bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The confirmation and control of metabolic caffeine in standardbred horses after administration of theophylline
Authors: Todi  , Mendonca  , Ryan  , Herskovits
Published: March 2003

The origin of caffeine detections in equine serum and urine after theophylline administrations was examined. Three different preparations containing theophylline were administered to standardbred mares. Both blood and urine samples were collected. Caffeine was detected and quantified in theophylline administration samples by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS–MS). Further in vitro analysis showed that caffeine metabolites were not detected when caffeine, or caffeine‐containing products, were added to urine. Data derived from HPLC‐UV and LC–MS–MS analysis of dosages of theophylline and caffeine are used to propose the establishment of a threshold limit to control and discern between metabolic and administered caffeine concentrations. A serum caffeine concentration of 250 ng/mL and a urine caffeine concentration of 1000 ng/mL are suggested. Based on the data supplied, these threshold concentrations could effectively control orally administered caffeine in racehorses, up to the dosage used in this work, up to 72 h before sampling time.
Amoxicillin pharmacokinetics in harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) following single dose intravenous administration: implications for interspecific dose sealing
Authors: GULLAND F. M. , STOSKOPF M. K. , JOHNSON S. P. , RIVIERE J. , PAPICH M. G.
Published: March 2003

The pharmacokinetics of sodium amoxicillin after a single intravenous dose of 20 mg/kg were determined in ten harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and ten northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris). The seals ranged in age from 1 to 6 months and the mean weights were 11.7 kg (range, 9.5–18.5 kg) for harbor seals and 47.1 kg (range, 39.5–61.4 kg) for elephant seals. The median half‐life of amoxicillin (quartiles) in harbor seals, 1.5 (1.0–3.1) h, was not statistically different from that of elephant seals, 2.0 (1.4–3.8) h, nor were the differences between the terminal elimination rate constants between the two species. The only statistically significant differences between species were for area‐under‐the‐curve (AUC), and total systemic clearance. The lack of statistical significance for differences in the volume of distribution at steady‐state (Vss) may have been due to minor differences in the time frame of data collection and dose administered between the two groups. A true physiologic difference in drug handling, possibly related to renal perfusion or tubal secretory efficiency could affect amoxicillin kinetics in these species, and longer administration intervals may be appropriate for elephant seals as compared to harbor seals when administering multiple dose amoxicillin therapy at 20 mg/kg.
Pharmacokinetics of metronidazole in horses after intravenous, rectal and oral administration
Authors: STEINMAN A. , GIPS M. , LAVY E. , SINAY I. , SOBACK S.
Published: March 2003

Metronidazole pharmacokinetics in horses was studied after intravenous (i.v.), rectal (p.r.) and oral (p.o.) administration at 20 mg/kg using a triple crossover study design. Metronidazole mean±SD half‐life was 196±39, 212±30 and 240±65 min after i.v., p.r. and p.o. administration, respectively. The metronidazole clearance was 2.8 (mL/min/kg) and the volume of distribution at steady state was 0.68 L/kg. The pharmacokinetic parameters calculated for metronidazole after administration of the drug by the various routes showed that bioavailability (74±18 vs. 30±9%) and maximum serum concentration (22±8 vs. 9±2 μg/mL) were significantly higher after p.o. administration compared with p.r. administration. There were no significant differences in mean absorption time (45±69 vs. 66±18 min) and the time to reach maximum serum concentration (65±36 vs. 58±18 min). The results indicated that p.r. administration of metronidazole to horses, although inferior to p.o. administration in terms of bioavailability, provides an alternative route of administration when p.o. administration cannot be used.
Anthelmintic paraherquamides are cholinergic antagonists in gastrointestinal nematodes and mammals
Authors: Zinser, Erich W. , Wolf, Mark L. , Alexander‐Bowman, Susan J. , Thomas, Eileen M. , Davis, John P. , Groppi, Vincent E. , Lee, Byung H. , Thompson, David P. , Geary, Timothy G.
Published: March 2003

Oxindole alkaloids in the paraherquamide/marcfortine family exhibit broad‐spectrum anthelmintic activity that includes drug‐resistant strains of nematodes. Paraherquamide (PHQ), 2‐deoxoparaherquamide (2DPHQ), and close structural analogs of these compounds rapidly induce flaccid paralysis in parasitic nematodesin vitro, without affecting adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels. The mechanism of action of this anthelmintic class was investigated using muscle tension and microelectrode recording techniques in isolated body wall segments ofAscaris suum. None of the compounds alteredA. suummuscle tension or membrane potential. However, PHQ blocked (when applied before) or reversed (when applied after) depolarizing contractions induced by acetylcholine (ACh) and the nicotinic agonists levamisole and morantel. These effects were mimicked by the nicotinic ganglionic blocker mecamylamine, suggesting that the anthelmintic activity of PHQ and marcfortines is due to blockade of cholinergic neuromuscular transmission. The effects of these compounds were also examined on subtypes of human nicotinic ACh receptors expressed in mammalian cells with a Ca2+flux assay. 2DPHQ blocked nicotinic stimulation of cells expressing α3 ganglionic (IC50 ∼ 9 µm) and muscle‐type (IC50 ∼ 3 µm) nicotinic cholinergic receptors, but was inactive at 100 µmvs. the α7 CNS subtype. PHQ anthelmintics are nicotinic cholinergic antagonists in both nematodes and mammals, and this mechanism appears to underlie both their efficacy and toxicity.
Postoperative analgesia in dogs receiving epidural morphine plus medetomidine
Authors: Pacharinsak C. , Greene S. A. , Keegan R. D. , Kalivas P. W.
Published: March 2003

