Factors affecting calving ease in Egyptian buffalo

Calving ease (CE) is a trait of economic importance that affects animal welfare and farm profitability. The objective of present study was to investigate genetic and environmental factors affecting CE among Primiparous (PP) and multiparous (MP) buffaloes. A total of 9,627 records from 1999 MP and 2,110 PP recorded during the period from 1988 to 2018 were considered. Herd, season of calving, year of calving, birth weight, parity order and gestation length significantly affected CE rate, while age at first calving and sex of calf had no significant effects. Direct and maternal heritabilities of CE in PP and MP were 0.06 and 0.01, respectively. The low heritability of CE indicated that direct selection may not be an effective method to improve CE trait in Egyptian buffalo.     

Temperature dependence of nitrification,denitrification, and turnover of nitric oxide in different soils

Summary The temperature dependence of the NO production rate and the NO consumption rate constant was measured in an Egyptian soil, a soil from the Bavarian Forest, and a soil from the Donau valley, together with the temperature dependence of the potential rates of ammonium oxidation, nitrite oxidation, and denitrification, and the temperature dependence of the growth of NH _inf4 ^sup+ -oxidizing, NO _inf2 ^sup- -oxidizing, and NO _inf3 ^sup- -reducing bacteria in most probable number assays. In the acidic Bavarian Forest soil, NO production was only stimulated by the addition of NO _inf3 ^sup- but not NH _inf4 ^sup+ . However, NO production showed no temperature optimum, indicating that it was due to chemical processes. Most probable numbers and potential activities of nitrifiers were very low. NO consumption, in contrast, showed a temperature optimum at 25°C, demonstrating that consumption and production of NO were regulated individually by the soil temperature. In the neutral, subtropical Egyptian soil, NO production was stimulated only by the addition of NH _inf4 ^sup+ but not NO _inf3 ^sup- . All activities and most probable numbers showed a temperature optimum at 25° or 30°C and exhibited apparent activation energies between 61 and 202 kJ mol^-1. However, a few nitrifiers and denitrifiers were also able to grow at 8° or 50°C. Similar temperature characteristics were observed in the Donau valley soil, although it originated from a temperate region. In this soil NO production was stimulated by the addition of NH _inf4 ^sup+ or of NO _inf3 ^sup- . Both NO production and consumption were stimulated by drying and rewetting.     

Alpha-tocopherol content in 62 edible tropical plants.

Vitamin E was determined by the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. All the plants tested showed differences in their alpha-tocopherol content and the differences were significant (p < 0.05). The highest alpha-tocopherol content was in Sauropus androgynus leaves (426.8 mg/kg edible portion), followed by Citrus hystrix leaves (398.3 mg/kg), Calamus scipronum (193.8 mg/kg), starfruit leaves Averrhoa belimbi (168.3 mg/kg), red pepper Capsicum annum (155.4 mg/kg), local celery Apium graveolens (136.4 mg/kg), sweet potato shoots Ipomoea batatas (130.1 mg/kg), Pandanus odorus (131.5 mg/kg), Oenanthe javanica (146.8 mg/kg), black tea Camelia chinensis (183.3 mg/kg),papaya Carica papaya shoots (111.3 mg/kg), wolfberry leaves Lycium chinense (94.4 mg/kg), bird chili Capsicum frutescens leaves (95.4 mg/kg), drumstick Moringa oleifera leaves (90.0 mg/kg), green chili Capsicum annum (87 mg/kg), Allium fistulosum leaves (74.6 mg/kg), and bell pepper Capsicum annum (71.0 mg/kg). alpha-Tocopherol was not detected in Brassica oleracea, Phaeomeria speciosa, Pachyrrhizus speciosa, Pleurotus sajor-caju, and Solanum melongena.     

Anopheles balabacensis balabacensis identified as vector of simian malaria in Malaysia

The mosquito Anopheles balabacensis balabacensis has been identified as a natural vector of at least two species of simian malaria in the monsoon forests of the northern Malay States. This mosquito is also a serious vector of human malaria from Viet Nam to northern Malaya. This is the first report of a mosquito which transmits both human and simian malaria in nature.     

Deforestation impacts soil organic carbon and nitrogen pools and carbon lability under Mediterranean climates

Journal of Soils and Sediments - Deforestation is one of the ecosystem disservices associated with accelerated loss of soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (TN). The objective of our study was to...     

Cembranoids with 3,14-ether linkage and a secocembrane with bistetrahydrofuran from the Dongsha Atoll soft coral Lobophytum sp

Four new cembranoids, lobophylins A-D (1-4), and one novel secocembrane, lobophylin E (5) were isolated from a soft coral Lobophytum sp. The structures of new metabolites were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic methods. Among these metabolites, 1-4 are rarely found cembranoids possessing a tetrahydrofuran moiety with a 3,14-ether linkage. In addition, 5 is the first secocembrane possessing two tetrahydrofuran moieties with 3,14- and 4,7-ether linkages.