Environmental Management of Grazing Lands

Bacteria levels are the number one cause of water quality impairment in Texas. Several recent Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) in Texas, such as those implemented in the Peach Creek and Leon River watersheds, have identified grazing cattle as a contributor to bacterial water quality impairments in those watersheds through both direct deposition and runoff of their fecal matter to streams. To address this issue, the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) funded this project to assist with development and delivery of technical information and support to ranchers on protection and enhancement of the functions and values of grasslands. A number of best management practices (BMPs) have been identified to reduce bacteria runoff from grazing lands and direct deposition into streams. The primary focus of these BMPs is to maintain adequate ground cover and minimize concentrated livestock areas, especially on sensitive areas such as riparian areas. Maintaining adequate ground cover and plant density improves the filtering capacity of the vegetation and enhances water infiltration into the soil. Minimizing concentrated livestock areas, trailing, and trampling reduces soil compaction, reduces excess runoff and subsequent soil erosion, and enhances fecal matter distribution and ground cover. Specific BMPs identified include grazing management, fencing, alternate water sources, hardened watering points, controlled access, supplemental feed placement, and shade or cover manipulation (NRCS 2007). This project accomplished several objectives, including: 1) compiling existing information on environmental management of grazing lands, 2) evaluating and demonstrating the effectiveness of proper grazing management in reducing bacterial runoff from grazing lands, 3) initiating evaluation of the effect of complementary practices (i.e. alternative water supplies and shade) on cattle behavior and stream water quality, and 4) promoting adoption of appropriate grazing land management practices. Evaluation and demonstration of the effect of grazing management on bacteria runoff at the USDA-ARS Riesel Watersheds has produced some interesting results. The site mean concentration of E. coli (i.e. flow weighted concentration) at the ungrazed native prairie site was surprisingly high (1.0E+04 cfu/100 ml), greatly exceeding the Texas Surface Water Quality Standards single sample standard for E. coli (394 cfu/100 ml) as well as the geometric mean (126 cfu/100 ml). It is important to note that these standards apply to waterbodies, such as streams and reservoirs, but not to edge-of-field runoff as described here. Also, the E. coli concentration seen in the runoff from the moderately grazed bermudagrass site (2.3E+04 cfu/100 ml) was significantly higher (more than double) than that observed at the native prairie site. These levels, however, are consistent with the findings of other researchers. The pre-BMP implementation evaluation of the effectiveness of alternative water supplies and shade on cattle behavior and stream water quality (E. coli) has been completed at the 2S Ranch, near Lockhart. This evaluation showed that when alternative water was not available, E. coli levels increased as the stream flowed through the ranch. Quarterly evaluation of cattle behavior using GPS collars indicated cattle spent only 4.5% of the time within 35 feet of the stream when alternative water was not available. When alternative water was provided, however, this percent time that cattle spent within 35 feet of the stream was reduced to 1.1%, a 75% reduction. This reduction is consistent with the findings of other researchers. Post-BMP evaluation has been initiated and will continue for another year now that alternative water and shade has been provided. Much was done through this project to increase awareness of the bacteria issue and BMPs to address them. AgriLife Extension and TWRI developed fact sheets, provided posters and presentations, conducted site tours, and developed a Web site to help disseminate information. These outreach activities reached local, state, and national audiences. The Web site alone has reached 539 unique visitors during the project. Much is left to do, however. Evaluation of grazing management, alternative water supplies, and shade will continue. Data on other practices (i.e. using rip-rap to reduce access to riparian areas, providing controlled access points, etc.) and groups of practices is still needed to provide cattlemen with a “toolbox” for addressing the bacteria issue. Modification of water quality standards may also be appropriate to address the high levels of E. coli found in runoff from ungrazed sites. Education programs need to be conducted state- and nation-wide to assist cattlemen in addressing bacteria issues

Neuromyelitis optica and pregnancy during therapeutic B cell depletion: infant exposure to anti-AQP4 antibody and prevention of rebound relapses with low-dose rituximab postpartum

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) predominantly affects women, some in childbearing age, and requires early therapeutic intervention to prevent disabling relapses. We report an anti-AQP4 antibody-seropositive patient who became pregnant seven months after low-dose (100 mg) rituximab application. Pregnancy showed no complications, and low-dose rituximab restarted two days after delivery resulted in neurological stability for 24 months. Remarkably, her otherwise healthy newborn presented with anti-AQP4 antibody and reduced B lymphocyte counts in umbilical cord blood, which normalized three months later. Confirming and extending previous reports, our case suggests that low-dose rituximab might be compatible with pregnancy and prevent rebound NMO disease activity postpartum

