Effect of gamma irradiation on physicochemical properties of stored pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) flour.

PubMed

Bamidele, Oluwaseun P; Akanbi, Charles T

2013-09-01

The effect of gamma irradiation at various doses (5, 10, 15, 20 kGy) was observed on pigeon pea flour stored for 3 months on proximate composition, functional properties, and peroxide value. Sensory evaluation was also carried out on bean cake (moinmoin) made from nonirradiated and irradiated pigeon pea flour. The results showed that stored gamma-irradiated samples had significantly lower (P < 0.05) value of protein and little or no effect on moisture content. There were slight decreases in crude fiber and ash content of the irradiated samples compared with the control sample. The result of functional properties of the irradiated flours showed slight increase in water absorption capacity, swelling capacity and bulk density. The peroxide value of crude oil increased significantly with dose increases for the period of storage. The sensory evaluation of moinmoin samples prepared from irradiated pigeon pea flour showed no significant difference from the moinmoin sample prepared from nonirradiated flour. It can be concluded that gamma irradiation can extend the shelf life of pigeon pea flour.

Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of urease from pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Balasubramanian, Anuradha; Ponnuraj, Karthe, E-mail: pkarthe@hotmail.com

Urease from pigeon pea was purified and crystallized and X-ray diffraction data were collected at 2.5 Å resolution. Urease is a seed protein that is common to most Leguminosae. It also occurs in many bacteria, fungi and several species of yeast. Urease catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea to ammonia and carbon dioxide, thus allowing organisms to use exogenous and internally generated urea as a nitrogen source. Urease from pigeon pea seeds has been purified to electrophoretic homogeneity using a series of steps involving ammonium sulfate fractionation, acid precipitation, ion-exchange and size-exclusion chromatography techniques. The pigeon pea urease was crystallized andmore » the resulting crystals diffracted to 2.5 Å resolution. The crystals belong to the rhombohedral space group R32, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 176.29, c = 346.44 Å.« less

The composition of pigeon peas (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) grown in Botswana.

PubMed

Amarteifio, J O; Munthali, D C; Karikari, S K; Morake, T K

2002-01-01

This study investigated the composition of pigeon peas (Cajanus cajan), grown at Sebele, Botswana. The raw seeds of six varieties were analyzed for dry matter, crude fat, protein, fiber, and ash, using Association of Official Analytical Chemists procedures. Major minerals, Ca, K, P, Mg, Na and trace minerals, Cu, Fe and Zn were also assessed. The range of nutrient contents obtained were: dry matter 86.6-88.0%, crude protein 19.0-21.7%, crude fat 1.2-1.3%, crude fiber 9.8-13.0%, and ash 3.9-4.3%. Minerals ranges (mg/100 g dry matter) were: K 1845-1941, P 163-293, Ca 120-167, Mg 113-127, Na 11.3-12.0, Zn 7.2-8.2, Fe 2.5-4.7 and Cu 1.6-1.8. There were no significant differences in Na among the six varieties (p > 0.05). For the other components, varietal differences (p < 0.05) were observed. The values obtained for the dry matter, crude protein, fat, ash, Ca, Cu, Fe, and Mg were similar to those in pigeon peas grown elsewhere, while those for crude fiber and Zn were higher. In general, the composition of pigeon peas compared favorably with those of other legumes such as Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea). The levels of crude protein, crude fiber, K, Ca, P and Mg indicated that pigeon peas could be valuable in the diet of the people of Botswana. This crop would positively contribute protein in the diet and the diversification of agricultural produce.

Characterization of five fungal endophytes producing Cajaninstilbene acid isolated from pigeon pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp].

PubMed

Gao, Yuan; Zhao, Jin Tong; Zu, Yuan Gang; Fu, Yu Jie; Wang, Wei; Luo, Meng; Efferth, Thomas

2011-01-01

Five fungal endophytes (K4, K5, K6, K9, K14) producing Cajaninstilbene acid (CSA, 3-hydroxy-4-prenyl-5-methoxystilbene-2-carboxylic acid) were isolated from the roots of pigeon pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.]. CSA is responsible for the prominent pharmacological activities in pigeon pea. The amount of CSA in culture solution varied among the five fungal endophytes. K4 produced the highest levels of CSA (1037.13 µg/L) among the endophytes tested after incubation for five days. Both morphological characteristics and molecular methods were used for species identification of fungal endophytes. The five endophytic isolates were characterized by analyzing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rRNA and β-tubulin genes. The K4, K5, K9 and K14 strains isolated from pigeon pea roots were found to be closely related to the species Fusarium oxysporum. K6 was identified as Neonectria macrodidym. The present study is the first report on the isolation and identification of fungal endophytes producing CSA in pigeon pea. The study also provides a scientific base for large scale production of CSA.

Effect of isolation techniques on the characteristics of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) protein isolates.

PubMed

Adenekan, Monilola K; Fadimu, Gbemisola J; Odunmbaku, Lukumon A; Oke, Emmanuel K

2018-01-01

In this study, the effect of different isolation techniques on the isolated proteins from pigeon pea was investigated. Water, methanol, ammonium sulfate, and acetone were used for the precipitation of proteins from pigeon pea. Proximate composition, and antinutritional and functional properties of the pigeon pea flour and the isolated proteins were measured. Data generated were statistically analyzed. The proximate composition of the water-extracted protein isolate was moisture 8.30%, protein 91.83%, fat 0.25%, ash 0.05%, and crude fiber 0.05%. The methanol-extracted protein isolate composition was moisture 7.87%, protein 91.83%, fat 0.17%, and ash 0.13%, while crude fiber and carbohydrates were not detected. The composition of the ammonium sulfate-extracted protein isolate was moisture 7.73%, protein 91.73%, fat 0.36, ash 0.13%, and crude fiber 0.67%. The acetone-extracted protein isolate composition was moisture 8.03%, protein 91.50%, ash 0.67%, and fat 0.30%, but crude fiber and carbohydrates were not detected. The isolate precipitated with ammonium sulfate displayed the highest foaming capacity (37.63%) and foaming stability (55.75%). Isolates precipitated with methanol and acetone had the highest water absorption capacity (160%). Pigeon pea protein isolates extracted with methanol and ammonium sulfate had the highest oil absorption capacity of 145%. Protein isolates recovered through acetone and methanol had the highest emulsifying capacity of 2.23% and emulsifying stability of 91.47%, respectively. The proximate composition of the recovered protein isolates were of high purity. This shows the efficiency of the extraction techniques. The isolates had desirable solubility index. All the isolation techniques brought significant impact on the characteristics of the isolated pigeon pea protein.

Assessment of flubendiamide residues in pigeon pea in different agro-climatic zones of India.

PubMed

Kale, V D; Walunj, A R; Battu, R S; Sahoo, Sanjay K; Singh, Balwinder; Paramasivam, M; Roy, Sankhajit; Banerjee, Tirthankar; Banerjee, Hemanta; Rao, Cherukuri Sreenivasa; Reddy, D Jagdishwar; Reddy, K Narasimha; Reddy, C Narendra; Tripathy, Vandana; Jaya, Maisnam; Pant, Shashi; Gupta, Monika; Singh, Geeta; Sharma, K K

2012-07-01

Supervised field trials were conducted at the research farms of four agricultural universities located at different agro-climatic zones of India to find out the harvest time residues of flubendiamide and its des-iodo metabolite on pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) during the year 2006-2007. Two spray applications of flubendiamide 20 WDG at 50 g (T(1)) and 100 g (T(2)) a.i./ha were given to the crop at 15-days interval. The foliage samples at different time intervals were drawn at only one location, however, the harvest time samples of pigeon pea grain, shell, and straw were drawn at all the four locations. The residues were estimated by HPLC coupled with UV-VIS variable detector. No residues of flubendiamide and its des-iodo metabolite were found at harvest of the crop at or above the LOQ level of 0.05 μg/g. On the basis of the data generated, a pre-harvest interval (PHI) of 28 days has been recommended and the flubendiamide 20 WDG has been registered for use on pigeon pea by Central Insecticide Board and Registration Committee, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India and the MRL has been fixed by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India under Prevention of Food and Adulteration as 0.05 μg/g on pigeon pea grains.

Alterations in the Helicoverpa armigera Midgut Digestive Physiology after Ingestion of Pigeon Pea Inducible Leucine Aminopeptidase

PubMed Central

Lomate, Purushottam R.; Jadhav, Bhakti R.; Giri, Ashok P.; Hivrale, Vandana K.

2013-01-01

Jasmonate inducible plant leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) is proposed to serve as direct defense in the insect midgut. However, exact functions of inducible plant LAPs in the insect midgut remain to be estimated. In the present investigation, we report the direct defensive role of pigeon pea inducible LAP in the midgut of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and responses of midgut soluble aminopeptidases and serine proteinases upon LAP ingestion. Larval growth and survival was significantly reduced on the diets supplemented with pigeon pea LAP. Aminopeptidase activities in larvae remain unaltered in presence or absence of inducible LAP in the diet. On the contrary, serine proteinase activities were significantly decreased in the larvae reared on pigeon pea LAP containing diet as compared to larvae fed on diet without LAP. Our data suggest that pigeon pea inducible LAP is responsible for the degradation of midgut serine proteinases upon ingestion. Reduction in the aminopeptidase activity with LpNA in the H. armigera larvae was compensated with an induction of aminopeptidase activity with ApNA. Our findings could be helpful to further dissect the roles of plant inducible LAPs in the direct plant defense against herbivory. PMID:24098675

Alterations in the Helicoverpa armigera midgut digestive physiology after ingestion of pigeon pea inducible leucine aminopeptidase.

PubMed

Lomate, Purushottam R; Jadhav, Bhakti R; Giri, Ashok P; Hivrale, Vandana K

2013-01-01

Jasmonate inducible plant leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) is proposed to serve as direct defense in the insect midgut. However, exact functions of inducible plant LAPs in the insect midgut remain to be estimated. In the present investigation, we report the direct defensive role of pigeon pea inducible LAP in the midgut of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and responses of midgut soluble aminopeptidases and serine proteinases upon LAP ingestion. Larval growth and survival was significantly reduced on the diets supplemented with pigeon pea LAP. Aminopeptidase activities in larvae remain unaltered in presence or absence of inducible LAP in the diet. On the contrary, serine proteinase activities were significantly decreased in the larvae reared on pigeon pea LAP containing diet as compared to larvae fed on diet without LAP. Our data suggest that pigeon pea inducible LAP is responsible for the degradation of midgut serine proteinases upon ingestion. Reduction in the aminopeptidase activity with LpNA in the H. armigera larvae was compensated with an induction of aminopeptidase activity with ApNA. Our findings could be helpful to further dissect the roles of plant inducible LAPs in the direct plant defense against herbivory.

Characterization of Five Fungal Endophytes Producing Cajaninstilbene Acid Isolated from Pigeon Pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.

PubMed Central

Zu, Yuan Gang; Fu, Yu Jie; Wang, Wei; Luo, Meng; Efferth, Thomas

2011-01-01

Five fungal endophytes (K4, K5, K6, K9, K14) producing Cajaninstilbene acid (CSA, 3-hydroxy-4-prenyl-5-methoxystilbene-2-carboxylic acid) were isolated from the roots of pigeon pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.]. CSA is responsible for the prominent pharmacological activities in pigeon pea. The amount of CSA in culture solution varied among the five fungal endophytes. K4 produced the highest levels of CSA (1037.13 µg/L) among the endophytes tested after incubation for five days. Both morphological characteristics and molecular methods were used for species identification of fungal endophytes. The five endophytic isolates were characterized by analyzing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rRNA and β-tubulin genes. The K4, K5, K9 and K14 strains isolated from pigeon pea roots were found to be closely related to the species Fusarium oxysporum. K6 was identified as Neonectria macrodidym. The present study is the first report on the isolation and identification of fungal endophytes producing CSA in pigeon pea. The study also provides a scientific base for large scale production of CSA. PMID:22102911

Development of cookies made with cocoyam, fermented sorghum and germinated pigeon pea flour blends using response surface methodology.

PubMed

Okpala, Laura C; Okoli, Eric C

2014-10-01

Cookies were produced from blends of cocoyam, fermented sorghum and germinated pigeon pea flours. The study was carried out to evaluate the effects of varying the proportions of these components on the sensory and protein quality of the cookies. The sensory attributes studied were colour, taste, texture, crispness and general acceptability while the protein quality indices were biological value (BV) and net protein utilization (NPU). Mixture response surface methodology was used to model the sensory and protein quality with single, binary and ternary combinations of germinated pigeon pea, fermented sorghum and cocoyam flours. Results showed that BV and NPU of most of the cookies were above minimum acceptable levels. With the exception of cookies containing high levels of pigeon pea flour, cookies had acceptable sensory scores. Increase in pigeon pea flour resulted in increase in the BV and NPU. Regression equations suggested that the ternary blends produced the highest increase in all the sensory attributes (with the exception of colour).

UV-induced changes of active components and antioxidant activity in postharvest pigeon pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] leaves.

PubMed

Wei, Zuo-Fu; Luo, Meng; Zhao, Chun-Jian; Li, Chun-Ying; Gu, Cheng-Bo; Wang, Wei; Zu, Yuan-Gang; Efferth, Thomas; Fu, Yu-Jie

2013-02-13

In this study, the effect of UV irradiation (UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C) on phytochemicals, total phenolics, and antioxidant activity of postharvest pigeon pea leaves was evaluated. The response of pigeon pea leaves to UV irradiation was phytochemical specific. UV-B and UV-C induced higher levels of phytochemicals, total phenolics, and antioxidant activity in pigeon pea leaves compared with UV-A. Furthermore, UV-B irradiation proved to possess a long-lasting effect on the levels of phenolics and antioxidant activity. After adapting for 48 h at 4 °C following 4 h UV-B irradiation, total phenolics and antioxidant activity were approximately 1.5-fold and 2.2-fold increased from 39.4 mg GAE/g DM and 15.0 μmol GAE/g DM to 59.1 mg GAE/g DM and 32.5 μmol GAE/g DM, respectively. These results indicate that UV irradiation of pigeon pea leaves can be beneficial in terms of increasing active components and antioxidant activity.

Evaluation of Clausena pentaphylla (Roxb.) DC oil as a fungitoxicant against storage mycoflora of pigeon pea seeds.

PubMed

Pandey, Abhay K; Palni, Uma T; Tripathi, Nijendra N

2013-05-01

The present study aimed to evaluate the antifungal activity of 30 essential oils against four dominant fungi Aspergillus flavus Link., A. niger van Tieghem, A. ochraceus Wilhelm and A. terreus Thom of stored pigeon pea seeds at a concentration of 0.36 µL mL(-1). Various fungitoxic properties, such as minimum inhibitory concentration, minimum fungicidal concentration and fungitoxic spectrum, of the most potent oil were determined. The efficacy of the most potent oil in preservation of pigeon pea seeds for 6 months was also carried out by storing 1 kg of seeds in the oil vapour. Clausena pentaphylla and Citrus limon oils were more effective against all the fungi tested, which exhibited 100% per cent mycelial inhibition. The minimum inhibitory concentration of C. pentaphylla oil was determined as 0.07 µL mL(-1) against all the test fungi and was found to be more toxic than Citrus limon oil. C. pentaphylla oil exhibited a broad range of fungitoxicity against 16 other storage fungi of pigeon pea seeds. C. pentaphylla oil significantly protected 1 kg seeds of pigeon pea from fungal deterioration and was superior to synthetic fumigants. The oil did not show any phytotoxicity and the protein content of the seeds was significantly retained for up to 6 months of storage. Thus, C. pentaphylla oil may be used as an effective fumigant in the ecofriendly management of storage fungi of pigeon pea seeds. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.

In vitro regeneration through organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis in pigeon pea [ Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] cv. JKR105.

PubMed

Krishna, Gaurav; Reddy, P Sairam; Ramteke, Pramod W; Rambabu, Pogiri; Sohrab, Sayed S; Rana, Debashis; Bhattacharya, Parthasarathi

2011-10-01

In vitro regeneration of pigeon pea through organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis was demonstrated with pigeon pea cv. JKR105. Embryonic axes explants of pigeon pea showed greater regeneration of shoot buds on 2.5 mg L(-1) 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) in the medium, followed by further elongation at lower concentrations. Rooting of shoots was observed on half-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with 2 % sucrose and 0.5 mg L(-1) 3-indolebutyric acid (IBA). On the other hand, the regeneration of globular embryos from cotyledon explant was faster and greater with thidiazuron (TDZ) than BAP with sucrose as carbohydrate source. These globular embryos were maturated on MS medium with abscisic acid (ABA) and finally germinated on half-strength MS medium at lower concentrations of BAP. Comparison of regeneration pathways in pigeon pea cv. JKR105 showed that the turnover of successful establishment of plants achieved through organogenesis was more compared to somatic embryogenesis, despite the production of more embryos than shoot buds.

Effects of hormonal priming on seed germination of pigeon pea under cadmium stress.

PubMed

Sneideris, Larissa C; Gavassi, Marina A; Campos, Marcelo L; D'Amico-Damião, Victor; Carvalho, Rogério F

2015-09-01

In this work we investigated whether priming with auxin, cytokinin, gibberellin, abscisic acid and ethylene, alters the physiological responses of seeds of pigeon pea germinated under water and cadmium stress. Seeds treated with water or non-treated seeds were used as control. Although compared to non-treated seeds we found that the hormone treatments improve the germination of pigeon pea under cadmium stress, however, these treatments did not differ from water. However, we also observed a trend of tolerance to the effects of cadmium in the presence of ethylene, suggesting that the use of this hormone may be an efficient method to overcome seed germination under metal stress.

Study the effect of insecticide dimethoate on photosynthetic pigments and photosynthetic activity of pigeon pea: Laser-induced chlorophyll fluorescence spectroscopy.

PubMed

Pandey, Jitendra Kumar; Dubey, Gunjan; Gopal, R

2015-10-01

Pigeon pea is one of the most important legume crops in India and dimethoate is a widely used insecticide in various crop plants. We studied the effect of dimethoate on growth and photosynthetic activity of pigeon pea plants over a short and long term exposure. Plant growth parameters, photosynthetic pigment content and chlorophyll fluorescence response of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L.) plants treated with various concentrations of the insecticide dimethoate (10, 20, 40 and 80 ppm) have been compared for 30 days at regular intervals of 10 days each. Laser induced chlorophyll fluorescence spectra and fluorescence-induction kinetics (FIK) curve of dimethoate treated pigeon pea plants were recorded after 10, 20 and 30 days of treatment. Fluorescence intensity ratio at the two fluorescence maxima (F685/F730) was calculated by evaluating curve-fitted parameters. The variable chlorophyll fluorescence decrease ratio (Rfd) was determined from the FIK curves. Our study revealed that after 10 days of treatment, 10 ppm of dimethoate showed stimulatory response whereas 20, 40 and 80 ppm of dimethoate showed inhibitory response for growth and photosynthetic activity of pigeon pea plants, but after 20 and 30 days of treatment all the tested concentrations of dimethoate became inhibitory. This study clearly shows that dimethoate is highly toxic to the pigeon pea plant, even at very low concentration (10 ppm), if used for a prolonged duration. Our study may thus be helpful in determining the optimal dose of dimethoate in agricultural practices. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impact of pigeon pea biochar on cadmium mobility in soil and transfer rate to leafy vegetable spinach.

PubMed

Coumar, M Vassanda; Parihar, R S; Dwivedi, A K; Saha, J K; Rajendiran, S; Dotaniya, M L; Kundu, S

2016-01-01

Introduction of heavy metals in the environment by various anthropogenic activities has become a potential treat to life. Among the heavy metals, cadmium (Cd) shows relatively high soil mobility and has high phyto-mammalian toxicity. Integration of soil remediation and ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration in soils through organic amendments, may provide an attractive land management option for contaminated sites. The application of biochar in agriculture has recently received much attention globally due to its associated multiple benefits, particularly, long-term carbon storage in soil. However, the application of biochar from softwood crop residue for heavy metal immobilization, as an alternative to direct field application, has not received much attention. Hence, a pot experiment was conducted to study the effect of pigeon pea biochar on cadmium mobility in a soil-plant system in cadmium-spiked sandy loam soil. The biochar was prepared from pigeon pea stalk through a slow pyrolysis method at 300 °C. The experiment was designed with three levels of Cd (0, 5, and 10 mg Cd kg(-1) soil) and three levels of biochar (0, 2.5, and 5 g kg(-1) soil) using spinach as a test crop. The results indicate that with increasing levels of applied cadmium at 5 and 10 mg kg(-1) soil, the dry matter yield (DMY) of spinach leaf decreased by 9.84 and 18.29 %, respectively. However, application of biochar (at 2.5 and 5 g kg(-1) soil) significantly increased the dry matter yield of spinach leaf by 5.07 and 15.02 %, respectively, and root by 14.0 and 24.0 %, respectively, over the control. Organic carbon content in the post-harvest soil increased to 34.9 and 60.5 % due to the application of biochar 2.5 and 5 g kg(-1) soil, respectively. Further, there was a reduction in the diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA)-extractable cadmium in the soil and in transfer coefficient values (soil to plant), as well as its concentrations in spinach leaf and root, indicating that

Expression of hemagglutinin protein of Rinderpest virus in transgenic pigeon pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] plants.

PubMed

Satyavathi, V V; Prasad, V; Khandelwal, Abha; Shaila, M S; Sita, G Lakshmi

2003-03-01

Rinderpest virus is the causative agent of a devastating, often fatal disease in wild and domestic bovids that is endemic in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. The existing live attenuated vaccine is heat-labile, and thus there is a need for the development of new strategies for vaccination. This paper reports the development of transgenic pigeon pea [ Cajanus cajun (L.) Millsp.] expressing one of the protective antigens, the hemagglutinin (H) protein of Rinderpest virus. A 2-kb fragment containing the coding region of the H protein was cloned into pBI121 and mobilized into Agrobacterium tumefaciensstrain EHA105. Embryonic axes and cotyledonary nodes from germinated seeds of pigeon pea were used for transformation. The presence of the transgene in transgenic plants was confirmed by Southern blots, and the specific transcription of the marker gene in the plants was demonstrated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Integration of the H gene into the pigeon pea genome was confirmed by Southern hybridization. The expression of the H protein in the transgenic lines was confirmed by Western blot analysis using a polyclonal monospecific antibody to the H protein. The highest level of expression of the hemagglutinin protein in leaves of pigeon pea was 0.49% of the total soluble protein. The transgenic plants were fertile and the transgene expressed in the progeny.

The potential of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) beverage as an anti-diabetic functional drink

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ariviani, S.; Affandi, D. R.; Listyaningsih, E.; Handajani, S.

2018-01-01

The number of patients with diabetes continues to increase. Diabetes complications might induce serious diseases such as kidney, nervous, cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Diabetic complications can be prevented by keeping blood glucose and cholesterol at normal levels. This study aims to determine the potential of pigeon pea beverage for lowering glucose and total cholesterol plasma levels and increasing the antioxidant status of diabetic-hypercholesterolemia rats. The research was conducted using 18 Sprague Dawley male rats aged 3 months old with an average body weight of 154 g. The rats were divided into three groups: normal group, D-H group (diabetic-hypercholesterolemia group), and pigeon pea beverage group. The results showed that pigeon pea beverage diet showed hypoglycemic and hypocholesterolemic activities, and could improve the antioxidant status of diabetic-hypercholesterolemia rats. Plasma glucose and total cholesterol levels of diabetic-hypercholesterolemia rats decreased 33.86% and 19.78% respectively. The improvement of the plasma antioxidant status was indicated by the decrease of plasma MDA (malondialdehyde) level, reaching 37.16%. The research result provides an alternative to diabetes management by using the local bean as an anti-diabetic functional drink.

The first genetic map of pigeon pea based on diversity arrays technology (DArT) markers.

PubMed

Yang, Shi Ying; Saxena, Rachit K; Kulwal, Pawan L; Ash, Gavin J; Dubey, Anuja; Harper, John D I; Upadhyaya, Hari D; Gothalwal, Ragini; Kilian, Andrzej; Varshney, Rajeev K

2011-04-01

With an objective to develop a genetic map in pigeon pea (Cajanus spp.), a total of 554 diversity arrays technology (DArT) markers showed polymorphism in a pigeon pea F(2) mapping population of 72 progenies derived from an interspecific cross of ICP 28 (Cajanus cajan) and ICPW 94 (Cajanus scarabaeoides). Approximately 13% of markers did not conform to expected segregation ratio. The total number of DArT marker loci segregating in Mendelian manner was 405 with 73.1% (P > 0.001) of DArT markers having unique segregation patterns. Two groups of genetic maps were generated using DArT markers. While the maternal genetic linkage map had 122 unique DArT maternal marker loci, the paternal genetic linkage map has a total of 172 unique DArT paternal marker loci. The length of these two maps covered 270.0 cM and 451.6 cM, respectively. These are the first genetic linkage maps developed for pigeon pea, and this is the first report of genetic mapping in any grain legume using diversity arrays technology.

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L.) extracts on hydrogen peroxide- and lipopolysaccharide-treated RAW264.7 macrophages.

PubMed

Lai, Yi-Syuan; Hsu, Wei-Hsuan; Huang, Jan-Jeng; Wu, She-Ching

2012-12-01

Chronic inflammation has been linked to a wide range of progressive diseases, including cancer, neurological disease, metabolic disorder, and cardiovascular disease. Epidemiological studies have provided convincing evidence that natural dietary compounds, which humans consume as food, possess many biological activities, including chemopreventative activities against various chronic inflammatory diseases. Here, we investigated the effect of 50% ethanol extracts of pigeon pea, as well as its major component, cyanidin-3-monoglucoside, an anthocyanin, on DNA damage, the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and free radical scavenging capacity in hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2))-treated RAW264.7 macrophages. High-pressure liquid chromatography results indicated that 2 mg of the 50% ethanol extracts of pigeon pea contained 45 μg of cyanidin-3-monoglucoside. A comet assay indicated that 50% ethanol extracts of pigeon pea (2 mg mL(-1)) and of cyanidin-3-monoglucoside (10 μM) protected RAW264.7 cells from DNA damage induced by a 24 h H(2)O(2) treatment. These results can be attributed to the prevention of reduction in antioxidant enzyme activity and lipid peroxidation in H(2)O(2)-treated murine RAW264.7 macrophages by the 50% ethanol extracts of pigeon pea. Moreover, as there is an active interplay between oxidative stress and inflammation, we also evaluated the anti-inflammatory activity of the 50% ethanol extracts of pigeon pea and cyanidin-3-monoglucoside in lipopolysaccharide-treated RAW264.7 macrophages. We found that the 50% ethanol extracts of pigeon pea and of cyanidin-3-monoglucoside suppressed the production of inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, in these macrophages. These results imply that pigeon pea could be developed as a functional food by the food industry, or could be utilized for the commercial production of anthocyanins as antioxidants.

Pigeon pea potential for summer grazing in the Southern Great Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Stocker cattle production in the southern Great Plains (SGP) faces forage quality gaps during July through September. A study was conducted in 2008 through 2010 to determine if pigeon pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] could fill this deficit period. Six, 0.41 ha experimental paddocks were randomly ...

Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of urease from pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan).

PubMed

Balasubramanian, Anuradha; Ponnuraj, Karthe

2008-07-01

Urease is a seed protein that is common to most Leguminosae. It also occurs in many bacteria, fungi and several species of yeast. Urease catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea to ammonia and carbon dioxide, thus allowing organisms to use exogenous and internally generated urea as a nitrogen source. Urease from pigeon pea seeds has been purified to electrophoretic homogeneity using a series of steps involving ammonium sulfate fractionation, acid precipitation, ion-exchange and size-exclusion chromatography techniques. The pigeon pea urease was crystallized and the resulting crystals diffracted to 2.5 A resolution. The crystals belong to the rhombohedral space group R32, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 176.29, c = 346.44 A.

Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of urease from pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan)

PubMed Central

Balasubramanian, Anuradha; Ponnuraj, Karthe

2008-01-01

Urease is a seed protein that is common to most Leguminosae. It also occurs in many bacteria, fungi and several species of yeast. Urease catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea to ammonia and carbon dioxide, thus allowing organisms to use exogenous and internally generated urea as a nitrogen source. Urease from pigeon pea seeds has been purified to electrophoretic homogeneity using a series of steps involving ammonium sulfate fractionation, acid precipitation, ion-exchange and size-exclusion chromatography techniques. The pigeon pea urease was crystallized and the resulting crystals diffracted to 2.5 Å resolution. The crystals belong to the rhombohedral space group R32, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 176.29, c = 346.44 Å. PMID:18607103

Wound and methyl jasmonate induced pigeon pea defensive proteinase inhibitor has potency to inhibit insect digestive proteinases.

PubMed

Lomate, Purushottam R; Hivrale, Vandana K

2012-08-01

Wounding of plants by chewing insects or other damage induces the synthesis of defensive proteinase inhibitors (PI) in both wounded and distal unwounded leaves. In the present paper we report the characterization of inducible defensive PI from pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) and its in vitro interaction with Helicoverpa armigera gut proteinases (HGP). We found that PI activity was induced in local as well as systemic leaves of pigeon pea by the wounding and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) application. Consistent induction of PI was observed in two wild cultivars of pigeon pea at various growth stages. The estimated molecular weight of inducible PI was ~16.5 kDa. Electrophoretic analysis and enzyme assays revealed that the induced PI significantly inhibited total gut proteinase as well as trypsin-like activity from the midgut of H. armigera. The induced PI was found to be inhibitor of trypsin as well as chymotrypsin. Study could be important to know the further roles of defensive PIs. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Aflatoxins, discolouration and insect damage in dried cowpea and pigeon pea in Malawi and the effectiveness of flotation/washing operation in eliminating the aflatoxins.

PubMed

Matumba, Limbikani; Singano, Lazarus; Pungulani, Lawrent; Mvula, Naomi; Matumba, Annie; Singano, Charles; Matita, Grey

2017-05-01

Aflatoxin contamination and biodeterioration were examined in 302 samples of dry cowpeas and pigeon peas that were randomly purchased from 9 districts of the Southern Region of Malawi during July and November 2015. Further, the impact of flotation/washing on aflatoxin levels on the pulses was elucidated. Aflatoxin analyses involved immunoaffinity column (IAC) clean-up and HPLC quantification with fluorescence detection (FLD) while legume biodeterioration assessments were done by visual inspection. Aflatoxins were frequently detected in cowpea (24%, max., 66 μg/kg) and pigeon pea (22%, max., 80 μg/kg) samples that were collected in the month of July. Lower aflatoxin incidence of 15% in cowpeas (max., 470 μg/kg) and 14% in pigeon peas (max., 377 μg/kg) was recorded in the November collection. Overall, aflatoxin levels were significantly higher in the pulses that were collected in November. However, there were no significant differences in the total aflatoxin (aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) + AFB 2 + AFG 1 + AFG 2 ) levels between the two types of pulses. Remarkably, in 76.2% of the aflatoxin positive cowpea and in 41.7% of the aflatoxin positive pigeon pea samples, aflatoxin G 1 concentration exceeded aflatoxin B 1. Insect damage percentage averaged at 18.1 ± 18.2% (mean ± SD) in the cowpeas and 16.1 ± 19.4% in pigeon peas. Mean discolouration percentage (number of pulses) of the cowpeas and pigeon peas was found to be at 6.7 ± 4.9 and 8.7 ± 6.2%, respectively. Washing and discarding the buoyant fraction was highly efficient in reducing aflatoxin levels; only 5.2 ± 11.1% of the initial aflatoxin level was found in the cleaned samples. In conclusion, cowpeas and pigeon peas sold on the local market in Malawi may constitute a hazard especially if floatation/washing step is skipped.

Water used by grazed pigeon pea [Cajanus cajan(L) Millsp] in Oklahoma

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Water use by the warm-season annual pulse pigeon pea must be described to effectively use this legume as forage to support late-summer grazing by stocker cattle in the southern Great Plains (SGP). This study was conducted in central Oklahoma during 2008 to 2010 to quantify water and water use effici...

Progress of tissue culture and genetic transformation research in pigeon pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.].

PubMed

Krishna, Gaurav; Reddy, P Sairam; Ramteke, P W; Bhattacharya, P S

2010-10-01

Pigeon pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] (Family: Fabaceae) is an important legume crop cultivated across 50 countries in Asia, Africa, and the Americas; and ranks fifth in area among pulses after soybean, common bean, peanut, and chickpea. It is consumed as a major source of protein (21%) to the human population in many developing countries. In India, it is the second important food legume contributing to 80% of the global production. Several biotic and abiotic stresses are posing a big threat to its production and productivity. Attempts to address these problems through conventional breeding methods have met with partial success. This paper reviews the chronological progress made in tissue culture through organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis, including the influence of factors such as genotypes, explant sources, and culture media including the supplementation of plant growth regulators. Comprehensive lists of morphogenetic pathways involved in in vitro regeneration through organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis using different explant tissues of diverse pigeon pea genotypes are presented. Similarly, the establishment of protocols for the production of transgenics via particle bombardment and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation using different explant tissues, Agrobacterium strains, Ti plasmids, and plant selectable markers, as well as their interactions on transformation efficiency have been discussed. Future research thrusts on the use of different promoters and stacking of genes for various biotic and abiotic stresses in pigeon pea are suggested.

Biochemical and molecular characterization of a rhizobitoxine-producing Bradyrhizobium from pigeon pea plants.

PubMed

Kanika; Dogra, Tripti; Lata

2010-05-01

Out of a total of 8 bacterial strains isolated from the root nodules of pigeon pea plants grown in arid region, five were identified as rhizobia based on biochemical test and confirmed by 16S rDNA sequencing. PCR based screening for the rtxA gene (involved in biosynthesis of rhizobitoxine) revealed that the gene was present in one strain identified biochemically and genetically as belonging to species Bradyrhizobium (BS KT-24). The strain was resistant to phosphomycin, nalidixic acid, kanamycin, gentamicin and neomycin but sensitive towards streptomycin and spectinomycin. Bioinformatic-tool-guided phylogenetic analysis of rtxA gene revealed its distinctiveness from other known rtxA genes (present in B. japonicum, B. elkanii and Xanthomonas oryzae). The rhizobitoxine producing strain BS KT-24 is considered to exhibit better survival and nodulation protection besides competitiveness for pigeon pea and other legumes grown under abiotic stress and, thus, be a candidate in practical aspect of rhizobitoxine production by rhizobium and its application as rhizobial inoculants.

Optimum domestic processing and cooking methods for reducing the polyphenolic (antinutrient) content of pigeon peas.

PubMed

Duhan, A; Khetarpaul, N; Bishnoi, S

2000-01-01

Four high yielding and early maturing cultivars of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) namely UPAS-120, ICPL-87, ICPL-151 and, especially, Manak, contained significant amounts of polyphenols (1075 to 1328 mg/100g), which may limit their utilization. The effectiveness of soaking (6, 12 and 18 h, 30 degrees C), soaking and dehulling, ordinary cooking, pressure cooking and germination (24, 36, 48 h, 30 degrees C) in reducing the levels of polyphenols was investigated. A decrease in the polyphenolic contents varying from 4 to 26 percent in different pigeon pea cultivar was achieved. Pressure cooking of soaked-dehulled seeds was found to be the most effective method, followed by sprouting for 48 h, ordinary cooking of soaked-dehulled seeds, and pressure cooking of soaked whole seeds followed by sprouting for 36 h.

Cultivar preference and sensory evaluation of vegetable pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) in Eastern Kenya

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Preference and acceptability of twelve vegetable pigeon pea genotypes of medium maturity was evaluated in Eastern Kenya based on six seed cultivar parameters of color, appearance, taste, odor, tenderness and overall seed acceptability. The sensory characteristics were scored by consumers and farmers...

Changes in phytates and HCl extractability of calcium, phosphorus, and iron of soaked, dehulled, cooked, and sprouted pigeon pea cultivar (UPAS-120).

PubMed

Duhan, A; Khetarpaul, N; Bishnoi, S

2002-01-01

UPAS-120, a high yielding and early maturing variety of pigeon peas released by the Department of Plant Breeding, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar contained a significant amount of phytic acid, i.e. 886 mg/100 g. When it was subjected to various domestic processing and cooking methods viz. soaking (6, 12, 18 h), dehulling, ordinary as well as pressure cooking and germination (24, 36 and 48 h), a drastic decrease in level of phytic acid with a remarkable increase in the HCl-extractability of mono, divalent, and trivalent ions, like calcium, phosphorus, and iron occurred. Germination (48 h) was found to be the best method for decreasing the phytic acid content, i.e. 35 to 39 percent less than the control and significantly (p < 0.05) increasing the non-phytate phosphorus and HCl-extractable phosphorus. Pressure cooking of soaked-dehulled pigeon pea also rendered equally good results. The calcium, phosphorus, and iron contents of pigeon pea seeds were 197.3, 473.1, and 9.91 mg/100 g, respectively; some losses varying from 3 to 9 percent were noticed when the legume was subjected to soaking, cooking, and germination but the maximum losses, i.e. 23 percent, occurred when the seeds were dehulled. However, HCl-extractability of Ca, P, and Fe improved to a significant extent when the pigeon pea seeds were soaked, soaked-dehulled, cooked and sprouted which may have been due to decrease in the phytate content followed by processing and cooking. The significant negative correlations between the phytic acid and HCl-extractability of minerals of processed pigeon pea strengthens these findings.

Hypocrea lixii, novel endophytic fungi producing anticancer agent cajanol, isolated from pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan [L.] Millsp.).

PubMed

Zhao, J; Li, C; Wang, W; Zhao, C; Luo, M; Mu, F; Fu, Y; Zu, Y; Yao, M

2013-07-01

The aim was to isolate, identify and characterize endophytes from pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan [L.] Millsp.), as novel producer of cajanol and its in vitro cytotoxicity assay. Isolation, identification and characterization of novel endophytes producing cajanol from the roots of pigeon pea were investigated. The endophytes were identified as Hypocrea lixii by morphological and molecular methods. Cajanol produced by endophytes were quantified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). R-18 produced the highest levels of cajanol (322·4 ± 10·6 μg l(-1) or 102·8 ± 6·9 μg g(-1) dry weight of mycelium) after incubation for 7 days. The cytotoxicity towards human lung carcinoma cells (A549) of fungal cajanol was investigated in vitro. First, a novel endophyte Hypocrea lixii, producing anticancer agent cajanol, was isolated from the host pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan [L.] Millsp.). Fungal cajanol possessed stronger cytotoxicity activity towards A549 cells in time- and dose-dependent manners. This endophyte is a potential handle for scientific and commercial exploitation, and it could provide a promising alterative approach for large-scale production of cajanol to satisfy new anticancer drug development. Journal of Applied Microbiology © 2013 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Genetic diversity of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (l.) Millsp.) based on molecular characterization using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khoiriyah, N.; Yuniastuti, E.; Purnomo, D.

2018-03-01

Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) is an annual leguminous crop (perennial) which has advantages over other local leguminous crops as drought resistant, hold collapsed and strong pods. The research on drought resistance plant is very important to adapt to climate change adverse impact to support food security. The potential of pigeon pie has not been supported by accurate data. To explore the potential of pigeon pea, it is necessary to record the important properties by characterization, one of which is molecular. Increasing genetic diversity can be done through mutation which widely used gamma ray for the induction. The purpose of this study was to identify the genetic diversity of pigeon pea of black, white and brown seeds type resulted by gamma-ray irradiation with a wavelength of 100, 200 and 300 grays by using RAPD method. The experiment resulted 14 bands, 12 of them are polymorphic bands and 2 of them are monomorphic with size varied from 300 bp to 1.3 kbp. The dendrogram showed from 30 accessions are divided into two main clusters, B shows clear genetical divergence from other clusters and some others split randomly. The range of similarity coefficient is from 0.43 to 1.00

Endophytic fungi from pigeon pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] produce antioxidant Cajaninstilbene acid.

PubMed

Zhao, JinTong; Fu, YuJie; Luo, Meng; Zu, YuanGang; Wang, Wei; Zhao, ChunJian; Gu, ChengBo

2012-05-02

In this study, novel endophytic fungi producing cajaninstilbene acid (CSA) from pigeon pea [ Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] were investigated and screened. CSA has prominent pharmacological activities. A total of 110 endophytic fungi isolates were grouped into 8 genera on the basis of morphological characteristics, and CSA-producing fungi were screened by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). According to ITS-rDNA sequences analysis, the CSA-producing fungi were identified as Fusarium solani (ERP-07), Fusarium oxysporum (ERP-10), and Fusarium proliferatum (ERP-13), respectively. The amount of CSA produced by the ERP-13 reached 504.8 ± 20.1 μg/L or 100.5 ± 9.4 μg/g dry weight of mycelium. In a DPPH radical-scavenging assay, when the concentration of fungal CSA was 500 μg/mL, inhibition percentage could reach 80%, which was almost the same as that of standard CSA. This study first reported the natural antioxidant CSA from endophytic fungi F. solani and F. proliferatum isolated from pigeon pea.

Cutaneous exposure to clinically-relevant pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) proteins promote TH2-dependent sensitization and IgE-mediated anaphylaxis in Balb/c mice.

PubMed

Kumar Gupta, Rinkesh; Kumar, Sandeep; Gupta, Kriti; Sharma, Akanksha; Roy, Ruchi; Kumar Verma, Alok; Chaudhari, Bhushan P; Das, Mukul; Ahmad Ansari, Irfan; Dwivedi, Premendra D

2016-11-01

Epicutaneous (EC) sensitization to food allergens may occur when the skin has been lightly damaged. The study here tested whether cutaneous exposure to pigeon pea protein(s) may cause allergic sensitization. BALB/c mice were either orally gavaged or epicutaneously sensitized by repeated application of pigeon pea crude protein extract (CPE) on undamaged areas of skin without any adjuvant; afterwards, both groups were orally challenged with the pigeon pea CPE. Anaphylactic symptoms along with measures of body temperature, MCPT-1, TSLP, pigeon pea-specific IgE and IgG 1 , myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, T H 2 cytokines, T H 2 transcription factors (TFs) and filaggrin expression were determined. Mast cell staining, eosinophil levels and histopathological analysis of the skin and intestines were also performed. In the epicutaneously-sensitized mice, elevated levels of specific IgE and IgG 1 , as well as of MCPT-1, TSLP, T H 2 cytokines and TFs, higher anaphylactic scores and histological changes in the skin and intestine were indicative of sensitization ability via both routes in the pigeon pea CPE-treated hosts. Elevated levels of mast cells were observed in both the skin and intestine; increased levels of eosinophils and MPO activity were noted only in the skin. Decreased levels of filaggrin in skin may have played a key role in the skin barrier dysfunction, increasing the chances of sensitization. Therefore, the experimental data support the hypothesis that in addition to oral exposure, skin exposure to food allergens can promote T H 2-dependent sensitization, IgE-mediated anaphylaxis and intestinal changes after oral challenge. Based on this, an avoidance of cutaneous exposures to allergens might prevent development of food anaphylaxis.

Physical, chemical, and sensory properties of biscuits prepared from flour blends of unripe cooking banana, pigeon pea, and sweet potato.

PubMed

Adeola, Abiodun A; Ohizua, Ehimen R

2018-05-01

Biscuits were produced from 14 flour blends of cooking banana (UBF), pigeon pea (PPF), and sweet potato (SPF). The physical properties, nutrient composition, and sensory characteristics of the biscuits were evaluated using standard methods. Data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance, and mean values were separated using Duncan's multiple range test. The hardness of the biscuit samples decreased as PPF increased, while the fracturability decreased with increase in UBF. Biscuits were significantly ( p  < .05) different in their nutrient composition, with the crude protein, crude fiber, ash contents, and dietary fiber content increasing as the PPF level increased. Cookies were rich in magnesium (576.54-735.06 mg/100 g) with favorable Na/K ratio (<1.0). The antinutritional factors in the biscuit samples were within permissible levels. Biscuits prepared from flour blend of 21.67% unripe cooking banana, 21.67% pigeon pea, and 56.67% sweet potato were the most preferred in terms of shape, mouthfeel, taste, crunchiness, and overall acceptability. Flour blends of unripe cooking banana, pigeon pea, and sweet potato could therefore be used as raw materials for the production of biscuits, with high protein, total dietary, and energy content.

Bioconversion of low quality lignocellulosic agricultural waste into edible protein by Pleurotus sajor-caju (Fr.) Singer

PubMed Central

Mane, Vijay Panjabrao; Patil, Shyam Sopanrao; Syed, Abrar Ahmed; Baig, Mirza Mushtaq Vaseem

2007-01-01

Pleurotus sajor-caju (Fr.) Singer was cultivated on selected agro wastes viz. cotton stalks, groundnut haulms, soybean straw, pigeon pea stalks and leaves and wheat straw, alone or in combinations. Cotton stalks, pigeon pea stalks and wheat straw alone or in combination were found to be more suitable than groundnut haulms and soybean straw for the cultivation. Organic supplements such as groundnut oilseed cake, gram powder and rice bran not only affected growth parameters but also increased yields. Thus bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass by P. sajor-caju offers a promising way to convert low quality biomass into an improved human food. PMID:17910118

Analysis of genetic diversity in pigeon pea germplasm using retrotransposon-based molecular markers.

PubMed

Maneesha; Upadhyaya, Kailash C

2017-09-01

Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), an important legume crop is predominantly cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and Africa. It is normally considered to have a low degree of genetic diversity, an impediment in undertaking crop improvement programmes.We have analysed genetic polymorphism of domesticated pigeon pea germplasm (47 accessions) across the world using earlier characterized panzee retrotransposon-based molecularmarkers. Itwas conjectured that since retrotransposons are interspersed throughout the genome, retroelements-based markers would be able to uncover polymorphism possibly inherent in the diversity of retroelement sequences. Two PCR-based techniques, sequence-specific amplified polymorphism (SSAP) and retrotransposon microsatellite amplified polymorphism (REMAP) were utilized for the analyses.We show that a considerable degree of polymorphism could be detected using these techniques. Three primer combinations in SSAP generated 297 amplified products across 47 accessions with an average of 99 amplicons per assay. Degree of polymorphism varied from 84-95%. In the REMAP assays, the number of amplicons was much less but up to 73% polymorphism could be detected. On the basis of similarity coefficients, dendrograms were constructed. The results demonstrate that the retrotransposon-based markers could serve as a better alternative for the assessment of genetic diversity in crops with apparent low genetic base.

Determination and quantification of active phenolic compounds in pigeon pea leaves and its medicinal product using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Liu, Wei; Kong, Yu; Zu, Yuangang; Fu, Yujie; Luo, Meng; Zhang, Lin; Li, Ji

2010-07-09

A novel method using liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) has been optimized and established for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of ten active phenolic compounds originating from the pigeon pea leaves and a medicinal product thereof (Tongluo Shenggu capsules). In the present study, the chromatographic separation was achieved by means of a HiQ Sil C18V reversed-phase column with a mobile phase consisting of methanol and 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution. Low-energy collision-induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry (CID-MS/MS) using the selected reaction monitoring (SRM) analysis was employed for the detection of ten analytes which included six flavonoids, two isoflavonoids and two stilbenes. All calibration curves showed excellent coefficients of determination (r(2) ≥ 0.9937) within the range of tested concentrations. The intra- and inter-day variations were below 5.36% in terms of relative standard deviation (RSD). The recoveries were 95.08-104.98% with RSDs of 2.06-4.26% for spiked samples of pigeon pea leaves. The method developed was a rapid, efficient and accurate LC-MS/MS method for the detection of phenolic compounds, which can be applied for quality control of pigeon pea leaves and related medicinal products.

In planta transformation of pigeon pea: a method to overcome recalcitrancy of the crop to regeneration in vitro.

PubMed

Sankara Rao, K; Sreevathsa, Rohini; Sharma, Pinakee D; Keshamma, E; Udaya Kumar, M

2008-10-01

Development of transgenics in pigeon pea remains dogged by poor plant regeneration in vitro from transformed tissues and low frequency transformation protocols. This article presents a non-tissue culture-based method of generating transgenic pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millisp.) plants using Agrobacterium-Ti plasmid-mediated transformation system. The protocol involves raising of whole plant transformants (T0 plants) directly from Agrobacterium-infected young seedlings. The plumular and intercotyledonary meristems of the seedling axes are targeted for transformation. The transformation conditions optimized were, pricking of the apical and intercotyledonary region of the seedling axes of two-day old germinating seedlings with a sewing needle, infection with Agrobacterium (LBA4404/pKIWI105 carrying uid A and npt II genes) in Winans' AB medium that was added with wounded tobacco leaf extract, co-cultivation in the same medium for 1h and transfer of seedlings to soilrite for further growth and hardening and subsequent transfer of seedlings to soil in pots in the greenhouse. Out of the 22-25 primary transformants that survived infection-hardening treatments from each of the three experiments, 15 plants on the average established on the soil under greenhouse conditions, showed slow growth initially, nevertheless grew as normal plants, and flowered and set seed eventually. Of the several seeds harvested from all the T0 plants, six hundred were sown to obtain progeny (T1) plants and 350 of these were randomly analysed to determine their transgenic nature. PCR was performed for both gus (uid A) and npt II genes. Forty eight of the 350 T1 plants amplified both transgenes. Southern blot analysis substantiated the integration and transmission of these genes. The protocol ensured generation of pigeon pea transgenic plants with considerable ease in a short time and is applicable across different genotypes/cultivars of the crop and offers immense potential as a supplemental or

Variation in contents of main active components and antioxidant activity in leaves of different pigeon pea cultivars during growth.

PubMed

Wei, Zuo-Fu; Jin, Shuang; Luo, Meng; Pan, You-Zhi; Li, Ting-Ting; Qi, Xiao-Lin; Efferth, Thomas; Fu, Yu-Jie; Zu, Yuan-Gang

2013-10-23

Pigeon pea is an important and multiuse grain legume crop, and its leaves are a very valuable natural resource. To obtain a high-quality biological resource, it is necessary to choose the excellent cultivar and determine the appropriate harvest time. In this study, the variation in contents of main active components and antioxidant activity in leaves of six pigeon pea cultivars during growth were investigated. The level of each individual active component significantly varied during growth, but with a different pattern, and this variation was different among cultivars. Flavonoid glycosides orientin, vitexin, and apigenin-6,8-di-C-α-L-arabinopyranoside showed two peak values at mid-late and final stages of growth in most cases. Pinostrobin chalcone, longistyline C, and cajaninstilbene acid showed remarkablely higher values at the mid-late stage of growth than at other stages. Pinostrobin had an extremely different variation pattern compared to other active components. Its content was the highest at the earlier stage of growth. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that vitexin and apigenin-6,8-di-C-α-L-arabinopyranoside were mainly responsible for distinguishing cultivars analyzed. In a comprehensive consideration, the leaves should preferentially be harvested at the 135th day after sowing when the level of active components and antioxidant activity reached higher values. Cultivars ICP 13092, ICPL 87091, and ICPL 96053 were considered to be excellent cultivars with high antioxidant activity. Our findings can provide valuable information for producing a high-quality pigeon pea resource.

Negative-pressure cavitation extraction for the determination of flavonoids in pigeon pea leaves by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Liu, Wei; Fu, Yujie; Zu, Yuangang; Kong, Yu; Zhang, Lin; Zu, Baishi; Efferth, Thomas

2009-05-01

A new method, namely negative-pressure cavitation extraction (NPCE), followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is presented for the extraction and quantification of flavonoids in pigeon pea leaves. This method combines the high efficiency of NPCE and the sensitivity and accuracy of MS/MS. The influential parameters of the NPCE procedure including liquid/solid ratio, extraction time, nitrogen flow and number of extraction cycles were optimized. Under optimized conditions, the efficiency of NPCE for extracting five flavonoids was compared to microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), ultrasonic extraction (USE) and heating reflux extraction (HRE). Additionally, structural disruption to pigeon pea leaves samples with different extraction methods was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The relative recovery with NPCE was equivalent to or higher than that with USE and obviously higher than those with MAE and HRE which are usually conducted in higher temperatures. Furthermore, because NPCE was performed with nitrogen at room temperature, the degradation and oxidation of analytes were avoided. In addition, the NPCE method was validated in terms of repeatability and reproducibility, relative standard deviation for relative recovery was lower than 5.84 and 8.83%, respectively. The method was also successfully applied for the quantification of five flavonoids in pigeon pea leaves. All these results suggest that the developed NPCE-LC-MS/MS method represents an excellent alternative for the extraction and quantification of flavonoids in other plant materials.

Expression of Cry2Aa, a Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal protein in transgenic pigeon pea confers resistance to gram pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera.

PubMed

Singh, Shweta; Kumar, Nikhil Ram; Maniraj, R; Lakshmikanth, R; Rao, K Y S; Muralimohan, N; Arulprakash, T; Karthik, K; Shashibhushan, N B; Vinutha, T; Pattanayak, Debasis; Dash, Prasanta K; Kumar, P Ananda; Sreevathsa, Rohini

2018-06-11

Pigeon pea is an important legume infested by a plethora of insect pests amongst which gram pod borer Helicoverpa armigera is very prominent. Imparting resistance to this insect herbivore is of global importance in attaining food security. Expression of insecticidal crystal proteins (ICP) in diverse crops has led to increased resistance to several pests. We report in this paper, expression of Cry2Aa in transgenic pigeon pea and its effectiveness towards H. armigera by employing Agrobacterium-mediated in planta transformation approach. Approximately 0.8% of T 1 generation plants were identified as putative transformants based on screening in the presence of 70 ppm kanamycin as the selection agent. Promising events were further recognized in advanced generations based on integration, expression and bioefficacy of the transgenes. Seven T 3 lines (11.8% of the selected T1 events) were categorized as superior as these events demonstrated 80-100% mortality of the challenged larvae and improved ability to prevent damage caused by the larvae. The selected transgenic plants accumulated Cry2Aa in the range of 25-80 µg/g FW. The transgenic events developed in the study can be used in pigeon pea improvement programmes for pod borer resistance.

Development of a potential functional food prepared with pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), oats and Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730.

PubMed

Barboza, Yasmina; Márquez, Enrique; Parra, Katynna; Piñero, M Patricia; Medina, Luis M

2012-11-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the survival of Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730 in creams, prepared with pigeon peas and oat. Products were analysed to determine their content of protein, fibre, fat, carbohydrates and degree of likeness. Viable numbers of L. reuteri and pH were determined after 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days of storage at 4°C. Results showed significant differences (P < 0.05) in protein, fat, fibre and carbohydrate content between creams. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were found on sensory quality between control and creams with L. reuteri. After 28 days, the cell viability was above 7 log cfu/g in all creams. L. reuteri ATCC 55730 had the highest viability in cream with 40% pigeon pea and 20% oat (8.16 log cfu/g). In conclusion, due to its acceptability and highly nutritious value, the product could be used so as to support the growth of L. reuteri.

Preliminary enrichment and separation of genistein and apigenin from extracts of pigeon pea roots by macroporous resins.

PubMed

Liu, Wei; Zhang, Su; Zu, Yuan-Gang; Fu, Yu-Jie; Ma, Wei; Zhang, Dong-Yang; Kong, Yu; Li, Xiao-Juan

2010-06-01

Enrichment and separation of genistein and apigenin from extracts of pigeon pea roots were studied using eleven macroporous resins with different physical and chemical properties. ADS-5 resin showed the maximum effectiveness among the tested resins. The solute affinity towards ADS-5 resin at different temperatures was described in terms of Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms, and the equilibrium experimental data were well-fitted to the two isotherms. In order to optimize the operating parameters for separating genistein and apigenin, dynamic adsorption and desorption tests were carried out. After one run treatment with ADS-5 resin, the contents of genistein and apigenin in the product were 9.36-fold and 11.09-fold increased with recovery yields of 89.78% and 93.41%, respectively. The process achieved easy and effective enrichment and separation of genistein and apigenin by using ADS-5 resin, and it is a promising basis for large-scale preparation of genistein and apigenin from pigeon pea or other plants extracts. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Food choice in the laboratory pigeon

PubMed Central

Biedermann, Traci; Garlick, Dennis; Blaisdell, Aaron P.

2012-01-01

Although food reward plays a large role in learning and behavioral experiments, there have been few studies examining the most motivating food reward for pigeons. Brown (1969) found that pigeons had a tendency to prefer peas, while Killeen, Cate, and Tran (1993) found pigeons to prefer peas and popcorn in Experiment 1A. We looked to further explore these options as well as expand upon the types of foods examined beyond mainly grains and seeds. Pigeons were presented with six novel foods (granulated peanuts, popping corn, freeze-dried mealworms, bread crumbs, split peas, and sunflower hearts) allocated into two sets of three food items. Once the most consumed food from each food set was determined, they were pooled together with sorghum seeds (a familiar food) to form a third set. Sunflower hearts were the most consumed of all the food items, followed by corn and granulated peanuts. We discuss the potential factors mediating consumption choice, including nutritional profile and food particle size. PMID:22750307

Biscuit-making potential of millet/pigeon pea flour blends.

PubMed

Eneche, E H

1999-01-01

Biscuits were produced from millet flour (MF) and pigeon pea flour (PPF) blends. The various ratios of MF to PPF used were 100:0, 75:25, 65:35, and 50:50. The biscuits were analyzed for their nutritional composition. They all contained high proportions of protein (7.5-15.2%), fat (17.1-18.1%) and digestible carbohydrate (60.2-66.5%). The moisture content was in the range 5.0 to 6.6%, ash 1.5-2.3% and crude fiber 0-0.1%. Sensory evaluation results indicated that all the biscuits had high sensory ratings for all the selected attributes evaluated. The recipe with the 65% MF/35% PPF blend resulted in the highest scores for flavor, texture and general acceptability. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) between all the biscuits and the familiar Nasco short cake biscuit (reference) in flavor, color, texture and general acceptability.

Food choice in the laboratory pigeon.

PubMed

Biedermann, Traci; Garlick, Dennis; Blaisdell, Aaron P

2012-09-01

Although food reward plays a large role in learning and behavioral experiments, there have been few studies examining the most motivating food reward for pigeons. Brown (1969) found that pigeons had a tendency to prefer peas, while Killeen et al. (1993) found pigeons to prefer peas and popcorn in Experiment 1A. We looked to further explore these options as well as expand upon the types of foods examined beyond mainly grains and seeds. Pigeons were presented with six novel foods (granulated peanuts, popping corn, freeze-dried mealworms, bread crumbs, split peas, and sunflower hearts) allocated into two sets of three food items. Once the most consumed food from each food set was determined, they were pooled together with sorghum seeds (a familiar food) to form a third set. Sunflower hearts were the most consumed of all the food items, followed by corn and granulated peanuts. We discuss the potential factors mediating consumption choice, including nutritional profile and food particle size. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nutrient composition, functional, and pasting properties of unripe cooking banana, pigeon pea, and sweetpotato flour blends.

PubMed

Ohizua, Ehimen R; Adeola, Abiodun A; Idowu, Micheal A; Sobukola, Olajide P; Afolabi, T Adeniyi; Ishola, Raphael O; Ayansina, Simeon O; Oyekale, Tolulope O; Falomo, Ayorinde

2017-05-01

This study investigated some quality attributes of unripe cooking banana (UBF), pigeon pea (PPF), and sweetpotato (SPF) flour blends. Simplex centroid mixture design was used to obtain 17 blends from the flours. The nutrient composition, color, and functional properties of the blends were evaluated using standard methods. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and treatment means were compared using Duncan's multiple range test at 5% probability level. There were significant ( p  < .05) differences in the nutrient composition, and functional and pasting properties of the blends. The crude protein, crude fiber, ash, foaming capacity, emulsion capacity, and least gelation capacity of the blends increased as the PPF level increased. The blends had Na/K ratio of <1.0. The dispersibility, bulk density, water, and oil absorption capacities of the blends increased as SPF and UBF increased. The peak, setback, and final viscosities increased as UBF and SPF inclusion increased,whereas pasting temperature and time increased as the PPF level increased. The L*, a*, and b* values of the flour blends which were significantly ( p  < .05) different ranged from 79.58 to 102.71, -0.15 to 2.79, and 13.82 to 23.69, respectively. Cooking banana-pigeon pea-sweetpotato flour blends are desirable for alleviating malnutrition in Nigeria and developing new food formulations.

