Falciform fat:femur length ratio provides a novel method for objective postmortem estimation of total body fat in overweight and obese cats

Determination of the nutritional condition, including estimation of amounts of total body fat (tBF), at routine postmortem examination of cats is typically based on subjective visual assessment. Subjective assessment may result in uncertainties regarding degree of overweight, and objective methods that provide a numerical value reflecting the tBF could be valuable to accurately judge excess body fat. We investigated if the falciform fat pad weight (FFPW) was correlated to tBF and could be used to detect overweight and obesity in cats. The FFPW and the femur length (FL) were recorded at postmortem examination in 54 cats and the FFPW:FL ratio (FFR) calculated. Each cat was additionally assigned to a fat category (FC) according to subjective assessment. Computed tomography was used to determine tBF as the body fat percentage (%BF), the body fat volume (BFV), and BFV normalized to animal size (nBFV) in 39 cats. There was strong correlation between the FFPW and the BFV (r = 0.888) and between the FFR and the nBFV (r = 0.897). The correlation between the nBFV and %BF was very strong (r = 0.974). Using a lower FFR cutoff value of 3.5 for obesity and 1.6 for overweight, there was a discrepancy in FC between using the FFR and subjective assessment in 6 of 54 cats (11%). We conclude that the FFPW increases proportionally with tBF and that the FFR provides a method for objective tBF estimation. We suggest introducing the FFR to feline postmortem examination protocols as an objective estimate of tBF.     

Development of biodegradable films based on blue corn flour with potential applications in food packaging. Effects of plasticizers on mechanical,thermal, and microstructural properties of flour films

In the present study, blue corn flour films were developed. The cereal grain’s total composition (excluding the pericarp) is used to obtain the films. The plasticizing effects of two different polyols such as glycerol and sorbitol on the mechanical, thermal, and microstructural properties of flour films were researched. The results showed that films plasticized with sorbitol had better mechanical properties and less affinity for water than those plasticized with glycerol. The sorbitol-plasticized films were more rigid and did not lose their integrity when immersed in water. The ATR-FTIR spectra of blue corn flour plasticizer with sorbitol showed the presence of the additional band at 1745 cm⁻¹ characteristic of the vibrational carbonyl peak, which confirms the chemical linkages between sorbitol and a polymeric matrix. The effect of the plasticizer on the glass transition temperature (T_g) was characterized using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). T_g decreased as the plasticizer content increased. Plasticized glycerol films showed lower T_g values than those with sorbitol. SEM observations showed that it was necessary to add plasticizer to maintain film integrity. The sorbitol-plasticized flour films revealed better adhesion between phases, and these films showed a compact structure.     

Effect of interspecific competition on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mus musculus</Emphasis> in an urban area

In this study, we examined the role of interspecific competition between native species and Mus musculus by a removal experiment conducted in vacant areas of the city of Río Cuarto. Abundance, demographic parameters, and habitat occupancy of M. musculus were recorded in grids where native species were removed (experimental grids) and in grids without removal (control grids) from November 2004 to April 2005. During the study period, we observed an increasing trend in the abundance and habitat occupancy by M. musculus in experimental grids, suggesting that interspecific competition could be determining the numbers and habitat use of M. musculus in vacant areas of the city of Río Cuarto. Understanding the population ecology of M. musculus in an urban area is crucial to the development of ecologically based pest management to provide effective management of a pest species.     

Resistance of Sorghum Line CS 621 to Rhizoctonia solani AG1-IA and Other Sorghum Pathogens

Sorghum line CS 621 was evaluated along with other lines and cultivars for resistance to Rhizoctonia sheath blight, tar spot and gray leaf spot for 3 years. CS 621 was consistently resistant to these diseases even under a heavy natural outbreak of tar spot in the breeding nursery. It was also found to be more resistant to Rhizoctonia sheath blight than the resistant lines from Japan during the 1993 to 1994 screening tests. Resistance to Rhizoctonia solani AG1-IA was expressed in the form of reduction in the severity of disease and rate of infection. Evaluation of progenies from crosses involving CS 621 and a susceptible variety, UPL Sg5, indicated that additive and dominant gene effects are important in the expression of quantitative resistance to R. solani. CS 621 could therefore serve as a source of multiple resistance genes in a breeding program for high yield and stability against sorghum diseases. Received 6 August 1999/ Accepted in revised form 18 October 1999     

Seasonal variations in sap flow and soil evaporation in an olive (Olea europaea L.) grove under two irrigation regimes in an arid region of Argentina

