Biochemical changes during the development of cork spot of apples

Biochemical changes occurring during the development of cork spot of York Imperial were investigated. At the first visible sign of the disorder, the rate of ethylene production increases in the affected tissue. Respiration also increases, acetate being the major respiratory substrate rather than glucose. Protein synthesis, pectin synthesis, and the movement of inorganic ions into the tissue follow. During the time the chemical changes are taking place in the tissue, abnormal cell division is initiated, packing the newly-formed cells into the intercellular spaces. At the final stage of development, the tissue becomes brown and appears as a firm brown spot in the flesh of the apple. Cork spot is somewhat different from bitter pit in that the spots appear early in the season, the affected tissue is deeper in the flesh, and firmer. The chemical changes discovered so far in both disorders, however, appear to be similar. We consider the abnormal chemical changes that occur in both disorders to be common to diseases and injuries and not specific for either cork spot or bitter pit.

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Zusammenfassung Die Untersuchungen erstreckten sich auf biochemische Veränderungen, die während der Entwicklung von cork spot bei Äpfeln der Sorte York Imperial auftreten. Beim ersten sichtbaren Anzeichen der Störung steigt die Rate der Äthylenbildung im befallenen Gewebe an. Auch die Atmung nimmt zu, wobei Acetat das grössere Atmungsprodukt darstellt als Glucose. Protein- und Pektin-Synthese sowie Bewegung anorganischer Ionen in das Gewebe folgen. Während der Zeit chemischer Veränderungen im Gewebe beginnt eine abnorme Zellteilung, indem die neugebildeten Zellen in die interzellularen Zwischenräume eingebaut werden. Im Endstadium der Entwicklung wird das Gewebe braun und erscheint als fester Fleck im Fleisch des Apfels. Cork spot unterscheidet sich etwas von der Stippigkeit dadurch, dass die Flecken früher in der Saison erscheinen, sich die befallenen Gewebe tiefer im Fleisch befinden und fester sind. Die chemischen Veränderungen beider Störungen scheinen sich — soweit sie bekannt sind — zu ähneln. Wir glauben, dass die chemischen Veränderungen, die bei beiden Störungen auftreten, allgemein für Krankheiten und Verletzungen zutreffen und nicht entweder für Stippigkeit oder cork spot spezifisch sind.

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Resume Quelques changements biochimiques se produisant pendant le développement du cork spot chez la York Imperial ont été étudiés.Au premier signe visible de désordre, la vitesse de production d'éthylène augmente dans le tissu atteint. La respiration augmente également; l'acétate devient le substrat principal de la respiration, plutôt que le glucose. Une synthèse de protéines, de pectine, ainsi que des déplacements d'ions inorganiques dans le tissu se produisent ensuite.Pendant que les changements biochimiques ont lieu, une division cellulaire anormale est initiée, et les cellules nouvellement formées s'accumulent dans les espaces intercellulaires.Au stade final de développement, le tissu devient brun et apparaît comme une tache brune et ferme, dans la chair de la pomme. Le cork spot diffère quelque peu du bitter pit par le fait que les taches apparaissent tôt dans la saison, le tissu malade étant localisé plus profondément dans la chair, et plus ferme. Les modifications chimiques trouvées dans les deux maladies paraissent cependant être similaires. Nous considérons ces changements chimiques comme propres aux maladies et blessures en général et comme non spécifiques, ni du cork spot, ni du bitter pit en particulier.

     

Diagnostic Approaches for the Assessment of Equine Chronic Pulmonary Disorders

Even though the respiratory system is one of the most accessible organs for diagnostic testing, it is not always easy to define chronic lower airway disease in the horse. Diagnostic procedures performed by first opinion veterinarians in the field are often restricted to taking the history and performing clinical examination. Respiratory tract endoscopy, tracheal or bronchoalveolar lavage, and blood sampling are sometimes used but other specific ancillary examinations are seldom performed in stable settings. Therefore, our objectives were to evaluate the diagnostic value of different techniques and examination types routinely used in the diagnostic workup of chronic equine lower airway cases in both stable and clinical circumstances. Another aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of different chronic pulmonary disorders among horses admitted to a Hungarian referral clinic. According to the conditional inference tree method, age of the horse, history, clinical examination, respiratory tract endoscopy, and bronchoalveolar lavage cytology proved to be the most valuable tools to define pathology. It was also concluded that in 22% of cases, more specific ancillary diagnostic modalities, unavailable for the field veterinarian, were needed to establish the final diagnosis. According to our study, the most frequently diagnosed chronic pulmonary disorders in Hungary are of noninfectious origin, principally recurrent airway obstruction. Regardless of the cause, and interestingly including recurrent airway obstruction as well, these diseases occur primarily during the warm months.     

Injuries associated with the cartilages of the foot

There is a growing body of evidence that uniaxial or biaxial ossification of the cartilages of the foot should not be discounted as irrelevant in a lame horse, especially if extensive. Potential causes of pain and lameness include primary injury of an ossified cartilage and/or the ipsilateral aspect of the distal phalanx, injury of the chondrocoronal or chondrosesamoidean ligaments and desmopathy of the collateral ligaments of the distal interphalangeal joint.     

