Paleoindian seafaring, maritime technologies, and coastal foraging on California's Channel Islands

Three archaeological sites on California's Channel Islands show that Paleoindians relied heavily on marine resources. The Paleocoastal sites, dated between ~12,200 and 11,200 years ago, contain numerous stemmed projectile points and crescents associated with a variety of marine and aquatic faunal remains. At site CA-SRI-512 on Santa Rosa Island, Paleocoastal peoples used such tools to capture geese, cormorants, and other birds, along with marine mammals and finfish. At Cardwell Bluffs on San Miguel Island, Paleocoastal peoples collected local chert cobbles, worked them into bifaces and projectile points, and discarded thousands of marine shells. With bifacial technologies similar to those seen in Western Pluvial Lakes Tradition assemblages of western North America, the sites provide evidence for seafaring and island colonization by Paleoindians with a diversified maritime economy.     

Polar lightning and decadal-scale cloud variability on Jupiter

Although lightning has been seen on other planets, including Jupiter, polar lightning has been known only on Earth. Optical observations from the New Horizons spacecraft have identified lightning at high latitudes above Jupiter up to 80 degrees N and 74 degrees S. Lightning rates and optical powers were similar at each pole, and the mean optical flux is comparable to that at nonpolar latitudes, which is consistent with the notion that internal heat is the main driver of convection. Both near-infrared and ground-based 5-micrometer thermal imagery reveal that cloud cover has thinned substantially since the 2000 Cassini flyby, particularly in the turbulent wake of the Great Red Spot and in the southern half of the equatorial region, demonstrating that vertical dynamical processes are time-varying on seasonal scales at mid- and low latitudes on Jupiter.     

Investigation of pulmonary deposition of a nebulized radiopharmaceutical agent in awake cats

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether conscious, unsedated cats will inhale a nebulized material administered via a facemask and whether this material will reach the lower airways. ANIMALS: 20 healthy adult cats. PROCEDURE: Technetium Tc 99m-diaminetriaminopentaacetic acid (99mTc-DTPA) was nebulized into a spacer and administered to the cats via a closely fitting facemask. By use of a gamma camera, images were then immediately obtained to determine the distribution of 99mTc-DTPA within the lower airways. RESULTS: Images obtained by use of the gamma camera revealed that all 20 cats had inhaled 99mTc-DTPA from the facemask. In each cat, deposition of the radiopharmaceutical agent was evident throughout the lung fields. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Awake cats that were not used to the application of a facemask did inhale substances from such a device. Aerosolization of medications may be a feasible route of administration for cats with lower airway disease.     

The application of ecological theory toward an understanding of the human microbiome

The human-microbial ecosystem plays a variety of important roles in human health and disease. Each person can be viewed as an island-like "patch" of habitat occupied by microbial assemblages formed by the fundamental processes of community ecology: dispersal, local diversification, environmental selection, and ecological drift. Community assembly theory, and metacommunity theory in particular, provides a framework for understanding the ecological dynamics of the human microbiome, such as compositional variability within and between hosts. We explore three core scenarios of human microbiome assembly: development in infants, representing assembly in previously unoccupied habitats; recovery from antibiotics, representing assembly after disturbance; and invasion by pathogens, representing assembly in the context of invasive species. Judicious application of ecological theory may lead to improved strategies for restoring and maintaining the microbiota and the crucial health-associated ecosystem services that it provides.     

Genome-wide analysis of mitral valve disease in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (CKCS) is prone to severe early onset mitral valve disease. In this study, 36 purebred CKCS dogs were evaluated for mitral valve murmur and divided into early and late onset groups. A genome-wide genetic approach was used to assess whether the condition is determined by a small number of genetic factors. There were no regions of highly discrepant homo/heterozygosity in the two groups. Similarly, there was no evidence for loci associated with mitral valve murmur in a genome-wide association study. This analysis suggests that familial occurrence of mitral valve murmur in the CKCS breed is not due to a single major gene effect, indicating that breeding strategies to eliminate the disease cannot be based on genotype information at this time.     

Coarse bed material patch evolution in low-order,ephemeral channels

In river channel beds composed of a wide range of grain sizes, the bed material is often arranged in discrete patches discernable by relative texture. These bed material patches are the primary source of entrainable coarse sediment within the channel system and their composition and size have been found to influence the composition and rate of sediment transport. Twelve coarse (gravel–cobble) sediment patches distributed throughout the channel network within a 4.53 ha watershed in southeastern Arizona were monitored for 2 years. Changes in patch area and grain size were measured and painted patch grains were monitored to confirm that patch grains were mobilized during flow. Individual coarse bed material patches exhibited variable persistence during flows with return frequencies ranging from approximately 1 year to 4.6 years. While no patch fully dispersed during the study period, two new patches formed. Most coarse patches remained relatively stable in area and grain-size distribution despite the entrainment of patch grains as lost grains were sufficiently replaced with sediment from upstream. Because of the grain replacement process and the effect of other sediment supply dynamics, the changes in patch area and grain-size distribution display a complex relationship with the magnitude of predicted grain mobilization within each patch. Results indicate that relative stability varies from patch to patch, influenced by the balance of patch grains transported out of the patch and the deposition of new grains into the patch. Predictive models of coarse sediment transport and yield that assume the channel bed is a fixed source of sediment supply may not adequately capture the sediment dynamics within patchy channel beds and should be used with caution when applied to these environments due to the possibility of patch instability as documented in this study.     

