Scorpions of Sri Lanka (Arachnida, Scorpiones). Part II. Family Hormuridae

Liocheles australasiae (Fabricius, 1775) is reported for the first time from Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan population is fully complemented with color photos of live and preserved females, as well as its habitat

Scorpions of Sri Lanka (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part III. \u3cem\u3eHeterometrus yaleensis\u3c/em\u3e sp. n. (Scorpionidae)

Heterometrus yaleensis sp. n. from Sri Lanka, Southern Province, Yale National Park is described and compared with other species of the genus. The presence of a unique dorsointernal carina on the pedipalp chela distinguishes H. yaleensis sp. n. from all other Heterometrus species. Additional information is provided on the taxonomy and distribution of the genus Heterometrus in Sri Lanka, fully complemented with color photos of specimens of both sexes of the new species, as well as of their habitat. In addition to external morphology and hemispermatophore, we also describe the karyotype of H. yaleensis sp. n. (2n=99)

DISTRIBUTION OF SNAKES IN HANTANA RANGE AND PERADENIYA UNIVERSITY PARK

Sri Lanka is blessed with a diverse serpentine fauna, and the island harbours 93 snakespecies in 46 genera and 26 families.Seven major habitat types namely Grasslands, Natural forest patches, Streams and waterways, PinUS plantations, Riverine forests, Agricultural lands, and managed landscape inthe Hantana range and Peradeniya University Park were surveyed for six months fromNovember 2001 to April 2002. Day and night-time survey was carried out to locate snakesand to record their microhabitats. Species identification was done in the field andphotographs of snakes were taken whenever necessary .Twenty snake species (25'1'0 of the total: including six endemics were recorded from theseven sites during the survey. Highest number of species (l6) was recorded from thegrasslands. Agricultural lands, Riverine forests and Natural forest held the second highestnumber of species with nine and eight respectively. The number of species in the grasslandrepresents 30%. of the total number present in the country.Hantana Range and the University land are subjected to severe degradation due to humanactivities. The natural forests have. reduced to a greater extent due to the illegal felling, andthe grasslands and Pinus plantations arc subjected to annual fires. Therefore, the mostsnake species found in the grasslands are heavily threatened Study and planningprograms should be initiated to conserve the diverse habitats types in the area to protectand conserve the diverse snake fauna of the area.

Contribution of edible insects to improved food and nutrition security:a review

The consumption of insects “entomophagy” or insect-based foods is increasingly being recognised as an emerging solution to promote diet diversification and address the multiple burden of malnutrition. Although several studies suggest edible insects as valuable nutrient sources, few have evaluated the effects of processing on nutrient bioavailability and bioaccessibility and provided actual evidence on human nutrition. Moreover, there is limited evidence of their actual contribution to improved food and nutrition security. Therefore, the review evaluated existing evidence on human interventions and the effects of processing methods on bioavailability and bioaccessibility of key nutrients since these directly influence food and nutrition security outcomes. Seven human efficacy studies have been conducted to date and these show limited observable effects on nutrition status therefore more research is required. Findings also suggest that the processing method, insect matrix, composition of the food matrix and interaction with other food components can influence nutrient bioavailability and bioaccessibility. Hence, these should be considered during formulation and upscaling for entomophagy and insect-based foods to be viable intervention strategies against malnutrition.</p

Impacts of river regulation and other anthropogenic activities on floodplain vegetation: A case study from Sri Lanka

