So much for the city: Urban–rural song variation in a widespread Asiatic songbird

Song plays a fundamental role in intraspecific communication in songbirds. The temporal and structural components of songs can vary in different habitats. These include urban habitats where anthropogenic sounds and alteration of habitat structure can significantly affect songbird vocal behavior. Urban–rural variations in song complexity, song length and syllable rate are not fully understood. In this study, using the oriental magpie‐robin (Copsychus saularis) as a model, we investigated urban–rural variation in song complexity, song length, syllable rate, syllable length and inter‐syllable interval. Comparing urban and rural songs from 7 countries across its natural Asiatic range (Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand), we found no significant differences in oriental magpie‐robin song complexity. However, we found significant differences in temporal song variables between urban and rural sites. Longer songs and inter‐syllable intervals in addition to slower syllable rates within urban sites contributed the most to this variance. This indicates that the urban environment may have driven production of longer and slower songs to maximize efficient transmission of important song information in urban habitats.     

Importance of Staphylococcus hyicus ssp hyicus as a cause of arthritis in pigs up to 12 weeks of age

Lame pigs, up to 12 weeks of age, were necropsied to establish a diagnosis. Of 175 pigs examined, 165 were confirmed to have arthritis by histopathological examination of joint tissues. Lesions were most common in the elbow and tarsal joints and least common in the joints of the feet. Typically, there was severe fibrinopurulent inflammation of synovial membranes regardless of the bacteria isolated. A bacterial aetiology was found in 114 (69%) of the 165 pigs. In arthritic pigs in which an aetiology was established the causative agents were Staphylococcus hyicus ssp hyicus (24.6%), Streptococcus equisimilis (26.3%), Actinomyces pyogenes (13.2%), Staphylococcus aureus (7.9%) and Haemophilus parasuis (7.9%). While gender did not affect the prevalence of arthritis, there was an age influence, most of the pigs culled for arthritis being under 6 weeks of age.     

Inter- and intraspecific competition of fat-hen (Chenopodium album L.) and groundsel (Senecio vulgaris L.)

