Food habits of bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) on Ames Plantation in west Tennessee

The objective of this study was to delineate dietary patterns of bobwhite quail on the Ames Plantation with respect to seasonal variation in food selection and feeding preferences of different age and sex groups. Preliminary field studies began in July, 1966, while quail collections began in December, 1966. The study was conducted on the 18,600-acre Ames Plantation located near Grand Junction, Fayette-Hardeman Counties, Tennessee. The research area encompassed 4,263 acres which are intensively managed for quail. Major land use types on the study area were forest, 37 percent; idle, field border, and fallow, 22 percent; cultivated, 22 percent; hay and pasture, 17 percent; and food plots, 2 percent. A total of 672 bobwhites were collected during December, 1966 through March, 1969. Males contributed 54.1 percent of the birds collected while females accounted for 45.9 percent. The most important foods comprising the annual diet of bobwhites on the study area were soybeans (38.1 percent), corn (6.0 percent), Johnson grass (5.2 percent), grasshoppers (4.2 percent), and browntop millet (3.4 percent). The acreage of soybeans grown in Fayette County has increased 1,022 percent from 1959 to 1969. The upward trend in total soybean acreage has increased the availability of soybeans as a source of food for quail. Major winter foods consumed by quail were soybeans (71.1 percent), corn (9.7 percent), and Johnson grass (4.4 percent). Important foods consumed by bobwhites during the spring were soybeans (39.9 percent), green leafy vegetation (6.9 percent), wood sorrell (6.8 percent), and violet (6.1 percent). Animal foods comprised 16.5 percent of the diet in spring. Major summer foods consumed by quail were grasshoppers (9.4 per cent), Johnson grass (9.1 percent), browntop millet (7.7 percent), and soybeans (6.2 percent). Animal foods were important in the diet during the summer, comprising 30.5 percent of the total volume. The fall diet of quail consisted of 14.3 percent animal and 85.7 percent plant food. Soybeans comprised 53.2 percent of the food consumed by quail. Other important fall foods were grasshoppers (9.5 percent) and browntop millet (7.4 percent). Food habits of juvenile quail were more similar to adult hens than to adult cocks during the summer season. Juvenile quail consumed 37.6 percent animal foods, adult hens 36.2 percent, and adult males 19.9 percent. The four most important foods consumed by adult quail during the summer were grasshoppers (8.8 percent), Johnson grass (8.4 percent), soybeans (7.1 percent), and browntop millet (6.7 percent). Juvenile foods included sassafras (11.8 percent), grasshoppers (10.8 percent), Johnson grass (10.4 percent), and browntop millet (9.8 percent). I examined 118 juvenile bobwhites which ranged in age from less than 1 week to 15 weeks. During the first two weeks of life, the chicks diet contained 94.1 percent animal food. As juvenile birds progressed in age they utilized less animal foods and consumed more plant foods. By the fourth week animal food decreased to 60.4 percent and by the eighth week young consumed 38.9 percent animal food. Crop contents from 443 quail were examined to determine use of select foods planted in food plots. Seventy-one percent of the birds shot less than 50 yards from a food plot had eaten select foods. Twenty-five percent of the bobwhites collected from 51-300 yards contained select foods. Birds which lived within 50 yards of a food plot were strongly influenced in their diet by foods planted in food plots

Collection, isolation and evaluation of nitrogen fixing bacteria in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas

Isolation from local soil samples with Phaseolus vulgaris (L.) produced 20 samples from which pure cultures were obtained. A commercial strain of Rhizobium #132 was obtained from Becker Underwood and included as a standard in the experiment. The results demonstrated that a variety of infective and effective of strains of Rhizobium nodulating Phaseolus vulgaris (L.) exist in the native soils of the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. A cluster of effective bacteria was identified and can serve as a basis for recommendations to inoculant industry in the Valley. An isolate collection has been established to serve as a source of material for further research

Applications of plasma density measurements to spacecraft radio tracking

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth and Planetary Science, 1980.Microfiche copy available in Archives and Science.Includes bibliographical references.by Thomas Marshall Eubanks.M.S

