding for crop improvement in general and cereals, in particular. In the present study, we investigated the uptake of fluorescently labeled cell-penetrating peptides (CPP; Tat, Tat(2), M-Tat, peptide vascular endothelial-cadherin, transportan) in the freshly isolated triticale microspores (mid-late uninucleate stage). We demonstrated that Tat (RKKRRQRRR) and Tat(2) (RKKRRQRRRRKKRRQRRR) are able to efficiently transduce GUS enzyme (272 kDa) in its functional form in 5 and 14% of the microspores, respectively, in a noncovalent manner.

A biosecure composting system for disposal of cattle carcasses and manure following infectious disease outbreak.

During outbreaks of infectious animal diseases, composting may be an effective method of disposing of mortalities and potentially contaminated manure. Duplicate biosecure structures containing 16 cattle (Bos taurus) mortalities (343 kg average weight) were constructed with carcasses placed on a 40-cm straw layer and overlaid with 160 cm of feedlot manure. At a depth of 80 cm (P80), compost heated rapidly, exceeding 55 degrees C after 8 d and maintained temperatures of 55 to 65 degrees C for > 35 d.

Heterogeneity in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 fecal shedding in cattle is related to Escherichia coli O157:H7 colonization of the small and large intestine.

In the last decade, Escherichia coli O157:H7 have emerged as important pathogens of the gastrointestinal tract of humans. Healthy cattle have been identified as the primary reservoir, however, the factors affecting heterogeneous E. coli O157:H7 fecal shedding are not fully understood.

Effect of a seaweed extract on fatty acid accumulation and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

This study was to determine the effect of a seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum extract (SE) containing 220 mg g(-1) phlorotannins on differentiation and fatty acid accumulation in differentiating 3T3-L1 adipocytes. 3T3-L1 cells (2 x 10(4) mL(-1)) were seeded to 24-well plates and proliferated to reach confluence and then were treated with media containing 0, 12.5, 25, 50, 75 and 100 mug mL(-1) SE for 8 days.

Nasal bots and lice from white-tailed deer in southern Alberta, Canada.

Heads of 64 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawns, harvested in the vicinity of Magrath, Alberta, Canada, (49 degrees 24'782''N, 112 degrees 52'113''W) were examined for the presence of nasal bots and lice. The deer were collected between 8-30 January 2004 as part of a government-approved herd reduction protocol. The entire surface of each head was scanned visually for the presence of lice.

Breeding soundness evaluation and semen analysis for predicting bull fertility.

Bull fertility is influenced by numerous factors. Although 20-40% of bulls in an unselected population may have reduced fertility, few are completely sterile. Breeding soundness refers to a bull's ability to get cows pregnant.

Trace element changes in soil after long-term cattle manure applications.

Manure application supplies plant nutrients, but also leads to trace element accumulation in soil. This study investigated total and EDTA-extractable B, Cd, Co, Cu and Zn in soil after 25 annual manure applications. The residual effect of 14 annual manure applications followed by 11 yr with no applications was also investigated.

Potential of Lecanicillium spp. for management of insects, nematodes and plant diseases.

Fungi in the genus Lecanicillium (formerly classified as the single species Verticillium lecanii) are important pathogens of insects and some have been developed as commercial biopesticides. Some isolates are also active against phytoparasitic nematodes or fungi. Lecanicillium spp.

Short communication: salivary secretion during meals in lactating dairy cattle.

Four multiparous Holstein cows in midlactation were used in a 4 x 4 Latin square to evaluate whether source of forage influenced salivary secretion during eating in lactating dairy cows. The forages were allocated separately from the pelleted concentrates. Cows were offered 1 of 4 forages each period: barley silage, alfalfa silage, long-stemmed alfalfa hay, or chopped barley straw.

Study of uptake of cell penetrating peptides and their cargoes in permeabilized wheat immature embryos.

The uptake of five fluorescein labeled cell-penetrating peptides (Tat, Tat(2), mutated-Tat, peptide vascular endothelial-cadherin and transportan) was studied in wheat immature embryos. Interestingly, permeabilization treatment of the embryos with toluene/ethanol (1 : 20, v/v with permeabilization buffer) resulted in a remarkably higher uptake of cell-penetrating peptides, whereas nonpermeabilized embryos failed to show significant cell-penetrating peptide uptake, as observed under fluorescence microscope and by fluorimetric analysis. Among the cell-penetrating peptides investigated, Tat monomer (Tat) showed highest fluorescence uptake (4.

Impact of previous infestation on dynamics of circulating hypodermin C in cattle artificially infested with Hypoderma lineatum (Diptera: Oestridae).

Four groups of cattle were artificially infested with 50 first instar Hypoderma lineatum after either a primary natural infestation or in the absence of a primary infestation. In two groups the primary infestation had been terminated by the application of either an organophosphate insecticide or a macrocyclic lactone parasiticide. Circulating hypodermin C and specific antibodies were measured for 40 weeks after the artificial infestation.

Developmental instability in a stem-mining sawfly: can fluctuating asymmetry detect plant host stress in a model system?

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) may be a sensitive indicator of the stress experienced by organisms during their development. Its use in this manner is an intuitively appealing, frequently proposed, and potentially powerful tool but remains controversial partially because its underlying premise rarely has been critically tested. Such tests should include direct comparisons among individuals for which levels of FA, stress and fitness have been unambiguously quantified.

Response of ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) field populations to four years of Lepidoptera-specific Bt corn production.

Pitfall traps were used to monitor populations of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in plots of corn grown in continuous cultivation during a 4-yr period (2000-2003). Treatments included transgenic corn expressing a Bt Cry protein with efficacy specific against Lepidoptera (Bt), conventional corn grown with insecticide application (I), and the same conventional cultivar grown without insecticide application (NI). Mixed-model analyses of variance were performed on pitfall captures of beetles combined across weeks to give seasonal sums.

Differential expression of proteins in response to the interaction between the pathogen Fusarium graminearum and its host, Hordeum vulgare.

Using proteomic techniques, a study aimed at isolating and identifying proteins associated with resistance to fusarium head blight (FHB) was conducted on six barley genotypes of varying resistance. At anthesis, barley spikelets were point inoculated with Fusarium graminearum macroconidial suspensions or mock inoculum. In total, 43 acidic protein spots out of 600 were detected 3 days postinoculation to be differentially expressed due to FHB and were identified.

Genetic diversity of Metarhizium anisopliae var. anisopliae in southwestern British Columbia.

The abundance and genetic diversity of the entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae var. anisopliae, in southwestern British Columbia (BC) and southern Alberta was examined. The fungus was found to be widespread in soil throughout southwestern BC, and was recovered from 56% of 85 sample sites.

Endectocide residues affect insect attraction to dung from treated cattle: implications for toxicity tests.

A 3-year study was performed in southern Alberta, Canada to assess the effect of endectocide residues on the attractiveness of cattle dung to colonizing insects. In 2003 and 2004, insect captures were compared between pitfall traps baited with dung of untreated cattle and paired traps baited with dung of cattle that had been treated 7 days previously with topically applied doramectin, eprinomectin, ivermectin or moxidectin. Faecal residues associated with each compound affected insect captures in both spring and autumn of each year.