Molecular characteristics of phytoplasmas associated with Flavescence dorée in clematis and grapevine and preliminary results on the role of Dictyophara europaea as a vector

A survey was conducted over several years in Italy and the Balkans in order to gain an understanding of the relationship between the Flavescence dorée (FD) phytoplasma isolates found in clematis and grapevine. A total of 399 clematis and 107 grapevine samples were analyzed. The results showed that 36% of the Clematis vitalba plant samples were infected by phytoplasmas which, in grapevine, are associated with FD, a quarantine disease in Europe. Infected clematis plants were also found in areas where FD phytoplasma had never previously been reported to infect grapevine, such as Macedonia, Croatia and some areas of Italy and Serbia. Molecular data from three phytoplasma genomic fragments showed the presence of different FD phytoplasma isolates, all belonging to the 16SrV-C subgroup, including the Italian FD-C isolate, the isolate found in Serbia, an isolate similar to the French FD2000 and a new isolate typical of central Italy. A few clematis plants were infected with single nucleotide polymorphism, insertion or deletion mutants of the FD-C isolate. Of all the potential Hemipteran vector species surveyed in Italy and Serbia, only 18 of 527 Dictyophara europaea individuals tested proved to be infected with the FD phytoplasma. Preliminary transmission experiments showed that this species is able to transmit the FD phytoplasma from clematis to grapevine. The presence of FD-infected clematis and of D. europaea could, therefore, constitute a risk for FD epidemics in the European viticultural regions.     

Palyosulfonoceramides A and B: Unique Sulfonylated Ceramides from the Brazilian Zoanthids Palythoa caribaeorum and Protopalyhtoa variabilis

The zoanthids Palythoa caribaeorum and Protopalythoa variabilis are among the most abundant marine species along the Brazilian coast. We now report the isolation and structure elucidation of two unprecedented sulfonylated ceramides, palyosulfonoceramide A (1) and palyosulfonoceramide B (2) from specimens collected off Brazil’s northeastern coast. The structures of 1 and 2 were established using a combination of NMR analyses, including: evaluation of ¹H, ¹³C, ¹H–¹H COSY, ¹H–¹³C HSQC, ¹H–¹³C HMBC, and ¹H–¹⁵N HMBC NMR spectra, high-resolution mass spectrometry and chemical degradation. In addition, we also isolated the corresponding known ceramides, N-((2S,3R,4E,8E)-1,3-dihydroxyoctadeca-4,8-dien-2-yl)-hexadecanamide (3) and N-((2S,3R,4E)-1,3-dihydroxyoctadeca-4-en-2-yl)-hexadecanamide (4), which provided further support for the assignments of 1 and 2.     

Resource use efficiency,ecological intensification and sustainability of intercropping systems

The rapidly growing demand for food, feed and fuel requires further improvements of land and water management, crop productivity and resource-use efficiencies.Combined field experimentation and crop growth modelling during the past five decades made a great leap forward in the understanding of factors that determine actual and potential yields of monocrops.The research field of production ecology developed concepts to integrate biological and biophysical processes with the aim to explore crop growth potential in contrasting environments.To understand the potential of more complex systems(multi-cropping and intercropping) we need an agro-ecosystem approach that integrates knowledge derived from various disciplines: agronomy, crop physiology, crop ecology, and environmental sciences(soil, water and climate).Adaptation of cropping systems to climate change and a better tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses by genetic improvement and by managing diverse cropping systems in a sustainable way will be of key importance in food security.To accelerate sustainable intensification of agricultural production, it is required to develop intercropping systems that are highly productive and stable under conditions with abiotic constraints(water, nutrients and weather).Strategies to achieve sustainable intensification include developing tools to evaluate crop growth potential under more extreme climatic conditions and introducing new crops and cropping systems that are more productive and robust under conditions with abiotic stress.This paper presents some examples of sustainable intensification management of intercropping systems that proved to be tolerant to extreme climate conditions.     

Tissue engineering: new treatment of cartilage alterations in degenerative joint diseases in horses--preliminary results of a long term study

Degenerative alterations in fetlock joints of the forelimb are common diagnoses for horses. The hyaline cartilage has a low capacity to regenerate and the treatment by veterinarians is often insufficient. As a final result, horses with articular cartilage defects are often not able to take part in competitions anymore. To establish an autologous cartilage repair method, we set artificial lesions (8 mm in diameter) into the fetlock joints of the forelimb of three horses. These defects were closed with autologous chondrocyte implants, which were fixed with titan-suture-anchors. After 3, 12 and 24 months, biopsies were taken by arthroscopy. One horse was euthanized after 9, another one after 24 months. The repair tissue was examined histologically and by biochemical analysis of hydroxyproline and glycosaminoglycan, which are typical cartilage related substances. After 9 months, the integration of the implant into native cartilage was demonstrated by electron microscopy. After 24 months, histological staining showed a similar morphology of the cartilage repair tissue compared with the surrounding native cartilage. Biochemical analysis of typical cartilage matrix molecules revealed formation of hyaline-like cartilage within tissue engineered autologous chondrocyte transplants.     

