Colonization and histopathology of susceptible and resistant carnation cultivars infected with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. dianthi

Stems of the susceptible Early Sam and resistant Novada carnations were inoculated with a conidial suspension ofFusarium oxysporum f. sp.dianthi. Stem segments of either cultivar were sampled regularly and used for determination of fungal growth and for microscopical investigation.Early Sam showed typicalFusarium wilt symptoms and its stems were colonized intensively. The observed vascular browning appeared to be caused by discolouration of primary walls of infected vessels and surrounding cells. Vessels were rarely occluded with gel. Cell wall degradation led to the formation of stem cavities. Hyperplasia of xylem parenchyma was not seen.In Novada, fungal colonization remained low throughout the experiment. Macroscopic symptoms were absent except for longitudinal bursts in the stem, which appeared to be caused by hyperplasia of xylem parenchyma bordering infection. Vascular gelation occurred in the infected tissues, causing some vascular browning also. Xylem vessel regeneration was observed in the hyperplastic layer. Cavities were not formed, and wall discolouration was rare. Vascular gelation is considered part of theFusarium wilt resistance mechanism. It is followed by xylem vessel regeneration, which expresses a general plant response to vascular dysfunction rather than being part of the resistance mechanism.Although of different origin, vascular browning as such occurs in both susceptible and resistant interactions. In breeding for resistance, care should hence be taken with the current use of browning as an indication of disease.Samenvatting Anjers van de vatbare cultivar Early Sam en de resistente cultivar Novada werden geïnoculeerd met een conidiënsuspensie vanFusarium oxysporum f. sp.dianthi. Van beide cultivars werden regelmatig stengeldelen geoogst om deze microscopisch te onderzoeken en om de schimmelgroei te bepalen.Early Sam vertoonde de voor deze verwelkingsziekte kenmerkende symptomen en werd intensief gekoloniseerd. Aan het vaatweefsel waargenomen bruinkleuring bleek veroorzaakt te worden door verkleuring van de primaire wanden van geïnfecteerde vaten en de hen omringende cellen. Zelden trad er in de vaten gomvorming op. Celwandafbraak veroorzaakte de vorming van holten in de stengel. Hyperplasie van het houtparenchym werd niet waargenomen.In Novada bleef de schimmelgroei gedurende het hele experiment beperkt. Macroscopisch waren er enkel lengtescheuren in de stengel te zien, die veroorzaakt bleken te worden door hyperplasie van aan de infectie grenzend houtparenchym. In het geïnfecteerde vaatweefsel optredende gomvorming veroorzaakte ook enige bruinkleuring. In het hyperplastische weefsel werd regeneratie van houtvaten waargenomen. In de stengel werden geen holten gevormd, en verkleuring van de celwanden kwam weinig voor. De vorming van gommen in de houtvaten maakt waarschijnlijk deel uit van het resistentiemechanisme. De daarop volgende houtvatregeneratie is eerder een algemene reactie van de plant op vaatverstopping dan een deel van het resistentiemechanisme.Vaatverbruining, zij het van verschillende oorsprong, komt voor in zowel vatbare als resistente interacties. Om die reden moet men in de resistentieveredeling bij de anjer voorzichtig zijn met het gebruik van bruinkleuring als ziekteïndicatie.     

A fossil noctuid moth egg from the late cretaceous of eastern north america

A moth egg assignable to the family Noctuidae (Lepidoptera) is described from 75-million-year-old sediments from Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. This sample, which extends the fossil record of this farnily and modern heteroneuran moths back to the Cretaceous, may provide insight into the coevolution of moths and flowering plants, as well as have implications for the evolution of bats.     

Spasmodic tremor and possible magma injection in long valley caldera, eastern california

Intensive microearthquake swarms with the appearance of volcanic tremor have been observed in the southwest part of Long Valley caldera, southeastern California. This activity, possibly associated with magma injection, began 6 weeks after several strong (magnitude 6+) earthquakes in an area south of the caldera and has continued sporadically to the present time. The earthquake sequence and magmatic activity are part of a broad increase in tectonic activity in a 15,000-square-kilometer region surrounding the "White Mountains seismic gap," an area with high potential for the next major earthquake in the western Great Basin.     

Congenital esophagotracheal fistula as the cause of bloat in a calf

A four day old Holstein calf was presented with a history of recurrent free gas bloat. An exploratory laparotomy was performed and no abnormalities were discovered in the gastrointestinal tract. An esophagotracheal fistula was suspected and confirmed by endoscopy. Surgical correction was performed by ligating the tubular connection between the trachea and esophagus and suturing closed the defects in these structures.     

Examination of the origin of increased equine serum alkaline phosphatase concentrations

Serum alkaline phosphatase activity was found to be increased in 32.6% of equine samples analyzed at the Ontario Veterinary College over an 18 month period. An attempt was made using sensitivity to L-phenylalanine and heat to identify the origin of increased serum alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes present in 44 clinical cases. No difference in sensitivity to either procedure was observed for serum alkaline phosphatase from groups of foals and horses representing different clinical problems. Alkaline phosphatase of osseous tissue origin appeared to be the major source of activity for each group of animals reported.     

The F38-Like Group,a New Group of Caprine Mycoplasmas?

This paper concerns the taxonomic status of the F38-like group (MacOwan), a prime determinant of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP). Extensive biochemical and serological investigations on strain F38 are reported. Some complex serological relationships with other mycoplasma species are revealed. The results, taken in conjunction with earlier published work on geno-typic characters, lead to the conclusion that final classification of these organisms should await further comparative studies of a number of field strains with a related group of strains classified as M. capri-colum.The characterization of F38 confirms its partial relationship to the “M. mycoides group” of ovine/caprine/bovine mycoplasmas, and has also revealed a very close phenotypic relationship to the bovine mycoplasma serogroup 7, a finding of potential diagnostic and epidemiological importance.Key words: mycoplasmas, classification, F38-like group     

Endocrine effects of heat stress in boars

The purpose of this study was to describe the temporal changes in peripheral plasma levels of testosterone and Cortisol in boars during and after heat stress. A total of 8 boars were utilized, 4 of them were exposed to 35°C, for 100 h in a climatic room, and 4 served as controls and were kept at 20 °C for 100 h in the climatic room.Blood samples were obtained via permanent vein catheters 3 times daily from 5 days before heat stress until 20 days after termination of heat stress. Testestorone levels were determined by radioimmunoassay and Cortisol by a competitive protein binding technique.For both hormones the pre-exposure levels were similar in both groups of boars. The control boars had significantly higher testosterone levels, while being in the climatic room, than during any other period. The experimental boars had slightly increased testosterone levels during the first day of heat stress and thereafter continuously decreased levels. In the control boars the testosterone levels returned to pre-exposure levels immediately after removal from the climatic room, whereas in the experimental boars the testosterone levels were dramatically increased during the first 5 days after exposure. The differences in Cortisol levels, between the 2 groups of boars were restricted to the period spent in the climatic room. During this period the experimental boars had significantly higher Cortisol levels.Key words: boars, heat stress, testosterone, cortisol