Field Techniques in Zoo and Wildlife Conservation Work

Wildlife conservation fieldwork and field-like situations in zoo settings can be challenging to veterinarians and include restraining, sedating/anesthetizing, examining, and sampling wild animals. The lack of amenities and utilities such as running water or electricity, climatic conditions, biting insects, and even the general public can all be a hindrance when working with animals in this environment. Zoonotic diseases and local conflicts, as well as the work itself, can all be hazards. On the basis of our combined experience, with field examples set in Scotland, working practices and suggestions for fieldwork equipment and the processing of samples are outlined. Equipment, references for obtaining additional information, and considerations for capture and anesthesia in the field are also covered. The importance of good communications, within the animal care team, with stakeholders, and with the general public, is emphasized. Potential health and environmental hazards are discussed, with recommendations on protective clothing and resources to identify these hazards.     

First glimpse into the origin and spread of the Asian longhorned tick,Haemaphysalis longicornis,in the United States

Established populations of Asian longhorned ticks (ALT), Haemaphysalis longicornis, were first identified in the United States (US) in 2017 by sequencing the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox1) ‘barcoding’ locus followed by morphological confirmation. Subsequent investigations detected ALT infestations in 12, mostly eastern, US states. To gain information on the origin and spread of US ALT, we (1) sequenced cox1 from ALT populations across 9 US states and (2) obtained cox1 sequences from potential source populations [China, Japan and Republic of Korea (ROK) as well as Australia, New Zealand and the Kingdom of Tonga (KOT)] both by sequencing and by downloading publicly available sequences in NCBI GenBank. Additionally, we conducted epidemiological investigations of properties near its initial detection locale in Hunterdon County, NJ, as well as a broader risk analysis for importation of ectoparasites into the area. In eastern Asian populations (China/Japan/ROK), we detected 35 cox1 haplotypes that neatly clustered into two clades with known bisexual versus parthenogenetic phenotypes. In Australia/New Zealand/KOT, we detected 10 cox1 haplotypes all falling within the parthenogenetic cluster. In the United States, we detected three differentially distributed cox1 haplotypes from the parthenogenetic cluster, supporting phenotypic evidence that US ALT are parthenogenetic. While none of the source populations examined had all three US cox1 haplotypes, a phylogeographic network analysis supports a northeast Asian source for the US populations. Within the United States, epidemiological investigations indicate ALT can be moved long distances by human transport of animals, such as horses and dogs, with smaller scale movements on wildlife. These results have relevant implications for efforts aimed at minimizing the spread of ALT in the United States and preventing additional exotic tick introductions.     

Globulin Expression in Grain of Australian Hard Wheat Cultivars Is Affected by Growth Environment

Our aim was to study changes in wheat proteomes across different growth locations as the first step in linking protein composition with functional changes in grains produced with commercial production systems. Soluble and insoluble proteins were extracted sequentially from grain of three commercial wheat cultivars grown at four locations in New South Wales, Australia, during a single season. Bands were separated with SDS‐PAGE and identified by peptide mass fingerprinting. Quantitative changes in the electrophoretic patterns were observed mainly in the insoluble polypeptides of molecular mass 40,000–70,000 for all three cultivars grown at two of the four locations. These proteins were identified as mainly globulin and serpin isoforms, as well as triticin. Other proteins with changed expression included disease‐resistance proteins, class III peroxidase, starch branching enzyme I, β‐amylase, and storage proteins. Two‐dimensional electrophoretic analysis was performed on two of the same wheat cultivars grown at one of the locations during two consecutive seasons. Protein spots that varied between seasons consisted of globulin and serpin isoforms, triticin, HMW glutenin, γ‐gliadin, starch branching enzyme IIb, and α‐amylase. The implications of the upregulation of globulin and triticin on whole meal flour quality, through their participation in polymerization of the gluten network, are considered.     

Trifolium ambiguum as a source of variation in the breeding of white clover

Summary Hybrids between T. ambiguum and T. repens were successfully established after ovule culture. The hybrids were male sterile but one of the hybrids produced a single seed when backcrossed to T. repens, while the other produced a significantly greater number of seeds. The majority of the backcross hybrids from the latter had 48 chromosomes, being produced from the fertilisation of unreduced gametes of the F1 hybrid by T. repens pollen. Regular meiosis in the BC1 hybrid resulted in the production of balanced gametes containing the full complement of T. repens chromosomes and the polyhaploid set of T. ambiguum chromosomes. There was no difficulty in establishing a substantial population of BC2 hybrids. The meiotic behaviour of the BC1 hybrid indicated that it should be possible to transfer genes from T. ambiguum into white clover T. repens. The significance of the results in terms of the use of alien variation in the improvement of white clover is discussed.     

Thinning golden delicious apples using ethephon sprays

In southern Tasmania ethephon sprays were applied at two stages of bloom and after bloom at concentrations from 350 to 1 400 ppm. At both the balloon blossom stage and 42 days after full bloom (AFB) 350 ppm ethephon caused satisfactory thinning of fruit by decreasing fruit set and increasing the number of fruits 70 mm or more in diameter. Higher concentrations of ethephon at these stages overthinned. At full bloom concentrations below 1 050 ppm ethephon did not remove significant numbers of fruit but both 1 050 and 1 400 ppm spray concentrations satisfactorily thinned the fruit. The spray of 1 400 ppm ethephon 42 days AFB significantly restricted fruit growth. Shoot length was reduced by all ethephon treatments and return bloom in the following spring was heavy in all thinned treatments. A mathematical model describing numbers of fruit set was developed and used to demonstrate a three-dimensional response surface to ethephon thinning sprays.     

Morphological traits of stem to indirect selection of resistance to lodging in Avena sativa L

Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology - The runout of newly cultivated areas in the world without recurring to the deforestation, demand a necessity to improve yield to sustain a growth...     

Glacial earthquakes

We have detected dozens of previously unknown, moderate earthquakes beneath large glaciers. The seismic radiation from these earthquakes is depleted at high frequencies, explaining their nondetection by traditional methods. Inverse modeling of the long-period seismic waveforms from the best-recorded earthquake, in southern Alaska, shows that the seismic source is well represented by stick-slip, downhill sliding of a glacial ice mass. The duration of sliding in the Alaska earthquake is 30 to 60 seconds, about 15 to 30 times longer than for a regular tectonic earthquake of similar magnitude.