Caffeic and chlorogenic acids in Ilex paraguariensis extracts are the main inhibitors of AGE generation by methylglyoxal in model proteins

The present study concentrates on the evaluation of the anti-glycation effect of some bioactive substances present in yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis): 5-caffeoylquinic acid, caffeic acid and a sapogenin (oleanolic acid). Bovine serum albumin and histones were incubated in the presence of methylglyoxal with or without the addition of 5-caffeoylquinic acid, caffeic acid and oleanolic acid. After the incubation period, advanced glycation end product (AGE) fluorescence spectra were performed and protein structural changes were evaluated by Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis. Chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid are the main substances responsible for the anti-glycation effect of maté tea.     

Output of gastrointestinal nematode eggs in the feces of captive gazelles (Gazella dama mhorr, Gazella cuvieri and Gazella dorcas neglecta) in a semiarid region of southeastern Spain.

Feces from 62 captive African gazelles, including Mhorr gazelles (Gazella dama mhorr), Cuvier's gazelles (Gazella cuvieri), and Dorcas gazelles (Gazella dorcas neglecta), were examined over the course of a year to quantitate nematode egg excretion patterns. Strongyloides sp. eggs appeared only in G. dama during the rainy season. Trichostrongylidae egg excretion showed a marked seasonal variation, with very low levels during the dry and hot period, a finding that is probably attributable to hypobiosis of the predominant species (Camelostrongylus mentulatus). Eggs of the Nematodirus sp., predominantly Nematodirus spathiger, were excreted throughout the year. No seasonal pattern was observed in Trichuris sp. egg excretion.     

Exotic vs. native plant dominance over 20 years of old-field succession on set-aside farmland in Argentina

Exotic plants are major constituents of species pools in modern landscapes. Managing succession for restoration of degraded ecosystems thus requires an understanding of novel trajectories unfolding in mixed, native/exotic plant assemblages. We examined trends in native and exotic species abundance over 20 years of old-field succession on set-aside farmland in the Inland Pampa, Argentina. Changes in plant cover and species richness were annually monitored on adjacent permanent plots established in different years (1978-1989). Both native and exotic species occurred in early, mid and late successional stages, exhibiting similar life-form replacement patterns, from annual forbs, through annual to perennial grasses. Exotic plant richness declined with plot age. Yet, four exotic grasses remained dominant through succession (50-70% cover), with plots initiated in later years showing increased exotic cover. While native perennial grasses occurred from the onset of succession, increasing from 5 to 12 spp/plot, they only showed transient peaks below 30% cover. Cluster analysis of 113 plot-year samples identified alternative community states for early, mid and late successional stages, which were connected by a complex network of interweaving dynamic pathways. Depending on the plot, vegetation dynamics comprised directional temporal trajectories as well as nondirectional pathways, and arrested community states dominated by exotic grasses. Our results illustrate the overwhelming role of exotic species in modern old-field succession, and their potential to hinder recovery of native communities on former agricultural land. Community states with novel, native/exotic plant mixtures could be managed to deliver specific ecosystem services (e.g. forage production, carbon sequestration). However, meeting conservation goals may require active restoration measures, including exotic plant removals and native grass seeding.     

Intraguild predation between an exotic and a native coccinellid in Argentina: the role of prey density

Journal of Pest Science - Harmonia axyridis Pallas is a generalist predator native to Asia. It has been released both for classical and neoclassical biological control programs worldwide. Its...     

Numerical investigation of the influence of texture,surface drip emitter discharge rate and initial soil moisture condition on wetting pattern size

Knowledge of the dimensions of the wetted zone formed under point source surface drip irrigation is essential to the design of cost-effective and efficient irrigation systems. Numerical simulations were carried out with Hydrus-2D/3D to investigate the influence of emitter discharge rates and initial soil moisture conditions on the wetting pattern dimensions of a series of soils with varying textures. Numerical simulations of simple 2D soil tank irrigation experiments were also conducted on two soil types. Based on the simulation results, the parameters of the Schwartzman and Zur model were refined. The results showed a small influence of discharge rates >1 L h^?1 on the size of the wetting pattern. The only major difference was observed for the rates lower than 0.5 L h^?1, where the largest wetting patterns were observed. Higher initial soil water content caused larger wetting pattern sizes in all directions. When compared to the 2D tank experimental results, Hydrus-2D/3D predicted the wetting pattern dimensions with a relatively small root mean square error not exceeding 2.6 cm. The numerical data obtained for a wide range of textures provided the opportunity to refine the parameters of the Schwartzman and Zur model, which, when compared to experimental data from the literature, provided good estimates of wetting pattern dimensions. This suggests that this simple model, for which the only soil parameter required is the saturated hydraulic conductivity, could provide a valuable and practical tool for irrigation design.     

A Genome-Wide Association Study for Morphometric Traits in Quarter Horse

A genome-wide association study for morphometric traits was conducted in 184 Quarter Horses, 120 from a racing population, and 64 from a cutting population, which were genotyped using the Illumina EquineSNP50 chip. Association analysis was performed with 42,058 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (after quality control) using Qxpak5 software. The following traits were measured: weight (W), rump length (RL), and body length (BL). These morphometric traits are important for the best performance in race and cutting events. For weight, three SNPs associated (P < .0001) were found on chromosomes (Equus caballus autosomes [ECA]) 2 and 3. For rump length, eight SNPs associated (P < .0001) were found on ECA 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 21, and 26. On ECA 3 and ECA 8, two SNPs were associated (P < .0001) with body length. So, a total of 13 important chromosomal regions were identified with Q values of 0.53 (SNPs for W), 0.40 (SNPs for RL), and 0.99 (SNPs for BL). Positional and functional candidate genes emerging from this study were WWOX and AAVPR1A. Further studies are required to confirm these associations in other populations.     

Recombinant Strain A/HK/Otar/6:2/2010 (H3N8) for Development of a Live Intranasal Equine Influenza Vaccine

Recombinant cold-adapted strain A/HK/Otar/6:2/2010 (H3N8) constructed by the method of classic genetic reassortment, inherited the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase genes from the epizootic A/equine/Otar/764/2007 (Н3N8) virus and genes of nonglycosylated proteins from attenuation donor A/Hong Kong/1/68/162/35 (H3N2). The resulted virus was of cold-adapted (efficient growth at 25°C) and temperature-sensitive (restricted replication at 39°C) phenotype. Like the parental virus of subtype H3N2, the resulted reassortant was attenuated, with limited replication in lungs of mice (1.75 lgEID₅₀/mL) versus replication in turbinate (2.5 lgEID₅₀/mL). Intranasal immunization of mice with A/HK/Otar/6:2/2010 (H3N8) reassortant did not induce animal weight reduction in contrast to epizootic A/equine/Otar/764/2007 (Н3N8) virus.     

Kinematic evidence for an old stellar halo in the Large Magellanic Cloud

The oldest and most metal-poor Milky Way stars form a kinematically hot halo, which motivates the two major formation scenarios for our galaxy: extended hierarchical accretion and rapid collapse. RR Lyrae stars are excellent tracers of old and metal-poor populations. We measured the kinematics of 43 RR Lyrae stars in the inner regions of the nearby Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) galaxy. The velocity dispersion equals 53 +/- 10 kilometers per second, which indicates that a kinematically hot metal-poor old halo also exists in the LMC. This result suggests that our galaxy and smaller late-type galaxies such as the LMC have similar early formation histories.