Feeding ecology and niche segregation in oceanic top predators off eastern Australia

We examined the feeding ecology and niche segregation of the ten most abundant fish species caught by longline operations off eastern Australia between 1992 and 2006. Diets of 3,562 individuals were examined. Hook timer data were collected from a further 328 fish to examine feeding behaviour in relation to depth and time of day. Prey biomass was significantly related to predator species, predator length and year and latitude of capture. Although the fish examined fed on a mix of fish, squid and crustacea, fish dominated the diet of all species except small albacore (Thunnus alalunga) which fed mainly on crustacea and large swordfish (Xiphias gladius) and albacore which fed mainly on squid. Cannibalism was observed in lancetfish (Alepisaurus spp.). Multidimensional scaling identified three species groups based on their diet composition. One group consisted of yellowfin tuna (T. albacares), striped marlin (Tetrapturus audax) and dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus); a second group consisted of bigeye tuna (T. obesus), swordfish and albacore; and a third consisted of southern bluefin tuna (T. maccoyii) and blue shark (Prionace glauca). Of note was the separation of mako shark (Isurus oxyrhynchus) and lancetfish from all other predators. Prey length generally increased with increasing predator length although even large predators fed on a wide range of prey lengths including very small prey. Overall, differences in prey type and size, feeding times and depths were noted across the range of species examined to the extent that predators with overlapping prey, either in type or size, fed at different times of the diel period or at different depths. Taken together these data provide evidence for feeding niche segregation across the range of oceanic top predators examined.     

Risk assessment of the use of PAS100 green composts in sheep and cattle production in Scotland

A generalized quantitative risk assessment for the use of source-segregated green waste (SSGW) compost use in livestock production is presented. This assessment focussed on potential risks associated with a specific product, PAS100 compost that meets the UK publicly available specification 100 and represents the majority of compost available for use in extensive Scottish livestock systems. A hazard screening approach was used to identify all potentially hazardous agents present in compost. A total of 497 potentially hazardous agents were screened, with 147 finally put forward for quantitative risk assessment. Scenarios modelled in the assessment included surface application of compost to grazing land and also incorporation into soil and subsequent uptake by fodder crops. Risk estimates were compared to those associated with six comparator materials, including various sludges, slurries and farm yard manures. Overall, five potentially hazardous agents (PCB28, PCB138, PCB153, 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDD, Clopyralid) returned a hazard quotient >1 but within margins of uncertainty, indicating that further investigation may be required. Within the limitations of available information, SSGW compost was found to pose less risk to grazing livestock, or the environment, than other commonly-used soil amendments. While this assessment relates to a specific product/standard used in the UK, the methodology could easily be applied to other composts/products/situations. Therefore these results have wider applicability.     

Ecological and economic dynamics of the Shunde agricultural system under China's small city development strategy

The agricultural and industrial development of small cities is the primary environmental management strategy employed to make full use of extra labor in the rural areas of China. The ecological and economic consequences of this development strategy will affect over 100 million people and change the organization of the Chinese landscape. In this study, we examined the agricultural development of Shunde, a small city in Guangdong Province, over the period 1978 until 2000. Our analysis of the ecological and economic dynamics of the agricultural system revealed the dominant role of labor in the intensification of agricultural production, even though the use of fuels, fertilizers and machines also increased during this time. The Shunde agricultural system was examined from both biophysical or donor-based and human utility or receiver-based perspectives, using emergy and economic methods, respectively. After 22 years of urbanization, the Shunde agricultural system was still able to fill 96% of the local demand for agricultural products using only 6% of its total yield compared to using 14% of the total yield in 1978. Aquaculture developed quickly during the study period as grain production decreased. In 2000, the production of fish, pork, and vegetables accounted for 92% of the total emergy output of the system; however, the emergy buying power of the money received in exchange was lower than the emergy contained in the products exported. The excess emergy exported is the basis for a high quality diet delivered to city dwellers at a relatively low price. In the 1980s, the productivity of both land and labor increased; but after 1992 the productivity of labor decreased, causing the efficiency of the whole agricultural system to decrease. We recommend that processing plants be established for the main agricultural products of Shunde to decrease the emergy loss in trading and to increase employment. The effect of including monetized ecosystem services in the balance between the emergy delivered to the markets in agricultural products and the emergy buying power of the money received was to decrease the emergy gained by the Shunde agricultural system.     

Land-Use and Land-Cover Dynamics in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia

Understanding the complexity of land-use and land-cover (LULC) changes and their driving forces and impacts on human and environmental security is important for the planning of natural resource management and associated decision making. This study combines and compares participatory field point sampling (pfps) and remote sensing to explore local LULC dynamics. The study was conducted in two peasant associations located in the central Ethiopian Rift Valley, which is a dry-land mixed farming area exposed to rapid deforestation. From 1973–2006, the area of cropland doubled at the expense of woodland and wooded-grassland in both of the study sites. Major deforestation and forest degradation took place from 1973–1986; woodland cover declined from 40% to 9% in one of the study sites, while the other lost all of its original 54% woodland cover. Our study concludes that assessing LULC dynamics using a combination of remote sensing and pfps is a valuable approach. The two methods revealed similar LULC trends, while the pfps provided additional details on how farmers view the changes. This study documents dramatic trends in LULC over time, associated with rapid population growth, recurrent drought, rainfall variability and declining crop productivity. The alarming nature of these trends is reflected in a decrease in the livelihood security of local communities and in environmental degradation. Given these dry-land conditions, there are few opportunities to improve livelihoods and environmental security without external support. If negative changes are to be halted, action must be taken, including building asset bases, instituting family planning services, and creating opportunities outside these marginal environments.     

