A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the effect of EFF1001, an Actinidia arguta (hardy kiwi) preparation, on CADESI score and pruritus in dogs with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis

Canine atopic dermatitis (AD) is common and new therapies are beneficial. This multicentric, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study tested the efficacy of Actinidia arguta (hardy kiwi) (EFF1001) in dogs with mild/moderate AD. The study was divided into two stages. Stage 1 lasted 6 weeks. In the first 2 weeks prednisolone [days 1–3: 0.2 mg/kg twice daily (BID), days 4–14: 0.2 mg/kg every other day (EOD)] was administered. Responsive dogs were placed on prednisolone 0.2 mg/kg EOD + assigned test article [either placebo or EFF1001 (30 mg/kg)] once daily for 4 weeks. Stage 1 responders were advanced to stage 2, which involved 4 weeks of just EFF1001. Clinicians scored lesions using Canine Atopic Dermatitis Extent and Severity Index (CADESI) and owners scored pruritus using a Pruritus Visual Analogue Scale. Seventy-seven dogs were enrolled, 76 were randomized on day 14, and 57 (57/76 = 75%) completed stage 1 (27 in EFF1001 and 30 in placebo). At the end of stage 1, 35 of 57 dogs (35/57 = 61%) responded (18 in EFF1001 and 17 in placebo) and advanced to stage 2. At completion of stage 1, CADESI scores did not significantly differ between groups while pruritus decreased in EFF1001 group and approached significance. At completion of stage 2, 19 dogs (19/35 = 54%) responded (15/19 = 79% had received EFF1001 and 4/19 = 21% placebo in stage 1). After completing stage 2, dogs placed on EFF1001 throughout the study were 3.5 times more likely to either maintain or improve scores than those that started it in stage 2. It is concluded that EFF1001 is beneficial adjunctive therapy after prolonged use.     

Centuries-old logging legacy on spatial and temporal patterns in understory herb communities

Understory herb communities in the Southern Appalachians are among the highest biodiversity plant communities in North America. In the mid-1990s, a debate began over whether understory herb communities recover to their pre-disturbance states following logging. Studies showing reduced herb-layer diversity in previously logged forests were criticized for not accounting for intersite environmental heterogeneity. More recent studies have addressed environmental heterogeneity, but have neglected long-term recovery by using “mature forests” as young as 80 years old as the benchmark for diversity comparison, even though old growth stands have disturbance return intervals exceeding 500 years. Here we address concerns clouding previous studies of high-diversity Appalachian herb communities and investigate their long-term recovery by comparing paired sites of old growth forest and forest logged 100–150 years ago. We found that species richness and individual abundance is greater in old growth forests than mature forests and that species composition differed significantly between the two. Turnover in species among old growth and mature forests accounted for 11% of the total species richness and was significantly greater than expected. Species turnover at intermediate (5–50 m) and landscape-scales (>10 km) contributed the most towards total species richness. Herb communities in rich cove forests have successional trajectories that exceed 150 years, with important community changes still occurring long after the forest returns to what has been previously termed a “mature” state. To conserve the diverse herb layer, we conclude that mature forest stands are too young to serve as baselines for recovery, landscape-scale preservation of multiple forest stands is needed to maximize species richness, and maintaining 100–150-year logging rotations will likely lead to loss of biodiversity.     

Successful induction of trigenomic hexaploid <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica</Emphasis> from a triploid hybrid of <Emphasis Type="Italic">B.</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">napus</Emphasis> L. and <Emphasis Type="Italic">B. nigra</Emphasis> (L.) Koch

A triploid hybrid with an ABC genome constitution, produced from an interspecific cross between Brassica napus (AACC genome) and B. nigra (BB genome), was used as source material for chromosome doubling. Two approaches were undertaken for the production of hexaploids: firstly, by self-pollination and open-pollination of the triploid hybrid; and secondly, by application of colchicine to axillary meristems of triploid plants. Sixteen seeds were harvested from triploid plants and two seedlings were confirmed to be hexaploids with 54 chromosomes. Pollen viability increased from 13% in triploids to a maximum of 49% in hexaploids. Petal length increased from 1.3 cm (triploid) to 1.9 cm and 1.8 cm in the two hexaploids and longest stamen length increased from 0.9 cm (triploid) to 1.1 cm in the hexaploids. Pollen grains were longer in hexaploids (43.7 and 46.3 μm) compared to the triploid (25.4 μm). A few aneuploid offsprings were also observed, with chromosome number ranging from 34 to 48. This study shows that trigenomic hexaploids can be produced in Brassica through interspecific hybridisation of B. napus and B. nigra followed by colchicine treatment.     

