Diurnal variation of walnut tree volatiles and electrophysiological responses in Cydia pomonella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

BACKGROUND: In recent years, many studies have been carried out on the behavioural and electrophysiological responses of Cydia pomonella (L.) to host volatile emissions, to find alternative attractants to the sex pheromone for pest monitoring. These studies have focused on apple and pear, and very little has been done on walnut. In the present work, the diurnal and seasonal variation in walnut volatile emissions and the electrophysiological response of C. pomonella have been studied. RESULTS: Ninety compounds were detected in walnut emissions, mainly monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. The most abundant compound was β‐pinene, which, together with (Z)‐3‐hexenyl acetate, (E)‐β‐ocimene, limonene, germacrene D, 1,8‐cineole, sabinene, (E)‐β‐farnesene, (E)‐β‐caryophyllene, β‐myrcene and β‐phellandrene, constituted between 81.9 and 90.5% of the total chromatographic area. Differences between seasonal periods were significant for 39 compounds, and between daytimes for 14 compounds. Discernible and consistent EAD responses were detected to 11 walnut‐origin compounds, and confirmed with synthetics to seven of them. Except for alloocimene, pinocarvone and caryophyllene oxide, all these compounds are also emitted by apple. CONCLUSION: Walnut volatile emissions differ widely from apple ones, but both share many compounds that are EAD‐active in C. pomonella. However, among EAD‐active compounds there are three walnut‐specific ones, which should be further tested in behavioural assays. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Psoas compartment and sacral plexus block via electrostimulation for pelvic limb amputation in dogs

Objective

To assess the efficacy of psoas compartment and sacral plexus block for pelvic limb amputation in dogs.

Chronic cork oak decline and water status: new insights

Chronic decline and Sudden death are two syndromes of cork oak (Quercus suber) dieback. Mortality is associated with water stress, but underlying physiological mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we investigated the physiological performance of declining trees during the summer drought. Leaf water potential, gas-exchange, fluorescence of photosystem II and leaf and root starch concentration were compared in healthy (asymptomatic) and declining trees. Low annual cork increment in declining trees indicated tree decline for several years. All trees showed similar water status in spring. In summer, declining trees showed lower predawn leaf water potential (?2.0 vs. ?0.8 MPa), but unexpectedly higher midday leaf water potential than healthy trees (?2.8 vs. ?3.3 MPa). The higher midday water potential was linked to by means of strongly reduced stomatal conductance and, consequently, transpiration. This study is pioneer showing that declining trees had high midday water potential. A tendency for lower sap flow driving force (the difference between predawn and midday water potential) in declining trees was also associated with reduced photosynthesis, suggesting that chronic dieback may be associated with low carbon uptake. However, starch in roots and leaves was very low and not correlated to the health status of trees. Declining trees showed lower water-use efficiency and non-photochemical quenching in summer, indicating less resistance to drought. Contrarily to chronic decline, one tree that underwent sudden death presented predawn leaf water potential below the cavitation threshold.     

Erratum to: Antimicrobial resistance and virulence profile of enterococci isolated from poultry and cattle sources in Nigeria

Tropical Animal Health and Production -     

Involvement of the β-cinnamomin elicitin in infection and colonisation of cork oak roots by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phytophthora cinnamomi</Emphasis>

The virulence of two wild type (PA45 and PA37) and two genetically modified (13C: hygromycin resistant; FATSS: hygromycin resistant and β-cin knock-down) Phytophthora cinnamomi strains towards cork oak (Quercus suber) was assessed via a quantitative evaluation of disease symptoms arising from a soil infestation assay, and by a histological analysis of root colonization. Comparison of virulence, as expressed by symptom severity, resulted in the following ranking: highly virulent (wild type strains), medium virulence (strain 13C) and weakly virulent (FATSS). Both transgenic strains were compromised in their virulence, as expressed by symptom severity, but strain 13C was much less affected than FATSS. Microscopic observation showed that the FATSS strain was unable to effectively invade the root, while 13C and the two wild type strains were all able to rapidly colonize the whole root, including the vascular tissue. These results strengthen the notion that elicitins are associated, either directly or indirectly, with the infection process of Phytophthora.     