Since the initiation of large-scale development in late 1970s, the Mahaweli River basin in Sri Lanka has experienced significant changes. However, no comprehensive study has been undertaken so far to evaluate the impacts of river regulation on associated ecosystems including floodplains in the downstream. The present study was aimed at identifying the impacts due to both river regulation and other anthropogenic activities on inland floodplain habitats (locally known as villus) located along the final stretch of the River Mahaweli before reaching the Indian Ocean. Four villus, Handapana (HAN), Bendiya (BEN), Karapola (KAR) and Gengala (GEN), were selected for the study. HAN and BEN can be considered as highly influenced (HI) by river regulation while KAR and GEN as less influenced (LI) due to their respective locations. Due to the absence of pre- regulation vegetation data, HI villus were compared with LI villus in order to explore any potential impacts of river regulation. Vegetation was enumerated using belt transect method. To find out other on-going anthropogenic impacts on these villu ecosystems, a survey was conducted using 100 individuals living in two villages located nearby. The results revealed some significant modification in the composition and the diversity of the vegetation, most possibly due to river regulation and other on-going anthropogenic activities. However, the most notable changes were recorded in the herbaceous layer. Some native aquatic herbaceous species have been completely absent over the period of two decades since the developmental activities begun, while some exotic invasive aquatic species (Eichhornia crassipes) dominated the herbaceous layer in HI villus threatening the survival of the remaining native species. Density and richness of lianas too diminished significantly in HI villus perhaps due to changes of micro-habitat conditions as a result of river regulation and also due to over-harvesting for commercial purposes. The results suggest that these ecosystems have been altered over the years due to culmination of factors including altered flow regimes following river regulation and some on-going human influences. The present study highlights the importance of regulating such human influences on villus including fishing and extracting cane and reed in order to protect these vulnerable ecosystems for future generations. The potential of these ecosystems to develop ecotourism has also been emphasized

Dietary soy and meat proteins induce distinct physiological and gene expression changes in rats

This study reports on a comprehensive comparison of the effects of soy and meat proteins given at the recommended level on physiological markers of metabolic syndrome and the hepatic transcriptome. Male rats were fed semi-synthetic diets for 1 wk that differed only regarding protein source, with casein serving as reference. Body weight gain and adipose tissue mass were significantly reduced by soy but not meat proteins. The insulin resistance index was improved by soy, and to a lesser extent by meat proteins. Liver triacylglycerol contents were reduced by both protein sources, which coincided with increased plasma triacylglycerol concentrations. Both soy and meat proteins changed plasma amino acid patterns. The expression of 1571 and 1369 genes were altered by soy and meat proteins respectively. Functional classification revealed that lipid, energy and amino acid metabolic pathways, as well as insulin signaling pathways were regulated differently by soy and meat proteins. Several transcriptional regulators, including NFE2L2, ATF4, Srebf1 and Rictor were identified as potential key upstream regulators. These results suggest that soy and meat proteins induce distinct physiological and gene expression responses in rats and provide novel evidence and suggestions for the health effects of different protein sources in human diets

Bird communities and feeding guilds in Monaragala, an isolated hill in the eastern intermediate zone of Sri Lanka

The bird communities and foraging guilds were studied in the entire forest of Monaragala hill, by recording species and their abundances, in 33 plots (each 100x20 m), in four transects laid along its altitudinal gradient. Bird calls and sightings were noted for 30 minutes between 7.00-9.30 am, twice each month from 2004-2008.The communities were determined, by cluster and ordination analyses of data in all plots. For each community, relative abundance (RA) and frequency (RF) were calculated. Species were assigned to bird guilds based on their habitats, main food types and feeding strategies, from published informationWithin and outside the plots sampled, 112 bird species (23% of Sri Lanka‟s avifauna, including eight endemics) in 84 genera, 44 families and 13 orders, were recorded. Three communities were identified: i. a low/mid-elevation disturbed forest community (LDFC), inhabited by 40 species (including seven endemics). The Crimson-Fronted Barbet, Black Crested Bulbul and Tickell‟s Blue Flycatcher co-dominated it. ii. a ridge/upper-elevation undisturbed forest community (RUFC) of 45 species that included eight endemics, nine restricted species, the wet zone Sri Lanka Yellow Fronted Barbet and Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon. The Black Bulbul and Sri Lanka Yellow Fronted Barbet were its dominants. Thirty three species were common to both forest communities. iii. a grassland community, with only 10 non-endemic species, dominated by the Crested Tree Swift and Indian Swiftlet. Three grassland species were also seen in the forest communities.In each forest community ten bird guilds were present. The arboreal frugivore and gleaning insectivore guilds ranked highest in them, followed by the hawking/hovering insectivore guild in the LDFC, and the omnivore gleaning guild in the RUFC. The grassland community had only three guilds. Based on RA the sweeping insectivore guild and on RF the aerial carnivore and the sweeping insectivore guilds were co-dominant. The arboreal granivore guild was restricted to the grasslandThe study revealed that this intermediate zone, 43 km2 isolated hill (1,100 m amsl) harbors a rich avifauna, including some typical wet zone species, and rich populations of the rare Sri Lanka Spur fowl and the Sri Lanka Wood pigeon, justifying its high conservation value

