Vulnerability of rice and corn to climate change in the Philippines

The potential impact of climate change on rice and corn crops in the Philippines was assessed using preliminary results from four general circulation models and the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer. The results showed both increases and decreases in the yield of two rice varieties. The results for corn showed a consistent decrease in yield. The decrease in crop yield may be due to a shorter maturity period and an increase in potential evapotranspiration as a result of increased daytime and nighttime temperatures, which are critical to dry matter production. Rainfall in tropical areas such as the Philippines is generally high, and so a decrease in rainfall of only 10% may not affect the water supply significantly, but an increase of the same magnitude may affect crop production tremendously because of frequent occurrences of floods. One potential negative impact not included in this analysis is the effects of strong winds due to typhoons.     

Atmospheric Total Suspended Particulate Trace Element Identification by XRF at Ilha Grande, State of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Phosphorus, manganese, sulfur (S), lead, and strontium of atmospheric total suspended particulate matter, sampled during the rainy season and the dry season 2002 at the Ilha Grande Island (Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil) have been analyzed by XRF techniques. The results showed total mean concentrations of 27?±?16 ng P m^-3, 11?±?7 ng Mn m^-3, 159?±?126 ng S m^-3, 4.3?±?2.6 ng Pb m^-3, and 208?±?148 ng Sr m^-3. Generally, there is no clear influence of the two different climatic periods on the concentrations of most analyzed trace elements, with exception of sulfur the mean concentration of which, during the dry season, is about 60% higher than during the rainy season. This is probably due to biomass burning, a common practice in the Brazilian Southeast and Amazon region and/or to the presence of marine aerosols. The linear correlation coefficients strongly suggest the same source for P, Pb, and Mn. Some Pb, Mn, and P concentrations are in the range of typical values of urban areas. Potential sources of such elements are the urban and industrial emissions from the States of Rio de Janeiro and/or São Paulo.     

Comparison of Different Treatments for Oestrous Induction in Seasonally Anovulatory Mares

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different treatments for induction and synchronization of oestrus and ovulation in seasonally anovulatory mares. Fifteen mares formed the control group (C), while 26 mares were randomly assigned to three treatment groups. Group T1 (n = 11) were treated with oral altrenogest (0.044 mg/kg; Regumate^®) during 11 days. Group T2 (n = 7) was intravaginally treated with 1.38 g of progesterone (CIDR^®) for 11 days. In group T3 (n = 8), mares were also treated with CIDR^®, but only for 8 days. All mares received PGF2α 1 day after finishing the treatment. Sonographic evaluation of follicles, pre‐ovulatory follicle size and ovulation time was recorded. Progesterone and leptin levels were analysed. Results show that pre‐ovulatory follicles were developed after the treatment in 88.5% of mares. However, the pre‐ovulatory follicle growth was dispersal, and sometimes it was detected when treatment was not finished. While in mares treated with intravaginal device, the follicle was soon detected (1.5 ± 1.2 days and 2.3 ± 2.0 days in T2 and T3 groups, respectively), in T1 group, the pre‐ovulatory follicle was detected slightly later (3.9 ± 1.6 days). The interval from the end of treatment to ovulation did not show significant differences between groups (T1 = 13.1 ± 2.5 days; T2 = 11.0 ± 3.6 days; T3 = 13.8 ± 4.3 days). The pregnancy rate was 47.4%, similar to the rate observed in group C (46.7%; p > 0.05). Initial leptin concentrations were significantly higher in mares, which restart their ovarian activity after treatments, suggesting a role in the reproduction mechanisms in mares. It could be concluded that the used treatments may be effective for oestrous induction in mares during the late phase of the seasonally anovulatory period. Furthermore, they cannot synchronize oestrus, and then, it is necessary to know the reproductive status of mares when these treatments are used for oestrous synchronization.     

Within-plant distribution of the leaf miner Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) immatures in processing tomatoes,with notes on plant phenology

Bacteria of the genus Serratia are often associated with insects, often carry distinctive pigments and can be readily isolated onto diagnostic selective media. Bacterial marking of parasitoids has been used in studies to determine rate of oviposition and host acceptance, and it provides a rapid indication of ovipositor penetration. The technique has been applied to parasitoid-weevil and parasitoid-lepidoptera interactions. Bacterial marking has the potential to be used in parasitoid dispersal studies and its use in IPM is discussed.     

