Morphological and functional comparison of lingual papillae in suckling and adult feral cats: Forensic evidence

Feral cats are considered as strays and are more likely to hunt in the street. We investigated the effect of environmental adaptations on the structures of lingual papillae in feral cats, which could be used as forensic evidence for their identification. There are no reported studies about the structural comparison of lingual papillae between suckling and adult feral cats. The present study described the lingual papillae of both suckling and adult cats macroscopically and microscopically via light and scanning electron microscopy. A total of nine tongue samples each for suckling and adult feral cats were examined grossly and histologically. Papillae distributions of suckling cats were similar to those observed in adult cats. Meanwhile, the shapes of those papillae were markedly different from that of corresponding papillae in adults. The change in taste bud position and size seemed to be related to the progressive growth of the papillae between adult and suckling cats; absence of taste buds in foliate papillae of feral cats at any stage; and marginal papillae which were a characteristic feature for all suckling cats. All previous elements could be affected by the specific feeding behaviour and mastication mode adaptation in suckling and adult feral cats which might help to identify suckling and adult feral cats among other breeds and animal species. We anticipate these findings may provide promising forensic evidence to discriminate between adult and suckling feral cat remains as well as prediction of environmental harshness and feeding behaviour.     

Fatty acid signatures and stomach contents of four sympatric Lake Trout: assessment of trophic patterns among morphotypes in Great Bear Lake

Sympatric diversification in Lake Trout is generally linked to differences in habitat use (especially depth) as a result of foraging on different prey items. However, extensive sympatric divergence has taken place in the shallow waters (≤30 m) of Great Bear Lake, with multiple Lake Trout morphs varying in head and fin characteristics. To investigate diet partitioning as a potential explanatory mechanism for this diversification, we assessed trophic characteristics and relationships among four sympatric shallow‐water morphs of Lake Trout via analyses of fatty acids and stomach contents. Fatty acids and stomach contents both identified Lake Trout, Cisco and Mysis as key prey items in Lake Trout diets. Interestingly, terrestrial invertebrates were also seasonally important among morphs, reflecting temporal variability of available prey in this arctic lake. Some diet partitioning was observed among morphs; Morph 1 was characterised as a generalist, Morph 3 was more benthic‐oriented, and Morphs 2 and 4 were mainly pelagic feeders. Of the latter, Morph 4 was the most specialised, whereas Morph 2 exhibited alternative feeding tactics of benthic cannibalistic and pelagic piscivorous feeding. Our findings demonstrate that complementary dietary methods can elucidate habits of opportunistic feeders, a task that can often be problematic, given their complex and variable diets. Our results add new information and perspectives on the current model of Lake Trout differentiation, demonstrating niche partitioning based on benthic versus pelagic habitat use and generalist versus specialist feeding tactics.     

Abundance, diversity and connectance of soil food web channels along environmental gradients in an agricultural landscape

Soil food webs respond to anthropogenic and natural environmental variables and gradients. We studied abundance, connectance (a measure of the trophic interactions within each channel), and diversity in three different channels of the soil food web, each comprised of a resource-consumer pair: the microbivore channel (microbes and their nematode grazers), the plant–herbivore channel (plants and plant-feeding nematodes), and the predator–prey channel (predatory nematodes and their nematode prey), and their associations with different gradients in a heterogeneous agricultural landscape that consisted of intensive row crop agriculture and grazed non-irrigated grasslands in central California. Samples were taken at three positions in relation to water channels: water’s edge, bench above waterway, and the adjacent arable or grazed field. Nematode communities, phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) biomarkers, and soil properties (NH₄⁺-N, NO₃⁻-N, total N, total C, pH, P, bulk density and soil texture) were measured, and riparian health ratings were scored. Environmental variables were obtained from publicly-available data sources (slope, elevation, available water capacity, erodability, hydraulic conductivity, exchangeable cation capacity, organic matter, clay and sand content and pH).The abundance and richness in most food web components were higher in grazed grasslands than in intensive agricultural fields. Consumers contributed less than their resources to the abundance and richness of the community in all channels. The association between richness and abundance for each component was strongest for the lowest trophic links (microbes, as inferred by PLFA) and weakest for the highest (predatory nematodes). The trophic interactions for the predator–prey and plant–herbivore channels were greater in the grassland than in the cropland. Fields for crops or grazing supported more interactions than the water’s edge in the plant–herbivore and microbivore channels. Connectance increased with the total richness of each community. Higher connectance within the microbivore and predator–prey soil food web channels were associated with soil NO₃⁻-N and elevation respectively, which served as surrogate indicators of high and low agricultural intensification.     

