Flexibility in basal metabolic rate and evaporative water loss among hoopoe larks exposed to different environmental temperatures

The 'energy demand' hypothesis for short-term adjustments in basal metabolic rate (BMR) posits that birds adjust the size of their internal organs relative to food intake, a correlate of energy demand, We tested this hypothesis on hoopoe larks (Alaemon alaudipes), inhabitants of the Arabian desert, by acclimating birds for 3 weeks at 15 degreesC and at 36 degreesC, then measuring their BMR and total evaporative water loss (TEWL), Thereafter, we determined the dry masses of their brain, heart, liver, kidney, stomach, intestine and muscles of the pectoral region. Although mean body mass did not differ initially between the two groups, after 3 weeks, birds in the 15 degreesC group had gained mass (44.1+/-6.5g), whereas larks in the 36 degreesC group had maintained a constant mass (36.6+/-3.6g; means +/- S.D., N=6). Birds in the 15 degreesC group had a mean BMR of 46.8+/-6.9kJday(-1), whereas birds in the 36 degreesC group had a BMR of 32.9+/-6.3kJday(-1), values that were significantly different when we controlled for differences in body mass. When measured at 35 degreesC, larks in the cold-exposure group had a TEWL of 3.55+/-0.60gH(2)Oday(-1), whereas TEWL for birds in the 36 degreesC group averaged 2.23+/-0.28gH(2)Oday(-1), a difference of 59,2%, Mass-independent TEWL differed significantly between groups, Larks in the 15 degreesC group had a significantly larger liver, kidney and intestine than larks in the 36 degreesC group. The total increase in organ mass contributed 14.3 % towards the total mass increment in the cold exposure group, Increased food intake among larks in the cold group apparently resulted in enlargement of some of the internal organs, and the increase in mass of these organs required a higher rate of oxygen uptake to support them. As oxygen demands increased, larks apparently lost more evaporative water, but the relationship between increases in BMR and TEWL remains unresolved

The evaluation of group breeding schemes in relation to the structure of the breeding system

International audienc

Co-operative group breeding schemes for prolific lowland sheep breeds

International audienc

Reconnaissance survey of a glaucous eucalypt near Louisa Bay, southwestern Tasmania

Stands of a glaucous eucalypt in the vicinity of Louisa Bay, southwestern Tasmania, which has affinities to Eucalyptus tenuiramis (Series Piperitae), were surveyed in order to determine their taxonomic status and record aspects of their population ecology. Two main populations were observed in scattered stands among predominantly moorland vegetation at the Red Point Hills and Louisa Plains. One stand from each population was accessed for detailed study. Contiguous plots located along transects across the copses were used to record changes in population status, floristics and site conditions. Individuals of the glaucous eucalypt were small in stature and frequently malleeform near the moorland boundary, but were taller (10-12 m) and straight with single, slender main stems toward the centre of the copse. The Red Point Hills stand comprised a larger number of smaller individuals than the Louisa Plains stand and had been subject to at least three fires in the last 65 years, whereas only one fire had occurred on the Louisa Plains in the same period. These observations have implications for fire management: an appropriate regime, which encourages regeneration around the stand margins rather than increasing the edge-effects, needs to be devised. Given the geographic discontinuity with Eucalyptus tenuiramis, the southwestern copses may represent a relict dry sclerophyll community that was once contiguous with eastern Tasmania during the height of the last glaciation

Regeneration characteristics of a swamp forest in northwestern Tasmania

The botanical composition and regeneration characteristics are described for a Melaleuca ricifoliaLeptospermum lanigerum forest from northwestern Tasmania. The size classes of the two dominant species are highly correlated with tree age. Size class analysis shows that the dominants are regenerating continuously. The relationship of this forest type to rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest are discussed

Amygdala responses to fearful and happy facial expressions under conditions of binocular suppression

The human amygdala plays a crucial role in processing affective information conveyed by sensory stimuli. Facial expressions of fear and anger, which both signal potential threat to an observer, result in significant increases in amygdala activity, even when the faces are unattended or presented briefly and masked. It has been suggested that afferent signals from the retina travel to the amygdala via separate cortical and subcortical pathways, with the subcortical pathway underlying unconscious processing. Here we exploited the phenomenon of binocular rivalry to induce complete suppression of affective face stimuli presented to one eye. Twelve participants viewed brief, rivalrous visual displays in which a fearful, happy, or neutral face was presented to one eye while a house was presented simultaneously to the other. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to study activation in the amygdala and extrastriate visual areas for consciously perceived versus suppressed face and house stimuli. Activation within the fusiform and parahippocampal gyri increased significantly for perceived versus suppressed faces and houses, respectively. Amygdala activation increased bilaterally in response to fearful versus neutral faces, regardless of whether the face was perceived consciously or suppressed because of binocular rivalry. Amygdala activity also increased significantly for happy versus neutral faces, but only when the face was suppressed. This activation pattern suggests that the amygdala has a limited capacity to differentiate between specific facial expressions when it must rely on information received via a subcortical route. We suggest that this limited capacity reflects a tradeoff between specificity and speed of processing

