Long-term ecology of native pinewood communities in East Glen Affric, Scotland

Fossil pollen, stomata and charcoal were examined from a lakesedimentary sequence in the Glen Affric National Nature Reserve,one of the largest areas of remnant native pine woodland inScotland, in order to assess ecosystem dynamics over the last11 000 years. Results reveal that pinewood communities havebeen continuously present in East Glen Affric for the last 8300years. Pinus sylvestris first arrived in the area around 9900cal. BP, but occurred in only low abundance for the subsequent1600 years. Pine populations expanded around 8300 cal. BP andremained in relatively constant abundance throughout the remainderof the Holocene. There is no evidence of a hypothesized regionalmid-Holocene ‘pine decline’ at the site. Charcoalresults reveal that pinewood communities in East Glen Affricdo not appear to have been dependent on fire for either theirestablishment or their maintenance as has previously been suggested.     

First report on Meloidogyne chitwoodi hatching inhibition activity of essential oils and essential oils fractions

The Columbia root-knot nematode (CRKN), Meloidogyne chitwoodi, is an EPPO A2 type quarantine pest since 1998. This nematode causes severe damage in economically important crops such as potato and tomato, making agricultural products unacceptable for the fresh market and food processing. Commonly used nematicidal synthetic chemicals are often environmentally unsafe. Essential oils (EOs) may constitute safer alternatives against RKN. EOs, isolated from 56 plant samples, were tested against CRKN hatching, in direct contact bioassays. Some of the most successful EOs were fractionated and the hydrocarbon molecules (HM) and oxygen-containing molecules (OCM) fractions tested separately. 24 EOs displayed very strong hatching inhibitions (≥90 %) at 2 µL mL^?1 and were further tested at lower concentrations. Dysphaniaambrosioides, Filipendula ulmaria, Ruta graveolens, Satureja montana and Thymbra capitata EOs revealed the lowest EC₅₀ values (<0.15 µL mL^?1). The main compounds of these EOs, namely 2-undecanone, ascaridol, carvacrol, isoascaridol, methyl salicylate, p-cymene and/or γ-terpinene, were putatively considered responsible for CRKN hatching inhibition. S. montana and T. capitata OCM fractions showed hatching inhibitions higher than HM fractions. The comparison of EO and corresponding fractions EC₅₀ values suggests interactions between OCM and HM fractions against CRKN hatching. These species EOs showed to be potential environmentally friendly CRKN hatching inhibitors; nonetheless, bioactivity should be considered globally, since its HM and OCM fractions may contribute, diversely, to the full anti-hatching activity.     

Primary and secondary metabolite composition of kernels from three cultivars of Portuguese chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) at different stages of industrial transformation

Chestnut (Castanea sativa) is an important basic food in rural diets and a major starch crop used in a similar way to potatoes. Chestnuts are a fundamental economic resource in the "chestnut regions" not only for the fruit but also for the chestnut wood. Chestnuts have become increasingly important with respect to human health, for example, as an alternative gluten-free flour source. Chestnuts are also a rich source of other beneficial compounds, but there have been few studies on the composition during processing. In this study, we analyzed the chemical composition of three Portuguese cultivars at different stages of industrial processing. The chestnut cultivars were Longal, Judia, and Martaínha. All three cultivars had high moisture contents but were low in ash, crude fat, and crude protein contents, with high starch and low fiber contents. The free amino acid contents, including various essential amino acids, varied depending on the cultivar. All three cultivars also had a significant content of polyphenolics with gallic acid; ellagic acid was predominant among hydrolyzable and condensed tannins. Many of these compounds are known to exert significant positive effects on human health. The one-way analysis of variance for fresh chestnut shows significant differences among the three cultivars for most of the studied parameters. The same statistical analysis applied to each one of the two cultivars (Judia and Longal) sampled for the four processing steps analyzed indicates a significant effect of this factor in practically all of the constituents. On the other hand, the two-way analysis of variance shows that, besides the residual, the processing step and the interaction cultivar x processing step were the factors that more contributed for the total variation observed in the constituents analyzed, while the contribution of cultivar was much less significant.     

蛋鸡单阶段箱体式孵化技术

文章从生物安全、孵化技术、操作流程以及孵化成绩等方面对单阶段箱体式孵化与多阶段巷道式孵化技术进行比较,发现箱体式孵化通过标准化定制的工艺程序与现场管理相结合,可明显提高孵化表现与孵化成绩。     

A comparison in dogs of medetomidine,with or without MK‐467, and the combination acepromazine‐butorphanol as premedication prior to anaesthesia induced by propofol and maintained with isoflurane