Two rhizobacterial strains, individually and in interactions with Rhizobium sp., enhance fusarial wilt control, growth, and yield in pigeon pea.

PubMed

Dutta, Swarnalee; Morang, Pranjal; Kumar S, Nishanth; Dileep Kumar, B S

2014-09-01

A Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain, RRLJ 04, and a Bacillus cereus strain, BS 03, were tested both individually and in combination with a Rhizobium strain, RH 2, for their ability to enhance plant growth and nodulation in pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L.) under gnotobiotic, greenhouse and field conditions. Both of the rhizobacterial strains exhibited a positive effect on growth in terms of shoot height, root length, fresh and dry weight, nodulation and yield over the non-treated control. Co-inoculation of seeds with these strains and Rhizobium RH 2 also reduced the number of wilted plants, when grown in soil infested with Fusarium udum. Gnotobiotic studies confirmed that the suppression of wilt disease was due to the presence of the respective PGPR strains. Seed bacterization with drug-marked mutants of RRLJ 04 and BS 03 confirmed their ability to colonize and multiply along the roots. The results suggest that co-inoculation of these strains with Rhizobium strain RH 2 can be further exploited for enhanced growth, nodulation and yield in addition to control of fusarial wilt in pigeon pea.

Pigeon peas as a supplement for lactating dairy cows fed corn silage-based diets.

PubMed

Corriher, V A; Hill, G M; Bernard, J K; Jenkins, T C; West, J W; Mullinix, B G

2010-11-01

Holstein rumen-cannulated cows [n=7; initial body weight (BW) 640.56±71.43 kg] were fed a corn silage basal diet with 1 of 3 concentrates (C=control; P10=10% pigeon peas; P20=20% pigeon peas). Cows were randomly assigned to treatments in a replicated 3×3 Latin square and individually fed using Calan gates. Each experimental period was 21 d with 7 d for adaption and 14 d for sample collection. Ruminal fluid samples were taken the last day of each experimental period and analyzed for pH, ammonia, long-chain fatty acids, and volatile fatty acids (VFA). Consecutive a.m. and p.m. milk samples were taken during the last 2 wk of the 21-d period and analyzed for fat, protein, long-chain fatty acids, and somatic cell count. Dry matter intake (kg/d) was reduced during the second period and was greater for P10 diets. Milk protein was greater for cows fed P20 compared with P10. Energy-corrected milk was greater for cows fed the control diet compared with P10. Treatment had no effect on milk yield. Ruminal fluid pH decreased over sampling times; however, pH remained at or above 5.5. Diets did not affect ruminal fluid pH; however, pH was different for sampling periods. Ruminal ammonia decreased until 8h postfeeding at which time it peaked consistent with changes in ammonia concentrations that usually peak 3 to 5h postfeeding on diets high in plant proteins. Dietary treatments altered ruminal fluid VFA with reduced concentrations of acetate and greater concentrations of propionate for control diet, resulting in reduced acetate:propionate ratio. Isobutyrate exhibited an hour by treatment interaction, in which isobutyrate decreased until 8h postfeeding and then tended to be greater for P10 than for other treatments. Animals fed the P10 diet had greater concentrations of ruminal isovalerate. Ruminal cis-9,trans-11 and trans-10,cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomers were not affected by dietary treatments. The P10 diet had greatest ruminal synthesis of cis-9,trans-11, but

Immobilization Increases the Stability and Reusability of Pigeon Pea NADP+ Linked Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase.

PubMed

Singh, Siddhartha; Singh, Amit Kumar; Singh, M Chandrakumar; Pandey, Pramod Kumar

2017-02-01

Immobilization of enzymes is valuably important as it improves the stability and hence increases the reusability of enzymes. The present investigation is an attempt for immobilization of purified glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase from pigeon pea on different matrix. Maximum immobilization was achieved when alginate was used as immobilization matrix. As compared to soluble enzyme the alginate immobilized enzyme exhibited enhanced optimum pH and temperature. The alginate immobilized enzyme displayed more than 80% activity up to 7 continuous reactions and more than 50% activity up to 11 continuous reactions.

Use of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei for a potential probiotic legume-based fermented product using pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan).

PubMed

Parra, K; Ferrer, M; Piñero, M; Barboza, Y; Medina, L M

2013-02-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the use of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) as an appropriate substrate in the production of a legume-based fermented product with Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 314 or Lactobacillus casei ATCC 393 and then to ascertain the effects of the addition of ingredients such as powdered milk and banana or strawberry sauce. The products were analyzed for viable cell counts, pH, and sensory attributes during product manufacture and throughout the refrigerated storage period at 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days. Nine types of products were produced. At the end of the storage period, the viability of L. acidophilus was above 7 log CFU/g in the presence of milk and 20% sucrose fruit sauce. For products with L. casei, the lack of ingredients such as milk caused no significant loss in viability; however, a high concentration of sucrose in the fruit sauce was an important factor in maintaining a high L. casei population. L. casei had high viability and good sensory attributes. Both strains could be considered suitable for a pigeon pea-based fermented potential probiotic product and a low-cost protein source.

Physico-chemical and sensory properties of cookies made from blends of germinated pigeon pea, fermented sorghum, and cocoyam flours.

PubMed

Okpala, Laura; Okoli, Eric; Udensi, Emelem

2013-01-01

Cookies were produced from germinated pigeon pea, fermented sorghum, and cocoyam flour (CF) blends to determine their potentials in cookie manufacture. Ten flour formulations were produced and they were evaluated for their proximate and functional properties. Protein content ranged from 4.85% to 19.89% with 100% CF (100CF) having the least value, while 100% germinated pigeon pea flour (100GPF) had the highest value. Increase in levels of GPF to the flour blends resulted in increase in protein content of the blends. Cookies made with 100% fermented sorghum flour (100FSF) had the highest ash content of 2.73%, while cookies made with 100GPF had the least ash content. Energy values of the cookies ranged between 369.37 and 376.56 kcal/100 g, with cookie formulation 50%CF:50%FSF having the least value and cookies made with 16.7%CF:16.7%FSF:66.6GPF having the highest value. The control (cookies made with wheat) had the highest spread ratio of 24.13, while cookies made with 100FSF had the least spread ratio of 14.97. Cookies made with 100CF were the least fragile. Sensory ratings revealed that cookies containing up to 50% CF and above, compared favorably with those made with wheat flour.

Fusarial wilt control and growth promotion of pigeon pea through bioactive metabolites produced by two plant growth promoting rhizobacteria.

PubMed

Dutta, S; Morang, P; Nishanth Kumar, S; Dileep Kumar, B S

2014-03-01

The bioactive metabolites produced by two plant growth promoting rhizobacteria strains, a Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain RRLJ 04 and a Bacillus cereus strain BS 03, which showed growth promotion and disease control in pigeon pea against Fusarium udum, were isolated and screened for their efficacy to control fusarial wilt of pigeon pea under gnotobiotic and nursery condition. Bioactive metabolites viz., BM 1 and BM 2 from RRLJ 04 and BM 3 from BS 03 also showed in vitro antibiosis against F. udum. Seeds treated with 50 μl seed⁻¹ of BM 1, 30 μl seed⁻¹ of BM 2 and 70 μl seed⁻¹ of BM 3 and grown in pathogen infested soil showed suppression of wilt disease besides growth enhancement. Per cent disease control was 90 % with BM 2 application as compared to 87 and 83 %, respectively in BM 1 and BM 3 after 90 days of growth. BM 2 treated plants were more resistant to the pathogen as compared to the other fractions tested. Mycelial dry weight was found to be reduced on treatment with the bioactive metabolites. Formation of chlamydospore-like structures was observed in the pathogen mycelium treated with BM 3. The analytical studies confirmed that two of these metabolites are phenazine derivatives.

Effect of various domestic processing and cooking methods on phytic acid and HCl-extractability of calcium, phosphorus and iron of pigeon pea.

PubMed

Duhan, A; Khetarpaul, N; Bishnoi, S

1999-01-01

Manak, the high yielding cultivator of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) released by (International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics) ICRISAT, India was subjected to various domestic processing and cooking methods viz., soaking (6, 12 and 18 h, 30 degrees C), soaking and dehulling, ordinary cooking, pressure cooking and germination (24, 36 and 48 h, 30 degrees C). The unprocessed seeds of this variety contained considerable amounts of phytic acid i.e. 917 mg per 100 g. This antinutrient was reduced significantly (P < 0.05) to varying extents (4-37%) in the processed samples. Except soaking and dehulling, the remaining processing and cooking methods did not lower the contents of total calcium, phosphorus and iron. That HCl-extractability of these dietary essential minerals, an index of their bioavailability, enhanced significantly when the pigeon pea seeds were processed and cooked, may be due to reduction in phytate content, which is known to chelate the minerals. A significant and negative correlation between the phytic acid and HCl-extractability of minerals further strengthens our findings.

Characterization, culture medium optimization and antioxidant activity of an endophytic vitexin-producing fungus Dichotomopilus funicola Y3 from pigeon pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.].

PubMed

Gu, C B; Ma, H; Ning, W J; Niu, L L; Han, H Y; Yuan, X H; Fu, Y J

2018-05-23

The aim of this study was to characterize a fungal endophyte Y3 from pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan [L.] Millsp), as a novel producer of vitexin, and its culture medium optimization and antioxidant activity. The endophyte from the leaves of pigeon pea was identified as Dichotomopilus funicola by the morphological and molecular characteristics. The most important medium variables affecting vitexin production in liquid culture of D. funicola Y3 were screened by Plackett-Burman design, and three culture medium constituents (i.e. L-phenylalanine, salicylic acid and CuSO 4 .5H 2 O) were identified to play significant roles in vitexin production. The most significant factors were further optimized using by central composite design with response surface methodology. The DPPH radical-scavenging assay indicated that fungal vitexin exhibited notable antioxidant activity with an EC 50 value of 164 μg l -1 . First, a novel endophyte Dichotomopilus funicola Y3, producing vitexin, was characterized from pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan[L.] Millsp.). The maximum vitexin yield was obtained as 78.86 mg l -1 under the optimum culture medium constituents: 0.06 g l -1 L-phenylalanine, 0.21 g l -1 salicylic acid, and 0.19 g l -1 CuSO 4 ·5H 2 O in medium, which is 4.59-fold higher than that in the unoptimized medium. Also, fungal vitexin clearly demonstrated its antioxidant potential. These findings provide an alternative source for large-scale production of vitexin by endophytic fungal fermentation and have a promising prospect in food and pharmaceutical industry. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Bee diversity assemblage on pigeon pea, Cajanus cajan along habitat gradient.

PubMed

Makkar, Gurpreet Singh; Chhuneja, Pardeep K

2016-11-01

The regional bee diversity was investigated on pigeon pea in three agroclimatic zones of Punjab state in northern India. Of the total nine species recorded, population of Megachilids, in particular, was significantly higher in all the three zones. Appraisal of diversity metrics revealed highest bee community diversity in Sub-mountain Undulating zone, followed by Central Plain zone, while least diversity was noted in Western zone, which highlighted the effect of habitat on species richness and abundance. Diurnal variations were evident with the most diverse bee communities recorded at 11:00 hr, followed by at 14:00 and 08:00 hr, with the lowest community diversity at 17:00 hr. The relative abundance of bee species was highly in favour of non-Apis species than Apis species. The results obtained can be used in the application of risk management through planned plant protection measures, study of plant-pollinator interactions along with conservation and augmentation of bee species.

Structural and functional studies on urease from pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan).

PubMed

Balasubramanian, Anuradha; Durairajpandian, Vishnuprabu; Elumalai, Sagadevan; Mathivanan, Narayanasamy; Munirajan, Arasambattu Kannan; Ponnuraj, Karthe

2013-07-01

Urease is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea, forming ammonia and carbon dioxide, and is found in plants, microorganisms and invertebrates. Although plant and bacterial ureases are closely related at amino acid and at the structural level, the insecticidal activity is seen only in the plant ureases. In contrast, both plant and bacterial ureases exhibit antifungal activity. These two biological properties are independent of its ureolytic activity. However, till date the mechanism(s) behind the insecticidal and fungicidal activity of ureases are not clearly understood. Here we report the crystal structure of pigeon pea urease (PPU, Cajanus cajan) which is the second structure from the plant source. We have deduced the amino acid sequence of PPU and also report here studies on its stability, insecticidal and antifungal activity. PPU exhibits cellulase activity. Based on the structural analysis of PPU and docking studies with cellopentoase we propose a possible mechanism of antifungal activity of urease. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nutrients and certain lipid soluble bioactive components in dehusked whole grains (gota) and dehusked splits (dhal) from pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) and their cooking characteristics.

PubMed

Jayadeep, Padmanabhan A; Sashikala, Vadakkoot B; Pratape, Vishwas M

2009-01-01

The nutritional quality of dehusked whole grains (gota) and dehusked splits (dhal) in red and white varieties of pigeon pea regarding proximate composition and certain lipid-soluble bioactive components was investigated. A decrease in fat and crude fiber was noticed when gota was converted to dhal. The lipid profile of gota and dhal from red and white husk pigeon pea types indicated that essential fatty acids were greater in gota than in their respective dhals. Gota from white husk variety contained more tocopherols than the red variety. Dhal contained less tocopherols than gota. A decrease in the content of gamma and alpha tocopherols, vitamin E activity and total antioxidant activity also indicates loss of bioactive components on splitting gota into dhal. Cooking time and dispersed solids on cooking indicated good cooking quality of gotta. The results indicated the nutritional superiority of gota over dhal and its similarity with dhal in cooking characteristics.

Physico-chemical and sensory properties of cookies made from blends of germinated pigeon pea, fermented sorghum, and cocoyam flours

PubMed Central

Okpala, Laura; Okoli, Eric; Udensi, Emelem

2013-01-01

Cookies were produced from germinated pigeon pea, fermented sorghum, and cocoyam flour (CF) blends to determine their potentials in cookie manufacture. Ten flour formulations were produced and they were evaluated for their proximate and functional properties. Protein content ranged from 4.85% to 19.89% with 100% CF (100CF) having the least value, while 100% germinated pigeon pea flour (100GPF) had the highest value. Increase in levels of GPF to the flour blends resulted in increase in protein content of the blends. Cookies made with 100% fermented sorghum flour (100FSF) had the highest ash content of 2.73%, while cookies made with 100GPF had the least ash content. Energy values of the cookies ranged between 369.37 and 376.56 kcal/100 g, with cookie formulation 50%CF:50%FSF having the least value and cookies made with 16.7%CF:16.7%FSF:66.6GPF having the highest value. The control (cookies made with wheat) had the highest spread ratio of 24.13, while cookies made with 100FSF had the least spread ratio of 14.97. Cookies made with 100CF were the least fragile. Sensory ratings revealed that cookies containing up to 50% CF and above, compared favorably with those made with wheat flour. PMID:24804009

Repellent activity of some essential oils against two stored product beetles Callosobruchus chinensis L. and C. maculatus F. (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) with reference to Chenopodium ambrosioides L. oil for the safety of pigeon pea seeds.

PubMed

Pandey, Abhay K; Palni, Uma T; Tripathi, N N

2014-12-01

Essential oils from 35 aromatic and medicinal plant species of Gorakhpur Division (U. P., India) were evaluated for their repellent activity against pulse bruchids Callosobruchus chinensis L. and C. maculatus F. of stored pigeon pea seeds. The oil concentration was at 0.36 μl/ml. Out of 35 essential oils, Adhatoda vasica Ness and Chenopodium ambrosioides L. oils showed absolute (100 %) insect repellency. Chenopodium oil exhibited 100 % mortality for both the test insects at 10 μl concentration (LD50 = 2.8 μl for C. chinensis & 2.5 μl for C. maculatus) and more toxic than Adhatoda oil (LD50 = 6.8 μl for C. chinensis & 8.4 μl for C. maculatus). During in vivo evaluation, 0.29 and 0.58 μl/ml of Chenopodium oil significantly enhanced feeding deterrence in insects and reduced the seed damage as well as weight loss of fumigated pigeon pea seeds up to 6 months of storage as compared to control set. Thus, Chenopodium oil can be used as an effective option of commercial fumigants for the storage of pigeon pea seeds against pulse bruchids.

[Functional properties and protein concentrate of Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (I.) Millsp) flour].

PubMed

Mizubuti, I Y; Biondo Júnior, O; Souza, L W; da Silva, R S; Ida, E I

2000-09-01

The objective of this investigation was to study the functional properties of Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp) flour and protein concentrate. The solubility of both samples were superior than 70% at pH above 6.7 and below 3.5. The water and oil absorption were 1.2 and 1.07 ml/g of sample and 0.87 and 1.73 ml/g of flour and protein concentrate samples, respectively. The minimum concentration of flour and protein concentrate needed for gelation was 20% and 12%, respectively. The emulsifying capacity of flour and concentrate was 129.35 g and 191.66 g oil/g of protein and the emulsion stability 87.50 and 97.97%, respectively, after 780 minutes. The foam capacity and stability of flour foam were 36.0% and 18.61, while of the concentrate were 44.70% and 78.97% after 90 minutes. These properties indicate that the flour as well as the concentrate could have application in various food systems.

Identification and in silico characterization of a novel peptide inhibitor of angiotensin converting enzyme from pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan).

PubMed

Nawaz, K A Ayub; David, Swapna Merlin; Murugesh, Easwaran; Thandeeswaran, Murugesan; Kiran, Kalarikkal Gopikrishnan; Mahendran, Ramasamy; Palaniswamy, Muthusamy; Angayarkanni, Jayaraman

2017-12-01

Plants are important sources of bioactive peptides. Among these, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptides have a major focus on their ability to prevent hypertension. Inhibition of ACE has been established as an effective approach for the treatment of ACE associated diseases. Some synthetic ACE inhibitory drugs cause side effects and hence there is a constant interest in natural compounds as alternatives. The study was designed to identify and characterize a peptide molecule from pigeon pea which has the biological property to inhibit ACE and can be developed as a therapeutic approach towards hypertension. Seeds of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) was fermented with Aspergillus niger, a proteolytic fungus isolated from spoiled milk sweet. The extract was purified by size exclusion chromatography by FPLC system. The fractions that showed ACE inhibition was subjected to LC-MS/MS for sequence identification. The stability of the peptide was analyzed by molecular dynamic simulations and the interaction sites with ACE were identified by molecular docking. The study report a novel ACE inhibitory octapeptide Val-Val-Ser-Leu-Ser-Ile-Pro-Arg with a molecular mass of 869.53 Da. The Lineweaver-Burk plot indicated that the inhibition of ACE by this peptide is in competitive mode. Also, molecular docking and simulation studies showed a strong and stable interaction of the peptide with ACE. The results clearly show the inhibitory property of the peptide against ACE and hence it can be explored as a therapeutic strategy towards hypertension and other ACE associated diseases. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Ionic liquid-based microwave-assisted extraction for the determination of flavonoid glycosides in pigeon pea leaves by high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector with pentafluorophenyl column.

PubMed

Wei, Wei; Fu, Yu-jie; Zu, Yuan-gang; Wang, Wei; Luo, Meng; Zhao, Chun-jian; Li, Chun-ying; Zhang, Lin; Wei, Zuo-fu

2012-11-01

In this study, an ionic liquid-based microwave-assisted extraction (ILMAE) followed by high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector with a pentafluorophenyl column for the extraction and quantification of eight flavonoid glycosides in pigeon pea leaves is described. Compared with conventional extraction methods, ILMAE is a more effective and environment friendly method for the extraction of nature compounds from herbal plants. Nine different types of ionic liquids with different cations and anions were investigated. The results suggested that varying the anion and cation had significant effects on the extraction of flavonoid glycosides, and 1.0 M 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide ([C4MIM]Br) solution was selected as solvent. In addition, the extraction procedures were also optimized using a series of single-factor experiments. The optimum parameters were obtained as follows: extraction temperature 60°C, liquid-solid ratio 20:1 mL/g and extraction time 13 min. Moreover, an HPLC method using pentafluorophenyl column was established and validated. Good linearity was observed with the regression coefficients (r(2)) more than 0.999. The limit of detection (LODs) (S/N = 3) and limit of quantification (LOQs) (S/N = 10) for the components were less than 0.41 and 1.47 μg/mL, respectively. The inter- and intraday precisions that were used to evaluate the reproducibility and relative standard deviation (RSD) values were less than 4.57%. The recoveries were between 97.26 and 102.69%. The method was successfully used for the analysis of samples of pigeon pea leaves. In conclusion, the developed ILMAE-HPLC-diode array detector using pentafluorophenyl column method can be applied for quality control of pigeon pea leaves and related medicinal products. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Studies on the energy content of pigeon feeds I. Determination of digestibility and metabolizable energy content.

PubMed

Hullar, I; Meleg, I; Fekete, S; Romvari, R

1999-12-01

The digestibility coefficient and metabolizable energy (ME) content of the most important pigeon feeds (corn, wheat, barley, red and white millet, sorghum, canary seed, peas, lentils, sunflower, and hemp) were determined. The experiment was carried out using 10 adult male homing pigeons. All feeds were fed alone, in a whole-grain form, ad libitum. Drinking water and grit were offered to the birds on a continuous basis. Each feedstuff was fed to five pigeons in 1-wk cycles. There was no significant difference between the values determined in pigeons and those reported in the literature for chickens among the digestibilities of the CP of the various feeds. For pigeons, the digestibility of carbohydrates (N-free extracts, NFE) was lower (e.g., 62.37 vs 83.00% for barley and 63.45 vs 77.00% for peas), whereas the ether extract (EE) was higher (e.g., 75.58 vs 61.00% for barley and 82.59 vs 80.00% for peas) in pigeons compared with chickens. As a result, the AMEn values determined in pigeons did not differ significantly from those reported for chickens but tended to be slightly higher. For feeds of high-oil content, that difference may be somewhat larger. The correlation between the CP, EE, crude fiber (CF), and NFE contents of the feeds and the ME values determined in this experiment were calculated by multivariate linear regression. It was concluded that it was more accurate to determine and tabulate the ME contents of other potential pigeon feeds directly by experimental methods rather than using an equation.

Physiochemical Characterization of Briquettes Made from Different Feedstocks

PubMed Central

Karunanithy, C.; Wang, Y.; Muthukumarappan, K.; Pugalendhi, S.

2012-01-01

Densification of biomass can address handling, transportation, and storage problems and also lend itself to an automated loading and unloading of transport vehicles and storage systems. The purpose of this study is to compare the physicochemical properties of briquettes made from different feedstocks. Feedstocks such as corn stover, switchgrass, prairie cord grass, sawdust, pigeon pea grass, and cotton stalk were densified using a briquetting system. Physical characterization includes particle size distribution, geometrical mean diameter (GMD), densities (bulk and true), porosity, and glass transition temperature. The compositional analysis of control and briquettes was also performed. Statistical analyses confirmed the existence of significant differences in these physical properties and chemical composition of control and briquettes. Correlation analysis confirms the contribution of lignin to bulk density and durability. Among the feedstocks tested, cotton stalk had the highest bulk density of 964 kg/m3 which is an elevenfold increase compared to control cotton stalk. Corn stover and pigeon pea grass had the highest (96.6%) and lowest (61%) durability. PMID:22792471

Simultaneous determination of flubendiamide its metabolite desiodo flubendiamide residues in cabbage, tomato and pigeon pea by HPLC.

PubMed

Paramasivam, M; Banerjee, Hemanta

2011-10-01

A sensitive and simple method for simultaneous analysis of flubendiamide and its metabolite desiodo flubendiamide in cabbage, tomato and pigeon pea has been developed. The residues were extracted with QuEChERS method followed by dispersive solid-phase extraction with primary secondary amine sorbent to remove co extractives, prior to analysis by HPLC coupled with UV-Vis detector. The recoveries of flubendiamide and desiodo flubendiamide were ranged from 85.1 to 98.5% and 85.9 to 97.1% respectively with relative standard deviations (RSD) less than 5% and sensitivity of 0.01 μg g(-1). The method offers a less expensive and safer alternative to the existing residue analysis methods for vegetables. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011

Effect of lablab and pigeon pea leaf meal supplementation on performance of goats fed a basal diet of haricot bean haulms.

PubMed

Hidosa, Denbela; Tolera, Adugna; Nurfeta, Ajebu

2018-03-02

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of lablab and pigeon pea leaf supplementation on feed intake, digestibility, weight gain, and carcass characteristics of goats fed a basal diet of haricot bean haulms. Thirty-two yearling intact male goats with an average initial body weight of 14.4 ± 1.04 kg (Means ± SD) were assigned to one of the four treatments in a randomized complete block design. The dietary treatments were 17.5% lablab + 17.5% pigeon pea leaf + 63% wheat bran (T1), 35% pigeon leaf + 63% wheat bran (T2), 35% lablab leaf + 63% wheat bran (T3), and 88% wheat bran + 10% noug seed cake (T4). In addition, all treatment diets contained 1 and 1% limestone. The feeding trial lasted for 90 days followed by 7 days of digestibility trial. Carcass evaluation was conducted at the end of the feeding trial. Final body weight ranged from 16.3 kg for T4 to 21.1 kg for T3. The total dry matter (DM) intake for T3 was higher (P < 0.05) than T2 and T4. The total crude protein (CP) intake for T2 was greater (P < 0.05) than T3 and T4. Goats supplemented with T3 diets had the highest (P > 0.05) digestibility of DM, organic matter, and CP and attained the highest (P < 0.05) average daily gain, the heaviest (P < 0.05) hot carcass weight, and the highest (P < 0.05) rib-eye muscle area than those supplemented with T1, T2, and T4 diets. In conclusion, 35% lablab leaf meal and 63% what bran (T3) were found to be a very promising supplement in sheep fed low-quality crop residues under the condition of the current experiment.

Pigeon pea waste as a novel, inexpensive, substrate for production of a thermostable alkaline protease from thermoalkalophilic Bacillus sp. JB-99.

PubMed

Johnvesly, B; Manjunath, B R; Naik, G R

2002-03-01

Thermoalkaliphilic Bacillus sp. JB-99 was grown in a 250 ml Erlenmeyer flask containing 50 ml medium containing (g/l) Pigeon pea waste 10; NaNO3, 5.0; K2HPO4, 5.0; MgSO4 x 2H2O, 0.2 and Na2CO3, 10.0. Incubations were carried out at 50 degrees C on a rotary incubator shaker for 15 h. A high level of extra cellular thermostable protease activity was observed after 24 h incubation. The optimum temperature and pH for activity were 70 degrees C and 11, respectively, so this enzyme showed stable activity at high temperature and under alkaline conditions.

Antioxidant status of pigeon pea, Cajanus cajan in the presence of endosulfan stress.

PubMed

Mathad, Pratima; Siddaling, N C

2009-05-01

Antioxidative status study was made in cotyledons of 7days old as well as in leaf and stem tissues of 30 and 60 days old pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) namely Asha and Maruti subjected to different doses of endosulfan in the range 0.1-1.0%. The results revealed that the activities of the antioxidative enzymes and the antioxidant contents such as the super oxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), reducing power (RP), ascorbic acid (AsA) and total phenols (TP) increased with increase in the concentrations of endosulfan in different parts of the plants in both the varieties. It was interesting to note that the increase in the antioxidative enzymes and the antioxidant contents were higher in leaves than in stem and cotyledons in both the plant varieties. The Asha showed lower activity of SOD and higher activity of POD than the Maruti. The RP and AsA contents were higher whereas the TP content was lower in Asha than Maruti. The observed variations in the activities of the oxidative enzymes and the antioxidant contents of the plants treated with the varying concentration of endosulfan indicated that the antioxidative system in the plants plays a fundamental role in minimizing the deleterious effects of the oxidative stress in the two varieties of Cajanus cajan.

Mycoflora and aflatoxin production in pigeon pea stored in jute sacks and iron bins.

PubMed

Bankole, S A; Eseigbe, D A; Enikuomehin, O A

The mycoflora, moisture content and aflatoxin contamination of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millisp) stored in jute sacks and iron bins were determined at monthly intervals for a year. The predominant fungi on freshly harvested seeds were Alternaria spp., Botryodiplodia theobromae, Fusarium spp. and Phoma spp. These fungi gradually disappeared from stored seeds with time and by 5-6 months, most were not isolated. The fungi that succeeded the initially dominant ones were mainly members of the general Aspergillus, Penicillium and Rhizopus. Population of these fungi increased up to the end of one year storage. Higher incidence of mycoflora and Aspergillus flavus were recorded in jute-sack samples throughout the storage period. The moisture content of stored seeds was found to fluctuate with the prevailing weather conditions, being low during the dry season and slightly high during the wet season. The stored seeds were free of aflatoxins for 3 and 5 months in jute sacks and iron bins respectively. The level of aflatoxins detected in jute-sack storage system was considerably higher than that occurring in the iron bin system. Of 196 isolates of A. flavus screened, 48% were toxigenic in liquid culture (54% from jute sacks and 41% from iron bins).

Limiting an Insect Infestation of Nitrogen-Fixing Root Nodules of the Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan) by Engineering the Expression of an Entomocidal Gene in Its Root Nodules

PubMed Central

Nambiar, P. T. C.; Ma, S.-W.; Iyer, V. N.

1990-01-01

A region of DNA which determined the production of the insecticidal toxin of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis was cloned into a derivative of a broad-host-range group IncQ plasmid vector of gram-negative bacteria. The plasmid which we constructed was transferred by conjugative mobilization into a Bradyrhizobium species that nodulates pigeon peas. In this species the construction was maintained stably in the absence of selection and expressed the gene that was installed. Experiments in a greenhouse with the strain which we constructed indicated that this organism provides protection against root nodule damage by the larvae of the insect Rivellia angulata (Diptera). Images PMID:16348294

Digestibility of soybean and pigeon pea seed meals and morphological intestinal alterations in pigs.

PubMed

Mekbungwan, Apichai; Thongwittaya, Narin; Yamauchi, Koh-En

2004-06-01

To compare the nutrient digestibility of soybean meal (SM) and pigeon pea seed meal (PM) as well as morphological intestinal alterations in piglets fed them, three pigs per group were randomly selected at the end of the feeding experiment for ten days. Growth performance was higher in the SM group than in the PM group (p<0.05). The digestibility of crude protein, crude fat and crude fiber was 80.6%, 23.6% and 52.4% in the SM group, while in the PM group, values of 49.8%, 23.6% and 43.2% were observed, respectively. Digestible energy was 3.26 kcal g(-1) in SM and 3.17 kcal g(-1) in PM. It was concluded that the digestibility of PM was lower than that of SM; almost half of the protein in PM was digested. Dietary treatments had no effect on length of each small intestinal segment and weight of visceral organs (small intestine, liver, heart, spleen, kidney, stomach and lung) except the decreased kidney weight in the PM group (p<0.05). The epithelial cells on the jejunal villi showed a dome-like shape in the SM group, but they were a flat shape in the PM group. The present digestion trial and histological intestinal data suggest that the intestinal digestive and absorptive functions are much more atrophied in the PM group than in the SM group, and demonstrate that histological intestinal alterations might be well related with the intestinal functions.

Enhanced growth and nodulation of pigeon pea by co-inoculation of Bacillus strains with Rhizobium spp.

PubMed

Rajendran, Geetha; Sing, Falguni; Desai, Anjana J; Archana, G

2008-07-01

Endophytic bacteria which are known to reside in plant tissues have often been shown to promote plant growth. Present study deals with the isolation of putative endophytes from the surface sterilized root nodules of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) designated as non-rhizobial (NR) isolates. Three of these non-rhizobial isolates called NR2, NR4 and NR6 showed plant growth promotion with respect to increase in plant fresh weight, chlorophyll content, nodule number and nodule fresh weight when co-inoculated with the rhizobial bioinoculant strain IC3123. The three isolates were neither able to nodulate C. cajan nor did they show significant plant growth promotion when inoculated alone without Rhizobium spp. IC3123. All the three isolates were gram positive rods with NR2 and NR4 showing endospore formation and formed one single cluster in Amplified Ribosomal DNA Restriction Analysis (ARDRA). Partial sequences of 16S rRNA genes of NR4 and NR6 showed 97% similarity to Bacillus megaterium. The Bacillus strains NR4 and NR6 were able to produce siderophores which the rhizobial bioinoculant IC3123 was able to cross-utilize. Under iron starved conditions IC3123 showed enhanced growth in the presence of the Bacillus isolates indicating that siderophore mediated interactions may be underlying mechanism of beneficial effect of the NR isolates on nodulation by IC3123.

Methods to determine metabolizable energy and digestibility of feed ingredients in the domestic pigeon (Columba livia domestica).

PubMed

Sales, J; Janssens, G P J

2003-09-01

The influence of length of excreta collection period (1, 3, 6, 10, 14 d) and prefeeding protocol (7 d either individual feeding in collection cages or group feeding in housing cages) on AMEn, nitrogen retention (NR), and apparent DM, organic matter and ether extract digestibility of corn and peas were evaluated in domestic pigeons (Columba livia domestica). In addition, the use of internal markers [acid-insoluble ash (AIA) and acid detergent lignin (ADL)] to determine AMEn, NR, and apparent digestibility was compared with the method of measuring total feed input and excreta output. A quadratic (y = a + bx + cx2) trend in the CV for AMEn, NR, and apparent digestibility coefficients found over collection periods with corn presented evidence that excreta collection for a period of 3 d will produce a CV of 5% less than the minimum CV. Although no trend could be detected in CV for peas, a 3-d excreta collection period resulted in relatively low variation. Both AIA and ADL, when used as internal markers, resulted in AMEn, NR, and digestibility values below (P < 0.05) those obtained with total collection with corn. However, values between markers were comparable (P > 0.05) for all components evaluated. The ADL was unsuccessful as marker with peas. Group prefeeding of pigeons in housing cages resulted in lower feed intake, excreta output, NR, and apparent digestibility than when birds were adapted individually to collection cages. This study presents evidence that the method of measuring total feed intake and excreta output for a period of 3 d, with individual adaptation of birds to collection cages, resulted in the most reliable values for AMEn, NR, and apparent digestibility of DM, organic matter and ether extract of feed ingredients in pigeons.

Molecular cloning and characterization of the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b gene from the pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan).

PubMed

Qiao, Guang; Wen, Xiao-Peng; Zhang, Ting

2015-12-01

Light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b-binding proteins (LHCB) have been implicated in the stress response. In this study, a gene encoding LHCB in the pigeon pea was cloned and characterized. Based on the sequence of a previously obtained 327 bp Est, a full-length 793 bp cDNA was cloned using the rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) method. It was designated CcLHCB1 and encoded a 262 amino acid protein. The calculated molecular weight of the CcLHCB1 protein was 27.89 kDa, and the theoretical isoelectric point was 5.29. Homology search and sequence multi-alignment demonstrated that the CcLHCB1 protein sequence shared a high identity with LHCB from other plants. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that CcLHCB1 was a hydrophobic protein with three transmembrane domains. By fluorescent quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), CcLHCB1 mRNA transcripts were detectable in different tissues (leaf, stem, and root), with the highest level found in the leaf. The expression of CcLHCB1 mRNA in the leaves was up-regulated by drought stimulation and AM inoculation. Our results provide the basis for a better understanding of the molecular organization of LCHB and might be useful for understanding the interaction between plants and microbes in the future.

Differentiation and classification of phytoplasmas in the pigeon pea witches'-broom group (16SrIX): an update based on multiple gene sequence analysis.

PubMed

Lee, I-M; Bottner-Parker, K D; Zhao, Y; Bertaccini, A; Davis, R E

2012-09-01

The pigeon pea witches'-broom phytoplasma group (16SrIX) comprises diverse strains that cause numerous diseases in leguminous trees and herbaceous crops, vegetables, a fruit, a nut tree and a forest tree. At least 14 strains have been reported worldwide. Comparative phylogenetic analyses of the highly conserved 16S rRNA gene and the moderately conserved rplV (rpl22)-rpsC (rps3) and secY genes indicated that the 16SrIX group consists of at least six distinct genetic lineages. Some of these lineages cannot be readily differentiated based on analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences alone. The relative genetic distances among these closely related lineages were better assessed by including more variable genes [e.g. ribosomal protein (rp) and secY genes]. The present study demonstrated that virtual RFLP analyses using rp and secY gene sequences allowed unambiguous identification of such lineages. A coding system is proposed to designate each distinct rp and secY subgroup in the 16SrIX group.

Stalking

MedlinePlus

... and Untested Kits About Sexual Assault Backlog Resources Laws About the Sexual Assault Kit Backlog Evidence Retention ... in the News Training Trainings Webinar Archive Stalking Laws Criminal Stalking Laws by State Civil Stalking Laws ...

Comparative Proteomic and Nutritional Composition Analysis of Independent Transgenic Pigeon Pea Seeds Harboring cry1AcF and cry2Aa Genes and Their Nontransgenic Counterparts.

PubMed

Mishra, Pragya; Singh, Shweta; Rathinam, Maniraj; Nandiganti, Muralimohan; Ram Kumar, Nikhil; Thangaraj, Arulprakash; Thimmegowda, Vinutha; Krishnan, Veda; Mishra, Vagish; Jain, Neha; Rai, Vandna; Pattanayak, Debasis; Sreevathsa, Rohini

2017-02-22

Safety assessment of genetically modified plants is an important aspect prior to deregulation. Demonstration of substantial equivalence of the transgenics compared to their nontransgenic counterparts can be performed using different techniques at various molecular levels. The present study is a first-ever comprehensive evaluation of pigeon pea transgenics harboring two independent cry genes, cry2Aa and cry1AcF. The absence of unintended effects in the transgenic seed components was demonstrated by proteome and nutritional composition profiling. Analysis revealed that no significant differences were found in the various nutritional compositional analyses performed. Additionally, 2-DGE-based proteome analysis of the transgenic and nontransgenic seed protein revealed that there were no major changes in the protein profile, although a minor fold change in the expression of a few proteins was observed. Furthermore, the study also demonstrated that neither the integration of T-DNA nor the expression of the cry genes resulted in the production of unintended effects in the form of new toxins or allergens.

In vitro antioxidant properties, DNA damage protective activity, and xanthine oxidase inhibitory effect of cajaninstilbene acid, a stilbene compound derived from pigeon pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] leaves.

PubMed

Wu, Nan; Kong, Yu; Fu, Yujie; Zu, Yuangang; Yang, Zhiwei; Yang, Mei; Peng, Xiao; Efferth, Thomas

2011-01-12

The antioxidant properties, DNA damage protective activities, and xanthine oxidase (XOD) inhibitory effect of cajaninstilbene acid (CSA) derived from pigeon pea leaves were studied in the present work. Compared with resveratrol, CSA showed stronger antioxidant properties, DNA damage protective activity, and XOD inhibition activity. The IC(50) values of CSA for superoxide radical scavenging, hydroxyl radical scavenging, nitric oxide scavenging, reducing power, lipid peroxidation, and XOD inhibition were 19.03, 6.36, 39.65, 20.41, 20.58, and 3.62 μM, respectively. CSA possessed good protective activity from oxidative DNA damage. Furthermore, molecular docking indicated that CSA was more potent than resveratrol or allopurinol to interact with the active site of XOD (calculated free binding energy: -229.71 kcal mol(-1)). On the basis of the results, we conclude that CSA represents a valuable natural antioxidant source and may potentially be applicable in health food industry.

Pigeon circovirus infection in disqualified racing pigeons from Taiwan.

PubMed

Huang, Yen-Li; Castaneda, Omir Adrian; Thongchan, Duangsuda; Khatri-Chhetri, Rupak; Tsai, Shinn-Shyong; Wu, Hung-Yi

2017-08-01

Pigeons (Columba livia) infected with pigeon circovirus (PiCV) have been reported worldwide. The present study diagnosed PiCV infection in tissue samples of disqualified racing pigeons in Taiwan, using molecular and microscopy diagnostics. Among the 164 dead pigeons examined, 96.95% (159/164) tested positive for PiCV. Severe histopathological lesions, with characteristic inclusions, were observed in various organs of the PiCV-infected pigeons. Multiglobular basophilic intranuclear and intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies were found in the bursa of Fabricius and non-lymphoid tissues. The present study identified, for the first time, the presence of inclusion bodies in the thyroid gland, oesophagus, gizzard, and in the third eyelid of circovirus-infected pigeons. The presence of inclusion bodies in the third eyelid and mucosa of the gizzard was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. A high detection rate of PiCV and some severe lesions evident in disqualified racing pigeons, as well as PiCV sequences in this study were highly similar with those detected in European countries suggesting an epidemiological association possibly due to imported pigeons.

Declination of copper toxicity in pigeon pea and soil system by growth-promoting Proteus vulgaris KNP3 strain.

PubMed

Rani, Anju; Shouche, Yogesh S; Goel, Reeta

2008-07-01

The copper-resistant (1318 microM CuSO(4).5H(2)O) strain KNP3 of Proteus vulgaris was isolated from soil near the Panki power plant, Kanpur, India, and was used to inoculate pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan var. UPS-120) seeds grown in soil for 60 days in the presence of 600 microM CuSO(4).5H(2)O. A study of siderophore production (126.34 +/- 0.52 microg ml(-1)) and its subsequent effects on plant growth promotion under in situ conditions was conducted. The parameters that were monitored included the plants' wet weight, dry weight, shoot length, chlorophyll content, and concentration of copper in plant roots and shoots. The results showed that the strain caused a significant (p < 0.05) increase in wet weight, dry weight, root length, shoot growth, and chlorophyll content (57.8%, 60%, 19.7%, 47.8%, and 36.3%, respectively) in the presence of copper. Furthermore, the strain reduced accumulation of Cu in the roots and shoots to 36.8% and 60.5%, respectively. Apart from this, copper concentration in the soil was measured on 0, 7, 15, 30, and 45 days consecutively and the results indicated that the bioinoculant KNP3 causes a significant decrease in Cu concentration in soil (55.6%), which was unlikely in the control (10.5%) treatment. The data suggested that the bacterial strain has the ability to protect plants against the inhibitory effects of copper besides reducing the copper load of the soil.

Stalking and Violence.

PubMed

Ostermeyer, Britta; Friedman, Susan Hatters; Sorrentino, Renee; Booth, Brad D

2016-12-01

The three widely known stalker classifications assist in categorizing stalkers, which allows for better management of violence risk. Although 80% of stalking is done by men, women also engage in stalking, and their violence risk should not be underestimated. Juvenile stalkers do exist and juvenile stalking is also associated with violence. Clinicians can become a victim of stalking and may become victims of stalking by proxy, a special type of stalking behavior where the stalker involves other people or agencies to communicate with or track their victim. A careful stalking violence risk assessment is essential in the intervention and risk management process. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Production of Laccase by a New Myrothecium verrucaria MD-R-16 Isolated from Pigeon Pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] and its Application on Dye Decolorization.

PubMed

Sun, Jiao; Guo, Na; Niu, Li-Li; Wang, Qing-Fang; Zang, Yu-Ping; Zu, Yuan-Gang; Fu, Yu-Jie

2017-04-23

The present study was conducted to screen a laccase-producing fungal endophyte, optimize fermentation conditions, and evaluate the decolorization ability of the laccase. A new fungal endophyte capable of laccase-producing was firstly isolated from pigeon pea and identified as Myrothecium verrucaria based on a ITS-rRNA sequences analysis. Meanwhile, various fermentation parameters on the laccase production were optimized via response surface methodology (RSM). The optimal fermentation conditions were a fermentation time of five days, temperature 30 °C and pH 6.22. Laccase activity reached 16.52 ± 0.18 U/mL under the above conditions. Furthermore, the laccase showed effective decolorization capability toward synthetic dyes (Congo red, Methyl orange, Methyl red, and Crystal violet) in the presence of the redox mediator ABTS, with more than 70% of dyes decolorizing after 24 h of incubation. Additionally, the activity of laccase was relatively stable with pH (4.5-6.5) and a temperature range of 35-55 °C. Therefore, the high laccase production of the strain and the new fungal laccase could provide a promising alterative approach for industrial and environmental applications.

Pigeon Pea and Cowpea-Based Cropping Systems Improve Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Colonisation of Subsequent Maize on the Alfisols in Central Malawi

PubMed Central

Semu, Ernest; Mrema, Jerome P.; Nalivata, Patson C.

2017-01-01

Mycorrhizal associations contribute to the sustainability of crop production systems through their roles in nutrient cycling and other benefits in the soil-plant ecosystems. A two-year study was conducted on the Alfisols of Lilongwe and Dowa districts, Central Malawi, to assess the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungal colonisation levels in pigeon pea, cowpea, and maize grown in sole cropping, legume-cereal, and legume-legume intercropping systems and in the maize grown in short rotation (year 2) as influenced by the previous cropping systems and N fertilizer application. The gridline intersect method was used to assess the VAM fungal colonisation levels. Results showed that all treatments that included legumes whether grown as sole crop, in legume-cereal or in legume-legume cropping systems in the previous year, had significantly higher (P < 0.05) VAM fungal colonisation of the rotational maize crop roots by a range 39% to 50% and 19% to 47% than those in maize supplied and not supplied with N fertilizer, respectively, in a maize-maize short rotation, at the Lilongwe site. A similar trend was reported for the Dowa site. Furthermore, there were positive correlations between VAM fungal colonisation and the plant P content, dry matter yield, and nodule numbers. Further studies may help to assess the diversity of VAM fungal species in Malawi soils and identify more adaptive ones for inoculation studies. PMID:28584528

Pigeon Pea and Cowpea-Based Cropping Systems Improve Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Colonisation of Subsequent Maize on the Alfisols in Central Malawi.

PubMed

Njira, Keston O W; Semu, Ernest; Mrema, Jerome P; Nalivata, Patson C

2017-01-01

Mycorrhizal associations contribute to the sustainability of crop production systems through their roles in nutrient cycling and other benefits in the soil-plant ecosystems. A two-year study was conducted on the Alfisols of Lilongwe and Dowa districts, Central Malawi, to assess the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungal colonisation levels in pigeon pea, cowpea, and maize grown in sole cropping, legume-cereal, and legume-legume intercropping systems and in the maize grown in short rotation (year 2) as influenced by the previous cropping systems and N fertilizer application. The gridline intersect method was used to assess the VAM fungal colonisation levels. Results showed that all treatments that included legumes whether grown as sole crop, in legume-cereal or in legume-legume cropping systems in the previous year, had significantly higher ( P < 0.05) VAM fungal colonisation of the rotational maize crop roots by a range 39% to 50% and 19% to 47% than those in maize supplied and not supplied with N fertilizer, respectively, in a maize-maize short rotation, at the Lilongwe site. A similar trend was reported for the Dowa site. Furthermore, there were positive correlations between VAM fungal colonisation and the plant P content, dry matter yield, and nodule numbers. Further studies may help to assess the diversity of VAM fungal species in Malawi soils and identify more adaptive ones for inoculation studies.

Co-occurrence of Mycoplasma Species and Pigeon Herpesvirus-1 Infection in Racing Pigeons ( Columba livia).

PubMed

Hellebuyck, Tom; Göbel, Stephan; Pasmans, Frank; Adriaensen, Connie; Martel, An

2017-12-01

Oropharyngeal swab samples were collected from 438 live racing pigeons ( Columba livia), with and without signs of respiratory disease, that were housed in 220 lofts in 3 provinces in the western part of the Netherlands. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to identify Mycoplasma species and pigeon herpesvirus-1 (PHV-1) from the samples. In 8.6% of the pigeon lofts tested, signs of respiratory disease were present in pigeons at sampling, and in 30.9% of the sampled pigeon lofts, respiratory signs were observed in pigeons during the 6-month period immediately before sampling. A total of 39.8% of tested pigeons (54.5% of tested lofts) were positive for Mycoplasma species, and 30.6% of tested pigeons (48.6% of tested lofts) were positive for PHV-1. In 15.8% of the tested pigeons (26.8% of tested pigeon lofts), coinfection by Mycoplasma species and PHV-1 was identified. The number of pigeon lofts having pigeons coinfected by Mycoplasma species and PHV-1 was higher than that where only one of the infections was identified. Neither the presence of Mycoplasma species, PHV-1, nor the co-occurrence of both infections was significantly associated with signs of respiratory disease.

Growth performance and histological intestinal alterations in piglets fed dietary raw and heated pigeon pea seed meal.

PubMed

Mekbungwan, A; Yamauchi, K

2004-04-01

Histological intestinal villus alterations were studied in piglets fed raw (PM) or heated (HPM) pigeon pea seed meal. The trypsin inhibition rate was 99.15% in PM and 54.31% HPM. The PM and HPM were added into the basal diet (crude protein; 176.3 g/kg, gross energy; 4.15 kcal/g, control) at 20% and 40% levels, respectively. The diets were formulated in order to adjust protein to 180 g/kg and gross energy to about 4.20 kcal/g. The feed intake was not different among groups. The daily body weight gain and feed efficiency tended to decrease with the increasing PM level, and they decreased significantly in the 40% PM group compared with the control group (P < 0.05). However, HPM groups showed a growth performance similar to the control. The villus height, cell area and cell mitosis tended to decrease with the increasing PM level, and they decreased significantly in the 40% PM group compared with the control group (P < 0.05). In HPM group, these villus height, cell area and cell mitosis were significantly higher than those of the 40% PM group (P < 0.05), and did not show a significant difference compared with the control. Compared with the duodenal villus surface of the control group, the PM groups had a smooth surface due to flat cells and the HPM group showed a rough surface due to protuberated cells. The current histological alterations of intestinal villi demonstrate that the villi might be atrophied in the piglets fed raw PM due to anti-nutritional factors, resulting in the decreased growth performance, and that heating PM might abolish such a harmful effect of the anti-nutritional factors on the villus function, resulting in a similar growth performance to the control. Raw PM could be incorporated under a level of 40%, but heated PM increases the incorporation rate up to the 40% level.

Hungry pigeons make suboptimal choices, less hungry pigeons do not.

PubMed

Laude, Jennifer R; Pattison, Kristina F; Zentall, Thomas R

2012-10-01

Hungry animals will often choose suboptimally by being attracted to reliable signals for food that occur infrequently (they gamble) over less reliable signals for food that occur more often. That is, pigeons prefer an option that 50 % of the time provides them with a reliable signal for the appearance of food but 50 % of the time provides them with a reliable signal for the absence of food (overall 50 % reinforcement) over an alternative that always provides them with a signal for the appearance of food 75 % of the time (overall 75 % reinforcement). The pigeons appear to choose impulsively for the possibility of obtaining the reliable signal for reinforcement. There is evidence that greater hunger is associated with greater impulsivity. We tested the hypothesis that if the pigeons were less hungry, they would be less impulsive and, thus, would choose more optimally (i.e., on the basis of the overall probability of reinforcement). We found that hungry pigeons choose the 50 % reinforcement alternative suboptimally but less hungry pigeons prefer the more optimal 75 % reinforcement. Paradoxically, pigeons that needed the food more received less of it. These findings have implications for how level of motivation may also affect human suboptimal choice (e.g., purchase of lottery tickets and playing slot machines).

Stalking in cyberspace.

PubMed

Deirmenjian, J M

1999-01-01

The Internet has revolutionized communication on a global level while creating a medium for stalking. Cyberstalking has emerged as a new form of stalking behavior. While 10 states have passed laws against electronic harassment, there has been great debate about whether electronic stalking constitutes criminal behavior or whether a perpetrator is entitled First Amendment protection. In the psychiatric literature to date, there are no studies of cyberstalking. This article focuses on relevant cases of stalking on the Internet. Specific legal issues associated with cyberstalking, such as boundary laws and freedom of speech, are examined. The psychological profile of the cyberstalker, as well as methods of intervention, are discussed.

Human infestation by pigeon fleas (Ceratophyllus columbae) from feral pigeons.

PubMed

Haag-Wackernagel, Daniel; Spiewak, Radosław

2004-01-01

The report concerns a married couple who were repeatedly invaded by pigeon fleas (Ceratophyllus columbae) over a period of 2 months. The source of the fleas was a pair of breeding feral pigeons (Columba livia). The birds' nest was located in the attic immediately above the couple's apartment, and the fleas found their way along an unsealed heating pipe. The people encountered up to 40 bites per night. With invasions repeated almost every night, the man gradually developed an allergic urticarial reaction. The most traumatic experience for the couple, however, was to learn that they were invaded by fleas (initially, they had presumed they were bothered by mosquitoes). This information resulted in severe psychological distress with phobic reactions and insomnia. Despite the successful removal of the fleas and the pigeons that were source of the pest, parasitophobia of the man persisted over the following 4 months. This case is discussed from the broader aspect of health risks related to feral pigeons and animal fleas. Also summarised are previous observations on people invaded by pigeon fleas.

Stalking: knowns and unknowns.

PubMed

Sheridan, Lorraine P; Blaauw, Eric; Davies, Graham M

2003-04-01

The current work reviews literature on the nature of stalking. Despite its nebulous nature and differing legal and clinical definitions of stalking, researchers and practitioners are referring to the same phenomenon. Stalking is chronic, consisting of a number of nuisance behaviors that appear consistent over countries and samples. Different categorizations of stalkers and their victims exist, but ex-partner stalkers are a distinctive category with respect to their prevalence, violence risk, and attrition rate. Different samples and definitions and false victimization reports obscure reliable lifetime prevalence estimates, but these appear to be around 12%-16% among women and 4%-7% among men. Stalking has deleterious effects on victims but some of the effects may be the result of stalking's exacerbating of existing vulnerabilities. Future research should focus on subgroups of stalkers and their victims, on cross-cultural investigations, and on the co-occurrence of stalking with other crimes.

Effect of dietary inclusion of fermented pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) meal on growth, apparent nutrient digestibility and blood parameters of cockerel chicks.

PubMed

Oso, Abimbola Oladele; Idowu, Olusegun Mark Obawale; Jegede, Adebayo Vincent; Olayemi, Wasiu A; Lala, Olubukola A; Bamgbose, Adeyemi Mustapha

2012-10-01

The effect of dietary inclusion of fermented pigeon pea meal (FPPM) on growth response, apparent nutrient digestibility, haematological indices and serum biochemistry of cockerel chicks was studied using 240-day-old cockerel chicks allotted to four dietary treatments consisting of 60 birds each. Four experimental diets were formulated to include FPPM at 0, 50, 100 and 150 g/kg inclusion levels, respectively. Each of the diets was fed to 60 birds replicated six times with ten birds per replicate. The feeding trial lasted for 56 days. Results indicated that final live weight (linear (L). quadratic (Q): P < 0.05), weight gain (L.Q: P < 0.01), feed intake (Q.: P < 0.05) and coefficient of total tract apparent crude protein digestibility (P < 0.05) were reduced with increasing dietary inclusion of FPPM. Similar improved feed-to-gain ratios were obtained for chicks fed the control and those fed a diet containing 50 g/kg FPPM. Coefficient of total tract apparent ether extract and ash digestibility were not affected (P > 0.05) by the inclusion of FPPM. Haemoglobin and serum uric acid concentrations were also reduced (P < 0.05) with increasing dietary inclusion of FPPM. Chicks fed with 150 g/kg FPPM had the least (P < 0.05) packed cell volume, red blood cell and neutrophil count. It was concluded that dietary inclusion of up to 50 g/kg FPPM could be used in the ration for cockerel chicks without imposing any threat on the growth response, nutrient digestibility and blood constituents.

Stalking and Cyberstalking. Prevention Update

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Higher Education Center for Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Violence Prevention, 2011

2011-01-01

According to the Stalking Resource Center (SRC), "While legal definitions of stalking vary from one jurisdiction to another, a good working definition of stalking is a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear. Stalking is serious, often violent, and can escalate over time." "Model Campus…

The Fear Factor: Exploring Predictors of Fear among Stalking Victims throughout the Stalking Encounter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reyns, Bradford W.; Englebrecht, Christine M.

2013-01-01

The crime of stalking has received much research attention, yet there are still important questions to be explored surrounding this behavior. One such question relates to definitions of stalking, including the requirement that victims must express fear to qualify as victims of stalking. The current study addresses this issue by exploring the…

The epidemiology and characteristics of stalking.

PubMed

Dressing, Harald; Kuehner, Christine; Gass, Peter

2006-07-01

This article summarizes major results in the field of epidemiology and characteristics of stalking, as published in literature between 2003 and October 2005. Although stalking had been only recently conceptualized, it soon became evident that it represents a significant social and medical problem. Community-based studies on the prevalence of stalking are scarce and predominantly from English-speaking countries. All epidemiological studies, however, revealed that stalking is a widespread phenomenon with lifetime prevalence rates of stalking victimization ranging 12-16% among women and 4-7% among men. With regard to the impact of stalking, studies suggest that stalking can cause serious economic, social, medical and psychiatric consequences. Growing evidence suggests that serious violence and even homicide may occur in the context of stalking, and research on risk assessment has yielded an improved understanding of risk factors. Research on therapy of stalkers and stalking victims is still at its beginning; however, there are some preliminary reports with encouraging results. Although there are research activities in the main fields, many basic questions still remain to be adequately addressed. Increased social and political awareness and expanded research funding are obligatory prerequisites to realize sound and well designed studies.

Campus Stalking: Theoretical Implications and Responses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Joel H.; Cooper, Dianne L.

2011-01-01

The problem of campus stalking requires uniting several departments to develop a response plan reflective of the comprehensive nature of campus stalking. This article highlights how research on stalking, stalking theories, and related environmental theories support the formation of a cross-functional team to develop a multifaceted response to this…

Pigeons' Discrimination of Michotte's Launching Effect

PubMed Central

Young, Michael E; Beckmann, Joshua S; Wasserman, Edward A

2006-01-01

We trained four pigeons to discriminate a Michotte launching animation from three other animations using a go/no-go task. The pigeons received food for pecking at one of the animations, but not for pecking at the others. The four animations featured two types of interactions among objects: causal (direct launching) and noncausal (delayed, distal, and distal & delayed). Two pigeons were reinforced for pecking at the causal interaction, but not at the noncausal interactions; two other pigeons were reinforced for pecking at the distal & delayed interaction, but not at the other interactions. Both discriminations proved difficult for the pigeons to master; later tests suggested that the pigeons often learned the discriminations by attending to subtle stimulus properties other than the intended ones. PMID:17002229

[Pigeon sport and animal rights].

PubMed

Warzecha, M

2007-03-01

To begin, a short overview of the organization and the realization of the racing pigeon sport. Some physiological facts, relevant to racing pigeons, will be touched on. Lastly, a focus on the flights, their completion and the problems involved with the, in some cases, high number of lost pigeons. The German Club of Pigeon Breeders, has made improvements but, it is certainly not enough. The topic of "City Pigeons" will be briefed. The final part deals with pertinent animal rights issues, causes of mishaps, and some rectifying possibilities, which are available to the government veterinarian. Special emphasis will be placed on the international uniformity of this issue. The lecture should prove that there is a need for every government veterinarian to become actively involved, because the described problematic has a major effect on a very large number of animals.

An empirical study of stalking victimization.

