Haemagglutination-inhibiting antibodies against arboviruses of the families Togaviridae and Bunyaviridae in birds caught in southern Moravia, Czechoslovakia

A total of 295 birds belonging to 19 species of 7 families of wild Passeriformes were examined by haemagglutination-inhibition test. The birds were caught for an international research program "Balt" at the time of autumn migration (August-September 1984). Their blood sera were examined for antibodies against 6 arbovirus antigens of the genera Alphavirus (Sindbis-SIN) and Flavivirus (tick-borne encephalitis-TBE, West Nile-WN) and family Bunyaviridae (Tahyna-TAH, Calovo-CVO and Bhanja-BHA). Antibodies against all studied viruses were detected at different frequencies: SIN 6.4%, TBE 7.1%, WN 9.7%, TAH 16.3%, CVO 12.1%, and BHA 1.0%.     

Résumés français: Resumes espanoles

Abstract

Laboratory studies were conducted, using a millet grain bait, to estimate the minimum concentration of 4‐aminopyridine (4‐AP) needed to produce abnormal behaviour and distress calls in house sparrows (Passer domesticus L.). Three concentrations (0.50, 0.75 and 1.0%) were tested and three doses (6, 18 and 30 mg) were administered by forcing birds to eat one, three or five treated grains. There were differences among the three concentrations in time from dosing to first distress call and in abnormal behaviour, but not in the duration and number of distress calls. At each concentration different doses had different effects. Males emitted more and higher pitched distress calls than did females. It is concluded that concentrations of 0.75 and 1.0% could be effective in reducing damage to cereal crops by house sparrows in Pakistan. The calculated LD₅₀ was 5.9 mg/kg (4.5–7.7 mg/kg, 95% confidence limits).     

Investigations on avian pests of oil palm,Elaeis guineensis Jacq. in India†

Abstract

The common myna Acridotheres tristis Linn., the jungle crow Corvus macrorhynchus Wagner and the house crow Corvus splendens Viellot are the major pests of oil palm in India. Other birds like crow pheasant Centropus sinensis Stresmann, parrot Loriculus sp. and pariah kite Milvus migrans Sykes also feed on oil palm fruits. These birds feed on the fleshy mesocarp of the ripe fruits resulting in heavy fruit loss, significantly reducing oil yield. Gizzard and intestinal content analysis indicated that oil palm fruits are the major source of food for these birds. Observations on 1657 oil palm fruit bunches during 1985–86 revealed that 76% of the ripe bunches and 5.6% of the unripe bunches were damaged by birds. The damage by birds was either ‘partial’ or ‘complete’, where 40–50% and 80–100% respectively, of the individual fruit weight was lost. The partial fruit damage was more common in 130–160 day‐old bunches and the complete fruit damage increased after 150 days of fruit set. Fruit loss due to bird damage was higher in palms in the border area of the plantation (2.3 kg/bunch) than in the interior (1.3 kg/bunch). It is estimated that around 2.8 tonnes of fresh fruits/ha/yr, equivalent to 420 kg of palm oil, are lost due to bird damage.     

华北地区不同农田景观格局下天敌昆虫和鸟类对玉米蚜的控制作用

农业集约化形成的农田景观格局影响鸟类和天敌昆虫多样性的形成、维持及其控害功能。为明确景观生境对玉米田鸟类和天敌昆虫及其玉米害虫种群的影响,本研究以5种不同生境比例的农田景观为对象,分析了不同生境比例下鸟类、天敌昆虫种群数量及其对主要害虫玉米蚜的控制作用。结果表明,龟纹瓢虫和草蛉在非玉米田生境比例20%的农田景观中种群数量最多,而异色瓢虫在生境比例30%的农田景观中种群数量最多;生境比例为15%、20%、30%和40%的农田景观分别有利于涵养白头鹎和斑鸠、麻雀、喜鹊和家燕、戴胜;且玉米蚜累计数量以生境比例30%的农田景观最低。排除鸟类与天敌的笼罩试验发现,鸟类与天敌通过直接取食或者干扰生态位生境条件,对玉米蚜的控制效果明显,以非玉米生境比例为20%的农田景观可涵养更多的天敌昆虫和减少玉米蚜发生,提高农田景观对玉米害虫的生物控制作用。     

