Termite Mounds as Nutrient–Rich Food Patches for Elephants

This study compared elephant use of woody vegetation on termite mounds with surrounding woodlands in western Zimbabwe. Twelve sites consisting of paired plots on termite mounds and in woodlands were selected. At each site, soil and vegetation samples (leaf and stem) were collected for chemical analysis. Both soil and plant samples were analyzed for calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and phosphorus, and plant samples were also analyzed for crude protein concentration. Two indices of elephant feeding damage were computed: the median number of stems and branches removed per plant, and the mass of stems and branches removed by elephants per unit area. Termite mound soils had higher concentrations of all elements tested than soils from woodlands, and termite mounds differed from woodland plots in terms of plant species composition. Trees growing on termite mounds had higher concentrations of all nutrients except sodium and crude protein, and were subjected to more intense feeding by elephants than trees from the surrounding vegetation matrix. Termite mounds may play an important role in determining food availability and spatial feeding patterns by elephants and other herbivores.     

Health benefits and nutritional properties of nori

A brief review is presented of the properties of nori relevant to health. The dried alga contains large amounts of protein, ash, vitamins and carbohydrate. The levels of taurine (/>- 1.2%) are notable as this compound aids enterohepatic circulation of bile acid, thus preventing gallstone through controlling blood-cholesterol levels. Relatively high levels of eicosapentanoic acid, choline, inositol and other B-group vitamins are regarded as beneficial to health. The occurrence of porphyosins and betaines that prevent respectively, gastric shay ulcers and lower blood-cholesterol levels are particular interest. A sulfated galactan, similar to agar, occurs in relatively large quantities; this is a water-soluble dietary fiber that has important functional activities such as an antiblood coagulant, antihypercholesterolemia and shows antitumor activity. Minerals which occur at relatively high levels in nori include Zn, Cu, Mn and Se.It is concluded that nori is a valuable health food in human diets.     

天然Fe(Ⅱ)矿物-生物质强化微生物还原固定五价钒研究

【目的】重金属钒的环境危害日益受到关注,微生物可实现高毒性的五价钒[pentavalent vanadium, V(Ⅴ)]的还原固定,其中电子供体是微生物还原V(Ⅴ)的关键,尽管天然Fe(Ⅱ)矿物和天然生物质均被报道可单独支持微生物还原V(Ⅴ),而基于两者构建的混养体系中微生物还原V(Ⅴ)的特征尚未揭示。【方法】本研究对天然Fe(Ⅱ)矿物和生物质进行优选并复配组合,探究混养生物体系中五价钒[V(Ⅴ)]的还原机理。【结果】磁黄铁矿和木屑对V(Ⅴ)的去除效率最高,分别为54.2%±3.4%和67.1%±3.1%。当优选的磁黄铁矿与木屑组合复配比例为1:3时可达到最高的V(Ⅴ)去除效率82.7%±3.1%。V(Ⅴ)被还原为不溶性V(Ⅳ)沉淀,Fe(Ⅱ)和S(–Ⅱ)分别被氧化为Fe(Ⅲ)和SO₄^2-。在混养体系中,脱硫菌(Desulfurivibrio)和硫菌属(Thiobacillus)等自养菌属可能参与磁黄铁矿的氧化与V(Ⅴ)还原,并利用无机碳源合成有机中间代谢产物,与无胆甾原体属(Acholeplasma)等纤维素降解菌分解木屑的产物一起,被B...     

The analysis of water in the Martian regolith

Summary One of the scientific objectives of the Viking Mission to Mars was to accomplish an analysis of water in the Martian regolith. The analytical scheme originally envisioned was severly compromised in the latter stages of the Lander instrument package design. Nevertheless, a crude soil water analysis was accomplished. Samples from each of the two widely separated sites yielded roughly 1 to 3% water by weight when heated successively to several temperatures up to 500°C. A significant portion of this water was released in the 200° to 350°C interval indicating the presence of mineral hydrates of relatively low thermal stability, a finding in keeping with the low temperatures generally prevailing on Mars. The presence of a duricrust at one of the Lander sites is taken as possible evidence for the presence of hygroscopic minerals on Mars. The demonstrated presence of atmospheric water vapor and thermodynamic calculations lead to the belief that adsorbed water could provide a relatively favorable environment for endolithic organisms on Mars similar to types recently discovered in the dry antarctic deserts.     

The use of seaweed from the Galician coast as a mineral supplement in organic dairy cattle

This study was designed to assess the value of seaweeds from the Galician coast as a source of minerals (especially iodine (I) but also other micro-minerals) in organic dairy cattle. It was conducted in an organic dairy farm in the Lugo province that typically represents the organic milk production in NW Spain. The animal’s diet consisted mainly of local forage (at pasture or as hay and silage in the winter) and 5 kg of purchased concentrate/day per animal (representing 23.5% of feed intake). Based on the mineral composition of the diet, the physiological requirements and the EU maximum authorised levels in feed, a supplement composed by Sea Lettuce (Ulva rigida) (as flakes, 80%), Japanese Wireweed (Sargasum muticum) (flakes, 17.5%) and Furbelows (Saccorhiza polyschides) (powder, 2.5%) was formulated to give 100 g/animal per day. Sixteen Holstein Friesian lactating cows were randomly selected and assigned to the control (n=8) and algae-supplemented groups (n=8). Both groups had exactly the same feeding and management with the exception of the algae supplement, which was mixed with the concentrate feed and given to the animals at their morning milking for 10 weeks. Heparinised blood (for plasma analysis) and milk samples were collected at 2-week intervals and analysed for toxic and trace element concentrations by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry or inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. The algae supplement significantly improved the animals’ mineral status, particularly I and selenium that were low on the farm. However, the effect of the algae supplement on the molybdenum status in cattle needs further investigation because of its great relevance on copper metabolism in ruminants. The I supply deserves special attention, since this element is at a very high concentration in brown-algae species and it is excreted in the milk proportionally to its concentration in plasma concentrations (mean±s.e. in the algae-supplemented and control groups were 268±54 and 180±42 µg/l, respectively).     

Predicting folivorous primate abundance: validation of a nutritional model

Understanding the determinants of animal abundance has become more vital as ecologists are increasingly asked to apply their knowledge to the construction of informed management plans. However, there are few general models are available to explain variation in abundance. Some notable exceptions are studies of folivorous primates, in which the protein-to-fiber ratio of foods has been shown to predict biomass. Here we examine the generality of Milton's [American Naturalist 114:363-378, 1979] protein/fiber model by providing a detailed analysis of diet selection in black-and-white colobus monkeys (Colobus guereza), and applying the model to populations shown to be stable; an assumption not previously examined. Based on observations of two groups of black-and-white colobus in Kibale National Park, Uganda, and one group in a forest fragment, we documented that the animals selected young leaves that had more protein, were more digestible, and had a higher protein-to-fiber ratio than mature leaves. The mature leaves did not differ from young leaves with respect to secondary compounds or mineral content (with the exceptions of copper and zinc). All of the colobus groups selected foods with a high protein-to-fiber ratios. However, one group also selected more digestible foods, and in another group, foraging efforts were positively related to zinc and negatively related to potassium. Previous studies that examined Milton's protein/fiber model did not demonstrate that the study populations were stable. If some populations were not at carrying capacity, then the correlations drawn between food availability and/or quality and folivore biomass may have been spurious. To address this issue, we censused a series of forest fragments in 1995 and again in 2000. We found that the populations in these fragments had declined from 165 in 1995 to 119 animals in 2000. However, based on evidence of population stability and lack of forest disturbance, we concluded that five of the original populations were stable. The biomass of these populations was related to the protein-to-fiber ratio of the fragment's trees. Combining our data with published data, we demonstrate that the protein-to-fiber ratios of mature leaves available to these folivorous primates accounted for 87% of the variance in their biomass.     

Inorganic tripton in the Finger Lakes of New York: importance to optical characteristics

Inorganic particles in the upper waters of the 11 Finger Lakes of New York are morphometrically and elementally characterized by individual particle analysis conducted with scanning electron microscopy interfaced with automated image and X-ray analyses (IPA/SAX). Coupled measurements of Secchi disk transparency (SD), the attenuation coefficient for downwelling irradiance (K_d), the beam attenuation coefficient at 660 nm, and turbidity (T_n) were made to support evaluation of the importance of non-living, inorganic particles (inorganic tripton) in regulating these optical features of water quality. Wide differences in levels of inorganic tripton, represented in terms of particle projected area per unit volume (PAV_in), and the optical measures are reported for these lakes. However, generally similar size distributions are observed for the inorganic tripton for the lakes. Terrigenous suspensoids, in the form of clay minerals, dominated the inorganic tripton particle assemblage of nine lakes, while CaCO₃, formed autochthonously, dominated in the other two and was a noteworthy contributor in four others. PAV_in is demonstrated to be an important regulator of the optical properties of these lakes, performing substantially better than chlorophyll in predicting SD, and T_n, and interlake differences in these optical measures.Contribution No. 226 of the Upstate Freshwater Institute     

Nodule Functioning in Trifoliate and Pentafoliate Mungbean Genotypes as Influenced by Salinity

Two genotypes of mungbean differing in the leaf shape, K-851 (trifoliate) and a mutant (pentafoliate), were exposed to salinity (0, 2.5, 5, 10 dS m^–1) for 3, 6 and 9 d at flowering stage (40 – 45 d after sowing) to see the effect of salinity on nodule functioning. In both the genotypes, osmotic potential (_s) and relative water content (RWC) of nodules decreased significantly, and proline content increased with increasing the salinity. The _s of nodules was more decreased in the mutant than in genotype K-851, while reverse was true for RWC and proline accumulation. A remarkable increase in ethylene evolution was noticed from nodulated roots with the increasing level and duration of salinity and was much higher in K-851. A sharp decline in leghemoglobin content and acetylene reduction assay (ARA) of the nodules was observed with the salinity and this decrease was more marked in K-851 than the mutant. N content declined while Na⁺/K⁺ ratio and Cl^– content increased significantly. The mutant maintained better N status but lower Na⁺/K⁺ ratio and Cl^– content in nodules than K-851. Nodule dry matter also declined with salinity and the decrease was more expressed in K-851. Thus the functioning of nodules in the mutant was better than in the genotype K-851 under stress conditions.     

Soils Consumed by Chimpanzees of the Kanyawara Community in the Kibale Forest,Uganda

We previously reported on a study of 4 soils that chimpanzees of the Kanyawara community in the Kibale National Park, Uganda consumed on a near-daily basis. We suggested that iron was a possible chemical stimulus in association with high quantities of Si:Al = 1:1-dominated clay minerals in the consumed material. To test our initial findings, we analyzed 18 samples from the same general area including 7 samples that the chimpanzees did not eat. Among the chemical elements, As, Au, Br, Ca, Cl, Dy, Mg, Ni, Sb, Sr, and I are below detection limits. Only Fe stands out as a potentially important nutritional element present in sufficient quantity to provide a physiological stimulus for chimpanzees living at high elevations near the flanks of the Ruwenzori Mountains. Along with Fe, metahalloysite is present in high amounts in these soils. In its pure crystalline form as a pharmaceutical grade clay mineral metahalloysite may well counteract the debilitating effects of diarrhea, with an effect similar to what is achieved with kaolinite (cf. Kaopectate^TM). An unexpected result, the relatively high nitrogen and carbon in the eaten samples relative to the uneaten group, indicates the chimpanzees may have a higher threshold for organic-rich material than previously believed. Contrarily, the color of the ingested material, depicts a material with less humus than in the uneaten group, a finding that is compatible with previous work reported at other geophagy sites in Africa. Of all the choices of soil available to them, the chimpanzees appear to be selecting highly homogeneous chemical natural earths with well-leached and uniform mineralogical material similar to the uneaten group, but with higher relative amounts of clay size material.     

Molecular cloning of levan fructotransferase gene from Arthrobacter ureafaciens K2032 and its expression in Escherichia coli for the production of difructose dianhydride IV

AIMS: To clone and overexpress a novel levan fructotransferase gene lftA from Arthrobacter ureafaciens K2032. METHODS AND RESULTS: The lftA gene, encoding a levan fructotransferase (LFTase) of 521 amino acids (aa) residues, was cloned from the genomic DNA of A. ureafaciens K2032, and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant LFTase overexpressed in E. coli was then used to produce a difructose dianhydride (DFA IV) from levan. DFA IV crystals with 97% purity could be obtained from the reaction mixture in 83.7% yield by using a natural crystallization method. CONCLUSIONS: The lftA gene cloned from A. ureafaciens K2032 encode a novel levan fructotransferase which produces difructose dianhydride (DFA IV) from levan. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Levan fructotransferase is a useful enzyme with great promise in the production of DFA IV and various fructosides.