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Afgelopen winterseizoen heeft het Praktijkonderzoek Veehouderij (PV) een vijftal studiedagen automatisch melken georganiseerd. Dit artikel geeft een beeld van deze studiedagen

Vegetation structure influences foraging decisions in a declining grassland bird : the importance of fine-scale habitat and grazing regime

Funding: British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Research Grant.Capsule: Whinchat Saxicola rubetra foraging behaviour was significantly influenced by habitat structure and grazing. Aims: To assess how foraging habitats selected by breeding Whinchats differed from wider territory attributes under contrasting grazing management in multiple upland areas in Scotland: principally sheep grazed, Red Deer grazed or ungrazed, and to identify how differing land use may limit suitable foraging areas. Methods: We compared fine-scale vegetation structure in patches chosen for foraging by Whinchats in contrasting grazing management regimes. Results: Whinchats were less likely to forage in patches with a greater cover of bracken and tall non-bracken vegetation, regardless of grazing regime. Grass cover influenced foraging behaviour in ungrazed habitats only, where Whinchats were less likely to forage in areas with high grass cover. Conclusion: Whinchats appear to require a mosaic or range of sward structures within breeding territories, highlighting the importance of establishing how vegetation structure influences breeding birds at different spatial scales. Our results suggest that suitable foraging patches were plentiful within grazed habitats but potentially limited in ungrazed habitats. Further work is needed to identify management regimes and interventions to maintain conditions suitable for breeding Whinchats that are compatible with other land use and conservation objectives.PostprintPeer reviewe

Experimental evidence of the benefit of wild flower strips to crop pollination

Wild bees provide a free and potentially diverse ecosystem service to farmers growing pollinator dependent crops. Whilst many crops benefit from insect pollination, soft fruit crops, including strawberries are commonly dependent on this ecosystem service to produce viable fruit. However, as a result of intensive farming practices and declining pollinator populations, farmers are increasingly turning to commercially reared bees to ensure that crops are adequately pollinated throughout the season. Wildflower strips are a commonly used measure aimed at the conservation of wild pollinators. It has been suggested that commercial crops may also benefit from the presence of sown wild flowers however, the efficacy and economic benefits of sowing flower strips for crops has been little investigated. Here we test whether wildflower strips increase the number of visits to adjacent commercial strawberry crops by wild pollinators. This was quantified by experimentally sowing wildflower strips approximately 20 meters away from the crop and recording the number of pollinator visits to crops with, and without, flower strips. Between June and August 2013 we walked 292 crop transects at six farms in Scotland, recording a total of 3,102 pollinators. On average, the frequency of pollinator visits was 25% higher for crops with adjacent flower strips compared to those without, with bumblebees (Bombus spp.) accounting for 62% of all pollinators observed. This effect was independent of other (potentially important) confounding effects, such as the number of flowers on the crop, date and temperature. Whilst commercial bees may still be required early in the season, this study provides evidence that soft fruit farmers can increase the number of pollinators that visit their crops by sowing inexpensive flower seed mixes nearby. The cost of planting these strips was substantially lower than the annual cost of purchasing commercial bumblebees, with the added advantage that this management option has the potential to increase and sustain pollinator populations over time

Drivers of public attitudes towards small wind turbines in the UK

This research was funded by a Natural Environment Research Council Studentship (grant reference NE/J500434/1).Small Wind Turbines (SWTs) are a growing micro-generation industry with over 870,000 installed units worldwide. No research has focussed on public attitudes towards SWTs, despite evidence the perception of such attitudes are key to planning outcomes and can be a barrier to installations. Here we present the results of a UK wide mail survey investigating public attitudes towards SWTs. Just over half of our respondents, who were predominantly older, white males, felt that SWTs were acceptable across a range of settings, with those on road signs being most accepted and least accepted in hedgerows and gardens. Concern about climate change positively influenced how respondents felt about SWTs. Respondent comments highlight visual impacts and perceptions of the efficiency of this technology are particularly important to this sector of the UK public. Taking this into careful consideration, alongside avoiding locating SWTs in contentious settings such as hedgerows and gardens where possible, may help to minimise public opposition to proposed installations.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Wind turbines aren't quite 'apex predators', but the truth is far more interesting

First paragraph: Wind turbines are, it appears, everywhere. Even if you can't see some on the horizon on your way into work every day, it is hard to miss the continual news coverage of new developments. Clearly, efforts to move away from fossil fuels are – at least in part – working, and from the perspective of combating climate change, this must surely be a good thing. However, much of the news coverage of turbines highlights negatives such as a perceived degradation of the landscape, or their impacts on wildlife. There is good cause for concern in this regard, particularly with respect to wildlife.https://theconversation.com/wind-turbines-arent-quite-apex-predators-but-the-truth-is-far-more-interesting-10648

A tentative approach to the molecular structure of humic acids: the spectral evidence for a derivation of humic acids from plant-borne esters. 3. Pyrolysis-mass spectrometry.