Genomic signatures predict migration and spawning failure in wild Canadian salmon

Long-term population viability of Fraser River sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) is threatened by unusually high levels of mortality as they swim to their spawning areas before they spawn. Functional genomic studies on biopsied gill tissue from tagged wild adults that were tracked through ocean and river environments revealed physiological profiles predictive of successful migration and spawning. We identified a common genomic profile that was correlated with survival in each study. In ocean-tagged fish, a mortality-related genomic signature was associated with a 13.5-fold greater chance of dying en route. In river-tagged fish, the same genomic signature was associated with a 50% increase in mortality before reaching the spawning grounds in one of three stocks tested. At the spawning grounds, the same signature was associated with 3.7-fold greater odds of dying without spawning. Functional analysis raises the possibility that the mortality-related signature reflects a viral infection.     

Water uptake through sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) fruit pedicels: Influence of fruit surface water status and intact fruit skin

A modified potometer consisting of a water-filled glass tube mounted in parallel with a metric scale and connected to a fruit was used to study water uptake into detached fruits of sweet cherry. Results describing quantities of imported water from some introductory studies were in the same range as in previously published studies conducted with alternative methods. Water uptake was measured in fruits of four cultivars kept in air of approximately 50±5% RH followed by immersion in water 1–2 h into the experimental period. This caused a significant decrease in water uptake. However, the fruits continued to accumulate water at a reduced rate. When the fruits were dried, the water uptake immediately increased to the same level as before the immersion in water. The fruit skin of two cultivars was exposed to normal air after being ruptured with four shallow cuts to simulate cuticular fractures or shallow cracks. These two treatments did not give statistically different water uptake through the pedicel, although there was a tendency to an increased rate of water uptake in fruits with ruptured fruit skin.     

Genetic engineering of plant volatile terpenoids: effects on a herbivore,a predator and a parasitoid

BACKGROUND: Most insect‐resistant transgenic crops employ toxins to control pests. A novel approach is to enhance the effectiveness of natural enemies by genetic engineering of the biosynthesis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Before the commercialisation of such transgenic plants can be pursued, detailed fundamental studies of their effects on herbivores and their natural enemies are necessary. The linalool/nerolidol synthase gene FaNES1 was constitutively expressed from strawberry in three Arabidopsis thaliana accessions, and the behaviour of the aphid Brevicoryne brassicae L., the parasitoid Diaeretiella rapae McIntosh and the predator Episyrphus balteatus de Geer was studied. RESULTS: Transgenic FaNES1‐expressing plants emitted (E)‐nerolidol and larger amounts of (E)‐DMNT and linalool. Brevicoryne brassicae was repelled by the transgenic lines of two of the accessions, whereas its performance was not affected. Diaeretiella rapae preferred aphid‐infested transgenic plants over aphid‐infested wild‐type plants for two of the accessions. In contrast, female E. balteatus predators did not differentiate between aphid‐infested transgenic or wild‐type plants. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the genetic engineering of plants to modify their emission of VOCs holds considerable promise for facilitating biological control of herbivores. Validation for crop plants is a necessary next step to assess the usefulness of modified volatile emission in integrated pest management. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

