Quantitative study of poplar plantations in three Iranian provinces

Fast growing poplar species enjoy a highly favored position in Iran＇s forest product industries. Howeve~ information on poplar plantations, such as areas, growing stock and harvest volumes, are largely obtained by now scientific means and poorly executed methods. A few studies have been conducted to obtain data on the capacit,. of poplar plantations, their extent, existing growing stock, distribution and species choice in three provinces, i.e. Western Azerbaijan, Kurdistan and Hamedan, with relatively well developed management systems. We opted for cluster method, a standard sampling method for conducting similar investigations, consisting of two phases. In the firs phase we collected library information and conducted half-open interviews with villagers. In the second phase fiel~ measurements in the villages of these three provinces were carried out. Information from field measurements on growin! stock, cultivated areas, dominant species were used to estimate volumes by way of volume and weight tables. Result~ obtained from the present study indicate that the average annual volume of timber harvested in the three province~ was 697,723 m~, with an average sampling error of 22.7 per cent. This annual volume of poplar timber harvested fron the three provinces was estimated to amount to about 25 per cent of overall harvest; at that rate, the overall annu~ utilization potential of poplar plantations will be 10 million m3, which constitutes a reliable resource of raw timber for us~ in wood and paper industries.     

Anesthetic efficacy and biochemical effects of 1,8-cineole on Caspian trout,Salmo caspius

Aquaculture International - In this study, Caspian trout, Salmo caspius (232 ± 26.9 g) were exposed to 25, 50, 100, 200, 300, 400, 600, 800, and 1000 µL/L of 1,8-cineole (cineole) to...     

Absence of Sperm Factors as in the Parthenogenesis Does Not Interfere on Bovine Embryo Sensitiveness to Heat Shock at Pre‐Implantation Stage

Oocyte has been considered the major contributor for embryo thermo‐tolerance. However, it was shown that sperm factors can be transferred to the oocyte during fertilization, raising the question of whether the absence of such factors could interfere on embryo thermo‐tolerance. In this study, we used parthenogenesis to generate bovine embryos without spermatozoa in order to test whether the absence of sperm factors could influence their thermo‐sensitiveness at early stages. In vitro fertilized (IVF) and parthenogenetic (PA) embryos at 44 h post‐insemination/chemical activation were exposed to 38.5°C (control) or 41°C (heat shock) for 12 h and then developed for 48 h and up to blastocyst stage. Apoptosis index and expression of PRDX1, GLUT1, GLUT5 and IGF1r genes in blastocysts derived from heat‐shocked embryos were also evaluated. The heat shock decreased the blastocyst rate at day seven (p < 0.05) for IVF embryos and at day eight (p < 0.01) for both IVF and PA embryos. Total cell number was not affected by heat shock in IVF and PA blastocysts, but there was an increased proportion (p < 0.05) of apoptotic cells in heat‐shocked embryos when compared to controls. There was no interaction (p > 0.05) between method of activation (IVF and PA) and temperature (38.5°C or 41.5°C) for all developmental parameters evaluated. Expression of GLUT1 gene was downregulated (p < 0.05) by heat shock in both IVF and PA blastocyst whereas expression of GLUT5 and IGF1r genes was downregulated (p < 0.05) by heat shock in PA blastocysts. Those data show that the heat shock affects negatively the embryo development towards blastocysts stage, increases the apoptotic index and disturbed the expression of some genes in both IVF and PA embryos, indicating that the presence or absence of sperm factors does not influence the sensitivity of the bovine embryo to heat shock.     

Luteolytic Effect of Prostaglandin F2α on Bovine Corpus Luteum Depends on Cell Composition and Contact

Prostaglandin F_2α (PGF_2α) is a main luteolytic factor in vivo; however, its direct luteolytic influence on steroidogenic cells of bovine corpus luteum (CL) is controversial and not fully understood. The aim of the study was to clarify PGF_2α action on bovine CL in different in vivo and in vitro conditions and to examine whether the contact among all main types of CL cells is necessary for luteolytic PGF_2α action. In experiment 1, the bovine CL (day 15 of the oestrous cycle) was perfused using in vivo microdialysis system with dinoprost (an analogue of PGF_2α) for 0.5 h. Dinoprost caused a short‐time increase in progesterone (P4), whose concentration decreased thereafter (at 6‐, 10‐, 12‐ and 24‐h after treatment). In experiment 2, the direct effect of PGF_2α on P4 accumulation in CL steroidogenic cells cultured in monolayer (day 15 of the cycle) was determined. PGF_2α after 24 h of incubation increased P4 accumulation in steroidogenic CL cells. In experiment 3 steroidogenic, endothelial CL and immune cells (day 15 of the cycle) were incubated with PGF_2α in cocultures for 24 h in glass tubes and the levels of P4, stable metabolites of nitric oxide (NO) and leukotriene (LT) C₄ were determined. Although PGF_2α treatment increased P4 secretion in homogeneous steroidogenic CL cell culture, the decrease in P4 secretion in cocultures of all types of CL cells was observed. The secretion of NO and LTC₄ increased after the treatment of PGF_2α both in pure cultures of CL cells and in cocultures. The interactions between endothelial and immune cells with steroidogenic CL cells are needed for luteolytic PGF_2α action within the bovine CL. Our results indicate that the cell coculture model, including the main types of CL cells, is the most approximate to study PGF_2α role in vitro.     

