Characterization of resistance to the wheat stem sawfly in spring wheat landrace accessions from targeted geographic regions of the world

Plant landraces have long been recognized as potential gene pools for biotic and abiotic stress-related genes. This research used spring wheat landrace accessions to identify new sources of resistance to the wheat stem sawfly (WSS) (Cephus cinctus Norton), an important insect pest of wheat in the northern Great Plains of North America. Screening efforts targeted 1409 accessions from six geographical areas of the world where other species of grain sawflies are endemic or where a high frequency of accessions possesses the resistance characteristic of solid stems. Resistance was observed in approximately 14% of accessions. Half of the lines displayed both antixenosis and antibiosis types of resistance. Among the resistant accessions, 41% had solid or semi-solid stems. Molecular genetic screening for haplotypes at the solid stem QTL, Qss.msub.3BL, showed that 15% of lines shared the haplotype derived from ‘S-615’, the original donor of the solid stem trait to North American germplasm. Other haplotypes associated with solid stems were also observed. Haplotype diversity was greater in the center of origin of wheat. Evaluation of a representative set of resistant landrace accessions in replicated field trials at four locations over a three year period identified accessions with potential genes for reduced WSS infestation, increased WSS mortality, and increased indirect defense via parasitoids. Exploitation of distinct types of plant defense will expand the genetic diversity for WSS resistance currently present in elite breeding lines.     

Natural bovine lentivirus type 1 infection in Holstein dairy cattle. II. Lymphoid tissue lesions

Bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV) in Holstein cows was associated with morphologic evidence of lymphoid organ deficiency. Cows were subjected to normal management practices including parturition and lactation without adverse environmental stresses. During the clinical disease process there was marked weight loss and wasting with frequent and severe concurrent infections. Lymphoid follicular hyperplasia and dysplasia in lymph nodes, and hypertrophy and hyperplasia in hemal lymph nodes were characteristics of the lymphoid tissues. Atrophy of lymphoid cell compartments with depletion of lymphocytes and a lymphocytic lymphoid folliculitis were components of the lymphoid system pathology. The nodal tissue lesions resembled those observed in feline, simian, and human lentiviral disease. A functional correlation with immune system deficiency was the development of multiple bacterial infections which failed to resolve after appropriate therapy. The BIV-associated disease syndrome in dairy cows may be useful as a model system for investigation of the pathogenesis of the lymphoid organ changes that occur in humans and animals with lentiviral infection.     

Screening for neonatal isohemolytic anemia in calves

Anti-erythrocytic immunoglobulins in serum and colostrum of 124 anaplasmosis-vaccinated cows were detected with a saline agglutination test. Positive results were correlated with the occurrence of neonatal isohemolytic anemia (NIA) in calves and were used to predict the occurrence of NIA. The disease was prevented by withholding colostrum from calves with a high potential for NIA.     

Comparative evaluation of a commercial microdilution method and a conventional disk diffusion method for determination of antibiograms of gram-positive cocci

A commercial broth microdilution system for testing the antimicrobial susceptibility of gram-positive cocci was compared with the standardized disk agar-diffusion method by testing 254 clinical strains of staphylococci and streptococci using both methods. A total of 2,794 parallel determinations were made with 92.3% complete agreement between the 2 methods; of the discrepancies encountered, 3.0% were minor, 2.5% were major, and 2.1% were very major. The results indicate that the commercial microdilution system may provide a reliable quantitative method for antimicrobial susceptibility testing of clinical isolates from animals.     

Fatty acid composition and antioxidant properties of cold-pressed marionberry, boysenberry, red raspberry, and blueberry seed oils

Cold-pressed marionberry, boysenberry, red raspberry, and blueberry seed oils were evaluated for their fatty acid composition, carotenoid content, tocopherol profile, total phenolic content (TPC), oxidative stability index (OSI), peroxide value, and antioxidant properties. All tested seed oils contained significant levels of alpha-linolenic acid ranging from 19.6 to 32.4 g per 100 g of oil, along with a low ratio of n-6/n-3 fatty acids (1.64-3.99). The total carotenoid content ranged from 12.5 to 30.0 micromoles per kg oil. Zeaxanthin was the major carotenoid compound in all tested berry seed oils, along with beta-carotene, lutein, and cryptoxanthin. Total tocopherol was 260.6-2276.9 mumoles per kg oil, including alpha-, gamma-, and delta-tocopherols. OSI values were 20.07, 20.30, and 44.76 h for the marionberry, red raspberry, and boysenberry seed oils, respectively. The highest TPC of 2.0 mg gallic acid equivalents per gram of oil was observed in the red raspberry seed oil, while the strongest oxygen radical absorbance capacity was in boysenberry seed oil extract (77.9 micromol trolox equivalents per g oil). All tested berry seed oils directly reacted with and quenched DPPH radicals in a dose- and time-dependent manner. These data suggest that the cold-pressed berry seed oils may serve as potential dietary sources of tocopherols, carotenoids, and natural antioxidants.     

Atomic structure of PDE4: insights into phosphodiesterase mechanism and specificity

Cyclic nucleotides are second messengers that are essential in vision, muscle contraction, neurotransmission, exocytosis, cell growth, and differentiation. These molecules are degraded by a family of enzymes known as phosphodiesterases, which serve a critical function by regulating the intracellular concentration of cyclic nucleotides. We have determined the three-dimensional structure of the catalytic domain of phosphodiesterase 4B2B to 1.77 angstrom resolution. The active site has been identified and contains a cluster of two metal atoms. The structure suggests the mechanism of action and basis for specificity and will provide a framework for structure-assisted drug design for members of the phosphodiesterase family.     

Inorganic and organic sulfur cycling in salt-marsh pore waters

Sulfur species in pore waters of the Great Marsh, Delaware, were analyzed seasonally by polarographic methods. The species determined (and their concentrations in micromoles per liter) included inorganic sulfides (相似文献   

Solar Absorption in a Stratosphere Perturbed by NOx Injection

The changes in the solar absorption by nitrogen dioxide and ozone induced by the injection of NO(x) (oxides of nitrogen) in the stratosphere are complementary, even though the nitrogen dioxide absorption is only a small fraction of the ozone absorption for an unperturbed stratosphere. The factors causing this effect are described, and an analysis is made of the perturbed solar radiation budget.