This investigation was carried out to compare the postoperative analgesia and plasma morphine concentrations in dogs given epidural morphine or epidural morphine combined with medetomidine prior to surgery. Twelve dogs (seven males and five females) with ruptured cranial cruciate ligaments presented to the Washington State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Six dogs received an epidural injection of morphine (0.1 mg/kg) and six dogs received epidural morphine (0.1 mg/kg) combined with medetomidine (0.005 mg/kg). Numeric rating scale (NRS) pain scores and cumulative pain scores (CPS) were assigned to 10‐min segments of video. Video segments, heart rates and respiratory rates were recorded prior to premedication and at 4, 8, 12, 18 and 24 h after epidural injection. Blood was sampled from the cephalic vein at each of these times and during anesthesia at 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 h after epidural injection. Data were analyzed using either Friedman's test or one‐wayanovafor repeated measures. In the morphine group, significant increases compared with premedication values were detected at 4, 8 and 12 h after epidural injection for NRS and at 4 and 12 h after epidural injection for CPS. In the morphine plus medetomidine group, NRS was significantly higher at 4 and 8 h whereas there were no differences from baseline values for CPS. Plasma morphine concentrations were not significantly different between treatment groups, but were significantly increased compared with preinjection values at 0.5, 1, 12, 18, and 24 h in the morphine plus medetomidine group. Epidurally administered morphine combined with medetomidine was associated with only minor benefits based on subjective pain scoring when compared with morphine alone in these dogs undergoing repair of a ruptured cranial cruciate ligament.
Consensus interferon: a novel interferon for the treatment of hepatitis C
Authors: Heathcote J.
Published: March 2003

Although alpha interferons are currently the only therapies approved for treatment of HCV infection approximately half of the treated patients do not respond to the standard regimen of IFN‐α‐2b 3 MU administered 3 times per week (tiw) for 6 to 12 months. Of those who do demonstrate a response, 50–80% will relapse within 6 months after treatment cessation. Thus, the overall response to treatment is low. This paper focuses on studies that have been conducted with a newly developed interferon, Consensus Interferon (CIFN), in the treatment of chronic Hepatitis C. This type‐1 interferon links the most common occurring amino acid sequences at each position of available natural alpha interferons into one ‘consensus’ protein. The thus synthesized molecule shows a 10‐fold higher in vitro biological activity as compared to single recombinant IFN‐α‐2b or IFN‐α‐2a, possibly due to its greater binding affinity to interferon receptors. In patients with chronic hepatitis C, CIFN 9 μg, three times weekly for 24 weeks, proved to be equally efficacious and as safe as IFN‐α‐2b, but compared to 3 MU IFN‐α‐2b, CIFN 9 μg demonstrated improved responses in patients with high baseline viral titres.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS5A protein: role in HCV replication and resistance to interferon‐α
Authors: Pawlotsky J.‐M.
Published: March 2003

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) non‐structural (NS) 5A protein appears to play an important regulatory role on viral replication and could also be involved in viral pathogenesis. HCV resistance to interferon is a complex mechanism involving multiple causes, among which certain NS5A functions could play a role.
Hepatitis G: viroprevalence and seroconversion in a high‐risk group of children
Authors: Hardikar W. , Moaven L. D. , Bowden D. S. , Locarnini S. A. , Smith A. L.
Published: March 2003

Hepatitis G virus (HGV), a recently discovered flavivirus, is parenterally transmitted and significantly associated with hepatitis C viraemia. Data on the viroprevalence of this agent in children is scant and its seroprevalence is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the viroprevalence and seroprevalence of HGV in paediatric patients at risk of parenterally transmitted virus infection. Sera from 35 patients, previously tested for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, were analysed for the presence of HGV RNA by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) and for antibody to the E2 envelope protein (anti‐E2) of HGV using the HGV‐env kit. The mean age of the patients was 9.4 years (range 1–17 years), and risk factors included multiple transfusions and maternal HCV infection. Co‐infection with HCV and HGV was a relatively common occurrence (31%). The prevalence of anti‐E2, a marker of recovery from infection, was low (5%) when compared with overall viroprevalence (20%). This study highlights the significant association of HGV with HCV in children. The novel finding of a low ratio of anti‐E2:HGV RNA contrasts with the pattern seen in adults and may reflect a higher risk of long‐term carriage with acquisition of HGV infection at an early age.
A prospective study of transfusion‐transmitted virus transmission by blood transfusion
Authors: Jiang R. ‐L. , Lu Q. , Luo K. ‐X. , Tan F. ‐M.
Published: March 2003

