Demonstrating decline of an iconic species under sustained indigenous harvest – The pig-nosed turtle (Carettochelys insculpta) in Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea has astonishing biological and cultural diversity which, coupled with a strong community reliance on the land and its biota for subsistence, add complexity to monitoring and conservation and in particular, the demonstration of declines in wildlife populations. Many species of concern are long-lived which provides additional challenges for conservation. We provide, for the first time, concrete evidence of a substantive decline in populations of the pig-nosed turtle (Carettochelys insculpta); an important source of protein for local communities. Our study combined matched village and market surveys separated by 30 years, trends in nesting female size, and assessment of levels and efficacy of harvest, each of which was an essential ingredient to making a definitive assessment of population trends. Opportunities for an effective response by local communities to these declines needs to consider both conservation and fisheries perspectives because local communities consider the turtle a food resource, whereas the broader global community views it as a high priority for conservation. Our study in the Kikori region is representative of harvest regimes in most rivers within the range of the species in Papua New Guinea, and provides lessons for conservation of many other wildlife species subject to harvest.     

Efficacy of spinosad and methoprene,applied alone or in combination,against six stored-product insect species

Efficacy of the insecticides spinosad and methoprene, applied alone or in combination to wheat, was evaluated against six stored-product insect species, Rhyzopertha dominica, Sitophilus oryzae, S. granarius, Cryptolestes ferrugineus, Oryzaephilus surinamensis, and Liposcelis bostrychophila. The concentrations of the insecticides were 0.1 and 0.5 ppm for spinosad and 1 and 5 ppm for methoprene. Parental mortality of R. dominica was 100% on wheat treated with either rate of spinosad, with no progeny production in any combination treatment. Parental mortality of S. oryzae did not exceed 62%, and progeny production was not reduced by any insecticide treatment. All S. granarius adults exposed on wheat treated with spinosad alone at 0.5 ppm were killed, but parental mortality was reduced when methoprene was added. Progeny production was reduced in treatments containing spinosad. Mortality of adult C. ferrugineus was 97% or greater in treatments containing spinosad, but adult mortality of O. surinamensis and L. bostrychophila was not reduced by insecticide treatments. The specific combinations of spinosad and methoprene evaluated in our study would have no benefit over spinosad used alone for control of any of the six species tested.     

Proteomic analysis and differential expression in protein extracted from chicken with a varying growth rate and water-holding capacity

Chickens from a randomly bred genetic line were segregated into high and low growth rates and high and low water-holding capacities (WHCs). The objective of this study was to identify protein markers associated with slow and fast growth rates and low and high WHCs from water-soluble protein (WSP) and crude myofibrillar protein (CMP) extracts of chicken breast muscle. Proteins were fractionated using two-dimensional electrophoresis, and a total of 22 protein spots were selected, excised, and analyzed by in-gel tryptic digestion and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Proteins expressed in extracts from slow and fast growth rates and low and high WHCs included metabolic enzymes, such as creatine kinase, pyruvate kinase, triosephosphate isomerase, and ubiqitin; housekeeping proteins, such as heat shock protein; contractile proteins, such as myosin heavy chain; actin; and also MHC isoforms and actin isoforms. The mass spectra of 20 protein spots significantly matched (protein score >83; P < 0.05) an online database. In CMP, there were unique proteins that were present only in the fast-growth population: gi|118099530 , gi|20664362 , gi|71895043 , gi|114794125 , gi|297343122 , and gi|71895043 . This information identified protein markers associated with growth rate and water holding capacity. Some of those protein markers could be added to the chicken database.     

The effect of membrane filtration on dissolved trace element concentrations

The almost universally accepted operational definition for dissolved constituents is based on processing The almost universally accepted operational definition for dissolved constituents is based on processing whole-water samples through a 0.45-μm membrane filter. Results from field and laboratory experiments indicate that a number of factors associated with filtration, other than just pore size (e.g., diameter, manufacturer, volume of sample processed, amount of suspended sediment in the sample), can produce substantial variations in the ‘disolved’ concentrations of such elements as Fe, Al, Cu, Zn, Pb, Co, and Ni. These variations result from the inclusion/exclusion of colloidally-associated trace elements. Thus, 'dissolved' concentrations quantitated by analyzing filtrates generated by processing whole-water through similar pore-sized membrane filters may not be equal/comparable. As such, simple filtration through a 0.45-μm membrane filter may no longer represent an acceptable operational definition for dissolved chemical constituents. This conclusion may have important implications for environmental studies and regulatory agencies.     

