Preliminary studies of carrot susceptibility to carrot fly attack

Eleven carrot cultivars were tested to compare their susceptibility to carrot fly attack at Wellesbourne and at Mepal, Cambridgeshire in 1969. Significant differences in the percentages of unattacked roots were observed but not all the cultivars behaved consistently in this respect at the two sites. Foliage height and the percentage unattacked roots were not significantly correlated for these cultivars. Four of the cultivars representing the different levels of susceptibility were retested in fen and in mineral soil in microplots at Wellesbourne in 1970. Soil type significantly affected plant growth but not the relative susceptibilities of the cultivars to carrot fly attack. Plant size was positively correlated with insect attack and accounted for most, but not all, of the differences in susceptibility between the cultivars. In 1971 also, cv. Royal Chantenay was significantly less attacked than Speed's Norfolk Giant from August to December even after allowing for the large differences between the two cultivars in plant size. The experiments demonstrated a consistent difference in the relative susceptibilities of cvs Royal Chantenay and Speed's Norfolk Giant. The difference was correlated with plant size but allowances for foliage and root size failed to account for all of the difference. The results suggested a more fundamental basis for part of the difference in the susceptibility of the cultivars to carrot fly attack.     

Influence of cocksfoot streak virus on the growth of single cocksfoot plants

Healthy and streak-virus-infected cocksfoot plants of a single genotype were examined over a 2-year period. In the first year infection decreased tillering by about 40%, but in pot-grown plants individual tiller weights were 30% higher so dry-matter yield was decreased by only 10%. In the second year the larger tiller weights compensated completely for decreased tillering. No similar compensation was observed in field-grown plants. The virus had the largest effects when soil fertility was highest, healthy plants producing significantly greater responses to nitrogen effects, but potassium, at certain times of the year, produced larger tiller weights in infected than in healthy plants. Infection decreased dry-matter yield more in frequently than in infrequently cut plants. Infection greatly decreased the number of vegetative but not of fertile tillers. Infected plants tended to flower earlier and produced fewer, slightly smaller, viable seeds.     

Molecular phylogeny of the major arthropod groups indicates polyphyly of crustaceans and a new hypothesis for the origin of hexapods

A phylogeny of the arthropods was inferred from analyses of amino acid sequences derived from the nuclear genes encoding elongation factor-1 alpha and the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II using maximum- parsimony, neighbor-joining, and maximum-likelihood methods. Analyses of elongation factor-1 alpha from 17 arthropods and 4 outgroup taxa recovered many arthropod clades supported by previous morphological studies, including Diplopoda, Myriapoda, Insecta, Hexapoda, Branchiopoda (Crustacea), Araneae, Tetrapulmonata, Arachnida, Chelicerata, and Malacostraca (Crustacea). However, counter to previous studies, elongation factor-1 alpha placed Malacostraca as sister group to the other arthropods. Branchiopod crustaceans were found to be more closely related to hexapods and myriapods than to malacostracan crustaceans. Sequences for RNA polymerase II were obtained from 11 arthropod taxa and were analyzed separately and in combination with elongation factor-1 alpha. Results from these analyses were concordant with those derived from elongation factor-1 alpha alone and provided support for a Hexapoda/Branchiopoda clade, thus arguing against the monophyly of the traditionally defined Atelocerata (Hexapoda + Myriapoda).      

Relationship between powdery mildew infection, green leaf area and grain yield of barley

Barley plants (cv. Julia), grown in a greenhouse in large boxes of John Innes compost at a spacing equivalent to 300 plants/m², were exposed to powdery mildew from growth stage (G.S.) 2 (Feekes scale) until maturity. Treatment with ethirimol was used to provide five different epidemic patterns, viz. (i) no mildew, (ii) early mildew, (iii) late mildew, (iv) continuous mildew and (v) continuous mildew but delayed by seed dressing. None of the treatments affected the number of spikelet primordia differentiated on primary shoots, nor were the numbers and sizes of leaves affected. From graphs of mildew and green leaf area (GLA), plotted from G.S. 2 to G.S. 10.5, areas under the curves were determined. There was a strong negative correlation (r= -0.926) between areas under the mildew and GLA curves and it was also clear that reduction in GLA lagged behind disease. Grain yield was strongly correlated with total area under the GLA curve (r= 0.994 for primary shoots and 0.986 for tillers). For values of GLA at specific growth stages the best correlations were found at G.S. 9 (r= 0.967 for primary shoots and 0.992 for tillers). The correlation between total yield of primary shoots and area under the mildew curve was also high (r= 0.953) but for mildew estimates at specific times only those at G.S. 7 were significant (r= 0.980); at G.S. 10.5 there was no significant correlation. It may be postulated from the data that retranslocation of stored photosynthate, produced before anthesis, plays an important role in grain filling and that mildew post anthesis may have little effect on yield. The implications of the results are discussed in relation to methods of loss appraisal and strategies for mildew control.     

