A retrospective study on data from Animal-related complaints, abuse, cruelty, trafficking and trade received by Animal Welfare organizations in Singapore in 2016

Introduction: Singapore is a first-world country, protected by an advanced police force, competent in investigating crime against human citizens. Little is known about crime against animals and what Singapore does in these instances. Methods: This research considered data from reports of various animal crime that occurred in 2016 as recorded by the three animal welfare organizations appointed to investigate crimes against animals (AVS, SPCA and ACRES). Details of the cases collected were sorted using eight parameters: date, location, perpetrator, victim, type of crime or complaint, case outcome, organization, and punishment. The type of crime or complaint were divided into the categories: abandoned, allowed to roam, barking animal, caged, poor conditions, sick and untreated, physically abused, poisoned, deceased, taken from the wild, illegal possession, illegal sale, smuggling, and licencing. Results: In 2016, a total of 831 cases committed by 839 perpetrators were reported, for a total of 2357 minimum number of animals involved, comprehensive of animal parts and items made from animals. The largest proportion of the cases occurred against domestic animals and in housing districts. Despite these high numbers, only perpetrators in 11 cases were charged with fines and/or imprisonment time. Conclusions: This research paints, for the first time, a picture of what animal crime looks in the Singaporean society. Results are of pivotal importance to identify criminal hot spots, most common type of crimes, and animal categories that are most often victimised, aiming to facilitate the work of the organizations involved in investigating animal-related crime in Singapore

The narcotic antagonist naltrexone has a biphasic effect on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor

AbstractIt is known that narcotic antagonists interact with many cholinergic pathways but less in known about specific mechanisms. Using neonatal rat myoballs to study single channel behaviour of the acetylcholinegated nicotinic receptor, it was found that micromolar concentrations of naltrexone had no effect on channel conductance but caused open channel blockade by increasing the flickering from the open to the closed state in a concentration-dependent manner. At micromolar concentrations of naltrexone, the frequency of channel opening was decreased and bursts were grouped in clusters, whereas at nanomolar levels the frequency of opening was increased. The sequential model for ion-channel blockade cannot explain these effects, and an alternative allosteric mechanism of action is proposed.Narcotic antagonistNaltrexoneNicotinic receptorElectrophysiologySingle channel recordingChannel activationChannel blockad

Analisis Anomali Iklim Dalam Hubungan Dengan Produksi Padi Sawah (Oryza sativa L .) Di Kabupaten Minahasa Utara

This study aims to look at the relationship between rainfall and lowland rice production in North Minahasa Regency from 2010 to 2020, and this research was carried out from August to October 2021. Data collection was taken using secondary data, and presented in the form of tables and graphs. The study used polynomial regression analysis using order 6 and Microsoft Excel 2016 software. The results showed that the rainfall in 2010-2020 in North Minahasa Regency fluctuated every year. The highest rainfall occurred in 2016, namely 5,322 mm and low rainfall occurred in 2015, namely 2,730 mm, the highest lowland rice production occurred in 2020, namely 8.32 tons/ha and the lowest rice production in 2010, namely 4.89 tons/ha. Based on the results of the analysis, it was found that R2 = 0.7218, which means that the correlation value is good and rainfall has a very good effect on the growth of paddy rice plants

Avoiding unintentional eviction from integral projection models

Integral projection models (IPMs) are increasingly being applied to study size-structured populations. Here we call attention to a potential problem in their construction that can have important consequences for model results. IPMs are implemented using an approximating matrix and bounded size range. Individuals near the size limits can be unknowingly "evicted" from the model because their predicted future size is outside the range. We provide simple measures for the magnitude of eviction and the sensitivity of the population growth rate (lambda) to eviction, allowing modelers to assess the severity of the problem in their IPM. For IPMs of three plant species, we found that eviction occurred in all cases and caused underestimation of the population growth rate (lambda) relative to eviction-free models; it is likely that other models are similarly affected. Models with frequent eviction should be modified because eviction is only possible when size transitions are badly mis-specified. We offer several solutions to eviction problems, but we emphasize that the modeler must choose the most appropriate solution based on an understanding of why eviction occurs in the first place. We recommend testing IPMs for eviction problems and resolving them, so that population dynamics are modeled more accurately

