Streptomyces sanglieri which colonised and enhanced the growth of Elaeis guineensis Jacq. seedlings was antagonistic to Ganoderma boninense in in vitro studies.

Actinomycete strain AUM 00500 was 99.5 % similar to Streptomyces sanglieri NBRC 100784(T) and was evaluated for antagonistic activity towards Ganoderma boninense, the causative fungus of basal stem rot of oil palm. The strain showed strong antifungal activity towards G. boninense in in vitro and SEM analysis showed various modes of inhibition of the fungus. Ethyl acetate extracts of single culture and inhibition zone of cross-plug culture by HPLC indicated that strain AUM 00500 produced two different antibiotics of the glutarimide group namely cycloheximide and actiphenol. In greenhouse trials, oil palm seed treated with spores of S. sanglieri strain AUM 00500 at 10(9) cfu/ml showed significant (P < 0.05) increase in oil palm seedlings growth when compared to the control. Streptomyces sanglieri strain AUM 00500 successfully colonised the epidermal surface of the roots of treated oil palm seedlings and it was recovered from root fragments plated on starch casein agar.

[The incidence, clinical characteristics and risk factors of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in patients taking dual antiplatelet therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention in south China].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence, clinical characteristics and risk factors of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who were administrated with aspirin and clopidogrel dual antiplatelet therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: ACS patients who had undergone PCI in the cardiovascular institute of Guangdong General Hospital from September 2009 to August 2014 were retrospectively enrolled.The incidence of UGIB and clinical characteristics of ACS patients on dual antiplatelet therapy for 1 year after PCI were analyzed.Risk factors of UGIB were screened in the cohort of patients and sex and age matched controls with ratio 1∶3. RESULTS: A total of 9 118 ACS patients had undergone PCI and UGIB occurred in 189 patients (2.07%, 189/9 118) from September 2009 to August 2014. UGIB patients with history over one year, gastrointestinal tumors or varices or negative endoscopy were excluded.Thus the revised incidence of UGIB occurred was 0.61% in 56 patients (0.61%, 56/9 118) and appeared to decline year by year.Most patients (91.07%, 51/56) had melena or stool occult blood positive (OB+ ), while others had bloody stool or haematemesis.Most UGIB were ulcer-related which was proved by endoscopy, accounting for 67.86% (38/56). There were 24 cases with duodenal ulcer, 13 with gastric ulcer and 1 with complex ulcer, while others were gastric erosion, gastritis and duodenitis.The risk factors of UGIB were previous history of peptic ulcer (P<0.01) and renal impairment (P<0.01). On the other side, PPI intake was a protective factor (P<0.05). The incidence of new-onset ACS was 1.44% (50/3 464) in PPI group, compared with 1.34% (76/5 654) in no PPI group (P>0.05). PPI use for the prevention of UGIB after PCI didn't increase the recurrence of ACS. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of UGIB is 0.61% in ACS patients on dual antiplatelet therapy (aspirin and clopidogrel) for 1 year after PCI and falls year by year.Administration of PPI after PCI protects patients from UGIB, especially in those with precious history of peptic ulcer and renal impairment.

First Report of Leaf Spot Caused by Alternaria longipes on Atractylodes macrocephala in China.

Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. is a perennial herb that has been used in Chinese herbal medicine for centuries. During the summer of 2011, leaf spots were observed on leaves of A. macrocephala in Panan County of Zhejiang Province, China. Approximately 40% of the plants surveyed showed severe symptoms of leaf spot. At the initial stage of the infection, small, light brown spots appeared on the leaves that gradually became semicircular, oval, or irregular-shaped with dark brown or black centers surrounded by brown or light brown margins. The lesions enlarged and coalesced to form large areas of necrosis on leaves until entire leaves died. Eight fungal isolates were obtained from diseased A. macrocephala leaves by a tissue isolation method (1). Isolates were cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates at 25°C in darkness. Colonies on PDA were initially white and became grayish brown over time. Conidiophores were light brown with one or a few regular septa, mostly unbranched. Conidia were obclavate, dark brown, with three to eight transverse and zero to two longitudinal or oblique septa, and on average measured 35.1 (20 to 53) × 9.8 (5.8 to 13.3) µm (n = 20). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA was amplified using the primers ITS1F/ITS4 and sequenced (GenBank Accession No. JQ004404). The ITS sequence had 99% identity over 545 bp with Alternaria longipes (Ellis & Everh.) E. W. Mason (GenBank Accession No. AY278835), a fungal pathogen reported to cause leaf spot on Smilax china in China (3). To further identify the fungus, we chose the Alternaria allergen gene (Alt a 1 gene), which aids in identifying species of Alternaria (2). Amplification of the Alt a 1 gene was conducted using primers Alt-for/Alt-rev and sequenced (GenBank Accession No. JQ004405). Sequence comparisons showed there was 97% sequence identity with Alternaria longipes (GenBank Accession No. AY563304). Pathogenicity tests were performed on detached healthy A. macrocephala leaves. Nine leaves were inoculated by placing a PDA plug (0.5 cm2) of mycelia on upper surfaces of the leaves. Another nine leaves treated with sterile PDA plugs served as a control. Leaves were incubated in three petri dishes with a 12-h photoperiod at 25°C and 95% relative humidity. After 7 days, the symptoms described above were observed on all inoculated leaves, whereas no symptoms developed on control leaves. Reisolation of the fungus from symptomatic leaf tissues on PDA confirmed that the causal agent was Alternaria longipes. This pathogenicity test was performed three times. The genus Alternaria is ubiquitous and includes both plant pathogenic and saprophytic species that may cause leaf spot and blight on numerous plants (3,4), but to our knowledge, our research demonstrated this is the first report of leaf spot on A. macrocephalae caused by Alternaria longipes in China. References: (1) O. D. Dhingra and J. B. Sinclair. Basic Plant Pathology Methods. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 1995. (2) S. G. Hong et al. Fungal Genet. Biol. 42:119, 2005. (3) Y. Long et al. Plant Pathol. 58:800, 2009. (4) S. X. Zang et al. J. Hebei Normal Univ. Sci. Tech. 19:46, 2005.

