Responses of seasonally anovulatory mares to daily administration of thyrotropin-releasing hormone and(or) gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog

Seventeen seasonally anovulatory light horse mares were treated daily, starting January 5 (d 1), for 28 d with GnRH analog (GnRH-A; 50 ng/kg BW) and(or) thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH; 5 microg/kg BW) in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments to test the hypothesis that combined treatment may stimulate follicular growth and development. Ovaries were examined via ultrasonography and jugular blood samples were collected every 3 d. Frequent blood samples were collected after treatment injections on d 1, 2, 4, 7, 11, 16, and 22; on d 29, all mares received an i.v. mixture of GnRH, TRH, sulpiride, and EP51389 (a growth hormone secretagogue) to assess pituitary responsiveness. No consistent effects (P > 0.1) of treatment were observed for plasma LH, FSH, prolactin, or thyroxine concentrations in samples collected every 3 d. The only effect on ovarian follicle numbers was a reduction in number of follicles 11 to 19 mm in diameter due to TRH treatment (P = 0.029). No mare ovulated during treatment. On the days of frequent sampling, mean LH (P = 0.0001) and FSH (P = 0.001) concentrations were higher in mares receiving GnRH-A and tended to increase from d 1 through 7. In contrast, mean prolactin (P = 0.001) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (P = 0.0001) concentrations were high in mares receiving TRH on d 1 but rapidly decreased thereafter. When mares were administered the secretagogue mixture on d 29, the LH response was greater (P = 0.0002) in mares that had previously received GnRH-A but the FSH response was not affected (P > 0.1); the prolactin response was greater (P = 0.014) and the TSH response was smaller (P = 0.0005) in mares that had previously received TRH. Surprisingly, an immediate growth hormone response to EP51389 was absent in all mares. In conclusion, daily GnRH-A treatment stimulated plasma LH and FSH concentrations immediately after injection; although no long-term elevation in preinjection concentrations was achieved, the responses gradually increased over time, indicating a stimulation of gonadotropin production and storage. Daily treatment with TRH stimulated plasma TSH and prolactin concentrations, but the response diminished rapidly and was minimal within a few days, indicating a depletion of pituitary stores and little or no stimulation of production. There was no beneficial effect of adding TRH treatment to the daily GnRH-A regimen.     

Lead pollution: records in Southern California coastal sediments

The present anthropogenic lead fluxes into sediments from the Santa Monica, San Pedro, and Santa Barbara basins of Southern California are, respectively, 0.9, 1.7, and 2.1 micrograms of lead per square centimeter of sea bottom per year; the natural (prepollution) rates for these three basins were, respectively, 0.24, 0.26, and 1.0 microgram of lead per square centimeter per year. Studies of isotopic composition indicate that lead pollutants in coastal sediments are derived mainly from the combustion of lead additives in gasoline.     

Loblolly pine cutting morphological traits: Effects on rooting and field performance

Shoot cuttings were harvested fromfour-year-old, loblolly pine hedges in March andSeptember of 1987, and placed into a series offactorial combinations of cutting length, diameterclass, and the presence/absence of a terminal bud toassess effects on rooting and field performance.Average rooting in the March trial was 50 percent andonly 20 percent for the September trial; however, thebest treatment in March yielded 100 percent rooting.Terminal bud status did not appear to influencepercent rooting. Shorter cuttings (5.1 or 7.6 cm)with an average diameter of 2 or 3 mm tended to rootbetter and develop more roots. Field performance ofthe rooted cuttings through age five suggests that theoriginal cutting does not require a terminal bud, butthe best set of morphological traits differ dependingon bud status. Considering both rooting ability andfield growth with an original tip bud present, thebest cutting dimensions were 5.1 or 7.6 cm long and 2or 3 mm in diameter. Without a tip bud present,cutting dimensions were restricted to 7.6 or 10.2 cmlong and 3 mm in diameter. Number of main roots wasa weak predictor of tree height or dbh at age five.     

The distribution of active force generators controls mitotic spindle position

During unequal cell divisions a mitotic spindle is eccentrically positioned before cell cleavage. To determine the basis of the net force imbalance that causes spindle displacement in one-cell Caenorhabditis elegans embryos, we fragmented centrosomes with an ultraviolet laser. Analysis of the mean and variance of fragment speeds suggests that the force imbalance is due to a larger number of force generators pulling on astral microtubules of the posterior aster relative to the anterior aster. Moreover, activation of heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide- binding protein (Gprotein) alpha subunits is required to generate these astral forces.     

