SOME RESULTS OF BIRD-BANDING IN THE CONGO (KINSHASA)

The global Blue Swallow Hirundo atrocaerulea was classified as Vulnerable in 2010 on account of its small and rapidly declining population estimated at less than 1 500 pairs. We undertook this study to gain a better understanding of the current status and threats facing this migratory species. Three previously unknown areas that might be part of the species' non-breeding range were identified in Kenya and northern Tanzania. Within its breeding range we identified three previously unknown areas of potentially suitable habitat, one in Tanzania and two in Malawi, which require further exploration. Population viability assessment predicted that the Blue Swallow population will decline by 8% in 10 years. The overall probability of extinction of the species in the wild is 3%. Minimum viable population size analysis suggests that a goal for the long-term conservation of the Blue Swallow should be to mitigate current threats that are driving declines such that the population increases to a minimum of 3 600 individuals. This should consist of at least 900 individuals in each of the four clusters identified, along with a minimum of 500 individuals in at least one of the meta-populations per cluster. The four clusters are located in (1) the southeasten Democratic Republic of the Congo, (2) highlands of southern Tanzania and northern Malawi, (3) eastern highlands of Zimbabwe and (4) South Africa and Swaziland. The current proportions of the Blue Swallow population in strictly protected and unprotected areas on their breeding grounds are 53% and 47%, respectively, whereas on their non-breeding grounds the corresponding percentages are 25% and 75%, respectively. Our reassessment of the Blue Swallow's risk of extinction indicates that it continues to qualify as Vulnerable according to the IUCN/SSC criteria C2a(i).     

金融支持生物多样性保护: 全球实践及政策启示

生物多样性丧失带来的社会经济和金融风险, 以及金融机构在生物多样性保护融资方面发挥的重要作用已经在全球范围内形成广泛共识。本文聚焦各国近年来在金融支持生物多样性领域的实践探索, 重点从国家和区域层面金融产品的创新实践总结了各国的先进实践经验, 并提出全球金融机构参与生物多样性保护的未来发展趋势。由于目前中国金融支持生物多样性保护普遍存在国家层面相关规范和指导不足、金融机构生物多样性风险防控意识缺乏、相关金融产品不足、生物多样性风险评估方法不成熟、信息披露机制不完善等问题与短板, 本文提出我国金融机构参与生物多样性保护的多元化支持路径和建议: 全面推进生物多样性保护纳入绿色金融标准体系, 制定相关政策引导金融机构创新生物多样性友好型金融产品, 加快开发生物多样性影响的评估工具, 完善企业和金融机构生物多样性信息披露制度。     

Should bioactive trace elements not recognized as essential,but with beneficial health effects,have intake recommendations

Today, most nutritionists do not consider a trace element essential unless it has a defined biochemical function in higher animals or humans. As a result, even though it has been found that trace elements such as boron and silicon have beneficial bioactivity in higher animals and humans, they generally receive limited attention or mention when dietary guidelines or intake recommendations are formulated. Recently, the possibility of providing dietary intake recommendations such as an adequate intake (AI) for some bioactive food components (e.g., flavonoids) has been discussed. Boron, chromium, nickel, and silicon are bioactive food components that provide beneficial health effects by plausible mechanisms of action in nutritional and supra nutritional amounts, and thus should be included in the discussions. Although the science base may not be considered adequate for establishing AIs, a significant number of findings suggest that statements about these trace elements should be included when dietary intake guidance is formulated. An appropriate recommendation may be that diets should include foods that would provide trace elements not currently recognized as essential in amounts shown to reduce the risk of chronic disease and/or promote health and well-being.     

The nitrogen fertilization of spring barley

Summary From 1971 to 1979 field trials with increasing rates of fertilizer nitrogen on spring barley with sugar beet as the preceding crop were conducted on a farm on sandy loam in the south western part of The Netherlands. Prior to sowing and fertilizing soil samples were taken and analysed for mineral nitrogen (N_min). The average yield increase through application of fertilizer nitrogen was only 750 kg of grain per ha per year, the maximum yield being about 5 tonnes per ha. In the case of a fixed rate of fertilizer nitrogen per annum it can be derived from the response curves that 60 kg of N would have given the smallest average yield deficit (170 kg grain per ha) in comparison with maximum yields. With an N-advisory system based on soil analysis the average yield deficit would be at a minimum (163 kg of grain per ha) with a value for mineral soil nitrogen+fertilizer nitrogen totalling 120 kg N per ha.No relationship was found between optimum rate of fertilizer nitrogen and the amount of mineral soil nitrogen at the end of the winter. This was ascribed to the relatively small variation in mineral soil nitrogen and the weak response of the crop to fertilizer nitrogen.Promising results from nitrogen fertilizing systems based on soil analysis can be expected from more responsive crops like winter wheat, sugar beets and potatoes.With the average yield deficit compared with maximum yield as a characteristic, the usefulness of any N-advisory system can be compared, taking a fixed rate of nitrogen system as a standard.Seconded by the Agricultural Bureau of the Netherlands Fertilizer Industry (LBNM).     