The relationship between cabbage root fly egg laying and volatile hydrolysis products of radish

Radish populations selected from the cvs Asmer Tip Top and Sparkler on the basis of high or low preference by the cabbage root fly for egg laying were tested at different ages by exposing them to the pest in a laboratory test chamber. Results confirmed the existence of a cycle of changing attractiveness of radish for egg laying, the peak occurring as plants reached a marketable age. Selection within radish cvs for different levels of preference resulted in a shift in the cycle of attraction such that ‘high-preference’ plants reached a peak in attractiveness earlier than ‘low-preference’ ones. Egg laying was correlated with the total amounts of two volatile glucosinolate hydrolysis products (4–methylthio-3–butenyl isothiocyanate and 1–cyano-4–methyl-thio-3–butene) detected in ether extracts of macerated radishes. The relationship between chemicals and egg laying suggested a possible chemical assay to complement biological techniques for identifying cabbage root fly-resistant radish for breeding work.     

Changes in Photosynthate Unloading from Perfused Seed Coats of Phaseolus vulgaris L. Induced by Osmoticum and Ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA)

Photosynthate unloading in Phaseolus vulgaris L. seed coatswas studied by treating perfused seed coats with differing concentrationsof an osmoticum and ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA). Largechanges in osmoticum concentration typically produced rapidchanges in efflux of unlabelled sugar and steady-state-labelled¹⁴C-photosynthate. Osmoticum-induced changes in photosynthateefflux were caused by phloem import stimulation at low cellturgor and net efflux stimulation by high cell turgor. Eventhough rapid changes in sugar and tracer efflux were often inducedby osmoticum treatments, the specific activity of sugar releasedfrom seed coats was not greatly affected by these treatmentsand was similar to the specific activity of sugar remainingin the seed coat after perfusion. Thus, tracer was transportedfrom the phloem throughout the seed coat sugar pool before itwas released to the apoplast. This result is most consistentwith symplastic phloem unloading throughout perfused seed coats,because apoplastic transport between cells within the seed coatwas blocked by perfusion. Photosynthate efflux was stimulatedby simultaneous treatment of seed coats with EDTA and differentconcentrations of an osmoticum; loss of photosynthate from seedcoats did not appear to be tissue-specific. Key words: Phaseolus vulgaris, seed coat, photosynthate unloading, turgor, EDTA     

Structural origins of fibrin clot rheology

The origins of clot rheological behavior associated with network morphology and factor XIIIa-induced cross-linking were studied in fibrin clots. Network morphology was manipulated by varying the concentrations of fibrinogen, thrombin, and calcium ion, and cross-linking was controlled by a synthetic, active-center inhibitor of FXIIIa. Quantitative measurements of network features (fiber lengths, fiber diameters, and fiber and branching densities) were made by analyzing computerized three-dimensional models constructed from stereo pairs of scanning electron micrographs. Large fiber diameters and lengths were established only when branching was minimal, and increases in fiber length were generally associated with increases in fiber diameter. Junctions at which three fibers joined were the dominant branchpoint type. Viscoelastic properties of the clots were measured with a rheometer and were correlated with structural features of the networks. At constant fibrinogen but varying thrombin and calcium concentrations, maximal rigidities were established in samples (both cross-linked and noncross-linked) which displayed a balance between large fiber sizes and great branching. Clot rigidity was also enhanced by increasing fiber and branchpoint densities at greater fibrinogen concentrations. Network morphology is only minimally altered by the FXIIIa-catalyzed cross-linking reaction, which seems to augment clot rigidity most likely by the stiffening of existing fibers.     

In vivo analysis of fracture toughness of thyroid gland tumors

Background

Human solid tumors that are hard or firm on physical palpation are likely to be cancerous, a clinical maxim that has been successfully applied to cancer screening programs, such as breast self-examination. However, the biological relevance or prognostic significance of tumor hardness remains poorly understood. Here we present a fracture mechanics based in vivo approach for characterizing the fracture toughness of biological tissue of human thyroid gland tumors.

Methods

In a prospective study, 609 solid thyroid gland tumors were percutaneously probed using standard 25 gauge fine needles, their tissue toughness ranked on the basis of the nature and strength of the haptic force feedback cues, and subjected to standard fine needle biopsy. The tumors' toughness rankings and final cytological diagnoses were combined and analyzed. The interpreting cytopathologist was blinded to the tumors' toughness rankings.

Results

Our data showed that cancerous and noncancerous tumors displayed remarkable haptically distinguishable differences in their material toughness.

Conclusion

The qualitative method described here, though subject to some operator bias, identifies a previously unreported in vivo approach to classify fracture toughness of a solid tumor that can be correlated with malignancy, and paves the way for the development of a mechanical device that can accurately quantify the tissue toughness of a human tumor.