Hotspots, complementarity or representativeness? designing optimal small-scale reserves for biodiversity conservation

Reserve networks are a major tool of ecological management aiming at biodiversity conservation. Maximizing the number of species conserved with the minimum land sacrifice is a primary requirement in reserve design. In this study, we examine the efficiency of five different scenarios to conserve: (i) the biodiversity of one target group and (ii) the overall biodiversity of an area. The study was conducted in Dadia Reserve, in northern Greece. Six groups of species were selected to represent its biodiversity: woody plants, orchids, Orthoptera, aquatic and terrestrial herpetofauna, and small terrestrial birds. The scenarios examined represent different conservation approaches to select network sites. For each approach, the starting point was one of the above six groups of species, considered as the target group. In scenario A, which reflects the hotspot approach, the sites richest in species are selected. Scenario B selects the sites most complementary in terms of species richness. The next two scenarios use the principle of environmental representativeness, expressed in terms of habitat (scenario C) or vegetation (scenario D). Under scenario E, sites forming the network are selected at random. The rank of scenarios in terms of preserving the species of the target group was always B > A > C > D > E, irrespective of the group considered as target group. Their rank, when preservation of the total biodiversity was the issue, was B, A > C, D > E.     

Effects of Aeration,Molasses, Kelp,Compost Type,And Carrot Juice on the Growth of Escherichia Coli in Compost Teas

Growth of a nonpathogenic E. coli strain (K12- MG1655, ATCC 700926) in aerated and nonaerated compost teas containing molasses, kelp and carrot juice was examined. Teas were prepared using four different compost types that had undetectable levels of indigenous E. coli. Three of the composts were produced by turn pile windrow composting method using dairy, swine and horse manure as feedstock, while the fourth, a vermicompost, was produced by feeding separated dairy solids to worms Eisenia feotida. Molasses and kelp enhanced the growth of E. coli in inoculated teas and the E. coli density was positively correlated with nutrient concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 8.0 g/L. Irrespective of the presence of molasses and kelp, E. coli was not detected in noninoculated teas. Even though E. coli is a facultative anaerobe, its growth was significantly higher in nonaerated teas than in aerated teas. Without aeration, dissolved oxygen in teas declined rapidly and fell below 0.1 mg/L within 20 h, whereas continuous aeration at 0.8 L/min maintained an aerobic condition (> 5 mg/L dissolved oxygen) in teas during the 48 h brewing period. The pH values of nonaerated teas were significantly lower than those of aerated teas and were always slightly acidic. E. coli growth in different compost types was significantly different. The density of E. coli was lowest in teas made with vermicompost and highest in teas made with swine manure compost. E. coli proliferations in both aerated and nonaerated swine manure compost teas were inhibited by carrot juice. Carrot juice lowered dissolved oxygen in aerated teas. The total bacterial densities in noninoculated compost teas were not reduced by carrot juice.     

Rapid and direct low micromolar NMR method for the simultaneous detection of hydrogen peroxide and phenolics in plant extracts

A rapid and direct low micromolar 1H NMR method for the simultaneous identification and quantification of hydrogen peroxide and phenolic compounds in plant extracts was developed. The method is based on the highly deshielded 1H NMR signal of H?O? at ～10.30 ppm in DMSO-d? and the combined use of picric acid and low temperature, near the freezing point of the solution, in order to achieve the minimum proton exchange rate. Line widths of H?O? below 3.8 Hz were obtained for several Greek oregano extracts which resulted in a detection limit of 0.7 μmol L?1. Application of an array of NMR experiments, including 2D 1H-13C HMBC, spiking of the samples with H?O?, and variable temperature experiments, resulted in the unequivocal assignment of H?O? precluding any confusion with interferences from intrinsic phenolics in the extract.     

Could European marine conservation policy benefit from systematic conservation planning?