Pediatrician attitudes, knowledge, and practice behavior regarding teen driving safety

Problem

Each year about 4,000 teens ages 16-19 die on U.S. roads. Injury prevention counseling is recommended as a valuable and cost-effective part of routine health supervision. This study describes pediatrician knowledge and practice regarding teen driving safety.

Methods

A 31-item self-administered survey was mailed to pediatricians.

Results

160 of 392 pediatricians (41%) completed the survey. During a health supervision visit 93% of pediatricians reported discussing seat belt use, 89% impaired driving, 54% teen licensing laws, and 16% parent teen contract. Half reported having a teen in their practice killed in a crash.

Conclusions

A majority surveyed report discussing and counseling teens on first wave teen driver safety issues (seat belts, alcohol use), but most do not discuss graduated driver licensing laws or related issues. Impact on Industry: Broadly adopted, this inexpensive counseling approach, could lead to reductions in teen motorvehicle crash injuries.     

Biologically directed environmental monitoring, fate, and transport of estrogenic endocrine disrupting compounds in water: A review

Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) are contaminants that may be hormonally active at low concentrations and are emerging as a major concern for water quality. Estrogenic EDCs (e-EDCs) are a subclass of EDCs that, when organisms are exposed to them, function as estrogens. Given that there are numerous e-EDCs that can negatively affect humans and wildlife, general screening techniques like biologically based assays (BBAs) may provide major advantages by estimating the total estrogenic effects of many e-EDCs in the environment. These techniques may potentially be adapted for field portable biologically directed sampling and analyses. This article summarizes available BBAs used to measure estrogenic e-EDCs in the environmental samples and also presents results relating to fate and transport of e-EDCs. Estrogenic EDCs appear to be almost ubiquitous in the environment, despite low solubility and high affinity of organic matter. Potential transport mechanisms may include: (1) transport of more soluble precursors, (2) colloid facilitated transport, (3) enhanced solubility through elevated pH, and (4) the formation of micelles by longer-chain ethoxylates. Due to their persistent and ubiquitous nature, source control strategies for e-EDCs may reduce influent concentration to wastewater treatment plants so that the post treatment effluent will decrease concentrations to estrogenically inactive levels. Alternatively if source reduction is not possible, then more testing is needed on tertiary treatment technologies and treatment efficiencies for e-EDCs. There is still a need for research on remediation and restoration approaches for habitats disturbed by elevated e-EDC concentrations.     

The prenatal diagnosis of joubert's syndrome of familial agenesis of the cerebellar vermis

The prenatal diagnosis by ultrasound examination of Joubert's syndrome of familial agenesis of the cerebellar vermis is described allowing termination of pregnancy ai 26 weeks gestation. The diagnosis was made by a comparison of the prenatal ultrasound examination with computerized axial tomography obtained from the siblings with the same condition.     

High genetic variability in a population of Tridacna maxima from the Great Barrier Reef

A population of the bivalve mollusk Tridacna maxima (Röding) from Hron Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia, was studied by gel electrophoresis, and proved to be highly variable genetically, with an average heterozygosity of about 22%. This compares closely with a population of T. maxima from Enewetak (Eniwetok) Atoll, with an average heterozygosity of about 20%, very high for marine organisms. Enewetak Atoll was the site of a series of nuclear tests. The Heron Island study verifies that the high variability is natural, and supports the hypothesis that species from trophically stable environments tend to be highly variable genetically.     

Prenatal diagnosis and investigation of a fetus with chondrodysplasia punctata,ichthyosis, and Kallmann syndrome due to an Xp deletion

We report the prenatal diagnosis of a male fetus with X-linked recessive chondrodysplasia punctata (CDPX), steroid sulphatase (STS) deficiency, X-linked Kallmann syndrome (KAL), and a chromosome deletion at Xp22.31. Biochemical analysis of bone from this case indicates that CDPX is not a defect of vitamin K metabolism. Immunocytochemical study of the brain suggests that KAL is a defect in neuronal migration.     

The impact of maternal serum alpha fetoprotein screening on open neural tube defect births in North-East Scotland

Over the three years period 1980–1982, 18 256 pregnancies in the Grampian Region of N-E Scotland including the islands of Orkney and Shetland were screened for raised levels of maternal serum alpha fetoprotein (MSAFP) in the second trimester. Thirty six cases of fetal open neural tube defect in singletons were detected (18 anencephaly and 18 spina bifida). Four additional cases of open spina bifida were associated with normal MSAFP levels although two of these were detected by amniotic fluid AFP measurement when amniocentesis was carried out because of previous NTD history. A further three cases of open spina bifida and two of anencephaly occurred in unscreened pregnancies. The MSAFP screening programme alone was thus instrumental in reducing the birth incidence of open neural tube defects by 36 out of 45 cases (80 per cent) in singletons.