Dantrolene may prevent organophosphate-induced oxidative stress and muscle injury

The effects of dantrolene against fenthion-induced oxidative stress and muscle injury were investigated in rats. Malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH) ascorbic acid, retinol and β-carotene levels in blood were measured. Histopathological alterations and apoptosis in diaphragm were examined. Fenthion increased the level of MDA and decreased the levels of GSH in blood. Dantrolene administration prevented the rise in MDA levels and increased the GSH levels. There was no significant difference between β-carotene levels of experimental groups. However, fenthion toxicity led to decrease in ascorbic acid and retinol levels, dantrolene administration significantly prevented this decrease. Dantrolene significantly decreased the inflammation, edema and muscle necrosis or apoptosis in diaphragm muscle. Results of present study showed that toxicity of organophosphate compound fenthion increases the lipid peroxidation and depresses endogenous antioxidative systems, and leads to muscle injury in organism. Again, dantrolene administration prevents lipid peroxidation, augments antioxidant activity, and decreases muscle injury and apoptosis.     

Effects of bioenergy production on environmental sustainability: a preliminary study based on expert opinions in Italy and Turkey

In future decades, initiatives on biomass-based energy development in Europe should reduce fossil fuel dependence and help to combat climate change as required by the conference of the parties 21. In this context, forest biomass can play a key role within the bioenergy sector due to its high growth potential. The use of forest biomass for energy has positive and negative effects on other ecosystem services, on stand characteristics, and on forest management practices. The aim of this study is to analyse the effects of forest bioenergy production on six ecosystem services (biodiversity, recreation, landscape aesthetics, carbon sequestration, soil erosion protection, water quality). These effects have been assessed by 80 experts in two countries (Italy and Turkey), considering two different forest management practices (clear-cutting of coppices and woody residue removal after felling in high forests). The results show that coppice clear-cutting has negative effects on almost all ecosystem services according to the experts’ opinions. The highest negative effects are on landscape aesthetics and soil protection. The effects of woody residue removal on biodiversity, carbon sequestration, soil erosion protection, and water quality are considered negative by the experts, while the effects on recreation activities and landscape aesthetics are considered positive. The highest negative effects of this forest management scenario are on soil protection and biodiversity. The experts’ opinions about the effects of forest management practices on ecosystem services can provide information to understand the environmental sustainability of bioenergy development in future years.     

Dothistroma spp. in Western Ukraine and Georgia

Dothistroma needle blight (DNB) is among the most serious foliar diseases affecting Pinus spp. globally. Infected needles were collected from potential host species in four locations in western Ukraine and in four locations in eastern Georgia during spring–summer 2015 to update the knowledge on pathogen distribution in these countries. Dothistroma spp. were detected using isolation, sequencing and species‐specific priming (SSPP) PCR. Two new hosts for Dothistroma spp. were recorded in western Ukraine: D. septosporum on Pinus nigra var. australica and D. pini on P. nigra var. mollet. D. septosporum was found on 15‐year‐old P. strobus in western Ukraine. New hosts for D. septosporum were recorded in Georgia on 5‐ to 10‐year‐old naturally regenerated P. sylvestris var. hamata and on 40‐ to 50‐year‐old P. ponderosa trees. D. pini was found for the first time in Georgia on 30‐ to 40‐year‐old P. nigra trees. The work confirmed the presence of both D. septosporum and D. pini in western Ukraine and Georgia, and demonstrated new hosts for both Dothistroma species.     

Analysis of temporal changes in land cover and landscape metrics of a managed forest in the west Black Sea region of northern Turkey: 1970–2010

Forest structure changes continuously by natural and anthropogenic effects. Because the level of goods and services provided by forest ecosystems are related to this structure, some attributes have to be controlled while they are being managed. In this paper we describe the long-term temporal changes in land area and landscape metrics related to different land uses of a managed forest in Turkey. The study was carried out for the Daday Forest Planning Unit located in the west Black Sea region of northern Turkey. The total area is 16,813 ha and besides wood production, it is managed for erosion control, public health, aesthetics, and recreation. Stand type maps that were constructed in 1970, 1989, 1999, and 2010 were used in this analysis. Transition matrixes that illustrate area changes among cover types and temporal changes on some landscape metrics were obtained using Geographic Information Systems. Stands were separated into small patches, and thus the number of patches increased nearly two-fold between 1970 and 2010. The total forest edge increased and through the associated fragmentation, the amount of core forest area decreased at the landscape scale. Landscape metrics were applied to digitized versions of historical maps to assess how forest area changed. Human use of the land has changed, forest management practices have evolved, and these along with natural forest growth have contributed to interesting changes in landscape character.     

