ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC REFERENCE VALUES IN WHIPPETS

The aim of the study was to establish reference echocardiographic values for whippets, to compare these values with previously published reference values for the general dog population, and to determine whether there is an influence of gender and breeding lines on echocardiographic measurements. Echocardiographic parameters from 105 apparently healthy whippets without cardiac symptoms were used to establish reference values for the breed and to compare these values with two previously reported reference ranges. The coefficients of the allometric equation Y= aM(b), useful to reconstruct normal M-mode and two-dimensional average values for whippets of varying weights, were calculated, as well as the lower and upper limits of the 95% prediction interval. First, we found that whippets have a significantly larger left ventricular diameter, increased left ventricular wall, and interventricular septum thickness than expected, in diastole as well as in systole. Fractional shortening was significantly lower than the reference value. Second, comparing males and females, taking body weight differences into account, females had a significantly larger left ventricular diameter in diastole and systole. Minor differences were found between racing and show pedigree dogs. In conclusion, the results of this study confirm that breed-specific reference values are needed in echocardiography. In whippets, the values found in this study can be used as references in order to avoid overinterpretation of cardiac dilation, hypertrophy, and/or decreased contractility in these dogs.     

施肥对青海省山地草原类草场地上生物量的影响

在青海省山地草原类草场进行了施肥试验,以确定不同施肥时期、不同施肥量组合对天然草地牧草鲜重的影响。结果表明,施肥可大幅度提高牧草产量,且因施肥量及施肥时期的不同,牧草产量差异大。施肥时间和施肥量间存在着交互作用,两者共同作用于牧草产量。施肥时间选择在6月25日,较其后的3个时期牧草鲜重分别增产20.71%、25.44%、27.28%;随着施肥时间的推后,牧草鲜重呈现持续下降趋势;3个不同施肥量处理的牧草鲜重分别比不施肥增产80.97%、86.26%和79.78%,施肥量在0~600 kg/hm2区间内,牧草鲜重变化呈抛物线型。通过综合比较分析,青藏高原山地草原类草场施氮肥时应选择在6月中下旬,施肥量应控制在420~600 kg/hm2之间。     

抗重金属植物根际细菌的植物促生长特征以及它们对黑芥种子萌发的影响

Phytoremediation is an emerging technology that uses plants and their associated microbes to clean up pollutants from the soil, water, and air. In order to select the plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria(PGPR) for phytoremediation of heavy metal contamination, 60 bacterial strains were isolated from the rhizosphere of two endemic plants, Prosopis laevigata and Spharealcea angustifolia, in a heavy metal-contaminated zone in Mexico. These rhizobacterial strains were characterized for the growth at different pH and salinity, extracellular enzyme production, solubilization of phosphate, heavy metal resistance, and plant growth-promoting(PGP) traits, including production of siderophores and indol-3-acetic acid(IAA). Overall, the obtained rhizobacteria presented multiple PGP traits. These rhizobacteria were also resistant to high levels of heavy metals(including As as a metalloid)(up to 480 mmol L(-1)As(V), 24 mmol L(-1)Pb(Ⅱ), 21 mmol L(-1)Cu(Ⅱ), and 4.5 mmol L(-1)Zn(Ⅱ)). Seven rhizobacterial strains with the best PGP traits were identified as members of Alcaligenes, Bacillus, Curtobacterium, and Microbacterium, and were selected for further bioassay.The inoculation of Brassica nigra seeds with Microbacterium sp. CE3R2, Microbacterium sp. NE1R5, Curtobacterium sp. NM1R1,and Microbacterium sp. NM3E9 facilitated the root development; they significantly improved the B. nigra seed germination and root growth in the presence of heavy metals such as 2.2 mmol L(-1)Zn(Ⅱ). The rhizobacterial strains isolated in the present study had the potential to be used as efficient bioinoculants in phytorremediation of soils contaminated with multiple heavy metals.     

多年生人工草地矮生嵩草(Kobresia humilis)种群空间格局与种内关联性

植物种群空间分布格局不仅反映植物的空间分布特点,还有助于研究者了解植物利用资源的现状和生存能力。本研究以矮生嵩草(Kobresia humilis)为研究对象,按株丛斑块面积将矮生嵩草分为小斑块级株丛(0～30 cm²)、中斑块级株丛(30～80 cm²)和大斑块级株丛(>80 cm²)3个株丛级,采用点格局分析的g函数统计方法,分析了矮生嵩草各级株丛的空间格局及关联性。结果表明：矮生嵩草种群中小斑块级株丛占比高于中斑块、大斑块级株丛占比,种群中幼苗充足,正处于稳定的增长阶段;矮生嵩草小斑块、中斑块、大斑块级株丛在小尺度范围内表现为聚集分布,随着尺度的增大,所有株丛斑块的聚集程度减弱,逐渐趋向于随机分布;小斑块与中斑块、大斑块的矮生嵩草株丛在小尺度内表现为正关联。斑块聚集分布和相互共存是矮生嵩草的一种生存策略。     

