Teratogenicity testing of BI 58 EC (38% dimethoate) in chicken embryos with special respect to degradation of the active ingredient.

The insecticide formulation BI 58 EC was tested for teratogenicity in chicken embryos, with particular reference to degradation of the active ingredient (dimethoate) after the treatment of embryonated eggs. The pesticide was diluted in water to a concentration level of 0.8%, and the emulsion was injected into the air space in a volume of 0.1 ml/egg, or hen's eggs were treated by the immersion technique. Residues of dimethoate were measured in the samples on days, 13, 15 and 19 of the incubation of chicken embryos, and morphological examinations were performed simultaneously. Analytical chemistry data indicated a slower degradation of dimethoate in embryos after the immersion of eggs, and cyllosis was remarkable in this group among the sporadic developmental anomalies. The liver tissues of both treated groups exhibited severe fatty infiltration.     

Investigation of Cervical Patency and Uterine Appearance in Domestic Cats by Fluoroscopy and Scintigraphy

The cervical patency of six domestic female cats was monitored under sedation by infusion of contrast medium (Omnipaque) into the cranial vagina during early oestrus, mid‐oestrus, late oestrus and interoestrus or a radiopharmaceutical (^99mTc‐HSA) during mid‐ and interoestrus in a non‐ovulatory oestrous cycle. The transport of the contrast medium or the radiopharmaceutical through the cervix and within the uterine horns was observed under fluoroscopy and with the aid of scintigraphy. In three of the queens, transcervical transport of contrast medium was demonstrated in all stages of oestrus, in one queen during mid‐oestrus, late oestrus and 1 day after oestrus, and in two queens only during late oestrus. The relations between the cervical patency to the contrast medium and the oestrous behaviour, cornification of the vaginal cells and the serum oestradiol‐17β concentration were evaluated, and a relationship was found between the cervical patency and the degree of vaginal cornification. Transcervical transport of the radiopharmaceutical was observed in three queens during mid‐oestrus. When the cervix was open, hysterography under a fluoroscope and hysteroscintigraphy were performed. The fluoroscopic and scintigraphic recordings revealed the patterns of the uterine contractions during oestrus in both ascending and descending directions, and the movement of the uterine contents back and forth between the uterine horns. The hysterograms were classified according to the shape of the uterine horns and the appearance of the endometrial lining. Spiral‐shaped uterine horns with a smooth inner contour were observed in two queens, and a corkscrew appearance with irregular filling defects in the uterine lumen was shown in two queens that had developed subclinical cystic endometrial hyperplasia. These findings demonstrated that fluids or particles deposited in the cranial vagina of the cat can be transported into the uterus during some stages of the oestrous cycle. The fluoroscopic and scintigraphic techniques developed in this study may be further modified to permit more detailed studies of uterine contractile patterns and sperm transport in the feline female reproductive tract. Hysterography proved useful to diagnose uterine disease. The information on cervical patency is of value also for the development of techniques for artificial insemination in this species, and should be studied also in the ovulatory cycle.     

Arbovirus isolations from mosquitoes in South Slovakia.

In the years 1973 and 1975 mosquitoes and some other Diptera (Tabanidae, Simuliidae, Hippoboscidae) were tested for virus. 13,924 mosquitoes, 75 horseflies and 60 blackflies were processed in 1973. Five strains of Tahyna virus were isolated from mosquito species Aedes vexans. 3,378 mosquitoes and 12 sheep keds were tested for virus in 1975. Twelve strains of Calovo virus were isolated from Anopheles maculipennis and one strain of Tahyna virus was obtained from Aedes vexans mosquitoes.     

PCR Assay for Identification of Aspergillus Carbonarius and Aspergillus Japonicus

Black Aspergilli, and in particular Aspergillus carbonarius, are the main causes of contamination of grapes and their by-products by ochratoxin A. A PCR-based method was developed to detect DNA of A. carbonarius and A. japonicus. Two pairs of primers (CARBO1/2 and JAPO1/2) designed from the calmodulin gene, produced PCR products of 371 and 583 bp for A. carbonarius and A. japonicus, respectively. Primer specificity was tested with DNA of 107 strains belonging to Aspergillus section Nigri isolated mostly from grapes in Europe. The sensitivity of primers CARBO1/2 and JAPO1/2 was 12.5 pg when using pure total genomic DNA of the two species. The developed primers provide a powerful tool for detection of the main ochratoxigenic producing Aspergillus species in grapes.     

Recent research in Roumania on blackleg and bacterial soft rot of potato

Summary Potato blackleg has been known in Roumania for more than 35 years, but has become increasingly serious in recent times. The disease is mainly restricted to the central and northern regions, which have a rainy climate with moderate temperatures. In areas where the climate is warm and dry, the disease appears only sporadically, and even then, its development is slow. The principal means of transmission of the disease from one year to another is by infected tubers, the causal organ does not persist long in unsterile soil. Potato blackleg and soft rot in Roumania is produced not only byE. atroseptica, for an important part in the disease complex especially in storage is played by the bacteriaE. carotovora andE. aroideae. E. atroseptica, owing to its special preference for the stems of the plants, is considered as the principal pathogenic agent, while the other two organisms occur more frequently in the tubers. It is considered that the divergent characteristics of the organisms justify keeping them as two or even three separate species and not as variants of a single species.

