Misidentification by wild rabbits,Oryctolagus cuniculus,of group members carrying the odor of foreign inguinal gland secretion

To demonstrate that the inguinal gland odor conveys information on the identity of individuals, 60 male, wild-type rabbits,Oryctolagus cuniculus, living in groups of three in outdoor pens, were used in 120 tests. Members of the groups smeared with the inguinal gland secretion from unfamiliar rabbits were attacked by their penmates. In contrast the odors of chin gland secretions and urine of strange rabbits and of a commercial perfume did not cause serious disruption to the social relationships within the groups.     

《野草》与鲁迅心灵世界的悖论

鲁迅思想的矛盾性集中体现在他的《野草》中。这种矛盾并非简单的二元对立,而是充满着结构张力的逻辑两难,它们相互依存相互冲突,纷繁复杂的呈现在文本中,使得《野草》表现出多义特征。     

Meat from wild boar (Sus scrofa L.): A review

Wild boar is a species that is utilised for food and sport hunting throughout the world. Recent increases in natural populations and the potential of farming wild boars have stimulated interest in this species as a meat producer. Compared to domestic pigs, wild boars present a higher degree of carcass fatness and larger loin areas, more slow-twitch oxidative (I) and fast-twitch oxidative glycolytic (IIA) and less fast-twitch glycolytic (IIB) muscle fibres, and darker, less tender and leaner meat. Differences in diets might contribute to differences in cooked meat flavour and fatty acid composition between wild boars and domestic pigs. Higher α-tocopherol concentrations in wild boar might extend its meat shelf-life. Mechanical massaging of muscles, vacuum package ageing and addition of marinates have been attempted to tenderise wild boar meat. Further research on hunting protocols for wild boar, and value-added products from its meat, are needed.     

NARP-HPLC/MS and silver cationization fingerprinting of triacylglycerols in wild and cultivar Tunisian peanut kernels

A simple strategy to identify triacylglycerols (TAGs) in wild and cultivar peanuts was performed using on line coupling of non-aqueous reversed phase chromatography-electrospray ionization–mass spectrometry (NARP-LC-ESI–MS) with silver nitrate (AgNO₃) as a post-column additive. The combination of the structural information given by MS with chromatographic retention laws led to the determination of the structure of TAGs in wild and cultivar peanut oil. In addition, by using the MS⁵ method, the regio-specificity of the TAGs was determined. It was also demonstrated that in Tunisian peanut oil, the saturates have a preference for the sn-1/sn-3 position for the arachidonic and behenic acids. In the wild variety fatty acids with odd numbers of carbons were found and more TAGs were identified in comparison to the cultivar peanut oil.     

Fatty acid profiles in meat from Caiman yacare (Caiman crocodilus yacare) raised in the wild or in captivity

Chemical composition and fatty acid profiles were determined in Caiman yacare meat originating from the neck and tail cuts of animals raised in the wild (n = 6) or in captivity (n = 6), slaughtered at a live weight of approximately 6 kg. All experimental methods were approved by the appropriate environmental protection agencies. Most chemical components were affected by the origin-cut interaction, with the tail cut of wild animals having the highest amount of intramuscular fat (19.2% of DM) and the lowest of moisture (71.8%) and protein (77.0% of DM). Yacare meat had low amounts of SFA (35.1%), which were similar (P > 0.05) in the cuts and origins studied. The total amount of PUFA was higher (P < 0.05) in wild (31.0%) than in captive animals (23.6%), and n − 3 fatty acids had means of about 5% and 2% for the same groups, respectively (P < 0.05). In general, the FA profile of intramuscular fat in yacare meat had a desirable PUFA/SFA ratio above 0.4.     

Phenolic composition of Flacourtia indica, Opuntia megacantha and Sclerocarya birrea

The phenolic acid composition of the peel and pulp of the fruits of Flacourtia indica (Burm. f.) Merr., Opuntia megacantha (L.) Mill and Sclerocarya birrea (A. Rich.) Hochst., from Zimbabwe, were analysed using traditional colorimetric as well as HPLC methods. The total phenolics, flavanoids and condensed tannin levels varied with species. Sclerocarya birrea pulp had the highest total phenolics, flavanoids and condensed tannins, i.e., 2262 μg GAE/g, 202 μg catechin/g and 6.0% condensed tannins, respectively. Flacourtia indica pulp contained the least total phenolics, flavanoids and condensed tannins 334 μg GAE/g, 41 μg catechin/g and 1.4%, respectively. There were no significant differences in the total phenolics between the peels and the pulps of the individual fruits. However, significant differences were noted in the flavanoids and the condensed tannins between the peels and pulps of the fruits assayed. Ferulic acid, caffeic acid and vanillic acid were the dominant phenolic acids in the three fruits. There were differences between the phenolic acids in the peels and the pulps of the fruits.     

Renewable energy and wild life conservation: Design and construction of a solar incubator

This paper presents the design, construction and results of a solar powered incubator and pools for rearing yacaré, a specie of the crocodile family, found in northern Argentina. The design was developed by the Research Centre Habitat & Energy, Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urbanism, Buenos Aires University in the framework of a Cooperation Agreement with the Argentine Wild Life Foundation. The installation, located in a Wild Life Refuge in a remote sub-tropical area of the Chaco Province in the north-east region of Argentina, consists of an incubation chamber for hatching the yacaré with strict temperature conditions, pools for rearing the young during a year, heated by solar energy, an auxiliary wood-fired water heater and PV system to power the pumps control system and other minimal requirements such as lighting. The concepts, system development and integration, construction process and measured performance are presented together with the first results of this project which integrates low impact renewable energy systems to support the conservation of an endangered specie.     

Comparative study of phytochemicals and antioxidant potential of wild edible mushroom caps and stipes

A comparative study of the organic acids and phenolics composition and of the total alkaloids content of entire wild edible mushrooms (Russula cyanoxantha, Amanita rubescens, Suillus granulatus and Boletus edulis) and correspondent caps and stipes was performed. All species presented oxalic, citric, malic and fumaric acids, with A. rubescens exhibiting the highest total organic acids content. Organic acids were preferably fixed in the cap. Among phenolics, only p-hydroxybenzoic acid was found in A. rubescens and S. granulatus, in very low amounts. B. edulis was the species that presented the highest total alkaloid amounts. Except for this species, alkaloids mainly accumulated in the cap. All of the species exhibited a concentration-dependent scavenging ability against DPPH^·. B. edulis revealed the highest antioxidant capacity. The cap seemed to be the part with highest antioxidant potential. Some relationships between chemical composition and antioxidant capacity were considered.