The controversial histologic classification of canine subcutaneous whorling tumours: The path to perivascular wall tumours

Subcutaneous spindle cell tumours characterized by whorling growth patterns are common in dogs and are identified as a distinct entity. These tumours were misnamed as hemangiopericytomas (HPCs) because of some minor morphological parallels with their human counterparts. In veterinary medicine, the cell of origin of HPC has been under debate for a long time. Some authors have suggested a perivascular origin while others a perineural one. The evidence of the orientation of the neoplastic cells around the vessels and the expression of contractile proteins supported a perivascular origin while S100 expression and an inconsistent vascular connection supported a perineural origin. Despite the morphological similarities with peripheral nerve sheath tumours in humans, the perineural origin was supported mainly by the expression of markers with low specificity. On the contrary, the majority of studies have supported the perivascular origin of ‘old’ canine HPC. Since a variable degree of myoid‐pericytic differentiation was described, the term perivascular wall tumours (PWTs) were suggested to substitute HPC. Once the diagnostic criteria of PWTs were defined, the clinical behaviour and prognostic variables were investigated, demonstrating differences as compared with the group of canine soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) in general. PWTs are less aggressive, mostly locally invasive, and rarely metastasizing. Their behaviour seems to be less influenced by histological grade, suggesting that canine STSs are heterogeneous. The study of the biological behaviour of specific STS tumour types may be valuable in detecting differences which have passed unnoticed when STSs have been studied concomitantly.     

A study of some pathogenetic aspects of bovine viral diarrhea virus infection

The cytopathic (CP) TVM-2 strain of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) induced in calves a severe disease, characterized by the clinical picture which is usually reported for the acute primary infection observed under natural conditions. In contrast, the calves inoculated with a different biotype of BVDV, the non-cytopathic (NCP) New York-1 strain, remained clinically normal with the only evidence of virus replication in these calves being the recovery of the virus from their pharyngeal swabbings and blood and also the detection of specific neutralizing antibody in their serums. When calves were immunosuppressed with dexamethasone (DMS), they underwent an overt systemic disease of such a severity that in most of the cases it ended with the death of the animals. This result was obtained with either the CP and the NCP strain of BVDV. Finally, the mixed infection that was obtained in the calves with the CP and the NCP BVDV did not result in any particular unexpected pathological situation. It was speculated that the immunosuppressive activity of BVDV could be a property peculiar to certain isolates of the virus.     

Immunobiological role of llama heavy-chain antibodies against a bacterial beta-lactamase

In 1993, a fraction of antibodies (Abs) devoid of L chain was found naturally occurring in the Camelidae. They were found to lack L chains, as well as the first constant heavy-chain domain (CH(1)) and therefore they were named "heavy-chain Abs" (HCAbs). Subsequent studies focused on the functional, structural and biochemical properties of recombinant variable fragments (rVHHs) of HCAbs. It was stated that rVHHs have an augmented capacity to interact with "partially hidden" epitopes, like enzymes active sites, and have an increased stability to thermal and chemical aggression. It has been suggested that these unconventional Abs could represent an evolutionary advantage, being more efficient than conventional Abs to inhibit microbial enzymes, and thus exerting a more protective immune response against pathogens. The present work focuses on the immunobiological role of HCAbs, in their capacity to inhibit microbial enzymes. Two animal models were selected, comprising a model for common vertebrates without HCAbs (rabbits), and a model for vertebrates with both conventional and unconventional Abs (Lama glama). A recombinant bacterial beta-lactamase (CTX-M-2) was selected as the microbial enzymatic antigen. After conventional immunization schedules, neither serum titers nor serum inhibitory capacity showed significant differences when rabbits and llamas were compared. These results indicate that the a priori assumption that the adaptive immune system of camelids could be better "prepared" to respond to bacterial enzymes because of the presence of HCAbs, is not always accurate. Furthermore, when the different llama antibody isotypes and subclasses were purified, it was demonstrated that the inhibitory capacity of total serum was due exclusively to IgG(1). HCAbs not only failed to inhibit CTX-M-2, but instead they activated its enzymatic activity. Altogether, these results indicate that the hypotheses extrapolated from the rVHHs properties need to be revised; the real role of HCAbs in vivo remains unknown, as well as their evolutionary cause.     

