Field kit to characterize physical, chemical and spatial aspects of potential primate foods

An outline is given for a field kit aiming to substantially increase the in situ knowledge gleaned from feeding studies of primates. Measurements are made of colouration (spectrum of non-specular reflection) and many mechanical, chemical and spatial properties of primate foods.     

Calorific and carbon values of marine and freshwater Protozoa

Calorific and carbon values were determined for a variety of marine and freshwater Protozoa (Noctiluca miliaris, Euplotes sp.,Eufolliculina sp. respectivelyTetrahymena pyriformis, Paramecium caudatum), their food sources(Bacteria, Dunaliella primolecta, Ceratium hirundinella), and for Protozoa-dominated plankton samples. Most calorific values lie close to the centre of the range covering organisms in general. Low values in some marine samples probably resulted from the retention of bound water in the dried material. When all results were combined with data selected from the literature, the dependence of calorific value on carbon content was highly significant. This relationship is probably also adequately described by an energy-carbon regression through the variety of organic compounds commonly found in organisms. Calorific value expressed per unit carbon is shown to vary little in Protozoa (mean conversion factor 46 J [mg C]^–1) or throughout the range of biological materials considered in this study (45 J [mg C]^–1).     

Use of lakes by black duck broods in relation to biological,chemical, and physical features

Characteristics of 32 freshwater lakes in central and western Nova Scotia were quantified to determine the relative influence of various biological, chemical, and physical factors on habitat selection by black ducks (Anas rubripes Brewster) during brood-rearing. Acidity and trophic status varied greatly among the waterbodies, of which 20 were used by black ducks for rearing their young. Duck brood density was positively related to lake trophic status. The highest brood densities occurred on hypertrophic waterbodies with a large anthropogenic input of nutrients.Lakes with black duck broods had significantly higher concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen, darker water with more dissolved organic carbon, and within the littoral zone, greater macrophyte cover, greater density and biomass of pelagic invertebrates, gentler slopes, and a softer, more organic substrate. Similar trends were observed within a subset of 17 acidic lakes (pH 5.5), 8 of which supported black ducks.The density of black duck broods was significantly correlated with 17 of 20 variables, most notably total phosphorus (r= + 0.81). Partial correlation (removing the effect of total phosphorus) revealed that brood density was significantly correlated with the abundances of pelagic (r= + 0.77) and benthic (r= + 0.68) invertebrates, macrophyte cover (r= + 0.52), and substrate score (r= + 0.57), but not with other chemical variables, including pH.Our results suggest that quality brood-rearing habitat is distinguished by a combination of factors, especially available nutrients, macrophyte cover, and invertebrates, subject to constraints imposed by physical characteristics of the littoral zone of the lake. The abundance of invertebrates, the primary food of young black ducks, emerged as the most important biological factor influencing the density of black duck broods.     

Calorific values of pond invertebrates eaten by ducks

SUMMARY. Calorific determination of twenty-three species of aquatic invertebrates from various life stages, collected from prairie wetlands, ranged from 3682 cal g⁻¹ dry wt for adult amphipods, Hyalella azteca , to 6270 cal g⁻¹ dry wt for an adult female beetle, Agabus bifarius . The aggregate mean for the specimens was 5225 cal g⁻¹ dry wt. All genera analysed here are eaten by ducks.     

Blood values of the canvasback duck by age, sex and season

Blood samples were obtained from canvasback ducklings from Manitoba and Saskatchewan and from immature and adult canvasbacks on the Mississippi River near LaCrosse, Wisconsin and the Chesapeake Bay. These samples were used to determine baseline data on red cell counts, hematocrit, total protein, glucose, cholesterol, hemaglobin and distribution of plasma proteins. Calculations were also made to determine mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration. The major differences noted were between ducklings and adults. The former having higher total protein and lower hematocrit, glucose and cholesterol values. These hematologic values were collected in order to provide baseline information on apparently healthy canvasbacks, thereby providing disease investigators with a standard of comparison.     

