Catalog of Micro-Tom tomato responses to common fungal, bacterial, and viral pathogens

Lycopersicon esculentum cultivar Micro-Tom is a miniature tomato with many advantages for studies of the molecular biology and physiology of plants. To evaluate the suitability of Micro-Tom as a host plant for the study of pathogenesis, Micro-Tom plants were inoculated with 16 well-known fungal, bacterial, and viral pathogens of tomato. Athelia rolfsii, Botryotinia fuckeliana, Oidium sp., Phytophthora infestans, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum caused typical symptoms and sporulated abundantly on Micro-Tom. Micro-Tom was resistant to Alternaria alternata, Corynespora cassiicola, and Fusarium oxysporum. When Micro-Tom was inoculated with 17 isolates of Ralstonia solanacearum, many isolates induced wilt symptoms. Agrobacterium tumefaciens also was pathogenic, causing crown galls on stem tissue after needle prick inoculation. In Micro-Tom sprayed with Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato, P. s. pv. tabaci, or P. s. pv. glycinea, bacterial populations did not increase, and yellow lesions appeared only on leaves sprayed with P. s. pv. tomato. Tomato mosaic virus, Tomato aspermy virus, and Cucumber mosaic virus systemically infected Micro-Tom, which developed symptoms characteristic of other cultivars of tomato after infection with the respective virus. These results indicated that Micro-Tom was generally susceptible to most of the important tomato pathogens and developed typical symptoms, whereas certain pathogens were restricted by either hypersensitive resistance or nonhost resistance on Micro-Tom. Therefore, an assortment of Micro-Tom–pathogen systems should provide excellent models for studying the mechanism of susceptible and resistant interactions between plants and pathogens.     

Classification of abomasal displacement in cows according to histopathology of the liver and clinical chemistry

Histopathological features of livers and blood chemical values in cows with abomasal displacement were investigated. Liver biopsy samples were collected during redressment operations in 92 cows with abomasal displacement, and the samples were stained with haematoxylin and eosin or periodic acid Schiff (PAS). Blood was collected for chemical tests. Livers were histopathologically divided into the following four types: normal histology cases (21%), fatty degeneration cases (36%), cloudy swelling cases (19%) and fatty degeneration cases with cloudy swelling (24%). The number of PAS-positive samples was significantly higher in the normal histology group and significantly lower in the severe fatty degeneration group and severe cloudy swelling group. Cows with fatty degeneration had significantly higher levels of serum 3-hydroxybutyric acid, non-esterified fatty acid and aspartate aminotransferase than did those with cloudy swelling or normal histology. The results indicate that the morbid conditions of cows with abomasal displacement can be classified into four types.     

Seasonal atopic dermatitis in dogs sensitive to a major allergen of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) pollen

Three dogs were examined because of episodes of recurrent pruritic dermatitis in the spring, the season of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica, CJ) pollination in Japan. The dogs were shown to be sensitive to CJ pollen allergen using intradermal testing and antigen-specific IgE measurement. Fluorometric enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) showed increased concentrations of IgE specific to Cry j 1 and a negative result for Cry j 2 in the three dogs. The concentrations of IgE specific to Cry j 1 during the season of CJ pollination were higher than the concentrations found during the off-season in all the dogs, and the variation in the concentrations correlated with the variation in clinical signs. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells showed apparent proliferative responses to crude CJ pollen antigen and Cry j 1 during CJ pollination season. These findings indicated that Cry j 1 was the major allergen recognized by IgE and lymphocytes and resulted in the development of type I hypersensitivity to CJ pollen allergen in these atopic dogs.     