The responses of Chenopodium album L. and Senecio vulgaris L. to inter- and intra-specific competition were investigated in both additive and replacement series experiments under glasshouse conditions. When grown with tomato the two weed species had similar effects on shoot dry weight at low densities but 5. vulgaris showed more competitive effect at higher densities. Weed density did not affect the concentrations of N, P, K, Ca or Mg in tomato shoots but dry matter and total amounts of nutrients were reduced increasingly with the increase in density of both weeds. The concentration of nutrients in the shoots of the weeds was not affected by density but dry matter yield and total nutrient accumulation per plant fell as the density increased. The concentrations of N, P, K and Mg in the shoots were higher in C. album than S. vulgaris but that of Ca was lower. In a replacement series experiment the two weed species behaved differently. With C. album, both dry matter yield and total nutrient per plant were reduced as its proportion in the mixture increased but, with S. vulgaris, dry matter per plant increased with its proportion in the mixture. One plant of C. album grown with five S. vulgaris gave a higher shoot dry weight than when present in higher proportions or in a pure stand. In a pure stand of six plants the shoot dry weight per plant of C. album was 26% of that of one plant grown with five S. vulgaris. In comparison, the shoot dry weight of one S. vulgaris in pure stand was 120% of that of one plant grown with five C. album. The reduction in growth of C. album was associated with a greater reduction in its ability to accumulate K than other elements. The competition index (CI) of C. album in terms of dry weight decreased with its proportion in the mixture but the reverse was true for S. vulgaris. The relative competitive ability index (RCAI) of C. album was almost 3–5 times that of S. vulgaris. The results showed that differences between the weeds in inter- and intraspecific competition were closely related to the growth of their root systems. Compétition inter- et intraspécifique du chénopode (Chenopodium album L.) et du senecon (Senecio vulgaris L.) Les réponses du chénopode (Chenopodium album L.) et du sénecon (Senecio vulgaris L.) à la compétition inter- et intra-spécifique ont étéétudiées en serre lors d'expériences à séries additives ainsi qu'à séries de remplacement. Quand elles étaient cultivées avec des tomates, les deux mauvaises herbes avaient des effets similaires sur la matière sèche des parties aériennes à faibles densités, mais S. vulgaris se montrait plus compétitif à fortes densités. La densité des mauvaises herbes n'affectait pas les concentrations en N, P, K, Ca et Mg dans les parties aériennes de la to-mate. Par contre, la matière séche et les quantités totales de nutriments étaient d'autant plus réduites que la densité des deux mauvaises herbes était élevée. La concentration en nutriments dans les parties aeriennes des mauvaises herbes n'était pas affectée par leur densité mais le rendement en matière sèche et l'accumulation totale de nutriments par plante décroissaient lorsque la densité augmentait. Les concentrations en N, P, K et Mg dans les parties aériennes étaient plus élevées chez C. album que chez S. vulgaris mais celle de Ca était plus basse. Dans une expérience à séries de remplacement, les deux espèces de mauvaises herbes se comportaient différemment. Chez C. album, le rendement en matière sèche ainsi que la quantité totale de nutriments par plante diminuaient lorsque sa proportion dans le mélange augmentait mais, chez S. vulgaris, la matière sèche par plante augmentait avec sa proportion dans le mélange. Un pied de C. album cultivé avec 5 pieds de S. vulgaris produisait davantage de matière sèche aérienne que lorsqu'il était présent en proportions plus importantes ou en culture pure. Dans une culture pure de 6 plantes, la matière sèche aérienne par pied de C. album représentait 26% de celle d'une plante cultivée avec 5 pieds de S. vulgaris. En comparaison, la matière sèche aérienne par pied de S. vulgaris en culture pure représentait 120% de celle d'une plante cultivée avec 5 pieds de C. album. La réduction de croissance de C. albumétait associée à une réduction de sa capacitéà accumuler K, qui était plus marquée que pour les autres éléments. L'Indice de Compétition de C. album en terme de matière sèche diminuait avec sa proportion dans le mélange, mais l'inverse était vrai pour S. vulgaris. L'Indice Relatif d'Aptitude à la Compétion de C albumétait presque 3,5 fois plus élevé que celui de S. vulgaris. Les résultats montraient que les différences entre les mauvaises herbes en ce qui concerne la compétition inter- et intra-spécifique étaient étroitement liées à la croissance de leur système racinaire. Inter- und intraspezifische Konkurrenz des Weißen Gänsefußes (Chenopodium album L.) und des Gemeinen Greiskrauls (Senecio vulgaris L.) Die inter- und intraspezifische Konkurrenz von Chenopodium album und Senecio vulgaris wurde sowohl in additivem als auch substitutivem Versuchsansatz im Gewächshaus untersucht. In Mischbeständen mit Tomate hatten beide Unkrautarten bei geringer Pflanzendichte eine ähnliche Wirkung auf die Sproß-Trockenmasse, doch Senecio vulgaris war bei hohen Dichten konkurrenzstärker. Die Unkrautdichte hatte keinen Einfluß auf den N-, P-, K-, Ca- oder Mg-Gehalt der Tomatensprosse, aber die Trockenmasse und der gesamte Nährstoffgehalt nahm mit zunehmender Dichte der beiden Unkräuter ab. Der Nährstoffgehalt in den Sprossen der Unkräuter wurde durch die Pflanzendichte nicht beeinflußt, aber die Trockenmasse und der gesamte Nährstoffgehalt nahm mit zunehmender Dichte der beiden Unkräuter ab. Der N-, P-, K-und Mg-Gehalt war bei Chenopodium album höher als bei Senecio vulgaris, doch der Ca-Gehalt war niedriger. In einem substitutiven Versuchsansatz verhielten sich die beiden Unkrautarten verschieden. Bei Chenopodium album wurden sowohl die Trockenmasse als auch der gesamte Nährstoffgehalt pro Pflanze im selben Maße reduziert, wie sein Verhältnis im Mischbestand zunahm; bei Senecio vulgaris stieg die Trockenmasse pro Pflanze mit seinem Anteil im Mischbestand an. Chenopodium album entwickelte bei einem Mischungsverhältnis von l Pflanze zu 5 Senecio-vulgaris-Pflanzen eine höhere Sproß-Trockenmasse als bei höheren Verhältnissen oder im Reinbestand. In einem Reinbestand von 6 Pflanzen war bei Chenopodium album die Sproß-Trockenmasse pro Pflanze 26 % der Masse einer Pflanze, die mit 5 Senecio-vulgaris-Pflanzen wuchs. Bei Senecio vulgaris dagegen war die Sproß-Trockenmasse pro Pflanze im Reinbestand 120 % der Masse einer Pflanze, die mit 5 Chenopodium-album-Pflanzen wuchs. Mit der Wuchshemmung ging bei Chenopodium album eine Abnahme seiner Fähigkeit, K und andere Nährstoffe aufzunehmen, einher. Der Konkurrenzindex von Chenopodium album, bezogen auf die Trocken-masse, nahm mit seinem Anteil in den Mischbeständen ab, während bei Senecio vulgaris das Gegenteil der Fall war. Die relative Konkurrenzfähigkeit von Chenopodium album war fast 3.5mal so groß wie die von Senecio vulgaris. Die Unterschiede der inter- und intraspezifischen Konkurrenz der beiden Unkrautarten stand in enger Beziehung zur Entwicklung ihres Wurzelsystems.     

