Absorption, translocation and allocation of glyphosate in resistant and susceptible Chilean biotypes of Lolium multiflorum

Glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine] is currently the most important non-selective, wide-spectrum herbicide used worldwide. Introduced in 1974, glyphosate was initially a non-crop herbicide and plantation crop herbicide, although it is now widely used in no-till crop production and, more recently, for weed control in herbicide-resistant transgenic crops, such as maize, soybean and cotton ( Baylis 2000 ; Caseley & Copping 2000 ). Despite its widespread and long-term use, no case of evolved resistance to glyphosate was documented until 1996 ( Pratley et al . 1996 ). Since then, a few other cases have been reported. To date, evolved resistance to glyphosate has been identified and documented in Lollium rigidum in Australia ( Powles et al . 1998 ; Pratley et al . 1999 ), Eleusine indica in Malaysia ( Lee & Ngim 2000 ), and L. rigidum in South Africa and California (USA), and Conyzia canadensis in Delawere (USA) ( Van Gessel 2001 ). Also, accessions of L. rigidum from South Africa and California have been reported to resist glyphosate ( Heap 2001 ). In Chile, the first case of glyphosate-resistance in Lolium multiflorum was reported in 1999 and documented in 2003 ( Pérez & Kogan 2003 ). This case was the result of an intensive selection pressure caused by the continuous applications of glyphosate in fruit orchards over 8–10 years. The present study is a first approach to elucidating the mechanism involved in the resistance of one biotype of L. multiflorum selected in Chilean orchards.     

Thermal biology and locomotor performance in Phymaturus calcogaster: are Patagonian lizards vulnerable to climate change?

Behavioral and physiological traits of ectotherms are especially sensitive to fluctuations of environmental temperature. In particular, niche-specialist lizards are dependent on their physiological plasticity to adjust to changing environmental conditions. Lizards of the genus Phymaturus are viviparous, mainly herbivorous, and inhabit only rock promontories in the steppe environments of Patagonia and the Andes. Herein, we examine the vulnerability of the southernmost Phymaturus species to global warming: the endemic Phymaturus calcogaster, which lives in a mesic environment in eastern Patagonia. We studied body temperatures in the field (T_b), preferred body temperatures in a thermogradient (T_pref), the operative (T_e) and environmental temperatures, and the dependence of running performance on body temperature. P. calcogaster had a mean T_b (27.04°C) and a mean T_e (31.15°C) both lower than their preferred temperature (T_pref = 36.61°C) and the optimal temperature for running performance (T_o = 37.13°C). Lizard activity seems to be restraint during the early afternoon due high environmental temperatures. However, both, the high safety margin and warming tolerance suggest that the expected increase in environmental temperatures due to global warming (IPCC report in 2018) would not threaten, but indeed enhance locomotor performance in this population.     

Socio-spatial organization reveals paternity and low kinship in the Honduran white bat (Ectophylla alba) in Costa Rica

Ectophylla alba is a tent-making bat that roosts in mixed-sex clusters comprising adults and offspring. Our goal was to determine the genetic identity of individuals belonging to different roosting groups. We tested the hypothesis of kin selection as a major force structuring group composition. We used 9 microsatellites designed for E. alba to determine the genetic identity and probability of parentage of individuals. We analyzed parentage and kinship using the software ML-Relate, GenAIEx, and Cervus. The obtained relationship probabilities (0.5) revealed a clear maternal relationship between female adults and offspring with allele compatibility, and at least 5 relationships between male adults and pups. We found a low degree of relatedness within roosting groups. Between roosting groups at different sites, the mean probability of a half-sibling relationship ranged from 0.214 to 0.244 and, for full-sibling relationship, from 0.383 to 0.553. Genetically, adult individuals were poorly related within clusters, and kinship as an evolutionary force could not explain group membership.     

Diel differences in blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) dive behavior increase nighttime risk of ship strikes in northern Chilean Patagonia

The northern Chilean Patagonia region is a key feeding ground and a nursing habitat in the southern hemisphere for blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus). From 2014 to 2019, during 6 separate research cruises, the dive behavior of 28 individual blue whales was investigated using bio-logging tags (DTAGs), generating ≈190 h of data. Whales dove to significantly greater depths during the day compared to nighttime (day: 32.6 ± 18.7 m; night: 6.2 ± 2.7 m; P < 0.01). During the night, most time was spent close to the surface (86% ± 9.4%; P < 0.01) and at depths of less than 12 m. From 2016 to 2019, active acoustics (scientific echosounders) were used to record prey (euphausiids) density and distribution simultaneously with whale diving data. Tagged whales appeared to perform dives relative to the vertical migration of prey during the day. The association between diurnal prey migration and shallow nighttime dive behavior suggests that blue whales are at increased risk of ship collisions during periods of darkness since the estimated maximum ship draft of vessels operating in the region is also ≈12 m. In recent decades, northern Chilean Patagonia has seen a large increase in marine traffic due to a boom in salmon aquaculture and the passenger ship industry. Vessel strike risks for large whales are likely underestimated in this region. Results reported in this study may be valuable for policy and mitigation decisions regarding conservation of the endangered blue whale.     

Unraveling the morphological patterns of a subantarctic eelpout: a geometric morphometric approach

Phenotypic variation in organisms depends on the genotype and the environmental constraints of the habitat that they exploit. Therefore, for marine species inhabiting contrasting aquatic conditions, it is expected to find covariation between the shape and its spatial distribution. We studied the morphology of the head and cephalic sensory canals of the eelpout Austrolycus depressiceps (4.5–22.5 cm TL) across its latitudinal distribution in South Pacific (45°S–55°S). Geometric morphometric analyses show that the shape varied from individuals with larger snout and an extended suborbital canal to individuals with shorter snouts and frontally compressed suborbital canal. There was size variation across the sampled populations, but that size does not have a clear latitudinal gradient. Only 8% of the shape variation relates to this size variation (allometry), represented by a decrease in the relative size of the eye, and a depression of the posterior margin of the head. There were spatial differences in the shape of the head, but these differences were probably caused by allometric effects. Additionally, 2 of the canals of the cephalic lateralis pores and the head shape showed modularity in its development. This study shows that the morphology of marine fish with a shallow distribution varies across distances of hundreds of kilometers (i.e., phenotypic modulation).     

