Origin and distribution of facial nerve anatomy in van cats

This study aims to reveal the morphological properties of facial nerve and the middle ear in Van cats. Study material was composed of 6 female Van cats. Dissections were performed under a Zoom Stereo Microscope. There was no plexus buccalis in Van cats. The chorda tympani was observed to pass through an opening in the tympanic cavity, emerge through a small opening just behind the retroarticular process, and join the lingual nerve. A rounded anatomical formation with a size of 2.75 ± 0.3 mm was found to be located within the mastoid process of the temporal bone between the facial nerve and the auricular branch of the vagus nerve. The stapes nerve was not present. The geniculate ganglion was very prominent and about 1.00 mm high. The deep petrosal nerve was observed to emerge from the plexus tympanicus. The bulla tympanica was 18.96 ± 0.10 mm long, 13.03 ± 0.20 mm wide and 13.16 ± 0.20 mm high. After leaving the mandibular nerve, the n.tensoris tympani coursed caudally around the a.maxillaris, formed an ansa, entered the tympanic cavity through the canalis musculotubarius and reached an end in the m. tensor tympani. Due to the scarcity of studies on the middle ears of Van cats, it is thought that this study will fill a gap in the field of veterinary anatomy.     

Effects of cerium oxide supplementation to laying hen diets on performance,egg quality,some antioxidant enzymes in serum and lipid oxidation in egg yolk

This study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary cerium oxide levels (0, 100, 200, 300 or 400 mg/kg) on the laying performance, egg quality, some blood serum parameters and egg lipid peroxidation of laying hen. In total, one hundred and twenty 22‐week‐old brown Lohman LSL laying hens were randomly assigned to five groups equally (n = 24). Each treatment was replicated six times. Dietary supplementation of cerium oxide had no significant effect on feed intake and egg weight. The addition of cerium oxide to the laying hens' feed improved feed conversion ratio and increased (p < 0.05) egg production. Quality criteria of egg for except shell breaking strength were not affected by supplementing cerium oxide. In particular, supplementation of 200 and 300 mg/kg cerium oxide to the laying hens feed led to a significant (p < 0. 01) increase in egg shell breaking strength. Calcium and phosphorus concentration of serum increased significantly (p < 0.05) with supplementation of 100 mg/kg cerium oxide to laying hen diets. It was also observed that serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration decreased significantly with supplementation of cerium oxide in diets. Inclusion of cerium oxide resulted in a significant reduction in thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) values in egg yolk in this study. It can be concluded that the addition of cerium oxide had positive effects on egg production, feed conversion ratio and egg shelf life. Based on the results of this study, it could be advised to supplement laying hens feed with cerium oxide as feed additives.     

Cryopreservation of Dog Semen in a Tris Extender with 1% or 2% Soya Bean Lecithin as a Replacement of Egg Yolk

Egg yolk is usually included in extenders used for preservation of dog semen. Lecithin is an interesting animal‐protein free alternative to egg yolk for semen preservation. The aim of our study was to evaluate soya bean lecithin for cryopreservation of dog semen. Five ejaculate replicates were divided in three equal parts, centrifuged and each pellet diluted with one of the three Tris‐based extenders containing 20% egg yolk, 1% soya bean lecithin or 2% soya bean lecithin. Extended semen was loaded in 0.5‐ml straws, cooled and diluted a second time and frozen in liquid nitrogen vapours. Sperm motility parameters (CASA), acrosome integrity (FITC‐PNA/PI) and sperm membrane integrity (C‐FDA) were evaluated 5 min post‐thaw and after 2 and 4 h of incubation. Total motility was significantly better in the egg yolk extender than in any of the lecithin‐based extender and was better in the 1% lecithin extender than in the 2% lecithin extender. Sperm membrane integrity was significantly better in the egg yolk extender than in any of the lecithin‐based extenders but did not differ significantly between the 1% and 2% lecithin extenders. Acrosome integrity was significantly better in the egg yolk extender than in the 2% lecithin extender but did not differ between the egg yolk extender and the 1% lecithin extender or between the two lecithin extenders. In conclusion, egg yolk was superior to lecithin in our study. The extender with 1% lecithin preserved sperm motility better than the extender with 2% lecithin.     