Recently, a new single‐stranded DNA virus (TT virus, TTV) has been isolated and related to post‐transfusion hepatitis. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of TTV in blood donors and blood recipients, and the incidence of TTV transmission by blood transfusion. TTV DNA and serum markers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV), were examined in 130 blood recipients, and the presence of TTV was studied in their 340 corresponding blood donors. The prevalence of TTV infection was 10.6% (36/340) in donors and 8.5% (11/130) in blood recipients, before transfusion. Eighteen subjects (15.1%) were found to be TTV positive, after transfusion, in the 119 blood recipients without TTV before transfusion; at least one of the corresponding donors was TTV positive. There were 46 subjects with post‐transfusion hepatitis virus infection, 45 with HCV infection (including seven co‐infected with TTV) and two with HBV infection (including one co‐infected with HCV and one co‐infected with TTV). The recipient with TTV and HBV co‐infection and three of the seven patients with TTV and HCV infection had alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels higher than 90Ul–1, but only two of the 10 isolated TTV infections had a mild ALT elevation. These results show that prevalence of TTV was high in blood donors and hospitalized patients, and isolated TTV infection is not related to significant ALT elevation.
Hepatitis A vaccination in patients with chronic liver disease in Taiwan
Authors: Lee S.‐D.
Published: March 2003

While hepatitis A infection is rarely fatal, mortality is age‐dependent, suggesting that cofactors may play a role in disease expression. The safety and immunogenicity of an inactivated hepatitis A vaccine was evaluated in a study involving 60 patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) (56 patients with chronic hepatitis B, and four patients with chronic hepatitis C). A two‐dose schedule, at 0 and 6 months, produced 100% seroconversion. All individuals remained seropositive for 12 months, the majority maintaining high levels of antibody during a 5‐year follow‐up period. The inactivated hepatitis A vaccine was found to be well tolerated and immunogenic in patients with CLD. However, the immune response generated was inferior to that observed in healthy individuals, indicating the need for a higher dose, and the two‐dose schedule to ensure adequate protection.
What did we learn from the Shanghai hepatitis A epidemic?
Authors: Cooksley W.G.E.
Published: March 2003

A major outbreak of hepatitis A (HAV), associated with consumption of raw clams, occurred in Shanghai, China in 1988. Over 300 000 cases were reported, of which 47 (0.015%) were fatal. An elevated mortality rate was observed in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)‐positive patients (0.05%). The majority of these patients were also hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)‐positive, indicating active liver disease and high viral replication rates. The increased mortality in hepatitis B virus (HBV)/HAV coinfected individuals is hypothesized to be the result of T‐cell‐mediated destruction of HBV‐infected hepatocytes, enhanced by acute HAV infection. Following recovery from HAV there is an increase in HBV expression and activated cytotoxic cells and subsequent cytolysis. Patients with chronic HBV infection are clearly at considerable risk of severe disease and increased mortality in the event of HAV infection. The period of greatest risk is during the immunoeliminative phase of HBV infection, which generally occurs in early adulthood. With the prevalence of HBV approaching 10% in this group, there is a clear opportunity for benefit from vaccination.
Phylogenetic investigation for the risk of hepatitis C virus transmission to surgical and dental patients
Authors: Enomoto A. , Yoshino S. , Hasegawa H. , Komatsu T. , Sasahara H. , Takano S. , Esumi M.
Published: March 2003

Blood loss during treatment carries a potential risk for the transmission of blood‐borne pathogens in hospital patients. To determine whether nosocomial transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) occurs in surgical wards and dental hospitals, we tested anti‐HCV antibodies and HCV RNA in sera from these patients and analysed the hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) sequence of HCV phylogenetically in the HCV RNA‐positive patients. Five of 83 patients from a surgical ward were positive for HCV RNA, and six patients from one dental hospital and nine patients from a second were found to be positive for HCV RNA during the examination period. The HVR1 sequences were amplified from these patients’ serum, and after subcloning, multiple clones of the HVR1 sequence from each patient were determined. The phylogenetic analysis of these sequences showed that HVR1 species from each patient could be classified into one to three genetic clusters of HVR1 quasi‐species and that these clusters were independent of each other among patients. Thus, there was no evidence of HCV transmission in our study, and unrecognized transmission of HCV may be a rare event in surgical and dental patients at university hospitals.
Sarcoidosis in two patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with interferon, ribavirin and amantadine
Authors: Pérez‐Álvarez R. , Pérez‐López R. , Lombraña J. L. S. , Rodríguez M. , Rodrigo L.
Published: March 2003

We report two patients with chronic hepatitis C, both nonresponders to a previous course of interferon (IFN), who developed or suffered an exacerbation of sarcoidosis while under treatment with IFN‐α2a, ribavirin and amantadine. Patient 1: symptoms appeared after week 4 and treatment was withdrawn at month 9 due to severe weight loss, marked dyspnea, muscular weakness, dryness of mouth and facial paralysis. Stage III pulmonary sarcoidosis and polyneuropathy were confirmed. The patient had become steroid dependent and nine months after cessation of the treatment dyspnea and muscular weakness still persisted. She achieved a complete sustained response of hepatitis C. Patient 2: presented with a previous diagnosis of granulomatous hepatitis with chronic active hepatitis C and chronic dermatitis. The treatment exacerbated a cutaneous sarcoidosis. Furthermore, hiliar adenopathies consistent with stage I sarcoidosis became evident. Sarcoidosis responded to corticosteroids, but elevated transaminases and hepatitis C viraemia resisted. Hence, the combination of amantadine with ribavirin and IFN can develop or exacerbate subclinical sarcoidosis. A synergistic effect of these three drugs is suggested.
Incident hepatitis C virus infection in a community‐based population in Japan
Authors: Okayama A. , Stuver S. O. , Tabor E. , Tachibana N. , Kohara M. , Mueller N. E. , Tsubouchi H.
Published: March 2003

