Anaerobes in periodontal disease in the dog: a review

As anaerobic sampling and culture techniques improved, the documented prevalence of anaerobic bacteria in periodontal disease has increased. The anaerobic bacteria have become more well-known in humans and consequently in dogs, since this species is a major model in periodontal studies. A review of the literature related to anaerobic flora is described.     

Divergent selection for postweaning feed conversion in Angus beef cattle: II. Genetic and phenotypic correlations and realized heritability estimate.

A single generation divergent selection study, replicated four times (1983, 1984, 1985, and 1986), was conducted to assess genetic differences between progeny of high and low feed conversion sires in Angus beef cattle and to determine correlated response for weight gain (ADG140), feed intake (AVFD140), and BW (OFFTSTWT) in a time- (140-d) and fat-constant (8.9 mm) period. Realized heritability estimates for unadjusted (feed/gain; FEFF140; .26) and adjusted feed conversion (adjusted as recommended by the BIF, 1986; ADJFDEFF; .46) were obtained. The difference in heritability estimates reflects variation accounted for by adjustment for BW differences, and thus maintenance requirements, of individual progeny. Phenotypic and "pseudo" realized genetic correlations of FEFF140 with ADG140, AVFD 140, and OFFTSTWT were -.33 and -.66, .49 and -.26, and .15 and -.41, respectively. Phenotypic and "pseudo" realized genetic correlations of ADJFDEFF with ADG140, AVFD140, OFFTSTWT, and FEFF140 were -.54 and -.59, .30 and -.23, .27 and -.36, and .97 and .49, respectively. Subcutaneous fat (as estimated by ultrasonic measurement; BF140) had phenotypic and "pseudo" realized genetic correlations with FEFF140 of -.33 and .66, respectively, and with ADJFDEFF of -.44 and -.58, respectively.     

Egg quality in rainbow trout: The relation between egg viability,selected aspects of egg composition,and time of stripping

Batches of eggs (1 batch/female) from 17 rainbow trout in their first spawning season were stripped and reared separately, and the percentage which hatched and the percentage which reached the stage of first feeding were determined. The fertilised egg batches were analysed for egg wet weight, egg dry weight, chorion weight and levels in the eggs of free, bound and total lipid, precipitable protein, protein phosphorus, lipid phosphorus, calcium and iron. All determinations were made on single eggs, and six eggs from each batch were analysed for each variable. Results were expressed in absolute terms (as weight of component per egg) and as percentage of egg dry weight. Highly significant variations in all these aspects of egg composition were shown to occur between parent females. However, there was no significant correlation between the percentage of the original number of eggs which hatched and any one aspect of egg composition, except for a weak positive correlation (P<0.05) with the percentage of protein phosphorus in the eggs. Similarly, there was no significant correlation between the percentage of the original number of eggs which reached first feeding and any one aspect of egg composition except for weak positive correlations (P<0.05) with egg wet weight and with both the absolute level and the percentage of protein phosphorus in the egg. There was significant positive correlation (P<0.05) between the percentage of hatched eggs (alevins) surviving to first feeding and each of the following: egg wet weight, egg dry weight and absolute levels in the egg of bound lipid, precipitable protein and protein phosphorus. Egg batches with higher hatching percentage (>50%) differed significantly from those with zero hatching percentage in having (in absolute terms) higher egg weight, chorion weight, protein phosphorus (all P<0.001), egg dry weight, bound lipid and precipitable protein (all P<0.01) and (percentages) higher chorion weight (P<0.05) and protein phosphorus (P<0.001), and lower free and total lipid (both P<0.01) and iron (P<0.05). In a separate experiment to investigate the effects of allowing the eggs to be retained by the female within the abdominal cavity for increasing periods of time after ovulation, eggs were obtained from three females on three or four successive occasions 2–11 days apart. Although the above aspects of egg composition remained almost constant when the eggs were held in the female for up to 18 days after ovulation, the hatching percentage declined sharply within this period, in two females falling from over 90% to near zero. These results together indicate that the time of stripping of the eggs in relation to the date of ovulation is a much more significant determinant of egg quality than any of the chemical and physical aspects of egg composition which were investigated.     

