Technique of abdominal ultrasonography in newborn foals and normal findings

Under field conditions, the diagnosis of foal's diseases relies almost exclusively on the physical examination. As the signs of illness in the equine neonate are frequently vage and non-localizing, the diagnosis of diseases may be problematic. This often causes misinterpretations and leads to ineffective prophylaxis and treatment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of diagnostic ultrasonography of the foal's abdomen under field conditions to provide an optimized technique and to describe the normal findings. Diagnostic ultrasonography of the abdomen was performed after obtaining clinical history and passing the physical examination of 25 foals without signs of abdominal problems. The foals were scanned in a stable box, being restrained by three persons in semi-lateral recumbency. Usually, sedation was not necessary. The ventral abdominal wall was clipped, a generous amount of ultrasound coupling gel was applied and massaged on the skin surface. The ultrasonographic examination was carried out using a portable sector scanner ("Microimager 2000", Ausonics) with 5.0 and 7.5-MHz transducers or a combined 5.0 and 7.5-MHz transrectal linear-array scanner ("450 Enhanced", Pie Medical). Employing the 5.0-MHz sector scanner first, the abdomen was explored from caudal to cranial in left and right semi-lateral recumbency. The 7.5-MHz scanner was used to attain higher resolution of certain structures. The sector scanner turned out to be suitable under field conditions and adequate to examine the abdominal organs. The transrectal linear-array scanner also provided the most important informations, although it was difficult to maintain a good contact area of the scan head. By ultrasonography it was possible to identify the urinary bladder, kidneys, spleen, liver and part of the gastrointestinal tract. Thus, application of ultrasound could successfully be performed on newborn foals under field conditions.     

Trench-parallel anisotropy produced by foundering of arc lower crust

Many volcanic arcs display fast seismic shear-wave velocities parallel to the strike of the trench. This pattern of anisotropy is inconsistent with simple models of corner flow in the mantle wedge. Although several models, including slab rollback, oblique subduction, and deformation of water-rich olivine, have been proposed to explain trench-parallel anisotropy, none of these mechanisms are consistent with all observations. Instead, small-scale convection driven by the foundering of dense arc lower crust provides an explanation for the trench-parallel anisotropy, even in settings with orthogonal convergence and no slab rollback.     

Fracture propagation to the base of the Greenland Ice Sheet during supraglacial lake drainage

Surface meltwater that reaches the base of an ice sheet creates a mechanism for the rapid response of ice flow to climate change. The process whereby such a pathway is created through thick, cold ice has not, however, been previously observed. We describe the rapid (<2 hours) drainage of a large supraglacial lake down 980 meters through to the bed of the Greenland Ice Sheet initiated by water-driven fracture propagation evolving into moulin flow. Drainage coincided with increased seismicity, transient acceleration, ice-sheet uplift, and horizontal displacement. Subsidence and deceleration occurred over the subsequent 24 hours. The short-lived dynamic response suggests that an efficient drainage system dispersed the meltwater subglacially. The integrated effect of multiple lake drainages could explain the observed net regional summer ice speedup.     

Influence of Pseudomonas fluorescens and arbuscular mycorrhiza on the growth,yield, quality and resistance of wheat infected with Gaeumannomyces graminis

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - The interaction between the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Glomus mossea, the plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) Pseudomonas fluorescens...     

Molecular mapping of QTLs for non-parasitic leaf spot resistance and comparison of half-sib DH populations in spring barley

Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for resistance against non-parasitic leaf spots (NPLS) were first characterized in a spring barley double haploid population derived from the cross IPZ 24727/Barke (Behn et al., 2004). The aim of the present study was to identify QTLs for NPLS resistance in the half-sibling DH population IPZ 24727/Krona and to compare them with the QTLs of the population IPZ 24727/Barke. An anther culture-derived doubled haploid population of 536 DH lines was developed from the cross IPZ 24727 (resistant)/Krona (susceptible). Field trials were performed over two years in two replications, scoring NPLS and agronomic traits that might interact with NPLS. A molecular linkage map of 1035 cM was constructed based on AFLPs, SSRs and the mlo marker. QTL analyses for NPLS identified three QTLs that accounted for 30% of the phenotypic variation. For comparison of the QTLs from each DH population, a consensus map was generated comprising 277 markers with a length of 1199 cM. In both populations, the QTLs for NPLS mapped to chromosomes 1H, 4H and 7H. A common QTL with a great effect in both populations and over all environments was localized at the mlo locus on chromosome 4H, indicating that the mlo powdery mildew resistance locus has a considerable effect on NPLS susceptibility. The steps necessary to validate the QTLs and to improve the NPLS resistance by breeding were discussed.     

Intermittent plate tectonics?

Although it is commonly assumed that subduction has operated continuously on Earth without interruption, subduction zones are routinely terminated by ocean closure and supercontinent assembly. Under certain circumstances, this could lead to a dramatic loss of subduction, globally. Closure of a Pacific-type basin, for example, would eliminate most subduction, unless this loss were compensated for by comparable subduction initiation elsewhere. Given the evidence for Pacific-type closure in Earth's past, the absence of a direct mechanism for termination/initiation compensation, and recent data supporting a minimum in subduction flux in the Mesoproterozoic, we hypothesize that dramatic reductions or temporary cessations of subduction have occurred in Earth's history. Such deviations in the continuity of plate tectonics have important consequences for Earth's thermal and continental evolution.     

Allelic diversity of three anthocyanin synthesis genes in accessions of native Solanum tuberosum L. ssp. tuberosum at the Potato Genebank of the Universidad Austral de Chile

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - The potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is the fourth most important crop for global food security. Its tubers contain high concentrations of antioxidants,...     

Antioxidant capacity and oxidative damage determination in synovial fluid of chronically damaged equine metacarpophalangeal joint

In order to determine oxidative stress in equine joints with degenerative processes, we analyzed synovial fluid (SF) antioxidant capacity and the concentration of oxidative damage biomarkers in healthy and chronically damaged metacarpophalangeal joints. SF samples were collected from joints of thirty 2–5 year-old crossbreed male equine, macroscopically classified at post mortem inspection and later histologically confirmed. The antioxidant capacity was determined measuring uric acid and the concentration of sulfhydryl groups and the total radical trapping antioxidant potential (TRAP). The oxidative damage was determined by assessing malondialdehyde (MDA) and carbonyl protein concentration. TRAP was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the group with chronic damage (CD). The sulfhydryl groups and concentration of uric acid did not show significant difference between the groups (p > 0.05). Although carbonyl concentration did not show significant difference between groups, it was slightly higher in the group with CD (p = 0.05009). Concentration of MDA did not show significant difference (p > 0.05) between groups. The observed significant increase in TRAP in the group with CD could be related to the participation of components other than protein, sulfhydryl groups, or uric acid coming from degenerating joint tissues. These findings could be helpful for a better understanding of the oxidative stress role in equine joints with chronic degenerative process.