Pyrolysis mass spectrometry of humic acids collected from oak forest litter and humus horizons, of esters extracted from oak leaves and of bark extracts indicated a close relationship between plant esters and humic acids. The data support the hypothesis that humic acids can be derived from simple mixed esters formed in the plants. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission

Oncogenic signaling and mechanisms of immune evasion in aggressive B-cell lymphomas

B cel lymfomen kunnen ontstaan tijdens verschillende fasen van de B cel ontwikkeling en vormen een zeer heterogene groep maligniteiten. Diffuus grootcellig B cel lymfoom (DLBCL) en mantelcellymfoom (MCL) vallen beiden onder de groep van de agressieve non-Hodgkin lymfomen. Aberrante activatie van diverse oncogene signaleringsroutes speelt een belangrijke rol in de pathogenese van zowel DLBCL als MCL. Herkenning van een antigen door de B-cel receptor (BCR), een membraan gebonden antilichaam, stimuleert intrinsieke signaleringsroutes die zorgen voor B cel activatie en celdeling. Daarnaast brengen B cellen Toll-like receptoren (TLRs) tot expressie waarmee ze potentieel pathogene micro-organismen of lichaamseigen stoffen die bij schade vrijkomen, kunnen herkennen. Verstoorde activatie van zowel BCR als TLR gedreven signaleringsroutes als gevolg van mutaties of epigenetische veranderingen, komt voor bij een groot deel van DLBCL en MCL gevallen. Primaire grootcellige B cel lymfomen die voorkomen op extranodale locaties waar het afweersysteem zeer sterk gereguleerd wordt, worden gekenmerkt door een hoge frequentie van activerende MYD88 en CD79B mutaties. Daarnaast maken deze lymfomen vaak gebruik van verschillende mechanismen om herkenning en eliminatie door het afweersysteem van de gastheer te ontwijken. Het beter begrijpen van de pathobiologie van deze lymfomen kan bijdragen aan de ontwikkeling van specifieke therapieën voor de behandeling van deze agressieve lymfomen

Oncogenic signaling and mechanisms of immune evasion in aggressive B-cell lymphomas

B cel lymfomen kunnen ontstaan tijdens verschillende fasen van de B cel ontwikkeling en vormen een zeer heterogene groep maligniteiten. Diffuus grootcellig B cel lymfoom (DLBCL) en mantelcellymfoom (MCL) vallen beiden onder de groep van de agressieve non-Hodgkin lymfomen. Aberrante activatie van diverse oncogene signaleringsroutes speelt een belangrijke rol in de pathogenese van zowel DLBCL als MCL. Herkenning van een antigen door de B-cel receptor (BCR), een membraan gebonden antilichaam, stimuleert intrinsieke signaleringsroutes die zorgen voor B cel activatie en celdeling. Daarnaast brengen B cellen Toll-like receptoren (TLRs) tot expressie waarmee ze potentieel pathogene micro-organismen of lichaamseigen stoffen die bij schade vrijkomen, kunnen herkennen. Verstoorde activatie van zowel BCR als TLR gedreven signaleringsroutes als gevolg van mutaties of epigenetische veranderingen, komt voor bij een groot deel van DLBCL en MCL gevallen. Primaire grootcellige B cel lymfomen die voorkomen op extranodale locaties waar het afweersysteem zeer sterk gereguleerd wordt, worden gekenmerkt door een hoge frequentie van activerende MYD88 en CD79B mutaties. Daarnaast maken deze lymfomen vaak gebruik van verschillende mechanismen om herkenning en eliminatie door het afweersysteem van de gastheer te ontwijken. Het beter begrijpen van de pathobiologie van deze lymfomen kan bijdragen aan de ontwikkeling van specifieke therapieën voor de behandeling van deze agressieve lymfomen

A tentative approach to the molecular structure of humic acids: The spectral evidence for a derivation of humic acids from plant-borne esters. 2. Infrared and chemical analyses.

It is suggested that: humic acids are polyesters, originate as monomers in the secondary metabolism of both higher and lower plants, and are formed in an acid environment (including high-moor peat); the formation of humic acids is promoted by desiccation, particularly under alkaline conditions; humic acids exhibit keto-enol tautomerism, can form semi-quinones and therefore stable radicals also, and derive their colour from these radicals. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission