Use of a shrub (Medicago arborea) to control water erosion on steep slopes

Abstract. The effect of Medicago arborea on erosion on a burnt area was studied in experimental plots near Valencia, Spain, between 1989 and 1992. Its growth and development was studied, and its effect was compared with the natural vegetation (matorral) and bare soil. Medicago decreased soil loss by 41.7% and runoff by 25.7% compared with bare soil. However, under natural vegetation soil loss was 27.5% less than under Medicago.     

Toxic peripheral neuropathy with demyelination in Sprague-Dawley rats given CGS 21595--a 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor.

Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were given CGS 21595, a pro-drug that is almost immediately metabolized to CGS 19213, a naphthoquinone that acts as a 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor. The compound was administered by gavage to five groups of Sprague-Dawley rats (group Nos. 1, 5, n = 30; group Nos. 2-4, n = 20) at daily doses of 0, 50, 150, 500, or 1,000 mg/kg for 13 weeks. Rats in the higher dose groups had a reduced weight gain, but significant neurologic signs were not observed. A peripheral neuropathy consisting predominantly of myelin destruction in the spinal nerve roots and sciatic nerves in male rats treated with greater than or equal to 150 mg/kg CGS 21595 and in female rats treated with greater than or equal to 50 mg/kg CGS 21595 for 13 weeks. This lesion was not fully reversible after a recovery period of 4 weeks. Lesions consisted of ballooning of myelin sheaths, infiltration by macrophages, demyelination, and occasional areas of remyelination. Axons were generally preserved, and the brain and spinal cord were not affected. Male and female rats in all treatment groups had cytoplasmic hyaline droplets in the proximal renal tubules. This change was reversible after 4 weeks and was not associated with any other adverse effects on the kidney.     

Cytology of the cerebrospinal fluid in dogs with brain tumors and spinal cord compression. Part 4]

The results of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytology of 9 dogs with brain tumors and 50 dogs with spinal cord compression are discussed. Of the 50 dogs with spinal cord compression, disc protrusion was diagnosed in 31, myelomalacia in 7, discospondylitis in 3 and spinal cord tumors in 9 dogs. In 4 of 9 dogs with brain tumors, tumor cells could be found by the sedimentation apparatus of K?lmel. Pleocytosis existed in 6 patients. In about 70% (29 of 41) of cases with disc protrusion, more than 200 cells could be evaluated in the CSF sediment, consisting mostly of transformed lymphocytes and activated monocytes. As the neurologic deficits increased, the amount of cells and especially cell complexes increased. This was especially evident in cases with myelomalacia of the spinal cord. Only in cases with discospondylitis or spinal cord neoplasia was the CSF cytology unchanged.     

Effects of predator-induced visual and olfactory cues on 0+ perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) foraging behaviour

Abstract –  Foraging juvenile fish with relatively high food demands are usually vulnerable to various aquatic and avian predators. To compromise between foraging and antipredator activity, they need exact and reliable information about current predation risk. Among direct predator-induced cues, visual and olfactory signals are considered to be most important. Food intake rates and prey-size selectivity of laboratory-reared, naive young-of-the-year (YOY) perch, Perca fluviatilis , were studied in experiments with Daphnia magna of two size classes: 2.8 and 1.3 mm as prey and northern pike, Esox lucius , as predator. Neither total intake rate nor prey-size selectivity was modified by predator kairomones alone (water from an aquarium with a pike was pumped into the test aquaria) under daylight conditions. Visual presentation of pike reduced total food intake by perch. This effect was significantly more pronounced (synergistic) when visual and olfactory cues were presented simultaneously to foraging perch. Moreover, the combination of cues caused a significant shift in prey-size selection, expressed as a reduced proportion of large prey in the diet. Our observations demonstrate that predator-induced olfactory cues alone are less important modifiers of the feeding behaviour of naive YOY perch than visual cues under daylight conditions. However, pike odour acts as a modulatory stimulus enhancing the effects of visual cues, which trigger an innate response in perch.     

Relationships between soil and vegetation characteristics of tundra ecosystems and their use to assess soil resilience, degradation, and rehabilitation potentials

Definitions of the notions of soil resilience and degradation of the soil-vegetation cover are suggested. These problems are considered with respect to vulnerable tundra ecosystems. The analysis of available experimental data made it possible to obtain empirical equations characterizing the relationships between the plant productivity and the soil properties. These equations can be used to predict the degree of soil degradation under particular types of technogenic loads and the soil and vegetation potential for the natural restoration or artificial rehabilitation of the soil-vegetation cover in tundra ecosystems. The results obtained can be applied for the development of optimal nature management strategies in the areas of oil and gas fields in the north.     

