IMPLICATIONS OF WATER RELEASE FROM THE PONGOLAPOORT DAM FOR THE FISH AND FISHERY OF THE PHONGOLO FLOODPLAIN,ZULULAND

Summary

Wetland fish stocks can usually be sustained as long as the natural flood regime is maintained, but unnatural disruption of the flooding pattern can interfere with fish spawning and feeding. The dynamics of the Phongolo floodplain fish community are determined by periodically changing abiotic factors, especially water level and water temperature, and biotic factors, especially food availability. Water level fluctuations have several important functions and result in pulses of nutrient input and fish abundance. This paper examines the implications of the timing, magnitude and duration of simulated flood releases from the Pongolapoort Dam on the downstream fish and fishery.     

Insularity and the determinants of lizard population density

The relative effects of resource availability and partitioning on animal population density are unresolved yet central to ecology and conservation. Species-depauperate islands offer an intriguing test case. Across 643 lizard populations from around the world, local abundances are one order of magnitude higher on islands than on mainlands, even when controlled for resource availability. On mainlands, predator and competitor richness only weakly correlate with lizard densities. On islands, sharp reductions in predator and competitor richness are the dominant drivers of lizard abundance. Our results demonstrate the dramatic effect insularity has on the interplay between biotic and abiotic control of animal abundances and the heightened sensitivity of island communities to species' losses and gains.     

Litter breakdown and mineralization in a central African rain forest dominated by ectomycorrhizal trees

Based on litter mass and litterfall data, decomposition rates for leaveswere found to be fast (k = 3.3) and the turnover times short (3.6mo) on the low-nutrient sandy soils of Korup. Leaf litteroffour ectomycorrhizal tree species (Berlinia bracteosa, Didelotiaafricana, Microberlinia bisulcata and Tetraberliniabifoliolata) and of three non-ectomycorrhizal species(Cola verticillata, Oubanguia alata andStrephonema pseudocola) from Korup were left to decomposein 2-mm mesh bags on the forest floor in three plots ofeachof two forest types forest of low (LEM) and high (HEM) abundance ofectomycorrhizal (caesalp) trees. The litter of the ectomycorrhizal speciesdecayed at a significantly slower rate than that of thenon-ectomycorrhizal species, although the former were richer in P and Nconcentrations of the start. Disappearance rates of the litter layer showed asimilar trend. Ectomycorrhizal species immobilized less N, but mineralized moreP, than non-ectomycorrhizal species. Differences between species groupsin K, Mg and Ca mineralization were negligible. Effect of forest type was clearonly for Mg: mineralization of Mg was faster in the HEM than LEM plots, apattern repeated across all species. This difference was attributed to a muchmore prolific fine root mat in the HEM than LEM forest. The relatively fastrelease of P from the litter of the ectomycorrhizal species suggests that thematmust allow an efficient uptake to maintain P in the forest ecosystem.     

Assessing release protocols for Canada lynx reintroduction in colorado

Reintroductions are a common strategy to restore ecosystem integrity, especially when top predators are involved. Reintroductions are often time consuming, expensive, and controversial, and thus understanding what aspects are important for a successful program is needed. Focusing on the example of the reintroduction of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) to Colorado, we investigated how different release protocols (RP) affected mortality within the first year post-release. We found that average monthly mortality in the study area during the first year decreased with time in captivity from 0.205 (95% CI = 0.069, 0.475) for lynx having spent up to 7 days in captivity to 0.028 (95% CI = 0.012, 0.064) for lynx spending >45 days in captivity before release. Our results also suggest that keeping lynx in captivity beyond 5–6 weeks accrued little benefit in terms of monthly survival. We found that, on a monthly average basis, lynx were as likely to move out (P = 0.196, SE = 0.032) as well as back onto (P = 0.143, SE = 0.034) the reintroduction area during the first year after release. Mortality was 1.6 times greater outside of the study area, suggesting that permanent emigration and differential mortality rates on and off reintroduction areas should be factored into sample size calculations for an effective reintroduction effort. A post-release monitoring plan is critical to providing information to assess aspects of RP and to improve survival of individuals. Future lynx and other carnivore reintroductions may use our results to help design reintroduction programs including both the release and post-release monitoring protocols. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.     

Formation of transition metal-doxorubicin complexes inside liposomes

Doxorubicin complexation with the transition metal manganese (Mn²⁺) has been characterized, differentiating between the formation of a doxorubicin-metal complex and doxorubicin fibrous-bundle aggregates typically generated following ion gradient-based loading procedures that rely on liposome encapsulated citrate or sulfate salts. The physical and chemical characteristics of the encapsulated drug were assessed using cryo-electron microscopy, circular dichroism (CD) and absorbance spectrophotometric analysis. In addition, in vitro and in vivo drug loading and release characteristics of the liposomal formulations were investigated. Finally, the internal pH after drug loading was measured with the aim of linking formation of the Mn²⁺ complex to the presence or absence of a transmembrane pH gradient. Doxorubicin was encapsulated into either 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC)/cholesterol (Chol) or 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DSPC)/Chol liposomes, where the entrapped salts were citrate, MnSO₄ or MnCl₂. In response to a pH gradient or a Mn²⁺ ion gradient, doxorubicin accumulated inside to achieve a drug-to-lipid ratio of approximately 0.2:1 (wt/wt). Absorbance and CD spectra of doxorubicin in the presence of Mn²⁺ suggested that there are two distinct structures captured within the liposomes. In the absence of added ionophore A23187, drug loading is initiated on the basis of an established pH gradient; however, efficient drug uptake is not dependent on maintenance of the pH gradient. Drug release from DMPC/Chol is comparable regardless of whether doxorubicin is entrapped as a citrate-based aggregate or a Mn²⁺ complex. However, in vivo drug release from DSPC/Chol liposomes indicate less than 5% or greater than 50% drug loss over a 24-h time course when the drug was encapsulated as an aggregate or a Mn²⁺ complex, respectively. These studies define a method for entrapping drugs possessing coordination sites capable of complexing transition metals and suggest that drug release is dependent on lipid composition, internal pH, as well as the nature of the crystalline precipitate, which forms following encapsulation.     

