Redistribution of 10B Absorbed by Leaves and Roots of Cashew Seedlings

Boron (B) is transported mainly in the xylem, but by using isotopic tracers it was possible to verify that B has significant mobility in the phloem of polyols-producing species. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the mobility of ¹⁰B applied to cashew plants. The experiment was conducted from 05/10 to 07/10/2010 in a greenhouse of University of São Paulo State-UNESP, Ilha Solteira Campus, State of São Paulo, Brazil. 0.5 mg of B L^?1 of soil was used in the substrate. A solution of 255 mg of B L^?1 was used in recently mature and fully developed leaves. The total content of B and and percentage of boron in the plant derived from fertilizer (Bppf%) were evaluated in the old and new leaves stemming at 30 and 60 days after the application of ¹⁰B. As evidenced, B applied to leaves had restricted mobility in cashew tree. However, B applied in the substrate was absorbed and translocated to young leaves.     

Establishment and characterization of eight feline mammary adenocarcinoma cell lines

Eight new feline mammary adenocarcinoma cell lines derived from either primary or metastatic lesions were established. The morphology of all the cell lines was epithelioid and round to spindle in shape, with cell growth occurring in a monolayer fashion. On immunohistochemistry, these cells reacted with anti-keratin and anti-vimentin antisera. The doubling time of these cells was between 19 and 54 hr. Tumor masses were developed in nude mice by subcutaneous inoculation of the cells that were histologically identical to their original mammary tumor lesions. Telomerase activities measured using the telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay revealed high telemetric activity in all of the cells.     

Evaluation of antiviral activity of phenolic compounds and derivatives against rabies virus

Human rabies is a viral disease with a great impact on public health, mainly on account of its fatal course in the majority of cases. Despite the well-established prophylaxis by immunization, rabies is believed to be responsible for 40,000-70,000 human deaths per year, mostly in endemic areas. Palliative support and experimental protocols to avoid death have been employed with no expressive results, with the exception of a recent human case of recovery from rabies. No antiviral drugs are currently available to fight against this infection. In combination with the prophylaxis, an antiviral drug would be useful for human rabies treatment, providing enhanced protection against the encephalitis caused by the virus. Phenolic compounds are derived from the secondary plant metabolism, although they can also be obtained by synthetic processes. Many studies have shown a great range of pharmacological effects for these substances, including vasodilatation, antiallergenic, antiinflammatory and antiviral properties, among others. In this study, the potential in-vitro anti-rabies activity of 24 synthetic phenolic compounds was evaluated using McCoy cells and PV rabies strain. The cytotoxicity (CC50) was assayed by the MTT method and the antiviral activity (IC50) was estimated by the inhibition of viral cytopathic effects. Isoprinosine and ketamine were used as positive controls. The tested compounds showed selectivity indices (SI=CC50/IC50) ranging from 1.0 to 3.9. Six phenolic compounds failed to inhibit the cytopathic effect to any degree, and four showed SI > or = 3.0. According to these results, some probable structure-activity relationships are suggested. It was observed that the presence of free hydroxyl and ether groups influenced the anti-rabies activity. However, additional studies are required to establish these relationships.     

Establishment and biological characterization of canine histiocytic sarcoma cell lines

Seven novel cell lines from canine histiocytic sarcoma (HS), three of which were disseminated cutaneous HS and four of which were synovial HS, were established. All of the established cell lines had the same morphological (by light and electron microscopic findings), cytochemical (alpha-naphthyl butyrate esterase-positive), and immunohistochemical (vimentin- and lysozyme-positive, and cyto-keratin-negative) characteristics as the original HS tumor cells. All of the established cell lines injected into nude mice subcutaneously produced solid tumors. Because the established cell lines also showed phagocytic and processing activities, the HS tumor cells appear to originate from the mononuclear phagocytic system cells, despite their differences in locations or organs.     

