Vole abundance and reindeer carcasses determine breeding activity of Arctic foxes in low Arctic Yamal,Russia

Background

High latitude ecosystems are at present changing rapidly under the influence of climate warming, and specialized Arctic species at the southern margin of the Arctic may be particularly affected. The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), a small mammalian predator endemic to northern tundra areas, is able to exploit different resources in the context of varying tundra ecosystems. Although generally widespread, it is critically endangered in subarctic Fennoscandia, where a fading out of the characteristic lemming cycles and competition with abundant red foxes have been identified as main threats. We studied an Arctic fox population at the Erkuta Tundra Monitoring site in low Arctic Yamal (Russia) during 10 years in order to determine which resources support the breeding activity in this population. In the study area, lemmings have been rare during the last 15 years and red foxes are nearly absent, creating an interesting contrast to the situation in Fennoscandia.

Results

Arctic fox was breeding in nine of the 10 years of the study. The number of active dens was on average 2.6 (range 0–6) per 100 km² and increased with small rodent abundance. It was also higher after winters with many reindeer carcasses, which occurred when mortality was unusually high due to icy pastures following rain-on-snow events. Average litter size was 5.2 (SD = 2.1). Scat dissection suggested that small rodents (mostly Microtus spp.) were the most important prey category. Prey remains observed at dens show that birds, notably waterfowl, were also an important resource in summer.

Conclusions

The Arctic fox in southern Yamal, which is part of a species-rich low Arctic food web, seems at present able to cope with a state shift of the small rodent community from high amplitude cyclicity with lemming dominated peaks, to a vole community with low amplitude fluctuations. The estimated breeding parameters characterized the population as intermediate between the lemming fox and the coastal fox ecotype. Only continued ecosystem-based monitoring will reveal their fate in a changing tundra ecosystem.

     

Intra- and interobserver assessments of intestinal wall thickness and segmentations from transverse sections of feline abdominal ultrasound images

Measurements of intestinal wall thicknesses from ultrasound imaging (US) are routinely used to support diagnoses of intestinal disorders in cats, however published studies describing observer agreement are currently lacking. The aim of this retrospective, observer agreement study was to quantify inter- and intraobserver repeatability and agreement in the measurement of intestinal wall layer thicknesses and the segmentation of transverse sections of small intestines in US images of 20 cats. Intestinal wall layer thickness measurements of the mucosa, submucosa, muscularis, serosa layer, and total thickness of these layers were performed on five cats with small cell epitheliotropic lymphoma, five with inflammatory bowel disease, and 10 with other conditions. Thickness measurements and the segmentation encompassing the serosa layer were obtained from five observers four times non-sequentially. The average standard deviation in thickness measurements (95% confidence interval) in the mucosa, submucosa, muscularis, serosa, and total thickness were 0.35 (0.07–0.95), 0.24 (0.07-0.52), 0.22 (0.06-0.49), 0.20 (0.05-0.49), and 0.57 (0.11-1.60) mm, respectively. The average intraclass correlation coefficients, which estimates the degree of consistency in thickness measurements and segmentation areas for each observer, ranged from 0.355 to 0.870 and 0.850 to 0.993, respectively. The interclass correlation coefficient, which estimates the degree of consistency when measuring a thickness or segmentation area over all observers ranged from 0.115 to 0.753, and 0.811 to 0.902, respectively. The overall average Dice Coefficient, which estimates the extent of overlap of the segmentations for all observers was 0.957 (0.933 to 0.972). Our results suggest segmentations of small intestines have a higher interobserver agreement than measurements of intestinal wall thicknesses.     

Fucoidan Extracted from Fucus Evanescens Prevents Endotoxin-Induced Damage in a Mouse Model of Endotoxemia

An important problem of treating patients with endotoxemia is to find drugs to reduce the negative effects of endotoxin on the organism. We tested fucoidan (sulfated polysaccharide) from the brown alga Fucus evanescens as a potential drug in a mouse model of endotoxemia inducted by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The survival time of mice injected with LPS increased under fucoidan treatment compared with the group of mice injected with LPS only. The preventive administration of fucoidan to mice with endotoxemia resulted in inhibition of increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines (TNFα and IL-6), as well as decreasing of the processes of hypercoagulability. The parenteral or per os administration of fucoidan resulted in decreasing the degree of microcirculatory disorders and secondary dystrophic-destructive changes in parenchymal organs of mice with endotoxemia. Taken together, these results demonstrate that fucoidan prevents endotoxin-induced damage in a mouse model of endotoxemia and increases the mice’s resistance to LPS.     

A microsatellite and morphological assessment of the Russian National cultivated potato collection

The germplasm collections of the Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry, Russia represent the first germplasm collection made for potatoes, now numbering 8,680 accessions. It has tremendous historical and practical importance and a rich history, having been used to document a polyploid series in the cultivated species, to formulate initial taxonomic hypotheses in potato, for studies of interspecific hybridization, and serving as the germplasm base for Russian breeding efforts. Despite its importance and size, there has never been a study of its molecular diversity, and there were many gaps in its passport data. The purpose of the present study is to obtain morphological, ploidy, and microsatellite (SSR) data needed to set up a useful subset of the collection of cultivated potatoes and closely related wild species, and to use this collection to study cultivated potato taxonomy and phylogeny. Through assessments of viability, passport data, and chromosome counts, we selected a subset of 238 cultivated and 54 wild accessions. A morphological and nuclear SSR study of these collections distinguished only three cultivated species: Solanum curtilobum, S. juzepczukii and S. tuberosum, not the many more cultivated potato species of prior taxonomic treatments. The SSR study supports the ideas of S. acaule as one of the parental species for S. curtilobum and S. juzepczukii. The morphological and SSR results are very similar to other recent studies of cultivated species, and show the need to reclassify the collection of cultivated potatoes by modern taxonomic criteria.     