Miscibility study of chitosan/2-hydroxyethyl starch blends and evaluation of their effectiveness as drug sustained release hydrogels

Polymeric matrices of chitosan (CS), 2-hydroxyethyl starch (HES) and their blends prepared by solvent evaporation technique, have been tested as sustained release hydrogels of ropinirole drug. X-Ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and viscometry measurements showed that the two polymers can form miscible blends. This miscibility is owed to formed hydrogen bonds taking place between the reactive groups of CS and HES and one glass transition is recorded in all blends. Neat polymers were used to prepare solid dispersion formulations with ropinirole drug. It was found that drug was released immediately within 15-30 min from HES while the release was slower from CS matrix. Completely different were the release rates from ropinirole with physical mixtures using neat polymers and their blends. Due to the different solubility and swelling behaviour of CS and HES the release rates showed a sustained profile from the blends containing high amounts of CS.     

高浓度O3对城市蒙古栎凋落叶分解和养分释放的影响

采用开顶箱(OTCs)模拟法和分解袋法,以O₃自然浓度(40 nmol·mol^-1)为对照,研究高浓度O₃(约120 nmol·mol^-1)对城市自然环境下生长的10年生蒙古栎凋落叶分解和养分释放的影响,分解时长达150 d.结果表明：高浓度O₃未对蒙古栎凋落叶的分解产生显著影响.高浓度O₃抑制了蒙古栎凋落叶C、K释放,分解150 d,高浓度O₃处理K残留率为23.9%,显著高于对照(17.1%).高浓度O₃在分解前期(0～60 d)抑制了凋落叶N、木质素的释放,在分解后期(60～150 d)起促进作用.高浓度O₃处理与对照木质素/N变化趋势一致且无显著差异.除分解中期(60 d)外,对照P残留率始终高于高浓度O₃处理.C/P变化趋势与P相反,在整个分解过程中,高浓度O₃处理C/P高于对照,而且C、N、K残留率以及C/N与凋落叶干质量剩余率呈显著正相关.因此,高浓度O₃将对蒙古栎林的营养循环产生一定影响.     

黑龙江省苹果蠹蛾的发生与防治

2005年在黑龙江省东宁县部分果园中发现苹果蠹蛾的危害,由于当地果树管理粗放、果农认识不足等,最初该虫扩散较快,至2007年东宁县苹果蠹蛾发生面积已超过400 hm~2。苹果蠹蛾在黑龙江1年发生2代,越冬代成虫发生时间较长,不利于化学防治。相关部门的调查研究表明,以刮老翘皮、束物诱杀、挂杀虫灯、用性诱剂与化学防治相结合能取得理想的防治效果。     

Phorbol Esters Induce Neurotransmitter Release in Cholinergic Synaptosomes from Torpedo Electric Organ

The effect of phorbol esters and so the involvement of Ca2+/phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C;PKC) in the release of acetylcholine (ACh) was studied using Torpedo electric organ synaptosomes. 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA), a known activator of PKC, induced neurotransmitter release in a concentration-dependent manner and increased the potassium-evoked release of ACh. The effect of TPA was shown to be independent of the extrasynaptosomal calcium concentration. TPA-induced ACh release was reversed by H-7, an inhibitor of PKC activity. This drug showed no effect on potassium-evoked ACh release. Botulinum toxin, a strong blocker of potassium-induced ACh release in that synaptosomal preparation, showed no inhibitory effect on the TPA-induced ACh release. Our results suggest that activation of PKC potentiates the release of an ACh pool that is not releasable by potassium depolarization, independently of the extracellular calcium concentration.     

Opioid modulation of capsaicin-evoked release of substance P from rat spinal cord in vivo

Capsaicin has been shown to evoke the release of substance P (SP) from small diameter primary afferent fibers. Using an in vivo perfusion of the rat spinal cord, this study examined the pharmacology of opioid receptor systems which modulate the capsaicin-evoked release of SP. The addition of capsaicin (200 μM) to the perfusate raised SP-like immunoreactivity (SP-LI) from resting levels of 31±5 to 74±14 pg/ml or an increase of 139% above the baseline. Using high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) the identity of the released SP-LI was determined to coelute primarily with authentic SP or the oxidized form of SP. Opioid receptor agonists were added to the perfusate and their ability to inhibit capsaicin-evoked release of SP-LI was assessed. Morphine (10–100 μM), DAGO (1–100 μM), DPLPE (10–100 μM), but not U50488H (100 μM) produced a dose-dependent reduction in the capsaicin-evoked release of SP-LI. Pretreatment with the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone (1 mg/kg, IP) had no effect on the basal or capsaicin-evoked release of SP-LI. Naloxone pretreatment was able to antagonize completely the opioid-produced inhibition of capsaicin-evoked SP-LI release. These data indicate that the release of SP from primary afferent fibers can be modulated by the activation of mu or delta but not kappa opioid receptors. Further, these data support the hypothesis that spinally administered mu and delta opioid agonists may produce their antinociceptive effect through the presynaptic inhibition of neuropeptide release from small diameter primary afferent fibers.