Thecoma in a mare

A 4-year-old crossbred Thoroughbred mare was referred to the University of Tehran Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital for evaluation of a mass in the pelvic cavity. The mare had been partially anorectic and pyrexic. On clinical examination, the mare was thin and depressed, with body temperature of 38°C, a pulse rate of 38 beats/minute, and a respiratory rate of 10 breaths/minute. Palpation per rectum revealed a large, smooth and tense mass in the anterior part of the pelvic cavity. Ultrasound examination confirmed the presence of a soft tissue mass with a thick wall. The inner surface of the mass had a villous-like appearance. The stroma of the mass was mottled, with accumulation of speckled and hypoechoic to slightly hyperechoic fluid. Hormone assays revealed low serum concentration of testosterone. Serum progesterone concentration indicated that active luteal tissue and serum estradiol concentration was 24 pg/ml. On histological examination, the sections from the tumor were composed of oval- or spindle-shaped cells loosely arranged in diffuse sheets or irregularly interlacing fascicles. On the basis of these histological findings, the large tumor mass of the left ovary was considered to be a thecoma. To our knowledge, the details of the clinical, ultrasonographic, endocrinologic, and histologic findings of this tumor in the mare have not been described in the veterinary literature.     

Evaluation of cell wall preparations for proteomics: a new procedure for purifying cell walls from Arabidopsis hypocotyls

Background  

The ultimate goal of proteomic analysis of a cell compartment should be the exhaustive identification of resident proteins; excluding proteins from other cell compartments. Reaching such a goal closely depends on the reliability of the isolation procedure for the cell compartment of interest. Plant cell walls possess specific difficulties: (i) the lack of a surrounding membrane may result in the loss of cell wall proteins (CWP) during the isolation procedure, (ii) polysaccharide networks of cellulose, hemicelluloses and pectins form potential traps for contaminants such as intracellular proteins. Several reported procedures to isolate cell walls for proteomic analyses led to the isolation of a high proportion (more than 50%) of predicted intracellular proteins. Since isolated cell walls should hold secreted proteins, one can imagine alternative procedures to prepare cell walls containing a lower proportion of contaminant proteins.     

Seasonal changes of mineral nutrients and phenolics in pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruit

Pomegranate fruit is an important source of potentially healthy bioactive compounds and mineral nutrients. Changes in total phenolic compound, concentrations, and levels of macronutrients (P, K, N, Mg, Ca and Na) and micronutrients (Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe and B) in arils and peel of pomegranate fruit were recorded from 10 days after full bloom until harvest. Total phenolics levels increased at early stage of growth both in peel and arils of fruit, but thereafter generally decreased during maturation and reached to 3.70 and 50.22 mg g⁻¹ of dry weight in arils and peel, respectively, at harvest. The amount of total phenolics in peel was markedly higher than arils of pomegranate fruit. The concentration of most elements in arils and peel decreased during fruit growth and development. At harvest the relative order of concentration of macronutrients both in arils and peel was K > N > Ca > P > Mg > Na. The concentration of most micronutrients was greater in the arils than in the peel especially in early season. The relative order of concentration of micronutrients in arils was B > Fe > Zn > Cu > Mn. The accumulation of all the macro- and microelement within the fruit also increased during fruit growth and development. These results provide important data on total phenolics and macro- and micronutrient changes during fruit growth and development, emphasizing that pomegranate fruit can be a good source of bioactive compounds and minerals.     

Shade-based control of Imperata cylindrica: tree fallows and cover crops

Imperata is shade-intolerant, although little is known of the relative roles of competition for light, water and nutrients in suppressing its growth. Shading of Imperata results in reduced carbohydrate storage, reduced rhizome and tuber-bulb production, reduced shoot dry weight, increased susceptibility to competition, increased susceptibility to herbicides and decreased vigor/regeneration. Herbaceous cover crops in the genera Calapogonium, Crotoleria, Mucuna and Pueraria have been shown to effectively suppress Imperata growth and can be used to prevent and in some cases eradicate Imperata. Tree fallows with fast-growing species such as Sesbania sesban, Acacia nilotica and Leucaena leucocephala can improve soil physical and chemical properties and suppress weed growth. Forest plantations have been successfully used, particularly with the use of moderate to high tillage, weeding and fertilizer inputs to suppress Imperata growth. These plantations produce marketable wood and reclaim the site for other uses. Additional research is needed to evaluate the specific nature of competition and allelopathic effects from Imperata. Continued evaluation of tree species and provenances for Imperata suppression, forms of tillage after woody fallow crops and the constraints to adoption of cover crops and trees as Imperata control measures are also needed.     