Choosing party leaders: Anglophone democracies, British parties and the limits of comparative politics

Since 1965, Britain’s major political parties have radically, and repeatedly, changed the ways in which they choose their leaders. Building on a recent comparative study of party leadership selection in the five principal Anglophone (‘Westminster’) parliamentary democracies (Cross and Blais, 2012a), this article first outlines a theoretical framework that purports to explain why the major parties in three of those countries, including Britain, have adopted such reform. It then examines why five major British parties have done so since 1965. It argues that, while Cross and Blais’ study makes a significant contribution to our knowledge and understanding of processes of party leadership selection reform in Anglophone parliamentary democracies, it has limited explanatory power when applied to changes enacted by the major parties in modern and contemporary Britain. Instead, the adoption of such reform in the British context is ultimately best understood and explained by examining both the internal politics and external circumstances of individual parties

GPS network monitor the Western Alps deformation over a five year period: 1993-1998

GPS surveys in the Western Alps, performed in the time span 1993-2003, estimated the current crustal deformation of this area.Published63-763.2. Tettonica attivaJCR Journalreserve

Proteomic Insights into the Hidden World of Phloem Sap Feeding

The physical interface between a phloem-feeding insect and its host plant is a single cell buried deep within the plant tissue. As such, the molecular interactions between these notorious agricultural pests and the crop plants upon which they feed are diffi cult to study. ‘Omic’ technologies have proved crucial in revealing some of the fascinating detail of the molecular interplay between these partners. Here we review the role of proteomics in identifying putative components of the secreted saliva of phloem-feeding insects, particularly aphids, and discuss the limited knowledge concerning the function of these proteins

Party rules, party resources, and the politics of parliamentary democracies: how parties organize in the 21st Century

This article introduces the first findings of the Political Party Database (PPDB) project, a major survey of party organizations in parliamentary and semi-presidential democracies. The project’s first round of data covers 122 parties in 19 countries. In this paper we describe the scope of the database, then investigate what it tells us about contemporary party organization in these countries, focussing on parties’ resources, structures and internal decision-making. We examine organizational patterns by country and party family, and where possible we make temporal comparisons with older datasets. Our analyses suggest a remarkable coexistence of uniformity and diversity. In terms of the major organizational resources on which parties can draw, such as members, staff and finance, the new evidence largely confirms the continuation of trends identified in previous research: i.e., declining membership, but enhanced financial resources and more paid staff. We also find remarkable uniformity regarding the core architecture of party organizations. At the same time, however, we find substantial variation between countries and party families in terms of their internal processes, with particular regard to how internally democratic they are, and in the forms that this democratization takes

Aphid and Plant Volatiles Induce Oviposition in an Aphidophagous Hoverfly

Episyrphus balteatus DeGeer (Diptera, Syrphidae) is an abundant and efficient aphid-specific predator. We tested the electroantennographic (EAG) response of this syrphid fly to the common aphid alarm pheromone, (E)-β-farnesene (EβF), and to several plant volatiles, including terpenoids (mono- and sesquiterpenes) and green leaf volatiles (C6 and C9 alcohols and aldehydes). Monoterpenes evoked significant EAG responses, whereas sesquiterpenes were inactive, except for the aphid alarm pheromone (EβF). The most pronounced antennal responses were elicited by six and nine carbon green leaf alcohols and aldehydes [i.e., (Z)-3-hexenol, (E)-2-hexenol, (E)-2-hexenal, and hexanal]. To investigate the behavioral activity of some of these EAG-active compounds, E. balteatus females were exposed to R-(+)-limonene (monoterpene), (Z)-3-hexenol (green leaf alcohol), and EβF (sesquiterpene, common aphid alarm pheromone). A single E. balteatus gravid female was exposed for 10 min to an aphid-free Vicia faba plant that was co-located with a semiochemical dispenser. Without additional semiochemical, hoverfly females were not attracted to this plant, and no oviposition was observed. The monoterpene R-(+)-limonene did not affect the females’ foraging behavior, whereas (Z)-3-hexenol and EβF increased the time of flight and acceptance of the host plant. Moreover, these two chemicals induced oviposition on aphid-free plants, suggesting that selection of the oviposition site by predatory hoverflies relies on the perception of a volatile blend composed of prey pheromone and typical plant green leaf volatiles