Characterisation of the fungal population in citrus packing houses

The aim of this work was the characterisation of the environmental and superficial mycoflora of equipment and facilities of two citrus packing houses in Sao Paulo State, Brazil, in 2004 and 2005. One of the packing houses packed fruit for the export market (municipality of Matao), the other for the domestic market (municipality of Engenheiro Coelho). The study also identified the presence of isolates of Penicillium spp. resistant to thiabendazole and imazalil fungicides in packing houses. The environmental mycoflora was sampled according to the gravimetric method, using Petri dishes containing potato dextrose agar medium opened for 2 min. The superficial mycoflora on equipment and facilities was sampled with Rodac plates. The mycoflora in the environment and on surfaces of the packing houses in Matao were 12.3 and 52.3 cfu/plate, respectively, while these populations for the Engenheiro Coelho packing house were 46.3 and 68.2 cfu/plate, respectively. Cladosporium and Penicillium were the most prevalent genera of fungi. The contamination levels of clean zones in the packing houses (washing of fruits, packing table, boxes and containers) was not substantially lower than the contamination in dirty zones (reception of fruits and first selection). The percentage of P. digitatum isolates in Matao that was resistant to thiabendazole and imazalil was 25.9 and 1.5 in the environment and 30.1 and 16.0 on packing house surfaces, respectively. In Engenheiro Coelho, percentage of resistance to these fungicides was 51.9 and 0.1 in the environment and 39.2 and 0.9 on packing house surfaces, respectively.     

季节性冻融期覆砂对太谷农田土壤含水率时空变化的影响

研究了冻融期砂层覆盖对剖面土壤含水率的影响。野外试验于2016年11月—2017年3月在山西省太谷均衡实验站进行，主要监测3种地表处理剖面0~100 cm土壤含水率，各处理分别为无覆盖（LD）、0.5~1.5 mm粒径（XS）和1.5~2.0 mm粒径砂层覆盖（CS）。结果表明：冻融期砂层覆盖及土壤水分冻融使得XS和CS处理土壤剖面出现两个水分高值区，即近地表（15.40%~21.79%）和剖面20~40 cm间（15.99%~19.94%）；砂层覆盖对近地表有储水效果，储水效果随土壤深度增加而逐渐减小。覆砂处理对地表处储水效果最佳，平均土壤含水量较LD处理高8.45%~10.94%。覆砂对剖面0~40 cm有明显的储水效果，平均土壤含水率较LD处理高1.56%~1.62%。 40 cm以下3种处理土壤含水率相差较小，平均土壤含水率差值为0.09%~0.40%；砂层覆盖储水效果还与砂层粒径有关，XS处理0~5 cm储水效果优于CS处理，其土壤含水率高于CS处理0.57%~2.39%；地表砂层覆盖可以平抑地表土壤含水率变化，覆砂处理地表土壤含水率变幅较LD处理低约4.42%。     

Monitoring the Exposure of Barn Owls to Second-Generation Rodenticides in Southern Eire

In an extensive field study conducted over five counties in southern Eire during the winter of 1988–89, 19 Barn Owl (Tyto alba) roosts and/or nests were located. The local farmers and landowners within about a one-mile radius of the Barn Owl sites were surveyed concerning their use of rodenticides and observations of any secondary rodenticide toxicity effects. Regurgitated owl pellets were collected: (a) for dissection and prey analysis, and (b) for chemical analysis to determine residues of the second-generation rodenticides, brodifacoum, difenacoum and flocoumafen. Most farmers interviewed used rodenticide baits (73%), and almost all (92%) stated that they took precautions to protect domestic and wild non-target animals. The four rodent species, brown rat, wood mouse, house mouse and bank vole provided 83% of the Barn Owl diet, and birds contributed another 12%. At least 97% of the 89 pellets analysed contained less than the limit of determination of the three second-generation rodenticides, 0·01–0·02 mg kg⁻¹ of each isomer. Apparent residues in the remainder were likely to be the result of interference from co-extracted material. These results indicated that during the monitoring period, none of the owls studied was exposed to significant residues of these rodenticides in their prey.     

