A global consistent positive effect of urban green area size on bird richness

Background: Although the species-urban green area relationship (SARu) has been analyzed worldwide, the global consistency of its parameters, such as the fit and the slope of models, remains unexplored. Moreover, the SARu can be explained by 20 different models. Therefore, our objective was to evaluate which models provide a better explanation of SARus and, focusing on the power model, to evaluate the global heterogeneity in its fit and slope. Methods: We tested the performance of multiple statistical models in accounting for the way in which species richness increases with area, and examined whether variability in model form was associated with various methodological and environmental factors. Focusing on the power model, we analyzed the global heterogeneity in the fit and slope of the models through a meta-analysis. Results: Among 20 analyzed models, the linear model provided the best fit to the most datasets, was the top ranked model according to our efficiency criterion, and was the top overall ranked model. The Kobayashi and power models were the second and third overall ranked models, respectively. The number of green areas and the minimum number of species within a green area were the only significant variables explaining the variation in model form and performance, accounting for less than 10% of the variation. Based on the power model, there was a consistent overall fit (r 2 = 0.50) and positive slope of 0.20 for the species richness increase with area worldwide. Conclusions: The good fit of the linear model to our SARu datasets contrasts with the non-linear SAR frequently found in true and non-urban habitat island systems; however, this finding may be a result of the small sample size of many SARu datasets. The overall power model slope of 0.20 suggests low levels of isolation among urban green patches, or alternatively that habitat specialist and area sensitive species have already been extirpated from urban green areas.Fil: Levau, Lucas M.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; ArgentinaFil: Ruggiero, Adriana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche. Laboratorio de Ecotono; ArgentinaFil: Matthews, Thomas J.. Universidade dos Açores; Portugal. University of Birmingham; Reino UnidoFil: Bellocq, Maria Isabel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; Argentin

7 & 7 Synch and 7-day progesterone- based protocols for estrus synchronization prior fixedtime artificial insemination in multiparous beef sucked cows

PosterEstrogen-based protocols combined with a progestinreleasing intravaginal device (P4RID) and prostaglandin (PG) synchronize follicle wave emergence prior to artificial insemination (AI) in Bos taurus, with pregnancies per AI (P/AI) ranging from 40 to 60%. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) based protocols + P4RID + PG rely on the presence of a physiologically mature dominant follicle at initial GnRH. Failure to induce ovulation represents a major obstacle to improve P/AI. Pre-synchronization by PG + P4RID 7 days in advance of GnRH increase likelihood of ovulation following GnRH. The aim of this trial was to evaluate fertility in suckled beef cows using GnRH or estrogen treatments with or without pre-synchronizationEEA BarrowFil: Ferré, Luis Bernardo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Chacra Experimental Integrada Barrow; Argentina.Fil: Jaeschke, J. Biogénesis Bagó; Argentina.Fil: Gatti, J. Biogénesis Bagó; Argentina.Fil: Baladón, G. Biogénesis Bagó; Argentina.Fil: Bellocq, E. Biogénesis Bagó; Argentina.Fil: Fernández, G. Actividad privada; Argentina.Fil: Thomas, J. University of Missouri. Division of Animal Sciences; Estados Unido

Fisher Renormalization for Logarithmic Corrections

For continuous phase transitions characterized by power-law divergences, Fisher renormalization prescribes how to obtain the critical exponents for a system under constraint from their ideal counterparts. In statistical mechanics, such ideal behaviour at phase transitions is frequently modified by multiplicative logarithmic corrections. Here, Fisher renormalization for the exponents of these logarithms is developed in a general manner. As for the leading exponents, Fisher renormalization at the logarithmic level is seen to be involutory and the renormalized exponents obey the same scaling relations as their ideal analogs. The scheme is tested in lattice animals and the Yang-Lee problem at their upper critical dimensions, where predictions for logarithmic corrections are made.Comment: 10 pages, no figures. Version 2 has added reference

Testing parasite 'intimacy': the whipworm Trichuris muris in the European house mouse hybrid zone.