Structure–activity relationships of eugenol derivatives against Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) larvae

BACKGROUND: Dengue fever is a severe public health problem for several countries. In order to find effective larvicides to aid control programs, the structure‐activity relationships of eugenol derivatives against Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) larvae were evaluated. Additionally, the composition and larvicidal activity of Syzygium aromaticum essential oil was assessed. RESULTS: Four compounds representing 99.05% of S. aromaticum essential oil have been identified. The essential oil was active against Ae. aegypti larvae (LC₅₀ = 62.3 and 77.0 ppm, field‐collected and Rockefeller larvae respectively). The larvicidal activity of eugenol, the major compound of the essential oil, was further evaluated (LC₅₀ = 93.3 and 71.9 ppm, field‐collected and Rockefeller larvae respectively). The larvicidal activity and structure‐activity relationships of synthetic derivatives of eugenol were also assessed. The larvicidal activity of the derivatives varied between 62.3 and 1614.9 ppm. Oxidation of eugenol allylic bond to a primary alcohol and removal of the phenolic proton resulted in decreased potency. However, oxidation of the same double bond in 1‐benzoate‐2‐methoxy‐4‐(2‐propen‐1‐yl)‐phenol resulted in increased potency. CONCLUSION: Structural characteristics were identified that may contribute to the understanding of the larvicidal activity of phenylpropanoids. The present approach may help future work in the search for larvicidal compounds. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Perineal analgesic actions of epidural clonidine in cattle

Objective To determine the analgesic, sedative, motor, cardiac and respiratory effects of epidural clonidine in cattle. Study design Prospective randomized study. Animal population Six healthy male cattle weighing between 236 and 365 kg. Methods To investigate the effect of epidural clonidine, the animals received 2 and 3 µg kg^?1 of clonidine diluted to 8 mL with 0.9% saline. Two treatments were utilized as controls. The animals from the first control treatment received 2% lidocaine (0.4 mg kg^?1) and those from the second received an equal volume of 0.9% saline. Each animal received each treatment in random order. Evaluations of analgesia, sedation, muscle relaxation, heart rate, respiratory rate and rectal temperature were obtained at 0 (basal), 2, 5, 10, 15 and 30 minutes after epidural injection, and then at 30‐minute intervals until loss of analgesia occurred. All the animals received a standard noxious stimulus consisting of needle insertion into the skin and deep muscle; a 4‐point scale was used to score the response. A second scale was used to score sedation and a third for muscle relaxation. Results Both doses of clonidine were effective in producing analgesia of the tail, perineum, and upper hindlimb. Complete analgesia was present before (mean ± SE = 9 ± 4 vs. 19 ± 9 minutes) and lasted longer (311 ± 33 vs. 192 ± 27 minutes) for the 3 µg kg^?1versus the 2 µg kg^?1 dose, respectively. A dose‐dependent sedative effect of clonidine was also observed, with a peak effect between 60 and 180 minutes. No effects on heart or respiratory rates were observed with either dose of clonidine. Conclusions Epidural administration of 2 and 3 µg kg^?1 of clonidine in cattle in this study provided bilateral perineal analgesia/anesthesia with a dose‐dependent onset and duration of action. Clinical relevance Further studies are required to determine whether the analgesia is sufficient for surgery.     

Genome-wide association study for spot blotch resistance in Afghan wheat germplasm