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Zusammenfassung In den Jahren 1961 bis 1963 wurden am Biologischen Institut Traian Savulescu in Bukarest, Rum?nien, Untersuchungen durchgeführt über die Verbreitung der Schwarzbeinigkeit bei Kartoffeln im Zusammenhang mit den klimatischen Verh?ltnissen in Rum?nien, mit den Bedingungen, unter welchen die Infektion und die übertragung der Krankheit stattfindet, mit der Etiologie der Krankheit in Rum?nien und mit gewissen charakteristischen Eigenschaften der Krankheitserreger. Kartoffel-Schwarzbeinigkeit ist in Rum?nien schon seit mehr als 35 Jahren bekannt, aber in letzter Zeit hat sie ernstere Formen angenommen. Die Infektion im Feld schwankt von 1–15% und nimmt w?hrend der Lagerung zu. Die Krankheit beschr?nkt sich haupts?chlich auf die zentralen und n?rdlichen Regionen des Landes, wo ein regnerisches Klima mit m?ssigen Temperaturen vorherrscht. Im Süden, wo Frühling und Sommer in der Regel heiss und trocken sind, scheint sie eigentlich nicht vorzukommen, selbst nicht in Feldern, die mit Knollen aus befallenen Gebieten bepflanzt sind. Es ist festgestellt worden, dass die übertragung dieser Krankheit von einem Jahr auf das andere haupts?chlich durch befallene Knollen geschieht. Der Boden bildet nur in dem Mass eine Infektionsquelle, als er nicht verfaulte Reste von kranken Pflanzen enth?lt. Es wurde dargelegt, dass die Bakterien in nicht sterilem Boden ihre überlebensf?higkeit rasch verlieren (Tabelle 1). Was die Etiologie der Schwarzbeinigkeit betrifft, wurde herausgefunden, dass nebenErwinia atroseptica—in Rum?nien bis jetzt als die einzige Ursache dieser Krankheit angenommen — auchE. carotovora undE. aroideae, speziell w?hrend der Lagerung, eine wichtige Rolle im Krankheitskomplex spielen. Unsere Beobachtungen und Untersuchungen haben ergeben, dassE. atroseptica der Hauptkrankheitserreger im Feld ist, der besonders die Stengel bef?llt. Die beiden andern Bakterien kommen ebenfalls vor, doch werden sie gew?hnlich auf den Knollen am Lager gefunden, wo sie — unter günstigen Bedingungen — einen viel h?ufigeren Befall erzeugen k?nnen alsE. atroseptica. Es wurde festgestellt, dass sowohl Eigenschaften, wie der Grad der Pathogenit?t an Stengeln und Knollen, Reaktionen auf Zuckern und besonders das Verhalten auf Maltose und auf durchtr?nktes Korn-Pepton-Glukose-Agar-Medium, das Wachstum bei hohen Temperaturen (Tabelle 2) und serologische Reaktionen (Tabelle 3) wie auch toxische und immunologische Wirkungen auf Tiere bei der Unterscheidung der drei Bakterien von Nutzen sind. Es wird darauf hingewiesen, dass die hier berichteten Ergebnisse die Ansicht jener Forscher best?rken und rechtfertigen, die glauben, dass die drei Bakterien als verschiedene Arten betrachtet werden sollten.