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an important cause of liver disease throughout the world. However, the natural history and pathogenesis of this infection is still not completely understood. The aim of this study was to characterize the evolution of incident, asymptomatic HCV infection in a community‐based population in Japan. The Miyazaki Cohort Study is a prospective study of adult residents in two villages, one of which has a very high prevalence of HCV. Nine hundred and seventy‐three people from this village were enrolled in the cohort between 1984 and 1995, with antibodies to HCV (anti‐HCV) found in 23%. During subsequent visits to annual health screens, new HCV seroconverters were identified among susceptible individuals, and their sequential samples were tested for anti‐HCV, HCV‐RNA, and HCV core antigen. Fourteen participants (six males, eight females) acquired anti‐HCV during the first 11 years of study follow‐up, at an incidence rate of 362 per 100 000 person‐years. Detectable HCV‐RNA and high anti‐HCV titres (> 1:2048) were observed for more than 5 years following seroconversion in 80% (8/10) of seroconverters with sufficient information, indicating the development of persistent infection in these subjects. Three (37.5%) of the eight sero converters with persistent infection had fairly consistent, albeit mild, alanine aminotransferase elevations (30–130 IU/L) during the study. Anti‐HCV seroconversions occurred at a very high rate in this community‐based population in Japan, in which this infection is endemic. Persistence also developed at a high frequency among the cases of newly acquired infection, although the associated liver enzyme abnormalities were mild.
Prevalence and risk factors for intrafamilial transmission of hepatitis C virus in Karachi, Pakistan
Authors: Akhtar S. , Moatter T. , Azam S. I. , Rahbar M. H. , Adil S.
Published: March 2003

Household contacts of hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐positive patients are considered at increased risk of HCV infection. This cross‐sectional study during April through June 1999 assessed the prevalence and risk behaviours associated with HCV seropositivity among the household contacts of HCV seropositive thalassaemic children in Karachi, Pakistan. Among the 341 household contacts of 86 thalassaemic HCV seropositive children who were tested, 70 (20.5%) were positive for anti‐HCV antibodies. The stratified analysis showed that HCV seroprevalence among the contacts did not differ significantly by the gender of the index patient and the type of relationship of contact with the index patient. However, HCV seroprevalences among the fathers and mothers of male index patients was substantially higher compared to those of female index patients. HCV RNA was recovered and genotyped from nine index patients and corresponding nine HCV‐seropositive household contacts. HCV genotype 3a and 3b were found in 89% (8/9) and 11% (1/9) of the pairs, respectively. The final multivariable conditional logistic regression model revealed that after adjusting for the effect of ethnicity and past hospital admission history, the HCV‐seropositive household contacts were more likely than HCV seronegative household contacts to have been bitten by the carrier [adjusted matched odds ratio (mOR)=2.6, 95% CI 1.3–5.2] or have shared a toothbrush with the carrier (adjusted mOR=8.2; 95% CI 1.56–43.5). Control efforts should focus on the risk behaviours.
Increased serum levels of macrophage inflammatory protein‐3α in chronic viral hepatitis: prognostic importance of macrophage inflammatory protein‐3α during interferon therapy in chronic hepatitis C
Authors: Yamauchi K. , Akbar S. M. F. , Horiike N. , Michitaka K. , Onji M.
Published: March 2003

Increased infiltration of lymphocytes and induction of damage and destruction of hepatocytes by these lymphocytes are characteristic features of chronic viral hepatitis. As chemokines attract lymphocytes to inflamed tissues, we studied macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)‐3α, a CC chemokine, in chronic viral hepatitis. The levels of␣MIP‐3α were measured in the sera from 40 patients with␣chronic viral hepatitis and 30 control subjects by an␣enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (detection limit␣of MIP‐3α=7.8 pg/mL). The kinetics of MIP‐3α were checked during interferon (IFN) therapy in 25 patients. The levels of MIP‐3α in the sera were significantly higher in patients with␣chronic viral hepatitis (39.0 ± 28.9 pg/mL) than control subjects (15.6 ± 4.9 pg/mL; P < 0.0001) and in patients with severe (49.6 ± 49.2 pg/mL) and moderate degree of␣hepatitis (50.9 ± 27.1 pg/mL) than in mild disease (16.0 ± 6.8 pg/mL; P < 0.05). A significant correlation was seen among serum MIP‐3α levels with the levels of alanine␣aminotransferase (r=0.509, P < 0.0001), aspartate aminotransferase (r=0.505, P < 0.0001), and degrees of activity of hepatitis (r=0.592, P < 0.0001) and interface hepatitis (r=0.419, P=0.0066). The levels of MIP‐3α were significantly increased in patients with hepatitis C 2 weeks after the start of therapy in IFN‐responders, but, remained almost unchanged in IFN‐nonresponders. These findings might be important not only for the understanding of immunoptahogenesis of hepatocellular damage in chronic hepatitis (CH) patients but also for a therapeutic strategy to control the local immune response in the liver. A prognostic value of MIP‐3α during IFN therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C is also shown.
Serological response to infection with different isolates of hepatitis C virus
Authors: Halfon P. , Bourlière M. , Khiri H. , Halimi G. , Gerolami V. , Feryn J. M. , Ouzan D.
Published: March 2003