Spot blotch (SB), caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana, is a devastating disease of wheat globally, especially in South Asia and South America. Understanding the genetics of resistance to SB is important for developing breeding strategies to improve resistance. A panel of 301 genotypes from Afghanistan was phenotyped over two crop seasons using a mixture of virulent B. sorokiniana isolates and genotyped using DArTSeq to obtain genome-wide markers. Fifty genotypes (16.6%) showed disease scores less than the resistant control. Principal component analysis using the genotypic data clustered the genotypes into five different groups. Among models used for genome-wide association mapping, the multilocus mixed model, and fixed and random model circulating probability unification algorithms were most effective in identifying significant marker-trait associations (MTA). Twenty-five MTAs at p ≤ .001 were identified on chromosomes 1A, 1B, 1D, 2B, 2D, 3A, 3B, 4A, 5A, 5B, 6A, 7A, and 7D, indicating the quantitative nature of resistance to SB. Phenotypic variation explained by these markers ranged from 2.0% to 17.7%, and genomic regions on the chromosomes 1D, 2D, 3A, 3B, 4A, 5A, and 5B coincided with loci identified in previous studies. Three single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers on chromosomes 1B (SNP 1113207) and 5A (SNPs 5411867 and 998276) were significant in both crop seasons as well as in the combined analysis across seasons. Marker 5411867 is close to Vrn-A1, shown to be associated with SB in previous studies. Furthermore, among known SB resistance genes, Sb2 on chromosome 5B was predicted to be significant in this panel.     

秸秆复合有机酿热物对大棚土壤环境的影响

为解决黑龙江省早春大棚土壤温度低及设施土壤环境恶化问题,以‘千禧’番茄为材料,研究秸秆+牛粪(NGH)、秸秆+马粪(MGH)、秸秆+羊粪(YGH)、单一秸秆(JG),以未进行反应堆技术为对照(CK),对早春大棚‘千禧’番茄土壤温度、土壤理化性状、酶活性及微生物群落结构的影响。结果表明,与对照相比,各处理降低了土壤pH,提高了土壤温度、土壤EC、碱解氮、速效钾、有机质含量及土壤蔗糖酶、脲酶、磷酸酶、过氧化氢酶活性。经过秸秆生物反应堆处理的20 cm土层温度有明显的提升,其中秸秆+羊粪处理在反应启动后提升土壤温度效果最好;秸秆+羊粪(YGH)处理提高了土壤速效磷含量,是对照的2倍;秸秆+羊粪(YGH)处理土壤中4种酶活性均处于最高水平,分别比对照提高了91.9%、220%、18.5%、7.3%。各处理微生物多样性指数均显著高于对照,变化规律一致为秸秆+羊粪(YGH)>秸秆+牛粪(NGH)>秸秆+马粪(MGH)>秸秆(JG)>对照(CK);秸秆+羊粪(YGH)及秸秆+牛粪(NGH)处理对糖类、氨基酸类、酯类、醇类、胺类、酸类6类碳源的利用能力最强,显著高于其他处理和对照。应用主成分分析和聚类分析方法将大棚番茄土壤分为4个等级,秸秆+羊粪(YGH)处理为第一级,秸秆+牛粪(NGH)处理为第二级,秸秆+马粪(MGH)及单一秸秆(JG)处理为第三级,对照(CK)为第四级。应用秸秆复合有机酿热物生物反应堆促进了土壤环境的改善,以秸秆+羊粪(YGH)作为复合有机酿热物效果最佳。     

异色瓢虫两个单倍体基因型的生物学特性比较

势单倍型异色瓢虫生物学特性的差异，在室内条件下以豌豆修尾蚜Megoura japonica（Matsumura）为食物，观察这两个单倍型的幼虫期死亡率和发育历期、雌成虫终身产卵量和卵孵化率等生物学参数。结果表明，单倍型-I和单倍型-Ⅱ的幼虫发育历期差异显著，分别为14.38和13.75 d；单倍型-I在幼虫各龄期的死亡率均低于单倍型-Ⅱ，分别为13.33%和29.20%（1龄）、5.49%和13.75%（2龄）、1.16%和4.35%（3龄）、2.35%和10.61%（4龄）。单倍型-I和单倍型-Ⅱ的成虫终身产卵量无显著差异，分别为936粒和887粒；卵孵化率差异显著，单倍型-I的卵孵化率（64.53%）高于单倍型-Ⅱ（60.99%）。综合来看，异色瓢虫的两个单倍型在自然界存在数量差异的原因可能是其在生殖和发育上的差异造成的。