Does initial spacing influence crown and hydraulic architecture of Eucalyptus marginata?

Long-term declines in rainfall in south-western Australia have resulted in increased interest in the hydraulic characteristics of jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata Donn ex Smith) forest established in the region's drinking water catchments on rehabilitated bauxite mining sites. We hypothesized that in jarrah forest established on rehabilitated mine sites: (1) leaf area index (L) is independent of initial tree spacing; and (2) more densely planted trees have less leaf area for the same leaf mass, or the same sapwood area, and have denser sapwood. Initial stand densities ranged from about 600 to 9000 stems ha(-1), and trees were 18 years old at the time of sampling. Leaf area index was unaffected by initial stand density, except in the most sparsely stocked stands where L was 1.2 compared with 2.0-2.5 in stands at other spacings. The ratio of leaf area to sapwood area (A(l):A(s)) was unaffected by tree spacing or tree size and was 0.2 at 1.3 m height and 0.25 at the crown base. There were small increases in sapwood density and decreases in leaf specific area with increased spacing. Tree diameter or basal area was a better predictor of leaf area than sapwood area. At the stand scale, basal area was a good predictor of L (r(2) = 0.98, n = 15) except in the densest stands. We conclude that the hydraulic attributes of this forest type are largely independent of initial tree spacing, thus simplifying parameterization of stand and catchment water balance models.     

Serum testosterone,sperm quality,cytological, physicochemical and biochemical characteristics of the prostatic fraction of dogs with prostatomegaly

Prostatomegaly is a common finding in older non‐neutered dogs. This study compared the serum testosterone, sperm quality and characteristics of the prostatic fraction between healthy dogs and dogs with prostatomegaly. Blood samples of ten dogs (five dogs from each group) were taken for serum testosterone measurement. Sperm motility, vigour, concentration, viability, membrane functionality and morphology were analysed in sperm‐rich fraction. Osmolality, pH, cell types, and albumin, haemoglobin, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and chloride were analysed in prostatic fraction. Dogs with prostatomegaly have the lowest sperm motility, vigour, concentration and functional membrane. Dogs with prostatomegaly have the highest glucose, triglycerides and cholesterol. Glucose was the only constituent positively correlated with serum testosterone and prostate volume. It can be concluded that dogs with prostatomegaly have poorer sperm quality, and glucose, triglycerides and cholesterol in prostatic fraction can be used as prostatomegaly biomarkers.     

Bacterial community of pond's water,sediment and in the guts of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) juveniles characterized by fluorescent in situ hybridization technique

Information about bacterial community structure and functioning in fish farming ponds remains scarce, mainly due to methodological difficulties in counting and identifying uncultured bacteria. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the degree of similarity between the bacterial community of the digestive tract of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) juveniles and that of the test pond's water and sediment, using the Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization (FISH) technique. Samples of water, sediment and gut content of 30 tilapia juveniles from a single nursery ground were collected in January 2010. Potentially probiotic and pathogenic bacteria of the species Bacillus, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus collinoides, Lactobacillus coryniformis, Lactobacillus farciminis, Vibrio and Pseudomonas fluorescens were found in different samples using specific fluorescent probes. The similarity between bacterial community environments and gastrointestinal tracts was determined using the Morisita‐Horn index. The fish guts presented higher abundances of Pseudomonas fluorescens, Bacillus, Lactobacillus brevis and Lactobacillus collinoides. The bacterial community composition of tilapia gastrointestinal tract was more similar to the water than the sediment of the pond. The results of this study showed that the FISH technique can be easily used for monitoring of probiotics and pathogen detection in aquaculture systems.     

野性斯派塞

苍绿的草原一望无际,起伏的山丘上搭着一道道浓绿的葡萄架,远处成群的牛羊悠闲地吃着草,星星点点的白色房屋,好似一幅静美的天然油画,而澳大利亚五星级牧场斯派塞就坐落于这绿色深处。