Evaluation of endotoxaemia in the prognosis and treatment of scouring merino lambs

This study looked at measurement of endotoxaemia as a tool in determining prognosis and probable response to treatment in scouring lambs. One hundred eighty-three lambs in the first 15-20 days of life, from eight Merino sheep farms located in the region of La Serena, south-west Spain, were used in this experiment. Scouring and normal/control lambs were selected following a clinical examination, the scouring group was further divided into subgroups, specifically those that did or did not survive 72 h following treatment. At the time of the clinical examination, faecal and blood samples were taken. Faecal culture and commercial faecal antigen tests for detection of enteropathogens in faeces and serum endotoxin measurement using chromogenic lymulus amoebocyte lysate (LAL) were carried out. Scouring lambs received 0.07 mg/kg liveweight halofuginone once a day for 3 days, a single oral dose of 0.20 mg/kg liveweight of spectinomycin and oral rehydration fluid. The pathogens isolated were Cryptosporidium spp. and Escherichia coli. The case fatality rate was 51% in the scouring lambs. Postmortem findings were consistent with enterotoxigenic E. coli infection. The concentration of endotoxin was 0.18 +/- 0.12 ng/ml in the control group, 0.35 +/- 0.17 ng/ml in the surviving lambs and 0.46 +/- 0.14 ng/ml in the non-surviving lambs. Significant differences between groups were found. Case fatality rate of the scouring lambs with endotoxaemia below 0.30 ng/ml was 0%, while it was 100% above 0.50 ng/ml. These results may be utilized as a prognostic indicator in lambs affected by E. coli and Cryptosporidium that will help aid in decision-making as to whether to treat a lamb or not based on its chances of survival.     

Changes in sorghum production,soil P forms and P use efficiency following long-term application of manure,compost and straw in a Ferric Lixisol

Low phosphorus availability in cultivated soils limits sustainable crop production in sub‐Saharan Africa. This study aimed at evaluating the effect of long‐term application of different types of organic amendments on soil P forms, P use efficiency and sorghum yields. A long term experiment established in 1980 at Saria in Burkina Faso, comparing the effects of manure, compost and sorghum straw was used. Manure and compost significantly increased organic P and resin‐P by about 35% and 64%, respectively after 10 and 32 years of sorghum cultivation, and HCl‐P after 32 years of cultivation compared to the control. Manure significantly increased NaHCO₃-Pi and NaOH-Pi by 63% and 26%, respectively compared to the control. Sorghum straw had little effect on measured soil P forms. Manure and compost were the best in increasing sorghum grain yield, which effect were strongly correlated to soil pH, carbon and nitrogen. The partial factors productivities of P resulting from the application of studied organic amendments were similar and low, but significantly higher than that of the control treatment. Organic amendments with high P content, maintaining soil carbon and pH could be used to improve soil P availability, sorghum yield and reduce the demand for mineral phosphorus fertilizers.     

Variability in conspecific predation among longnose lancetfish Alepisaurus ferox in the western Indian Ocean

ABSTRACT:   Conspecific predation among longnose lancetfish Alepisaurus ferox was investigated in four spatio-temporal strata of the western Indian Ocean. The cannibalism level varied from 0 to 45.5% by frequency of occurrence and was negatively related with abundance of non-evasive prey (such as crustaceans Charybdis smithii and Natosquilla investigatoris ) and foraging success. Predation by lancetfish is often described as a non-selective process, constrained by local prey availability and by its feeding speed during an attack of prey. Our results show that lancetfish may adapt its opportunistic foraging behavior, feeding on non-conspecific abundant prey such as crustaceans when available, and switching to a high level of conspecific predation in poor waters.     

甜瓜(Cucumis melo)基因目录

１９９８年在国际葫芦科遗传协会年报（ＣＧＣ Ｒｅｐｏｒｔ）第 ２１期发表了最新的一份甜瓜基因目录,它包括１２０个基因,特全文翻译出来,供读者参考。     

BMC ecology image competition 2017: the winning images

For the fifth year, BMC Ecology is proud to present the winning images from our annual image competition. The 2017 edition received entries by talented shutterbug-ecologists from across the world, showcasing research that is increasing our understanding of ecosystems worldwide and the beauty and diversity of life on our planet. In this editorial we showcase the winning images, as chosen by our Editorial Board and guest judge Chris Darimont, as well as our selection of highly commended images. Enjoy!     

Antioxidant Capacity of Beetroot: Traditional vs Novel Approaches

Red beetroot has been ranked among the 10 most potent antioxidant vegetables, although only extraction-based methods have been used to evaluate its total antioxidant capacity. Therefore, the present study aims at comparing the traditional extraction-based method with two more recent approaches (QUENCHER -QUick, Easy, New, CHEap and Reproducible- and GAR -global antioxidant response method), in order to establish their suitability in the case of beetroot. Our results indicate that the total antioxidant capacity of beetroot would be underestimated when using extraction-based procedures, since both QUENCHER and GAR methods resulted in a higher total antioxidant capacity. The effect of a thermal treatment on the total antioxidant capacity of beetroot varies among the methods evaluated and our findings suggest different compounds responsible for the total antioxidant capacity detected in each pre-processing method. Remarkably, the present study demonstrates that the traditional extraction-based method seems useful to screen for (changes in) the “bioavailable” antioxidant potential of the root.     

