Anatomical Structure of the Brachial Plexus in the Merlin (Falco columbarius)

This study aimed to document the detailed features of the morphological structure and the innervation areas of the brachial plexus in Merlin (Falco columbarius). The skin and muscles of five adult male Merlins were dissected under the stereo microscope. The Merlin had two plexus trunks. The accessory brachial plexus consisted of ventral rami C10 and C11. C11 was divided into two branches: the cranial and caudal. The brachial plexus was composed of a rather complex network involving the ventral rami of C11‐C13, T1 and T2. In addition, a thin branch from the last two cervical sympathetic nerves participated in the plexus formation. C12, C13 and T1 had rather thick trunk. C12, C13 and T1 were also involved in the formation of the brachial plexus emerging after 1 cm from the foramen inter‐vertebrale as three trunk roots.     

Comparison of Cryoprotective Effects of Lycopene and Cysteamine in Different Cryoprotectants on Bull Semen and Fertility Results

The objectives of this study were to compare glycerol and ethylene glycol at different concentrations as cryoprotectants and lycopene or cysteamine (with/without) as antioxidants in Tris extender for bull semen. Twenty‐four ejaculates were obtained from three bulls. Each ejaculate was split into four equal aliquots and diluted using both of the Tris extenders with glycerol (5% or 7%) or ethylene glycol (3% or 5%). After that, each extenders were split into three equal aliquots and added using both of the cysteamine 5 mm or lycopene 500 μg/ml, and control (without additives). The addition of 7% glycerol with cysteamine, 5% ethylene glycol with cysteamine and 3% ethylene glycol with cysteamine groups gave the lowest CASA motility than the other groups. However, 7% glycerol and 7% glycerol with lycopene resulted in a better rate of CASA progressive motility compared with that of other groups. Generally, all the lycopene groups signed better protective effects on acrosome and total morphology than the other groups. Glycerol 7% and 3% ethylene glycol with lycopene groups yielded to slight higher percentages of membrane integrity assessed by HOST than that of the other groups, but 7% glycerol with cysteamine and 3% ethylene glycol with cysteamine showed the worst percentages of membrane integrity. Glycerol 7% and 5% glycerol with lycopene gave rise to a higher value of VAP, VSL and VCL compared with that of the other groups. On the contrary, adding to 5% glycerol with cysteamine showed negative effect for VAP, VSL, VCL and ALH values. All cryoprotectant groups with lycopene decreased chromatin damage than the other groups. Ethylene glycol 3% led to lower non‐return rates of inseminated cows. However, this result was not considered to be statistically important.     

Incisor ridge modification of the mandibles in freshwater crayfish, Astacus leptodactylus

The differences in the ridge structure of the mandibles of different size Astacus leptodactylus (32–80 mm carapace length, CL) were investigated. The results showed that a modification occurs with an increase in size in the incisor ridge of mandibles in A. leptodactylus. The results also showed that A. leptodactylus possesses four different types of ridge structure in the mandibles. These are: (1) Incisor ridge with big teeth (dentate crenate), (2) Blade-like incisor ridge with numerous small teeth, (3) Blade-like ridge (toothless), (4) Blunt ridge. In conclusion, it is thought that the incisor ridge modification of the mandibles may cause the difference in the food choice of different size A. leptodactylus, because, crayfish possessing different ridge structures of the mandible may probably feed on different type of food.     

广东南岭国家级自然保护区管理有效性与优先性研究

应用广东省林业自然保护区有效管理评价框架,对广东南岭国家级自然保护区的管理有效性进行评分,计算其管理有效性指数值（ME）和管理优先性指数值（MP）,并进行排序.结果表明,广东南岭国家级自然保护区的机构设置、管护设施、管理制度、经费管理、生态旅游、监督与评估的ME值均为1.00,其管理有效性最高;而宣传教育、权属、规划设计、科研监测和管理队伍的MP值均大于1.00,应优先加强管理.为此,该保护区的主要管理对策应包括打造南岭特色生态文化的实体和网络平台、构建利益协商、共享和监管的长效机制以及建设科研监测的新型台站.     

