Interaction between water and nitrogen management in peaches for processing

A three-year field experiment (2006–2008) on clingstone peach cv. Andross was conducted in a commercial orchard under mechanical harvesting for the processing industry. Three irrigation strategies were evaluated: full irrigation throughout the growing season; restricted irrigation during stage-II (~70% restriction) and restricted irrigation during stage-III (~30% restriction), combined with three nitrogen fertilization treatments: 0, 60 and 120 kg N/ha. Trees were fertigated on a daily basis. Daily patterns of soil moisture were monitored with capacitance probes. Irrigation restriction strategies and nitrogen dose affected yield and fruit quality at commercial harvest. As well as the individual effects of applying irrigation strategies and N doses, interactions between the two factors were analyzed. In the second year, there was a nitrogen × irrigation interaction for fruit yield. A positive yield effect for N applied to fully irrigated trees occured, while the opposite was observed when the irrigation restrictions were applied during stage-III.     

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV-2) coinfections in US field cases of postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS).

The prevalence of different pathogens detected in combination with porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV-2) was studied retrospectively in field cases of postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) diagnosed at the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Ames, Iowa, between January 2000, and September 2001. The presence of PCV-2 antigen in lymphoid tissues and/or lung, demonstrated by immunohistochemistry, together with moderate to severe lymphoid depletion and/or granulomatous lymphadenitis, was used as the criteria for the diagnosis of PMWS. A total of 484 cases fulfilled these criteria. Most of the cases (294/369) of PMWS occurred in pigs between the ages of 8 and 18 weeks, with a peak at 10 weeks of age. Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus was detected in 51.9% of the cases, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in 35.5%, bacterial septicemia in 14.0%, bacterial pneumonia in 7.6%, swine influenza virus in 5.4%, and PCV-2 alone in 1.9%. In cases with bacterial septicemia the most frequently isolated pathogen was Streptococcus suis. In cases with bacterial pneumonia, Pasteurella multocida was the most prevalent.     

Hypoglycemic and Vasorelaxant Effect of Passiflora edulis Fruit Peel By-Product

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - Passiflora edulis fo. flavicarpa (Passifloraceae) is popularly known as yellow passion fruit and its fruit peels are considered a rich by-product in bioactive...     

An unusual type of malathion-carboxylesterase in a Japanese strain of house fly

It had been reported that a Japanese multiple-resistant strain of house fly, Hirokawa, had a high malathion-carboxylesterase activity as well as a normal level of esterase activity to α-naphthylacetate (NA). This is different from the situation in several other malathion-resistant strains, where high malathion-carboxylesterase activity goes together with a low level of activity to α-NA. This had been explained by the so-called “mutant ali-esterase theory,” which assumed that the opposite changes in activity to malathion and α-NA were the result of one and the same change in an ali-esterase. In the Hirokawa strain the esterase degrading malathion seems to be responsible for about 64% of the activity to α-NA. This was concluded since the two activities were equally sensitive to denaturation and to two organophosphorus inhibitors. Moreover activity of malathion was inhibited by α-NA, and that of α-NA by malathion. Most of the latter activity was inhibited competitively. Inhibition of activity to malathion was lower, however, than to be expected on the basis of competitive mutual inhibition. This case of resistance to malathion therefore seems to involve a different kind of “mutant ali-esterase” than in other strains. Increased hydrolysis of the insecticide seems to be achieved without loss of activity to α-NA, although K_m is different. The strain further showed an unusually high β-NA hydrolysis and malaoxon-carboxylesterase activity (about 3- and 200-fold, respectively, that of another malathion-resistant strain G).     

Artificial regeneration with <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">Quercus ilex</Emphasis> L. and <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">Quercus suber</Emphasis> L. by direct seeding and planting in southern Spain

 Introduction   

The limited ability of Quercus species to regenerate naturally in Mediterranean forests has led to the development of various artificial regeneration methods; however, there is no general consensus as to what specific method is the best one for this purpose.