‘Slippage’ in the Implementation of Forest Policy by Local Officials: A Case Study of a Protected Area Management in Lao PDR

A progressive part of protected area management program in Lao PDR is a land and forest allocation program which contains critical elements that delegate right of land and forest use to local people. This study analyzes the gap between the original intent of the program and its actual implementation by local officials in Phou Xang He protected area, and discusses policy issues that need to be addressed. It appears that several types of non-compliance with regulations by local people have occurred, with local officials tacitly ignoring infractions. By switching viewpoints, however, it appears that the local officials permit these infractions as a way of allowing local people to secure their livelihoods. As constraints on the realities of land and forest use vary widely in and around villages in different locales, there is a need for government to allow local officials flexibility in implementing policies.     

Sero-epidemiological and pathological studies on enzootic bovine leukosis in Turkey.

The prevalence of enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL) in Turkey was investigated by serological screenings using the agargel immunodiffusion test (AGID). A total of 4,047 blood samples obtained from 2,780 cattle between one and 14 years of age and taken in 6-8 month-intervals in three dairy farms were tested for the presence of EBL-specific antibodies. A high prevalence of EBL-sero-positive animals was found amongst cattle in two of the farms. Furthermore, recommendations based upon the regulation implemented by an expert group of the European Commission and considering the local dairy management conditions were presented.     

Effects of Dietary Fiber on Growth and Gastric Emptying Time of the Freshwater Prawn Macrobrachiurn rosenbergii (De Man, 1879)

Feeding experiments were conducted on large and small adult freshwater prawns Macrobrachium rosenbergii (36.96 ± 1.65 and 13.48 ± 1.65 g in weight) to determine the impact of dietary fiber on growth, digestion, and gastric emptying time. Fiber was incorporated as Q- cellulose into four semi-purified diets at calculated levels of 0, 5, 10 and 15% at the expense of starch and fed for an 8-wk period. The experiment was conducted in a closed, filtered, recirculating freshwater system. The results indicate that the specific growth rates, feed conversion ratios, and protein efficiency ratios improved as the levels of dietary fiber increased from 0.4% to 8%. Gastric emptying times increased as the level of inclusion of cellulose in the diets increased. It was concluded that diets containing up to 10% dietary fiber increases growth rates in adult prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii by increasing nutrient residence time in the gastrointestinal tract, thereby increasing absorption.     

Porcine theca cells produce immunoreactive beta-endorphin and change steroidogenesis in response to opioid agonist.

In earlier in vitro experiments opioids affected steroidogenesis in porcine luteal and granulosa cells. The present studies were undertaken to examine the effects of FK 33-824 (opioid agonist) alone or in combination with LH, PRL or naloxone (NAL, opioid antagonist) on steroidogenesis in cultured porcine theca cells. Moreover, we have tested beta-endorphin-like immunoreactivity (beta-END-LI) concentrations in culture media under control conditions and following treatments of theca cells with LH, PRL, progesterone (P4), oestradiol (E2) or testosterone (T). FK 33-824 and NAL significantly increased P4 release by theca cells and inhibited stimulatory effect of LH on this steroid output. PRL-induced P4 secretion from the cells was blunted only by FK 33-824. Secretion of androstenedione (A4) and T was essentially elevated in the presence of FK 33-824 and this potentiation of both androgen release was completely abolished by PRL. NAL blocked stimulatory effect of the opioid agonist only in case of T. Secretion of oestradiol and oestrone was completely free from the influence of both the opioid agonist and antagonist. Pig theca cells were able to produce beta-END-LI but none of tested hormones (LH, PRL, P4, E2 and T alone or in combination) significantly affected this production. In conclusion, these data indicate that porcine theca cells may produce beta-END-LI and change their steroidogenesis in response to opioid peptides.     

Functional characterization of post-junctional adrenergic receptor subtypes in bovine intra-mammary arteries

We examined the functional role of adrenergic receptor subtypes (ARs) in bovine intra-mammary arteries (IMAs), 1.5–2.5 mm internal diameter. Norepinephrine (NE) and phenylephrine (PE) produced concentration-dependent increases in tone in segments maintained at a previously determined optimal basal tension in vitro . The sensitivity of the tissue to NE and PE, based on -log molar ED_50s was 6.87 ± 0.17 and 7.05 ± 0.35, respectively. In addition a Schild analysis yielded antagonist affinities for the receptor mediating contractile responses to NE (pA2 value) of 10.46 ± 0.85 for prazosin and 6.29 ± 0.18 for yohimbine. These data indicate a dominance of functional alpha 1 (α₁) over alpha 2 (α₂)-ARs in this tissue. Based on the inhibitory effects of chloroethylclonidine (CEC) on PE responses and the further reduction in sensitivity when nifedipine was added to the CEC, also in the presence of PE, we conclude that there is more than one α₁-AR subtype, with a predominant role for α_1B-ARs in phenylephrine responses. Stimulation of beta (β)-ARs, resulted in relatively small reductions in tone (the highest magnitude of response was 25.94 ± 6.46% of the papaverine maximum at 3×10⁻⁶ M isoproterenol); in addition, propranolol did not significantly alter tissue sensitivity to NE. Additional characterization of functional autonomic receptor populations in this circulatory bed will form a basis for future studies on circulatory dynamics in the mammary gland.     

