The spatial pattern of demographic performance as a component of sustainable landscape management and planning

Prioritizing habitat for animal conservation in heterogeneous landscapes requires an understanding of where animal occurrence coincides with human influences on demographic performance. We related broad-scale patterns of occurrence with risk of mortality among female Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus) in a human-modified landscape to develop a spatially-explicit framework for animal conservation at the landscape level. Variability in the spatial pattern of elk occurrence was driven by preference for specific habitat types as well as responses to human activity. In contrast, risk of mortality was a function of human modification of the landscape with little variation explained by habitat. Proximity to industrial development was associated with increased risk of mortality whereas proximity to residences and agricultural structures was associated with decreased risk. Individual-level results revealed added complexity, whereby risk of mortality was associated with a consistent pattern of occurrence relative to industrial development, yet the association between risk and occurrence relative to structures was highly variable and likely a function of disparate land-use priorities. Approaches to managing human-mediated risk at the landscape level are most effective when they decompose human activity into constituent parts influencing risk, and when individual variation relative to the population response is investigated. Conservation interventions need to target factors that have a consistent influence across the population rather than risk uncertainty that would arise from targeting factors that influence individuals in variable or situation-specific ways. The spatial tools developed herein provide guidance for sustainable landscape planning in the study area, while the concept of linking occurrence and demographic performance within a hierarchical modeling framework has general application for animal conservation in landscapes subject to change, human-caused or otherwise.     

Entomotoxic effect of silica nanoparticles against <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sitophilus oryzae</Emphasis> (L.)

Fumigants and residual insecticides are commonly used to combat stored grain pests. In recent years, consumer awareness of the health hazard from residual toxicity and the growing problem of insect resistance to these conventional insecticides have led the researchers to look for alternative strategies for stored grains protection. For example, diatomaceous earth (DE) can be effective against stored grain insects. In this study, DE was used to design amorphous nano sized hydrophilic, hydrophobic, and lipophilic silica in 15–30 nm size range. Nanocides are expected to reduce the volume of application and kinetics of development of resistance in pests. We hypothesized that surface-functionalized silica nanoparticle (SNP) might be a viable alternative to conventional pesticides. Entomotoxicity of SNP was tested against rice weevil Sitophilus oryzae and its efficacy was compared with bulk-sized silica (individual particles larger than 1 μm). Amorphous SNP was found to be highly effective against this insect pest causing more than 90% mortality, indicating the effectiveness of SNP to control insect pests.     

Enhanced sensitivity of photodetection via quantum illumination

The use of quantum-mechanically entangled light to illuminate objects can provide substantial enhancements over unentangled light for detecting and imaging those objects in the presence of high levels of noise and loss. Each signal sent out is entangled with an ancilla, which is retained. Detection takes place via an entangling measurement on the returning signal together with the ancilla. This paper shows that for photodetection, quantum illumination with m bits of entanglement can in principle increase the effective signal-to-noise ratio by a factor of 2(m), an exponential improvement over unentangled illumination. The enhancement persists even when noise and loss are so great that no entanglement survives at the detector.     

Medicine. The need for a global HIV vaccine enterprise

A new collaborative model of research is needed to increase resources, to prioritize the R (ii) to increase the pace, reduce the overlap, and more systematically explore the elements of and delivery systems for vaccines; (iii) to use common standards for the prompt comparative testing of vaccine candidates; (iv) to expand resources for manufacturing vaccine candidates to speed their use in human trials; and (v) to increase the capacity for international clinical trials and to focus this effort toward quickly measuring the effectiveness of vaccine protection as prototype vaccine candidates are identified.     

