The Distribution and Abundance of Terrestrial Vertebrates of the James and Hudson Bay Regions of Québec

Grâce à des études de plus en plus nombreuses entreprises dans le nord du Québec nous avons un aperçu plus précis des ressources animales et de leur répartition. Un examen rétrospectif nous indique que la répartition des animaux semble dans la plupart des cas reliée à la répartition des aires riches en nutriments, tout comme la répartition des animaux dans le désert se fait en fonction de l'eau. Environ 50% de toute activité animale estivale se produit sur de vastes étendues d'habitat pauvre qui englobe 90% environ du territoire. Dans ces régions, les nutriments en faible concentration sont utilisés au bord des lacs ou dans les systèmes aquatiques rapides où ils sont captés et transformés par le processus des chaînes alimentaires en une variété de carnivores tels qu'on en trouve près de tous les rapides importants. Dans la riche région de la mer de Tyrrell, les facteurs principaux qui semblent affecter les populations animales sont le drainage du sol et la turbidité de l'eau. La réduction du couvert végétal forestier semble avoir un effet sur les changements de composition des espèces plutôt que sur la fonction des animaux. En tenant compte des facteurs ci-haut mentionnés et des habitats connus des animaux, on peut diviser le Nouveau-Québec occidental en six zones zoogéographiques, dont trois sont affectées par les riches dépôts marins de la mer de Tyrell, la topographie et le climat, et les trois autres par les sols glaciaires extrêmement pauvres et par leur topographie et leur climat.From an increasing number of surveys conducted in northern Québec interior at all times of the year, a view of animal resources and their distribution is crystallizing. In retrospect the distribution of animals seems for the most part related to the distribution of nutrient rich areas much like the distribution of animals in the desert relates to water. About 50% of all summer animal activity takes place on vast areas of poor habitat which comprises approximately 90% of the region. The small concentrations of nutrients from these regions where they are captured and transformed through food chains to a variety of carnivores such as those found at all major rapids. In the rich Tyrrell Sea the most salient factors which affect the populations seem to be the drainage of the soil and the turbidity of the water. The reduction of forest crown cover seems to affect the changes in species composition rather than the function of animals. In reviewing all the above factors and the known ranges of the animals it seems that western Nouveau-Québec can be divided into six zoogeographical entities, three of which are affected by the rich marine deposits of the Tyrrell Sea, topography and climate, the three others by the extremely poor glacial soils, topography and climate

Seasonal variation in the incidence of preeclampsia and eclampsia in tropical climatic conditions

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Observational studies have demonstrated various correlations between hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and different weather parameters. We aim to study if a correlation exists between the incidence of eclampsia and pre-eclampsia and various weather parameters in the tropical coastal city of Mumbai which has the distinction of having relatively uniform meteorological variables all throughout the year, except for the monsoon season.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We retrospectively analysed data from a large maternity centre in Mumbai, India over a period of 36 months from March 1993 to February 1996, recording the incidence of preeclampsia and eclampsia. Meteorological data was acquired from the regional meteorological centre recording the monthly average temperature, humidity, barometric pressure and rainfall during the study period. Study period was then divided into two climate conditions: monsoon season (June to August) and dry season September to May. The incidence of preeclampsia and eclampsia and the meteorological differences between the two seasons were compared.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Over a 36-month period, a total of 29562 deliveries were recorded, of which 1238 patients developed preeclampsia (4.18%) and 34 developed eclampsia (0.11%). The incidence of preeclampsia did not differ between the monsoon and the dry season (4.3% vs. 4.15%, p = 0.5). The incidence of eclampsia was significantly higher in the monsoon (0.2% vs. 0.08%, p = 0.01). The monsoon was significantly cooler (median maximum temperature 30.7°C vs. 32.3°C, p = 0.01), more humid (median relative humidity 85% vs. 70%, p = 0.0008), and received higher rainfall (median 504.9 mm vs. 0.3 mm, p = 0.0002) than the rest of the year. The median barometric pressure (1005 mb) during the monsoon season was significantly lower than the rest of the year (1012 mb, p < 0.0001).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In the tropical climate of Mumbai, the incidence of eclampsia is significantly higher in monsoon, when the weather is cooler and humid with a lower barometric pressure than the rest of the year. This effect is not seen with preeclampsia. This strengthens the association of low temperature and high humidity with triggering of eclampsia.</p

Moose and snowshoe hare competition and a mechanistic explanation from foraging theory

Moose ( Alces alces ) and snowshoe hare ( Lepus americanus ) appear to compete with each other. This was determined using the “natural experiments” of populations found in sympatry and allopatry on islands at Isle Royale National Park, Michigan, and manipulated exclosures. The population densities from these areas are fit to a series of competition models based upon different competitive mechanisms (Schoener 1974a), using non-linear regression techniques. A model of competition for food where the food can be separated into exclusively used and shared categories is found to predict observed densities of moose and hare best. Finally, the competition model's parameters (fraction of food shared and competition coefficients) are shown to agree with values predicted independently from a foraging model.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/47750/1/442_2004_Article_BF00396753.pd

