Nondestructive determination of total soluble solid content and firmness in plums using near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy

The fruit industry requires rapid, economical, and nondestructive methods for classifying fruit by internal quality, which can be built into the processing line. Total soluble solid content and firmness are the two indicators of plum internal quality that most affect consumer acceptance. These parameters are routinely evaluated using methods which involve destruction of the fruit; as a result, only control batches can be analyzed. The development of nondestructive analytical methods would enable the quality control of individual fruits. Near-IR spectroscopy (NIRS) was used to assess total soluble solid content (SSC, degrees Brix) and firmness (N) in intact plums. A total of 720 plums (Prunus salicina L. cv. 'African Pride', 'Black Diamond', 'Fortune', 'Laetitia', 'Larry Anne', 'Late Royal', 'Prime Time', 'Sapphire', and 'Songold') were used to obtain calibration models based on reference data and near-IR spectral data. Standard errors of cross-validation (SECV) and coefficients of determination for cross-validation (r(2)) were (0.77 degrees Brix; 0.83) for total soluble solids content and (2.54 N; 0.52) for firmness. Results suggest that NIRS technology enables fruit to be classified in terms of total soluble solid content and firmness, thus allowing increased sampling of each production batch and ensuring a given quality with greater precision and accuracy.     

Estudio comparado de las Papilas linguales del Gato (Felis catus) y del Conejo (Oryctolagus cuniculus) mediante el Microscopio electrónico de barrido

Compared studies of the lingual papillae of the cat ( Felis catus ) and the rabbit ( Oryctolagus cuniculus ) by scanning electron microscopy
The morphologic characteristics of the principal lingual papillae of the cat and the rabbit were studied and compared through the use of scanning electron microscopy. The fungiform papillae of the rabbit demonstrates an annular pad which is absent in the cat. Both species demonstrated openings of taste pores on these papillae. The vallate papilla demonstrated pseudopapillae in both species. In the rabbit, however the annular pad is quite rudimentary. These papillae also demonstrate taste pores on their surface in both species. The foliate papillae were quite different between the species. In the cat, they were digitiform and in the rabbit they were represented by a number of laminae. Few gustatory pores were observed in the cat, but pores were numerous in the rabbit. In both species there were three forms of mechanical papillae (smooth conical, scaly conical and filiform). These papillae are described according to location and density.     

The Effect of Landscape Conservation Measures in Changing Landscape Patterns: A Case Study in Mediterranean Mountains

Mediterranean mountain landscapes have high ecological and cultural values. However, since 1950, a large number of these landscapes have been subject to degradation as a consequence of land abandonment. Some regional administrations have enacted measures that favour the regeneration of pasturelands through scrubland clearing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the consequences of clearing and the regeneration of pasturelands on landscape structure and the recovery of extensive livestock in La Rioja. The results indicate that between 1986 and 2011 an area of 29,659 ha was cleared in the mountains of La Rioja, although 62·6% of this was cleared in the period 2000–2011. In 1956, the landscape was dominated by cultivated fields, but by 2001, much of the agricultural area had been abandoned and replaced by scrubland, natural woods and reforested areas. Furthermore, the landscape was more fragmented in 1956 than in 2001. The landscape structure varied following clearing, with a doubling in the number of patches and an increase in heterogeneity. The consequences of clearing have included an increase in the area of pastureland and the number of large animals. In addition, the number of farms has decreased, but their mean size has increased. Clearing is an appropriate way for spatial reorganization in marginal mountain areas. It does not require excessive investment but favours the reintegration of abandoned fields and an increase in pasturelands. The results of this study contribute to the debate about reclaiming mountain landscapes affected by human activities and subject to intense degradation processes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of triflumuron on two species of nitidulid beetles,Carpophilus hemipterus andUrophorus humeralis

