Dilution of the northern North Atlantic Ocean in recent decades

Declining salinities signify that large amounts of fresh water have been added to the northern North Atlantic Ocean since the mid-1960s. We estimate that the Nordic Seas and Subpolar Basins were diluted by an extra 19,000 +/- 5000 cubic kilometers of freshwater input between 1965 and 1995. Fully half of that additional fresh water-about 10,000 cubic kilometers-infiltrated the system in the late 1960s at an approximate rate of 2000 cubic kilometers per year. Patterns of freshwater accumulation observed in the Nordic Seas suggest a century time scale to reach freshening thresholds critical to that portion of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation.     

Nitrogen Fertilizer Influences Fruit Quality,Soil Nutrients and Cover Crops,Leaf Color and Nitrogen Content,Biennial Bearing and Cold Hardiness of ‘Golden Delicious’

Four rates of ammonium nitrate (NH₄NO₃) (0, 151, 454, and 908 g actual N/tree) were applied each spring for 6 years to ‘Golden Delicious’ (Malus domestica) apple trees. High rates of nitrogen (N) increased N concentration of Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata) blades and increased cover-grass growth whereas various legume species were prevalent at the low rates. Leaf N in spur or mid-terminal leaves increased yearly, and was related to leaf color by visual comparison and reflectance. Fruit from the higher N rates had greener peel and lower firmness, soluble solids content and titratable acidity. In vitro freeze tests indicated trees fertilized with lower rates of N were more cold hardy during the fall, winter and spring than those receiving the higher rates. In a similar long-term study on ‘Delicious,’ cold hardiness was related not only to seasonal temperature cycles and shoot dry matter, but to total sugars and sorbitol content in wood or sap.     

Delivering Actionable Plant Health Knowledge to Smallholder Farmers Through the Plantwise Program

Delivering actionable, high-quality plant health knowledge to smallholder farmers and the extension workers who support them is a major challenge. Few farmers access information via the Internet and remote locations make them difficult to reach. The Plantwise program has been working with local partners to implement processes and delivery channels for reaching more farmers with the agricultural advice they need to grow more and lose less to pests. Responding to feedback, content types and formats have been improved, quality control and updating mechanisms have been implemented, and new tools have been developed to deliver information to all who need it.     

Production of Oocytes of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) for In Vitro Fertilization via Hormonal Treatments

Only a few studies have described hormonal treatments for induction of synchronicity and gamete collection in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), both important for assortative matings in breeding programmes and essential for polyploidy technologies. In this study, we compared the effectiveness of carp pituitary extract (CPE), Nile tilapia pituitary extract (TPE), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and gonadotropin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) protocols on the induction of spawning and egg production in Nile tilapia. Among the hormonal treatments analysed, only hCG was effective for producing viable gametes for in vitro fertilization. To verify the viability of this hormonal treatment, hCG was tested using different doses (1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 and 5000 IU/kg) in a large number of females (208 animals) from two Nile tilapia lines. The results indicated that hCG doses between 1000 and 5000 IU/kg could be used to induce final oocyte maturation in Nile tilapia with collection of stripped oocytes. This is the first study to report differential reproductive responses to hormonal treatment between tilapia lines: line 1 was more efficient at producing eggs and post‐hatching larvae after hCG induction than line 2. In conclusion, we demonstrated that the hCG protocol may be applied on a large scale to induce final oocyte maturation in Nile tilapia. The development of a protocol for in vitro fertilization in Nile tilapia may aid in breeding programmes and biotechnological assays for the development of genetically modified lines of Nile tilapia.     

Temperatures for optimum anthocyanin accumulation in apple tissue

Summary

Skin tissue disks from preclimacteric or climacteric apples were incubated on preset temperature plates and exposed to high intensity white light to find the optimum temperature of anthocyanin accumulation. Pre-climacteric fruit developed more anthocyanin than did tissue from climacteric fruit. Different cultivars showed different temperature optima. Pre-cooling the tissue for 48 h at 2°C before incubation at 25°C increased the amount of pigment that accumulated. The highly colouring Scarlet Spur ‘Delicious’ sport showed a higher rate of anthocyanin accumulation, but a similar temperature optimum to that of Oregon Spur ‘Delicious’.     

Effects of meiotic inhibitors and gonadotrophins on porcine oocytes in vitro maturation,fertilization and development

This study evaluated the effect of three reversible meiotic inhibitors (MINs) and their interaction with gonadotrophins (Gns) on the meiotic maturation and developmental competence of porcine oocytes. In experiment 1, the oocytes were matured for 22 hr in the presence or absence of dbcAMP (1 mM), cycloheximide (7 μM) or cilostamide (20 μM) with or without Gns, and for an additional 22 hr in the absence of MINs and Gns. At 22 hr of maturation, regardless of the presence of Gns, a higher proportion (p < .001) of oocytes cultured in the presence of MINs were effectively arrested at the germinal vesicle stage compared with the oocytes cultured without MINs. At 44 hr of maturation, the proportion of oocytes that reached MII was higher (p < .05) in groups with Gns compared with groups without Gns. In experiment 2, oocytes that were matured as in experiment 1 were inseminated and cultured for 7 days to evaluate fertilization parameters and blastocyst formation. Only oocytes from the dbcAMP + Gns group had higher (p < .05) efficiency of fertilization compared with the other treatment groups. The presence of dbcAMP during maturation also increased (p < .05) blastocyst formation and efficiency of blastocyst formation in both the presence and absence of Gns. These results indicate that the interaction of Gns with the tested MINs improved meiotic progression. In addition, regardless of supplementation with Gns, the presence of dbcAMP during the first maturation period increased and even doubled the capacity of oocytes to develop to the blastocyst stage.     

Pythiosis in a dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius).

A 4.5-yr-old male dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) was evaluated for a mass on the right side of the face. A complete blood count and blood chemistry revealed anemia and hypoproteinemia. Radiographs did not reveal bony involvement. The mass was resected and Pythium insidiosum was cultured. The camel was treated with an experimental immunotherapeutic vaccine and with sodium iodide and ceftiofur. The camel began to lose weight postoperatively and died 6 mo later. At necropsy, the camel was found to have gastritis of the third compartment of the stomach with intralesional hyphae of this oomycete pathogen.