Cross-sectional growth of young Shipibo Indian children in eastern Peru

This paper reports measurements of weight and recumbent length for a cross-sectional sample of 149 Shipibo infants and children between birth and 35.99 months of age from eight villages in the Peruvian Amazon Basin. The Shipibo are an Amerindian population experiencing a period of local environmental disruption and rapid cultural change. Compared with the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) references values, Shipibo children are smaller and shorter than American children. The differences are least at birth. Deficits in linear growth begin between 3 and 6 months of age and continue through 35.99 months of age. Weight-for-length ratios are generally adequate compared to the NCHS values in all age groups. This pattern of growth is similar to that reported for non-Amerindians in many developing countries and is assumed to represent a pattern of growth under mild-to-moderate undernutrition. High infant mortality rates suggest that an interaction of suboptimal nutrition and infectious diseases is contributing to the pattern of growth retardation seen; however, genetic differences cannot yet be discounted.     

Bibionids (Diptera: Bibionidae) in agricultural land: a review of damage, benefits, natural enemies and control

Records of crop damage caused by Bibionidae are reviewed together with evidence for their beneficial activities, natural enemies and control methods. Bibionids are sporadic and infrequent pests. Although grass and cereals are most vulnerable, a wide range of crops is attacked. Damage is most severe after grass or when plants are under stress. The presence of organic matter during oviposition increases the likelihood of damaging populations. Many natural enemies exist but their impact on adult or larval populations has not been quantified. Given the pattern of attacks and lack of approved insecticides, cultural control methods are more appropriate than chemical. The role of adult bibionids in pollination and of larvae involved in soil processes could be of greater importance than any damage caused by the group.     

Separation of metabolic and non-metabolic steps of Rb+ uptake in spring wheat roots with different K+ status

Uptake of Rb⁺ from a complete nutrient solution with 2.0 mM Rb⁺ was studied in roots of spring wheat seedlings ( Triticum aestivum L. cv. Svenno) with different K⁺ levels. The relationship between Rb⁺ uptake and concentration of K⁺ in the roots indicated a negative feedback mechanism operating through allosteric control. The Rb⁺ uptake process in root cells was divided into two steps: (1) binding of the ion in the free space, and (ii) transmembrane transport into the cytoplasm. Metabolic and non-metabolic components of uptake were separated by addition of the metabolic inhibitor 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) to the nutrient solution. It is suggested that metabolic Rb⁺ uptake requires energy in two uptake steps (for binding to the carrier entity in the free space and for transmembrane transport) or in one step only (for transmembrane transport), dependent on the K⁺ status of the roots. The change from metabolic to non-metabolic binding in the free space is accomplished by changing the conformational state of the carrier (slow/fast transitions). There may be a hysteretic effect on metabolic Rb⁺ uptake through a slow transition between carrier states. This is superimposed on the negative cooperativity, strengthening further cooperativity at intermediate K⁺ levels in the roots. Non-metabolic Rb⁺ uptake probably consists of two components, a carrier-mediated (facilitated diffusion) and a parallel diffusive component.     

Change in apparent and true absorption and retention of dietary zinc with age in rats

Two groups of 16 rats each were fed the same diet with 12.9 ppm Zn. Nine days after each animal was injected with⁶⁵Zn for assessing fecal zinc of endogenous origin, zinc intake and excretion were determined for a six-day period at the age of about five (group I) and nine (II) weeks. At mean growth rates of 5.1 and 5.2 g/day, food consumption per gram of gain was 2.01 g in group I vs 2.86 g in II. Overall, zinc retention amounted to 21 vs 25 μg Zn/g of gain. Apparent absorption averaged 92 vs 74% of Zn intake (132 vs 189 μg/day), while true absorption averaged 98 vs 92%. It was concluded that endogenous fecal zinc excretion was limited to the indispensable loss (F _em) in group I (7 μg/day), while it exceeded this minimum loss in group II (33 μg/day). True retention, which reflected total zinc utilization (true absorption times metabolic efficiency), was derived from apparent absorption plusF _em (11 μg/day for group II according to the greater metabolic body size of the rats). It averaged 98% of Zn intake in group I vs 80% in group II. The mean metabolic efficiency was 100% vs 87%. The conclusion was that these marked differences between age groups in utilizing the dietary zinc reflected the efficient homeostatic adjustments in absorption and endogenous excretion of zinc to the respective zinc supply status.     

Magnesium supplementation and iron status among female students: The intervention study

BackgroundLiterature data indicate the benefit of magnesium (Mg) supplementation. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of short-term Mg supplementation on iron status in healthy female participants.MethodsOne hundred healthy female students of the University of Belgrade - Faculty of Pharmacy participated the study during eleven intervention days. Students ingested Mg preparations with the same dose of the active substance. The analysis included the measurement of serum iron, unsaturated iron binding capacity (UIBC), total iron binding capacity (TIBC), total Mg (tMg), ionized Mg (iMg), complete blood count, met-, carboxyand oxy-haemoglobin (metHgb, COHgb, O2Hgb). Transferrin concentrations and percentage of transferrin saturation (SAT) were calculated manually. The association among the analyzed biochemical parameters was examined using polynomial regression. A principal component analysis (PCA) was used for the evaluation of interdependence between the analyzed parameters.ResultsA statistically significant trend for change in O2Hgb (%) by tertiles of iMg concentrations was found (P = 0.029). Serum tMg reached significant positive correlation with the SAT at concentration levels greater than 0.9 mmol/L, after 11 days of intervention (R2=0.116). Ionized Mg in a concentration higher than 0.6 mmol/L is positively correlated with SAT and serum Fe (R2=0.214; 0.199, respectively). PCA revealed variability of 64.7% for two axes after 11 days.ConclusionsMg supplementation leads to an improvement in the certain iron status parameters even in individuals with optimal levels of these indices. However, caution should be exercised when supplementing Mg, and laboratory monitoring of the interaction is required.     