Ileocolic junction resection in dogs and cats: 18 cases

There is limited veterinary literature about dogs or cats with ileocolic junction resection and its long-term follow-up. To evaluate the long-term outcome in a cohort of dogs and cats that underwent resection of the ileocolic junction without extensive (≥50%) small or large bowel resection. Medical records of dogs and cats that had the ileocolic junction resected were reviewed. Follow-up information was obtained either by telephone interview or e-mail correspondence with the referring veterinary surgeons. Nine dogs and nine cats were included. The most common cause of ileocolic junction resection was intussusception in dogs (5/9) and neoplasia in cats (6/9). Two dogs with ileocolic junction lymphoma died postoperatively. Only 2 of 15 animals, for which long-term follow-up information was available, had soft stools. However, three dogs with suspected chronic enteropathy required long-term treatment with hypoallergenic diets alone or in combination with medical treatment to avoid the development of diarrhoea. Four of 6 cats with ileocolic junction neoplasia were euthanised as a consequence of progressive disease. Dogs and cats undergoing ileocolic junction resection and surviving the perioperative period may have a good long-term outcome with mild or absent clinical signs but long-term medical management may be required.     

Impact of Canopy Destruction from Simulated Hail on Potato Yield and Economic Return

Insurance against hailstorm-inflicted losses to potato crops is crucial for producer risk management. Insurance providers need regionally specific information on which to base estimates of hail damage. The objective of the research reported here was to determine the effects of a range of simulated hail defoliation treatments, low (33%), medium (66%), and high (99%), relative to an untreated control (0%) on yield and grower economic returns from one medium- and one late-maturing potato variety (‘Russet Norkotah TX278’ and ‘Ranger Russet,’ respectively) at three growth stages (tuber initiation, early bulking, and late bulking) in the Columbia Basin of Washington. Plants within the 33% and 66% treatments were defoliated by sweeping a garden rake with 16 solid, curved tines through the canopy of each treatment row several times until plants exhibited the desired defoliation level. Tuber initiation and early bulk plants within the 99% treatment were essentially mowed to ground level. Intensity of defoliation and stage of growth had significant, interacting effects on grower returns. Gross return and yield for both varieties at each growth stage were significantly reduced by 99% defoliation; these effects were mediated by the effects of defoliation on tuber size distribution. Total yield and gross return experienced the largest declines at early bulk compared with tuber initiation and late bulk defoliation in both varieties. When 99% of the early bulk foliage was removed, Russet Norkotah TX278 gross return and yield were reduced to 14% and 38%, respectively, of the values for the non-treated control, and Ranger Russet gross return and yield were reduced to 30% and 51% of control values, respectively. Defoliation of 99% at all growth stages significantly reduced overall market yield compared to controls for both varieties. However, tuber size distribution was most affected by 99% defoliation at early bulk. Severe defoliation (99%) at tuber initiation significantly delayed vine senescence in both varieties. The results of this study suggest that insurance adjusters should take into account the combined influence of growth stage and defoliation level when hail damage occurs.     

1,2-Propanediol-2-Phosphate in Ascaris lumbricoides

No phosphagen is present in the body-wall muscle of Ascaris lumbricoides. A stable phosphorus compound, which on the basis of its chemical reactions seems to be 1,2-proepanediol-2-phosphate, constitutes more than half of the acid-soluble phosphorus compounds.     

Interaction of substerilizing Gamma radiation and thiodicarb treatment for management of the Tobacco caterpillarSpodoptera litura

