Taphonomy of experimental burials in Taphos-m: The role of fungi

BackgroundThe fungi present in the decaying remains enable a better understanding of the processes of decomposition after death. There are not many studies about fungi on decaying bodies and it is not known which fungal sampling methods are effective.AimsThe main objective of this study was to find the best method for sampling fungi in carcasses, prove the effectiveness of this method and identify the fungal colonies in animal carcasses from experimental burials.MethodsSamples from 13 carcasses of Sus scrofa domestica, from the experimental project Taphos-m, were taken with different materials: spatula, sterile swabs and RODAC contact plates.ResultsRODAC contact plates with the RBA culture medium showed higher proliferation of fungal colonies. Thirty genera of fungi were isolated from different substrates (bone, tissue, lime). Most of the fungi genera or groups identified have been described before in the literature, but the substrates they came from were different in some cases.ConclusionsSampling with RODAC contact plates was found to be the most effective method, as it provides a nutritional culture medium that may allow growth since the moment of sampling. Fungi colonies grew better in RBA culture medium because bacterial growth is inhibited. Most of the observed fungi are related to the environment but some others have been found related to decomposing bodies for the first time.     

Shape discrimination in sheep and calves

Sheep and calves have been trained, using an operant conditioning method in which they pressed panels with their muzzles in order to obtain food, to discriminate between simultaneously presented shapes. In the discrimination task the animals faced two response panels upon which were projected the shapes to be discriminated. Only presses on the panel associated with the correct shape were reinforced, and after each reinforcement the position of the positive stimulus was randomly varied. The results obtained demonstrated that sheep and calves can discriminate between a variety of similar shapes.     

Case building behaviour of the caddis fly larva, Lepidostoma hirtum

On hatching from the egg, a larva of Lepidosroma hirtum Curtis constructed a tubular, sand grain case. As the larva became older it periodically added new material to the anterior of the case and, once in every instar except the 1st, cut off ⅓ to ¼ of the posterior of the case. In the 3rd instar the larva changed from adding sand grains to cutting out and attaching almost rectangular leaf panels. By the 5th instar the case was composed entirely of leaf panels. The case was then square in section and composed of one row of panels for each of the sides. The panels were not truly rectangular but convex on the leading edge and sides and concave at the back, so that the anterior convexity of one panel fitted into the posterior concavity of the panel in front. Panels were arranged with their long axes across the case. The seams between panels in the roof were half a panel length out of phase with those in the sides but in phase with those in the floor. The convex sides of a panel allowed it to overlap the seams between panels on the two adjacent sides. If a 5th instar larva was removed from its case it first built a sand grain case followed by a leaf panel case. The animal cut panels from the leaf with its mandibles and then further shaped them by chewing round the edge. Just prior to pupation, the case was modified by the attachment of further panels to the anterior; these included panels which for the first time in the life of the larva were arranged with their long axes along the case.     

Field assessments of control agents for lesser mealworm (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) using litter sampling

Spinosad, diatomaceous earth, and cyfluthrin were assessed on two broiler farms at Gleneagle and Gatton in southeastern Queensland, Australia in 2004-2005 and 2007-2009, respectively to determine their effectiveness in controlling lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). Insecticide treatments were applied mostly to earth or 'hard' cement floors of broiler houses before the placement of new bedding. Efficacy of each agent was assessed by regular sampling of litter and counting of immature stages and adult beetles, and comparing insect counts in treatments to counts in untreated houses. Generally, the lowest numbers of lesser mealworm were recorded in the house with hard floors, these numbers equalling the most effective spinosad applications. The most effective treatment was a strategic application of spinosad under feed supply lines on a hard floor. In compacted earth floor houses, mean numbers of lesser mealworms for two under-feed-line spinosad treatments (i.e., 2-m-wide application at 0.18 g of active insecticide (g [AI]) in 100-ml water/m2, and 1-m-wide application at 0.11 g ([AI] in 33-ml water/m2), and an entire floor spinosad treatment (0.07 g [AI] in 86-ml water/m2) were significantly lower (i.e., better control) than those numbers for cyfluthrin, and no treatment (controls). The 1-m-wide under-feed-line treatment was the most cost-effective dose, providing similar control to the other two most effective spinosad treatments, but using less than half the active component per broiler house. No efficacy was demonstrated when spinosad was applied to the surface of bedding in relatively large volumes of water. All applications of diatomaceous earth, applied with and without spinosad, and cyfluthrin at the label rate of 0.02 g (AI)/100-ml water/m2 showed no effect, with insect counts not significantly different to untreated controls. Overall, the results of this field assessment indicate that cyfluthrin (the Australian industry standard) and diatomaceous earth were ineffective on these two farms and that spinosad can be a viable alternative for broiler house use.     

