Elimination of apple stem grooving virus by chemotherapy and development of an immunocapture RT-PCR for rapid sensitive screening

Ombuin (7,4′-dimethyl quercetin) (10 μg ml^-1, for 12 wk), glycyrrhizin/quercetin (80 μg ml^-1and 10 μg ml^-1respectively, for 18 wk), ribavirin (10 μg ml^-1, for 12 wk) and quercetin/ribavirin (10 μg ml^-1each, for 9–12 wk) reduced the titre of apple stem grooving virus (ASGV) when applied in vitro to infected tissue cultures of Nicotiana occidentalis obliqua Wheeler, and/or Malus domestica. ASGV was not detectable in both plant species after the quercitin/ribavirin treatment when tested by ISEM, herbaceous host indexing, RT-PCR, and immunocapture RT-PCR. A sensitive immunocapture RT-PCR procedure for the detection of ASGV was developed for the screening of treated samples to assess antiviral activity.     

Population suppression for control of the blowfly Lucilia sericata and sheep blowfly strike

Abstract.

• 1 The control of ovine myiasis by suppression of populations of the blowfly Lucifia sericata was investigated experimentally on three farms in the south-west of England in 1992 and 1993.
• 2 In blind trials, sheep on one farm (control) were given two doses of placebo, on a second two doses of the larvicide cyromazine (Vetrazin®, CibaGeigy), and on a third cyromazine and a subsequent dose of placebo.
• 3 The first treatment was given shortly before the predicted spring emergence of L.sericata and the second shortly before the predicted emergence of the second generation. Previous simulation analysis had identified strategic early-season treatment as the optimum for blowfly population suppression.
• 4 On both treatment farms significantly smaller L.sericata populations were recorded throughout 1992 and the incidence of strike was significantly lower than on the control farm. The results show that appropriate early-season timing of sheep treatment can suppress populations of L.sericata and could be used by farmers to reduce the incidence of blowfly strike.
• 5 The results suggest, however, that the effectiveness of population suppression and strike incidence may have been influenced by immigration into the control areas and by adverse weather, the latter changing the susceptibility of sheep to strike and resulting in rising strike incidence even when L.sericata population densities were low. In practice, therefore, blowfly population suppression should be employed as a component of an integrated strike management programme.

     

Control of potato cyst-nematode, Globodera pallida, on tomatoes grown under glass, by applying steam or chemical nematicides to the soil

In a sandy loam under glass, potato cyst-nematode, Globodera pallida, was controlled in soil to 20 cm deep, and tomato yields were greatly increased by sheet steaming for 4 h, by 977 kg methyl bromide ha^-1 or by 448 kg Telone (1,3-dichloropropene mixture or Di-Trapex CP (20% methyl isothiocyanate: 15% chloropicrin:65% dichloropropene-dichloropropane mixture) ha^-1 followed by 441 kg dazomet or 11.2 kg oxamyl ha^-1. Sheet steaming, unlike the other treatments, had relatively little effect on the nematode in soil 20 to 40 cm deep. Until the apices of the plants were cut off production of fruit was curvilinear against time in all treated soil but linear against time in untreated soil.     

Reduction of molecular gas diffusion through gaskets in leaf gas exchange cuvettes by leaf‐mediated pores

There is an ongoing debate on how to correct leaf gas exchange measurements for the unavoidable diffusion leakage that occurs when measurements are done in non‐ambient CO₂ concentrations. In this study, we present a theory on how the CO₂ diffusion gradient over the gasket is affected by leaf‐mediated pores (LMP) and how LMP reduce diffusive exchange across the gaskets. Recent discussions have so far neglected the processes in the quasi‐laminar boundary layer around the gasket. Counter intuitively, LMP reduce the leakage through gaskets, which can be explained by assuming that the boundary layer at the exterior of the cuvette is enriched with air from the inside of the cuvette. The effect can thus be reduced by reducing the boundary layer thickness. The theory clarifies conflicting results from earlier studies. We developed leaf adaptor frames that eliminate LMP during measurements on delicate plant material such as grass leaves with circular cross section, and the effectiveness is shown with respiration measurements on a harp of Deschampsia flexuosa leaves. We conclude that the best solution for measurements with portable photosynthesis systems is to avoid LMP rather than trying to correct for the effects.     

Blood volume in cardiac decompensation; determinations by use of radiochromium

RADIOCHROMIUM HAS THESE ADVANTAGES FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF WHOLE BLOOD VOLUME: it remains in the erythrocytes many hours; it can be measured easily and accurately; the amount of radiation from it is very low.As measured by the radiochromium method, the whole blood volume of normal patients was determined to be 65.6 cc. +/- 5.95 cc. per kilogram of body weight or 2.49 +/- 0.28 liters per square meter of body surface. In a majority of a series of patients with heart disease, hypervolemia was found during right ventricular failure but not in those having left ventricular failure or mitral stenosis alone.