Effects of polyethylene glycol and a synthetic ice blocker during vitrification of immature porcine oocytes on survival and subsequent embryo development

We evaluated the effects of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and Supercool X‐1000 (SC) as supplements during the vitrification of immature cumulus‐enclosed porcine oocytes in a solution based on 17.5% ethylene glycol + 17.5% propylene glycol. After warming, the oocytes were subjected to in vitro maturation, fertilization and embryo culture. In Experiment 1, equilibration and vitrification solutions were supplemented with or without 2% (w/v) PEG (PEG+ and PEG‐, respectively). The survival rate, cleavage and blastocyst development were similar between PEG+ and PEG‐ groups; however, all values were lower than those in the non‐vitrified control. In Experiment 2, vitrification solution was supplemented with or without 1% (v/v) SC (SC+ and SC‐, respectively). The percentages of survival and blastocyst development were similar between SC+ and SC‐ groups but lower than those in the non‐vitrified control. The percentage of cleavage in the SC‐ group was significantly lower than the control and the SC+ groups, which were in turn similar to one another. In both experiments, the cell numbers in blastocysts were not significantly different among the non‐vitrified and vitrified groups. In conclusion, PEG did not improve oocyte survival and embryo development, whereas SC improved the ability of surviving oocytes to cleave but not to develop into blastocysts.     

Guest Editor’s Introduction to the Special Issue on “Animal Movement Modeling”

In this introduction, we provide a brief overview to statistical models for animal trajectories and then summarize the set of invited articles that comprise the issue.     

Understanding patterns of tree adoption on farms in semi-arid and sub-humid Ethiopia

Trees on farms are a widespread feature of landscapes across a large part of Ethiopia with an important role in enhancing the resilience of smallholder livelihoods through the provision of ecosystem services. Despite their importance, little is known about what trees are planted or retained from natural regeneration by different types of farmers that results in the pattern of tree cover found in the region. We address this knowledge gap through analysis of household survey data from semi-arid and sub humid areas of Oromia regional state. A set of composite variables that represent distinctive patterns of tree cover on farms were derived from principal component analysis and Pearson correlation analysis. This revealed two major tree adoption strategies: farmer managed natural regeneration (FMNR) of trees to meet subsistence needs as well as contributing to other ecosystem services; and, high value agroforestry (HVAF) involving planted trees used largely to produce fruits, timber and fodder. Regression analysis further identified fine-scale variation in ecological and socio-economic factors that affect which of these two broad strategies are adopted by farmers. Favorable climatic conditions coupled with institutional arrangements to control free grazing were pre-conditions for HVAF, whereas poor biophysical potential and sloping land provided a positive incentive for farmers to adopt FMNR. Farmers with preferences for tree species with multiple utilities and locational flexibility favored FMNR while adoption of HVAF was more asset-driven. Our findings reveal that farmers integrate many native and exotic tree species on their farms to meet their variable farm conditions, needs and asset profiles in stark contrast to most tree promotion efforts that focus on a few, usually exotic, tree species. We recommend that future agroforestry promotion should embrace a diversity of tree species appropriate to matching the fine scale variation in ecological conditions and farmer circumstances encountered in the field.     

Chitosan-Genipin Microspheres for the Controlled Release of Drugs: Clarithromycin,Tramadol and Heparin

The aim of this study was to first evaluate whether the chitosan hydrochloride-genipin crosslinking reaction is influenced by factors such as time, and polymer/genipin concentration, and second, to develop crosslinked drug loaded microspheres to improve the control over drug release. Once the crosslinking process was characterized as a function of the factors mentioned above, drug loaded hydrochloride chitosan microspheres with different degrees of crosslinking were obtained. Microspheres were characterized in terms of size, morphology, drug content, surface charge and capacity to control in vitro drug release. Clarithromycin, tramadol hydrochloride, and low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) were used as model drugs. The obtained particles were spherical, positively charged, with a diameter of 1–10 μm. X-Ray diffraction showed that there was an interaction of genipin and each drug with chitosan in the microspheres. In relation to the release profiles, a higher degree of crosslinking led to more control of drug release in the case of clarithromycin and tramadol. For these drugs, optimal release profiles were obtained for microspheres crosslinked with 1 mM genipin at 50 ºC for 5 h and with 5 mM genipin at 50 ºC for 5 h, respectively. In LMWH microspheres, the best release profile corresponded to 0.5 mM genipin, 50 ºC, 5 h. In conclusion, genipin showed to be eligible as a chemical-crosslinking agent delaying the outflow of drugs from the microspheres. However, more studies in vitro and in vivo must be carried out to determine adequate crosslinking conditions for different drugs.     

