Chronic cystitis with ossification of the bladder wall in a 6-month-old German shepherd dog

Ossification of the bladder wall, detected radiographically as a nonhomogeneous radiopaque area in the cranioventral part of the bladder in a puppy, is reported. We speculate that chronic inflammation due to the presence of uroliths in the lumen may have stimulated a metaplastic transformation of the cells.     

Beech leaf disease: An emerging forest epidemic

Beech leaf disease (BLD) is a currently undiagnosed and seemingly lethal disease that was discovered in 2012 on American beech trees (Fagus grandifolia) in north‐east Ohio in the United States. Since its discovery, BLD has spread rapidly and can now be found in forests in 10 counties in Ohio, eight counties in Pennsylvania and five counties in Ontario, Canada. The initial symptoms of the disease appear as a dark green, interveinal banding pattern on the lower canopy foliage. These initial symptoms typically occur in the shrub or sampling layer of a beech stand. The later symptoms result in solidly darkened leaves that are shrunken and crinkled. The symptoms appear to progress through the buds as the affected buds are eventually aborted and no new leaves are produced. We fear this disease has the potential to drastically alter the Eastern deciduous forests of the United States on its own and through potential compounding disease effects. In addition, BLD poses a threat to global forests as symptoms of the disease were detected on European (F. sylvatica) and Oriental (F. orientalis) beech species in nurseries in north‐eastern Ohio. Due to its rapid spread and variability in environmental conditions where it has been detected, it seems unlikely that BLD is an abiotic disorder. Thus, intense efforts are underway to determine the causal agent of BLD. Relevant stakeholders are advised to be alert for BLD symptoms in beech forests in the Northern Hemisphere, and substantial resources should be invested in understanding this emerging forest disease.     

Organ-dependent induction of systemic resistance and systemic susceptibility in Pinus nigra inoculated with Sphaeropsis sapinea and Diplodia scrobiculata

Systemic induced resistance (SIR) is a well-known host defense mechanism against pathogen attack in herbaceous plants, but SIR has only recently been documented in conifers. We tested if inoculation of Austrian pine (Pinus nigra Arnold) with Sphaeropsis sapinea (Fr.:Fr.) Dyko and Sutton or Diplodia scrobiculata de Wet, Slippers and Wingfield results in SIR or systemic induced susceptibility (SIS) to subsequent colonization by S. sapinea. Induction at the stem base resulted in significant (P < 0.01) SIR in the upper stem, and induction in the upper stem resulted in significant (P < 0.05) SIR at the stem base, indicating that SIR is bidirectional in Austrian pine. However, inoculation at the stem base resulted in significant (P < 0.01) SIS in shoot tips, demonstrating that, in the same host species, the expression of resistance can be organ-dependent, resulting in either SIR or SIS depending on the site of challenge infection. Systemic induced resistance in the stem was associated with induced lignification, supporting a potential role for this defense mechanism in disease resistance. Systemic induced susceptibility has been documented before, but this is the first demonstration of organ-dependent expression of both SIR and SIS in a tree or any other plant.     

Alley coppice—a new system with ancient roots

Context

Current production from natural forests will not satisfy future world demand for timber and fuel wood, and new land management options are required.

Aims

We explore an innovative production system that combines the production of short rotation coppice in wide alleys with the production of high-value trees on narrow strips of land; it is an alternative form of alley cropping which we propose to call ‘alley coppice’. The aim is to describe this alley coppice system and to illustrate its potential for producing two diverse products, namely high-value timber and energy wood on the same land unit.

Methods

Based on a comprehensive literature review, we compare the advantages and disadvantages of the alley coppice system and contrast the features with well-known existing or past systems of biomass and wood production.

Results

We describe and discuss the basic aspects of alley coppice, its design and dynamics, the processes of competition and facilitation, issues of ecology, and areas that are open for future research.

Conclusion

Based on existing knowledge, a solid foundation for the implementation of alley coppice on suitable land is presented, and the high potential of this system could be shown.     

Urban BTEX Spatiotemporal Exposure Assessment by Chemometric Expertise

Normative regulations on benzene in fuels and urban management strategies are expected to improve air quality. The present study deals with the application of self-organizing maps (SOMs) in order to explore the spatiotemporal variations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene levels in an urban atmosphere. Temperature, wind speed, and concentration values of these four volatile organic compounds were measured after passive sampling at 21 different sampling sites located in the city of Trieste (Italy) in the framework of a multi-year long-term monitoring program. SOM helps in defining pollution patterns and changes in the urban context, showing clear improvements for what concerns benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene concentrations in air for the 2001–2008 timeframe.     

Identification of herbaceous hosts of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Grapevine Pinot gris virus</Emphasis> (GPGV)

Grapevine Pinot gris Virus (GPGV) is a single stranded RNA of the genus Trichovirus infecting grapevine (Vitis vinifera) and associated with stunting, chlorotic mottling and leaf deformation symptoms. During a monitoring of GPGV infection in vineyards of the Trentino region in Italy, we have detected the virus in the herbaceous plants Silene latifolia subsp. Alba (Mill.) (bladder campion) and Chenopodium album L. (white goosefoot), which showed symptoms of viral infection. The full-length GPGV RNA genome, amplified from these infected hosts, was sequenced and a phylogenetic analysis revealed that its closest relative is the strain SK13, recently isolated in Slovakia. Our results indicate that herbaceous plants can be considered as a reservoir for the GPGV virus. This finding is important for studying the epidemiological aspects of GPGV disease and to formulate appropriate control measures.     

