Electrocardiographic confirmation of a twin pregnancy in a mare at 8 months of gestation

A 15-year-old Warmblood mare, at 8 months of gestation, was presented to the Ghent University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine for evaluation of suspected stage one labor. Transrectal ultrasonography revealed no clear signs of placentitis or stage one labor. The combined thickness of uterus and placenta was 11 mm and the cervix was closed. Twin pregnancy was suspected by transabdominal ultrasonography but could not be confirmed with certainty. An electrocardiogram (ECG) was recorded from the mare's abdominal wall to register a fetal ECG. To confirm twin pregnancy, registration of both fetal ECGs simultaneously on the same ECG trace was attempted. Twelve different electrode configurations were used. In 11 recordings, one fetal ECG was visible. Only one specific right-sided electrode configuration showed both fetal ECGs at the same time, which confirmed twin pregnancy. Although electrocardiographic diagnosis of a twin pregnancy in a mare is possible, this case highlights the need for multiple electrode configurations and the high likelihood of false negatives.     

Immediate Effects of Time and Method of Alfalfa Termination on Soil Mineral Nitrogen,Moisture, Weed Control,and Seed Yield,Quality, and Nitrogen Uptake

Three field experiments were conducted on Gray Luvisol (Typic Cryoboralf) soils in northeastern Saskatchewan to compare the effects of alfalfa (Medicago sativa Leyss) stand termination with tillage and herbicides at different times on mineral nitrogen (N) (ammonium-N and nitrate-N) and moisture content of soil in spring (experiments 1 and 2), soil moisture, volunteer alfalfa and dandelion control, plant density, seed yield, protein concentration and N uptake for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L), canola (Brassica rapa L.), and pea (Pisum sativum L.) crops (experiment 3). Termination treatments included combinations of times (in mid-June after cut 1, in mid-August after cut 2 and in mid-May during spring) and methods [tillage alone, herbicides alone (glyphosate + 2,4-D amine and also clopyralid + 2,4-D ester in experiment 3) and these herbicides + tillage]. Tillage alone significantly increased spring soil nitrate-N levels over herbicides alone or herbicides + tillage. Termination after cut 1 had the highest levels of soil nitrate-N. There was little effect of time and method of termination on soil ammonium-N and moisture content in spring. Herbicides + tillage generally provided better control of both volunteer alfalfa and dandelion in the four crops than tillage or herbicides alone. In general, alfalfa termination with herbicides alone significantly reduced plant density, seed yield, and N uptake of all crops and protein concentration of cereals only due to effects on levels of soil nitrate-N, dandelion control, and crop injury by clopyralid or 2,4-D residues in soil. Plant density, seed yield, N uptake and protein concentration of crops tended to decline with delay in termination time. The results of this study support the use of some tillage in alfalfa stand termination in helping to control volunteer alfalfa and dandelion and optimize annual crop yields and quality.     

Diarrhetic Shellfish Toxins and Other Lipophilic Toxins of Human Health Concern in Washington State

The illness of three people in 2011 after their ingestion of mussels collected from Sequim Bay State Park, Washington State, USA, demonstrated the need to monitor diarrhetic shellfish toxins (DSTs) in Washington State for the protection of human health. Following these cases of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning, monitoring for DSTs in Washington State became formalized in 2012, guided by routine monitoring of Dinophysis species by the SoundToxins program in Puget Sound and the Olympic Region Harmful Algal Bloom (ORHAB) partnership on the outer Washington State coast. Here we show that the DSTs at concentrations above the guidance level of 16 μg okadaic acid (OA) + dinophysistoxins (DTXs)/100 g shellfish tissue were widespread in sentinel mussels throughout Puget Sound in summer 2012 and included harvest closures of California mussel, varnish clam, manila clam and Pacific oyster. Concentrations of toxins in Pacific oyster and manila clam were often at least half those measured in blue mussels at the same site. The primary toxin isomer in shellfish and plankton samples was dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX-1) with D. acuminata as the primary Dinophysis species. Other lipophilic toxins in shellfish were pectenotoxin-2 (PTX-2) and yessotoxin (YTX) with azaspiracid-2 (AZA-2) also measured in phytoplankton samples. Okadaic acid, azaspiracid-1 (AZA-1) and azaspiracid-3 (AZA-3) were all below the levels of detection by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). A shellfish closure at Ruby Beach, Washington, was the first ever noted on the Washington State Pacific coast due to DSTs. The greater than average Fraser River flow during the summers of 2011 and 2012 may have provided an environment conducive to dinoflagellates and played a role in the prevalence of toxigenic Dinophysis in Puget Sound.     

Particle Phase Concentrations of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Atmospheric Environment of Jinámar,Gran Canaria

Airborne concentrations of 8 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs): fluoranthene, Flt, Pyrene, Pyr, benzo(a)anthracene, BaA, chrysene, Chr, benzo(b)fluoranthene + benzo(k)fluoranthene,B(b + k)F, benzo(a)pyrene, BaP and benzo(g,h,i)perylene, B(ghi)P,were measured in Jinámar, a small town on the island of Gran Canaria (Spain) during a 12 month period (January 1995–December 1995). Concentrations ranged between 0.613 ng m^-3 for B(ghi)P and 0.040 and 0.046 ng m^-3 for pyrene and chrysene. Except for BaA all PAHs occurred at lower concentrations at temperatures below 20 °C. Relative humidity seems to influence concentrations of pyrene, chrysene, benzo(b + k)fluoranthene and benzo(a)pyrene, also affecting the latter ina different way to the other three hydrocarbons cited.     