Symbiosis in the microbial world: from ecology to genome evolution

© 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd. The concept of symbiosis – defined in 1879 by de Bary as ‘the living together of unlike organisms’ – has a rich and convoluted history in biology. In part, because it questioned the concept of the individual, symbiosis fell largely outside mainstream science and has traditionally received less attention than other research disciplines. This is gradually changing. In nature organisms do not live in isolation but rather interact with, and are impacted by, diverse beings throughout their life histories. Symbiosis is now recognized as a central driver of evolution across the entire tree of life, including, for example, bacterial endosymbionts that provide insects with vital nutrients and the mitochondria that power our own cells. Symbioses between microbes and their multicellular hosts also underpin the ecological success of some of the most productive ecosystems on the planet, including hydrothermal vents and coral reefs. In November 2017, scientists working in fields spanning the life sciences came together at a Company of Biologists’ workshop to discuss the origin, maintenance, and long-term implications of symbiosis from the complementary perspectives of cell biology, ecology, evolution and genomics, taking into account both model and non-model organisms. Here, we provide a brief synthesis of the fruitful discussions that transpired

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Parameters at 1 Year Correlate With Clinical Outcomes Up to 17 Years After Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation

Background: The ability to predict the long-term success of surgical treatment in orthopaedics is invaluable, particularly in clinical trials. The quality of repair tissue formed 1 year after autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) in the knee was analyzed and compared with clinical outcomes over time. Hypothesis: Better quality repair tissue and a better appearance on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 1 year after ACI lead to improved longer-term clinical outcomes. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Repair tissue quality was assessed using either MRI (11.5 ± 1.4 [n = 91] or 39.2 ± 18.5 [n = 76] months after ACI) or histology (16.3 ± 11.0 months [n = 102] after ACI). MRI scans were scored using the whole-organ magnetic resonance imaging score (WORMS) and the magnetic resonance observation of cartilage repair tissue (MOCART) score, with additional assessments of subchondral bone marrow and cysts. Histology of repair tissue was performed using the Oswestry cartilage score (OsScore) and the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) II score. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the modified Lysholm score preoperatively, at the time of MRI or biopsy, and at a mean 8.4 ± 3.7 years (maximum, 17.8 years) after ACI. Results: At 12 months, the total MOCART score and some of its individual parameters correlated significantly with clinical outcomes. The degree of defect fill, overall signal intensity, and surface of repair tissue at 12 months also significantly correlated with longer-term outcomes. The presence of cysts or effusion (WORMS) significantly correlated with clinical outcomes at 12 months, while the presence of synovial cysts/bursae preoperatively or the absence of loose bodies at 12 months correlated significantly with long-term clinical outcomes. Thirty percent of repair tissue biopsies contained hyaline cartilage, 65% contained fibrocartilage, and 5% contained fibrous tissue. Despite no correlation between the histological scores and clinical outcomes at the time of biopsy, a lack of hyaline cartilage or poor basal integration was associated with increased pain; adhesions visible on MRI also correlated with significantly better histological scores. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that MRI at 12 months can predict longer-term clinical outcomes after ACI. Further investigation regarding the presence of cysts, effusion, and adhesions and their relationship with histological and clinical outcomes may yield new insights into the mechanisms of cartilage repair and potential sources of pain

Optimizing fire station locations for the Istanbul metropolitan municipality

Copyright @ 2013 INFORMSThe Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) seeks to determine locations for additional fire stations to build in Istanbul; its objective is to make residences and historic sites reachable by emergency vehicles within five minutes of a fire station’s receipt of a service request. In this paper, we discuss our development of a mathematical model to aid IMM in determining these locations by using data retrieved from its fire incident records. We use a geographic information system to implement the model on Istanbul’s road network, and solve two location models—set-covering and maximal-covering—as what-if scenarios. We discuss 10 scenarios, including the situation that existed when we initiated the project and the scenario that IMM implemented. The scenario implemented increases the city’s fire station coverage from 58.6 percent to 85.9 percent, based on a five-minute response time, with an implementation plan that spans three years