Aetiological significance of rod-shaped bodies in rheumatoid synovia

Effects of soil type, fertilization and drought on carbon allocation to root growth and partitioning between secondary metabolism and ectomycorrhizae of Betula papyrifera

Paper birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh) seedlings were grown in a greenhouse in either subsoil or topsoil in factorial combination with two fertilization and drought regimes to investigate how different soil environments and nutrient availability drive belowground partitioning between growth, secondary metabolism and ectomycorrhizal (EM) associations, and impact drought tolerance of paper birch. Root and total seedling dry biomass, starch, soluble sugars, soluble phenolics, lignin and EM abundance were quantified. In unfertilized topsoil, total plant biomass and root biomass were approximately nine times higher than in unfertilized subsoil, but the root weight ratios did not differ between soils. Root soluble phenolics and lignin were higher in unfertilized subsoil than in unfertilized topsoil, whereas EM abundance was significantly higher in unfertilized topsoil than in unfertilized subsoil. In topsoil, fertilization decreased root biomass and EM abundance and increased root phenolics and lignin. In contrast, fertilization of subsoil increased root biomass but decreased root phenolics and lignin, while EM abundance was unaffected. In both soil types, fertilization reduced root weight ratios. Across soil types, EM abundance was negatively correlated with root soluble sugars, root phenolics and lignin, but this was driven mainly by the responses in the topsoil treatment. Our results show that soil fertility mediates carbon tradeoffs among defense, growth and EM associations.

Immunological response in cows to Mycoplasma bovigenitalium, strain 1836

Four cows were inoculated via the udder with the 1836 strain ofMycoplasma bovigenitalium. The serological response was investigated using the complement-fixation and serum plate agglutination tests. A heterologous response toM. mycoideswas observed, associated with an increase in the anti-γ-globulin titres in the cow's serum. The heterologous response persisted in one cow for 6 weeks after infection. The nature of the immunoglobulin response was characterized by density gradient centrifugation, and by mercaptoethanol and rivanol treatment of the serum and was found to consist entirely of 19 S γ-globulins.

TheMycoplasmapersisted in the udder for the 18 weeks duration of the experiment. TheMycoplasmawas not isolated from the blood. One of the cows became lame with swollen joints;Bacillus cereuswas isolated from the joints and blood.