Baseline susceptibility of a wild strain of Phlebotomus papatasi (Diptera: Psychodidae) to DDT and pyrethroids in an endemic focus of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iran

BACKGROUND: Phelebotumus papatsi is considered to be the main vector of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis as well as sand fly fever in Iran. There are several measures for vector control, with emphasis on insecticides. The objective of this study was to determine the baseline susceptibility of this vector to the commonly used insecticides in an endemic focus of the disease in central Iran. P. papatasi collected from the field were used for susceptibility status. Its baseline susceptibility to DDT and pyrethroids was assessed on about 6866 specimens collected from Badrood rural district, Esfahan Province, Iran, during the summer of 2010. The LT₅₀ and LT₉₀ values were measured according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) test using probit analysis and regression lines. RESULTS: Results of tests against female P. papatasi revealed LT₅₀ values to DDT 4%, permethrin 0.75%, deltamethrin 0.1%, cyfluthrin 0.15% and lambdacyhalothrin 0.05% of 1104.97, 182.35, 26.79, 15.42 and 1.48 s respectively. The figures for male P. papatasi were 973.51, 59.5, 4.4, 2.65 and 1.5. CONCLUSION: The results of this study provide a guideline for implementation of different vector control measures. Furthermore, guidelines are needed for monitoring and evaluation of insecticide susceptibility tests against sand flies. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Simulation studies of Senegalese Grasshopper ecosystem interactions II: the role of egg pod predators and birds

We present a simulation study of the role of birds and egg pod predators in the population dynamics of the Senegalese grasshopper. The model was an energetics-driven ecosystem model that included a natural Sahelian grass, millet, grasshoppers, the egg pod predators bombyliidae and Tenebrionidae, and 24 species of birds that prey on grasshopper nymphs and adults. The model simulated the rain-dependent dynamics and migration along a five-location south–north transect in Niger and Senegal, and the main outputs were the grasshopper pressure on the transect, measured as accumulated transect grasshopper days, and the density of eggs ready to emerge the following rainy season. The model was calibrated using observations from transects in Niger (2003, 2004) and Senegal (2004).

When input data from Niger 2003 and 2004 were applied, simulated reductions in grasshopper pressure during the rainy season from egg pod predators and birds, respectively, were within a range of 18–25%, but taken together the overall reduction in grasshopper pressure ranged between 35 and 37%. Using input from Senegal (2004) the birds accounted for reductions of around 25%.

When the impact of the natural enemies was measured in terms of reduction in the density of eggs hatching the following year, the simulated impact of the egg pod predators ranged between 45 and 83% and that of the birds between 33 and 39%, and the two groups combined caused reductions between 60 and 75%.

Analyses of the sensitivity to the bird species, added one by one, showed ‘predator saturation’ along the Niger transects (with low grasshopper density) but not along the Senegal transect.

For Niger, the sensitivity analyses revealed Cattle Egret, Grey-headed Sparrow, Chestnut-bellied Starling, Buffalo Weaver, Sudan Golden Sparrow, Grey Hornbill, Red-billed Hornbill and Abyssinian Roller to be the most important individual species. For Senegal the top-five individual bird species were Village Weaver, Buffalo Weaver, Savile's Bustard, Grey-headed Sparrow and Abyssinian Roller.     

