The state and interest groups in the creation and implementation of agricultural policy in Spain

In this article the author offers, on the one hand, a general view of the forms of collective action that have taken place in Spanish agriculture during the democratic transition and that have facilitated the development of the farmers' unions and workers' unions. On the other hand, he analyses the problems that these organizations have had in trying to consolidate themselves in a context characterized by the presence of institutional remains of the old Franco-ist agrarian corporatism. Finally he analyses the role played by these organizations in the creation and implementation of Spanish agricultural policy as well as the changes that are taking place after the admission of Spain to the EEC.     

Ultrahigh strength in nanocrystalline materials under shock loading

Molecular dynamics simulations of nanocrystalline copper under shock loading show an unexpected ultrahigh strength behind the shock front, with values up to twice those at low pressure. Partial and perfect dislocations, twinning, and debris from dislocation interactions are found behind the shock front. Results are interpreted in terms of the pressure dependence of both deformation mechanisms active at these grain sizes, namely dislocation-based plasticity and grain boundary sliding. These simulations, together with new shock experiments on nanocrystalline nickel, raise the possibility of achieving ultrahard materials during and after shock loading.     

Demographic threats to the sustainability of Brazil nut exploitation

A comparative analysis of 23 populations of the Brazil nut tree (Bertholletia excelsa) across the Brazilian, Peruvian, and Bolivian Amazon shows that the history and intensity of Brazil nut exploitation are major determinants of population size structure. Populations subjected to persistent levels of harvest lack juvenile trees less than 60 centimeters in diameter at breast height; only populations with a history of either light or recent exploitation contain large numbers of juvenile trees. A harvesting model confirms that intensive exploitation levels over the past century are such that juvenile recruitment is insufficient to maintain populations over the long term. Without management, intensively harvested populations will succumb to a process of senescence and demographic collapse, threatening this cornerstone of the Amazonian extractive economy.     

Asymmetry in the structure of the ABC transporter-binding protein complex BtuCD-BtuF

BtuCD is an adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette (ABC) transporter that translocates vitamin B12 from the periplasmic binding protein BtuF into the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli. The 2.6 angstrom crystal structure of a complex BtuCD-F reveals substantial conformational changes as compared with the previously reported structures of BtuCD and BtuF. The lobes of BtuF are spread apart, and B12 is displaced from the binding pocket. The transmembrane BtuC subunits reveal two distinct conformations, and the translocation pathway is closed to both sides of the membrane. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of spin-labeled cysteine mutants reconstituted in proteoliposomes are consistent with the conformation of BtuCD-F that was observed in the crystal structure. A comparison with BtuCD and the homologous HI1470/71 protein suggests that the structure of BtuCD-F may reflect a posttranslocation intermediate.     

Effect of a bacterial inoculum and additive on dry matter in situ degradability of sugarcane silage

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of adding a bacterial inoculum and a handmade additive to sugarcane silage(SCS) on the in situ digestibility of dry matter(DM). The treatments were: T1) sugarcane silage(SCS) and T2) sugarcane silage with 1% inoculum and 1% additive(SCS+). The bacterial inoculum consisted of 10.0% molasses, 1.0% yogurt, 5.0% chicken manure, 0.5% urea, and 83.0% water, and the additive was formulated with 1.0% urea, 0.1% ammonium sulfate, and 0.25% phosphorus. In situ dry matter digestibility(DMD) was determined using the nylon bag technique with four cows equipped with ruminal fistulas. Cows were fed with ensiled sugarcane supplemented with 1 kg of commercial concentrate. 5 g of ground sample for each sugarcane treatment were weighted in nylon bags and incubated for 4, 8, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h in a completely randomized design with six replicates. The DMD(%) was higher(P<0.05) for SCS+ for all incubation times when compared with SCS. There were no differences in ruminal p H between the treatments for all the incubation times. The data suggested that the sugarcane silage with bacterial inoculum and additive could be an alternative for providing forage for ruminants during the season of low growth and quality grass.     

