Relations of environmental factors with the phenol content and oxidative enzyme activities of olive explants

Possible correlations among several environmental factors and the internal phenol content and oxidative enzyme activities of olive explants were examined. The statistic analysis revealed that the same environmental factor exhibited different relation with the various individual phenolic compounds found in explants and the oxidative enzyme activities. The major contribution of air temperature, total radiation, soil temperature at a depth of 25 cm and photoperiod on the explant phenol content and on the oxidative enzyme activities has been revealed. These environmental factors exhibited the highest number of significant relationships with the measured variables.     

Factors affecting the persistence of traditional agricultural landscapes in Slovakia during the collectivization of agriculture

Collectivization of agriculture (1950s–1970s) was one of the most important periods in landscape development in Slovakia. Traditionally managed agricultural landscapes, that covered more than half of the Slovak territory, were transformed into large-scale fields and only fragments of traditional agricultural landscapes survived. We mapped the remaining traditional agricultural landscapes using aerial photos and historical maps. We then statistically analyzed the various geographical factors and their influence on the transformation process of traditional and collectivized fields, i.e., slope steepness, soil fertility, distance from settlements and isolation from regional capital cities. The comparison was performed using classification tree analysis. We constructed a set of decision rules that explain why fields were managed traditionally or collectivized. Our findings show that traditional agricultural fields were more likely to persist on steep terrain, less fertile soils, and on locations that were closer to the settlements, but more isolated from the regional capital cities. Steepness played the most important role: small-scale fields located on steep areas were not accessible to heavy machinery and therefore, frequently survived the collectivization. We show that the selected geographical factors are good explanatory variables for the collectivization of arable fields and orchards. For vineyards and grasslands, however, the explanatory power of the selected geographical factors is lower, and we suspect that other factors, not depicted in the analysis play an important role.     

Potassium nutrition and postharvest moisture loss in carrots (Daucus carota L.)

Summary

The effect of potassium (K) nutrition on the shelf life of carrots (Daucus carota L., cv. Paramount) was studied using a hydroponic system involving rockwool slabs as an inert support. Carrots were grown for 192 d under greenhouse conditions and with 0, 0.1,1.0,10 and 15 mM K supplied in the nutrient medium. Increase in K concentration in the nutrient medium up to 1 mM decreased postharvest moisture loss. Carrot root weight and tissue K concentration increased, and water potential, osmotic potential and relative solute leakage decreased with increasing K concentration up to 1 mM. Concentrations greater than 1 mM had little or no additional effect on postharvest moisture loss, root water and osmotic potentials and relative solute leakage. Root weight did not increase above 10 mM K. The best subset model obtained by backward stepping and the optimum Mallow’s coefficient showed that carrot root weight and relative solute leakage accounted for most of the variation in moisture loss. Root weight correlated negatively and relative solute leakage positively to moisture loss.     

Biological and molecular characterization of chicken anemia virus isolates from Slovenia

The presence of chicken anemia virus (CAV) in Slovenia was confirmed by inoculation of 1-day-old chickens without antibodies against CAV and isolation of the virus on the Marek's disease chicken cell-MSB1 line and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Experimental inoculation of 1-day-old chickens resulted in lower hematocrit values, atrophy of the thymus, and atrophy of bone marrow. CAV was confirmed by PCR in the thymus, bone marrow, bursa of Fabricius, liver, spleen, ileocecal tonsils, duodenum, and proventriculus. The nucleotide sequence of the whole viral protein (VP)1 gene was determined by direct sequencing. Alignment of VP1 nucleotide sequences of Slovenian CAV isolates (CAV-69/00, CAV-469/01, and CAV-130/03) showed 99.4% to 99.9% homology. The VP1 nucleotide sequence alignment of Slovenian isolates with 19 other CAV strains demonstrated 94.4% to 99.4% homology. Slovenian isolates shared highest homology with the BD-3 isolate from Bangladesh. Alignment of the deduced VP1 amino acids showed that the Slovenian isolates shared 100% homology and had an amino acid sequence most similar to the BD-3 strain from Bangladesh (99.6%) and were 99.1% similar to the G6 strain from Japan and the L-028 strain from the United States. The Slovenian isolates were least similar (96.6%) to the 82-2 strain from Japan. A phylogeneric analysis on the basis of the alignment of the VP1 amino acids showed that CAV isolates used in the study formed three groups that indicated the possible existence of genetic groups among CAV strains. The CAV isolates were grouped together independent of their geographic origin and pathogenicity.     

CORRELATIONS AMONG ULTRASONOGRAPHIC MEASUREMENTS OF OPTIC NERVE SHEATH DIAMETER,AGE, AND BODY WEIGHT IN CLINICALLY NORMAL HORSES

Early diagnosis of high intracranial pressure (ICP) is critical for minimizing progressive brain injury due to reduced cerebral perfusion. In people, detecting enlargement of the optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) by transpalpebral ultrasonography has been found to be an accurate test for high ICP. Aims of this prospective, observational, cross‐sectional study were to test hypotheses that (1) ultrasonographic measurement of ONSD would be repeatable in horses, (2) have acceptable interobserver agreement, and (3) would be correlated with age and body weight. The sample population included 48 horses without clinical signs of high ICP and with varying ages and body weights. Two observers independently performed ONSD measurements in both eyes. All measurements ranged from 2.6 to 6.5 mm. The mean difference of repeated measures within observers was ≤0.1 mm and the coefficients of variation ranged from 5.0% to 8.8%. The mean difference of measures between observers was ≤0.2 mm. After correcting for performing multiple tests, no significant rank correlation (all r < 0.4 [absolute value]) was detected between ONSD and age or body weight. However, we observed smaller ONSD in foals versus adults (all P ≤ 0.002). In the foals, all observed measures of rostrocaudal and dorsoventral ONSD were <5 mm. In the adults, all observed measures of rostrocaudal and dorsoventral ONSD were ≤6.5 mm. Findings indicated that ultrasonographic ONSD measurement is a feasible test for use in horses of varying ages and sizes. Further investigation of this ultrasonographic measure as a clinical test for horse with suspected high ICP is warranted.     

