Detection of squash mosaic virus in seeds of melon (Cucumis melo) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

Squash mosaic virus (SqMV, comovirus) is seed-transmitted in severalCucurbitaceae. Therefore, the use of virus-free seed is important to prevent establishment of this virus in the Netherlands and to avoid spread to other countries.This study was undertaken to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of SqMV in melon seeds. An antiserum was produced to a serotype 1 isolate from melon. Two ELISA variants were investigated viz. an ELISA variant with simultaneous incubation of sample and enzyme conjugate (ELISA 1) and an ELISA variant with successive incubation of sample and enzyme conjugate (ELISA 2). The sensitivity of ELISA was tested by mixing fluor of ground infected and non-infected seeds in different proportions. SqMV was detected by both ELISA variants at dilutions of 1 160 (1 part of infected flour mixed with 159 parts of non-infected flour) or higher after a substrate incubation period of 4 h. However, ELISA 1 gave relatively higher absorbance values than ELISA 2 for nearly all dilutions. Since ELISA 1 is also faster than ELISA 2, ELISA 1 is advised for routine testing. In these test, using subsamples of 100 melon seeds SqMV is detected reliably. ELISA 1 is now used in the Netherlands for routine-indexing of melon seed lots for SqMV.Samenvatting Het pompoenemozaïekvirus gaat over met het zaad van verscheideneCucurbitaceae. Het gebruik van virusvrij zaad is belangrijk om te voorkomen dat het virus zijn intrede doet in Nederland en zich naar andere landen verspreidt.Een antiserum werd geproduceerd tegen een serotype 1 isolaat van meloen. Met behulp van dit antiserum werd een ELISA ontwikkeld om pompoenemozaïekvirus in zaden van meloen aan te tonen. Twee varianten van ELISA werden vergeleken, namelijk een variant waarbij monster en enzymconjugaat gelijktijdig geïncubeerd werden (ELISA 1) en een variant waarbij monster en enzymconjugaat na elkaar geïncubeerd werden (ELISA 2). De gevoeligheid van de ELISA varianten werd uitgetoetst door meel van zieke zaden in verschillende verhoudingen te mengen met meel van gezonde zaden. Het pompoenemozaïekvirus werd met beide ELISA varianten aangetoond in verdunningen van 1 160 (1 deel meel van zieke zaden gemengd met 159 delen meel van gezonde zaden) of hoger na 4 uur incubatie met substraat. ELISA 1 gaf doorgaans hogere extinctiewaarden dan ELISA 2 voor bijna alle verdunningen. Omdat ELISA 1 ook nog sneller is dan ELISA 2, wordt ELISA 1 aanbevolen voor routinematig gebruik. Wanneer voor routinematig gebruik 100 meloenezaden per submonster getoetst worden, kan het pompoenemozaïek virus betrouwbaar worden aangetoond. In Nederland worden momenteel per zaadpartij 20 submonsters van 100 zaden getoetst.     

Risk factors and indicators of reduced welfare of grazing dairy cows from selected smallholder dairy farms in Midlands Province,Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s smallholder dairying faces many challenges that affect the welfare of dairy cows; however, the status of this welfare has not yet been determined. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Midlands Province on 41 active smallholder dairy farms with 86 cows in winter and summer to determine the risk factors and indicators to impaired cow welfare. These objectives were achieved using farmer questionnaires and direct observations. Eleven percent of the observed cows were severely lame in summer while only 5% were severely lame in winter. Lameness was significantly associated with season, absence of shade, breed, and low dipping frequency; 58% of the cows had low body condition scores (BC?<?3) and this low BC was associated with low frequency of protein (p?=?0.002) and vitamin (p?=?0.012) supplementation recorded in more than 52% of the farms visited. In winter, only 11% of the observed cows were heavily soiled (score 3), while in summer 64% of the cows were heavily soiled and this was associated with slurry accumulation in more than 80% of the observed cattle pens as well as the study season (p?<?0.001). A quarter (26%) of the studied animals had visible teat lesions on the teat skin and this was associated with the type of lubricant used (p?=?0.011). Only 34% of the cows allowed an approaching stockman to touch them and this was associated with shouting (p?=?0.012) and whipping of cows (p?=?0.002). The study concluded that welfare of dairy cows was poor in most of the smallholder dairy farms studied.     

