Effect of Sodium Azide on Yield and its Components in Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

<b>Background and Objective:</b> The wheat crop is considered one of the most important crops globally, especially in Egypt. It has great nutritional importance, so it was necessary to increase productivity and any genetic improvement depends on the presence of many genetic differences so that breeders can achieve this. This study aimed to use chemical mutagenic (sodium azide) to obtain the desired genetic differences in two wheat cultivars. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> Two types of bread Sids 12 and Giza 164 were treated with different concentrations of sodium azide (NaN₃) (1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000 and 6000 ppm). <b>Results:</b> The highest grain/plant 78.91 g was obtained from Sis12 and 62.96 g from Giza 164 compared to the control 42.57 and 40.24 g for Sids 12 and Giza 164, respectively. Also from the results obtained, the relationship of yield was positive and significant with both grain/spike, spikelet's no./spike spikes no./plant and height/plant. On the contrary, it was negative and significant with a 1000-grain weight (-0.433). <b>Conclusion:</b> The two treatments (1000 and 2000 ppm) were the best in the Sids 12, while (1000 and 5000 ppm) were the best treatments in the Giza 164.

Effect of Mutagens on Yield and its Components of Two Varieties of Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.).

<b>Background and Objective:</b> It is known that any genetic improvement depends on the presence of many genetic variations so that the plant breeder can choose the desired traits such as the trait of the crop or resistance to some diseases. Different or it can be used for selection, whether for yield, early maturity or other characteristics. This study aimed to use gamma irradiation and the chemical mutagen Dimethyl sulfoxide for the induction of genetic variation in two types of beans. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> The Giza 429 and Misr 1 genotypes were treated with three different concentrations of dimethyl sulfur oxide (1000, 2000 and 3000 ppm) and gamma radiation doses (10, 15 and 20 kr) to perform mutagenesis treatments. <b>Results:</b> In the first and second seasons of the study, all the mutations resulting from the radiological and chemical mutagenic treatments of the two Egyptian bean cultivars, Giza 429 and Misr 1, were highly significant for all treatments in the following traits: Number of branches/plant, plant height, number of pods/plant with the weight of 100 seeds (g) and seed yield/plant (g). <b>Conclusion:</b> The benefit of this research was obtained from plants that outperformed the two cultivars Giza 429 and Misr 1 and are considered among the promising plants that can be used in mixed breeding programs or direct selection for high productivity.

Longitudinal investigations of anatomical and morphological development of the gastrointestinal tract in goats from colostrum to postweaning.

The digestive tract development in goat kids around weaning is vital to the establishment of digestion and absorption function, growth, and health of adults. The objective was to explore the effects of age and solid feed on the anatomical and morphological development of the gastrointestinal tract of Laiwu Black goat kids. Forty-eight female Laiwu Black goats at 8 ages (1, 7, 14, 28, 42, 56, 70, and 84 d; 6 goats per group) were selected and killed for anatomical and morphological analysis. The goats experienced the following 4 diet phases: maternal colostrum (MC; d 1, d 7), maternal milk (MM; d 14, d 28), maternal milk plus solid diet (MMSD; d 42, d 56) and only solid diet (OSD; d 70, d 84). The body and carcass weights were not significantly changed during MC and MM phases but changed during the MMSD phase. The absolute growth of body and carcass weights were higher in the MMSD phase than in MM phase. In addition, the dressing percentage was the highest in the MMSD phase. The body size indices evolved progressively and increased over time. The percentage of internal and external organs to body weight decreased over time, whereas the percentage to complex stomach percentage increased. The rumen and omasum weight experienced synchronous absolute growth over time, especially in the OSD phase. In contrast, the absolute growth of the reticulum and abomasum was the highest in MMSD and MC phases, respectively. After weaning, the goats showed the highest papillae height, lamina propria, muscle layer thickness, and epithelial thickness. The OSD phase showed the highest colonic mucosa thickness, ileal villus height, and ileal muscle layer thickness. The crypt depth was higher in the MMSD phase than in the MM phase. Moreover, the crypt depth and muscle layer thickness of jejunum increased over time. Furthermore, duodenal crypt depth, muscle layer thickness, and epithelial thickness increased in the OSD phase compared with other stages. In conclusion, the histological investigation supports the improvement of the morphological development of the digestive tract and the growth performance in the solid feed phase. It is recommended to add solid food as early as 4 wk old.