Rapid,non-destructive carbon analysis of forest soils using neutron-induced gamma-ray spectroscopy

Forest soils are pivotal to understanding global carbon (C) cycling and evaluating policies for mitigating global change. However, they are very difficult to monitor because of the heterogeneity of soil characteristics, the difficulty of representative sampling, and the slow time scale of response to environmental change. Here we demonstrate that use of gamma-ray spectroscopy facilitates in situ non-destructive analysis of C and other elements in forest soils. In this approach the element-specific gamma-rays are induced by fast and thermal neutrons interacting with the nuclei of the elements present in the soil. Background gamma-rays emanating from naturally occurring radionuclides in the forest are recorded as well. We applied this approach in a mature northern hardwood forest on glacial till soils at the Bartlett Experimental Forest in New Hampshire, USA. The inelastic neutron scattering (INS) system yielded strong signals in gamma-ray counts/h, from C and other elements present in the soil matrix that included silicon, oxygen, hydrogen, iron, aluminum, manganese and potassium. The INS sensitivity for carbon was 20.656 counts h⁻¹ kg⁻¹ C m⁻² based on current net C gamma-ray counts and the data for the O horizon and mineral soil to a depth of 30 cm obtained from a nearby quantitative soil pit (7.35 kg C m⁻²). We estimate the minimum detectable change to be ∼0.34 kg C m⁻², which is ∼5% of the current soil C content, and the minimum detectable limit to be ∼0.23 kg C m⁻². Eight % reproducibility from 11 measurements was limited, in part, by the large variability in the system counting geometry due to the uneven forest microtopography. The INS approach has the potential to revolutionize belowground monitoring of C and other elements, because the possibility of detecting a 5% change in forest soils has not been possible with destructive sampling methods.     

Sawfishes in The Gambia and Senegal – shifting baselines over 40 years

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Nineteenth century narratives reveal historic catch rates for Australian snapper (Pagrus auratus)

Snapper (Pagrus auratus) is widely distributed throughout subtropical and temperate southern oceans and forms a significant recreational and commercial fishery in Queensland, Australia. Using data from government reports, media sources, popular publications and a government fisheries survey carried out in 1910, we compiled information on individual snapper fishing trips that took place prior to the commencement of fisherywide organized data collection, from 1871 to 1939. In addition to extracting all available quantitative data, we translated qualitative information into bounded estimates and used multiple imputation to handle missing values, forming 287 records for which catch rate (snapper fisher^?1 h^?1) could be derived. Uncertainty was handled through a parametric maximum likelihood framework (a transformed trivariate Gaussian), which facilitated statistical comparisons between data sources. No statistically significant differences in catch rates were found among media sources and the government fisheries survey. Catch rates remained stable throughout the time series, averaging 3.75 snapper fisher^?1 h^?1 (95% confidence interval, 3.42–4.09) as the fishery expanded into new grounds. In comparison, a contemporary (1993–2002) south‐east Queensland charter fishery produced an average catch rate of 0.4 snapper fisher^?1 h^?1 (95% confidence interval, 0.31–0.58). These data illustrate the productivity of a fishery during its earliest years of development and represent the earliest catch rate data globally for this species. By adopting a formalized approach to address issues common to many historical records – missing data, a lack of quantitative information and reporting bias – our analysis demonstrates the potential for historical narratives to contribute to contemporary fisheries management.     

Effect of 2-Chloroethanephosphonic Acid (Ethrel) on Health,Dormancy, and Flower and Corm Yield of Gladioli

2-Chloroethanephosphonic acid (Ethrel), an ethylene releasing compound, was used on gladiolus corms as a 30-minute dip treatment in various concentrations and at various times during storage.

The most important effect of Ethrel was the marked increase in health and survival of treated plants infected with latent Fusarium.

Ethrel at 1000 ppm enhanced sprouting when corms were stored at high temperatures or stored for a short period at 5 °C. Treatment of cold-stored corms at high concentrations delayed sprouting.

Ethrel increased corm splitting, delayed flowering and slightly shortened flower stems. The size of harvested corms was reduced, but the yield of cormels was greatly increased by Ethrel.