Influence of timing of endectocidic antiparasitic treatment on its efficacy in overwintering reindeer

To find out if timing of endectocidic antiparasitic treatment is critical for its efficacy in overwintering reindeer, 72 hinds of the Kaamanen Experimental Reindeer Herd were randomly allocated to four groups. Three groups received ivermecrin mixture orally once at a dose of 200 pg/kg, either in September, December, or February, and one group was left untreated. Antiparasitic efficacy was evaluated by counting Hypoderma tarandi and Cephenemyia trompe larvae in April, and by faecal examinanon for trichostrongylid nematode eggs in March and April. Production efficacy consequences were assessed by comparing animal weight development from November to April, and calf birth weights. No difference could be seen in the antiparasitic efficacy of the treatments; all were 100 % efficient against H. tarandi larvae (warbles) and C. trompe larvae (throat bors), and reduced the trichostrongylid egg output by 62 to 74%. Weight gains of the groups were not significantly different, however the calf birrh weights differed nearly significantly (P = 0.057). On average, smallest calves were produced by the untreated group

Path Planning Algorithms for Agricultural Machines

Rosana G. Moreira, Editor-in-Chief; Texas A&M UniversityThis is a paper from International Commission of Agricultural Engineering (CIGR, Commission Internationale du Genie Rural) E-Journal Volume 9 (2007): Path Planning Algorithms for Agricultural Machines. Manuscript ATOE 07 009. Vol. IX. July, 2007

A new SYBR green real-time PCR assay for semi-quantitative detection of Echinococcus multilocularis and Echinococcus canadensis DNA on bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) : Food and Waterborne Parasitology

Berries and vegetables are potential transmission vehicles for eggs of pathogenic parasites, such as Echinococcus spp. We developed a SYBR Green based semi-quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) method for detection of Echinococcus multilocularis and Echinococcus canadensis DNA from berry samples. A set of primers based on the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (nad1) gene was designed and evaluated. To assess the efficacy of the assay, we spiked bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) with a known amount of E. multilocularis eggs. The detection limit for the assay using the NAD1_88 primer set was 4.37 × 10−5 ng/μl of E. multilocularis DNA. Under artificial contamination of berries, 50 E. multilocularis eggs were reliably detected in 250 g of bilberries. Analytical sensitivity of the assay was determined to be 100% with three eggs. As an application of the assay, 21 bilberry samples from Finnish market places and 21 bilberry samples from Estonia were examined. Previously described sieving and DNA extraction methods were used, and the samples were analyzed for E. multilocularis and E. canadensis DNA using semi-quantitative real-time PCR and a melting curve analysis of the amplified products. Echinococcus DNA was not detected in any of the commercial berry samples. This easy and fast method can be used for an efficient detection of E. multilocularis and E. canadensis in bilberries or other berries, and it is applicable also for fruits and vegetables. © 2019 The AuthorsPeer reviewe

Noncommutative gauge theory using covariant star product defined between Lie-valued differential forms

We develop an internal gauge theory using a covariant star product. The space-time is a symplectic manifold endowed only with torsion but no curvature. It is shown that, in order to assure the restrictions imposed by the associativity property of the star product, the torsion of the space-time has to be covariant constant. An illustrative example is given and it is concluded that in this case the conditions necessary to define a covariant star product on a symplectic manifold completely determine its connection.Comment: AMS-LaTeX 19 pages. v2: corrections in language and equations (typos), expanded sections 3-5, added references. v3: minor presentational and grammatical corrections, completed, corrected and reordered some references

Covariant star product on symplectic and Poisson spacetime manifolds

A covariant Poisson bracket and an associated covariant star product in the sense of deformation quantization are defined on the algebra of tensor-valued differential forms on a symplectic manifold, as a generalization of similar structures that were recently defined on the algebra of (scalar-valued) differential forms. A covariant star product of arbitrary smooth tensor fields is obtained as a special case. Finally, we study covariant star products on a more general Poisson manifold with a linear connection, first for smooth functions and then for smooth tensor fields of any type. Some observations on possible applications of the covariant star products to gravity and gauge theory are made.Comment: AMS-LaTeX, 27 pages. v2: minor corrections in presentation and language, added one referenc

Impact of broad-spectrum anthelmintic treatment in the summer on the weight gain of reindeer calves

The results indicate that broad-spectrum helminth control may increase summer growth of reindeer calves at least when heavily parasitized. The significant weight gain caused by the treatment was, however, relatively small. On natural reindeer pastures with seasonal migration the parasite infection pressure is possibly considerably lower than in this trial

A finite element data assimilation method for the wave equation

We design a primal-dual stabilized finite element method for the numerical approximation of a data assimilation problem subject to the acoustic wave equation. For the forward problem, piecewise affine, continuous, finite element functions are used for the approximation in space and backward differentiation is used in time. Stabilizing terms are added on the discrete level. The design of these terms is driven by numerical stability and the stability of the continuous problem, with the objective of minimizing the computational error. Error estimates are then derived that are optimal with respect to the approximation properties of the numerical scheme and the stability properties of the continuous problem. The effects of discretizing the (smooth) domain boundary and other perturbations in data are included in the analysis