Allergy against chironomids (non biting midges) in adult atopic patients

Summary The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the prevalence of atopic sensitization to chironomids (CHI) in patients with asthma and/or rhinitis (A/R), and to study concomitant sensitization to CHI and other allergens. Skin prick tests were performed with 3 different CHI extracts as well as with common inhalant allergens in 600 consecutive patients, 495 of which had A/R. Allergen specific IgE antibodies in the sera against CHI, shell fish and cockroaches were analyzed with Magic Lite.59 (12%) of the patients with A/R had a positive skin test with CHI. Positive skin tests with house dust mites and a storage mite were more common in CHI allergic patients than in other atopic patients. Nasal or conjunctival provocation tests, performed on 23 of the patients with positive skin test with CHI, were clearly positive in 7 cases (30%), questionable in 8 (35%) and negative in 8 cases (35%).Magic Lite, performed on sera from 50 of the patients with positive skin test against CHI, was positive with CHI in 39 cases (78%), with crayfish in 33 (66%), shrimp 20 (40%), cockroach 21 (40%) and with crab in 3 cases (6%).It is concluded that sensitization against CHI is common in patients with A/R. The clinical relevance of the positive test results is, however, unknown. Concomitant sensitization with CHI, crustaceans and cockroach is common.     

Storage mites sensitivity and allergic respiratory disease

Summary In order to evaluate the frequency of skin sensitivity to Storage Mites and the role of such sensitization in respiratory allergic disease in workers with occupational exposure to stored items we studied 217 dock workers, 93 farmers and 104 white collars.From the results of skin prick tests the sensitization to sole Storage Mites appears significantly higher among people working in docks or farms, compared with a control group. This confirms the role of the working environment in inducing sensitization to Storage Mites. Rhinitis and asthma however affect nearly always (27/29 cases) people with an associated sensitization to House Dust Mites. Further studies are needed to define the allergenic importance of Storage Mites in working environments.     

Genetics of leaf blight resistance in wheat

Summary Studies on the genetics of leaf blight caused byAlternaria triticina using generation mean analysis revealed that additive components played a major role, but that dominance components also contributed significantly in controlling the variability for leaf blight resistance in wheat crosses. Furthermore, the additive x additive type of epistasis was predominant in the first three crosses, whereas in the fourth cross additive x dominance (j) and dominance x dominance (1) components of epistasis were most significant. Because of this it may be desirable to follow a simple recurrent selection scheme for higher tolerance, to isolate resistant plants from the segregating populations derived from crosses of parents of diverse origin following the pedigree method of breeding. CPAN-1887 was very tolerant to leaf blight in the present study and should be utilized in hybridization programs to develop leaf-blight-resistant varieties.     

Onychomycosis caused by Scopulariopsis brumptii

Scopulariopsis brumptii was isolated from nail lesions in left hand of a 42 year-old-farmer. The direct microscopic examination of the nail samples revealed light brown, septate, branched fungal hyphae along with thick-walled spherical cells. The histopathological examination showed involvement of internal phase of the nail plate. Amongst the antimycotics tested against S. brumptii In vitro oxiconazole was found to be the most active with MIC value of 10 g/ml^–1. This report documents the first instance of onychomycosis caused by S. brumptii.     

Effect of nitrogen form on the growth and nitrate concentration of lettuce

Summary A pot experiment with lettuce involving three N forms each at six application levels, showed that lettuce can be grown satisfactorily with a very low nitrate content when supplied with ammonium sulphate and a nitrification inhibitor. For plants growing on nitrate N, the optimum midrib sap nitrate concentration as maturity approached was about 1400 mg/1 NO₃-N. Large losses of mineral N were observed from the peat medium, even in the absence of plants. A relationship is presented which would enable a lettuce grower to estimate whole-shoot nitrate concentration from a quick test of midrib sapi.e. NO₃-N (mg/kg in fresh shoot) =0.14×NO₃-N (mg/l in sap). Tipburn was worst at intermediate levels of applied N, and was less serious with pure ammonium nutrition than with nitrate.     

Oviposition deterring pheromone in Rhagoletis cerasi: Behavioral laboratory test to measure pheromone activity

Current investigations concerning the identification of the chemical nature of the oviposition deterring pheromone of the European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi L., are conducted in an interdisciplinary research program by combining chemistry with behavioral evaluation. The methods used to collect and evaluate the pheromone by an improved semi-quantitative behavior test are described.

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Zusammenfassung Nach einer einleitenden Übersicht über den heutigen Stand der Erkenntnisse auf dem Gebiet der eiablage-hemmenden Pheromone (ODP) bei Fruchtfliegen und insbesondere der Kirschenfliege wird der verbesserte Verhaltenstest beschrieben, welcher für den halb-quantitativen Nachweis von ODP-Aktivität entwickelt worden ist. Im laufenden interdisziplinären Forschungsprogramm an der Eidg. Forschungsanstalt Wädenswil wird versucht, durch enge Zusammenarbeit zwischen Biologe, Chemiker und Elektrophysiologe das ODP der Kirschenfliege möglichst mit geringem Anteil an Verunreinigung einzusammeln, zu reinigen und einer chemischen Identifikation der ODP Komponenten zugänglich zu machen.Die Möglichkeiten und Grenzen des Verhaltenstests werden diskutiert und die Empfindlichkeit des Verfahrens mittels einer Konzentrationsreihe von Pheromonextrakt aufgezeigt.

     

Trypanosoma brucei: analysis of relapsing populations in sensitive and resistant breeds of cattle

The clone DiTat 1.1 of Trypanosoma brucei brucei was injected into four bovids, and clones obtained from successive waves of parasitemia were used to study the expressed variant-specific surface glycoprotein repertoire. Twenty-four clones were obtained which could be classified into 12 different variable antigen types, in addition to the clone injected, using agglutination or immunofluorescence with monospecific antisera. The variable surface glycoproteins of the 25 clones were extracted using the detergent octyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside in the presence of the protease inhibitor, N-cbz-L-phenylalaninechloromethylketone. The molecular weights varied from 52,000 to 69,000 and the pI from 5.0 to 8.8. The virulence of 14 clones representing 13 variable antigen types was ascertained in mice. The mean survival time ranged from 20.5 to 43.0 days. Clones isolated from early peaks of parasitemia in the bovid were the most virulent while clones derived from later peaks were less virulent. It seems that organisms of diminishing virulence appear in bovids, leading to self-cure of the disease. All clones were sensitive to human serum in a blood infectivity inhibition test. Antibody against all virulent clones appeared in 20 cattle (10 Zebus, 10 Baoulés) which had been injected with T. brucei DiTat 1.1. There was no evidence for parasites of high or low virulence being preferentially expressed in resistant or sensitive hosts.     

Evaluation of the Subhuman Primate Pregnancy Test Kit for the detection of early pregnancy in the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta)

The performance of The Subhuman Primate Pregnancy Test Kit was evaluated for routine detection of early (days 19-21) pregnancy in the rhesus monkey. Out of 123 confirmed matings, 19 resulted in pregnancy. In the pregnant animals the kit had an accuracy of 73.7%. In the nonpregnant females the accuracy was higher, 88.5%. False positives were encountered in ovariectomized females as well as adult intact males.