Increased phloridzin content associated with russeting in apple (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Malus domestica</Emphasis> (Suckow) Borkh.) fruit

Phloridzin is a phenolic compound unique to apple (Malus domestica (Suckow) Borkh.) and its wild relatives. Since its discovery, phloridzin has been researched for its nutraceutical properties, including anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, and antioxidant activities, making phloridzin a potential target for nutritional improvement in new apple cultivars. However, phloridzin accumulates at significantly lower concentrations in fruit than in vegetative tissues and seeds. In ‘Golden Delicious’ and its sports, we observed higher phloridzin content in peels of sports with a cuticle disorder termed russet. In russeted apples, the smooth, waxy fruit cuticle is partially or entirely replaced by a corky layer, induced through environmental and genetic effects. To understand the variation of phloridzin content and fruit russet in apple fruit, we surveyed 108 accessions with variation in russeting from the USDA-ARS Malus germplasm collection in Geneva, NY. Russeting in apple fruit ranged from 0 to 100%, and phloridzin content ranged from 24.3 to 825.0 μg/g in peels. Mean phloridzin content varied significantly between russeting groups; in groups with light (0–5%), medium–high (70–80%), and high (90–100%) russeting mean phloridzin content was 115.2, 591.2, and 378.8 μg/g, respectively. We observed that genetic factors and russeting are strong predictors of phloridzin content in peels, but not fruit flesh or leaves. Conversely, other peel phenolics are negatively associated with russeting. We observed variable phloridzin content related to russet incidence during fruit development in ‘Golden Delicious’ (low to medium russet) and its sports, ‘Empress Spur’ (low russet), ‘Razor’ (complete russet), and ‘Sergeant Russet’ (medium to high russet).     

Proximal remote sensing to differentiate nonviruliferous and viruliferous insect vectors – proof of concept and importance of input data robustness

Proximal remote sensing is being widely studied as a noninvasive method to partially automate diagnostics of plants and insects. The hypothesis that proximal remote sensing can be used to differentiate specimens of adult beet leafhoppers (Circulifer tenellus) that were nonviruliferous or viruliferous for beet curly top virus (BCTV) was tested. A key aspect of applications of proximal remote sensing is the ‘robustness’ or repeatability of input reflectance data. Many factors may contribute to low input reflectance data robustness; these include: (i) issues related to the consistency of proximal remote sensing conditions (light intensity and spectral composition, ambient temperature), (ii) insect specimen preparation (projection angle, storage and handling), and (iii) insect specimen characteristics (age, growing conditions, variety/biotype, host plant). This study demonstrates that nonviruliferous and viruliferous specimens of adult beet leafhoppers possess unique body reflectance features and, therefore, can be differentiated. However, insect specimen preparation (removal of wings and placement) markedly affected the classification accuracy. Addition of experimental noise to input reflectance data was conducted to simulate varying degrees of input reflectance data robustness. The potential of developing reflectance-based diagnostic tools for detection of plant pathogenic viruses in insects is discussed, with an emphasis on input data robustness.     

Antigenic stability of fimbriae of Bacteroides nodosus

Successful vaccination of sheep against footrot and attempts to eradicate the disease depend on there being a limit to the antigenic diversity of the causative bacterium, Bacteroides nodosus. Fimbrial antigenic variation was therefore investigated in vivo, both under conditions of chronic infection and under the pressure of a vaccine-induced immune response, to ascertain whether this represented an obstacle to such goals. Material was available from 5 experiments and although B. nodosus appeared to have undergone changes in its fimbrial antigens in one of these, the possibility that superinfection was responsible for the variation detected could not be ruled out because all sheep in this case were maintained at pasture. Overall, the results provided no evidence of fimbrial antigenic shift in B. nodosus in vivo and in conclusion, the survival of the organism in the sheep's foot, both in long-term natural infection and following vaccination, must therefore be related to factors other than the ability to undergo antigenic variation in order to evade the host's immune response.     

Inoculum Densities of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum and Meloidogyne incognita in Relation to the Development of Fusarium Wilt and the Phenology of Cotton Plants (Gossypium hirsutum)

ABSTRACT Development of Fusarium wilt in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) usually requires infections of plants by both Meloidogyne incognita and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum. In this study, the soil densities of M. incognita and F. oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum and the incidence of Fusarium wilt in three field sites were determined in 1982-1984. Multiple regression analysis of percent incidence of Fusarium wilt symptoms on population densities of M. incognita and F. oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum yielded a significant fit (R (2) = 0.64) only on F. oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum. Significant t-values for slope were also obtained for the interaction of M. incognita and F. oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum, but densities of M. incognita and F. oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum were also related on a log(10) scale. The physiological time of appearance of first foliar symptoms of Fusarium wilt, based on a degree-days threshold of 11.9 degrees C (53.5 degrees F), was used as a basis for determining disease progress curves and the phenology of cotton plant growth and development. Effects of Fusarium wilt on plant height and boll set were determined in three successive years. Increases in both of these plant characteristics decreased or stopped before foliar symptoms were apparent. Seed cotton yields of plant cohorts that developed foliar wilt symptoms early in the season (before 2,000 F degree-days) were variable but not much different in these years. This contrasted with cohorts of plants that first showed foliar symptoms late in the season (after 2,400 F degree-days) and cohorts of plants that showed no foliar symptoms of wilt. Regression analyses for 1982-1984 indicated moderate to weak correlations (r = 0.16-0.74) of the time of appearance of the first foliar symptoms and seed cotton yields.     

