中国高粱光温类型的初步研究

1、在短光照或温室条件件下高粱品种出苗～抽穗期日数显著缩短,供试品种平均比对照分别缩短12.5天和13.635天,缩短百分率分别为18.8和20.5;伴随苗穗期日数的缩短,叶片数在短光或温室条件下分别减少3.9和4.275片,减少百分数分别为22.24和24.22;株高分别降低60.15和47.65厘米,降低百分数为25.88和20.5,表明光、温直接影响高粱的生育进程和器官建成的数量与结构。 2、高粱品种生育日数变化主要反映在出苗～抽穗期。出苗～抽穗日数在短光或温室条件下分别减少18.8％和20.5％.而抽穗～成熟日数仅减少5.1％和8.3％,表明高粱出苗～抽穗期是光温反应的最大效应期。 3、不同品种在短光或温室条件下性状变化的趋势一致,但程度明显不同;同一品种同一性状在上述条件下变化程度也不同。根据供试品种对光温敏感的程度划为四大类群,其数量与地理分布如下: Ⅰ、光温敏感型,占试验品种总数的20％.分布在长江以北,辽宁以南地区。Ⅱ、温敏感型,包括温敏感光中度敏感型和温敏感光迟钝型,占25%,分布在黄河以北,北纬45℃以南的山西、内蒙、辽宁、河北北部和吉林南部。Ⅲ、光敏感型、包括光敏感沮中度敏感型和光敏感温迟钝型,占12.5％,分布在黄河(北纬35°)以南,南岭(北纬25°)以北地区。Ⅳ、中度敏感型占42.5％,分布广且没有明显的地带性。试验未发现对光、温都迟钝的类型。北方温敏感型品种较多,短日性较弱,南方光敏感型品种较多,短日性强、感温性中等或较弱。不同光温类型的形成、分布与其所处的生态环境即光温条件和栽培制度密切相关。 4、温敏感型和光敏感型中早熟品种较多,占86％,光温敏感型品种既有早熟的,中熟的、也有晚熟的,所以光温敏感的品种不一定全是早熟品种,而晚熟品种也并非对光温反应不敏感。中度敏感型品种也有早熟、中熟和晚熟之分。在不同光温条件和栽培制度下,不同光温类型熟性变化的主导因素不同。 5、光、温在形成高粱不同类型过程中的效应是相互联系而又有区别的,光、温效应对不同环境下的不同类型有主次之分,大小之别;光、温效应在高粱不同发育阶段既是同步性的,又是顺序性的。     

Suppression of ovarian progesterone production in dairy cows using an implant of GnRH-agonist (deslorelin) for the purpose of evaluating progesterone metabolism

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the potential of an implant of a GnRH-agonist (deslorelin) to create a progesterone free animal suitable for studying progesterone (P4) metabolism in intact cows by measuring blood P4 and faecal P4 metabolites. METHODS: Experiment 1: Eighteen non-lactating cycling Holstein-Friesian cows, 4 to 7 years old, were allocated to one of three groups to study plasma P4 concentrations preceding an intravaginal insert. These groups comprised: i) a deslorelin group (GnRH-agonist implanted); ii) a PGF group receiving two injections of prostaglandin (PGF2alpha) 12 days apart; and, iii) an ovariectomised (OVX) group. An intravaginal device (CIDR) was inserted into the vagina of each animal and left in place for 11 days. Plasma P4 concentrations were measured during the study period. Experiment 2: Twelve non-lactating cycling Holstein-Friesian cows, 4 to 7 years old, were allocated to two groups: i) a deslorelin group (GnRH-agonist implanted); and ii) an ovariectomised group. Plasma P4 and faecal P4 metabolites (20-oxo-pregnanes, 20alpha-OH and 20beta-OH) were monitored for a period of 5 weeks. RESULTS: Experiment 1: Average plasma P4 concentration did not differ between the three groups (1.28, 1.43 and 1.55 ng/mL for deslorelin, OVX and PGF cows, respectively, P = 0.8) during the period of supplementation. Experiment 2: There was no difference in plasma P4 (mean plasma P4 < 0.02 ng/mL, P = 0.9) and faecal P4 metabolites between deslorelin and OVX cows 2 weeks after the implantation (P = 0.7). CONCLUSIONS: These data showed that a GnRH-agonist (deslorelin) implant may be used as an alternative to ovariectomy to create a progesterone free animal suitable for studying the metabolism of administered P4.     

Torsion of abdominal organs in sows: a report of 36 cases

Necropsy records of 36 sows with torsion of abdominal organs involving individually the stomach, the spleen, a liver lobe or the intestine were reviewed for the years 1970 to 1983, and the age, the clinical signs and the gross lesions were recorded. These acute abdominal accidents were characterized clinically by sudden death. Dry sows from large breeding units were affected. Twenty-six cases were diagnosed between January 1981 and December 1983 while only ten cases had been seen between 1970 and 1980. Gastric torsion was the most common condition (40% of the cases) and the other three conditions were equally represented (20% each). Management practises that could be responsible for the apparent increase in occurrence of this problem are discussed.     

Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Urinary Bladder in a Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas)

A transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder was found in a beluga whale stranded in the St. Lawrence middle estuary. Various organs of this animal were submitted to high resolution gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry analysis. High frequency of urinary bladder cancer in the human population of the same area and the presence of carcinogenic compounds in the marine environment of this animal are discussed.

Concurrent isolation of Edwardsiella tarda from various organs of this whale is also reported.

     

Blood parasites of sheep in the Netherlands. I. Anaplasma mesaeterum sp.n. (Rickettsiales, Anaplasmataceae)

Summary On two occasions an anaplasm was isolated from sheep on the Dutch island of Ameland. The organism proved to be highly pathogenic for splenectomised sheep; a non-splenectomised animal recovered spontaneously after the packed cell volume had decreased by 40%. Treatment with oxytetracycline was effective. Its pathogenicity for goats appeared to be low, and the organism was apparently not infective to splenectomised cattle. This anaplasm differs from Anaplasma ovis in that less than 30% of the organisms are marginally situated in the red cell, as against over 70% in A. ovis; cross-immunity with A. ovis was incomplete and the latter appeared to be far more pathogenic to goats than the Dutch anaplasm, for which the name Anaplasma mesaeterum sp.n. is proposed. Its ultrastructure is similar to that of A. marginale and A. ovis. The vector is either Ixodes ricinus or Haemaphysalis punctata. Its practical importance remains to be ascertained.     

Molecular aspects of the potato — Phytophthora infestans interaction

The fungal pathogenPhytophthora infestans is the causal organism of late blight, one of the most devastating diseases of potato. In the past, various aspects of the potato-P. infestans interaction have been studied extensively. In this paper we briefly review the current knowledge of the molecular events associated with the interaction and in addition we discuss a new approach for analyzing the molecular basis of pathogenicity ofP. infestans.