Prospects for a novel vaccine against tuberculosis

The development of a new and improved vaccine against tuberculosis has in the last 10 years been accelerated tremendously from the completed Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome and the progress in molecular biology. This has resulted in the identification of a large number of antigens with potential in tuberculosis vaccines. The next phase of this work has now started--putting the most relevant molecules back together as fusion molecules and cocktails. This requires carefully monitoring of aspects as immunodominance, recognition in different populations as well as the influence of different adjuvants and delivery systems. The most advanced of these vaccines such as the fusion between ESAT6 and Ag85B have been evaluated in a range of animal models including non-human primates and are now entering into clinical trials. For these vaccines to be successfully implemented in future vaccination programmes it is necessary to understand the immunological background for the failure of BCG and optimize the vaccines for their ability to boost the immuno-response primed by BCG.     

Farmers' attitudes towards techniques for improving oestrus detection in dairy herds in South West England

Unidentified heats contribute to declining fertility rates in English dairy herds. Several techniques have been advocated to improve heat detection rates. Despite demonstrable technical efficacy and cost-effectiveness, uptake is low. A study in South West England used the Theory of Reasoned Action (TORA) to explore dairy farmers' attitudes and beliefs towards heat detection techniques. Few farmers were convinced that following prescribed observation times, milk progesterone testing and using pedometers would fit their system or improve on their current heat detection practices. Perceived difficulty of using a technique was not a constraint on adoption. Without promotion that addresses identified barriers and drivers to adoption, little change in current practice can be expected.     

Investigation of a possible chain of Streptococcus suis infection in a pig breeding community using PCR-based genotyping

Streptococcus (S.) suis plays an important role in pig breeding causing invasive diseases such as meningitis and polyarthritis. Herd problems with Streptococcus suis are common in many pig farms and are frequently characterised by disease outbreaks. In this context, it is often important to identify chains of infection, e.g. between a farrow-to-wean and a grower farm. In the following case report a possible chain of infection among the different farms of a farrow-to-finish system was investigated. In two grower units herd problems with S. suis were present; the mortality was higher than 5 %. It appeared likely, that the streptococci causing these problems were transmitted from a single farrow-to-wean unit to the two different grower farms. In the respective farms swabs were taken from different healthy animals and, in the case of the grower farms, also from the infected animals. Genotypic profiling of strains by a multiplex-PCR and AFLP typing method revealed that two different S. suis pathotypes were responsible for the herd problems. Both pathotypes could not be detected in the farrow-to-wean farm.Thus, a chain of infection originating from the farrow-to-wean farm appeared unlikely. The multiplex PCR was in this case sufficient to elucidate the described problem.     

Microbial remediation of a pentachloronitrobenzene-contaminated soil under Panax notoginseng: A field experiment

Pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB) is an organochlorine fungicide that is mainly used in the prevention and control of diseases in crop seedlings. Microbial removal is used as a promising method for in-situ removal of many organic pesticides and pesticide residues. A short-term field experiment (1 year) was conducted to explore the potential role of a PCNB-degrading bacterial isolate, Cupriavidus sp. YNS-85, in the remediation of a PCNB-contaminated soil on which Panax notoginseng was grown. The following three treatments were used:i) control soil amended with wheat bran but without YNS-85, ii) soil with 0.15 kg m^-2 of solid bacterial inoculum (A), and iii) soil with 0.30 kg m^-2 of solid bacterial inoculum (B). The removal of soil PCNB during the microbial remediation was monitored using gas chromatography. Soil catalase and fluorescein diacetate (FDA) esterase activities were determined using spectrophotometry. In addition, cultivable bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes were counted by plating serial dilutions, and the microbial biodiversity of the soil was analyzed using BIOLOG. After 1 year of in-situ remediation, the soil PCNB concentrations decreased significantly by 50.3% and 74.2% in treatments A and B, respectively, when compared with the uninoculated control. The soil catalase activity decreased in the presence of the bacterial isolate, the FDA esterase activity decreased in treatment A, but increased in treatment B. No significant changes in plant biomass, diversity of the soil microbial community, or physicochemical properties of the soil were observed between the control and inoculated groups (P<0.05). The results indicate that Cupriavidus sp. YNS-85 is a potential candidate for the remediation of PCNB-contaminated soils under P. notoginseng.     

Restoration of degraded tropical forest landscapes

The current scale of deforestation in tropical regions and the large areas of degraded lands now present underscore the urgent need for interventions to restore biodiversity, ecological functioning, and the supply of goods and ecological services previously used by poor rural communities. Traditional timber plantations have supplied some goods but have made only minor contributions to fulfilling most of these other objectives. New approaches to reforestation are now emerging, with potential for both overcoming forest degradation and addressing rural poverty.