A parametric and microstructural study of the formation of gluten network in mixed flour–water batter

The mechanism of gluten network development is still unclear and remains difficult to study since gluten network formation in bread dough is a rather quick process. In order to better characterize this dynamic event, we slowed down its kinetics by increasing the dough water content. During mixing, performed with a planetary mixer at variable mixing speeds and flour/water ratios, the torque was recorded. Common flours from wheat cultivars Orvantis, Caphorn and Isengrain, similar in composition and Farinograph parameters, were studied.     

Characterisation of a novel ilarvirus causing grapevine angular mosaic disease

Unusual symptoms were observed on ‘Baresana’ x ‘Baresana’ Vitis vinifera hybrid vines in the Grapevine Variety Collection of the Grapevine Institute, Athens. The affected vines showed sharp angular mosaic on leaves, along the veins and in vein angles, malformations, abortive flowers or very few berries with smaller, wrinkled and non-germinating seeds, as well as gradual decline, severe stunting and death of the vine. Serological tests on diseased vines for the presence of 13 known grapevine viruses gave negative results. An infectious agent was transmitted mechanically to several herbaceous indicator plants. Koch’s Postulates were fulfilled, and the agent, proven to be a virus, was named Grapevine angular mosaic virus (GAMV). Serological tests have been developed for the virus. The most conserved polymerase region showed significant similarity of GAMV with members of subgroup 1 of the Ilarvirus genus; however ML phylogenetic analysis could not support its clustering within this subgroup. GAMV differs serologically and in particle morphology from Grapevine line pattern virus (GLPV) a putative member of the Ilarvirus genus that infects grapevine. It is proposed that GAMV is a novel member of the Ilarvirus genus.     

Simultaneous detection of six RNA plant viruses affecting tomato crops using a single digoxigenin-labelled polyprobe

A polyprobe for the simultaneous detection by non-isotopic molecular hybridisation has been developed to detect any of the following six viruses causing important economic losses in tomato crops: Tomato spotted wilt virus, Tomato mosaic virus, Pepino mosaic virus, Cucumber mosaic virus, Potato Y virus and Parietaria mottle virus. The polyprobe detected all six viruses with similar sensitivity to that obtained using individual riboprobes. In addition, we evaluated the possible use of the tissue-printing as a sample preparation technique applied to routine diagnosis of tomato plants with the polyprobe. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Sterols that modify moulting in insects

The development of insects is under the control of a steroid hormone, ecdysone. This paper reviews suicide substrate type inactivators designed to inhibit the biosynthesis of ecdysone. Several series of acetylenic derivatives of cholesterol were synthesized and their biological effects on the prothoracic glands of the locust were investigated in vitro, enabling structure-activity relationships to be studied. Information on the ability of brassinosteroids, a series of plant growth regulators, to inhibit ecdysteroid activities of insects is discussed as a precursor to a study of brassinosteroid ecdysone mimics.     

蛋白质激发子Hrip1对小麦黄矮病的诱抗作用

小麦黄矮病是由大麦黄矮病毒（barley yellow dwarf virus,BYDV）引起的一种小麦病毒病,其传播介体是小麦蚜虫,在小麦生产中造成巨大的经济损失。近年来,植物诱导抗性作为一种新兴的植物病虫害防治措施引起了广泛的关注。蛋白质激发子Hrip1可以激活多种植物的免疫防御反应诱导植物产生广谱抗性。本研究评价了Hrip1对小麦黄矮病的诱抗效果。用30 μg/mL的Hrip1溶液进行小麦浸种和幼苗喷雾,随后接种BYDV,接种后第14 d,Hrip1对小麦黄矮病控制效果在50%以上,接种后第21 d控制效果仍在30%以上。实时荧光定量PCR检测结果显示,在Hrip1处理的小麦幼苗体内,BYDV外壳蛋白mRNA的数量显著低于对照组;EPG结果显示,在Hrip1处理的小麦幼苗上,麦二叉蚜寻找叶片刺吸位点和韧皮部取食位点的时间增加。以上结果表明：Hrip1能够有效地抑制BYDV在小麦体内的增殖;影响传毒媒介麦二叉蚜的取食行为,抑制其传毒能力。此外,Hrip1处理小麦能有效缓解BYDV引起的叶片黄化和植株矮化的症状。因此,Hrip1可以作为生物诱导剂综合控制小麦黄矮病。     