Comet assay and micronucleus test in circulating erythrocytes of Cyprinus carpio specimens exposed in situ to lake waters treated with disinfectants for potabilization

The detection of a possible genotoxic effect of surface water treated with disinfectants for potabilization is the aim of the present work. The Comet assay and the micronucleus test were applied in circulating erythrocytes of Cyprinus carpio. Young specimens (20-30 g) were exposed in experimental basins, built within the potabilization plant of Castiglione del Lago (Perugia, Italy). In this plant the water of the Trasimeno Lake is treated and disinfected for potabilization before it is distributed to the people in the net of drinkable water. A continuous flow of water at a constant rate was supplied to basins; the water was continuously treated at a constant concentration with one of the three tested disinfectants (sodium hypochlorite, peracetic acid and chloride dioxide), one control basin being supplied with untreated water. Three sampling campaigns were performed: October 2000, February 2001 and June 2001. Repeated blood samplings through intracardiac punctures allowed to follow the same fish populations after different exposure times: before introduction of the disinfectant, and 10 or 20 days afterwards. An additional blood sampling was performed 3 h after addition of the disinfectant in other, simultaneously exposed, fish populations. Genotoxic damage was shown in fish exposed to water disinfected with sodium hypochlorite and chloride dioxide. The Comet assay showed an immediate response, i.e. DNA damage that was induced directly in circulating erythrocytes, whereas micronuclei reached their highest frequencies at later sampling times, when a genotoxic damage in stem cells of the cephalic kidney is expressed in circulating erythrocytes. The quality of the untreated surface water seems to be the most important parameter for the long-term DNA damage in circulating erythrocytes.     

Preliminary evaluation of several disinfection/sterilization techniques for use with microdialysis probes

This study evaluated the suitability of some disinfection and sterilization methods for use with microdialysis probes. Disinfection or sterilization should minimize the tissue inflammatory reaction and improve the long-term health of rats on study and ensure the quality of data obtained by microdialysis sampling. Furthermore, the treatment should not negatively impact probe integrity or sampling performance. The techniques chosen for evaluation included two disinfection methods (70% ethanol and a commercial contact lens solution) and two sterilization methods (hydrogen peroxide plasma, and e-beam radiation). Linear microdialysis probes treated by these processes were compared to untreated probes removed from the manufacturer's packaging as if sterile (the control group). The probes were aseptically implanted in the livers of rats and monitored for 72 hours. The parameters chosen to evaluate probe performance were relative sample mass recovery and the relative in vivo extraction efficiency of the probe for caffeine. Post mortem bacterial counts and histopathology examination of liver tissue were also conducted. The probes remained intact and functional for the entire study period. The methods tested did not acutely alter the probes although hydrogen peroxide plasma and contact lens solution groups showed reduced extraction efficiencies. Minimal tissue damage was observed surrounding the probes and acute inflammatory reaction was mild to moderate. Low numbers of bacterial colonies from the implantation sites indicates that the health of animals in this study was not impaired. This was also true for the control group (untreated probe).     

Life Cycle Assessment of Novel Aircraft Interior Panels Made from Renewable or Recyclable Polymers with Natural Fiber Reinforcements and Non‐Halogenated Flame Retardants

