Classification of soils supporting mangrove plantation in Kuwait

The State of Kuwait has initiated an ambitious national program to establish greenery in 20000 ha of open spaces in inland and coastal areas. Afforestation of intertidal zones with mangrove plants is being considered as a viable option for greening coastal areas. In view of this fact, experimental plantations were established using two ecotypes of Avicennia marina (Bahrain and UAE) and one ecotype of Avicennia germinans (Florida). The study consisted of two 10-year old plantations and two 2-year old plantations. Seedlings established successfully and grew vigorously on some of the locations within the site. Therefore, studies were conducted during 2002-2003 to describe and classify soils that supported maximum mangrove establishment and growth under the harsh arid coastal conditions of Kuwait. For this purpose, eight soil profiles (four each representing areas where seedlings established successfully and grew vigorously and where all seedlings died in the initial stages of establishment) were investigated and classified according to the soil taxonomy. The main soil types observed in the study site were: Typic Aquisalids, Typic/sodic Aquicambids and Calcic Aquisalids. Mangrove growth performance in relation to the landform, soil type and properties of the soil at various depths is discussed in the paper. The plant growth appeared to be the better on the typic Aquisalid soil than that on the Typic/sodic Aquicambid soils. The relative proportions of the coarse sand fraction, occurrence of the anaerobic layer in the profile and the surface layer salinity influenced both the establishment and growth of mangrove plants.     

Effect of Artificial Insemination Protocol and Dose of Frozen/Thawed Stallion Semen on Pregnancy Results in Mares

Deep intra‐uterine insemination is commonly accepted as a routine procedure for artificial insemination in horses. The motives and principles of deep insemination are well described, but the equipment used may differ. In this trial, the efficiency of two different insemination pipettes for deep intra‐uterine insemination in the mare was compared with insemination into the uterine body using commercially available frozen–thawed semen of two stallions of proven fertility. These inseminations were performed using two different doses. The semi‐flexible Minitube pipette was compared with a newly designed insemination device with a more flexible telescopic insemination catheter (Ghent device). The semi‐flexible Minitube pipette performed better than the newly designed insemination device with respect to pregnancy outcome (p = 0.008). The superiority of deep horn insemination over uterine body insemination was reflected by the better pregnancy rates obtained after deep insemination using the same low doses (30.6% better pregnancy rates) (p = 0.0123).     

Imaging the sublimation dynamics of colloidal crystallites

We studied the kinetics of sublimating crystals with single-particle resolution by experiments with colloidal spheres and by computer simulations. A short-range attraction between spheres led to crystallites one to three layers thick. The spheres were tracked with optical microscopy while the attraction was reduced and the crystals sublimated. Large crystallites sublimated by escape of particles from the perimeter. The rate of shrinkage was greatly enhanced, however, when the size decreased to less than 20 to 50 particles, depending on the location in the phase diagram. At this size, the crystallites transformed into a dense amorphous structure, which rapidly vaporized. The enhancement of kinetics by metastable or unstable phases may play a major role in the melting, freezing, and annealing of crystals.     

Use of water boatmen (Corixidae) in the classification of lakes

Data populations of Corixidae in 55 water bodies are considered. There is a significant correlation (p0·07 ? <0·001) between the distribution of each of six species of Corixidae and the conductivity of water bodies. Similarly, two species show significant correlations (p 0·07 ? <0·001) with a function of lake area and shape. There is also a significant correlation (p <0·001) between conductivity and bicarbonate ion-chloride ion ratios. It is argued that corixid populations may give an indication of the nature of water bodies and provide a valuable means of comparison for both investigation and conservation. A quantitative method of data treatment is described which facilitates comparison.     

Activin A as a novel biomarker of equine inflammatory abdominal disease: preliminary findings

This study evaluated the inflammatory mediator activin A in horses with acute abdominal disease and compared this putative novel biomarker with serum amyloid A (SAA). Thirty-three adult horses referred for evaluation of acute abdominal disease were grouped into three lesion categories, non-strangulating, strangulating or inflammatory. Eleven healthy adult horses served as controls. Serum activin-A was significantly increased in animals with inflammatory or strangulating lesions compared with controls. Horses with non-strangulating, strangulating or inflammatory lesions had significantly elevated SAA concentrations. Activin A, along with other biomarkers, may be useful in monitoring inflammation in cases of acute abdominal disease in horses. Further validation is warranted to determine the utility of this biomarker in evaluating the effectiveness of novel anti-inflammatory treatments for equine colic and endotoxaemia.     

Testing newly introduced ornamental plants to the arid climate of Kuwait

Thirty five ornamental plants were introduced into the Ahmadi Bioremediated Soil Park to screen and closely monitor the growth performance of these new introductions under the local environmental conditions. Out of these 35 plant species, 15 were planted in both bioremediated and agricultural soils to assess their suitability for growing in bioremediated soils. Data on vegetative growth was recorded to assess the performance of newly-introduced plants, whereas, the heat stress was documented of Bauhinia blakeana, where no visible effects of petroleum pollutants on plant growth were observed. Performance of each plant group is discussed separately in the text. Overall, plant survival was 72.73% for all plant groups. Generally, plants that failed to grow in bioremediated soil also did not survive in the agricultural soil, indicating that they were sensitive to heat stress more than the presence of petroleum contaminants in the soil. New plant species that were able to establish and perform satisfactorily will be used in greenery projects after they are fully naturalized to the prevailing climatic conditions.