Communicating for conservation: circumventing conflict with communities over domestic dog ownership in north Morocco

Conservationists consider open and direct communication as best practice even when their data conflict with local beliefs. However, ensuring the effective delivery of a controversial message without overtly challenging community identity is difficult. Such a scenario needs high levels of meaningful contact and trust-building dialogue between conservationists and communities as well as innovative means of communicating controversial information. Indirect communication is one such strategy, allowing people to draw their own conclusions about controversial information. We present an example of successful indirect communication of such information in the context of a long-term Barbary macaque community conservation project in Morocco. Dogs in the area kill macaques and domestic livestock in the forest, and local shepherds believed these dogs to be feral. However, our observations identified these dogs as being owned, free-roaming village dogs rather than feral dogs. To impart this controversial information, we developed a dog health programme to communicate our findings and improve the health of domestic dogs to safeguard human and animal health. We administered rabies vaccinations to dogs in three villages and provided their owners with brightly coloured dog collars. After observing collared dogs hunting in the forest, the shepherds realised the dogs had owners. Community participation was high and we vaccinated 242 dogs achieving 60–81% vaccination coverage. An additional benefit of the activity was to successfully convey the message that the conservation team is committed to local people’s welfare as well as to Barbary macaque conservation.     

Iridoids from Pedicularis verticillata and Their Anti‐Complementary Activity

Three new iridoids named as pediverticilatasin A – C ( 1 – 3 , resp.), together with five known iridoids ( 4 – 8 , resp.) were isolated from the whole plants of Pedicularis verticillata. The structures of three new compounds were identified as (1S,7R)‐1‐ethoxy‐1,5,6,7‐tetrahydro‐7‐hydroxy‐7‐methylcyclopenta[c]pyran‐4(3H)‐one ( 1 ), (1S,4aS,7R,7aS)‐1‐ethoxy‐1,4a,5,6,7,7a‐hexahydro‐7‐hydroxy‐7‐methylcyclopenta[c]pyran‐4‐carboxylic acid ( 2 ), (1S,4aS,7R,7aS)‐1‐ethoxy‐1,4a,5,6,7,7a‐hexahydro‐7‐hydroxy‐7‐methylcyclopenta[c]pyran‐4‐carbaldehyde ( 3 ). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods and compared with the NMR spectra data in the literature. All compounds were evaluated for their anti‐complementary activity on the classical pathway of the complement system in vitro. Among which, compounds 1 , 3 , and 6 exhibited anti‐complementary effects with CH₅₀ values ranging from 0.43 to 1.72 mm , which are plausible candidates for developing potent anti‐complementary agents.     

nifV is contiguous to nifHDK in Frankia strain FaC1

The organization of genes with the capacity to code for four proteins involved in nitrogen fixation in Frankia strain FaC1 was determined by restriction fragment mapping and nucleotide sequence analysis. Analysis of the 44-kb genomic cosmid clone pFAH 1. isolated from a cosmid library made from Frankia strain FaCl, resulted in the identification of a 7.2-kb Pst I fragment to which Klebsiella nif H, nif D and nif K probes hybridized. This nif -hybridizing fragment was subcloned and analyzed by restriction fragment mapping. Further subcloning of the 7.2-kb fragment and subsequent sequence analysis of approximately 6.8 kb revealed the presence of six open reading frames (ORFs). Four of these ORFs have the potential to code for nif V-, nif H-, nif D- and nif K-like gene products and the two others are unidentified ORFs. The organization of the structural genes for nitrogenase is the same in this Frankia strain as it is in most other nitrogen-fixing prokaryotes, but the positioning of the nif V-like gene relative to the nif HDK cluster differs, A consensus nif -promoter-like sequence, found 5'to nif H. was not detected upstream of the nif V-like gene. Nine copies of a 7-bp direct repeat were found 5'to ORFA.     