Abundance and richness of invertebrates in shade-grown versus sun-exposed coffee home gardens in Indonesia

Agroforestry Systems - Complex agroforestry systems are suggested as a possible solution to reduce the effects of deforestation in the tropics while enhancing the livelihoods of local human...     

Effects of steam-treated rice straw feeding on growth,digestibility, and plasma volatile fatty acids of goats under different housing systems

In order to use rice straw as forage in livestock feeding, the effects of steam-treated rice straw (at 15.5 kgf/cm² for 120 s) feeding on growth performance, plasma volatile fatty acid profile, and nutrient digestibility of goats were determined. Twenty male goats (18.69?±?0.34 kg) were used in an 84-day trial. The goats were divided into four groups of five goats each to receive steam-treated (STRS) or untreated (UTRS) rice straw diet under closed house (CH) and open house (OH) systems. The results revealed that the goats fed with STRS had significantly higher dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF) digestibility; similarly, the average daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio were higher for STRS groups under both CH and OH systems than those for UTRS. The plasma protein and insulin in STRS and cholesterol in UTRS groups was higher (P?P?>?0.05) at 30 days. The plasma amylase, lipase, T₃, T₄ and glucagon at 30 and 60 days were not different (P?>?0.05) among the groups. The plasma acetate, propionate, butyrate, and total volatile fatty acid were higher (P?P?>?0.05) on these parameters. It could be concluded that steam treatment of rice straw at 15.5 kgf/cm² for 120 s increased apparent nutrient digestibility, hence increased the growth and feed efficiency of growing goats.     

Molecular detection of avian pox virus from nodular skin and mucosal fibrinonecrotic lesions of Iranian backyard poultry

In recent years, some outbreaks of skin lesions suspected to be avian pox were observed in the backyard poultry in different parts of western areas in Iran. Consequently, 328 backyard poultries with suspected signs of avian pox virus infection were sampled. All birds showed nodular lesions on unfeathered head skin and/or fibronecrotic lesions on mucus membrane of the oral cavity and upper respiratory tract. For histopathological analysis, the sections of tissue samples from cutaneous lesions of examined birds were stained with H&E method. For PCR, after DNA extraction a 578-bp fragment of avian pox virus from 4b core protein gene was amplified. Results showed 217 and 265 out of 328 (66.1 and 80.7 %, respectively) samples were positive for avian pox virus on histopathological and PCR examination, respectively. In this study, the samples that had intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies on pathologic examination were PCR positive. This study revealed that PCR is a valuable tool for identification of an avian pox virus and that the frequency of pox infection in backyard poultry in western areas of Iran is high.     

Effect of γ (Gamma)-radiation on the physico-mechanical properties of grafted jute fabric reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites

The bleached jute fabric (BJF) reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites with various contents of acrylic acid (AA)-treated BJF and un-AA-treated BJF were fabricated by compression moulding method at 190 °C. The AA-grafted BJF reinforced PP composites were then irradiated by γ-ray at various doses. The mechanical properties of neat PP (N-P), ungrafted-BJF and PP composites (UG-BJFPC), AA-grafted-BJF and PP composites (AA-BJFPC) and γ-ray cum AA-grafted-BJF and PP composites (γAA-BJFPC) show maximum tensile strength (TS) of 30, 46, 47 and 51 MPa, maximum flexural strength (FS) of 34, 49, 50 and 54 MPa and maximum Young’s modulus (E) of 280, 428, 436, and 680 MPa, respectively. The increase of TS, FS and E from UG-BJFPC are 2 %, 2 %, and 2 % for AA-BJFPC and 11 %, 10 % and 59 % for γAA-BJFPC. The TS, FS and E are found to increase with radiation dose up to 500Krad and then decrease. The water absorption (WA) for UG-BJFPC, AA-BJFPC and γAA-BJFPC is respectively about 14, 10 and 9 %, indicating a gradual development of hydrophobic character of the composites first by AA-treatment and then by γ-ray-treatment. AA treatment on jute fabric and gamma irradiation on composite result in significant change of morphology of the jute fabric composites surface and better mechanical bonding between fabric and polymer matrix, as a result improved mechanical properties are found.