Immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis associated with bacterial kidney disease in the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) developed a post-infectious chronic membranous glomerulonephritis 15 months after they had been experimentally infected with Renibacterium salmoninarum. Histologically, peritubular and periglomerular fibrosis, hypercellular glomeruli with occluded Bowman's space, and partial or complete adhesion to Bowman's capsule were constant features. Electron microscopy revealed thickened glomerular basement membranes with spikes accompanied by finely granular electron-dense deposits at the epithelial side and dense material in the mesangial matrix. Indirect immunofluorescence indicated linear immunoglobulin deposits along the glomerular basement membrane. The presence of R. salmoninarum was demonstrated by culture and by indirect immunofluorescence. Low serum hemagglutination-inhibiting antibody titers were demonstrated.     

Penetration and metabolism of [14C]carbaryl in larvae of the gypsy moth,Lymantria dispar (L.)

The absorption and metabolism of topical doses of carbaryl by larvae of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.), were determined using ¹⁴C-ring-labeled material. Carbaryl penetration followed four distinct phases of linear absorption, i.e., 0–5 min, 5–60 min, 1–3 hr, and 3–12 hr; the absorption rates for the four phases were 2.8, 0.57, 0.07, and 0.02% per minute, respectively. Ninety percent of the total metabolism of carbaryl occurred within the first 3 hr; over the next 9 hr, metabolism was exceedingly slow with a linear rate of ca. 0.8% per hour. Carbaryl was always the major radiocarbon in the larvae and the feces, amounting to ca. 16 and 9%, respectively, at 12 hr. At 12 hr the metabolite composition was 5-hydroxy carbaryl >N-hydroxy carbaryl > 1-naphthol > 4-hydroxy carbaryl > 5,6-dihydro-5,6-dihydroxy carbaryl. Small amounts of an additional product were detected but not identified. Much of the excretion of carbaryl and metabolites occurred without conjugation. The amounts of carbaryl metabolized by second, third, fourth, and fifth instars were directly correlated with the insecticide tolerances and mixed-function oxidase activity of the various larval stages. The synergistic action of 2,6-dichlorobenzyl-2-propynyl ether and piperonyl butoxide was also correlated with inhibition of the oxidative pathway.     

Species of Botryosphaeriaceae associated on mango in Brazil

The aim of the present study was to assess diversity in the Botryosphaeriaceae on trees and fruit of mango (Mangifera indica L.) in a semi-arid region in northeastern Brazil in which most exported fruit in the country are produced. Using morphological characteristics and DNA sequence data (ITS-1, ITS-2 and 5.8S rDNA) we confirmed the presence of Lasiodiplodia theobromae in the region, and for the first time report Fusicoccum aesculi and Neofusicoccum parvum. L. theobromae was prevalent in the Assú Valley and F. aesculi and N. parvum were in the São Francisco Valley. In fruit inoculations, L. theobromae and N. parvum were more virulent than F. aesculi.     

Survival of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ralstonia solanacearum</Emphasis> in infected tissues of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Capsicum annuum</Emphasis> and in soils of the state of Pernambuco,Brazil

The survival of Ralstonia solanacearum A1-9^Rif race 1 phylotype I was studied in ten different soil types in the absence of the host plant as well as in infected tissues of the stem and root of bell peppers buried in the soil at 0, 5, and 15 cm. The survival time of R. solanacearum A1-9^Rif in the ten soil types ranged from 42 up to 77 days. Among the chemical and physical characteristics of the soil, clay content, residual moisture, and available water were positively correlated, and pH was negatively correlated, with survival time, population size at 42 days, and area under the population curve. The pathogen survival differed significantly in relation to the plant tissues, but not with respect to the incorporation depth of the infected tissues. The root tissue of bell pepper supported a larger bacterial population at 7 and 21 days (5 × 10⁴ and 3.1 × 10⁴ CFU g⁻¹ tissue, respectively) compared with the stem tissue (0.35 × 10⁴ and 0.48 × 10⁴ CFU g⁻¹ tissue, respectively) and also had a larger area under the population curve. On the other hand, the stem tissues presented a greater decomposition rate and pH compared with the roots. In conclusion, the different types of studied soils as well as the infected bell pepper tissues were considered potential primary sources of R. solanacearum inocula, but only for a short period.     

Photon-induced Kondo satellites in a single-electron transistor

We measure the differential conductance of a single-electron transistor (SET) irradiated with microwaves. The spin-entangled many-electron Kondo state produces a zero-bias peak in the dc differential conductance if the quantum dot in the SET contains an unpaired electron. When the photon energy hf is comparable to the energy width of the Kondo peak and to e (the charge on the electron) times the microwave voltage across the dot, satellites appear in the differential conductance shifted in voltage by +/-hf/e from the zero-bias resonance. We also observe an overall suppression of the Kondo features with increasing microwave voltage.     

