Ascorbic Acid Functionalized Anti-Aggregated Au Nanoparticles for Ultrafast MEF and SERS Detection of Tartrazine: An Ultra-Wide Piecewise Linear Range Study

Tartrazine, as a synthetic food colorant, is harmful to health upon excessive intake. In this work, we developed a simple, sensitive and ultrafast method to detect tartrazine effectively. Specifically, we...

Are we top or not? Understanding the social capital paradox in the Basque Country

Most studies on social capital integrate proxy variables such as cooperation, participation or trust, but very few examine in depth underlying patterns of behaviour and resulting social phenomena. Filling a gap in earlier studies, this paper conducts a long-range study of the stock of social capital in the Basque Country in Spain, with the aim of analysing the values that are at the core of civic engagement in the territory. Secondary data collected from official statistics websites and relevant studies in the field are used to examine the structural and cognitive dimensions. This information confirms the paradox: at the national scale, the Basque Country is a leading community, but region-specific research unveils a less favourable scenario of endogamic relations, institutional distrust, and low participation. Therefore, although numerous public organisations play a remarkable guiding role, further steps are needed to improve the connectivity of the different actors within the Regional Innovation System.

Characterization, Phytopathogenicity and Host Range Studies of Neoscytalidium Dimidiatuml. (Botryosphaeraceae) Associated With Dieback of Lebbeck Trees (Albizia Lebbeck L. Benth) in Saudi Arabia

A survey in 2016 showed that more than 80% lebbeck trees inside the main campus of Qassim University were wilted and dead. Symptoms of dieback, root rot, stem cankers and decline were observed in the trees. The trunks exhibited black masses of spores which soon spread to other, healthy trees. A fungus, having arthroconidial and asexual synanamorph characteristics, and was identified as Neoscytalidiumdimidiatum KSA of the class Coelomycetes within the family Botryosphaeraceae and was subsequently isolated from the infected lebbeck trees. Six-year-old lebbeck seedlings were inoculated with the N. dimidiatum KSA isolate. Symptoms of chloroses followed by dropping leaves appeared four weeks after inoculation. The fungus re-isolated from the infected seedlings expressed the same morphological characteristics on the culture media as the N. dimidiatum KSA isolate. A host range study involving six different tree species were inoculated under growth chamber conditions using the identified isolate of the N. dimidiatum KSA fungus. Four weeks after the inoculation, three of these species exhibited wilting and died. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to report on N. dimidiatum in Saudi Arabia.

Efficacy of an automated laser for reducing wild bird visits to the free range area of a poultry farm

In the Netherlands, free-range layer farms as opposed to indoor layer farms, are at greater risk with regard to the introduction of avian influenza viruses (AIVs). Wild waterfowl are the natural reservoir hosts of AIVs, and play a major role in their transmission to poultry by contaminating free-range layer areas. The laser as a wild bird repellent has been in use since the 1970s, in particular around airfields to reduce bird-strike. The efficacy of laser for reducing wild bird numbers in and around free-range poultry areas has however not been investigated. During the autumn–winter, wild bird visits to the free-range area of a layer farm was surveilled by video-camera for a month without laser, followed by a month with laser. The automated laser (Class-III B qualification) was operated in two separate areas (i) within the poultry free-range area that directly bordered the poultry barn between 5:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. when poultry were absent (free-range study area, size 1.5 ha), and (ii) in surrounding grass pastures between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The overall (all bird species combined) efficacy of the laser for reducing the rate of wild birds visiting the free-range study area was 98.2%, and for the Orders Anseriformes and Passeriformes, respectively, was 99.7% and 96.1%. With the laser in operation, the overall exposure time of the free-range area to wild bird visits, but specifically to the Order Anseriformes, was massively reduced. It can be concluded that the Class-III B laser is highly proficient at keeping wild birds, in particular waterfowl, away from the free-range area of layer farms situated along a winter migration flyway.

Efficacy of Using a Laser Device to Reduce Wild (Water)Birds Visits to the Free-range area of a Layer Farm Situated in an Avian Influenza Hotspot-region in the Netherlands

Free-range layer farms have a significantly higher risk of introduction of avian influenza viruses (AIV) compared to indoor layer farms. Wild water birds, natural reservoir of AIV, likely play a role in the transmission of AIV to chickens by contaminating the farms’ free-range area. The use of a laser as a repellent device for wild birds has been studied since the 1970s, in particular around airfields as bird-strike prevention, but its use at poultry farms to keep wild birds away from the surroundings of the poultry barn has not been studied. Part (1.5 ha) of the free-range area of a layer farm that directly boarded the poultry barn was equipped with a video-camera recording system. Visits of wild birds to this free-range study area were recorded for a month without and subsequently a month with a Class-III B laser in operation in the winter period. The laser was operated in the free-range study area between 5:00 PM and 10:00 AM, chickens were present in the free-range study area between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM. The laser was operated in surrounding grass pastures between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM. Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) and Western barn owls (Tyto alba) visited the free-range study area between sunset and sunrise; Blackbirds (Turdus merula), Western yellow wagtails (Motacilla flava), White wagtails (Motacilla alba), Common Moor-hen (Gallimula chloropus) and Common kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) visited the free-range study area between sunrise and 10:00 AM. The overall (all bird species) efficacy of the laser for reducing the rate of wild birds visiting the free-range study area was 98.2 %. This efficacy was for birds of the Order Anseriformes 99.7 % and for birds of the Order Passeriformes 96.1 %. The overall exposure time of the free-range study area to wild birds (all species) was 617 times lower with the laser in operation compared to a situation in which the laser was not in operation. Exposure time to wild birds of the Order Anseriformes – known as bird flu risk species - was 2,320 times lower compared to the situation without the laser in operation. Summarizing, it can be concluded that the laser equipment used in this study was highly proficient in keeping wild birds – in particular wild ducks - away from the free-range study area of the layer farm.