Neotropical small mammals’ diversity in the early cycle of commercial Eucalyptus plantations

Studies carried out in Brazil revealed that Eucalyptus plantations shelter numerous species of small-size non-flying mammals. However, their distribution pattern inside the Eucalyptus plantations remains unknown. This study aimed at the identification of possible influence of distances from the remaining native revegetation areas and riparian systems, on spatial distribution and abundance of small-size mammals in Eucalyptus plantations. This study was carried at Eucalyptus stands recently planted (0–3 years) at the municipality of Angatuba, Sao Paulo state, Brazil between August 2007 and July 2009. The survey was carried out using pitfall traps at 14 sampling units inside Eucalyptus plantations 60–1130 m away from the borders. With a sampling effort of 2,449 bucket night, the experiment captured 680 individuals belonging to 12 species of small-size mammals (rodents and marsupials). The colonization process of Eucalyptus plantations was apparently initiated by generalist species from open Cerrado. In the present study, we did not find any clear correlation between specific richness and abundance of individuals and the distance from native revegetation areas or closer riparian systems. The study suggests that Eucalyptus plantations are permeable matrices to, at least, more generalist species present in the silvicultural landscapes (i.e. composed by an Eucalyptus plantation as the matrix and native vegetation patches). However, further studies must prioritize analyzing the influence of agricultural/sivilcultural practices (e.g., plantation structure and harvest frequency) on habitat quality and carrying capacity of agricultural/silvicultural landscape matrices, as well as implementing long-term monitoring programs to assess the impact of complete production cycles (some years) and along cycles of Eucalyptus plantations (some decades), on rodents population’s diversity and dynamics patterns.     

Cryopreservation of Immature Bovine Oocytes to Reconstruct Artificial Gametes by Germinal Vesicle Transplantation

Joining immature gamete cryopreservation and germinal vesicle transplantation (GVT) technique could greatly improve assisted reproductive technologies in animal breeding and human medicine. The present work was aimed to assess the most suitable cryopreservation protocol between slow freezing and vitrification for immature denuded bovine oocytes, able to preserve both nuclear and cytoplasmic competence after thawing. In addition, the outcome of germinal vesicle transfer procedure and gamete reconstruction was tested on the most effective cryopreservation system. Oocytes, isolated from slaughterhouse ovaries, were stored after cumulus cells removal either by slow freezing or by vitrification in open pulled straws. After thawing, oocytes were matured for 24 h in co-culture with an equal number of just isolated intact cumulus enclosed oocytes, and fixed in order to evaluate the stage of meiotic progression and cytoskeleton organization. Our results showed that after warming, vitrified oocytes reached metaphase II (MII) in a percentage significantly higher than oocytes cryopreserved by slow freezing (76.2% and 36.5% respectively, p < 0.05). Moreover, vitrification process preserved the organization of cytoskeleton elements in a higher proportion of oocytes than slow freezing procedure. Therefore vitrification has been identified as the elective method for denuded immature oocytes banking and it has been applied in the second part of the study. Our results showed that 38.3% of oocytes reconstructed from vitrified gametes reached the MII of meiotic division, with efficiency not different from oocytes reconstructed with fresh gametes. We conclude that vitrification represents a suitable method of GV stage denuded oocyte banking since both nuclear and cytoplasmic components derived from cryopreserved immature oocytes can be utilized for GVT.     

Tetraploid and hexaploid wheats express identical isoforms of nsLTP1

Nonspecific lipid-transfer proteins (nsLTPs) have been recognized as allergens in several plant species among which are cereals important in human nutrition. In this report, we purified a 9600 +/- 1 Da protein from both soft wheat and farro bran. Mass spectrometric analyses revealed that these proteins are identical, belong to the nsLTP1 class, and have high sequence homology with nsLTP1 isolated from other cereal species. Their identification was further supported by the ability of the soft wheat nsLTP1 to transfer pyrene-labeled lipids between donor and acceptor membranes. The results are discussed in view of the increasing diffusion on the markets of bran-rich products.     

Simplified electrophoretic assay for human salivary alpha-amylase inhibitor detection in cereal seed flours

Alpha-amylase inhibitors are antinutritional proteins largely found in cereal seeds. An in-gel assay was developed that allowed the rapid screening of these compounds in complex seed extracts. The assay was based on the electrophoretic separation of the extract proteins on starch-containing gels, followed by the detection of alpha-amylase-inhibiting proteins after incubation of the gel in an alpha-amylase solution; inhibitors were revealed by a staining method based on iodine binding to nondigested starch. The one-dimensional method can be useful to test inhibitory activity of purified proteins or to assay fractions recovered during a purification procedure. A two-dimensional (IEF x PAGE) non-denaturing system with second-dimension separation on starch-PAGE was also developed; the technique allowed the screening of complex protein mixtures for multiple inhibitory proteins. The newly developed assay method was used to test the presence of inhibitory activity in a crude extract from wheat flour, and it was validated by comparing in-gel and in-solution assays of commercially available alpha-amylase inhibitors.     