新疆山地鸟类和哺乳类多样性及其区系特征

新疆各类陆栖脊椎动物近 70 0种 ,占中国这一类动物种数的 32 %,其中鸟兽资源尤其丰富 ,计有 42 5种鸟类和 1 5 5种兽类 (哺乳类 ) ,占中国鸟兽种数的 31 %。本文主要以新疆三大山区———阿尔泰山、天山、昆仑 -阿尔金山地区鸟类和哺乳类动物的多样性及区系分布作综合性介绍和分析。根据实地考察和以往文献资料 ,新疆阿尔泰山区记录在 1 2 4种鸟类 ,其中古北界北方型鸟类 5 1种 (占 41 .1 %) ,中亚型鸟类 31种 (占 2 5 .0 %) ,广布种鸟类 2 7种 (占 2 1 .8%) ,其他类型1 5种 (占 1 2 .1 %) ,显出以北方型泰加林鸟类为主的鸟类区系特征 ;分布的 5 0种兽类 ,区系上以古北界北方泰加林为主 ,即北方型兽类占该山区种数的 5 2 %。天山山区记录的鸟类大约2 81种 ,北方型种类占绝对优势 ,即北方型 1 0 6种 (占 37.72 %) ,北方广布型 76种 (占 2 7.0 4 %) ,中亚型 39种 (占 1 3.88%) ,高地型 1 8种 (占 6.41 %) ,广布型 33种 (占 1 1 .74%) ,东北型 9种 (占 3.2 1 %)。兽类分布有 62种 ,北方型兽类区系占优势 ,有 30种 (占 48.40 %) ,广布型 1 2种 (占 1 9.40 %) ,中亚型 1 1种 (占 1 7.70 %) ,特有种 9种 (占 1 4.5 0 %)。昆仑—阿尔金山地区 96种鸟类中 ,中亚类型成份占 2 8.1 %,高地型成分占 2 6%,北方型成?     

Sheltering effect of punched steel plate sand fences for controlling blown sand hazards along the Golmud-Korla Railway: Field observation and numerical simulation studies

Sand fences made of punched steel plate (PSP) have recently been applied to control wind-blown sand in desertified and Gobi areas due to their strong wind resistance and convenient in situ construction. However, few studies have assessed the protective effect of PSP sand fences, especially through field observations. This study analyzes the effects of double-row PSP sand fences on wind and sand resistance using field observations and a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) numerical simulation. The results of field observations showed that the average windproof efficiencies of the first-row and second-row sand fences were 79.8% and 70.8%, respectively. Moreover, the average windproof efficiencies of the numerical simulation behind the first-row and second-row sand fences were 89.8% and 81.1%, respectively. The sand-resistance efficiency of the double-row PSP sand fences was 65.4%. Sand deposition occurred close to the first-row sand fence; however, there was relatively little sand on the leeward side of the second-row sand fence. The length of sand accumulation near PSP sand fences obtained by numerical simulation was basically consistent with that through field observations, indicating that field observations combined with numerical simulation can provide insight into the complex wind-blown sand field over PSP sand fences. This study indicates that the protection efficiency of the double-row PSP sand fences is sufficient for effective control of sand hazards associated with extremely strong wind in the Gobi areas. The output of this work is expected to improve the future application of PSP sand fences.     

辛硫磷对氰戊菊酯在抗性家蝇体内的增效机制

作者就辛硫磷对氰戊菊酯在抗拟除虫菊酯类杀虫剂的家蝇体内的增效作用进行了初步的研究。结果表明：在辛硫磷与氰戊菊酯同时存在时（质量比为２：１），家蝇体内未被降解的氰戊菊酯原化合物含量显著高于只使用等剂量氰戊菊酯时的对照处理（２．６－４．６倍）。同时，家蝇对氰戊菊酯的氧化代射速率降低（１７－４８％）。这些结果可能是辛硫磷对氰戊菊酯增效的主要作用机制，并对延缓害虫抗药性发展有积极的作用。     

Aversion of the feral pigeon and the house sparrow to pellets and sprouts treated with commercial formulations of methyl anthranilate

Two methyl anthranilate formulations, ReJex‐iT® TP‐40 and AG‐36, were tested as bird‐repelling agents for animal feed and vegetable sprouts, respectively. Feral pigeons (Columba livia) and house sparrows (Passer domesticus) are important pests of animal husbandry and field crops in Israel. In each 4‐day experiment, four birds were held together in an aviary, and were offered four trays or dishes with animal feed or cauliflower sprouts in four corners of the cage. The trays and dishes were transposed daily in a Latin square sequence. Pigeons consumed significantly more untreated feed than treated feed. When no alternative untreated food was offered, there was no significant repellency. Treatment of animal feed with TP‐40 to give 2.0 ml methyl anthranilate kg^?1 or less had no repellent effect on sparrows. Concentrations of 4.0 ml kg^?1 or more repelled the sparrows significantly. When no untreated feed was presented, pigeons and sparrows preferred the lowest concentration of methyl anthranilate presented. When AG‐36 was tested on vegetable sprouts, the sparrows tended significantly to avoid the highest concentration used—14.5 ml methyl anthranilate litre^?1 spray. The inter‐specific differences between the birds indicate that the efficacy of methyl anthranilate formulations as a repellent has to be specified for every species. This study did not determine (1) the possibility of developing habituation, (2) the behaviour of birds under natural conditions in the field, or (3) the influence of the feeding behaviour of a sympatric bird species on the repellency of methyl anthranilate to other species. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Enhancement of parathion toxicity to quail by heat and cold exposure