Treatment Method Affects Color,Chemical, and Mineral Composition of Seabream (Sparus aurata) Fish Bone Powder from by-Products of Fish Fillet

ABSTRACT

Seabream fish bone powder was produced using different chemical methods and tap water. The effect of different chemical procedures (sodium hydroxide (NaOH); NaOH + citric acid; NaOH + sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl); NaOH + ethanol (EtOH); and NaOH + hydrogen chloride (HCl)) and tap water on proximate composition, yield, mineral composition, color, and sensorial odor was investigated. Despite its high bone powder yield (59.39%), tap water treatment was not an efficient method due to low calcium (Ca²⁺, 232.13 g/kg) and phosphorus (P, 111.63 g/kg) concentration and heavy fish odor. Sensorial odor analysis of seabream fish bone powder showed that tap water received the lowest scores (1.71/5), while chemically treated samples received sensorial odor scores higher than 4.00, with an average of 4.61, indicating that they had a very slight odor. The best fish bone powder yield was obtained using NaOH treatment (21.46%), where Ca²⁺ (276.73 g/kg) and P (147.23 g/kg) content was also high. The utilization of chemicals in combination with NaOH did not increase the sensorial odor score of seabream fish powders but resulted in a decrease in powder yield. Moreover, the mineral composition of all chemical processing techniques was comparable. Processing by-products of seabream fillet production with 8% NaOH will contribute to daily Ca²⁺ and P intake of individuals.     

Relationship between the serum concentrations of serotonin and lipids and aggression in dogs

The serum concentrations of serotonin and lipids--triglycerides, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein, high density lipoprotein and very low density lipoprotein--were determined in 18 normal dogs and 23 dogs diagnosed as aggressive on the basis of interviews with their owners and an assessment of their behaviour with reference to a canine overt aggression chart. The serum serotonin levels in the aggressive dogs were significantly lower than in the normal dogs (P<0.01), but the differences in serum lipids between the two groups were not statistically significant.     

Progress of Study on Oriented Growth of Carbon Nanotubes

Owing to unique structure and characteristics of carbon nanotubes, much more are attracted attentions since they were discovered. In recent years, carbon nanotubes have been successfully synthesized by various methods. Especially, highly aligned carbon nanotubes were grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and the oriented growth of carbon nanotubes became realized, resulting in many applications of carbon nanotubes and researches on them. In the work, the methods and mechanisms of orientation growth of carbon nanotubes were reviewed, and it was analyzed and discussed that different methods influenced on the process of growing carbon nanotubes. Simultaneously, it was emphatically analyzed that catalyst particles affected on orientation growth of carbon nanotubes during their growth.     

Antimicrobial screening of Mentha piperita essential oils

Essential oils of peppermint Mentha piperita L. (Lamiaceae), which are used in flavors, fragrances, and pharmaceuticals, were investigated for their antimicrobial properties against 21 human and plant pathogenic microorganisms. The bioactivity of the oils menthol and menthone was compared using the combination of in vitro techniques such as microdilution, agar diffusion, and bioautography. It was shown that all of the peppermint oils screened strongly inhibited plant pathogenic microorganisms, whereas human pathogens were only moderately inhibited. Chemical compositions of the oils were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Using the bioautography assay, menthol was found to be responsible for the antimicrobial activity of these oils.     

Hepatoprotective and TNF-α inhibitory activity of Zosima absinthifolia extracts and coumarins

Zosima absinthifolia (ZA) extracts and the coumarins (+)-columbianadin and (-)-deltoin were evaluated for their potential hepatoprotective and antiinflamatory effects in a CCl(4)-induced hepatotoxicity assay in rats and by the inhibition of TNF-α production on LPS-stimulated THP-1 macrophages, respectively. Both the ZA extracts and the coumarins showed hepatoprotective activity confirmed by monitoring the ALT/AST levels and by histopathological examination. The antiinflamatory activity, proved by the inhibition of TNF-α production, was found to be higher for the n-hexane root extract than for coumarins, suggesting synergic potential of the extract. The concentration of (-)-deltoin and (+)-columbianadin in extracts was determined by HPLC analysis.     

Sources of winter hardiness in wild lentil

Summary In high altitude areas (> c. 850 m elevation) in west Asia and north Africa, lentil (Lens culinaris) is grown as a spring crop to avoid severe winter cold. But late fall-sown lentil with winter hardiness has higher yield potential in these areas. In this study a total of 245 accessions of wild lentil, 10 of cultivated lentil and three accessions of Vicia montbretii (syn. L. montbretii) were evaluated for winter hardiness in Syria and Turkey during the 1991/92 season. The absolute minimum temperatures were-16°C in Syria and-18.9°C in Turkey and the susceptible indicators were killed at both locations showing that the cold was sufficient for screening. Although winter hardiness was assessed as percentage of survived plants in Syria and as a visual damage rating on a 1–9 scale in Turkey, there was agreement between the winter hardiness ratings with a correlation of r=–0.56, P<0.001. Accessions of L. culinaris ssp. orientalis exhibited the highest level of winter hardiness, on average; whereas accessions of L. nigricans ssp. ervoides were the most susceptible. Correlations revealed that winter hardiness was concentrated among accessions originating from high elevation areas.