Effect of substituted pyrazoles and related compounds on geotropism in cress seedlings

The effects on root geotropism of three series of compounds related to 2-phenyl-8H-pyrazolo[5,1-a]isoindol-8-one (IV), its 3,3a-dihydro derivative (V) and 5-(2-carboxyphenyl)-3-phenylpyrazole (VI) have been assessed using cress seedlings. Compounds (IV) and (VI), and their derivatives, are highly active, destroying geotropism at concentrations of 10^?7-10^?9M. Substitution with various functional groups and increased molecular size resulted in only minor variation in the level of activity.     

Effects of an S6 strain of Mycoplasma gallisepticum challenge at onset of lay on digestive and reproductive tract characteristics in commercial layers

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG), a reproductive/respiratory pathogen in poultry, has been implicated in suboptimum egg production and decreased hatchability. Commercial layer hens raised in a controlled environment were inoculated with the S6 strain of MG at 20 wk of age. The S6 inoculation had no effect on bird weight, egg production, digestive tract weight and length, or histopathologic lesion scores, although significant differences were noted in the lengths and weights of various portions of the reproductive tract. This study shows that S6MG inoculation does not detrimentally affect layer hen performance when in the absence of environmental stressors customary to a caged layer facility.     

Pesticide use and residues on Queensland wool

Objective To determine practices for control of louse infestation and blowfly strike in Queensland sheep flocks that are associated with organophosphorous and synthetic pyrethroid residues on wool.
Design Information on residues was obtained from a survey of Queensland wool clips. Information on pesticide use was obtained from a trace-back postal survey. The association between pesticide use and residues was assessed using generalised linear models, controlling for potential confounding by flock location.
Procedure Between 1995 and 1997 Queensland wool clips were randomly sampled. Samples were tested for the presence and amount (mg per kg of greasy wool) of organophosphorous and synthetic pyrethroid pesticides. A questionnaire seeking information on flock characteristics and pesticide use was sent to the manager of each flock from which a wool sample was tested.
Results The median amount of OP and SP residue was 0.8 and 0.25 mg/kg, respectively, and 91 and 95% of wool samples contained < 8 mg/kg of OP and SP residues, respectively. The frequency of OP pesticide use for louse control was significantly (P = 0.005) associated with mean OP residue amount, and the timing of SP use for louse control, in relation to shearing, was significantly (P < 0.001) associated with mean SP residue amount.
Conclusion Most Queensland wool clips have acceptable amounts of residues after the use of OP and SP pesticides, but wool growers can further reduce residues by effectively controlling louse infestation with pesticide applications early after shearing and the use of non-chemical methods of ectoparasite control.     

Physical and hydraulic properties of baked ceramic aggregates used for plant growth medium.

Baked ceramic aggregates (fritted clay, arcillite) have been used for plant research both on the ground and in microgravity. Optimal control of water and air within the root zone in any gravity environment depends on physical and hydraulic properties of the aggregate, which were evaluated for 0.25-1-mm and 1-2-mm particle size distributions. The maximum bulk densities obtained by any packing technique were 0.68 and 0.64 g cm-3 for 0.25-1-mm and 1-2-mm particles, respectively. Wettable porosity obtained by infiltration with water was approximately 65%, substantially lower than total porosity of approximately 74%. Aggregate of both particle sizes exhibited a bimodal pore size distribution consisting of inter-aggregate macropores and intra-aggregate micropores, with the transition from macro- to microporosity beginning at volumetric water content of approximately 36% to 39%. For inter-aggregate water contents that support optimal plant growth there is 45% change in water content that occurs over a relatively small matric suction range of 0-20 cm H2O for 0.25-1-mm and 0 to -10 cm H2O for 1-2-mm aggregate. Hysteresis is substantial between draining and wetting aggregate, which results in as much as a approximately 10% to 20% difference in volumetric water content for a given matric potential. Hydraulic conductivity was approximately an order of magnitude higher for 1-2-mm than for 0.25-1-mm aggregate until significant drainage of the inter-aggregate pore space occurred. The large change in water content for a relatively small change in matric potential suggests that significant differences in water retention may be observed in microgravity as compared to earth.     

Gas sensor array for blueberry fruit disease detection and classification

A conducting polymer gas sensor array (electronic nose) was evaluated for detecting and classifying three common postharvest diseases of blueberry fruit: gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea, anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, and Alternaria rot caused by Alternaria sp. Samples of ripe rabbiteye blueberries (Vaccinium virgatum cv. Brightwell) were inoculated individually with one of the three pathogens or left non-inoculated, and volatiles emanating from the fruit were assessed using the gas sensor array 6–10 d after inoculation in two separate experiments. Principal component analysis of volatile profiles revealed four distinct groups corresponding to the four inoculation treatments. MANOVA, conducted on profiles from individual assessment days or from combined data, confirmed that the four treatments were significantly different (P < 0.0001). A hierarchical cluster analysis indicated two super-clusters, i.e., control cluster (non-inoculated fruit) vs. pathogen cluster (inoculated fruit). Within the pathogen cluster, fruit infected by B. cinerea and Alternaria sp. were more similar to each other than to fruit infected by C. gloeosporioides. A linear Bayesian classifier achieved 90% overall correct classification for data from experiment 1. Tenax? trapping of volatiles with short-path thermal desorption and quantification by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was used to characterize volatile compounds emanated from the four groups of berries. Six compounds [styrene, 1-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl) benzene, eucalyptol, undecane, 5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)-2-cyclohexen-1-one, and thujopsene] were identified as contributing most in distinguishing differences in the volatiles emanating from the fruit due to infection. A canonical discriminant analysis model using the relative concentration of each of these compounds was developed and successfully classified the four categories of berries. This study underscores the potential feasibility of using a gas sensor array for blueberry postharvest quality assessment and fungal disease detection.     

Grape Seed-Derived Procyanidins Decrease Dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 Activity and Expression

Dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibitors are among the newest treatments against type 2 diabetes. Since some flavonoids modulate DPP4 activity, we evaluated whether grape seed-derived procyanidins (GSPEs), which are antihyperglycemic, modulate DPP4 activity and/or expression. In vitro inhibition assays showed that GSPEs inhibit pure DPP4. Chronic GSPE treatments in intestinal human cells (Caco-2) showed a decrease of DPP4 activity and gene expression. GSPE was also assayed in vivo. Intestinal but not plasmatic DPP4 activity and gene expression were decreased by GSPE in healthy and diet-induced obese animals. Healthy rats also showed glycemia improvement after oral glucose consumption but not after an intraperitoneal glucose challenge. In genetically obese rats, only DPP4 gene expression was down-regulated. Thus, procyanidin inhibition of intestinal DPP4 activity, either directly and/or via gene expression down-regulation, could be responsible for some of their effects in glucose homeostasis.