Whole-culture extracts of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner strains were assayed against larval and adult Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura), an important invasive pest of many thin-skinned soft fruit crops in North America. Of the 22 serovars tested versus larval D. suzukii, strains of Bacillus thuringiensis var. thuringiensis, kurstaki, thompsoni, bolivia, and pakistani caused high (75 to 100%) first-instar mortalities. Pupal mortality, measured as a failure of adults to emerge, varied with serovar. The first D. suzukii instar was the most susceptible of the three larval instars to B. thuringiensis var. kurstaki HD-1. Larval D. suzukii are shielded from crop treatments, as they develop under the skin of infested fruit, and adults would be a more vulnerable target for an efficacious strain of B. thuringiensis Only one of the 21 B. thuringiensis serovars, var. thuringiensis, prepared as oral suspensions in sucrose for adult D. suzukii ingestion resulted in significant, albeit low mortality within 7 d. It is not a candidate for use in pest management, as it produces β-exotoxin that is toxic to vertebrates.

Transplantation of ovarian tissue between different breeds of chickens or Japanese quail can result in normal egg production and give rise to donor-derived offspring with a high frequency. The feasibility of interspecific ovarian transplantation was evaluated by transplanting ovarian tissue from Muscovy ducks to Pekin ducks just after hatch, with subsequent treatment of the recipients with an immunosuppressant. Among the 8 mature Pekin ducks that had received ovarian tissue from Muscovy ducklings, 2 produced fertile eggs when mated with Muscovy drakes, and one of these produced only Muscovy ducks, which were derived from the transplanted Muscovy ovary. The other produced mule ducks that were hybrids of the host Pekin duck and the Muscovy drake. Further development of interspecific transplantation of ovaries may provide a simple method for the conservation and propagation of endangered birds.

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Fecal bile acid concentration, fecal characteristics, bowel habits and habitual food intake were measured in male distance runners (n = 14) and sedentary men (n = 14). Fecal bile acid concentration was significantly (p less than 0.05) lower and stool weight, frequency of defecation and daily intake of fibre, carbohydrate, and protein were significantly (p less than 0.01) higher in the runners. After adjustment for differences in dietary fibre intake, fecal bile acid concentration was no longer significantly different between the distance runners and the sedentary men, but frequency of defecation remained significantly (p less than 0.05) higher in the runners. This study has identified lower fecal bile acid concentration in distance runners, which was probably due mainly to dilution of colon contents by higher consumption of dietary fibre. These findings may be relevant to the reduced incidence of colon cancer in physically active subjects.

Ovaries from Rhode Island Red donors were transplanted orthotopically into White Leghorn recipients. At maturation, recipients were mated with Rhode Island Red roosters to test the origin of their ovaries, using plumage coloration as a marker. A chick with chimeric plumage coloration was produced, indicating mechanisms that produce follicles with both donor and recipient ovarian contents. This study suggests that ovarian transplantation could be useful for in vivo studies of cytological and molecular mechanisms involved in avian folliculogenesis.