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Résumé A l'Institut de Biologie Traian Savulescu à Bucarest. Roumanie, les recherches suivantes ont été effectuées durant la période 1961–1963; l'apparition de la maladie de la jambe noire en relation avec les conditions climatiques en Roumanie, les conditions sous lesquelles ont lieu l'infection et la transmission de la maladie, l'étiologie de la maladie en Roumanie et certains caractères des pathogènes. La jambe noire de la Pomme de terre est connue en Roumanie depuis plus de 35 ans mais est devenue progressivement grave dans les derniers temps. L'infection dans les champs varie de 1 à 15% et augmente pendant la conservation. La maladie est essentiellement limitée aux régions du centre et du nord du pays qui ont un climat pluvieux et des températures modérées. Dans le sud, où le printemps et l'été sont habituellement chauds et secs, la jambe noire semble être réellement absente, même dans les champs plantés avec des tubercules provenant de régions infectées. Il a été établi que la transmission de la maladie d'une année à l'autre a lieu principalement par les tubercules infectés, le sol étant la source d'infection dans la seule mesure où il contient des restes non détruits de plantes malades. Il a été démontré que les bactéries perdent rapidement leur viabilité dans les sols non stériles (Tableau 1). Concernant l'étiologie de la jambe noire, on a trouvé que outreErwinia atroseptica que, jusqu'à présent, on croyait être la seule cause de la maladie en Roumanie,E. carotovora etE. aroideae jouent également un r?le important, spécialement pendant la conservation. Selon nos observations et expériences,E. atroseptica est le principal agent pathogène dans le champ, montrant une préférence marquée pour les tiges, tandis qu'apparaissent aussi les deux autres bactéries qui, toutefois, sont plus communément trouvées sur les tubercules pendant la conservation; à ce moment, sous des conditions favorables, les attaques de ces dernières peuvent être beaucoup plus grandes que celles deE. atroseptica. Les déterminations des comportements suivants se sont révélées pleinement utiles pour différencier les trois bactéries: les degrés d'attaques sur tiges et tubercules, les réactions sur sucres et spécialement leurs réactions sur maltose et sur milieu agar glucose peptone de grains trempés, leur développement à hautes températures (Tpableau 2) et leurs réactions sérologiques (Tpableau 3) aussi bien comme effets toxiques qu'immunologiques sur les animaux. Les résultats rapportés ici prouvent et développent les vues de ces chercheurs qui croient que les trois bactéries seraient à considérer comme espèces séparées.

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Paper read to the Pathology Section of the Second Triennial Conference of the European Association for Potato Research, Italy, September 1963.     

Storage performance of clementines treated with hot water,sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate dips

Summary

The potential of using hot water (2.5 min at 45°C), 2% sodium carbonate or 2% sodium bicarbonate solutions alone or combined with hot water, for control of Penicillium digitatum (green mould) was investigated on commecially ripe clementines. The effect of such treatments on the post-harvest storage life of clementines was determined during two months analysing weight loss, increase in rind deformation and internal maturity. Carbonate and bicarbonate solutions effectively control green mould during storage but hot water does not. Compared with the control and hot-water treated fruits, clementines treated with carbonate and, to a lesser extend with bicarbonate, showed higher weight loss and lower firmness during storage. In contrast, lower increase in ripening index was found when the fruits were treated with carbonate or bicarbonate. Fruits treated with hot water alone or combined with carbonate exhibited no change in ripening during the first month of storage. Rinsing the fruit significantly reduces weight and firmness loss in the fruits treated with carbonate and bicarbonate, but did not change the ripening index. The primary finding of this work was that carbonate and bicarbonate treatments might significantly increase the loss in weight and firmness during storage. Rinsing the fruit immediately after treatment appeared to be a simple solution to avoid these losses in quality.     

A multicentric retrospective study of serum/plasma urea and creatinine concentrations in dogs using univariate and multivariate decision rules to evaluate diagnostic efficiency

BACKGROUND: Urea and creatinine are the most frequently used indirect markers in plasma and serum of glomerular filtration rate in dogs. Both have been shown to lack sensitivity but their diagnostic efficiency for the diagnosis of kidney disease has been minimally investigated. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate the influence of possible factors of variation on both analytes and to determine whether specific decision rules should be drawn up for subpopulations of dogs. METHODS: The results of urea and creatinine measurements, breed, sex, age, and health status (healthy, renal disease, or nonrenal disease) of 3822 dogs were collected from the archives of 5 veterinary clinics. Data were analyzed with univariate and multivariate decision rules with and without adjustment. RESULTS: There were significant effects and interactions of almost all of the sources of variation. Slight improvements in diagnostic efficiency were obtained by adjusting the decision rules to these sources of variations. Univariate decision rules gave approximately the same diagnostic efficiency for urea and creatinine concentrations, with sensitivity and specificity in the range of 70% and 90%, respectively, using the upper limit of the reference interval as the threshold value. Multivariate decision rules provided only minor improvements in diagnostic efficiency. CONCLUSION: Simultaneous measurement of both urea and creatinine is of limited diagnostic value over the analysis of a single variable. Creatinine is the preferred analyte as it is affected by fewer extrarenal factors of variation.     

Black carbon estimation in French calcareous soils using chemo‐thermal oxidation method

We studied the black carbon (BC) content of ca. 405 samples from French topsoil and artificial soil and carbonate mixtures. Our protocol involved three main steps: (i) decarbonation by HCl, (ii) elimination of non‐pyrogenic organic carbon in a furnace at 375 °C, and (iii) quantification of residual carbon by CHN analysis. BC content increased for calcareous soils according to their carbonates content. Subsequent analyses confirmed the existence of a methodological artefact for BC determination only in calcareous soils. Decarbonation changes the thermal properties of organic matter, creating more recalcitrant carbon than in the initial sample. Higher CaCO₃ and organic carbon content results in a more pronounced artefact. The reversal of the first two steps of the chemo‐thermal oxidation method (i.e. thermal oxidation before soil decarbonation) eliminates this artefact. Overall, our results suggest that BC content may have been overestimated in a large number of studies on calcareous soils.