Oxygenic Photoautotrophic Growth Without Photosystem I

Contrary to the prediction of the Z-scheme model of photosynthesis, experiments demonstrated that mutants of Chlamydomonas containing photosystem II (PSII) but lacking photosystem I (PSI) can grow photoautotrophically with O2 evolution, using atmospheric CO2 as the sole carbon source. Autotrophic photosynthesis by PSI-deficient mutants was stable both under anaerobic conditions and in air (21 percent O2) at an actinic intensity of 200 microeinsteins per square meter per second. This PSII photosynthesis, which was sufficient to support cell development and mobility, may also occur in wild-type green algae and higher plants. The mutants can survive under 2000 microeinsteins per square meter per second with air, although they have less resistance to photoinhibition.     

An in vivo model of somatic cell gene therapy for human severe combined immunodeficiency.

Deficiency of adenosine deaminase (ADA) results in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), a candidate genetic disorder for somatic cell gene therapy. Peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients affected by ADA- SCID were transduced with a retroviral vector for human ADA and injected into immunodeficient mice. Long-term survival of vector-transduced human cells was demonstrated in recipient animals. Expression of vector-derived ADA restored immune functions, as indicated by the presence in reconstituted animals of human immunoglobulin and antigen-specific T cells. Retroviral vector gene transfer, therefore, is necessary and sufficient for development of specific immune functions in vivo and has therapeutic potential to correct this lethal immunodeficiency.     

Le facteur hydrique dans la culture et la composition de certaines solanacees: Influence de la greffe chez Capsicum

Résumé Diverses variétés deCapsieum cultivées dans les conditions locale du Jardin botanique de Marseille, accusent de nettes différences dans leurs teneurs respectives en eau. La comparaison de ce facteur dans des plants issus de végétaux ayant subi auparavant des greffes intergénériques avecDatura et des plants témoins de la même variété, laisse apparaitre des modifications importantes au niveau des variances, des déviations standard et des rendements à l'hectare, alors que la teneur générale n'a subi que peu de modifications.

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Diverse varieties ofCapsicum cultivated in the local conditions of the Botanical Garden of Marseilles show differences in their respective contents in water. The comparison of this factor between saplings descended from vegetals which have previously undergone intergeneric graftings withDatura and check saplings of the same variety shows important changes at the level of variances, of standard deviations and of output per hectare, whereas the general amount has been but slightly modified.

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Resumen Diversas variedades deCapsicum cultivadas en las condiciones locales del Jardín botánico de Marsella, muestran claras diferencias en sus contenidos respectivos en ague. La comparación de este factor entre las plantas proveniende de vegetales que hubieron experimentade anterioramente injertos intergenericos conDatura y plantas muestras de la misma variedad deja aparecer modificaciones importantes al nivel de las variancias, de las deviaciones standard y de los rendimientós al hectárea, mientras que el contenido general ha solo experimentado pocas modificaciones.

     

Assessment of a selection pressure for improved nitrate and sulfate recovery by Maize

The increase in grain yield of current maize cultivars has been conditioned by the abundant supply of fertilizers, potentially involving energy waste and environment pollution. The shift from frugality to luxury consumption has been attributed to the scarce or zero selection pressure for improved nutrient recovery, due to the high fertility of soils usually adopted in breeding programs. Seven cycles of recurrent selection, starting from the same maize population and carried out on the same soil in conditions of either large (HF) or limited supply (LF) of macronutrients, have demonstrated the effectiveness of the selection pressure by reduced fertilizer application. Physiological parameters determined in seedlings growing in nutrient solution evidenced, in the LF population, a connection with both grain yield and efficiency of nitrate and sulfate recovery. Influx and efflux at steady supply or after deprivation, translocation to shoot, internal pool of both anions, and ATPase‐dependent H+ transport in plasmalemma vesicles were particularly significant.     

Effects of Low Doses of Glufosinate-Ammonium on Upland Rice Agronomic Traits

The use of herbicides and growth regulators in agricultural crops to reduce vegetative growth is widely studied worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate the agronomic traits of upland rice subjected to low doses of glufosinate-ammonium applied at different development stages. The treatments consisted of five low doses (0; 15; 30; 60; and 100?g a.i. ha^?1; a.i.: active ingredient) of glufosinate-ammonium herbicide: a single low dose between active tillering (AT) and floral differentiation (FD); a single low dose after FD; low dose divided into two applications, the first at the beginning of the AT and the second between AT and FD; low dose divided into three applications, the first at the beginning of the AT, the second between AT and FD and the third after the FD, with four replications. The agronomic traits of upland rice were negatively affected due to the application of low doses of glufosinate-ammonium, with reduction in grain yield, 1000-grain weight, number of panicles, full spikelets and spikelets per panicle. Glufosinate-ammonium has no potential to be used as hormesis effect in rice plants due to loss in grain yield.