Arabinosyl nucleosides. XII. Influence of arabinofuranosylthymine on growth of L5178y cells

The antibiotic 1β-D-arabinofuranosylthymine (araThd) is a potent inhibitor of the growth of mouse lymphoma cells (L5178y). The ED₅₀ concentration was found to be 9.8 μM. The cells die as a consequence of an unbalanced growth. The cytostatic activity of araThd can be abolished by coincubation with dThd and dUrd but not with Urd.At cytostatic concentrations araThd selectively blocks DNA synthesis; RNA- and protein synthesis are unaffected. Intracellularly araThd is rapidly phosphorylated to araTTP. This enzymic phosphorylation does not influence the synthesis of the naturally occuring, related triphosphate dTTP.AraTMP is incorporated into DNA during DNA synthesis; 1 mol of araTMP is incorporated/19, 500 molecules of dTMP.     

The effect of lubricant contamination on ThinPrep® (Cytyc) cervical cytology liquid-based preparations

Objectives:  To assess the extent of lubricant use by smear-takers and the effect of lubricant contamination of ThinPrep^® processed cervical cytology samples.
Methods:  All primary care smear-takers were sent a questionnaire on lubricant type and frequency of use. Fifty cervical cytology samples were then contaminated with incremental amounts of K-Y^® jelly, 50 samples contaminated with incremental amounts of Aquagel^® and ten non-contaminated vials were processed using the ThinPrep^® T2000 processor followed by Papanicolaou staining. The morphological appearances of lubricant contamination were described microscopically and formal cell counts performed on all slides.
Results:  Seventy of 94 (74.5%) primary care smear-takers indicated lubricant use of whom 9/70 (12.8%) used Aquagel^® and 61/70 (87.2%) used K-Y^® jelly. K-Y^® jelly appeared as mucoid blue deposits in the slide background whereas Aquagel^® appeared as pink stringy background material. Cell counting showed a significant difference between Aquagel^® and K-Y^® jelly contaminated slides compared to the original non-contaminated preparations for all fields and the average fields ( P  < 0.001) with a significantly higher count for the original non-contaminated slides than the lubricant contaminated groups.
Conclusion:  Lubricant contamination of ThinPrep^® cervical cytology samples may result in reduced cellularity of the subsequent slide. This study provides evidence-based data to support British Society for Clinical Cytology recommendations for no lubricant use when taking cervical samples.     

A regression-based 3-D shoulder rhythm

In biomechanical modeling of the shoulder, it is important to know the orientation of each bone in the shoulder girdle when estimating the loads on each musculoskeletal element. However, because of the soft tissue overlying the bones, it is difficult to accurately derive the orientation of the clavicle and scapula using surface markers during dynamic movement. The purpose of this study is to develop two regression models which predict the orientation of the clavicle and the scapula. The first regression model uses humerus orientation and individual factors such as age, gender, and anthropometry data as the predictors. The second regression model includes only the humerus orientation as the predictor. Thirty-eight participants performed 118 static postures covering the volume of the right hand reach. The orientation of the thorax, clavicle, scapula and humerus were measured with a motion tracking system. Regression analysis was performed on the Euler angles decomposed from the orientation of each bone from 26 randomly selected participants. The regression models were then validated with the remaining 12 participants. The results indicate that for the first model, the r² of the predicted orientation of the clavicle and the scapula ranged between 0.31 and 0.65, and the RMSE obtained from the validation dataset ranged from 6.92° to 10.39°. For the second model, the r² ranged between 0.19 and 0.57, and the RMSE obtained from the validation dataset ranged from 6.62° and 11.13°. The derived regression-based shoulder rhythm could be useful in future biomechanical modeling of the shoulder.