Effect of carazolol on the oestrous behaviour and concentrations of luteinising hormone and steroids in lactating cows during the periovulatory period

Twelve multiparous, cycling, lactating Holstein-Friesian cows were synchronised with prostaglandin F(2alpha) and treated with either 2.5 mg carazolol or saline. There were no differences between the peripheral blood concentrations of oestradiol or progesterone, but in the cows treated with carazolol the periovulatory surge of luteinising hormone was delayed, and oestrous behaviour was expressed later than in the control cows.     

Dynamics of natural bovine herpesvirus-1 (BoHV-1) infection in a dairy herd

In this study, natural cycling of BoHV-1 infection was investigated in two groups of dairy cattle containing 2120 head. Group 1 comprised 127 animals and they were monitored for BoHV-1 infection virologically and serologically in six consecutive sampling periods. It consisted of naive heifers between 6 and 8 months of age, while in group 2, age, sex and the BoHV-1 serostatus of the animals were disregarded. The animals in group 1 were found to have seroconverted at the second sampling. Results of the serological study showed slight antibody response after natural BoHV-1 infection in the herd and neutralizing titres fell below protective levels in the 6–8 months after the peak. During the 2-year study period, one recurrence was detected after primary infection. Virus isolation studies revealed a cytopathic effect indicative of BoHV-1 in two nasal swabs taken during the fifth sampling period from animals with mild upper respiratory tract symptoms. As the study was carried out under natural conditions, it is not known whether the viruses isolated were from recurrences or re-infections. Data from cross-neutralization tests with herd isolates showed higher antibody response than those with the reference virus. The dynamics of BoHV-1 in both groups were found to be statistically similar.     

Evidence for a relationship between bovine erythrocyte lipid membrane peculiarities and immune pressure from ruminal ciliates

Erythrocytes of bovines and other ruminants have a strikingly anomalous phospholipid composition, with low or absent phosphatidylcholine (PC) together with high sphingomyelin (SM) content. Here, we report the presence in normal bovine serum of high levels of anti-phospholipid antibodies of IgM isotype against, PC and the phosphono analogue of phosphatidylethanolamine, aminoethylphosphonolipid (AEPL), normally produced by rumen ciliates. In contrast, no antibodies were detected against SM or N-acyl-phosphatidylethanolamine (NAPE), the major components of bovine erythrocytes. In addition, we found that exposure of the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila to bovine serum results in rapid lysis, an effect that was inhibited by adsorption of the serum with SM/AEPL liposomes. Furthermore, incubation with bovine serum had a similar effect on freshly obtained ruminal ciliates, and the lytic activity was eliminated by pre-adsorption of the serum with SM/PE liposomes. The ruminant mode of life with its concomitant ciliate fauna is hereby linked to the peculiar conformation of bovine erythrocyte membranes. We propose that the unique phospholipid composition of bovine erythrocytes appears as an evolutionary adaptation to tolerate the lytic effects of anti-phospholipid antibodies generated against AEPL, a membrane component of the huge mass of ruminal ciliates, necessary commensals of this group of mammals.     

Organic Fertilization in Traditional Mediterranean Grapevine Orchards Mediates Changes in Soil Microbial Community Structure and Enhances Soil Fertility

Soil microbial populations and their functions related to nutrient cycling contribute substantially to the regulation of soil fertility and the sustainability of agroecosystems. A field experiment was performed to assess the medium‐term effect of a mineral fertilizer and two organic fertilization systems with different nitrogen sources on the soil microbial community biomass, structure, and composition (phospholipid fatty acids, pattern, and abundance), microbial activity (basal respiration, dehydrogenase, protease, urease, β‐glucosidase, and total amount of phosphomonoesterase activities), and physical (aggregate stability) and chemical (total organic C, total N, available P and water‐soluble carbohydrates) properties in a vineyard under semiarid Mediterranean conditions after a period of 10 years. The three fertilization systems assayed were as follows: inorganic fertilization, addition of grapevine pruning with sheep manure (OPM), and addition of grapevine pruning with a legume cover crop (OPL). Both treatments, OPM and OPL, produced higher contents of total organic carbon, total N, available P, water‐soluble carbohydrates, and stable aggregates. The organic fertilization systems increased microbial biomass, shifted the structure and composition of the soil microbial community, and stimulated microbial activity, when compared with inorganic fertilization. The abundances of fungi and G+ bacteria were increased by treatments OPM and OPL, without significant differences between them. Organic and inorganic fertilization produced similar grapevine yields. The ability of the organic fertilization systems for promoting the sustainability and soil biological and chemical fertility of an agroecosystem under semiarid conditions was dependent of the organic N source. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.