Effects of ambient temperature on the acute oral toxicity of parathion were investigated in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) maintained at thermoneutral temperature (26°C) or exposed to elevated (37°C) or reduced (4°C) temperatures commonly encountered by free-ranging wild birds. Based upon estimates of the median lethal dosage, there was up to a twofold enhancement of parathion toxicity in birds chronically exposed to heat or cold. Twenty-four hours after administration of a low dosage (4 mg/kg body wt, po), there was markedly greater cholinesterase inhibition in surviving heat-exposed quail compared with those reared at 26°C (e.g., brain acetylcholinesterase depression of 42% versus 12%). There were no differences in hepatic activities of parathion oxidase, paraoxonase, or paraoxon deethylase which could account for greater toxicity to chronically heat-exposed birds. In contrast, 4 mg parathion/kg wt elicited less plasma cholinesterase inhibition in cold-exposed quail compared to thermoneutral controls (e.g., <10% versus 48% depression after 24 hr). Increased liver weight and a doubling of paraoxonase activity may have been associated with greater tolerance to sublethal doses of parathion in chronically cold-exposed quail. These findings, together with limited field observations, indicate that the hazard associated with anticholinesterase exposure of wild birds is substantially influenced by environmental temperature.     

策勒绿洲-沙漠过渡带不同植被沙丘表面风沙沉积物粒度特征分析研究

通过对策勒绿洲-沙漠过渡带不同植被类型下沙丘表层风沙沉积物粒度分布特征进行研究,探讨不同荒漠植被类型下风沙沉积物的沉积规律。结果表明:胡杨、骆驼刺、柽柳、花花柴灌丛沙堆表层沉积物粒级组成均以极细砂(57.20%-60.37%)为主,其次为极粗粉砂(18.47%-21.34%)和细砂(16.56%-19.03%),骆驼刺灌丛沙堆表面整体风沙沉积物平均粒径最细(84.06μm),胡杨沙堆表面整体沙物质平均粒径最粗(88.88μm)。四种植被沙堆表面沙物质的分选性总体上在中等-较好水平,分选系数介于1.44-2.02之间,胡杨沙堆表层沙物质的偏度值在顶部附近属于极负偏,骆驼刺、柽柳、花花柴灌丛沙堆表面沙物质均为负偏。峰度值介于0.95-1.51之间,胡杨沙堆顶部附近及骆驼刺沙堆表层沙物质主要属于窄峰态,柽柳、花花柴沙堆表面沙物质属于中等峰态。沙物质平均粒径与偏度值呈极显著正相关性(p<0.01),沙物质的分选系数与峰度值呈极显著正相关性,沉积物粒度特征空间差异主要受物源、植被高度、冠型、疏透度等因素影响。     

Effect of flexible and rigid roughness elements on aeolian sand transport

In developing countermeasures to reduce the negative effects of strong dust events, the fundamental relationship between surface conditions and sand transport remains problematic. We conducted field observations and wind tunnel experiments to examine the effect on sand transport efficiency of actual frontal area when using flexible roughness elements (artificial grass) and rigid roughness elements (tufts of stiff wire). In the field observations, the sand trap ratio approached a limit as the frontal area of artificial grass, measured as the Actual Frontal Area Index (AFAI), approached 25%, equivalent to a vegetation cover of 20%. The wind tunnel experiments showed that the height of deposited sediment decreased downwind with both roughness elements, due to their reduction of both shear velocity and sand transport rates. The sediment flux decreased as the AFAI increased, and the rigid roughness element trapped more sand particles than the flexible one except at higher wind speeds and lower AFAI values. The sand trapping efficiency was greater for rigid roughness elements than for flexible ones, probably due to their high aerodynamic resistance, and thus wire tufts were more effective for trapping sand than artificial grass at higher AFAI values.     

