Mycological studies on the wood-borerstromatium fulvum vill. (Col., cerambycidae) infestingcasuarina glauca (casuarinaceae) III. Effect of inoculation with the fungal isolates on lignin and extractive content of wood

Wood specimens of Casuarina glauca were inoculated withChaetomium spp. andTrichoderma spp., alone or in combination in the presence or abscence of larvae ofStromatium fulvum. All fungal inoculates caused deterioration to the lignin of the wood specimens. The infestation with larvae alone caused the same. The extractive content decreased to a little extent.

---

Zusammenfassung Bäume von Casuarina glauca wurden mitChaetomium spp. undTrichoderma spp. inokuliert, allein oder in Kombination sowie in Abwesenheit oder Gegenwart der Larven vonStromatium fulvum. Alle Pilz-Inokulate verusachten einen Abbau von Lignin in den Bäumen. Denselben Effekt hatte die Tätigkeit vonStromatium-Larven ohne Pilz-Inokulation. Der extraktive Anteil verminderte sich nur wenig.

---

---

With 2 tables     

Ultrasonographic study of early embryonic loss induced by Actinomyces pyogenes in cattle.

Four cows were inoculated into the uterus with Actinomyces pyogenes between 30 and 41 days of gestation. Gross morphological changes were monitored by rectal palpation and with a realtime B-mode two-dimensional scanner with a 7.5 MHz transrectal linear transducer, shortly before infection and afterwards at three to 12 hours intervals. Two control groups of cows 27 to 50 days pregnant were used: two cows were inoculated with 6 ml of sterile saline into the uterine lumen and four cows were treated with cloprostenol (prostaglandin F2 alpha analogue). There was a change in the uterine fluid from a black, non-echogenic image before infection to a grey or cloudy echogenic image as early as 21 hours after infection. There was an increase in the thickness of the endometrium of the horns and body of the uterus. The embryonic membranes thickened and separated from the endometrium as early as four hours after infection, followed by cessation of the embryonic heart beat, opening of the cervix and abortion. Abortion was followed by an increase in the amount of echogenic intrauterine fluid leading to an increase in the size of the uterus, and the cervix remained open for at least eight days. The area of the corpus luteum remained greater than 2 cm2 throughout the whole period. Intrauterine inoculation with sterile saline had no effects, but the administration of cloprostenol was followed by the death of the embryo and abortion within 72 hours, and the regression of the corpus luteum from greater than 2 cm2 at treatment to 0.4 cm2, 24 hours after abortion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Quality indices of Jew's mallow and spinach during frozen storage

In this study, Jew's mallow and spinach were heat treated and kept frozen, at –18°C, for 3 months. Analysis of some chemical components and enzymatic activities as well as a sensory evaluation were undertaken. At the end of the storage period, blanched spinach showed no PPO (polyphenyloxidase) activity at all, but still contained PO (peroxydase) and LO (lipoxygenase) activities. The untreated spinach stored under the same conditions showed high activities of PO, PPO and LO. The heat treated mallow still contained high enzyme activities which decreased slowly during frozen storage. Statistical analysis of the chemical composition and the sensory evaluation results indicated that heat treatments of mallow caused significant differences in total solids, pH, chlorophylla and total chlorophyll, while frozen storage, of samples of the same treatment for 3 months caused no significant differences in moisture, ash, oxalic acid, pH, chlorophylla and total chlorophyll. No significant differences could be noticed in the overall acceptability between mallow samples mixed with hot water and those mixed in the overall acceptability between mallow samples mixed with hot water and those mixed with a hot 0.1% MgCO₃ solution. Significant differences were found between the heat treated and the untreated mallow. Changes of the chemical composition and the overall acceptability of blanched spinach during frozen storage showed almost the same trend noticed for the Jew's mallow.     

Use of a high frequency transducer with real time B-mode ultrasound scanning to identify early pregnancy in cows

The reproductive tracts of 22 Friesian dairy cows were examined from seven to 35 days after insemination using a real time B-mode ultrasound scanner with a 7.5 MHz transducer. The earliest detection of pregnancy was at nine days when a vesicle was imaged within the lumen of the uterine horn. The early conceptus was seen at day 13 within the vesicle and these structures were followed ultrasonically until day 35. There was a sudden enlargement of the vesicle at day 19 and a heart beat was detected in the embryo at day 22. The allantois was imaged at day 23 and the amnion by day 29. The embryonic outline was clearly defined by day 33 when the body cavities could be discerned. This ability to determine pregnancy at an early stage should prove to be a useful technique in investigating the problems associated with early embryonic death in cattle.     