Hair coat contamination with zoonotic helminth eggs of farm and pet dogs and foxes

Infections of dogs with Toxocara canis and Echinococcus multilocularis pose an infection-risk particularly for contact persons. We examined specimens of hair coat and faeces of 124 farm dogs, 118 household dogs, 49 kennel dogs, 15 puppies from two litters, and 46 red foxes. Microscopically identified eggs of Toxocara or taeniids were further investigated by species-specific PCRs. In farm dogs, eggs of E. multilocularis or T. canis were identified in each 2.4% of faecal samples, eggs of T. cati (gastrointestinal passage) in 7.3%, respectively. Household dogs excreted eggs of T. canis (0.8%) and of T. cati (2.5%). In kennel dogs, eggs of T. canis (4.1%), but not of T. cati were detectable. Coat samples contaminated with eggs of Toxocara spp. were found from farm dogs (5.6%), household dogs (1.7%) and kennel dogs (2.0%). Taeniid eggs were isolated from the coat samples from only two farm dogs (1.6%); a molecular species determination was not achieved. In six intrauterinely infected puppies, Toxocara-eggs were found in 17/38 samples taken within six weeks. No intact Toxocara eggs could be isolated from the coat of nine puppies from a second litter 13 days after deworming. Of the 46 red foxes investigated (dissection and faecal samples) 13 (28.3%) were infected with E. multilocularis and 20 (43.5%) with Toxocara. Eggs of taeniids and Toxocara were found in 13% (in three cases confirmed as E. multilocularis) and 21.7%, respectively, of the coat samples. None of the retrieved Toxocara eggs in the coat samples were embryonated. Thus, an infection of humans through the transmission of E. multilocularis eggs after direct contact with dogs or foxes is conceivable, whereas a corresponding infection risk by Toxocara eggs must be critically challenged.     

Anatomical, magnetic resonance imaging and histological findings in the accessory ligament of the deep digital flexor tendon of forelimbs in nonlame horses

Reasons for performing the study: Detailed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histological appearances of the accessory ligament of the deep digital flexor tendon (AL‐DDFT) have not been documented previously in detail. Objectives: To: 1) describe anatomical connections between the AL‐DDFT and adjacent structures; 2) describe high‐field and low‐field MRI and histological appearances of the AL‐DDFT in the forelimb of horses with no carpal or proximal metacarpal pain; and 3) assess the relationship between age, breed, gender, height, weight and MRI findings. Methods: Ten forelimbs were dissected to determine anatomical relationships among the AL‐DDFT and adjacent structures. High‐ and low‐field MR images of the AL‐DDFT and related structures from 29 cadaver limbs of nonlame horses were analysed subjectively and objectively. The relationship between age, breed, gender, height, weight and MRI findings was assessed using a Chi‐squared test. Twelve ALs‐DDFT were examined histologically. Histological and MRI findings were compared subjectively. Results: Fibrous bundles were seen between the AL‐DDFT and the lateral aspect of the superficial digital flexor tendon (n = 9) and the DDFT (n = 2). The AL‐DDFT had low to intermediate signal intensity in most limbs in most high‐field and low‐field MRI sequences. In 69% of limbs, oblique bands of higher signal intensity than the rest of the ligament were identified in high‐field images of the AL‐DDFT. The cross‐sectional area of the AL‐DDFT in the proximal 7 cm of the metacarpal region ranged from 68.1–299 mm². There was no significant relationship between age, gender, weight or height and either the cross‐sectional area of the AL‐DDFT or the presence of oblique higher signal intensity bands. Histological examination revealed that the AL‐DDFT had thick collagen bundles arranged in large crimps and sometimes crossing in oblique directions. The cellularity was greater than in the deep digital flexor tendon in all limbs. Conclusion and potential relevance: The large variability in the MRI appearance and size of the AL‐DDFT in nonlame horses should be borne in mind when interpreting MR images of lame horses.     

Effect of FE level and solution culture PH on severity of chlorosis and elemental content of apple seedlings

The development of chlorosis and subsequent growth of apple seedlings grown in solution cultures containing various levels of Fe under a range of solution pH regimes were examined. Initial solution pHs were 5.5, 6.5 and 7.8 respectively, with Fe levels of 0.0, 0.13 and 1.3 ppm in a 3x3 factorial arrangement. Leaf chlorosis increased with a decrease in Fe levels and with higher solution pH. Nutrient solutions were changed weekly and during each weekly cycle solution pH levels were monitored. Independent of Fe level, the lower the initial solution pH the greater the change in solution pH during each weekly cycle. Decreasing solution Fe levels decreased both leaf and root Fe concentrations but both parameters were relatively unaffected by solution pH suggesting a solution pH by Fe supply interaction at the root surface.     

Responses of Soil Respiration to Biotic and Abiotic Drivers in a Temperate Cropland

Eurasian Soil Science - To investigate the temporal dynamics of CO2 efflux from the soil surface in a temperate cropland and to quantify the effects of soil temperature, soil water content, N...     

Temporal Variability and Drivers of Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Central Hungarian Croplands: Field and Lab Experiments

Eurasian Soil Science - There is a need for long-term data on N2O emission in Central Europe to provide a thorough understanding of the variability of the emission processes as affected by...     

Passive protection of piglets by recombinant baculovirus induced transmissible gastroenteritis virus specific antibodies.

Sera of pigs immunized with parts of the transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) spike (S) protein expressed by recombinant baculoviruses were tested, together with a TGEV hyperimmune antiserum, for their abilities to protect three-day-old piglets against TGEV infection. The piglets were infected with virulent TGEV and the sera were given orally 3 h before infection, together with the virus, and every 6 h postinfection during the 30 h of the experiment. Virus shedding was monitored by TGEV isolation from rectal swab samples. The sera containing antibodies induced by the complete S protein or the amino terminal half of the S protein showed protective properties, indicated by delayed onset of clinical signs and virus shedding, similar to the TGEV hyperimmune serum. Those immune sera containing antibodies induced by shorter recombinant proteins were not protective.