The inter-relationship between the age of carrot roots at harvest and infection by Mycocentrospora acerina in storage

Infection of carrot roots by Mycocenlrospora acerina in chill storage (3.5 °C) following inoculation with chlamydospores was studied in 1973–74 and 1974–75. AREAS of intact periderm were only rarely infected, and the high level of periderm resistance predominated over other variables. However, wound infection tended to increase with depth of wound and with increasing age of the plants at harvest. Irrespective of age of root or depth of wound, roots were comparatively resistant to infection at harvest and early in storage, resistance being expressed as a restriction of mycelial growth on the wound surface or localisation of the lesion. Increasing susceptibility with time in storage, depth of wounds, or age at harvest, resulted in larger numbers of inoculated sites becoming infected and a more rapid development from localised to progressive lesions.     

Serological diversity within the species Legionella spiritensis

A strain of Legionella isolated from the environment which could not initially be identified was shown by restriction fragment length polymorphisms to be a Legionella spiritensis. This was confirmed by DNA homology studies, cell wall fatty acid composition and isoprenoid quinone analysis. This strain, which is only the second reported representative of the species, was shown to be serologically distinct from the type strain of L. spiritensis and all other serogroups of Legionella.     

Diaphragmatic thickness-lung volume relationship in vivo

To characterize the relationship of changes in diaphragmatic thickness during contraction to changes in lung volume, we developed a technique to measure diaphragm thickness based on M-mode ultrasonography. First, diaphragmatic thickness was measured in situ at necropsy with ultrasound and verified by measuring the same resected segment of diaphragm by ruler (correlation coefficient = 0.93, slope = 0.97). The technique of imaging the diaphragm in living subjects was developed by using a 15-MHz transducer coupled to an M-mode echocardiograph. Ten normal male volunteers were studied while sitting. The ultrasound transducer was held between the ribs in the ninth lateral interspace, and tidal volume was measured by spirometry. The thickening fraction (TF) was calculated as TF = (thickness at peak inspiration - thickness at end expiration)/thickness at end expiration for each of a series of different sized breaths. The function, TF vs. lung volume, for a range of volumes was linear for each subject and had intrasubject reproducibility with intersubject variability. We conclude that diaphragmatic TF is related to function as determined by lung volume, and this may prove to be a useful technique for in vivo studies of diaphragmatic function.