Bioactive Compounds in Wild Asteraceae Edible Plants Consumed in the Mediterranean Diet

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - Three wild edible plant species belonging to the Asteraceae family, Crepis vesicaria L. (s.l.), Sonchus asper (L.) Hill s.l., and Sonchus oleraceus L., usually...     

Replacing Wheat Flour with Debittered and Fermented Lupin: Effects on Bread’s Physical and Nutritional Features

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - In this study the breadmaking potential of lupin flour from L. mutabilis after being debittered (DLF) and solid state fermented (FLF) was evaluated in lupin-wheat...     

Thermal performance curves based on field movements reveal context-dependence of thermal traits in a desert ectotherm

Landscape Ecology - Thermal traits likely mediate organismal responses to changing thermal environments. As temperatures increase, predicting species responses will depend on understanding how...     

Regional variability in landscape effects on forest bird communities

Landscape Ecology - Functional responses to landscape heterogeneity are context-dependent, hampering the transferability of landscape-scale conservation initiatives. Japan provides a unique...     

Using graph theory to analyse and assess changes in Mediterranean woodland connectivity

Landscape Ecology - The Portuguese montado is an agro-silvopastoral system, similar to the Spanish dehesa, known for its cultural, economic and ecological value. Despite its importance, contrasting...     

Human appropriated net primary productivity as a metric for land use planning: a case study in the US Great Lakes region

Context

Human appropriation of net primary productivity (HANPP) is employed as a measure of human pressures on biodiversity, though largely at global and national scales rather than landscape to regional scales where many conservation decisions take place. Though gaining in familiarity, HANPP is not widely utilized by conservation professionals.

Objectives

This study, encompassing the US side of the Great Lakes basin, examines how regional distributions of HANPP relate to landscape-based biodiversity proxy metrics used by conservation professionals. Our objectives were (1) to quantify the HANPP of managed lands at the county scale; and (2) to assess spatial patterns of HANPP in comparison to landscape diversity and local habitat connectedness to determine if the metric can provide useful information to conservation professionals.

Methods

We aggregated forest and cropland NPP data between 2005 and 2015 and coupled it with previously published potential vegetation maps to quantify the HANPP of each county in the study region. We mapped the outputs at 500 m resolution to analyze spatial relationships between HANPP and landscape metrics of biodiversity potential.

Results

Area-weighted HANPP across our study region averaged 45% of NPP, down to 4.9% in forest-dominated counties. Greater HANPP correlated with reduced landscape diversity (p?<?0.001, r²?=?0.28) and reduced local habitat connectedness (p?<?0.001, r²?=?0.36).

Conclusion

HANPP could be used as an additional tool for conservation professionals during regional-scale land use planning or conservation decision-making, particularly in mixed-use landscapes that both support important biodiversity and have high levels of primary production harvest.

     

Implications of future climate- and land-change scenarios on grassland bird abundance and biodiversity in the Upper Missouri River Basin

Landscape Ecology - Over the past decades, numerous threats from climate- and land-use change to ecosystems have been identified. Grassland ecosystems are among the most endangered in the world and...     

Comparison of outcomes following treatment of septic calcaneal bursitis by needle or bursoscopic lavage: A retrospective study of 29 horses

Sepsis of the calcaneal bursae (CB) presents significant treatment challenges with limited clinical data available in the literature. The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to assess the clinical outcomes associated with CB lavage using either a through-and-through needle or bursoscopic technique. Clinical records of 29 horses treated for septic calcaneal bursitis using either technique between 2005 and 2019 were reviewed. Fisher’s exact test was used to assess statistical significance between first surgical technique and success at first surgery (i.e. not requiring >1 lavage), survival to discharge and return to work (RTW). Bursoscopy was performed in 13/29 (44.8%) cases, and needle lavage in 16/29 (55.2%). In the needle group, 12 (75%) horses were discharged following the first surgery. Four had repeat interventions; two (12.5%) had needle lavage and two (12.5%) had bursoscopy. Of the two horses to have repeat needle lavage, one was subjected to euthanasia and one discharged, and of the two that underwent bursoscopy, one was discharged and one received a third bursoscopy prior to discharge. In the bursoscopy group, seven (53.8%) were discharged and three (23.1%) were subjected to euthanasia following the first surgery. Three (23.1%) received a second bursoscopic lavage with one discharged, one subjected to euthanasia and one having a third bursoscopic lavage prior to discharge. Overall, 18/24 (75%) followed up cases RTW, 10 (55.5%) from the needle group, eight (44.4%) the bursoscopy group. No statistically significant differences between first surgical technique used and success at first surgery (no subsequent lavage(s) required), survival to discharge or return to work were detected. The main limitations of this study are that it is a retrospective study, has a small population with limited statistical power and potential selection bias. No statistically significant differences existed between the outcomes of the two techniques, contrary to the belief that bursoscopic lavage is superior. Larger, multicentred studies, with greater statistical power are required to further assess this relationship.     

Pesticide contamination of the upper Elbe River and an adjacent floodplain area

Journal of Soils and Sediments - Pesticide contamination of river waters is a global problem, and therefore, authorities regularly monitor the water quality status. Especially, flood events might...     

Strangulation of the duodenum just oral to its caudal flexura caused by a volvulus

An 8-year-old Haflinger mare with a 10-day-old foal at foot was referred with mild abdominal pain. On the basis of clinical examination, blood and peritoneal fluid analysis, the cause of pain was suspected septic peritonitis. The horse was initially managed medically, with the horse placed in box confinement under close monitoring. No permission was given for an exploratory laparotomy, and it was decided to perform a diagnostic laparoscopy in the standing horse. The laparoscopy revealed a 360-degree anticlockwise partial duodenal volvulus of the caudal descending duodenum, which was manually reduced (hand-assisted laparoscopy). After the release, the mesentery of the duodenum showed an ischaemic band (yellowish white and dark red with a hyperaemic side) and the duodenum had a distinct ischaemic ring (orally and aborally) distinguishing the incarcerated part from the normal duodenum. Ten minutes after the release, the colour remained the same. In conjunction with the owner, it was decided to euthanise the pony. Pathology confirmed the presence of a strangulation ring and the ischaemic condition of the involved duodenum.