Using Lidar to Measure Perfluorocarbon Tracers for the Verification and Monitoring of Cap and Cover Systems

Waste site cover systems used to prevent rainfall from reaching the waste need to remain intact throughout the lifetime of the waste site. Monitoring of these covers is needed to ascertain the performance and to determine if any degradation has occurred. Researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory have used gaseous perfluorocarbon tracers (PFTs) to monitor the integrity of caps and covers for waste disposal sites. Detection of the PFTs currently uses gas chromatography techniques developed at BNL. This paper presents a potential approach to this wide-area screening problem by replacing conventional gas chromatography analysis with laser-based, lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) detection of the PFTs. Lidar can be used to scan the surface of the cover system, looking for fugitive PFTs. If successful this would enable the departure from soil gas analysis and instead look for PFTs in the air just above the soil surface. The advantages of using a lidar platform are multi-fold and include the elimination of soil monitoring ports. Benchtop and pilot-scale indoor experiments using an a continuous wave, line-tunable infrared CO₂ laser were used to detect PMCH (perfluoromethylcyclohexane, one of a group of PFTs used at BNL). Laboratory measurements of the absorption cross-section were the same order of magnitude compared to literature values for similar perfluorocarbon compounds. Initial benchtop, fixed cell length experiments were successful in detecting PMCH to levels of 10 ppb-m. To improve the lower limit of detection, a HgCdTe detector was purchased that was more specific to the lasing region of interest and hence had a higher sensitivity at this spectral region Using a pilot-scale lidar system in a 40m indoor hallway air concentrations of PMCH were then measured down to 1 ppb-m. These results are very promising and show great potential for monitoring the integrity of cover systems using lidar and PFTs.     

Performance of a short tool to assess dietary intakes of fruits and vegetables, percentage energy from fat and fibre

OBJECTIVES: We describe the methods used to develop and score a 17-item 'screener' designed to estimate intake of fruit and vegetables, percentage energy from fat and fibre. The ability of this screener and a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to measure these exposures is evaluated. DESIGN: Using US national food consumption data, stepwise multiple regression was used to identify the foods to be included on the instrument; multiple regression analysis was used to develop scoring algorithms. The performance of the screener was evaluated in three different studies. Estimates of intakes measured by the screener and the FFQ were compared with true usual intake based on a measurement error model. SETTING: US adult population. SUBJECTS: For development of instrument, n=9323 adults. For testing of instrument, adult men and women in three studies completing multiple 24-hour dietary recalls, FFQ and screeners, n=484, 462 and 416, respectively. RESULTS: Median recalled intakes for examined exposures were generally estimated closely by the screener. In the various validation studies, the correlations between screener estimates and estimated true intake were 0.5-0.8. In general, the performances of the screener and the full FFQ were similar; estimates of attenuation were lower for screeners than for full FFQs. CONCLUSIONS: When coupled with appropriate reference data, the screener approach described may yield useful estimates of intake, for both surveillance and epidemiological purposes.     

Trace metal content of the forest floor in the green mountains of Vermont: Spatial and temporal patterns

The organic horizons of forest soils in eleven stands along an elevational gradient on Camels Hump Mountain, Vermont, were analyzed for Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni, Cd, organic matter and organic C. Lead concentration and amount increased with elevation. Vertical profiles of forest floor in the boreal forest showed that highest concentrations for most metals occurred in the upper F horizon. Comparison with 1966 and 1977 samples from the same stands showed that concentrations of Pb, Cu, and Zn and percent organic matter increased by as much as 148% in the intervening 14 yr. Estimates of 1966 amounts of Pb, Cu, and Zn indicated that increases in trace metal amounts over the 14 yr period are consistent with annual deposition rates reported in the literature.     