I will never eat another strawberry again: the biopolitics of consumer-citizenship in the fight against methyl iodide in California

In March of 2012, following a robust activist campaign, Arysta LifeScience withdrew the soil fumigant methyl iodide from the US market, just a little over a year after it had finally been registered for use in California. As a major part of the campaign against registration of the chemical, over 53,000 people, ostensibly acting as citizens rather than consumers, wrote public comments contesting the use of the chemical for its high toxicity. Although these comments had marginal impact on the outcome of the case, these comments are of interest for what they say about public action at a time when efforts to address food and agricultural issues have been dominated by “voting with your fork.” Based on a qualitative textual analysis of approximately 3500 representative comments made available to us, we show that many of those taking action did not abandon consumer subjectivities associated with neoliberal governmentality. By threatening “personal boycotts,” some were acting in their capacity as individual consumers; in invoking their own and their children’s health many more were also acting on behalf of consumers, despite that the chemical in question is applied before strawberries are planted and thus leaves no residues. The emphasis that letter writers gave to their own bodies reinforces the idea that some bodies count more than others and thus reveals a biopolitical sorting. Having consumer lives matter is consequential in light of evidence that consumer concern about pesticides has historically led to formulations and regulations more protective of consumers than workers and neighbors.     

Characterizing nitrogen use efficiency in natural and agricultural ecosystems to improve the performance of cereal crops in low-input and organic agricultural systems

Low-input and organic farming systems have notable differences in nitrogen (N) sources, cycling and management strategies compared to conventional systems with high inputs of synthetic N fertilizer. In low-input and organic systems, there is greater reliance on complex rotations including annual and perennial crops, organic N sources, and internal N cycling that more closely mimic natural systems. These differences in farming system practices fundamentally affect N availability and N use efficiency (NUE) and could impact crop traits and breeding strategies required to optimize NUE. We assess genetic and environmental factors that could assist breeders in improving crop performance in low-input and organic farming systems by examining NUE in natural and agricultural ecosystems. Crop plants have often been bred for high N productivity, while plants adapted to low N ecosystems often have lower productivity and higher levels of internal N conservation. Breeders can potentially combine N productivity and N conservation through the use of elite and wild germplasm. Beneficial genetic traits include the ability to maintain photosynthesis and N uptake under N stress and the ability to extract soil N at low concentrations, perhaps through beneficial associations with soil microorganisms. In addition, breeding for specific adaptation to climactic and management practices so that crop uptake patterns match N availability patterns, while minimizing pathways of N loss, will be critical to improving NUE.     

Comparative forcing of Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Bailer’ as a florist's hydrangea

‘Bailer’ (Endless Summer™) is a new, pink- or blue-flowered hydrangea that flowers on new wood continuously throughout the growing season. It is also winter-hardy in northern, temperate climates (USDA Z4). Use of Endless Summer as a florist's potted hydrangea would provide consumers with a dual-use product (flowering potted plant, landscape shrub). The objectives were to determine if Endless Summer could be forced as a florist's hydrangea using two forcing regimes (immediate, standard), two soil pH regimes, and two pinching treatments. ‘Merritt Supreme Pink’ (pink), ‘Blue Danube’ (blue), and Endless Summer (blue, pink) were forced under immediate (no cold treatment, short- and long-day photoperiods) and standard (6 weeks cold, 4 °C to overcome dormancy) conditions. Since commercial liners were not yet available, cuttings of Endless Summer were used in the immediate forcing experiment. Days to visible flower bud, first color, full flower were recorded, as well as height, no. of branches, no. of flowers, and flower size. In the immediate forcing experiment, only Endless Summer produced flowers. Cultivars differed significantly (P < 0.001) for days to visible flower bud, days to first color, days to full flower, and height. The number of flowers and flower size were not significantly different among pink cultivars. In the standard forcing experiment, Endless Summer reached days to visible flower bud, days to first color, and days to full flower significantly earlier than either comparison, although it exhibited weaker stems and less intense flower pigmentation. Pinching (blue pH) had a significant effect on all traits except the days to full flower and flower size, although no pinching treatment was significant for pink pH. Photoperiod was significant only for the days to visible flower bud (pink pH), days to full flower (blue pH), and final height (blue pH). Further research is needed before Endless Summer can be grown as a dual-use florist's potted hydrangea with acceptable quality.     

