Diversity and structure of shrew communities in montane forests of southeast Kenya

As a step towards setting conservation priorities for declining moist forests in southeast Kenya, we assessed for small mammal diversity and distribution. These habitats are under severe pressure due to increased demand an forests products and arable land, yet there is a dearth of information an impacts an biodiversity. Over an eight-month period, we used a combination of box and pitfall traps with drift fences to study 13 forest fragments in five geographic areas ranging between 3°28′−4°10′ S and 38°28′−39°2b′ E. We recorded 12 species including 10 soricids and two macroscelids in 31440 trap nights. Diversity estimates using rarefaction method indicate a species richness of 12, consistent with our collection. There were six unique species, each limited in distribution to one forest fragment. Our record of Crocidura cf. selina in Kyulu Hills is the first outside Mabira forest in Uganda where it is considered endemic and endangered. We also report the first record of C. fuscomurina in Kenya, white those of C. Luna and Suncus megalura are first in the southeast of the country. By providing new ranges to four species, our study is of significance to the biogeography and conservation of forest small mammals in the region.     

The effects of mating on egg production in the cotton stainer, Dysdercus fasciatus

Egg production in mated and virgin females of the cotton stainer, Dysdercus fasciatus Signoret, was studied in the laboratory. No significant differences were found in adult longevity, pre-oviposition period, inter-oviposition period, the total number of eggs oviposited during the whole reproductive period, and the mean number of mature eggs retained in the ovaries at each oviposition. Thus, mating has no influence on egg production or oviposition in this insect.

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Résumé L'influence de la copulation sur la fécondité de la Punaise rouge du Coton, Dysdercus fasciatus fut étudiée au laboratoire à la température de 28±1° et à l'humidité relative de 55–65%. Six facteurs furent spécialement étudiés: la longévité des adultes, la durée de la période précédant la ponte, la durée moyenne des périodes comprises entre les pontes, le nombre de pontes déposées par chaque femelle durant sa phase reproductrice, le nombre moyen d'oeufs par ponte et le nombre moyen d'oeufs mûrs retenus dans les ovaires à chaque ponte.L'accouplement n'avait pas d'effet sur ces différents facteurs, excepté les quatrième et cinquième facteurs. Les femelles vierges déposaient davantage de pontes que les femelles ayant copulé, mais ces pontes avaient une plus petite quantité d'oeufs que les autres. Il en résultait que le nombre total des oeufs émis par les deux catégories de femelles durant leur vie était à peu près identique. Ainsi, dans cette espèce, l'accouplement n'avait pas d'influence apparente sur la fécondité relative et globale.

     

Serial counts of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum as surrogate markers of the sterilising activity of rifampicin and pyrazinamide in treating pulmonary tuberculosis

Background  

Since the sterilising activity of new antituberculosis drugs is difficult to assess by conventional phase III studies, surrogate methods related to eventual relapse rates are required.     

Phylogenetic diversity and biotechnological potentials of marine bacteria from continental slope of eastern Arabian Sea

Marine environments are substantially untapped source for the isolation of bacteria with the capacity to produce various extracellular hydrolytic enzymes, which have important ecological roles and promising biotechnological applications. Hydrolases constitute a class of enzymes widely distributed in nature from bacteria to higher eukaryotes. Marine microbial communities are highly diverse and have evolved during extended evolutionary processes of physiological adaptations under the influence of a variety of ecological conditions and selection pressures. A number of marine hydrolases have been described, including amylases, lipases and proteases, which are being used extensively for biotechnological applications. The present study was carried out to isolate marine bacteria from continental slope sediments of the eastern Arabian Sea and explore their biotechnological potential. Among the 119 isolates screened, producers of amylases (15%), caseinases (40%), cellulases (40%), gelatinases (60%), lipases (26%), ligninases (33%), phytase (11%) and Malachite Green dye degraders (16%) were detected. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that predominant marine sediment bacteria possessing more than four enzymatic activities belonged to the phyla Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, was assigned to the genera Bacillus, Planococcus, Staphylococcus, Chryseomicrobium, Exiguobacterium and Halomonas. Biodegradation of the dye Malachite Green using the liquid decolorization assay showed that both the individual cultures (Bacillus vietnamensis, Planococcus maritimus and Bacillus pumilus) and their consortium were able to decolorize more than 70% of dye within 24?h of incubation. This is the first report on diversity and extracellular hydrolytic enzymatic activities and bioremediation properties of bacteria from continental slope sediment of eastern Arabian Sea.     

Simple inexpensive laboratory equipment for cultivation of plants under various CO2 concentrations

A simple equipment was developed to cultivate young cereal plants under enhanced CO₂ concentration. Cultivation system permits growing of about 40 barley seedlings for about 2 to 3 weeks. The system consists of two identical growth chambers (volume about 30 dm³), gas conditioning circuit and measuring circuit with an infra-red CO₂ analyser. Capabilities of the whole equipment were tested by growing barley plants under 330 and 1000 cm³ (CO₂)m⁻³ and in combination with high or low nitrate level.