PubMed

Bjerregaard, B

2000-01-01

This article empirically studies the phenomenon of stalking and its victims by utilizing a random sample of college students at a large public University. The study found that 25% of the women and 11% of the men had been stalked at some point in their lives and that six percent were currently being stalked. Additionally, the study found that the majority of stalking victims are women who are stalked by male offenders. The sample reported being stalked for an average of 347 days and having engaged in a variety of actions in response. A substantial number of victims reported being threatened by their stalkers. This threat was associated with higher levels of fear among the victims and a greater chance of physical attack by the stalkers, particularly for the female victims.

[Stalking--from psychoterror to murder].

PubMed

Dressing, H; Gass, P

2002-11-01

Stalking is a widespread phenomenon describing a pattern of intrusive and threatening behavior that leads to the victim's perception of being harrassed and rendered afraid. This paper summarizes relevant aspects of the current stalking concept and reviews its historical development. Furthermore, different typologies of stalking behavior, associated psychiatric diagnoses, frequency and demographic data, therapeutic approaches, and the psychomedical effect on victims are described and discussed. Stalking is not restricted to celebrities but can affect everybody. Members of the medical profession and other socially exposed people are especially potential victims of stalkers. Therefore, information on this topic is necessary in order to deal with it in a professional manner.

Effects of a charcoal powder-wood vinegar compound solution in piglets for raw pigeon pea seed meal.

PubMed

Mekbungwan, A; Yamauchi, K; Sakaida, T; Buwjoom, T

2008-03-01

Histological intestinal villus alterations were studied in piglets fed a raw pigeon pea meal (PM) diet including a powder mixture of amorphous charcoal carbon and wood vinegar compound solution (CWVC). Twenty-eight male castrated piglets were divided into seven dietary groups of four piglets each. The control group was fed raw PM supplemented to the basal diet (178 g/kg crude protein, 4.23 kcal/g gross energy) at 0 g/kg (CONT), 200 g/kg (PM200) and 400 g/kg (PM400). The treatment groups were fed CWVC in both PM200 and PM400 diet groups at levels of 10 g/kg and 30 g/kg (PM200 + CWVC10, PM200 + CWVC30, PM400 + CWVC10 and PM400 + CWVC30). With increasing dietary PM levels, daily feed intake tended to increase. In contrast, daily body-weight gain tended to decrease, significantly in the PM400 group (P < 0.05), resulting in a significant decrease of feed efficiency in PM groups (P < 0.05). Body-weight gain and feed efficiency were higher in the CWVC groups compared with the PM groups. The duodenum and ileum were longer (P < 0.05) in the PM400 group than in CONT, but were similar to CONT in CWVC groups. The liver was heavier (P < 0.05), whereas the weights of the heart, kidney and stomach were decreased in the CWVC groups than in other groups. Most values for the intestinal villus height, cell area and cell mitosis number were lower in PM groups than those in CONT (P < 0.05) for each intestinal segment; however, these values were higher in CWVC groups than in PM groups (P < 0.05). The epithelial cells on the duodenal villus surface of the PM200 group showed cell morphology almost similar to CONT. However, the PM400 group had a smooth villus surface due to the presence of flat cells. The epithelial cells of the CWVC groups were protuberated, resulting in a much rougher surface than CONT. The current growth performance and histological intestinal alterations in piglets fed PM and PM + CWVC diets demonstrate that the intestinal features might be atrophied by feeding PM

Is This Stalking? Perceptions of Stalking Behavior Among Young Male and Female Adults in Hong Kong and Mainland China.

PubMed

Chan, Heng Choon Oliver; Sheridan, Lorraine

2017-05-01

Most studies of stalking are conducted with samples from individualist cultures. Little is known about the phenomenon within collectivist cultures. The present study is arguably the first stalking study conducted in Hong Kong. Specifically, this study investigates a large sample of Asian college students' ( N = 2,496) perceptions of stalking behavior, potential reasons for stalking, and coping strategies that may be employed by stalking victims. Associations between these variables and gender and culture (Hong Kong vs. Mainland China) were also explored. Gender was more strongly associated with perceptions of stalking behavior than was culture. Gender was less strongly associated with perceptions concerning motivations for stalking and the effectiveness of coping strategies that may be employed by stalking victims than was culture. Effect sizes for all associations with culture were small, perhaps due to a high degree of similarity between the two cultures examined. The findings are generally supportive of similar results produced by previous work conducted within individualistic Western cultures, suggesting that stalking and the way that it is perceived may be universal in nature. This study concludes with the argument that legislation against stalking needs to be extended to non-Western countries, such as Hong Kong and Mainland China, as antistalking laws are relatively scarce outside Western industrialized countries.

Bean alpha-amylase inhibitors in transgenic peas inhibit development of pea weevil larvae.

PubMed

de Sousa-Majer, Maria José; Hardie, Darryl C; Turner, Neil C; Higgins, Thomas J V

2007-08-01

This glasshouse study used an improved larval measurement procedure to evaluate the impact of transgenic pea, Pisum sativum L., seeds expressing a-amylase inhibitor (AI)-1 or -2 proteins on pea weevil, Bruchus pisorum L. Seeds of transgenic 'Laura' and 'Greenfeast' peas expressing alpha-(AI)-1 reduced pea weevil survival by 93-98%. Larval mortality occurred at an early instar. Conversely, in nontransgenic cultivars, approximately 98-99% of the pea weevils emerged as adults. By measuring the head capsule size, we determined that larvae died at the first to early third instar in alpha-(AI)-1 transgenic peas, indicating that this inhibitor is highly effective in controlling this insect. By contrast, transgenic Laura and 'Dundale' expressing alpha-(AI)-2 did not affect pea weevil survival, but they did delay larval development. After 77 d of development, the head capsule size indicated that the larvae were still at the third instar stage in transgenic alpha-(AI)-2 peas, whereas adult bruchids had developed in the nontransgenic peas.

Identification of a novel aviadenovirus, designated pigeon adenovirus 2 in domestic pigeons (Columba livia).

PubMed

Teske, L; Rubbenstroth, D; Meixner, M; Liere, K; Bartels, H; Rautenschlein, S

2017-01-02

The young pigeon disease syndrome (YPDS) affects mainly young pigeons of less than one year of age and leads to crop stasis, vomitus, diarrhea, anorexia and occasionally death. This disease is internationally a major health problem because of its seasonal appearance during competitions such as homing pigeon races or exhibitions of ornamental birds. While the etiology of YPDS is still unclear, adenoviruses are frequently discussed as potential causative agents. Electron microscopy of feces from a YPDS outbreak revealed massive shedding of adenovirus-like particles. Whole genome sequencing of this sample identified a novel adenovirus tentatively named pigeon adenovirus 2 (PiAdV-2). Phylogenetic and comparative genome analysis suggest PiAdV-2 to belong to a new species within the genus Aviadenovirus, for which we propose the name Pigeon aviadenovirus B. The PiAdV-2 genome shares 54.9% nucleotide sequence identity with pigeon adenovirus 1 (PiAdV-1). In a screening of further YPDS-affected flocks two variants of PiAdV-2 (variant A and B) were detected which shared 97.6% nucleotide identity of partial polymerase sequences, but only 79.7% nucleotide identity of partial hexon sequences. The distribution of both PiAdV-2 variants was further investigated in fecal samples collected between 2008 and 2015 from healthy or YPDS-affected racing pigeons of different lofts. Independent of their health status, approximately 20% of young and 13% of adult pigeon flocks harbored PiAdV-2 variants. Birds were free of PiAdV-1 or other aviadenoviruses as determined by PCRs targeting the aviadenovirus polymerase or the PiAdV-1 fiber gene, respectively. In conclusion, there is no indication of a correlation between YPDS outbreaks and the presence of PiAdV-2 or other aviadenoviruses, arguing against an causative role in this disease complex. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of soaking, cooking and germination on the oligosaccharide content of selected Nigerian legume seeds.

PubMed

Oboh, H A; Muzquiz, M; Burbano, C; Cuadrado, C; Pedrosa, M M; Ayet, G; Osagie, A U

2000-01-01

The identity and quantity of and effect of processing on raffinose oligosaccharides in raw, mature seeds of lima beans (Phaseolus lunatus), pigeon peas (Cajanus cajan), African yam beans (Sphenostylis sternocarpa) and jackbeans (Canavalia ensiformis) were investigated. Sucrose, raffinose, stachyose and verbascose were identified by HPLC in all the legume seeds. The total alpha-galactoside contents of the seeds in decreasing order were African yam beans 3.84 mg/100 mg; white lima beans 3.62 mg/100 mg; cream pigeon peas 3.51 mg/100 mg; red lima beans 3.37 mg/100 mg; jackbeans 2.83 mg/100 mg and brown pigeon peas 2.34 mg/100 mg. The predominant oligosaccharide was verbascose in pigeon peas and stachyose in the other three legumes. Cooking unsoaked seeds brought about a greater reduction in the total alpha-galactoside content than soaking for nine hours. The removal of oligosaccharides was higher in legumes cooked in alkaline solution than in water. Germination quantitatively reduced raffinose, stachyose and verbascose while sucrose was increased in all seeds except red lima beans and jackbeans.

Adolescent stalking and risk of violence✩

PubMed Central

Smith-Darden, Joanne P.; Reidy, Dennis E.; Kernsmith, Poco D.

2018-01-01

Stalking perpetration and the associated risk for violence among adolescents has generally been neglected. In the present study, 1236 youth completed surveys assessing empirically established stalking indicators, threats and aggression toward stalking victims, dating violence, and violent delinquency. Latent Profile Analysis identified 3 latent classes of boys: non-perpetrators (NP), hyper-intimate pursuit (HIP), and comprehensive stalking perpetrators (CSP) and, and 2 classes for girls: NP and HIP. Boys in the CSP class were the most violent youth on nearly all indices with boys in the HIP class demonstrating an intermediate level of violence compared to NP boys. Girls in the HIP class were more violent than NP girls on all indices. These findings suggest stalking in adolescence merits attention by violence prevention experts. In particular, juvenile stalking may signify youth at risk for multiple forms of violence perpetrated against multiple types of victims, not just the object of their infatuation. PMID:27641644

Partner stalking: psychological dominance or "business as usual"?

PubMed

Logan, Tk; Walker, Robert

2009-07-01

Partner stalking may remain one of the least clearly understood forms of intimate violence. This review examines the literature guided by two main goals: (a) to examine how partner stalking is distinct from nonpartner forms of stalking and (b) to describe areas of research on partner stalking that need to be systematically addressed to deepen the understanding of partner stalking and to craft more effective mental health and criminal justice responses. These areas of research include three overarching questions: (a) Is partner stalking a unique form of psychological dominance or is it just "business as usual"? (b) What components characterize stalking differently from business as usual for women? and (c) How is psychological distress within the context of partner stalking best characterized?

Adolescent stalking and risk of violence.

PubMed

Smith-Darden, Joanne P; Reidy, Dennis E; Kernsmith, Poco D

2016-10-01

Stalking perpetration and the associated risk for violence among adolescents has generally been neglected. In the present study, 1236 youth completed surveys assessing empirically established stalking indicators, threats and aggression toward stalking victims, dating violence, and violent delinquency. Latent Profile Analysis identified 3 latent classes of boys: non-perpetrators (NP), hyper-intimate pursuit (HIP), and comprehensive stalking perpetrators (CSP) and, and 2 classes for girls: NP and HIP. Boys in the CSP class were the most violent youth on nearly all indices with boys in the HIP class demonstrating an intermediate level of violence compared to NP boys. Girls in the HIP class were more violent than NP girls on all indices. These findings suggest stalking in adolescence merits attention by violence prevention experts. In particular, juvenile stalking may signify youth at risk for multiple forms of violence perpetrated against multiple types of victims, not just the object of their infatuation. Copyright © 2016 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of roasted pea flour/starch and encapsulated pea starch incorporation on the in vitro starch digestibility of pea breads.

PubMed

Lu, Zhan-Hui; Donner, Elizabeth; Liu, Qiang

2018-04-15

Oven or microwave roasting and alginate encapsulation of pea flour and starch to produce novel pea ingredients for enrichment of slowly digestible starch (SDS) and resistant starch (RS) content in pea bread were investigated. Pea flour treated either by oven roasting (160°C, 30min) or by microwave roasting (1.1kW, 6min) effectively retained its low starch digestibility similar to its native form (∼25% SDS; ∼60% RS). When oven roasting was applied to pea starch, SDS content increased triply compared to the fully boiled counterpart. Alginate encapsulation effectively controlled carbohydrate release to simulated gastric, intestinal and colonic fluids, and thus largely enriched the SDS and RS fractions in starch. Pea bread containing up to 37.5% of encapsulated roasted MPS pea starch not only provided high SDS and RS fractions (23.9% SDS and 30.2% RS) compared to a white bread control (0.2% SDS and 2.5% RS), but also provided an acceptable palatability. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

75 FR 81085 - National Stalking Awareness Month, 2011

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-27

... National Stalking Awareness Month, 2011 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation... mischaracterized as harmless. During Stalking Awareness Month, we acknowledge the seriousness of stalking, we... January 2011 as National Stalking Awareness Month. I call on all Americans to learn to recognize the signs...

Peas in a Pod: Environment and Ionization in Green Pea Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurtz, Heather; Jaskot, Anne; Drew, Patrick; Pare, Dylan; Griffin, Jon; Petersen, Michael

2016-01-01

The Green Peas are extreme, highly ionized, starburst galaxies with strong [OIII] 5007 emission. Using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we present statistics on the environment of Green Peas and investigate its effects on their ionized gas properties. Although most dwarf starburst galaxies are in low-density environments, we identify a sample of Green Peas in dense environments. Emission line observations with the WIYN 0.9-meter telescope at Kitt Peak reveal that one cluster Green Pea is more highly ionized in the direction of the cluster center. Ram pressure stripping likely generates this ionization gradient. We explore the role of the environment in enhancing star formation rates and ionization, and we compare the nebular properties of Green Peas in high-density environments to those in low-density environments.

Small-scale spatial cognition in pigeons.

PubMed

Cheng, Ken; Spetch, Marcia L; Kelly, Debbie M; Bingman, Verner P

2006-05-01

Roberts and Van Veldhuizen's [Roberts, W.A., Van Veldhuizen, N., 1985. Spatial memory in pigeons on the radial maze. J. Exp. Psychol.: Anim. Behav. Proc. 11, 241-260] study on pigeons in the radial maze sparked research on landmark use by pigeons in lab-based tasks as well as variants of the radial-maze task. Pigeons perform well on open-field versions of the radial maze, with feeders scattered on the laboratory floor. Pigeons can also be trained to search precisely for buried food. The search can be based on multiple landmarks, but is sometimes controlled by just one or two landmarks, with the preferred landmarks varying across individuals. Findings are similar in landmark-based searching on a computer monitor and on a lab floor, despite many differences between the two kinds of tasks. A number of general learning principles are found in landmark-based searching, such as cue competition, generalization and peak shift, and selective attention. Pigeons also learn the geometry of the environment in which they are searching. Neurophysiological studies have implicated the hippocampal formation (HF) in avian spatial cognition, with the right hippocampus hypothesized to play a more important role in the spatial recognition of goal locations. Most recently, single-cell recording from the pigeon's hippocampal formation has revealed cells with different properties from the classic 'place' cells of rats, as well as differences in the two sides of the hippocampus.

Autoshaping and paleostriatal lesions in the pigeon.

PubMed

Mitchell, J A

1983-07-01

Three experiments were conducted with the pigeon (Columbia livia) to investigate the effects of bilateral electrolytic lesions of the paleostriatum on classical conditioning paradigms. In Experiment 1 naive subjects were given autoshaping training to a white centre key light and it was found that paleostriatal pigeons showed higher peck rates than unoperated controls. A further group of naive paleostriatal pigeons showed higher rates of autoshaped responding but did not differ from controls on a successive autoshaping discrimination with colour (Experiment 2A) or striped (Experiment 2B) stimuli. In Experiment 3 paleostriatal pigeons performed better than controls on a go, no-go alternation. The higher response rates shown by paleostriatal pigeons during autoshaping could not readily be explained in terms of a (non-associative) motor disturbance such as a tremor which could have caused multiple key pecks to be emitted in view of the demonstrations of unimpaired discrimination (Experiment 2) and better alternation (Experiment 3). Instead, the results suggest that paleostriatal pigeons may show potentiated classical conditioning.

A phytoplasma closely related to the pigeon pea witches'-broom phytoplasma (16Sr IX) is associated with citrus huanglongbing symptoms in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.

PubMed

Teixeira, D C; Wulff, N A; Martins, E C; Kitajima, E W; Bassanezi, R; Ayres, A J; Eveillard, S; Saillard, C; Bové, J M

2008-09-01

In February 2007, sweet orange trees with characteristic symptoms of huanglongbing (HLB) were encountered in a region of São Paulo state (SPs) hitherto free of HLB. These trees tested negative for the three liberibacter species associated with HLB. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) product from symptomatic fruit columella DNA amplifications with universal primers fD1/rP1 was cloned and sequenced. The corresponding agent was found to have highest 16S rDNA sequence identity (99%) with the pigeon pea witches'-broom phytoplasma of group 16Sr IX. Sequences of PCR products obtained with phytoplasma 16S rDNA primer pairs fU5/rU3, fU5/P7 confirm these results. With two primers D7f2/D7r2 designed based on the 16S rDNA sequence of the cloned DNA fragment, positive amplifications were obtained from more than one hundred samples including symptomatic fruits and blotchy mottle leaves. Samples positive for phytoplasmas were negative for liberibacters, except for four samples, which were positive for both the phytoplasma and 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus'. The phytoplasma was detected by electron microscopy in the sieve tubes of midribs from symptomatic leaves. These results show that a phytoplasma of group IX is associated with citrus HLB symptoms in northern, central, and southern SPs. This phytoplasma has very probably been transmitted to citrus from an external source of inoculum, but the putative insect vector is not yet known.

Determination by flow cytometry polyploidy inducing-capacity of colchicine in Cajanus cajan (L.) Mill sp.

PubMed

Udensi, O U; Ontui, V

2013-07-01

The need to optimize flow cytometric analysis for the determination of ploidy level is a worthwhile venture to precisely know at what concentration of a mutagen and at what time of exposure polyploidy could be induced. Flow cytometry was used to determine the polyploidy inducing-capacity of colchicine in pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Mill sp). Seeds of pigeon pea were soaked in three different concentrations of colchicine-5 mg, 10 and 15 mg L(-1) for 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively, while the control group was soaked in water. Treated seeds and those from the control were planted in a greenhouse using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Results show that colchicine induced tetraploids (4n) and mixoploids (2n+ 4n) as the concentration of colchicine increased and soaking duration. Days to seedling emergence increased as concentration of colchicine and duration of soaking increased while germination rate decreased proportionately with the increase in colchicine concentration and soaking duration but did not significantly affect percentage seedling survival. Explicitly, colchicine has the capacity of inducing polyploidy; especially tetraploids on the seeds of pigeon pea, which obviously could be harnessed for further breeding and improvement of the pigeon pea.

Scene-Based Contextual Cueing in Pigeons

PubMed Central

Wasserman, Edward A.; Teng, Yuejia; Brooks, Daniel I.

2014-01-01

Repeated pairings of a particular visual context with a specific location of a target stimulus facilitate target search in humans. We explored an animal model of such contextual cueing. Pigeons had to peck a target which could appear in one of four locations on color photographs of real-world scenes. On half of the trials, each of four scenes was consistently paired with one of four possible target locations; on the other half of the trials, each of four different scenes was randomly paired with the same four possible target locations. In Experiments 1 and 2, pigeons exhibited robust contextual cueing when the context preceded the target by 1 s to 8 s, with reaction times to the target being shorter on predictive-scene trials than on random-scene trials. Pigeons also responded more frequently during the delay on predictive-scene trials than on random-scene trials; indeed, during the delay on predictive-scene trials, pigeons predominately pecked toward the location of the upcoming target, suggesting that attentional guidance contributes to contextual cueing. In Experiment 3, involving left-right and top-bottom scene reversals, pigeons exhibited stronger control by global than by local scene cues. These results attest to the robustness and associative basis of contextual cueing in pigeons. PMID:25546098

[Unmet needs for care and financial consequences of stalking].

PubMed

Dressing, H; Gass, P

2007-12-01

Stalking is a widespread phenomenon and a serious problem for healthcare. Stalking victims show an increase in psychiatric morbidity. So far healthcare delivery for stalking victims is insufficient and needs to be improved. Stakeholders have to expand their knowledge on the issue of stalking. This could improve health care for stalking victims and save money in the healthcare system.

The dynamic stator stalk of rotary ATPases

PubMed Central

Stewart, Alastair G.; Lee, Lawrence K.; Donohoe, Mhairi; Chaston, Jessica J.; Stock, Daniela

2012-01-01

Rotary ATPases couple ATP hydrolysis/synthesis with proton translocation across biological membranes and so are central components of the biological energy conversion machinery. Their peripheral stalks are essential components that counteract torque generated by rotation of the central stalk during ATP synthesis or hydrolysis. Here we present a 2.25-Å resolution crystal structure of the peripheral stalk from Thermus thermophilus A-type ATPase/synthase. We identify bending and twisting motions inherent within the structure that accommodate and complement a radial wobbling of the ATPase headgroup as it progresses through its catalytic cycles, while still retaining azimuthal stiffness necessary to counteract rotation of the central stalk. The conformational freedom of the peripheral stalk is dictated by its unusual right-handed coiled-coil architecture, which is in principle conserved across all rotary ATPases. In context of the intact enzyme, the dynamics of the peripheral stalks provides a potential mechanism for cooperativity between distant parts of rotary ATPases. PMID:22353718

Theoretical and clinical perspectives of client stalking behavior.

PubMed

Laskowski, Cheryl

2003-11-01

This article applies theoretical perspectives of client stalking behavior to vignettes of clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) who have experienced stalking incidents. A description of stalking behavior, estimations of the frequency of stalking behavior, characteristics of stalkers, and the impact of stalking on victims are addressed. Health care professionals, including CNSs, may inadvertently become victims of stalking behavior. Firm and clear boundary setting is important in all CNS-client relationships. CNSs who believe that they are becoming the objects of attention for particular individuals are advised to convey a clear message that they have no interest in the development of such a relationship. In this article CNS responses to actual client stalking behavior, including confrontation by the CNS, police involvement, restraining orders, and use of the CNS's attorney, are explored. The use of clinical consultation and the need for agencies to develop safety plans for all employees are also addressed.

[The effects of stalking on psychiatrists, psychotherapists and psychologists. Prevalence of stalking and its emotional impact].

PubMed

Krammer, A; Stepan, A; Baranyi, A; Kapfhammer, H-P; Rothenhäusler, H-B

2007-07-01

Stalking in the psychiatric context describes a pathological behaviour which is characterized by repeated persecution, harassment, or menacing of or assault on a person. Because of the association between stalking and mental disorders, psychiatrists, psychologists and psychotherapists belong to particularly exposed professions. If they fall victim to stalking during their career, disruptive impacts up to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be the consequence. A total of 117 psychiatrists, psychologists or psychotherapists in Graz participated in an anonymous interview. To register possible experiences with stalking defined behaviour, a modified version of the questionnaire of Kamleiter was used. The prevalence and severity of posttraumatic stress symptoms were determined using the Impact of Event Scale of Horowitz. The study showed an incidence of stalking of 38.5%. The rate of female stalkers (60%) was extraordinary high. Most victims (68.9%) experienced non-violent threats. Most of the offenders (41.9%) were diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia, schizotype and delusional disorders (F2) followed by disorders of adult personality and behaviour (F6) (30.2%). Some 44.4% of the victims developed symptoms of PTSD, which were usually only slight. The analyses suggest that stalking, in the psychiatric field of activity, is a common and serious phenomenon, and that strategies for the prevention and protection of potentially affected professions have to be developed.

Stalking and health – an Austrian prevalence study.

PubMed

Freidl, W; Neuberger, I; Schönberger, S; Raml, R

2011-04-01

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of stalking and related subjective health impairment, based on concrete definitions of stalking, for a representative random sample of the female population in the Austrian Federal State of Styria. A representative random sample (randomised last digits procedure) of 2000 women selected from the female population of Styria aged 18 years or older underwent a computer-aided phone interview survey (CATI). Questions centred on the occurrence of stalking, the exact period of stalking, the gender of the stalker, the subjective impairment through stalking, addressing the aspects of life-style and the subjectively perceived state of health, and socio-demographic variables. For data analyses descriptive statistics, and chi(2)-tests and t-tests were applied. Lifetime prevalence varies between ca. 6% and 18%, depending on definition levels. The annual prevalences reveal a range of 1-4%. 39-43% of the stalked women feel they are impaired in their life-style, and 32-40% feel impaired in their health. Higher age and living in a partnership reduce the likelihood of being stalked. 81% of the stalked women are stalked by a male person. The prevalences found in this study are in line with other international studies, although, in a direct comparison, they are in the lower range. However, these data document the relevance of the phenomenon of stalking for the female Austrian population. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Stalking behavior in delusional jealousy.

PubMed

Silva, J A; Derecho, D V; Leong, G B; Ferrari, M M

2000-01-01

Stalking behavior has been associated with several mental disorders, both psychotic and non-psychotic. The most frequently associated condition appears to be an individual with primitive personality psychopathology regardless of co-occurring psychotic symptomatology. Among the psychotic symptoms, erotomanic, and jealousy delusions may be the most clinically and torensically relevant. However, delusional jealousy has not been well appreciated in the psychiatric literature as an important contributor to stalking behavior. In this article, we explore the psychiatric, psychosocial, and forensic aspects of stalking in the context of delusional jealousy. We use a case example to highlight important issues in this area.

Magnetoreception and its trigeminal mediation in the homing pigeon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mora, Cordula V.; Davison, Michael; Martin Wild, J.; Walker, Michael M.

2004-11-01

Two conflicting hypotheses compete to explain how a homing pigeon can return to its loft over great distances. One proposes the use of atmospheric odours and the other the Earth's magnetic field in the `map' step of the `map and compass' hypothesis of pigeon homing. Although magnetic effects on pigeon orientation provide indirect evidence for a magnetic `map', numerous conditioning experiments have failed to demonstrate reproducible responses to magnetic fields by pigeons. This has led to suggestions that homing pigeons and other birds have no useful sensitivity to the Earth's magnetic field. Here we demonstrate that homing pigeons (Columba livia) can discriminate between the presence and absence of a magnetic anomaly in a conditioned choice experiment. This discrimination is impaired by attachment of a magnet to the cere, local anaesthesia of the upper beak area, and bilateral section of the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve, but not of the olfactory nerve. These results suggest that magnetoreception (probably magnetite-based) occurs in the upper beak area of the pigeon. Traditional methods of rendering pigeons anosmic might therefore cause simultaneous impairment of magnetoreception so that future orientation experiments will require independent evaluation of the pigeon's magnetic and olfactory systems.

Magnetoreception and its trigeminal mediation in the homing pigeon.

PubMed

Mora, Cordula V; Davison, Michael; Wild, J Martin; Walker, Michael M

2004-11-25

Two conflicting hypotheses compete to explain how a homing pigeon can return to its loft over great distances. One proposes the use of atmospheric odours and the other the Earth's magnetic field in the 'map' step of the 'map and compass' hypothesis of pigeon homing. Although magnetic effects on pigeon orientation provide indirect evidence for a magnetic 'map', numerous conditioning experiments have failed to demonstrate reproducible responses to magnetic fields by pigeons. This has led to suggestions that homing pigeons and other birds have no useful sensitivity to the Earth's magnetic field. Here we demonstrate that homing pigeons (Columba livia) can discriminate between the presence and absence of a magnetic anomaly in a conditioned choice experiment. This discrimination is impaired by attachment of a magnet to the cere, local anaesthesia of the upper beak area, and bilateral section of the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve, but not of the olfactory nerve. These results suggest that magnetoreception (probably magnetite-based) occurs in the upper beak area of the pigeon. Traditional methods of rendering pigeons anosmic might therefore cause simultaneous impairment of magnetoreception so that future orientation experiments will require independent evaluation of the pigeon's magnetic and olfactory systems.

Effects of magnets on pigeon homing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keeton, W. T.

1972-01-01

The function of magnets in the navigation system of homing pigeons is investigated. Only experienced pigeons with magnets or brass bars were studied. Data show that on sunny days, pigeons with the magnets had some difficulty in orientation while those with brass bars had no problems. The same experiment was repeated on cloudy days. These results show that the magnets did not interfere with orientation. This difference suggests that sun and magnetic cues are used interchangeably, but that both together seldom function.

[Anaerobic co-digestion of corn stalk and vermicompost].

PubMed

Chen, Guang-yin; Zheng, Zheng; Zou, Xing-xing; Fang, Cai-xia; Luo, Yan

2010-02-01

The characteristics of corn stalk digested alone at different total solid (TS) loading rates and co-digestion of various proportions of corn stalk and vermicompost were investigated by batch model at 35 degrees C +/- 1 degrees C. The organic loading rates (OLRs) studied were in the range of 1.2%-6.0% TS and increasing proportions of vermicompost from 20% to 80% TS. A maximum methane yield of corn stalk digested alone was 217.60 mL/g obtained at the TS loading rate of 4.8%. However, when the TS loading rate was 6.0%, the anaerobic system was acidified and the lowest pH value was 5.10 obtained on day 4 and the biogas productivity decreased. Furthermore, co-digestion of vermicompost and corn stalk in varying proportions were investigated at constant of 6.0% TS. Co-digestion with vermicompost improved the biodegradability of corn stalk and the methane yield was improved by 4.42%-58.61%, and led to higher pH values, higher volatile fatty acids (VFAs) concentration and lower alkalinity content compared with corn stalk digested alone. The maximum biogas yield and methane yield of 410.30 mL/g and 259. 35 mL/g were obtained for 40% vermicompost and 60% corn stalk respectively. Compared with corn stalk digested alone, co-digested with vermicompost didn' t affect methane content and the fermentation type, but promoted the destruction of crystalline of cellulose and the highest destruction rate was 29.36% for 40% vermicompost and 60% corn stalk. Therefore, adding vermicompost was beneficial for the decomposition and increasing the biotransformation rate of corn stalk.

Effect of brewery wastewater obtained from different phases of treatment plant on seed germination of chickpea (Cicer arietinum), maize (Zea mays), and pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan).

PubMed

Salian, Rupa; Wani, Suhas; Reddy, Ramamohan; Patil, Mukund

2018-03-01

Brewing industry releases large quantities of wastewater after product generation. Brewery wastewater contains organic compounds which are biodegradable in nature. These biodegradable wastes can be recycled and reused and hence considered as suitable products for agriculture. But before using wastewater for agriculture, it is better to evaluate the phytotoxic effects of wastewater on crops. Hence, the main objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of brewery effluent on seed germination and growth parameters of selected crop species like chickpea (Cicer arietinum), maize (Zea mays), and pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan). Study comprised seven types of water treatments-tap water as control, diluted UASBR effluent (50% effluent + 50% distilled water): UASBR50, undiluted UASBR effluent: UASBR100, diluted TC effluent (50% effluent + 50% distilled water): ETP50,TC effluent without dilution: ETP100, 10% diluted reverse osmosis (RO10) reject (10% RO reject + 90% distilled water), and 25% diluted reverse osmosis(RO25) reject (25% RO reject + 75% distilled water) with three replications in completely randomized design. Germination test was performed in petri plates for 5 days. Parameters like germination percentage, germination rate index, seedling length, phytotoxicity index, seed vigor index, and biomass were calculated. All parameters decreased with increase in respective effluent concentration. Among all treatments, RO25 showed highest inhibitory effect on all three crops. Even though undiluted effluent of UASBR and ETP effluent showed positive effect on germination, seedling growth of three crops was promoted to the maximum by UASBR50 and ETP50. Hence, from the study, it was concluded that dilution of brewery effluent can be recommended before using it for irrigational purpose.

Geochemistry and hydrology of perched groundwater springs: assessing elevated uranium concentrations at Pigeon Spring relative to nearby Pigeon Mine, Arizona (USA)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beisner, Kimberly R.; Paretti, Nicholas; Tillman, Fred; Naftz, David L.; Bills, Donald; Walton-Day, Katie; Gallegos, Tanya J.

2017-01-01

The processes that affect water chemistry as the water flows from recharge areas through breccia-pipe uranium deposits in the Grand Canyon region of the southwestern United States are not well understood. Pigeon Spring had elevated uranium in 1982 (44 μg/L), compared to other perched springs (2.7–18 μg/L), prior to mining operations at the nearby Pigeon Mine. Perched groundwater springs in an area around the Pigeon Mine were sampled between 2009 and 2015 and compared with material from the Pigeon Mine to better understand the geochemistry and hydrology of the area. Two general groups of perched groundwater springs were identified from this study; one group is characterized by calcium sulfate type water, low uranium activity ratio 234U/238U (UAR) values, and a mixture of water with some component of modern water, and the other group by calcium-magnesium sulfate type water, higher UAR values, and radiocarbon ages indicating recharge on the order of several thousand years ago. Multivariate statistical principal components analysis of Pigeon Mine and spring samples indicate Cu, Pb, As, Mn, and Cd concentrations distinguished mining-related leachates from perched groundwater springs. The groundwater potentiometric surface indicates that perched groundwater at Pigeon Mine would likely flow toward the northwest away from Pigeon Spring. The geochemical analysis of the water, sediment and rock samples collected from the Snake Gulch area indicate that the elevated uranium at Pigeon Spring is likely related to a natural source of uranium upgradient from the spring and not likely related to the Pigeon Mine.

Effectiveness of Gel Repellents on Feral Pigeons

PubMed Central

Stock, Birte; Haag-Wackernagel, Daniel

2013-01-01

Simple Summary Feral pigeons live in close association in urban areas. They constitute serious health risks to humans and also lead to high economic loss due to costly damage to buildings, historic monuments, statues and even vegetation. While numerous avian repellent systems are regularly introduced onto the market, scientific proof of efficacy and their use from the point of view of animal welfare is lacking. Therefore, two avian gel repellents were studied on free-living feral pigeons in this study. The focus was set on repellent efficacy and animal welfare concerns. This study’s aim is to contribute to a better understanding of feral pigeon management in our cities. Abstract Millions of feral pigeons (Columba livia) live in close association with the human population in our cities. They pose serious health risks to humans and lead to high economic loss due to damage caused to buildings. Consequently, house owners and city authorities are not willing to allow pigeons on their buildings. While various avian repellents are regularly introduced onto the market, scientific proof of efficacy is lacking. This study aimed at testing the effectiveness of two avian gel repellents and additionally examined their application from animal welfare standpoint. The gels used an alleged tactile or visual aversion of the birds, reinforced by additional sensory cues. We mounted experimental shelves with the installed repellents in a pigeon loft and observed the behavior of free-living feral pigeons towards the systems. Both gels showed a restricted, transient repellent effect, but failed to prove the claimed complete effectiveness. Additionally, the gels’ adhesive effect remains doubtful in view of animal welfare because gluing of plumage presents a risk to feral pigeons and also to other non-target birds. This study infers that both gels lack the promised complete efficacy, conflict with animal welfare concerns and are therefore not suitable for feral pigeon management in

[Nurses' experiences of stalking: a narrative review].

PubMed

Comparcini, Dania; Simonetti, Valentina; Lupo, Roberto; Cicolini, Giancarlo

2015-01-01

This narrative review aimed to synthetize the results of the main studies analysing nurses' experience of stalking in different clinical settings. We searched the electronic databases MEDLINE (through PubMed), CINAHL (through EBSCOhost) and the search engine "Google Scholar". Searches were limited to articles published in English and Italian, and published between 1999 and 2013. Stalking refers to a behavioural pattern characterized by persistent unwanted communications and contacts imposed to another person, which, consequently suffer from distress, fear, and anxiety. Several studies explored the risk of stalking in healthcare system, especially in doctors and psychiatrists. Some authors analysed nurses' experience of stalking with particular attention to mental health professionals as a group category with an increased risk of stalking by patients. Results of some studies carried out in different clinical settings (medical and surgical areas, and other healthcare settings) also revealed, even if in a minority, the presence of this phenomenon, showing the presence of staking's behaviours by patients and healthcare colleagues too. However, more researches with large sample size are needed to better understand the phenomenon of stalking in nurses working in different clinical areas.

The pea stem

PubMed Central

Karahara, Ichirou

2012-01-01

The Casparian strip is commonly observed in the endodermis of roots of vascular plants and, in some cases, also in the stems. Pea stems develop the Casparian strip, and its development has been reported to be regulated by blue light. In addition, for the purpose of photobiological studies, pea stems provide a unique experimental system for other physiological studies of the development of the Casparian strip. In this article, I have briefly summarized (1) the effects of environmental factors on the development of the Casparian strip, (2) the advantage of using pea stems for physiological studies of the development of the Casparian strip, and (3) cellular events indicated to be involved in the development of the Casparian strip, focusing on the studies using pea stems as well as other recent studies. PMID:22899074

Stalking Victimization in LGBTQ Adults: A Brief Report.

PubMed

Langenderfer-Magruder, Lisa; Walls, N Eugene; Whitfield, Darren L; Kattari, Shanna K; Ramos, Daniel

2017-03-01

Stalking is often considered to be a form of interpersonal violence; yet, despite an increase in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ)-specific research on other forms of interpersonal violence, such as intimate partner violence and sexual assault, there is a relative lack of literature on stalking victimization of LGBTQ individuals, particularly as it relates to gender identity. This is problematic given the results of numerous studies indicating LGBTQ individuals, and transgender individuals in particular, experience victimization in various forms and contexts at alarming rates. In the current study, we examined secondary data to determine the prevalence of lifetime stalking victimization and subsequent police reporting in a large community-based sample of LGBTQ individuals living in Colorado ( N = 1,116). In addition, using chi-square analyses, we examined independence of stalking experiences and police reporting by both gender identity ( transgender, cisgender male, cisgender female) and sexual orientation ( gay, lesbian, bisexual, heterosexual, queer, other). Approximately 15% of the total sample reported ever experiencing stalking; yet, only about one quarter of those who were stalked reported it to police. Although no statistically significant differences emerged by gender identity or sexual orientation, transgender, bisexual, and queer participants had the highest prevalence of lifetime stalking victimization. Moreover, these groups reported the lowest prevalence of reporting their victimization to the police. We provide suggestions to improve the development of research on this topic including a need for an inclusive definition of stalking and studies using larger, representative samples to better discern potential significant differences in stalking experiences of LGBTQ persons.

Pigeon Navigation: Different Routes Lead to Frankfurt

PubMed Central

Schiffner, Ingo; Wiltschko, Roswitha

2014-01-01

Background Tracks of pigeons homing to the Frankfurt loft revealed an odd phenomenon: whereas birds returning from the North approach their loft more or less directly in a broad front, pigeons returning from the South choose, from 25 km from home onward, either of two corridors, a direct one and one with a considerable detour to the West. This implies differences in the navigational process. Methodology/Principle Findings Pigeons released at sites at the beginning of the westerly corridor and in this corridor behave just like pigeons returning from farther south, deviating to the west before turning towards their loft. Birds released at sites within the straight corridors, in contrast, take more or less straight routes. The analysis of the short-term correlation dimension, a quantity reflecting the complexity of the system and with it, the number of factors involved in the navigational process, reveals that it is significantly larger in pigeons choosing the westerly corridor than in the birds flying straight - 3.03 vs. 2.85. The difference is small, however, suggesting a different interpretation of the same factors, with some birds apparently preferring particular factors over others. Conclusions The specific regional distribution of the factors which pigeons use to determine their home course seems to provide ambiguous information in the area 25 km south of the loft, resulting in the two corridors. Pigeons appear to navigate by deriving their routes directly from the locally available navigational factors which they interpret in an individual way. The fractal nature of the correlation dimensions indicates that the navigation process of pigeons is chaotic-deterministic; published tracks of migratory birds suggest that this may apply to avian navigation in general. PMID:25391144

Amodal completion of moving objects by pigeons.

PubMed

Nagasaka, Yasuo; Wasserman, Edward A

2008-01-01

In a series of four experiments, we explored whether pigeons complete partially occluded moving shapes. Four pigeons were trained to discriminate between a complete moving shape and an incomplete moving shape in a two-alternative forced-choice task. In testing, the birds were presented with a partially occluded moving shape. In experiment 1, none of the pigeons appeared to complete the testing stimulus; instead, they appeared to perceive the testing stimulus as incomplete fragments. However, in experiments 2, 3, and 4, three of the birds appeared to complete the partially occluded moving shapes. These rare positive results suggest that motion may facilitate amodal completion by pigeons, perhaps by enhancing the figure - ground segregation process.

Stalk model of membrane fusion: solution of energy crisis.

PubMed Central

Kozlovsky, Yonathan; Kozlov, Michael M

2002-01-01

Membrane fusion proceeds via formation of intermediate nonbilayer structures. The stalk model of fusion intermediate is commonly recognized to account for the major phenomenology of the fusion process. However, in its current form, the stalk model poses a challenge. On one hand, it is able to describe qualitatively the modulation of the fusion reaction by the lipid composition of the membranes. On the other, it predicts very large values of the stalk energy, so that the related energy barrier for fusion cannot be overcome by membranes within a biologically reasonable span of time. We suggest a new structure for the fusion stalk, which resolves the energy crisis of the model. Our approach is based on a combined deformation of the stalk membrane including bending of the membrane surface and tilt of the hydrocarbon chains of lipid molecules. We demonstrate that the energy of the fusion stalk is a few times smaller than those predicted previously and the stalks are feasible in real systems. We account quantitatively for the experimental results on dependence of the fusion reaction on the lipid composition of different membrane monolayers. We analyze the dependence of the stalk energy on the distance between the fusing membranes and provide the experimentally testable predictions for the structural features of the stalk intermediates. PMID:11806930

How does pea architecture influence light sharing in virtual wheat–pea mixtures? A simulation study based on pea genotypes with contrasting architectures

PubMed Central

Barillot, Romain; Combes, Didier; Chevalier, Valérie; Fournier, Christian; Escobar-Gutiérrez, Abraham J.

2012-01-01

Background and aims Light interception is a key factor driving the functioning of wheat–pea intercrops. The sharing of light is related to the canopy structure, which results from the architectural parameters of the mixed species. In the present study, we characterized six contrasting pea genotypes and identified architectural parameters whose range of variability leads to various levels of light sharing within virtual wheat–pea mixtures. Methodology Virtual plants were derived from magnetic digitizations performed during the growing cycle in a greenhouse experiment. Plant mock-ups were used as inputs of a radiative transfer model in order to estimate light interception in virtual wheat–pea mixtures. The turbid medium approach, extended to well-mixed canopies, was used as a framework for assessing the effects of leaf area index (LAI) and mean leaf inclination on light sharing. Principal results Three groups of pea genotypes were distinguished: (i) early and leafy cultivars, (ii) late semi-leafless cultivars and (iii) low-development semi-leafless cultivars. Within open canopies, light sharing was well described by the turbid medium approach and was therefore determined by the architectural parameters that composed LAI and foliage inclination. When canopy closure started, the turbid medium approach was unable to properly infer light partitioning because of the vertical structure of the canopy. This was related to the architectural parameters that determine the height of pea genotypes. Light capture was therefore affected by the development of leaflets, number of branches and phytomers, as well as internode length. Conclusions This study provides information on pea architecture and identifies parameters whose variability can be used to drive light sharing within wheat–pea mixtures. These results could be used to build up the architecture of pea ideotypes adapted to multi-specific stands towards light competition. PMID:23240074

Stalking Behavior and the Cycle of Domestic Violence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coleman, Frances L.

1997-01-01

Refines the behavioral definition of stalking, investigates the role stalking plays in domestic violence, and develops demographic profiles of stalkers and their victims. Results based on information taken from 141 college women show that subjects who reported significantly more abuse during relationships were more likely to be stalked by former…

Replication of pea enation mosaic virus RNA in isolated pea nuclei

PubMed Central

Powell, C. A.; Zoeten, G. A. de

1977-01-01

Isolated nuclei from healthy pea plants were primed with pea enation mosaic virus (PEMV), southern bean mosaic virus (SBMV), radish mosaic virus (RdMV), tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), PEMV RNA, SBMV RNA, RdMV RNA, or TMV RNA. RNA replication occurred only with PEMV RNA and not with intact PEMV or any of the other viruses or RNAs, as judged by ensuing actinomycin D-insensitive polymerase activity. Molecular hybridization experiments showed that some of the product of the polymerase was PEMV-specific (-)RNA. The substrate and ionic requirements of this polymerase were the same as those for the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase present in nuclei isolated from PEMV-infected pea plants. No virus particles could be recovered from nuclei primed with PEMV RNA. These results are discussed in relation to the possible mechanism for in vivo infection of pea cells. PMID:16592421

Predicting overt and cyber stalking perpetration by male and female college students.

PubMed

Ménard, Kim S; Pincus, Aaron L

2012-07-01

In this study, self-report student surveys on early childhood maltreatment, attachment styles, alcohol expectancies, and narcissistic personality traits are examined to determine their influence on stalking behavior. Two subtypes of stalking were measured using Spitzberg and Cupach's (2008) Obsessive Relational Intrusion: cyber stalking (one scale) and overt stalking (comprised of all remaining scales). As t tests indicated that men and women differed significantly on several variables, OLS regression models were run separately for men (N = 807) and women (N = 934). Results indicated that childhood sexual maltreatment predicted both forms of stalking for men and women. For men, narcissistic vulnerability and its interaction with sexual abuse predicted stalking behavior (overt stalking R² = 16% and cyber stalking R² = 11%). For women, insecure attachment (for both types of stalking) and alcohol expectancies (for cyber stalking) predicted stalking behavior (overt stalking R² = 4% and cyber stalking R² = 9%). We discuss the methodological and policy implications of these findings.

Flow caused by the stalk contraction of Vorticella

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryu, Sangjin; Chung, Eun-Gul; Admiraal, David

2016-11-01

Vorticella is a stalked protozoan, and its ultrafast stalk contraction moves the spherically-shrunken cell body (zooid) and thus causes surrounding water to flow. Because the fluid dynamics of this water flow is important for understanding the motility of Vorticella, we investigated the flow based on various fluid dynamics approaches. To find why Vorticella contracts its stalk, we propose a hypothesis that the protist utilizes the contraction-induced water flow to augment transport of food particles. This hypothesis was investigated using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, which was validated with an experimental scale model of Vorticella. The CFD model enabled calculating the motion of particles around Vorticella and thus quantifying the transport effect of the stalk contraction. Also, we have developed a hydrodynamic drag model for easier estimation of Vorticella's contractility without using the CFD model. Because the contractile force of the stalk equals the drag on the moving zooid, the model enabled evaluating the contractile force and energetics of Vorticella based on its contraction speed. Analyses using the drag model show that the stalk contractility of Vorticella depends on the stalk length. This study was supported by UNL Layman Seed Grant and Nebraska EPSCoR First Award Grant.

Passive immunization of pigeons against trichomoniasis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kocan, R.M.

1970-01-01

Nonimmune homing pigeons Columba livia were infected with the Jones' Barn strain of Trichomonas gallinae and subsequently transfused with plasma from acute or chronically infected pigeons harboring one of 3 different strains of T. gallinae. The transfusions were either a single 2 mi dose given one day after inoculation or three 1 ml doses given 0, 5, and 10 days after inoculation. Plasma from pigeons harboring any of the 3 strains was capable of passively immunizing nonimmune birds. All birds which were immunized with plasma from infected pigeons survived until killed at the end of the test period and no visceral lesions were found on necropsy but trichomonads were present in the oropharynx. All controls (untreated or transfused with normal plasma) died of visceral trichomoniasis. Immune plasma produced some lysis of trichomonads in vitro, and inhibition of motility and vacuolization occurred in some of the non-lysed organisms. The overall lytic activity in vitro affected less than 10% of the suspended trichomonads.

Influences of pea morphology and interacting factors on pea aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae) reproduction.

PubMed

Buchman, N; Cuddington, K

2009-08-01

It has been claimed that plant architecture can alter aphid reproductive rates, but the mechanism driving this effect has not been identified. We studied interactions between plant architecture, aphid density, environmental conditions, and nutrient availability on the reproduction of pea aphids [Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris)] using four near-isogenic peas (Pisum sativum L.) that differ in morphology. Manipulations of aphid density (1, 5, and 10 adults per plant) allowed us to examine any effects of plant morphology on crowding and consequently reproduction. Pea morphology per se did not alter pea aphid crowding, as measured by mean nearest neighbor distance, and there was no effect on reproduction. In addition, reproduction increased with increasing adult density, indicating positive density dependence. In a separate experiment, peas were fertilized to determine whether differences between nutrient availability of the four different morphologies might drive any observed differences in aphid reproduction. Although plant nitrogen content was altered by fertilization treatments, this did not have an impact on aphid reproduction. Greenhouse experiments, however, suggested that pea morphology can interact with environmental conditions to reduce aphid reproduction under some conditions. We conclude that plant morphology only influences aphid reproduction when environmental conditions are less than optimal.

Evidence for discrete landmark use by pigeons during homing.

PubMed

Mora, Cordula V; Ross, Jeremy D; Gorsevski, Peter V; Chowdhury, Budhaditya; Bingman, Verner P

2012-10-01

Considerable efforts have been made to investigate how homing pigeons (Columba livia f. domestica) are able to return to their loft from distant, unfamiliar sites while the mechanisms underlying navigation in familiar territory have received less attention. With the recent advent of global positioning system (GPS) data loggers small enough to be carried by pigeons, the role of visual environmental features in guiding navigation over familiar areas is beginning to be understood, yet, surprisingly, we still know very little about whether homing pigeons can rely on discrete, visual landmarks to guide navigation. To assess a possible role of discrete, visual landmarks in navigation, homing pigeons were first trained to home from a site with four wind turbines as salient landmarks as well as from a control site without any distinctive, discrete landmark features. The GPS-recorded flight paths of the pigeons on the last training release were straighter and more similar among birds from the turbine site compared with those from the control site. The pigeons were then released from both sites following a clock-shift manipulation. Vanishing bearings from the turbine site continued to be homeward oriented as 13 of 14 pigeons returned home. By contrast, at the control site the vanishing bearings were deflected in the expected clock-shift direction and only 5 of 13 pigeons returned home. Taken together, our results offer the first strong evidence that discrete, visual landmarks are one source of spatial information homing pigeons can utilize to navigate when flying over a familiar area.

Stalk Phase Formation: Effects of Dehydration and Saddle Splay Modulus

PubMed Central

Kozlovsky, Yonathan; Efrat, Avishay; Siegel, David A.; Kozlov, Michael M.

2004-01-01

One of the earliest lipid intermediates forming in the course of membrane fusion is the lipid stalk. Although many aspects of the stalk hypothesis were elaborated theoretically and confirmed by experiments it remained unresolved whether stalk formation is always an energy consuming process or if there are conditions where the stalks are energetically favorable and form spontaneously resulting in an equilibrium stalk phase. Motivated by a recent breakthrough experiments we analyze the physical factors determining the spontaneous stalk formation. We show that this process can be driven by interplay between two factors: the elastic energy of lipid monolayers including a contribution of the saddle splay deformation and the energy of hydration repulsion acting between apposing membranes. We analyze the dependence of stalk formation on the saddle splay (Gaussian) modulus of the lipid monolayers and estimate the values of this modulus based on the experimentally established phase boundary between the lamellar and the stalk phases. We suggest that fusion proteins can induce stalk formation just by bringing the membranes into close contact, and accumulating, at least locally, a sufficiently large energy of the hydration repulsion. PMID:15454446

Pigeons can discriminate "good" and "bad" paintings by children.

PubMed

Watanabe, Shigeru

2010-01-01

Humans have the unique ability to create art, but non-human animals may be able to discriminate "good" art from "bad" art. In this study, I investigated whether pigeons could be trained to discriminate between paintings that had been judged by humans as either "bad" or "good". To do this, adult human observers first classified several children's paintings as either "good" (beautiful) or "bad" (ugly). Using operant conditioning procedures, pigeons were then reinforced for pecking at "good" paintings. After the pigeons learned the discrimination task, they were presented with novel pictures of both "good" and "bad" children's paintings to test whether they had successfully learned to discriminate between these two stimulus categories. The results showed that pigeons could discriminate novel "good" and "bad" paintings. Then, to determine which cues the subjects used for the discrimination, I conducted tests of the stimuli when the paintings were of reduced size or grayscale. In addition, I tested their ability to discriminate when the painting stimuli were mosaic and partial occluded. The pigeons maintained discrimination performance when the paintings were reduced in size. However, discrimination performance decreased when stimuli were presented as grayscale images or when a mosaic effect was applied to the original stimuli in order to disrupt spatial frequency. Thus, the pigeons used both color and pattern cues for their discrimination. The partial occlusion did not disrupt the discriminative behavior suggesting that the pigeons did not attend to particular parts, namely upper, lower, left or right half, of the paintings. These results suggest that the pigeons are capable of learning the concept of a stimulus class that humans name "good" pictures. The second experiment showed that pigeons learned to discriminate watercolor paintings from pastel paintings. The subjects showed generalization to novel paintings. Then, as the first experiment, size reduction test

[Stalking: From "romantic pursuit" to sexual predation].

PubMed

Cailleau, Virginie; Harika-Germaneau, Ghina; Delbreil, Alexia; Jaafari, Nematollah

2018-06-01

Deriving from the English verb "to stalk", stalking denotes an unwelcome, repetitive, and intrusive harassing and/or threatening behavior directed toward a specific individual, and can result in physical and/or sexual offending - even leading to homicide. French harassment legislation has evolved over the years, and the last law closest to the international anti-stalking laws had been promulgated in 2014. According to a review, up to 16% of women and 7% of men are stalked in their life, and 80% of the stalkers are known to their victims. Stalkers are a heterogeneous population, either seeking an intimate relationship with someone the stalker knows or with a celebrity, or being revenge-motivated, or tracking their victims with the aim of offending them. Stalkers threat their victims in about half of the cases, and physically offend them in a third of the cases, violence being more often directed against ex-intimates. Sexual offending would be the consequence of harassment behavior for some stalkers, and would be the initial aim of the stalking for others. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Excretion of the anabolic steroid boldenone by racing pigeons.

PubMed

Hagedorn, H W; Zankl, H; Grund, C; Schulz, R

1997-03-01

To detect the anabolic steroid bolden-one and to monitor its elimination in the droppings (hereafter referred to as feces) of pigeons treated with the drug. 8 female pigeons ("Texas" race, 500 +/- 20 g). 4 pigeons were given boldenone-17-undecylenate (10 mg/kg of body weight, IM). Feces were collected over defined periods, freeze-dried, extracted with buffer (pH 7.2), and centrifuged. Total immunoreactivity in the supernatant was determined directly by use of an ELISA, and individual boldenone concentration was measured by use of a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)/ELISA after solvent extraction of the aqueous phase. An additional 4 pigeons received a 1-mg/kg dose of the drug. Screening of feces from boldenone-treated pigeons revealed detection of the drug up to 49 days after its administration. The free parent compound was detected during the same period at a constant value of 12 ng/g of lyophilized feces. Positive results predicted by screening were reliably confirmed by the HPLC/ ELISA. Treatment of pigeons with a lower dosage (1 mg/kg) yielded positive results for 31 days. Illegal medication of pigeons with the anabolic steroid boldenone can be uncovered by screening of feces, using a specific ELISA. Confirmation analysis by use of 2 HPLC systems combined with ELISA reliably yields evidence of drug misuse. Owing to the multiple immunoreactive material, the apparent boldenone concentrations registered by screening markedly exceeded the immunoreactivity attributed to boldenone recovered by HPLC/ELISA. Because the test yields positive results in pigeons for at least 31 days after a single treatment, even at a low dosage of the 17-undecylenate preparation (1 mg/kg), the proposed boldenone test procedure is recommended for doping control in racing pigeons.

Pigeons' Discrimination of Michotte's Launching Effect

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Michael E.; Beckmann, Joshua S.; Wasserman, Edward A.

2006-01-01

We trained four pigeons to discriminate a Michotte launching animation from three other animations using a go/no-go task. The pigeons received food for pecking at one of the animations, but not for pecking at the others. The four animations featured two types of interactions among objects: causal (direct launching) and noncausal (delayed, distal,…

Let the pigeon drive the bus: pigeons can plan future routes in a room.

PubMed

Gibson, Brett; Wilkinson, Matthew; Kelly, Debbie

2012-05-01

The task of determining an optimal route to several locations is called the traveling salesperson problem (TSP). The TSP has been used recently to examine spatial cognition in humans and non-human animals. It remains unclear whether or not the decision process of animals other than non-human primates utilizes rigid rule-based heuristics, or whether non-human animals are able to flexibly 'plan' future routes/behavior based on their knowledge of multiple locations. We presented pigeons in a One-way and Round-Trip group with TSPs that included two or three destinations (feeders) in a laboratory environment. The pigeons departed a start location, traveled to each feeder once before returning to a final destination. Pigeons weighed the proximity of the next location heavily, but appeared to plan ahead multiple steps when the travel costs for inefficient behavior appeared to increase. The results provide clear and strong evidence that animals other than primates are capable of planning sophisticated travel routes.

Mechanisms of object recognition: what we have learned from pigeons

PubMed Central

Soto, Fabian A.; Wasserman, Edward A.

2014-01-01

Behavioral studies of object recognition in pigeons have been conducted for 50 years, yielding a large body of data. Recent work has been directed toward synthesizing this evidence and understanding the visual, associative, and cognitive mechanisms that are involved. The outcome is that pigeons are likely to be the non-primate species for which the computational mechanisms of object recognition are best understood. Here, we review this research and suggest that a core set of mechanisms for object recognition might be present in all vertebrates, including pigeons and people, making pigeons an excellent candidate model to study the neural mechanisms of object recognition. Behavioral and computational evidence suggests that error-driven learning participates in object category learning by pigeons and people, and recent neuroscientific research suggests that the basal ganglia, which are homologous in these species, may implement error-driven learning of stimulus-response associations. Furthermore, learning of abstract category representations can be observed in pigeons and other vertebrates. Finally, there is evidence that feedforward visual processing, a central mechanism in models of object recognition in the primate ventral stream, plays a role in object recognition by pigeons. We also highlight differences between pigeons and people in object recognition abilities, and propose candidate adaptive specializations which may explain them, such as holistic face processing and rule-based category learning in primates. From a modern comparative perspective, such specializations are to be expected regardless of the model species under study. The fact that we have a good idea of which aspects of object recognition differ in people and pigeons should be seen as an advantage over other animal models. From this perspective, we suggest that there is much to learn about human object recognition from studying the “simple” brains of pigeons. PMID:25352784

Pigeons at the edge of the empire: Bioarchaeological evidences for extensive management of pigeons in a Byzantine desert settlement in the southern Levant

PubMed Central

Rosen, Baruch; Tepper, Yotam; Bar-Oz, Guy

2018-01-01

Metric data of 6th century CE pigeons from the Negev Desert, Israel, are employed to test competing hypotheses on flock management strategies: that directed selection for size or shape took place under intensive management; or, alternatively, that stabilizing selection was a stronger determinant of size and shape under extensive management conditions. The results of the analysis support the second hypothesis by demonstrating that the Byzantine Negev pigeons were like wild pigeon (Columba livia) in shape, albeit small-sized. The inferred extensive management system is then discussed in the context of pigeon domestication and human micro-ecologies in marginal regions. PMID:29561880

The Differentiation of Response Numerosities in the Pigeon

PubMed Central

Machado, Armando; Rodrigues, Paulo

2007-01-01

Two experiments examined how pigeons differentiate response patterns along the dimension of number. In Experiment 1, 5 pigeons received food after pecking the left key at least N times and then switching to the right key (Mechner’s Fixed Consecutive Number schedule). Parameter N varied across conditions from 4 to 32. Results showed that run length on the left key followed a normal distribution whose mean and standard deviation increased linearly with N; the coefficient of variation approached a constant value (the scalar property). In Experiment 2, 4 pigeons received food with probability p for pecking the left key exactly four times and then switching. If that did not happen, the pigeons still could receive food by returning to the left key and pecking it for a total of at least 16 times and then switching. Parameter p varied across conditions from 1.0 to .25. Results showed that when p = 1.0 or p = .5, pigeons learned two response numerosities within the same condition. When p = .25, each pigeon adapted to the schedule differently. Two of them emitted first runs well described by a mixture of two normal distributions, one with mean close to 4 and the other with mean close to 16 pecks. A mathematical model for the differentiation of response numerosity in Fixed Consecutive Number schedules is proposed. PMID:17970413

Do pigeons prefer alternatives that include near-hit outcomes?