Characterizing tourism benefits associated with top‐predator conservation in coastal British Columbia

1. Facing public concern over costs related to top‐predator reintroductions and conservation, ecosystem services such as ecotourism are often used to evoke benefits that outweigh or offset those costs. Quantifying these benefits using rigorous scientific methods can provide confidence to policymakers and other stakeholders that predators can in fact deliver positive outcomes to people living alongside them. The evaluation of these benefits is often anecdotal or qualitative, however, and empirical quantifications are rare.
2. In coastal marine ecosystems, sea otter reintroduction is seen as a conservation success to some but a bane to others. The contribution of sea otters (Enyhdra lutris) to tourism revenue is touted as a crucial ecosystem service benefit to offset the loss of shellfish harvesting and associated revenue, but remains unquantified, weakening the favourable reception of conservation action.
3. The potential economic benefits of sea otters associated with tourism and the extent to which benefits are realized were evaluated based on: (i) choice‐experiment surveys of tourists; and (ii) interviews with tourism operators in British Columbia.
4. Sea otters were a strong factor in people's choices regarding wildlife viewing, and sea otters could have large benefits for local economies. Alongside socio‐economic characteristics, tourism experience influences tourists’ preferences. Tourism operators did not perceive sea otters as strongly influencing tourist choice, highlighting the gap that can occur between the perception and the reality of tourist preferences, leading to missed opportunities for the alignment of economic development with conservation actions.

     

Submarine barite-opal rocks of hydrothermal origin

Unusual submarine rocks consisting of barite, opal, and volcanic detritus were recovered from the Lau Basin northeast of Australia. It is proposed that these rocks were formed when hydrothermal solutions emanating from a fracture zone offsetting the active spreading center in the Lau Basin came into contact with cooler ocean waters.     

Effect of dental correction on voluntary hay intake,apparent digestibility of feed and faecal particle size in horse

Summary In nine adult Warmblood horses with mild to moderate dental findings (no signs of discomfort during chewing), voluntary hay intake before and after dental correction was examined. In a second experiment, digestibility of feed and faecal particle size were determined (3 days of total faecal collection) before and after dental correction. During both digestion trials including a 3‐day adaptation period, the amount of hay and concentrate (mixture of oats, barley and maize) was kept constant in each individual horse before and after dental correction. Voluntary hay intake in individual horses ranged from 11 to 22 g DM/kg BW/day and did not differ before and after dental treatment. Apparent digestibility of DM, energy, crude fibre and Nfe increased significantly after dental correction (energy digestibility before dental correction 46.8 ± 7.4%, after dental correction 51.5 ± 8.5%). Apparent digestibility of feed was higher in horses eating more concentrates than in those eating less concentrates. Improvement of digestibility was more marked in horses eating larger amounts of grain. There was no relationship between severity or type of dental alterations and improvement of apparent feed digestibility. Dental correction had no effect on faecal particle size.     

Use of first‐order tributaries by brown trout (Salmo trutta) as nursery habitat in a cold water stream network

Many investigators have examined the importance of suitable in‐stream habitat and flow regime to salmonid fishes. However, there is much less known about the use of small (<5 l·s^?1 discharge) first‐order streams within a larger stream network by salmonids. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of small headwater streams by juvenile brown trout Salmo trutta in the Emmons Creek stream network in Wisconsin, USA, and to determine whether abundance was related to habitat variables in these streams. Fishes in eight spring‐fed first‐order streams were sampled during a 7‐month period using a backpack electroshocker and measured for total length. Habitat variables assessed included stream discharge, water velocity, sediment composition and the abundance of cover items (woody debris and macrophytes). Densities of YOY trout ranged from 0 to 1 per m² over the course of the study and differed among first‐order streams. Stepwise multiple regression revealed discharge to be negatively associated with trout density in spring but not in summer. All other habitat variables were not significantly related to trout density. Our results demonstrate the viability of small first‐order streams as nursery habitat for brown trout and support the inclusion of headwater streams in conservation and stream restoration efforts.