summary. Different isolates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) show nucleotide sequence variability throughout the genome. Detection of antibodies to recombinant proteins derived from hepatitis C virus genotype 1, the prototype HCV clone HCV‐PT, constitutes the main method for screening HCV infection. The influence of the genomic variability on the serological diagnosis of HCV by enzyme immunoassay remains poorly defined. The aim of this study was to assess the serological reactivity of a panel of well characterized French HCV isolates typed by sequence analysis from patients with chronic hepatitis. The 73 sera samples were tested in three third generation EIA tests and three confirmatory assays. HCV isolates were determined by RT‐PCR and sequencing in NS5B region of the genome. The 73 sera were positive in the three EIA tests. The three confirmatory tests showed a weaker reactivity with NS5 protein whatever the genotype, and a lower reactivity in NS4 antigens of non‐type 1 sequences, particularly for genotype 3. Even though the reactivity of the antigens differed among the HCV isolates, the 73 isolates from genotype 1–6 were reactive with the three commercial screening assays. These results demonstrate that using a single test is adequate in the routine diagnosis of HCV infection in clinical laboratory, as recommended by the last French and Europeen consensus conference.
Bats of Lithuania: distribution, status and protection
Authors: Pauza D. H. , Pauziene And N.
Published: March 2003

The Lithuanian bat fauna includes 14 species. Myotis daubentoni, Pipistrellus nathusii, Plecotus auritus and Eptesicus serotinus are the most abundant and widespread species, although recently P. auritus has disappeared from some hibernacula. There are still abundant populations of Myotis nattereri, Myotis brandti and Barbastella barbastellus in hibernacula, while their status in summer is unknown. Myotis dasycneme is probably very rare and endangered. The status of Myotis mystacinus and Nyctalus leisleri is not clear, but they are most likely very rare because very few specimens have been found. So far little is known about status of Nyctalus noctula, Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Eptesicus nilssoni and Vespertilio murinus because these species are common only during autumn bat migration along the Baltic Sea coast. Two other species, Myotis bechsteini and Rhinolophus hipposideros, have been rejected from the list of bats of Lithuania, because old references to records of these species were not reliable.

From what is currently known it seems that: (i) the northern limits of distribution of B. barbastellus and E. serotinus reach the middle of Lithuania between 55°N and 56°N, which may also be the southern limit of abundance of E. nilssoni; (ii) the wintering site with the largest numbers of bats in Lithuania is the vaults of Kaunas fortress, where every year eight species are found hibernating in numbers estimated as follows: M. daubentoni 400–500, M. nattereri 200–300, M. brandti 80–100, B.barbastellus 200–300, P. auritus 40–60, M. dasycneme 15–20 and a few E. serotinus and E. nilssoni.

In Lithuania nine bat species have been protected by law since 1991, as species included in the Red Data Book. Also 11 bat reserves have been designated in Kaunas fortress to protect the most important hibernation sites in Lithuania.
Identifying mammalian predators from bite marks: a tool for focusing wildlife protection
Authors: Lyver P. O’B.
Published: March 2003

Dead Sooty Shearwater, Puffinus griseus, chicks and adults were collected from seven colonies on South Island, New Zealand in the 1993–96 breeding seasons. An estimated 97% of 118 deaths were from predation. Thirty‐four definite predator bite pairs were identified on 27 carcasses. Twenty‐one (78%) of the carcasses had bite pairs with intercanine distances < 9.5 mm which suggests that Stoats (Mustela erminea) were the principal predators. One chick was killed by a feral House Cat (Felis catus), and it is likely that feral Ferrets (M. furo) were responsible for a proportion of the deaths. Nearly three quarters of definite Stoat bite pairs were identified in the head region. The analyses of bite marks offers cheap and statistically reliable identification of predators provided carcasses are collected fresh and flesh is removed to examine tooth punctures in bone.
Changes in the food of British Barn Owls (Tyto alba) between 1974 and 1997
Authors: Love R. Alasdair , Webon Charlotte , Glue David E. , Harris Stephen , Harris Stephen
Published: March 2003

Comparison of the results of a 1993–97 Barn Owl Tyto alba pellet survey with those of a similar survey from 1956–74 showed that Barn Owl diet had changed significantly. The primary differences were a widespread decrease in the percentage of Common Shrew Sorex araneus, combined with an increase in Pygmy Shrew Sorex minutus. The percentage of Wood and Yellow‐necked mice Apodemus sylvaticus and A. flavicollis and Bank Vole Clethrionomys glareolus in the diet also increased. Changes in Barn Owl diet since 1974 were independent of land‐class group, but were dependent upon region. This was due primarily to a large increase in the percentage of Apodemus spp. in Eastern England. Whilst the percentage of Pygmy Shrew in Barn Owl diet showed significant regional variation, there was no significant variation between land‐class groups. The diversity of Barn Owl diet increased between 1974 and 1997, although it was still lower in 1997 than earlier in the century. This increase was dependent upon region, but independent of land‐class group. The combined results of both surveys showed significant interland‐class group variation in dietary diversity. Changes in diet are discussed in relation to the intensification of agriculture and other changes in land management since the 1970s. The effects on Barn Owls of these changes in prey abundance are discussed, particularly in relation to the decline in Barn Owl numbers during the twentieth century.
Habitat use, diet and roost selection by the Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus) in North America: a case for conserving an abundant species
Authors: AGOSTA SALVATORE J.
Published: March 2003