PubMed

Stagner, Jessica P; Case, Jacob P; Sticklen, Mary F; Duncan, Amanda K; Zentall, Thomas R

2015-07-01

Pigeons show suboptimal choice on a gambling-like task similar to that shown by humans. Humans also show a preference for gambles in which there are near hits (losses that come close to winning). In the present research, we asked if pigeons would show a preference for alternatives with near-hit-like trials. In Experiment 1, we included an alternative that presented a near hit, in which a stimulus associated with reinforcement (a presumed conditioned reinforcer) changed to a stimulus associated with the absence of reinforcement (a presumed conditioned inhibitor). The pigeons tended to avoid this alternative. In Experiment 2, we varied the duration of the presumed conditioned reinforcer (2 vs. 8 s) that changed to a presumed conditioned inhibitor (8 vs. 2 s) and found that the longer the conditioned reinforcer was presented, the more the pigeons avoided it. In Experiment 3, the near-hit alternative involved an ambiguous stimulus for 8 s that changed to a presumed conditioned reinforcer (or a presumed conditioned inhibitor) for 2 s, but the pigeons still avoided it. In Experiment 4, we controlled for the duration of the conditioned reinforcer by presenting it first for 2 s followed by the ambiguous stimulus for 8 s. Once again, the pigeons avoided the alternative with the near-hit trials. In all 4 experiments, the pigeons tended to avoid alternatives that provided near-hit-like trials. We concluded that humans may be attracted to near-hit trials because near-hit trials give them the illusion of control, whereas this does not appear to be a factor for pigeons. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Velocity-based motion categorization by pigeons.

PubMed

Cook, Robert G; Beale, Kevin; Koban, Angie

2011-04-01

To examine if animals could learn action-like categorizations in a manner similar to noun-based categories, eight pigeons were trained to categorize rates of object motion. Testing 40 different objects in a go/no-go discrimination, pigeons were first trained to discriminate between fast and slow rates of object rotation around their central y-axis. They easily learned this velocity discrimination and transferred it to novel objects and rates. This discrimination also transferred to novel types of motions including the other two axes of rotation and two new translations around the display. Comparable tests with rapid and slow changes in the objects' size, color, and shape failed to support comparable transfer. This difference in discrimination transfer between motion-based and property-based changes suggests the pigeons had learned motion concept rather than one based on change per se. The results provide evidence that pigeons can acquire an understanding of motion-based actions, at least with regard to the property of object velocity. This may be similar to our use of verbs and adverbs to categorize different classes of behavior or motion (e.g., walking, jogging, or running slow vs. fast).

Response of Pea Varieties to Damage Degree of Pea Weevil, Bruchus pisorum L.

PubMed Central

Nikolova, Ivelina Mitkova

2016-01-01

A study was conducted to determine the response of five pea varieties (Pisum sativum L.) to damage degree of Bruchus pisorum: Glyans, Modus, Kamerton, and Svit (Ukrainian cultivars) and Pleven 4 (Bulgarian cultivar). The seeds were classified into three types: healthy seeds (type 1), damaged seeds with parasitoid emergence hole (type 2), and damaged seeds with bruchid emergence hole (type 3) and they were sown. It was found that the weight of 1000 seeds did not affect the field germination of the pea varieties. Healthy and damaged seeds with parasitoid emergence holes (first and second seed types) provide a very good opportunity for growth and development while plants from damaged seeds with bruchid emergence holes had poor germination and vigor and low productivity. These seeds cannot provide the creation of well-garnished seeding and stable crop yields. Among tested varieties, the Ukrainian variety Glyans had considerably higher seed weight, field germination, and index germination and weak egg-laying activity of B. pisorum compared to others. Use of spring pea cultivars that are weakly preferred by the pea weevil in breeding programs would reduce losses due to pea weevil and provide an environmentally safer option to its control. PMID:27042379

Gene expression of amino acid transporter in pigeon (Columbia livia) intestine during post-hatch development and its correlation with amino acid in pigeon milk.

PubMed

Zhang, X Y; Zhang, N N; Wan, X P; Li, L L; Zou, X T

2017-05-01

This study was conducted to evaluate gene expression of the amino acid transporter in post-hatch pigeon small intestine and the association of pigeon milk amino acid with the above transporter's gene expression. A total of 48 pigeon breeding families were randomly allocated to 8 groups of 6 replicates of one parental pigeon pair and 2 squabs. Samples of pigeon milk and duodenum, jejunum, and ileum were collected on d 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 14 post hatch. The results showed that levels of crude protein (8.93 to 15.56%) were highest in pigeon milk on an air-dry basis. Amino acid content in pigeon milk remained constant in the first 4 d, declined abruptly at d 6, then increased dramatically from d 8 to 14. There was a significant effect of interaction between age and intestinal segments on those amino acid transporters gene expression. mRNA abundance of ATB0'+, SNAT-2, LAT-4, rBAT, b0'+AT, EAAT-3 and PAT-1 was highest in the ileum; B0AT1, asc-1, and IMINO were predominate in the jejunum; and CAT-1 and y+LAT2 were greatest in the duodenum. Age-related changes of amino acid transporter mRNA was inconsistent. mRNA levels of SNAT-2, rBAT, y+LAT2, b0'+AT, and EAAT-3 ascended with age, whereas that of asc-1, CAT-1, and IMINO diminished significantly. Levels of B0AT1 and PAT-1 mRNA abundance were minimized at d 6. However, few correlations were found between pigeon milk amino acid and the amino acid transporter gene expressions in squab small intestine. Our findings provide a comprehensive elaboration on ontogeny of the amino acid transporter in post-hatch pigeon intestine. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Mediators and Moderators of the Association Between Stalking Victimization and Psychological Distress.

PubMed

Fais, Connor R; Lutz-Zois, Catherine J; Goodnight, Jackson A

2017-03-01

The current study aims to understand mediators and moderators of the relationship between stalking victimization and depression. Based on the reformulated learned helplessness theory, which emphasizes the role of internal, global, and stable attributions for negative events in the development of depression, we predicted that the association between stalking victimization and depression would be mediated by attributions for the stalking and characterological self-blame. We predicted that the association between stalking victimization and helplessness attributions or characterological self-blame, in turn, would be moderated by gender, sex-role identity, and length of stalking. Specifically, we hypothesized that female victims, victims possessing a feminine sex-role identity, and victims experiencing longer stalking episodes would be more likely to experience depression in comparison with male victims, victims possessing a masculine sex-role identity, and victims experiencing shorter stalking episodes. The results indicated that global attributions for the cause of stalking significantly mediated the relationship between stalking victimization and depression. The results for stable attributions, internal attributions, and characterological self-blame were nonsignificant. Furthermore, gender, sex-role identity, and length of stalking did not moderate the association between stalking and attributional style or characterological self-blame. The implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.

Probability of detecting band-tailed pigeons during call-broadcast versus auditory surveys

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kirkpatrick, C.; Conway, C.J.; Hughes, K.M.; Devos, J.C.

2007-01-01

Estimates of population trend for the interior subspecies of band-tailed pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata fasciata) are not available because no standardized survey method exists for monitoring the interior subspecies. We evaluated 2 potential band-tailed pigeon survey methods (auditory and call-broadcast surveys) from 2002 to 2004 in 5 mountain ranges in southern Arizona, USA, and in mixed-conifer forest throughout the state. Both auditory and call-broadcast surveys produced low numbers of cooing pigeons detected per survey route (x?? ??? 0.67) and had relatively high temporal variance in average number of cooing pigeons detected during replicate surveys (CV ??? 161%). However, compared to auditory surveys, use of call-broadcast increased 1) the percentage of replicate surveys on which ???1 cooing pigeon was detected by an average of 16%, and 2) the number of cooing pigeons detected per survey route by an average of 29%, with this difference being greatest during the first 45 minutes of the morning survey period. Moreover, probability of detecting a cooing pigeon was 27% greater during call-broadcast (0.80) versus auditory (0.63) surveys. We found that cooing pigeons were most common in mixed-conifer forest in southern Arizona and density of male pigeons in mixed-conifer forest throughout the state averaged 0.004 (SE = 0.001) pigeons/ha. Our results are the first to show that call-broadcast increases the probability of detecting band-tailed pigeons (or any species of Columbidae) during surveys. Call-broadcast surveys may provide a useful method for monitoring populations of the interior subspecies of band-tailed pigeon in areas where other survey methods are inappropriate.

78 FR 63160 - United States Standards for Feed Peas, Split Peas, and Lentils

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-23

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration United States... Administration, USDA ACTION: Notice and request for comments. SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture's (USDA... Standards for Feed Peas, Split Peas, and Lentils under the Agriculture Marketing Act (AMA) of 1946. To...

Nature & prevalence of stalking among New Zealand mental health clinicians.

PubMed

Hughes, Frances A; Thom, Katey; Dixon, Robyn

2007-04-01

Stalking involves recurrent and persistent unwanted communication or contact that generates fear for safety in the victims. This pilot study evaluated the nature and prevalence of stalking among New Zealand nurses and physicians working in mental health services. An anonymous questionnaire asking respondents to describe their experiences with 12 stalking behaviors was distributed to 895 clinicians. Results indicated that regardless of discipline, women were more likely than men to have experienced one or more stalking behaviors, including receiving unwanted telephone calls, letters, and approaches; receiving personal threats: and being followed, spied on, or subject to surveillance. Women also reported higher levels of fearfulness as a consequence of stalking behaviors. Nearly half of the stalkers were clients; the remaining were former partners, colleagues, or acquaintances. In client-related cases, the majority of respondents told their colleagues and supervisors first, and the majority found them to be the most helpful resource. The results of this pilot study indicate a need for further research focused on the stalking of mental health clinicians in New Zealand and for development of workplace policies for adequate response to the stalking of mental health clinicians.

Suitability of leguminous cover crop pollens as food source for the green lacewing Chrysoperla externa (Hagen) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae).

PubMed

Venzon, Madelaine; Rosado, Maria C; Euzébio, Denise E; Souza, Brígida; Schoereder, José H

2006-01-01

Diversification of crops with species that provide suitable pollen for predators may reduce pest population on crops by enhancing predator effectiveness. In this paper we evaluated the suitability of leguminous cover crop pollens to the predatory green lacewing Chrysoperla externa (Hagen). The predator is commonly found in coffee agroecosystems and the plant species tested were pigeon pea and sunn hemp, which are used in organic coffee systems. Newly emerged females and males of C. externa were reared on diets containing pollen of pigeon pea, sunn hemp, or castor bean, used as a control. The reproductive success of C. externa was evaluated when females fed the pollen species and when honey was added to the diets, to verify the predator need for an extra carbohydrate source. Similar intrinsic growth rates were found for females fed on pigeon pea pollen and on sunn hemp pollen but these rates increased significantly when honey was added to the diets. Females fed with pigeon pea pollen plus honey and with sunn hemp pollen plus honey had higher intrinsic growth rates than those fed with castor bean pollen plus honey. Females fed on castor bean pollen only or on honey only, did not oviposit. Leguminous pollen species were equally suitable for C. externa especially when they were complemented with honey. The results suggest that to successfully enhance predator effectiveness, organic coffee plantation should be diversified with plant providing pollen in combination with plant providing nectar.

Pigeon visual short-term memory directly compared to primates.

PubMed

Wright, Anthony A; Elmore, L Caitlin

2016-02-01

Three pigeons were trained to remember arrays of 2-6 colored squares and detect which of two squares had changed color to test their visual short-term memory. Procedures (e.g., stimuli, displays, viewing times, delays) were similar to those used to test monkeys and humans. Following extensive training, pigeons performed slightly better than similarly trained monkeys, but both animal species were considerably less accurate than humans with the same array sizes (2, 4 and 6 items). Pigeons and monkeys showed calculated memory capacities of one item or less, whereas humans showed a memory capacity of 2.5 items. Despite the differences in calculated memory capacities, the pigeons' memory results, like those from monkeys and humans, were all well characterized by an inverse power-law function fit to d' values for the five display sizes. This characterization provides a simple, straightforward summary of the fundamental processing of visual short-term memory (how visual short-term memory declines with memory load) that emphasizes species similarities based upon similar functional relationships. By closely matching pigeon testing parameters to those of monkeys and humans, these similar functional relationships suggest similar underlying processes of visual short-term memory in pigeons, monkeys and humans. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A single R36Q mutation in the matrix protein of pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 reduces virus replication and shedding in pigeons.

PubMed

Xu, Haixu; Song, Qingqing; Zhu, Jie; Liu, Jiajia; Cheng, Xin; Hu, Shunlin; Wu, Shuang; Wang, Xiaoquan; Liu, Xiaowen; Liu, Xiufan

2016-07-01

Pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 (PPMV-1) is considered an antigenic and variant of avian paramyxovirus type 1 (APMV-1) that has adapted to pigeons as hosts. However, how this host-specific adaption of PPMV-1 is related to its biological characteristics is unknown. In this study, seven unique amino acids in PPMV-1 that are not present in other APMV-1 strains (n = 39 versus n = 106) were identified. R36 of the M protein was found to be not only a unique amino acid but also a positive-selection site. To investigate the role of R36 in host adaptation, a recombinant PPMV-1 with R36Q mutation was constructed. Our results indicated that the an R36Q mutation significantly attenuates pathogenicity in chickens, viral growth in both chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEFs) and pigeon embryo fibroblasts (PEFs), and virus replication and shedding in pigeons in comparison with the wild-type virus, suggesting that R36 is a key residue that evolved during the adaptation of PPMV-1 in pigeons.

Partner Stalking and Implications for Women's Employment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Logan, TK; Shannon, Lisa; Cole, Jennifer; Swanberg, Jennifer

2007-01-01

In general research suggests partner violence has a negative impact on women's employment. However, there has been limited examination of partner stalking and consequences for employment. The purpose of this study was to examine partner stalking and employment consequences among two samples of women. One sample was women who had obtained a…

Field evaluation of a botanical formulation from the milky mangrove Excoecaria agallocha L. against Helicoverpa armigera Hübner. in Abelmoschus esculentus (lady's finger) and Cajanus cajan (pigeon pea).

PubMed

Santhanam, Satyan Ramachandran; Egigu, Meseret C

2014-09-01

To evaluate a formulation from the milky mangrove tree Excoecaria agallocha L. (E. agallocha) against Helicoverpa armigera Hubner (H. armigera). About 3% aqueous ethanolic spray formulation derived from the lipophilic extract of E. agallocha (dry leaf) was evaluated against H. armigera in Abelmoschus esculentus (lady's finger) and Cajanus cajan (C. cajan) (pigeon pea), under field conditions. On the 9th day of the 4th spray the larval count in the plot treated with 3% E. agallocha formulation drastically came down to 0.23 larva/plant, compared to 1.63 in the ethanol control plot and 1.60 in the unsprayed plot. Blocks sprayed with 3% E. agallocha formulation yielded 35.8 quintals/hectare (q/ha) of healthy pods compared to Ekalux® (pod yield: 60.7 q/ha), 3% Vijay Neem® (60.22 q/ha), yield plot (6 q/ha) and ethanol control (7 q/ha). In C. cajan, 1% E. agallocha, 3% Nimbecidine® and 0.07% indoxacarb were equally potent in reducing the larval population of H. armigera and the non-target pest Spilosoma obliqua to 0%, from the 9th day (3rd spray). Indoxacarb plot recorded the maximum yield of 16.1 q/ha with 2.4% pod damage. Plots sprayed with 1% E. agallocha yielded 14.7 q/ha with 2.32% pod damage. The effect of 3% Nimbecidine® spray (14.35 q/ha) was comparable to E. agallocha formulation. Unsprayed and ethanol control plots yielded 12.41 and 11.2 q/ha of pods with an average pod damage of 4.7%. E. agallocha formulation was found to be promising for the control of H. armigera, under field conditions. Copyright © 2014 Hainan Medical College. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lateral Movement of Water and Sugar Across Xylem in Sugarcane Stalks

PubMed Central

Bull, T. A.; Gayler, K. R.; Glasziou, K. T.

1972-01-01

Laterally connected vascular bundles in the nodes of sugarcane (Saccharum species cv. Pindar) stalks allow a rapid redistribution of water across the stalk should the vascular continuity be partly disrupted. Tritiated water supplied to the roots exchanged rapidly between the xylem and storage tissue so that net movement up the stalk was slow. The half-time for exchange in a labeled stalk was about 4 hours so that the entire water content of a sugarcane stalk can turn over at least once in a single day. No rapid flux of sugar between xylem and phloem or xylem and storage tissue was detected. Functional xylem contained only low sugar concentrations: less than 0.3% w/v in the stalk and less than 0.02% w/v in the leaf. Previous reports of high sugar levels (9% w/v) in sugarcane stalk xylem reflect some degree of xylem blockage followed by a slow equilibration with free space sugars in the storage tissue. PMID:16658067

The Infundibular Recess Passes through the Entire Pituitary Stalk.

PubMed

Tsutsumi, S; Hori, M; Ono, H; Tabuchi, T; Aoki, S; Yasumoto, Y

2016-12-01

The infundibular recess (IR), commonly illustrated as a V-shaped hollow in the sagittal view, is recognized as a small extension of the third ventricle into the pituitary stalk. The precise morphology of the human IR is unknown. The present study sought to delineate the morphology of the IR using magnetic resonance imaging. Subjects included 100 patients without acute cerebral infarcts, intracranial hemorrhage, intrasellar or suprasellar cysts, hydrocephalus, inflammatory disease, or brain tumors. Patients with symptoms of increased intracranial pressure, intracranial hypotension, or pituitary dysfunction were excluded. Thin-sliced, seamless T2-weighted sequences involving the optic chiasm, entire pituitary stalk, and pituitary gland were performed in axial and sagittal planes for each patient. The numbers of slices delineating the pituitary stalk and IR were recorded from the axial images and quantified as ratios. The pituitary stalk consistently appeared as a styloid- or cone-shaped structure with variable inclinations toward the third ventricle floor. The IR was delineated as a smoothly tapering, tubular extension of the third ventricle located in the central portion of the pituitary stalk. In 81 % of patients, the IR passed through the entire length of the pituitary stalk and reached the upper surface of the pituitary gland, which was identified in 40 % of the midsagittal images. The IR is a cerebrospinal fluid-filled canal passing through the center of the pituitary stalk and connects the third ventricle to the pituitary gland. It may function in conjunction with the pituitary gland.

Intimate partner stalking victimization and posttraumatic stress symptoms in post-abuse women.

PubMed

Fleming, Kimberly N; Newton, Tamara L; Fernandez-Botran, Rafael; Miller, James J; Ellison Burns, Vicki

2012-12-01

This study aimed to further understanding of intimate partner stalking victimization in post-abuse women, with particular attention to the definition of stalking (with or without fear and threat) most predictive of posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms. In community midlife women with histories of divorce (N = 192), a history of stalking victimization accompanied by fear and threat was positively correlated with PTS symptom severity, after accounting for other partner abuse. The presence, compared with absence, of fear-and-threat stalking history doubled the odds of symptomatic levels of hyperarousal. Greater physical assault and injury chronicity differentiated fear-and-threat stalked women from other stalked women. Stalking contributed to a fuller understanding of PTS symptoms in women, showing particular relevance for hyperarousal.

The prevalence and nature of stalking in the Australian community.

PubMed

Purcell, Rosemary; Pathé, Michele; Mullen, Paul E

2002-02-01

This study examines the extent and nature of stalking victimisation in a random community sample. A postal survey was distributed to 3700 adult men and women selected from the electoral roll in the State of Victoria. Outcome measures included the lifetime and annual cumulative incidence of stalking, the duration and methods of harassment, rates of associated violence and responses to victimisation. Almost one in four respondents (23.4%;432) had been stalked, the unwanted behaviour they were subjected to being both repeated and fear-provoking. One in 10 (197) had experienced a protracted course of stalking involving multiple intrusions spanning a period of at least one month. Women were twice as likely as men to report having been stalked at some time in their lives, though the rates of victimisation in the 12 months prior to the study did not differ significantly according to gender. Younger people were significantly more likely than older respondents to report having been stalked. Victims were pursued by strangers in 42% of cases. The most common methods of harassment involved unwanted telephone calls, intrusive approaches and following. Associated threats (29%) and physical assaults (18%) frequently arose out of the stalking. Significant social and economic disruption was created by the stalking for 63% of victims. Most sought assistance to manage their predicament (69%). The experience of being stalked is common and appears to be increasing. Ten percent of people have been subjected at some time to an episode of protracted harassment. Assaults by stalkers are disturbingly frequent. Most victims report significant disruption to their daily functioning irrespective of exposure to associated violence.

Prevalence of Haemoproteus spp. in Tumbler Pigeons (Columba livia domestica) in Kirikkale Province, Turkey.

PubMed

Sürsal, Neslihan; Atan, Perçem; Gökpınar, Sami; Duru, Özkan; Çakmak, Ayşe; Yıldız, Kader

2017-06-01

Haemoproteus spp. are common blood parasites of pigeons. They have been reported in pigeons in many regions worldwide, including Turkey. Pigeon breeding is a popular hobby in Kirikkale province, and there is no information about the prevalence of Haemoproteus spp. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of Haemoproteus spp. in tumbler pigeons in Kirikkale province (Kırıkkale and Yahsihan district). Blood samples were taken from the wing vein of pigeons (n: 173) through microcapillary (with/heparin) tubes between February and March 2016. Blood smears were stained with 5% Giemsa solution. Ectoparasites of the pigeons were collected in separate sealed boxes. Epidemiological data of the sampled pigeons (age and sex) were obtained from the breeders. In total, 23 (%13.2) of 173 pigeons were infected with Haemoproteus spp. Parasite was detected in 73.9% of pigeons over 1 year old and 26.1% of pigeon under 1 year age. Haemoproteus spp. was observed in 56.2% of females (13/23) and 43.4% of males (10/23), Sex-related differences were not observed (p = 0.821). Ectoparasites of the pigeons were identified as Columbicola spp. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in Kirikkale province that reported the prevalence of Haemoproteus spp. in pigeons.

[Mental health impact of stalking in men and women].

PubMed

Kuehner, Christine; Gass, Peter; Dressing, Harald

2006-08-01

Using data from the Mannheim stalking study, the present report analyses gender differences with regard to various mental health indicators and potential mediator effects of stalking victimization. Furthermore, we were interested in whether the impact of stalking on mental health was comparable for men and women. The study included a postal survey of 675 community residents on the experience of intruding harassment and on mental health indicators. In the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-D, Lowe et al. 2001), women scored higher on most of the subscales (depression, anxiety, somatic complaints, stress, psychosocial impairment) than men. Furthermore, more women fulfilled criteria for at least one threshold or subthreshold mental disorder syndrome according to DSM-IV, and more women were under psychotropic medication. However, the identified associations were completely mediated by the higher prevalence of stalking victims in women. In contrast, the associations of stalking victimization with poor mental health, psychosocial functioning, and use of medication were largely comparable across gender.

Aging alters contractile properties and fiber morphology in pigeon skeletal muscle.

PubMed

Pistilli, Emidio E; Alway, Stephen E; Hollander, John M; Wimsatt, Jeffrey H

2014-12-01

In this study, we tested the hypothesis that skeletal muscle from pigeons would display age-related alterations in isometric force and contractile parameters as well as a shift of the single muscle fiber cross-sectional area (CSA) distribution toward smaller fiber sizes. Maximal force output, twitch contraction durations and the force-frequency relationship were determined in tensor propatagialis pars biceps muscle from young 3-year-old pigeons, middle-aged 18-year-old pigeons, and aged 30-year-old pigeons. The fiber CSA distribution was determined by planimetry from muscle sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Maximal force output of twitch and tetanic contractions was greatest in muscles from young pigeons, while the time to peak force of twitch contractions was longest in muscles from aged pigeons. There were no changes in the force-frequency relationship between the age groups. Interestingly, the fiber CSA distribution in aged muscles revealed a greater number of larger sized muscle fibers, which was verified visually in histological images. Middle-aged and aged muscles also displayed a greater amount of slow myosin containing muscle fibers. These data demonstrate that muscles from middle-aged and aged pigeons are susceptible to alterations in contractile properties that are consistent with aging, including lower force production and longer contraction durations. These functional changes were supported by the appearance of slow myosin containing muscle fibers in muscles from middle-aged and aged pigeons. Therefore, the pigeon may represent an appropriate animal model for the study of aging-related alterations in skeletal muscle function and structure.

Influence of host origin on host choice of the parasitoid Dinarmus basalis : Does upbringing influence choices later in life?

PubMed Central

Sankara, F.; Dabiré, L. C. B.; Ilboudo, Z.; Dugravot, S.; Cortesero, A. M.; Sanon, A.

2014-01-01

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of volatile compounds from four secondary host plants on the ability of Dinarmus basalis Rond. (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) to locate, recognize, and parasitize its host, 4 th instar larvae or pupae of Callosobruchus maculatus F. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). To examine this, strains of D. basalis were transferred from cow-pea seeds ( Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. (Fabales: Fabaceae)) to pigeon pea ( Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) and two varieties of Bambara groundnut ( Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) seeds. The ability of D. basalis females to recognize the volatile compounds emanating from their complex host plant was tested by using a Y-tube olfactometer and a three-dimensional device. The results suggest that when females have a choice between pure air and the air emanating from their com-plex host of origin, they are attracted to the air tainted by the volatile compounds they have become accustomed to. They spent significantly more time ( p < 0.0001) in the branch of the tube leading to the odorous air than in the tube leading to the pure air. When females from pigeon pea seed hosts were offered a choice between cowpea and pigeon pea seeds, all containing 4 th instar larvae, the familiar odor of pigeon pea seeds were most attractive. When females from Bambara groundnut (white and striped) seed hosts were offered a choice between cowpea and pigeon pea seeds, all containing 4 th instar larvae, they were significantly attracted to the odour of cowpea seeds. In the three-dimensional system, the females from the four strains did not appear to have any preference for a given type of seed containing 4 th instar larvae or pupae. The parasitism rate remained high on all four types of seeds used. These results show that the use of D. basalis as a biological control agent is possible in host changing situations where C. maculatus starts to attack other legumes. The results of this study also provide information

Pea Marker Database (PMD) - A new online database combining known pea (Pisum sativum L.) gene-based markers.

PubMed

Kulaeva, Olga A; Zhernakov, Aleksandr I; Afonin, Alexey M; Boikov, Sergei S; Sulima, Anton S; Tikhonovich, Igor A; Zhukov, Vladimir A

2017-01-01

Pea (Pisum sativum L.) is the oldest model object of plant genetics and one of the most agriculturally important legumes in the world. Since the pea genome has not been sequenced yet, identification of genes responsible for mutant phenotypes or desirable agricultural traits is usually performed via genetic mapping followed by candidate gene search. Such mapping is best carried out using gene-based molecular markers, as it opens the possibility for exploiting genome synteny between pea and its close relative Medicago truncatula Gaertn., possessing sequenced and annotated genome. In the last 5 years, a large number of pea gene-based molecular markers have been designed and mapped owing to the rapid evolution of "next-generation sequencing" technologies. However, the access to the complete set of markers designed worldwide is limited because the data are not uniformed and therefore hard to use. The Pea Marker Database was designed to combine the information about pea markers in a form of user-friendly and practical online tool. Version 1 (PMD1) comprises information about 2484 genic markers, including their locations in linkage groups, the sequences of corresponding pea transcripts and the names of related genes in M. truncatula. Version 2 (PMD2) is an updated version comprising 15944 pea markers in the same format with several advanced features. To test the performance of the PMD, fine mapping of pea symbiotic genes Sym13 and Sym27 in linkage groups VII and V, respectively, was carried out. The results of mapping allowed us to propose the Sen1 gene (a homologue of SEN1 gene of Lotus japonicus (Regel) K. Larsen) as the best candidate gene for Sym13, and to narrow the list of possible candidate genes for Sym27 to ten, thus proving PMD to be useful for pea gene mapping and cloning. All information contained in PMD1 and PMD2 is available at www.peamarker.arriam.ru.

Immunofluorescence detection of pea protein in meat products.

PubMed

Petrášová, Michaela; Pospiech, Matej; Tremlová, Bohuslava; Javůrková, Zdeňka

2016-08-01

In this study we developed an immunofluorescence method to detect pea protein in meat products. Pea protein has a high nutritional value but in sensitive individuals it may be responsible for causing allergic reactions. We produced model meat products with various additions of pea protein and flour; the detection limit (LOD) of the method for pea flour was 0.5% addition, and for pea protein it was 0.001% addition. The repeatabilities and reproducibilities for samples both positive and negative for pea protein were all 100%. In a blind test with model products and commercial samples, there was no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) between the declared concentrations of pea protein and flour and the immunofluorescence method results. Sensitivity was 1.06 and specificity was 1.00. These results show that the immunofluorescence method is suitable for the detection of pea protein in meat products.

Stalk-length-dependence of the contractility of Vorticella convallaria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gul Chung, Eun; Ryu, Sangjin

2017-12-01

Vorticella convallaria is a sessile protozoan of which the spasmoneme contracts on a millisecond timescale. Because this contraction is induced and powered by the binding of calcium ions (Ca2+), the spasmoneme showcases Ca2+-powered cellular motility. Because the isometric tension of V. convallaria increases linearly with its stalk length, it is hypothesized that the contractility of V. convallaria during unhindered contraction depends on the stalk length. In this study, the contractile force and energetics of V. convallaria cells of different stalk lengths were evaluated using a fluid dynamic drag model which accounts for the unsteadiness and finite Reynolds number of the water flow caused by contracting V. convallaria and the wall effect of the no-slip substrate. It was found that the contraction displacement, peak contraction speed, peak contractile force, total mechanical work, and peak power depended on the stalk length. The observed stalk-length-dependencies were simulated using a damped spring model, and the model estimated that the average spring constant of the contracting stalk was 1.34 nN µm-1. These observed length-dependencies of Vorticella’s key contractility parameters reflect the biophysical mechanism of the spasmonemal contraction, and thus they should be considered in developing a theoretical model of the Vorticella spasmoneme.

Paramyxovirus-1 in feral pigeons (Columba livia) in Ontario

PubMed Central

Johnston, Kathleen M.; Key, Douglas W.

1992-01-01

Paramyxovirus-1 (PMV-1) infection was diagnosed in racing pigeons in Ontario during 1985, but it was not until January 1989, that the virus was isolated from feral pigeons (Columba livia) in this province. During an 18 month period beginning January 1988, a total of 43 feral pigeons was submitted to the Wildlife Diseases Laboratory, Pathology Department, Ontario Veterinary College. A history of neurological signs accompanied most of the birds. Tissues from 29 birds were submitted for PMV-1 isolation. Allantoic inoculation of embryonated chicken eggs yielded PMV-1 in 10 of the pigeons submitted. On the basis of histological criteria, we believe that 12 other birds were also infected with PMV-1. Gross pathological changes were unremarkable. Lymphplasmacytic interstitial nephritis was observed histologically in all birds from which PMV-1 was isolated. Other lesions seen, in decreasing frequency of occurrence, were lymphoplasmacytic interstitial hepatitis and multifocal hepatic necrosis, lymphoplasmacytic interstitial pancreatitis, nonsuppurative encephalitis and myelitis. The existence of PMV-1 in feral pigeons poses a potential threat to the poultry population since there is ample opportunity for mingling with poultry under open housing management. There is also a concern that pigeons may harbor the virus, perhaps in the kidney, and become chronic carriers and potential long-term disseminators of the disease. ImagesFigure 1.Figure 2. PMID:17424132

Stalking: terrorism at our doors--how social workers can help victims fight back.

PubMed

Spitz, Mary-Ann Leitz

2003-10-01

Stalking is a dangerous and devastating crime that irrevocably changes the lives of victims but is frequently misunderstood and minimized. Victims report that their lives are never the same after they have been stalked. Stalking is prevalent and gender-neutral and occurs across all socioeconomic lines and in all clinical settings. The prevalence of stalking provides many opportunities for social workers to intervene, but first they must recognize and understand the problem. This article explains common misconceptions about stalking, contains a brief discussion of the types of stalking, the elements necessary to criminally charge someone with stalking, strategies for the victims, and suggestions for future research.

Intimate partner violence, technology, and stalking.

PubMed

Southworth, Cynthia; Finn, Jerry; Dawson, Shawndell; Fraser, Cynthia; Tucker, Sarah

2007-08-01

This research note describes the use of a broad range of technologies in intimate partner stalking, including cordless and cellular telephones, fax machines, e-mail, Internet-based harassment, global positioning systems, spy ware, video cameras, and online databases. The concept of "stalking with technology" is reviewed, and the need for an expanded definition of cyberstalking is presented. Legal issues and advocacy-centered responses, including training, legal remedies, public policy issues, and technology industry practices, are discussed.

Self-recognition in pigeons revisited.

PubMed

Uchino, Emiko; Watanabe, Shigeru

2014-11-01

Recognition of a self-image in a mirror is investigated using the mark test during which a mark is placed onto a point on the body that is not directly visible, and the presence or absence of self-directed behaviors is evaluated for the mirror-observing subjects. Great apes, dolphins, possibly elephants, and magpies have all passed the mark test, that is, displayed self-directed behaviors, whereas monkeys, crows, and other animals have failed the test even though they were able to use a mirror to find a not-directly-visible object. Self-directed behavior and mirror use are prerequisites of a successful mark test, and the absence of these behaviors may lead to false negative results. Epstein, Lanza, and Skinner (1981) reported self-directed behavior of pigeons in front of a mirror after explicit training of self-directed pecking and of pecking an object with the aid of a mirror, but certain other researchers could not confirm the results. The aim of the present study was to conduct the mark test with two pigeons that had received extensive training of the prerequisite behaviors. Crucial points of the training were identical topography (pecking) and the same reinforcement (food) in the prerequisite behaviors as well as sufficient training of these behaviors. After training for the prerequisite behaviors, both pigeons spontaneously integrated the learned self-directed and mirror-use behavior and displayed self-directed behavior in a mark test. This indicates that pigeons display mirror self-recognition after training of suitable ontogenetic contingency. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Sleep Deprivation in Pigeons and Rats Using Motion Detection

PubMed Central

Newman, Sarah M.; Paletz, Elliott M.; Obermeyer, William H.; Benca, Ruth M.

2009-01-01

Study Objectives: Forced sleep deprivation results in substantial behavioral and physiologic effects in mammals. The disk-over-water (DOW) method produces a syndrome characterized by increased energy expenditure and a robust preferentially rapid-eye-movement sleep rebound upon recovery or eventual death after several weeks of sleep deprivation. The DOW has been used successfully only in rats. This paper presents a method to enforce long-term controlled sleep deprivation across species and to compare its effects in rats and pigeons. Design and Intervention: A conveyor was substituted for the DOW disk. Behavior rather than electroencephalography was used to trigger arousal stimuli, as in gentle-handling deprivation. Rats and pigeons were deprived using this apparatus, and the were compared with each other and with published reports. Measurements and Results: The physiologic consequences and recovery sleep in rats were like those published for DOW rats. Magnitude of sleep loss and recovery patterns in pigeons were similar to those seen in rats, but expected symptoms of the sleep deprivation syndrome were absent in pigeons. The use of a motion trigger allowed us to measure and, thus, to assess the quality and impact of the procedure. Conclusion: Prolonged and controlled sleep deprivation can be enforced using automated motion detection and a conveyor-over-water system. Pigeons and rats, deprived of sleep to the same extent, showed similar patterns of recovery sleep, but pigeons did not exhibit the hyperphagia, weight loss, and debilitation seen in rats. Citation: Newman SM; Paletz EM; Obermeyer WH; Benca RM. Sleep Deprivation In Pigeons And Rats Using Motion Detection. SLEEP 2009;32(10):1299-1312. PMID:19848359

Internal sense of direction and landmark use in pigeons (Columba livia).

PubMed

Sutton, Jennifer E; Shettleworth, Sara J

2005-08-01

The relative importance of an internal sense of direction based on inertial cues and landmark piloting for small-scale navigation by White King pigeons (Columba livia) was investigated in an arena search task. Two groups of pigeons differed in whether they had access to visual cues outside the arena. In Experiment 1, pigeons were given experience with 2 different entrances and all pigeons transferred accurate searching to novel entrances. Explicit disorientation before entering did not affect accuracy. In Experiments 2-4, landmarks and inertial cues were put in conflict or tested 1 at a time. Pigeons tended to follow the landmarks in a conflict situation but could use an internal sense of direction to search when landmarks were unavailable. Copyright 2005 APA, all rights reserved.

Ethnobotanic importance of plants used in pigeon-breeding in Eastern Spain.

PubMed

Belda, Antonio; Cortés, Carolina; Peiró, Victoriano

2013-05-20

The importance that birds of the Columbidae family have had throughout history is visible on the Mediterranean coast. Pigeon fancying is the art of breeding and training carrier pigeons and currently, several breeds exist. The sport of racing pigeons consists in covering a distance at maximum possible speed. However, pigeon breeding has another modality called "sport pigeon", where several males follow a female. This study focusses on ethnobotanical knowledge of native and exotic plant species that are used for diet, breeding, stimulation, healing illnesses and staining the plumage of pigeons bred in captivity. Using semi-structured interviews, we gathered information about the different plant species traditionally used for pigeon-breeding in the region of Valencia. Background material on remedies for bird illnesses was gathered from folk botanical references, local books and journals.The plant species were collected in the study area, then identified in the laboratory using dichotomous keys and vouchered in the ABH (Herbarium of Alicante University). We used Excel (®) 2003 to perform a simple statistical analysis of the data collected. We collected 56 species of plants (and one variety) that included 29 botanical families. The total number of species was made up of 35 cultivated and 21 wild plants. The most common were Gramineae (14 species), Leguminosae (6 species), and Compositae (4 species). Pigeon breeding is an immensely popular activity in Eastern Spain, and ethnobiological knowledge about breeding pigeons and caring for them is considerable. The names and traditional uses of plants depend on their geographical location, vernacular names serve as an intangible heritage. Feeding, environmental features, and genetic makeup of individuals are relevant aspects in the maintenance of avian health.

Age and sex determination of juvenile band-tailed pigeons

USGS Publications Warehouse

White, J.A.; Braun, C.E.

1978-01-01

Captive band-tailed pigeons (Columbafasciata) were studied to document progression of molts and plumages from juvenal to adult age. Immature pigeons began the post-juvenal molt at 35 days which continued up to 340 days. The only 3 plumage characters useful for identification and estimation of age were presence of juvenal lesser, middle, and greater secondary coverts, juvenal secondaries, and juvenal primaries. While juvenal primaries were still present, hatching dates could be estimated up to 252 days (N = 84). Secondary feather presence and molt stage could be used to identify juvenile pigeons for more than 340 days (N = 24). Using coloration of the crown and breast feathers, 96 percent of the immature pigeons examined (106 of 110) at 80 days of age were classified accurately as to sex.

Mortality associated with fenbendazole administration in pigeons (Columba livia).

PubMed

Gozalo, Alfonso S; Schwiebert, Rebecca S; Lawson, Gregory W

2006-11-01

A group of 12 domestic pigeons (Columba livia domestica) was treated for capillariasis by use of fenbendazole at 30 mg/kg orally once daily for 5 d. After treatment, 8 of the 12 pigeons exhibited signs of anorexia, lethargy, and dehydration; these birds died within 2 d after the onset of clinical signs. A total of 6 birds were necropsied, and all had unremarkable gross findings. Microscopic examination of tissues revealed acute hemorrhagic enteritis, diffuse lymphoplasmacytic enteritis, small intestinal crypt necrosis, periportal lymphoplasmacytic hepatitis, bile duct hyperplasia, and renal tubular necrosis. Erythrocytes in blood samples collected from surviving birds demonstrated polychromasia compatible with a regenerative anemia. The clinical and histopathologic findings in these pigeons were consistent with recent reports of fenbendazole toxicity in domestic pigeons and other columbiform birds.

Optimization of composite flour biscuits by mixture response surface methodology.

PubMed

Okpala, Laura C; Okoli, Eric C

2013-08-01

Biscuits were produced from blends of pigeon pea, sorghum and cocoyam flours. The study was carried out using mixture response surface methodology as the optimization technique. Using the simplex centroid design, 10 formulations were obtained. Protein and sensory quality of the biscuits were analyzed. The sensory attributes studied were appearance, taste, texture, crispness and general acceptability, while the protein quality indices were biological value and net protein utilization. The results showed that while the addition of pigeon pea improved the protein quality, its addition resulted in reduced sensory ratings for all the sensory attributes with the exception of appearance. Some of the biscuits had sensory ratings, which were not significantly different (p > 0.05) from biscuits made with wheat. Rat feeding experiments indicated that the biological value and net protein utilization values obtained for most of the biscuits were above minimum recommended values. Optimization suggested biscuits containing 75.30% sorghum, 0% pigeon pea and 24.70% cocoyam flours as the best proportion of these components. This sample received good scores for the sensory attributes.

Prevalence of Chlamydia psittaci in the feral pigeon population of Basel, Switzerland.

PubMed

Geigenfeind, Ila; Vanrompay, Daisy; Haag-Wackernagel, Daniel

2012-02-01

Feral pigeons (Columba livia) are commonly infected with Chlamydia psittaci, the agent of psittacosis in humans. To assess the risk of zoonosis posed by feral pigeons in the urban environment, we determined the prevalence of Chlamydia psittaci by detection of the outer-membrane protein A (ompA) gene of this pathogen in pharyngeal and cloacal samples of 202 feral pigeons present in a loft in Basel, Switzerland. Additionally, we examined 620 fresh faecal droppings of feral pigeons at six public sites in Basel. The ompA gene of C. psittaci could be detected in only 17 (8.4 %) of the 202 feral pigeons in the loft. C. psittaci DNA was present in nine (2.0 %) of 447 of the pharyngeal swabs and 11 (3.2 %) of the 348 cloacal swabs. Genotyping of the ompA gene revealed genotype B in seven of the birds. In one bird, a mixed infection was detected with the genotypes A, B and E/B, which, to our knowledge is the first time such an infection has been reported. Some of these birds immigrated into the loft as adults. To our knowledge, this is the first study to document how the interconnectedness between feral pigeon subpopulations favours the spread of C. psittaci. C. psittaci DNA was not detected in any of the faecal droppings collected at the six public areas. In spite of the low levels of C. psittaci shedding by feral pigeons in Basel, close contact to feral pigeons bears the risk of zoonotic transmission of C. psittaci. Feral pigeon management programmes and public education should be implemented to reduce the risk of a pigeon-to-human transmission of such pathogenic agents.

Pea weevil damage and chemical characteristics of pea cultivars determining their resistance to Bruchus pisorum L.

PubMed

Nikolova, I

2016-04-01

Bruchus pisorum (L.) is one of the most intractable pest problems of cultivated pea in Europe. Development of resistant cultivars is very important to environmental protection and would solve this problem to a great extent. Therefore, the resistance of five spring pea cultivars was studied to B. pisorum: Glyans, Modus; Kamerton and Svit and Pleven 4 based on the weevil damage and chemical composition of seeds. The seeds were classified as three types: healthy seeds (type one), damaged seeds with parasitoid emergence holes (type two) and damaged seeds with bruchid emergence holes (type three). From visibly damaged pea seeds by pea weevil B. pisorum was isolated the parasitoid Triaspis thoracica Curtis (Hymenoptera, Braconidae). Modus, followed by Glyans was outlined as resistant cultivars against the pea weevil. They had the lowest total damaged seed degree, loss in weight of damaged seeds (type two and type three) and values of susceptibility coefficients. A strong negative relationship (r = -0.838) between the weight of type one seeds and the proportion of type three seeds was found. Cultivars with lower protein and phosphorus (P) content had a lower level of damage. The crude protein, crude fiber and P content in damaged seeds significantly or no significantly were increased as compared with the healthy seeds due to weevil damage. The P content had the highest significant influence on pea weevil infestation. Use of chemical markers for resistance to the creation of new pea cultivars can be effective method for defense and control against B. pisorum.

78 FR 1125 - National Stalking Awareness Month, 2013

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-07

... National Stalking Awareness Month, 2013 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation... go unreported and unprosecuted. During National Stalking Awareness Month, we rededicate ourselves to... Awareness Month, we resolve to keep building on this momentum until no American lives in fear of this crime...

Pea3 transcription factor promotes neurite outgrowth

PubMed Central

Kandemir, Basak; Caglayan, Berrak; Hausott, Barbara; Erdogan, Burcu; Dag, Ugur; Demir, Ozlem; Sogut, Melis S.; Klimaschewski, Lars; Kurnaz, Isil A.

2014-01-01

Pea3 subfamily of E–twenty six transcription factors consist of three major -exhibit branching morphogenesis, the function of Pea3 family in nervous system development and regeneration is only beginning to unfold. In this study, we provide evidence that Pea3 can directs neurite extension and axonal outgrowth in different model systems, and that Serine 90 is important for this function. We have also identified neurofilament-L and neurofilament-M as two putative novel targets for Pea3. PMID:25018694

Pretreatment of Miscanthus stalk with organic alkali guanidine and amino-guanidine.

PubMed

Li, Wei; Wang, Wei; Xu, Piaopiao; Xu, Pingping; Zhao, Xiaoli; Wang, Yun

2015-03-01

Organic alkali guanidine and amino-guanidine were used as catalysts to pretreat Miscanthus stalks. The effects of catalyst loadings, pretreatment temperature and time, on pretreatment results were studied. Between guanidines and amino-guanidines, guanidines were of benefit to produce hexose and amino-guanidines were in favor of producing pentose in stalk enzymolysis process. SEM images showed that the stalk surface after pretreatment were porous, cracked, and corroded. XRD data showed that the relative crystallinity index of cellulose after pretreatment was increased. FTIR spectra illustrated that both guanidine and amino-guanidine were effective to remove lignin and degrade hydrogen bonds of cellulose. TG data indicated that the initial temperature of rapid weight loss of Miscanthus stalks pretreated by the guanidine was higher than that by the amino-guanidine. The maximum sugar yields of Miscanthus stalks pretreated by the guanidine and the amino-guanidine after enzymolysis for 24 h were 350 and 370 mg/g stalks, respectively. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Endoscopic Vasectomy of Male Feral Pigeons (Columba livia) as a Possible Method of Population Control.

PubMed

Heiderich, Elisabeth; Schildger, Bernd; Lierz, Michael

2015-03-01

To evaluate whether single-entry endoscopic vasectomy of male feral pigeons (Columba livia) significantly reduced fertility and would potentially be valuable for control of feral pigeon populations, 252 male feral pigeons were caught in the city of Berne and endoscopically vasectomized. In this procedure, approximately 1 cm of the deferent duct was removed bilaterally. Rapid, uneventful recoveries occurred in 94% (237/252) of the pigeons, whereas 6% (15/252) died because of complications associated with the procedure, consisting of perforation of the ureter (9/15), major hemorrhage (5/15), and respiratory arrest (1/15). Mean anesthesia time was 23±6 minutes. The vasectomized males were habituated to 2 pigeon houses together with fertile females. Another pigeon house with fertile pairs acted as control. All eggs laid were candled weekly to assess fertility. In the 2 pigeon houses with vasectomized males, the mean fertilization rate was 0.9% (5/563), while in the control pigeon house, the rate was 100% (39/39). The results indicate that endoscopic vasectomy of male feral pigeons may be a promising tool for field control of feral pigeon populations, especially in combination with other methods such as pigeon houses.

These Boots are Made for Stalking: Characteristics of Female Stalkers

PubMed Central

West, Sara G.; Friedman, Susan Hatters

2008-01-01

When one is asked to picture a stalker, images of men with dark sunglasses, trench coats, and surreptitious behavior may come to mind. Contrary to popular belief, it is premature for mental health professionals to discount the actions of female stalkers. This article reviews how stalking is defined and classified in a broad sense and why it is important for mental health professionals to be aware of stalking behavior. The article narrows the focus to what the research has shown about women who stalk. Finally, there is a brief discussion of women who stalk celebrities and of Hollywood‘s portrayal of the female stalker. PMID:19727274

The consequences of coping with stalking-results from the first qualitative study on stalking in Denmark.

PubMed

Johansen, Katrine Bindesbøl Holm; Tjørnhøj-Thomsen, Tine

2016-11-01

The purpose of this article is to explore: (1) how victims of stalking experience the phenomenon in their daily life, (2) how the nature of stalking informs the victim's internal coping strategies, and (3) how the victims' internal coping strategies negatively affect their daily life and well-being. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 victims of stalking. Thematic content analysis was employed, and themes were primarily identified inductively and broad into dialogue with concepts, such as Foucault's panopticism. The results of the study indicate that rather than the stalkers' harassment itself; it is the unpredictability of the stalkers' potential actions that inform the victims' primary coping strategy-self-regulation. Self-regulation consists of various strategies victims employ to avoid the stalker. Our analysis shows that self-regulation as a coping strategy has social and psychological consequences for the victims, leading to various degrees of social isolation and apprehension. We conclude that it is necessary to consider how professionals advise victims to cope with their situation as how legal measures should focus on the security of victims.

The mysterious Spotted Green Pigeon and its relation to the Dodo and its kindred.

PubMed

Heupink, Tim H; van Grouw, Hein; Lambert, David M

2014-07-16

The closely related and extinct Dodo (Raphus cucullatus) and Rodrigues Solitaire (Pezophaps solitaria), both in the subfamily Raphinae, are members of a clade of morphologically very diverse pigeons. Genetic analyses have revealed that the Nicobar Pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica) is the closest living relative of these birds, thereby highlighting their ancestors' remarkable migration and morphological evolution. The Spotted Green Pigeon (Caloenas maculata) was described in 1783 and showed some similarities to the Nicobar Pigeon. Soon however the taxon fell into obscurity, as it was regarded as simply an abnormal form of the Nicobar Pigeon. The relationship between both taxa has occasionally been questioned, leading some ornithologists to suggest that the two may in fact be different taxa. Today only one of the original two specimens survives and nothing is known about the origin of the taxon. Due to its potential close relationship, the Spotted Green Pigeon may hold clues to the historical migration, isolation and morphological evolution of the Dodo and its kindred. We use ancient DNA methodologies to investigate the phylogeny and authenticity of the Spotted Green Pigeon. A novel extraction method with the ability to retain and purify heavily fragmented DNA is used to investigate two feathers from the sole surviving specimen. Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic analyses reveal that the Spotted Green Pigeon is a unique lineage and together with the Nicobar Pigeon, is basal to the Dodo and Rodrigues Solitaire. The distance observed for the Spotted Green Pigeon and Nicobar Pigeon is larger than that observed within other Pigeon species, indicating that the Spotted Green pigeon is a unique taxon, thereby also indicating it is a genuine addition to the list of extinct species. The phylogenetic placement of the Spotted Green Pigeon indicates that the ancestors of both Caloenas and therefore Raphinae displayed and shared the following traits: ability of flight, semi

The mysterious Spotted Green Pigeon and its relation to the Dodo and its kindred

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The closely related and extinct Dodo (Raphus cucullatus) and Rodrigues Solitaire (Pezophaps solitaria), both in the subfamily Raphinae, are members of a clade of morphologically very diverse pigeons. Genetic analyses have revealed that the Nicobar Pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica) is the closest living relative of these birds, thereby highlighting their ancestors’ remarkable migration and morphological evolution. The Spotted Green Pigeon (Caloenas maculata) was described in 1783 and showed some similarities to the Nicobar Pigeon. Soon however the taxon fell into obscurity, as it was regarded as simply an abnormal form of the Nicobar Pigeon. The relationship between both taxa has occasionally been questioned, leading some ornithologists to suggest that the two may in fact be different taxa. Today only one of the original two specimens survives and nothing is known about the origin of the taxon. Due to its potential close relationship, the Spotted Green Pigeon may hold clues to the historical migration, isolation and morphological evolution of the Dodo and its kindred. Results We use ancient DNA methodologies to investigate the phylogeny and authenticity of the Spotted Green Pigeon. A novel extraction method with the ability to retain and purify heavily fragmented DNA is used to investigate two feathers from the sole surviving specimen. Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic analyses reveal that the Spotted Green Pigeon is a unique lineage and together with the Nicobar Pigeon, is basal to the Dodo and Rodrigues Solitaire. Conclusions The distance observed for the Spotted Green Pigeon and Nicobar Pigeon is larger than that observed within other Pigeon species, indicating that the Spotted Green pigeon is a unique taxon, thereby also indicating it is a genuine addition to the list of extinct species. The phylogenetic placement of the Spotted Green Pigeon indicates that the ancestors of both Caloenas and therefore Raphinae displayed and shared the following traits

Mediating Effects of Stalking Victimization on Gender Differences in Mental Health

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuehner, Christine; Gass, Peter; Dressing, Harald

2012-01-01

Studies suggest that stalking victimization may have a serious mental health impact. The present article investigates gender differences in mental health and possible mediating effects of stalking victimization in a community sample. The study includes a postal survey of 665 German community residents on the experience of stalking and various…

The Differentiation of Response Numerosities in the Pigeon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Machado, Armando; Rodrigues, Paulo

2007-01-01

Two experiments examined how pigeons differentiate response patterns along the dimension of number. In Experiment 1, 5 pigeons received food after pecking the left key at least N times and then switching to the right key (Mechner's Fixed Consecutive Number schedule). Parameter N varied across conditions from 4 to 32. Results showed that run length…

Risk of hypersensitivity pneumonitis and interstitial lung diseases among pigeon breeders.

PubMed

Cramer, Christine; Schlünssen, Vivi; Bendstrup, Elisabeth; Stokholm, Zara Ann; Vestergaard, Jesper Medom; Frydenberg, Morten; Kolstad, Henrik Albert

2016-09-01

We studied the risk of hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) among pigeon breeders.This is a retrospective follow-up study from 1980 to 2013 of 6920 pigeon breeders identified in the records of the Danish Racing Pigeon Association. They were compared with 276 800 individually matched referents randomly drawn from the Danish population. Hospital based diagnoses of hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other ILDs were identified in the National Patient Registry 1977-2013. Stratified Cox regression analyses estimated the hazard ratios (HR) of hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other ILDs adjusted for occupation, residence and redeemed prescription of medication with ILDs as a possible side-effect. Subjects were censored at death, emigration or a diagnosis of connective tissue disease.The overall incidence rate of ILD was 77.4 per 100 000 person-years among the pigeon breeders and 50.0 among the referents. This difference corresponded to an adjusted HR of 1.56 (95% CI 1.26-1.94). The adjusted HRs of hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other ILDs for pigeon breeders were 14.36 (95% CI 8.10-25.44) and 1.33 (95% CI 1.05-1.69), respectively.This study shows an increased risk of ILD among pigeon breeders compared with the referent population. Protective measures are recommended even though ILD leading to hospital contact remains rare among pigeon breeders. Copyright ©ERS 2016.

Structural characterization of lignin from grape stalks (Vitis vinifera L.).

PubMed

Prozil, Sónia O; Evtuguin, Dmitry V; Silva, Artur M S; Lopes, Luísa P C

2014-06-18

The chemical structure of lignin from grape stalks, an abundant waste of winemaking, has been studied. The dioxane lignin was isolated from extractive- and protein-free grape stalks (Vitis vinifera L.) by modified acidolytic procedure and submitted to a structural analysis by wet chemistry (nitrobenzene and permanganate oxidation (PO)) and spectroscopic techniques. The results obtained suggest that grape stalk lignin is an HGS type with molar proportions of p-hydroxyphenyl (H), guaiacyl (G) and syringyl (S) units of 3:71:26. Structural analysis by (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy and PO indicates the predominance of β-O-4' structures (39% mol) in grape stalk lignin together with moderate amounts of β-5', β-β, β-1', 5-5', and 4-O-5' structures. NMR studies also revealed that grape lignin should be structurally associated with tannins. The condensation degree of grape stalks lignin is higher than that of conventional wood lignins and lignins from other agricultural residues.

Pigeons' discrimination of paintings by Monet and Picasso

PubMed Central

Watanabe, Shigeru; Sakamoto, Junko; Wakita, Masumi

1995-01-01

Pigeons successfully learned to discriminate color slides of paintings by Monet and Picasso. Following this training, they discriminated novel paintings by Monet and Picasso that had never been presented during the discrimination training. Furthermore, they showed generalization from Monet's to Cezanne's and Renoir's paintings or from Picasso's to Braque's and Matisse's paintings. These results suggest that pigeons' behavior can be controlled by complex visual stimuli in ways that suggest categorization. Upside-down images of Monet's paintings disrupted the discrimination, whereas inverted images of Picasso's did not. This result may indicate that the pigeons' behavior was controlled by objects depicted in impressionists' paintings but was not controlled by objects in cubists' paintings. PMID:16812755

Asymmetry of different brain structures in homing pigeons with and without navigational experience.

PubMed

Mehlhorn, Julia; Haastert, Burkhard; Rehkämper, Gerd

2010-07-01

Homing pigeons (Columba livia f.d.) are well-known for their homing abilities, and their brains seem to be functionally adapted to homing as exemplified, e.g. by their larger hippocampi and olfactory bulbs. Their hippocampus size is influenced by navigational experience, and, as in other birds, functional specialisation of the left and right hemispheres ('lateralisation') occurs in homing pigeons. To show in what way lateralisation is reflected in brain structure volume, and whether some lateralisation or asymmetry in homing pigeons is caused by experience, we compared brains of homing pigeons with and without navigational experience referring to this. Fourteen homing pigeons were raised under identical constraints. After fledging, seven of them were allowed to fly around the loft and participated successfully in races. The other seven stayed permanently in the loft and thus did not share the navigational experiences of the first group. After reaching sexual maturity, all individuals were killed and morphometric analyses were carried out to measure the volumes of five basic brain parts and eight telencephalic brain parts. Measurements of telencephalic brain parts and optic tectum were done separately for the left and right hemispheres. The comparison of left/right quotients of both groups reveal that pigeons with navigational experience show a smaller left mesopallium in comparison with the right mesopallium and pigeons without navigational experience a larger left mesopallium in comparison with the right one. Additionally, there are significant differences between left and right brain subdivisions within the two pigeon groups, namely a larger left hyperpallium apicale in both pigeon groups and a larger right nidopallium, left hippocampus and right optic tectum in pigeons with navigational experience. Pigeons without navigational experience did not show more significant differences between their left and right brain subdivisions. The results of our study confirm

Using tea stalk lignocellulose as an adsorbent for separating decaffeinated tea catechins.

