From biology to management of Savi's pine vole (Microtus savii)

Savi's pine vole (Microtus savii) is a rodent species of the Cricetidae family, inhabiting southern European agroecosystems. It is considered to be the main cause of rodent‐attributed damage in Italy. To achieve an effective management, detailed knowledge of this species is needed. However, the available information about this species is fragmentary and incomplete. In this paper, the existing knowledge of Savi's pine vole taxonomy, reproduction, population dynamics, habitat and food preferences is reviewed in order to organise available information and identify priority areas of future research. Some of the changes in farming practices that have occurred in recent decades may have increased the impact of Savi's pine vole populations in crop fields. To manage this pest species effectively, an integrated strategy is recommended (involving habitat management, trapping and, when appropriate, the use of rodenticides). The apparent lack of cyclical population outbreaks and the relatively small litter size and long gestation and interpartum period of this species suggest that it could be more manageable than other vole species, while its strict herbivorous diet, stable population size in open habitats and wide distribution seem to indicate it as an ideal model species for risk assessment studies. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry     

Nitrous oxide emissions from grass–clover swards as influenced by sward age and biological nitrogen fixation

Grassland renovation by cultivation and reseeding has been shown to increase short-term emissions of N₂O, but there is uncertainty about long-term effects, despite the potential impacts of reseeding on sward composition and soil functions. A field experiment was therefore carried out to determine how N₂O emissions from previously renovated grasslands varied in the intermediate to long-term, compared with an undisturbed permanent grassland (PG). Plots on the PG site were renovated, either two (G2) or five (G5) years prior to the two experimental years. In each sward age and experimental year, annual N₂O-measurements were conducted on a weekly basis and compared with the undisturbed PG. Plots were either unfertilized or were fertilized with slurry (240 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹). On average, annual N₂O emissions were 0.39 kg N/ha for the unfertilized swards, and 0.91 kg N/ha for slurry-fertilized swards. Sward age had no effect on N₂O emissions. With increasing sward age the proportion of legumes in the sward was reduced, but a minimum biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) of 88 kg N/ha was maintained even in the fertilized PG. Both sward age and BNF were of limited importance for the annual N₂O emissions compared with the effects of soil carbon content and nitrogen surplus levels. However, measured N₂O emissions were low in all sward age treatments, with a low risk of additional N₂O emissions when BNF is taken into account in fertilizer planning.     

Pyrethroid resistance monitoring in European populations of pollen beetle (Meligethes spp.): a coordinated approach through the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC)

BACKGROUND: Pollen beetle (Meligethes spp.) is a major pest of European oilseed rape crops. Its resistance to pyrethroid insecticides has been recorded in samples of beetles collected in Europe since at least 1999, and problems with the control of the beetle in the field have been widely reported. In 2007, a Pollen Beetle Working Group was formed through the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC) in order to coordinate efforts for surveying pyrethroid resistance development. RESULTS: The results of the first 3 years of the pollen beetle pyrethroid susceptibility survey using a laboratory test are presented in this paper. Resistant beetle samples were collected from 20 of the 21 countries surveyed, with a general trend of increasing frequency and spread of resistant samples in European oilseed‐rape‐growing regions. CONCLUSION: Pyrethroid‐resistant beetles dominate in Western and Central Europe and are becoming established in the North and East, the main oilseed‐rape‐growing areas of Europe. The development and spread of pyrethroid‐resistant pollen beetles highlights the need for effective management strategies for oilseed rape insect pests. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Perfused non-pregnant swine uteri: a model for evaluating transport mechanisms to the side bearing the dominant follicle in humans

Adequate uterine contractility and periovulatory peristalsis, interpreted as "rapid sperm transport" to the side bearing the dominant follicle, may be a precondition for successful reproduction in humans. Estrogen and progesterone fluctuate characteristically during the menstrual cycle, and their source is the dominant follicle and corpus luteum. The question is, how is the direction to the left or right side of transport mechanisms influenced? An extracorporeal perfusion model of the swine uterus was used that maintained the uterus in a functional condition and that was suitable for the study of physiological questions. The effects of side-dependent estrogen, progesterone, and estrogen plus progesterone perfusion on oxytocin-induced uterine peristalsis were assessed using two intrauterine microcatheters placed in each horn of the swine uterus. Estrogen perfusion was associated with an increase in intrauterine pressure (IUP) in a dose-dependent manner only in the estrogen-perfused horn of the swine uterus. There was a significant difference between the IUP increase measured in the estrogen-perfused horn and that in the non estrogen-perfused horn of the swine uterus. Progesterone perfusion showed no effect in general. Furthermore, progesterone antagonized the estrogen effects. This study demonstrates that side-dependent estrogen perfusion resulted in side-dependent contractility in the swine uterus perfusion system used. These observations show that estrogen stimulates uterine contractility in the estrogen-perfused uterine horn and that estrogens may be the "trigger" for the transport mechanisms to the side bearing the dominant follicle during the periovulatory phase through their locally increased concentration and distribution via the utero-ovarian counter-current system in humans.     

