Conservation costs: Nature‐based tourism as development at Cuc Phuong National Park,Vietnam

Abstract: Local communities are frequently displaced from areas selected for environmental protection. Development of nature‐based tourism, believed to be more environmentally benign than traditional agricultural systems, has been encouraged by governments and national park managers in the hope of providing alternative livelihoods for local people. This paper examines the extent to which indigenous peoples resettled from within one Vietnamese national park have engaged with the nascent tourism industry, thereby providing a perspective on the success of their resettlement, through the eyes of those communities affected. The perspectives of resettled peoples are contrasted with those of villagers who have continued to reside within the national park, using traditional means of survival, along with new initiatives designed to supplement their livelihoods and to reduce their dependence on national park resources for survival. Resettled villagers are unable to survive on agricultural activity alone, tourism has done little to provide an alternate livelihood and the park environment is still threatened by the use of park resources by resettled communities in their struggle to survive.     

The method of cohesion determination in soil aggregates

Theoretical fundamentals and experimental methods to study the strength of water-stable bonds in soil aggregates are discussed. The strength of water-stable aggregates characterized by cohesion is proved to be one of the important structural and mechanical properties of soil. The regular variation of this parameter inthe soils under study is related to the content of humus and physical clay.     

Improving the health of the global poor

We analyzed the technical basis for a major global program to reduce disease among the poor. Effective interventions exist against the few diseases which most account for excess mortality among the poor. Achieving high coverage of effective interventions requires a well-functioning health system, as well as overcoming a set of financial and nonfinancial constraints. The annual incremental cost would be between $40 billion and $52 billion by 2015 in 83 low-income and sub-Saharan African countries. Such a program is feasible and would avoid millions of child, maternal, and adult deaths annually in poor countries.     

Molecular characterization of tetracycline- and quinolone-resistant Aeromonas salmonicida isolated in Korea

The antibiotic resistance of 16 Aeromonas (A.) salmonicida strains isolated from diseased fish and environmental samples in Korea from 2006 to 2009 were investigated in this study. Tetracycline or quinolone resistance was observed in eight and 16 of the isolates, respectively, based on the measured minimal inhibitory concentrations. Among the tetracycline-resistant strains, seven of the isolates harbored tetA gene and one isolate harbored tetE gene. Additionally, quinolone-resistance determining regions (QRDRs) consisting of the gyrA and parC genes were amplified and sequenced. Among the quinolone-resistant A. salmonicida strains, 15 harbored point mutations in the gyrA codon 83 which were responsible for the corresponding amino acid substitutions of Ser⁸³→Arg⁸³ or Ser⁸³→Asn⁸³. We detected no point mutations in other QRDRs, such as gyrA codons 87 and 92, and parC codons 80 and 84. Genetic similarity was assessed via pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and the results indicated high clonality among the Korean antibiotic-resistant strains of A. salmonicida.     

Sedative and analgesic effects of intravenous xylazine and tramadol on horses

This study was performed to evaluate the sedative and analgesic effects of xylazine (X) and tramadol (T) intravenously (IV) administered to horses. Six thoroughbred saddle horses each received X (1.0 mg/kg), T (2.0 mg/kg), and a combination of XT (1.0 and 2.0 mg/kg, respectively) IV. Heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), rectal temperature (RT), indirect arterial pressure (IAP), capillary refill time (CRT), sedation, and analgesia (using electrical stimulation and pinprick) were measured before and after drug administration. HR and RR significantly decreased from basal values with X and XT treatments, and significantly increased with T treatment (p < 0.05). RT and IAP also significantly increased with T treatment (p < 0.05). CRT did not change significantly with any treatments. The onset of sedation and analgesia were approximately 5 min after both X and XT treatments; however, the XT combination produced a longer duration of sedation and analgesia than X alone. Two horses in the XT treatment group displayed excited transient behavior within 5 min of drug administration. The results suggest that the XT combination is useful for sedation and analgesia in horses. However, careful monitoring for excited behavior shortly after administration is recommended.     

Free radical scavenging and antioxidative activity of caffeic acid amide and ester analogues: structure-activity relationship.