PubMed

Ye, J H; Jin, J; Liang, H L; Lu, J L; Du, Y Y; Zheng, X Q; Liang, Y R

2009-01-01

Lignocelluloses prepared from woody tea stalk, pine sawdust and sugarcane bagasse were used as adsorbents to isolate decaffeinated catechins from tea extracts and compared with synthetic macroporous resin HPD 600. HPD 600 had the highest adsorption capacity to catechins, followed by tea stalk lignocellulose while lignocelluloses of pine sawdust and bagasse the least. Tea stalk lignocellulose absorbed preferentially tea catechins and showed a good selectivity. HPD 600 absorbed caffeine and tea catechins simultaneously. The kinetics data of tea stalk lignocellulose showed a good fit with the Langmuir isotherm model. It is considered that tea stalk lignocellulose is an alternative low-cost adsorbent for preparing decaffeinated tea catechins.

Zoonotic Infection with Pigeon Paramyxovirus Type 1 linked to Fatal Pneumonia.

PubMed

Kuiken, Thijs; Breitbart, Mya; Beer, Martin; Grund, Christian; Höper, Dirk; van den Hoogen, Bernadette; Kerkhoffs, Jean-Louis H; Kroes, Aloys C M; Rosario, Karyna; van Run, Peter; Schwarz, Matthias; Svraka, Sanela; Teifke, Jens; Koopmans, Marion

2018-01-24

The characteristics and risk factors of pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 (PPMV-1) infection in humans are poorly known. We performed virological, pathological and epidemiological analyses of a Dutch case, and compared the results with those of a US case. Both infections occurred in transplant patients under immunosuppressive therapy and caused fatal respiratory failure. Both virus isolates clustered with avian paramyxovirus type 1 (APMV-1) genotype VIb/1, which has pigeons and doves as reservoir. Experimentally inoculated pigeons became infected and transmitted the virus to naïve pigeons. Likely route of transmission to both patients was direct or indirect contact with infected pigeons or doves. Given the large populations of feral pigeons with endemic PPMV-1 infection in cities, increasing urbanisation and a higher proportion of immunocompromised individuals, the risk of severe human PPMV-1 infections may increase. We recommend to test for APMV-1, including PPMV-1, in respiratory disease cases where common respiratory pathogens cannot be identified. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Pituitary stalk compression by the dorsum sellae: possible cause for late childhood onset growth disorders.

PubMed

Taoka, Toshiaki; Iwasaki, Satoru; Okamoto, Shingo; Sakamoto, Masahiko; Nakagawa, Hiroyuki; Otake, Shoichiro; Fujioka, Masayuki; Hirohashi, Shinji; Kichikawa, Kimihiko

2006-06-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between pituitary stalk compression by the dorsum sellae and clinical or laboratory findings in short stature children. We retrospectively reviewed magnetic resonance images of the pituitary gland and pituitary stalk for 34 short stature children with growth hormone (GH) deficiency and 24 age-matched control cases. We evaluated the degree of pituitary stalk compression caused by the dorsum sellae. Body height, GH level, pituitary height and onset age of the short stature were statistically compared between cases of pituitary stalk compression with associated stalk deformity and cases without compression. Compression of the pituitary stalk with associated stalk deformity was seen in nine cases within the short stature group. There were no cases observed in the control group. There were no significant differences found for body height, GH level and pituitary height between the cases of pituitary stalk compression with associated stalk deformity and cases without compression. However, a significant difference was seen in the onset age between cases with and without stalk compression. Pituitary stalk compression with stalk deformity caused by the dorsum sellae was significantly correlated with late childhood onset of short stature.

Physical restraint produces rapid acquisition of the pigeon's key peck

PubMed Central

Locurto, C. M.; Travers, Tania; Terrace, H. S.; Gibbon, John

1980-01-01

The acquisition and maintenance of autoshaped key pecking in pigeons was studied as a function of intertrial interval. At each of six intervals, which ranged from 12 seconds to 384 seconds, four pigeons were physically restrained during training while four other pigeons were not restrained. Restrained subjects acquired key pecking faster and with less intragroup variability at each interval. The effects of restraint were specific to acquisition and were not evident in maintained responding after five postacquisition sessions. PMID:16812175

Domestication of Pea (Pisum sativum L.): The Case of the Abyssinian Pea

PubMed Central

Weeden, Norman F.

2018-01-01

Phylogenetic relationships of the Abyssinian pea (Pisum sativum ssp. abyssinicum) to other subspecies and species in the genus were investigated to test between different hypotheses regarding its origin and domestication. An extensive sample of the Pisum sativum ssp. sativum germplasm was investigated, including groups a-1, a-2, b, c, and d as identified by Kwon et al. (2012). A broad sample of P. fulvum but relatively few P. s. ssp. elatius accessions were analyzed. Partial sequences of 18 genes were compared and these results combined with comparisons of additional genes done by others and available in the literature. In total, 54 genes or gene fragment sequences were involved in the study. The observed affinities between alleles in P. ssp. sativum, P. s. ssp. abyssinicum, P. s. ssp. elatius, and P. fulvum clearly demonstrated a close relationship among the three P. sativum subspecies and rejected the hypothesis that the Abyssinian pea was formed by hybridization between one of the P. sativum subspecies and P. fulvum. If hybridization were involved in the generation of the Abyssinian pea, it must have been between P. s. ssp. sativum and P. s. ssp. elatius, although the Abyssinian pea possesses a considerable number of highly unique alleles, implying that the actual P. s. ssp. elatius germplasm involved in such a hybridization has yet to be tested or that the hybridization occurred much longer ago than the postulated 4000 years bp. Analysis of the P. s. ssp. abyssinicum alleles in genomic regions thought to contain genes critical for domestication indicated that the indehiscent pod trait was independently developed in the Abyssinian pea, whereas the loss of seed dormancy was either derived from P. s. ssp. sativum or at least partially developed before the P. s. ssp. abyssinicum lineage diverged from that leading to P. s. ssp. sativum. PMID:29720994

Behavioral and Mental Health Correlates of Youth Stalking Victimization

PubMed Central

Reidy, Dennis E.; Smith-Darden, Joanne P.; Kernsmith, Poco D.

2018-01-01

Introduction Although recognized as a public health problem, little attention has been paid to the problem of stalking among youth. Latent profile analysis was used to identify latent groups of adolescent stalking victims and their behavioral and mental health correlates. Methods A cross-sectional sample of 1,236 youths were randomly selected from 13 schools stratified by community risk level (i.e., low, moderate, and high risk) and gender. Students completed surveys assessing behavioral indicators of stalking victimization, as well as substance use, sexual behavior, dating violence, and psychiatric symptoms. Data were collected in 2013 and data analyses were performed in 2015. Results Analysis indicated the presence of a non-victim class, a minimal exposure class, and a victim class for boys and girls alike. Approximately 14% of girls and 13% of boys were in the stalking victim class. Adolescents in the victim class reported more symptoms of post-traumatic stress, mood disorder, and hopelessness, as well as more instances of alcohol use, binge drinking, and physical dating violence victimization. Girls in the victim class also reported engaging in sexting behaviors and oral sex with significantly more partners than their non-victim peers. Conclusions These findings provide valuable knowledge of the prevalence and pertinent health correlates of stalking victimization in adolescence. The data suggest a substantial proportion of adolescents are victims of stalking and are likewise at risk for a number of deleterious health outcomes. As such, this population merits further attention by prevention researchers and practitioners. PMID:27743623

Change Detection by Rhesus Monkeys (Macaca mulatta) and Pigeons (Columba livia)

PubMed Central

Elmore, L. Caitlin; Magnotti, John F.; Katz, Jeffrey S.; Wright, Anthony A.

2012-01-01

Two monkeys learned a color change-detection task where two colored circles (selected from a 4-color set) were presented on a 4×4 invisible matrix. Following a delay, the correct response was to touch the changed colored circle. The monkeys' learning, color transfer, and delay transfer were compared to a similar experiment with pigeons. Monkeys, like pigeons, showed full transfer to four novel colors, and to delays as long as 6.4 s, suggesting they remembered the colors as opposed to perceptual based attentional capture process that may work at very short delays. The monkeys and pigeons were further tested to compare transfer to other dimensions. Monkeys transferred to shape and location changes, unlike the pigeons, but neither species transferred to size changes. Thus, monkeys were less restricted in their domain to detect change than pigeons, but both species learned the basic task and appear suitable for comparative studies of visual short-term memory. PMID:22428982

Predicting Overt and Cyber Stalking Perpetration by Male and Female College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Menard, Kim S.; Pincus, Aaron L.

2012-01-01

In this study, self-report student surveys on early childhood maltreatment, attachment styles, alcohol expectancies, and narcissistic personality traits are examined to determine their influence on stalking behavior. Two subtypes of stalking were measured using Spitzberg and Cupach's (2008) Obsessive Relational Intrusion: cyber stalking (one…

Ethnobotanic importance of plants used in pigeon-breeding in Eastern Spain

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The importance that birds of the Columbidae family have had throughout history is visible on the Mediterranean coast. Pigeon fancying is the art of breeding and training carrier pigeons and currently, several breeds exist. The sport of racing pigeons consists in covering a distance at maximum possible speed. However, pigeon breeding has another modality called “sport pigeon”, where several males follow a female. This study focusses on ethnobotanical knowledge of native and exotic plant species that are used for diet, breeding, stimulation, healing illnesses and staining the plumage of pigeons bred in captivity. Methods Using semi-structured interviews, we gathered information about the different plant species traditionally used for pigeon-breeding in the region of Valencia. Background material on remedies for bird illnesses was gathered from folk botanical references, local books and journals.The plant species were collected in the study area, then identified in the laboratory using dichotomous keys and vouchered in the ABH (Herbarium of Alicante University). We used Excel ® 2003 to perform a simple statistical analysis of the data collected. Results We collected 56 species of plants (and one variety) that included 29 botanical families. The total number of species was made up of 35 cultivated and 21 wild plants. The most common were Gramineae (14 species), Leguminosae (6 species), and Compositae (4 species). Conclusions Pigeon breeding is an immensely popular activity in Eastern Spain, and ethnobiological knowledge about breeding pigeons and caring for them is considerable. The names and traditional uses of plants depend on their geographical location, vernacular names serve as an intangible heritage. Feeding, environmental features, and genetic makeup of individuals are relevant aspects in the maintenance of avian health. PMID:23688245

Influence of host origin on host choice of the parasitoid Dinarmus basalis: does upbringing influence choices later in life?

PubMed

Sankara, F; Dabiré, L C B; Ilboudo, Z; Dugravot, S; Cortesero, A M; Sanon, A

2014-02-26

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of volatile compounds from four secondary host plants on the ability of Dinarmus basalis Rond. (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) to locate, recognize, and parasitize its host, 4(th)instar larvae or pupae of Callosobruchus maculatus F. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). To examine this, strains of D. basalis were transferred from cow-pea seeds (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. (Fabales: Fabaceae)) to pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) and two varieties of Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) seeds. The ability of D. basalis females to recognize the volatile compounds emanating from their complex host plant was tested by using a Y-tube olfactometer and a three-dimensional device. The results suggest that when females have a choice between pure air and the air emanating from their complex host of origin, they are attracted to the air tainted by the volatile compounds they have become accustomed to. They spent significantly more time (p < 0.0001) in the branch of the tube leading to the odorous air than in the tube leading to the pure air. When females from pigeon pea seed hosts were offered a choice between cowpea and pigeon pea seeds, all containing 4(th)instar larvae, the familiar odor of pigeon pea seeds were most attractive. When females from Bambara groundnut (white and striped) seed hosts were offered a choice between cowpea and pigeon pea seeds, all containing 4(th)instar larvae, they were significantly attracted to the odour of cowpea seeds. In the three-dimensional system, the females from the four strains did not appear to have any preference for a given type of seed containing 4(th)instar larvae or pupae. The parasitism rate remained high on all four types of seeds used. These results show that the use of D. basalis as a biological control agent is possible in host changing situations where C. maculatus starts to attack other legumes. The results of this study also provide information supporting the

Properties study of cotton stalk fiber/gypsum composite

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li Guozhong; Yu Yanzhen; Zhao Zhongjian

This manuscript addresses treating cotton stalk fiber surface with styrene acrylic emulsion, which improves the interfacial combined state of cotton stalk fiber/gypsum composite effectively and improves its mechanical properties notably. Mixes less slag, ordinary Portland cement, etc., to modify gypsum base. The electron microscope was utilized to analyze and research on the effect on composite properties of the abovementioned mixtures.

Impacts of fungal stalk rot pathogens on physicochemical properties of sorghum grain

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Stalk rot diseases are among the most ubiquitous and damaging fungal diseases of sorghum worldwide. Although reports of quantitative stalk rot yield losses are available, the impact of stalk rot on the physicochemical attributes of sorghum grain is currently unknown. This study was conducted to test...

Research on stalking: what do we know and where do we go?

PubMed

Davis, K E; Frieze, I H

2000-01-01

Findings of the article in this two-volume series on stalking are reviewed. Building on the findings of the National Violence Against Women Survey (Tjaden & Thoennes, 1998), this series of studies adds to the literature in defining and measuring stalking behaviors. Repeated stalking victimization is reported by up to 62% of young adults, although frequencies depend on the sample and the precise definition used. Self-definitions of stalking victimization may be quite different from legal definitions. Although the majority of legally defined stalkers (where victim fear is a key component) are men stalking women, studies utilizing other definitions find many more women as stalkers, with no significant gender differences in many studies. In many cases, it does appear that stalking is one part of a larger pattern of relationship physical and psychological abuse. Data on emotional reactions and coping strategies of victims are also reviewed, along with findings on characteristics of stalkers.

Protective effects of vaccines against experimental salmonellosis in racing pigeons.

PubMed

Uyttebroek, E; Devriese, L A; Gevaert, D; Ducatelle, R; Nelis, J; Haesebrouck, F

1991-02-16

Five inactivated and one attenuated vaccine produced for the prevention of salmonellosis in pigeons were compared in an experimental challenge model. The birds were vaccinated according to the recommendations of the manufacturers and they were infected by gavage with a Salmonella typhimurium (var copenhagen) pigeon strain. The challenged control animals showed severe weight loss, excessive water intake over a prolonged period, and excreted large numbers of salmonellae. None of the vaccines fully protected the pigeons, and only an inactivated oil adjuvant vaccine was able to reduce the severity of the clinical signs significantly. Mortality was low and tended to increase with the severity of the clinical signs. These results do not justify the preventive use of salmonella vaccination in pigeons. Nevertheless, the oil adjuvant vaccine may help in the effective cleaning of lofts after an outbreak of salmonellosis.

Effect of Haemoproteus columbae infection on the hemogram of the Pigeons (Columba livia domestica).

PubMed

Samani, Amir Dehghani; Kheirabadi, Khodadad Pirali; Mohebbi, Abdonnaser

2016-12-01

It has been reported that parasites affect the health and productivity of birds, initiate excessive preening which interrupts feeding, as the birds spend much time preening rather than being involved in other essential life activities. Haemoproteus columbae occurs in pigeons widely in tropical and subtropical regions. The present investigation was concentrated on the effect of H. columbae infection on the hemogram and changes in the number of white blood cells in infected pigeons. Blood samples taked from 100 pigeons in Shahrekord. Blood smears stained and observed for H. columbae infection. Packed cell volume (PCV) and total white blood cells (WBC) count and differential WBC count determinate for every smears. This study show that PCV increased in infected pigeons by H. columbae than non infected pigeons. There were increasing in the number of total WBC in the infected pigeons by H. columbae than non infected pigeons. Also there were significant differences between the number of lymphocytes and eosinophils in the infected pigeons by H. columbae than non infected pigeons. This study and same studies show the part of the effects of blood parasites on the hemogram, but there were many questions about the effects of blood parasites such as H. columbae on the other parameters of host's blood, so we advise to focus on the other hematological parameters in the future studies.

Stalking of psychiatrists: psychopathological characteristics and gender differences in an Italian sample.

PubMed

Mastronardi, Vincenzo M; Pomilla, Antonella; Ricci, Serafino; D'Argenio, Alberto

2013-05-01

Research has indicated that medical doctors and paramedics are at higher risk of being stalked than the general population. In particular, mental health care professionals alone represent one third of the victims of harassment. Because of the lack of studies in this specific sector, especially in Italy, in this study, we examined the stalking of psychiatrists by their patients, considering gender differences and the incidence of stalking in private practice and public mental health clinics in Rome. We found that the rate of stalking in private mental health settings is higher than that in public settings and that the perpetrators of stalking are mainly women who mostly target mental health professionals working in private practice. Implications of the findings are noted and discussed.

Stalking: developing an empirical typology to classify stalkers.

PubMed

Del Ben, Kevin; Fremouw, W

2002-01-01

Stalking has received a great deal of attention from the media and its harmful effects on victims have been well documented. Stalking is also more common than previously thought, leading researchers to classify stalkers into groups in an attempt to predict future behavior. Previous research has grouped stalkers based on theoretical models rather than trying to empirically examine stalking behaviors along with other factors such as motivation, type of relationship, and attachment style in determining a typology of stalkers. Female college students (N = 108) who had experienced stalking behaviors responded to questions regarding their perceptions of those behaviors. First, these victim perceptions were factor analyzed. Then, cluster analysis grouped those factors to produce a four-cluster typology of stalkers. Cluster 1 (Harmless) appeared to reflect a more casual, less jealous pattern of behavior. Cluster 2 (Low Threat) appeared the least likely to become physically violent or threatening, or to engage in illegal behaviors. Cluster 3 (Violent Criminal) appeared to be the most likely to engage in physically threatening and illegal behaviors. Cluster 4 (High Threat) was characterized by a more serious type of relationship and may attempt to be more restrictive of their partner when first meeting them.

Seasonal Variation in Pigeon Body Weight and Delayed Matching-to-sample Performance

PubMed Central

Sargisson, Rebecca J; McLean, Ian G; Brown, Glenn S; White, K Geoffrey

2007-01-01

The weights of 5 pigeons with free access to food, monitored over 3 calendar years in the laboratory, were found to fluctuate with season. All pigeons were at their heaviest in the winter and were lightest in the summer. Five different pigeons performed a standard delayed matching-to-sample task for 44 weeks from January to November. Their weights were held at 85% of their summer free-feeding weights, making their predicted deprivation level higher in the winter relative to predicted winter free-feeding weights. Slopes of forgetting functions fit to weekly response totals for each pigeon were shallower in winter, showing an improvement in accuracy with longer delays. Thus, delayed matching-to-sample performance may have been affected by the practice of maintaining the pigeons at a constant body weight throughout the calendar year. PMID:18047229

The complete mitochondrial genome of the ice pigeon (Columba livia breed ice).

PubMed

Zhang, Rui-Hua; He, Wen-Xiao

2015-02-01

The ice pigeon is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. In the present work, we report the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of ice pigeon for the first time. The total length of the mitogenome was 17,236 bp with the base composition of 30.2% for A, 24.0% for T, 31.9% for C, and 13.9% for G and an A-T (54.2 %)-rich feature was detected. It harbored 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes and 1 non-coding control region (D-loop region). The arrangement of all genes was identical to the typical mitochondrial genomes of pigeon. The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of ice pigeon would serve as an important data set of the germplasm resources for further study.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the Fancy Pigeon, Columba livia (Columbiformes: Columbidae).

PubMed

Zhang, Rui-Hua; Xu, Ming-Ju; Wang, Cun-Lian; Xu, Tong; Wei, Dong; Liu, Bao-Jian; Wang, Guo-Hua

2015-02-01

The fancy pigeons are domesticated varieties of the rock pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. In the present work, we report the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of fancy pigeon for the first time. The total length of the mitogenome was 17,233 bp with the base composition of 30.1% for A, 24.0% for T, 31.9% for C, and 14.0% for G and an A-T (54.2 %)-rich feature was detected. It harbored 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes and 1 non-coding control region (D-loop region). The arrangement of all genes was identical to the typical mitochondrial genomes of pigeon. The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of fancy pigeon would serve as an important data set of the germplasm resources for further study.

Co-circulation of paramyxo- and influenza viruses in pigeons in Egypt.

PubMed

Mansour, Shimaa M G; Mohamed, Fakry F; Eid, Amal A M; Mor, Sunil K; Goyal, Sagar M

2017-08-01

In recent years, avian influenza virus (AIV) and Newcastle disease virus (NDV) have caused large-scale outbreaks in many countries, including Egypt. The culling and vaccination strategies have failed to control both viruses in Egypt. In this study, we investigated the outbreaks of nervous manifestations and deaths in pigeons between 2013 and 2015. The H5N1 subtype of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus and pigeon paramyxovirus-1, an antigenic variant of NDV, were found to be the cause; AIV and pigeon paramyxovirus-1 were isolated from 61.3% (19/31) and 67.8% (21/31) of tested pigeons, respectively. Co-infection with both viruses was detected in 51.6% of pigeons (16/31). The AIV sequences showed PQGEKRRKKR/GLF motif at the haemagglutinin gene cleavage site, which is typical of the highly pathogenic H5N1 subtype. The phylogenetic tree showed that the highly pathogenic avian influenza belonged to clade 2.2.1.2. The NDV sequences carried one of the three motifs, 112 GKQGRL 117 , 112 KRQKRF 117 or 112 RRQKRF 117 , at the fusion protein cleavage site and were classified as genotypes I, VI and II in NDV-class II, respectively. This indicated that different genotypes of NDV can circulate simultaneously among pigeons. Further analysis revealed the clustering of some sequences in sub-genotypes Ia and VIb.2. To the best of our knowledge, these sub-genotypes have not been previously reported from pigeons in Egypt. Our results should serve as a base for future studies on both viruses in Egypt.

Stability of Pigeon Body Weight under Free-Feeding Conditions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kangas, Brian D.; Branch, Marc N.

2006-01-01

Increases in regulatory oversight of animal research require verification of effects of standard practices. There are no formal guidelines for establishing free-feeding weights in adult pigeons. In the present study, pigeons were obtained from a commercial supplier, weighed upon arrival, and then held in quarantine for 7 days with free access to…

Study on disinfestation of pulses using microwave technique.

PubMed

Singh, Ranjeet; Singh, K K; Kotwaliwale, N

2012-08-01

Mortality of the pulse beetle (Callosobruchus chinensis L.) exposed, continuously, to microwave radiation (2450 MHz) was evaluated as a function of exposure time and percent power level, at adult stages. The microwave exposure time to attain 100% insect mortality at 100 %, 80%, 60%, 40%, and 20% power levels for Chickpea, Pigeon Pea and Green Gram was optimized. Effect of optimized microwave exposure time on viability, germination, cooking and milling characteristics of Chickpea, Pigeon Pea and Green Gram was also evaluated. Adult stage study was characterized by a distinct dose-exposure curve. The mortality curve was following third degree polynomial equation. The seed viability and germination of Chickpea, Pigeon Pea and Green Gram was affected by microwave exposure time and power level. It was observed that as the power level is decreasing the germination and viability of all the pulses are increasing. The effect on cooking and milling characteristics are not affected by microwave exposure time and power level. The insects in the mobile state were observed to move towards the surface from inside the nutrient medium during microwave exposure. They also curled up and in some cases aggregation was observed.

[Are journalists more frequently victims of stalking? Results of first empirical examinations].

PubMed

Dressing, H; Martini, M; Witthöft, M; Bailer, J; Gass, P

2007-12-01

The lifetime prevalence of stalking is about 12% in the general population. The risk to become a stalking victim is increased for psychiatrists and psychologists. However, there are no studies with regard to other professions. The present study analyses the lifetime prevalence of stalking victimization for journalists, because some professional tasks may also put members of this professional group at a higher risk to become a stalking victim. 493 journalists answered an internet questionnaire. 12% of the journalists reported stalking victimization due to private or other non-professional reasons. This is nearly exactly the same lifetime prevalence that was found in a German community sample. However, 2.2% of the journalists reported stalking victimization that was related to their professional work. This is the first empirical study on this issue. Due to methodological problems no other studies have been published on this topic so far. The reported data of this study have to be interpreted cautiously, because the data are not based on a representative sample. However, comparisons with community-based epidemiological studies render our data a valid basis for starting a discussion of a so far neglected research issue. Our preliminary data suggest that journalists may be at higher risk to become a stalking victim because of their professional activities. Since stalking may cause severe psychological distress in the victims and, in some cases, puts them in severe risk of aggressive violence, preventive strategies should be considered.

Mycoplasma columbinum Isolated From a Racing Pigeon ( Columba livia ) With Arthritis.

PubMed

Hellebuyck, Tom; Garmyn, An; De Cooman, Lien; Boyen, Filip; Pasmans, Frank; Martel, An

2014-09-01

A juvenile racing pigeon ( Columba livia ) was presented with drooping of the wing and inability to fly. On physical examination, the right shoulder joint was swollen. The pigeon was euthanatized and submitted for necropsy. An excessive amount of fibrin was present in the canalis triosseus with severe arthritis of the affected shoulder joint. A pure growth of Mycoplasma-like colonies was obtained on microbiological culture of the shoulder joint. A 16S ribosomal RNA gene-specific polymerase chain reaction assay was performed on the isolate and revealed 100% similarity with Mycoplasma columbinum . Although infectious arthritis in homing pigeons is primarily associated with paratyphoid and Streptococcus gallolyticus infection, clinical practitioners should consider the potential role of Mycoplasma columbinum in arthritis in pigeons.

Effect of Hygromycin-B on pigeons (Columba livia) with and without Trichomonas gallinae

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kocan, R.M.

1972-01-01

Hygromycin-B was administered in varied quantities to pigeons harboring nonvirulent Trichomonas gallinae and to pigeons free of T. gallinae. Both groups responded identically with large yellow caseous lesions in the upper digestive tract which superficially resembled canker (trichomoniasis). No mycotic association with the lesions could be established in either .group from sections stained with periodic acid-Schiff. The lesions observed in Hygromycin-B-treated pigeons were concluded to be the direct result of the drug on the mucosa of the pigeon's upper digestive tract.

Limited susceptibility of pigeons experimentally inoculated with H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Yu; Nakamura, Kikuyasu; Yamada, Manabu; Mase, Masaji

2012-02-01

An experimental infection study was performed using pigeons reared for racing or meat production in Japan and clade 2.2 and 2.3.2 isolates of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus to evaluate the possible role of pigeons in virus transmission to poultry. In experiment 1, when 20 pigeons were intranasally inoculated with high or low viral doses, no inoculated pigeon exhibited clinical signs for 14 days. Drinking water and almost all swab samples were negative for virus isolation. Virus isolation was positive in 3 oral swab samples from 2 pigeons from day 2 through 4 postinoculation, but viral titers of positive samples were extremely low. Immunohistochemical analysis for virus detection was negative in all tissue samples. Along with seroconversion in a limited number of pigeons postinoculation, these results suggest that pigeons have limited susceptibility to the virus used for experimental infection. In experiment 2, when uninoculated chickens were housed with virus-inoculated pigeons, all pigeons and contact chickens survived for 14 days without exhibiting any clinical signs. According to serological analysis, the chickens did not exhibit seroconversion after close contact with inoculated pigeons. Our data suggest that the risk posed by pigeons with respect to the transmission of the H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus to poultry would be less than that for other susceptible avian species.

Evaluation of elastic modulus and hardness of crop stalks cell walls by nano-indentation

Treesearch

Yan Wu; Siqun Wang; Dingguo Zhou; Cheng Xing; Yang Zhang; Zhiyong Cai

2010-01-01

Agricultural biomaterials such as crop stalks are natural sources of cellulosic fiber and have great potential as reinforced materials in bio-composites. In order to evaluate their potential as materials for reinforcement, the nano-mechanical properties of crop-stalk cell walls, i.e. those of cotton (Gossypium herbaceu) stalk, soybean (Glycine max) stalk, cassava (...

[The pigeon tick, Argas reflexus, and hazard for human health].

PubMed

Khoury, Cristina; Maroli, Michele

2004-01-01

The massive presence of the pigeon (Columba livia f. domestica) in urban areas not only is cause of serious aesthetic damages as decline of squares, of churches, of statues and buildings, but often creates many hygienic and medical problems. The pigeon, in fact, can transmit a great number of pathogenic agents and also be infested by several ectoparasites. Among these, Argas reflexus (Acari: Argasidae), the well known pigeon tick, is the most important ectoparasite that can involve also human health. Buildings infested by A. reflexus and attacks by this tick species to man are frequently reported, with an increasing interest for human health. In fact the pigeon tick bites can induce anaphylactic reactions for the presence of allergens, and as vector, the tick can also transmit some pathogens. This review deals with actual knowledge on the distribution, eco-biology, vector competence, prevention and control of A. reflexus in Italy.

Petrographic Analysis and Geochemical Source Correlation of Pigeon Peak, Sutter Buttes, CA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novotny, N. M.; Hausback, B. P.

2013-12-01

The Sutter Buttes are a volcanic complex located in the center of the Great Valley north of Sacramento. They are comprised of numerous inter-intruding andesite and rhyolite lava domes of varying compositions surrounded by a shallow rampart of associated tephras. The Pigeon Peak block-and-ash flow sequence is located in the rampart and made up of a porphyritic Biotite bearing Hornblende Andesite. The andesite blocks demonstrate a high degree of propylization in hornblende crystals, highly zoned plagioclase, trace olivine, and display a red to gray color gradation. DAR is an andesite dome located less than one mile from Pigeon Peak. Of the 15 to 25 andesite lava domes within four miles from Pigeon Peak, only DAR displays trace olivine, red to grey color stratification, low biotite content, and propylitized hornblende. These characteristic similarities suggest that DAR may be the source for Pigeon Peak. My investigation used microprobe analysis of the DAR and Pigeon Peak feldspar crystals to identify the magmatic history of the magma body before emplacement. Correlation of the anorthite zoning within the feldspars from both locations support my hypothesis that DAR is the source of the Pigeon Peak block-and-ash flow.

Species-specific response-topography of chickens' and pigeons' water-induced autoshaped responding.

PubMed

Ploog, Bertram O

2014-07-01

Four pigeons and eight chickens received autoshaping training where a keylight (conditioned stimulus) signaled response-independent deliveries of water (unconditioned stimulus). Pigeons drink while keeping their beaks submerged in water and moving their beaks to create suction ("mumbling"), whereas chickens drink by trapping a small amount of water in their mouths and then lifting their heads so the water trickles down. This experiment tested whether these and other species-specific differences in drinking and related behaviors of pigeons and chickens would be reflected in the form of conditioned (autoshaped) responding. Touchscreens and videotapes were used for data recording. Results showed that chickens moved their heads more than pigeons when drinking (unconditioned response). The birds also differed in conditioned responding in the presence of the keylight: Pigeons produced more keyswitch closures and mumbled at the keylight more than chickens whereas chickens scratched more than pigeons. In conclusion, with this unique comparative method that employed identical contingencies and comparable deprivation levels, species-specific differences in unconditioned responses and, more importantly, differences in their corresponding conditioned responses were observed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Acute prurigo simplex in humans caused by pigeon lice.

PubMed

Stolf, Hamilton Ometto; Reis, Rejane d'Ávila; Espósito, Ana Cláudia Cavalcante; Haddad Júnior, Vidal

2018-03-01

Pigeon lice are insects that feed on feathers of these birds; their life cycle includes egg, nymph and adult and they may cause dermatoses in humans. Four persons of the same family, living in an urban area, presented with widespread intensely pruritic erythematous papules. A great number of lice were seen in their house, which moved from a nest of pigeons located on the condenser of the air-conditioning to the dormitory of one of the patients. Even in urban environments, dermatitis caused by parasites of birds is a possibility in cases of acute prurigo simplex. Pigeon lice are possible etiological agents of this kind of skin eruption, although they are often neglected, even by dermatologists.

Acute prurigo simplex in humans caused by pigeon lice*

PubMed Central

Stolf, Hamilton Ometto; Reis, Rejane d'Ávila; Espósito, Ana Cláudia Cavalcante; Haddad Júnior, Vidal

2018-01-01

Pigeon lice are insects that feed on feathers of these birds; their life cycle includes egg, nymph and adult and they may cause dermatoses in humans. Four persons of the same family, living in an urban area, presented with widespread intensely pruritic erythematous papules. A great number of lice were seen in their house, which moved from a nest of pigeons located on the condenser of the air-conditioning to the dormitory of one of the patients. Even in urban environments, dermatitis caused by parasites of birds is a possibility in cases of acute prurigo simplex. Pigeon lice are possible etiological agents of this kind of skin eruption, although they are often neglected, even by dermatologists. PMID:29723376

Cryptococcus neoformans mates on pigeon guano: implications for the realized ecological niche and globalization.

PubMed

Nielsen, Kirsten; De Obaldia, Anna L; Heitman, Joseph

2007-06-01

The ecological niche that a species can occupy is determined by its resource requirements and the physical conditions necessary for survival. The niche to which an organism is most highly adapted is the realized niche, whereas the complete range of habitats that an organism can occupy represents the fundamental niche. The growth and development of Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii on pigeon guano were examined to determine whether these two species occupy the same or different ecological niches. C. neoformans is a cosmopolitan pathogenic yeast that infects predominantly immunocompromised individuals, exists in two varieties (grubii [serotype A] and neoformans [serotype D]), and is commonly isolated from pigeon guano worldwide. By contrast, C. gattii often infects immunocompetent individuals and is associated with geographically restricted environments, most notably, eucalyptus trees. Pigeon guano supported the growth of both species, and a brown pigment related to melanin, a key virulence factor, was produced. C. neoformans exhibited prolific mating on pigeon guano, whereas C. gattii did not. The observations that C. neoformans completes the life cycle on pigeon guano but that C. gattii does not indicates that pigeon guano could represent the realized ecological niche for C. neoformans. Because C. gattii grows on pigeon guano but cannot sexually reproduce, pigeon guano represents a fundamental but not a realized niche for C. gattii. Based on these studies, we hypothesize that an ancestral Cryptococcus strain gained the ability to sexually reproduce in pigeon guano and then swept the globe.

Cryptococcus neoformans Mates on Pigeon Guano: Implications for the Realized Ecological Niche and Globalization▿

PubMed Central

Nielsen, Kirsten; De Obaldia, Anna L.; Heitman, Joseph

2007-01-01

The ecological niche that a species can occupy is determined by its resource requirements and the physical conditions necessary for survival. The niche to which an organism is most highly adapted is the realized niche, whereas the complete range of habitats that an organism can occupy represents the fundamental niche. The growth and development of Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii on pigeon guano were examined to determine whether these two species occupy the same or different ecological niches. C. neoformans is a cosmopolitan pathogenic yeast that infects predominantly immunocompromised individuals, exists in two varieties (grubii [serotype A] and neoformans [serotype D]), and is commonly isolated from pigeon guano worldwide. By contrast, C. gattii often infects immunocompetent individuals and is associated with geographically restricted environments, most notably, eucalyptus trees. Pigeon guano supported the growth of both species, and a brown pigment related to melanin, a key virulence factor, was produced. C. neoformans exhibited prolific mating on pigeon guano, whereas C. gattii did not. The observations that C. neoformans completes the life cycle on pigeon guano but that C. gattii does not indicates that pigeon guano could represent the realized ecological niche for C. neoformans. Because C. gattii grows on pigeon guano but cannot sexually reproduce, pigeon guano represents a fundamental but not a realized niche for C. gattii. Based on these studies, we hypothesize that an ancestral Cryptococcus strain gained the ability to sexually reproduce in pigeon guano and then swept the globe. PMID:17449657

Identifying Predictors of Negative Psychological Reactions to Stalking Victimization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Matthew C.; Kercher, Glen A.

2009-01-01

Victims of stalking often experience a number of negative psychological problems including such things as fear, symptoms of depression, and anger. However, research on factors that lead to these outcomes is limited. The goal of this study was to first identify distinct subgroups of stalking victims based on measures of psychological problems…

Obtaining of caffeine from Turkish tea fiber and stalk wastes.

PubMed

Gürü, M; Içen, H

2004-08-01

The aim of this study was to find a cheap method to obtain caffeine. Experiments were performed on fiber and stalk wastes of Turkish tea plants that had no economical value other than being used merely as low grade fuel and fodder. Tea stalks and fiber were obtained from tea factories. Parameters affecting caffeine extraction from tea wastes were determined to be, mixing rate, water/tea ratio, temperature, time and particle size. The maximum yields by dried mass from the tea fibers and stalks were 1.16% and 0.92%, respectively.

An evaluation of the impact of aloe vera and licorice extracts on the course of experimental pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 infection in pigeons.

PubMed

Dziewulska, D; Stenzel, T; Smialek, M; Tykalowski, B; Koncicki, A

2018-02-01

The progressive decrease in the efficiency of synthetic drugs has prompted research into phytogenic feed additives with potentially immunomodulatory and anti-infective properties. Complex diseases with a mixed etiology, including viral, pose a growing problem in domestic pigeons. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of various doses of aloe vera and licorice extracts on the course of experimental PPMV-1 infection in pigeons. The experiment was performed on pigeons divided into 5 groups, including one control group and 4 experimental groups, which were orally administered aloe vera or licorice extracts at 300 or 500 mg/kg BW for 7 d after experimental inoculation with PPMV-1. On d 4, 7, and 14 after inoculation, cloacal swabs and samples of organs were collected from 4 birds in each group. The samples were analyzed to determine the copy number of PPMV-1 RNA by TaqMan qPCR. The results indicate that licorice and aloe vera extracts inhibited PPMV-1 replication by decreasing viral RNA copy numbers in the examined organs. The most inhibitory effect was observed in pigeons receiving aloe vera extract at 300 mg/kg BW, for which PPMV-1 RNA copy numbers were approximately 7-fold lower (brain), 9-fold lower (kidneys), and 14-fold lower (liver) than in the control group. The results of this study point to the potentially antiviral effects of aloe vera and licorice extracts in pigeons infected with PPMV-1. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the antiviral properties of aloe vera and licorice extracts in domestic pigeons. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Poultry Science Association.

Altered Orientation and Flight Paths of Pigeons Reared on Gravity Anomalies: A GPS Tracking Study

PubMed Central

Blaser, Nicole; Guskov, Sergei I.; Meskenaite, Virginia; Kanevskyi, Valerii A.; Lipp, Hans-Peter

2013-01-01

The mechanisms of pigeon homing are still not understood, in particular how they determine their position at unfamiliar locations. The “gravity vector” theory holds that pigeons memorize the gravity vector at their home loft and deduct home direction and distance from the angular difference between memorized and actual gravity vector. However, the gravity vector is tilted by different densities in the earth crust leading to gravity anomalies. We predicted that pigeons reared on different gravity anomalies would show different initial orientation and also show changes in their flight path when crossing a gravity anomaly. We reared one group of pigeons in a strong gravity anomaly with a north-to-south gravity gradient, and the other group of pigeons in a normal area but on a spot with a strong local anomaly with a west-to-east gravity gradient. After training over shorter distances, pigeons were released from a gravitationally and geomagnetically normal site 50 km north in the same direction for both home lofts. As expected by the theory, the two groups of pigeons showed divergent initial orientation. In addition, some of the GPS-tracked pigeons also showed changes in their flight paths when crossing gravity anomalies. We conclude that even small local gravity anomalies at the birth place of pigeons may have the potential to bias the map sense of pigeons, while reactivity to gravity gradients during flight was variable and appeared to depend on individual navigational strategies and frequency of position updates. PMID:24194860

Altered orientation and flight paths of pigeons reared on gravity anomalies: a GPS tracking study.

PubMed

Blaser, Nicole; Guskov, Sergei I; Meskenaite, Virginia; Kanevskyi, Valerii A; Lipp, Hans-Peter

2013-01-01

The mechanisms of pigeon homing are still not understood, in particular how they determine their position at unfamiliar locations. The "gravity vector" theory holds that pigeons memorize the gravity vector at their home loft and deduct home direction and distance from the angular difference between memorized and actual gravity vector. However, the gravity vector is tilted by different densities in the earth crust leading to gravity anomalies. We predicted that pigeons reared on different gravity anomalies would show different initial orientation and also show changes in their flight path when crossing a gravity anomaly. We reared one group of pigeons in a strong gravity anomaly with a north-to-south gravity gradient, and the other group of pigeons in a normal area but on a spot with a strong local anomaly with a west-to-east gravity gradient. After training over shorter distances, pigeons were released from a gravitationally and geomagnetically normal site 50 km north in the same direction for both home lofts. As expected by the theory, the two groups of pigeons showed divergent initial orientation. In addition, some of the GPS-tracked pigeons also showed changes in their flight paths when crossing gravity anomalies. We conclude that even small local gravity anomalies at the birth place of pigeons may have the potential to bias the map sense of pigeons, while reactivity to gravity gradients during flight was variable and appeared to depend on individual navigational strategies and frequency of position updates.

Scale-dependent associations of Band-tailed Pigeon counts at mineral sites

USGS Publications Warehouse

Overton, Cory T.; Casazza, Michael L.; Coates, Peter S.

2010-01-01

The abundance of Band-tailed Pigeons (Patagioenas fasciata monilis) has declined substantially from historic numbers along the Pacific Coast. Identification of patterns and causative factors of this decline are hampered because habitat use data are limited, and temporal and spatial variability patterns associated with population indices are not known. Furthermore, counts are influenced not only by pigeon abundance but also by rate of visitation to mineral sites, which may not be consistent. To address these issues, we conducted mineral site counts during 2001 and 2002 at 20 locations from 4 regions in the Pacific Northwest, including central Oregon and western Washington, USA, and British Columbia, Canada. We developed inference models that consisted of environmental factors and spatial characteristics at multiple spatial scales. Based on information theory, we compared models within a final set that included variables measured at 3 spatial scales (0.03 ha, 3.14 ha, and 7850 ha). Pigeon counts increased from central Oregon through northern Oregon and decreased into British Columbia. After accounting for this spatial pattern, we found that pigeon counts increased 12% ± 2.7 with a 10% increase in the amount of deciduous forested area within 100 m from a mineral site. Also, distance from the mineral site of interest to the nearest known mineral site was positively related to pigeon counts. These findings provide direction for future research focusing on understanding the relationships between indices of relative abundance and complete counts (censuses) of pigeon populations by identifying habitat characteristics that might influence visitation rates. Furthermore, our results suggest that spatial arrangement of mineral sites influences Band-tailed Pigeon counts and the populations which those counts represent.

The navigation of homing pigeons: Do they use sun Navigation?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walcott, C.

1972-01-01

Experiments to determine the dependence of homing pigeons on the sun as a navigational cue are discussed. Various methods were employed to interrupt the circadian rhythms of the pigeons prior to release. It was determined that the sun may serve as a compass, but that topographic features are more important for navigation. The effects of a magnetic field produced by electric equipment carried by the bird were also investigated. It was concluded that magnetic fields may have a small effect on the homing ability. The exact nature of the homing pigeon's navigational ability is still unknown after years of elaborate experimentation.

How pigeons discriminate the relative frequency of events.

PubMed

Keen, R; Machado, A

1999-09-01

This study examined how pigeons discriminate the relative frequencies of events when the events occur serially. In a discrete-trials procedure, 6 pigeons were shown one light nf times and then another nl times. Next, they received food for choosing the light that had occurred the least number of times during the sample. At issue were (a) how the discrimination was related to two variables, the difference between the frequencies of the two lights, D = nf - nl, and the total number of lights in the sample, T = nf + nl; and (b) whether a simple mathematical model of the discrimination process could account for the data. In contrast with models that assume that pigeons count the stimulus lights, engage in mental arithmetic on numerons, or remember the number of stimuli, the present model assumed only that the influence of a sample stimulus on choice increases linearly when the stimulus is presented, but decays exponentially when the stimulus is absent. The results showed that, overall, the pigeons discriminated the relative frequencies well. Their accuracy always increased with the absolute value of the difference D and, for D > 0, it decreased with T. Performance also showed clear recency, primacy, and contextual effects. The model accounted well for the major trends in the data.

LDHA gene is associated with pigeon survivability during racing competitions

PubMed Central

Ramadan, Sherif; Miyake, Takeshi; Yamaura, Junichi

2018-01-01

Pigeon racing is a popular sport worldwide. Pigeons are under continuous selection to improve speed, spatial orientation, and endurance during long flights. However, numerous genetic and non-genetic factors affect survivability and homing ability, making such traits difficult for breeders to control. Polymorphisms in the lactate dehydrogenase A gene (LDHA) likely affects pigeon racing and homing abilities, due to its role in physical and mental performance. Additionally, the adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide 1 gene (ADCYAP1) has been associated with physiological and behavioral shifts that occur during avian migration. In this study, we examined the association between LDHA and ADCYAP1 genotypes with pigeon survivability during racing competitions. Survivability was evaluated through the estimated breeding value (EBV) of each individual’s total race distances during its athletic life. ADCYAP1 was not polymorphic among our samples, while LDHA genotypes were significantly associated with deviated EBV values of longer total race distance; individuals carrying the S+ genotype had higher EBV (i.e., greater survivability). Thus, the LDHA locus might be useful for marker-assisted selection, empowering breeders and trainers to maximize pigeon quality. Moreover, data obtained from breeding will also improve our understanding of the genetic mechanism underlying navigation and flight for wild migrating bird species. PMID:29775483

Coccidiosis of domestic pigeons (Columba livia domestica Gmelin, 1789) in Kano State, Nigeria

PubMed

Mohammed, Balarabe R; Simon, Malang K; Agbede, Rowland IS; Arzai, Auwalu H

Pigeon coccidiosis is caused by Eimeria spp., a protozoan parasite which limits productivity by causing severe illness. Although numerous studies have been conducted on the coccidiosis of pigeons in some parts of Nigeria, there is no published data from Kano State. The intestinal contents of 144 pigeons (72 females and 72 males) were analysed for Eimeria oocysts in 2007 from 12 Local Government Areas of Kano State over the period of six months including the dry (February–April) and wet (June–August) seasons. The pigeons were divided into three groups according to age: squabs (0–4 weeks), squeakers (5–8 weeks) and youngsters (9+ weeks); each group including 48 pigeons. The results of these studies revealed an overall prevalence of 19.44%. The prevalence was higher in females (20.83%) than males (18.06%) (p<0.05). Furthermore, squabs had the highest prevalence (27.08%) followed by squeakers (20.83%), and youngsters (10.42%) (p<0.05). Infection with Eimeria spp. oocysts was higher during the wet season (8.96%) than dry season (5.98%) (p<0.05). This study provides basic information on the first detection of coccidiosis of pigeons in Kano State, Nigeria which has an implication on the sustainable pigeon production for human protein reguirement.

A magnetic pulse does not affect homing pigeon navigation: a GPS tracking experiment.

PubMed

Holland, Richard; Filannino, Caterina; Gagliardo, Anna

2013-06-15

The cues by which homing pigeons are able to return to a home loft after displacement to unfamiliar release sites remain debated. A number of experiments in which migratory birds have been treated with a magnetic pulse have produced a disruption in their orientation, which argues that a ferrimagnetic sense is used for navigation in birds. One previous experiment has also indicated an effect of magnetic pulses on homing pigeon navigation, although with inconsistent results. Previous studies have shown that some magnetic-related information is transmitted by the trigeminal nerve to the brain in some bird species, including the homing pigeon. The function of this information is still unclear. It has been suggested that this information is important for navigation. Previous studies with trigeminal nerve lesioned homing pigeons have clearly shown that the lack of trigeminally mediated information, even if magnetic, is not crucial for homing performance. However, this result does not completely exclude the possibility that other ferrimagnetic receptors in the homing pigeon play a role in navigation. Additionally, recent studies on homing pigeons suggested the existence of a ferrimagnetic sense in a novel location presumably located in the inner ear (lagena). In the present study, we tested whether any ferrimagnetic magnetoreceptors, irrespective of their location in the bird's head, are involved in pigeons' homing. To do this, we treated homing pigeons with a strong magnetic pulse before release, tracked birds with GPS loggers and analyzed whether this treatment affected homing performance. In the single previous magnetic pulse experiment on homing pigeons, only initial orientation at a release site was considered and the results were inconsistent. We observed no effect of the magnetic pulse at any of the sites used on initial orientation, homing performance, tortuosity or track efficiency, which does not support a role for the ferrimagnetic sense in homing pigeon

Structure and Mutagenesis of the Parainfluenza Virus 5 Hemagglutinin-Neuraminidase Stalk Domain Reveals a Four-Helix Bundle and the Role of the Stalk in Fusion Promotion▿

PubMed Central

Bose, Sayantan; Welch, Brett D.; Kors, Christopher A.; Yuan, Ping; Jardetzky, Theodore S.; Lamb, Robert A.

2011-01-01

Paramyxovirus entry into cells requires the fusion protein (F) and a receptor binding protein (hemagglutinin-neuraminidase [HN], H, or G). The multifunctional HN protein of some paramyxoviruses, besides functioning as the receptor (sialic acid) binding protein (hemagglutinin activity) and the receptor-destroying protein (neuraminidase activity), enhances F activity, presumably by lowering the activation energy required for F to mediate fusion of viral and cellular membranes. Before or upon receptor binding by the HN globular head, F is believed to interact with the HN stalk. Unfortunately, until recently none of the receptor binding protein crystal structures have shown electron density for the stalk domain. Parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV5) HN exists as a noncovalent dimer-of-dimers on the surface of cells, linked by a single disulfide bond in the stalk. Here we present the crystal structure of the PIV5-HN stalk domain at a resolution of 2.65 Å, revealing a four-helix bundle (4HB) with an upper (N-terminal) straight region and a lower (C-terminal) supercoiled part. The hydrophobic core residues are a mix of an 11-mer repeat and a 3- to 4-heptad repeat. To functionally characterize the role of the HN stalk in F interactions and fusion, we designed mutants along the PIV5-HN stalk that are N-glycosylated to physically disrupt F-HN interactions. By extensive study of receptor binding, neuraminidase activity, oligomerization, and fusion-promoting functions of the mutant proteins, we found a correlation between the position of the N-glycosylation mutants on the stalk structure and their neuraminidase activities as well as their abilities to promote fusion. PMID:21994464

Review of the health benefits of peas (Pisum sativum L.).

PubMed

Dahl, Wendy J; Foster, Lauren M; Tyler, Robert T

2012-08-01

Pulses, including peas, have long been important components of the human diet due to their content of starch, protein and other nutrients. More recently, the health benefits other than nutrition associated with pulse consumption have attracted much interest. The focus of the present review paper is the demonstrated and potential health benefits associated with the consumption of peas, Pisum sativum L., specifically green and yellow cotyledon dry peas, also known as smooth peas or field peas. These health benefits derive mainly from the concentration and properties of starch, protein, fibre, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals in peas. Fibre from the seed coat and the cell walls of the cotyledon contributes to gastrointestinal function and health, and reduces the digestibility of starch in peas. The intermediate amylose content of pea starch also contributes to its lower glycaemic index and reduced starch digestibility. Pea protein, when hydrolysed, may yield peptides with bioactivities, including angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitor activity and antioxidant activity. The vitamin and mineral contents of peas may play important roles in the prevention of deficiency-related diseases, specifically those related to deficiencies of Se or folate. Peas contain a variety of phytochemicals once thought of only as antinutritive factors. These include polyphenolics, in coloured seed coat types in particular, which may have antioxidant and anticarcinogenic activity, saponins which may exhibit hypocholesterolaemic and anticarcinogenic activity, and galactose oligosaccharides which may exert beneficial prebiotic effects in the large intestine.

Stalking as paranoid attachment: a typological and dynamic model.

PubMed

Wilson, John S; Ermshar, Annette L; Welsh, Robert K

2006-06-01

Stalking encompasses a wide range of behavioral patterns, risk factors, interpersonal dynamics, and dangerousness. To account for these diverse phenomena, we propose that stalking behavior is best conceptualized by a dynamic interaction of attachment styles and psychodynamic phenomena. This paper articulates a model that explains stalking behavior within the framework of attachment theory. Four prototypical configurations of stalkers and their victims are developed. Each configuration is discussed in terms of a pattern of internal representations, affective constellations, combinations of aggression and narcissism, and potential for future violence. The four configurations proposed here are maintained through stalkers' over ideational linkage fantasies and projective identifications, which range from shame-prone and needy idealization to malevolent torment of the victim. Our model arrays erotomanic, jealous, and persecutory attachments along a continuum of increasingly paranoid and pathological identifications. We argue that these prototypical attachment configurations provide a theoretically driven means of differentiating phases of stalking, and as such provide useful leads in the empirical study and clinical assessment, treatment, and management of stalkers.

Evaluation of cotton stalk hydrolysate for xylitol production.

PubMed

Sapcı, Burcu; Akpinar, Ozlem; Bolukbasi, Ufuk; Yilmaz, Levent

2016-07-03

Cotton stalk is a widely distributed and abundant lignocellulosic waste found in Turkey. Because of its rich xylose content, it can be a promising source for the production of xylitol. Xylitol can be produced by chemical or biotechnological methods. Because the biotechnological method is a simple process with great substrate specificity and low energy requirements, it is more of an economic alternative for the xylitol production. This study aimed to use cotton stalk for the production of xylitol with Candida tropicalis Kuen 1022. For this purpose, the combined effects of different oxygen concentration, inoculum level and substrate concentration were investigated to obtain high xylitol yield and volumetric xylitol production rate. Candida tropicalis Kuen 1022 afforded different concentrations of xylitol depending on xylose concentration, inoculum level, and oxygen concentration. The optimum xylose, yeast concentration, and airflow rate for cotton stalk hydrolysate were found as 10.41 g L(-1), 0.99 g L(-1), and 1.02 vvm, respectively, and under these conditions, xylitol yield and volumetric xylitol production rate were obtained as 36% and 0.06 g L(-1) hr(-1), respectively. The results of this study show that cotton stalk can serve as a potential renewable source for the production of xylitol.

[Effects of hot-NaOH pretreatment on Jerusalem artichoke stalk composition and subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis].

PubMed

Wang, Qing; Qiu, Jingwen; Li, Yang; Shen, Fei

2015-10-01

In order to explore the possibility of Jerusalem artichoke stalk for bioenergy conversion, we analyzed the main composition of whole stalk, pitch, and core of the stalk. Meanwhile, these parts were pretreated with different NaOH concentrations at 121 degrees C. Afterwards, enzymatic hydrolysis was performed to evaluate the pretreatment efficiency. Jerusalem artichoke stalk was characterized by relatively high lignin content (32.0%) compared with traditional crop stalks. The total carbohydrate content was close to that of crop stalks, but with higher cellulose content (40.5%) and lower hemicellulose (19.6%) than those of traditional crop stalks. After pretreatment, the lignin content in the whole stalk, pitch, and core decreased by 13.1%-13.4%, 8.3%-13.5%, and 19.9%-27.2%, respectively, compared with the unpretreated substrates. The hemicellulose content in the whole stalk, pitch, and core decreased 87.8%-96.9%, 87.6%-95.0%, and 74.0%-90.2%, respectively. Correspondingly, the cellulose content in the pretreated whole stalk, pitch, and core increased by 56.5%-60.2%, 52.2%-55.4%, and 62.7%-73.2%, respectively. Moreover, increase of NaOH concentration for pretreatment could improve the enzymatic hydrolysis of the whole stalk and pitch by 2.3-2.6 folds and 10.3-18.5 folds, respectively. The hydrolysis of pretreated stalk core decreased significantly as 2.0 mol/L NaOH was employed, although the increased NaOH concentration can also improve its hydrolysis performance. Based on these results, hot-NaOH can be regarded as an option for Jerusalem artichoke stalk pretreatment. Increasing NaOH concentration was beneficial to hemicellulose and lignin removal, and consequently improved sugar conversion. However, the potential decrease of sugar conversion of the pretreated core by higher NaOH concentration suggested further optimization on the pretreatment conditions should be performed.

Stalking by patients: doctors' experiences in a Canadian urban area (Part II)--physician responses.

PubMed

Abrams, Karen M; Robinson, Gail Erlick

2013-07-01

Stalking involves recurrent unwanted communication, harassment, and intrusive behaviors. The aim of this study was to examine physicians' experiences of being stalked by their patients, with particular attention to the emotional impact on the physicians and their actions taken. A questionnaire designed to study the nature and the impact of stalking experiences among physicians was sent to 3159 randomly chosen physicians in the Greater Toronto Area. Approximately 15% (14.9%) of the 1190 physicians who responded reported having been stalked. The physicians reported feeling angry, frustrated, anxious, frightened, lacking control, and helpless. The physicians coped in a number of ways including terminating the physician-patient relationship, but many just ignored the problem. Most had no previous knowledge about stalking. Physicians experience a range of emotions as a result of being a victim of stalking. In view of the prevalence and the impact, physicians may benefit from education to help prepare them for the possibility of being stalked.

Genomic Tools in Pea Breeding Programs: Status and Perspectives

PubMed Central

Tayeh, Nadim; Aubert, Grégoire; Pilet-Nayel, Marie-Laure; Lejeune-Hénaut, Isabelle; Warkentin, Thomas D.; Burstin, Judith

2015-01-01

Pea (Pisum sativum L.) is an annual cool-season legume and one of the oldest domesticated crops. Dry pea seeds contain 22–25% protein, complex starch and fiber constituents, and a rich array of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals which make them a valuable source for human consumption and livestock feed. Dry pea ranks third to common bean and chickpea as the most widely grown pulse in the world with more than 11 million tons produced in 2013. Pea breeding has achieved great success since the time of Mendel's experiments in the mid-1800s. However, several traits still require significant improvement for better yield stability in a larger growing area. Key breeding objectives in pea include improving biotic and abiotic stress resistance and enhancing yield components and seed quality. Taking advantage of the diversity present in the pea genepool, many mapping populations have been constructed in the last decades and efforts have been deployed to identify loci involved in the control of target traits and further introgress them into elite breeding materials. Pea now benefits from next-generation sequencing and high-throughput genotyping technologies that are paving the way for genome-wide association studies and genomic selection approaches. This review covers the significant development and deployment of genomic tools for pea breeding in recent years. Future prospects are discussed especially in light of current progress toward deciphering the pea genome. PMID:26640470

An integrative contextual developmental model of male stalking.

PubMed

White, J; Kowalski, R M; Lyndon, A; Valentine, S

2000-01-01

This article evaluates current research and theory on stalking as a form of male violence against women. The integrative contextual developmental model (White & Kowalski, 1998) suggests that stalking, as legally defined, is best understood as a multiply determined form of violence, with variables identifiable at several levels, the sociocultural, interpersonal, dyadic, situational and intrapersonal. The model also serves as a framework for identifying gaps in current research and suggests directions for further work.

