From killer to carer: steroid hormones and paternal behaviour

Mammalian parental investment (i.e. care of descendant offspring) is largely biased towards maternal contributions due to the specific feeding needs of mammalian offspring; however, varying degrees of paternal investment have been reported in about 10% of all mammalian species. Within the order Carnivora, paternal contribution to rearing offspring is particularly high: an estimated 32% of all studied carnivore species exhibit direct paternal care. Despite the prominence of paternal investment in carnivores, the endocrine basis of this behaviour is not well understood. This review examines the current – highly constrained – state of knowledge about the endocrine basis of carnivore paternal investment. We attempt to link changes in androgen and glucocorticoid levels with variation in direct and indirect paternal care behaviour making specific predictions regarding the way forward. Well-studied species, such as bat-eared foxes (Otocyon megalotis), dwarf mongoose (Helogale parvula) and meerkats (Suricata suricatta), where social dynamics are relatively well understood, can act as ideal model systems through which we may further investigate the endocrine basis of paternal investment in carnivores.     

Grapefruit and oroblanco enhance hepatic detoxification enzymes in rats: possible role in protection against chemical carcinogenesis

Citrus fruits are considered to be functional foods that promote good health. This study was carried out to assess the effect of oroblanco and grapefruit consumption on hepatic detoxification enzymes. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were provided with either regular drinking water (control) or experimental treatments of oroblanco juice, grapefruit juice, or a sugar mix for 6 weeks. After 1 week of treatment, half the animals in each group were injected with the procarcinogen 1,2-dimethylhydrazine. Grapefruit juice significantly increased activity and expression of the hepatic phase I enzyme, cytochrome P450 CYP1A1, with a marked trend toward enhanced NAD(P)H:quinone reductase (QR) activity. Oroblanco juice significantly increased glutathione S-transferase phase II enzyme activity along with CYP1A1 expression and a notable trend toward increased activity of both CYP1A1 and QR. These results suggest that these citrus fruits are bifunctional inducers, modulating both phase I and phase II drug-metabolizing enzymes to enhance hepatic detoxification.     

The importance of pH in food selection by the tobacco whitefly,Bemisia tabaci

The tobacco whitefly,Bemisia tabaci Gennadius, was found to differentiate between pH values at the leyel of 0.25. It had a clear preference for media with pH values of 6.0 to 7.25 offeredin vitro, in both choice and no-choice situations, when “resting whiteflies” or survival was measured. The whiteflies showed a clear preference for a sucrose concentration of 15%. The addition of 10% sucrose to buffers at various pH values did not change the pattern of their pH preference. Inin vivo experiments whiteflies preferred old cotton leaves (120 days) to younger leaves (60 days). The pH of old leaves was 6.8 while that of young leaves was 5.9. These results may explain the fact that whiteflies attacked cotton plants in commercial fields only late in the season, when the pH values of the cotton leaves exceeded pH 6.     

Natural compounds derived from foods modulate nitric oxide production and oxidative status in epithelial lung cells

The effects of natural antioxidants on nitric oxide (NO) modulation and oxidative status were determined in rat epithelial lung cells (L-2). Cells were stimulated with cytokines and treated with one of the following: resveratrol, soybean saponin group B (SSB), quercetin, genistein, olive leaf polyphenol concentrate (OLPC), or N-acetyl-L-cystein (NAC). NAC had no effect on NO levels, whereas resveratrol and OLPC were found to be effective in reducing nitrite levels, modifying iNOS mRNA, and decreasing free radical production. OLPC affected the levels of MnSOD while resveratrol did not, indicating that they act via different pathways. Quercetin and genistein reduced nitrite levels without affecting iNOS levels, presumably by scavenging NO. SSB did not affect nitrite levels, but exposure did reduce iNOS mRNA expression and protein levels, possibly due to antioxidant activity. Naturally occurring antioxidants, in particular resveratrol and OLPC, may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.     

Effect of phosphorus concentration in irrigation water on the development of jojoba cuttings

The effect of different phosphorus (P) levels in irrigation water on root and shoot development and elemental composition was studied in plantlets of two clones of jojoba, 64 and 879–154. High P in the irrigation water inhibited root development in both clones but to a greater degree for clone 879–154. Low P resulted in a decrease in magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) content in the leaves, but had no effect on shoot growth or chlorophyll concentration.     

