Plant protection problems caused by phytonematodes in Greece1

The major nematode pests of cultivated plants in Greece include root-knot nematodes Meloidogyne spp. (in almost all plants except citrus), cyst-forming nematodes Globodera rostochiensis, G. pallida (in potato), Heterodera avenae (in cereals), Ditylenchus dipsaci (in vegetables and ornamental plants) and Tylenchulus semipenetrans (in citrus). Based on observations made on samples examined at Benaki Phytopathological Institute, it was confirmed that serious infestation of new kiwi orchards with Meloidogyne spp. originated from seedlings infested at the nursery. Also the wide distribution of the nematode Tylenchulus semipenetrans in citrus orchards was mainly attributed to infested seedlings. The above observations led us, in 1985, to the decision to study the nematological fauna of nurseries in Greece.     

Das Rete mirabile der Arteria maxillaris des Löwen (Panthera leo, L. 1758)

Seventeen lion heads were examined. Their arteries were injected with colored supervinyl-chloride (dissolved in acetone) after which the heads were macerated biologically. The rete mirabile of the maxillary artery was located extracranially and was formed by numerous arteries that arose from the dorsal and medial surfaces of the maxillary artery. The rete released branches (rami retis) which entered the cranial cavity through the orbital fissure where they anastomosed with the intracranial segment of the internal carotid artery. The extracranial portion of the internal carotid was found to be obliterated. Some other arteries leaving the rete anastomosed with the internal ophthalmic artery before it entered the optic canal. The following further arteries left the rete: A. ethmoidalis externa, A. ophthalmica externa, rami musculares and ramus pterygoideus. The rete mirabile of the maxillary artery in the lion provides the principal source of the blood for the brain; it also supplies the orbit.     

Pathology of infectious diarrhea of infant rats (IDIR) induced by an antigenically distinct rotavirus

Suckling rats were inoculated with a group B rotavirus to determine the progression of the morphologic changes induced in the intestine by this virus. Several changes were observed by light microscopy 1 day after viral inoculation: shortening of small intestinal villi, villous epithelial necrosis, and villous epithelial syncytia. The lesions were most often present in the distal small intestine, although other small intestinal segments were affected to a lesser degree. By day 3 post-inoculation, epithelial necrosis, and syncytia were no longer present; however, the villous epithelium was disorganized and irregularly vacuolated, and intestinal crypt epithelium was hyperplastic. Alterations in villous height to crypt depth ratios were present in portions of the small intestine for the remainder of the 12-day study period. Epithelial syncytia appeared to form by the breakdown of the lateral interdigitating membranes of the absorptive villous epithelium. Viral particles, abundant in the syncytia, appeared to form from amorphous or reticular arrays of viral precursor material. Group B rotaviral antigens, as detected by indirect immunofluorescence, were present in large amounts in the small intestinal villous epithelium only on the first day after viral inoculation. These studies show that two important diagnostic features of group B rotaviral infections of rats, epithelial syncytia and viral antigen as determined by immunofluorescence, are present only on the first day of disease. These findings should be taken into consideration when attempting to diagnose disease induced by this agent.     

Correlation of DNA ploidy to tumor histologic grade, clinical variables, and survival in dogs with mast cell tumors.

By using flow cytometry, a retrospective analysis of the DNA content of 40 primary canine mast cell tumors and seven lymph nodes that contained metastatic mast cell tumor from 44 dogs of various breed, sex, and age was performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples of the tumors and nodes. These samples were chosen according to the following criteria: samples contained sufficient well-preserved tumor tissue in the paraffin block for processing, sufficient patient history data were available, clean and homogeneous cell suspensions were obtained after processing, and interpretable DNA histograms were produced on analysis. The ploidy data obtained were compared with the histopathologic grade, the anatomical site of occurrence, the clinical stage of the tumors, and the survival of the dogs. Over 70% (29/40) of the mast cell tumors were diploid. Three metastatic mast cell tumors in lymph nodes had the same ploidy status as their corresponding primary tumors. In five dogs, mast cell tumors from multiple sites in each dog displayed similar ploidy status. Of 26 dogs evaluated for survival times, 69% (18/26) had diploid tumors and 31% (8/26) had aneuploid tumors. When numbers of diploid versus aneuploid tumors were compared, no significant difference was found between any two grades, clinical stages, or anatomic sites. A significant difference (P = 0.02) was found, however, between aneuploid and diploid tumors when comparing Stage I and non-Stage I disease. The Kaplan-Meier survival plot indicated a tendency towards an increased survival within the first year in dogs with diploid versus aneuploid tumors (P = 0.06).     

Dense Cultivation and Fertilization for Higher Yield of Thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.)

Thyme ( Thymus vulgaris L.) plants were spaced at 15, 30 or 45 cm distances in a clay-loamy soil. They received different levels of nitrogen and phosphorus, besides a constant level of potassium. The results showed, that the wider spacing promoted the growth and production of herb and oil per plant, however dense cultivation significantly increased the yields of herb and oil per unit area. In all cases, the applied fertilization treatments significantly increased the productivity per unit area. Dense cultivation accompanied with higher levels of fertilization proved to be very usefull. The essential oil content was not influenced by either the plant spacing or fertilization treatments applied in this study.     

Selective measurement of lipoprotein lipase and hepatic triglyceride lipase in heparinized plasma from horses.

Affinity chromatography on heparin sepharose was used to identify 2 lipolytic enzymes in heparinized plasma from horses. One enzyme was typical of hepatic triglyceride lipase (HTGL), because it was resistant to inactivation by high concentrations of NaCl, and it did not require the addition of serum for activity. The other enzyme was identified as lipoprotein lipase (LPL), because of its inactivation at NaCl concentrations in excess of 0.2M, and its dependency on addition of serum as a source of apolipoprotein C-II activator. The enzymes were purified by 347-(HTGL) and 442- (LPL) fold, with yields of 54 and 58%, respectively. The partially purified enzymes were used to design incubation conditions that gave optimal activities for each enzyme in vitro. A selective assay was then developed for direct measurement of LPL and HTGL activities in heparinized plasma from horses. Analysis of HTGL took advantage of the almost complete inactivation of LPL when serum cofactor was excluded from the assay at the NaCl concentration that gave optimal HTGL activity. Prior incubation of heparinized plasma with sodium dodecyl sulfate to inhibit HTGL was necessary for measurement of LPL, because HTGL retained 67% of its activity at the NaCl concentration required for optimal LPL activity. Activity of each enzyme was measured in heparinized plasma from 12 Shetland ponies. The mean activity +/- SD for LPL was 3.22 +/- 1.04 mumol of fatty acids/ml of heparinized plasma/h (mumol of FA/ml/h. The mean activity for HTGL was 4.9 +/- 1.56 mumol of FA/ml/h. The performance of the assay was assessed by replicate analysis of pools of each enzyme with high and low activities.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Prevalence of antibody to caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus in goats in the United States.

Goats from 28 states were tested for antibodies to caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus. Of 3,790 goats, 1,175 (31%) tested positive, and of 196 herds tested, 143 (73%) had 1 or more seropositive members. This prevalence, based on serum samples from all goats in the participating herds, was lower than most rates reported in other studies. Such studies were based on fewer samples, incomplete sampling of herds, or smaller geographic base. Prevalence was highest in western Pacific and northern plains regions, increased with age to 3 years, was highest among goats on family-owned farms, and was lowest in the Angora breed. Differences in prevalence was not related to gender or size of herd.