室内三种富营养模拟条件下水流调控对羊栖菜和石莼生长及生物质合成的影响

大型海藻养殖是一种低成本、高效、环保的水体富营养化生物修复方法,而水流则是影响大型海藻生长的一个重要因素。研究结果表明,水流交换率为200 vol·d^-1时,羊栖菜(Sargassum fusiforme)比生长率最高达(4.34±0.11) %·d^-1,而水流交换率为100 vol·d^-1、中高浓度营养盐条件下石莼(Ulva pertusa)比生长率最大值分别可达(6.31±1.42) %·d^-1、(8.00±0.79) %·d^-1,营养盐浓度决定了两种大型海藻的生长率,石莼更适宜在高营养盐环境中生长。石莼体内叶绿素a、可溶性蛋白和可溶性碳水化合物在不同应用情境间均存在明显差异,而羊栖菜体内仅可溶性蛋白表现出明显变化。水流交换的增强明显改变了石莼的生长和羊栖菜可溶性碳水化合物含量。陆基中试实验表明,与低水流速度相比,中、高流速条件下羊栖菜的比生长率分别增加80%、14%,石莼则分别增加41.3%、33.3%。     

CHEMICAL WEED CONTROL IN BROADCAST-SEEDED FLOODED TROPICAL RICE

Summary. Several new herbicides were tested for control of weeds in broadcast-seeded flooded tropical rice. Among the new herbicides, S-(2-methyl-l-piperidylcarbonyl-methyl)- O,O -di- n -propyl dithiophosphate (C-19490), S-(2-methyl-l-piperidylcarbonyl-methyl)- O,O -di- n -propyl dithiophosphate combined with 2-(1',2'-dimethylpropylamino)-4-ethylamino-6-methylmercapto- s -triazine [C-19490/C-18898 (C-288)], and N -secondary-butyl-4-tertiary-butyl-2,6-dinitroaniline (A-820) were highly selective in controlling Echinochloa crus-galli (barnyard grass) and other annual weeds under tropical conditions. S-(4-chlorobenzyl)- N,N -diethylthiol carbamate (benthiocarb) and N -(butoxymethyl)-2-chloro-2',6'-diethylacetanilide (butachlor) continued to look promising in our experiments. Only butachlor is widely used in Asia.
Désherbage chimique des cultures tropicales de riz inorndé, seméà la volée     

Biological diversity of citrus tristeza virus (CTV) isolates in Spain

A survey of citrus tristeza virus (CTV) isolates was carried out in most citrus-growing areas in Spain. Twenty-two isolates were selected by geographical origin, cultivar of source tree, and symptoms observed on the host or in preliminary tests, and were biologically characterized.
A wide range of variation in transmissibility by aphids and symptom intensity on nine different indicator species or scion-rootstock combinations was observed among CTV isolates. Mexican lime. Citrus macrophylla , and to a lesser extent citron were the most useful hosts for characterizing these isolates, and leaf symptoms and stem pitting were the most discriminating traits. Positive correlation was observed between symptoms induced on Mexican lime and C. macrophylla , but not between the symptoms induced on these indicators under greenhouse conditions and the homologous symptoms on plants grown in the screenhouse. Some of the traits studied enabled us to establish relatively well-defined groups of isolates, but in most cases a continuous range of variation was obtained and no clear group could be defined.     

Windborne spread of ergot disease (Claviceps africana) in sorghum A-lines in Zimbabwe

Ergot disease spread rapidly in Zimbabwe amongst replicated plots of male-sterile sorghum A-lines, from a group of centrally situated and precociously inoculated plants. Prominent secondary conidiation by the pathogen, Claviceps africana , on the surface of exuded honeydew provided airborne spores which were trapped in a Burkard continuous spore trap and showed diurnal peaks of concentration in air close to the primary source of inoculum. The rate of disease spread ( r =0·2; range 0·14–0·58) closely matched that recorded for other plant pathogens such as Phytophthora infestans and Puccinia graminis tritici , and it is concluded that the characteristic secondary conidia of C. africana were the principal epidemiological agents within the experimental area. Ergot spread by windborne secondary conidia has significant epidemiological and economic implications for sorghum hybrid breeding in southern Africa.