Vascular characteristics of the cartilage and subchondral bone of the distal radial epiphysis of the young foal

The vascular features of the distal epiphysis of the radius of 27 foals aged from 3 weeks premature to 120 days postpartum were determined. The limbs were perfused with barium, and the distal radius was sawn into sagittal slabs which were decalcified, cut into thin slices and radiographed. More arteries approached areas of thick cartilage than thin cartilage. In thick cartilage, vessels in a lattice network were observed, and adjacent to these vessels was sinusoidal filling in the epiphyseal subchondral bone, which had a similar pattern to sinusoidal filling in the metaphysis. The sinusoidal filling adjacent to thick cartilage was at the predisposition site for epiphyseal osteomyelitis lesions in foals. This particular type of bone infection occurs commonly in the foal, but much less commonly in other species. The vascular features of the immature epiphysis may account for the predominance of epiphyseal osteomyelitis in the foal.     

The role of autotoxins from root residues of the previous crop in the replant disease of asparagus

Replant disease is a common phenomenon in asparagus growing in the Netherlands. It is distinct from the decline phenomenon reported from many other asparagus producing area’s. The involvement of autotoxins from root residues of former asparagus crops was evaluated. Residues of aspar agus roots decompose extremely slowly. At two locations, each with fields where asparagus production was terminated 1 and 10 years before, biomass of root residues was 4180 and 11060 kg dw ha^?1 after 1 year and 420 and 1140 kg dw ha^?1 after 10 years.Although 10-year-old residues were for the greater part decomposed, crude aqueous extracts inhibited root growth of asparagus seedlings significantly and even more of garden cress. In root observation boxes with field soil mixed with non-sterilized or sterilized asparagus root fragments, growth of secondary roots was inhibited. Non-sterilized strawberry roots did not inhibit root growth, suggesting that effects of organic matter were not involved. In a pot experiment, sterilized asparagus root fragments inhibited root growth when added at a rate of 20 g1^?1, but not a 2 g1^?1 Addition of non-sterilized root fragments strongly inhibited root growth at both levels. This was probably due to simultaneous infection byFusarium oxysporum present in these residues. When an asparagus field is replanted, the amount of root residues left behind in soil after termination of the crop in the previous season is about 2 g dw 1^?1, that corresponds to approx. 11000 kg dw ha^?1. This level is too low for considering direct growth inhibition by autotoxins as a major factor. Their possible indirect effects are briefly discussed.     

A 2000-year tree ring record of annual temperatures in the sierra nevada mountains

Tree ring data have been used to reconstruct the mean late-season (June through January) temperature at a timberline site in the Sierra Nevada, California, for each of the past 2000 years. Long-term trends in the temperature reconstruction are indicative of a 125-year periodicity that may be linked to solar activity as reflected in radiocarbon and auroral records. The results indicate that both the warm intervals during the Medieval Warm Epoch ( approximately A.D. 800 to 1200) and the cold intervals during the Little Ice Age ( approximately A.D. 1200 to 1900) are closely associated with the 125-year period. Significant changes in the phase of the 125-year temperature variation occur at the onset and termination of the most recent radiocarbon triplet and may indicate chaotic solar behavior.