Organics captured from comet 81P/Wild 2 by the Stardust spacecraft

Organics found in comet 81P/Wild 2 samples show a heterogeneous and unequilibrated distribution in abundance and composition. Some organics are similar, but not identical, to those in interplanetary dust particles and carbonaceous meteorites. A class of aromatic-poor organic material is also present. The organics are rich in oxygen and nitrogen compared with meteoritic organics. Aromatic compounds are present, but the samples tend to be relatively poorer in aromatics than are meteorites and interplanetary dust particles. The presence of deuterium and nitrogen-15 excesses suggest that some organics have an interstellar/protostellar heritage. Although the variable extent of modification of these materials by impact capture is not yet fully constrained, a diverse suite of organic compounds is present and identifiable within the returned samples.     

A Dairy Industry Information Cooperative Service System Based on a Production Process Ontology

Agricultural information cooperative services (AICS) are now becoming an important aspect of agriculture informatization.This study offers an ontological conception of the agricultural production proce...     

IMAGING DIAGNOSIS—MALIGNANT PERIPHERAL NERVE SHEATH TUMOR PRESENTING AS AN INTRA‐AXIAL BRAIN MASS IN A YOUNG DOG

A 3‐year‐old Labrador retriever was presented with acute onset seizures. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated an intra‐axial mass affecting the right temporal lobe of the brain. Surgical resection and histopathological findings were most consistent with a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor. After initial recovery, deterioration 3 months post surgery prompted euthanasia. Post‐mortem revealed a mass protruding from the ventral surface of the temporal lobe, encroaching upon the optic chiasm and invading the brain. Histopathology findings were again consistent with malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor. Although rare, this tumor should be included as a possible differential diagnosis for intra‐axial brain masses in dogs.     

Coating performance on glutaraldehyde-modified wood

Scots pine(Pinus sylvestris L.) panels were modified with glutaraldehyde(GA) to various weight percent gains and subsequently coated with several commercial coatings. The drying rate and adhesion of the coatings on the modified wood were measured; the coated/modified woods were exposed outdoors to analyze how the wood modifications influence the coating deterioration. The results showed that GA modification caused an increase in the drying rate of the waterborne coatings, but had no influence on drying of tested solvent-borne coatings. GAmodification did not change the dry adhesion but reduced the wood strength in a pull-off test. Wet adhesion of waterborne coatings was improved, while that of the solvent-borne coatings tended to be somewhat reduced. During 22 months of outdoor weathering, the coated/modified samples exhibited lower moisture content than the coated/unmodified samples, but GA modification didn't contribute a substantially synergistic effect with surface coatings on resistance to weathering.     

Effects of nitrogen supply on water‐use efficiency of higher plants

The worldwide increase of food demand and reduced sweet‐water availability in some important food‐producing regions raised interest in more efficient water use, which has become one of the central research topics in agriculture. Improved irrigation management and reduced bare‐soil evaporation have highest priority to increase agronomic water‐use efficiency (WUE). Compared to these technical (irrigation) and basic (crop production) management options, effects of nutrient management on WUE were less frequently considered. Twenty‐nine publications on nitrogen (N) effects on biomass WUE of container‐grown plants are considered in this review. Most of them indicate positive N effects on WUE, and relevance of N effects on intrinsic WUE and unproductive water and carbon loss is discussed. A plot of 90 published data of percent decreases of WUE and dry mass under variable N supply is presented. Extrapolation of biomass WUE from leaf measurements of intrinsic WUE is critically reviewed. The positive correlation between WUE and dry‐mass formation suggests that physiological rather than stomatal effects are more important in order to explain positive N effects on WUE.     

Improved RP‐HPLC and anion‐exchange chromatography methods for the determination of amino acids and carbohydrates in soil solutions

In spite of their low concentrations in soil solutions, low–molecular weight organic substances (LMWOS) such as amino acids, sugars, and uronic acids play a major role in the cycles of C and N in soil. With respect to their low concentrations and to possible matrix interferences, their analysis in soil leachates is a challenging task. We established two HPLC (high‐performance liquid chromatography) methods for the parallel determination of amino acids and carbohydrates in soil leachates. The pre‐column derivatization of amino acids with an o‐phthaldialdehyde (OPA) mercaptoethanol solution yields quantitation limits between 0.03 and 0.44 µmol L^–1 and S_D values of <8.3% (n = 9). High‐performance anion‐exchange chromatography (HPAEC) on a Dionex CarboPac PA 20 column with a NaOH acetate gradient combined with pulsed amperometric detection (PAD) was used for the determination of carbohydrates. The calibration curves obtained for 11 carbohydrates showed excellent linearity over the concentration range from 0.02 to 50.0 mg L^–1. Recovery studies revealed good results for all analytes (89%–108%). Interferences from Hg(II) salts and chloroform used for stabilization of the leachates did not occur with both chromatographic methods. The optimized method was successfully used for quantitative determinations of amino acids and carbohydrates in soil leachates.     

Magnetic resonance imaging appearance of the brain and cervical spinal cord in an edema disease affected pig

A 7‐week‐old male pig was presented with signs of a central nervous system disorder. An MRI of the head and cervical spine was performed immediately after euthanasia. The MRI revealed multifocal bilaterally symmetric T2‐weighted hyperintense lesions in the brain and spinal cord, likely due to a toxic metabolic process. Histopathological examination supported the MRI findings and confirmed the diagnosis of edema disease due to Shiga‐like toxin produced by Escherichia coli. This is the first case published of the MRI findings in an edema disease affected pig.