In the last fifteen years there were several feed-related outbreaks of morbidity and mortality in the Institute's breeding colony of Wistar rats. The last event took place in April 1999, one month after the use of a new supply of the usual standard rodent feed. Animals did not thrive and manifested generalised oedema, hypoalbuminaemia, elevated liver enzymes, and high mortality. The effect of f...

Ecosystems can undergo sudden shifts to undesirable states, but recent studies with simple single-species ecosystems have demonstrated that advance warning can be provided by the slowing down of population dynamics near a tipping point. However, it is unclear how this 'critical slowing down' will manifest in ecosystems with strong interactions between their components. Here we probe the dynamic...

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Fusarium sp. has been shown to be a promising organism for enhanced production of xylanases. In the present study, xylanase production by 21 Fusarium sp. isolates (8 Fusarium culmorum, 4 Fusarium solani, 6 Fusarium verticillioides and 3 Fusarium equiseti) was evaluated under solid state fermentation (SSF). The fungal isolate Fusarium solani SYRN7 was the best xylanase producer among the tested ...

Top-down analysis of virtual atmospheric mercury emission networks can direct efficient demand-side policy making on mercury reductions. Taking China-the world's top atmospheric mercury emitter-as a case, we identify key contributors to China's atmospheric mercury emissions from both the producer and the consumer perspectives. China totally discharged 794.9 tonnes of atmospheric mercury emissio...

How effective adaptation practices in response to climate change are is a crucial question confronting farmers across the world. Using detailed plot-level data from a specifically designed survey conducted in 2013, this paper investigates whether there are productive benefits for farmers who adapt to climate change in Pakistan. The impact of implementing on-farm adaptation strategies is estimat...

Black shale is dark-colored, organic-rich sediment, and there have been many episodes of black shale deposition over the history of the Earth. Black shales are source rocks for petroleum and natural gas, and thus are both geologically and economically important. Here, we review our recent progress in understanding of the surface ocean ecosystem during periods of carbonaceous sediment deposition...

Field experiments and laboratory tests have shown multiple effects of enhanced ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation on cotton growth, development, and yield. Adverse effects include development of chlorotic and necrotic patches on leaves, reductions in total leaf area, plant height, photosynthesis, and yield. However, little work has been carried out to incorporate these experimental results into a s...

Carp is one of the most widely cultivated warm water fish, which has been introduced into many countries. It is essential for the manager of a carp farm to know the production costs and their evolution, showing the main inputs on which the cost reduction is worth effort. In Iran, carp farming is mainly based on common carp, silver carp, grass carp, and bighead carp, which were often reared in p...