北方半干旱区河流湿地优势植物的热值

热值反映植物对太阳能的利用效率,是能量与生物量之间转换的重要参数,是能流分析必不可少的基础资料;同时热值也是解释种群的适应性问题的重要依据。本文采集了锡林河湿地的8种主要植物,并用氧弹式热量仪测量其热值,阐述了这些植物的热值的动态变化规律,并对热值变化的原因作了探讨。结果表明：各物种的热值动态变化规律并不是统一的,这种变化可能与植物各器官热值的变化及生殖期出现的时间有关;各植物器官的热值普遍表现出穗的热值大于茎和叶;水生植物的热值明显小于中生性和湿中生性植物;种内热值变化随物候期变化有一定的规律,大约会出现2次低值、2次高值;种间热值差异是由于植物本身性质决定的,在相同生境和气候条件下,植物体中含能物质越多,就越易积聚热值,从而更适宜生长在此环境.     

The roles and values of wild foods in agricultural systems

Almost every ecosystem has been amended so that plants and animals can be used as food, fibre, fodder, medicines, traps and weapons. Historically, wild plants and animals were sole dietary components for hunter–gatherer and forager cultures. Today, they remain key to many agricultural communities. The mean use of wild foods by agricultural and forager communities in 22 countries of Asia and Africa (36 studies) is 90–100 species per location. Aggregate country estimates can reach 300–800 species (e.g. India, Ethiopia, Kenya). The mean use of wild species is 120 per community for indigenous communities in both industrialized and developing countries. Many of these wild foods are actively managed, suggesting there is a false dichotomy around ideas of the agricultural and the wild: hunter–gatherers and foragers farm and manage their environments, and cultivators use many wild plants and animals. Yet, provision of and access to these sources of food may be declining as natural habitats come under increasing pressure from development, conservation-exclusions and agricultural expansion. Despite their value, wild foods are excluded from official statistics on economic values of natural resources. It is clear that wild plants and animals continue to form a significant proportion of the global food basket, and while a variety of social and ecological drivers are acting to reduce wild food use, their importance may be set to grow as pressures on agricultural productivity increase.     

Calorific values of Chlorella vulgaris (Trebouxiophyceae) as a function of different phosphorus concentrations

Quantification of the calorific content of microalgae is critical in studies of energy flow, trophic partitioning, plant/herbivore interactions in aquaculture and biomass production for biofuels. We investigated the calorific value and biochemical composition of Chlorella vulgaris at different phosphorus (P) concentrations (6.0 × 10^?7, 2.3 × 10^?6 and 2.3 × 10^?4 mol L^?1 P). As expected, the control (2.3 × 10^?4 mol L^?1 P) supported better growth than P limited treatments. Biomolecules like total carbohydrates and lipids accumulated under P limitation, which significantly correlated with high calorific values. Lipid class composition showed that triacylglycerols were the most accumulated under P limited conditions. The calorific value reported under control conditions (13.78 kJ g^?1) was less than those obtained under P limitation (30.47–33.07 kJ g^?1). The highest calorific value with less growth retardation was obtained at 2.3 × 10^?6 mol L^?1 P.     

Group behaviour in physical,chemical and biological systems

Groups exhibit properties that either are not perceived to exist, or perhaps cannot exist, at the individual level. Such ‘emergent’ properties depend on how individuals interact, both among themselves and with their surroundings. The world of everyday objects consists of material entities. These are, ultimately, groups of elementary particles that organize themselves into atoms and molecules, occupy space, and so on. It turns out that an explanation of even the most commonplace features of this world requires relativistic quantum field theory and the fact that Planck’s constant is discrete, not zero. Groups of molecules in solution, in particular polymers (‘sols’), can form viscous clusters that behave like elastic solids (‘gels’). Sol-gel transitions are examples of cooperative phenomena. Their occurrence is explained by modelling the statistics of inter-unit interactions: the likelihood of either state varies sharply as a critical parameter crosses a threshold value. Group behaviour among cells or organisms is often heritable and therefore can evolve. This permits an additional, typically biological, explanation for it in terms of reproductive advantage, whether of the individual or of the group. There is no general agreement on the appropriate explanatory framework for understanding group-level phenomena in biology.     