Condition assessment of lamprey populations in the Yorkshire Ouse catchment,north‐east England,and the potential influence of physical migration barriers

• 1. River lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis) and sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) are designated features of the River Derwent Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and the Humber Estuary (a possible SAC). This study determined the condition of lamprey populations in the Yorkshire Ouse catchment by assessing the species composition, distribution, abundance and size‐structure of larval (ammocoete) populations in five major tributary rivers (Derwent, Swale, Ure, Nidd and Wharfe).
• 2. According to EU condition assessment criteria, Lampetra populations (assumed to be mostly river lamprey) are at present in favourable condition, with site mean (±SE) densities ranging from 2.7 (±1.2) to 160.3 (±50.5) individuals m^?2 (all river means >2 individuals m^?2), and at least two size (≈age) classes present in optimal microhabitats. By contrast, no sea lamprey larvae were recorded, suggesting that populations of this species are in unfavourable condition.
• 3. Actions to protect and enhance nationally or internationally important stocks must be implemented from at least a catchment perspective, because many of the issues affecting such species are not localized. With respect to lampreys, particular attention should be given to protecting spawning and nursery habitats, improving water quality, reducing impingement at abstraction points, preventing exploitation at spawning grounds and increasing passage at potential physical obstructions.

Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Response of alluvial fan systems to the late Pleistocene to Holocene climatic transition: contrasts between the margins of pluvial Lakes Lahontan and Mojave, Nevada and California, USA

Dated shorelines of late Pleistocene pluvial Lakes Lahontan (Great Basin Desert, northwest Nevada) and Mojave (Mojave Desert, eastern California) provide timelines for the assessment of alluvial fan sedimentation at the lake margins during the late Pleistocene to early Holocene. Two sets of alluvial fan systems have been mapped: the Stillwater fans, feeding Lake Lahontan; and the Zzyzx fans, feeding Lake Mojave. Their contrasting morphologies suggest different responses of the two fan systems to late Pleistocene to early Holocene climatic change. At the time the Stillwater fan systems underwent minimal sedimentation, with the catchment hillslopes apparently stable. The Zzyzx fans experienced major changes in water and sediment supply from the catchment hillslopes. There was a major phase of hillslope debris-flow activity, followed by fanhead trenching and distal fan progradation. Both areas were wetter and colder in the late Pleistocene than they are today, but during the transition to the Holocene the Zzyzx area was more likely to experience intense rains associated with the monsoonal penetration of warm moist tropical air into the Southwest. Vegetation reconstructions for the late Pleistocene to the early Holocene suggest that catchment hillslopes in the Mojave supported a desert shrub vegetation, but those in the Stillwaters supported juniper woodland and grasses at low elevations and pine at higher elevations. Contrasts in hillslope vegetation cover together with storm activity may account for the different responses of the alluvial fans to climatic change during the Pleistocene to Holocene climatic transition. After the falls in lake levels of Lakes Lahontan and Mojave in the early Holocene, both areas underwent aridification, resulting in reductions in hillslope vegetation cover. Increased storm runoff led to fanhead trenching and distal progradation of the alluvial fans. Variations in fan style at that time may relate primarily to base-level conditions resulting from different gradients on the exposed lake shores.     

The value of linking paleoecological and neoecological perspectives to understand spatially-explicit ecosystem resilience

Context

Predicting ecosystem resilience is a challenge, especially as climate change alters disturbance regimes and conditions for recovery. Recent research has highlighted the importance of spatially-explicit disturbance and resilience processes to long-term ecosystem dynamics. “Neoecological” approaches characterize resilience mechanisms at relatively fine spatio-temporal resolutions, but results are difficult to extrapolate across broad temporal scales or climatic ranges. Paleoecological methodologies can consider the effects of climates that differ from today. However, they are often limited to coarse-grained spatio-temporal resolutions.

Methods

In this synthesis, we describe implicit and explicit examples of studies that incorporate both neo- and paleoecological approaches. We propose ways to build on the strengths of both approaches in an explicit and proactive fashion.

Results

Linking the two approaches is a powerful way to surpass their respective limitations. Aligning spatial scales is critical: Paleoecological sampling design should incorporate knowledge of the spatial characteristics of the disturbance process, and neoecological studies benefit from a longer-term context to their conclusions. In some cases, modeling can incorporate non-spatial data from paleoecological records or emerging spatial paleo-data networks with mechanistic disturbance/recovery processes that operate at fine spatiotemporal scales.

Conclusions

Linking these two complementary approaches is a powerful way to build a complete understanding of ecosystem disturbance and resilience.