A Macro‐Anatomical Investigation of the Some Skull Bones of Nehring's Blind Mole Rats (Spalacidae: Nannospalax nehringi)

This study was aimed to demonstrate the specific anatomical features of the skull bones of Nehring's blind mole rats. Eight skulls, belonging to animals of both sexes, were used. The occipital squama contributed to the formation of the caudal portion of the skull roof. The foramen magnum was quite large. The external occipital crest was present only in the males. The parietal bones formed the middle portion of the skull roof together with the well‐developed inter‐parietal bones. The zygomatic process of the temporal bone formed the zygomatic arch by extending to the temporal process of the zygomatic bone. The zygomatic process of the frontal bone and the frontal process of the zygomatic bone laterally bordered the orbit. There was a single septal process of the nasal bone. Each ramus of the mandibula had four processes. The mandibular ramus had an angular process on its caudal rim, which extended dorsolaterally. The dorsal free end of the mandibular ramus possessed a coronoid process. In the back, there were two other processes, situated medially and laterally. The medially situated process was referred to as a condylar process, and the laterally situated process was referred to as an alveolar process. The alveolar process detected on the mandibular ramus has not been reported in any rodent species, other than those of the family Spalacidae. Blind mole rats can be a real eye‐opener for evolutionary science. The burrowing rodents are key to answering a controversial question about how new species arise.     

European pear rust on Juniperus excelsa L. in south‐western Turkey

In this study, the frequency of European pear rust (Gymnosporangium fuscum) lesions on Juniperus excelsa was investigated both on seedlings in a nursery and on forest trees in six juniper stands located in south‐western Turkey. In the nursery, lesions occurred on 0.7% of 5510 1‐year‐old seedlings and 29% of 200 2‐year‐old potted seedlings. In each of the juniper forests, 50 trees were chosen within a square of approximately 400 m² in size. In general, rust lesions were common on the trees. On average, 49.0% of the trees had lesions; on 17.3% of the trees, the lesions were located on the trunk, on 43.3% on the branches and on 11.7% on both. In lesion‐bearing trees, the average number of lesions was 1.47–3.59 and the maximum number of lesions per tree were six to 11. Most of the lesions (85.1%) were on branches. There were significant differences between the stands, which can be attributed to different age of the trees, site factors and the presence of alternate hosts. The rust identified from stem lesions in forest trees and from nursery seedlings was European pear rust (G. fuscum), but possible co‐occurrence of other Gymnosporangium spp. cannot be excluded.     

Turkish Heterobasidion abietinum is pathogenic to inoculated Abies nordmanniana ssp. nordmanniana and ssp. bornmülleriana

Four‐year‐old seedlings of Abies nordmanniana ssp. bornmülleriana and 5‐year‐old seedlings of Abies nordmanniana ssp. nordmanniana were inoculated on the lower stem with 28 Heterobasidion abietinum isolates originating from four different regions of Turkey. Replicate seedlings were incubated in greenhouse and growth chamber. After 7 weeks, infection incidence, mortality, lesion length in the inner bark and fungal growth in the sapwood were examined. Infection incidence in different host–incubation combinations ranged between 70.5 and 79.5% and the average mortality rate was 4.2%. Average lesion lengths varied between 8.4 and 33.9 mm, and average fungal growth between 18.7 and 34.8 mm. There was a significant positive correlation between lesion length in the inner bark and fungal growth in sapwood on both hosts and conditions. Clear differences in virulence between H. abietinum isolates originating from different regions were not found. The results indicate that H. abietinum is pathogenic on both investigated subspecies of A. nordmanniana. Both lesion length and fungal growth were greater on ssp. bornmülleriana, indicating that it would be more susceptible than ssp. nordmanniana.     

内服亚硒酸钠在雏鸡体内药动学研究

给雏鸡一次投服亚硒酸钠０．６ｍｇ／ｋｇ．ＢＷ后，不同时间采集血样，用荧光分光光度计测定血硒含量，在ＩＢＭ微机经动学程序软件（ＭＣＰＫＰ）处理血硒含实测值，获得血硒浓度理论值及药动学参数，血清经时过程符合一级吸收二室开放模型，理论方程为：“Ｃｉ＝０．１１６０－０．１４７６ｔ＋０．０１１９ｅ＝－０．０２００ｔ－０．１２７９－８６２８ｔ。主要动力学参数（均值）；吸收相半衷期ｔｌ／２ｋα＝０．８０（ｊｈ）     

Veins of the thoracic limb of the Van cat

The drainage of the thoracic limb of the Van cat was performed by the superficial and deep vein systems. The superficial system was constituted by the cephalic vein and its branches. The deep vein system was constituted by the axillary vein and its branches. The two vein systems anastomosed with each other at various points along their courses. The cephalic vein emerged from the external jugular vein together with the superficial cervical vein. The axillary vein continued the subclavian vein. It ran caudoventrally and gave off the subscapular vein, at the level of the shoulder joint, then gave off two independent branches, which were the external thoracic veins. Then the rest of the vessel continued as the brachial vein. The thoracodorsal vein was formed by the communicate ramus vein which arose between the subscapular vein and the brachial vein. The cranial circumflex humeral vein arose double from the subscapular vein. One of them anastomosed with the deep brachial vein and the other one drained the biceps and the deep pectoral muscles. The cranial interosseous vein from the caudal aspects of the brachial vein and passed the interosseous space of the antebrachium then ran to the lateral aspect of the forearm. The caudal interosseous vein arose from the ulnar vein (in two specimens) and the median vein together with the ulnar vein (in two specimens) or independently from the median vein (in one specimen). Although many similarities were found in the veins of the thoracic limb of the Van cat as compared with the domestic cat, some significant differences were noted in the origin, course, anastomosing and ramification of veins of the thoracic limb.