Biological,physical and chemical changes in stored wheat

Six lots of wheat from six farmers' bins in Manitoba were adjusted to a range of 5 moisture contents, held at 6 temperatures and sampled at 6 times during storage. After sampling, seeds were surface sterilized with mercuric chloride and subsamples plated on Czapek's agar, on filter paper moistened with water, or on filter paper moistened with a 7.5% sodium chloride solution. The microflora on the seed was determined, germination counts were made, and the seed was examined by government inspectors for its condition and grade. A total of 1192 samples were examined. In addition, 180 samples were subjected to a fat acidity test. Deterioration for each combination of temperature and moisture, the fungi involved, and the consequent effect on condition, grade and fatty acid content were observed. The effect of high moisture content (>20%) and low temperatures (3–10 ° C) on infection of seed by Penicillium and the consequent effect on germination, condition, grade and fatty acid value are stressed. The interrelationship among fungi, and among fungi and temperature, moisture, storage time, fat acidity values and germination are indicated by correlation coefficient matrices.Deceased July 25, 1982.     

Growth substrates made from duck excreta enriched wood shavings and source-separated municipal solid waste compost and separates: physical and chemical characteristics

Production and use of compost is an effective means to reduce wastes, and offers a large potential as growth substrates and source of nutrients. The objective of this study was to determine the physical and chemical characteristics of duck excreta enriched wood shavings (DMC) and source-separated municipal solid waste (MSW) composts and separates, and to assess the physical characteristics of growth substrates made from these two composts and selected substrates. MSW compost separates were the following sizes: F1 > 4 mm diameter, 2 mm < F2 < 4 mm, 1 mm < F3 < 2 mm and F4 < 1 mm. Growth substrates were prepared by mixing DMC and F2 and F3 MSW separates (M/M ratios). Growth substrates A-E consisted exclusively of 10-60% DMC and 20-60% of MSW separates F2 and F3. Growth substrates F-J, and K-O were the same as substrates A E, with 15% M/M brick fragments or shredded plastic added as porosity agents, respectively. Growth substrates (BE/S) made of black earth (BE) and sandy loam soil (Ls) in a 1:4 (M/M) ratio, commercially available peat substrate (Pr) and an in-house sphagnum peat-based substrate (Gs) were used for comparison. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that DMC was a better material than MSW with respect to porosity and water field capacity. MSW compost and separates differed by their relatively high levels of water-soluble and HCl-hydrolyzable N and increased advantageous water retention capacity. PCA also showed that substrates A-E exhibited porosity and water field capacity similar to those of Pr. Substrates F-J had porosity and water field capacity similar to those of BE/S, whereas substrates K O were more similar to Pr and to substrates A and B. The presented data indicate that DMC and MSW separates were complementary in providing good physical and chemical characteristics to the growth substrates.     

Isolation, chemical, and physical properties of alpha-1-antitrypsin.

A method of isolation of alpha-1-antitrypsin (alpha-1-AT) in good yield from normal human plasma is described. A key step was affinity chromatography employing an antiserum which had been depleted of alpha-1-AT antibodies. The final preparations were homogeneous by immunological and physicochemical criteria. The specific activity of the purified alpha-1-AT was 0.363 mg of active bovine trypsin inhibited per 1.0 mg of inhibitor. Polyacrylamide gel patterns at both alkaline and acid pH of highly pure preparations frequently, but not invariably, showed multiple hands. Molecular weight studies by sedimentation equilibrium ultracentrifugation in aqueous buffer and in 6 M guanidine as well as sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis suggest that alpha-1-AT is a single polypeptide chain having a molecular weight of 49,500. Other physical and chemical properties of the inhibitor are described. A limited N-terminal sequence (Glu-Asp-Pro-Gln-Gly-Asx-Ala-Ala) was obtained. It was found that alpha-1-AT easily forms polymers and higher aggregates when exposed to denaturing agents such as 8 M urea and 6 M guanidine. The results suggest that aggregation is determined by both covalent and noncovalent forces.