The dynamics of Phytophthora infestans populations in the major potato-growing regions of Asia – A review

Asia is now the largest potato-producing region of the world and late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans, is the most important pathogen limiting production. This review documents, in both the historical and the current context, the population structure of P. infestans in the major areas of potato production in Asia. Information from diverse sources regarding the stated or inferred clonal pathogen lineages present, population changes, and possible migration routes of the pathogen into the countries of this region have been reviewed to aid researchers and those involved in managing late blight in Asia. The single most important factor for population change and resultant epidemics in this region has been found to be migration of pathogen genotypes from Europe and the Americas. Reducing the impact of such migration in the future will necessitate putting in place improved phytosanitary measures. To achieve this, data sharing using global networks such as AsiaBlight and EuroBlight is imperative.     

Solvent Retention Capacity (SRC) Testing of Wheat Flour: Principles and Value in Predicting Flour Functionality in Different Wheat‐Based Food Processes and in Wheat Breeding—A Review

Solvent retention capacity (SRC) technology, its history, principles, and applications are reviewed. Originally, SRC testing was created and developed for evaluating soft wheat flour functionality, but it has also been shown to be applicable to evaluating flour functionality for hard wheat products. SRC is a solvation test for flours that is based on the exaggerated swelling behavior of component polymer networks in selected individual diagnostic solvents. SRC provides a measure of solvent compatibility for the three functional polymeric components of flour—gluten, damaged starch, and pentosans—which in turn enables prediction of the functional contribution of each of these flour components to overall flour functionality and resulting finished‐product quality. The pattern of flour SRC values for the four diagnostic SRC solvents (water, dilute aqueous lactic acid, dilute aqueous sodium carbonate, and concentrated aqueous sucrose solutions), rather than any single individual SRC value, has been shown to be critical to various successful end‐use applications. Moreover, a new predictive SRC parameter, the gluten performance index (GPI), defined as GPI = lactic acid/(sodium carbonate + sucrose) SRC values, has been found to be an even better predictor of the overall performance of flour glutenin in the environment of other modulating networks of flour polymers. SRC technology is a unique diagnostic tool for predicting flour functionality, and its applications in soft wheat breeding, milling, and baking are increasing markedly as a consequence of many successful, recently published demonstrations of its extraordinary power and scope.     

Use of memantine in treatment of canine compulsive disorders

Medication plays an important role in the treatment of canine compulsive disorders (CCD). Not all cases can be managed with the current medications, and new pharmacological options are needed. This case series assesses the efficacy of the NMDA receptor blocker memantine as a possible new treatment option for CCD. Thirteen dogs with different manifestations of CCD were enrolled in the study, and data from 11 dogs were available for analysis. A behavioral and clinical history was obtained for each dog. Further medical tests were performed if deemed necessary.The main presenting complaints in the included cases were light/shadow chasing, spinning/circling, and tail chasing. All dogs were either treated with memantine alone or memantine was added to ongoing fluoxetine treatment. All owners of dogs included in the study were provided with a specific behavior modification plan in addition to the pharmacological treatment. Memantine was administered orally twice a day at a starting dose of 0.3-0.5 mg/kg. The dose was increased over time if necessary, and side effects permitting, to a dose not higher than 1 mg/kg. The owners were asked to use a clinical global impression scale (CGI) on a daily basis to assess the severity of their dog's compulsive behaviors. This score was obtained daily for up to 4 consecutive weeks, and average weekly scores were calculated.Seven (64%) of the dogs included in the study showed a reduction in the severity of CCD, with CGI scores reduced by the second week of treatment. Only 1 out of 11 dogs showed a side effect (increased frequency of urination) that was potentially related to the medication. The results suggest that memantine may be an effective, well-tolerated option for the treatment of CCD either as a sole treatment or as an add-on to fluoxetine. Further studies are needed to investigate the efficacy of memantine in the treatment of CCD.