Pathological findings in equine herpesvirus 9-induced abortion in rats.

Pregnant rats were infected experimentally with equine herpesvirus (EHV)-9, a new neurotropic equine herpesvirus serologically similar to EHV-1, during the first and third trimesters. The inoculated dams had mild to severe neurological signs and gave birth to dead fetuses or undersized pups. Rats inoculated during the first and last trimesters had varying degrees of encephalitis as well as abnormalities of the placentas in the form of marked dilation of maternal blood sinusoids and varying degrees of atrophy and necrosis of the trophoblast cells of the labyrinth, the spongiotrophoblasts and the giant cell layer. Virus antigen was detected by immunohistochemistry in the brain and the trophoblast cells of labyrinth, the spongiotrophoblasts and giant cell layer of the placenta in rats inoculated during the first trimester. Virus antigen was detected in fetuses from rats inoculated in the first and last trimesters. Virus DNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction from the placenta and fetuses of inoculated rats. EHV-9 may induce fetal death and abortion in pregnant dams, possibly caused by direct EHV-9 infection of the placenta and/or fetus as well as the secondary effect of vascular injury.

Mycobacterium marinum infection in Japanese forest green tree frogs (Rhacophorus arboreus).

Four Japanese forest green tree frogs (Rhacophorus arboreus) were presented with emaciation, abdominal distention and ulcerative and nodular cutaneous lesions affecting the brisket, limbs, digits and ventral abdomen. Another three frogs had been found dead in the same tank 1 year previously. Necropsy examination of these seven frogs revealed splenomegaly and hepatomegaly, with multiple tan-yellow nodular foci present in the liver, spleen, heart, lungs, ovaries and kidneys. Microscopically, five frogs had necrosis and surrounding granulomatous inflammation in the liver, spleen, kidneys, lungs, intestine and ovaries, with numerous acid-fast bacilli in the areas of necrosis. Two frogs had granulomatous lesions in the lungs, liver, spleen, heart, coelomic membrane, stomach and intestinal wall. These lesions had no or minimal necrosis and few acid-fast bacilli. Mycobacterium spp. was cultured from three frogs and identified as Mycobacterium marinum by colony growth rate and photochromogenicity and DNA sequencing. This is the first report of M. marinum infection in Japanese forest green tree frogs.

Persistence of inclusions and antigens of chicken anemia virus in Marek's disease lymphoma.

The pathogenesis of the co-infection of CAV to MDV is complicated. In order to investigate the impact of CAV on the transformation phase of MD, MDV and, subsequently, CAV, were inoculated at 1day and 4weeks of age, respectively. Chickens were divided into six groups; vvMDV, vvMDV-CAV, vMDV, vMDV-CAV, CAV and a control group. The CAV inclusions and antigens were continuously detected in MD lymphomas in the vMDV-CAV and vvMDV-CAV groups in large bizarre-shape (presumably CD4+ T cells) and small MD lymphoid cells (presumably CD8+ T cells). The MD lymphomas were composed primarily of CD4+ T cells, but CD8+ T cells were infiltrated singly or in clusters. CAV enhanced the MDV-induced brain lesions in the vMDV-CAV group. The lymphoproliferative lesion (LP) in the vvMDV-CAV and vMDV-CAV groups was non-significantly higher than those in vvMDV and vMDV groups, respectively. CAV significantly increased the LP lesion in sciatic nerves. In conclusion, MD lymphomas enabled CAV replication and dissemination. The depletion of CTLs by CAV did not significantly affect progression of MD lymphoma, although they are essential for possible transition of lymphomatous to inflammatory lesion.