Selective Predation of a Stalking Predator on Ungulate Prey

PubMed Central

Heurich, Marco; Zeis, Klara; Küchenhoff, Helmut; Müller, Jörg; Belotti, Elisa; Bufka, Luděk; Woelfing, Benno

2016-01-01

Prey selection is a key factor shaping animal populations and evolutionary dynamics. An optimal forager should target prey that offers the highest benefits in terms of energy content at the lowest costs. Predators are therefore expected to select for prey of optimal size. Stalking predators do not pursue their prey long, which may lead to a more random choice of prey individuals. Due to difficulties in assessing the composition of available prey populations, data on prey selection of stalking carnivores are still scarce. We show how the stalking predator Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) selects prey individuals based on species identity, age, sex and individual behaviour. To address the difficulties in assessing prey population structure, we confirm inferred selection patterns by using two independent data sets: (1) data of 387 documented kills of radio-collared lynx were compared to the prey population structure retrieved from systematic camera trapping using Manly’s standardized selection ratio alpha and (2) data on 120 radio-collared roe deer were analysed using a Cox proportional hazards model. Among the larger red deer prey, lynx selected against adult males—the largest and potentially most dangerous prey individuals. In roe deer lynx preyed selectively on males and did not select for a specific age class. Activity during high risk periods reduced the risk of falling victim to a lynx attack. Our results suggest that the stalking predator lynx actively selects for size, while prey behaviour induces selection by encounter and stalking success rates. PMID:27548478

The Impact of Deoxynivalenol on Pigeon Health: Occurrence in Feed, Toxicokinetics and Interaction with Salmonellosis

PubMed Central

Devreese, Mathias; Broekaert, Nathan; Verbrugghe, Elin; De Saeger, Sarah; Audenaert, Kris; Haesebrouck, Freddy; Pasmans, Frank; Ducatelle, Richard; Croubels, Siska; Martel, An

2016-01-01

Seed-based pigeon diets could be expected to result in exposure of pigeons to mycotoxins such as deoxynivalenol (DON). Ingestion of low to moderate contamination levels of DON may impair intestinal health, immune function and/or pathogen fitness, resulting in altered host-pathogen interactions and thus different outcome of infections. Here we demonstrate that DON was one of the most frequently detected mycotoxins in seed-based racing pigeons feed, contaminating 5 out of 10 samples (range 177–1,466 μg/kg). Subsequently, a toxicokinetic analysis revealed a low absolute oral bioavailability (F) of DON in pigeons (30.4%), which is comparable to other avian species. Furthermore, semi-quantitative analysis using high-resolution mass spectrometry revealed that DON-3α-sulphate is the major metabolite of DON in pigeons after intravenous as well as oral administration. Following ingestion of DON contaminated feed, the intestinal epithelial cells are exposed to significant DON concentrations which eventually may affect intestinal translocation and colonization of bacteria. Feeding pigeons a DON contaminated diet resulted in an increased percentage of pigeons shedding Salmonella compared to birds fed control diet, 87 ± 17% versus 74 ± 13%, respectively. However, no impact of DON was observed on the Salmonella induced disease signs, organ lesions, faecal and organ Salmonella counts. The presented risk assessment indicates that pigeons are frequently exposed to mycotoxins such as DON, which can affect the outcome of a Salmonella infection. The increasing number of pigeons shedding Salmonella suggests that DON can promote the spread of the bacterium within pigeon populations. PMID:27997572

First description of Cryptosporidium parvum in carrier pigeons (Columba livia).

PubMed

Oliveira, Bruno César Miranda; Ferrari, Elis Domingos; da Cruz Panegossi, Mariele Fernanda; Nakamura, Alex Akira; Corbucci, Flávio Sader; Nagata, Walter Bertequini; Dos Santos, Bianca Martins; Gomes, Jancarlo Ferreira; Meireles, Marcelo Vasconcelos; Widmer, Giovanni; Bresciani, Katia Denise Saraiva

2017-08-30

The carrier pigeon and the domestic pigeon are different breeds of the species Columba livia. Carrier pigeons are used for recreational activities such as bird contests and exhibitions. Due to the close contact with humans, these birds may potentially represent a public health risk, since they can host and disseminate zoonotic parasites, such as those belonging to the genus Cryptosporidium (phylum Apicomplexa). The purpose of this work was the detection by microscopic and molecular techniques of Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts in fecal samples of carrier pigeons, and subsequently to sequence the 18S ribosomal RNA marker of positive samples to identify the species. A total of 100 fecal samples were collected individually in two pigeon breeding facilities from Formiga and Araçatuba, cities located in Minas Gerais state and São Paulo state, Brazil, respectively. The age of the birds ranged from one to 12 years; 56 were females and 44 males. Fecal smears were stained with negative malachite green, whereas the molecular characterization was based on the sequence of a ∼800bp fragment of the 18S rRNA gene. Microscopic examination of fecal smears revealed 4% (4/100) oocyst positivity. On the other hand, 7% (7/100) of positivity were found using nested PCR. Three samples were 99% to 100% similar to Cryptosporidium parvum 18S rDNA type A (Genbank AH006572) and the other three samples had 99% to 100% similarity to C. parvum 18S rDNA type B (Genbank AF308600). To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. parvum oocysts in carrier pigeons. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bean α-amylase inhibitor 1 in transgenic peas (Pisum sativum) provides complete protection from pea weevil (Bruchus pisorum) under field conditions

PubMed Central

Morton, Roger L.; Schroeder, Hart E.; Bateman, Kaye S.; Chrispeels, Maarten J.; Armstrong, Eric; Higgins, Thomas J. V.

2000-01-01

Two α-amylase inhibitors, called αAI-1 and αAI-2, that share 78% amino acid sequence identity and have a differential specificity toward mammalian and insect α-amylases are present in different accessions of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). Using greenhouse-grown transgenic peas (Pisum sativum), we have shown previously that expression of αAI-1 in pea seeds can provide complete protection against the pea weevil (Bruchus pisorum). Here, we report that αAI-1 also protects peas from the weevil under field conditions. The high degree of protection is explained by our finding that αAI-1 inhibits pea bruchid α-amylase by 80% over a broad pH range (pH 4.5–6.5). αAI-2, on the other hand, is a much less effective inhibitor of pea bruchid α-amylase, inhibiting the enzyme by only 40%, and only in the pH 4.0–4.5 range. Nevertheless, this inhibitor was still partially effective in protecting field-grown transgenic peas against pea weevils. The primary effect of αAI-2 appeared to be a delay in the maturation of the larvae. This contrasts with the effect of αAI-1, which results in larval mortality at the first or second instar. These results are discussed in relationship to the use of amylase inhibitors with different specificities to bring about protection of crops from their insect pests or to decrease insect pest populations below the economic injury level. PMID:10759552

21 CFR 155.170 - Canned peas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... the pea plant of the species Pisum sativum L. but excluding the subspecies macrocarpum. Only sweet... any combination of two or more of the dry or liquid forms of sugar, invert sugar sirup, dextrose... characteristics. Where the peas are of sweet green wrinkled varieties or hybrids having similar characteristics...

21 CFR 155.170 - Canned peas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... the pea plant of the species Pisum sativum L. but excluding the subspecies macrocarpum. Only sweet... any combination of two or more of the dry or liquid forms of sugar, invert sugar sirup, dextrose... characteristics. Where the peas are of sweet green wrinkled varieties or hybrids having similar characteristics...

21 CFR 155.170 - Canned peas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... the pea plant of the species Pisum sativum L. but excluding the subspecies macrocarpum. Only sweet... any combination of two or more of the dry or liquid forms of sugar, invert sugar sirup, dextrose... characteristics. Where the peas are of sweet green wrinkled varieties or hybrids having similar characteristics...

Complete genome sequence of genotype VI Newcastle disease viruses isolated from pigeons in Pakistan

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Two complete genome sequences of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) are described here. Virulent isolates pigeon/Pakistan/Lahore/21A/2015 and pigeon/Pakistan/Lahore/25A/2015 were obtained from racing pigeons sampled in the Pakistani province of Punjab during 2015. Phylogenetic analysis of the fusion prot...

SNP marker discovery, linkage map construction and identification of QTLs for enhanced salinity tolerance in field pea (Pisum sativum L.)

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Field pea (Pisum sativum L.) is a self-pollinating, diploid, cool-season food legume. Crop production is constrained by multiple biotic and abiotic stress factors, including salinity, that cause reduced growth and yield. Recent advances in genomics have permitted the development of low-cost high-throughput genotyping systems, allowing the construction of saturated genetic linkage maps for identification of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with traits of interest. Genetic markers in close linkage with the relevant genomic regions may then be implemented in varietal improvement programs. Results In this study, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers associated with expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were developed and used to generate comprehensive linkage maps for field pea. From a set of 36,188 variant nucleotide positions detected through in silico analysis, 768 were selected for genotyping of a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population. A total of 705 SNPs (91.7%) successfully detected segregating polymorphisms. In addition to SNPs, genomic and EST-derived simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were assigned to the genetic map in order to obtain an evenly distributed genome-wide coverage. Sequences associated with the mapped molecular markers were used for comparative genomic analysis with other legume species. Higher levels of conserved synteny were observed with the genomes of Medicago truncatula Gaertn. and chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) than with soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.), Lotus japonicus L. and pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan [L.] Millsp.). Parents and RIL progeny were screened at the seedling growth stage for responses to salinity stress, imposed by addition of NaCl in the watering solution at a concentration of 18 dS m-1. Salinity-induced symptoms showed normal distribution, and the severity of the symptoms increased over time. QTLs for salinity tolerance were identified on linkage groups Ps III and VII, with flanking SNP markers suitable for

SNP marker discovery, linkage map construction and identification of QTLs for enhanced salinity tolerance in field pea (Pisum sativum L.).

PubMed

Leonforte, Antonio; Sudheesh, Shimna; Cogan, Noel O I; Salisbury, Philip A; Nicolas, Marc E; Materne, Michael; Forster, John W; Kaur, Sukhjiwan

2013-10-17

Field pea (Pisum sativum L.) is a self-pollinating, diploid, cool-season food legume. Crop production is constrained by multiple biotic and abiotic stress factors, including salinity, that cause reduced growth and yield. Recent advances in genomics have permitted the development of low-cost high-throughput genotyping systems, allowing the construction of saturated genetic linkage maps for identification of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with traits of interest. Genetic markers in close linkage with the relevant genomic regions may then be implemented in varietal improvement programs. In this study, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers associated with expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were developed and used to generate comprehensive linkage maps for field pea. From a set of 36,188 variant nucleotide positions detected through in silico analysis, 768 were selected for genotyping of a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population. A total of 705 SNPs (91.7%) successfully detected segregating polymorphisms. In addition to SNPs, genomic and EST-derived simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were assigned to the genetic map in order to obtain an evenly distributed genome-wide coverage. Sequences associated with the mapped molecular markers were used for comparative genomic analysis with other legume species. Higher levels of conserved synteny were observed with the genomes of Medicago truncatula Gaertn. and chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) than with soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.), Lotus japonicus L. and pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan [L.] Millsp.). Parents and RIL progeny were screened at the seedling growth stage for responses to salinity stress, imposed by addition of NaCl in the watering solution at a concentration of 18 dS m-1. Salinity-induced symptoms showed normal distribution, and the severity of the symptoms increased over time. QTLs for salinity tolerance were identified on linkage groups Ps III and VII, with flanking SNP markers suitable for selection of

Testing pigeon memory in a change detection task.

PubMed

Wright, Anthony A; Katz, Jeffrey S; Magnotti, John; Elmore, L Caitlin; Babb, Stephanie; Alwin, Sarah

2010-04-01

Six pigeons were trained in a change detection task with four colors. They were shown two colored circles on a sample array, followed by a test array with the color of one circle changed. The pigeons learned to choose the changed color and transferred their performance to four unfamiliar colors, suggesting that they had learned a generalized concept of color change. They also transferred performance to test delays several times their 50-msec training delay without prior delay training. The accurate delay performance of several seconds suggests that their change detection was memory based, as opposed to a perceptual attentional capture process. These experiments are the first to show that an animal species (pigeons, in this case) can learn a change detection task identical to ones used to test human memory, thereby providing the possibility of directly comparing short-term memory processing across species.

What can we learn from the first community-based epidemiological study on stalking in Germany?

PubMed

Dressing, Harald; Gass, Peter; Kuehner, Christine

2007-01-01

There is a lack of community-based studies on prevalence rates of stalking and the impact of stalking on victims in continental European countries. The authors published the first community-based epidemiological study on stalking in Germany. The purpose of this paper is to discuss possible implications of these epidemiological data for the mental health system, forensic psychiatry and legal regulations in Germany. For these reasons some data of our epidemiological study are outlined and reanalyzed. To examine lifetime and point prevalence rates of stalking, behavioural and psychological consequences for victims and the impact of stalking on current psychological well-being in a German community sample, a postal survey was conducted with 2000 inhabitants randomly selected from Mannheim (response rate 34.2%, n=679). The survey included a stalking questionnaire and the WHO-5 well-being scale. Almost 12% of the respondents reported having been stalked. This study identified a high lifetime prevalence of stalking in the community. Effects on victims' psychological health were significant and there was a high rate of physical (31%) and sexual (19%) violence in the context of stalking. Our data suggest that the phenomenon deserves more attention in future forensic psychiatric research and practice. Implications for forensic psychiatric assessment and treatment of stalkers as well as for management of stalking victims are discussed.

Vicilin and convicilin are potential major allergens from pea.

PubMed

Sanchez-Monge, R; Lopez-Torrejón, G; Pascual, C Y; Varela, J; Martin-Esteban, M; Salcedo, G

2004-11-01

Allergic reactions to pea (Pisum sativum) ingestion are frequently associated with lentil allergy in the Spanish population. Vicilin have been described as a major lentil allergen. To identify the main IgE binding components from pea seeds and to study their potential cross-reactivity with lentil vicilin. A serum pool or individual sera from 18 patients with pea allergy were used to detect IgE binding proteins from pea seeds by immunodetection and immunoblot inhibition assays. Protein preparations enriched in pea vicilin were obtained by gel filtration chromatography followed by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). IgE binding components were identified by means of N-terminal amino acid sequencing. Complete cDNAs encoding pea vicilin were isolated by PCR, using primers based on the amino acid sequence of the reactive proteins. IgE immunodetection of crude pea extracts revealed that convicilin (63 kDa), as well as vicilin (44 kDa) and one of its proteolytic fragments (32 kDa), reacted with more than 50% of the individual sera tested. Additional proteolytic subunits of vicilin (36, 16 and 13 kDa) bound IgE from approximately 20% of the sera. The lentil vicilin allergen Len c 1 strongly inhibited the IgE binding to all components mentioned above. The characterization of cDNA clones encoding pea vicilin has allowed the deduction of its complete amino acid sequence (90% of sequence identity to Len c 1), as well as those of its reactive proteolytic processed subunits. Vicilin and convicilin are potential major allergens from pea seeds. Furthermore, proteolytic fragments from vicilin are also relevant IgE binding pea components. All these proteins cross-react with the major lentil allergen Len c 1.

Pre-fractionation strategies to resolve pea (Pisum sativum) sub-proteomes

PubMed Central

Meisrimler, Claudia-Nicole; Menckhoff, Ljiljana; Kukavica, Biljana M.; Lüthje, Sabine

2015-01-01

Legumes are important crop plants and pea (Pisum sativum L.) has been investigated as a model with respect to several physiological aspects. The sequencing of the pea genome has not been completed. Therefore, proteomic approaches are currently limited. Nevertheless, the increasing numbers of available EST-databases as well as the high homology of the pea and medicago genome (Medicago truncatula Gaertner) allow the successful identification of proteins. Due to the un-sequenced pea genome, pre-fractionation approaches have been used in pea proteomic surveys in the past. Aside from a number of selective proteome studies on crude extracts and the chloroplast, few studies have targeted other components such as the pea secretome, an important sub-proteome of interest due to its role in abiotic and biotic stress processes. The secretome itself can be further divided into different sub-proteomes (plasma membrane, apoplast, cell wall proteins). Cell fractionation in combination with different gel-electrophoresis, chromatography methods and protein identification by mass spectrometry are important partners to gain insight into pea sub-proteomes, post-translational modifications and protein functions. Overall, pea proteomics needs to link numerous existing physiological and biochemical data to gain further insight into adaptation processes, which play important roles in field applications. Future developments and directions in pea proteomics are discussed. PMID:26539198

The statistical characteristics of rain-generated stalks on water surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xinan; Liu, Ren; Duncan, James H.

2017-11-01

Laboratory measurements of the stalks generated by the impact of raindrops are performed in a 1.22-m-by-1.22-m water pool with a water depth of 0.3 m. Simulated raindrops are generated by an array of 22-gauge hypodermic needles that are attached to the bottom of an open-surface rain tank. The raindrop diameter is about 2.6 mm and the height of the rain tank above the water surface of the pool is varied from 1 m to 4.5 m to provide different impact velocities. A number of parameters, including the diameter, height and initial upward velocity of the center jets (stalks) are measured with a cinematic laser-induced- fluorescence technique. It is found that the maximum potential energy of the stalk and the joint distribution of stalk height and diameter are strongly correlated to the impact velocities of raindrops. Comparisons between the rain experiments and single drop impacts on a quiescent water surface are also shown.

The Intersection of Stalking and the Severity of Intimate Partner Abuse.

PubMed

Brady, Patrick Q; Hayes, Brittany E

2018-04-01

Using data from the Chicago Women's Health Risk Study (N = 464), this study examined the intersection of stalking and the severity of intimate partner abuse while controlling for previously identified risk factors of intimate partner homicide. Findings indicate that (a) victims of life-threatening abuse by an intimate partner were significantly more likely to experience stalking than victims of nonlethal abuse; (b) after controlling for key risk factors, stalking increased the risk of life-threatening abuse; and (c) threats to kill the victim if she left was the only significant stalking-related behavior that increased the risk for life-threatening abuse. In addition, an offender's prior record and a higher number of previous abusive incidents increased the risk of life-threatening abuse. Implications for prevention and future directions for research are discussed.

Fibril formation from pea protein and subsequent gel formation.

PubMed

Munialo, Claire Darizu; Martin, Anneke H; van der Linden, Erik; de Jongh, Harmen H J

2014-03-19

The objective of this study was to characterize fibrillar aggregates made using pea proteins, to assemble formed fibrils into protein-based gels, and to study the rheological behavior of these gels. Micrometer-long fibrillar aggregates were observed after pea protein solutions had been heated for 20 h at pH 2.0. Following heating of pea proteins, it was observed that all of the proteins were hydrolyzed into peptides and that 50% of these peptides were assembled into fibrils. Changes on a structural level in pea proteins were studied using circular dichroism, transmission electron microscopy, and particle size analysis. During the fibril assembly process, an increase in aggregate size was observed, which coincided with an increase in thioflavin T binding, indicating the presence of β-sheet aggregates. Fibrils made using pea proteins were more branched and curly. Gel formation of preformed fibrils was induced by slow acidification from pH 7.0 to a final pH of around pH 5.0. The ability of pea protein-based fibrillar gels to fracture during an amplitude sweep was comparable to those of soy protein and whey protein-based fibrillar gels, although gels prepared from fibrils made using pea protein and soy protein were weaker than those of whey protein. The findings show that fibrils can be prepared from pea protein, which can be incorporated into protein-based fibrillar gels.

Putative adult neurogenesis in two domestic pigeon breeds (Columba livia domestica): racing homer versus utility carneau pigeons

PubMed Central

Mazengenya, Pedzisai; Bhagwandin, Adhil; Nkomozepi, Pilani; Manger, Paul R.; Ihunwo, Amadi O.

2017-01-01

Generation of neurons in the brains of adult birds has been studied extensively in the telencephalon of song birds and few studies are reported on the distribution of PCNA and DCX in the telencephalon of adult non-song learning birds. We report here on adult neurogenesis throughout the brains of two breeds of adult domestic pigeons (Columba livia domestica), the racing homer and utility carneau using endogenous immunohistochemical markers proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) for proliferating cells and doublecortin (DCX) for immature and migrating neurons. The distribution of PCNA and DCX immunoreactivity was very similar in both pigeon breeds with only a few minor differences. In both pigeons, PCNA and DCX immunoreactivity was observed in the olfactory bulbs, walls of the lateral ventricle, telencephalic subdivisions of the pallium and subpallium, diencephalon, mesencephalon and cerebellum. Generally, the olfactory bulbs and telencephalon had more PCNA and DCX cells than other regions. Two proliferative hotspots were evident in the dorsal and ventral poles of the lateral ventricles. PCNA- and DCX-immunoreactive cells migrated radially from the walls of the lateral ventricle into the parenchyma. In most telencephalic regions, the density of PCNA- and DCX-immunoreactive cells increased from rostral to caudal, except in the mesopallium where the density decreased from rostral to middle levels and then increased caudally. DCX immunoreactivity was more intense in fibres than in cell bodies and DCX-immunoreactive cells included small granular cells, fusiform bipolar cells, large round and or polygonal multipolar cells. The similarity in the distribution of proliferating cells and new neurons in the telencephalon of the two breeds of pigeons may suggest that adult neurogenesis is a conserved trait as an ecological adaptation irrespective of body size. PMID:28852390

Putative adult neurogenesis in two domestic pigeon breeds (Columba livia domestica): racing homer versus utility carneau pigeons.

PubMed

Mazengenya, Pedzisai; Bhagwandin, Adhil; Nkomozepi, Pilani; Manger, Paul R; Ihunwo, Amadi O

2017-07-01

Generation of neurons in the brains of adult birds has been studied extensively in the telencephalon of song birds and few studies are reported on the distribution of PCNA and DCX in the telencephalon of adult non-song learning birds. We report here on adult neurogenesis throughout the brains of two breeds of adult domestic pigeons (Columba livia domestica), the racing homer and utility carneau using endogenous immunohistochemical markers proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) for proliferating cells and doublecortin (DCX) for immature and migrating neurons. The distribution of PCNA and DCX immunoreactivity was very similar in both pigeon breeds with only a few minor differences. In both pigeons, PCNA and DCX immunoreactivity was observed in the olfactory bulbs, walls of the lateral ventricle, telencephalic subdivisions of the pallium and subpallium, diencephalon, mesencephalon and cerebellum. Generally, the olfactory bulbs and telencephalon had more PCNA and DCX cells than other regions. Two proliferative hotspots were evident in the dorsal and ventral poles of the lateral ventricles. PCNA- and DCX-immunoreactive cells migrated radially from the walls of the lateral ventricle into the parenchyma. In most telencephalic regions, the density of PCNA- and DCX-immunoreactive cells increased from rostral to caudal, except in the mesopallium where the density decreased from rostral to middle levels and then increased caudally. DCX immunoreactivity was more intense in fibres than in cell bodies and DCX-immunoreactive cells included small granular cells, fusiform bipolar cells, large round and or polygonal multipolar cells. The similarity in the distribution of proliferating cells and new neurons in the telencephalon of the two breeds of pigeons may suggest that adult neurogenesis is a conserved trait as an ecological adaptation irrespective of body size.

Pigeon interaction mode switch-based UAV distributed flocking control under obstacle environments.

PubMed

Qiu, Huaxin; Duan, Haibin

2017-11-01

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flocking control is a serious and challenging problem due to local interactions and changing environments. In this paper, a pigeon flocking model and a pigeon coordinated obstacle-avoiding model are proposed based on a behavior that pigeon flocks will switch between hierarchical and egalitarian interaction mode at different flight phases. Owning to the similarity between bird flocks and UAV swarms in essence, a distributed flocking control algorithm based on the proposed pigeon flocking and coordinated obstacle-avoiding models is designed to coordinate a heterogeneous UAV swarm to fly though obstacle environments with few informed individuals. The comparative simulation results are elaborated to show the feasibility, validity and superiority of our proposed algorithm. Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Granuloma formation and suspected neuropathic pain in a domestic pigeon (Columba livia) secondary to an oil-based, inactivated Newcastle disease vaccine administered for protection against pigeon paramyxovirus-1.

PubMed

Cowan, M L; Monks, D J; Raidal, S R

2014-05-01

A domestic pigeon developed a sterile granuloma following vaccination with an oil-adjuvant, inactivated La Sota strain of Newcastle disease. The aim of vaccination was to provide protection against pigeon paramyxovirus-1 (PPMV-1), a disease previously considered exotic to Australia. Granuloma formation is considered a rare complication of vaccination against PPMV-1 in pigeons. Clinical signs consistent with neuropathic pain became apparent during the extensive management of the granuloma, which included surgical removal of foreign material, control of the pain and inflammation and protection against antimicrobial contamination. PPMV-1 is now considered endemic in Australia and protecting pigeons with vaccination is important. Until a product is registered for use, vaccination remains off-label and the risk of adverse reaction, including sterile granuloma, must be considered. © 2014 Australian Veterinary Association.

Orthographic processing in pigeons (Columba livia)

PubMed Central

Scarf, Damian; Boy, Karoline; Uber Reinert, Anelisie; Devine, Jack; Güntürkün, Onur; Colombo, Michael

2016-01-01

Learning to read involves the acquisition of letter–sound relationships (i.e., decoding skills) and the ability to visually recognize words (i.e., orthographic knowledge). Although decoding skills are clearly human-unique, given they are seated in language, recent research and theory suggest that orthographic processing may derive from the exaptation or recycling of visual circuits that evolved to recognize everyday objects and shapes in our natural environment. An open question is whether orthographic processing is limited to visual circuits that are similar to our own or a product of plasticity common to many vertebrate visual systems. Here we show that pigeons, organisms that separated from humans more than 300 million y ago, process words orthographically. Specifically, we demonstrate that pigeons trained to discriminate words from nonwords picked up on the orthographic properties that define words and used this knowledge to identify words they had never seen before. In addition, the pigeons were sensitive to the bigram frequencies of words (i.e., the common co-occurrence of certain letter pairs), the edit distance between nonwords and words, and the internal structure of words. Our findings demonstrate that visual systems organizationally distinct from the primate visual system can also be exapted or recycled to process the visual word form. PMID:27638211

Metal concentrations in homing pigeon lung tissue as a biomonitor of atmospheric pollution.

PubMed

Cui, Jia; Halbrook, Richard S; Zang, Shuying; Han, Shuang; Li, Xinyu

2018-03-01

Atmospheric pollution in urban areas is a major worldwide concern with potential adverse impacts on wildlife and humans. Biomonitoring can provide direct evidence of the bioavailability and bioaccumulation of toxic metals in the environment that is not available with mechanical air monitoring. The current study continues our evaluation of the usefulness of homing pigeon lung tissue as a biomonitor of atmospheric pollution. Homing pigeons (1-2, 5-6, and 9-10+ year old (yo)) collected from Guangzhou during 2015 were necropsied and concentrations of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) were measured in lung tissue. Lung Cd and Pb concentrations were significantly greater in 9-10+-year-old pigeons compared with those in other age groups, indicating their bioavailability and bioaccumulation. Lung Pb and Cd concentrations measured in 5-yo pigeons collected from Guangzhou during 2015 were significantly lower than concentrations reported in 5-yo homing pigeons collected from Guangzhou during 2011 and correlated with concentrations measured using mechanical air monitoring. In addition to temporal differences, spatial differences in concentrations of Cd, Pb, and Hg reported in ambient air samples and in pigeon lung tissues collected from Beijing and Guangzhou are discussed.

Pituitary stalk craniopharyngioma

PubMed Central

Figueiredo, Eberval Gadelha; Welling, Leonardo Christiaan; de Faria, Jose Weber Vieira; Teixeira, Manoel Jacobsen

2011-01-01

Craniopharyngiomas are benign but aggressive neoplasms arising along the craniopharyngeal duct. It is frequently located in the suprasellar region. Primarily pituitary stalk craniopharyngioma is unusual and uncommonly early diagnosed, before it enlarges and extends to supra or parasselar region. This unusual location and the small size pose therapeutic dilemmas, since it has the ability to grow larger. Currently, no consensus exists regarding the optimal management. The authors have recommended complete resection. PMID:22715220

Pigeons (Columba livia) show change blindness in a color-change detection task.

PubMed

Herbranson, Walter T; Jeffers, Jacob S

2017-07-01

Change blindness is a phenomenon whereby changes to a stimulus are more likely go unnoticed under certain circumstances. Pigeons learned a change detection task, in which they observed sequential stimulus displays consisting of individual colors back-projected onto three response keys. The color of one response key changed during each sequence and pecks to the key that displayed the change were reinforced. Pigeons showed a change blindness effect, in that change detection accuracy was worse when there was an inter-stimulus interval interrupting the transition between consecutive stimulus displays. Birds successfully transferred to stimulus displays involving novel colors, indicating that pigeons learned a general change detection rule. Furthermore, analysis of responses to specific color combinations showed that pigeons could detect changes involving both spectral and non-spectral colors and that accuracy was better for changes involving greater differences in wavelength. These results build upon previous investigations of change blindness in both humans and pigeons and suggest that change blindness may be a general consequence of selective visual attention relevant to multiple species and stimulus dimensions.

Discovery of dense aggregations of stalked crinoids in Izu-Ogasawara trench, Japan.

PubMed

Oji, Tatsuo; Ogawa, Yujiro; Hunter, Aaron W; Kitazawa, Kota

2009-06-01

Stalked crinoids are recognized as living fossils that typically inhabit modern deep-water environments exceeding 100 m. Previous records of stalked crinoids from hadal depths (exceeding 6000 m) are extremely rare, and no in-situ information has been available. We show here that stalked crinoids live densely on rocky substrates at depths over 9000 m in the Izu-Ogasawara Trench off the eastern coast of Japan, evidenced by underwater photos and videos taken by a remotely operated vehicle. This is the deepest in-situ observation of stalked crinoids and demonstrates that crinoid meadows can exist at hadal depths close to the deepest ocean floor, in a fashion quite similar to populations observed in shallower depths.

The ontogeny of the homing pigeon navigational map: evidence for a sensitive learning period.

PubMed Central

Gagliardo, A; Ioalè, P; Odetti, F; Bingman, V P

2001-01-01

Homing pigeons can learn a navigational map by relying on the heterogeneous distribution of atmospheric odours in the environment. To test whether there might be a sensitive period for learning an olfactory-based navigational map, we maintained a group of young pigeons in an aviary screened from the winds until the age of three to four months post-fledging. Subsequently, the screens were removed and the pigeons were exposed to the winds and the environmental odours they carry for three months. One control group of pigeons was held in a similar aviary but exposed to the winds immediately upon Hedging, while another control group of pigeons was allowed free-flight. When the pigeons from the three groups were released from two distant release sites at about six months of age post-fledging, the two control groups were found to be equally good at orientating and returning home, while the experimental pigeons held in the shielded aviary for the first three months post-fledging were unable to orientate homeward and they were generally unsuccessful in returning home. This result supports the hypothesis that environmental experience during the first three months post-fledging is critical for some aspect of navigational map learning and that navigational map learning displays sensitive period-like properties. PMID:11209891

The ontogeny of the homing pigeon navigational map: evidence for a sensitive learning period.

PubMed

Gagliardo, A; Ioalè, P; Odetti, F; Bingman, V P

2001-01-22

Homing pigeons can learn a navigational map by relying on the heterogeneous distribution of atmospheric odours in the environment. To test whether there might be a sensitive period for learning an olfactory-based navigational map, we maintained a group of young pigeons in an aviary screened from the winds until the age of three to four months post-fledging. Subsequently, the screens were removed and the pigeons were exposed to the winds and the environmental odours they carry for three months. One control group of pigeons was held in a similar aviary but exposed to the winds immediately upon Hedging, while another control group of pigeons was allowed free-flight. When the pigeons from the three groups were released from two distant release sites at about six months of age post-fledging, the two control groups were found to be equally good at orientating and returning home, while the experimental pigeons held in the shielded aviary for the first three months post-fledging were unable to orientate homeward and they were generally unsuccessful in returning home. This result supports the hypothesis that environmental experience during the first three months post-fledging is critical for some aspect of navigational map learning and that navigational map learning displays sensitive period-like properties.

21 CFR 158.170 - Frozen peas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... and designations shall apply: Size designation Round hole sieve size through which peas will pass... paragraph (a)(2) of this section or the applicable sieve size. However, the optional descriptive words... transfer peas to U.S. No. 8 sieve, using (20 cm.) size for container of less than 3 lb. net weight and (30...

21 CFR 158.170 - Frozen peas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... and designations shall apply: Size designation Round hole sieve size through which peas will pass... paragraph (a)(2) of this section or the applicable sieve size. However, the optional descriptive words... transfer peas to U.S. No. 8 sieve, using (20 cm.) size for container of less than 3 lb. net weight and (30...

21 CFR 158.170 - Frozen peas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... and designations shall apply: Size designation Round hole sieve size through which peas will pass... paragraph (a)(2) of this section or the applicable sieve size. However, the optional descriptive words... transfer peas to U.S. No. 8 sieve, using (20 cm.) size for container of less than 3 lb. net weight and (30...

21 CFR 158.170 - Frozen peas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... and designations shall apply: Size designation Round hole sieve size through which peas will pass... paragraph (a)(2) of this section or the applicable sieve size. However, the optional descriptive words... transfer peas to U.S. No. 8 sieve, using (20 cm.) size for container of less than 3 lb. net weight and (30...

COMPLEX CONDITIONAL CONTROL BY PIGEONS IN A CONTINUOUS VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT

PubMed Central

Qadri, Muhammad A. J.; Reid, Sean; Cook, Robert G.

2016-01-01

We tested two pigeons in a continuously streaming digital environment. Using animation software that constantly presented a dynamic, three-dimensional (3D) environment, the animals were tested with a conditional object identification task. The correct object at a given time depended on the virtual context currently streaming in front of the pigeon. Pigeons were required to accurately peck correct target objects in the environment for food reward, while suppressing any pecks to intermixed distractor objects which delayed the next object’s presentation. Experiment 1 established that the pigeons’ discrimination of two objects could be controlled by the surface material of the digital terrain. Experiment 2 established that the pigeons’ discrimination of four objects could be conjunctively controlled by both the surface material and topography of the streaming environment. These experiments indicate that pigeons can simultaneously process and use at least two context cues from a streaming environment to control their identification behavior of passing objects. These results add to the promise of testing interactive digital environments with animals to advance our understanding of cognition and behavior. PMID:26781058

Potential alternative hosts for a powdery mildew on pea

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Powdery mildew of pea (Pisum sativum) is an important disease in the field and in the greenhouse. The most widely documented powdery mildew on pea is Erysiphe pisi, but E. trifolii and E. baeumleri have also been reported. From greenhouse-grown peas, we obtained powdery mildew samples with rDNA ITS ...

"Insight" in pigeons: absence of means-end processing in displacement tests.

PubMed

Cook, Robert G; Fowler, Catherine

2014-03-01

The understanding of functional relations between action and consequence is a critical component of intelligence. To examine this linkage in pigeons, we investigated their understanding of the relations of the elements tested in an extension of Köhler's box stacking task to this species. In the experiments, the pigeons had to move a spatially displaced box under an out-of-reach target. Experiment 1 successfully replicated and extended the previous finding showing that when separately trained to move a box and stand on it to peck the target, pigeons can synthesize these behaviors to solve the single-box displacement problem quickly on their first attempt. Experiment 2 tested whether pigeons, when given a simultaneous choice between two boxes with identical reinforcement histories, would selectively choose the box with the correct functional affordance (i.e., permitting standing) to solve the problem rather than a non-functional one. Their extensive, equivalent, and undirected behavior in moving both boxes during these tests suggests the pigeons did not possess a means-end understanding of the functional properties of the boxes. Instead, their results were consistent with an analysis of their earlier synthetic behavior as being due to the temporal and spatial relations of the physical elements in the task and their prior learned behaviors.

Experimental co-digestion of corn stalk and vermicompost to improve biogas production

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen Guangyin; Zheng Zheng, E-mail: zzhenghj@fudan.edu.c; Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433

2010-10-15

Anaerobic co-digestion of corn stalk and vermicompost (VC) as well as mono-digestion of corn stalk were investigated. Batch mono-digestion experiments were performed at 35 {+-} 1 {sup o}C and initial total solid loading (TSL) ranged from 1.2% to 6.0%. Batch co-digestion experiments were performed at 35 {+-} 1 {sup o}C and initial TSL of 6% with VC proportions ranged from 20% to 80% of total solid (TS). For mono-digestion of corn stalk, a maximum methane yield of 217.60 {+-} 13.87 mL/g TS{sub added} was obtained at initial TSL of 4.8%, and acidification was found at initial TSL of 6.0% withmore » the lowest pH value of 5.10 on day 4. Co-digestion improved the methane yields by 4.42-58.61% via enhancing volatile fatty acids (VFAs) concentration and pH value compared with mono-digestion of corn stalk. The maximum biogas yield of 410.30 {+-} 11.01 mL/g TS{sub added} and methane yield of 259.35 {+-} 13.85 mL/g TS{sub added} were obtained for 40% VC addition. Structure analysis by X-ray diffractometry (XRD) showed that the lowest crystallinity of 35.04 of digested corn stalk was obtained from co-digestion with 40% VC, which decreased 29.4% compared to 49.6 obtained from un-treated corn stalk. It is concluded that co-digestion with VC is beneficial for improving biodigestibility and methane yield from corn stalk.« less

Helminth-bacteria interaction in the gut of domestic pigeon Columba livia domestica.

PubMed

Biswal, Debraj; Nandi, Anadi Prasad; Chatterjee, Soumendranath

2016-03-01

The present paper is an attempt to study the interaction between the helminth parasite and bacteria residing in the gut of domestic pigeon, Columba livia domestica. Biochemical and molecular characterization of the gut bacterial isolate were done and the isolate was identified as Staphylococcus sp. DB1 (JX442510). The interaction of Staphylococcus sp. with Cotugnia cuneata, an intestinal helminth parasite of domestic pigeon was studied on the basis of the difference between 'mean worm burden' of antibiotic treated infected pigeons and infected pigeons without any antibiotic treatment. The ANOVA and Tukey tests of the data obtained showed that antibiotic treatment reduced the mean worm burden significantly. The biochemical properties of Staphylococcus sp. DB1 (JX442510) also showed a mutualistic relationship with the physiology of C. cuneata.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the Jacobin pigeon (Columba livia breed Jacobin).

PubMed

He, Wen-Xiao; Jia, Jin-Feng

2015-06-01

The Jacobin is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding that originated in Asia. In the present work, we report the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Jacobin pigeon for the first time. The total length of the mitogenome was 17,245 bp with the base composition of 30.18% for A, 23.98% for T, 31.88% for C, and 13.96% for G and an A-T (54.17 %)-rich feature was detected. It harbored 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes and 1 non-coding control region. The arrangement of all genes was identical to the typical mitochondrial genomes of pigeon. The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Jacobin pigeon would serve as an important data set of the germplasm resources for further study.

Complete mitochondrial genomes of living and extinct pigeons revise the timing of the columbiform radiation.

PubMed

Soares, André E R; Novak, Ben J; Haile, James; Heupink, Tim H; Fjeldså, Jon; Gilbert, M Thomas P; Poinar, Hendrik; Church, George M; Shapiro, Beth

2016-10-26

Pigeons and doves (Columbiformes) are one of the oldest and most diverse extant lineages of birds. However, the nature and timing of the group's evolutionary radiation remains poorly resolved, despite recent advances in DNA sequencing and assembly and the growing database of pigeon mitochondrial genomes. One challenge has been to generate comparative data from the large number of extinct pigeon lineages, some of which are morphologically unique and therefore difficult to place in a phylogenetic context. We used ancient DNA and next generation sequencing approaches to assemble complete mitochondrial genomes for eleven pigeons, including the extinct Ryukyu wood pigeon (Columba jouyi), the thick-billed ground dove (Alopecoenas salamonis), the spotted green pigeon (Caloenas maculata), the Rodrigues solitaire (Pezophaps solitaria), and the dodo (Raphus cucullatus). We used a Bayesian approach to infer the evolutionary relationships among 24 species of living and extinct pigeons and doves. Our analyses indicate that the earliest radiation of the Columbidae crown group most likely occurred during the Oligocene, with continued divergence of major clades into the Miocene, suggesting that diversification within the Columbidae occurred more recently than has been reported previously.

24 CFR 5.2007 - Documenting the occurrence of domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking. 5.2007 Section 5.2007 Housing and Urban Development Office...; WAIVERS Protection for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, or Stalking in Public and Section 8 Housing § 5.2007 Documenting the occurrence of domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking. (a...

Chlamydial infections in feral pigeons in Europe: Review of data and focus on public health implications.

PubMed

Magnino, S; Haag-Wackernagel, D; Geigenfeind, I; Helmecke, S; Dovc, A; Prukner-Radovcić, E; Residbegović, E; Ilieski, V; Laroucau, K; Donati, M; Martinov, S; Kaleta, E F

2009-03-16

Feral pigeons (Columba livia domestica), which thrive in most European towns and cities, are commonly infected with the zoonotic bacterium Chlamydophila psittaci, the agent of psittacosis (also known as ornithosis) in humans. A number of surveys carried out over the last thirty years across Europe have detected high seropositivity values and high percentages of infection in feral pigeon populations. Overall, when considering data from 11 European countries, seropositivity values to C. psittaci in the sampled populations ranged from 19.4% to 95.6%. In most surveys, the complement fixation test was used, and antibodies were detected in 19.4-66.3% of the samples, with a median of 46.1%. Indirect immunofluorescence and ELISA tests were employed less frequently, but led to the detection of higher percentages of seropositivity (23.7-67.7% and 35.9-95.6%, respectively). Attempts to grow C. psittaci in cell culture or embryonated chicken eggs were successful in 2-42.3% and 0-57.1% of samples, respectively, antigen detection methods were positive in 2.3-40% of samples, while conventional PCR and real-time PCR using different genomic targets detected the organism in 3.4-50% of samples. Twenty-five C. psittaci isolates from pigeons were typed as ompA genotype B (n=14), E (n=10) and E/B (n=1). The huge increase of feral pigeon populations in Europe is a major cause of concern for the detrimental effect of pigeon droppings on environmental hygiene, in addition to the extensive damage due to the fouling of buildings and monuments. The most important pathogenic organism transmissible from feral pigeons to humans is C. psittaci, with 101 cases of disease reported in the literature. Exposure to C. psittaci-contaminated dust, direct contact with pigeons through handling and, to a lesser extent, through pigeon feeding have been identified as hazardous exposures in more than half of the human cases, while loose or transient contacts with feral pigeons have been mentioned in about 40

Gravitropism in cut flower stalks of snapdragon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Philosoph-Hadas, S.; Friedman, H.; Meir, S.; Berkovitz-SimanTov, R.; Rosenberger, I.; Halevy, A. H.; Kaufman, P. B.; Balk, P.; Woltering, E. J.

The negative gravitropic response of cut flower stalks is a complex multistep process that requires the participation of various cellular components acting in succession or in parallel. The process was particularly characterized in snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus L.) spikes with regard to (1) gravity stimulus perception associated with amyloplast reorientation; (2) stimulus transduction mediated through differential changes in the level, action and related genes of auxin and ethylene and their possible interaction; (3) stimulus response associated with differential growth leading to stalk curvature; (4) involvement of cytosolic calcium and actin cytoskeleton. Results show that the gravity-induced amyloplast reorientation, differential over-expression of two early auxin responsive genes and asymmetrical distribution of free IAA are early events in the bending process. These precede the asymmetrical ethylene production and differential stem growth, which was derived from initial shrinkage of the upper stem side and a subsequent elongation of the lower stem side. Results obtained with various calcium- and cytoskeleton-related agents indicate that cytosolic calcium and actin filaments may play essential roles in gravitropism-related processes of cut flower stalks. Therefore, modulators of these two physiological mediators may serve as means for controlling any undesired gravitropic bending.

The Reliability and Predictive Validity of the Stalking Risk Profile.

PubMed

McEwan, Troy E; Shea, Daniel E; Daffern, Michael; MacKenzie, Rachel D; Ogloff, James R P; Mullen, Paul E

2018-03-01

This study assessed the reliability and validity of the Stalking Risk Profile (SRP), a structured measure for assessing stalking risks. The SRP was administered at the point of assessment or retrospectively from file review for 241 adult stalkers (91% male) referred to a community-based forensic mental health service. Interrater reliability was high for stalker type, and moderate-to-substantial for risk judgments and domain scores. Evidence for predictive validity and discrimination between stalking recidivists and nonrecidivists for risk judgments depended on follow-up duration. Discrimination was moderate (area under the curve = 0.66-0.68) and positive and negative predictive values good over the full follow-up period ( Mdn = 170.43 weeks). At 6 months, discrimination was better than chance only for judgments related to stalking of new victims (area under the curve = 0.75); however, high-risk stalkers still reoffended against their original victim(s) 2 to 4 times as often as low-risk stalkers. Implications for the clinical utility and refinement of the SRP are discussed.

Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of the king pigeon (Columba livia breed king).

PubMed

Zhang, Rui-Hua; He, Wen-Xiao; Xu, Tong

2015-06-01

The king pigeon is a breed of pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding primarily as a utility breed. In the present work, we report the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of king pigeon for the first time. The total length of the mitogenome was 17,221 bp with the base composition of 30.14% for A, 24.05% for T, 31.82% for C, and 13.99% for G and an A-T (54.22 %)-rich feature was detected. It harbored 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and one non-coding control region (D-loop region). The arrangement of all genes was identical to the typical mitochondrial genomes of pigeon. The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of king pigeon would serve as an important data set of the germplasm resources for further study.

IgM antiavian antibodies in sera from patients with pigeon breeder's disease.

PubMed

Martínez-Cordero, E; Aguilar León, D E; Retana, V N

2000-01-01

The authors' objective was to study the presence of IgM antiavian antibodies in sera from patients with pigeon breeder's disease. We studied 93 patients with interstitial lung disease admitted for the assessment of pigeon breeder's disease. Eighty sera from healthy donors with no history of bird contact and 47 asymptomatic pigeon breeders were included as controls. The presence of IgM, IgG, and IgA antiavian antibodies was detected by ELISA and Western blot using avian-pooled serum antigen. Fifty-three patients were classified as having definite pigeon breeder's disease, whereas 40 did not fulfill these diagnostic criteria. The levels of IgM antiavian-antibodies in pigeon breeder's disease by ELISA exceeded both the values of healthy subjects with no history of avian contact (P = 2.5 x 10(-8)) and the results of asymptomatic breeders (P = 0. 03). Positive IgA antiavian antibodies were the most frequent abnormalities in pigeon breeder's disease showing values over the reference levels of control groups that reach significant statistical differences. Both precipitin-positive and -negative samples demonstrated IgM reactivity. IgM antiavian antibodies were confirmed by Western blot. A relationship of IgM positive tests with a recent history of avian antigen exposure and acute disease was found. Additionally, the positive IgM group included patients having subacute and chronic lung disease. Antiavian antibodies have previously been considered of minor significance in hypersensitivity pneumonitis; nevertheless, recent studies support their use in clinical diagnosis. Although no specific laboratory tests can confirm the diagnosis in pigeon breeder's disease, IgM antiavian antibodies may be useful for detecting recent antigen exposure and the acute stage of the disease. Copyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Drastic population fluctuations explain the rapid extinction of the passenger pigeon.

PubMed

Hung, Chih-Ming; Shaner, Pei-Jen L; Zink, Robert M; Liu, Wei-Chung; Chu, Te-Chin; Huang, Wen-San; Li, Shou-Hsien

2014-07-22

To assess the role of human disturbances in species' extinction requires an understanding of the species population history before human impact. The passenger pigeon was once the most abundant bird in the world, with a population size estimated at 3-5 billion in the 1800s; its abrupt extinction in 1914 raises the question of how such an abundant bird could have been driven to extinction in mere decades. Although human exploitation is often blamed, the role of natural population dynamics in the passenger pigeon's extinction remains unexplored. Applying high-throughput sequencing technologies to obtain sequences from most of the genome, we calculated that the passenger pigeon's effective population size throughout the last million years was persistently about 1/10,000 of the 1800's estimated number of individuals, a ratio 1,000-times lower than typically found. This result suggests that the passenger pigeon was not always super abundant but experienced dramatic population fluctuations, resembling those of an "outbreak" species. Ecological niche models supported inference of drastic changes in the extent of its breeding range over the last glacial-interglacial cycle. An estimate of acorn-based carrying capacity during the past 21,000 y showed great year-to-year variations. Based on our results, we hypothesize that ecological conditions that dramatically reduced population size under natural conditions could have interacted with human exploitation in causing the passenger pigeon's rapid demise. Our study illustrates that even species as abundant as the passenger pigeon can be vulnerable to human threats if they are subject to dramatic population fluctuations, and provides a new perspective on the greatest human-caused extinction in recorded history.

Stalk-dependent and Stalk-independent Signaling by the Adhesion G Protein-coupled Receptors GPR56 (ADGRG1) and BAI1 (ADGRB1).

PubMed

Kishore, Ayush; Purcell, Ryan H; Nassiri-Toosi, Zahra; Hall, Randy A

2016-02-12

The adhesion G protein-coupled receptors (aGPCRs) are a large yet poorly understood family of seven-transmembrane proteins. A defining characteristic of the aGPCR family is the conserved GAIN domain, which has autoproteolytic activity and can cleave the receptors near the first transmembrane domain. Several aGPCRs, including ADGRB1 (BAI1 or B1) and ADGRG1 (GPR56 or G1), have been found to exhibit significantly increased constitutive activity when truncated to mimic GAIN domain cleavage (ΔNT). Recent reports have suggested that the new N-terminal stalk, which is revealed by GAIN domain cleavage, can directly activate aGPCRs as a tethered agonist. We tested this hypothesis in studies on two distinct aGPCRs, B1 and G1, by engineering mutant receptors lacking the entire NT including the stalk (B1- and G1-SL, with "SL" indicating "stalkless"). These receptors were evaluated in a battery of signaling assays and compared with full-length wild-type and cleavage-mimicking (ΔNT) forms of the two receptors. We found that B1-SL, in multiple assays, exhibited robust signaling activity, suggesting that the membrane-proximal stalk region is not necessary for its activation. For G1, however, the results were mixed, with the SL mutant exhibiting robust activity in several signaling assays (including TGFα shedding, activation of NFAT luciferase, and β-arrestin recruitment) but reduced activity relative to ΔNT in a distinct assay (activation of SRF luciferase). These data support a model in which the activation of certain pathways downstream of aGPCRs is stalk-dependent, whereas signaling to other pathways is stalk-independent. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Structure and Mutagenesis of the Parainfluenza Virus 5 Hemagglutinin-Neuraminidase Stalk Domain Reveals a Four-Helix Bundle and the Role of the Stalk in Fusion Promotion

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bose, Sayantan; Welch, Brett D.; Kors, Christopher A.

2014-10-02

Paramyxovirus entry into cells requires the fusion protein (F) and a receptor binding protein (hemagglutinin-neuraminidase [HN], H, or G). The multifunctional HN protein of some paramyxoviruses, besides functioning as the receptor (sialic acid) binding protein (hemagglutinin activity) and the receptor-destroying protein (neuraminidase activity), enhances F activity, presumably by lowering the activation energy required for F to mediate fusion of viral and cellular membranes. Before or upon receptor binding by the HN globular head, F is believed to interact with the HN stalk. Unfortunately, until recently none of the receptor binding protein crystal structures have shown electron density for the stalkmore » domain. Parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV5) HN exists as a noncovalent dimer-of-dimers on the surface of cells, linked by a single disulfide bond in the stalk. Here we present the crystal structure of the PIV5-HN stalk domain at a resolution of 2.65 {angstrom}, revealing a four-helix bundle (4HB) with an upper (N-terminal) straight region and a lower (C-terminal) supercoiled part. The hydrophobic core residues are a mix of an 11-mer repeat and a 3- to 4-heptad repeat. To functionally characterize the role of the HN stalk in F interactions and fusion, we designed mutants along the PIV5-HN stalk that are N-glycosylated to physically disrupt F-HN interactions. By extensive study of receptor binding, neuraminidase activity, oligomerization, and fusion-promoting functions of the mutant proteins, we found a correlation between the position of the N-glycosylation mutants on the stalk structure and their neuraminidase activities as well as their abilities to promote fusion.« less

Psychological Impact of Stalking on Male and Female Health Care Professional Victims of Stalking and Domestic Violence.

PubMed

Acquadro Maran, Daniela; Varetto, Antonella

2018-01-01

The aim of this work was to investigate stalking experiences in a sample of Health Care Professionals, or HCPs, who experienced domestic violence in their previous relationships with an intimate romantic or non-romantic who had become their stalkers. A comparison between males and females was made to highlight the differences among the genders. The findings showed that, for the most part, the victims experienced stalking by a stalker that was not of the same gender. Moreover, the nature of the relationship was romantic, for the most part, for both female and male subjects, suggesting that the principal motivation of stalking is the disruption of an intimate relationship. Regarding domestic violence, females described the phenomenon from a different perspective, indicating verbal, physical, and sexual abuse, while males indicated only verbal abuse. Females tended to amplify, more than the males, depression, and state and trait anxiety. Even if all symptoms were expressed in both females and males, the males exhibited a lack of confidence in their bodies, and the emotional literacy made the expression of distress more difficult. At the same time, the expression of anxiety presented in the women permitted them to become progressively less victimized over time; depression and anxiety allow the recognition of these symptoms as signs of distress and to intervene to reduce them.

Psychological Impact of Stalking on Male and Female Health Care Professional Victims of Stalking and Domestic Violence

PubMed Central

Acquadro Maran, Daniela; Varetto, Antonella

2018-01-01

The aim of this work was to investigate stalking experiences in a sample of Health Care Professionals, or HCPs, who experienced domestic violence in their previous relationships with an intimate romantic or non-romantic who had become their stalkers. A comparison between males and females was made to highlight the differences among the genders. The findings showed that, for the most part, the victims experienced stalking by a stalker that was not of the same gender. Moreover, the nature of the relationship was romantic, for the most part, for both female and male subjects, suggesting that the principal motivation of stalking is the disruption of an intimate relationship. Regarding domestic violence, females described the phenomenon from a different perspective, indicating verbal, physical, and sexual abuse, while males indicated only verbal abuse. Females tended to amplify, more than the males, depression, and state and trait anxiety. Even if all symptoms were expressed in both females and males, the males exhibited a lack of confidence in their bodies, and the emotional literacy made the expression of distress more difficult. At the same time, the expression of anxiety presented in the women permitted them to become progressively less victimized over time; depression and anxiety allow the recognition of these symptoms as signs of distress and to intervene to reduce them. PMID:29593619

Haemoproteus, a blood parasite, in domestic pigeons and mourning doves in Maryland

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knisley, J.O.; Herman, C.M.

1967-01-01

The occurrence of Haemoproteus in pigeons throughout the world and in mourning doves in the United States is reviewed. Haemoproteus has previously been reported only once from pigeons in Maryland. During this study it was found in all of 18 pigeons from one area but in none of 12 from an adjacent area. No infections were found in 90 Maryland mourning doves. All of the 10 mourning doves from Florida were infected whereas 60 nestlings from Texas and Mississippi had no parasites. None was found in 358 nestling white-winged doves from Texas.

The pigeon's distant visual acuity as a function of viewing angle.

PubMed

Uhlrich, D J; Blough, P M; Blough, D S

1982-01-01

Distant visual acuity was determined for several viewing angles in two restrained White Carneaux pigeons. The behavioral technique was a classical conditioning procedure that paired presentation of sinusoidal gratings with shock. A conditioned heart rate acceleration during the grating presentation indicated resolution of the grating. The bird's acuity was fairly uniform across a large range of their lateral visual field; performance decreased slightly for posterior stimulus placement and sharply for frontal placements. The data suggest that foveal viewing is relatively less advantageous for acuity in pigeons than in humans. The data are also consistent with the current view that pigeons are myopic in frontal vision.

Associative Symmetry, Antisymmetry, and a Theory of Pigeons' Equivalence-Class Formation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Urcuioli, Peter J.

2008-01-01

Five experiments assessed associative symmetry in pigeons. In Experiments 1A, 1B and 2, pigeons learned two-alternative symbolic matching with identical sample- and comparison-response requirements and with matching stimuli appearing in all possible locations. Despite controlling for the nature of the functional stimuli and insuring all requisite…

3 CFR 8620 - Proclamation 8620 of December 21, 2010. National Stalking Awareness Month, 2011

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... understanding of stalking and its prevalence since the passage of the Violence Against Women Act in 1994, this... vulnerable, and women are at greater risk for stalking victimization than men. Stalking can be a difficult... a Nation, we have made progress, but much work remains to respond to this criminal behavior. We must...

Changes in area affect figure-ground assignment in pigeons.

PubMed

Castro, Leyre; Lazareva, Olga F; Vecera, Shaun P; Wasserman, Edward A

2010-03-05

A critical cue for figure-ground assignment in humans is area: smaller regions are more likely to be perceived as figures than are larger regions. To see if pigeons are similarly sensitive to this cue, we trained birds to report whether a target appeared on a colored figure or on a differently colored background. The initial training figure was either smaller than (Experiments 1 and 2) or the same area as (Experiment 2) the background. After training, we increased or decreased the size of the figure. When the original training shape was smaller than the background, pigeons' performance improved with smaller figures (and worsened with larger figures); when the original training shape was the same area as the background, pigeons' performance worsened when they were tested with smaller figures. A smaller figural region appeared to improve the figure-ground discrimination only when size was a relevant cue in the initial discrimination.

Complete Genome Sequence of Genotype VI Newcastle Disease Viruses Isolated from Pigeons in Pakistan

PubMed Central

Wajid, Abdul; Rehmani, Shafqat Fatima; Sharma, Poonam; Goraichuk, Iryna V.; Dimitrov, Kiril M.

2016-01-01

Two complete genome sequences of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) are described here. Virulent isolates pigeon/Pakistan/Lahore/21A/2015 and pigeon/Pakistan/Lahore/25A/2015 were obtained from racing pigeons sampled in the Pakistani province of Punjab during 2015. Phylogenetic analysis of the fusion protein genes and complete genomes classified the isolates as members of NDV class II, genotype VI. PMID:27540069

Divergence, convergence, and the ancestry of feral populations in the domestic rock pigeon.

PubMed

Stringham, Sydney A; Mulroy, Elisabeth E; Xing, Jinchuan; Record, David; Guernsey, Michael W; Aldenhoven, Jaclyn T; Osborne, Edward J; Shapiro, Michael D

2012-02-21

Domestic pigeons are spectacularly diverse and exhibit variation in more traits than any other bird species [1]. In The Origin of Species, Charles Darwin repeatedly calls attention to the striking variation among domestic pigeon breeds-generated by thousands of years of artificial selection on a single species by human breeders-as a model for the process of natural divergence among wild populations and species [2]. Darwin proposed a morphology-based classification of domestic pigeon breeds [3], but the relationships among major groups of breeds and their geographic origins remain poorly understood [4, 5]. We used a large, geographically diverse sample of 361 individuals from 70 domestic pigeon breeds and two free-living populations to determine genetic relationships within this species. We found unexpected relationships among phenotypically divergent breeds as well as convergent evolution of derived traits among several breed groups. Our findings also illuminate the geographic origins of breed groups in India and the Middle East and suggest that racing breeds have made substantial contributions to feral pigeon populations. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Colonization of habitat islands in the deep sea: recruitment to glass sponge stalks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beaulieu, Stace E.

2001-04-01

Biogenic structures in the deep sea often act as hard substratum 'islands' for the attachment of encrusting fauna. At an abyssal station in the NE Pacific, stalks of hexactinellid sponges in the genus Hyalonema are habitat islands for species-rich epifaunal communities. An experimental study was conducted to (1) determine the colonization rates of artificial Hyalonema stalks, (2) compare the species composition and diversity of recruits to newly available substrata to that of the natural communities, and (3) examine the vertical distribution of recruits. Four sets of six artificial sponge stalks, constructed of Hyalonema spicules, were deployed at 4100 m depth for 3- to 5-month periods. There was no difference in net colonization or immigration rate among the four deployments. Colonization rates were similar to those reported for other deep-sea, hard substratum recruitment experiments. The taxa that recruited to the artificial stalks were a subset of the taxa found in natural communities. However, several taxa important in structuring natural communities did not recruit to the artificial stalks. The two taxa with the highest invasion rates, a calcareous foraminiferan ( Cibicides lobatulus) and a serpulid polychaete ( Bathyvermilia sp.), also were the two taxa with greatest relative abundance in natural communities. Vertical distributions of Cibicides and an agglutinated foraminiferan ( Telammina sp.) were skewed towards the top of the artificial stalks, potentially because of active habitat selection. These results have several implications for natural Hyalonema stalk communities. Most importantly, species composition and abundance of individuals in the stalk communities appear to be maintained by frequent recruitment of a few common taxa and infrequent recruitment of many rare taxa. An argument is presented for temporal-mosaic maintenance of diversity in these deep-sea, hard substratum communities.