The F₁ sterility technique (inherited sterility using substerile insects) has been proposed for reproductive suppression of lepidopteran pests. Management of lepidopteran pests using F₁ sterility may be greatly influenced by other possible strategies, including chemical control measures. Within this context, a laboratory investigation was undertaken of the tobacco caterpillarSpodoptera litura (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to assess the bioefficacy of a substerilizing dose (70 Gy) of gamma radiation on bio-characteristics(viz., adult survival, fecundity, egg hatch, F₁ larval weight, F₁ pupation, F₁ sex ratio); to establish the median lethal dose (LD₅₀) of an oxime carbamate insecticide, thiodicarb (Larvin®75 WP), toS. litura; and determine the interaction of thiodicarb with the F₁ insects derived from a substerilizing gamma dose. A dose of 70 Gy administered to 7-day-old male pupae reduced the the eclosion by ~ 10%. When the eclosed males (derived from treated pupae) were mated with normal females, the fecundity and fertility were decreased as compared with control (0 Gy). Analysis of body weight of the F₁ larvae showed no significant influence of radiation,i.e., growth was comparable to that of normal progeny, which is a positive factor in the sterile-insect technique. Bioassay on newly molted 6th instar larvae with thiodicarb (Larvin®75 WP) showed that the LD₅₀ of the insecticide was 6.76µg g^-1 in the combined treatment (radiation to P₁ male pupae + thiodicarb to F₁ larvae), as compared with 28.67 µg g_-1 in the chemical treatment (thiodicarb), indicating that the toxicity of the insecticide to the F₁ progeny was increased 4.24 times by the radiation treatment, which is a markedly pronounced effect. Further studies of the combined effect of radiation and insecticide on pupation and sex ratio of F₁ progeny showed that pupation was affected more by the combined treatment than by the insecticide alone, whereas the sex ratio was skewed in favor of males in both the combined treatment and the chemical treatment, indicating that thiodicarb was selectively more toxic to females. The possible interaction and potential and the feasible approaches of integrating F₁ sterility and thiodicarb treatment are discussed for management of the lepidopteran pestS. litura.     

Effects of a second mutant allele (V199I) at the PRKAG3 (RN) locus on carcass composition in pigs

The effect of a second mutant allele (V199I, here denoted rn*) at the PRKAG3 (RN) locus on carcass composition was determined in 334 pigs, entire males and females, from crosses between Swedish Hampshire (H) and Finnish Landrace (L) (H × LH; LH × H; LH × LH). Pigs were classified according to DNA test into the following PRKAG3 genotypes: RN⁻/RN⁻ (23%), RN⁻/rn⁺ (24%), RN⁻/rn* (33%), rn⁺/rn⁺ (8%), rn⁺/rn* (9%) and rn*/rn* (2%). The pigs were slaughtered at a commercial slaughterhouse and assessed 24 h postmortem. Right sides were fabricated into primary wholesale cuts, then further processed into defatted hams and loins, and a subset of hams (n = 122) was dissected into the five major individual muscles. The genotype frequencies for the subsample were RN⁻/RN⁻ (27%), RN⁻/rn⁺ (20%), RN⁻/rn* (35%), rn⁺/rn⁺ (9%), rn⁺/rn* (8%) and rn*/rn* (1%). Weights were recorded for meat and bone in ham and loin, fat in ham, back and shoulder and the individual dissected muscles. The genotype effect was significant (P < 0.05) for estimated lean meat content and the proportions of meat and bone and fat in ham and loin (of carcass weight). Also, the content of meat and bone in ham and loin, in proportion of whole ham and loin, respectively, differed significantly (P < 0.01) between genotypes. Estimated lean meat content was highest for RN⁻/RN⁻ (63.0%) and RN⁻/rn⁺ (63.1%) and lowest in the combined group rn*/⁻ (rn⁺/rn* and rn*/rn*, 61.7%); RN⁻/rn* (62.5%) and rn⁺/rn⁺(62.1%) were intermediate. The same results were found for meat and bone in ham and loin, as a proportion of whole ham and loin, respectively. RN⁻/RN⁻ and RN⁻/rn⁺ did not differ in any trait; however, they produced carcasses with the lowest proportions of fat within loin and the major wholesale cuts (ham, loin and shoulder). The carcass percentage of meat and bone in ham was higher in the three RN⁻/ genotypes (RN⁻/RN⁻, RN⁻/rn⁺ and RN⁻/rn*, P < 0.05) than in the rn*/⁻ group, whereas rn⁺/rn⁺ did not (P > 0.05) differ from any of the other genotypes. RN⁻/rn⁺ and RN⁻/rn* had higher (P < 0.05) proportion of meat and bone in loin compared to the rn*/⁻ group. We conclude that the second mutant allele found at the PRKAG3 (RN) locus, rn*, decreased the lean meat content compared with the two other alleles (RN⁻, rn⁺). The RN⁻/RN⁻ and RN⁻/rn⁺ genotypes were leanest, followed by RN⁻/rn* and rn⁺/rn⁺, and rn⁺/rn* and rn*/rn* were the fattest.