Animal Industry News, March 2008, Vol. 9, no. 1

Newsletter produced by Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship about the animal industry in Iowa.

Report on the Shelby County Area Solid Waste Agency for the year ended June 30, 2008

Report on the Shelby County Area Solid Waste Agency for the year ended June 30, 2008

Audit report on the Butler County Solid Waste Commission for the year ended June 30, 2008

Audit report on the Butler County Solid Waste Commission for the year ended June 30, 2008

Insects associated with the composting process of solid urban waste separated at the source

Sarcosaprophagous macroinvertebrates (earthworms, termites and a number of Diptera larvae) enhance changes in the physical and chemical properties of organic matter during degradation and stabilization processes in composting, causing a decrease in the molecular weights of compounds. This activity makes these organisms excellent recyclers of organic matter. This article evaluates the succession of insects associated with the decomposition of solid urban waste separated at the source. The study was carried out in the city of Medellin, Colombia. A total of 11,732 individuals were determined, belonging to the classes Insecta and Arachnida. Species of three orders of Insecta were identified, Diptera, Coleoptera and Hymenoptera. Diptera corresponding to 98.5% of the total, was the most abundant and diverse group, with 16 families (Calliphoridae, Drosophilidae, Psychodidae, Fanniidae, Muscidae, Milichiidae, Ulidiidae, Scatopsidae, Sepsidae, Sphaeroceridae, Heleomyzidae, Stratiomyidae, Syrphidae, Phoridae, Tephritidae and Curtonotidae) followed by Coleoptera with five families (Carabidae, Staphylinidae, Ptiliidae, Hydrophilidae and Phalacaridae). Three stages were observed during the composting process, allowing species associated with each stage to be identified. Other species were also present throughout the whole process. In terms of number of species, Diptera was the most important group observed, particularly Ornidia obesa, considered a highly invasive species, and Hermetia illuscens, both reported as beneficial for decomposition of organic matter.

Audit report on the Hardin County Sanitary Solid Waste Disposal Commission for the year ended June 30, 2008

Audit report on the Hardin County Sanitary Solid Waste Disposal Commission for the year ended June 30, 2008

Audit report on the Rural Iowa Waste Management Association for the year ended June 30, 2008

Audit report on the Rural Iowa Waste Management Association for the year ended June 30, 2008

Audit report on the Crawford County Area Solid Waste Agency Commission for the year ended June 30, 2008

Audit report on the Crawford County Area Solid Waste Agency Commission for the year ended June 30, 2008

Audit report on the Pocahontas County Solid Waste Commission for the year ended June 30, 2008

Audit report on the Pocahontas County Solid Waste Commission for the year ended June 30, 2008

Audit report on the Jones County Solid Waste Management Commission for the year ended June 30, 2008

Audit report on the Jones County Solid Waste Management Commission for the year ended June 30, 2008

Audit report on the Delaware County Solid Waste Disposal Commission for the year ended June 30, 2008

Audit report on the Delaware County Solid Waste Disposal Commission for the year ended June 30, 2008

The zebrafish is an animal model in ophthalmic diseases : Fleck corneal dystrophy and Schorderet-Munier syndrome

RAPPORT DE SYNTHÈSE : Pip5k3 : Pip5k3 is a kinase responsible for fleck corneal dystrophy when mutated. It is a well conserved gene that has only been characterized in human and mouse. Characterization of pip5k3 in zebrafish was necessary before using it as a model. The protein is 70 % similar to the human homologue. The full coding sequence encompasses 6303 by and presented four isoforms. They were differentially expressed during development. All the analyzed organs of the adult zebrafish expressed pip5k3. The adult eye expressed pip5k3 in the cornea, lens, ganglion cell layer (GCL), inner nuclear layer (INL) and outer limiting membrane (OLM). During development, pip5k3 was first uniformly expressed before to be restricted to the head region and to the somites. The expression of pip5k3 in the cornea of the larval eye could make possible the study of fleck corneal dystrophy on this animal. NkxS-3 : NKXS-3 is a transcription factor responsible for a new oculo-auricular syndrome in human when mutated. This recessive disorder is characterized by defects in ear lobule and multiple defects in eye, including microphthalmia and cataract. During development, the zebrafish expressed nkx5-3 in the lens, in the anterior retina and in otic vesicles. Knockdown experiments partially phenocopied the human disease. Microphthalmia and cataract were reproduced, but zebrafish showed also defects in the cartilage of the jaw associated with a microcephaly and fins abnormalities. The retinal cell differentiation was delayed, possibly linked with the delayed expression of at`h5 and crx also observed in morphants. Shh, a regulator of ath5, was normally expressed in morphant. Overexpression of nkx5-3 lead to an anophthalmia, suggesting a role at the early organogenesis of the eye. All the phenotypes observed in morphants and embryos overexpressing nkx5-3 suggest a potential involvement of the FGF and hedgehog signaling pathways.

Audit report on the Wayne-Ringgold-Decatur County Solid Waste Management Commission for the year ended June 30, 2008

Audit report on the Wayne-Ringgold-Decatur County Solid Waste Management Commission for the year ended June 30, 2008

Waste Reduction, Construction and Demolition Debris: Guide for Building, Construction and Environmental Professionals, Revised November 2008

This document is intended to lay the foundation for resource reduction strategies in new construction, renovation and demolition. If you have an innovative idea or information that you believe should be included in future updates of this manual please email Shelly Codner at scodner@region12cog.org or Jan Loyson at Jan.Loyson@Iowalifechanging.com. Throughout this manual, we use the term “waste reduction” to define waste management initiatives that will result in less waste going to the landfill. In accordance with the waste management hierarchy these practices include reducing (waste prevention), reusing (deconstruction and salvage), recycling and renewing (making old things new again) - in that order. This manual will explain what these practices are and how to incorporate them into your projects.