蒲洼农业生态系统能流的稳定性及其动态

在研究生态系统结构及功能的基础上,本文基于１９７５－１９９０年的数据,对蒲洼农业生态系统能流的稳定性及其动态进行了分析。通过建立能流模型,由李雅普诺夫稳定性原理,得出该生态系统能流的平衡态具有渐近稳定性。动态数学模拟表明,目前该系统的能量流动正从不稳定状态向稳定和平衡态过渡,这一过程大约需要７ａ时间。     

晋冀鲁豫接壤区生态环境现状评价

对“中国资源、生态环境预警研究”的有关方法,建立了晋冀鱼豫接壤区１１个地、市的生态环境质量评价指标体系,并用层次分析法,对１１个地市作出的生态环境质量进行了排序,以表征该区经济持续发展能力及其潜力。     

重庆地区野生百合资源调查与评价

对重庆地区的野生百合资源进行了调查,共记录到野生百合资源17种(含变种);分析了野生百合资源在重庆地区的分布特征和资源现状;初步评估了重庆地区野生百合资源受威胁情况及其综合价值,并提出保护和利用建议。     

CO2 Saturation and Trophic Shift Induced by Microbial Metabolic Processes in a River-Dominated Ocean Margin (Tropical Shallow Lagoon,Chilika, India)

An effort has been made for the first time in Asia's largest brackish water lagoon, Chilika, to investigate the spatio-temporal variability in primary productivity (PP), bacterial productivity (BP), bacterial abundance (BA), bacterial respiration (BR) and bacterial growth efficiency (BGE) in relation to partial pressure of CO₂ (pCO₂) and CO₂ air–water flux and the resultant trophic switchover. Annually, PP ranged between 24 and 376 µg C L^?1 d^?1 with significantly low values throughout the monsoon (MN), caused by light limitation due to inputs of riverine suspended matter. On the contrary, BP and BR ranged from 11.5 to 186.3 µg C L^?1 d^?1 and from 14.1 to 389.4 µg C L^?1 d^?1, respectively, with exceptionally higher values during MN. A wide spatial and temporal variation in the lagoon trophic status was apparent from BP/PP (0.05–6.4) and PP/BR (0.10–18.2) ratios. The seasonal shift in net pelagic production from autotrophy to heterotrophy due to terrestrial organic matter inputs via rivers, enhanced the bacterial metabolism during the MN, as evident from the high pCO₂ (10,134 µatm) and CO₂ air–water flux (714 mm m^?2 d^?1). Large variability in BGE and BP/PP ratios especially during MN led to high bacteria-mediated carbon fluxes which was evident from significantly high bacterial carbon demand (BCD >100% of PP) during this season. This suggested that the net amount of organic carbon (either dissolved or particulate form) synthesized by primary producers in the lagoon was not sufficient to satisfy the bacterial carbon requirements. Lagoon sustained low to moderate autotrophic–heterotrophic coupling with annual mean BCD of 231% relative to the primary production, which depicted that bacterioplankton are the mainstay of the lagoon biogeochemical cycles and principal players that bring changes in trophic status. Study disclosed that the high CO₂ supersaturation and oxygen undersaturation during MN was attributed to the increased heterotrophic respiration (in excess of PP) fuelled by allochthonous organic matter. On a spatial scale, lagoon sectors such as south sector, central sector and outer channel recorded “net autotrophic,” while the northern sector showed “net heterotrophic” throughout the study period.     

Spawning tactics of paired males of the dark chub,Zacco temmincki,reflect potential fitness costs of satellites

Synopsis Paired males of the dark chub, Zacco temmincki, buried released eggs by vibrating their anal fin, but this behavior was prevented and eggs were cannibalized when many satellites (males and females) were present. A number of satellite males also caused a loss to paired males in sperm competition on spawning grounds far from shelters. Paired males followed repeating tactics, which were defined as successive spawning acts at the same redd, in most cases, but occasionally did shifting tactics which refer to spawning acts conducted successively at different redds. The proportion of the shifting tactic was not correlated with the dominance status of paired males. The shifting tactic was not advantageous in performing spawnings frequently. The calculation of the total advantage of both tactics indicated that the shifting tactic itself was not more beneficial than the repeating tactic at any density of satellites. Since a number of satellites stayed around the redd when no spawning pair was present, or pursued a pair or a single dominant male moving between spawning grounds, the occasional shifting tactics of paired males functioned to confuse and disperse satellites. The spawning tactics of paired males apparently reflected potential fitness costs of satellites. Paired males mainly spawned at the redds near shelters, despite the fact that more satellites were present to devour eggs, presumably because they could obtain many females and monopolize fertilizations.