Remediation of amide pesticide-polluted soils by combined solarization and ozonation treatment

Agriculture has a close relationship with nature, but it can also be the source of negative and permanent environmental effects. The use of pesticides in modern agriculture is a common practice, but their side effects on the environment cannot be disregarded. In this study, we evaluated a combination of solarization and ozonation techniques for the elimination of six amide pesticides (boscalid, chlorantraniliprole, cyflufenamid, fluopyram, napropamide, and propyzamide) in soil. Initial experiments were performed with four different soils to assess the efficiency of this methodology at different soil temperatures and ozone dosages under laboratory conditions, and then a greenhouse pot experiment was conducted under controlled conditions during summer. Fifty days after the onset of the experiments, higher degradation percentages of amide pesticides were observed in ozonized soils than in other treated soils, particularly when ozone was applied at 10 cm soil depth. The results show that the utilization of ozonation, along with solarization, represents a valid method for degrading residues of the studied pesticides and suggest that this combined technology may be a promising tool for remediating pesticide-polluted soils.     

An Analysis of Urban Size and Territorial Location Effects on Employment Probabilities: The Spanish Case

The probability of being employed varies depending on several factors. Many of these are related to personal characteristics such as educational level, age, gender, or number and age of children. Nevertheless, other factors may be relevant, in particular the geographical environment. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the relevance of urban size and the position of each territory (in terms of its distance from large metropolises) for the probability of being employed in the Spanish economy. Following the set of economic regions suggested by Polése, Shearmur and Rubiera (2007 ), we try to explain the spatial patterns of employment distribution. Our results show some relevant differences between these alternative economic areas. We find that municipalities with similar sizes and located at a similar distance from a metropolis but belonging to different Autonomous Communities or provinces share similar employability patterns.     

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN RENAL HYPOECHOIC SUBCAPSULAR THICKENING AND LYMPHOSARCOMA IN CATS

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between renal hypoechoic subcapsular thickening observed ultrasonographically and the presence of renal lymphosarcoma in cats. The ultrasonography database was retrospectively searched for cats that underwent ultrasound examination and ultrasound guided needle renal aspirate, renal biopsy, or necropsy. One radiologist unaware of the final diagnosis evaluated the images for the presence of hypoechoic subcapsular thickening and other abnormal findings. Fifty-four cats met the inclusion criteria. Hypoechoic subcapsular thickening was found in 21 cats of which 17 had lymphosarcoma; the remaining four cats had a different diagnosis. Eleven out of 33 cats without hypoechoic subcapsular thickening were positive for lymphosarcoma, and the rest had a different diagnosis. There was a significant association between hypoechoic subcapsular thickening and renal lymphosarcoma (P = 0.001). The positive predictive value of hypoechoic subcapsular thickening for lymphosarcoma was 80.9% and the negative predictive value was 66.7%. The sensitivity and specificity of hypoechoic subcapsular thickening for the diagnosis of renal lymphosarcoma were 60.7% and 84.6%, respectively. The results of this study indicate that the presence of hypoechoic subcapsular thickening in feline kidneys is associated with renal lymphosarcoma.     

Comparative study of the characteristics of the carcass and the meat of the Chato Murciano pig and its cross with Iberian pig, reared indoors

The Chato Murciano pig is a breed catalogued as a Special Protection breed in danger of extinction. At present it is commonly reared in an intensive system. We have studied the mineral composition and other characteristics of its carcass and meat. Samples from the Musculus longissimus lumborum were taken from a total number of 43 animals, divided into two groups, Chato Murciano and Chato Murciano crossed with Iberian, reared in a conventional indoor system. The resulting meat of the Chato Murciano pig and its cross with Iberian was especially rich in iron and copper, rich in phosphorus, and marginally poor in calcium and sodium. The evolution of the pH of the carcass was that of pigs which do not produce PSE (pale, soft and exudative) meat. Some relevant positive correlation coefficients between minerals (P ≤ 0.05) have been found.     

Morphological variation in the short-tailed fruit bat (Carollia) in Ecuador,with comments on the practical and philosophical aspects of boundaries among species

The mechanisms for the morphological delimitation of species in Carollia remain poorly understood. This is the first study to assess variation in size and shape from strictly geometric terms. Both factors are assessed by statistical perspectives of distribution, overlap and relative distances. Despite its overlap, the size of the skull seems to be the most influential character for the discrimination of species, with shape playing a much smaller role. The smallest species seems to be the most distinct in shape, not only in terms of distance among centroids in morphometric space, but also in the overall trend and direction of variation. Contrary to previous studies, sexual dimorphism is not given by size but by distinct shapes of the skull. Characters such as the shape of the maxilla, previously described qualitatively as discrete with sharp boundaries, appear to be truly continuous with fuzzy borders among species. Because morphometric space is a gamut of continuous variation and overlap, the taxonomic error rate for size characters seems to be substantial for the medium-sized species (Carollia brevicauda Schinz, 1821), with approximately 30–40% of individuals erroneously assigned to a different species after a jackknifed discriminant function. This taxonomic error is higher for shape characters. Morphological, systematic and ecological consequences of the observed patterns of shape and size variation are commented within the context of previously proposed arguments and hypotheses.