Use of contrast radiography in the investigation of tenosynovitis and bursitis in horses

Contrast radiography, using a 25 per cent solution of sodium diatrizoate, has been used for the investigation of tenosynovitis and bursitis in horses. The procedure was undertaken on a series of 32 clinical cases and on specimens obtained at autopsy. Lesions affecting the extensor tendon sheaths at the carpus, the digital sheath, the tarsal sheath and the bursae at the elbow, hock and fetlock were examined by this means. The results showed the procedure offered the clinician useful information about the nature of the interior of these structures, particularly as regards the presence of adhesions and anastomoses between adjacent sheaths and joint capsules. Together with other clinical and laboratory findings, contrast radiography can assist in assessing the prognosis and in formulating appropriate treatment.     

Rhabdias kongmongthaensis sp. n. (Nematoda: Rhabdiasidae) from Polypedates leucomystax (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae) in Thailand

Rhabdias kongmongthaensis sp. n. is described based on specimens found in the lungs of the tree frog Polypedates leucomystax (Gravenhorst) (Amphibia: Rhacophoridae) from Kanchanaburi Province, western Thailand. The new species is similar to two North-American species, Rhabdias ranae and R. americanus, by presence of two lateral pseudolabia, each with two inner submedian protuberances. R. kongmongthaensis differs from both species by relative length and shape of the tail, and by its distribution and host specificity. Presence of lateral pseudolabia distinguishes the new species from the geographically closest Rhabdias species as well as from those parasitizing other rhacophorid frogs.     

Surgical remodelling of the femoral trochlea: an experimental study.

Surgical deepening of the groove in the femoral trochlea is a technique commonly employed in the correction of patellar dislocation in dogs. In order to discover how this deep articular defect repairs the operation was studied experimentally in young goats. Observations were made on the appearance of the trochlea and the histologic changes that had taken place after approximately six, 12, and 40 weeks. The abraded groove became filled with fibrocartilage with a relatively smooth surface and it articulated freely with the patella. The majority of the replacement tissues arose by differentiation of the granulation tissue which initially filled the groove, but there appeared to have been some contribution made by the hyaline cartilage at the margins of the groove.     

Attempts to transferRubus andFragaria viruses into herbaceous hosts

Attempts were made to transfer several types of viruses affectingRubus andFragaria species to herbaceous hosts of low tannin content. Despite use of phosphate buffers, nicotine sulphate solutions, and various lyophilization techniques, all inoculations were unsuccessful.Samenvatting Er werden pogingen ondernomen, verschillende typen van mozaïekvirussen van framboos en van aardbei met sap op kruidachtige, weinig of geen looistoffen bevattende planten over te brengen. Er werd gebruik gemaakt van fosfaatbuffers, van oplossingen van nicotinesulfaat en van droogvries-methoden vooraf de looistoffen uit het materiaal te verwijderen. De resultaten van de inoculatieproeven waren echter alle negatief.

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Research carried on at the Instiuut voor Plantenziektenkundig Onderzoek, Wageningen, Nederland. Supported in part by a fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, New York.

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Technical Paper No. 944 of the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station. Contribution of the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology of this Station, and of the Instituut voor Plantenziektenkundig Onderzoek (I.P.G.), Wageningen.     

Chlamydiales in guinea-pigs and their zoonotic potential

The aim was to detect and characterize chlamydial infections in guinea-pigs (GP) with ocular disease, study their pathogenicity and zoonotic potential and to test for the presence of Acanthamoebae spp. in GP eyes and to investigate whether they could act as vectors for Chlamydia-like organisms. Overall 126 GP, of which 77 were symptomatic, were screened by clinical examination, cytology, gross pathology, histology, immunohistochemistry, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and bacteriology. A new Chlamydiaceae-specific intergenic spacer rRNA gene PCR, designed to amplify this segment linking the 16S and 23S regions, was performed. DNA samples were also received from one owner including samples of his cat and rabbit. Guinea-pigs: 48 of 75 symptomatic, but only 11 of 48 asymptomatic GP were positive by PCR for Chlamydophila caviae guinea-pig inclusion conjunctivitis (GPIC) (P < 0.0001). Eighteen of 75 or 15/48, respectively, were positive for DNA from Chlamydia-like organisms. Acanthamoebae-DNA could be found in two GP, of which one was symptomatic. Owner, cat and rabbit: Samples of all three species were positive by PCR for C. caviae GPIC and the owner's one-day disposable contact lenses showed a positive PCR result for the Chlamydia-like organism Parachlamydia acanthamoebae. No Acanthamoebae-DNA could be detected. This study is the first to describe Chlamydia-like organisms in GP and to detect C. caviae GPIC in human, cat and rabbit. Therefore, C. caviae GPIC could pose a zoonotic potential. We believe that the finding of C. caviae GPIC in species other than GP is probably not unique.     

Evaluation of soybean germplasm conserved in NIAS genebank and development of mini core collections

Genetic variation and population structure among 1603 soybean accessions, consisted of 832 Japanese landraces, 109 old and 57 recent Japanese varieties, 341 landrace from 16 Asian countries and 264 wild soybean accessions, were characterized using 191 SNP markers. Although gene diversity of Japanese soybean germplasm was slight lower than that of exotic soybean germplasm, population differentiation and clustering analyses indicated clear genetic differentiation among Japanese cultivated soybeans, exotic cultivated soybeans and wild soybeans. Nine hundred ninety eight Japanese accessions were separated to a certain extent into groups corresponding to their agro-morphologic characteristics such as photosensitivity and seed characteristics rather than their geographical origin. Based on the assessment of the SNP markers and several agro-morphologic traits, accessions that retain gene diversity of the whole collection were selected to develop several soybean sets of different sizes using an heuristic approach; a minimum of 12 accessions can represent the observed gene diversity; a mini-core collection of 96 accession can represent a major proportion of both geographic origin and agro-morphologic trait variation. These selected sets of germplasm will provide an effective platform for enhancing soybean diversity studies and assist in finding novel traits for crop improvement.