A comprehensive life cycle assessment of panels for aircraft interiors was conducted, including both a conventional glass fiber‐reinforced panel and different novel sustainable panels. The conventional panel is made of a glass fiber‐reinforced thermoset composite with halogenated flame retardant, whereas the sustainable panels are made of renewable or recyclable polymers, natural fiber reinforcements, and nonhalogenated flame retardants. Four different sustainable panels were investigated: a geopolymer‐based panel; a linseed‐oil–based biopolymer panel; and two thermoplastic panels, one with polypropylene (PP) and another with polylactic acid (PLA). All of the sustainable panels were developed to fulfil fire resistance requirements and to be lighter than the conventional panels in order to reduce fuel consumption and air pollutant emissions from the aircraft. The environmental impacts associated with energy consumption and air emissions were assessed, as well as other environmental impacts resulting from the extraction and processing of materials, transportation of materials and waste, panel manufacturing, use, maintenance, and end of life (EoL). All the sustainable panels showed better environmental performance than the conventional panel. The overall impacts of the sustainable panels were offset by the environmental benefits in the use stage attributed to weight reduction. One square meter of the novel panels could save to 6,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalents. The break‐even point (in months) at which the use of sustainable panels would yield an environmental benefit relative to the impacts arising in production and EoL was as follows: 1.2 for the geopolymer panel; 1.7 for the biopolymer panel; 10.4 for the PLA panel; and 54.5 for the PP panel.     

A Practical Approach to Evaluation of the Germicidal Efficiency of a General Purpose Military Disinfectant

The bactericidal activity of a general purpose disinfectant consisting of 25% sodium-o-phenylphenolate and 75% sodium-4- and 6-chloro-2-phenylphenolate was evaluated by a simulated in-use, surface-square dilution method. Common floor (asphalt, rubber, and unglazed tiles) and wall (stainless steel tile, ceramic tile, and painted wood) surfaces of various porosities and compositions were selected to simulate actual-use conditions.

The method used consisted of inoculating the surfaces of 1-in. square sections of floor and wall covering with a test organism, air-drying the inoculated surface, applying the disinfectant, allowing it to act for 10 min, and recovering the survivors by plating. Confirmatory results of the standard phenol coefficient and use-dilution tests indicated 700 ppm of the disinfectant to be a safe use concentration. The in-use surface-square dilution studies have shown that this is a more than adequate safe concentration for stainless steel, both glazed and unglazed ceramic tile, and nonwaxed surface of asphalt tile. However, concentrations ranging between 2,500 and 6,000 ppm for plastic-fortified rubber tile, 1,500 and 2,000 ppm for waxed asphalt tile, and 2,000 ppm for painted wood were required to achieve 99.9% reduction of either Salmonella choleraesuis or Salmonella schottmuelleri. These results indicate that a disinfectant concentration derived from the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists use-dilution test cannot always be relied upon to provide a dependable index to actual safe use-dilution when a disinfectant is supplied to certain wall or floor surfaces.

     

THE DISINFECTANT PROPERTIES OF QUATERNARY AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS AND SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE: A COMPARISON OF RESULTS USING DIFFERENT TEST METHODS

SUMMARY: On exposing a strain of Bacterium coli 28.D.10 in a surface film at atmospheric temperature to atmospheres of different moisture contents, it was found that for relative humidities between 100 and 66% the numbers of survivors decreased with decreasing humidity. There was also some evidence of a slight increase in survivors for a decrease in relative humidity from 43 to 0%.
The percentage of survivors of Bact. coli after exposure to quaternary ammonium disinfectants also decreased with relative humidity between 100 and 66% but no significant differences were found for changes in relative humidity below 66%. The numbers of survivors of a culture of Staphylococcus aureus were the same after storage at a relative humidity of 43% as at 100%; drying did not appear to affect the sensitivity of Staph. aureus to quaternary ammonium compounds. Tests of the effect of storage time in a saturated atmosphere gave results which were not entirely consistent, but where differences were observed, there was a lower percentage of survivors for freshly inoculated films than for films which had been stored for 3 hr, presumably because a fresh film was more easily removed to the disinfectant.
When either Bact. coli or Staph. aureus was exposed to a disinfectant, the percentage of survivors was higher when the organisms were in a surface film than when they were inoculated directly into the disinfectant. Agitation during exposure reduced the numbers of survivors from a surface film. Neither the glass nor the metal coming in contact with the disinfectants affected the level of survivors.
Under the conditions of testing, sodium hypochlorite was a more effective disinfectant than the quaternary ammonium compounds used.     

Monitoring Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) in pilot-scale warehouses treated with beta-cyfluthrin: are residual insecticides and trapping compatible?