ObjectiveTo compare the haemodynamic effects of three premedicant regimens during propofol-induced isoflurane anaesthesia.Study designProspective, randomized cross-over study.AnimalsEight healthy purpose-bred beagles aged 4 years and weighing mean 13.6 ± SD 1.9 kg.MethodsThe dogs were instrumented whilst under isoflurane anaesthesia prior to each experiment, then allowed to recover for 60 minutes. Each dog was treated with three different premedications given intravenously (IV): medetomidine 10 μg kg^?1 (MED), medetomidine 10 μg kg^?1 with MK-467 250 μg kg^?1 (MMK), or acepromazine 0.01 mg kg^?1 with butorphanol 0.3 mg kg^?1 (AB). Anaesthesia was induced 20 minutes later with propofol and maintained with isoflurane in oxygen for 60 minutes. Heart rate (HR), cardiac output, arterial blood pressures (ABP), central venous pressure (CVP), respiratory rate, inspired oxygen fraction, rectal temperature (RT) and bispectral index (BIS) were measured and arterial and venous blood gases analyzed. Cardiac index (CI), systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI), oxygen delivery index (DO₂I), systemic oxygen consumption index (VO₂I) and oxygen extraction (EO₂) were calculated. Times to extubation, righting, sternal recumbency and walking were recorded. The differences between treatment groups were evaluated with repeated measures analysis of covariance.ResultsHR, CI, DO₂I and BIS were significantly lower with MED than with MMK. ABP, CVP, SVRI, EO₂, RT and arterial lactate were significantly higher with MED than with MMK and AB. HR and ABP were significantly higher with MMK than with AB. However, CVP, CI, SVRI, DO₂I, VO₂I, EO₂, T, BIS and blood lactate did not differ significantly between MMK and AB. The times to extubation, righting, sternal recumbency and walking were significantly shorter with MMK than with MED and AB.Conclusions and clinical relevanceMK-467 attenuates certain cardiovascular effects of medetomidine in dogs anaesthetized with isoflurane. The cardiovascular effects of MMK are very similar to those of AB.     

Filter media for the removal of phthalate esters in water of closed aquaculture systems

Characteristics were examined of filter media for use in removing organic contaminants from water used in closed aquaculture systems. A filter medium is described consisting of 778 cm³ of 81% ether-based polyurethane foam. This medium extracts 98.6% of 76 545 μg (306 ppm) of dioctyl phthalate (DEHP) at the specific flow rate of 100 ml/min. It can be incorporated in any filter and can be cleaned for reuse by passing an acetone—hexane solution through the polyurethane foam.     

Stable isotopes and gut content show diet overlap among native and introduced piscivores in a large oligotrophic lake

Abstract – In past dietary studies kokanee Oncorhynchus nerka were prominent in the diet of Pend Oreille Lake's large piscivores: native bull trout Salvelinus confluentus, cutthroat trout O. clarki and northern pikeminnow Ptychocheilus oregonensis, and introduced lake trout S. namaycush and Kamloops rainbow trout O. mykiss gairdneri. However, kokanee have declined to 10–20% of their former abundance. We therefore initiated this study to understand current predation demands on kokanee and diet overlap among piscivores, using gut content samples and analysis of stable nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) and carbon (δ¹³C) isotopes from the lake's fish and invertebrate community. In gut content samples, kokanee were the main prey item of large [i.e., ≥400 mm total length (TL)] bull and lake trout; a conclusion that was affirmed by stable isotope analysis. Rainbow trout >500 mm TL consumed mostly kokanee, thus there was a high degree of diet overlap among large bull, lake and rainbow trout. Small (i.e., <400 mm TL) rainbow and cutthroat trout diets overlapped, and were composed mostly of littoral benthic invertebrates. However, gut content and stable isotope analysis did not accord for 400–500 mm TL rainbow trout, small lake trout, and large cutthroat trout. In these instances, a linear mixing model using stable isotope results predicted kokanee consumption for each species, but no kokanee were identified in rainbow or lake trout gut content. Gut content and stable isotope analysis of native northern pikeminnow indicated a diet of mostly littoral benthic invertebrates at smaller (100–150 mm TL) lengths, with kokanee becoming more prominent in the diet of individuals >300 mm TL. Percent of kokanee in the diet of northern pikeminnow has declined from a prior study; otherwise piscivore diets have apparently remained unchanged. In this study, judgments as to the feeding of some piscvores, based on gut content alone, would be tenuous because of small sample sizes, but stable isotope analysis provided an efficient means for confirming diets.     

Long-term catch trends and risk assessment of the Critically Endangered white-spotted wedgefish (Rhynchobatus djiddensis) from South Africa

1. The white-spotted wedgefish (Rhynchobatus djiddensis) is a Critically Endangered shark-like ray in the family Rhinidae. Throughout its Western Indian Ocean distribution, it is targeted for its valuable meat and fins and is reported to have undergone major population declines. However, there remains a need for species specific time-series data to accurately assess localized population declines.
2. This study used two independent long-term (37 and 40 years) time-series catch data from competitive shore angling and shark nets to investigate the size composition and catch per unit effort (CPUE) and conduct a risk assessment for the population on the east coast of South Africa.
3. From 1977 to 2017 the competitive shore fishery captured 7,703 individual R. djiddensis, whilst shark nets in the same region captured 2,856 individuals from 1981 to 2017. Individuals captured in the nets had a sex ratio of 1.8:1 females to males, and were larger than those caught by the anglers. Although the mean annual sizes of net-caught individuals were above the size of reported sexual maturity, there was little evidence to suggest that any individuals captured were reproductively active.
4. Both the competitive shore fishery and shark net catches exhibited strong seasonal trends with the majority of R. djiddensis catches occurring from October to May peaking in austral summer. Standardized CPUE from the competitive shore fishery declined substantially between 1977 and 2017 and shark net catches exhibited a significant (p < 0.05) fourfold decline in annual nominal CPUE from 1981 to 2017.
5. Ultimately, a risk assessment showed a 65.1% decline in abundance over a period of three generation lengths, which indicates that the sampled population of R. djiddensis in South Africa should be classified as Endangered according to the IUCN Red List using criterion A2b. The conservation implications of this are discussed.