Land Use and Precipitation Affect Organic and Microbial Carbon Stocks and the Specific Metabolic Quotient in Soils of Eleven Ecosystems of Mt. Kilimanjaro,Tanzania

Tropical ecosystems are under increasing pressure of land‐use changes, strongly affecting the carbon cycle. Conversion from natural to agri‐cultural ecosystems is often accompanied by a decrease in the stocks of organic and microbial carbon (C_org, C_mic) as well as changes in microbial activity and litter decomposition. Eleven ecosystems along an elevation gradient on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro were used to investigate impacts of land‐use changes on C_org and C_mic stocks as well as the specific metabolic respiration quotient (q_sCO₂) in surface soils. Six natural, two semi‐natural and three intensively used agricultural ecosystems were investigated on an elevation gradient from 950 to 3,880 m asl. To estimate the effects of precipitation, rainfall regimes of 3·6 and 20·0 mm were simulated. C_org stocks were controlled by water availability, temperature and net primary production. Agricultural management resulted in decreases of C_org and C_mic stocks by 38% and 76%, respectively. In addition, agricultural systems were characterized by low C_mic:C_org ratios, indicating a decline in available substrate. Enhanced land‐use intensity leads to increased q_sCO₂ (agricultural > semi‐natural > natural). The traditional homegardens stood out as a sustainable land‐use form with high substrate availability and microbial efficiency. Soil CO₂ efflux and q_sCO2 generally increased with precipitation level. We conclude that soils of Mt. Kilimanjaro's ecosystems are highly sensitive to land‐use changes and are vulnerable to changes in precipitation, especially at low elevations. Even though q_sCO₂ was measured under different water contents, it can be used as an indicator of ecosystem disturbances caused by land‐use and management practices. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterization of puff-by-puff resolved cigarette mainstream smoke by single photon ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry and principal component analysis

Soft single photon ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SPI-TOFMS) and principal component analysis (PCA) were applied for the characterization and discrimination of the chemical patterns of all individual cigarette puffs from the 2R4F University of Kentucky research reference cigarette. The SPI-TOFMS was connected to a smoking machine, and 10 cigarettes were smoked under defined smoking conditions. A total of 41 detected mass signals could be clearly assigned to smoke constituents (e.g., unsaturated hydrocarbons, aromatic species, sulfurous compounds, and nitrogen-containing substances). For further analysis, the on-line recorded mass signals were added up for each cigarette puff resulting in a single summed mass spectrum for each puff. The so-achieved puff-by-puff resolved yields were additionally normalized by the corresponding total ion signal, which eliminated the influences of varying amounts of burnt tobacco. These values were incorporated into a PCA to find differences and similarities in the chemical patterns of the individual cigarette puffs. In addition, absolute (without normalization) and normalized puff resolved yields were used to clarify occurring trends. Thereby, it was shown that the chemical pattern of the first cigarette puff was very unique, whereby extraordinary high yields of unsaturated hydrocarbons are mainly responsible for this. Depending on the smoking procedure, the chemical pattern of the second puff can also be separated from the first and the third puff. In this case, nitrogen-containing substances play an important role. Puffs three to eight show only small but observable differences. These changes are greater influenced by oxygen-containing and sulfurous smoke constituents. The findings reveal that the overall chemical patterns of machine-smoked cigarette puffs vary quite a lot during the smoking process. This lets us assume that the burden of hazardous compounds for the human smoker also differs from puff to puff.     

Odor-active alcohols from the fungal transformation of alpha-farnesene

Submerged microbial cultures were screened for their potential to oxifunctionalize alpha-farnesene. The major oxidation product in all transforming cultures, 3,7,11-trimethyldodeca-1,3(E),5(E)10-tetraen-7-ol, showed a pleasant citrus-like odor and peak concentrations of 170 mg L-1. An Aspergillus niger isolate from mango generated another two terpene alcohols identified as diastereomeric menth-1-en-3-[2-methyl-1,3-butadienyl]-8-ol, a new natural compound with an apricot-like odor. The regiospecifity of the oxygen attack with concurrent lack of stereoselectivity suggested that the initial step of the bioconversion resembled the chemical autoxidation starting with the generation of an intermediate resonance-stabilized carbon-centered radical or carbocation.