Leaf Spot Disease of Broad Bean (vicia faba L.) Caused by Alternaria tenuissima— A New Disease in Japan

Farmers' fields were surveyed for a new disease on broad bean in different parts of Shimane Prefecture. The disease was found in all surveyed fields. The fungus frequently associated with diseased broad bean leaves having the characteristic leaf spot symptom was identified as Alternaria tenuissima, based on morphological characteristics. The initial lesion was brown, water soaked, circular to slightly irregular. Then the lesion enlarged and became concentric. Mature leaves had coalescing necrosis surrounded by yellowing. Older leaves of the plant were particularly affected. In a later stage of the disease, the leaves became blighted from the margin to the center and most of the diseased plants defoliated. In severely infected fields, circular to irregularly shaped lesions also appeared on stems and pods, and plants defoliated completely. All tested isolates were pathogenic to broad bean leaves. Different isolates of the fungus varied in pathogenicity on different broad bean cultivars. In a comparison of symptoms of the disease and morphological characteristics of the isolated fungus with other broad bean diseases, this disease represented a new, as yet undescribed disease of broad bean in Japan. Therefore, we propose the name "leaf spot of broad bean" and "Soramame hanten-by?" in Japanese. Received 12 April 2001/ Accepted in revised form 18 October 2001     

Topography of ganglion cells in the retina of the duck (Anas platyrhynchos var. domesticus)

The purpose of this study was to define ganglion cell density, size and topography in the retina of the mallard duck. After killing adult mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos var. domesticus), their eyes were removed using pentobarbital (30 mg/kg). The retinas were isolated, whole mount specimens were prepared by staining with 0.1% cresyl violet and then fixing the tissues for study. The retinal ganglion cells were counted, mapped and measured. The mean total number of ganglion cells was estimated at approximately 1.7 × 10⁶ and the retinal area centralis had the highest ganglion cell density with 15 820 cells/mm². The number of ganglion cell bodies was highest in the temporal area, followed by the nasal, dorsal and ventral areas. Ganglion cell size ranged from 56 to 406 μm². A population of small ganglion cells persisted into the central area just above the optic disc and the largest soma area was in the ventral zone of the retina. This localization of ganglion cells suggests that the quality of vision is not equal in all the areas of the duck retina and the central part may have the highest vision quality as a function of the retinal ganglion cells.     

Modulation of systemic and mucosal immunity against an inactivated vaccine of Newcastle disease virus by oral co-administration of live attenuated Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium expressing chicken interleukin-18 and interferon-α

Newcastle disease (ND) is a highly contagious disease of chickens causing significant economic losses worldwide. Due to limitations in the efficacy against currently circulating ND viruses, existing vaccination strategies require improvements, and incorporating immunomodulatory cytokines with existing vaccines might be a novel approach. Here, we investigated the systemic and mucosal immunomodulatory properties of oral co-administration of chicken interleukin-18 (chIL-18) and chicken interferon-α (chIFN-α) using attenuated Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium on an inactivated ND vaccine. Our results demonstrate that oral administration of S. enterica serovar Typhimurium expressing chIL-18 or chIFN-α provided enhanced systemic and mucosal immune responses, as determined by serum hemagglutination inhibition antibody and NDV Ag-specific IgG as well as NDV Ag-specific IgA in lung and duodenal lavages of chickens immunized with inactivated ND vaccine via the intramuscular or intranasal route. Notably, combined oral administration of S. enterica serovar Typhimurium expressing chIL-18 and chIFN-α significantly enhanced systemic and mucosal immunity in ND-vaccinated chickens, compared to single administration of S. enterica serovar Typhimurium expressing chIL-18 or chIFN-α. In addition, oral co-administration of S. enterica serovar Typhimurium expressing chIL-18 and chIFN-α provided enhanced NDV Ag-specific proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and Th1-biased cell-mediated immunity, compared to single administration of either construct. Therefore, our results provide valuable insight into the modulation of systemic and mucosal immunity by incorporation of immunomodulatory chIL-18 and chIFN-α using Salmonella vaccines into existing ND vaccines.     

船载投饵装置平衡抖料系统设计与试验

针对船载虾塘投饵装置直接搭载传统投饵机导致破碎率高、下料过程中船体重心偏移大影响螺旋桨吃水深度等问题,设计了一种船载专用投饵装置平衡抖料系统。该系统利用电机带动偏心轮转动产生周期变化的高低差,通过多个支撑架复合式作用使饵料箱体整体平衡抖动,保障均匀下料的同时降低饵料破碎率;采用系统固定支点位置可调的整体抖动下料方式,实现较长距离无损饵料输送,解决了投喂过程船体因重心位置变化大导致尾部驱动部分吃水线变化幅度过大的问题,使得螺旋桨驱动效能更加稳定。通过抖料系统机构数学模型,获得了振动系统最优偏心量;采用力矩平衡方程进行了抖料装置支架最佳点位置分析;开展了电机能耗测试以及转动支架与料箱坡角设计。计算分析得：当偏心量为1.2mm,支点位置（-40,0）时,以额定转速2600r/min直流电机作振动源电机,实际工作功率低于80W,下料速率接近均值1.63kg/min。现场试验表明：与料箱置于尾部相比,船体驱动部分满载和空载吃水变化由10.2cm减小为7.3cm;该投饵装置正常工作速度平均1.03m/s,下料均匀,破碎率低。该系统适应于现场环境,生产和维护成本低,结构简单可靠,便于推广应用,具有较高的实用价值。     