Insectivorous bats are integral components of terrestrial ecosystems. Despite this, a growing number of factors causing world‐wide declines in bat populations have been identified. Relatively abundant species are important for bat conservation because of their role in ecosystems and the research opportunities they offer. In addition, species that have been well‐studied present unique opportunities to synthesize information and highlight important areas of focus for conservation and research. This paper focuses on a well‐studied abundant bat,Eptesicus fuscus. I review the relevant literature on habitat use, diet and roost selection byE. fuscusin North America, and highlight important areas of conservation and research for this species, including the effects of roost disturbance, control of economically important insect pests, exposure to pesticides, long‐term monitoring of populations, and the potential consequences of expanding populations. These issues have broad implications for other species and can be used to focus future research and conservation efforts.
Effect of arena size on behaviour and mortality of the oriental cockroach Blatta orientalis in arenas with a cypermethrin deposit adjacent to harbourage access points
Authors: LE PATOUREL
Published: March 2003

Activity and survival of adult female Blatta orientalis was investigated using tagged cockroaches in periodically illuminated arenas (LD 12:12 h) with a harbourage at one end. The arenas were rectangular with a width of 50 cm and lengths up to 480 cm. A cypermethrin‐treated plywood plate (50 × 11 cm) substrate across the harbourage access points caused cockroaches to be exposed to the insecticide deposit by tarsal contact as they entered or left the harbourage. The effects of varying arena length and cypermethrin concentration were tested at 28°C. The LC50 following 3 days exposure ranged from 5.7 to 11.8 mg/m2 on the plywood plate for arena lengths of 60 to 480 cm, respectively; cypermethrin at 30 mg/m2 produced 100% knockdown of B. orientalis within one 12 h dark period.

During darkness, active cockroaches spent most time close to the harbourage or around food and water stations, at the far end of the arena, and made frequent returns into the harbourage. For arena length 120 cm, the mean duration of contact with treated plates during the first hour of the dark period was significantly less than contact time on untreated plates, but during 12 h the cumulative contact times were not significantly different between treated and untreated plates. During the first 4 h of the dark period, mean cockroach numbers on the treated plate declined as arena length increased, but not as rapidly as the mean number/unit area over the rest of the arena. The arena design is considered suitable for comparative testing of fast‐acting neuroactive insecticide deposits against cockroaches.
Comparative repellency of commercial formulations of deet, permethrin and citronellal against the mosquito Aedes aegypti, using a collagen membrane technique compared with human arm tests
Authors: COCKCROFT  , COSGROVE  , WOOD
Published: March 2003

A collagen membrane technique, based on the membrane blood‐feeding system of Cosgrove et al. (1994) , was used to compare repellents against Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Repellency was defined in terms of inhibition of probing (ED50 and ED90) after 5 min exposure. A direct comparison was made with repellency from probing after 5 min on five male volunteers.

Four repellent products were compared with technical DEET as the standard. The liquid formulations tested were: Autan® (20% deet; Bayer); Repel Plus® (20% deet plus 0.05% permethrin; Boots); permethrin (Zeneca) and citronellal (Sigma) .

Membrane and arm tests gave similar results. Deet formulations required less active compound than citronellal for the same degree of repellency. Pure deet and Autan gave similar results, dose for dose. Permethrin was highly repellent at very low doses, but Repel Plus did not enhance the immediate repellency of deet. A technique using the same membrane system was developed to evaluate persistence of Autan, which declined to 75% after 1 h against Ae. aegypti, and to about 50% after 2–4 h.
Dynamics of diapause recruitment in populations of the face fly, Musca autumnalis
Authors: Krafsur E. S. , Moon R. D. , Kim Y. , Rosales A. L.
Published: March 2003

Field populations of face flies, Musca autumnalis DeGeer (Diptera: Muscidae) were sampled serially in the late summers and autumns of 1985–96, in order to measure the dynamics of diapause development in Iowa, U.S.A. Fat body hypertrophy and ovarian development were assessed through dissection, and pteridine quantities in the fly heads were measured spectrofluorometrically to estimate their physiological and chronological ages. Published laboratory studies of diapause induction established the expectation that diapause incidence would vary over successive years with prevailing temperatures. The expectation was not met by field data. Patterns in the frequencies of hypertrophied fat body and of vitellogenic nullipars indicated that about 50% of recruited adults began developing into diapause in the second week of September in each year. Degree‐day summations for each year from 1985 to 1996 suggested that the hypothetical mean optimal time for switching into diapause would be in the second week of September, because a rapidly diminishing proportion of eggs laid later would result in viable, overwintering flies. It was concluded that face flies do not use daily temperatures in late summer, but instead cue on photoperiod for diapause.
Nutritional levels of female tsetse Glossina pallidipes from artificial refuges
Authors: Hargrove J. W.
Published: March 2003

