Fusarium miscanthi and other Fusarium species as causal agents of Miscanthus × giganteus rhizome rot

In 2010, Miscanthus × giganteus rhizomes were collected from Belgian fields showing emergence reduction and were analyzed for detection and identification of fungal species. All rhizomes were infected by at least one Fusarium species, of which F. culmorum, F. miscanthi, F. crookwellense and F. graminearum were the most abundant. Results of the pathogenicity tests by soil inoculation demonstrate the ability of F. miscanthi, F. culmorum and F. avenaceum to cause rhizome rot disease under greenhouse conditions. This is the first report of F. miscanthi and other Fusarium species isolated from M. × giganteus rhizomes in Belgium.     

Digital mapping of soil carbon sequestration potential with enhanced vegetation cover over New South Wales,Australia

Digital soil maps of soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration potential resulting from a hypothetical 10% relative increase in long-term vegetation cover are presented at 100-m resolution across the state of New South Wales (NSW) in southeast Australia. This land management outcome is considered realistically achievable for many land managers, using strategies such as revegetation, grazing management or crop residue management. A mean state-wide potential increase of 5.4 Mg ha⁻¹ over the 0- to 30-cm depth interval was derived. Assuming a 20-year period of re-equilibration, this equates to an average SOC increase of 0.27 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. Sequestration potential is systematically influenced by a combination of climate, soil parent material and current vegetation cover, for example only 1.6 Mg ha⁻¹ SOC under dry conditions in sandy, infertile soil material with sparse vegetation cover, compared with 15.9 Mg ha⁻¹ under wet conditions in clay-rich, fertile soil material with moderate–high vegetation cover. The outputs could be used to identify locations of highest sequestration potential and thereby help prioritize areas and inform decisions on sequestration programmes. Future application of the method at field scale with high levels of accuracy, together with strategic sampling, may provide statistically reliable estimates of carbon sequestration, for application in carbon trading schemes such as Australia's Emissions Reduction Fund. The modelling involved a conceptually transparent ‘space-for-time substitution’ process. Multiple linear regression (MLR) and random forest (RF) modelling techniques were applied, but only MLR gave consistently meaningful results. The apparent failing of RF in this application warrants further examination.     

A Derived Climatology of Water Temperatures for the Mississippi Catfish Industry

A 36 year (1951–1986) record of water temperatures in Mississippi catfish ponds is synthesized from relationships with existing air temperature records. Multiple regression analysis is used to produce the following predictor equations for morning and afternoon pond temperatures: morning pond temperatures = 2.218 + 0.062(max air temp, day before) + 0.285(min air temp, same day) + 0.561 (afternoon pond temp, day before) (1) afternoon pond temperatures
= 2.071 - 0.068(min air temp, same day) + 0.651 (morning pond temp, same day) + 0.373(max air temp, same day) (2)
The derived pond temperature record is analyzed to produce annual average regimes; daily average, maximum, and minimum temperatures with standard deviations; and probabilities at 10 levels of Occurrence through the year and for each individual month. Applications for the aquaculture industry are presented and evaluated.     

ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN ULTRASOUND AND CLINICAL FINDINGS IN 87 CATS WITH URETHRAL OBSTRUCTION

Urethral obstruction is a life‐threatening form of feline lower urinary tract disease. Ultrasonographic risk factors for reobstruction have not been previously reported. Purposes of this retrospective cross‐sectional study were to describe urinary tract ultrasound findings in cats following acute urethral obstruction and determine whether ultrasound findings were associated with reobstruction. Inclusion criteria were a physical examination and history consistent with urethral obstruction, an abdominal ultrasound including a full evaluation of the urinary system within 24 h of hospitalization, and no cystocentesis prior to ultrasound examination. Medical records for included cats were reviewed and presence of azotemia, hyperkalemia, positive urine culture, and duration of hospitalization were recorded. For medically treated cats with available outcome data, presence of reobstruction was also recorded. Ultrasound images were reviewed and urinary tract characteristics were recorded. A total of 87 cats met inclusion criteria. Common ultrasound findings for the bladder included echogenic urine sediment, bladder wall thickening, pericystic effusion, hyperechoic pericystic fat, and increased urinary echoes; and for the kidneys/ureters included pyelectasia, renomegaly, perirenal effusion, hyperechoic perirenal fat, and ureteral dilation. Six‐month postdischarge outcomes were available for 61 medically treated cats and 21 of these cats had reobstruction. No findings were associated with an increased risk of reobstruction. Ultrasonographic perirenal effusion was associated with severe hyperkalemia (P = 0.009, relative risk 5.75, 95% confidence interval [1.54–21.51]). Findings supported the use of ultrasound as an adjunct for treatment planning in cats presented with urethral obstruction but not as a method for predicting risk of reobstruction.     

Incubation of ovine scrapie with environmental matrix results in biological and biochemical changes of PrPSc over time

Ovine scrapie can be transmitted via environmental reservoirs. A pool of ovine scrapie isolates were incubated on soil for one day or thirteen months and eluted prion was used to challenge tg338 mice transgenic for ovine PrP. After one-day incubation on soil, two PrP^Sc phenotypes were present: G₃₃₈ or Apl₃₃₈ii. Thirteen months later some divergent PrP^Sc phenotypes were seen: a mixture of Apl₃₃₈ii with either G₃₃₈ or P_338, and a completely novel PrP^Sc deposition, designated Cag₃₃₈. The data show that prolonged ageing of scrapie prions within an environmental matrix may result in changes in the dominant PrP^Sc biological/biochemical properties.     

The selective sequestration of glucosinolates by the cabbage aphid severely impacts a predatory lacewing

The cabbage aphid Brevicoryne brassicae is a notorious agricultural pest that specializes on plants of the Brassicaceae family, which are chemically defended by glucosinolates. By sequestering glucosinolates from its host plants and producing its own activating enzyme (myrosinase), this aphid employs a self-defense system against enemies paralleling that in plants. However, we know little about the metabolic fate of individual glucosinolates during aphid sequestration and activation and about the biochemical effects of this defense on aphid enemies. Here, we probed these questions focusing on B. brassicae and a predatory lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea. We found that distinct glucosinolates were accumulated by B. brassicae at different rates, with aliphatic glucosinolates being taken up more quickly than indolic ones. B. brassicae myrosinase enzymatic activities toward different glucosinolates were strongly correlated to their rates of accumulation in vivo. Surprisingly, after simulated predation, the production of toxic isothiocyanate products (ITCs) was quantitatively outweighed by less toxic products such as nitriles and ITC-conjugates. Nevertheless, the defensive cocktails significantly impaired C. carnea development. Tissue-specific quantification of glucosinolate metabolites revealed that the lacewings employ both conjugation and mobilization to reduce the toxicity of aliphatic ITCs, but these strategies were only partially effective. These results clarify the metabolic fates of glucosinolates after sequestration by an aphid herbivore and further in a higher trophic level, as well as the consequences for predator survival and development, and might be instructive for integrative pest management approaches targeting the cabbage aphid.