Effects of different acute high ambient temperatures on function of hepatic mitochondrial respiration, antioxidative enzymes, and oxidative injury in broiler chickens.

This study investigated the effects of different acute high ambient temperatures on dysfunction of hepatic mitochondrial respiration, the antioxidative enzyme system, and oxidative injury in broiler chickens. One hundred twenty-eight 6-wk-old broiler chickens were assigned randomly to 4 groups and subsequently exposed to 25 (control), 32, 35, and 38 degrees C (RH, 70 +/- 5%) for 3 h, respectively. The rectal temperatures, activity of antioxidative enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase), content of malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl, and the activity of mitochondrial respiratory enzymes were determined. The results showed that exposure to high ambient temperature induced a significant elevation of rectal temperature, antioxidative enzyme activity, and formation of malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl, as well as dysfunction of the mitochondrial respiratory chain in comparison with control (P < 0.05). Almost all of the indicators changed in a temperature-dependent manner with the gradual increase of ambient temperature from 32 to 38 degrees C; differences in each parameter (except catalase) among the groups exposed to different high ambient temperatures were also statistically significant (P < 0.05). The results of the present study suggest that, in the broiler chicken model used here, acute exposure to high temperatures may depress the activity of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. This inactivation results subsequently in overproduction of reactive oxygen species, which ultimately results in oxidative injury. However, this hypothesis needs to be evaluated more rigorously in future studies. It has also been shown that, with the gradual increase in temperature, the oxidative injury induced by heat stress in broiler chickens becomes increasingly severe, and this stress response presents in a temperature-dependent manner in the temperature range of 32 to 38 degrees C.

Emended description of the genus Actinokineospora Hasegawa 1988 and transfer of Amycolatopsis fastidiosa Henssen et al. 1987 as Actinokineospora fastidiosa comb. nov.

The species Amycolatopsis fastidiosa (ex Celmer et al. 1977) Henssen et al. 1987 was proposed, based on morphological and chemotaxonomic observations, for a strain originally described as 'Pseudonocardia fastidiosa' Celmer et al. 1977 in a US patent. In the course of a phylogenetic study of the taxa with validly published names within the suborder Pseudonocardineae based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, it became apparent that this species was misplaced in the genus Amycolatopsis. After careful evaluation of the phylogeny, morphology, chemotaxonomy and physiology of the type strain, it was concluded that this strain represents a species of the genus Actinokineospora that is unable to produce motile spores. The description of the genus Actinokineospora is therefore emended to accommodate species that do not produce motile spores, and it is proposed that Amycolatopsis fastidiosa be transferred to the genus Actinokineospora as Actinokineospora fastidiosa comb. nov. The type strain is NRRL B-16697(T) =ATCC 31181(T) =DSM 43855(T) =JCM 3276(T) =NBRC 14105(T) =VKM Ac-1419(T).

Amycolatopsis plumensis sp. nov., a novel bioactive actinomycete isolated from a New-Caledonian brown hypermagnesian ultramafic soil.

The taxonomic position of an actinomycete isolated from a brown hypermagnesian ultramafic soil was examined using a polyphasic approach. The organism, which was designated SBHS Strp1(T), was found to have chemical and morphological properties typical of Amycolatopsis strains. It was most closely associated with Amycolatopsis kentuckyensis, Amycolatopsis lexingtonensis, Amycolatopsis rifamycinica, Amycolatopsis pretoriensis and Amycolatopsis tolypomycina on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence data, and showed a unique pattern of phenotypic properties that distinguished it from the type strains of these taxa. The combined genotypic and phenotypic data show that the organism merits description as a novel species of Amycolatopsis. The name proposed for the novel species is Amycolatopsis plumensis sp. nov.; the type strain is SBHS Strp1(T) (=DSM 44776(T)=NRRL B-24324(T)).