Evaluation of real time B-mode ultrasound scanning for detecting early pregnancy in cows

A real time B-mode ultrasound scanner with a 7.5 MHz rectal linear transducer was used in two trials to detect whether dairy cows, less than 25 days after insemination at standing oestrus, were pregnant. In the first trial 17 cows were inseminated on the same day, and their reproductive tracts were examined 14, 15, 16 or 17 days after insemination. All the cows were diagnosed accurately as either pregnant or not pregnant. In the second trial 22 cows were inseminated on the day of observed oestrus while 14 were observed at oestrus but not inseminated. The animals were kept as a mixed group and an experienced operator scanned the uterus of each cow on one occasion, without knowing either the dates of observed oestrus or which cows had been inseminated. The rate of correct diagnosis was only 33 per cent in cows up to 16 days after oestrus, but increased markedly after 17 days and was 100 per cent by day 20.     

Rapid prediction of soil mineralogy using imaging spectroscopy

Hyperspectral images provide rich spectral and spatially continuous information that can be used for soil mineralogy discrimination. This paper proposes a method to evaluate the feasibility of Hyperion image in the rapid prediction of soil mineralogy. Four areas in Egypt were chosen for the current study. Preprocessing of the Hyperion data was done before applying the atmospheric correction. The minimum noise fraction transformation was used to segregate noise in the data. Various techniques were applied to the studied areas in which mixture tune matched filtering gave good results in a prediction of the end-members. Then, it employed to predict soil minerals in each cell using a spectral unmixing method. Illite, chlorite, calcite, dolomite, kaolinite, smectite, quartz, hematite, goethite, vermiculite, palygorskite and some feldspar were identified. In addition, sand and limestone, calcite and dolomite, and sand surface from similarly bright clouds can be distinguished easily based on the proposed method. The soil minerals obtained from X-ray diffraction analysis of the soil samples are in conformity with spectrally dominant mineralogy from Hyperion data. Different minerals can be identified using this method without any knowledge of field spectra or any a priori field data, thus configuring a “true” remote sensing method.     

Cultural practices in relation to purple blotch disease of onion

Transplanting onion on 1 December gave the highest percentage of purple blotch infection. Percentage and severity decreased significantly by decreasing plant density. ‘Behairy’ onion was more resistant than ‘Giza 6’. Nitrogen fertilization at twice the normal level increased the percentage and severity of infection, while a double dose of calcium superphosphate reduced infection. On the other hand, percentage of infection decreased by adding potassium chloride at twice the normal level, while severity of infection increased significantly. Application of fungicides reduced percentage and severity of infection. Bavistin gave the best control.     

A Study of Endometritis Causing Repeat Breeding of Cycling Iraqi Buffalo Cows

The objectives of this study were to determine the non‐specific aerobic and anaerobic bacterial causes of endometritis causing repeat breeding of cycling Iraqi buffalo cows at Nineveh province, validate diagnostic criteria for endometritis and to evaluate the treatment efficiency of using systemic or intra‐uterine infusion of antibiotics for the treatment of endometritis. Data were collected from 60 buffalo cows with history of repeat breeding in different herds. All buffaloes were subjected to detailed clinical examination including external inspection, vaginoscopy and transrectal palpation of the cervix, uterus and ovaries. Swabs for bacteriology and biopsies for histopathology were collected from the uterine lumen from each cow. Character, odour and estimation of polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) of the vaginal mucus were scored. Blood samples were collected from cows for creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) measurement. Treatment conducted using oxytetracycline with tylosin in local intrauterine infusion or systemically with hormonal treatment. The most pre‐disposing factor for uterine infection was retained placenta (13.3%). The most prevalent bacteria in uterine lumen were E. coli (23%), Archanobacterium pyogenes (13%) and Staphylococcus aureus (10%) were mostly isolated from buffaloes with repeat breeding. Vaginal mucus character score was associated with the bacterial growth density score. The difference in PMN was highly significant (p < 0.01) in animals with repeat breeding than control groups. In addition, PMNs was significantly (p < 0.01) correlated r = 0.894 with the character of vaginal discharge. High level of PMNs observed in buffaloes infected with A. pyogenes. Buffalo cows with endometritis had higher CK (321.47 ± 39.06 vs 162.01 ± 16.41 U/l) and AST (133.93 ± 12.43 vs 97.01 ± 6.86 U/l) activities (p < 0.05) than control‐heifers, but no significant difference was observed between buffalo cows with endometritis in CK (321.47 ± 39.06 vs 208.33 ± 5.84) and AST (133.93 ± 12.43 vs 156.17 ± 9.65) activities than control‐pluriparious. It could be concluded that A. pyogenes was the only non‐specific uterine pathogen directly associated with severe endometrial lesions. Vaginoscopy examination combined with palpation of uterus increase the accuracy of diagnosing endometritis and cytogenic examination of uterine discharge is more reliable method of establishing the presence or absence of uterine inflammation in buffalo cows. Animals with repeat breeding (endometritis) showed clinical cure and improved pregnancy in all treatment groups with no significant difference. The use of oestradiol in repeat breeder cases has no effect in improving neither clinical cure rate nor pregnancy rate.