ON THE FEASIBILITY OF SURFACTANTS AS A BLACKBIRD MANAGEMENT TOOL IN QUEBEC

The use of surfactants to reduce winter roosting blackbirds (Icteridae) and starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) in the southeastern United States attracted considerable attention several years ago. At that time concern was expressed that more research was required to ensure that the economic losses and health hazards attributed to the birds were real and that population reduction at winter roosts was a viable solution (Jackson 1976; Robertson et al. 1978). Subsequent research has shown that these concerns were justified. In a study of the winter roost at Milan, Tennessee, Dolbeer et al. (1978) found that the only serious agricultural problems were associated with starlings, a minor species in the roost and the one which would be least affected by surfactant spraying (Lustick and Joseph 1977). As well, from analyses of band recoveries for common grackles (Quiscalus quiscula) by Meanley (1976) and for red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) by Dolbeer (1978), it was found that in any given winter roost there are birds from widely dispersed breeding populations. This led Dolbeer (1978) to conclude that killing blackbirds at a few winter roosts would not solve the problem of late summer agricultural damage in the breeding areas nor prevent the re-establishment in subsequent years of the winter roosts that were reduced. Serious agricultural damage by blackbirds in the St. Lawrence Valley and the rapidly increasing red-winged blackbird population (Erskine 1978; Dolbeer and Stehn 1979) has led to demands by the agricultural community in this area for solutions to the problem. Not surprisingly, lethal control through surfactant spraying has been suggested as one possible alternative. This suggestion has some merit, because the factors that weigh against a widespread winter roost control program in the southeastern U.S. do not apply to the St. Lawrence Valley. Blackbirds returning to southern Quebec in late March and April form roosts prior to dispersing to breed in May. An analysis of band return data indicated that the birds in this region in April were predominantly from the breeding and early fall population (Weatherhead et al. 1980). This allows the possibility that the populations responsible for the crop damage could be reduced prior to the breeding season, thereby substantially reducing their fall population. Our aim in this paper is to examine the feasibility of surfactant spraying as a management technique in the St. Lawrence Valley of Quebec. Factors that must be considered in a feasibility assessment fall into two general areas -- proximate and ultimate. Proximate factors include the number and size of spring roosts that can be sprayed, hazards to non-target species, meteorological constraints, and the logistics of surfactant spraying. Ultimate factors involve the prediction and assessment of the short-and long-term impact of a spray program on breeding and fall populations and the implications of that impact for the reduction of crop losses

The oligomerization domain of the asialoglycoprotein receptor preferentially forms 2:2 heterotetramers in vitro

The human hepatic asialoglycoprotein receptor is a noncovalent hetero-oligomer composed of two homologous subunits, H1 and H2, with an as yet unknown stoichiometry. Ligand specificity and binding affinity depend on the arrangement of the subunits in the complex. An 80-amino acid segment connecting the transmembrane and the carbohydrate binding domains contains heptad repeats characteristic of alpha-helical coiled coil structure. We expressed and purified corresponding peptides, H1S and H2S, and confirmed by circular dichroism spectroscopy that they can assume alpha-helical conformation. Oxidative cross-linking of amino-terminal cysteines generated specific covalent oligomers, indicating that separately H1S forms trimers and H2S tetramers. Upon mixing, covalent heterotetramers were formed with a preferred stoichiometry of 2 H1S and 2 H2S peptides. These results suggest that the stalk segments of the receptor subunits oligomerize to constitute an alpha-helical coiled coil stalk on top of which the carbohydrate binding domains are exposed for ligand binding. We propose that the functional asialoglycoprotein receptor is a 2:2 heterotetramer

Enterprise, Business-Process and Information Systems Modeling : 11th International Workshop, BPMDS 2010, and 15th International Conference, EMMSAD 2010, held at CAiSE 2010, Hammamet, Tunisia, June 7-8, 2010, Proceedings

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E3value network quality properties

E3value is a well-known technique for modeling value networks that abstracts from processes and platform specifics. Although there exist some methodological guidelines for value modeling, no formal properties have been defined so far that could distinguish “good” from “bad” value models. This is sometimes felt as a gap, both in practice and in teaching. In this paper, some basic formal properties are introduced, based on the notion of value cycle

3D bioprinting of multifunctional alginate dialdehyde (ADA)–gelatin (GEL) (ADA-GEL) hydrogels incorporating ferulic acid

: The present work explores the 3D extrusion printing of ferulic acid (FA)-containing alginate dialdehyde (ADA)-gelatin (GEL) scaffolds with a wide spectrum of biophysical and pharmacological properties. The tailored addition of FA (≤0.2 %) increases the crosslinking between FA and GEL in the presence of calcium chloride (CaCl2) and microbial transglutaminase, as confirmed using trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) assay. In agreement with an increase in crosslinking density, a higher viscosity of ADA-GEL with FA incorporation was achieved, leading to better printability. Importantly, FA release, enzymatic degradation and swelling were progressively reduced with an increase in FA loading to ADA-GEL, over 28 days. Similar positive impact on antibacterial properties with S. epidermidis strains as well as antioxidant properties were recorded. Intriguingly, FA incorporated ADA-GEL supported murine pre-osteoblast proliferation with reduced osteosarcoma cell proliferation over 7 days in culture, implicating potential anticancer property. Most importantly, FA-incorporated and cell-encapsulated ADA-GEL can be extrusion printed to shape fidelity-compliant multilayer scaffolds, which also support pre-osteoblast cells over 7 days in culture. Taken together, the present study has confirmed the significant potential of 3D bioprinting of ADA-GEL-FA ink to obtain structurally stable scaffolds with a broad spectrum of biophysical and therapeutically significant properties, for bone tissue engineering applications