Biological Activities of Chickpea in Human Health (Cicer arietinum L.). A Review

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - Chickpea is one of the most consumed legumes worldwide. Among their benefits are the high protein concentration that reflects not only at the nutritional level but...     

Dorsal midbrain syndrome associated with persistent neck extension: Clinical and diagnostic imaging findings in 2 dogs

Two young dogs were evaluated for an acute onset of abnormal head posture and eye movement. Neurological examination was characterized mostly by permanent neck extension, abnormalities of pupils, and eye movement. A mesencephalic mass lesion was detected on magnetic resonance imaging in both cases. Neurophysiological pathways likely responsible for this peculiar clinical presentation are discussed.     

Global genotype by environment trends in growth traits for Eucalyptus dunnii

New Forests - Eucalyptus dunnii Maiden (Dunn’s white gum) is a fast-growing tall tree with a restricted natural distribution in south-east Australia and favorable wood properties for pulp...     

Persistent Acacia savannas replace Mediterranean sclerophyllous forests in South America

Mediterranean ecosystems are global hotspots of biodiversity threaten by human disturbances. Growing evidence indicates that regeneration of Mediterranean forests can be halted under certain circumstances and that successional stages can become notoriously persistent. The Mediterranean sclerophyllous forest in central Chile is been largely transformed into savannas dominated by the invasive legume tree Acacia caven as result of interacting management and ecological factors. We used multi-temporal satellite imagery to study the transition dynamics of these major vegetation types over the last four decades (1975-2008). Vegetation changes were related to indicators of resource availability (topography, water availability, solar radiance), potential propagule availability (distance to forest remnant patches) and disturbance regimes (grazing, fire occurrence and distance to roads and cities). During this study period, forests were mostly converted into Acacia savannas (46.1%). Acacia savanna was the most persistent natural vegetation type. The probability of sclerophyllous forest degradation into Acacia savanna increased on drier northern-exposed slopes, close to roads and further away from forest remnants. In contrast, forest regeneration from Acacia savanna was higher on moister southern-exposed slopes and closer to forest remnants. Acacia savannas are increasingly being converted into cultivated land on the moister locations or switching into a bare soil state in locations close to cities and further away from forest remnants. These results highlight the vulnerability of diverse sclerophyllous forests and its increasing conversion into persistent Acacia savannas in the Mediterranean region of central Chile and identify the ecological conditions for successful conservation and restoration of the native sclerophyllous forest vegetation that can be used for sensible land use planning.     

Scaling in the time domain: universal dynamics of order fluctuations in Fe3Al

By focusing a highly brilliant synchrotron x-ray beam to a micrometer spot on a sample, we measured in real time the x-ray intensity fluctuations associated with order fluctuations in crystalline materials. We applied this method to the binary alloy Fe3Al near its continuous A2-B2 phase transformation and determined a specific four-point time correlation function for the order parameter. From a detailed theoretical analysis, dynamical scaling in the time domain with a transition from noncritical to critical dynamics is disclosed.     

Pyrosequencing of the rabies virus glycoprotein gene to demonstrate absence of vaccine-associated rabies cases following oral vaccination

Replication competent vaccines have been used successfully for the control of terrestrial rabies, mainly in wildlife; however, these vaccine strains occasionally may induce rabies. In this study, a pyrosequencing protocol for the rapid identification of vaccine-associated rabies viruses was applied to the 2008–2011 Italian epidemic. There was no evidence of vaccine-associated rabies cases following oral vaccination of foxes with the SAG2 and SADB19 vaccine strains.     

The effect of four calcium‐based amendments on soil aggregate stability of two sandy topsoils

The structural stability of soil is a physical characteristic that affects soil degradation processes. Calcium‐based amendments, such as calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate, and calcium oxide/hydroxide, have been shown to improve the stability of soil aggregates. This study seeks to determine which calcium‐based soil amendments, and at what concentration, are the most efficient in improving aggregate stability of sandy topsoils derived from granitic and metamorphic parent materials, and to analyze the mechanisms involved. In the pot experiment, soils amended with CaCO₃, CaCl₂, and CaSO₄ did not present significant differences in aggregate stability compared to the control or among each other. In contrast, Ca(OH)₂ soil amendment brought the greatest stability to the soil aggregates. A dose of 1% Ca(OH)₂ significantly increased the stability of soil aggregates. This effect is due to the reaction of Ca(OH)₂ with atmospheric CO₂ which leads to the formation of CaCO₃, a delayed reaction not showed by the other soil amendments tested. Likewise, the greater solubility of Ca(OH)₂ compared to CaCO₃ exerts a greater aggregation effect on soil. Thus, the mechanism of action of Ca(OH)₂ is related to cementation, rather than flocculation. Future studies should be carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of Ca(OH)₂ under field conditions.