Meningoencephalitis in an adult cow due to Mortierella woifli.

A 7-year-old dairy cow presented with clinical signs of neurologic disease. Despite treatment with penicillin, the cow died 36 hours after initial presentation. Necropsy examination revealed multiple foci of hemorrhage within the cerebrum and thickened meninges. Additionally, endometritis and consolidation of approximately 30% of both lungs was observed. Histology revealed necrotizing vasculitis, infarction, and hemorrhage within sections of the brain, uterus, and lung. Large numbers of intralesional fungal hyphae were visible. Because only formalin-fixed tissue was available, polymerase chain reaction was used to make an etiologic diagnosis of Mortierella wolfii.     

Genetic resource enhancement by isolation of diversegenotypes from seed progeny in predominantly sterile rose scentedgeranium Pelargonium graveolens

Four new accessions (BSP1-4) of rose scentedgeranium Pelargonium graveolens were derivedfrom the spontaneous half-sib seed progeny of mostly sterilepopulations of the cultivar accession Bipuli. The seed producingplants of Bipuli had been growing among the populations of cultivaraccessions Hemanti and Kunti in the temperate agroclimate ofKodaikanal, Tamilnadu in India. The four new accessions were comparedwith the cultivar accessions Bipuli, Hemanti and Kunti in fieldexperiments under subtropical agroclimate of Lucknow, Uttar Pradeshfor essential oil yield and quality related traits and in terms oftheir RAPD profiles. The crop yield and essential oil parameters andDNA profiles of the four new accessions and three cultivar accessionsallowed the conclusion that the accessions BSP-1, BSP-2 andBSP-3 were Bipuli × Kunti hybrids and BSP-4was a Bipuli × Hemanti hybrid. The accession BSP-4demonstrated hybrid vigour in several of the essential oil yieldrelated traits; on average basis it out yielded other accessions by afactor of about 2.4. The essential oil of BSP-4 had 89%rhodinol content in which citronellol to geraniol ratio was 1:1 andthe contents of isomenthone, menthone, 10-epi--eudesmol, 6,9-guaiadiene, decanoic acid andisodecanoic acid were relatively lower than in the oils of accessionsBipuli and/or Hemanti. The present study has shown a way for thegeneration of new genotypes in rose scented geranium in which thecultivars have been vegetatively maintained for decades and thegenetic resources are scanty.     

Direct measurement of the reaction front in chemically amplified photoresists

The continuing drive by the semiconductor industry to fabricate smaller structures using photolithography will soon require dimensional control at length scales comparable to the size of the polymeric molecules in the materials used to pattern them. The current technology, chemically amplified photoresists, uses a complex reaction-diffusion process to delineate patterned areas with high spatial resolution. However, nanometer-level control of this critical process is limited by the lack of direct measurements of the reaction front. We demonstrate the use of x-ray and neutron reflectometry as a general method to measure the spatial evolution of the reaction-diffusion process with nanometer resolution. Measuring compositional profiles, provided by deuterium-labeled reactant groups for neutron scattering contrast, we show that the reaction front within the material is broad rather than sharply defined and the compositional profile is altered during development. Measuring the density profile, we directly correlate the developed film structure with that of the reaction front.     

Effect of peripartal administration of mycobacterium cell wall fraction on health and fertility of Holstein cows under organic-certified management