PEA: an integrated R toolkit for plant epitranscriptome analysis.

PubMed

Zhai, Jingjing; Song, Jie; Cheng, Qian; Tang, Yunjia; Ma, Chuang

2018-05-29

The epitranscriptome, also known as chemical modifications of RNA (CMRs), is a newly discovered layer of gene regulation, the biological importance of which emerged through analysis of only a small fraction of CMRs detected by high-throughput sequencing technologies. Understanding of the epitranscriptome is hampered by the absence of computational tools for the systematic analysis of epitranscriptome sequencing data. In addition, no tools have yet been designed for accurate prediction of CMRs in plants, or to extend epitranscriptome analysis from a fraction of the transcriptome to its entirety. Here, we introduce PEA, an integrated R toolkit to facilitate the analysis of plant epitranscriptome data. The PEA toolkit contains a comprehensive collection of functions required for read mapping, CMR calling, motif scanning and discovery, and gene functional enrichment analysis. PEA also takes advantage of machine learning technologies for transcriptome-scale CMR prediction, with high prediction accuracy, using the Positive Samples Only Learning algorithm, which addresses the two-class classification problem by using only positive samples (CMRs), in the absence of negative samples (non-CMRs). Hence PEA is a versatile epitranscriptome analysis pipeline covering CMR calling, prediction, and annotation, and we describe its application to predict N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modifications in Arabidopsis thaliana. Experimental results demonstrate that the toolkit achieved 71.6% sensitivity and 73.7% specificity, which is superior to existing m6A predictors. PEA is potentially broadly applicable to the in-depth study of epitranscriptomics. PEA Docker image is available at https://hub.docker.com/r/malab/pea, source codes and user manual are available at https://github.com/cma2015/PEA. chuangma2006@gmail.com. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Two-level leader-follower organization in pigeon flocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhiyong; Zhang, Hai-Tao; Chen, Xi; Chen, Duxin; Zhou, Tao

2015-10-01

The most attractive trait of collective animal behavior is the emergence of highly ordered structures (Cavagna A., Giardina I. and Ginelli F., Phys. Rev. Lett., 110 (2013) 168107). It has been conjectured that the interaction mechanism in pigeon flock dynamics follows a hierarchical leader-follower influential network (Nagy M., Ákos Z., Biro D. and Vicsek T., Nature, 464 (2010) 890). In this paper, a new observation is reported that shows that pigeon flocks actually adopt a much simpler two-level interactive network composed of one leader and some followers. By statistically analyzing the same experimental dataset, we show that for a certain period of time a sole leader determines the motion of the flock while the remaining birds are all followers directly copying the leader's direction with specific time delays. This simple two-level despotic organization is expected to save both motional energy and communication cost, while retaining agility and robustness of the whole group. From an evolutionary perspective, our results suggest that a two-level organization of group flight may be more efficient than a multilevel topology for small pigeon flocks.

Introducing cultivated trees into the wild: Wood pigeons as dispersers of domestic olive seeds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perea, Ramón; Gutiérrez-Galán, Alejandro

2016-02-01

Animals may disperse cultivated trees outside the agricultural land, favoring the naturalization or, even, the invasiveness of domestic plants. However, the ecological and conservation implications of new or unexplored mutualisms between cultivated trees and wild animals are still far from clear. Here, we examine the possible role of an expanding and, locally, overabundant pigeon species (Columba palumbus) as an effective disperser of domestic olive trees (Olea europaea), a widespread cultivated tree, considered a naturalized and invasive species in many areas of the world. By analyzing crop and gizzard content we found that olive fruits were an important food item for pigeons in late winter and spring. A proportion of 40.3% pigeons consumed olive seeds, with an average consumption of 7.8 seeds per pigeon and day. Additionally, most seed sizes (up to 0.7 g) passed undamaged through the gut and were dispersed from cultivated olive orchards to areas covered by protected Mediterranean vegetation, recording minimal dispersal distances of 1.8-7.4 km. Greenhouse experiments showed that seeds dispersed by pigeons significantly favored the germination and establishment in comparison to non-ingested seeds. The ability of pigeons to effectively disperse domestic olive seeds may facilitate the introduction of cultivated olive trees into natural systems, including highly-protected wild olive woodlands. We recommend harvesting ornamental olive trees to reduce both pigeon overpopulation and the spread of artificially selected trees into the natural environment.

Orientation of pigeons exposed to constant light and released from familiar sites.

PubMed

Dall'Antonia, P; Luschi, P

1993-12-01

It has been proposed that homing pigeons may use pilotage to orient home when released from familiar sites. To test this possibility, a group of pigeons was released from familiar locations after being exposed to a constant bright light. This treatment produced the loss of the circadian rhythmicity of general activity of the birds and thus presumably impaired their time-compensating sun compass mechanism. Experimental birds, both anosmic and olfactorily unimpaired, did not show any tendency to orient home, their bearing distributions being generally not different from random. Their homing performances were also affected. These results show that initial orientation of pigeons released from familiar sites entails the use of the sun compass even when the birds are released after a treatment that makes them arrhythmic in their activity. The possibility that pilotage may play a role in the first part of the homing flight of pigeons remains to be demonstrated.

Comparative Transcriptomic Analyses of Vegetable and Grain Pea (Pisum sativum L.) Seed Development

PubMed Central

Liu, Na; Zhang, Guwen; Xu, Shengchun; Mao, Weihua; Hu, Qizan; Gong, Yaming

2015-01-01

Understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating pea seed developmental process is extremely important for pea breeding. In this study, we used high-throughput RNA-Seq and bioinformatics analyses to examine the changes in gene expression during seed development in vegetable pea and grain pea, and compare the gene expression profiles of these two pea types. RNA-Seq generated 18.7 G of raw data, which were then de novo assembled into 77,273 unigenes with a mean length of 930 bp. Our results illustrate that transcriptional control during pea seed development is a highly coordinated process. There were 459 and 801 genes differentially expressed at early and late seed maturation stages between vegetable pea and grain pea, respectively. Soluble sugar and starch metabolism related genes were significantly activated during the development of pea seeds coinciding with the onset of accumulation of sugar and starch in the seeds. A comparative analysis of genes involved in sugar and starch biosynthesis in vegetable pea (high seed soluble sugar and low starch) and grain pea (high seed starch and low soluble sugar) revealed that differential expression of related genes at late development stages results in a negative correlation between soluble sugar and starch biosynthetic flux in vegetable and grain pea seeds. RNA-Seq data was validated by using real-time quantitative RT-PCR analysis for 30 randomly selected genes. To our knowledge, this work represents the first report of seed development transcriptomics in pea. The obtained results provide a foundation to support future efforts to unravel the underlying mechanisms that control the developmental biology of pea seeds, and serve as a valuable resource for improving pea breeding. PMID:26635856

9 CFR 98.30 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... part at a port of entry. Poultry. Chickens, doves, ducks, geese, grouse, guinea fowl, partridges, pea fowl, pheasants, pigeons, quail, swans, and turkeys (including eggs for hatching). Region. Any defined...

Deep sequencing identification of miRNAs in pigeon ovaries illuminated with monochromatic light.

PubMed

Wang, Ying; Yang, Hai-Ming; Cao, Wei; Li, Yang-Bai; Wang, Zhi-Yue

2018-06-08

The use of light of different wavelengths has grown popular in the poultry industry. An optimum wavelength is believed to improve pigeon egg production, but little is known about the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the effects of monochromatic light on ovarian pigeon function. Herein, we harvested ovaries from pigeons reared under monochromatic light of different wavelength and performed deep sequencing on various tissues using an Illumina Solexa high-throughput instrument. We obtained 66,148,548, 67,873,805, and 71,661,771 clean reads from ovaries of pigeons reared under red light (RL), blue light (BL), and white light (WL), respectively. We identified 1917 known miRNAs in nine libraries, of which 524 were novel. Three and five differentially expressed miRNAs were identified in BL vs. WL and RL vs. WL groups, respectively. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR was used to validate differentially expressed miRNAs (miR-200, miR-122, and miR-205b). In addition, 5824 target genes were annotated as differentially expressed miRNAs, most of which are involved in reproductive pathways including oestrogen signalling, cell cycle, and oocyte maturation. Notably, ovarian miR-205b expression was significantly negatively correlated with its target 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (HSD11B1). miRNA-mRNA network analysis suggests that miR-205b targeting of HSD11B1 plays a key role in the effects of monochromatic light on pigeon egg production. These findings indicate that monochromatic light shortens the oviposition interval of pigeons, which may be useful for egg production and pigeon breeding.

Flight performance, energetics and water turnover of tippler pigeons with a harness and dorsal load

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gessaman, J.A.; Workman, G.W.; Fuller, M.R.

1991-01-01

We measured carbon dioxide production and water efflux of 12 tippler pigeons (Columba spp.) during seven experimental flights using the doubly labeled water (DLW) method. Prior to the experiment birds were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group flew as controls (no load or harness) on all seven flights. The other group wore a harness on two flights, a dorsal load/harness package (weighing about 5% of a bird's mass) on two flights, and they were without a load in three flights. Flight duration of pigeons with only a harness and with a dorsal load/harness package was 21 and 26% less, respectively, than the controls. Pigeons wearing a harness, or wearing a dorsal load/harness package lost water 50-90%, and 57-100% faster, respectively, than control pigeons. The mean CO2 production of pigeons wearing a harness or a load/harness package was not significantly different than pigeons without a harness or load. The small sample sizes and large variability in DLW measuremets precluded a good test of the energetic cost of flying with a harness and dorsal load.

Flight performance energetics and water turnovers of Tippler Pigeons with a harness and doorsal load

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gessaman, James A.; Workman, Gar W.; Fuller, Mark R.

1991-01-01

We measured carbon dioxide production and water efflux of 12 tippler pigeons (Columba spp.) during seven experimental flights using the doubly labeled water (DLW) method. Prior to the experiment birds were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group flew as controls (no load or harness) on all seven flights. The other group wore a harness on two flights, a dorsal load/harness package (weighing about 5% of a birda??s mass) on two flights, and they were without a load in three flights. Plight duration of pigeons with only a harness and with a dorsal load/harness package was 21 and 26% less, respectively, than the controls. Pigeons wearing a harness, or wearing a dorsal load/harness package lost water 50-90%, and 57-100% faster, respectively, than control pigeons. The mean CO, production of pigeons wearing a harness or a load/harness package was not significantly different than pigeons without a harness or load. The small sample sizes and large variability in DLW measurements precluded a good test of the energetic cost of flying with a harness and dorsal load.

Anatomical Analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Stalk-Like Structures Reveals Spatial Organization and Cell Specialization

PubMed Central

Scherz, Ruth; Shinder, Vera; Engelberg, David

2001-01-01

Recently we reported an unusual multicellular organization in yeast that we termed stalk-like structures. These structures are tall (0.5 to 3 cm long) and narrow (1 to 3 mm in diameter). They are formed in response to UV radiation of cultures spread on high agar concentrations. Here we present an anatomical analysis of the stalks. Microscopic inspection of cross sections taken from stalks revealed that stalks are composed of an inner core in which cells are dense and vital and a layer of cells (four to six rows) that surrounds the core. This outer layer is physically separated from the core and contains many dead cells. The outer layer may form a protective shell for the core cells. Through electron microscopy analysis we observed three types of cells within the stalk population: (i) cells containing many unusual vesicles, which might be undergoing some kind of cell death; (ii) cells containing spores (usually one or two spores only); and (iii) familiar rounded cells. We suggest that stalk cells are not only spatially organized but may undergo processes that induce a certain degree of cell specialization. We also show that high agar concentration alone, although not sufficient to induce stalk formation, induces dramatic changes in a colony's morphology. Most striking among the agar effects is the induction of growth into the agar, forming peg-like structures. Colonies grown on 4% agar or higher are reminiscent of stalks in some aspects. The agar concentration effects are mediated in part by the Ras pathway and are related to the invasive-growth phenomenon. PMID:11514526

Mass transfer effect of the stalk contraction-relaxation cycle of Vorticella convallaria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Jiazhong; Admiraal, David; Ryu, Sangjin

2014-11-01

Vorticella convallaria is a genus of protozoa living in freshwater. Its stalk contracts and coil pulling the cell body towards the substrate at a remarkable speed, and then relaxes to its extended state much more slowly than the contraction. However, the reason for Vorticella's stalk contraction is still unknown. It is presumed that water flow induced by the stalk contraction-relaxation cycle may augment mass transfer near the substrate. We investigated this hypothesis using an experimental model with particle tracking velocimetry and a computational fluid dynamics model. In both approaches, Vorticella was modeled as a solid sphere translating perpendicular to a solid surface in water. After having been validated by the experimental model and verified by grid convergence index test, the computational model simulated water flow during the cycle based on the measured time course of stalk length changes of Vorticella. Based on the simulated flow field, we calculated trajectories of particles near the model Vorticella, and then evaluated the mass transfer effect of Vorticella's stalk contraction based on the particles' motion. We acknowlege support from Laymann Seed Grant of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Discrimination of Complex Human Behavior by Pigeons (Columba livia) and Humans

PubMed Central

Qadri, Muhammad A. J.; Sayde, Justin M.; Cook, Robert G.

2014-01-01

The cognitive and neural mechanisms for recognizing and categorizing behavior are not well understood in non-human animals. In the current experiments, pigeons and humans learned to categorize two non-repeating, complex human behaviors (“martial arts” vs. “Indian dance”). Using multiple video exemplars of a digital human model, pigeons discriminated these behaviors in a go/no-go task and humans in a choice task. Experiment 1 found that pigeons already experienced with discriminating the locomotive actions of digital animals acquired the discrimination more rapidly when action information was available than when only pose information was available. Experiments 2 and 3 found this same dynamic superiority effect with naïve pigeons and human participants. Both species used the same combination of immediately available static pose information and more slowly perceived dynamic action cues to discriminate the behavioral categories. Theories based on generalized visual mechanisms, as opposed to embodied, species-specific action networks, offer a parsimonious account of how these different animals recognize behavior across and within species. PMID:25379777

Predicting the Occurrence of Stalking in Relationships Characterized by Domestic Violence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melton, Heather C.

2007-01-01

A high correlation has been found between domestic violence and stalking. However, very few studies have examined what factors predict the occurrence of stalking in relationships characterized by domestic violence. Using in-depth interviews with victims of domestic violence whose cases have gone through the criminal justice system, this article…

Mitochondrial genome sequence of Egyptian swift Rock Pigeon (Columba livia breed Egyptian swift).

PubMed

Li, Chun-Hong; Shi, Wei; Shi, Wan-Yu

2015-06-01

The Egyptian swift Rock Pigeon is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. In this work, we report the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Egyptian swift Rock Pigeon. The total length of the mitogenome was 17,239 bp and its overall base composition was estimated to be 30.2% for A, 24.0% for T, 31.9% for C and 13.9% for G, indicating an A-T (54.2%)-rich feature in the mitogenome. It contained the typical structure of 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes and a non-coding control region (D-loop region). The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Egyptian swift Rock Pigeon would serve as an important data set of the germplasm resources for further study.

“Insight” in Pigeons: Absence of Means-End Processing in Displacement Tests

PubMed Central

Cook, Robert G.; Fowler, Catherine

2013-01-01

The understanding of functional relations between action and consequence is a critical component of intelligence. To examine this linkage in pigeons, we investigated their understanding of the relations of the elements tested in an extension of Köhler's box-stacking task to this species (Epstein et al. 1984). In the experiments, the pigeons had to move a spatially displaced box under an out-of-reach target. Experiment 1 successfully replicated and extended the previous finding showing that when separately trained to move a box and stand on it to peck the target, pigeons can synthesize these behaviors to solve the single-box displacement problem quickly on their first attempt. Experiment 2 tested whether pigeons, when given a simultaneous choice among two boxes with identical reinforcement histories, would selectively choose the box with the correct functional affordance (i.e., permitting standing) to solve the problem rather than a nonfunctional one. Their extensive, equivalent, and undirected behavior in moving both boxes during these tests suggests the pigeons did not possess a means-end understanding of the functional properties of the boxes. Instead, their results were consistent with an analysis of their earlier synthetic behavior as being due to the temporal and spatial relations of the physical elements in the task and their prior learned behaviors. PMID:23774955

7 CFR 319.56-45 - Shelled garden peas from Kenya.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Shelled garden peas from Kenya. 319.56-45 Section 319... Shelled garden peas from Kenya. Garden peas (Pisum sativum) may be imported into the continental United States from Kenya only under the following conditions and in accordance with all other applicable...

7 CFR 319.56-45 - Shelled garden peas from Kenya.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 5 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Shelled garden peas from Kenya. 319.56-45 Section 319.56-45 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH... Shelled garden peas from Kenya. Garden peas (Pisum sativum) may be imported into the continental United...

7 CFR 319.56-45 - Shelled garden peas from Kenya.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 5 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Shelled garden peas from Kenya. 319.56-45 Section 319.56-45 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH... Shelled garden peas from Kenya. Garden peas (Pisum sativum) may be imported into the continental United...

7 CFR 319.56-45 - Shelled garden peas from Kenya.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 5 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Shelled garden peas from Kenya. 319.56-45 Section 319.56-45 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH... Shelled garden peas from Kenya. Garden peas (Pisum sativum) may be imported into the continental United...

7 CFR 319.56-45 - Shelled garden peas from Kenya.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 5 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Shelled garden peas from Kenya. 319.56-45 Section 319.56-45 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH... Shelled garden peas from Kenya. Garden peas (Pisum sativum) may be imported into the continental United...

Ly α and UV Sizes of Green Pea Galaxies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yang, Huan; Wang, Junxian; Malhotra, Sangeeta

Green Peas are nearby analogs of high-redshift Ly α -emitting galaxies (LAEs). To probe their Ly α escape, we study the spatial profiles of Ly α and UV continuum emission of 24 Green Pea galaxies using the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) on the Hubble Space Telescope . We extract the spatial profiles of Ly α emission from their 2D COS spectra, and of the UV continuum from both 2D spectra and NUV images. The Ly α emission shows more extended spatial profiles than the UV continuum, in most Green Peas. The deconvolved full width at half maximum of the Lymore » α spatial profile is about 2–4 times that of the UV continuum, in most cases. Because Green Peas are analogs of high z LAEs, our results suggest that most high- z LAEs probably have larger Ly α sizes than UV sizes. We also compare the spatial profiles of Ly α photons at blueshifted and redshifted velocities in eight Green Peas with sufficient data quality, and find that the blue wing of the Ly α line has a larger spatial extent than the red wing in four Green Peas with comparatively weak blue Ly α line wings. We show that Green Peas and MUSE z = 3–6 LAEs have similar Ly α and UV continuum sizes, which probably suggests that starbursts in both low- z and high- z LAEs drive similar gas outflows illuminated by Ly α light. Five Lyman continuum (LyC) leakers in this sample have similar Ly α to UV continuum size ratios (∼1.4–4.3) to the other Green Peas, indicating that their LyC emissions escape through ionized holes in the interstellar medium.« less

Lyα and UV Sizes of Green Pea Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Huan; Malhotra, Sangeeta; Rhoads, James E.; Leitherer, Claus; Wofford, Aida; Jiang, Tianxing; Wang, Junxian

2017-03-01

Green Peas are nearby analogs of high-redshift Lyα-emitting galaxies (LAEs). To probe their Lyα escape, we study the spatial profiles of Lyα and UV continuum emission of 24 Green Pea galaxies using the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) on the Hubble Space Telescope. We extract the spatial profiles of Lyα emission from their 2D COS spectra, and of the UV continuum from both 2D spectra and NUV images. The Lyα emission shows more extended spatial profiles than the UV continuum, in most Green Peas. The deconvolved full width at half maximum of the Lyα spatial profile is about 2-4 times that of the UV continuum, in most cases. Because Green Peas are analogs of high z LAEs, our results suggest that most high-z LAEs probably have larger Lyα sizes than UV sizes. We also compare the spatial profiles of Lyα photons at blueshifted and redshifted velocities in eight Green Peas with sufficient data quality, and find that the blue wing of the Lyα line has a larger spatial extent than the red wing in four Green Peas with comparatively weak blue Lyα line wings. We show that Green Peas and MUSE z = 3-6 LAEs have similar Lyα and UV continuum sizes, which probably suggests that starbursts in both low-z and high-z LAEs drive similar gas outflows illuminated by Lyα light. Five Lyman continuum (LyC) leakers in this sample have similar Lyα to UV continuum size ratios (˜1.4-4.3) to the other Green Peas, indicating that their LyC emissions escape through ionized holes in the interstellar medium.

Insecticidal components from field pea extracts: sequences of some variants of pea albumin 1b.

PubMed

Taylor, Wesley G; Sutherland, Daniel H; Olson, Douglas J H; Ross, Andrew R S; Fields, Paul G

2004-12-15

Methanol soluble insecticidal peptides with masses of 3752, 3757, and 3805 Da, isolated from crude extracts (C8 extracts) derived from the protein-enriched flour of commercial field peas [Pisum sativum (L.)], were purified by reversed phase chromatography and, after reduction and alkylation, were sequenced by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight mass spectrometry with the aid of various peptidases. These major peptides were variants of pea albumin 1b (PA1b) with methionine sulfoxide rather than methionine at position 12. Peptide 3752 showed additional variations at positions 29 (valine for isoleucine) and 34 (histidine for asparagine). A minor, 37 amino acid peptide with a molecular mass of 3788 Da was also sequenced and differed from a known PA1b variant at positions 1, 25, and 31. Sequence variants of PA1b with their molecular masses were compiled, and variants that matched the accurate masses of the experimental peptides were used to narrow the search. MALDI postsource decay experiments on pronase fragments helped to confirm the sequences. Whole and dehulled field peas gave insecticidal C8 extracts in the laboratory that were enriched in peptides with masses of 3736, 3741, and 3789 Da, as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. It was therefore concluded that oxidation of the methionine residues to methionine sulfoxide occurred primarily during the processing of dehulled peas in a mill.

Hippocampal participation in navigational map learning in young homing pigeons is dependent on training experience.

PubMed

Ioalè, P; Gagliardo, A; Bingman, V P

2000-02-01

The homing pigeon navigational map is perhaps one of the most striking examples of a naturally occurring spatial representation of the environment used to guide navigation. In a previous study, it was found that hippocampal lesions thoroughly disrupt the ability of young homing pigeons held in an outdoor aviary to learn a navigational map. However, since that study an accumulation of anecdotal data has hinted that hippocampal-lesioned young pigeons allowed to fly during their first summer could learn a navigational map. In the present study, young control and hippocampal-lesioned homing pigeons were either held in an outdoor aviary or allowed to fly during the time of navigational map learning. At the end of their first summer, the birds were experimentally released to test for navigational map learning. Independent of training experience, control pigeons oriented homeward during the experimental releases demonstrating that they learned a navigational map. Surprisingly, while the aviary-held hippocampal-lesioned pigeons failed to learn a navigational map as reported previously, hippocampal-lesioned birds allowed flight experience learned a navigational map indistinguishable from the two control groups. A subsequent experiment revealed that the navigational map learned by the three groups was based on atmospheric odours. The results demonstrate that hippocampal participation in navigational map learning depends on the type of experience a young bird pigeon has, and presumably, the type of navigational map learned.

Screening for several potential pathogens in feral pigeons (Columba livia) in Madrid

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Pathogens with the zoonotic potential to infect humans, such as Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli and Chlamydophila psittaci, can be found in feral pigeons (Columba livia). Given the high density of these birds in the public parks and gardens of most cities, they may pose a direct threat to public health. Methods A total of 118 pigeons were captured in three samplings carried out in 2006-2007 in public parks and gardens in Madrid, Spain. Standard haematological and morphological analyses were carried out on the pigeons. PCR was used to screen for the presence of Campylobacter jejuni, C. coli and Chlamydophila psittaci. Positive samples were confirmed by DNA sequencing. Results The analyses demonstrated a high prevalence of Chlamydophila psittaci (52.6%) and Campylobacter jejuni (69.1%) among the birds captured. In contrast, Campylobacter coli was rarely detected (1.1%). Conclusions Pigeons in Madrid can carry Chlamydophila psittaci and Campylobacter jejuni. They may be asymptomatic or subclinical carriers of both pathogens. PMID:20569487

Lithotrophic iron-oxidizing bacteria produce organic stalks to control mineral growth: implications for biosignature formation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chan, Clara S; Fakra, Sirine C; Emerson, David

Neutrophilic Fe-oxidizing bacteria (FeOB) are often identified by their distinctive morphologies, such as the extracellular twisted ribbon-like stalks formed by Gallionella ferruginea or Mariprofundus ferrooxydans. Similar filaments preserved in silica are often identified as FeOB fossils in rocks. Although it is assumed that twisted iron stalks are indicative of FeOB, the stalk's metabolic role has not been established. To this end, we studied the marine FeOB M. ferrooxydans by light, X-ray and electron microscopy. Using time-lapse light microscopy, we observed cells excreting stalks during growth (averaging 2.2 {micro}m h(-1)). Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS)more » spectroscopy show that stalks are Fe(III)-rich, whereas cells are low in Fe. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that stalks are composed of several fibrils, which contain few-nanometer-sized iron oxyhydroxide crystals. Lepidocrocite crystals that nucleated on the fibril surface are much larger ({approx}100 nm), suggesting that mineral growth within fibrils is retarded, relative to sites surrounding fibrils. C and N 1s NEXAFS spectroscopy and fluorescence probing show that stalks primarily contain carboxyl-rich polysaccharides. On the basis of these results, we suggest a physiological model for Fe oxidation in which cells excrete oxidized Fe bound to organic polymers. These organic molecules retard mineral growth, preventing cell encrustation. This model describes an essential role for stalk formation in FeOB growth. We suggest that stalk-like morphologies observed in modern and ancient samples may be correlated confidently with the Fe-oxidizing metabolism as a robust biosignature.« less

Shape from Shading in Pigeons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cook, Robert G.; Qadri, Muhammad A. J.; Kieres, Art; Commons-Miller, Nicholas

2012-01-01

Light is the origin of vision. The pattern of shading reflected from object surfaces is one of several optical features that provide fundamental information about shape and surface orientation. To understand how surface and object shading is processed by birds, six pigeons were tested with differentially illuminated convex and concave curved…

Evaluation of gastroscopy and biopsy of the proventriculus and ventriculus in pigeons (Columba livia).

PubMed

Sladakovic, Izidora; Ellis, Angela E; Divers, Stephen J

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of gastroscopy and biopsy of the proventriculus and ventriculus in pigeons (Columba livia). ANIMALS 15 adult pigeons. PROCEDURES Each pigeon was anesthetized, and the upper gastrointestinal tract (from the cervical portion of the esophagus to the ventriculus) was endoscopically evaluated by use of a rigid endoscope inserted orally. Saline (0.9% NaCl) solution was orally infused to achieve lumen dilation and visibility. Two mucosal biopsy specimens were collected from each of the proventriculus and ventriculus, histologically evaluated, and graded for crush artifacts and depth. Pigeons were monitored for adverse effects for 3 to 6 days after the procedure, after which they were euthanized for necropsy. RESULTS Gastroscopy via the oral approach provided excellent visibility of the lumen and mucosal surfaces of the proventriculus and cranial portion of the ventriculus and was safe provided that appropriate precautions were taken. Two intraoperative deaths occurred at the beginning of the study; following procedure refinement, no additional deaths occurred. No major adverse effects of the procedure were detected in the remaining 13 pigeons during the postoperative monitoring period or at necropsy. Diagnostic quality of proventriculus specimens was adequate for 10 of 13 pigeons. Eight of 13 ventriculus specimens were of inadequate quality, and only 3 were of adequate quality. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Gastroscopy was useful for evaluating the lumen and mucosal surface of the proventriculus and ventriculus in pigeons, and biopsy of those organs was safely performed with the appropriate technique. Further evaluation of these techniques is needed in birds with clinical disease and birds of other species.

Pea amyloplast DNA is qualitatively similar to pea chloroplast DNA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaynor, J. J.

1984-01-01

Amyloplast DNA (apDNA), when subjected to digestion with restriction endonucleases, yields patterns nearly identical to that of DNA from mature pea chloroplasts (ctDNA). Southern transfers of apDNA and ctDNA, probed with the large subunit (LS) gene of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco), shows hybridization to the expected restriction fragments for both apDNA and ctDNA. However, Northern transfers of total RNA from chloroplasts and amyloplasts, probed again with the LS gene of Rubisco, shows that no detectable LS meggage is found in amyloplasts although LS expression in mature chloroplasts is high. Likewise, two dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of etiolated gravisensitive pea tissue shows that both large and small subunits of Rubisco are conspicuously absent; however, in greening tissue these two constitute the major soluble proteins. These findings suggest that although the informational content of these two organelle types is equivalent, gene expression is quite different and is presumably under nuclear control.

Effects of Stimulus Duration and Choice Delay on Visual Categorization in Pigeons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lazareva, Olga F.; Wasserman, Edward A.

2009-01-01

We [Lazareva, O. F., Freiburger, K. L., & Wasserman, E. A. (2004). "Pigeons concurrently categorize photographs at both basic and superordinate levels." "Psychonomic Bulletin and Review," 11, 1111-1117] previously trained four pigeons to classify color photographs into their basic-level categories (cars, chairs, flowers, or people) or into their…

The role of stalking in domestic violence crime reports generated by the Colorado Springs Police Department.

PubMed

Tjaden, P; Thoennes, N

2000-01-01

A review of 1,785 domestic violence crime reports generated by the Colorado Springs Police Department found that 1 in 6 (16.5 percent) contained evidence the suspect stalked the victim. Female victims were significantly more likely than male victims to allege stalking by their partners (18.3 vs. 10.5 percent). Most stalkers were former rather than current intimates. Regardless of victims' gender, reports with stalking allegations were significantly less likely to mention physical abuse or victim injury in the presenting condition, to involve households with children, or to involve victims and suspects who were using alcohol at the time of the report. Female victims who alleged stalking by their partner were significantly less likely than female victims who did not allege stalking to be emotionally distraught at the time of the report, but significantly more likely to have an active restraining order against the suspect, and to sign releases to facilitate the police investigation. Police almost never charged domestic violence stalking suspects with stalking, preferring instead to charge them with harassment or violation of a restraining order.

Molecular survey on zoonotic tick-borne bacteria and chlamydiae in feral pigeons (Columba livia domestica).

PubMed

Ebani, Valentina Virginia; Bertelloni, Fabrizio; Mani, Paolo

2016-04-01

To determine the presence of zoonotic tick-borne bacteria in feral pigeons (Columba livia domestica) from urban areas. Spleen samples from 84 feral pigeons, found dead with traumatic injuries in urban areas, were examined by PCR to detect DNA of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Bartonella spp., Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Coxiella burnetii, Rickettsia spp., and Chlamydophila spp. Twenty (23.8%) pigeons were infected by tick-borne agents, in particular 2 (2.38%) animals resulted positive for Bartonella spp., 5 (5.95%) for C. burnetii, 5 (5.95%) for Rickettsia spp., 13 (15.47%) for B. burgdorferi sensu lato. All birds scored negative for A. phagocytophilum. Moreover, 17 (20.23%) pigeons were positive for Chlamydophila spp. and among them 10 (11.9%) for Chlamydophila psittaci. Mixed infections by two or three agents were detected in 8 (9.52%) animals. Feral pigeons living in urban and periurban areas are a hazard for the human health as source of several pathogens. The obtained results confirm pigeons as reservoirs of chlamydial agents and suggest that they may be involved in the epidemiology of zoonotic tick-borne infections too. Copyright © 2016 Hainan Medical College. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of Mowing Cotton Stalks and Preventing Plant Re-Growth on Post-Harvest Reproduction of Meloidogyne incognita

PubMed Central

Davis, Richard F.; Kemerait, Robert C.

2010-01-01

The southern root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) is a major parasite of cotton in the U.S., and management tactics for this nematode attempt to minimize population levels. We compared three post-harvest practices for their ability to reduce nematode population levels in the field, thereby reducing initial nematode population for the next year's crop. The three practices tested were: 1) chemical defoliation before harvest plus cutting cotton stalks after harvest, 2) chemical defoliation plus applying a herbicide to kill plants prior to cutting the stalks, and 3) chemical defoliation without cutting stalks. Experiments were conducted in both the greenhouse and in the field. The greenhouse experiments demonstrated that M. incognita reproduction (measured as egg counts and root gall rating indices) was significantly greater when stalks were not cut. Cutting stalks plus applying herbicide to kill cotton roots did not significantly reduce nematode reproduction compared to cutting stalks alone. In field experiments, cutting stalks reduced egg populations and root galling compared to defoliation without stalk cutting. In a greenhouse bioassay which used soil from the field plots, plants grown in soil from the defoliation only treatment had greater root gall ratings and egg counts than in the stalk cutting plus herbicide treatment. Therefore, we conclude that cutting cotton stalks immediately after harvest effectively reduces M. incognita reproduction, and may lead to a lower initial population density of this nematode in the following year. PMID:22736845

Functional Similarities between Pigeon ‘Milk’ and Mammalian Milk: Induction of Immune Gene Expression and Modification of the Microbiota

PubMed Central

Gillespie, Meagan J.; Stanley, Dragana; Chen, Honglei; Donald, John A.; Nicholas, Kevin R.; Moore, Robert J.; Crowley, Tamsyn M.

2012-01-01

Pigeon ‘milk’ and mammalian milk have functional similarities in terms of nutritional benefit and delivery of immunoglobulins to the young. Mammalian milk has been clearly shown to aid in the development of the immune system and microbiota of the young, but similar effects have not yet been attributed to pigeon ‘milk’. Therefore, using a chicken model, we investigated the effect of pigeon ‘milk’ on immune gene expression in the Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue (GALT) and on the composition of the caecal microbiota. Chickens fed pigeon ‘milk’ had a faster rate of growth and a better feed conversion ratio than control chickens. There was significantly enhanced expression of immune-related gene pathways and interferon-stimulated genes in the GALT of pigeon ‘milk’-fed chickens. These pathways include the innate immune response, regulation of cytokine production and regulation of B cell activation and proliferation. The caecal microbiota of pigeon ‘milk’-fed chickens was significantly more diverse than control chickens, and appears to be affected by prebiotics in pigeon ‘milk’, as well as being directly seeded by bacteria present in pigeon ‘milk’. Our results demonstrate that pigeon ‘milk’ has further modes of action which make it functionally similar to mammalian milk. We hypothesise that pigeon ‘lactation’ and mammalian lactation evolved independently but resulted in similarly functional products. PMID:23110233

Facile combustion synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles using Cajanus cajan (L.) and its multidisciplinary applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Manjunath, K.; Ravishankar, T.N.; Kumar, Dhanith

Graphical abstract: Facile combustion synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles using Cajanuscajan (L.) and its multidisciplinary applications.Zinc oxide nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by solution combustion method (SCM) using pigeon pea as a combustible fuel for the first time. The as-prepared product shows good photocatalytic, dielectric, antibacterial, electrochemical properties. - Highlights: • ZnO Nps were synthesized via combustion method using pigeon pea as a fuel. • The structure of the product was confirmed by XRD technique. • The morphology was confirmed by SEM and TEM images. • The as-prepared product shown good photocatalytic activity, dielectric property. • It has also shown good antibacterialmore » and electrochemical properties. - Abstract: Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO Nps) were successfully synthesized by solution combustion method (SCM) using pigeon pea as a fuel for the first time. X-Ray diffraction pattern reveals that the product belongs to hexagonal system. FTIR spectrum of ZnO Nps shows the band at 420 cm{sup −1} associated with the characteristic vibration of Zn–O. TEM images show that the nanoparticles are found to be ∼40–80 nm. Furthermore, the as-prepared ZnO Nps exhibits good photocatalytic activity for the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB), indicating that they are indeed a promising photocatalytic semiconductor. The antibacterial properties of ZnO nanopowders were investigated by their bactericidal activity against four bacterial strains.« less

Child maltreatment, personality pathology, and stalking victimization among male and female college students.

PubMed

Ménard, Kim S; Pincus, Aaron L

2014-01-01

Self-report college student surveys on childhood maltreatment, and borderline and narcissistic personality features are examined to determine their influence on stalking victimization vulnerability. Stalking victimization was measured using Spitzberg and Cupach's (2008) Obsessive Relational Intrusion scale. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models were run separately for men (N = 677) and women (N = 1,017). Results indicated childhood sexual maltreatment and borderline traits were associated with stalking victimization among both men and women. These were the only significant relationships for men (R2 = .10). For women, stalking victimization was also associated with narcissistic grandiosity and vulnerability and with a child sexual abuse by borderline features interaction (R2 = .13), demonstrating women reporting prior sexual abuse and borderline personality pathology are especially vulnerable. Methodological and policy implications are discussed.

Reproductive biology of the band-tailed pigeon in Colorado and New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gutierrez, R.J.; Braun, C.E.; Zapatka, T.P.

1975-01-01

Band-tailed pigeons (Columba fasciata) occur in two major populations in western North America, a coastal population (C. f. monilis) and an interior population (C. f. fasciata) (A.O.U. 1957). The interior population inhabits portions of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Texas, and the highlands of Mexico. This pigeon is one of several species of birds in western North America that show unseasonal and variable nesting periods (see Ligon 1971). Active nests have been found in some portion of the species' range in every month of the year (Swarth 1900, Thayer 1909, Stephens 1913, Lamb 1926, Abbott 1927, Vorhies 1928, Neff 1947, MacGregor and Smith 1955). Although several studies of the breeding biology of the Band-tailed Pigeon have been made on the Pacific coast population (Glover 1953, MacGregor and Smith 1955, Houston 1963, March and Sadleir 1970, Zeigler 1971) few studies have been done of the interior population (Fitzhugh 1970). The breeding cycle of the interior population is poorly understood, although many observations of individual nests have been reported (Neff 1947, Fitzhugh 1970). The purpose of this study was to document the gonadal cycles of free-living Band-tailed Pigeons in Colorado and New Mexico and to study the species' photoperiod responses. From this information we have attempted to explain the normal breeding cycle of the pigeon and to explain its occasional unseasonal breeding.

Autoshaping of key pecking in pigeons with negative reinforcement.

PubMed

Rachlin, H

1969-07-01

Pigeons exposed to gradually increasing intensities of pulsing electric shock pecked a key and thereby reduced the intensity of shock to zero for 2 min. Acquisition of key pecking was brought about through an autoshaping process in which periodic brief keylight presentations immediately preceded automatic reduction of the shock. On the occasions of such automatic reduction of shock preceding the first measured key peck, little or no orientation to the key was observed. Observations of pigeons with autoshaping of positive reinforcement also revealed little evidence of orientation toward the key.

A good time to leave?: the sunk time effect in pigeons.

PubMed

Magalhães, Paula; White, K Geoffrey

2014-06-01

Persistence in a losing course of action due to prior investments of time, known as the sunk time effect, has seldom been studied in nonhuman animals. On every trial in the present study, pigeons were required to choose between two response keys. Responses on one key produced food after a short fixed interval (FI) of time on some trials, or on other trials, no food (Extinction) after a longer time. FI and Extinction trials were not differently signaled, were equiprobable, and alternated randomly. Responses on a second Escape key allowed the pigeon to terminate the current trial and start a new one. The optimal behavior was for pigeons to peck the escape key once the duration equivalent to the short FI had elapsed without reward. Durations of the short FI and the longer Extinction schedules were varied over conditions. In some conditions, the pigeons suboptimally responded through the Extinction interval, thus committing the sunk time effect. The absolute duration of the short FI had no effect on the choice between persisting and escaping. Instead, the ratio of FI and Extinction durations determined the likelihood of persistence during extinction. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Diversity and abundance of human-pathogenic fungi associated with pigeon faeces in urban environments.

PubMed

Lee, Won Dong; Fong, Jonathan J; Eimes, John A; Lim, Young Woon

2017-09-01

Pathogenic fungi are a growing health concern worldwide, particularly in large, densely populated cities. The dramatic upsurge of pigeon populations in cities has been implicated in the increased incidence of invasive fungal infections. In this study, we used a culture-independent, high-throughput sequencing approach to describe the diversity of clinically relevant fungi (CRF) associated with pigeon faeces and map the relative abundance of CRF across Seoul, Korea. In addition, we tested whether certain geographical, sociological and meteorological factors were significantly associated with the diversity and relative abundance of CRF. Finally, we compared the CRF diversity of fresh and old pigeon faeces to identify the source of the fungi and the role of pigeons in dispersal. Our results demonstrated that both the composition and relative abundance of CRF are unevenly distributed across Seoul. The green area ratio and the number of multiplex houses were positively correlated with species diversity, whereas wind speed and number of households were negatively correlated. The number of workers and green area ratio were positively correlated with the relative abundance of CRF, whereas wind speed was negatively correlated. Because many CRF were absent in fresh faeces, we inferred that most species cannot survive the gastrointestinal tract of pigeons and instead are likely transmitted through soil or air and use pigeon faeces as a substrate for proliferation. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Structure of the Newcastle disease virus hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) ectodomain reveals a four-helix bundle stalk

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yuan, Ping; Swanson, Kurt A.; Leser, George P.

2014-10-02

The paramyxovirus hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) protein plays multiple roles in viral entry and egress, including binding to sialic acid receptors, activating the fusion (F) protein to activate membrane fusion and viral entry, and cleaving sialic acid from carbohydrate chains. HN is an oligomeric integral membrane protein consisting of an N-terminal transmembrane domain, a stalk region, and an enzymatically active neuraminidase (NA) domain. Structures of the HN NA domains have been solved previously; however, the structure of the stalk region has remained elusive. The stalk region contains specificity determinants for F interactions and activation, underlying the requirement for homotypic F and HNmore » interactions in viral entry. Mutations of the Newcastle disease virus HN stalk region have been shown to affect both F activation and NA activities, but a structural basis for understanding these dual affects on HN functions has been lacking. Here, we report the structure of the Newcastle disease virus HN ectodomain, revealing dimers of NA domain dimers flanking the N-terminal stalk domain. The stalk forms a parallel tetrameric coiled-coil bundle (4HB) that allows classification of extensive mutational data, providing insight into the functional roles of the stalk region. Mutations that affect both F activation and NA activities map predominantly to the 4HB hydrophobic core, whereas mutations that affect only F-protein activation map primarily to the 4HB surface. Two of four NA domains interact with the 4HB stalk, and residues at this interface in both the stalk and NA domain have been implicated in HN function.« less

2-Pentadecyl-2-Oxazoline, the Oxazoline of Pea, Modulates Carrageenan-Induced Acute Inflammation

PubMed Central

Petrosino, Stefania; Campolo, Michela; Impellizzeri, Daniela; Paterniti, Irene; Allarà, Marco; Gugliandolo, Enrico; D’Amico, Ramona; Siracusa, Rosalba; Cordaro, Marika; Esposito, Emanuela; Di Marzo, Vincenzo; Cuzzocrea, Salvatore

2017-01-01

N-acylethanolamines (NAEs) involve a family of lipid molecules existent in animal and plant, with N-palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) that arouses great attention owing to its anti-inflammatory, analgesic and neuroprotective activities. Because PEA is produced on demand and exerts pleiotropic effects, the modulation of specific amidases for NAEs (and in particular NAE-hydrolyzing acid amidase NAAA, which is more selective for PEA) could be a condition to preserve its levels. Here we investigate the effect of 2-Pentadecyl-2-oxazoline (PEA-OXA) the oxazoline of PEA, on human recombinant NAAA in vitro and in an established model of Carrageenan (CAR)-induced rat paw inflammation. PEA-OXA dose-dependently significantly inhibited recombinant NAAA and, orally administered to rats (10 mg/kg), limiting histological damage, thermal hyperalgesia and the increase of infiltrating inflammatory cells after CAR injection in the rat right hindpaw, compared to ultramicronized PEA given orally at the same dose (10 mg/kg). These effects were accompanied by elevation of paw PEA levels. Moreover, PEA-OXA markedly reduced neutrophil infiltration and pro-inflammatory cytokine release and prevented CAR-induced IκB-α degradation, nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65, the increase of inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, and mast cell activation. Experiments in PPAR-α knockout mice showed that the anti-inflammatory effects of PEA-OXA were not dependent on the presence of PPAR-α receptors. In conclusion, NAAA modulators as PEA-OXA could help to maximize the tissue availability of PEA by increasing its levels and anti-inflammatory effects. PMID:28611664

Soil Properties, Nutrient Dynamics, and Soil Enzyme Activities Associated with Garlic Stalk Decomposition under Various Conditions

PubMed Central

Han, Xu; Cheng, Zhihui; Meng, Huanwen

2012-01-01

The garlic stalk is a byproduct of garlic production and normally abandoned or burned, both of which cause environmental pollution. It is therefore appropriate to determine the conditions of efficient decomposition, and equally appropriate to determine the impact of this decomposition on soil properties. In this study, the soil properties, enzyme activities and nutrient dynamics associated with the decomposition of garlic stalk at different temperatures, concentrations and durations were investigated. Stalk decomposition significantly increased the values of soil pH and electrical conductivity. In addition, total nitrogen and organic carbon concentration were significantly increased by decomposing stalks at 40°C, with a 5∶100 ratio and for 10 or 60 days. The highest activities of sucrase, urease and alkaline phosphatase in soil were detected when stalk decomposition was performed at the lowest temperature (10°C), highest concentration (5∶100), and shortest duration (10 or 20 days). The evidence presented here suggests that garlic stalk decomposition improves the quality of soil by altering the value of soil pH and electrical conductivity and by changing nutrient dynamics and soil enzyme activity, compared to the soil decomposition without garlic stalks. PMID:23226411

Behavioral and Mental Health Correlates of Youth Stalking Victimization: A Latent Class Approach.

PubMed

Reidy, Dennis E; Smith-Darden, Joanne P; Kernsmith, Poco D

2016-12-01

Although recognized as a public health problem, little attention has been paid to the problem of stalking among youth. Latent profile analysis was used to identify latent groups of adolescent stalking victims and their behavioral and mental health correlates. A cross-sectional sample of 1,236 youths were randomly selected from 13 schools stratified by community risk level (i.e., low, moderate, and high risk) and gender. Students completed surveys assessing behavioral indicators of stalking victimization, as well as substance use, sexual behavior, dating violence, and psychiatric symptoms. Data were collected in 2013 and data analyses were performed in 2015. Analysis indicated the presence of a non-victim class, a minimal exposure class, and a victim class for boys and girls alike. Approximately 14% of girls and 13% of boys were in the stalking victim class. Adolescents in the victim class reported more symptoms of post-traumatic stress, mood disorder, and hopelessness, as well as more instances of alcohol use, binge drinking, and physical dating violence victimization. Girls in the victim class also reported engaging in sexting behaviors and oral sex with significantly more partners than their non-victim peers. These findings provide valuable knowledge of the prevalence and pertinent health correlates of stalking victimization in adolescence. The data suggest a substantial proportion of adolescents are victims of stalking and are likewise at risk for a number of deleterious health outcomes. As such, this population merits further attention by prevention researchers and practitioners. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Coastal response to the Port Sheldon jetties at Pigeon Lake, Michigan. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hansen, M.; Underwood, S.G.

1991-07-01

The Consumers Powers Corp. constructed two jetties at Port Shelton, Michigan to maintain an open waterway into Pigeon Lake. These jetties are located at the entrance of Pigeon Lake in Port Shelton township, on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. Originally, water was drawn from Lake Michigan via Pigeon Lake Inlet to cool a fossil fuel power plant. The inlet into Pigeon Lake was deepened and widened throughout the early history of the power plant. Adjacent shorelines have been modified directly by Consumers Power Corp. and indirectly by the natural littoral response to the jetties. This study sought to determinemore » the impact, if any, of these jetties at the entrance to Pigeon Lake on adjacent shorelines and nearshore zones. Analysis of historical shoreline position and bathymetry data in the vicinity of Port Sheldon indicates approximately 810,600 cu yd of material has been trapped by the jetties since construction in 1964. At present, it appears that the fillet areas adjacent to the jetties have volumetrically stabilized and that natural and bypassing may be occurring around the lakeward tips of the jetties. Results of this study identified a zone of slightly higher erosion 3,000 to 9,000 ft south of the jetties that may be related to jetty construction.« less

Phylogeny and biogeography of the imperial pigeons (Aves: Columbidae) in the Pacific Ocean.

PubMed

Cibois, Alice; Thibault, Jean-Claude; Bonillo, Céline; Filardi, Christopher E; Pasquet, Eric

2017-05-01

We reconstruct the phylogeny of imperial pigeons (genus Ducula) using mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data. We evaluate the most likely biogeographic scenario for the evolution of this group that colonized many islands of the Pacific Ocean. The divergence time analysis suggests that the basal divergences within Ducula occurred more recently than in the fruit doves (genus Ptilinopus), a group that is also well diversified in Oceania. The imperial pigeons colonized the Melanesian region several times independently, and the diversification within this region led to several species in sympatry, in particular in the Bismarck archipelago. Central Polynesia was also colonized several times, first by a lineage during the Miocene that led to the large D. latrans, sister to the New Caledonian endemic D. goliath, then more recently by the widespread D. pacifica, during the Pleistocene. The phylogenetic pattern obtained with the extant Ducula species showed that the Eastern Polynesian endemics do not form a monophyletic group, with the Pacific Imperial Pigeon D. pacifica sister species with good support to the Polynesian Imperial Pigeon D. aurorae. However, the impact of recent anthropic extinctions has been important for the imperial pigeons, more than for the smaller fruit doves, suggesting that several Ducula lineages might be missing today. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Pisum Genus: Getting out of Pea Soup!

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Pea (Pisum sativum L.) has long been a model for plant genetics and is a widely grown pulse crop producing protein-rich seeds in a sustainable manner. However, many questions remain open about (sub)species relationships in the Pisumgenus. The ongoing pea genome sequencing project and the recent geno...

Characterization of two pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 isolates in China.

PubMed

Awu, Abie; Shao, Meng-yu; Liu, Meng-meng; Hu, Yan-xin; Qin, Zhuo-ming; Tian, Fu-lin; Zhang, Guo-zhong

2015-01-01

For over three decades, there has been a continuing panzootic caused by a virulent variant avian paramyxovirus type 1 strain, the so-called pigeon paramyxovirus type 1. It is found primarily in racing pigeons, but it has also spread to wild birds and poultry. In this study, two pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 strains, SD12 and BJ13, obtained from diseased pigeons in China, were characterized. Phylogenetic analysis based on complete sequences allowed characterization of both strains as genotype VI, class II. Further phylogenetic analysis of a 374-nucleotide section of the fusion gene showed that SD12 fell into lineage VIbii-d and BJ13 into VIbii-f. The deduced amino acid sequence of the cleavage site of the fusion protein confirmed that both isolates contained the virulent motif (112)K/RRQKR↓F(117) at the cleavage site. Nevertheless, the values of intracerebral pathogenicity indices showed the SD12 isolate to be a velogenic strain and BJ13 isolate to be a mesogenic strain. The SD12 isolate was further investigated via clinical observation, RNA detection, histopathology and viral serology in experimentally infected 3-week-old chickens. It showed a mild pathological phenotype in chickens, with viral replication restricted to a few tissues. The molecular mechanism for the SD12 isolate to have a virulent motif but low levels of virulence for chickens requires further study.

Acute and Chronic Effects of Cocaine on the Spontaneous Behavior of Pigeons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinkston, Jonathan W.; Branch, Marc N.

2010-01-01

The present experiment examined the effects of acute and daily cocaine on spontaneous behavior patterns of pigeons. After determining the acute effects of a range of doses, 9 pigeons were divided into three groups that received one of three doses of cocaine daily, either 1.0, 3.0, or 10.0 mg/kg cocaine. Measures were taken of spontaneous…

The Impact of Severe Stalking Experienced by Acutely Battered Women: An Examination of Violence, Psychological Symptoms and Strategic Responding

PubMed Central

Mechanic, Mindy B.; Uhlmansiek, Mary H.; Weaver, Terri L.; Resick, Patricia A.

2010-01-01

Stalking has been relatively understudied compared to other dimensions of intimate partner violence. The purpose of this article was to examine concurrent and subsequent intimate partner abuse, strategic responses and symptomatic consequences of severe stalking experienced by battered women. Thirty-five battered women classified as “relentlessly stalked” and 31 infrequently stalked battered women were compared. Compared to infrequently stalked battered women, relentlessly stalked battered women reported: (a) more severe concurrent physical violence, sexual assault and emotional abuse: (b) increased post-separation assault and stalking; (c) increased rates of depression and PTSD; and (d) more extensive use of strategic responses to abuse. Results underscore the scope and magnitude of stalking faced by battered women and have implications for assessment and intervention strategies. PMID:11288940

Emergence of a deviating genotype VI pigeon paramyxovirus type-1 isolated from India.

PubMed

Ganar, Ketan; Das, Moushumee; Raut, Ashwin Ashok; Mishra, Anamika; Kumar, Sachin

2017-07-01

Pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 (PPMV-1) is an antigenic variant of avian paramyxovirus type 1 (APMV-1), which infects pigeons. The virus causes high morbidity and mortality, creating an alarming state for the poultry industry. The present work describes the molecular and pathogenic characterization of a PPMV-1 strain isolated from pigeon in Bhopal, India. Complete genome sequence analysis revealed a genome of 15,192 nucleotides encoding six genes organized in the order 3'-N-P-M-F-HN-L-5'. The fusion gene sequence analysis showed the presence of multiple basic amino acids 112 R-R-Q-K-R-F 117 at the cleavage site corresponding to pathogenic strains. The mean death time and intracerebral pathogenicity index values indicated a mesogenic nature for the PPMV-1 isolate. On phylogenetic analysis, the strain clustered with genotype VI viruses, including isolates from pigeon and dove. The Bhopal strain showed significant intra and inter-genotype evolutionary distance, suggesting the emergence of a new sub-genotype, VIj.

SUBSTITUTION EFFECTS IN A GENERALIZED TOKEN ECONOMY WITH PIGEONS

PubMed Central

Andrade, Leonardo F.; Hackenberg, Timothy D.

2016-01-01

Pigeons made repeated choices between earning and exchanging reinforcer-specific tokens (green tokens exchangeable for food, red tokens exchangeable for water) and reinforcer-general tokens (white tokens exchangeable for food or water) in a closed token economy. Food and green food tokens could be earned on one panel; water and red water tokens could be earned on a second panel; white generalized tokens could be earned on either panel. Responses on one key produced tokens according to a fixed-ratio schedule, whereas responses on a second key produced exchange periods, during which all previously earned tokens could be exchanged for the appropriate commodity. Most conditions were conducted in a closed economy, and pigeons distributed their token allocation in ways that permitted food and water consumption. When the price of all tokens was equal and low, most pigeons preferred the generalized tokens. When token-production prices were manipulated, pigeons reduced production of the tokens that increased in price while increasing production of the generalized tokens that remained at a fixed price. The latter is consistent with a substitution effect: Generalized tokens increased and were exchanged for the more expensive reinforcer. When food and water were made freely available outside the session, token production and exchange was sharply reduced but was not eliminated, even in conditions when it no longer produced tokens. The results join with other recent data in showing sustained generalized functions of token reinforcers, and demonstrate the utility of token-economic methods for assessing demand for and substitution among multiple commodities in a laboratory context. PMID:28000221

Phylogenetic, antigenic and biological characterization of pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 circulating in China.

PubMed

Qiu, Xusheng; Meng, Chunchun; Zhan, Yuan; Yu, Shengqing; Li, Shichao; Ren, Tingting; Yuan, Weifeng; Xu, Shuqin; Sun, Yingjie; Tan, Lei; Song, Cuiping; Liao, Ying; Ding, Zhuang; Liu, Xiufan; Ding, Chan

2017-09-29

For many years, ND has been one of the most important infectious pigeon diseases in China. In recent years, a high mortality has been observed in ND-infected pigeons in China. Mortality is from 40% to 80% or 100% in some cases. The full-length genomes of four pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 (PPMV-1) strains, which were isolated from infected pigeons in China in 2012 and 2013, were sequenced and analyzed to determine the phylogenetic characteristics of PPMV-1 circulating in pigeons of China in recent years. Furthermore, cross hemagglutination inhibition and cross virus neutralization assays, as well as animal experiments were conducted to determine the antigenicity and pathogenicity of those viruses. Proteolytic cleavage sites (residues 112-117) of the F proteins were identified as the typical virulence motif, 112 RRQKR↓F 117 for all four PPMV-1 strains investigated. Phylogenetic analysis based on sequences of complete genomes and F gene revealed that the four PPMV-1 isolates and most of recent isolates in China were highly homologous to European isolates from 1998 to 2011. All those isolates were clustered in one clade of genotype VI NDV, termed as subgroup 4bii f. The R value was calculated based on cross hemagglutination inhibition and cross virus neutralization results, and confirmed antigenic difference of the PPMV-1 strains isolated in 2013 from the LaSota vaccine strain. Several mutations were identified in the surface glycoproteins F and HN, which probably gave rise to those antigenic differences. Our result suggested that the PPMV-1 strain prevailing in China in the last decade diverged from a common ancestor and was presumably transmitted from Europe. PPMV-1 isolates displayed obvious antigenic differences from vaccine strain LaSota. Even though PPMV-1 did not cause high mortality in experimental pigeons, the infected pigeons were exhibiting viral shedding for 3 weeks after infection, suggesting PPMV-1 is a potential threat to NDV control worldwide.

Immunoglobulin and antibody levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from symptomatic and asymptomatic pigeon breeders.

PubMed Central

Reynolds, S P; Edwards, J H; Jones, K P; Davies, B H

1991-01-01

Twenty-one symptomatic subjects with pigeon breeders' lung (PBL) and 10 asymptomatic pigeon breeders, with a similar exposure to pigeon antigens, underwent bronchoalveolar lavage. Total IgG, IgM and IgA in lavage fluid were determined as were specific antibody levels against antigens in pigeon serum and droppings. Results were converted to levels in epithelial lining fluid (ELF) using lavage and serum urea ratios. It was found that symptomatics represent a group that is hyperreactive to pigeon antigens compared with the asymptomatic group with significantly higher IgG, IgM, IgA levels as well as specific antibody levels against pigeon serum and droppings. Paired serum and ELF samples from 12 symptomatic subjects showed significantly elevated IgG, IgM and IgA levels in ELF compared with serum when values were expressed in terms of albumin. This strongly supports the concept of local production of immunoglobulins within the lung after inhaling immunogens as opposed to their diffusion from the vasculature. Results for IgA indicate that any putative protective role for this immunoglobulin is not valid in relation to the prevention of extrinsic allergic alveolitis. Analysis of smoking habits, lung immunoglobulins and response to inhalation challenge confirm the negative influence of smoking on total and functional lung immunoglobulins; however, levels in the ELF of ex-smokers suggest that the effect of smoking is not permanent. Smoking did not prevent responses to inhalation challenge. PMID:1934595

The potential of pigeons as surrogate observers in medical image perception studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krupinski, Elizabeth A.; Levenson, Richard M.; Navarro, Victor; Wasserman, Edward A.

