Hunting behavior of a marine mammal beneath the antarctic fast Ice

The hunting behavior of a marine mammal was studied beneath the Antarctic fast ice with an animal-borne video system and data recorder. Weddell seals stalked large Antarctic cod and the smaller subice fish Pagothenia borchgrevinki, often with the under-ice surface for backlighting, which implies that vision is important for hunting. They approached to within centimeters of cod without startling the fish. Seals flushed P. borchgrevinki by blowing air into subice crevices or pursued them into the platelet ice. These observations highlight the broad range of insights that are possible with simultaneous recordings of video, audio, three-dimensional dive paths, and locomotor effort.     

Fish assemblage production estimates in Appalachian streams across a latitudinal and temperature gradient

Production of biomass is central to the ecology and sustainability of fish assemblages. The goal of this study was to empirically estimate and compare fish assemblage production, production‐to‐biomass (P/B) ratios and species composition for 25 second‐ to third‐order streams spanning the Appalachian Mountains (from Vermont to North Carolina) that vary in their temperature regimes. Fish assemblage production estimates ranged from 0.15 to 6.79 g m^?2 year^?1, and P/B ratios ranged from 0.20 to 1.07. There were no significant differences in mean assemblage production across northern cold‐water, southern cold‐water and southern cool‐water streams (p = .35). Two warm‐water streams, not included in these comparisons, had the highest mean production and biomass values. Mean assemblage P/B was significantly higher in northern cold‐water streams relative to southern cold‐water and cool‐water streams (p = .01). Species evenness in production declined with stream temperature and differed significantly across the lower latitude cold‐water, cool‐water and warm‐water streams and the higher latitude (i.e. more northern) cold‐water streams. Our fish assemblage production estimates and P/B ratios were both lower and higher compared to previously published estimates for similar stream habitats. This study provides empirical fish assemblage production estimates to inform future research on southern Appalachian streams and on the potential impacts of varying temperature regimes on cold‐water, cool‐water and warm‐water fish production in the coming decades as climate change continues to threaten fish assemblages.     

Pulmonary Maturation in Canine Foetuses From Early Pregnancy to Parturition

Development of the foetal respiratory system includes both pulmonary growth and maturation. In human medicine, a higher incidence of respiratory distress is reported in newborn males. This study aimed to identify different phases of canine foetal lung maturation throughout pregnancy, to determine the stage of pregnancy in which surfactant production begins and to compare pulmonary development of male and female foetuses. Pregnant bitches (34) were subjected to elective ovariohysterectomy and allocated into four groups, according to the stage of pregnancy: 30–40 days of pregnancy (n = 10), 41–50 days (n = 10), 51–60 days (n = 10) and bitches in the first stage of parturition (n = 4). Foetal lungs were histologically processed and evaluated by optical microscopy. The pseudoglandular phase was identified between the 35th day and 46th day of gestation; the onset of canalicular and saccular periods was observed, respectively, from the 48th day and 60th day of pregnancy. Lungs from foetuses at term were in the saccular phase; thus, the development into the alveolar period occurs in the neonatal period. The histological analyses revealed that respiratory tract development is centrifugal, from upper to lower airways. Therefore, it is possible to identify distinct development periods in different portions of the same organ. In conclusion, the saccular phase of lung development begins around 57 and 60 days of pregnancy, the period in which surfactant production is believed to occur. Male and female foetuses present similar pulmonary development from early pregnancy until parturition.     

Aerially applied methylcyclohexenone-releasing flakes protect Pseudotsuga menziesii stands from attack by Dendroctonus pseudotsugae

We tested methylcyclohexenone (MCH), an anti-aggregation pheromone for the Douglas-fir beetle (Dendroctonus pseudotsugae), for protection of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) stands by applying MCH-releasing polymer flakes by helicopter twice during summer 2006 to five 4.05-ha plots in the State of Washington, USA. Five similar plots served as untreated controls. We assessed D. pseudotsugae flight into study plots using baited pheromone traps, and tallied D. pseudotsugae attack rates on all P. menziesii trees in 2005 and 2006. We also measured stand basal area and incorporated that as an explanatory variable in the analysis. Significantly fewer D. pseudotsugae were trapped in treated plots than in control plots, and significantly fewer P. menziesii trees were attacked in treated plots than in control plots. The attack rate in untreated stands was nearly 10 times that of treated plots, and stands with higher basal area were significantly more likely to be attacked by D. pseudotsugae than were stands of lower basal area. Attack rates in 2006 and 2005 were significantly correlated, regardless of treatment.     

Estimating particle-size fractions of soil dominated by silicate minerals from geochemistry

Measuring particle-size distribution (psd) is so time-consuming and expensive that it is rarely affordable for systematic survey. In young soil dominated by silicate minerals the size fractions have characteristic elemental compositions, and so they might be predicted from geochemical analysis. We tested the feasibility of predicting the psd from concentrations of elements in samples of topsoil taken in surveys of two large regions in eastern England and on which the psd had been determined. Of the 35 elements measured we chose eight (a) from our general knowledge of mineral composition, (b) after a principal component analysis to avoid redundancy and (c) experience elsewhere. Of the eight elements, five were used (Al, Fe, Ni, Ti and Zr) to build multiple linear regression models for the predictions. The equations were assessed by their coefficients of determination, R ², and the effectiveness of their predictions, expressed as root-mean-square errors (RMSEs) on validation sets of data of known psd. The models accounted on average for 89% of the variance in the clay size-fraction and 82% for sand. The corresponding median RMSEs were 4.9% and 8.8% on medians of 17% and 58%, respectively. The silt size-fraction was less well predicted; R ² was only 0.58, and the median RMSE was 10.6% on a median of 22%. We judge our approach, in which the regression models may be regarded as pedotransfer functions, to have been moderately successful and to merit attention in similar circumstances in other regions.     

The August 2007 equine influenza response management framework

This section outlines the most important issues addressed in the management of the response in the two infected states, New South Wales and Queensland. There were differences in the management of the response between the states for logistic, geographic and organisation structural reasons. Issues included the use of control centres, information centres, the problems associated with the lack of trained staff to undertake all the roles, legislative issues, controls of horse movements, the availability of resources for adequate surveillance, the challenges of communication between disparate groups and tracing the movements of both humans and horses.