Field Assessment of Outcrossing from Transgenic Pea (Pisum Sativum L.) Plants
The frequency of outcrossing from a transgenic line of peas into three cultivars ('Carneval', 'Montana', 'Tipu') was studied in the field in 1997 and 1999. Two dominant traits, normal leaf form and a highly-expressed β-glucuronidase (gusA) gene, were used as markers of pollen transfer. Because of heterogeneity in the commercial seed sources, leaf form alone was unreliable for assessing pollen migration into 'trap' plants. Of approximately 9000 offspring tested, only five plants scored positive for the presence of both markers. All five were located in 'trap' plots situated near the transgenic line. This represents a mean outcrossing rate of 0.07%.
Reconsidering Domestication Of Legumes Versus Cereals In The Ancient Near East
In this paper, we discuss, from both biological and cultural perspectives, the ancient human-plant liaison that gave rise to Near Eastern agriculture. We explain the biological aspects of Near Eastern plant domestication by a comparative analysis of legume vs. cereal crop evolution. This comparison is illustrated by the natural distribution, ecological affinity, physiology, population structure, floral biology, growth habit, plant stature, seed dispersal mode, and seed dormancy of both wild and domesticated plants of these crop groups. We discuss the differences between Near Eastern legumes and cereals with regard to each of the above aspects, and we highlight the relevance of these differences with regard to Neolithic decision-making, adoption for farming, and subsequent evolution under domestication. We reached the following conclusions: (1) Near Eastern legumes underwent different evolutionary trajectories under domestication as compared with their companion cereals, despite apparent similarities between selection under domestication of both crop groups. (2) Careful comparison of pea, lentil, and chickpea shows that each of the Near Eastern legume crops has a unique evolutionary history in its own right, and this also holds true for the cereal crops. (3) The evolutionary history of each of the Near Eastern crops, prior to as well as after domestication, is well-reflected in its adaptation profile in present-day cropping systems, which determines each crop's relative economic importance in different world regions (e.g., chickpea is a major pulse in the Indian subcontinent, and pea is a more important crop in temperate regions, while barley has the widest adaptation, extending from high-latitude temperate regions to semi-arid Mediterranean systems). (4) Ancient choice-making, as reflected in the founder crops repertoire, involved nutritional considerations that may have outweighed grain yield per area and/or time unit criteria.
Diagnostic and therapeutic studies on chronic diarrhea in dairy animals
The study was conducted to determine the etiology of chronic diarrhea in dairy animals. Seven causes of chronic diarrhea were established in dairy cattle and buffaloes. Balantidiasis in 37.6 per cent, dietary diarrhea in 9.9 per cent, chronic salmonellosis in 6.9 per cent cases of chronic diarrhea, secondary copper deficiency and amphistomiasis in 6.9 per cent, clinical Johne‘s disease in 3.9 per cent and chronic peritonitis in 2.97 per cent of dairy animals, manifest chronic diarrhea. The precise diagnosis could not be established in 24.50 per cent of animals. Lymphosarcoma was confirmed in one of the dairy cattle. Body condition score was associated to the etiology of chronic diarrhea. B. coli infected cattle and buffalo revealed cysts in 32.3 per cent cases while 5 per cent positive cases revealed both cysts and trophozoites. Mean cyst count was 2.73±0.91 hpf in diarrheic animals compared to 0.11±0.447 hpf in healthy animals. Clinical Johne‘s disease was confirmed in four animals. Hematological changes revealed anemia and neutrophilia with morphological changes suggestive of regenerative to degenerative left shift. High plasma phosphorus, hypoproteinaemia and hypoalbuminaemia was seen in clinical Johne‘s disease. Salmonella isolates showed higher in-vitro sensitivity to enrofloxacin (87%), ciprofloxacin (87%), gentamicin (75%), and tetracycline (66.7 %) and were resistant to ampicillin and amoxicillin. Mean cyst count reduction from 2.41±1.16 to 0.11±.33 was observed in oral metronidazole treated group where as reduction of mean cyst count from 2.73±0.918 to 0.18±0.44 in intravenous metronidazole treated group. Recovery rate with oral and intravenous metronidazole was 42.1 and 63.1 per cent respectively. Recovery results in significant decrease in eiosionphil count and increase in total plasma protein in both oral and intravenous treatment groups. Complete recovery response approaches 60 per cent in balantidiasis affected adult dairy animals. Balantidiasis was the major cause of chronic diarrhea and intravenous administration of metronidazole was more effective than oral metronidazole.