Investigation of osteochondrosis in grazing beef cattle

Severe lameness attributed to osteochondrosis is described in an extensively managed Brahman herd grazing on improved native pasture. Clinical signs were observed in five animals, three of which were necropsied. The most prominent lesions were in the elbow and stifle joints. There was multiple fissuring and ulceration of thickened articular cartilage with numerous osteochondral bodies present in the joint spaces. All affected animals were entire males sharing a common ancestral sire. Inheritance and gender were suspected to be contributing factors in the development of the disease.     

Benthic disturbance by fishing gear in the Irish Sea: a comparison of beam trawling and scallop dredging

1. The distribution of effort for the most frequently used mobile demersal gears in the Irish Sea was examined and their potential to disturb different benthic communities calculated. Fishing effort data, expressed as the number of days fished, was collated for all fleets operating in the Irish Sea in 1994. For each gear, the percentage of the seabed swept by those parts of the gear that penetrate the seabed was calculated. 2. For all gears, the majority of fishing effort was concentrated in the northern Irish Sea. Effort was concentrated in three main locations: on the muddy sediments between Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man (otter and Nephrops trawling); off the north Wales, Lancashire and Cumbrian coast (beam trawling); the area surrounding the Isle of Man (scallop dredging). 3. In some areas, e.g. between Anglesey and the Isle of Man, the use of scallop dredges and beam trawls was coincident. A comparative experimental study revealed that scallop dredges caught much less by-catch than beam trawls. Multivariate analysis revealed that both gears modified the benthic community in a similar manner, causing a reduction in the abundance of most epifaunal species. 4. Although beam trawling disturbed the greatest area of seabed in 1994, the majority of effort occurred on grounds which supported communities that are exposed to high levels of natural disturbance. Scallop dredging, Nephrops and otter trawling were concentrated in areas that either have long-lived or poorly studied communities. The latter highlights the need for more detailed knowledge of the distribution of sublittoral communities that are vulnerable to fishing disturbance. ©British Crown Copyright 1996.     

Ulcerative disease rhabdovirus: cell-line susceptibility and serological comparison with other fish rhabdoviruses

Abstract. Five isolates of a rhabdovirus associated with a severe ulcerative disease of striped snakehead, Ophicephalus striatus, and other freshwater fish in S.E. Asia were examined for growth in a range of cold and warm water fish cell lines and for serological relationships to other pathogenic fish rhabdoviruses. All five isolates grew in AS, BF-2, snakehead, O. striatus and O. micropeltis, and climbing perch, Anabas testudineus, cell lines. CHSE-214, RTG-2, EPC, Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, and grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella, cell lines were all refractory to infection. Cross neutralization tests showed the ulcerative disease rhabdovirus (UDRV) to be serologically distinct from VHSV, IHNV, EVA, EVX, SVCV, PFRV and perch rhabdovirus. UDRV appears to be a new distinct pathogen of freshwater fish in S.E. Asia.