Integrated pest management strategies for cereal processing facilities often include both pheromone-baited pitfall traps and crack and crevice applications of a residual insecticide such as the pyrethroid cyfluthrin. In replicated pilot-scale warehouses, a 15-week-long experiment was conducted comparing population trends suggested by insect captures in pheromone-baited traps to direct estimates obtained by sampling the food patches in untreated and cyfluthrin-treated warehouses. Warehouses were treated, provisioned with food patches and then infested with all life stages of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst). Food patches, both those initially infested and additional uninfested, were surrounded by cyfluthrin bands to evaluate if insects would cross the bands. Results show that insect captures correlated with population trends determined by direct product samples in the untreated warehouses, but not the cyfluthrin-treated warehouses. However, dead insects recovered from the floor correlated with the insect densities observed with direct samples in the cyfluthrin-treated warehouses. Initially, uninfested food patches were exploited immediately and after six weeks harbored similar infestation densities to the initially infested food patches. These data show that pest management professionals relying on insect captures in pheromone-baited traps in cyfluthrin-treated structures could be deceived into believing that a residual insecticide application was suppressing population growth, when the population was actually increasing at the same rate as an untreated population.     

Growth of moulds inoculated into commercial mineral water

The growth of mould spores of Penicillium sp. and Cladosporium sp. inoculated in a commercial mineral water product was studied. The strains had been isolated as fungal foreign bodies in commercial mineral waters. In product A, which was not originally sterilized and was contaminated with psychrophilic bacteria, the inoculated mould spores of the strains did not grow; no increases in viable colony counts or beta-glucans concentration in the samples were observed during storage. In a sterilized product A, inoculated spores of the strains grew into visible foreign bodies. The viable colony counts and the beta-glucans concentration in the samples increased during storage. These results showed that in a sterilized mineral water product, mould spores could grow into visible foreign bodies.     

Field suppression of the invasive ant Wasmannia auropunctata (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in a tropical fruit orchard in Hawaii

The little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), is an invasive ant that forms supercolonies when it successfully invades new areas. W. auropunctata was first reported in Hawaii in 1999, and it has since invaded a variety of agricultural sites, including nurseries, orchards, and pastures. Amdro (hydramethylnon; in bait stations), Esteem (pyriproxyfen; broadcast bait), and Conserve (spinosad; ground spray) were tested for their efficacy against W. auropunctata in a rambutan, Nephelium lappaceum L. and mangosteen, Garcinia mangostana L., orchard by making treatments every 2 wk for 16 wk. Relative estimates of ant numbers in plots was determined by transect sampling using peanut butter-baited sticks. Significant treatment effects were observed on weeks 13-17, with reductions in ant counts occurring in the Amdro and Esteem treatments. During this period, the reduction in ant numbers from pretreatment counts averaged 47.1 and 92.5% in the Amdro and Esteem plots, respectively, whereas ant numbers in the untreated control plots increased by 185.9% compared with pretreatment counts. Conserve did not cause a reduction in ant counts as applied in our experiment. No plots for any of the treatments achieved 100% reduction. Pseudococcidae were counted on branch terminals at 4-wk intervals. The two predominant species, Nipaecoccus nipae (Maskell) and Nipaecoccus viridis (Newstead) were significantly lower in the Amdro and Esteem treatments on week 16 compared with controls. Many W. auropunctata were found nesting in protected sites in the orchard trees, which may have compromised the ground-based control methods. Absolute density estimates from shallow core samples taken from the orchard floor indicated the W. auropunctata supercolony exceeded 244 million ants and 22.7 kg wet weight per ha.     

Efficacy of Monensin Against Bovine Coccidiosis in Young Holstein-Friesian Calves*