Effect of nanoparticles on crops and soil microbial communities

Purpose

Nanoparticles (NPs) have received increased attention in recent past due to their unique distinct properties. Metal-based NPs are widely used in chemical and allied sector. Most of the research is directed to study the efficiency of NPs in medicine and agriculture. The aim of this review is to explore the possible threats posed by toxicity of various NPs on plants and microbial diversity.

Materials and methods

First, major sources of NPs to the environment were analyzed. The effects of metal-based NPs on the microbiota and plants are presented in this review. The results obtained by the authors during last 12 years of research are used.

Results and discussion

The exposure of soil to nanoparticles causes a decrease in soil microbial biomass and enzymatic activity, which impacts microbial community composition including yeasts, bacteria, fungi, and biological diversity. The effects of NPs on plants result in various types of abnormalities. Nanoparticles can also pose risks to human health.

Conclusions

Increased applications of NPs pose a threat to beneficial microbial communities as well as crops and soils. Thus, it is important to explore whether NPs could compromise crop yield, soil properties, soil organisms, and functional activities of soil.

     

Impact of aridization on soil cover transformation of the Aral Sea and the modern Syr-Darya Delta

The effects of human activities on the soil cover transformation in the eastern part of Kazakhstan were investigated during the period of 1956-2008.The results of the research for different soil types in Priaralye indicated that there was 643.3×103 hm2 solonchaks,accounting for 38.5 % of the total area(1670.5×103 hm2) in 2008.Vast areas are occupied with dried lakeshore soil(311.1× 103 hm2),sandy soils(147.6×103 hm2) and grey-brown desert soils and solonetzes(146.7×103 hm2).In 2001 the area of solonchak was 755×103 hm2 and decreased to 643.3×103 hm2 in 2008,which due to the shrinkage of the Aral Sea,the areas of marsh and lakeshore solonchaks decreased with the increase of dried bottom of the Aral Sea.The level of soil cover transformation in the modern delta of the Syr-Darya River can be seen from the comparison of the results obtained from the different years in the study area.The area of solonchaks increased by 10×103 hm2 and the area of alluvial-meadow salinizied soils increased by 17.9×103 hm2 during the period of 1956-1969.It means that many non-salinizied soils were transformed into salinizied ones.Striking changes occurred in the structure of soil cover as a result of aridization.So,the researches in1969 significantly determined the areas of hydromorphic soils subjected to desertification(it was not fixed on the map before 1956).Later,these soils were transformed into takyr-like soils.The area of takyr-like soils increased almost by 3 times for 34 years(from 1956 to 1990).The long-term soil researches on soil cover transformation in Priaralye have shown that the tendencies of negative processes(salinization and deflation) are being kept and lead to further soil and eco-environment degradation in the region.     

Distribution of highly virulent races of sunflower broomrape (Orobanche cumana Wallr.) in the southern regions of the Russian Federation

The race structure of the sunflower broomrape (Orobanche cumana Wallr.) is identified for the populations of Stavropol krai, Rostov and Volgograd oblasts, and Krasnodar krai. A wide distribution of the most virulent races F, G, and H is observed. A high percentage of the races G and H is revealed for some districts.     

New Deoxyisoaustamide Derivatives from the Coral-Derived Fungus Penicillium dimorphosporum KMM 4689

Seven new deoxyisoaustamide derivatives (1–7) together with known compounds (8–10) were isolated from the coral-derived fungus Penicillium dimorphosporum KMM 4689. Their structures were established using spectroscopic methods, X-ray diffraction analysis and by comparison with related known compounds. The absolute configurations of some alkaloids were determined based on CD and NOESY data as well as biogenetic considerations. The cytotoxic and neuroprotective activities of some of the isolated compounds were examined and structure-activity relationships were pointed out. New deoxyisoaustamides 4–6 at concentration of 1 µM revealed a statistical increase of PQ(paraquat)-treated Neuro-2a cell viability by 30–39%.     

Transgenic poplar with enhanced growth by introduction of the ugt and acb genes

The transgenic poplar (Populus tremula L.) was obtained by transfer of the ugt and acb genes via triparental mating, which was employed to deliver large fragments of TDNA as a cluster. Freshly harvested seeds of local poplar were placed on MS agar medium and plantlets were obtained. After 1 year of subcultivation, plantlets were infected with a transconjugant of triparental mating with target ugt and acb genes into axillary buds. The transformed sprouts so obtained were cut and subcultivated on agar medium with an addition of 0.6 mg/l indole-3-butyric acid as an auxin source. The transformed sprouts showed GUS activity and resistance to gentamycin and kanamycin. The integrity of the target ugt and acb genes into poplar genome was demonstrated via PCR and Southern blot hybridisation. The transgenic poplar plants revealed a higher growth energy, corresponding to a higher content of IAA as opposed to control plants. Both transgenic and non-transformed plants were potted into soil for outdoor acclimatisation and subsequently transferred to earth in beds. Growing outside during 3 years, the transgenic poplar demonstrated a higher growth rate with fast bud and branch development.