Factors influencing seasonal and monthly changes in the group size of chital or axis deer in southern India

Chital or axis deer (Axis axis) form fluid groups that change in size temporally and in relation to habitat. Predictions of hypotheses relating animal density, rainfall, habitat structure, and breeding seasonality, to changes in chital group size were assessed simultaneously using multiple regression models of monthly data collected over a 2 yr period in Guindy National Park, in southern India. Over 2,700 detections of chital groups were made during four seasons in three habitats (forest, scrubland and grassland). In scrubland and grassland, chital group size was positively related to animal density, which increased with rainfall. This suggests that in these habitats, chital density increases in relation to food availability, and group sizes increase due to higher encounter rate and fusion of groups. The density of chital in forest was inversely related to rainfall, but positively to the number of fruiting tree species and availability of fallen litter, their forage in this habitat. There was little change in mean group size in the forest, although chital density more than doubled during the dry season and summer. Dispersion of food items or the closed nature of the forest may preclude formation of larger groups. At low densities, group sizes in all three habitats were similar. Group sizes increased with chital density in scrubland and grassland, but more rapidly in the latter—leading to a positive relationship between openness and mean group size at higher densities. It is not clear, however, that this relationship is solely because of the influence of habitat structure. The rutting index (monthly percentage of adult males in hard antler) was positively related to mean group size in forest and scrubland, probably reflecting the increase in group size due to solitary males joining with females during the rut. The fission-fusion system of group formation in chital is thus interactively influenced by several factors. Aspects that need further study, such as interannual variability, are highlighted.     

Wnt Pathway Activation Increases Hypoxia Tolerance during Development

Adaptation to hypoxia, defined as a condition of inadequate oxygen supply, has enabled humans to successfully colonize high altitude regions. The mechanisms attempted by organisms to cope with short-term hypoxia include increased ATP production via anaerobic respiration and stabilization of Hypoxia Inducible Factor 1α (HIF-1α). However, less is known about the means through which populations adapt to chronic hypoxia during the process of development within a life time or over generations. Here we show that signaling via the highly conserved Wnt pathway impacts the ability of Drosophila melanogaster to complete its life cycle under hypoxia. We identify this pathway through analyses of genome sequencing and gene expression of a Drosophila melanogaster population adapted over >180 generations to tolerate a concentration of 3.5–4% O₂ in air. We then show that genetic activation of the Wnt canonical pathway leads to increased rates of adult eclosion in low O₂. Our results indicate that a previously unsuspected major developmental pathway, Wnt, plays a significant role in hypoxia tolerance.     

Mineralization of Carbofuran by a Soil Bacterium

A bacterium, tentatively identified as an Arthrobacter sp., was isolated from flooded soil that was incubated at 35°C and repeatedly treated with carbofuran (2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-7-benzofuranyl N-methylcarbamate). This bacterium exhibited an exceptional capacity to completely mineralize the ring-labeled ¹⁴C in carbofuran to ¹⁴CO₂ within 72 to 120 h in a mineral salts medium as a sole source of carbon and nitrogen under aerobic conditions. Mineralization was more rapid at 35°C than at 20°C. No degradation of carbofuran occurred even after prolonged incubation under anaerobic conditions. The predicted metabolites of carbofuran, 7-phenol (2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-7-benzofuranol) and 3-hydroxycarbofuran, were also metabolized rapidly. 7-Phenol, although formed during carbofuran degradation, never accumulated in large amounts, evidently because of its further metabolism through ring cleavage. The bacterium readily hydrolyzed carbaryl (1-naphthyl N-methylcarbamate), but its hydrolysis product, 1-naphthol, resisted further degradation by this bacterium.     

Evaluating second year cropping on jhum fallows in Mizoram,north-eastern India—Phytomass dynamics and primary productivity

Cropping on jhum fallows in north-eartern India is predominantly done for one year in a jhum cycle. If second year cropping is done, expanse of the forest land required for slashing and burning could be reduced significantly. We tested this hypothesis in a young (6 yr) and an old (20 yr) jhum fallow. We also evaluated if the productivity during second year cropping could be alleviated by auxiliary measures such as tilling the soil or application of fertilizers (chemical or farm-yard manure or both in combination). The results demonstrate that the ecosystem productivity (total dry matter production) and economic yield (rice grain production) decline with shortening of jhum cycle. Second year cropping causes a further decline in ecosystem productivity in old jhum field, but not in young jhum field. Economic yield from second year cropping in its traditional form (without any fertilizer treatment) is not much lower than that in the first year, and can be improved further by manuring the soil. Tilling of soil improves neither ecosystem productivity nor economic yield. Different fertilization treatments respond differently; while inorganic manuring enhances ecosystem productivity, a combination of inorganic and organic manuring improves economic yield     

Physiological responses of mules on prolonged exposure to high altitude (3 650 m)

Eight healthy male animals were inducted and kept for 2 1/2 years at 3 650 m altitude and subjected to normal work schedules. Physiological measurements viz. heart rate, blood pressure, minute ventilation, oxygen consumption, respiration rate, hemoglobin, packed cell haematocrit volume and eosinophil count were made on these animals at periodic intervals. On acute induction to an altitude of 3 650 m these animals demonstrated a sudden increase in tidal volume, a decrease in Rf and no change in V_E, suggesting a decreased dead space/tidal volume ratio at altitude.However, all these changes stabilised within 3 weeks but on prolongation of stay, the physical state of these animals was adversely affected. The respiratory adjustments occurring on return to sea level appear to be a response to thermal stress. The initial increase in heart rate and blood pressure stabilised by the 2nd week.     

Structure and seasonal dynamics of humid tropical grasslands in Meghalaya,India

Abstract. Four humid grassland communities at three different locations in Meghalaya, India were analysed during 1988 and 1989 for species and life-form composition, diversity and dominance in relation to altitude, soil and prevailing disturbances. Due to the adverse interactive influences of exceptionally high annual rainfall (> 10 000 mm), topography and human interference on soil fertility, the grassland at Cherrapunji, at 1300 m altitude, had a low species diversity (H'= 1.74) and was dominated by three perennial grass species. Similar grasslands, at both higher and lower altitudes on fertile soil and with lower rainfall (ca. 2000 mm), showed higher diversity values (H'= 2.28 at Burnihat and 2.31 at Upper Shillong). The proportion of perennial species and chamaephytes increased with elevation. At the high altitude site a grassland under short-term protection from fires and grazing had a higher species richness, density and basal cover than an unprotected grassland. All grasslands show a clear seasonality, albeit with different patterns, with a maximum in density and basal cover in August. The differences in structure and seasonality are discussed in terms of different levels of stress.     

siRNA-directed inhibition of HIV-1 infection

RNA interference silences gene expression through short interfering 21 23-mer double-strand RNA segments that guide mRNA degradation in a sequence-specific fashion. Here we report that siRNAs inhibit virus production by targeting the mRNAs for either the HIV-1 cellular receptor CD4, the viral structural Gag protein or green fluorescence protein substituted for the Nef regulatory protein. siRNAs effectively inhibit pre- and/or post-integration infection events in the HIV-1 life cycle. Thus, siRNAs may have potential for therapeutic intervention in HIV-1 and other viral infections.