Effects of storage temperature,light and time on stability of triple sugar iron agar and its productivity forEscherichia coli andSalmonella typhimurium

Laboratory evaluation showed a similarity between prepared ready for-use triple sugar iron agar (TSI) medium and the Oxoid form with reference to the enumeration of five test organisms related to the familyEnterobactenaceae. Storage of the prepared ready-for-use TSI medium at 20–22 °C should not exceed 6 months Lowering the storage temperature to 10 °C raised the period of storage to two years. Combination of darkness and low temperature (10 to 20 °C) represents the best conditions for storage of the TSI medium in laboratories. Dark colour ampoules can extend the expiry date of the product     

Quantitative pulmonary anatomy of a ground-dwelling bird, the white-breasted water-hen (Amaurornis phoenicurus)

Stereological data on the lungs of ground-dwelling birds are restricted to a few, mainly galliform, species. Data are presented for the non-galliform, white-breasted water-hen. The volume densities of the main parts of the lung and exchange tissue and the surface areas and thicknesses of the components of the blood-gas pathway were estimated by point counting. The anatomical diffusing capacities of the pathway were then estimated. The main parameters determining gas exchange were normalized with body mass and compared with those of other avian species. The anatomical diffusing capacity of the water-hen was inferior to that of passerine and trochilid species, similar to that of non-passerine species reliant on continuous powered flight (mallard) or soaring and gliding (gull), superior to that of domestic galliform species, and strongly superior to that of the flightless emu. It is concluded that selection pressures evolve a lung with a capacity for gas exchange sufficient for the energetic requirements of a particular strategy.     

Differential response among chestnut traditional varieties to the attack of Cydia splendana

Fruit production of Castanea sativa Miller (Fagaceae) in southern Spain is carried out in traditional orchards using a large number of local varieties. The main areas of production are located in the Natural Park of Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche (Huelva) and the Genal river Valley (Malaga). These agroforestry systems have shown a high genetic diversity and represent an example of in situ conservation. In this region, chestnut mainly suffers from attacks by Cydia splendana (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), whose larvae feed on the fruits, thereby reducing their quality and economic value. The aim of this study was to evaluate the differential response between the chestnut local varieties to the attack of C. splendana. For that purpose, trees from the most representative varieties were evaluated on various farms. In cases where it was necessary, the trees were identified with a set of eight microsatellite markers. The infestation rate of C. splendana (percentage of infested fruits of the total fruits sampled per tree) differed among varieties, indicating a high genetic component in this effect. The results obtained in this study open the possibility of using this differential response in the control of C. splendana.