Long-term effect of irrigation with saline water on the development and productivity of jojoba clones

Summary

Three commercial clones of jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) (64, Q-106 and 879–154) were planted in June 1991 at the Ramat Negev Experimental Station (Israel) and fertigated with water at three salinity levels, 1.2, 3.4 or 6.2 dS m^?1. The effects of salinity over three and a half years on key metabolic activities, on plant growth and development, on flowering characteristics, and on yield were studied. Salinity barely inhibited the rate of net photosynthesis, although it did reduce stomatal conductivity by about 50%. Salinity also affected the water status of the plants by reducing water potential. Growth of the plants was not greatly affected by salinity. It was found that jojoba plants accumulate sodium and chloride ions in their leaves and use a strategy typical of many halophytes to cope with the salinity. The effect of salinity on flower development was also studied, since the vitality of flowers is a key factor in obtaining seeds. Salinity did not affect the timing of the breaking of flower bud dormancy in the 1992-93 season, although it did delay flower bud growth in clones Q-106 and 64. Salinity brought forward the flowering of clone 879–154 by about a fortnight in the 1993-94 season, but did not affect the flowering pattern of the other clones. Fruit set was not inhibited by salinity in the 1994 or 1995 season, and no significant effects were found on yield and wax content in 1994 season, but yield was reduced by salinity in the 1995 season.     

Spatial and temporal variation in the use of supplementary food in an obligate termite specialist,the bat-eared fox

The bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis) is considered a termite specialist. However, studies of its diet have been limited to indirect methods, such as scat and stomach content analyses, resulting in intraspecific dietary variations due in part to methodological differences. Because diet plays a central role in the social dynamics of these canids, we hereby contribute further to our knowledge about their dietary habits. We present 2-year data of direct observations of foraging bouts of 19 habituated bat-eared foxes in the kalahari desert of South Africa, as well as data on seasonal variation in invertebrate prey communities obtained through pitfall and sweep net trapping. Despite showing a diet breadth reflective of a specialised forager across all seasons, foxes exhibited substantial seasonal variation in diet breadth with a broader range of food categories utilised in summer compared to the other seasons. Supplementary food categories appear to not have been utilised opportunistically, but it is unclear what drove the preference for some food categories over others. A literature review indicated strong effects of local conditions on the utilisation of supplementary food across southern Africa. Our data support bat-eared foxes as obligate termite specialists but highlight that they appear to have the ability to show dietary flexibility based on both temporal and spatial variations in food abundance.     

Small–Scale Entrepreneurship and Access to Capital in Peripheral Locations: An Empirical Analysis

This paper presents an analysis of a public assistance program for small–scale entrepreneurship in peripheral areas. Public assistance compensates for market inefficiencies where the decision rules of financial institutions discriminate against otherwise viable small firms in capital markets. Lending institutions perceive high risk in providing debt capital when little information is present. Using empirical data from Israel, the determinants of this risk are estimated and the role of location in creating this information asymmetry is stressed. These results empirically establish that (1) location matters in determining the risk profile of the firm, (2) locationally targeted programs can reduce the information asymmetries that make peripheral firms unattractive to lenders, and (3) these programs can also generate positive welfare effects. Finally, there is speculation on the potential role of ICT (information and communications technology) in increasing the visibility of small firms in remote locations and creating a more symmetrical flow of information.     

On the role of algae in larviculture of Macrobrachium rosenbergii

The possible roles of algae (i.e. “green water”) in facilitating Macrobrachium rosenbergii larviculture have been investigated.Larvae were incubated with ¹⁴C uniformly labeled Tetraselmis sp. and Phaeodactylum sp. No counts were incorporated by the larvae indicating that negligible quantities of algal cell material are ingested directly. In contrast, Artemia nauplii assimilated and digested appreciable quantities of algae under similar conditions.The algae rapidly removed ammonia that had been added to the larviculture medium even starting at levels toxic to the larvae (0.6 ppm). However, very high densities of Artemia (20/ml) caused ammonia accumulation even in the presence of the algae due to their own increased metabolic rate when fed upon algae and due to the reduced number of assimilating algae. Removal of the Artemia under these conditions was followed by rapid disappearance of the ammonia.The beneficial effects of Tilapia as a larviculture associate, reported elsewhere, was observed only in the presence of algae. Larval mortality actually increased in water that had supported the growth of Tilapia if algae were not present.It is concluded that algae facilitate the growth of Macrobrachium larvae only indirectly by removing toxic material, notably ammonia, from the medium. Under conditions where the Artemia are grown before contact with the Macrobrachium larvae and where other means of ammonia removal are employed, larval growth and development are not affected by the presence of algae and the latter can be dispensed with.