Additive inheritance of resistance to pod rot caused by Phytophthora palmivora in cocoa.

Quantitative inheritance of resistance to Phytophthora pod rot (Ppr) was studied in cocoa hybrid progeny from 12 Trinitario x Amazonian crosses and their reciprocal crosses. The crossing scheme was similar to a factorial design. Disease was assessed by the number and percentage of infected pods on each tree. Highly significant differences due to general combining abilities (GCA) were obtained for all characters, except for the GCA of Trinitario on total pod production. Differences for specific combining ability (SCA) were not significant for all characters. There were no significant differences between reciprocal crosses. The Trinitario clone K82 provided the only source for the hybrid progenies of strong Ppr resistance to the hybrid progenies, while K20 provided moderate resistance. Other parental clones - KA2-101, KA5-201, KEE 2, KEE 5, and KEE 52 - produced progenies which were susceptible to Ppr. It is evident that resistance to Ppr in cocoa is inherited additively. Maternal and cytoplasmic effects were assumed to have no influence on inheritance of resistance. It is also concluded that resistance to Ppr of the kind shown by K82 is likely to be horizontal resistance. Breeding for high-yielding cultivars combined with Ppr resistance is the most effective way of controlling Ppr of cocoa on the crops of growers with small holdings in Papua New Guinea.

Interaction between alfalfa cultivars and Rhizobium strains for nitrogen Fixation.

Two experiments were conducted in the greenhouse to study the interaction between alfalfa cultivars (Medicago sativa L. and M. falcata L.) and strains of Rhizobium meliloti Dang. for acetylene reduction rate, plant height and dry weights of shoot, root and whole plant. Fifteen alfalfa cultivars were inoculated with 10 strains of Rhizobium in Experiment I. Variance component analysis revealed that more than 30% of the total variance was due to alfalfa cultivars for acetylene reduction rate and 26% was accounted for by Rhizobium strains. More than 36% of the total variation was attributed to the interaction between alfalfa cultivars and Rhizobium strains for this character. Twenty-five host cultivars and 11 Rhizobium strains were included in Experiment II. The results also showed that the interaction of alfalfa cultivars and Rhizobium strains contributed the largest portion of the total variation for dry weights of shoot, root and whole plant and acetylene reduction rate. The results clearly demonstrated that the non-additive effects were the major component of variation for these characters associated with nitrogen fixation in alfalfa. Therefore, an effective way of improving nitrogen fixation in alfalfa is to select for a favourable combination of specific Rhizobium strains and alfalfa cultivars.

Combining ability analyses of stability parameters and forage yield in smooth bromegrass.

Twenty-one progenies of smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.) from a 7 X 7 half diallel cross, with their parents, were evaluated for three years at four locations in Alberta for the genetic variation of stability in expression of their annual yield. The linear response and deviation from linear response for each genotype were the two stability parameters considered, together with mean performance in the evaluation of each genotype. Four high yielding genotypes, namely 12, 13, 16, and 26, had general adaptability, while genotype 23 was especially suited to a poor environment. Combining ability analysis showed that general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) were both important in the expression of yield. Inheritance of linear regression was controlled predominantly by GCA whereas both GCA and SCA were equally important in the expression of deviation. The presence of a substantial proportion of variability due to the additive genetic component in the linear response suggests that it should be possible to exploit this fraction of variability in developing high yielding stable cultivars.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor of the anus.

We report a rare case of gastrointestinal tumor of the anus with an unusual presentation as a perianal lipoma. A 65-year-old man presented with a 2-month history of a painless perianal lump clinically resembling a perianal lipoma. Endoanal ultrasonography revealed a 3 x 3 cm2 mass in the intersphincteric plane. Following initial excision of the lesion, histological analysis revealed a stromal lesion comprising fascicles of spindle cells with a mitotic count of 4 per 50 x high power field. Immunohistochemical analysis displayed positive reactivity for CD34 with focal staining for CD117; S100, smooth muscle actin and desmin were not expressed. No evidence of local or distant metastatic disease was found on computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis. The patient subsequently underwent abdominoperineal resection. The resected specimen contained a mural nodule measuring 0.7 cm, located 5 cm from the distal margin and 2 mm from the radial margin. Histological analysis confirmed a stromal tumor composed of spindle cells with mitoses up to 2 per 10 x high power field. The patient's recovery was uneventful and he was free of recurrence at the 1-year follow-up. Gastrointestinal stromal tumors of the anal canal are an extremely rare occurrence, and may mimic benign perianal lesions. Tumor size and mitotic count are the most important factors in prognosticating outcome. Oncologic resection and protracted follow-up must factor in their predilection for late recurrence and metastatic spread. The role of adjuvant therapy with STI571 here remains to be clearly defined.