Stress responses in adult cattle due to surgical dehorning using three different types of anaesthesia

Dehorning adult cattle is a surgical procedure causing distress of varying intensities that can be reflected in behavioural changes and alterations in plasma cortisol levels. Stress responses during the dehorning process were evaluated in 18 Red Pied cows. The cows were divided into 3 groups of six and kept in tie-stall housing. Those in the first group were dehorned under general anaesthesia (GA) induced by intravenous administration of xylazine and ketamine. The second group was dehorned under sedation and local anaesthesia (SLA) induced by intramuscular administration of xylazine and local anaesthesia with lidocaine. The third group was dehorned under local anaesthesia (LA) with lidocaine. Dehorning was performed with a foetotomy wire. Blood samples were taken 0.5 h before dehorning to determine cortisol levels, and, by means of a central venous catheter inserted into the jugular vein, during surgery at 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 h post-surgery. Concurrently, occurrence of stress behaviours was assessed. Cortisol levels were measured by enzyme immunoassay (EIA). The lowest mean peak levels of plasma cortisol (82.53 +/- 6.04 nmol l(-1)), the most rapid return of plasma cortisol levels to baseline values (1.92 +/- 1.11 h), and the lowest occurrence of stress behaviours (2.38 +/- 5.83%) were noted in the SLA group. The highest mean peak levels plasma cortisol (113.86 +/- 25.65 nmol l(-1)), the slowest return of plasma cortisol levels to baseline values (3.83 +/- 2.18 h) and the most frequent occurrence of stress behaviours (65.48 +/- 28.72%) were observed in the LA group. There were significant differences between the SLA and LA groups in peak plasma cortisol levels (p = 0.011) and in occurrence of stress behaviours (p = 0.003). Sedation induced by intramuscular administration of xylazine in conjunction with local anaesthesia with lidocaine is considered the most suitable method of anaesthesia when dehorning adult cattle. Local anaesthesia with lidocaine alone was least suitable.     

Sublethal effects of nine insecticides on Drosophila suzukii and its major pupal parasitoid Trichopria drosophilae

Background

Although the pupal parasitoid Trichopria drosophilae is used in conservative and augmentative biocontrol of Drosophila suzukii infestations, current pest management strategies mostly rely on multiple insecticide applications. In this context, the aim of the study was to investigate the baseline toxicity of nine insecticides on D. suzukii larvae and their multiple sublethal effects (LC₁₀) on immature stages of the pest feeding on contaminated diet and T. drosophilae developing within the intoxicated host.

Results

Chlorpyriphos and azadirachtin showed the lowest and the highest LC₁₀, the values of which were 9.78 × 10¹³ and 1.46 × 10³ times lower than their recommended label field rate, respectively. Among tested insecticides, imidacloprid, malathion and dimethoate were the only treatments that did not affect the juvenile development time of D. suzukii, while spinosad and the organophosphates chlorpyriphos and dimethoate did not influence fly pupal size. No sublethal effects were recorded on T. drosophilae degree of infestation (DI) and juvenile development time. On the contrary, cyazypyr and dimethoate negatively affected the success of parasitism (SP) and the number of progeny of the pupal parasitoid, in association with malathion for the first parameter and spinosad for the fertility. Compared to the untreated control, more female progeny emerged following azadirachtin exposure, while dimethoate caused the opposite effect. Imidacloprid, lambda-cyhalothrin and spinetoram decreased hind tibia length of emerged parasitoids.

Conclusion

This study provides new insights on the (eco)toxicological profile of nine insecticides and new information needed to support the deployment of T. drosophilae in the field within the sustainable management techniques against D. suzukii. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.     

Determination of vc and mating types of Cryphonectria parasitica isolates by multiplex PCR and their genetic diversity in 13 chestnut-growing provinces of Turkey

Vegetative compatibility (vc) and mating types and genetic diversity of Cryphonectria parasitica isolates were determined using 183 isolates obtained from 215 infected chestnut trees growing in 13 provinces of Turkey. Based on the cultural aspects, 143 of these isolates were evaluated as virulent whereas the remaining 40 isolates were hypovirulent. When vc types of 183 isolates were classically differentiated, 135 of them matched to EU-1 (82.3%), 29 of them to EU-12 (17.6%) vc type, whereas 19 of them did not match to the two. When molecular vic markers were used, all the isolates were assigned to two EU vc types; 149 to EU-1 (81.4%) and 34 (18.5%) to EU-12. Of the majority of the isolates, 134 (73.2%) had mating-type MAT-1, while 44 (24%) isolates had MAT-2 and 5 (2.8%) isolates had both mating types. The population analysis based on two DNA marker systems, Inter-Primer Binding Site and Start Codon Targeted Polymorphism, showed no intraspecific genetic variation among the C. parasitica isolates. The prevalence of two dominant vc types revealed by this study shows that biological control with hypovirulent EU-1 and EU-12 isolates will be significant for the country. The results might be helpful to chestnut breeders carrying out resistance breeding studies to manage this disease based on hypovirulence attributed to Cryphonectria hypovirus 1.     

Planning wetland protection and restoration for the safeguard of ecosystem service flows to beneficiaries

Landscape Ecology - Human activities have led to the degradation of wetlands, impinging on their capacity to deliver essential ecosystem services to society. Wetland restoration now appears an...     

Exploring the common ground of landscape ecology and landscape archaeology through a case study from eastern Anatolia,Turkey

Landscape Ecology - Landscape archaeology has a lot to offer to landscape ecology, being an interdisciplinary approach that emphasizes the study of long-term human–environment dynamics. We...