Analysis of landscape pattern change trajectories within areas of intensive agricultural use: case study in a watershed of southern Québec, Canada

This study aimed at capturing the spatial variability of landscape patterns and their trajectories of change from 1950 to 2000 within a watershed, which is representative of areas of intensive agricultural use. After an analysis of landscape features changes for the entire watershed based on aerial photographs, hierarchical clustering analysis provided a typology of landscape patterns for the cadastral lots. Following that, the trajectory of change of each lot was characterized (nature, importance, direction, rate of change). Seven types of landscape patterns are distinguished by the relative importance of different classes of landscape features and 51 trajectories of change were identified for the lots. The analysis shows that although the majority of lots were subjected to a homogenization of their landscape patterns since 1950, this trend is not entirely uniform and that since 2000 it occurs alongside trends towards diversification of certain landscape features on some lots. Furthermore, nearly a third of the lots are not following the main trajectories of change detected. Thus, the results suggest that extrinsic forces (policies, technologies) that are directing main changes in areas of intensive agricultural use toward uniformity could be modulated by internal forces (uses and values of the population). A better understanding of theses internal forces seems crucial to manage landscapes. From a methodology standpoint, although the hierarchical clustering analyses appear useful for understanding the spatial and temporal variability of landscape patterns, particular attention must be given to validating the typology chosen to characterize them.     

Effects of urbanization on California’s fish diversity: Differentiation, homogenization and the influence of spatial scale

Human development of freshwater ecosystems has lead to drastic changes in freshwater fish faunas, including the loss of many native species and the gain of non-natives. Typically conservation ecologists view these two opposing forces as contributing to biological homogenization, and consider homogenization as one of the principle negative consequences of urbanization. However, homogenization is only one outcome out of many that can result from the loss and gain of species. In particular, it is possible for invasions and extinctions to lead to differentiation; a process whereby two (or more) regions become less similar to one another through time. Using the freshwater fishes of California, we show that urbanization is highly positively correlated to both the endangerment of native fish and the invasion of non-native fish within watersheds. Despite this, the fish faunas of California’s watersheds have differentiated from one another through time. Furthermore, the degree of differentiation is positively correlated with measures of urbanization, which is contrary to expectation. We suggest that this result reflects: (1) the haphazard manner in which non-native fishes have been introduced into California watersheds, (2) the difficulty that both native and non-native fishes have in expanding their geographical ranges, and (3) the continued presence of vestiges of formerly distinct regional faunas. This pattern of differentiation among watersheds is likely a matter of scale, as previous work on freshwater fishes has demonstrated homogenization at both larger and smaller spatial scales. In addition the observed pattern is probably a short-term (temporal) phenomena and will disappear with continued invasion and extinction. We suggest that similar patterns may occur for other taxa that have limited natural dispersal abilities and that are idiosyncratically released as non-natives via human activities (e.g. herptiles).     

In situ Remediation of DDT-contaminated Soil Using a Two-Phase Cosolvent Flushing-Fungal Biosorption Process

The effectiveness of cosolvent soil flushing and fungal biosorption for the remediation of p,p′-DDT-contaminated soil was evaluated usingpacked soil columns in order to simulate an in situ soil flushing technique. Greater than 95% of p,p′-DDT (940 mg kg^-1) was desorbed from the soil by flushing with 40 or 80% 1-propanol. Increasing the cosolvent volume fraction increased the rate of p,p′-DDT removal from the soil, however, the extent of p,p′-DDT removal was not enhanced. A further enhancement in therate of p,p′-DDT removal was achieved by increasing the cosolventflow rate from 6 ml hr^-1 to 12 ml hr^-1 (pore water velocity from 18.9 to 37.8 cm hr^-1). The desorbed p,p′-DDT was removed from cosolvent wash solutions by partitioning onto fungal biomass. Biosorption of p,p′-DDT resulted in low concentrations of the organochlorine (3.3 μg ml^-1) remaining in thecosolvent effluent indicating that the cosolvent could be reused for further p,p′-DDT desorption. Using this technique, between 53 and 95 pore volumes were required to reduce p,p′-DDT concentrationsfrom 990 mg kg^-1 to below Australian and New Zealand Environmentaland Conservation Council (ANZECC) guidelines (50 mg kg^-1).     

Carotenoid changes of intact watermelons after storage

Watermelon contains lycopene, a red carotenoid pigment that has strong antioxidant properties. The lycopene content of watermelon is substantial, contributing 8-20 mg per 180 g serving. There are no reports on carotenoid changes in whole watermelon during storage. Three types of watermelon, open-pollinated seeded, hybrid seeded, and seedless types, were stored at 5, 13, and 21 degrees C for 14 days and flesh color, composition, and carotenoid content were compared to those of fruit not stored. Watermelons stored at 21 degrees C had increased pH, chroma, and carotenoid content compared to fresh fruit. Compared to fresh fruit, watermelons stored at 21 degrees C gained 11-40% in lycopene and 50-139% in beta-carotene, whereas fruit held at 13 degrees C changed little in carotenoid content. These results indicate that carotenoid biosynthesis in watermelons can be affected by temperature and storage.