Genetic Effect of Transportation Infrastructure on Roe Deer Populations (Capreolus capreolus)

Anthropogenic transportation infrastructure is a major factor of habitat fragmentation leading to genetic population fragmentation in wildlife. Assessing and understanding the impact of this deterministic factor on genetic diversity and divergence of populations is crucial to appraise the viability of wildlife populations in fragmented landscapes. In this study, the roe deer is used as an example species for the assessment of genetic differentiation of populations separated by an anthropogenic barrier. In order to detect genetic discontinuities, we screened 12 polymorphic microsatellites on 222 individuals out of 11 roe deer populations that were sampled on the east and the westside of a fenced motorway in Central Switzerland. The interaction between landscape structure and microevolutionary processes such as gene flow and drift were assessed and evaluated by different population genetic methods like F-statistics, Mantel test, spatial autocorrelation analyses, Monmonier algorithm, and principal component analysis in conjunction with geographic information system data (synthesis map). We revealed an influence of the transportation infrastructure on genetic divergence of the roe deer population examined, but no impact on genetic diversity was detected. Based on the achieved genetic findings, recommendations for management implementation were mad

Strategies for Improved CALIPSO Aerosol Optical Depth Estimates

In the spring of 2010, the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) project will be releasing version 3 of its level 2 data products. In this paper we describe several changes to the algorithms and code that yield substantial improvements in CALIPSO's retrieval of aerosol optical depths (AOD). Among these are a retooled cloud-clearing procedure and a new approach to determining the base altitudes of aerosol layers in the planetary boundary layer (PBL). The results derived from these modifications are illustrated using case studies prepared using a late beta version of the level 2 version 3 processing code

Observations and Hypotheses Related to Low to Middle Free Tropospheric Aerosol, Water Vapor and Altocumulus Cloud Layers within Convective Weather Regimes: A SEAC4RS Case Study

The NASA Studies of Emissions and Atmospheric Composition, Clouds and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys (SEAC4RS) project included goals related to aerosol particle life cycle in convective regimes. Using the University of Wisconsin High Spectral Resolution Lidar system at Huntsville, Alabama, USA, and the NASA DC-8 research aircraft, we investigate the altitude dependence of aerosol, water vapor and Altocumulus (Ac) properties in the free troposphere from a canonical 12 August 2013 convective storm case as a segue to a presentation of a mission-wide analysis. It stands to reason that any moisture detrainment from convection must have an associated aerosol layer. Modes of covariability between aerosol, water vapor and Ac are examined relative to the boundary layer entrainment zone, 0 ∘C level, and anvil, a region known to contain Ac clouds and a complex aerosol layering structure (Reid et al., 2017). Multiple aerosol layers in regions warmer than 0 ∘C were observed within the planetary boundary layer entrainment zone. At 0 ∘C there is a proclivity for aerosol and water vapor detrainment from storms, in association with melting level Ac shelves. Finally, at temperatures colder than 0 ∘C, weak aerosol layers were identified above Cumulus congestus tops (∼0 and ∼-20 role= presentation style= box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; line-height: normal; word-spacing: normal; overflow-wrap: normal; white-space: nowrap; float: none; direction: ltr; max-width: none; max-height: none; min-width: 0px; min-height: 0px; border: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; position: relative; \u3e∼−20 ∘C). Stronger aerosol signals return in association with anvil outflow. In situ data suggest that detraining particles undergo aqueous-phase or heterogeneous chemical or microphysical transformations, while at the same time larger particles are being scavenged at higher altitudes leading to enhanced nucleation. We conclude by discussing hypotheses regarding links to aerosol emissions and potential indirect effects on Ac clouds

Bacterial Community Profiling of Milk Samples as a Means to Understand Culture-Negative Bovine Clinical Mastitis

Inflammation and infection of bovine mammary glands, commonly known as mastitis, imposes significant losses each year in the dairy industry worldwide. While several different bacterial species have been identified as causative agents of mastitis, many clinical mastitis cases remain culture negative, even after enrichment for bacterial growth. To understand the basis for this increasingly common phenomenon, the composition of bacterial communities from milk samples was analyzed using culture independent pyrosequencing of amplicons of 16S ribosomal RNA genes (16S rDNA). Comparisons were made of the microbial community composition of culture negative milk samples from mastitic quarters with that of non-mastitic quarters from the same animals. Genomic DNA from culture-negative clinical and healthy quarter sample pairs was isolated, and amplicon libraries were prepared using indexed primers specific to the V1–V2 region of bacterial 16S rRNA genes and sequenced using the Roche 454 GS FLX with titanium chemistry. Evaluation of the taxonomic composition of these samples revealed significant differences in the microbiota in milk from mastitic and healthy quarters. Statistical analysis identified seven bacterial genera that may be mainly responsible for the observed microbial community differences between mastitic and healthy quarters. Collectively, these results provide evidence that cases of culture negative mastitis can be associated with bacterial species that may be present below culture detection thresholds used here. The application of culture-independent bacterial community profiling represents a powerful approach to understand long-standing questions in animal health and disease