The emergence of intensively managed olive plantations in arid, northwestern Argentina requires the efficient use of irrigation water. We evaluated whole tree daily transpiration and soil evaporation throughout the year to better understand the relative importance of these water use components and to calculate actual crop coefficient (Kc) values. Plots in a 7-year-old ‘Manzanilla fina’ olive grove with 23% canopy cover were either moderately (MI) or highly irrigated (HI) using the FAO method where potential evapotranspiration over grass is multiplied by a given Kc and a coefficient of reduction (Kr). The Kc values employed for the MI and HI treatments were 0.5 and 1.1, respectively, and the Kr was 0.46. Transpiration was estimated by measuring main trunk sap flow using the heat balance method for three trees per treatment. Soil evaporation was measured using six microlysimeters in one plot per treatment. Both parameters were evaluated for 7-10 consecutive days in the fall, winter, mid-spring, summer, and early fall of 2006-2007. Maximum soil evaporation was observed in the summer when maximum demand was combined with maximum surface wetted by the drips and evaporation from the inter-row occurred due to rainfall. Similarly, maximum daily transpiration was observed in mid-spring and summer. Transpiration of MI trees was 30% lower than in HI trees during the summer period. However, this difference in transpiration disappeared when values were adjusted for total leaf area per tree because leaf area was 28% less in the MI trees. Transpiration represented about 70-80% of total crop evapotranspiration (ETc) except when soil evaporation increased due to rainfall events or over-irrigation occurred. We found that daily transpiration per unit leaf area had a positive linear relationship with daily potential evapotranspiration (r² = 0.84) when considering both treatments together. But, a strong relationship was also observed between transpiration per unit leaf area and mean air temperature (r² = 0.93). Thus, it is possible to predict optimum irrigation requirements for olive groves if tree leaf area and temperature are known. Calculated crop coefficients during the growing season based on the transpiration and soil evaporation values were about 0.65-0.70 and 0.85-0.90 for the MI and HI treatments, respectively.     

Dynamics of recent climate change in the Arctic

The pattern of recent surface warming observed in the Arctic exhibits both polar amplification and a strong relation with trends in the Arctic Oscillation mode of atmospheric circulation. Paleoclimate analyses indicate that Arctic surface temperatures were higher during the 20th century than during the preceding few centuries and that polar amplification is a common feature of the past. Paleoclimate evidence for Holocene variations in the Arctic Oscillation is mixed. Current understanding of physical mechanisms controlling atmospheric dynamics suggests that anthropogenic influences could have forced the recent trend in the Arctic Oscillation, but simulations with global climate models do not agree. In most simulations, the trend in the Arctic Oscillation is much weaker than observed. In addition, the simulated warming tends to be largest in autumn over the Arctic Ocean, whereas observed warming appears to be largest in winter and spring over the continents.     

Population responses of oribatids and enchytraeids to ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungi in plant-soil microcosms

The oribatid mites Oppiella nova, Tectocepheus velatus and Nothrus silvestris and the enchytraeid worm Cognettia sphagnetorum are four common animal species in boreal forest soils. According to the literature, they respond differently to clear-cutting of forest stands. O. nova responds with population decreases, T. velatus and N. silvestris with small changes and C. sphagnetorum with population increases. We hypothesised that the presence/absence of ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi is a major factor in explaining these reactions. The population responses of these soil animals to inoculation of five species of EM fungi growing in symbiosis with their host tree (Pinus sylvestris L.) and one saprotrophic fungus, Hypholoma capnoides, growing on wood were tested in pot microcosms with artificial soil (peat and vermiculite) for 70-84 days. Additionally, plants without inoculation of EM fungi, plants growing in forest soil (FS) and plant-free peat and vermiculite (PV) were included. O. nova increased significantly in abundance in the treatments with the EM fungi Suillus variegatus and Paxillus involutus, but not in the other treatments. T. velatus increased significantly in abundance in FS, but declined in most of the other treatments, and N. silvestris showed a similar, albeit not significant, response. C. sphagnetorum did not increase in abundance in any of the treatments with EM fungi but increased its abundance four times in both FS and PV. The results show that the fungivore O. nova preferentially feeds on certain EM fungi, especially S. variegatus, whereas the EM fungus Piloderma fallax and the saprotrophic H. capnoides are not preferred. In contrast, C. sphagnetorum is restricted in its population growth by the EM fungi studied, and this dominant microbi-detritivore is clearly favoured by the absence of EM fungi.     

Characterization of the chemical composition of a byproduct from siam benzoin gum

The mixture of bark and gum obtained after size-grading of Siam benzoin gum was studied to establish its potential application as a valuable new grade of the balsamic resin. An analysis of its volatile constituents by means of static headspace and SPME led to the identification of 26 and 50 compounds, respectively. Significant differences were observed in both the headspace composition and olfactory properties of the byproduct as compared to those of Siam benzoin gum. This prompted the further analysis of its volatile extract and its resinoid by GC techniques, resulting in the identification of 60 (99.5%) and 16 (89.1%) components, respectively. To examine the influence of bark pieces, different extracts obtained from the raw material and from a sorted sample were analyzed by GC and HPLC techniques. The chemical compositions and the yields determined for the two resinoids lead to the conclusion that this harvesting byproduct is a new grade of Siam benzoin gum, providing interesting olfactory notes that differ from those of other grades.     

Analysis of the molecular diversity of Kenyan sorghum germplasm using microsatellites

The aim of this study was to estimate the extent of the genetic diversity present in sorghum germplasm grown in Kenya using simple sequence repeat markers. A total of 139 accessions were genotyped using 11 microsatellite markers or simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and the genetic diversity was estimated. The markers showed a wide range of differences in quality index from 0.005 to 0.39. The average Polymorphic Information Content value observed was 0.6241 indicating a high level of diversity. The gene diversity index ranged between 0.2419 and 0.9313 with a mean of 0.6627 per locus. A total of 105 alleles were observed with an average of 10.4 alleles per locus. The average heterozygosity level per locus was low at 0.1717. The variability within accessions among the populations was 74.85% and within individual accessions was 18.67%. The results showed that genetic diversity within Kenyan sorghum germplasm accessions is higher than that between the different populations. It is implied that such genetic diversity can be exploited as such or in hybridization programs to improve sorghum varieties currently grown by subsistence farmers in Kenya.