Female tsetse flies, Glossina pallidipes Austen, caught in artificial refuges were subjected to ovarian dissection and analysed for levels of fat, residual dry weight (RDW) and haematin. There were rather small proportions of flies in ovarian categories 0 and 1, in part due to large losses in the immature and teneral stages at the hottest time of year. The distribution of the female catch among pregnancy days was close to uniform. The wet and dry weights (WW and DW) and RDW of eggs, larvae and pupae increased by 0.821, 0.303 and 0.204 mg respectively, with each mm3 increase in volume. Water accounted for 71.7% of the fat‐free WW, and fat for 32.7% of the DW. Between birth and ovulation, fat increased from 2 to 4 mg and RDW from 7 to 11 mg; thoracic RDW increased by 2.5 mg and changed little thereafter. Fat levels increased 3.5 mg by day 6 of pregnancy, but only 0.5 mg thereafter. Over the same periods RDW corrected to zero haematin (CRDW) increased by 1 and 8 mg respectively. Full‐term fat and CRDW levels were 8.2 and 19.4 mg respectively. Cumulative haematin frequencies formed a smooth curve with a slope that increased continuously. The raw data were well fitted by a model where feeding rates increased exponentially and capture probability was independent of haematin content. The mean feeding interval was 60 h; feeding probabilities of > 0.9/day were only found in flies that had failed to feed for > 72 h. In early pregnancy, fat levels declined with haematin for flies that had fed > 36 h previously; by days 5–7 fat levels were maintained at a constant high level for 60 h post‐feeding. Fat–haematin graphs for female tsetse cannot be used to estimate rates of fat utilization. Traps sample tsetse with below‐average fat and RDW in early and late pregnancy respectively. Refuge samples are less biased than those from traps; they give a better picture of the dynamics of pregnancy in normal flies and facilitate the explanation of existing anomalies.
Lifetime changes in the nutritional characteristics of female tsetse Glossina pallidipes caught in odour‐baited traps
Authors: Hargrove J. W.
Published: March 2003

Female Glossina pallidipes Austen were captured in odour‐baited traps at Rekomitjie Research Station, Zambezi Valley, Zimbabwe during February 1994; 2890 were dissected and assigned to their ovarian age category and day of pregnancy using the lengths of the oocytes and uterine content. For 1838 of these flies, the nutritional state of the mother and her uterine content were estimated separately. It was thereby possible to see how, during pregnancy, the females acquired fat and residual dry weight (RDW) and transfered them to the larva. Newly emerged flies contained 1 mg fat and 6 mg RDW, of which 4 mg was in the thorax (TRDW). Fat hardly increased by the first ovulation; RDW increased by 2.5 mg and 1.5 mg of this increase was in TRDW. Mean haematin levels increased from 2 to 8 μg during each pregnancy. Fat increased from 1.2 mg to 4.5–5 mg by day 7 and was then rapidly transferred to the larva. RDW increased by only 1.8 mg by day 7, but larval RDW increased thereafter by > 6 mg. Amino acids from late‐pregnancy bloodmeals are incorporated directly, in the uterine gland, into ‘milk’ that is taken up rapidly by the larva. Capture probability was highest on day 1 of pregnancy, when nutritional levels were lowest, with lesser peaks on days 5 and 8 when the fly was nourishing a rapidly developing larva. On day 1, the peak of the logarithm of the haematin distribution corresponded to flies estimated to have fed ≈ 75 h previously; by day 8 it had shifted to ≈ 60 h post‐feeding. A model in which feeding rates and capture probabilities increased exponentially with time since feeding accounted for 97% of the variance in log haematin frequencies. On 4/9 days of pregnancy there was no significant decline in fat with haematin content during the lipolytic phase. The rate of decline is not a satisfactory estimate of the rate of fat usage. Flies in this study had longer wings and higher TRDW than those from refuges in an earlier study, but had lower levels of fat and haematin.
Estimation of survival rates in haematophagous insects
Authors: Lord C. C. , Baylis M.
Published: March 2003

Estimation of the survival rate through a gonotrophic cycle is an important factor in determining the vectorial capacity of a population of haematophagous insects in a disease cycle. Most methods used to calculate survival rates make stringent assumptions which may not be valid for all species. Birley and colleagues used a time series analysis of samples collected over several consecutive days, the lagged parous rate. Here, we use a simulation model to investigate (i) the length of data series needed and (ii) the consequences of failures in the assumptions of this method for the estimated survival rate. The accuracy of the estimated survival rate per cycle was high with sample periods of 10–100 days. The standard deviation (a measure of precision) decreased with the length of the sample period. When random sampling efficiency was included, the accuracy remained high but the estimates were less precise (larger standard deviations). If the sampling was biased in favour of either nulliparous or parous females, estimates of the survival rate were not accurate. The relationship between estimated survival rate, bias in collection, and true survival rate was non‐linear. Thus, correction for the bias requires (i) prior knowledge of the direction and the severity of the bias and (ii) an independent estimate of the survival rate. This method of estimating survival rates is less accurate when the collection method is biased for or against parous females, although robust to other assumptions.
PCR‐based methods for identification of species of the Anopheles minimus group: allele‐specific amplification and single‐strand conformation polymorphism
Authors: Sharpe R. G. , Hims M. M. , Harbach R. E. , Butlin R. K.
Published: March 2003

We report two polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐based methods for distinguishing morphologically similar species based on amplification of a variable region of the 28S gene of ribosomal DNA. The four species we investigated are mosquitoes of the Anopheles minimus group: An. aconitus, An. varuna and An. minimus species A and C. The formally named species are vectors of human malaria parasites in south‐east Asia but are difficult to distinguish with certainty on the basis of morphology. Allele‐specific amplification was used to differentiate An. minimus A from An. minimus C. This technique has been widely used for the diagnosis of species. Single‐strand conformation polymorphisms (SSCPs) were used to separate all four species. This technique, which has seldom been used for species identification, has many advantages: it does not require sequence information beyond that needed for amplification; it is ideally suited for the detection of heterozygotes; it utilizes more of the information in the PCR product than allele‐specific amplification; it distinguishes all four species considered here and could easily be extended to other species; previously unknown intraspecific variation and additional species are likely to be detected. Thus, SSCPs provide valuable population genetic information which allele‐specific amplification does not.
Abrocomaphthirus hoplai, a new genus and species of sucking louse from Chile and its relevance to zoogeography
Authors: Durden L. A. , Webb J. P.
Published: March 2003