Antimicrobial susceptibility of bacteria isolated from neonatal foal samples submitted to a New Zealand veterinary pathology laboratory (2004 to 2013)

AIMS: To describe antimicrobial susceptibility, and identify antimicrobial resistance (AMR), in bacteria isolated from New Zealand foals.

METHODS: A database search was performed of submissions to a veterinary pathology laboratory between April 2004 and December 2013 for bacterial culture of samples from foals <3 weeks of age. Culture and susceptibility results were compiled with demographic information. Susceptibility results were as defined for the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion susceptibility test based on Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. Multi-drug resistance (MDR) was defined as non-susceptibility to ≥3 of a panel of antimicrobials (ceftiofur, enrofloxaxin, gentamicin, penicillin, tetracycline, trimethoprim-sulfonamide); penicillin susceptibility was not included for Gram-negative isolates.

RESULTS: Submissions from 102 foals were examined, and 127 bacterial isolates were cultured from 64 (63%) foals. Of the 127 isolates, 32 (25%) were Streptococcus spp., 30 (24%) were Staphylococcus spp., 12 (10%) were Enterococcus spp. and 26 (21%) were Escherichia coli. Of 83 Gram-positive isolates, 57 (69%) were susceptible to penicillin. Over all isolates, 92/126 (73%) were susceptible to gentamicin and 117/126 (93%) to enrofloxacin; 62/82 (76%) of Gram-positive, and 22/42 (52%) of Gram-negative bacteria were susceptible to ceftiofur; 53/81 (65%) of Gram-positive, and 23/44 (52%) of Gram-negative bacteria were susceptible to tetracycline; 59/82 (72%) of Gram-positive, and 23/44 (43%) of Gram-negative bacteria were susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfonamide. Of 126 isolates, 33 (26%) had MDR; >1 isolate with MDR was cultured from 24/64 (38%) foals, and ≥2 isolates with MDR were recovered from 8/64 (13%) foals.

CONCLUSIONS: Multi-drug resistance, including resistance to commonly used antimicrobials, was found in bacterial isolates from foals in New Zealand.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The results of this study are of concern from a treatment perspective as they indicate a potential for antimicrobial treatment failure. For future surveillance of AMR and the creation of national guidelines, it is important to record more data on samples submitted for bacterial culture.     

Frozen and Unfrozen Water Contents of Wheat Flours and Their Components

The properties of frozen and unfrozen water in two different wheat flours (hard and soft), and in their main components (gluten, starch, damaged starch, water‐soluble and water‐insoluble pentosans), were described using modulated differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). As a reference, enthalpy values of crystallization (298 J/g) and melting (335 J/g) of pure water were determined from the total heat flow curves. The separation of thermal events between the reversing and nonreversing heat flows with modulated DSC was not effective due to disturbances in the modulated temperature scan. For wheat flours and their components, linear regressions described well the changes in frozen water content calculated from enthalpies of freezing (R² = 0.970–0.982) or melting (R² = 0.783–0.996). The unfrozen water content (UFWC) calculated for the hard wheat flour (29–31%, db) was close to that calculated for the soft wheat flour (30–32%). The UFWC of wheat gluten (38–47%), starch (38–42%), damaged starch (37–40%), water‐soluble pentosans (51%), and water‐insoluble pentosans (40–44%) were higher than the corresponding values for the flours. The simple summation of the contributions of each component cannot be used to estimate the overall behavior of flours.     

Contribution of Specific Flour Components to Water Vapor Adsorption Properties of Wheat Flours

The dynamic water vapor adsorption properties were determined for two wheat flours (hard wheat flour and soft wheat flour) and compared with those of flour components (starch, damaged starch, gluten, water‐soluble pentosans, and water‐insoluble pentosans). Water vapor adsorption rates were determined from the changes in sample mass as a function of time during hydration after a step increase in relative humidity (rh). It was not possible to significantly discriminate the selected products by initial rates of adsorption (5.1 × 10^‐2 to 6.4 × 10^‐2 g/100 g of dry matter/min), except the water‐insoluble pentosans that were characterized by high values of adsorption rates (14 × 10^‐2 g/100 g of dry matter/min). Changes in initial relative humidity conditions and %rh step sizes induced significant changes in adsorption rates. Calculations of apparent water diffusion coefficients were done using a derived form of Fick's law for polydisperse spherical particles. Apparent water diffusion coefficients (at 25°C and 60% rh) were estimated between 2.19 × 10^‐15 and 3.72 × 10^‐15 m²/sec for the selected wheat flours. Water‐insoluble pentosans are characterized by the highest values of diffusion coefficients (1.53 × 10^‐13 m²/sec) when compared with the other wheat components. The calculated values of apparent water diffusion coefficient were discussed in regard to experimental conditions.