柱前衍生氨基酸的高效液相色谱分析

综述了目前柱前衍生氨基酸高效液相色谱分析技术的最新进展和现状,分别详细介绍了应用最广、技术最先进的几种柱前衍生氨基酸分析技术和方法。     

大鼠背根神经节同一分离神经元膜受体电生理学及细胞神经递质免疫组织化学检测方法

在新鲜分离的大鼠背根神经节（ＤＲＧ）神经元应用全细胞膜片钳技术记录并证实了膜受体的存在,然后将此同一细胞吸入一较大口径的微吸管,再转移至载玻片上,在倒置显微镜下完成细胞的固定、漂洗及免疚组织化学抗原－抗体反应和显色等步骤。应用这一方法成功地在单个ＤＲＧ神经元膜上确证了Ｎ－甲基－Ｄ－天冬氨酸及Ｐ物质自身受体的存在。     

Comparison of the photosynthetic characteristics in the pericarp and flag leaves during wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) caryopsis development

The pericarp of cereal crops is considered a photosynthetically active tissue. Although extensive studies have been performed on green leaves, the photosynthetic role of the pericarp in cereal caryopsis development has not been well investigated. In the present study, we investigated the anatomy, ultrastructure, chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence, and oxygen evolution of the pericarp during caryopsis ontogenesis in field wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The results showed that wheat pericarp cross-cells contained Chl; the grana stacks and thylakoid membranes in the cross-cells were more distinct in the pericarp than those in the flag leaves as shown by transmission electron microscopy. Chl fluorescence revealed that the photosynthetic efficiency, which was indicated by values of maximum efficiency of PSII photochemistry and effective PSII quantum yield, was lower in the pericarp compared to that of the flag leaf eight days after anthesis (DAA), whereas similar values were subsequently observed. The nonphotochemical quenching values were lower from 8–16 DAA but significantly increased in the pericarp from 24–32 DAA compared to the flag leaf. The oxygen evolution rate of the flag leaves was consistently higher than that of pericarp; notably, isolated pericarps released more oxygen than intact pericarps during caryopsis development. These results suggest that the pericarp plays a key role in caryopsis development by performing photosynthesis as well as by supplying oxygen to the endosperm and dissipating excessive energy during the grain-filling stages.     

Male-Biased Capture in Light Traps in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Spodoptera exigua</Emphasis> (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): Results from the Studies of Reproductive Activities

Nocturnal insects show phototactic behavior. Interestingly, males are caught by light traps more often than females in many species. In the present study, the male-biased capture in light traps in the field was evaluated to test the hypothesis that male-biased capture was associated with the reproductive activities of Spodoptera exigua. During a 16-wk. period in 2011, a total of 5075 moths caught by light traps in the field revealed a significant male-biased capture. However, the sex ratio of the natural population was not significantly different from 1:1 from July to October 2011. The ratio of moths caught per hour by light traps showed that females were captured in the first half of the night, whereas the peak capture by light traps for males occurred in the second half of the night. Among the captured adults, the percentage of unmated females was significantly lower than that of the mated females and males. Experiments in the laboratory indicated that the time of activities for both sexes was consistent with the active patterns of oviposition and copulation. The percentage of flight-to-light of the unmated females was significantly lower than that of the mated females and males. Thus, the lower capture of the unmated females, which is associated with reduced positive phototactic responses of S. exigua, probably is one of the reasons resulting in the male-biased sex ratio in light traps.     

Mycothiol peroxidase MPx protects Corynebacterium glutamicum against acid stress by scavenging ROS

Objectives

To investigate mycothiol peroxidase (MPx) of Corynebacterium glutamicum that is a novel CysGPx family peroxidase using both the mycoredoxin and thioredoxin reducing systems as proton donors for peroxide detoxification and may be involved in the relief of acid stress.

Results

A Δmpx mutant exhibited significantly decreased resistance to acid stress and markedly increased accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and protein carbonylation levels in vivo. Over-expression of mpx increased the resistance of C. glutamicum to acid stress by reducing ROS accumulation. The stress-responsive extracytoplasmic function-sigma (ECF-σ) factor, SigH, mediated acid-induced expression of mpx in the wild-type under acid conditions, which in turn directly contributed to tolerance to acid stress.

Conclusion

MPx is essential for combating acid stress by reducing intracellular ROS levels induced by acid stress in C. glutamicum, which adds a new dimension to the general physiological functions of CysGPx.