Sampling design and its effect on population monitoring: How much monitoring do turtles really need?

Marine turtles are a taxon of world-wide conservation concern. Effective long-term monitoring is hampered by the fact that populations are widely dispersed except during the breeding season. Thus most monitoring programmes focus on nesting beaches, necessitating resource intensive studies, often over months, that could conceivably, be less comprehensive and focus on more parsimonious sampling. We analyse 11 years of exhaustive monitoring data for two species of Mediterranean marine turtles (Chelonia mydas and Caretta caretta). We resample using a variety of plausible sub-sampling regimens to estimate the total annual nesting population. We project our dataset into the future applying a range of population change rates to explore how adopting a monitoring programme based on sub-sampling would, for example, affect our ability to detect population decline. We show that accurate annual population estimates can be achieved with as few as 14 days of survey effort providing monitoring spans the peak of nesting. Furthermore, the modelled impact of sampling-based monitoring suggests that the duration to detect population change is not increased greatly. Our findings have implications for all marine turtle monitoring and have applicability to other animal groups. It is often considered desirable to perform exhaustive monitoring, with aversion of basing policy recommendations on partial data. However, comprehensive long-term monitoring programmes, particularly in developing nations, although presenting a number of advantages, are often impossible. Accurate total annual censuses can be achieved through a variety of sub-sampling regimens without sacrificing the ability to detect changes in the population trends over time. In this example, a solid block of at least 3 weeks sampling that encompasses the peak of the nesting season is advised.     

Nasopharyngeal turbinates in brachycephalic dogs and cats

This retrospective study reports the presence and incidence of nasal turbinates in the nasopharynx (nasopharyngeal turbinates) in a population of brachycephalic dogs and cats exhibiting signs of upper respiratory disease. Medical records were reviewed for 53 brachycephalic dogs and 10 brachycephalic cats undergoing upper airway endoscopy. Nasopharyngeal turbinates were identified in 21% of brachycephalic animals, including 21% of dogs and 20% of cats. Pugs accounted for 32% of all dogs in the study population and 82% of dogs with nasopharyngeal turbinates. The presence of nasopharyngeal turbinates may play a role in upper airway obstruction in the brachycephalic airway syndrome.     

Aerial drone technology can assist compliance of trap fisheries

Illegal fishing is a global issue that threatens the viability of fishing industries and biodiversity conservation. Management agencies typically use on‐ground surveillance to monitor and minimise illegal fishing practices, the efficacy of which may be enhanced by integrating emerging remote sensing technology. Affordable drones may contribute to cost‐effective detection of illegal fishing activity and associated gear, although their application has yet to be evaluated in many types of fisheries. Here, the utility of drones for the detection of crab traps and floats set in a shallow estuary was quantitatively tested, and the effects of survey altitudes, cameras and monitor screens on detection rates were determined. It was found that drone flight altitude and float colour influenced the detection rates of common crab trap floats, with infrared cameras improving the detection of floats camouflaged by black paint. However, the type of monitor screen used by the drone operator had no influence on the detection of crab traps. Overall, it appears drones can contribute to cost‐effective compliance in estuarine trap fisheries, and the approach can contribute to evidence‐based standard operating procedures.     

A review of factors influencing litter size in Irish sows

Many factors influence litter size. These include genetics, gilt management, lactation length, parity distribution, disease, stress and boar fertility. In the past 20 years, litter size in Irish sows has increased by only one pig. Born alive figures now average at 11.2 pigs per litter. In this regard, Ireland is falling behind our European competitors who have made significant advances over this time. Denmark, for example, has an average figure of 12.7 pigs born alive per litter and France an average of 12.5. The single area that could be improved immediately is sow feeding. It is important that sows are fed correctly throughout pregnancy. If over-fed during pregnancy, sows will have depressed appetite during lactation. If underfed in pregnancy, sows will be too thin at farrowing. The correct way to feed a pregnant sow is to match her feed allocation to her requirement for maintenance, body growth and growth of her developing foetuses. During lactation, sows should be given as much feed as they can eat to prevent excessive loss of body condition. Liquid-feed curves should be such that lactating sows are provided with a minimum mean daily feed supply of 6.2 kg. A small proportion of sows will eat more and this could be given as supplementary dry feed. Where dry feeding is practised in the farrowing house, it is difficult to hand-feed sows to match their appetite. Ideally ad libitum wet/dry feeders should be used. From weaning to service, sows should once again be fed ad libitum. If liquid feeding, this means giving at least 60 MJ DE (digestible energy) per day during this period. If dry feeding, at least 4 kg of lactation diet should be fed daily. The effort spent perfecting sow feeding management on units should yield high dividends in the form of increased pigs born alive per litter.