First Report of Ascochyta rabiei Causing Ascochyta Blight of Chickpea in Argentina.

In November 2011, lesions similar to those reported for Ascochyta blight (1) were observed on Cicer arietinum L. (chickpea) plants growing in three commercial fields located at Río Primero and Río Segundo (Cordoba Province) and Lobería (Buenos Aires Province), Argentina. Disease incidence (percentage of plants affected) was 100% in all fields surveyed. Plants showed leaves, petioles, stems, and pods with brown lesions. Symptoms on leaves and pods were circular to oval (2 to 14 mm) while in the stems the lesions were elongated (2 to 30 mm). Seeds appeared small and shriveled with brown discoloration. Morphology of the fungi was examined on infected tissues. Numerous black pycnidia measuring 94.6 to 217.9 µm (145.9 ± 28.8 µm), arranged in concentric rings, were observed within of all the lesions. Conidia were predominantly aseptate, straight, hyaline with blunt ends, and measured 9.3 to 12.9 (11.3 ± 1.12) × 3.3 to 5.0 µm (4.2 ± 0.51). Morphological characteristics of the pathogen were similar to those described for Ascochyta rabiei (Pass.) Labrousse (teleomorph Didymella rabiei (Kovacheski) v. Arx (= Mycosphaerella rabiei Kovacheski)) (2). Fungus from infected leaf tissues was isolated on potato dextrose agar. Pathogenicity tests were conducted on seedlings of the susceptible cultivar by spraying leaves of each of 100 seedling plants with 10 ml of a conidial suspension (2 × 104 conidia/ml) of the isolated pathogen with a handheld atomizer. Plants were covered with plastic bags and placed in a growing chamber at 20 to 25°C for 3 days. The plastic bags were removed and the plants were maintained in high humidity at the same temperature. Noninoculated plants were used as controls. After 5 days, all inoculated plants showed typical symptoms. Foliar and stem lesions symptoms were similar to those originally observed in the field. Control plants remained healthy. Koch's postulates were fulfilled by isolating A. rabiei from inoculated plants. The colonies and the morphology of conidia were the same as those of the original isolates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of A. rabiei infecting chickpeas in Argentina. The outbreak of Ascochyta blight in Argentina is of concern because of its severity and the possibility that the pathogen was introduced on seed. This report underscores the need for further research on effective management programs for Ascochyta blight. References: (1) B. Bayaa and W. Chen. Compendium of Chickpea and Lentil Diseases and Pests The American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN, 2011. (2) E. Punithalingam and P. Holliday. Page 337 in: CMI Descriptions of Pathogenic Fungi and Bacteria. CMI, Kew, Surrey, UK, 1972.

[Empirical treatment of decompression sickness in Greek sponge divers]. / Trattamenti empirici della MDD presso i pescatori di spugne greci.

Reports and evidence of the empirical methods of treating decompression sickness long used by Greek sponge divers have been collected. Divers were questioned by a team from Chieti University's School of Underwater and Hyperbaric Medicine during a visit to the island of Kalymnos. There are interesting analogies between modern therapy and ancient empirical methods. The modern methods were devised in response to the enormous incidence of decompression sickness during the fishing season in the Southern Mediterranean. It may well be that the experience of old sponge divers may offer some helpful suggestions for modern therapy of decompression sickness.

[Hyperbaric oxygen and the lung. Pulmonary diffusion in divers with intense and long-term exposure]. / Ossigeno iperbarico e polmone. La diffusione polmonare in sommozzatori con intensa e pregressa esposizione cronica.

The effect on pulmonary diffusing capacity of intermittent exposure to hyperbaric oxygen was evaluated in four subjects after 35-38 years from beginning of diving activity. Exposure was of 4600-6000 hours. Pressure till 4 ATA. No remarkable impairment of lung diffusing capacity was found

[Use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in a case of inguino-genital gangrene]. / Impiego dell'ossigenoterapia iperbarica in un caso di gangrena inguino-genitale.

A case of inguinogenital gangrene in a 63 years old man is reported. The patient was admitted to the hyperbaric medicine centre in a serious general condition. The use of HOT, antibiotics and selective surgery as treatment of metabolic disturbances effectively improved the patient's general condition, and HOT also proved effective in the treatment of hepatic insufficiency.

[Stomach rupture due to barotrauma (a report of the 13th case since 1969)]. / Rottura dello stomaco da barotraumatismo (descrizione del tredicesimo caso dal 1969).

The thirteenth case of rupture of the stomach after a diving accident since 1969 is reported. This rare event was caused by equipment failure and panic reaction, which induced swallowing air during diving and consequential gas expansion in gastric cavity meanwhile the rapid ascent. Peritoneal decompression by paracentesis quickly improved the patient's condition and the following surgical laparotomy revealed a gastric tear along the lesser curvature, which was closed by suturing. The patient presented a postoperative splenic abscess two months later; literature demonstrated that rupture of a filled stomach may lead to septic complications.

[Comparative study of maximal midexpiratory flow rate in normal smoking and non-smoking subjects]. / Studio comparativo del MMF in soggetti normali fumatori e non fumatori.

MMF is considered one of the most sensitive parameter to point out initial decay of small airways that should appear prematurely in smokers as compared with non smokers. To verify the above we tested male subjects apparently free from any respiratory disease. They were classed into two groups of equal number: the first group of smokers, the second one of non smokers. We did not find any statistically significant difference between the two groups: this is probably due to the young age of the subjects and consequently to the relative short period of exposure to tobacco smoke.

[Carbon monoxide alveolar-capillary diffusion: considerations on inter-personal variability]. / Diffusione alveolo capillare del monossido di carbonio: considerazioni sulla variabilita intra-individuale.

Twenty three male subjects 21 to 53 aged were undergone to lung diffusion test using breath holding method. Each subject was tested three times in different days. The results were evaluated by Bartlett's Chi-square test and by Kendall's coefficient of concordance. Correlation between the CO distribution and diffusion index (R&DCO), the Helium distribution index (RHe), the time of breath holding and the volume of "single breath" was found. It seems it will be possible to improve the inter-personal estimation to 1.25% about.

[The influence of helium concentration in determining respiratory function parameters]. / Considerazioni sull'influenza della concentrazione di elio nella determinazione di alcuni parametri di funzionalita respiratoria.

Before a research about normals values of lung diffusing capacity for CO in Italian people, the Authors investigate if different concentration of Helium in respiratory gases could have any influence on data. Experiments were performed by testing 8 male subjects. Each one repeated lung function tests three times using gas mixtures with different Helium percentage. Results were evaluated by meaning of t Studnt's and Bartlett's Chi-square tests. Results show no significant difference.

[Alveolaro-capillary gas exchange. Considerations on the evaluation of carbon monoxide diffusion]. / Scambi gassosi a livello alveolo capillare. Considerazioni sulla valutazione della diffusione del monossido di carbonio.

This study is based on 107 male individuals aged between 20 and 73 years, all of them exempt from any disease. They were submitted to instrument examination for measuring the CO pulmonary diffusing capacity with the single breath method. The data so obtained were then statistically elaborated considering the index value of CO transfer, the Helium partition (RHe) and the CO partition and diffusion (R&DCO). The CO transfer index has shown a particularly extensive range; if we take as normality level-20%, a consistent ratio of individuals (20,56%) falls in a range of deficitary pulmonary diffusion though in absence of aèny clinical evidence of pathology. The subsequent statistical elaboration of the data after logarithmic transformation, by the means of the linear regression model, has allowed to reduce the variance of the R&D CO index improving his classificative capability.