Study of the transverse liquid flow paths in pine and spruce using scanning electron microscopy

Samples of pine (Pinus sylvestris) and spruce (Picea abies) were impregnated with a low-viscous epoxy resin using a vacuum process. The epoxy was cured in situ and the specimens sectioned. Deposits of the cured epoxy was then observed in the wood cavities using a scanning electron microscope. The investigation concentrated on tracing the transverse movements of a viscous liquid in the wood, and special attention was therefore given to the cross-field area between ray cells and longitudinal tracheids. A damage hypothesis is proposed based on the results obtained in the present investigation in combination with those from earlier studies on linseed oil-impregnated pine: In addition to the morphology of the bordered pits, viscous liquid flow in wood is dependent on damage that occurs during the impregnation procedure. For pine sapwood, liquid flow is enabled through disrupted window pit membranes, which divide the longitudinal tracheids and the ray parenchyma cells. A mechanism accounting for the reduced permeability of pine heartwood is believed to be deposits of higher-molecular-weight substances (extractives) in the ray parenchyma cells and on the cell walls. In spruce the thicker ray cells in combination with the smaller pits, which are connected to the longitudinal tracheids, reduce permeability considerably.     

Swedish non-industrial private forest owners: a survey of self-employment and equipment investments

It has been estimated that Sweden’s non-industrial private forest (NIPF) owners undertake a total of 12 M hours of self-employed forest work per year. This paper reports an evaluation of self-employment in Swedish NIPF’s in terms of the people and equipment involved. NIPF owners’ self-employment was determined by a nationwide survey. Complete equipment sales statistics were compiled from interviews with manufacturers and importers. About 66% of NIPF owners are undertaking self-employed forestry work. Pre-commercial thinning was the activity undertaken most frequently by them, followed by planting, cutting and extraction. In comparison to other NIPF owners, self-employed NIPF owners tend to be younger, and are more likely to be male, single owners, resident on holdings, farmers and members of forest owner associations. Sales of new equipment suitable for self-employed individuals amounted to €67 M, or 83,000 items. Based on sales numbers and the profile of self-employed NIPF owners, no major changes in the amount and nature of self-employment are expected in the near future.     

Protective Roles of Calcium Channel Blocker Against Cadmium-Induced Physiological Stress in Freshwater Teleost Oncorhynchus mykiss

The roles of verapamil (VRP), a calcium channel blocker, on cadmium-induced physiological stress in freshwater teleost Oncorhynchus mykiss were investigated in this study. Forty-eight juvenile rainbow trout were divided randomly into four groups, i.e., control group, VRP group (100 μg/L VRP), Cd group (50 μg/L Cd²⁺), and VRP?+?Cd group (100 μg/L VRP?+?50 μg/L Cd²⁺). After 1-week exposure, oxidative stress indices (lipid peroxidation and carbonyl protein) and antioxidant parameters (superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, and reduced glutathione) were measured in gill and liver of all tested fish. Additionally, the behavioral changes were recorded during the experimental period. Compared with the control, cadmium-induced stress was apparent as reflected by a serious oxidative stress in gill and liver tissues, inhibited branchial antioxidant parameters, and induced hepatic antioxidant responses, as well as abnormal behaviors observed. In the VRP?+?Cd group, the antioxidant defense system of fish returned to the control level, and the fish behavioral abnormalism markedly decreased. The present results suggested that VRP could reduce the cadmium-induced physiological stress in rainbow trout and provided further evidence that Cd²⁺ uptake through Ca²⁺ transport pathways in freshwater teleost.     

Effect of Mussel��s Gender and Size on a Stress Response Biomarker

In mussels, stress signals such as heat, osmotic shock and hypoxia lead to the activation of the phosphorylated p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (pp38-MAPK). This stress activated protein has been efficiently used as a biomarker to several natural and anthropogenic stresses. However, what has not been tested is whether differences in gender or size can affect the response of this biomarker. The present study tested whether there was variation in the expression of pp38-MAPK in mussels Perna perna of different gender and size classes when exposed to natural stress conditions, such as air exposure. The results show that gender does not affect the expression of pp38-MAPK. However, size does have an effect, where mussels smaller than 6.5 cm displayed significantly (p?<?0.05) lower levels of pp38-MAPK when compared to those larger than 7 cm. Mussels are one of the most used bioindicator species and the use of biomarkers to determine the health status of an ecosystem has been greatly increasing over the years. The present study highlights the importance of using mussels of similar size classes when performing experiments using stress-related biomarkers.     

