Host status of cover crops for root-lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus spp.) associated with apple orchards in South Africa

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - The host response of 17 cover crop cultivars to infection by single-species populations of Pratylenchus hippeastri, Pratylenchus vulnus and Pratylenchus...     

Canine squamous cell carcinoma: Electrochemotherapy association with surgery and correlation with overall survival

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is an important malignancy in dogs, due to its incidence and clinical presentation, which can be of locally aggressive single or multiple lesions with a metastatic potential. The objective of this investigation was to evaluate SCC response to treatment, anatomopathological and immunohistochemical characteristics, disease-free interval and overall survival time. 54 dogs with histopathologically diagnosed SCC were included in this study. Their mean age was 9.16 years with a range of 1–14 years. Of the 54 animals in the study, 34 (65.4%) had white skin and white fur coats. There was a significant correlation between fur coat colour and the development of tumours in areas of sun exposure (p = .001). Animals with tumours in areas of the body exposed to the sun had longer overall survival time than animals with tumours in areas not associated with sun exposure (p = .001). Surgery combined with electrochemotherapy (ECT) yielded a survival rate 32% higher than using a surgical approach alone (HR = 0.32, p = .038, IC = 0.11–0.94). ECT, with or without surgery, had an objective response rate of 90.9%. Local lymph node and/or distant site metastasis at diagnosis, or at some point during follow-up, occurred in 34.6% (18/52) of animals. Animals with tumours in sun exposed locations had more aggressive histopathological characteristics but had longer overall survival time. This is probably due to individualised therapeutic treatment with both surgery and ECT.     

高含沙水流水轮机转轮的改型与抗磨蚀研究

进行高含沙水流水轮机转轮的改型研究，关键是要从正确确定转轮设计参数和轴面流道型式入手，根据三维水力设计理论，考虑导叶与转轮匹配关系进行叶型设计，针对不同破坏机理选择强磨蚀区采用金属喷涂或非金属保护等综合措施，使水轮机在高舍沙水流中运行时出力增加、抗磨蚀能力提高。     

A comparison of soil- and canopy temperature-based methods for the early detection of water stress in a simulated patch of pasture

This paper evaluates the sensitivity of two different methods of water stress detection in a simulated patch of pasture grown in a greenhouse. The performance of two indices, based respectively on canopy temperature and soil water content values — the latter gauged by means of a time domain reflectometry (TDR) system, was assessed against actual evapotranspiration, measured by a very accurate weighing system. Both methods were able to detect water shortage by the time transpiration was reduced to some 80% of its potential value. The soil-based index, however, relied on the estimate of root water extraction rate, which may not be known. It is concluded that detection of water shortage by means of a canopy temperature-based stress index is to be preferred to measuring soil water deficits by time domain reflectometry, despite the accuracy of the TDR-based soil water content estimate.     

Is partial root-zone drying an effective irrigation technique to improve water use efficiency and fruit quality in field-grown wine grapes under semiarid conditions?

We investigated the effects of partial root-zone drying (PRD) applied at different periods on leaf water relations, vegetative development, fruit yield, must and wine quality in wine grapes (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Monastrell) during a 3-year field experiment in order to determine the importance of the timing of PRD application on physiological and agronomical vine response under semiarid conditions. Two irrigation treatments were applied: conventional drip irrigation (CI) and PRD. Both treatments received the same annual water quantity. Each year the PRD treatment was applied at different periods of the growth cycle. In 1999 PRD was applied from veraison to harvest (end July–early September); in 2000 from fruit set to harvest (mid June–early September); and in 2001 PRD from budburst to harvest (mid April–early September). Leaf water relations and gas exchange during the experimental period were not significantly affected by PRD treatment. In 1999 and 2000 there was no significant treatment effect on vegetative development, yield or fruit quality. However, in 2001 (when PRD was applied from budburst to harvest), reproductive and vegetative development was clearly altered in PRD vines. Fruit set percentage and vegetative development (shoot length, pruning weight and primary and lateral leaf area) were significantly increased in PRD vines compared to CI. This resulted in both higher yield (kg per vine) (43%) and water use efficiency (40%) compared to CI vines. Berry number per cluster and cluster weight were also significantly increased in PRD vines. Notwithstanding higher yield in PRD vines and a similar berry size, the must and wine quality was not significantly altered, indicating a higher synthesis and accumulation of photoassimilates and metabolites in the berries of PRD vines. We conclude that there was an positive effect on vegetative and reproductive growth when long-term PRD was applied from the beginning of growing season (budburst), suggesting that early onset of PRD is desirable to intensify PRD response under these semiarid conditions. Nevertheless from these results we need to further investigate the long- and short-term effects of PRD, with moderate water amounts, on vegetative and reproductive development such as flowering and fruit set processes in wine grapes.     

MicroLEIS: A microcomputer-based Mediterranean land evaluation information system

Abstract. A computer-based land evaluation information system (MicroLEIS) was developed for optimal use of agricultural and forestry land systems under Mediterranean conditions. Through an interactive procedure several land capability, suitability and yield prediction methods may be applied. The system addresses land evaluation at reconnaissance, semi-detailed and detailed scales in an interrelated manner. Biophysical land evaluation methods are incorporated using empirical, scale-appropriate models, which range from purely qualitative (reconnaissance) through semi-quantitative (semi-detailed) to quantitative (detailed). This software is helpful for teaching, research and development, predicting appropriate agroforestry land uses. Its use is illustrated by an example.
MicroLEIS runs on IBM PC, XT, AT, or a compatible microcomputer with at least 128 kilobytes of RAM and a PC-DOS or MS-DOS version 2.0 or later operating system. The software package on double or high density diskettes can be obtained from the first author.     

Potential chemical time bombs in the schelde estuary

The Schelde estuary is heavily polluted with many different (micro)pollutants. This results in high concentrations in the abiotic and biotic compartments of the Schelde estuary and in various effects. the present day suboxic and anoxic conditions in the upper estuary are probably responsible for the high distribution coefficients for some trace metals in the lower Schelde estuary (Western Schelde). a future reduction in discharges with a high biological oxygen demand will therefore not only result in higher oxygen concentrations, but probably also in lower distribution coefficients for trace metals in the Western Schelde. Simulations show that lower trace metal distribution coefficients will probably result in higher concentrations of dissolved (bioavailable) trace metals, even with substantially reduced discharge rates, due to the desorption of trace metals from resuspended bottom sediments.     

A New Bioassay Platform Design for the Discovery of Small Molecules with Anticancer Immunotherapeutic Activity

Immunotherapy takes advantage of the immune system to prevent, control, and eliminate neoplastic cells. The research in the field has already led to major breakthroughs to treat cancer. In this work, we describe a platform that integrates in vitro bioassays to test the immune response and direct antitumor effects for the preclinical discovery of anticancer candidates. The platform relies on the use of dendritic cells that are professional antigen-presenting cells (APC) able to activate T cells and trigger a primary adaptive immune response. The experimental procedure is based on two phenotypic assays for the selection of chemical leads by both a panel of nine tumor cell lines and growth factor-dependent immature mouse dendritic cells (D1). The positive hits are then validated by a secondary test on human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDCs). The aim of this approach is the selection of potential immunotherapeutic small molecules from natural extracts or chemical libraries.