Salinity and mineral nutrition effects on growth and accumulation of organic and Inorganic ions in two cultivated tomato varieties

A trial was conducted on the effect of salinity and method of fertilizer application on two varieties of cultivated tomato, i.e. VF 145 and Edkawi. Salinity ranged from 0.52 to 11 dS/m, and fertilizer was applied by either broadcasting in small doses or added with irrigation water. Weight of shoots, fruit yield, and sodium (Na), calcium (Ca), chloride (Cl), free proline contents in both developing and mature leaves, and total soluble salts and ascorbic acid contents in fruits were taken as evaluating criteria. Salinity depressed both growth and fruit yield, and simultaneously increased ion concentration in plant leaves. Sodium and Cl accumulated with salinity, being greater in mature leaves, while proline accumulation in developing leaves was much higher than in mature leaves. Total soluble salts and ascorbic acid were not affected. Liquid fertilization resulted in higher fruit yields than that obtained with the solid fertilizer treatments as well as better alleviating the depressive effects of salinity on plant growth and yield, especially at the lower salinity level where it was more beneficial to fruit yield. The VF 145 tomato variety was found a bit more sensitive to salinity than the Edkawi variety, and was affected differently by salinity, regarding both the yield and the pattern of organic and inorganic ion accumulation. Our results suggest that there exists a physiological mechanism that is involved in the salt tolerance difference observed between the two varieties that needs to be investigated.     

Responses of butterfly and moth species to restored cattle grazing in semi-natural grasslands

The effects of restorative grazing on the abundance of butterfly and moth species were studied in mesic semi-natural grasslands of SW Finland differing in management history: (1) old continuously grazed, (2) restored (with ca 5 years of reinitiated grazing), and (3) abandoned former pastures.Generalized linear modelling of species abundances and indicator species analysis produced qualitatively similar results. Only three species (Polyommatus icarus, Lycaena hippothoe and Camptogramma bilineatum) were most abundant in old pastures, whereas 12 species (Polyommatus semiargus, Polyommatus amandus, Brenthis ino, Aphantopus hyperantus, Scopula immorata, Idaea serpentata, Scotopteryx chenopodiata, Epirrhoe alternata, Cybosia mesomella, Polypogon tentacularius, Hypena proboscidalis and Cryptocala chardinyi) were most abundant in abandoned pastures. None of the old-pasture species had become more abundant in restored pastures. Three species, Epirrhoe hastulata, Xanthorhoe montanata and Chiasmia clathrata, occurred equally abundantly in abandoned and in restored pastures indicating a slow progress of restoration.Species associated with old pastures differed from species associated with abandoned pastures in their recent distributional changes in Finland. The species of old pastures showed decreasing trends, whereas those of abandoned pastures showed mainly increasing trends in their distribution. In five out of 11 species, the preferred successional stage differed markedly between this study and previous studies conducted in Central Europe.We conclude that (1) ca 5 years of restorative grazing in mesic grasslands has been insufficient for the colonisation of old-pasture species in the restored sites, (2) different management intensities are needed regionally for the maintenance of grassland insect diversity and (3) application of the knowledge on successional preferences of different species in conservation management, even in climatically similar regions, should be made with caution.     

Synthesis of hydroxytyrosol, 2-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, and 3-hydroxyphenylacetic acid by differential conversion of tyrosol isomers using Serratia marcescens strain

We investigated to develop an effective procedure to produce the potentially high-added-value phenolic compounds through bioconversion of tyrosol isomers. A soil bacterium, designated Serratia marcescens strain, was isolated on the basis of its ability to grow on p-tyrosol (4-hydroxyphenylethanol) as a sole source of carbon and energy. During growth on p-tyrosol, Ser. marcescens strain was capable of promoting the formation of hydroxytyrosol. To achieve maximal hydroxytyrosol yield, the growth state of the culture utilized for p-tyrosol conversion as well as the amount of p-tyrosol that was treated were optimized. The optimal yield of hydroxytyrosol (80%) was obtained by Ser. marcescens growing cells after a 7-h incubation using 2 g/L of p-tyrosol added at the end of the exponential phase to a culture pregrown on 1 g/L of p-tyrosol. Furthermore, the substrate specificity of the developed biosynthesis was investigated using m-tyrosol (3-hydroxyphenylethanol) and o-tyrosol (2-hydroxyphenylethanol) as substrates. Ser. marcescens strain transformed completely m-tyrosol and o-tyrosol into 3-hydroxyphenylacetic acid and 2-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, respectively, via the oxidation of the side chain carbon of the treated substrates. This proposed procedure is an alternative approach to obtain hydroxytyrosol, 2-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, and 3-hydroxyphenylacetic acid in an environmentally friendly way which could encourage their use as alternatives in the search for replacement of synthetic food additives.