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Phenolics,Sugars, Antimicrobial and Free-Radical-Scavenging Activities of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Melicoccus bijugatus</Emphasis> Jacq. Fruits from the Dominican Republic and Florida

Edible fruits of the native South American tree Melicoccus bijugatus Jacq. are consumed fresh or in traditional food, drink and medicinal preparations. Some therapeutic effects of these fruits may be due to phenolics and sugars. Aqueous acetone, methanol or ethanol tissue extracts of different cultivars or collections of M. bijugatus fruits from the Dominican Republic and Florida were analyzed for total phenolics and free radical scavenging activity by UV-vis spectroscopy, sugars by gas chromatography, and antimicrobial activity by the disc diffusion assay. Total phenolics and free radical scavenging activities ranked: seed coat > embryo > pulp extracts. Montgomery cultivar fruits had the highest total phenolics. For sugars: pulp > embryo and highest in Punta Cana fruit pulp. In all extracts: sucrose > glucose and fructose. Glucose:fructose ratios were 1:1 (pulp) and 0.2:1 (embryo). Pulp extracts had dose-response antibacterial activity and pulp and embryo extracts had antifungal activity against one yeast species. Phenolics and sugars were confirmed with thin-layer chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance. Sugar-free pulp fractions containing phenolics had slightly more antimicrobial activity than H₂O-soluble pulp fractions with sugars. Results indicate M. bijugatus fruits contain phenolics, sugars and other H₂O-soluble compounds consistent with therapeutic uses. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Prospective echocardiographic and tissue Doppler screening of a large Sphynx cat population: Reference ranges,heart disease prevalence and genetic aspects

Objectives(1) To investigate heart morphology and function using echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), (2) to determine heart disease prevalence and characteristics, and (3) to assess potential genetic features in a population of Sphynx cats presented for cardiovascular screening.AnimalsA total of 147 echocardiographic examinations, including 33 follow-ups, were performed by trained observers on 114 Sphynx cats of different ages (2.62 ± 1.93 years [0.5–10.0]) from 2004 to 2011.MethodsSphynx cats underwent a physical examination, conventional echocardiography, and, if possible, two-dimensional color TDI.ResultsConventional echocardiographic findings included 75/114 normal (65.8%) and 39/114 (34.2%) abnormal examinations with a diagnosis of either congenital heart diseases (n = 16) or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM, n = 23). In adult healthy cats, a significant body weight effect was observed for several echocardiographic variables, including end-diastolic left ventricular (LV) free wall (P < 0.01), interventricular septum (P < 0.001), and LV diameter (P < 0.001). Mitral valve dysplasia (MVD) was observed as a single or associated defect in 15/16 cats with congenital heart diseases. A significant increase in HCM prevalence (P < 0.001) was observed according to age. The pedigree analysis of a large family (n = 81) suggested an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance with incomplete penetrance for HCM.ConclusionsBody weight should be taken into account when interpreting values of diastolic myocardial wall thicknesses in Sphynx cats. Additionally, HCM and MVD are two relatively common heart diseases in this feline breed. More pedigree data are required to confirm the inheritance pattern of HCM at the breed level.     

Assessment of species specificity of moulting accelerating compounds in Lepidoptera: comparison of activity between Bombyx mori and Spodoptera littoralis by in vitro reporter and in vivo toxicity assays

BACKGROUND: Dibenzoylhydrazine analogues have been developed successfully as a new group of insect growth regulators, called ecdysone agonists or moulting accelerating compounds. A notable feature is their high activity against lepidopteran insects, raising the question as to whether species‐specific analogues can be isolated. In this study, the specificity of ecdysone agonists was addressed through a comparative analysis in two important lepidopterans, the silkworm Bombyx mori L. and the cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis (Boisd.). RESULTS: When collections of non‐steroidal ecdysone agonists containing different mother structures (dibenzoylhydrazine, acylaminoketone, tetrahydroquinoline) were tested, in vitro reporter assays showed minor differences using cell lines derived from both species. However, when compounds with high ecdysone agonist activity were examined in toxicity assays, larvicidal activity differed considerably. Of note was the identification of three dibenzoylhydrazine analogues with > 100‐fold higher activity against Bombyx than against Spodoptera larvae. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated that species‐specific ecdysone‐agonist‐based insecticides can be developed, but their species specificity is not based on differences in the activation of the ecdysone receptor but rather on unidentified in vivo parameters such as permeability of the cuticle, uptake/excretion by the gut or metabolic detoxification. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Specific features and survival of French bulldogs with congenital pulmonic stenosis: a prospective cohort study of 66 cases

Introduction

The objectives of this study were to characterize the epidemiological, clinical, and echocardiographic features of French bulldogs (FBs) with congenital pulmonic stenosis and document their survival times and risk factors for cardiac death (CD).