No description available.

No description available.

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus presents clinical challenges. The ability of S. aureus to cause human disease is correlated with the nematocidal activity of that isolate. This thesis investigates the relationship between SCCmec type, colony spreading, and the presence of the fudoh/psm-mec region of MRSA isolates to their ability to kill Caenorhabditis elegans. PCR was used to test for the fudoh/psm-mec region in 420 CMRSA2 isolates and 155 CMRSA1 isolates. Spread plate assays were performed on 149 CMRSA2 isolates to determine correlation between SCCmec type and colony spreading. Fudoh/psm-mec was correlated with the infection/colonization status of a patient. SCCmec type IV was correlated with increased spreading ability. SCCmec type, PFGE type, spa type, and colony spreading ability of 40 MRSA isolates were determined; these isolates were characterized using a nematode killing assay. It was found that the colony spreading ability of an isolate correlated with the nematocidal ability of that isolate.

The following work is based on the study of some nematodes collected in Formosa from two hosts , Suncua murinus and Bandicota nemorivaga . It deals with the taxonomy of the nematodes , with their hosts and with their geographical distribution range .

No description available.

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus presents clinical challenges. The ability of S. aureus to cause human disease is correlated with the nematocidal activity of that isolate. This thesis investigates the relationship between SCCmec type, colony spreading, and the presence of the fudoh/psm-mec region of MRSA isolates to their ability to kill Caenorhabditis elegans. PCR was used to test for the fudoh/psm-mec region in 420 CMRSA2 isolates and 155 CMRSA1 isolates. Spread plate assays were performed on 149 CMRSA2 isolates to determine correlation between SCCmec type and colony spreading. Fudoh/psm-mec was correlated with the infection/colonization status of a patient. SCCmec type IV was correlated with increased spreading ability. SCCmec type, PFGE type, spa type, and colony spreading ability of 40 MRSA isolates were determined; these isolates were characterized using a nematode killing assay. It was found that the colony spreading ability of an isolate correlated with the nematocidal ability of that isolate.

No description available.

The slug-parasitic nematode, <i>Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita, </i>was made commercially available as a biological control agent in 1994 under the trade name of Nemaslug. The product is sold as infective dauer juvenile nematodes bound to Calcium montmorillonite clay or finely powered vermiculite, to produce a water-dispensable formulation.  Retail sales for this product are approximately £1 million in Europe. However, the price of Nemaslug is still considerably greater than its chemical competitors.  Therefore one of the main objectives of this thesis was to investigate the mechanisms and environmental parameters involved with dauer juvenile formation, in order to improve mass production methods.  Another objective was to examine new retail markets out with Europe, as it is generally not possible to sell <i>P. hermaphrodita </i>in countries in which it is not indigenous.  This was achieved by collecting slugs from areas around the world where they are known to be important economic pests (i.e. USA and South Africa), and examining them for the presence of internal nematode parasites.  Information from nematode strain collections were then used to investigate the role of parasite release in the invasion of European slugs in to the USA, the diversity and distribution of terrestrial slugs and their associated nematode parasites, and the phylogenetic relationship of slug-parasitic nematodes.

No description available.

iv, 130 leaves : ill. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Plant Pathology, Waite Agricultural Research Institute, 1972?