Cardiovascular effects of butorphanol in isoflurane-anesthetized alpacas

Butorphanol has been used clinically to provide analgesia in alpacas, but cardiovascular effects have not been reported. Using a randomized cross‐over design, eight healthy, young adult female alpacas (3 ± 1 SD years) weighing 64 ± 9 SD kg were anesthetized with isoflurane by mask followed by tracheal intubation and maintenance of anesthesia with 1.75% et (isoflurane) in oxygen. Two treatments, butorphanol (0.1 mg kg^–1 IV) and control (saline, IV) were assigned to the animals in a randomized manner allowing a minimum of two weeks between treatments. While anesthetized, animals were instrumented for measurement of cardiovascular variables including systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressure, pulmonary arterial pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, central venous pressure, cardiac output (CO) and pulmonary temperature (TEMP). CO was measured via thermodilution using 5 mL of iced 5% dextrose and recording the average of three replicate measurements. Cardiac index, systemic vascular resistance (SVR) and pulmonary vascular resistance were also calculated. Arterial and mixed venous blood samples were collected for blood gas analysis [pH, pO₂, pCO₂, (HCO₃^?), BE, Hb_sat]. Variables were collected at baseline (time 0) and at 5, 10, 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes following injection. Variables were analyzed by anova for repeated measures with post‐hoc differences between means identified using the Bonferroni comparison (p < 0.05). SVR decreased five minutes after administration of butorphanol (Huynh Feldt corrected p = 0.045) and remained decreased for 60 minutes. TEMP decreased with time in both groups (Huynh Feldt corrected p = 0.000027), but groups were not different between each other. Other cardiovascular and blood gas variables were not different between groups. We conclude that butorphanol (0.1 mg kg^–1 IV) had minimal effects on the cardiovascular system of these alpacas, causing a mild decrease in SVR.     

Effects of Constant, 9 and 16-h Light Cycles on Sperm Quality, Semen Storage Ability and Motile Sperm Subpopulations Structure of Boar Semen

This study was performed to test the effect that two separate, daily, constant-light regimes of both 9 and 16 h could have on the main parameters of boar-semen quality analysis, as well as on the motile sperm subpopulations structure and the ability of its conservation at 16 degrees C. Results show that both luminous regimes have slight, specific effects on the main parameters of boar-semen quality analysis, as well as on the motile sperm subpopulations structure. Furthermore, the conservation ability at 16 degrees C of boar semen was not significantly different between both photoperiods. When a temporal study was performed, results showed that semen quality and motility parameter changes were stabilized at nearly constant values from the second month of the study to the last month in both luminous regimes, indicating a rapid light-related effect on testicular function. Our results indicate that light regimes oscillating from 9 h daily to 16 h daily are of little importance in the control of boar-semen quality in a farming environment.     

Plasma proteins,hepatic enzymes,thyroid hormones and liver histopathology of Cyprinus carpio (Linnaeus, 1758) exposed to an oxadiazin pesticide,indoxacarb

Indoxacarb is a relatively new pesticide from oxadiazin class, which is used near carp ponds for agricultural purposes. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine indoxacarb effects on common carp (Cyprinus carpio). The fish were exposed to 0 (control), 0.75, 1.5 and 3 ppm of indoxacarb over 21 days and plasma biochemical characteristics and liver histopathology were examined. Exposure to indoxacarb induced fall in total protein after 21 days. Globulin increased after 7 days and then decreased after 14‐ and 21‐day exposure. Plasma alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase activities increased in 1.5 and 3 ppm treatments after 7‐day exposure. Indoxacarb exposure significantly decreased plasma alkaline phosphatase after 7 days with no change at the second and third samplings. After 7 days, plasma T₃ levels had no significant change; however, it decreased after 14 days in the 1.5 and 3 ppm treatments and also reduced after 21‐day exposure to the 3 ppm treatment compared to the control group. Plasma T₄ level only decreased significantly in the 3 ppm treatment compared to the control group after 21 days. Different histopathological symptoms such as necrosis, hyperaemia, sinusoidal space extension, pyknotic nuclei, leucocyte infiltration and melanomacrophage aggregates were observed after 21‐day exposure to indoxacarb. The symptoms intensity was dependent on indoxacarb concentration. In conclusion, the present results show that indoxacarb exposure adversely affects common carp health and welfare, which consequently may induce serious problems in this species aquaculture.     

Viral disease of tomato crops (Solanum lycopesicum L.): an overview

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Global production of tomato has been hampered by the increased incidences of tomato viral disease. The high genetic heterogeneity of tomato plant viruses,...