A participant-led programme for field veterinary training to identify bacteriological quality of milk from the farmer to the retail outlet

The training of field veterinarians in veterinary public health needs an in-depth understanding of the in-situ problems, social and economic barriers that prevent problem solving and a relevant pedagogical approach to suit the mature learner. A participatory approach is necessary to develop such training. A course designed on the principles of adult learning theory and utilizing the experience of the field veterinarian's local knowledge combined with the expertise of the training provider can be very effective. Forty-eight field veterinarians were trained using a collaborative, participatory approach to understand the issues in clean milk production in Sri Lanka. The veterinarians developed a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point-based decision framework to identify and evaluate the evidence of bacterial contamination points in the milk chain from the farm to the processing plant. Samples and swabs were collected for bacterial culture and results showed high bacterial counts that showed contamination of milk starting from the farm, through milk collection and chilling centers ending with 2 × 106–3 × 107 bacteria per ml of milk. Chemical and physical hazards were also identified. Lack of appropriate hygienic procedures, chilling at the farm and at the collection center, together with the delays at the chilling center was identified as main contributing factors for high bacterial counts. This problem-based training approach facilitated collaborative inquiry, experiential learning and critical analytical skills. The training enabled the veterinarians to understand the scale of the problem and how they can intervene directly and indirectly to ensure clean milk production in Sri Lanka

Мониторинг воспроизводства и влияния фекального прогестерона на репродуктивную цикличность циклов самбарского оленя Шри-Ланки (Rusa unicolor unicolor)

Sambar deer hinds, estrus, progesterone, estrous cycle, Sri LankaThis study examines the length of the estrous cycle in 16 Sambar deer hinds in National zoological gardens in Dehiwala and Kegalle, Sri Lanka (NZGDK) assessed with the use of changes in progesterone concentrations, along with the changes in the profile of this hormone and by the visual estrus manifestations. The objectives of the present study were to characterize ovarian activity throughout the estrous cycle and the non-pregnant luteal phase of captive sambar deer in Sri Lanka. These objectives were achieved with the use of radioimmunoassay (RIA) to measure fecal concentrations of progesterone and visual estrus manifestation. Fecal samples were collected from non-pregnant sambar deer hinds (aged 2–4 years)over the period of six months on daily basis, both during breeding and non-breeding seasons. Estrous cycles were recorded in non-pregnant females, based on fecal progesterone concentrations. The average estrous cycle length was 26.1±2.08 days (mean ± SEM) and 2.10 ± 0.51 days in the inter-luteal phase.The average fecal progesterone concentrations attained the peak mid-luteal values of 2.74 ng mL–1. There appeared to be variation in fecal progesterone amplitude between animals and between dates, but the low frequency of sampling prohibited confirmation of trends. Behavioral estrus was detected only when the average progesterone concentrations were less than 0.07 ng mL–1. However, not all periods of depressed progesterone secretion were associated with the observed estrus. Behavioral estrus was detected in hinds when progesterone concentrations were less than 0.07 ng mL–1; a subsequent rise in progesterone indicated ovulation taking place at this time