Egg hatch of two nitidulids,Carpophilus hemipterus L. andUrophorus humeralis F., was affected by the chitin synthesis inhibitor triflumuron (Alsystin; BAY SIR 8514)via the adult stage of the beetle. This occurred by exposure to treated diets, by a brief dip of the adults in aqueous dilutions of the toxicant, or by contact with a treated plastic netting cage. Exposure of adults ofC. hemipterus for 24 h to 0.0125%, 0.00125%, 0.00025% or 0.000125% and ofU. humeralis to 0.0125% a.i.-treated diets completely prevented hatch of eggs laid during the subsequent 48 h on an untreated diet. Although at first sterile eggs were obtained with adults of either nitidulid species transferred to an untreated diet after 24 h exposure to the 0.0125%-treated diet, egg viability gradually recovered. The speed of recovery and the course of mortality of larvae that hatched from eggs laid by treated adults, indicated thatC. hemipterus was more susceptible thanU. humeralis to triflumuron. DippingC. hemipterus adults — males or females — in 0.0125% a.i. triflumuron also resulted in complete prevention of egg hatch. Similar results were obtained by a 1-h contact of adults with treated cages. Triflumuron had no direct ovicidal activity against the two species at the concentrations used but was very effective against larvae of both species. At 0.0125% a.i., 3-5-mm-long larvae ofU. humeralis were more tolerant than newly hatched larvae and than 3-5-mm-long larvae ofC. hemipterus. Application of 0.0125% a.i. triflumuron in a date palm grove did not prevent fruit infestation by nitidulid adults but, due to prevention of egg hatch, almost no larval development was observed.     

Genotypic variability and aggressiveness of Bipolaris oryzae in the Philippines

The genotypic diversity of a collection of 352 isolates of Bipolaris oryzae obtained from 11 locations in the Philippines was estimated. The isolates could be divided into 50 haplotypes based on variation in microsatellite DNA with a moderately high genotypic diversity value of 0.88. Thirty nine haplotypes were represented by three or fewer isolates, whereas 80 % of the isolates belonged to only eight haplotypes, each containing 10 to 88 isolates indicating the prevalence of clonality. AMOVA revealed that the greatest variation was associated with the brown spot isolates collected within provinces (50.81 %), among varieties within provinces (48.17 %) and within ecosystems (49.33 %). Intensive sampling from a single field showed that the population was mostly clonal with about 98 % of the isolates belonging to a single VNTR haplotype. However, isolates within this haplotype exhibited a continuous range of aggressiveness when inoculated onto susceptible rice variety IR72. Several types of lesions were observed in the field during sampling, but the isolates obtained from each type of lesion produced a range of different lesion types when inoculated onto leaves of IR72, indicating that the type of lesion observed in the field was not related to the genotype of the pathogen. These results show that rice fields across the Philippines may contain B. oryzae isolates with considerable genotypic diversity, but an individual field may have both clonal and unique genotypes.     

Effect of calcium/potassium ratio ammonium supply on nutrition and yields of cucumber plants

A greenhouse experiment was conducted in order to study the influence of two calcium/potassium (Ca/K) ratios (0.75 and 0.33) and ammonium supply (0 and 1 mmol/L) in the nutrient solution on nutrient uptake, mineral composition, and productivity of cucumber plants grown in sand culture. There were not significant differences in nitrate consumption between the four treatments. Calcium and potassium consumptions were directly related with the Ca/K ratio in the nutrient solution. The treatment with Ca/K = 0.75 and ammonium supply, that showed the lowest potassium and nitrogen plant levels and the highest calcium uptake and concentration in plant, offered the highest yields.     