Thermal and spectrophotometric analysis of some fungal melanins and soil humic compounds

Seven types of fungal melanins were compared with humic compounds from chernozem and podzol soils and with commercial humic acid. The results indicate some similarities but also distinct differences between the melanins and humic substances in spectral characteristics in the UV and visible regions and in their resistance to thermal degradation.     

Zur pedochemie des berylliums — untersuchungen einer bodengesellschaft im gebiet des bärhaldegranits (südschwarzwald)

The profile distribution of Be is given for a toposequence of podzols, brown earths, stagnogley, forest bog and “Ockererde” (slope gley with infiltrated Al, Mn and Fe). Analysed were the parent rock, fine earth, four fractions of mineral soil (fine skeleton, sand, silt, clay) and the needles of spruce trees.Beryllium is involved in selective weathering processes of elements. Accordingly, the Be-content increases from the fine skeleton to sand, rock, silt and clay, progressively. Through pedogenetic enrichment, Be accumulates in the mica-rich silt fraction.Uptake of Be by spruce is very low even from these acid soils. The accumulation in the needles becomes greater with increasing age.The pedochemical behaviour of Be is very similar to that of Al.Be is incorporated very little in the organic matter cycle, and is therefore not enriched in the soil humus.The brown earth has lost Be, especially in the A_h-horizon.In the A_e-horizon of the podzol, loss of Be is even greater; the loss is partly offset by Be-enrichment in the B-horizon.In the profiles of depressions, the Be-content is high and is ascribed to lateral flow from the slopes. Be-enrichment is especially high in horizons with a pH of about 5.The Be-balance of the watershed indicates an export of about 10% of the original amount.     

Habitat utilization and vertical movements of white marlin (Tetrapturus albidus) released from commercial and recreational fishing gears in the western North Atlantic Ocean: inferences from short duration pop-up archival satellite tags

Researchers have applied numerous techniques to improve billfish stock assessments, including habitat‐based models that incorporate behavioral and oceanographic parameters to standardize historical catch‐per‐unit‐effort time‐series data. These methods have allowed researchers to account for significant changes in the depths of pelagic longline (PLL) gear deployments over time. This study presents habitat‐use data recovered from high‐resolution 5‐ and 10‐day pop‐up satellite archival tags (PSATs) attached to 47 surviving white marlin released from commercial and recreational fishing gears offshore of the U.S. East Coast, the northern Caribbean, and Venezuela between 2002 and 2004. Data recovered from transmitting tags indicated that white marlin spent nearly half of their time associated with warm, near‐surface waters (<10 m). All fish displayed frequent short duration (mean: 39.8 min) vertical excursions from surface waters to depths averaging 51 m. Qualitative and multivariate classifications of data from completely transmitted movements of surviving white marlin revealed two major types of descents: one pattern was characterized by deep ‘V’‐shaped excursions of relatively short duration (mean: 23.4 min) while the other featured descents that were more broadly ‘U’‐shaped and confined to a specific depth range for an extended period of time (mean: 75.8 min). Based on the frequency, persistence, and patterns of these vertical movements, white marlin appear to direct a considerable proportion of foraging effort well below surface waters, a behavior that may account for relatively high catch rates of white marlin on some deep‐set PLL deployments.     

The establishment of Taraxacum officinale plants in grassland

Factors involved in the establishment of Taraxacum officinale (dandelion) seedlings in grasslands and plant mortality in the first growing season were studied during 2008–2011. The study was conducted at 11 grassland sites that differed in the quantity of seed rain and the intensity of seedling predation by slugs. In April, of each study year, 10 plots open to the sedimentation of naturally dispersed seeds were established at each site, five plots of which were also sown with 250 T. officinale seeds each. The amount of natural seed rain, slug feeding activity and number of plants in each plot were then recorded at monthly intervals. Seed rain and seedling predation accounted for c. 50% of the variation in seedling establishment. Populations of established seedlings then declined through October, at which point they were at 25% of the original abundance on average. The percentage of plants that survived varied among sites and years. The temporal and spatial variation in T. officinale establishment and survival of young plants was enormous, even within a small area. Predation of seedlings by slugs can effectively prevent the establishment of T. officinale in grassland. This only occurred, however, at slug abundances not acceptable under conditions of public access.