Pengukuran Ketajaman Ground Sampling Distance (GSD) Di Berbagai Ketinggian Lahan Sawah Dengan Menggunakan Drone Tipe Mavic 2 Pro Di Desa Matani Kecamatan Tumpaan

Drones are a solution for getting data efficiently and effectively. The drone is also equipped with a flight control system through waves, ground positioning system (GPS) precision navigation, and flight control electronics so that it can fly according to the autopilot flight plan. The purpose of this study was to measure the sharpness of the Ground Sampling Distance (GSD) at various heights of paddy fields using the MAVIC 2 PRO TYPE Drone in Matani Village, Tumpaan District. The results of the research on measuring the acuity of the Ground Sampling Distance (GSD) in paddy fields using the MAVIC 2 PRO TYPE Drone in Matani Village, Tumpaan District show that flying altitude affects GSD results where the higher the drone altitude, the greater the GSD value and the lower the altitude. fly, the clearer the photos obtained. It is better to measure the sharpness of the Ground Sampling Distance (GSD) in the afternoon above 9 am because the sun's lighting affects the quality of the photo at a height of 200 meters so that the photo is clear

NERACA AIR LAHAN UNTUK PENGEMBANGAN TANAMAN KELAPA SAWIT (Elaeis guinensis Jacq), DI KECAMATAN SANGKUB, KABUPATEN BOLAANG MONGONDOW UTARA

This study aims to find out the water balance in Sangkub Sub-district, North Bolaang Mongondow Regency for oil palm cultivation with water balance simulation model developed by Handoko (1994) and Rogi (2002). The study was conducted from May - December 2016. This research uses simulation model method; the data used in this research is secondary data. The data analysis used run model of water balance of land and formula calculation of land water balance. The study found that the amount of water surplus from the run of the water balance model and calculations based on the formula in one year cannot meet the water requirements of oil palm crops, so that oil palm plantations cannot be cultivated in Sangkub Sub-district. This is due to the existence of rice cultivated crops prior to oil palm cultivation, where both plants require relatively large amount of water

The Role of Host Demographic Storage in the Ecological Dynamics of Heritable Symbionts

Heritable symbioses are widespread and ecologically important. Many host organisms have complex life cycles that include diverse opportunities for symbionts to affect their host and be lost during development. Yet, existing theory takes a simplified view of host demography. Here, we generalize symbiosis theory to understand how demographic “storage” in the form of dormant or prereproductive life stages can modify symbiosis dynamics. Using grass-endophyte symbioses as context, we developed models to contrast the role of the seed bank (a storage stage) against the reproductive stage in symbiont persistence and prevalence. We find that the seed bank is as important as or more important than the reproductive stage in driving symbiont dynamics, as long as passage through the seed bank is obligate. Flexible entry to the seed bank substantially weakens its influence on symbiont persistence but can modify prevalence in counterintuitive ways. Our models identify a role for legacy effects, where hosts that lose symbionts retain their demographic influence. The retention of benefits via legacy effects can reduce symbiont prevalence and even cause prevalence to decline with increasing benefits to hosts because symbiont-free hosts carry those benefits. Our results resolve connections between individual-level host-symbiont interactions and population-level patterns, providing guidance for empirical studies

Mammalian herbivores restrict the altitudinal range limits of alpine plants.

Although rarely experimentally tested, biotic interactions have long been hypothesised to limit low-elevation range boundaries of species. We tested the effects of herbivory on three alpine-restricted plant species by transplanting plants below (novel), at the edge (limit), or in the centre (core) of their current elevational range and factorially fencing-out above- and belowground mammals. Herbivore damage was greater in range limit and novel habitats than in range cores. Exclosures increased plant biomass and reproduction more in novel habitats than in range cores, suggesting demographic costs of novel interactions with herbivores. We then used demographic models to project population growth rates, which increased 5–20% more under herbivore exclosure at range limit and novel sites than in core habitats. Our results identify mammalian herbivores as key drivers of the low-elevation range limits of alpine plants and indicate that upward encroachment of herbivores could trigger local extinctions by depressing plant population growth.publishedVersio