The structure-activity relationships of synthetic caffeic acid amide and ester analogues as potential antioxidants and free radical scavengers have been investigated. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH.) scavenging activity of the test compounds was N-trans-caffeoyl-L-cysteine methyl ester (5) > N-trans-caffeoyldopamine (4) > N-trans-caffeoyltyramine (3) > N-trans-caffeoyl-beta-phenethylamine (2) > Trolox C (8) > caffeic acid phenethyl ester (1) > caffeic acid (6) > ferulic acid (7). This established that the radical scavenging activity of the compounds increased with increasing numbers of hydroxyl groups or catechol moieties and also with the presence of other hydrogen-donating groups (-NH, -SH). The antioxidative activity of the compounds was also investigated in an emulsified linoleic acid oxidation system accelerated by 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride. The order was 1 > 2 > 4 > 3 > or = 5 > 6 > 8 > 7. Therefore, in the emulsion system, the antioxidative activity of the test compounds depends not only on the hydroxyl groups or catechol rings but also on the partition coefficient (log P) or hydrophobicity of the compounds. This supports the concept that hydrophobic antioxidants tend to exhibit better antioxidative activity in an emulsion system.     

Structure and stability of soil aggregates

The formation and disintegration of macroaggregates into water-stable particles in a wide range of soil water contents—from the hygroscopic moisture to the capillary saturation moisture—were analyzed. It was found that the disintegration of macroaggregates into water-stable particles follows an exponential law. As the system becomes a three-phase system, neighboring particles in the macroaggregate are pressed together due to capillary pressure, and strong molecular bonds are formed. The disintegration curve of macroaggregates is an integral informative characteristic, which reflects the dynamics of changes in the strength properties of the macroaggregates.     

Evaluation of auditory evoked potentials to predict depth of anaesthesia during fentanyl/fluanisone−midazolam anaesthesia in rats

Objectives To assess a method for monitoring depth of anaesthesia using components of middle latency auditory evoked potential (AEP) waveforms during anaesthesia with fentanyl/fluanisone and midazolam. Study design Prospective observational study. Animals Five female Wistar rats weighing between 210 and 250 g. Methods Implanted electrodes were used to record AEPs in animals receiving five doses of anaesthetic. Recordings were made at 5 minutes post‐injection (deep anaesthesia; no pedal withdrawal response, PWR) and then at 25 minutes (light anaesthesia; strong PWR). Responses showed five characteristic peaks occurring at 11, 14, 23, 42 and 68 ms that were measured for latency of occurrence and peak amplitude. Results Auditory evoked potential peaks P14, N23 and P42 were increased significantly in latency with successive anaesthetic injections [avg. F(1,4) = 12.53, p < 0.001; avg. F(1,4) = 10.6, p < 0.001; avg. F(1,4) = 3.9, p = 0.02, respectively]. Peak N23 showed a significant reduction in latency during the 20 minute recovery period following both the first and second anaesthetic injections (t(3) = 7.52, p = 0.005; t(4) = 5.17, p = 0.007, respectively). Peak P42 occurred significantly earlier 20 minutes following the second anaesthetic injection (t(4) = 4.75, p = 0.009). The mean overall depth of anaesthesia assessed using PWR scores was significantly correlated with the mean latency of peak N23, such that as the strength of PWR increased, N23 occurred significantly earlier (r = ?0.99, p = 0.01). The amplitude difference between peaks N23 and P42 increased after the second and third drug administrations [avg. F(1,4) = 10.65, p = 0.031 and avg. F(1,4) = 11.24, p = 0.028, respectively]. Conclusion The characteristics of these peaks, and in particular latency of peak N23, may provide a useful tool for assessing depth of anaesthesia produced by this, and possibly other anaesthetic agents.     

Characterization of pigeon-origin Newcastle disease virus isolated in China

Fourteen pigeon-origin Newcastle disease virus (NDV) isolates were obtained from sick pigeons in China between 1996 and 2005. The mean death time (MDT) of embryonated eggs and the intracerebral pathogenicity indices (ICPI) were tested to determine the virulence of the field isolates. The result indicated that most isolates were proved to be mesogenic (MDT 60-90 hr and ICPI > 1.2). The main function regions of F protein gene of the isolates were amplified and sequenced for phylogenetic and residue substitutive analysis. The fusion protein cleavage site sequences of most isolates had multiple basic amino acids R/KRQKRF at positions 112-116 and a phenyl alanine at position 117, characteristic of velogenic isolates. In the phylogenetic tree, the majority of the isolates were clustered into a single genetic lineage, termed genotype VIb, and were typical pigeon paramyxovirus type 1, whereas a small number of recent isolates (three strains) were grouped into genotype VIId, a predominant genotype responsible for most Newcastle disease outbreaks in chickens and geese since the end of last century. One isolate, PK9901, was proved to be a lentogenic strain, of genotype II NDV, to which the vaccine strain La Sota belongs.