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of peripartal administration of a commercially available nonspecific immune stimulant (mycobacterium cell wall fraction; MCWF [Amplimune, NovaVive Inc., Napanee, ON, Canada]) on the incidence of disease during early lactation and subsequent fertility of dairy cows. A second objective was to characterize the dynamics of circulating white blood cells (WBC) and metabolic markers following treatment administration. Cows in an United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic-certified dairy herd were blocked by parity and, based on sequential calving dates, randomly assigned to receive two injections (5 mL s.c.) of either a placebo (saline solution) as a control (CON; n = 71) or MCWF (n = 65) at enrollment (7 d before expected calving) and within 24 h after calving. Blood samples were collected from a subsample of the study population (MCWF = 16; CON = 18) for WBC count at enrollment, at day 2 post enrollment, and at days 1, 3, 7, and 14 after calving. Serum fatty acids, beta-hydroxybutyrate, and Ca concentrations were determined at days 1 and 7 postpartum (MCWF = 21; CON = 21). Main outcome variables included incidence risk of peripartal and early lactation health disorders and pregnancy at first artificial insemination (AI), at 100, and at 150 days in milk (DIM). In addition, the average daily milk yield up to 90 DIM and death and live culling before 305 DIM were compared. Treatment effects were assessed using multivariable logistic regression, time-to-event analyses, and repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). A treatment effect on the incidence risk of some of the health disorders in the study was established. Incidence risk of metritis and clinical mastitis <28 DIM was smaller in MCWF than in CON cows (36.9% vs. 50.7% and 6.3% vs. 19.7%, respectively). On the contrary, the incidence risk of respiratory disease <28 DIM was smaller in CON (0%) than in MCWF (7.7%). Reproductive performance of multiparous cows was affected by MCWF administration: pregnancy at first AI and pregnancy at 100 and 150 DIM were greater in MCWF than in CON (35.6% vs. 19.2%; 51.1% vs. 25.0%; and 64.4% vs. 40.4%, respectively). Overall, median intervals from calving to pregnancy were 90 vs. 121 d in MCWF and CON cows, respectively. No treatment effects on the dynamics of circulating WBC or in postpartum metabolic status were established. No differences for milk yield or for the proportion of cows that survived up to 305 DIM were determined, although cows in MCWF left the herd earlier than cows in CON. In conclusion, incidence risks of metritis and mastitis in early lactation were smaller in cows receiving MCWF, whereas the incidence risk of respiratory disease was smaller in CON. Fertility significantly improved in MCWF compared with CON cows. As this study was performed in an organic-certified dairy, specific health and reproductive management practices may affect the external validity of the current findings.     

Variation in the seed and oil yields and oil quality in the Indian germplasm of opium poppy Papaver somniferum

The variation in the seed shape, colour and yield, and content, yield and fatty acid composition of seed oil of 109 accessions of opium poppy Papaver somniferum, (majority of them Indian land races), was investigated. The seeds were white, pale yellow or light brown in colour, reniform or round in shape and varied in size up to three fold. The oil content, seed and the oil yield varied between 26 to 52%, 1.0 to 7.4 g/plant and 0.4 to 2.7 g/plant, respectively. The % content of palmitic, oleic and linoleic acid in the seed oil ranged between 9.3 to 40.0%, 7.5 to 58.4% and 0.7 to 72.7%, respectively. On average basis, the levels of major fatty acids in the seed oil were: oleic (37.1%) > palmitic (27.3%) > linoleic acid (17.2%). The palmitoleic, stearic and linolenic acids were present in the oils of only some of the accessions. Two of the accessions yielded linoleic acid rich seed oil of about the same quality as soybean and maize oils, and in four accessions, the proportion of palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids was roughly equal. The palmitic acid was relatively less and linoleic acid more in the seed oil from accessions rich in oil content. The oil that contained higher amount of oleic acid also contained higher amount of palmitic acid and relatively lower amount of linoleic acid. The correlation analyses revealed a strong positive relationship between seed yield and oil yield (r = +0.81), oil yield and oil content (r = +0.54) and oleic acid and palmitic acid content in the seed oil (r = +0.49), and a weak positive relationship between oil content and linoleic acid content of oil (r = +0.24), and a negative correlation was observed between oil content and palmitic acid content (r = –0.32), palmitic acid and linoleic acid (r = –0.55) and oleic acid and linoleic acid contents of oil (r = –0.68). The observations have permitted selection of accessions that are high seed and oil yielding and/or rich in linoleic, palmitic and oleic acids or containing palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids in about equal amounts.     

Capturing genetic variability and selection of traits for heat tolerance in a chickpea recombinant inbred line (RIL) population under field conditions

Chickpea is the most important pulse crop globally after dry beans. Climate change and increased cropping intensity are forcing chickpea cultivation to relatively higher temperature environments. To assess the genetic variability and identify heat responsive traits, a set of 296 F_8–9 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) of the cross ICC 4567 (heat sensitive) × ICC 15614 (heat tolerant) was evaluated under field conditions at ICRISAT, Patancheru, India. The experiment was conducted in an alpha lattice design with three replications during the summer seasons of 2013 and 2014 (heat stress environments, average temperature 35 °C and above), and post-rainy season of 2013 (non-stress environment, max. temperature below 30 °C). A two-fold variation for number of filled pods (FPod), total number of seeds (TS), harvest index (HI), percent pod setting (%PodSet) and grain yield (GY) was observed in the RILs under stress environments compared to non-stress environment. A yield penalty ranging from 22.26% (summer 2013) to 33.30% (summer 2014) was recorded in stress environments. Seed mass measured as 100-seed weight (HSW) was the least affected (6 and 7% reduction) trait, while %PodSet was the most affected (45.86 and 44.31% reduction) trait by high temperatures. Mixed model analysis of variance revealed a high genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) (23.29–30.22%), phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) (25.69–32.44%) along with high heritability (80.89–86.89%) for FPod, TS, %PodSet and GY across the heat stress environments. Correlation studies (r = 0.61–0.97) and principal component analysis (PCA) revealed a strong positive association among the traits GY, FPod, VS and %PodSet under stress environments. Path analysis results showed that TS was the major direct and FPod was the major indirect contributors to GY under heat stress environments. Therefore, the traits that are good indicators of high grain yield under heat stress can be used in indirect selection for developing heat tolerant chickpea cultivars. Moreover, the presence of large genetic variation for heat tolerance in the population may provide an opportunity to use the RILs in future-heat tolerance breeding programme in chickpea.     