Determination of 4-ethylphenol and 4-ethylguaiacol in wines by LC-MS-MS and HPLC-DAD-fluorescence

Volatile phenols produced by Brettanomyces dekkera have been associate with off-flavors of wines. A versatile liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry together with an HPLC-DAD-fluorescence methods were developed for the quantitation of two phenols, 4-ethylphenol (4EP) and 4-ethylguaiacol (4EG), in red and white wines. For LC-MS-MS analysis, fortified wines were directly injected after a dilution with methanol, and levels of phenols were measured by monitoring the multiple reaction (MRM) transitions of precursor ions mass charge (m/z) 121 --> 106 for 4EP and (m/z) 151 --> 136 for 4EG. Qualitative and quantitative confirmation data were acquired simultaneously by monitoring alternative MRM transitions following an external standard method. Calibration was linear over a working range of 10 and 5000 microg/L. Limit of determination (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 10 and 50 microg/L for both 4EG and 4EP. HPLC analysis phenols were separated with a gradient system of acetonitrile-water and detected using a diode array detector (DAD) at 280 nm, and for the fluorescence analysis, excitation and emission wavelengths of 260 and 305 nm were used. Quantitative analysis of 4EP and 4EG was performed by the standard addition method to avoid matrix interferences. Calibration was linear over a concentration range from 10 to 5000 microg/L for HPLC-DAD, from 1 to 10,000 microg/L for 4EP, and from 10 to 10,000 for 4EG for fluorescence analysis. LOD and LOQ for the DAD analysis were 10 and 50 microg/L for both 4EG and 4EP. For fluorescence analysis, LOD and LOQ were 1 and 5 microg/L for 4EP and 10 and 50, respectively, for 4EG. The proposed methods can be easily used for the qualitative and quantitative determination of 4EP and 4EG in wines affected by microbial contamination with yeasts of the Brettanomyces genus.     

Adapting agricultural land management to climate change: a regional multi-objective optimization approach

In several regions of the world, climate change is expected to have severe impacts on agricultural systems. Changes in land management are one way to adapt to future climatic conditions, including land-use changes and local adjustments of agricultural practices. In previous studies, options for adaptation have mostly been explored by testing alternative scenarios. Systematic explorations of land management possibilities using optimization approaches were so far mainly restricted to studies of land and resource management under constant climatic conditions. In this study, we bridge this gap and exploit the benefits of multi-objective regional optimization for identifying optimum land management adaptations to climate change. We design a multi-objective optimization routine that integrates a generic crop model and considers two climate scenarios for 2050 in a meso-scale catchment on the Swiss Central Plateau with already limited water resources. The results indicate that adaptation will be necessary in the study area to cope with a decrease in productivity by 0–10 %, an increase in soil loss by 25–35 %, and an increase in N-leaching by 30–45 %. Adaptation options identified here exhibit conflicts between productivity and environmental goals, but compromises are possible. Necessary management changes include (i) adjustments of crop shares, i.e. increasing the proportion of early harvested winter cereals at the expense of irrigated spring crops, (ii) widespread use of reduced tillage, (iii) allocation of irrigated areas to soils with low water-retention capacity at lower elevations, and (iv) conversion of some pre-alpine grasslands to croplands.     

Determination of Biological Stability by Oxygen Uptake on Municipal Solid Waste and Derived Products

A new scientific apparatus and method are proposed for determining biological stability by oxygen uptake (respiration index, RI), on municipal solid waste (MSW) and derived products. For measuring the RI, a dynamic approach (with continuous aeration) was demonstrated to be more effective than the static approach (without aeration). The validity of the method was tested by comparing carbon losses calculated using both respirometric (carbon losses_resp) and analytical data (carbon losses_anal) during four trials performed on MSW and products derived from it. Carbon losses (expressed as g kg^?1C_i, in which C_i represents initial carbon content) were: 219.0 and 248.0, 67.9 and 57.1, 39.6 and 36.4, and 250.7 and 280.3, using respirometric and analytical data alternately for Trials 1,2,3, and 4. The comparison between respirometric data using continuous or no aeration showed, for the latter, an underestimation of RI of between 70% and 90% that was more evident for unstable biomass leading to more similar values when stabilization occurred. The scientific apparatus proposed made it possible to measure oxygen uptake under autothermal conditions and avoid problems connected with the use of a preset temperature, biomass temperature being a consequence of the microbial activity, as is also suggested by the significant linear regression of T versus RI (R² = 0.84, 0.73, 0.82, and 0.90 for the four trials, respectively). The methods proposed could be used with advantage in the future for biological stability measurements, above all for heterogeneous material such as MSW and its products, thus obtaining respirometric data that better reflect what happens during an aerobic process.