Validation of the accuracy of household reporting of subsistence fishing catch and effort: a Fijian case study

Abstract  The accuracy of household reporting of subsistence fishing catch and effort and seafood consumption on the Fijian island of Ono-i-Lau was studied. A creel survey was carried out concurrently to validate the household survey data. Reported estimates of fishing participation, effort, and fish consumption were not significantly different to the creel survey estimates. Householder's appeared to overestimate the number of fish from the most abundant family Lethrinidae, and underestimate rarer fish. However, there was no significant difference between the reported and observed contribution of the majority of finfish families and invertebrate taxa. The reported and observed catch rate estimates were not significantly different, indicating that Ono-i-Lau villagers are relatively accurate in their estimation of the number and size of fish from recalled catches.     

Growth of triploid oyster, Crassostrea madrasensis (Preston)

The performance of I and II meiotic triploids and control oysters (Crassostrea madrasensis) reared at Tuticorin Bay was compared to determine if the improvements in the growth of edible oysters were additive to faster growth in triploids. After a grow‐out period of 12 months, both mean whole weights and shell heights were in order I meiotic triploid>II meiotic triploid>control. Mean whole weights and shell height of different oyster lines were all significantly different (P<0.05). On an average, larger morphological traits indicated that growth improvements from triploids were additive, and throughout the study triploid oysters maintained faster growth rate than their diploid siblings. Condition index and adductor muscle diameter of both triploids were higher than those of control.     

Cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest.

Severe heart disease may cause hypotension and hypoperfusion, and ultimately circulation may cease altogether. These two clinical syndromes are cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest, respectively. This review summarizes the causes and clinical features of each, and describes the treatment options available to clinicians managing patients in cardiogenic shock.     

Culture of bovine bone marrow progenitor cells in vitro.

In vitro methylcellulose cultures of bovine bone marrow progenitor cells were developed. An existing technique described for bovine species was compared to a method for human tissue and further adapted during subsequent experiments. Bovine bone marrow samples were collected at the slaughterhouse, and mononuclear cells were separated by gradient centrifugation (1.077 g/ml specific density and 400 g). The use of 3% bovine leucocyte-conditioned medium, produced by stimulation of blood lymphocytes with 4 microg/ml concanavalin A and harvested on day 4 of culture, gave better results than the use of supernatant of the human bladder carcinoma 5637, which is widely used in human bone marrow cultures. However, bovine leucocyte-conditioned medium was not added to erythroid cultures because inhibitory effects were observed. Erythroid colonies were stimulated with erythropoietin, and hemin was added to enable microscopic identification. Reduced oxygen tension was necessary to induce growth of erythroid colonies. This was not necessary for myeloid cultures. In conclusion, the results of this study show that the growth of myeloid and erythroid colonies in methylcellulose-based medium requires different culture conditions, which are different from the culture conditions for human cells.     

Effect of heterogeneous digesta chemical composition on the accuracy of measurements of fiber flow in dairy cows.

The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effect of unrepresentative sampling of digesta particulate matter entering the omasal canal on the accuracy of fiber flow measurements. The experimental design comprised one period, one diet, and three cows as experimental units. Within each cow, the physical and chemical composition of digesta particulate matter was assessed at seven sites within the digestive tract. Three Finnish Ayshire dairy cows, equipped with ruminal and simple-T duodenal cannulas, in extended lactation were offered grass silage twice daily on an ad libitum basis. Digesta samples were collected from the rumen (dorsal and ventral sac), reticulum, omasal canal, omasum, duodenum, and rectum to determine particle size distribution in digesta, chemical composition of various particle size fractions, and distribution of two flow markers (Cr-labeled straw and indigestible NDF [INDF]) among particle size fractions. Digesta samples were wet-sieved using sieves of 2.50, 1.25, 0.630, 0.315, 0.160, and 0.080 mm. Particulate matter was analyzed for OM, NDF, and Cr concentrations, and INDF concentration was determined based on 12-d ruminal incubation. The particle size of digesta entering the omasal canal was larger compared with the omasum or the duodenum, suggesting that omasal canal samples were not representative of particle size distribution truly escaping the rumen. The concentration of potentially digestible NDF (PDNDF) decreased with decreasing particle size. The PDNDF concentration of particulate matter retained on all sieves was greatest in the rumen and gradually decreased along the digestive tract. From the reticulorumen to the omasum, the decrease was associated with decreased particle size, reflecting selective passage of particulate matter. In contrast, from the omasum to the duodenum and rectum, the PDNDF concentration decreased within each particle size fraction without effect on particle size, indicating a nonselective passage of particulate matter between these sites. Variation between particle size fractions was slightly greater for Cr concentration than for INDF concentration, indicating that unrepresentative sampling of particulate matter had a greater effect on Cr concentration compared with that of INDF. Owing to unrepresentative sampling, NDF entering the omasal canal was overestimated by 5% using INDF and underestimated by 7% using Cr as a particle phase marker. Of total NDF digestibility, proportionally 0.90, 0.07, and 0.03 occurred in the reticulorumen, omasum, and intestines, respectively. The current results indicate that, despite unrepresentative sampling of digesta particulate matter entering the omasal canal, the errors in determined NDF flow were small. The omasum may have a greater role in postruminal NDF digestion than the intestines.