Incidence and etiology of postharvest fungal diseases of loquat fruit (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Eriobotrya japonica</Emphasis> (Thunb.) Lindl. cv. ‘Algerie’) in Alacant province (Spain)

‘Algerie’ is currently the most important loquat cultivar in Spain. The incidence and etiology of postharvest diseases affecting this cultivar were determined under local conditions. Latent and wound pathogens were evaluated for two consecutive seasons on commercially grown loquats from two orchards. Healthy loquats were either surface-disinfected or artificially wounded in the rind and placed in humid chambers at 20 °C for up to 5 weeks. Additionally, decay was assessed on commercially-handled loquats stored at 5 °C for up to 20 weeks. The most frequent disease was caused by Alternaria alternata, followed by Penicillium expansum. These two pathogens were present on fruit assessed for all types of infection. Moreover, decay caused by Botrytis cinerea was abundantly observed on both wounded and cold-stored fruit, while Colletotrichum gloeosporioides was frequently found on surface-disinfected fruit. Other pathogens that were observed causing latent infection to a lesser extent included Pestalotiopsis clavispora and Diplodia seriata. Common isolates were identified by macroscopic and microscopic morphology and/or DNA amplification and sequencing. Pathogenicity of selected isolates was demonstrated by fulfilling Koch’s postulates and disease development was assessed on artificially inoculated loquats stored at either 20 or 5 °C.     

Low seed/nut productivity in cashew (Anacardium occidentale): Effects of self-incompatibility and honey bee (Apis mellifera) foraging behaviour

Summary

The roles of self- versus cross-pollination and honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) foraging behaviour in low nut yield of cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) were studied in NE Brazil in 1997 and 1998. It was shown that both self- and cross-pollination can set fruits in cashew, but most of fruits originating from self-pollination are shed 9–15 d after pollination, and fruits harvested are primarily from cross-pollination. Honey bees display foraging behaviour in cashew orchards conducive to cross-pollination, but in plantations originating from clonal material they failed to increase fruit yield despite cashew's dependence on insect pollination. It is concluded that cashew has a mechanism of selective abortion through which it discards self-pollinated fruits and that honey bees can contribute to increased fruit yield only when cashew trees of genetically diverse origin are found in the same orchard.     

Characterization of exopolysaccharides produced by Bifidobacterium longum NB667 and its cholate-resistant derivative strain IPLA B667dCo

Bifidobacteria are natural members of the human intestinal microbiota and some strains are being used as probiotics. Adaptation to bile can allow them to increase survival in gastrointestinal conditions, thus improving their viability. Bifidobacterium longum NB667 and the cholate-resistant strain B. longum IPLA B667dCo produced exopolysaccharides (EPS) that were partially characterized. Analysis by size exclusion chromatography-multiangle laser light scattering indicated that the EPS crude fractions of both strains contained two polymer peaks of different molar mass. On the basis of chromatographic techniques both peaks appeared to be heteropolysaccharides. The smaller peak was mainly composed of glucose, galactose and rhamnose whose molar ratios and linkage types showed slight variations between the EPS fractions of both strains. The bigger peak consisted of glucose and galactose; the monosaccharide composition was identical in the EPS fractions of the two microorganisms, but their infrared spectra presented some differences regarding compounds other than carbohydrates that seem to be associated to the polymer. Differences in the composition of EPS fractions did not affect the capability of crude EPS from B. longum to be fermented by the human intestinal microbiota in fecal batch cultures.     

Isolation, structure characterization, and immunomodulating activity of a hyperbranched polysaccharide from the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma sinense

A polysaccharide (GSP-6B) with a molecular mass of 1.86 × 10? Da was isolated from the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma sinense . Chemical composition analysis, methylation analysis, infrared spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were conducted to elucidate its structure. GSP-6B contains a backbone of (1→6)-linked-β-D-glucopyranosyl residues, bearing branches at the O-3 position of every two sugar residues along the backbone. The side chains contain (1→4)-linked-β-D-glucopyranosyl residues, (1→3)-linked-β-D-glucopyranosyl residues, and nonreducing end β-D-glucopyranosyl residues. An in vitro immunomodulating activity assay revealed that GSP-6B could significantly induce the release of IL-1β and TNF-α in human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) and showed no toxicity to either PBMC or a human macrophage cell line THP-1. GSP-6B could also activate dendritic cells (DC) by stimulating the secretion of IL-12 and IL-10 from DC.     

New Bruce-ladder multiplex PCR assay for the biovar typing of Brucella suis and the discrimination of Brucella suis and Brucella canis

Rapid and specific identification of Brucella suis at the biovar level is necessary because some of the biovars that infect animals are pathogenic for humans. None of the molecular typing methods described so far are able to discriminate B. suis biovars in a single test and differentiation of B. suis from Brucella canis by molecular approaches can be difficult. This article describes a new multiplex PCR assay, Suis-ladder, for fast and accurate identification of B. suis at the biovar level and the differentiation of B. suis, B. canis and Brucella microti. An advancement of the original Bruce-ladder PCR protocol which allows the correct discrimination of all known Brucella species is also described.