Long-lasting systematic roguing for effective management of CABMV in passion flower orchards through maintenance of separated plants

In Brazil, passion flower is grown across almost the entire country. The predominant disease of the passion flower crop is passion fruit woodiness, caused by the potyvirus cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus (CABMV), and transmitted by aphids in a nonpersistent manner. The disease reduces the useful life of the orchard from 36 months to approximately 18 months. Up to now, there has not been an efficient method for disease management. The aim of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of systematic roguing of diseased plants through weekly inspections, for disease management in the field. The latent and incubation periods of CABMV in passion flower vines were determined in order to optimize roguing efficiency. Passion fruit plants inoculated with CABMV started to act as sources of inoculum from 3 days after inoculation (DAI), and the symptoms were expressed, on average, at 8 DAI. Five field experiments, conducted in the states of São Paulo and Bahia, Brazil, demonstrated that systematic roguing of diseased plants was significantly efficient for managing passion fruit woodiness disease. In order to facilitate identification and subsequent removal of the infected plants, they need to be grown separately. This cultural practice can be recommended for managing passion fruit woodiness disease, provided it is applied on a regional scale by all passion fruit growers. The development of some pilot plantings for the application of roguing in a passion flower-producing region is recommended to validate the use of this technique for managing passion fruit woodiness disease.     

Influence of Climatic and Management Factors on Eimeria Infections in Goats from Semi‐arid Zones

A survey of Eimeria infections was performed in dairy goats and kids (<6 months old) of six farms from a dry desert area of Gran Canaria Island (Spain). The number of oocysts per gram of faeces (OPG) was determined by a modified McMaster technique over a total of 2616 individual faecal samples taken from the rectum in monthly intervals. Eimeria oocysts were found in 96.1% of the samples with OPG ranging from 1 × 10² to 1.4 × 10⁶. Kid goats had significantly (P < 0.001) higher OPG counts (46 496 ± 5228) than dairy females (2225 ± 287). Eight Eimeria species were identified, with Eimeria ninakohlyakimovae (30.0%), Eimeria arloingi (28.6%) and Eimeria alijevi (20.5%) being the most frequent species followed by Eimeria caprina (9.1%), Eimeria christenseni (4.5%), Eimeria jolchijevi (3.4%), Eimeria caprovina (3.2%) and Eimeria hirci (0.7%). Although significant differences were observed among goat groups and herds, the eight species were present in the six farms in both dairy goats and kids. The intensity of oocysts shedding was related to some factors such as the size of the herd and was further influenced by the prevailing climatic conditions of the area. The highest OPG counts were recorded during the hot season in dairy goats and close to weaning time in kids reared in small farms having no prophylactic treatments against eimeriosis.     

Solar input and energy storage in a five-year-old American sycamore plantation

Energy stored in a 5-year-old American sycamore plantation grown in Mississippi was determined by bomb calorimetry of component parts of selected trees randomly sampled in autumn and spring. The results indicated significant differences among tree components. The caloric values were 4675.81 cal g^?1 for leaves, 4631.76 cal g^?1 for branch bark, 4489.12 cal g^?1 for branch wood, 4753.85 cal g^?1 for stem bark, and 4488.76 cal g^?1 for stem wood. Based on these caloric values, the total energy yeild for a 1-ha plantation, containing 1200 trees with a total above-ground biomass of 20.3 t, was computed at 9.22 × 10¹⁰ calories. The storage efficiency of the forest stand, which was calculated by dividing total energy yields by available photosynthetic solar radiation received during the growing season (168,462 × 10⁸ cal), was 0.55%. The biomass yield of this 5-year-old sycamore plantation is sufficient to supply the electrical energy needs of an average household for nearly 3 years.     

Helminths isolated from the digestive tract of diurnal raptors in Catalonia, Spain

The prevalence of parasitic helminths in the digestive tract of 119 diurnal raptors (Falconiformes), which had died in a wildlife rehabilitation centre in Catalonia, was studied. The birds belonged to 13 species, with 100 of them (84 per cent) being kestrels (Falco tinnunculus), buzzards (Buteo buteo), sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus) and goshawks (Accipiter gentilis). Ninety-five of the birds (79.8 per cent) were infected with helminths. Nematodes were the most frequently found helminth (75.6 per cent), followed by trematodes, cestodes and ancanthocephalans. All the buzzards and sparrowhawks and 92 per cent of the goshawks were infected, but only 59 per cent of the kestrels were infected.     

Immunization with Eimeria ninakohlyakimovae-live attenuated oocysts protect goat kids from clinical coccidiosis

Caprine coccidiosis, affecting mainly young goat kids around the weaning period, is worldwide the most important disease in the goat industry. Control of caprine coccidiosis is increasingly hampered by resistances developed against coccidiostatic drugs leading to an enhanced need for anticoccidial vaccines. In the current study we conducted an oral immunization trial with live attenuated sporulated Eimeria ninakohlyakimovae oocysts. Sporulated E. ninakohlyakimovae oocysts were attenuated by X-irradiation technique. The experimental design included a total of 18 goat kids divided into the following groups: (i) animals immunized with attenuated E. ninakohlyakimovae oocysts at 5 weeks of age and challenged 3 weeks later with non-irradiated homologous oocysts (group 1); (ii) animals infected with non-attenuated E. ninakohlyakimovae oocysts at 5 weeks of age and challenged 3 weeks later with non-attenuated homologous oocysts (group 2); (iii) animals primary-infected with untreated E. ninakohlyakimovae oocysts at 8 weeks of age (control of the challenge infection, group 3); (iv) non-infected control animals (group 4). Goat kids immunized with live attenuated E. ninakohlyakimovae oocysts (group 1) excreted significantly less oocysts in the faeces (95.3% reduction) than kids infected with non-attenuated ones (group 2). Furthermore, immunization with live but attenuated oocysts resulted in ameliorated clinical coccidiosis compared to goat kids infected with untreated oocysts (group 2) and resulted in equally reduced signs of coccidiosis after challenge infection compared to acquired immunity driven by non-attenuated oocysts. Overall, the present study demonstrates for the first time that live attenuated E. ninakohlyakimovae oocysts orally administered showed almost no pathogenicity but enough immunogenicity in terms of immunoprotection. Importantly, vaccinated animals still shed low amounts of oocysts, guaranteeing environmental contamination and consecutive booster infections to sustain ongoing immunity.     