Induction,purification and partial characterization of vitellogenin in an Indian major carp Catla catla (Ham.)

Vitellogenin was purified from the serum of 17‐β estradiol (E₂)‐induced juvenile Catla catla using a simple two‐step purification procedure i.e. selective chemical precipitation followed by gel filtration chromatography. Purified protein migrated as single band in a native gradient PAGE which indicated the purity of the sample. The molecular weight of the native catla vitellogenin (~440 kDa) was determined using gel filtration chromatography. In SDS‐PAGE under reducing conditions catla vitellogenin dissociated into three major sub units at 115 kDa, 102 kDa and 73 kDa along with a few faint bands. Confirmation of purified protein as catla vitellogenin was supported by multiple physiological evidences, e.g. absence in male as well as juvenile sera and presence in matured female fish, ability to be synthesized upon estradiol injection in immature fish and certain unique biochemical properties like high molecular weight, phospholipoglycoprotein nature of the molecule. Western blot analysis showed that polyclonal antibody raised against purified protein detected vitellogenin in the sera of catla and in a few species selected from Cyprinidae family. These antisera were used to detect vitellogenin in liver tissue of hormone‐induced catla using immunohistochemistry and its applicability in other immunoassays is discussed.     

Effect of a gibberellin-biosynthesis inhibitor treatment on the physicochemical properties of sorghum starch

Inhibition of plant growth by Trinexapac-ethyl, TE, a gibberellin-biosynthesis inhibitor, can produce a shorter stemmed plant, requiring less nutrients and water to grow, while maintaining grain yield. Although TE and other plant growth regulators are commonly used in grain crops, their effects on starch biosynthesis in the grains have not been systematically examined. The changes in the structural and functional properties of starch in grains harvested from TE-treated sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) were examined, and the results compared with those from the untreated controls. TE treatment had little or no effects on the molecular structures of starch, starch granule morphology, and starch and amylose contents, but increased the protein content of the grains significantly. Consistent with the lack of change in the molecular structure, there were no significant effects on the thermal properties of the starch. The pasting properties of TE-treated sorghum flours, however, showed lower peak viscosity, trough, and final viscosity, which were attributed to their higher protein contents. The TE treatment thus does not have an appreciable effect on the biosynthesis of starch during grain development in sorghum.     

Purification and characterization of a β–glucan binding protein from the haemolymph of freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii

β‐glucan binding protein (βGBP), a pattern recognition protein was purified from the haemolymph of freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii by heparin affinity chromatography that showed a single band in native gradient PAGE. The β‐glucan binding property of the purified protein was confirmed in a phenoloxidase (PO) assay, where addition of βGBP along with β‐glucan increased the specific PO activity compared with that of β‐glucan alone. The molecular weight of the βGBP was found to be ~316 kDa on gel filtration chromatography. In SDS‐PAGE, βGBP molecule was reduced to one polypeptide chain of molecular weight ~113 kDa. Thus the βGBP in M. rosenbergii is possibly a homotrimeric molecule. The purified sample run on unreduced condition in SDS‐PAGE also revealed a similar size band (~113 kDa) and hence, the polypeptide chains of βGBP are held by non‐covalent interactions. The purified βGBP samples run in native PAGE was stained positively with alcian blue for carbohydrates and Sudan black for lipids indicating the βGBP to be a glycolipoprotein. With rabbit polyclonal anti‐βGBP serum developed, an indirect ELISA was standardized and the normal βGBP concentration in adult M. rosenbergii serum was quantified to be ~2 mg mL^?1. Furthermore, the applicability of the developed ELISA is discussed.