Metastatic intraocular chondrosarcoma in a dog

Chondrosarcoma accounts for about 10% of all canine bone tumors and is the second most common primary bone tumor in dogs. In veterinary medicine, chondrosarcomas are classified as skeletal and extraskeletal. Extraskeletal chondrosarcomas are mesenchymal neoplasms of soft tissues and visceral organs that produce neoplastic chondrocytes in a fibrillary matrix. There is no involvement of bone or periosteal tissues in extraskeletal chondrosarcomas. The aim of this report is to describe the first case of a metastatic intraocular extraskeletal chondrosarcoma in a dog.     

Characterization of Vitis vinifera L. Cv. Carménère grape and wine proanthocyanidins

A formal compositional study of the proanthocyanidins of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Carménère was conducted in this work. We first characterized the polymeric proanthocyanidins of Carménère skins, seeds, and wines. In addition, the wine astringency was analyzed and compared with Cabernet Sauvignon. Although Carménère wines had a higher proanthocyanidin concentration and mean degree of polymerization than Cabernet Sauvignon wines, the former wines were perceived as less astringent. The low seed/skin proportion in Carménère wines as compared to other varieties, as evidenced by the reduced number of seeds per berry and the higher amount of epigallocatechin subunits of Carménère wine proanthocyanidins, could explain this apparent paradox.     

Simulating the effects of using different types of species distribution data in reserve selection

In a perfect world, systematic conservation planning would use complete information on the distribution of biodiversity. However, information on most species is grossly incomplete. Two main types of distribution data are frequently used in conservation planning: observed and predicted distribution data. A fundamental question that planners face is - which kind of data is better under what circumstances? We used simulation procedures to analyse the effects of using different types of distribution data on the performance of reserve selection algorithms in scenarios using different reserve selection problems, amounts of species distribution known, conservation targets and costs. To compare these scenarios we used occurrence data from 25 amphibian and 41 reptile species of the Iberian Peninsula and assumed the available data represented the whole truth. We then sampled fractions of these data and either used them as they were, or converted them to modelled predicted distributions. This enabled us to build three other types of species distribution data sets commonly used in conservation planning: “predicted”, “transformed predicted” and “mixed”. Our results suggest that reserve selection performance is sensitive to the type of species distribution data used and that the most cost-efficient decision depends most on the reserve selection problem and on how much we have of the species distribution data. Choosing the most appropriate type of distribution data should start by evaluating the scenario circumstances. While there is no one best approach for every scenario, we discovered that using a mixed approach usually provides an acceptable compromise between species representation and cost.     

Vitellogenin of the Chilean flounder <Emphasis Type="Italic">Paralichthys adspersus</Emphasis> as a biomarker of endocrine disruption along the marine coast of the South Pacific. Part I: induction,purification, and identification

We sought to provide a useful indicator of the presence of endocrine-disrupting contaminants along the marine coast of the South Pacific using Chilean flounder (Paralichthys adspersus). In light of the lack of information on vitellogenin for this species, we induced, purified, and identified the plasma vitellogenin of Chilean flounder inhabiting the Chilean coast. Vitellogenin (Vg) from Chilean flounder was purified by size exclusion and ion-exchange chromatography using plasma from juvenile males induced by injecting 17β-estradiol. The Vg was detected by SDS–PAGE and Western blot analyses using an antibody against turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) vitellogenin. These analyses revealed a protein band of 205 kDa and three minor bands of 120, 90, and 68 kDa. These proteins were identified as Vg by means of mass spectrometry (LCQ Duo ESI-IT-MS), matching sequences of tryptic peptides to known sequences for several other fish species. The matches showed the presence of vitellogenin (VgI, VgII, Vg A and Vg B) in Chilean flounder, similar to species such as mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus), Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes), and white perch (Morone americana). These results are discussed in terms of identifying Vg in Paralichthys adspersus with the antibody to turbot Vg. Moreover, we compare the molecular size of Vg from Chilean flounder (large) with that of other flatfish species. Finally, we discuss the potential use of this molecule as a biomarker for the presence of xeno-estrogenic compounds along the Chilean coastline.