Nutritional value of a highly digestible sorghum cultivar for meat-type chickens

The nutritional value of a newly discovered sorghum mutant cultivar (P851171), with high in vitro protein digestibility, was compared to those of corn and two normal sorghums (P721N and 611Y) in two chick feeding trials. Although 8-20 day protein efficiency ratios and net protein ratios of all three sorghums were inferior to those of corn, P851171 and 611Y had markedly greater mean true amino acid digestibilities (TAAD) than either corn or P721N. In a subsequent 42-day experiment, all three sorghums supported weight gains equal to those of the corn-fed chicks. Feeding suboptimal levels of dietary protein resulted in reduced weight gains and no observed benefits of P851171 or 611Y. Furthermore, chicks fed P851171 exhibited poorer feed/gain values as compared to those fed the other cereals. It is possible that the starch content/carbohydrate profile of P851171 was inferior to that of the other sorghums, which offset its superior TAAD and resulted in poorer broiler performance.     

Organic amendments to enhance herbicide biodegradation in contaminated soils

Pesticide contamination of soil and groundwater at agricultural chemical distribution sites is a widespread problem in the USA. Alternatives to land-farming or solid waste disposal include biostimulation and phytoremediation. This research investigated the ability of compost, corn stalks, corn fermentation byproduct, peat, manure, and sawdust at rates of 0.5% and 5% (w/w) to stimulate biodegradation of atrazine [6-chloro-N-ethyl-N'-(1-methyethyl)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine], metolachlor [2-chloro-N-(2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl)-N-(2-methoxy-1-methylethyl)acetamide], and trifluralin [2,6-dinitro-N,N-dipropyl-4-(trifluoromethyl)benzenamine] added as a mixture to soil. Initial concentrations were 175ᆾ mg atrazine kg^-1 soil, 182ᆭ mg metolachlor kg^-1 soil, and 165ᆫ mg trifluralin kg^-1 soil. After amendment addition, 30% of the atrazine, 33% of the metolachlor, and 44% of the trifluralin was degraded over 245 days, which included 63 days' aging prior to amendment additions. Atrazine degradation was enhanced by 0.5% manure, 5% peat, and 5% cornstalk amendments compared to nonamended soils. Metolachlor degradation was enhanced by all amendments at the 5% level, except for compost and peat. Amendments had no effect on trifluralin degradation. The 5% addition of compost, manure, and cornstalks resulted in significant increases in bacterial populations and dehydrogenase activity. A second experiment compared the persistence of atrazine, metolachlor, and trifluralin applied in a mixture to their persistence in soil individually. A combined average of 123 mg atrazine kg^-1 remained in soil treated with the three-herbicide mixture compared to 31 mg atrazine kg^-1 remaining in soil treated with atrazine only. Atrazine mineralization and atrazine-degrading microorganisms were suppressed by high concentrations of metolachlor, but not by trifluralin.     

Zinc Cu,Ni and Cd in the forest floor in the Northeastern United States

A regional study was conducted to assess current levels of trace metals in the forest floor, and to establish a baseline for future studies of metal accumulation. Quantitative forest floor samples collected from 78 sites in 9 states in the northeastern United States in 1978 and 1980 were analyzed for Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cd. Mean amounts present in the forest floor were 9.8 ± 1.9 (standard error of the mean), 1.7 ± 0.2, 0.86 ± 0.08, and 0.13 ± 0.01 kg ha^?1, for Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cd, respectively. Mean concentrations were 133 ± 25, 19.5 ± 1.6, 11 ± 0.8, and 1.7 ± 0.1 mg kg^?1, respectively. Differences in metal and organic matter concentrations and amounts among forest types were attributed to geographic location of specific forest types rather than to direct biotic influence. No element was strongly correlated with elevation for the entire sample area. Regional patterns of elemental amounts showed that trace metal levels are slightly higher in the southern part than in the northern part of the study region. Regional variation of Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cd in the forest floor was not indicative of atmospheric deposition except near point sources of pollution.