In vitro detection of equine arteritis virus from seminal plasma for identification of carrier stallions

Equine arteritis virus (EAV) was readily isolated in RK-13 cell monolayers by plaque assay from seminal plasma of experimental carrier stallions when they contained high titers of virus regardless of the presence of non-viral cytotoxicity in the seminal plasma. The cytotoxicity interfered with virus isolation from seminal plasma which contained virus at titers less than 10 PFU/ml. However, it was possible to detect the virus in seminal plasma pretreated with PEG (#6000). EAV was consistently identified by RT-PCR from crude seminal plasma which contained virus at titers of more than 10(2.7) PFU/ml. In vitro detection of EAV by virus isolation supplemented with RT-PCR using seminal plasma was proved to be an effective alternative to the standard test mating as a diagnostic method for carrier stallions.     

Developmental changes in pituitary–thyroid axis, and formation of gonads in leptocephali and glass eels of Anguilla spp.

SUMMARY: Pituitary, thyroid gland and gonads in leptocephali of Japanese eel Anguilla japonica (19.8–32.6 mm in total length), A. obscura (45.0 mm), and A. bicolor pacifica (49.5 mm) and those in glass eels of the Japanese eel were histologically and immunohistochemically examined in order to observe the developmental changes of these endocrine organs in the Anguillidae. The pituitary, consisting of adenohypophysis and neurohypophysis in Japanese eel leptocephali over 22.5 mm, did not contain thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) immunoreactive cells. Such cells were, however, detectable in the more developed pituitaries of leptocephali of A. obscura and A. bicolor pacifica and in those of glass eels. Conversely, thyroxine (T₄)-immunoreactive thyroid follicles could be detected in all specimens, both leptocephalic and glass eel. Only in glass eels, gonads were found in the body cavity, and these gonads harbored one or two primordial germ cells (PGC) per cross-section. Our results indicate that thyroid hormones (TH) production started prior to TSH production, and that TSH and TH are both secreted during the metamorphosis from leptocephalus to glass eel. Therefore, it is plausible that the TSH–TH axis is involved in the metamorphosis from leptocephalus to glass eel, but not in the early growth from preleptocephalus to leptocephalus.     

Development of wooden portal frame structures with improved columns

In Japan, the lifetime cycle of most housing lasts around 20–30 years. A governing factor in this respect is poor durability due to old-fashioned use of the house. As a solution of this problem, houses can be built with a skeleton structure that allows free partition of spaces by future owners. To develop the skeleton structure effectively, multistory frames with spans of 6 to 10 m are required. For this reason, attention has been focused on the behavior of multistory timber frame structures. In this article, two types of wooden portal frame structures are proposed. Both structures have improved vertical columns with short horizontal members glued in. The aim of this study was to investigate structurally effective solutions with these types of columns. The first type of the new structure changed the location of the moment-transmitting ductile connection with the improved columns. The second type of structure used an extended panel zone. Nine portal frame specimens were tested. The stiffness values were improved by around 1.7 and 3.5 times when compared with the control, and the strength was improved by around 1.25 and 1.45 times.     

云杉胶合木钢板斜螺钉连接的剪切性能研究

为准确评价斜螺钉连接钢 木节点的剪切性能,探明其受力机理,以云杉胶合木、钢板和自攻螺钉作为研究材料,测试不同荷载方向与受力情况下斜螺钉连接节点的承载性能,将试验数据与国外规范中的计算模型进行对比,提高了侧边钢板 胶合木(钢 木)斜螺钉连接节点承载性能的预测能力。结果表明:自攻螺钉与剪切面之间的角度变化对其在钢 木节点承受剪 压复合应力的承载力影响不明显,当偏转为剪 拉复合应力时,节点承载力明显增大,并在30°~45°获得最大值;剪 压复合应力时,现行EC5公式计算剪 压节点的极限承载力非常不安全;EC5的刚度预测结果在剪 压复合应力区和垂直剪切面钉入时,与试验值吻合度很高,但对剪 拉区节点的滑移模量没有预测性;将Tomasi模型应用于斜螺钉连接钢 木节点滑移模量理论计算时,在45°~90°时与试验值吻合度极高。单颗自攻螺钉的抗拔刚度计算节点滑移模量的方法极为有效,具有较高的借鉴意义。