Exchange of greenhouse gases between soil and atmosphere: interactions of soil physical factors and biological processes

This review examines the interactions between soil physical factors and the biological processes responsible for the production and consumption in soils of greenhouse gases. The release of CO₂ by aerobic respiration is a non‐linear function of temperature over a wide range of soil water contents, but becomes a function of water content as a soil dries out. Some of the reported variation in the temperature response may be attributable simply to measurement procedures. Lowering the water table in organic soils by drainage increases the release of soil carbon as CO₂ in some but not all environments, and reduces the quantity of CH₄ emitted to the atmosphere. Ebullition and diffusion through the aerenchyma of rice and plants in natural wetlands both contribute substantially to the emission of CH₄; the proportion of the emissions taking place by each pathway varies seasonally. Aerated soils are a sink for atmospheric CH₄, through microbial oxidation. The main control on oxidation rate is gas diffusivity, and the temperature response is small. Nitrous oxide is the third greenhouse gas produced in soils, together with NO, a precursor of tropospheric ozone (a short‐lived greenhouse gas). Emission of N₂O increases markedly with increasing temperature, and this is attributed to increases in the anaerobic volume fraction, brought about by an increased respiratory sink for O₂. Increases in water‐filled pore space also result in increased anaerobic volume; again, the outcome is an exponential increase in N₂O emission. The review draws substantially on sources from beyond the normal range of soil science literature, and is intended to promote integration of ideas, not only between soil biology and soil physics, but also over a wider range of interacting disciplines.     

Soil properties and the macrofauna community in abandoned irrigated rice fields of northeastern Argentina

This study compared soil physical, chemical, and biological characteristics between natural grassland and recently abandoned rice fields in order to identify those variables that might explain the observed increase of Camponotus punctulatus anthills in abandoned rice paddy fields from Northern Argentina. Mainly due to a reduction of macropores and mesopores, overall porosity decreased by around 6% and bulk density was about 7% greater, in the 0- to 10- and 10- to 20-cm layers of the abandoned rice fields. Carbon and nitrogen content from organic matter increased (29% and 41% respectively for the 0- to 20-cm horizon) during cultivation but decreased (38% and 24%) 2 years after the last rice harvest. Forty percent of natural grassland-organic matter and 30% of abandoned rice-organic matter mineralized in less than 2 years. There was a different community structure between the abandoned rice fields and the undisturbed natural grassland and only a 20.6% (i.e. only 19 species from a total of 92) overlap in species composition. The abundance of macrofauna was greater in abandoned rice fields (2,208 individuals m^–2) in comparison to natural grasslands (288 ind m^–2) due to higher densities of small earthworms and Camponotus punctulatus ants; however, the Shannon index showed lower values in comparison to natural grasslands. Earthworms and C. punctulatus in the abandoned rice fields showed a change in their ¹³C signature indicating a switch in diet from natural grassland organic matter (C4) to organic matter from rice (C3). Our results indicate that the effects of rice cultivation practices did not seem to produce any physical or trophic limitations to recolonization by the macrofauna. It seems that changes in overall soil conditions have favored a change in the construction behavior of C. punctulatus which, in combination with population increases, could explain the explosion in number of anthills.     

Technique for rapid, small-scale analysis of vitamin C levels in fruit and application to a tomato mutant collection

We present a technique for easy, rapid analysis of both total and reduced forms of vitamin C in fruits using microplates and a plate reader. This technique has been compared with a spectrofluorometric technique classically used for assaying vitamin C in fresh tomato. We have applied these methods to a population of 118 tomato mutant lines and controls in search of variability for this trait. Six lines, identified as having high vitamin C levels, and four lines having low vitamin C levels have been chosen for further study. The vitamin C levels have been compared with sugar concentration, dry matter content, fruit weight, titratable acidity, and firmness. The correlations that often exist in tomato varieties between sugar and vitamin C content (positive correlation) or fruit weight and vitamin C content (negative correlation) can be uncoupled in the lines selected for further analysis.     

Accumulation and extractability of grape skin tannins and anthocyanins at different advanced physiological stages

Quantitative and qualitative modifications of tannins and anthocyanins in grape skin were investigated at different dates of harvest, from berries sorted on the basis of their density. Free anthocyanins accumulated until 170 g/L of sugars in pulp before undergoing a slight decrease. Changes in anthocyanin composition were observed with increasing sugar levels in the pulp that reflected structural differences between classes of anthocyanins. The proportion of methoxylated anthocyanins continued to increase in the skin as sugar accumulated while the proportion of coumaroylated anthocyanins initially increased (up to 200 g/L of sugars in the pulp) and then rapidly decreased. In comparison, no major quantitative nor qualitative change was observed for tannins, except for a slight increase of the mean degree of polymerization. Whatever the physiological stage of the pulp, the extraction yield of skin phenolics into hydroalcoholic solution for 5 h was lower than 77% for anthocyanins and 38% for proanthocyanidins. For both classes of compounds, no clear evolution in these extraction yields could be observed as sugars accumulated in pulp (from 162.6 to 275.0 g/L). Nevertheless, some structural features within each family of compounds significantly influenced extractability, for example, a lower extraction yield for coumaroylated anthocyanins and for tannins with a high degree of polymerization. Finally, no direct relationship could be found in extraction media between the amounts of all red pigments (measured in acidic conditions) and the color intensity at 520 nm (measured in wine-like model solutions).