CHARACTERIZATION OF ARSENIC-TOLERANT BACTERIAL CULTURES FROM THE LOWER LAGUNA MADRE OF SOUTH TEXAS

Two forms of arsenic are found in the environment: As(V) and As(III), the latter being more toxic, water-soluble, and mobile. Microorganisms may increase the mobility of arsenic by reducing As(V) to As(III); however, detoxification and immobilization can occur via the oxidation of As(III) to As(V). The US EPA has set a minimum contaminant level of 10 parts per billion (ppb) for arsenic in drinking water. The research objective was to confirm the presence of arsenic-tolerant bacteria in the Lower Laguna Madre of south Texas. Sediment samples were collected and inoculated into growth media which contained either 2 mM As(III) or 2 mM As(V) to enrich for As(III)-tolerant and As(V)-tolerant bacteria, respectively. Twenty six (26) As (III)-tolerant and 12 As(V)-tolerant cultures were obtained. Most isolates were small white colonies of Gram-positive rods. Biochemical tests using commercially-made test strips showed that As(V)-tolerant isolates displayed greater resource usage compared to As(III)-tolerant isolates but overall, few cultures demonstrated a wide-range of biochemical capabilities. Isolates with distinct morphological and biochemical phenotypes were subjected to Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification and sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes to identify the bacteria. Closest sequence matches were to the eubacterial genera Mycoplasma, Salinispora, Frankia, and Pelodictyon. These results suggest that the Lower Laguna Madre is inhabited by a diverse group of microorganisms able to tolerate toxic concentrations of different arsenic species

Thermodynamic and Kinetic study of the removal of Cu2+ and Pb2+ ions from aqueous solution using Fe7S8 nanomaterial

In the present study, pyrrhotite (Fe7S8) was investigated for the removal of Pb2+ and Cu2+ ions from aqueous solution. The Fe7S8 material was prepared through a solvothermal method and was characterized using XRD. The average particle size for the nanomaterial was determined to be 29.86 ± 0.87 nm using XRD analysis and Scherrer\u27s equation. Batch studies were performed to investigate the effects of pH, time, temperature, interfering ions, and the binding capacity of Pb2+ and Cu2+ ions to the Fe7S8 nanomaterial. During the pH profile studies, the optimum pH for the binding of Pb2+ and Cu2+ was determined to be pH 5 for both cations. Isotherm studies were conducted from which the thermodynamics and binding capacities for both Cu2+ and Pb2+ were determined. The binding capacity for Pb2+ and Cu2+ binding to the Fe7S8 were determined to be 0.039 and 0.102 mmol/g, respectively at 25°C. The thermodynamic parameters indicated a ΔG for the sorption of Pb2+ ranged from 5.07 kJ/mol to -2.45 kJ/mol indicating a non-spontaneous process was occurring. Whereas, the ΔG for Cu2+ ion binding ranged from 9.78 kJ/mol to -11.23 kJ/mol indicating a spontaneous process at higher temperatures. The enthalpy indicated an endothermic reaction was occurring for the binding of Pb2+ and Cu2+ to the Fe7S8 nanomaterial with ΔH values of 55.8 kJ/mol and 153.5 kJ/mol, respectively. Furthermore, the ΔS values for the reactions were positive indicating an increase in the entropy of the system after metal ion binding. Activation energy studies indicated the binding for both Pb2+ and Cu2+ occurred through chemisorption

Phytochemical investigation of Magnolia grandiflora green seed cones: Analytical and phytoceutical studies

Phytochemicals are inevitable part of human civilization. It is impossible to say exactly when menfolk started to take plant portions to cure various diseases. Phytochemical investigation of diethyl ether and ethanol extracts of Magnolia grandiflora green seed cones has been carried out. Extraction, isolation, and identification of the phytochemicals were carried out. Structures were determined by various analytical methods including extensive nuclear magnetic resonance, gas chromatography‐ mass spectroscopy, and X‐ray crystallographic analyses. Structures of the three compounds viz. 5,5′‐diallyl‐[1,1′‐biphenyl]‐2,2′‐diol (I), 3′,5‐diallyl‐[1,1′‐biphenyl]‐2,4′‐ diol (II), and (3S,3aS,8S,9aS,10aR,10bS,E)‐8‐hydroxy‐3,6,9a‐trimethyl‐3a,4,5,8,9,9a, 10a,10b‐octahydrooxireno[2′,3′:9,10]cyclodeca[1,2‐b]furan‐2(3H)‐one (III) were confirmed by X‐ray crystallographic analysis. GS‐MS studies of the isolated oil, eluted with hexanes, revealed the presence of eight compounds including two highly bioprivileged molecules 5,5′‐diallyl‐2′‐methoxy‐[1,1′‐biphenyl]‐2‐ol (IV) and 1‐(4‐isopropylbenzyl)‐ 1,3‐dihydro‐2H‐benzo[d]imidazol‐2‐one (V). The druggability of the five compounds has also been determined by in silico studies. The isolated compounds and/or their semi‐synthetic products may find application in natural drug development research