Polyphenolics from açaí ( Euterpe oleracea Mart.) and red muscadine grape (Vitis rotundifolia ) protect human umbilical vascular Endothelial cells (HUVEC) from glucose- and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation and target microRNA-126

Endothelial anti-inflammatory effects of ac?ai? (Ac) and red muscadine grape (Gp) polyphenolics have not been extensively investigated. It was hypothesized that polyphenolics from Ac and Gp exert comparable protective effects in human vascular endothelial cells (HUVEC) upon inflammatory stress. Furthermore, this study investigated whether microRNAs relevant to endothelial function might be regulated by Ac and Gp. Results showed that Ac and Gp (5-20 mg gallic acid equivalent/L) protected HUVEC against glucose-induced oxidative stress and inflammation. Glucose-induced expression of interleukin-6 and -8 was down-regulated by Ac and Gp at mRNA and protein levels. Upon lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 1 μg/L)-induced inflammation, Ac and Gp inhibited gene expression of adhesion molecules and NF-κB activation to similar extents, although Gp was more effective in decreasing PECAM-1 and ICAM-1 protein. Of the screened microRNAs, only microRNA-126 expression was found to be modulated by Ac and Gp as the underlying mechanism to inhibit gene and protein expression of VCAM-1.     

Preliminary Evaluation of Biological and Physical�CChemical Chromium Removal Mechanisms in Gravel Media Used in Constructed Wetlands

Constructed wetlands have been shown to achieve high chromium and organic matter removal efficiencies when treating tannery wastewaters. Further, findings suggested chromium was potentially binding to iron oxides and microbial surfaces on the wetland media. The purpose of the present study was to distinguish between physical?Cchemical and biologically mediated removal mechanisms operating on iron-containing media. A total of 12 small-scale reactors were used for testing three conditions: biotic, abiotic aerobic and abiotic anaerobic. All systems were operated in 3-day batches, with the biotic and abiotic aerobic systems operating for 11 batches and the abiotic anaerobic operating for five batches. The results show that biotic systems achieved significantly higher chromium removal efficiencies (83%) than both abiotic treatments (16%). Biotic reactors quickly lowered dissolved oxygen concentrations, removing an average of 53% of the influent organic matter in the process. Redox conditions were affected by microbial metabolism, favouring iron release from the media surface. Findings suggest that microbiological activity catalyses chromium removal from tannery wastewaters. Chromium removals achieved in sterile reactors illustrate that the media influences metal retention in constructed wetlands; however, microbial interactions with both the media and tannery effluent achieve overall greater chromium removal than achieved solely by physical?Cchemical mechanisms.     

Autumn-sowing of cereals reduces breeding bird numbers in a heterogeneous agricultural landscape

The switch from spring-sown to autumn-sown cereals and the loss of habitat heterogeneity are often suggested to be key drivers of breeding bird decline on arable farmland. Yet, both factors are interlinked and it remains uncertain whether autumn-sown cereals reduce breeding bird numbers also in the structurally complex arable farmland of northern Europe. We tested whether autumn-sowing of cereals at both local and landscape scales affected the breeding bird community in a heterogeneous agricultural landscape of south-central Sweden. Rotation between sowing types was used as a semi-experiment based on 34 spring- vs. 41 autumn-sown cereal plots centred on infield non-crop islands of similar structure, size and surroundings. Species richness and territory abundance of ground-foraging species were significantly lower in autumn- than in spring-sown cereal plots both in the crop fields and the infield non-crop islands during the breeding season. No such effect was observed among foliage gleaning birds. Species richness in spring-sown cereal plots was less the more autumn-sown crops in the surrounding landscape within a 500 m radius. Average skylark densities did not differ between autumn- and spring-sown cereal plots because habitat preferences changed; densities declined in autumn-sown cereals during the growing season whereas they increased on spring-sown fields which had shorter swards throughout the breeding season. Our results indicate that negative effects of autumn-sown crops on breeding bird numbers spill over into both neighbouring non-crop and crop habitats. We conclude that agri-environmental schemes should place more emphasis on facilitating the value of the cropped area of fields as a foraging and nesting habitat. The retention of various non-crop habitats alone may not provide sufficient food close to nest sites for farmland birds that rely on crop fields for foraging.     

Recombinant S3Pvac-phage anticysticercosis vaccine: Simultaneous protection against cysticercosis and hydatid disease in rural pigs

This paper provides macroscopic and histological evidence on the statistically significant protective effects of S3Pvac-phage vaccination against porcine cysticercosis and hydatidosis. The study included 391 rustically bred pigs (187 vaccinated and 204 controls). Vaccination significantly reduced the prevalence of cysticercosis by 61.7%. Vaccination also significantly reduced by 56.1% the prevalence of hydatidosis caused by Echinococcus granulosus in pigs. The presence of the vaccine epitopes in both cestodes is probably involved in the cross-protection observed. Increased inflammation was found in 5% of cysticerci recovered from controls, versus 24% from vaccinated pigs (P<0.01). Hydatid cysts were non-inflammatory in either group. Vaccination was effective to prevent one single disease, but it failed to prevent the simultaneous infections with both parasites in a same pig. The widening of the S3Pvac-phage vaccine protective repertoire to include hydatidosis is a convenient feature that should reduce the prevalence of two frequent zoonoses that affect rustic porcine breading with a single action. Thus, the costs of two different vaccination programs would be reduced to a single one with significant reduction in both zoonoses.     

Genetic parameters for somatic cell count (SCC) and milk production traits of Guzerá cows using data normalized by different procedures

Tropical Animal Health and Production - This study aimed to estimate the genetic parameters for somatic cell count (SCC) and the genetic association between SCC and milk production traits using two...