Estimating landscape resistance to dispersal

Dispersal is an inherently spatial process that can be affected by habitat conditions in sites encountered by dispersers. Understanding landscape resistance to dispersal is important in connectivity studies and reserve design, but most existing methods use resistance functions with cost parameters that are subjectively chosen by the investigator. We develop an analytic approach allowing for direct estimation of resistance parameters that folds least cost path methods typically used in simulation approaches into a formal statistical model of dispersal distributions. The core of our model is a frequency distribution of dispersal distances expressed as least cost distance rather than Euclidean distance, and which includes terms for feature-specific costs to dispersal and sex (or other traits) of the disperser. The model requires only origin and settlement locations for multiple individuals, such as might be obtained from mark–recapture studies or parentage analyses, and maps of the relevant habitat features. To evaluate whether the model can estimate parameters correctly, we fit our model to data from simulated dispersers in three kinds of landscapes (in which resistance of environmental variables was categorical, continuous with a patchy configuration, or continuous in a trend pattern). We found maximum likelihood estimators of resistance and individual trait parameters to be approximately unbiased with moderate sample sizes. We applied the model to a small grizzly bear dataset to demonstrate how this approach could be used when the primary interest is in the prediction of costs and found that estimates were consistent with expectations based on bear ecology. Our method has important practical applications for testing hypotheses about dispersal ecology and can be used to inform connectivity planning efforts, via the resistance estimates and confidence intervals, which can be used to create a data-driven resistance surface.     

Flame retardant properties of triazine phosphonates derivative with cotton fabric

The flame retardant behavior of cotton fabric treated with phosphorus-nitrogen containing triazine compound was evaluated. It was found that cyanuric chloride (2,4,6-trichloro-1,3,5-triazine) is an excellent starting material for the preparation of phosphonate flame retardants that interact well with cotton to improve flame resistance (FR) performance. Tetraethyl 6-chloro-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diyldiphosphonate (TECTDP) has been prepared by a simple one-step reaction in high yield (98.0 %). Cotton fabrics treated with TECTDP result in covalent bond formation between TECTDP and hydroxyl groups in cotton fabrics. This FR system provides an efficient flame retardant for cotton textiles at low cost to meet government mandates. In this study, the FR material was synthesized and characterized by ¹H and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and LC-MS spectroscopy. The chemical structure of cotton twill fabric treated with TECTDP by pad-dry-cure method was analyzed by FT-MIR and SEM. Furthermore, the thermal and flammability properties were evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), limiting oxygen index (LOI, ASTM D-2863-09), and a vertical flame test (ASTM D-6413-08).     

Effects of copper deficiency and liming on the yield,quality and copper status of tomatoes,lettuce and cucumbers grown in peat

Tomatoes, lettuce and cucumbers, grown in beds of peat, received 3 levels of copper sulphate (0, 0.5 and 5 g/m²) in factorial combination with 2 rates of liming (average pH values 6.5 and 6.9). Omission of copper resulted in copper deficiency and decreased the yield of tomatoes, lettuce and cucumbers by 11% (P < 0.01), 53% (P < 0.001) and 48% (P < 0.001), respectively. In addition, this deficiency increased the proportion of unmarketable lettuce six-fold (P < 0.001) and that of poorly developed cucumbers by 67% (P < 0.05), but had no effect on the proportion of unevenly ripened tomatoes. Heavy liming (pH 6.9) reduced the yield of lettuce (14%; P < 0.01), but had no effect on quality throughout the trial. Although lettuce and cucumber leaves from the intermediate copper treatment contained only 2 μg/g Cu, the yield and quality of the produce were only slightly, and not significantly, inferior to those obtained at an adequate level of copper (> 7 μg/g).     

Effects of low dosages of intravenous dexamethasone on serum cortisol concentrations in the normal cat

The suppressive effects of three different low dosages of dexamethasone (5, 10 and 15 micrograms kg-1) on serum cortisol concentrations were evaluated in 10 normal cats. On four different days, serum was collected before and at two, four, six and eight hours after the intravenous administration of saline or dexamethasone. Following the administration of saline, no significant difference in mean serum cortisol concentrations was noted between the basal or postinjection values. In contrast, mean serum cortisol concentrations decreased significantly (P less than 0.05) by two hours and remained significantly below mean basal values eight hours after injection of all three dosages of dexamethasone. The degree of cortisol suppression became progressively greater as the dosages of dexamethasone were increased. After administration of the highest dose of dexamethasone (15 micrograms kg-1), serum cortisol decreased to below 5 ng ml-1 by two to four hours and remained suppressed (under 5 ng ml-1) eight hours after injection in all cats. In contrast, two of the 10 cats showed a slight escape from cortisol suppression by eight hours after injection of dexamethasone at the dosage of 10 micrograms kg-1, whereas a dosage of 5 micrograms kg-1 failed to suppress cortisol concentrations below 10 ng ml-1 at any of the sampling times in one cat and was associated with increasing serum cortisol concentrations at eight hours after injection in three cats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Basal and ACTH-Stimulated Plasma Aldosterone Concentrations are Normal or Increased in Dogs With Trichuriasis-Associated Pseudohypoadrenocorticism

We measured plasma concentrations of Cortisol and aldosterone before and after administration of adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) in dogs with trichuriasis. These dogs had physical examination, historical, and serum electrolyte findings suggestive of hypoadrenocorticism; trichuriasisassociated pseudohypoadrenocorticism has been reported previously. We found normal basal and ACTH-stimulated plasma Cortisol concentrations. Basal and ACTH-stimulated plasma aldosterone concentrations were normal in 2 dogs and increased in 3 dogs, suggesting that the electrolyte abnormalities seen in this clinical syndrome are not due to aldosterone deficiency.     

Influenza viruses in birds of the Atlantic flyway.

Isolation of type A influenza viruses from the feces of 5013 birds of 16 species was attempted during a 33-month study (1977-79). Seventy viruses were isolated from the feces of 3403 ring-billed gulls in Baltimore, Md., during 16 months of sampling. Six hemagglutinin (HA) subtypes and seven neuraminidase (NA) subtypes in 15 combinations were found. The H13N6 virus was the only subtype found each year and accounted for 40% of the isolates. The rate of isolation from gulls was 0.26% in the cold months and 3.0% in the warm months. Hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) and elution-inhibition antibody profiles reflected the presence of some but not all of the viruses isolated. In mute swans, the rates of seroconversions were 16% for HA antibody and 14% for NA antibody, whereas the viral isolation rate was 0.4% over a 3-year period. Both the H5 and the N2 subtypes, which were responsible for the lethal chicken outbreaks in 1983 in Pennsylvania, were isolated from gulls in 1978 in association with subtypes not found in the chicken virus. Also, seroconversions for the H5 HA occurred in mute swans in 1978.