Both sexes of Abrocomaphthirus hoplai, new genus and new species (Anoplura: Polyplacidae), are described and illustrated. The endemic Chilean chinchilla rat Abrocoma bennetti Waterhouse (Rodentia: Abrocomidae) is the type host. The definition of the family Polyplacidae is amended to accommodate the new genus. Polyplax longa (Werneck), also referred to in the literature as Neohaematopinus longus Werneck, is reassigned to Abrocomaphthirus. The host of A. longus comb.n., is Abrocoma cinerea Thomas, another chinchilla rat, which inhabits parts of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru. The erection of Abrocomaphthirus as a distinct genus has important zoogeographical and evolutionary implications. The tenuous anomaly of P. longa being the sole native representative of the genus Polyplax in South America, possibly with African affinities, is now refuted. Instead, partial colonization of the neotropics by native species of both Polyplax and Neohaematopinus appears to have been relatively recent and from North America. The phylogenetic affinities of Abrocomaphthirus are unknown, but it appears to be closely related to other, more ancient, native South American polyplacid louse genera, such as Cuyana, Eulinognathus, Galeophthirus, and Lagidiophthirus. Arguments are presented in support of an ancestral zoogeographical link to Africa for these louse genera.
Cytogenetics of the Anopheles gambiae complex in Sudan, with special reference to An. arabiensis: relationships with East and West African populations
Authors: Petrarca V. , Nugud A. D. , Ahmed M. A. Elkarim , Haridi A. M. , Di Deco M. A. , Coluzzi M.
Published: March 2003

The species composition of malaria vector mosquitoes belonging to the Anopheles gambiae complex (Diptera: Culicidae) from > 40 localities in Sudan, representing most ecological situations, was determined by analysis of ovarian polytene chromosomes. Of 2162 females, 93% were identified as An. arabiensis Patton and 7% were An. gambiae Giles sensu stricto. No hybrids were found between the two species. Anopheles arabiensis occurred in all but two sites, whereas An. gambiae s.s. was effectively limited to the southernmost, more humid localities. For chromosomal paracentric inversions, the degree of polymorphism was low in An. gambiae s.s. (inversions 2La, 2Rb and 2Rd), higher in An. arabiensis (inversions Xe, 2Ra, b, bc, d1, s; 3Ra, d). Anopheles gambiae samples from Sudan were all apparently panmictic, i.e. they did not show restricted gene flow such as observed among West African populations (interpreted as incipient speciation). Chromosomal inversion patterns of An. gambiae in southern Sudan showed characteristics of intergrading Savanna/Forest populations similar to those observed in comparable eco‐climatic situations of West Africa. Anopheles arabiensis was polymorphic for inversion systems recorded in West Africa (2Ra, 2Rb, 2Rd1, 3Ra) and for a novel 2Rs polymorphism, overlapping with inversion systems 2Rb and 2Rd1. Samples carrying the 2Rs inversion were mostly from Khashm‐el‐Girba area in central‐eastern Sudan. In the great majority of the samples all polymorphic inversions were found to be in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. Sudan populations of An. arabiensis should therefore be considered as generally panmictic. Anopheles arabiensis shows more inversion polymorphism in west than in east African populations. Sudan populations have more evident similarities with those from westwards than those from eastwards of the Great Rift Valley. The possible influence of the Rift on evolution of An. arabiensis is discussed.
The ixodid tick species attaching to domestic dogs and cats in Great Britain and Ireland
Authors: Ogden N. H. , Cripps P. , Davison C. C. , Owen G. , Parry J. M. , Timms B. J. , Forbes A. B.
Published: March 2003

The species of ixodid ticks, attached to dogs and cats presented to veterinary practices in Great Britain and Ireland were identified. Most host animals carried only one tick species with Ixodes ricinus Linné (Acari: Ixodidae) being the most common, identified on 52% of animals, Ixodes hexagonus Leach (Acari: Ixodidae) the second most common (on 39%) and Ixodes canisuga Johnston (Acari: Ixodidae) the third most common (on 11%). A significantly higher proportion of dogs than cats carried I. ricinus, while I. hexagonus was more frequently carried by cats. One animal carried a single specimen of Haemaphysalis punctata Canestrini & Fanzago (Acari: Ixodidae), one carried a Dermacentor reticulatus Fabricius (Acari: Ixodidae) but none carried Rhipicephalus sanguineus Latreille (Acari: Ixodidae). This indicates that the latter two species, vectors of ‘exotic’ tick‐borne diseases, remain at low densities in Great Britain and Ireland. Retrospective information on exposure of the animals to different habitats and geographic regions was collected by questionnaire and subject to contingency table and logistic regression analysis. Woodlands and moorlands were habitats significantly associated with I. ricinus attachment. Exposure to urban parks was significantly associated with I. hexagonus attachment and exposure to boarding kennels and catteries was significantly associated with I. canisuga attachment. Ixodes hexagonus, rather than I. ricinus, was the ixodid tick species most likely to be encountered by urban populations of dogs and cats and, by inference, possibly also humans. The implications of these findings, for the transmission of tick‐borne pathogens to dogs, cats and humans are discussed.