Food selection, electivity and dietary overlap among planktivorous Chinese and Indian major carp fry and fingerlings grown in extensively managed, rain-fed ponds in Bangladesh

Abstract. The fry of four species of planktivorous carp, silver carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (Valenciennes), bighead carp, Aristichthys nobilis (Richardson), rohu, Labeo rohita (Hamilton), and catla, Catla catla (Hamilton), were grown in monoculture in ponds in Mymensingh, Bangladesh in order to determine electivity and the extent of dietary overlap. Other than an avoidance for Cyanobacteria, electivity was found to be low in most instances, although the low productivity of the ponds may have had some influence. Dietary overlap was greatest between catla and silver carp (0–52) and between catla and bighead carp (0–48).     

An accidental fatal attack on domestic pigeons by honey bees in Bangladesh

Fatalities among avian species due to multiple bee stings are rare. Sixteen pigeons on a farm in Bangladesh each suffered multiple bee stings. Ten of the pigeons died before treatment, 5 (4–11 stings) died within 12 hr after treatment, and 1 pigeon (only 3 stings) survived. Body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, hematocrit, hemoglobin, erythrocytes, thrombocytes, MCV, MCH and MCHC decreased significantly after the incident, but leucocytes, heterophils, basophils, eosinophils, monocytes, ALT, AST, LDH, CK, creatinine, BUN and UA increased markedly. Overall, the hematological and biochemical changes in the bee-stung pigeons were similar to those of mammals; however, avian species may be more sensitive to bee stings than mammals.     

ANTIVIRAL EFFECTS OF BACTERIOCIN AGAINST ANIMAL-TO-HUMAN TRANSMITTABLE MUTATED SARS-COV-2: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

• Identification of bacteriocin sources• Classification of bacteriocins• Antiviral pathways of bacteriocinsThe COVID-19 infections caused by SARS-CoV-2 have resulted in millions of people being infected and thousands of deaths globally since November 2019. To date, no unique therapeutic agent has been developed to slow the progression of this pandemic. Despite possessing antiviral traits the potential of bacteriocins to combat SARS-CoV-2 infection has not been fully investigated. This review summarizes the mechanisms by which bacteriocins can be manipulated and implemented as effective virus entry blockers with infection suppression potential properties to highly transmissible viruses through comprehensive immune modulations that are potentially effective against COVID-19. These antimicrobial peptides have been suggested as effective antiviral therapeutics and therapeutic supplements to prevent rapid virus transmission. This review also provides a new insight into the cellular and molecular alterations which have made SARS-CoV-2 self-modified with diversified infection patterns. In addition, the possible applications of antimicrobial peptides through both natural and induced mechanisms in infection prevention perspectives on changeable virulence cases are comprehensively analyzed. Specific attention is given to the antiviral mechanisms of the molecules along with their integrative use with synthetic biology and nanosensor technology for rapid detection. Novel bacteriocin based therapeutics with cutting-edge technologies might be potential substitutes for existing time-consuming and expensive approaches to fight this newly emerged global threat.     

Evaluation of various diets for the optimum growth and survival of larvae of the penaeid prawn Penaeus japonicus Bate

Four types of food were tested to determine their effects on the growth and survival of larvae of the penaeid shrimp Penaeus japonicus Bate. The food types were live cells of Candida utilis (yeast), freeze-dried Candida utilis, microparticulate diet, and microencapsulated diet (commercial product). The diatom Chaetoceros gracilis was fed to larvae as a control. Two sets of experiments were carried out; the first was run in outdoor 1.5 ton tanks, and the second in indoor 1.2 ton tanks. In the outdoor experiment, the best survival and growth from nauplius to postlarva stage were obtained using microparticulate diet. During the first week of culture, freeze-dried Candida utilis resulted in the highest growth and survival among examined diets, but both factors dropped dramatically after the mysis stage. In the indoor experiment, the best growth and survival were obtained using live cells of Candida utilis from nauplius stage to end of mysis stage followed by brine shrimp. Tested diets were analysed for their contents of crude protein, total lipids, total carbohydrates, amino acid profiles and fatty acid contents.     

EWRS Herbicide-Soil Working Group: Collaborative experiment on simazine persistence in soil

The effects of soil temperature and soil moisture content on the rate of simazine degradation were measured in the laboratory in soils from sixteen sites located in several different countries. First-order half-lives under standard incubation conditions were significantly correlated with clay content, organic carbon content and soil pH in a multiple linear regression. The temperature dependence of degradation was similar in the different soils whereas the moisture dependence showed considerable variation between soils. Persistence of simazine was also measured in the same soils in the field and at live additional sites. Weather records from the different sites for the periods of the Held experiments were used in conjunction with constants derived from the laboratory data in a computer program to simulate persistence in the field. In general, the model overestimated residues in the field. About half of the calculated residues were within 25% of those observed, an accuracy sufficient for practical purposes, but on several occasions the discrepancies between calculated and observed residues were greater than 50%. Possible reasons for the discrepancies and requirements for further experiments are discussed.