Computed Tomographic Features of Choanal Atresia in a Friesian Foal

A 3-week-old Friesian colt with a history of respiratory distress since birth was presented to our facility. Results after an endoscopy showed obstruction of the right nasal passage to the nasopharynx. Computed tomography was performed to further characterize this unilateral blockage. The images demonstrated a complete membranous obstruction of the ventral meatus, along with deviation of the vomer bone toward the left side of the nasal cavity. The diagnosis of unilateral choanal atresia was confirmed. This report is the first to describe computed tomographic features of choanal atresia in a foal.     

Ultrasonographic evaluation of the effects of azithromycin on antral motility and gastric emptying in healthy cats

BackgroundErythromycin, a macrolide antibiotic with motilin agonist properties, shortens gastric emptying (GE) time in healthy cats. Azithromycin, another macrolide antibiotic, is effective for treatment of gastric paresis in people.ObjectivesTo evaluate the effects of azithromycin on GE and gastric motility in healthy cats in comparison with erythromycin (positive control) and placebo.AnimalsEight healthy purpose‐bred cats.MethodsProspective, blinded, crossover study. Cats received either azithromycin (3.5 mg/kg PO q24h), erythromycin (1 mg/kg PO q8h), or placebo for 24 hours before and during evaluation of GE. A validated method using ultrasound for sequential measurements of antral area as well as amplitude and frequency of contractions was used to assess GE and evaluate gastric antral motility postprandially over an 8‐hour period.ResultsGE was significantly faster (P < .05) after administration of azithromycin and erythromycin when compared to placebo in the late phase of fractional emptying from 75% (mean ± SD: 327 ± 51 minutes, 327 ± 22 minutes, and 367 ± 29 minutes, respectively), to 95% fractional emptying (399 ± 52 minutes, 404 ± 11 minutes, and 444 ± 24 minutes, respectively). The drugs had no significant effect on antral motility variables at any time point.Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceAzithromycin and erythromycin shorten GE time in a comparable manner in healthy cats. Evaluation of their efficacy in cats with gastric dysmotility is warranted.     

Managing coppice forests for rockfall protection: lessons from modeling

? Context

One eighth of Europe’s forests are still managed as coppice. In some European countries, more than half of the forest exhibits coppice structures from the past or present coppice management. Many of these forests grow in the broadleaf zone of mountainous regions, often on steep slopes. Here, they play an important role in rockfall protection. However, it remains unclear how coppice forests should be structured for optimal rockfall protection or how the protection effect changes during the aging of the coppice.

? Aim

A few studies have applied rock trajectory analyses, but so far, no process-based model has been used to quantify the protective effect of differently structured coppice forests. The present study compared 40 coppice patches from two chronosequences in South Tyrol, North Italy, regarding their protective effect against rocks of two sizes using the rockfall simulation model Rockyfor3D.

? Results

The results indicate that coppice stands older than 30 years better protect against rockfall than medium-aged and young stands, although the old ones have lower stem densities. Surprisingly, a random stem distribution had a better protective effect than the clumped stem distribution typical for coppice stands.

? Conclusion

Implications for future management are discussed in detail, including the relevance of standards in coppice forests.     

Gas disks to gas giants: simulating the birth of planetary systems

The ensemble of now more than 250 discovered planetary systems displays a wide range of masses, orbits and, in multiple systems, dynamical interactions. These represent the end point of a complex sequence of events, wherein an entire protostellar disk converts itself into a small number of planetary bodies. Here, we present self-consistent numerical simulations of this process, which produce results in agreement with some of the key trends observed in the properties of the exoplanets. Analogs to our own solar system do not appear to be common, originating from disks near the boundary between barren and (giant) planet-forming.