Validity of the Enzyme-linked Immunoelectrotransfer Blot (EITB) for naturally acquired porcine cysticercosis

The Enzyme-linked Immunoelectrotransfer Blot (EITB) has been used widely as a screening test for Taenia solium cysticercosis in swine. However, the relation between seropositivity and infection in pig populations from endemic areas has not been well defined. The aim of this study is to relate EITB seropositivity with infection and infection burden, analyse the trade-off between sensitivity and specificity with various cut-off points for the EITB assay, and finally describe the serology changes in a cohort of rural pigs raised under natural conditions. A group of 107 pigs that were used as controls during a vaccination field trial in Peru was our study population. The prevalence of porcine cysticercosis determined by necropsy examination was 16.82% (18/107) in these animals. Using EITB reactivity to ≥1 band as a cut-off point for the assay, the sensitivity was 88.89% (65.29–98.62, 95% CI) and the specificity was 48.31% (37.59–59.16, 95% CI). Comparing other cut-off points, involving up to as many as 7 reactive bands, a reactivity of ≥3 bands provided the best trade-offs in sensitivity and specificity. Using this cut-off point for the assay, the sensitivity was 77.77% (52.36–93.59, 95% CI) and the specificity was 76.40% (66.22–84.76, 95% CI). A significant association was found between cyst counts over 100 cysts and reactivity to ≥3 bands in the EITB assay (Fisher's exact test, p < 0.05). The results of this study suggest that the use of the EITB assay to study porcine cysticercosis may require setting different cut-offs under field and experimental conditions, and depending upon the objective of the screening process.     

Pre- and postinvasion defenses both contribute to nonhost resistance in Arabidopsis

Nonhost resistance describes the immunity of an entire plant species against nonadapted pathogen species. We report that Arabidopsis PEN2 restricts pathogen entry of two ascomycete powdery mildew fungi that in nature colonize grass and pea species. The PEN2 glycosyl hydrolase localizes to peroxisomes and acts as a component of an inducible preinvasion resistance mechanism. Postinvasion fungal growth is blocked by a separate resistance layer requiring the EDS1-PAD4-SAG101 signaling complex, which is known to function in basal and resistance (R) gene-triggered immunity. Concurrent impairment of pre- and postinvasion resistance renders Arabidopsis a host for both nonadapted fungi.     

Isolation of single human hematopoietic stem cells capable of long-term multilineage engraftment

Lifelong blood cell production is dependent on rare hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) to perpetually replenish mature cells via a series of lineage-restricted intermediates. Investigating the molecular state of HSCs is contingent on the ability to purify HSCs away from transiently engrafting cells. We demonstrated that human HSCs remain infrequent, using current purification strategies based on Thy1 (CD90) expression. By tracking the expression of several adhesion molecules in HSC-enriched subsets, we revealed CD49f as a specific HSC marker. Single CD49f(+) cells were highly efficient in generating long-term multilineage grafts, and the loss of CD49f expression identified transiently engrafting multipotent progenitors (MPPs). The demarcation of human HSCs and MPPs will enable the investigation of the molecular determinants of HSCs, with a goal of developing stem cell-based therapeutics.     

Nutrient Losses by Runoff and Sediment from the Taluses of Orchard Terraces

The nutrient fluxes of nitrate, ammonium, phosphorus and potassium in runoff and sediments were evaluated over a two-year period (1999–2000) on the taluses of terraces, in a zone of intense subtropical orchard cultivation (SE Spain). The erosion plots were located on a terrace of 214% (65°) slope, at 180 m in altitude and with 16 m² (4 × 4 m) in area. Shrubby covers were tested for effectiveness in controlling the nutrient fluxes caused by runoff and sediments. Covers of Thymusserpylloides Bory sbsp. Gadorensis and Salvia officinalis L. reduced the NO₃ ^- runoff losses by 53 and 48%, with respect to the bare soil without natural vegetation, the NH_-4 ⁺ 61 and 56%; the PO₄ ^-3 65 and 56%; and K⁺ 58 and 46%, respectively. A greater proportion of NO₃ ^-, NH_-4 ⁺ and K⁺ were transported in runoff than in sediments. Thyme and sage with respect to the control reduced NO₃ ^- loss in sediments by 74 and 65%, NH_-4 ⁺ by 71 and 62%, P by 72 and 67%, and K by 69 and 61%, respectively. The total loss (runoff and sediments) in the bare-soil plot for NPK was 260, 39 and 888 mg m^-2 yr^-1, in the sage plot 119, 15 and 460 mg m^-2 yr^-1, and in the thyme plot 105, 12 and 360 mg m^-2 yr^-1, respectively. The results show the importance of the plant covers in soil conservation and in the recycling of nutrients on terrace slopes. This has far-reaching implications in the sense that the control of pollution from erosion is vital in reducing the eutrophication of both surface waters and groundwater located in lowlands.