策勒绿洲-荒漠过渡带风沙前沿近地表沙尘水平通量观测

沙漠地区近地表水平输送的沙尘物质通量及其随高度的变化是沙尘输送过程的重要表现特征。在塔克拉玛干沙漠南缘策勒绿洲-荒漠过渡带风沙前沿平坦沙地的风沙观测场,利用BSNE集沙仪对近地表（2 m）不同高度沙尘物质的水平输送进行了观测,对其随高度变化特征进行了分析,并对近地表水平运动的沙尘通量进行了计算。结果表明：观测点沙尘物质的水平通量随高度的增加而减小,与高度的关系可用幂函数和指数函数表示;55%～58%的沙尘量在地表0.5 m高度以内传输;73%～75%在地表1 m高度以内传输;87%～89%在地表1.5 m高度以内传输;2010年5月25日至2011年5月24日,通过0～2 m高度的单宽总输沙量为1 846.7 kg•m^-1;其中PM80、PM50的输送量分别为1 192.0 kg•m^-1、387.9 kg•m^-1。     

格状沙障内风速波动特征初步研究

通过对不同孔隙度格状沙障内风沙流中风速波动特征研究发现:风沙流中各高度层风速波动具有很好的相关性,其波动幅度随孔隙度的增加而减小;瞬时风速在时间序列上波动的均一性随不同高度间距离增加呈递减趋势;瞬时风速的波动性一方面受下垫面性质及外在环境条件的影响,另一方面与其所在高度层沙粒数量和运动状态有关.     

Quantitative structure-activity studies of substituted benzyl chrysanthemates: 5. Physicochemical substituent factors and neurophysiological effects in knockdown and lethal activities against the house fly

Knockdown and lethal activities of meta- and para-substituted benzyl (1R)-trans-chrysanthemates against the house fly were measured under synergistic conditions using piperonyl butoxide as an inhibitor of oxidative metabolism and NIA 16388 as an inhibitor of hydrolytic degradation. The variations in these activities were quantitatively analyzed in terms of physicochemical substituent effects using electronic, hydrophobic, and steric parameters of the aromatic substituents, and regression analysis. The most significant parameter in determining these activities is the steric bulkiness represented by the van der Waals voluem, the effect of which is highly specific to substituent positions. The substituent effects on knockdown and lethal activities against the house fly are shown to correspond well, respectively, with those on the convulsive and lethal activities against the American cockroach. The relationship between these symptomatic activities against the house fly and the neurophysiological activities determined by using excised nerve cords from American cockroaches were also quantitatively analyzed. Each house fly symptomatic activity was found to be analyzable by a linear combination of the neuroexcitatory and neuroblocking activity indices when the transport factor was separated by using the hydrophobicity parameter.     

Influence of soil pH and contents of organic carbon and clay on the volatilization of [14C]fenpropimorph after application to bare soil

The behaviour of the morpholine fungicide fenpropimorph applied to soil was investigated in a laboratory chamber. The volatility and metabolism of a ¹⁴C-labelled fenpropimorph formulation (Corbel^®) was studied after application to three soils (sandy loam, loamy clay and loamy sand), simulating a four-day weather scenario in the volatilization chamber. Additional experiments were conducted under standard climatic conditions over a period of 24 h using sandy soils with different pH values. The results of the first experiments showed that most of the radioactivity applied remained in the soils as unchanged fenpropimorph four days after application. In the experiments with the sandy loam and loamy clay, less than 5% of the applied radioactivity was removed by volatilization whereas 11·4% volatilized from the surface of the loamy sand. The comparatively higher volatilization of the fungicide from the loamy sand was confirmed by the later experiments indicating that higher soil pH favoured volatilization of [¹⁴C]fenpropimorph from sandy soils. Thus 5·6% (pH 5·0), 18·9% (pH 5·8) and 28·3% (pH 6·6) of the radioactivity applied volatilized within one day after application. The overall recoveries were between 93·8% and 111·3% in these experiments. © 1998 SCI