Efficacy of a single milbemycin oxime administration in combination with praziquantel against experimentally induced heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) infection in cats

The efficacy of a combination of milbemycin oxime and praziquantel in preventing the establishment of experimentally induced heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) infection was investigated in a study involving 24 young domestic short-hair cats. The animals were inoculated with 50 infective larvae on day 0. Subsequently they were divided into two groups of 12 animals each. The animals in group 1 were treated once with medicated tablets containing 4 mg milbemycin (minimum dose 2 mg/kg body weight) and 10 mg praziquantel (MILBEMAX) on day 30 after infection. Cats in group 2 received placebo tablets on the same day. On day 183 post-infection a blood sample was taken from each animal before euthanasia and necropsy. The blood samples were tested for the presence of microfilariae and the necropsied animals were examined for the presence of adult worms. Microfilariae were not found in any of the investigated cats. No heartworms were found in the animals in group 1 (treated with medicated tablets). Out of the 12 placebo-treated cats 1 was heartworm-free, whereas all the others were found to be infected with 1-3 adult heartworms.     

Are Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and Chlorella vulgaris Affected by Environmental Samples from a Rice Field?

Rice fields represent important production rates in Portugal. However, the intensive soil management and the exploitation of agrochemicals may pose a threat to nontarget organisms. Hence, the present work regards the toxicity screening of surface waters and sediment elutriates collected during the drainage of fields in the vicinity of a rice paddy (Quinta do Seminário, Soure, Portugal): 1. in River Pranto (RP), the river from which the field irrigation water is canalized; 2. inside the rice paddy, from the main drainage channel – Vala de Enxugo (VE). For that purpose, it was used a combination of physico-chemical analyses and bioassays with two green algae species – Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and Chlorella vulgaris. The chemical screening showed an apparent absence of xenobiotics in sediment samples, while no pesticides were found within the chemical contaminants detected in water samples. The nutrient load reflected low levels of inorganic contamination. Bioassays revealed that P. subcapitata was more sensitive to the overall physico-chemical conditions in natural samples than C. vulgaris, being its growth inhibited under water samples from both sites. On a whole, water samples, mainly those from the main irrigation/drainage channel of the rice fields (VE), were more deleterious to microalgae than those from RP or any of the elutriates.     

Oxidative damage mediated by herbicides on yeast cells

Agricultural herbicides are among the most commonly used pesticides worldwide, posing serious concerns for both humans, exposed to these chemicals through many routes, and the environment. To clarify the effects of three herbicides as commercial formulations (namely, Pointer, Silglif, and Proper Energy), parameters related to oxidative issues were investigated on an autochthonous wine yeast strain. It was demonstrated that herbicides were able to affect the enzymatic activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase, as well as to induce carbonylation and thiol oxidation as post-translational modifications of proteins. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an optimal model system to study responses to xenobiotics and oxidative stress. Thus, the results obtained could further the understanding of mechanisms underlying the toxicity of herbicides.     

Induction of de novo volatile terpene biosynthesis via cytosolic and plastidial pathways by methyl jasmonate in foliage of Vitis vinifera L

The terpene biosynthesis in leaves of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Morio Muskat was studied using methyl jasmonate to induce defensive responses in vivo. The experiments demonstrated the strong activation of the de novo biosynthesis of terpenoids via the octadecanoid-signaling cascade and release of the compounds to the gas phase. Feeding experiments with [5,5-(2)H(2)]-1-deoxy-d-xylulose and [5,5-(2)H(2)]mevalonic acid lactone allowed the investigation of the dynamic allocation of resources via the mevalonic acid and 1-deoxy-d-xylulose/2-C-methyl-d-erythritol 4-phosphate (DOXP/MEP) pathway under induced conditions and after treatment with the specific inhibitors mevastatin and fosmidomycin. The experiments reveal that monoterpenes are almost exclusively synthesized via the DOXP/MEP pathway, whereas sesquiterpenes are generated via both pathways at approximately equal rates. The biosynthesis of the homoterpene (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene was not affected by mevastatine or fosmidomycin.     

Different sorption behaviors for wine polyphenols in contact with oak wood

The evolution of polyphenols of enological interest- monomeric anthocyanins, (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, gallic acid, and trans-resveratrol-in the presence of oak wood was investigated in aging-model conditions. Disappearance kinetics showed that, except for gallic acid, all of the wine polyphenols tend to disappear from the model wine in presence of oak wood, to reach an equilibrium after 20 days of contact. At equilibrium, the higher disappearance rates were obtained for monomeric anthocyanins and trans-resveratrol with values of 20 and 50%, respectively. For monomeric anthocyanins, the rate of disappearance seemed to be independent of their nature. In order to evaluate the contribution of sorption to oak wood in the disappearance phenomena, sorption kinetics were determined for trans-resveratrol and malvidin-3-glucoside through the extraction and the quantification of the fraction sorbed to wood. These curves showed that the wood intake of trans-resveratrol and malvidin-3-glucoside followed a two-step behavior, with a higher rate during the first 2 days, likely due to a surface sorption mechanism, and then a slower rate to reach the equilibrium, which could be related to a diffusion mechanism. The comparison of disappeared and sorbed amounts at equilibrium showed that a minor part of the disappeared monomeric anthocyanins were sorbed by wood. In contrast, half of the concentration decrease of trans-resveratrol in wine finds its origin in a sorption mechanism by oak wood. Results in real wine show similar sorption kinetics.     