Evaluation of Passive Samplers as a Monitoring Tool for Early Warning of Dinophysis Toxins in Shellfish

From June 2006 to January 2007 passive samplers (solid phase adsorbing toxin tracking, SPATT) were tested as a monitoring tool with weekly monitoring of phytoplankton and toxin content (liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry, LC-MS) in picked cells of Dinophysis and plankton concentrates. Successive blooms of Dinophysis acuminata, D. acuta and D. caudata in 2006 caused a long mussel harvesting closure (4.5 months) in the Galician Rías (NW Spain) and a record (up to 9246 ng·g resin-week⁻¹) accumulation of toxins in SPATT discs. Best fit of a toxin accumulation model was between toxin accumulation in SPATT and the product of cell densities by a constant value, for each species of Dinophysis, of toxin content (average) in picked cells. Detection of Dinophysis populations provided earlier warning of oncoming diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) outbreaks than the SPATT, which at times overestimated the expected toxin levels in shellfish because: (i) SPATT accumulated toxins did not include biotransformation and depuration loss terms and (ii) accumulation of toxins not available to mussels continued for weeks after Dinophysis cells were undetectable and mussels were toxin-free. SPATT may be a valuable environmental monitoring and research tool for toxin dynamics, in particular in areas with no aquaculture, but does not provide a practical gain for early warning of DSP outbreaks.     

A retrobulbar meningioma as a cause of unilateral exophthalmos and blindness in a horse

This report describes the unusual diagnosis of a retrobulbar syncytial meningioma in a 16‐year‐old Thoroughbred gelding. The horse initially presented with unilateral left sided exophthalmos and apparent blindness characterised by unilaterally absent menace and pupillary light responses. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) identified a well‐defined soft tissue mass intimately associated with the optic nerve. Based on the characteristic MRI appearance, a meningioma was suspected. The eye was enucleated under general anaesthesia and partial excision of the mass was achieved. Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis and the horse underwent a course of adjuvant radiotherapy. Twelve months following surgery the horse is back in work, no neurological abnormalities have been detected and follow‐up computed tomographic imaging of the skull has revealed mild bone sclerosis with no remnants of the mass identified.     

A predictive model for spotted wilt epidemics in peanut based on local weather conditions and the tomato spotted wilt virus risk index

Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), a member of the genus Tospovirus (family Bunyaviridae), is an important plant virus that causes severe damage to peanut (Arachis hypogaea) in the southeastern United States. Disease severity has been extremely variable in individual fields in Georgia, due to several factors including variability in weather patterns. A TSWV risk index has been developed by the University of Georgia to aid peanut growers with the assessment and avoidance of high risk situations. This study was conducted to examine the relationship between weather parameters and spotted wilt severity in peanut, and to develop a predictive model that integrates localized weather information into the risk index. On-farm survey data collected during 1999, 2002, 2004, and 2005 growing seasons, and derived weather variables during the same years were analyzed using nonlinear and multiple regression analyses. Meteorological data were obtained from the Georgia Automated Environmental Monitoring Network. The best model explained 61% of the variation in spotted wilt severity (square root transformed) as a function of the interactions between the TSWV risk index, the average daily temperature in April (TavA), the average daily minimum temperature between March and April (TminMA), the accumulated rainfall in March (RainfallM), the accumulated rainfall in April (RainfallA), the number of rain days in April (RainDayA), evapotranspiration in April (EVTA), and the number of days from 1 January to the planting date (JulianDay). Integrating this weather-based model with the TSWV risk index may help peanut growers more effectively manage tomato spotted wilt disease.     

Quarantine protects Falkland Islands (Malvinas) cats from feline coronavirus infection

Feline coronavirus (FCoV) causes feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). Since 2002, when 20 cats on the Falkland Islands were found to be FCoV seronegative, only seronegative cats could be imported. Between 2005-2007, 95 pet and 10 feral cats tested negative by indirect immunofluorescence antibody (IFA) analysis using two strains of type II FCoV, two transmissible gastroenteritis virus assays, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and rapid immunomigration test. Twenty-four samples (23%) showed non-specific fluorescence, mostly attributable to anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA). The reason for ANA was unclear: reactive samples were negative for Erhlichia canis antibodies; seven were feline immunodeficiency virus positive, but 15 were negative. It was not possible to determine retrospectively whether the cats had autoimmune disease, hyperthyroidism treatment, or recent vaccination which may also cause ANA. The FCoV/ FIP-free status of the Falkland Islands cats should be maintained by FCoV testing incoming cats. However, ANA can complicate interpretation of IFA tests.