Aerosol effect on cloud droplet size monitored from satellite

Aerosol concentration and cloud droplet radii derived from space-borne measurements are used to explore the effect of aerosols on cloud microphysics. Cloud droplet size is found to be largest (14 micrometers) over remote tropical oceans and smallest (6 micrometers) over highly polluted continental areas. Small droplets are also present in clouds downwind of continents. By using estimates of droplet radii coupled with aerosol load, a statistical mean relationship is derived. The cloud droplet size appears to be better correlated with an aerosol index that is representative of the aerosol column number under some assumptions than with the aerosol optical thickness. This study reveals that the effect of aerosols on cloud microphysics is significant and occurs on a global scale.     

Role of predicted metalloprotease motif of Jab1/Csn5 in cleavage of Nedd8 from Cul1

COP9 signalosome (CSN) cleaves the ubiquitin-like protein Nedd8 from the Cul1 subunit of SCF ubiquitin ligases. The Jab1/MPN domain metalloenzyme (JAMM) motif in the Jab1/Csn5 subunit was found to underlie CSN's Nedd8 isopeptidase activity. JAMM is found in proteins from archaea, bacteria, and eukaryotes, including the Rpn11 subunit of the 26S proteasome. Metal chelators and point mutations within JAMM abolished CSN-dependent cleavage of Nedd8 from Cul1, yet had little effect on CSN complex assembly. Optimal SCF activity in yeast and both viability and proper photoreceptor cell (R cell) development in Drosophila melanogaster required an intact Csn5 JAMM domain. We propose that JAMM isopeptidases play important roles in a variety of physiological pathways.     

Elasmobranch fishing and trade in Sarawak,Malaysia, with implications for management

1. Many shark and ray (elasmobranch) species are threatened with extinction, due to overfishing and commercial trade
2. Sarawak is situated in Malaysian Borneo in the Coral Triangle: a global priority region for elasmobranch conservation. Malaysia is the world’s eighth largest elasmobranch fishing nation, and Sarawak is one of Malaysia’s largest fishing states, yet there are limited species-specific data on catch and trade of elasmobranchs to support conservation and fisheries management decisions.
3. This study presents landing site and market survey data, collected in Sarawak from January 2017 to December 2019. Geographical, temporal and operational trends in volumes of catch and trade are explored; the total volume, value and species composition of Sarawak's local elasmobranch markets is estimated; and simple size-based indicators are used to assess the sustainability of elasmobranch utilization for several conservation-priority and frequently traded species, including Critically Endangered and CITES-listed scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini) and bottlenose wedgefish (Rhynchobatus australiae).
4. The results conservatively estimate that >26,500 elasmobranchs (~90,000 kg) are locally traded in Sarawak annually, worth ~US$125,000 per year at the market level.
5. Trade is dominated by small to medium-sized coastal requiem sharks (Carcharhinidae) and stingrays (Dasyatidae), with endangered and CITES-listed species making up 26% and 32% of total landings and trade, respectively.
6. High proportions of immature individuals were recorded, with evidence of overfishing for several species, based on simple size-based indicators.
7. Several options are outlined for improving management of elasmobranch fishing and trade in the future, including spatio-temporal closures and live release protocols, which could help to reduce the mortality of critically endangered species and implement CITES. Such measures could have large conservation impacts with limited socio-economic cost, since these species make up <5% of the total value of the elasmobranch market. However, management plans need to be co-designed with full participation of affected coastal communities in order to be ethical and effective.

     

Chlorophyll fluorescence,root growth potential,and stomatal conductance as estimates of field performance potential in conifer seedlings

After cold storage, conifer seedlings in British Columbia are tested for field growth potential before planting. We compared three tests of performance potential using container-grown seedlings of Douglas-fir, interior spruce, lodgepole pine, and western larch (14 seedlots total). On several autumn dates, seedlings were lifted and stored at −2°C. The following spring we tested stored seedlings for root growth potential (RGP), chlorophyll fluorescence (CF), and stomatal conductance (Gs), and then planted seedlings in nursery beds. We assessed survival and shoot dry weight (SDW) after one growing season. Performance test results were significantly correlated with each other (r ≥ 0.47) but showed different relationships with field performance, which varied with lift date. The best performance predictor was the sum of CF and RGP (R ² = 0.79 for 78 seedlot by lift-date combinations), which minimized the risk of planting poor seedlings and not planting good seedlings. A sum of 83 for CF (Fv/Fm %) and RGP (new roots >1 cm) provided a threshold above which survival and growth were good. For evergreen conifers, Gs was a good performance predictor, but required extra time to measure leaf area. We recommend a combination of CF and RGP to assess vigor of shoot and root systems before planting. Wolfgang D. Binder––Scientist Emeritus.     