Management options to reduce boat disturbance on foraging black guillemots (Cepphus grylle) in the Bay of Fundy

Boat disturbance of foraging black guillemots (Cepphus grylle) was studied at a breeding colony in the Bay of Fundy, Canada. Using observations from a cliff top, flushing behaviour was examined in relation to boat characteristics, guillemot behaviour, and environment conditions. The distance guillemots foraged from shore and the size, speed, and approach distance of boats were important factors predicting flushing probability. Guillemots foraged further from shore at low tide presumably making them more vulnerable to disturbance then. Using these results to identify the conditions that would minimize disturbance, management recommendations on boat speed and set-back distance were developed. At this site, a set-back distance of 600 m from shore with a speed limit of 25 km/h would reduce guillemot flushing probability to 10% most of the time. Although specific management options are proposed for this particular colony, the analytical approach used to identify an appropriate set back distance and some of the specific results are relevant to other locations and colonial waterbird species.     

Hematologic and physiologic reference ranges for free-ranging adult and young common loons (Gavia immer).

Wild common loons (Gavia immer) were captured across much of their southern North American range. Hematologic and physiologic data were collected to establish reference ranges for adults and chicks from four geographic areas: New England, Canadian Maritimes, south-central Quebec, and the Upper Great Lakes. Mean body mass and blood-glucose levels of adult loons varied among geographic regions. Chicks had lower PCV and total solids than adult loons, and also had faster heart rates and higher blood glucose levels. Although mean body mass in males was consistently greater than in females, hematologic and physiologic reference ranges between sexes were not significantly different. Geographic and age-related differences exist in common loon hematologic and physiologic reference ranges and should be considered when assessing such parameters.     

Trends in surface water acidification at ecological monitoring sites in southeastern Canada (1981–1993)

Atmospheric deposition and surface water chemistry have been monitored intensively at 5 geologically “sensitive” sites in southeastern Canada. The sites receive differing acid inputs that span the entire range found in Canada. Surface water data collected at 9 stations from 1981 to 1993 for SO ₄ ^2? , NO ₃ ^? , Alkalinity, DOC, pH, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ have been analyzed to detect monotonic trends. Similarities between the temporal patterns and trends for SO ₄ ^2? in deposition and surface water suggest that they are strongly linked at our sites. Our 13-year datasets showed significant negative SO ₄ ^2? trends at the 3 Ontario sites and a positive trend in Nova Scotia. A climatically-induced SO ₄ ^2? increase in northwestern Ontario has been reversed. Mobilization and export of adsorbed SO ₄ ^2? and/or reoxidized S from the basins of central Ontario sites is delaying their recovery. Two of our 9 stations (in Quebec and central Ontario) are continuing to acidify. The 2 Nova Scotia stations have the highest DOC levels and both exhibit a decreasing trend. Ionic compensation for declining SO ₄ ^2? varies from station to station, sometimes involving an Alk increase, sometimes a base cation decrease, and sometimes more complex combinations. Additional factors (e.g. climatic variation) also influence variable trends, and data records longer than those presently available will be needed to unequivocally verify acidification recovery.     

Step-wise analysis of precipitation and river chemistry trends in Atlantic Canada

Monotonic trends in hydrogen (H⁺), sulfate (SO₄ ^–2)and nitrate (NO₃ ^–) were calculated using non-parametric techniques at four Canadian Air and Precipitation Monitoring Network (CAPMoN) sites and six nearby river systems in Atlantic Canada for the period 1983–1991. Over the whole interval, there were increasing nitrate concentrations and deposition trends at three of the four monitoring sites and no trends in SO₄ ^–2 or H⁺ concentrations and deposition. We found that SO₄ ^–2 concentrations increased at three of our six river sites, NO₃ ^– increased at one site and H⁺ decreased at one site. River exports showed no trends in the entire study interval. The series were also analyzed in five year time windows, incremented by six months, to see if changes in trend presence or direction would occur, compared to trend analysis over the entire interval. We show that while trends in river chemistry do not contradict deposition patterns, the changes that occurred were not necessarily in step. We also found that the trends which we measured were the result of short-term changes as opposed to long-term continuous monotonic trends. The time lag between precipitation and chemistry trend changes seemed longer in basins dominated by softwoods than by hardwoods.     

Common loons (Gavia immer) nesting on low ph lakes in northern Wisconsin have elevated blood mercury content

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources conducted a pilot study during the summer of 1991 to determine the extent of mercury (Hg) exposure in common loons (Gavia immer) breeding in Wisconsin. Loons are at risk to elevated Hg exposure in Wisconsin because they often nest on acidified, low alkalinity lakes. Fish from these lakes bioaccumulate MeHg to a greater extent than biota from neutral pH lakes. Using nightlighting techniques, 35 adult loons were captured on 20 northern Wisconsin lakes (pH=5.0–8.7) in 1991. Blood and feather samples were collected for Hg analysis. The mean Hg content of blood cells collected from adult loons on low pH lakes (pH≤6.3) was significantly greater than the Hg content of adult loons collected on neutral/alkaline pH lakes (pH>-7.0) (F=19.87, P<0.001). There was a highly significant negative linear relationship between adult loon blood cell Hg concentrations and lake pH (r²=0.38, F=15.27, P>0.001); indicating loons nesting on low pH lakes receive greater Hg exposure than loons nesting on neutral pH lakes. The relationship was greater amongst adult males (r²=0.56) than amongst adult females (r²=0.36). Because of this documented exposure, an additional 330 loons were captured 1992-94 on 73 lakes in northern Wisconsin. The Hg exposure of adult and juvenile common loons is being quantified. Individual loons were fitted with unique color-coded leg bands, and the 1992–96 reproductive performance, apnual return rates, and nesting behavior of adult loons with the known Hg exposure is currently being assessed.