Clinical Mycoplasma bovis mastitis in prepubertal heifers on 2 dairy herds

Findings of herd investigations of heifers with prepubertal mastitis are presented. Mycoplasma bovis was isolated from lacteal secretions and tissue samples of necropsied heifers; the same strain infected dams and herd mates. Vertical transmission is suggested in this first report of intramammary infections of M. bovis in peripubertal heifers.     

Gliadins as biochemical markers for Aegilops turcomanica genes in wheat lines

An Aegilops turcomanica-typical gliadin was discovered in sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) patterns of ethanol-soluble seed proteins from wheat lines Tr. 476, 482 and 492, which had been derived from a direct cross of Ae. turcomanica and Triticum aestivum and which revealed powdery mildew resistance due to a putative Ae. turcomanica-introgression. This Ae. turcomanica-derived gliadin was tested for its suitability as biochemical marker. For this purpose, doubled-haploid lines were produced via anther culture from crosses of Tr. 482 and Tr. 492 with actual winter wheat cultivars and breeding lines. Until now, 173 lines with Ae. turcomanica-gene(s) have been selected from 297 doubled haploid wheat lines.     

Pesticide Accumulation Rates in a Managed Marsh along Lake Erie

Cores from two marshes along the southern shore of Lake Erie were ²¹⁰Pb age-dated and analyzed for persistent pesticide pollutants using column chromatographic separation and analysis with gas chromatography. Soils in both watersheds have low to very low permeability and are dominated by a very poorly drained silty clay. Land-use practices in the watersheds of either marsh changed little since 1950; however, both watersheds are marked by decreased area dedicated to orchards and concurrent increase in residential and road area. The increase in grain size in recent years may be associated with a period of high water in Lake Erie since the early 1970s. The pesticide accumulation rates were calculated and indicate an airborne source for HCHs and endrin and possibly current illegal usage of DDT. The ratio of metabolite to parent molecule did not appear to change with sediment age. Also, there appeared to be a delay between pesticide application and deposition in the marshes.     

Flax (Linum usitatissimum) seed cake: a potential source of high molecular weight arabinoxylans?

Water-soluble polysaccharides were extracted from flaxseed cake and analyzed. Two groups were separated by anion-exchange chromatography. The first one (nonretained) was the major fraction (83%) and possessed a high molecular weight (HMW) arabinoxylan (56%) with an Ara/Xyl ratio of 0.32 and an M(w) of 846 000. This polymer was accompanied by a smaller galactoglucan (44%), with an M(w) of 6.5 x 10(4). The latter group (17%), retained by the gel, was further described as a HMW pectin heterogeneous group, with, respectively, 3.1 x 10(5) and 1.3 x 10(5). Despite the presence of HMW arabinoxylans, the investigation of rheological flow sweep at the concentration of 2% (w/v) has shown a slight shear thinning behavior with a small zero-rate viscosity at 9.6 Pa.s.     

Simultaneous analyses of chromosomes in root meristems and of the biochemical status of needle tissues of three different clones of Norway spruce trees challenged with moderate ozone levels

Biochemical effects of both low and high ozone impact in long-term and short-term experiments are well investigated and documented; however, short-term treatments with moderate ozone levels have revealed divergent information concerning the biochemistry of needle tissues. Damage to the meristems of spruce trees have been found for several ozone treatments, in the form of an enhanced number of chromosomal aberrations, which appeared to be persistent for up to 2 years after the ozone challenge. One of the main aims of the present study was to determine whether a moderate ozone concentration is able to induce damage in needle biochemistry and/or only in the genetic material of root meristems. In the experiment three different clones of Norway spruce trees (Picea abies) were challenged with moderate ozone concentrations (up to 80 nl/l) for 11 weeks in greenhouses. Simultaneous investigations of root tip meristematic cells and the biochemical status of needle tissues regarding antioxidants and pigments were performed at two different sampling times: directly after the ozone treatment and 1 year later. Ozone effects in needles were absent both at the end of the fumigation and also after 1 year, but different clonal behaviour was found. Effect of ozone on chromosomal aberration rates in root tip meristems were observed and also the types of persisting chromosomal aberrations changed within the time course and within the different clones.     

Dermatophytosis due to Microsporum persicolor: a retrospective study of 16 cases

A retrospective study of 16 cases of dermatophytosis due to Microsporum persicolor in dogs is reported. Hunting dogs were overrepresented (12/16). Skin lesions were observed on the face in all cases, but also on other locations (limbs, neck). The lesions included alopecia (15/16), erythema (13/16), scales (14/16), and crusts (13/16). Histopathology was performed in 10 cases and showed folliculitis and a lichenoid interface dermatitis. Fungal culture was positive in all cases and clinical resolution was achieved with standard antifungal agents (enilconazole, ketoconazole, griseofulvin). Two recurrences were observed (new contacts with rodents).     

Isotopic dating of strain fringe increments: duration and rates of deformation in shear zones

The time scales over which deformation in the Earth's crust remains localized in shear zones are poorly known, as are the associated strain rates. We have determined the longevity and rates of deformation using rubidium-strontium (Rb-Sr) microsampling dating of increments of fibrous strain fringes from a Pyrenean shear zone. The fibers grew quasi-continuously through a protracted deformation history between 87 and 50 million years ago, over a period comparable to that of an orogeny. During a short interval between 66 and 62 million years, a rise in strain rate from 1.1 x 10(-15) to 7. 7 x 10(-15) seconds(-1) occurred. This acceleration correlates with an abrupt change in fiber-growth direction and a stress-field inversion from gravitational collapse to renewed horizontal crustal shortening.