2016-03-01

Assessment of medical image quality and how changes in image appearance impact performance are critical but assessment can be expensive and time-consuming. Could an animal (pigeon) observer with well-known visual skills and documented ability to distinguish complex visual stimuli serve as a surrogate for the human observer? Using sets of whole slide pathology (WSI) and mammographic images we trained pigeons (cohorts of 4) to detect and/or classify lesions in medical images. Standard training methods were used. A chamber equipped with a 15' display with a resistive touchscreen was used to display the images and record responses (pecks). Pigeon pellets were dispensed for correct responses. The pigeons readily learned to distinguish benign from malignant breast cancer histopathology in WSI (mean % correct responses rose 50% to 85% over 15 days) and generalized readily from 4X to 10X and 20X magnifications; to detect microcalcifications (mean % correct responses rose 50% to over 85% over 25 days); to distinguish benign from malignant breast masses (3 of 4 birds learned this task to around 80% and 60% over 10 days); and ignore compression artifacts in WSI (performance with uncompressed slides averaged 95% correct; 15:1 and 27:1 compression slides averaged 92% and 90% correct). Pigeons models may help us better understand medical image perception and may be useful in quality assessment by serving as surrogate observers for certain types of studies.

Characterization of pea (Pisum sativum) seed protein fractions.

PubMed

Rubio, Luis A; Pérez, Alicia; Ruiz, Raquel; Guzmán, M Ángeles; Aranda-Olmedo, Isabel; Clemente, Alfonso

2014-01-30

Legume seed proteins have to be chemically characterized in order to properly link their nutritional effects with their chemical structure. Vicilin and albumin fractions devoid of cross-contamination, as assessed by mass peptide fingerprinting analysis, were obtained from defatted pea (Pisum sativum cv. Bilbo) meal. The extracted protein fractions contained 56.7-67.7 g non-starch polysaccharides kg⁻¹. The vicilin fraction was higher than legumins in arginine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine and lysine. The most abundant amino acids in the albumin fraction were aspartic acid, glutamic acid, lysine and arginine, and the amounts of methionine were more than double than those in legumins and vicilins. The pea albumin fraction showed a clear enrichment of protease inhibitory activity when compared with the seed meal. In vitro digestibility values for pea proteins were 0.63 ±  0.04, 0.88 ±  0.04 and 0.41 ±  0.23 for legumins, vicilins and albumins respectively. Vicilin and albumin fractions devoid of cross-contamination with other proteins were obtained from pea seed meal. The vicilin fraction also contained low amounts of soluble non-starch polysaccharides and was enriched in isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine and lysine. In vitro digestibility values for pea proteins were similar or even numerically higher than those for control proteins. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Compensatory branching morphogenesis of stalk cells in the Drosophila trachea.

PubMed

Francis, Deanne; Ghabrial, Amin S

2015-06-01

Tubes are essential for nutrient transport and gas exchange in multicellular eukaryotes, but how connections between different tube types are maintained over time is unknown. In the Drosophila tracheal system, mutations in oak gall (okg) and conjoined (cnj) confer identical defects, including late onset blockage near the terminal cell-stalk cell junction and the ectopic extension of autocellular, seamed tubes into the terminal cell. We determined that okg and cnj encode the E and G subunits of the vacuolar ATPase (vATPase) and showed that both the V0 and V1 domains are required for terminal cell morphogenesis. Remarkably, the ectopic seamed tubes running along vATPase-deficient terminal cells belonged to the neighboring stalk cells. All vATPase-deficient tracheal cells had reduced apical domains and terminal cells displayed mislocalized apical proteins. Consistent with recent reports that the mTOR and vATPase pathways intersect, we found that mTOR pathway mutants phenocopied okg and cnj. Furthermore, terminal cells depleted for the apical determinants Par6 or aPKC had identical ectopic seamed tube defects. We thus identify a novel mechanism of compensatory branching in which stalk cells extend autocellular tubes into neighboring terminal cells with undersized apical domains. This compensatory branching also occurs in response to injury, with damaged terminal cells being rapidly invaded by their stalk cell neighbor. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Potential alternative hosts for the pea powdery mildew pathogen Erysiphe trifolii

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Powdery mildew of pea (Pisum sativum) is an important disease in the field and in the greenhouse. The most widely documented powdery mildew pathogen on pea is Erysiphe pisi, but E. baeumleri and E. trifolii have also been reported. We recently showed that E. trifolii is frequently found on pea in th...

Comparison of immunodiffusion and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay in the detection of abnormal antibodies in pigeon breeder's disease.

PubMed Central

Simpson, C.; Shirodaria, P. V.; Evans, J. P.; Simpson, D. I.; Stanford, C. F.

1992-01-01

AIMS: To compare the sensitivity of two methods for the detection of serum antibodies to pigeon faecal antigens in patients with pigeon breeder's disease. METHODS: Serum samples stored at -20 degrees C from 50 patients with pigeon breeder's disease, 50 control samples from patients with other respiratory diseases, and 50 healthy blood donors were examined for the precipitating antibodies and IgG antibodies to antigens present in extract of pigeon droppings by immunodiffusion and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. RESULTS: Both antigen preparations of pigeon dropping extract were equally effective. A positive immunodiffusion reaction gave one or more precipitin lines and these antibodies were detected only in undiluted sera from 80% of the patients with pigeon breeder's disease. In the ELISA the sera were tested at a starting dilution of 1 in 100 because positive reactions were observed with sera from healthy blood donors at lower dilutions. All sera which gave optical density readings above 3 SD of the control value were considered to have IgG antibodies. These antibodies were detected in sera from all the patients with pigeon breeder's disease. The antibody titres were much higher in those patients who had precipitating antibodies (range 800-51,200) than those without (range 100-800). The antibodies were not detected in the sera of patients with respiratory diseases or healthy blood donors by either method. CONCLUSIONS: Antibodies to pigeon dropping antigens were detected by immunodiffusion and ELISA in sera from patients with pigeon breeder's disease but not in control sera. ELISA was a more sensitive method for detecting antibodies and therefore seems to have considerable potential as a routine technique in the serological diagnosis of pigeon breeder's disease. PMID:1624596

Figure-ground assignment in pigeons: evidence for a figural benefit.

PubMed

Lazareva, Olga E; Castro, Leyre; Vecera, Shaun P; Wasserman, Edward A

2006-07-01

Four pigeons discriminated whether a target spot appeared on a colored figural shape or on a differently colored background by first pecking the target and then reporting its location: on the figure or the background. We recorded three dependent variables: target detection time, choice response time, and choice accuracy. The birds were faster to detect the target, to report its location, and to learn the correct response on figure trials than on background trials. Later tests suggested that the pigeons might have attended to the figural region as a whole rather than using local properties in performing the figure-background discrimination. The location of the figural region did not affect figure-ground assignment. Finally, when 4 other pigeons had to detect and peck the target without making a choice report, no figural advantage emerged in target detection time, suggesting that the birds' attention may not have been automatically summoned to the figural region.

Genetically modified α-amylase inhibitor peas are not specifically allergenic in mice.

PubMed

Lee, Rui-Yun; Reiner, Daniela; Dekan, Gerhard; Moore, Andrew E; Higgins, T J V; Epstein, Michelle M

2013-01-01

Weevils can devastate food legumes in developing countries, but genetically modified peas (Pisum sativum), chickpeas and cowpeas expressing the gene for alpha-amylase inhibitor-1 (αAI) from the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) are completely protected from weevil destruction. αAI is seed-specific, accumulated at high levels and undergoes post-translational modification as it traverses the seed endomembrane system. This modification was thought to be responsible for the reported allergenicity in mice of the transgenic pea but not the bean. Here, we observed that transgenic αAI peas, chickpeas and cowpeas as well as non-transgenic beans were all allergenic in BALB/c mice. Even consuming non-transgenic peas lacking αAI led to an anti-αAI response due to a cross-reactive response to pea lectin. Our data demonstrate that αAI transgenic peas are not more allergenic than beans or non-transgenic peas in mice. This study illustrates the importance of repeat experiments in independent laboratories and the potential for unexpected cross-reactive allergic responses upon consumption of plant products in mice.

Genetically Modified α-Amylase Inhibitor Peas Are Not Specifically Allergenic in Mice

PubMed Central

Dekan, Gerhard; Moore, Andrew E.; Higgins, T. J. V.; Epstein, Michelle M.

2013-01-01

Weevils can devastate food legumes in developing countries, but genetically modified peas (Pisum sativum), chickpeas and cowpeas expressing the gene for alpha-amylase inhibitor-1 (αAI) from the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) are completely protected from weevil destruction. αAI is seed-specific, accumulated at high levels and undergoes post-translational modification as it traverses the seed endomembrane system. This modification was thought to be responsible for the reported allergenicity in mice of the transgenic pea but not the bean. Here, we observed that transgenic αAI peas, chickpeas and cowpeas as well as non-transgenic beans were all allergenic in BALB/c mice. Even consuming non-transgenic peas lacking αAI led to an anti-αAI response due to a cross-reactive response to pea lectin. Our data demonstrate that αAI transgenic peas are not more allergenic than beans or non-transgenic peas in mice. This study illustrates the importance of repeat experiments in independent laboratories and the potential for unexpected cross-reactive allergic responses upon consumption of plant products in mice. PMID:23326368

Newcastle disease B1 vaccine strain in wild rock pigeons in Atlanta, Georgia

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

From June to October of 2012, samples were collected from wild Rock Pigeons (Columba livia) in urban neighborhoods of Atlanta, Georgia to ascertain the prevalence of pigeon paramyxovirus serotype-1 (PPMV-1). PPMV-1 strains are a subset of avian paramyxovirus serotype-1 (APMV-1) commonly isolated fro...

Pigeon RIG-I Function in Innate Immunity against H9N2 IAV and IBDV.

PubMed

Xu, Wenping; Shao, Qiang; Zang, Yunlong; Guo, Qiang; Zhang, Yongchao; Li, Zandong

2015-07-22

Retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I), a cytosolic pattern recognition receptor (PRR), can sense various RNA viruses, including the avian influenza virus (AIV) and infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV), and trigger the innate immune response. Previous studies have shown that mammalian RIG-I (human and mice) and waterfowl RIG-I (ducks and geese) are essential for type I interferon (IFN) synthesis during AIV infection. Like ducks, pigeons are also susceptible to infection but are ineffective propagators and disseminators of AIVs, i.e., "dead end" hosts for AIVs and even highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Consequently, we sought to identify pigeon RIG-I and investigate its roles in the detection of A/Chicken/Shandong/ZB/2007 (H9N2) (ZB07), Gansu/Tianshui (IBDV TS) and Beijing/CJ/1980 (IBDV CJ-801) strains in chicken DF-1 fibroblasts or human 293T cells. Pigeon mRNA encoding the putative pigeon RIG-I analogs was identified. The exogenous expression of enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP)-tagged pigeon RIG-I and caspase activation and recruitment domains (CARDs), strongly induced antiviral gene (IFN-β, Mx, and PKR) mRNA synthesis, decreased viral gene (M gene and VP2) mRNA expression, and reduced the viral titers of ZB07 and IBDV TS/CJ-801 virus strains in chicken DF-1 cells, but not in 293T cells. We also compared the antiviral abilities of RIG-I proteins from waterfowl (duck and goose) and pigeon. Our data indicated that waterfowl RIG-I are more effective in the induction of antiviral genes and the repression of ZB07 and IBDV TS/CJ-801 strain replication than pigeon RIG-I. Furthermore, chicken melanoma differentiation associated gene 5(MDA5)/ mitochondrial antiviral signaling (MAVS) silencing combined with RIG-I transfection suggested that pigeon RIG-I can restore the antiviral response in MDA5-silenced DF-1 cells but not in MAVS-silenced DF-1 cells. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that pigeon RIG-I and CARDs have a strong antiviral ability

Clinical and serological tests for arboviruses in free-living domestic pigeons (Columba livia).

PubMed

Ramos, Bruna Alves; Chiang, Jannifer Oliveira; Martins, Lívia Carício; Chagas, Liliane Leal das; Silva, Franko de Arruda E; Ferreira, Milene Silveira; Freitas, Maria Nazaré Oliveira; Alcantara, Bianca Nascimento de; Silva, Sandro Patroca da; Miranda, Stefânia Araújo; Sepulvreda, Barbara Alves; Corrêa, Layna Thayssa Guimarães; Negrão, Andréa Maria Góes; Vasconcelos, Pedro Fernando da Costa; Casseb, Alexandre do Rosário

2017-08-01

In this study, we evaluated the role of free-living domestic pigeons (Columba livia) as a reservoir of arboviruses in the city of Belém, state of Pará, Brazil. We investigated the presence of antibodies against the most prevalent arboviruses. This study was aimed at evaluating some clinical and physical parameters of domestic pigeons, including the presence of antibodies to Amazon-endemic arboviruses. Eighty-five healthy pigeons were captured in Mangal das Garças Park, in Belém, and were bled. Upon capture, the birds were subjected to a clinical examination in search of alterations that could indicate the presence of arboviruses. Blood samples were converted to serum and tested using the haemagglutination inhibition (HI) technique with a panel of 19 antigens of arboviruses circulating in the Amazon. The confirmation assay for the positive reactions to the viral species tested by HI was a neutralisation test in new-born Swiss albino mice (Mus musculus) [mouse neutralisation test (MNT)]. A total of 10 (11.8%) serum samples tested positive for antiflavivirus antibodies by HI. All the samples positive for the HI test were subjected to MNT for detection of viruses and yielded negative results (logarithmic neutralisation index < 1.7). The results represent the first serological detection of antiarbovirus antibodies in domestic pigeons as potential hosts of arboviruses in Brazil. The detection of haemagglutination-inhibiting antibodies against genus Flavivirus indicated that there was recent contact between the analysed domestic pigeons and these arboviruses. Further studies are needed to evaluate the role of free-living pigeons in the maintenance cycle and spread of arboviruses in the Amazon.

Clinical and serological tests for arboviruses in free-living domestic pigeons (Columba livia)

PubMed Central

Ramos, Bruna Alves; Chiang, Jannifer Oliveira; Martins, Lívia Carício; Chagas, Liliane Leal das; Silva, Franko de Arruda e; Ferreira, Milene Silveira; Freitas, Maria Nazaré Oliveira; de Alcantara, Bianca Nascimento; da Silva, Sandro Patroca; Miranda, Stefânia Araújo; Sepulvreda, Barbara Alves; Corrêa, Layna Thayssa Guimarães; Negrão, Andréa Maria Góes; Vasconcelos, Pedro Fernando da Costa; Casseb, Alexandre do Rosário

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND In this study, we evaluated the role of free-living domestic pigeons (Columba livia) as a reservoir of arboviruses in the city of Belém, state of Pará, Brazil. We investigated the presence of antibodies against the most prevalent arboviruses. OBJECTIVES This study was aimed at evaluating some clinical and physical parameters of domestic pigeons, including the presence of antibodies to Amazon-endemic arboviruses. METHODS Eighty-five healthy pigeons were captured in Mangal das Garças Park, in Belém, and were bled. Upon capture, the birds were subjected to a clinical examination in search of alterations that could indicate the presence of arboviruses. Blood samples were converted to serum and tested using the haemagglutination inhibition (HI) technique with a panel of 19 antigens of arboviruses circulating in the Amazon. The confirmation assay for the positive reactions to the viral species tested by HI was a neutralisation test in new-born Swiss albino mice (Mus musculus) [mouse neutralisation test (MNT)]. FINDINGS A total of 10 (11.8%) serum samples tested positive for antiflavivirus antibodies by HI. All the samples positive for the HI test were subjected to MNT for detection of viruses and yielded negative results (logarithmic neutralisation index < 1.7). MAIN CONCLUSION The results represent the first serological detection of antiarbovirus antibodies in domestic pigeons as potential hosts of arboviruses in Brazil. The detection of haemagglutination-inhibiting antibodies against genus Flavivirus indicated that there was recent contact between the analysed domestic pigeons and these arboviruses. Further studies are needed to evaluate the role of free-living pigeons in the maintenance cycle and spread of arboviruses in the Amazon. PMID:28767977

Isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans and other opportunistic fungi from pigeon droppings

PubMed Central

Soltani, Maryam; Bayat, Mansour; Hashemi, Seyed J.; Zia, Mohammadali; Pestechian, Nader

2013-01-01

Background: Invasive fungal infections cause considerable morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised hosts. Pigeon droppings could especially be a potential carrier in the spread of pathogenic yeasts and mold fungi into the environment. The objective of this study was to isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans and other opportunistic fungi from pigeon droppings. Materials and Methods: One hundred twenty samples of pigeon droppings were suspended 1:10 in saline solution and then cultured. Identification of C. neoformans was performed on bird seed agar, presence of a capsule on India ink preparation, urease production on urea agar medium and RapID yeast plus system. The identification of candida species was based on micro-morphological analysis on corn meal-Tween 80 agar, RapID yeast plus system and growth in CHROMagar candida. The identification of other fungi was based on macromorphologic, microscopic, biochemical and physiological characteristics. Results: The highest frequency of yeasts and mold fungi were observed in Candida albicans 6.6% and Penicillium spp. 25%. The frequency rate of C. neoformans isolation was 2.5%. Conclusion: Several types of fungi are present in pigeon droppings that can spread in environment and transmit to children and elderly as well as immunocompromised patients who are at increased risk of contracting opportunistic diseases. PMID:23901339

Isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans and other opportunistic fungi from pigeon droppings.

PubMed

Soltani, Maryam; Bayat, Mansour; Hashemi, Seyed J; Zia, Mohammadali; Pestechian, Nader

2013-01-01

Invasive fungal infections cause considerable morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised hosts. Pigeon droppings could especially be a potential carrier in the spread of pathogenic yeasts and mold fungi into the environment. The objective of this study was to isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans and other opportunistic fungi from pigeon droppings. One hundred twenty samples of pigeon droppings were suspended 1:10 in saline solution and then cultured. Identification of C. neoformans was performed on bird seed agar, presence of a capsule on India ink preparation, urease production on urea agar medium and RapID yeast plus system. The identification of candida species was based on micro-morphological analysis on corn meal-Tween 80 agar, RapID yeast plus system and growth in CHROMagar candida. The identification of other fungi was based on macromorphologic, microscopic, biochemical and physiological characteristics. The highest frequency of yeasts and mold fungi were observed in Candida albicans 6.6% and Penicillium spp. 25%. The frequency rate of C. neoformans isolation was 2.5%. Several types of fungi are present in pigeon droppings that can spread in environment and transmit to children and elderly as well as immunocompromised patients who are at increased risk of contracting opportunistic diseases.

Stalking perpetrators and psychological maltreatment of partners: anger-jealousy, attachment insecurity, need for control, and break-up context.

PubMed

Davis, K E; Ace, A; Andra, M

2000-01-01

Two studies of the correlates of self-reported courtship persistence, stalking-like behaviors following a relationship break-up, and psychological maltreatment of partners were conducted in samples of male (N = 46 and 93) and female (N = 123 and 110) college students. Approximately 40% (38.5% and 44.6%) engaged in at least one stalking behavior following a break-up. A total of 10.7% (study 1) and 7.6% (study 2) engaged in 6 or more stalking behaviors. Stalking was significantly related to psychological maltreatment of the partner (PMP) prior to the break-up. Being the recipient of the breakup was associated with feelings of anger, jealousy and obsessiveness and with higher levels of courtship persistence, and stalking. A replicated path model showed that anxious attachment and need for control were related to PMP and that need for control had a direct contribution to stalking. For anxious attachment, its connection to stalking was indirect, mediated by the degree of anger-jealousy over the break-up.

Isolation and characterization of a herpesvirus from feral pigeons in China.

PubMed

Zhao, Panpan; Ma, Jian; Guo, Ying; Tian, Li; Guo, Guangyang; Zhang, Kexin; Xing, Mingwei

2015-12-01

A herpesvirus was isolated during a diagnostic investigation of severe cases of conjunctivitis in feral pigeons (Columba livia f. domestica). Isolates of the virus were recovered from throat swabs of the pigeons followed by inoculation of the swab samples in chicken embryo fibroblasts. Pigeons inoculated with the isolated virus had similar clinical signs to those observed in naturally infected birds. Transmission electron microscopy revealed viral structures with typical herpesvirus morphology. Polymerase chain reaction amplification, using herpesvirus-identifying primers resulted in an amplicon of the expected size for herpesvirus. Sequencing of these amplicons and database comparisons identified the herpesvirus UL30 homologue. Phylogenetic reconstructions suggested that the isolated herpesvirus belongs to the Mardivirus genus of Alphaherpesvirinae. Using the current herpesvirus nomenclature conventions, the authors propose that the herpesvirus be named Columbid herpesvirus-1 Heilongjiang. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hypolipidemic effect of dietary pea proteins: Impact on genes regulating hepatic lipid metabolism.

PubMed

Rigamonti, Elena; Parolini, Cinzia; Marchesi, Marta; Diani, Erika; Brambilla, Stefano; Sirtori, Cesare R; Chiesa, Giulia

2010-05-01

Controversial data on the lipid-lowering effect of dietary pea proteins have been provided and the mechanisms behind this effect are not completely understood. The aim of the study was to evaluate a possible hypolipidemic activity of a pea protein isolate and to determine whether pea proteins could affect the hepatic lipid metabolism through regulation of genes involved in cholesterol and fatty acid homeostasis. Rats were fed Nath's hypercholesterolemic diets for 28 days, the protein sources being casein or a pea protein isolate from Pisum sativum. After 14 and 28 days of dietary treatment, rats fed pea proteins had markedly lower plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels than rats fed casein (p<0.05). Pea protein-fed rats displayed higher hepatic mRNA levels of LDL receptor versus those fed casein (p<0.05). Hepatic mRNA concentration of genes involved in fatty acids synthesis, such as fatty acid synthase and stearoyl-CoA desaturase, was lower in pea protein-fed rats than in rats fed casein (p<0.05). In conclusion, the present study demonstrates a marked cholesterol and triglyceride-lowering activity of pea proteins in rats. Moreover, pea proteins appear to affect cellular lipid homeostasis by upregulating genes involved in hepatic cholesterol uptake and by downregulating fatty acid synthesis genes.

Intimate Partner Violence and Stalking Behavior: Exploration of Patterns and Correlates in a Sample of Acutely Battered Women

PubMed Central

Mechanic, Mindy B.; Weaver, Terri L.; Resick, Patricia A.

2010-01-01

The aims of this study were to provide descriptive data on stalking in a sample of acutely battered women and to assess the interrelationship between constructs of emotional abuse, physical violence, and stalking in battered women. We recruited a sample of 114 battered women from shelters, agencies, and from the community at large. Results support the growing consensus that violent and harassing stalking behaviors occur with alarming frequency among physically battered women, both while they are in the relationship and after they leave their abusive partners. Emotional and psychological abuse emerged as strong predictors of within- and postrelationship stalking, and contributed a unique variance to women’s fears of future serious harm or death, even after the effects of physical violence were controlled. The length of time a woman was out of the violent relationship was the strongest predictor of postseparation stalking, with increased stalking found with greater time out of the relationship. Results suggest the need to further study the heterogeneity of stalking and to clarify its relationship to constructs of emotional and physical abuse in diverse samples that include stalked but nonbattered women, as women exposed to emotional abuse, and dating violence. PMID:10972514

Qualitative similarities in the visual short-term memory of pigeons and people.

PubMed

Gibson, Brett; Wasserman, Edward; Luck, Steven J

2011-10-01

Visual short-term memory plays a key role in guiding behavior, and individual differences in visual short-term memory capacity are strongly predictive of higher cognitive abilities. To provide a broader evolutionary context for understanding this memory system, we directly compared the behavior of pigeons and humans on a change detection task. Although pigeons had a lower storage capacity and a higher lapse rate than humans, both species stored multiple items in short-term memory and conformed to the same basic performance model. Thus, despite their very different evolutionary histories and neural architectures, pigeons and humans have functionally similar visual short-term memory systems, suggesting that the functional properties of visual short-term memory are subject to similar selective pressures across these distant species.

The Emergence of Symmetry in a Conditional Discrimination Task Using Different Responses as Propioceptive Samples in Pigeons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia, Andres; Benjumea, Santiago

2006-01-01

In Experiment 1, 10 pigeons were exposed to a successive symbolic matching-to-sample procedure in which the sample was generated by the pigeons' own behavior. Each trial began with both response keys illuminated white, one being the "correct" key and the other the "incorrect" key. The pigeons had no way of discriminating which key was correct and…

Clinicopathologic, gross necropsy, and histologic findings after intramuscular injection of carprofen in a pigeon (Columba livia) model.

PubMed

Zollinger, Tawina J; Hoover, John P; Payton, Mark E; Schiller, Chris A

2011-09-01

To evaluate the pathologic effects of carprofen in a pigeon model (Columba livia), 52 young adult pigeons were used in a randomized control study design. Sixteen pigeons were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups and received carprofen by intramuscular injection at dosages of either 2, 5, or 10 mg/kg once daily for 7 days. Four pigeons served as saline-injected controls. Four pigeons from each group and 1 control pigeon were randomly selected on days 2, 4, 6, and 8 to obtain blood samples and then were euthanatized and submitted for necropsy. Histologic lesions in pectoral muscle, liver, kidney, and digestive tract tissue samples were ranked in severity as 0, normal/not present; 1, minimal; 2, mild; 3, mild to moderate; 4, moderate; 5, moderate to marked; and 6, marked pathologic changes. Two-way analysis of variance (day x dose) and pairwise t tests revealed significant (P < or = .05) mild decreases in total protein and glucose concentrations and marked increases in aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase enzyme activities after carprofen treatments. Gross lesions in carprofen-treated pigeons were pale injection sites (23/48 [47.9%]), mottled yellow livers (9/48 [18.8%]), and congestion of small intestines (7/48 [14.6%]). Liver, kidney, and muscle injection sites had significantly increased (P < or = .05) severity of histologic lesions. In pigeons, intramuscular administration of carprofen is associated with increased aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase enzyme concentrations, gross lesions in muscle injection sites and liver, and histologic lesions in liver and muscle.

Age-related impairment in choroidal blood flow compensation for arterial blood pressure fluctuation in pigeons.

PubMed

Reiner, Anton; Del Mar, Nobel; Zagvazdin, Yuri; Li, Chunyan; Fitzgerald, Malinda E C

2011-09-14

Choroidal vessels compensate for changes in systemic blood pressure (BP) so that choroidal blood flow (ChBF) remains stable over a BP range of approximately 40 mm Hg above and below basal. Because of the presumed importance of ChBF regulation for maintenance of retinal health, we investigated if ChBF compensation for BP fluctuation in pigeons fails with age. Transcleral laser Doppler flowmetry was used to measure ChBF during spontaneous BP fluctuation in anesthetized pigeons ranging in age from 0.5 to 17 years (pigeons can live approximately 20 years in captivity). ChBF in <8-year-old pigeons remained near 100% of basal ChBF at BPs ranging 40 mm Hg above and below basal BP (95 mm Hg). Baroregulation failed below approximately 50 mm Hg BP. In ≥8-year-old pigeons, ChBF compensation was absent at >90 mm Hg BP, with ChBF linearly following BP. Over the 60 to 90 mm Hg range, ChBF in ≥8-year-old pigeons was maintained at 60-70% of young basal ChBF. Below approximately 55 mm Hg, baroregulation again followed BP linearly. Age-related ChBF baroregulatory impairment occurs in pigeons, with ChBF linear with above-basal BP, and ChBF failing to adequately maintain ChBF during below-basal BP. Defective autonomic sympathetic and parasympathetic neurogenic control, or defective myogenic control, may cause these baroregulatory defects. In either case, overperfusion during high BP may cause oxidative injury to the outer retina, whereas underperfusion during low BP may result in deficient nutrient supply and waste removal, with both abnormalities contributing to age-related retinal pathology and vision loss.

Selective Attention in Pigeon Temporal Discrimination.

PubMed

Subramaniam, Shrinidhi; Kyonka, Elizabeth

2017-07-27

Cues can vary in how informative they are about when specific outcomes, such as food availability, will occur. This study was an experimental investigation of the functional relation between cue informativeness and temporal discrimination in a peak-interval (PI) procedure. Each session consisted of fixed-interval (FI) 2-s and 4-s schedules of food and occasional, 12-s PI trials during which pecks had no programmed consequences. Across conditions, the phi (ϕ) correlation between key light color and FI schedule value was manipulated. Red and green key lights signaled the onset of either or both FI schedules. Different colors were either predictive (ϕ = 1), moderately predictive (ϕ = 0.2-0.8), or not predictive (ϕ = 0) of a specific FI schedule. This study tested the hypothesis that temporal discrimination is a function of the momentary conditional probability of food; that is, pigeons peck the most at either 2 s or 4 s when ϕ = 1 and peck at both intervals when ϕ < 1. Response distributions were bimodal Gaussian curves; distributions from red- and green-key PI trials converged when ϕ ≤ 0.6. Peak times estimated by summed Gaussian functions, averaged across conditions and pigeons, were 1.85 s and 3.87 s, however, pigeons did not always maximize the momentary probability of food. When key light color was highly correlated with FI schedules (ϕ ≥ 0.6), estimates of peak times indicated that temporal discrimination accuracy was reduced at the unlikely interval, but not the likely interval. The mechanism of this reduced temporal discrimination accuracy could be interpreted as an attentional process.

A stabilized headless measles virus attachment protein stalk efficiently triggers membrane fusion.

PubMed

Brindley, Melinda A; Suter, Rolf; Schestak, Isabel; Kiss, Gabriella; Wright, Elizabeth R; Plemper, Richard K

2013-11-01

Paramyxovirus attachment and fusion (F) envelope glycoprotein complexes mediate membrane fusion required for viral entry. The measles virus (MeV) attachment (H) protein stalk domain is thought to directly engage F for fusion promotion. However, past attempts to generate truncated, fusion-triggering-competent H-stem constructs remained fruitless. In this study, we addressed the problem by testing the hypothesis that truncated MeV H stalks may require stabilizing oligomerization tags to maintain intracellular transport competence and F-triggering activity. We engineered H-stems of different lengths with added 4-helix bundle tetramerization domains and demonstrate restored cell surface expression, efficient interaction with F, and fusion promotion activity of these constructs. The stability of the 4-helix bundle tags and the relative orientations of the helical wheels of H-stems and oligomerization tags govern the kinetics of fusion promotion, revealing a balance between H stalk conformational stability and F-triggering activity. Recombinant MeV particles expressing a bioactive H-stem construct in the place of full-length H are viable, albeit severely growth impaired. Overall, we demonstrate that the MeV H stalk represents the effector domain for MeV F triggering. Fusion promotion appears linked to the conformational flexibility of the stalk, which must be tightly regulated in viral particles to ensure efficient virus entry. While the pathways toward assembly of functional fusion complexes may differ among diverse members of the paramyxovirus family, central elements of the triggering machinery emerge as highly conserved.

Relevance of visual cues for orientation at familiar sites by homing pigeons: an experiment in a circular arena.

PubMed Central

Gagliardo, A.; Odetti, F.; Ioalè, P.

2001-01-01

Whether pigeons use visual landmarks for orientation from familiar locations has been a subject of debate. By recording the directional choices of both anosmic and control pigeons while exiting from a circular arena we were able to assess the relevance of olfactory and visual cues for orientation from familiar sites. When the birds could see the surroundings, both anosmic and control pigeons were homeward oriented. When the view of the landscape was prevented by screens that surrounded the arena, the control pigeons exited from the arena approximately in the home direction, while the anosmic pigeons' distribution was not different from random. Our data suggest that olfactory and visual cues play a critical, but interchangeable, role for orientation at familiar sites. PMID:11571054

Invasion of Flukes of the Echinostomatidae Family in Racing Pigeon ( Columba livia var. domestica) Lofts.

PubMed

Ledwoń, Aleksandra; Dolka, Beata; Piasecki, Tomasz; Dolka, Izabella; Szeleszczuk, Piotr

2016-06-01

Over 4 years, only two known cases of fluke invasions were diagnosed in racing pigeons ( Columba livia ) originating from different regions of Poland. In both cases, the invasion was characterized by a very high mortality (approximately 70%), and the source of the infestation was snails of the Lymnaeidae family eaten by pigeons. Fluke invasions in pigeons are extremely rare and to date have not been described in Poland. Therefore, the occurrence of the symptoms of hemorrhagic diarrhea and sudden deaths of either adult pigeons or nestlings were suspected to be associated with poisoning. Autopsy revealed an invasion of flukes causing hemorrhagic enteritis. Renal failure and spleen atrophy were also found in the birds. Using molecular biology techniques, infestation with the fluke Echinostoma revolutum was determined in the second case.

Characterization of isolated pigeon paramyxovirus-1 (PMV-1) and its pathogenicity in broiler chickens.

PubMed

Mayahi, Mansour; Seyfi Abad Shapouri, Masoud Reza; Jafari, Ramezan Ali; Khosravi Farsani, Mehrdad

2017-01-01

Characterization of isolated pigeon paramyxovirus-1 (PMV-1) and its pathogenicity in broiler chickens were studied. Two hundred and thirty-two samples collected from 50 unvaccinated pigeons lofts suspected to Newcastle disease from private houses and bird markets from Ahvaz, Iran. Swab samples from cloaca and oropharynx of live pigeons and from trachea, lung, liver, spleen, kidney, brain, proventriculus and cecal tonsil of dead pigeons suspected to ND were collected. Isolation of the PPMV-1 was performed through intra-allantoic inoculation of 9- to 11- day-old embryonated chicken eggs. The RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis were conducted. With PCR, multiplication of cleavage site of F gene was carreid out and PCR products were sequenced and phylogenetic comparison on isolates was performed. For pathogenecity study of isolated PPMV-1, one hundred sixty day-old broiler chicks were divided into four equal groups. Groups 1 and 2 chicks vaccinated against ND by B1 vaccine at nine days. Groups 3 and 4 were kept as unvaccinated control groups. Groups 1 and 4 chicks were challenged with 10 5 EID 50 of highest virulent isolated PPMV-1 by ocular route at day 29. The results indicated PPMV-1 is enzootic in Ahvaz pigeons and all isolates were virulent Newcastle disease virus with 112KRQKR*F117 motif. For study pathogenicity of pigeon isolate in chickens, they challenged with most virulent isolate, showed respiratory signs, conjunctivitis and in some cases depression and lethargy. In conclusion, isolated PPMV-1 is a virulent NDV and can infect chickens and produce mild ND in unvaccinated chickens.

Substitution effects in a generalized token economy with pigeons.

PubMed

Andrade, Leonardo F; Hackenberg, Timothy D

2017-01-01

Pigeons made repeated choices between earning and exchanging reinforcer-specific tokens (green tokens exchangeable for food, red tokens exchangeable for water) and reinforcer-general tokens (white tokens exchangeable for food or water) in a closed token economy. Food and green food tokens could be earned on one panel; water and red water tokens could be earned on a second panel; white generalized tokens could be earned on either panel. Responses on one key produced tokens according to a fixed-ratio schedule, whereas responses on a second key produced exchange periods, during which all previously earned tokens could be exchanged for the appropriate commodity. Most conditions were conducted in a closed economy, and pigeons distributed their token allocation in ways that permitted food and water consumption. When the price of all tokens was equal and low, most pigeons preferred the generalized tokens. When token-production prices were manipulated, pigeons reduced production of the tokens that increased in price while increasing production of the generalized tokens that remained at a fixed price. The latter is consistent with a substitution effect: Generalized tokens increased and were exchanged for the more expensive reinforcer. When food and water were made freely available outside the session, token production and exchange was sharply reduced but was not eliminated, even in conditions when it no longer produced tokens. The results join with other recent data in showing sustained generalized functions of token reinforcers, and demonstrate the utility of token-economic methods for assessing demand for and substitution among multiple commodities in a laboratory context. © 2016 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Atmospheric propagation modeling indicates homing pigeons use loft-specific infrasonic 'map' cues.

PubMed

Hagstrum, Jonathan T

2013-02-15

Results from an acoustic ray-tracing program using daily meteorological profiles are presented to explain 'release-site biases' for homing pigeons at three experimental sites in upstate New York where W. T. Keeton and his co-workers at Cornell University conducted extensive releases between 1968 and 1987 in their investigations of the avian navigational 'map'. The sites are the Jersey Hill and Castor Hill fire towers, and another near Weedsport, where control pigeons from the Cornell loft vanished in random directions, in directions consistently >50 deg clockwise and in directions ∼15 deg clockwise from the homeward bearing, respectively. Because Cornell pigeons were disoriented at Jersey Hill whereas birds from other lofts were not, it is inferred that Jersey Hill lies within an acoustic 'shadow' zone relative to infrasonic signals originating from the Cornell loft's vicinity. Such signals could arise from ground-to-air coupling of near-continuous microseisms, or from scattering of direct microbaroms off terrain features, both of which are initially generated by wave-wave interactions in the deep ocean. HARPA runs show that little or no infrasound from the loft area arrived at Jersey Hill on days when Cornell pigeons were disoriented there, and that homeward infrasonic signals could have arrived at all three sites from directions consistent with pigeon departure bearings, especially on days when these bearings were unusual. The general stability of release-site biases might be due to influences of terrain on transmission of the homeward signals under prevailing weather patterns, whereas short-term changes in biases might be caused by rapid shifts in atmospheric conditions.

The associative relation underlying autoshaping in the pigeon1

PubMed Central

Woodruff, Guy; Williams, D. R.

1976-01-01

Fifteen pigeons were exposed to either response-independent or response-dependent schedules of water reinforcement, whereby water was injected directly into the unrestrained pigeons' mandibles. Key-contact responses were released by a lighted key correlated with water, but not by a lighted key uncorrelated with water. A negative response-reinforcer contingency suppressed autoshaped key-contact responses, resulting in responding directed away from the lighted key. In all pigeons, water injected directly into the mandibles elicited a consummatory fixed-action pattern of “mumbling” and swallowing. The lighted key correlated with water released a broader set of both appetitive and consummatory responses: approach to the lighted key, “bowing”, “rooting”, “mumbling”, and swallowing. Key-contact responses were “rooting” and “mumbling” motions of the beak on the surface of the key. Views of autoshaping based on stimulus substitution or stimulus surrogation do not fully explain the origin of autoshaped responses not previously elicited by the reinforcer. The present findings are consonant with views of conditioning that emphasize the large degree of biological pre-organization in conditioned response patterns, and the importance of associative factors in the control of such patterns. PMID:16811924

Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in domestic (Columba livia domestica) and wild (Columba livia livia) pigeons in Niğde region, Turkey.

PubMed

Karatepe, Mustafa; Kılıç, Selçuk; Karatepe, Bilge; Babür, Cahit

2011-01-01

The present study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii specific antibodies in domestic (Columba livia domestica) and wild (Columba livia livia) pigeons between October 2003-June 2004. Blood samples were collected from 216 pigeons, consisting of 105 (55 female, 50 male) domestic pigeons and 111 (53 female, 58 male) wild pigeons. The sera were tested for T. gondii antibodies using the Sabin Feldman Dye Test (SFDT). One of the 105 (0.95%) domestic pigeon and one of the 111 (0.90%) wild pigeon were found to be seropositive for T. gondii antibodies at the titer of 1:16. This is the first serological study on toxoplasmosis in the domestic and wild pigeon in the Niğde region of Turkey.

Wild birds and urban pigeons as reservoirs for diarrheagenic Escherichia coli with zoonotic potential.

PubMed

Borges, Clarissa A; Cardozo, Marita V; Beraldo, Livia G; Oliveira, Elisabete S; Maluta, Renato P; Barboza, Kaline B; Werther, Karin; Ávila, Fernando A

2017-05-01

In order to describe the role of wild birds and pigeons in the transmission of shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) to humans and other animals, samples were collected from cloacae and oropharynx of free-living wild birds and free-living pigeons. Two STEC (0.8%) and five EPEC strains (2.0%) were isolated from wild birds and four EPEC strains (2.0%) were recovered from pigeons. Serogroups, sequence types (STs) and virulence genes, such as saa, iha, lpfA O113 , ehxA, espA, nleB and nleE, detected in this study had already been implicated in human and animal diseases. Multidrug resistance (MDR) was found in 25.0% of the pigeon strains and in 57.0% of the wild bird strains; the wild birds also yielded one isolate carrying extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) gene bla CTX-M-8 . The high variability shown by PFGE demonstrates that there are no prevalent E. coli clones from these avian hosts. Wild birds and pigeons could act as carriers of multidrug-resistant STEC and EPEC and therefore may constitute a considerable hazard to human and animal health by transmission of these strains to the environment.

THE ORIGIN AND OPTICAL DEPTH OF IONIZING RADIATION IN THE 'GREEN PEA' GALAXIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jaskot, A. E.; Oey, M. S.

2013-04-01

Although Lyman-continuum (LyC) radiation from star-forming galaxies likely drove the reionization of the universe, observations of star-forming galaxies at low redshift generally indicate low LyC escape fractions. However, the extreme [O III]/[O II] ratios of the z = 0.1-0.3 Green Pea galaxies may be due to high escape fractions of ionizing radiation. To analyze the LyC optical depths and ionizing sources of these rare, compact starbursts, we compare nebular photoionization and stellar population models with observed emission lines in the Peas' Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectra. We focus on the six most extreme Green Peas, the galaxies with themore » highest [O III]/[O II] ratios and the best candidates for escaping ionizing radiation. The Balmer line equivalent widths and He I {lambda}3819 emission in the extreme Peas support young ages of 3-5 Myr, and He II {lambda}4686 emission in five extreme Peas signals the presence of hard ionizing sources. Ionization by active galactic nuclei or high-mass X-ray binaries is inconsistent with the Peas' line ratios and ages. Although stacked spectra reveal no Wolf-Rayet (WR) features, we tentatively detect WR features in the SDSS spectra of three extreme Peas. Based on the Peas' ages and line ratios, we find that WR stars, chemically homogeneous O stars, or shocks could produce the observed He II emission. If hot stars are responsible, then the Peas' optical depths are ambiguous. However, accounting for emission from shocks lowers the inferred optical depth and suggests that the Peas may be optically thin. The Peas' ages likely optimize the escape of LyC radiation; they are old enough for supernovae and stellar winds to reshape the interstellar medium, but young enough to possess large numbers of UV-luminous O or WR stars.« less

Reciprocal relationships in collective flights of homing pigeons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Xiao-Ke; Kattas, Graciano Dieck; Small, Michael

2012-02-01

Collective motion of bird flocks can be explained via the hypothesis of many wrongs and/or a structured leadership mechanism. In pigeons, previous studies have shown that there is a well-defined hierarchical structure and certain specific individuals occupy more dominant positions, suggesting that leadership by the few individuals drives the behavior of the collective. Conversely, by analyzing the same datasets, we uncover a more egalitarian mechanism. We show that both reciprocal relationships and a stratified hierarchical leadership are important and necessary in the collective movements of pigeon flocks. Rather than birds adopting either exclusive averaging or leadership strategies, our experimental results show that it is an integrated combination of both compromise and leadership which drives the group's movement decisions.

Short-term Lost Productivity per Victim: Intimate Partner Violence, Sexual Violence, or Stalking.

PubMed

Peterson, Cora; Liu, Yang; Kresnow, Marcie-Jo; Florence, Curtis; Merrick, Melissa T; DeGue, Sarah; Lokey, Colby N

2018-07-01

The purpose of this study is to estimate victims' lifetime short-term lost productivity because of intimate partner violence, sexual violence, or stalking. U.S. nationally representative data from the 2012 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey were used to estimate a regression-adjusted average per victim (female and male) and total population number of cumulative short-term lost work and school days (or lost productivity) because of victimizations over victims' lifetimes. Victims' lost productivity was valued using a U.S. daily production estimate. Analysis was conducted in 2017. Non-institutionalized adults with some lifetime exposure to intimate partner violence, sexual violence, or stalking (n=6,718 respondents; survey-weighted n=130,795,789) reported nearly 741 million lost productive days because of victimizations by an average of 2.5 perpetrators per victim. The adjusted per victim average was 4.9 (95% CI=3.9, 5.9) days, controlling for victim, perpetrator, and violence type factors. The estimated societal cost of this short-term lost productivity was $730 per victim, or $110 billion across the lifetimes of all victims (2016 USD). Factors associated with victims having a higher number of lost days included a higher number of perpetrators and being female, as well as sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking victimization by an intimate partner perpetrator, stalking victimization by an acquaintance perpetrator, and sexual violence or stalking victimization by a family member perpetrator. Short-term lost productivity represents a minimum economic valuation of the immediate negative effects of intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and stalking. Victims' lost productivity affects family members, colleagues, and employers. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Immunolocalization of pectic polysaccharides during abscission in pea seeds (Pisum sativum L.) and in abscission less def pea mutant seeds.

PubMed

Lee, YeonKyeong; Ayeh, Kwadwo Owusu; Ambrose, Mike; Hvoslef-Eide, Anne Kathrine

2016-08-31

In pea seeds (Pisum sativum L.), the presence of the Def locus determines abscission event between its funicle and the seed coat. Cell wall remodeling is a necessary condition for abscission of pea seed. The changes in cell wall components in wild type (WT) pea seed with Def loci showing seed abscission and in abscission less def mutant peas were studied to identify the factors determining abscission and non-abscission event. Changes in pectic polysaccharides components were investigated in WT and def mutant pea seeds using immunolabeling techniques. Pectic monoclonal antibodies (1 → 4)-β-D-galactan (LM5), (1 → 5)-α-L-arabinan(LM6), partially de-methyl esterified homogalacturonan (HG) (JIM5) and methyl esterified HG (JIM7) were used for this study. Prior to abscission zone (AZ) development, galactan and arabinan reduced in the predestined AZ of the pea seed and disappeared during the abscission process. The AZ cells had partially de-methyl esterified HG while other areas had highly methyl esterified HG. A strong JIM5 labeling in the def mutant may be related to cell wall rigidity in the mature def mutants. In addition, the appearance of pectic epitopes in two F3 populations resulting from cross between WT and def mutant parents was studied. As a result, we identified that homozygous dominant lines (Def/Def) showing abscission and homozygous recessive lines (def/def) showing non-abscission had similar immunolabeling pattern to their parents. However, the heterogeneous lines (Def/def) showed various immunolabeling pattern and the segregation pattern of the Def locus. Through the study of the complexity and variability of pectins in plant cell walls as well as understanding the segregation patterns of the Def locus using immunolabeling techniques, we conclude that cell wall remodeling occurs in the abscission process and de-methyl esterification may play a role in the non-abscission event in def mutant. Overall, this study contributes new insights into

Production of fiberboard using corn stalk pretreated with white-rot fungus Trametes hirsute by hot pressing without adhesive.

PubMed

Wu, Jianguo; Zhang, Xin; Wan, Jilin; Ma, Fuying; Tang, Yong; Zhang, Xiaoyu

2011-12-01

Corn stalk pretreated with white-rot fungus Trametes hirsute was used to produce fiberboard by hot pressing without adhesive. The moduli of rupture and elasticity of the corn-stalk-based fiberboard were increased 3.40- and 8.87-fold when bio-pretreated rather than untreated corn stalk was used. Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and chemical analysis showed that bio-pretreated corn stalk increased the mechanical properties of the fiberboard because it had more than twice the number of hydroxyl group, an 18% higher crystallinity, and twice the polysaccharide content of untreated corn stalk. Its laccase content was 4.65 ± 0.38 U/g. Corn stalk-based fiberboard production did not require adhesives, thus eliminating a potential source of toxic emissions such as formaldehyde gas. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pigeon homing from unfamiliar areas

PubMed Central

Wallraff, Hans G

2014-01-01

The conclusion that pigeons and other birds can find their way home from unfamiliar areas by means of olfactory signals is well based on a variety of experiments and supporting investigations of the chemical atmosphere. Here I argue that alternative concepts proposing other sources of geopositional information are disproved by experimental findings or, at least, are not experimentally supported and hardly realistic. PMID:25346789

7 CFR 457.140 - Dry pea crop insurance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Dry pea crop insurance provisions. 457.140 Section 457.140 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) FEDERAL CROP INSURANCE CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE COMMON CROP INSURANCE REGULATIONS § 457.140 Dry pea crop insurance...

7 CFR 457.137 - Green pea crop insurance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Green pea crop insurance provisions. 457.137 Section 457.137 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) FEDERAL CROP INSURANCE CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE COMMON CROP INSURANCE REGULATIONS § 457.137 Green pea crop insurance...

Captive and free-living urban pigeons (Columba livia) from Brazil as carriers of multidrug-resistant pathogenic Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Borges, Clarissa A; Maluta, Renato P; Beraldo, Lívia G; Cardozo, Marita V; Guastalli, Elisabete A L; Kariyawasam, Subhashinie; DebRoy, Chitrita; Ávila, Fernando A

2017-01-01

Thirty Escherichia coli isolates from captive and free-living pigeons in Brazil were characterised. Virulence-associated genes identified in pigeons included those which occur relatively frequently in avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) from commercial poultry worldwide. Eleven of 30 E. coli isolates from pigeons, belonging mainly to B1 and B2 phylogenetic groups, had high or intermediate pathogenicity for 1-day-old chicks. The frequency of multi-drug resistant (MDR) E. coli in captive pigeons was relatively high and included one isolate positive for the extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) gene bla CTX-M-8 . Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) showed high heterogeneity among isolates. There is potential for pigeons to transmit antibiotic resistant pathogenic E. coli to other species through environmental contamination or direct contact. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estrogenicity of the isoflavone genistein pigeon pie seeds (Cajanus cajan L. Mill sp.) on reproductive organs in rat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novi Primiani, Cicilia; Pujiati; Hardani

2018-05-01

Genistein is a compound with structures and properties similar to 17β estradiol which can be extracted from pigeon pie. The aim of the study was to identify the genistein profiles of pigeon pie in blood, urine, and feces and their effects on uterine and vaginal tissue structures of rats. Nine female white rats of Sprague Dawley, 6-7 months, weighing 150-180 g, were used and given pigeon pie seed solution for 36 days, genistein profiles were analyzed using HPLC, uterine and vaginal tissue structures were analyzed with HE staining. The results showed that the genistein contained in pigeon pie was lower than that in the synthetic genistein; vaginal epithelials and uterine proliferations were indicated. To conclude, pigeon pie was found to contain genistein which is a potential alternative for a natural estrogen source.

Evaluation of antibiotics for racing pigeons (Columba livia var. domestica) available in The Netherlands.

PubMed

Zwijnenberg, R J; Vulto, A G; van Miert, A S; Lumeij, J T

1992-12-01

Antibiotics and chemotherapeutics marketed for use in racing pigeons (Columba livia var. domestica) were evaluated by comparing the dosages and indications given by the manufacturers with the data obtained by pharmacokinetic, bacteriological and efficacy studies. This comparison showed that only three of the recommended dosages and indications of the 60 formulations marketed in The Netherlands are scientifically sound and in accordance with the literature. It is to be expected that the majority of the antimicrobials for pigeons will not satisfy the requirements for final registration as a pigeon therapeutic under the Dutch Veterinary Medicines Act of 1985. Several factors affecting drug availability are discussed, such as the different routes of administration and the influence of food. The public health aspects of the consumption of medicated pigeons is also discussed. Although there is no legislation with regard to this subject, a recommended withdrawal time of 10 days for the majority of the antimicrobials seems advisable.

Characterization and Epidemiology of Pigeon Paramyxovirus Type-1 Viruses (PPMV-1) Isolated in Macedonia.

PubMed

Dodovski, A; Cvetkovikj, I; Krstevski, K; Naletoski, I; Savić, Vladimir

2017-06-01

We have characterized in this study 10 PPMV-1 isolated from domestic pigeons and one PPMV-1 isolated from a feral pigeon in the period 2007-2012, using both classical methods (HI test and ICPI test) and molecular methods (RT-qPCR, RT-PCR, and nucleotide sequencing). Using phylogenetic analysis of partial fusion gene sequences, these viruses clustered with recent European PPMV-1 isolates (EU/re) within the genotype VIb/1. All isolates possessed virulent cleavage site motifs with variable morbidity and mortality in pigeons. The intracerebral pathogenecity indices of the five isolates ranged from 0.59 to 1.53. The repetitive isolation of PPMV-1 viruses for several consecutive years led toward establishing enzootic presence of the disease in pigeons. A high nucleotide sequence homology between the Macedonian isolates and EU/re isolates was shown. Co-circulation of different isolates in the same holdings was detected. This is the first study to extensively describe the molecular epidemiology of PPMV-1 isolated in Macedonia.

Having the nerve to home: trigeminal magnetoreceptor versus olfactory mediation of homing in pigeons.

PubMed

Gagliardo, A; Ioalè, P; Savini, M; Wild, J M

2006-08-01

The ability of pigeons to find their way home from unfamiliar sites located up to hundreds of kilometers away is well known, but the mechanisms underlying this ability remain controversial. One proposed mechanism is based on the suggestion that pigeons are equipped with magnetoreceptors that can enable the detection of either the earth's magnetic field and/or magnetic field anomalies in the local terrain over which the pigeons fly. Recent reports have suggested that these magnetoreceptors are located in the upper beak where they are innervated by the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve. Moreover, this nerve has been shown to mediate pigeons' ability to discriminate the presence versus the absence of a magnetic field anomaly in a conditioning situation. In the present study, however, we show that an intact ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve is neither necessary nor sufficient for good homing performance from unfamiliar locations, but that an intact olfactory nerve is necessary.

Thermal Stress Analysis for Ceramics Stalk in the Low Pressure Die Casting Machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noda, Nao-Aki; Hendra, Nao-Aki; Takase, Yasushi; Li, Wenbin

Low pressure die casting (LPDC) is defined as a net shape casting technology in which the molten metal is injected at high speeds and pressure into a metallic die. The LPDC process is playing an increasingly important role in the foundry industry as a low-cost and high-efficiency precision forming technique. The LPDC process is that the permanent die and filling systems are placed over the furnace containing the molten alloy. The filling of the cavity is obtained by forcing the molten metal by means of a pressurized gas in order to rise into a ceramic tube, which connects the die to the furnace. The ceramics tube called stalk has high temperature resistance and high corrosion resistance. However, attention should be paid to the thermal stress when the stalk is dipped into the molten aluminum. It is important to develop the design of the stalk to reduce the risk of fracture because of low fracture toughness of ceramics. In this paper, therefore, the finite element method is applied to calculate the thermal stresses when the stalk is dipped into the crucible by varying the dipping speeds and dipping directions. It is found that the thermal stress can be reduced by dipping slowly if the stalk is dipped into the crucible vertically, while the thermal stress can be reduced by dipping fast if it is dipped horizontally.

Stalking. Part II: Victims' problems with the legal system and therapeutic considerations.

PubMed

Abrams, K M; Robinson, G E

1998-06-01

This paper is the second of 2 parts reviewing the topic of stalking. It focuses on victims difficulties with the legal system and the psychotherapeutic tasks for victims and therapists. Computerized literature searches were used to identify relevant papers from psychiatric and legal journals. Publications by victims' and women's organizations provided additional information. Victims suffer emotional consequences from being stalked. Additional stress is caused by the legal system's lack of understanding of the causes and consequences of stalking and inadequate and unenforced laws. The treatment of victims requires a comprehensive approach, including education, supportive psychotherapy, and discussion of practical measures. Therapists may overidentify with the patient's powerlessness or hesitate to take on a case out of fear of the stalker. Female therapists may protect themselves against the realization of their own vulnerability by blaming the victim, while male therapists may feel defensive or overprotective. Stalking is a crime with major mental health consequences which is often poorly understood by society. Therapists need to be aware of the victim's emotional reactions, the types of legal and practical supports available, and the possible biases of society. Further education and research should be encouraged.

Growth of wheat and lettuce and enzyme activities of soils under garlic stalk decomposition for different durations.

PubMed

Han, Xu; Cheng, Zhihui; Meng, Huanwen

2017-07-01

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) stalk is a byproduct of garlic production that is normally thought of as waste but is now considered a useful biological resource. It is necessary to utilize this resource efficiently and reasonably to reduce environmental pollution and achieve sustainable agricultural development. The effect of garlic stalk decomposed for different durations was investigated in this study using wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. crispa L.) as test plants. Garlic stalk in early stages of decomposition inhibited the shoot and root lengths of wheat and lettuce, but it promoted the shoot and root lengths in later stages; longer durations of garlic stalk decomposition significantly increased the shoot and root fresh weights of wheat and lettuce, whereas shorter decomposing durations significantly decreased the shoot and root fresh weights; and garlic stalk at different decomposition durations increased the activities of urease, sucrase and alkaline phosphatase in soil where wheat or lettuce was planted. Garlic stalk decomposed for 30 or 40 days could promote the growth of wheat and lettuce plants as well as soil enzyme activities. These results may provide a scientific basis for the study and application of garlic stalk. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Personality and morphological traits affect pigeon survival from raptor attacks.

PubMed

Santos, Carlos D; Cramer, Julia F; Pârâu, Liviu G; Miranda, Ana C; Wikelski, Martin; Dechmann, Dina K N

2015-10-22

Personality traits have recently been shown to impact fitness in different animal species, potentially making them similarly relevant drivers as morphological and life history traits along the evolutionary pathways of organisms. Predation is a major force of natural selection through its deterministic effects on individual survival, but how predation pressure has helped to shape personality trait selection, especially in free-ranging animals, remains poorly understood. We used high-precision GPS tracking to follow whole flocks of homing pigeons (Columba livia) with known personalities and morphology during homing flights where they were severely predated by raptors. This allowed us to determine how the personality and morphology traits of pigeons may affect their risk of being predated by raptors. Our survival model showed that individual pigeons, which were more tolerant to human approach, slower to escape from a confined environment, more resistant to human handling, with larger tarsi, and with lighter plumage, were more likely to be predated by raptors. We provide rare empirical evidence that the personality of prey influences their risk of being predated under free-ranging circumstances.

Personality and morphological traits affect pigeon survival from raptor attacks

PubMed Central

Santos, Carlos D.; Cramer, Julia F.; Pârâu, Liviu G.; Miranda, Ana C.; Wikelski, Martin; Dechmann, Dina K. N.

2015-01-01

Personality traits have recently been shown to impact fitness in different animal species, potentially making them similarly relevant drivers as morphological and life history traits along the evolutionary pathways of organisms. Predation is a major force of natural selection through its deterministic effects on individual survival, but how predation pressure has helped to shape personality trait selection, especially in free-ranging animals, remains poorly understood. We used high-precision GPS tracking to follow whole flocks of homing pigeons (Columba livia) with known personalities and morphology during homing flights where they were severely predated by raptors. This allowed us to determine how the personality and morphology traits of pigeons may affect their risk of being predated by raptors. Our survival model showed that individual pigeons, which were more tolerant to human approach, slower to escape from a confined environment, more resistant to human handling, with larger tarsi, and with lighter plumage, were more likely to be predated by raptors. We provide rare empirical evidence that the personality of prey influences their risk of being predated under free-ranging circumstances. PMID:26489437

Pigeons (Columba livia) plan future moves on computerized maze tasks.

PubMed

Miyata, Hiromitsu; Fujita, Kazuo

2008-07-01

Planning, the internal process of formulating an organized method about one's future behavior, should be advantageous for non-human animals as well as for humans. However, little is known about this process in avian species. We examined planning processes in pigeons (Columba livia) using a computerized maze task. In Experiment 1, we found that the pigeons plan their next one step, and in some cases even correctly adjust their actions after change of goal locations, while performing on a plus-shaped maze. We also showed that the pigeons might even plan two steps on familiar, well-practiced mazes. In Experiment 2, we discovered that the subjects plan the direction they would go first before starting to solve a four-arm shuriken (a Japanese traditional throwing knife)-shaped maze. The birds also corrected their previously planned actions after change of goal locations. Our results from these experiments suggest that planning ahead is within the cognitive capacity of a "bird brain", and that it may be more widespread in the animal kingdom than has been presumed.

Molecular identification of Cryptosporidium spp. in seagulls, pigeons, dogs, and cats in Thailand.

PubMed