Transient contractions of urinary bladder smooth muscle are drivers of afferent nerve activity during filling

Activation of afferent nerves during urinary bladder (UB) filling conveys the sensation of UB fullness to the central nervous system (CNS). Although this sensory outflow is presumed to reflect graded increases in pressure associated with filling, UBs also exhibit nonvoiding, transient contractions (TCs) that cause small, rapid increases in intravesical pressure. Here, using an ex vivo mouse bladder preparation, we explored the relative contributions of filling pressure and TC-induced pressure transients to sensory nerve stimulation. Continuous UB filling caused an increase in afferent nerve activity composed of a graded increase in baseline activity and activity associated with increases in intravesical pressure produced by TCs. For each ∼4-mmHg pressure increase, filling pressure increased baseline afferent activity by ∼60 action potentials per second. In contrast, a similar pressure elevation induced by a TC evoked an ∼10-fold greater increase in afferent activity. Filling pressure did not affect TC frequency but did increase the TC rate of rise, reflecting a change in the length-tension relationship of detrusor smooth muscle. The frequency of afferent bursts depended on the TC rate of rise and peaked before maximum pressure. Inhibition of small- and large-conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) (SK and BK) channels increased TC amplitude and afferent nerve activity. After inhibiting detrusor muscle contractility, simulating the waveform of a TC by gently compressing the bladder evoked similar increases in afferent activity. Notably, afferent activity elicited by simulated TCs was augmented by SK channel inhibition. Our results show that afferent nerve activity evoked by TCs represents the majority of afferent outflow conveyed to the CNS during UB filling and suggest that the maximum TC rate of rise corresponds to an optimal length-tension relationship for efficient UB contraction. Furthermore, our findings implicate SK channels in controlling the gain of sensory outflow independent of UB contractility

Report of the panel on earth rotation and reference frames, section 7

Objectives and requirements for Earth rotation and reference frame studies in the 1990s are discussed. The objectives are to observe and understand interactions of air and water with the rotational dynamics of the Earth, the effects of the Earth's crust and mantle on the dynamics and excitation of Earth rotation variations over time scales of hours to centuries, and the effects of the Earth's core on the rotational dynamics and the excitation of Earth rotation variations over time scales of a year or longer. Another objective is to establish, refine and maintain terrestrial and celestrial reference frames. Requirements include improvements in observations and analysis, improvements in celestial and terrestrial reference frames and reference frame connections, and improved observations of crustal motion and mass redistribution on the Earth

Removal of Arsenic from water using synthetic Fe7S8 nanoparticles

In the present study, pyrrhotite was used to remove arsenite and arsenate from aqueous solutions. The Fe7S8 was synthesized using a solvothermal synthetic method and it was characterized using XRD and SEM micrographs. Furthermore, the particle size for the nanomaterial Fe7S8 was determined to be 29.86 ± 0.87 nm using Scherer’s equation. During the pH profile studies, the optimum pH for the binding of As (III) and As (V) was determined to be pH 4. Batch isotherm studies were performed to determine the binding capacity of As(III) and As(V), which was determined to be 14.3 mg/g and 31.3 mg/g respectively for 25°C. The thermodynamic studies indicated that the ΔG for the sorption of As(III) and As(V) ranged from −115.5 to −0.96 kJ/mol, indicating a spontaneous process was occurring. The enthalpy indicated that an exothermic reaction was occurring during the adsorption in which the ΔH was −53.69 kJ/mol and −32.51 kJ/mol for As(III) and As(V) respectively. In addition, ΔS values for the reaction had negative values of −160.46 J/K and −99.77 J/K for the adsorption of As(III) and As(V) respectively which indicated that the reaction was spontaneous at low temperatures. Furthermore, the sorption for As(III) and As(V) was determined to follow the second order kinetics adsorption model