Monensin, an anticoccidial antibiotic, was incorporated into pelleted feed and given to 10-week-old Holstein-Friesian calves at 0.25 mg/kg, 1.0 mg/kg, or 2.0 mg/kg of body weight. Inoculated calves were inoculated by drenching with 500,000 sporulated oocysts of Eimeria bovis. Other calves served as inoculated or uninoculated controls. Observations were recorded on oocyst discharge in the feces, clinical signs, weight gain, food consumption, hemoglobin, packed cell volume, total serum protein, sodium and potassium content of the serum, and differential white cell counts. Calves in the inoculated control group developed severe infections, discharged large numbers of oocysts, developed clinical signs and 1 of 5 died. Uninoculated, untreated control calves were essentially free of coccidia. A few calves in the groups which received monensin developed light infections but none of them had clinical signs of coccidiosis. Calves which received the highest and the lowest dosages of monensin gained weight less rapidly than did the uninoculated controls or the animals which received monensin at 1.0 mg/kg of body weight. Inoculated control calves with severe infections had reduced food intake and a significant reduction in weight which was not regained during the experimental period. The only other significant change in any of the parameters measured was a reduction in the total serum protein of inoculated, nonmedicated control calves. The level returned to normal 5 weeks after clinical signs first appeared.     

戊二醛复合消毒剂对猪病病毒杀灭效果的研究

目的　研究戊二醛复合消毒剂对猪病病毒的杀灭效果。方法　将猪细小病毒 (porcinepavrovirusvirus ,PPV)、猪繁殖呼吸综合征病毒 (porcinereproductiveandrespiratorysyndromevirus,PRRSV)和猪伪狂犬病病毒(porcinepseudorabiesvirus,PRV)分别与不同浓度的戊二醛复合消毒剂作用后 ,接种于长满细胞单层的细胞培养板中 ,根据细胞是否产生病变情况 ,确定消毒剂杀灭病毒的最佳浓度 ;同时 ,还将不同浓度的消毒剂与猪瘟病毒 (hogchloeravirus,HCV)作用后 ,对兔进行静脉注射 ,根据兔的体温变化情况 ,判断消毒剂杀灭病毒的最佳浓度。结果　1%浓度的消毒剂 ,可在 2 0min之内有效杀灭PPV、PRRSV和PRV ;0 5 %浓度的消毒剂 ,可在 10min之内有效杀灭HCV。结论　戊二醛复合消毒剂具有高效杀灭病毒的作用 ,适用于养殖场、医疗卫生行业及传染病流行地区的消毒灭菌 ;采用细胞感染法检测和评价消毒剂对病毒的杀灭效果是一种可行的体外试验方法     

Repulsion of bacteria from marine surfaces.

Organic compounds are capable of repelling motile bacteria from marine surfaces. The most effective compounds were acrylamide and benzoic and tannic acids. These were active at concentrations that were not toxic to the bacteria. Repellents were incorporated in nontoxic paints and applied to metal panels. Treated panels immersed in seawater developed a bacterial film of only 10(6) bacteria per cm6 after 12 days compared with untreated panels, which had 5 times 10(12) bacteria per cm2 after the same period. Field studies confirmed the effectiveness of these repellents. The use of biological repellents provides a new approach to the control of marine fouling.     

Knockdown and mortality of adults of eight species of stored-product beetles exposed to four surfaces treated with spinosad

Contact toxicity of a commercial bacterial fermentation insecticide, spinosad, to adults of eight stored-product beetles was evaluated on four different surfaces. Aqueous spinosad suspension was sprayed with an airbrush to 30.5-cm2 surfaces of concrete, galvanized steel, unwaxed floor tile, or waxed floor tile to obtain deposits of 0.05 or 0.1 mg (AI)/cm2. Control surfaces were sprayed with distilled water. Approximately 24 h after distilled water or spinosad application, 30 adult beetles were confined, by species, to each untreated and spinosad-treated surface. Insects on surfaces were exposed for 24 h to assess knockdown at 25 +/- 1 degree C and 50 +/- 10% RH, and then were held on food for an additional 24 h to assess mortality. Knockdown and mortality of each insect species on all four surfaces were significantly greater on spinosad-treated surfaces than on distilled water-treated surfaces. Knockdown and mortality of all species on all surfaces was similar at the two spinosad deposit levels. Except for Tribolium spp., mortality of all other species exposed to spinosad was 99-100%. Tribolium spp. were highly susceptible to spinosad on concrete (98-100% mortality); however, on unwaxed floor tile, steel, and waxed floor tile recovery on food after knockdown resulted in only 72-92% mortality. Our results suggest that spinosad has excellent contact activity against adults of stored-product insects, especially on concrete, and has potential for use as a general surface, spot, or crack/crevice spray to control insects in empty bins, warehouses, food-processing facilities, and retail stores.