Identification of potent odorants formed by autoxidation of arachidonic acid: structure elucidation and synthesis of (E,Z,Z)-2,4,7-tridecatrienal.

The aroma composition of autoxidized arachidonic acid was characterized by aroma extract dilution analysis. The most potent odorant was trans-4,5-epoxy-(E)-2-decenal followed by 1-octen-3-one, (E,Z)-2,4-decadienal, (E,Z,Z)-2,4,7-tridecatrienal, (E,E)-2,4-decadienal, and hexanal. (E,Z,Z)-2,4,7-Tridecatrienal was unequivocally identified by mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data. The stereochemistry of its extended double-bond system was elucidated on the basis of NMR measurements. The target compound was synthesized in four steps starting with bromination of 2-octyn-1-ol, followed by copper-catalyzed coupling of the bromide with ethylmagnesium bromide and (E)-2-penten-4-yn-1-ol. Partial hydrogenation of the resulting C(13)-compound with triple bonds in the positions C-4 and C-7 gave rise to (E,Z,Z)-2,4,7-tridecatrien-1-ol, which was finally oxidized to the target compound. It exhibits a typical egg-white-like, marine-like odor at low concentrations, and an intense orange-citrus, animal-like odor at higher concentrations. Its odor threshold was estimated by gas chromatography-olfactometry to be 0.07 ng/L air, which is of the same order of magnitude as that reported for 1-octen-3-one and (E,E)-2,4-decadienal.     

Characterizing the Feeding Injury Caused by Phylloscelis rubra (Hemiptera: Dictyopharidae) to Cranberries

Due to changes in pest management practices, farmers’ reports of severe feeding injury to cranberries, Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton Ericales: Ericaceae, caused by the cranberry toad-bug, Phylloscelis rubra Ball, have increased in recent years in New Jersey (United States). Currently, however, limited information is available on the effects of P. rubra feeding or density of individuals needed to cause injury to cranberry vines and fruit. In 2015‒2017, we conducted studies to characterize injury to cranberry at a range of P. rubra densities by using cages in a screen-house and field, to establish a correlation between P. rubra density and crop injury in an open field experiment, and to measure the effects of P. rubra injury on the nutritional content (i.e., amounts of macro- and microelements) of cranberry vines. Phylloscelis rubra feeding on cranberry vines produced typical injury symptoms at relatively low densities (i.e., 2 individuals per vine in field cages or <10 individuals per sweep net sample in open fields), which included discolored (yellowish or reddish) or dead (brown) vines. This vine injury could lead to reductions in fruit mass and total fruit number. However, P. rubra injury to cranberry vines did not alter their nutritional composition. In general, this study highlights the ability of P. rubra to cause substantial injury to cranberry vines even when population densities were relatively low, which could result in declines in fruit production (quality and quantity). Therefore, infestations by P. rubra in cranberries must be considered when making pest management decisions in regions where this insect is present.     

Size Distributions of PAHs in Ambient Air Particles of Two Areas of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

The size distribution of 14 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in particulate aerosol in two different areas of the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria was investigated in May 2002. One of the study areas (Bravo Murillo) was under the influence of heavy traffic and the other (Pedro Lezcano) under that of small-scale industries of various nature. The average concentration of total suspended particulates (TSP) at Bravo Murillo (35.2 μg m^-3) was roughly one-half that at Pedro Lezcano (73.6 μg m^-3); the former, however, exhibited a higher PAH content (sum of PAHs: 6.6 ± 1.8 versus 5.1 ± 3.9 ng m^-3). The aerosol size partition of total PAHs at Bravo Murillo, with a unimodal peaking at 0.08—0.3 μm, was completely different from that at Pedro Lezcano, where accumulation observed in the 3.8—7.4 μm range suggests the ageing of particles occurred, with PAHs have redistributed according to surface extension of particles.     

Antioxidant activity of minimally processed red chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) evaluated in xanthine oxidase-, myeloperoxidase-, and diaphorase-catalyzed reactions

Minimally processed red chicory products (Cichorium intybus L. var. silvestre) were studied for their polyphenol content and antioxidant activity evaluated by using the synthetic 2,2-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)hydrazyl radical and three model reactions catalyzed by relevant enzymatic sources of reactive oxygen species, namely, xanthine oxidase, myeloperoxidase, and diaphorase. Products were analyzed at the time of production and after storage at 4 degrees C within either a gas permeable film or a gas barrier film. The antioxidant activity and contents of hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonoids decreased by less than 20% during storage of the minimally processed red chicory products. Total phenolics were significantly correlated with the antioxidant activity evaluated with both the synthetic radical and the enzyme-catalyzed reactions. On a molar basis, red chicory phenolics were as efficient as the reference compound Trolox in scavenging the synthetic radical. However, red chicory phenolics had a much higher inhibitory activity than Trolox in the model enzymatic systems.