Importance of water loss in the chilling injury of grapefruit stored at low temperature

Differences in chilling injury susceptibility of grapefruit from exterior and interior tree canopy positions were used to investigate the hypothesis that water loss is related to chilling injury symptom development during low-temperature storage. The sun-exposed surface of grapefruit from exterior canopy positions was more susceptible to chilling injury and had lower diffusive resistance than the shaded surface of the same fruit. Reducing the rate of fruit transpiration during the first week of storage by a pre-cooling treatment prior to low-temperature storage delayed, but did not eliminate, the development of chilling injury.     

Degradation of S-2-Di-isopropylaminoethyl O-ethyl methylphosphonothioate in soil: Phosphorus-containing products

The degradation of S-2-di-isopropylaminoethyl O-ethyl methylphosphonothioate in humic sand, humic loam and clayey peat has been studied under laboratory conditions. About 90% of the compound disappeared within 2 days and the remainder disappeared more slowly. Ethyl hydrogen methylphosphonate and methylphosphonic acid were identified as the only phosphorus-containing degradation products.     

Build-up and subsequent decline of residues of quintozene and hexachlorobenzene in lettuce in sequential crops

The build-up and decline of quintozene and hexachlorobenzene residues in protected lettuce, resulting from one to five treatments of the soil (each of 35 g m-2) with a quintozene formulation, have been studied. Residue levels were monitored in each experimental crop during growth until harvest. Residues in the soil at harvest were also determined. Quintozene residues in the harvested lettuce were in the range < 0.02–0.80 mg kg^?1 and those of hexachlorobenzene were in the range < 0.02–0.05 mg kg^?1 (expressed on a fresh weight basis). Residue levels in the soil were 5.4–231 mg kg^?1 for quintozene, and 0.20–5.4 mg kg^?1 for hexachlorobenzene (expressed on a dry weight basis). Under the experimental conditions of the trial there was no significant build-up of quintozene or hexachlorobenzene in harvested lettuce, even after five treatments to the same site.     

Zones of exudation along plant roots and spatial distribution of micro-organisms in the rhizosphere

The use of ¹⁴C-labelling of plants in short-term studies has established that the major zone of release of carbon-containing materials from roots is the zone of elongation. Much of this material is in an insoluble form, comprising sloughed-off root cap cells and polysaccharide material, and remains in the immediate vicinity of the root. Electron microscopy of ultra-thin sections of the root-soil interface of wheat plants has shown that colonisation by micro-organisms of the rhizosphere is relatively sparse in the young parts of roots. In the older parts of roots, evidence was obtained that bacteria lyse the walls of the outer root cells and this is followed by dense colonisation of these moribund outer cells by bacteria.     

Therapy of ocular and visceral leishmaniasis in a cat

An 8-year-old, spayed female Domestic Short-haired cat was referred for further evaluation of chronic lymphocytic-plasmacytic stomatitis and bilateral ocular disease. The cat had been treated with systemic glucocorticoids for several months. Initial ophthalmic examination revealed bilateral deep stromal corneal ulcers, exudative panuveitis and secondary glaucoma. Mature mild neutrophilia and monocytosis were detected on complete blood cell count. Abnormalities in the serum profile were hyperglycemia, mild azotemia, hyperglobulinemia and moderate polyclonal gammapathy. Urinalysis revealed glucosuria without ketonuria. Diabetes mellitus was diagnosed and treatment with long-acting insulin was started. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was highly positive for leishmaniasis, and treatment with allopurinol was started. Although specific topical treatment was applied, melting ulcers progressed to corneal perforation and both eyes were enucleated. Ocular histology showed large numbers of intracellular organisms compatible with amastigotes of the genus Leishmania located in the uveal tract, cornea, sclera and retina. Results of inmunohistochemistry staining on ocular samples were positive for Leishmania. Bone marrow cytology demonstrated numerous macrophages with intracytoplasmatic Leishmania. Polymerase chain reaction results on bone marrow for Leishmania were positive. Three weeks later, hypoglycemic episodes permitted withdrawal of the insulin therapy. To the authors' knowledge this is the first case of ocular and visceral leishmaniasis diagnosed in vivo and under systemic treatment in a cat.     

Structure—activity relationships of fungicidal acetylenic sulphones

Regression analysis in the l-alkylsulphonyl-2-arylacetylene series yielded significant correlations of antifungal activity against six microorganisms with certain physicochemical parameters (electronic effects, lipophilicity and steric factors). Fungicidal activity is enhanced by introducing electron-withdrawing substituents in the aryl nucleus, whereas variation of the lipophilic parameter reveals an optimum value. The results obtained indicate a mechanism of action based on a reaction of the compounds with nucleophiles present in the fungal cells, which was confirmed by determining the second-order rate constants of the reaction between 1 -alkylsulphonyl-2-arylacetylenes and the model nucleophile 4-nitro(thiophenol). The lipophilic para-meter was also determined experimentally using thin-layer chromatography. Regression analysis with this completely experimental set of parameters regression gave highly significant results in close agreement with those obtained above.     

Evaluating infiltration for border irrigation models

The infiltration characteristics of a soil are important to the design, evaluation and management of border irrigation systems. The use and verification of border irrigation models also rely heavily on infiltration. This paper presents a technique for determining infiltration when detailed information is available on the total infiltrated volume during the irrigation which can be obtained from measurements of inflow, outflow, and water depths on the border strip. The method uses a volume balance at progressive times and is an extension of earlier work. Data from this method were used as input to the zone-inertia border irrigation model and good agreement was found between measured and computed values of advance, recession, runoff rates and volumes, and surface water depths.