Host-parasite interaction studies across hybrid zones often focus on host genetic variation, treating parasites as homogeneous. 'Intimately' associated hosts and parasites might be expected to show similar patterns of genetic structure. In the literature, factors such as no intermediate host and no free-living stage have been proposed as 'intimacy' factors likely constraining parasites to closely follow the evolutionary history of their hosts. To test whether the whipworm, Trichuris muris, is intimately associated with its house mouse host, we studied its population genetics across the European house mouse hybrid zone (HMHZ) which has a strong central barrier to gene flow between mouse taxa. T. muris has a direct life cycle and nonmobile free stage: if these traits constrain the parasite to an intimate association with its host we expect a geographic break in the parasite genetic structure across the HMHZ. We genotyped 205 worms from 56 localities across the HMHZ and additionally T. muris collected from sympatric woodmice (Apodemus spp.) and allopatric murine species, using mt-COX1, ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA and 10 microsatellites. We show four haplogroups of mt-COX1 and three clear ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 clades in the HMHZ suggesting a complex demographic/phylogeographic history. Microsatellites show strong structure between groups of localities. However, no marker type shows a break across the HMHZ. Whipworms from Apodemus in the HMHZ cluster, and share mitochondrial haplotypes, with those from house mice. We conclude Trichuris should not be regarded as an 'intimate' parasite of the house mouse: while its life history might suggest intimacy, passage through alternate hosts is sufficiently common to erase signal of genetic structure associated with any particular host taxon

Metabolomic Characterization of Ovarian Epithelial Carcinomas by HRMAS-NMR Spectroscopy

Objectives. The objectives of the present study are to determine if a metabolomic study by HRMAS-NMR can (i) discriminate between different histological types of epithelial ovarian carcinomas and healthy ovarian tissue, (ii) generate statistical models capable of classifying borderline tumors and (iii) establish a potential relationship with patient's survival or response to chemotherapy. Methods. 36 human epithelial ovarian tumor biopsies and 3 healthy ovarian tissues were studied using 1H HRMAS NMR spectroscopy and multivariate statistical analysis. Results. The results presented in this study demonstrate that the three histological types of epithelial ovarian carcinomas present an effective metabolic pattern difference. Furthermore, a metabolic signature specific of serous (N-acetyl-aspartate) and mucinous (N-acetyl-lysine) carcinomas was found. The statistical models generated in this study are able to predict borderline tumors characterized by an intermediate metabolic pattern similar to the normal ovarian tissue. Finally and importantly, the statistical model of serous carcinomas provided good predictions of both patient's survival rates and the patient's response to chemotherapy. Conclusions. Despite the small number of samples used in this study, the results indicate that metabolomic analysis of intact tissues by HRMAS-NMR is a promising technique which might be applicable to the therapeutic management of patients

Enquête sur l’infection du Chien au Maroc par le virus de Rubarth

Martin L.- A., Delage B., Hintermann J., Bellocq B. Enquête sur l’infection du Chien au Maroc par le virus de Rubarth. In: Bulletin de l'Académie Vétérinaire de France tome 108 n°6, 1955. pp. 229-232

Activity-based differentiation of pathologists’ workload in surgical pathology

Adequate budget control in pathology practice requires accurate allocation of resources. Any changes in types and numbers of specimens handled or protocols used will directly affect the pathologists’ workload and consequently the allocation of resources. The aim of the present study was to develop a model for measuring the pathologists’ workload that can take into account the changes mentioned above. The diagnostic process was analyzed and broken up into separate activities. The time needed to perform these activities was measured. Based on linear regression analysis, for each activity, the time needed was calculated as a function of the number of slides or blocks involved. The total pathologists’ time required for a range of specimens was calculated based on standard protocols and validated by comparing to actually measured workload. Cutting up, microscopic procedures and dictating turned out to be highly correlated to number of blocks and/or slides per specimen. Calculated workload per type of specimen was significantly correlated to the actually measured workload. Modeling pathologists’ workload based on formulas that calculate workload per type of specimen as a function of the number of blocks and slides provides a basis for a comprehensive, yet flexible, activity-based costing system for pathology

Intensity of infection with intracellular Eimeria spp. and pinworms is reduced in hybrid mice compared to parental subspecies

Genetic diversity in animal immune systems is usually beneficial. In hybrid recombinants, this is less clear, as the immune system could also be impacted by genetic conflicts. In the European house mouse hybrid zone, the long‐standing impression that hybrid mice are more highly parasitized and less fit than parentals persists despite the findings of recent studies. Working across a novel transect, we assessed infections by intracellular protozoans, Eimeria spp., and infections by extracellular macroparasites, pinworms. For Eimeria, we found lower intensities in hybrid hosts than in parental mice but no evidence of lowered probability of infection or increased mortality in the centre of the hybrid zone. This means ecological factors are very unlikely to be responsible for the reduced load of infected hybrids. Focusing on parasite intensity (load in infected hosts), we also corroborated reduced pinworm loads reported for hybrid mice in previous studies. We conclude that intensity of diverse parasites, including the previously unstudied Eimeria, is reduced in hybrid mice compared to parental subspecies. We suggest caution in extrapolating this to differences in hybrid host fitness in the absence of, for example, evidence for a link between parasitemia and health.Peer Reviewe