Ecological and genetic measurements of dispersal in a threatened dragonfly

Leucorrhinia caudalis is a rare dragonfly, threatened throughout its European distribution. The species was formerly widespread in the Swiss lowlands, but only a single population remained in the 1980s. However, a spread has recently been observed, with additional ponds being colonised, sometimes at considerable distance. Despite this evidence of recent long-distance dispersal, it is unknown whether L. caudalis regularly moves among ponds or whether this is a rather rare event. A combination of an ecological mark-resight and a population genetic study was applied to investigate contemporary dispersal and the genetic footprint of the recent population history of L. caudalis in Switzerland. DNA for genetic microsatellite analysis was extracted from exuviae. The mark-resight study and the genetic analysis gave congruent results. They showed that L. caudalis is mostly a sedentary species, with only a few contemporary dispersal events over distances up to 5 km being observed. The genetic analysis was in agreement with the recent population history of the Swiss populations. The oldest and largest population showed large genetic diversity and acted as source population for the recent spread of L. caudalis in Switzerland. Recurrent gene flow among this source population and close populations caused substantial local genetic variation in the latter, as well as low population differentiation. The two recently founded distant populations (?30 km distance) were genetically less diverse and highly differentiated. These distant populations and another recently colonised population also expressed signatures of genetic bottlenecks.     

Hydrogeochemistry and Water Balance in the Coastal Wetland Area of “Biviere di Gela,” Sicily, Italy

In the study area physical and chemical factors control the composition of surface and groundwaters, which in turn determine the water quality of the “Biviere di Gela” lake. These factors combine to create diverse water types which change their compositional character spatially as rainfall infiltrates the soil zone, moves down a topographically defined flow path, and interacts with bedrock minerals. Low-salinity waters, which represent the initial stage of underground circulation, start dissolving calcium carbonate from the local rocks. The progressive increase in salinity, characterized by substantially higher Ca, SO₄, Na and Cl concentrations, suggests that dissolution of CaSO₄ and NaCl is an important process during water–rock interactions. The “Biviere di Gela” lake is often separated into two units (Lago Grande and Lago Piccolo). “Lago Grande” water is generally of Na-SO₄-Cl-type, whereas “Lago Piccolo” water is of Na-Cl-SO₄-type. Their total content of dissolved salts varies with season, the amount of rainfall, and inflow of ground and drainage water. Over time, an increasing trend towards greater salinity and also sudden changes in the relative abundances of Cl and SO₄ have been recorded for the “Lago Grande.” The isotope composition of the lake water appears to be affected by inflow of ground and surface waters and also by evaporative loss. The nitrate content of waters from the recharge basin is of particular concern because it contributes to lake eutrophication. The trace element contents do not evidence the presence of any significant metal contamination of lake waters, although a future potential hazard of metals bioaccumulation by the aquatic biota must be taken into consideration. Finally, a water balance for the basin shows that a drop in precipitation of about 20% might be critical for lake survival.     

A soil chronosequence in the semi-arid environment of Patagonia (Argentina)

Soil development with time was investigated on beach ridges with ages ranging from about 1380 to 6240 ¹⁴C-years BP at the eastern coast of central Patagonia. The main pedogenic processes are accumulation of organic matter and carbonate leaching and accumulation within the upper part of the soils. Soil formation is strongly influenced by incorporation of eolian sediments into the interstitial spaces between the gravel of which the beach ridges are composed. Different amounts of eolian material in the soils lead to differentiation into Leptosols (containing ≤ 10% fine earth in the upper 75 cm) and Regosols (containing > 10% fine earth). Soil depth functions and chronofunctions of organic carbon, calcium carbonate, pH, Ca:Zr, Mg:Zr, K:Zr, Na:Zr, Fe:Zr, Mn:Zr, and Si:Al (obtained from X-ray fluorescence analysis) were evaluated. To establish soil chronofunctions mean values of the horizon data of 0–10 cm below the desert pavement were used, which were weighted according to the horizon thicknesses. The depth function of pH shows a decrease towards the surface, indicating leaching of bases from the upper centimeters. Chronofunctions of pH show that within 6000 radiocarbon years of soil development pH drops from 7.0 to 6.6 in the Leptosols and from 8.1 to 7.5 in the Regosols. The higher pH of the Regosols is due to input of additional bases from the eolian sediments. Chronofunctions of Ca:Zr and K:Zr indicate progressive leaching of Ca and K in the Regosols, showing close relationships to time (R² = 0.972 and 0.995). Na leaching as indicated by decreasing Na:Zr ratios shows a strong correlation to time only in the Leptosols (R² = 0.999). Both, Leptosols and Regosols show close relationships to time for Fe:Zr (R² = 0.817 and 0.824), Mn:Zr (R² = 0.940 and 0.803), and Si:Al (0.971 and 0.977), indicating enrichment of Fe and Mn and leaching of Si. Leaching of mobile elements takes place on a higher level in the Regosols than in the Leptosols from the beginning of soil formation. Hence, a significant part of the eolian sediments must have been incorporated into the beach ridges very soon after their formation.     

Bioeconomy – an emerging meta-discourse affecting forest discourses?

The term bioeconomy and closely related notions like bio-based economy or knowledge-based bioeconomy (KBBE) are increasingly used by scientists and politicians in the last years. It does therefore have the potential of becoming an influential global discourse. Its role is however so far unclear. The general assumption that guides this paper is that discourses, resulting ideas and arguments are generally said to have performative power. They shape actors' views, influence their behaviour, impact on their beliefs and interests and can cause institutional change in a given society. Thus, the aim of this paper is twofold: first, it aims to analyse whether the ideas used in a bioeconomy discourse differs from those in other global meta-discourses of the last decades affecting forest discourses, such as the ecological modernization discourse or the sustainable development discourse. Second, this paper aims to analyse whether and how the bioeconomy discourse has started (or not) to reshape or overshadow the “classical” forest discourses, such as sustainable forest management, forest biodiversity or forest and climate change.