A revision of the Late Ordovician marellomorph arthropod Furca bohemica from Czech Republic

The enigmatic marrellomorph arthropod Furca bohemica from the Upper Ordovician Letná Formation, is redescribed. Based on existing museum specimens and new material collected from the southern slope of Ostrý Hill (Beroun, Czech Republic), the morphology and taphonomy of F. bohemica is reappraised and expanded to produce a new anatomical interpretation. The previously distinct taxa F. pilosa and Furca sp., are synonymised with F. bohemica, the latter being represented by a tapho−series in which decay has obscured some of the diagnostic features. A cladistic analysis indicates close affinities between F. bohemica and the Hunsrück Slate marrellomorph Mimetaster hexagonalis, together forming the Family Mimetasteridae, contrary to previous models for marrellomorph internal relationships. As with other representatives of the group, the overall anatomy of F. bohemica is consistent with a benthic, or possibly nektobenthic, mode of life. The depositional setting of the Letná Formation indicates that F. bohemica inhabited a shallow marine environment, distinguishing it palaeoecologically from all other known marrellomorphs, which have been reported from the continental shelf

El control de los criterios de higiene de los procesos en mataderos de cerdo ibérico como medio para evaluar el funcionamiento aceptable de la producción

La normativa vigente obliga a los mataderos de cerdo ibérico a desarrollar e implantar un plan APPCC (Análisis de Peligros y Puntos de Control Crítico). De igual modo deben comprobar el correcto funcionamiento de su proceso de producción realizando controles microbiologícos de la superficie de las canales, siguiendo un plan de muestreo diseñado de acuerdo al Reglamento 2073/2005. En el presente trabajo se expone el diseño de un plan de muestreo de un matadero de cerdo ibérico, y se muestran los resultados obtenidos en los primeros controles realizados siguiendo dicho plan

Controles analíticos realizados en una pequeña industria elaboradora de quesos de oveja y su papel en el contexto de la garantía de inocuidad de los productos elaborados

Como parte de las actuaciones encaminadas a asegurar la inocuidad de los quesos, las industrias elaboradoras de quesos deben comprobar la ausencia de antibióticos en la leche que utilizan como materia prima, así como la calidad microbiológica de ésta. Igualmente deben llevar a cabo controles microbiológicos de los quesos que ponen en el mercado. El presente trabajo muestra el modo en que lleva a cabo estos controles una industria elaboradora de queso de oveja, así como la comparación de los resultados obtenidos en los mencionados controles durante el año 2006 con los criterios establecidos en la normativa vigente

Comparative study of real-time pcr (Taqman probe and sybr green), serological techniques (elisa, ifa and dat) and clinical signs evaluation, for the diagnosis of canine leishmaniasis in experimentally infected dogs

Canine leishmaniasis (CanL) diagnosis is not fully resolved. Currently, two specific methodologies are in continuous development, the detection of the parasite DNA or RNA in target organs and the detection of specific antibodies against Leishmania sp. For a correct diagnosis, it has been shown that the joint use of this type of test is necessary. In this work, a Sybr Green and a TaqMan Probe based on real time PCRs (qPCR) was performed for the detection of Leishmania sp. in order to correlate the results with clinicopathological and serological evaluations (IFA, ELISA and DAT) to propose an optimal biological sample to be used to detect the parasite in both early and late stages of the infection. A total of four samples were processed: conjunctival swabs, popliteal lymph node aspirates, bone marrow aspirates, and peripheral blood from experimentally infected dogs belonging to a larger study. Our results indicated that a single non-invasive sample (conjunctival swab) and the application of both types of qPCR would be reliable for determining Leishmania infection as well as the disease stage in dogs, thus avoiding bone marrow, lymph node aspirate or blood samples collection. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/)

Tropical Grass Growth Functions Modeling by Using Nonlinear Mixed Models

Nonlinear Growth curves are used for modeling plant physiological variables. These models are preferable because the polynomial coefficients of the equations have a biological significance. The response variables of the curves occurs commonly with repeated measurements over time and measurements are on different environments. The traditional statistical analysis does not include a repeated measures approach, which can lead to improper estimation of the error terms. It is important to study the growth of tropical grass (Da Silva and Carvalho 2005)

Dating young open clusters using delta Scuti stars. Results for Trumpler 10 and Praesepe

