Dormancy of micropropagated sour cherry plantlets

Micropropagation of fruit trees results in the early onset of dormancy in the young plantlets. Prechilling of shoot cultures of sour cherry cvs Schattenmorelle and North Star at 4 degrees C for 6-8 weeks prolonged shoot extension of the plantlets but longer cold treatments adversely affected shoot growth and survival. Chilling of cultures had no affect on rhizogenesis. No significant influence of ABA, GA(3) or ABA + GA(3) was observed on root development. Gibberellic acid A(3) did not stimulate extension of the shoots, but when supplied together with ABA, it significantly decreased both shoot extension and the number of actively growing apices of plantlets of cv Schattenmorelle. The combined hormonal treatment had no effect on plantlets of the North Star cv.     

Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Urinary Bladder in a Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas)

A transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder was found in a beluga whale stranded in the St. Lawrence middle estuary. Various organs of this animal were submitted to high resolution gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry analysis. High frequency of urinary bladder cancer in the human population of the same area and the presence of carcinogenic compounds in the marine environment of this animal are discussed.

Concurrent isolation of Edwardsiella tarda from various organs of this whale is also reported.