Daytime activity budgets of feral goats （ Capra hircus ） were studied in 1981, 1982 and 2000 on the Isle of Rum, northwest Scotland. This paper analyzes the influence of key weather variables （temperature and rainf...Daytime activity budgets of feral goats （ Capra hircus ） were studied in 1981, 1982 and 2000 on the Isle of Rum, northwest Scotland. This paper analyzes the influence of key weather variables （temperature and rainfall） and seasonal variations in daylength on daytime activity budgets. This study showed that the percentage of daytime spent in feeding by feral goats on Rum Island decreased with average monthly temperature, while the percentage of daytime spent in lying increased and rainfall had no significant effects on the percentage daytime spent in feeding or lying. The daylength varied greatly from January to December with the longest daylength being in June and July, and the shortest one in December and January. The amount of daytime spent feeding decreased from summer to winter, although the percentage of daytime spent feeding increased greatly from summer to winter. The seasonal variations in daylength seem to be an important factor in constraining feral goats＇ activity, especially in the cold and wet winters when forage biomass and quality are both at their lowest level. We discuss the influence of such constraining effects on the forage intake of these goats and their winter survival rate, as well as its implication for population regulation of these goats.展开更多
Objective:To detect and characterize Chlamydophila psittaci(C.psittaci) in asymptomatic feral pigeons in central Thailand.Methods:A total 814 swabs from the trachea and cloacae of 407non-clinical feral pigeons in cent...Objective:To detect and characterize Chlamydophila psittaci(C.psittaci) in asymptomatic feral pigeons in central Thailand.Methods:A total 814 swabs from the trachea and cloacae of 407non-clinical feral pigeons in central Thailand were collected and tested for the presence of C.psittaci.Results:A 10.8%of feral pigeons in the sample group were positive as determined by nested PCR primer specific to C.psittaci.The outer membrane protein A(orupA) gene of positive samples exhibited amino acid identity of C.psittaci ranging from 71 to 100%and were grouped in genotype B.Exceptionally,BF1676-56 isolate was closely related to Chlamydia avium with99%identification of the I6 S ribosomal(r) RNA gene.Conclusions:This is the first report on C.psittaci isolated from asymptomatic feral pigeons in Thailand,which provides knowledge for the disease status in pigeon populations in Thailand.展开更多
Grapevine is unique among crops because its domestication resulted not only in new morphological characteristics,but also in altered reproductive mechanisms.Viticulture involves a change from a dioecious to a hermaphr...Grapevine is unique among crops because its domestication resulted not only in new morphological characteristics,but also in altered reproductive mechanisms.Viticulture involves a change from a dioecious to a hermaphroditic mating system,which makes the reproductive system more efficient.In consequence and the fact that it is one of the oldest and most economically important cultivated plants,Vitis vinifera could be defined as an over-domesticated species.Here we review some key aspects in viticulture.The main areas of interest have remained consistent throughout history,including the origin and characterisation of cultivars,resistance to environmental con-ditions,pests and pathogens,and berry quality.Advances in genomic analysis and epigenetics shed new light on these aspects.Although the vine has a long and complex life cycle,recent haplotype sequencing techniques allow genomic characteristics related to different reproduction processes to be identified.Recent work on haplotype sequencing reveals genomic changes accompanying each reproductive type,providing improved detail about the sex-determining region(SDR).Meanwhile,the application of epigenetic analysis offers new tools for defining varietal characteristics and their responses to changing environmental conditions.However,critical issues,such as differentiating between sylvestris and feral cultivars,remain unclear.Understanding the molecular basis of morphological differences and investigating the epigenetic regulation of gene expression and genome dynamics in response to breeding and environmental factors in this species will be crucial.Seed morphology could help to resolve how to differentiate between wild and feral plants.展开更多
文摘Daytime activity budgets of feral goats （ Capra hircus ） were studied in 1981, 1982 and 2000 on the Isle of Rum, northwest Scotland. This paper analyzes the influence of key weather variables （temperature and rainfall） and seasonal variations in daylength on daytime activity budgets. This study showed that the percentage of daytime spent in feeding by feral goats on Rum Island decreased with average monthly temperature, while the percentage of daytime spent in lying increased and rainfall had no significant effects on the percentage daytime spent in feeding or lying. The daylength varied greatly from January to December with the longest daylength being in June and July, and the shortest one in December and January. The amount of daytime spent feeding decreased from summer to winter, although the percentage of daytime spent feeding increased greatly from summer to winter. The seasonal variations in daylength seem to be an important factor in constraining feral goats＇ activity, especially in the cold and wet winters when forage biomass and quality are both at their lowest level. We discuss the influence of such constraining effects on the forage intake of these goats and their winter survival rate, as well as its implication for population regulation of these goats.
基金financially supported by the Monitoring and Surveillance Center for Zoonotic Diseases in Wildlife and Exotic Animals.Faculty of Veterinary Science.Mahidol University
文摘Objective:To detect and characterize Chlamydophila psittaci(C.psittaci) in asymptomatic feral pigeons in central Thailand.Methods:A total 814 swabs from the trachea and cloacae of 407non-clinical feral pigeons in central Thailand were collected and tested for the presence of C.psittaci.Results:A 10.8%of feral pigeons in the sample group were positive as determined by nested PCR primer specific to C.psittaci.The outer membrane protein A(orupA) gene of positive samples exhibited amino acid identity of C.psittaci ranging from 71 to 100%and were grouped in genotype B.Exceptionally,BF1676-56 isolate was closely related to Chlamydia avium with99%identification of the I6 S ribosomal(r) RNA gene.Conclusions:This is the first report on C.psittaci isolated from asymptomatic feral pigeons in Thailand,which provides knowledge for the disease status in pigeon populations in Thailand.
文摘Grapevine is unique among crops because its domestication resulted not only in new morphological characteristics,but also in altered reproductive mechanisms.Viticulture involves a change from a dioecious to a hermaphroditic mating system,which makes the reproductive system more efficient.In consequence and the fact that it is one of the oldest and most economically important cultivated plants,Vitis vinifera could be defined as an over-domesticated species.Here we review some key aspects in viticulture.The main areas of interest have remained consistent throughout history,including the origin and characterisation of cultivars,resistance to environmental con-ditions,pests and pathogens,and berry quality.Advances in genomic analysis and epigenetics shed new light on these aspects.Although the vine has a long and complex life cycle,recent haplotype sequencing techniques allow genomic characteristics related to different reproduction processes to be identified.Recent work on haplotype sequencing reveals genomic changes accompanying each reproductive type,providing improved detail about the sex-determining region(SDR).Meanwhile,the application of epigenetic analysis offers new tools for defining varietal characteristics and their responses to changing environmental conditions.However,critical issues,such as differentiating between sylvestris and feral cultivars,remain unclear.Understanding the molecular basis of morphological differences and investigating the epigenetic regulation of gene expression and genome dynamics in response to breeding and environmental factors in this species will be crucial.Seed morphology could help to resolve how to differentiate between wild and feral plants.