Aims. The main goal of this work is to date young open clusters using $\delta$ Sct stars. Seismic indices such as the large separation and the frequency at maximum power can help to constrain the models to better characterise the stars. We propose a reliable method to identify some radial modes, which gives us greater confidence in the constrained models. Methods. We extract the frequency content of a sample of $\delta$ Sct stars belonging to the same open cluster. We estimate the low-order large separation by means of different techniques and the frequency at maximum power for each member of the sample. We use a grid of models built with the typical parameters of $\delta$ Sct stars, including mass, metallicity and rotation as independent variables, and determine the oscillation modes. We select the observed frequencies whose ratios match those of the models. Once we find a range of radial modes matching the observed frequencies, mainly the fundamental mode, we add it to the other seismic parameters to derive the stellar age. Assuming star groups have similar chemistry and age, we estimate their mean age by computing a weighted probability density function fit to the age distribution of the seismically constrained models. Results. We estimate the age of Trumpler 10 to be $30_{-20}{+30}$ Myr, and that of Praesepe to be $580 \pm 230$ Myr. In this latter case, we find two apparent populations of $\delta$ Sct stars in the same cluster, one at $510 \pm 140$ Myr and another at $890 \pm 140$ Myr. This may be due to two different formation events, different rotational velocities of the members in our sample of stars (as rapid rotation may modify the observed large separation), or to membership of unresolved binary systems.Comment: 20 pages, 25 figure, uses the open-source code MultiModes (see https://github.com/davidpamos/MultiModes). It will be published in A&

Bobwhite Response to Cattle Grazing in South Texas

Range management practices to improve habitat for wildlife by reducing brush and increasing herbaceous plants, coupled with reduced stocking rates, can lead to dense stands of dominant grasses, such as four-flower trichloris (Trichloris pluriflora). This monoculture of trichloris creates dense vegetation unsuitable for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter, bobwhite), reduces plant species diversity, and alters ecosystem functions. The objectives of this study are to 1) evaluate the effects of a proper cattle grazing regime to improve bobwhite habitat and 2) develop a management guide documenting how cattle grazing can be used as a tool to reduce the density and cover of dominant grasses and thereby allow higher plant species richness. The study is taking place in Duval County, Texas, USA, between 2 pastures with a combined area of 2,500 ha. One pasture serves as the control (1,337 ha) while the other (1,109 ha) is grazed to maintain a stubble height of 30–40 cm. We placed 10 grazing exclosures and 10 25-m transects within each treatment to determine botanical composition and cover. Double sampling is conducted monthly to determine forage standing crop. Forage standing crop, plant species richness, total ground cover, and forage utilization will be estimated. We hypothesize that 1) the grazed pasture will contain more bobwhites than the nongrazed pasture, 2) plant species richness will be greater in the grazed pasture, and 3) grazing will reduce the cover of trichloris. In 2020, plant species richness varied among sampling periods and was recorded as 7.5 species/transect and 4.8 species/transect higher in the nongrazed control compared to the grazed pasture in June and August, respectively. After the end of the first year of grazing, however, there was no statistical difference in plant species richness between the 2 pastures, a result that does not coincide with our second hypothesis. Litter cover did not vary among sampling periods in the nongrazed pasture but changed in the grazed pasture. Litter cover was 9.4%, 14.3%, 14.6%, and 8.9% higher in the grazed pasture than in the nongrazed pasture in May, August, September, and December 2020, respectively. Bare ground cover changed throughout sampling periods in the nongrazed and grazed pastures. Bare ground cover was 22%, 18%, and 22% higher in the grazed pasture than in the nongrazed pasture in May, September, and December 2020, respectively. Trichloris cover did not change throughout the sampling period in the grazed pasture but varied in the nongrazed pasture. Trichloris cover was 31%, 20%, 37.5%, and 35.3% higher in the nongrazed pasture than in the grazed pasture in May, August, September, and December 2020, respectively; these results support our third hypothesis. We began the cattle grazing in May 2020 with a herd of 228 mother cows placed in the grazing treatment. After 109 days of grazing, the pasture reached the target stubble height and the herd was removed. In 2021 we began grazing in June with a herd of 337 stocker calves. Vegetation growth outpaced what the calves could eat, so we removed them after 56 days and added 300 bred cows. These mother cows grazed for another 96 days until the current utilization rate was met. We completed aerial surveys for both 2020 and 2021, and the results indicate that bobwhite density on the grazed pasture was about 80% higher in 2020 and 25% higher in 2021 compared to the nongrazed pasture. These findings are consistent with our first hypothesis. In theory, by reducing the trichloris cover and increasing bare ground, we are creating more usable space for bobwhites; consequently, we are recording more bobwhites in the grazed pasture. The results are preliminary, but our study has the potential to shed light on bobwhite responses to proper cattle grazing and in turn to inform decisions about managing bobwhite habitat across South Texas