Light-induced changes in an aqueous beta-carotene system stored under halogen and fluorescent lamps, affected by two oxygen partial pressures

The aim of this work was to investigate the reaction kinetics of beta-carotene in an aqueous medium as a function of exposure to commercial lights (halogen and fluorescent sources) and oxygen partial pressures. The evolution of the pigment concentration, the changes in color, and the accumulation of a volatile compound (beta-ionone) were monitored during storage. The kinetics of degradation were mathematically modeled to compare the effects of lighting conditions and oxygen partial pressures. Lighting was also a critical variable in the presence of a low oxygen partial pressure (5 kPa), and in these conditions, the beta-carotene degraded completely during storage, even if more slowly than at 20 kPa of O2. The pigment degradation was correlated to illuminance and UVA irradiance values, but the different decay rates of the fluorescent lamps were explained by the differences in the blue region of the energy emission spectra. A halogen lamp gave minor negative effects on beta-carotene degradation.     

Effect of hook type and hook setting method on deep-hooking rates when bait fishing for trout in lentic waters

Fishing with circle hooks along with prescribed hook-setting methods can reduce deep-hooking rates in some fisheries, but baited circle hooks have not been evaluated in stillwater trout fisheries. Deep-hooking rates and catch probabilities were compared for cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii​ (Richardson), rainbow trout Oncorhyncus mykiss (Walbaum), cutthroat × rainbow trout hybrids, and brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis (MItchill) caught using three types of baited hooks (circle, intermediate circle and traditional J) and two hook-setting methods (active and passive) in several lakes containing naturally reared trout. Hook type had a negligible effect on deep-hooking rates, which averaged 20%. Actively setting the hook and fishing with a bobber both reduced deep-hooking rates, regardless of hook type. Larger fish were deeply hooked more frequently regardless of hook type. Catch probabilities were higher when active rather than passive hook-setting was used, particularly in combination with intermediate circle hooks. The present results, which indicate that circle hook use did not reduce deep hooking in lentic settings, contrast earlier studies done in lotic waters. Therefore, before proposing hook-type regulations intended to reduce deep hooking, fisheries managers should consider waterbody type in addition to fishing methods, fish size and species.     

The tides of Titan

We have detected in Cassini spacecraft data the signature of the periodic tidal stresses within Titan, driven by the eccentricity (e = 0.028) of its 16-day orbit around Saturn. Precise measurements of the acceleration of Cassini during six close flybys between 2006 and 2011 have revealed that Titan responds to the variable tidal field exerted by Saturn with periodic changes of its quadrupole gravity, at about 4% of the static value. Two independent determinations of the corresponding degree-2 Love number yield k(2) = 0.589 ± 0.150 and k(2) = 0.637 ± 0.224 (2σ). Such a large response to the tidal field requires that Titan's interior be deformable over time scales of the orbital period, in a way that is consistent with a global ocean at depth.     

Modernization and optimization of irrigation systems to increase water productivity

Population increase and the improvement of living standards brought about by development will result in a sharp increase in food demand during the next decades. Most of this increase will be met by the products of irrigated agriculture. At the same time, the water input per unit irrigated area will have to be reduced in response to water scarcity and environmental concerns. Water productivity is projected to increase through gains in crop yield and reductions in irrigation water. In order to meet these projections, irrigation systems will have to be modernized and optimised. Water productivity can be defined in a number of ways, although it always represents the output of a given activity (in economic terms, if possible) divided by some expression of water input. Five expressions for this indicator were identified, using different approaches to water input. A hydrological analysis of water productivity poses a number of questions on the choice of the water input expression. In fact, when adopting a basin-wide perspective, irrigation return flows often can not be considered as net water losses. A number of irrigation modernization and optimization measures are discussed in the paper. Particular attention was paid to the improvement of irrigation management, which shows much better economic return than the improvement of the irrigation structures. The hydrological effects of these improvements may be deceiving, since they will be accompanied by larger crop evapotranspiration and even increased cropping intensity. As a consequence, less water will be available for alternative uses.     

Automatic mental associations predict future choices of undecided decision-makers

Common wisdom holds that choice decisions are based on conscious deliberations of the available information about choice options. On the basis of recent insights about unconscious influences on information processing, we tested whether automatic mental associations of undecided individuals bias future choices in a manner such that these choices reflect the evaluations implied by earlier automatic associations. With the use of a computer-based, speeded categorization task to assess automatic mental associations (i.e., associations that are activated unintentionally, difficult to control, and not necessarily endorsed at a conscious level) and self-report measures to assess consciously endorsed beliefs and choice preferences, automatic associations of undecided participants predicted changes in consciously reported beliefs and future choices over a period of 1 week. Conversely, for decided participants, consciously reported beliefs predicted changes in automatic associations and future choices over the same period. These results indicate that decision-makers sometimes have already made up their mind at an unconscious level, even when they consciously indicate that they are still undecided.