Greenhouse trials for the control of aphids on cut-roses with the chalcidAphelinus abdominalis Dalm. (Aphelinidae,Hymen.)

For the control of the aphid speciesMacrosiphum euphorbiae, an important aphid species on greenhouse cut roses in Austria, with the parasitoidAphelinus abdominalis, trials were carried out in the rose varieties Frisco, Kardinal and Vivaldi at a commercial producer on a greenhouse area of 630 to 700m². Both the inundative release of 9,6A. abdominalis/m² in total and the release of 2,2A. abdominalis/m² in total, within an open rearing system were investigated and the percentage of infested rose shoots in combination with the degree of infestation were evaluated. The results showed that an effective reduction of present or newly developing aphid populations was possible for several weeks under the conditions of a commercial greenhouse production. The amount of insecticides used against aphids decreased by up to 75% in comparison to greenhouses were only chemical pest control was carried out. The suitability of the different introduction methods ofA. abdominalis for the control of aphids on greenhouse cut roses is discussed.     

Hydrolysis of the wild oat herbicides flamprop-methyl,flamprop-ethyl,flamprop-isopropyl and benzoylprop-ethyl

Kinetic measurements of the hydrolysis rates of flamprop-methyl, flamprop-ethyl,^a flamprop-isopropyl and benzoylprop-ethyl have been carried out and the hydrolysis products analysed. The similarity of the data to that obtained from the hydrolysis of alkyl acetates show that these esters are hydrolysed by bimolecular acyl bond fission in both acidic and basic media. No buffer or salt effects on the rates were observed. The hydroxyl ion rates were approximately 10000 times faster than the protoncatalysed rates, so that optimum stability is found in solutions of pH 4. Equations are given to calculate hydrolysis rates when the pH exceeds 4 at ambient temperatures.     

Influence of the soil composition on the effects of benzoxazinoid allelochemicals on two soil nontarget organisms

Seven selected benzoxazinoid allelochemicals and synthetic reference compounds were tested for their lethal and sublethal effects in different field soils and standard soil on Folsomia candida and Poecilus cupreus by applying standard laboratory test procedures. The higher microbial activity in the field soils was most probably responsible for the reduced effects of test compounds on F. candida in the majority of all tests, whereas the higher organic carbon content in field soils was likely the reason for the reduced effects of test substances on P. cupreus.     

Clinical, histological and immunohistochemical study of feline viral plaques and bowenoid in situ carcinomas

Feline viral plaques (FVP) induced by papillomavirus (PV) are often hyperpigmented and flat warts. The fact that up to 47% of bowenoid in situ carcinomas (BISC), which also usually occur in the form of hyperpigmented plaques, are positive for PV antigen in immunochemistry suggests that BISC could evolve from FVP. The relationship between the presence of PV antigens and the clinical and histological features of 26 cases of feline dermatoses (clinically described as pigmented plaques and with histological diagnosis of FVP and/or BISC) was therefore determined. The cases were classified into one of the three following groups: FVP, FVP + BISC or BISC. Immunohistological detection of papillomavirus group-specific antigen was performed using a polyclonal rabbit antibovine papillomavirus antiserum. Of the seven cases in the FVP group, six were deemed positive by immunohistology as were all 10 cats in the FVP + BISC group. On the other hand, only one of the nine BISC cats was positive. The presence of both FVP and BISC lesions in some cats and the high detection rate of PV antigens in the FVP and FVP + BISC groups suggest that both conditions might have the same viral cause and that some BISC may evolve from FVP. The low rate of viral antigen detection in the BISC group indicates another cause or a loss of viral replication during the cancerogenesis.     

A call for stakeholders to boost integrated pest management in Europe: a vision based on the three-year European research area network project

Recent years have seen an increasing effort towards the development and adoption of sustainable crop protection strategies, especially in the EU. Several policy frameworks have been put in place including the EU framework Directive (128/EC/2009) on the sustainable use of pesticides. Consequently, all EU Member States developed National Action Plans to ensure the implementation of the general principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) by all professional pesticide users starting from January 1, 2014. On the other hand, there are also difficulties related to the adoption of IPM in Europe and worldwide which seek for a better understanding of factors hindering IPM uptake. This paper presents the potential role that each actor of the food chain may have – called here stakeholders – to ensure a higher level IPM adoption in Europe. The information reported here is a summary based on several discussions held within a three-year European Research Area Network project on Coordinated Integrated Pest Management (ERA-Net C-IPM; http://c-ipm.org/).