Impact of changed trophic status on the zooplankton composition in six water bodies of Dharwad district, Karnataka state (South India)

Morgan Island, located within the ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve in South Carolina, is home to the only free-ranging colony of rhesus monkeys (Macca mulatta) in the continental United States. The purpose of this study was to assess environmental impacts of the monkey colony on water quality in adjacent tidal creeks and on island vegetation. Three tidal creeks were sampled: Morgan Creek, adjacent to the monkey colony; Back Creek, on Morgan Island not adjacent to the colony; and Rock Creek, on a nearby island unoccupied by monkeys. Temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, nutrients and fecal coliform bacteria were measured six times at three sites in each of these creeks, and vegetation change analysis was conducted in a geographic information system using satellite imagery. Results showed elevated fecal coliform concentrations in the Morgan Creek site immediately adjacent to the colony, though no samples exceeded the standard set for recreational water use. Ribotyping reconnaissance matched four Escherichia coli isolates from Morgan and Back Creeks to the monkeys, identifying the colony as one source of fecal coliform bacteria, though relative source loadings could not be quantified. Significant differences were not observed between ammonia or orthophosphate levels in Morgan Creek relative to the other creeks tested; and vegetation change analysis showed a 35% increase in canopy cover between 1979 and 1999. Overall, these results suggest that the rhesus colony’s environmental impacts are localized and minimal. Results from this study provide baseline data on Morgan Island and may be useful in management decisions regarding the future of the monkey colony.     

Derivated fetal haemoglobin as a marker for red cell age in the human fetus reflecting stimulated or impaired red blood cell production

We have determined whether derivated fetal haemoglobin (dHbF, consisting of glycated and acetylated HbF) can be used as a cell age marker for fetal red blood cells (RBCs). Cord blood was obtained between 19 and 39 weeks of gestation from 28 alloimmunised anaemic fetuses (23 RhD+ and 5 Kell) and from 20 non-anaemic fetuses and newborns (controls). Density gradient centrifugation was applied to 36 samples (20 RhD+, 15 controls and 1 Kell) to obtain fractions of increasing cell age. Blood samples were used for measurements of mean cellular volume (MCV), mean cell haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), pyruvate kinase activity (PK) and derivated fetal haemoglobin (dHbF) by cation-exchange HPLC. Reticulocytes were counted only in the whole blood samples. In all density gradient separated RBC fractions, the values for MCV, MCH and PK activity decreased and those of MCHC and dHbF increased with increasing density (equivalent to increasing cell age). The mean density was lower for RBCs of the anaemic RHD group (1.072±0.007 g/ml) than for the non-anaemic controls (1.077±0.005 g/ml) (p<0.05) The RBC density of the Kell sensitised fetus did not differ from those of the controls. In the control group, the values of the cell age markers in whole blood changed significantly with the gestational age, showing an increase of mean age of the erythrocyte population. The best linear relationship was found for dHbF (y=6.28+0.17*weeks; r=0.84; p<0.001). In the anaemic RhD+ fetuses, the RBC age markers did not change with gestational age; the dHbF percentages were lower, and the MCV, MCH, PK values and the reticulocyte counts were higher than in the controls (0.05<p<0.001). The dHbF values of the Kell sensitised fetuses were above (p<0.01) and the reticulocyte counts were below normal (p<0.05) for gestational age. For the anaemic fetuses, a significant number of the dHbF values (86%) and of the reticulocyte counts (78%) differed from the values of the controls (p<0.01). The dHbF percentages in RhD+ fetuses showed the best correlation with the Hb deficit, which is a measure for anaemia (r=−0.81, p<0.0001). We conclude that the percentage derivated HbF may indicate whether the RBC production is normal for gestational age. It may in that sense reflect stimulated or impaired erythropoiesis in alloimmunised haemolytic anaemia. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

First trimester diagnosis of RhO (D) with an immunofluorescence technique after chorionic villus sampling

Double indirect immunofluorescence technique (DIIF) was applied to fetal erythrocytes from vascularized chorionic villi, obtained by chorionic villus sampling (CVS) in the first trimester of pregnancy, to determine the presence of Rhesus antigen Rh (D).     

Fetal blood group studies during mid-trimester pregnancy and the management of severe isoimmunization

Fetal blood samples collected at 14–22 weeks' gestation by fetoscopy have been analysed for 25 different red cell antigens and anti-A antibodies. The results obtained demonstrate that the technique can be used to determine fetal blood groups during mid-pregnancy and also to provide the opportunity to study the physiological and pathological developments of blood groups and their antibodies and to manage more rationally those pregnancies threatened by erythroblastosis fetalis.     

Sex differences in survival costs of reproduction in a promiscuous primate

In sexually promiscuous mammals, female reproductive effort is mainly expressed through gestation, lactation, and maternal care, whereas male reproductive effort is mainly manifested as mating effort. In this study, we investigated whether reproduction has significant survival costs for a seasonally breeding, sexually promiscuous species, the rhesus macaque, and whether these costs occur at different times of the year for females and males, namely in the birth and the mating season, respectively. The study was conducted with the rhesus macaque population on Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico. Data on 7,402 births and 922 deaths over a 45-year period were analyzed. Births were concentrated between November and April, while conceptions occurred between May and October. As predicted, female mortality probability peaked in the birth season whereas male mortality probability peaked in the mating season. Furthermore, as the onset of the birth season gradually shifted over the years in relation to climatic changes, there was a concomitant shift in the seasonal peaks of male and female mortality. Taken together, our findings provide the first evidence of sex differences in the survival costs of reproduction in nonhuman primates and suggest that reproduction has significant fitness costs even in environments with abundant food and absence of predation.     

Functional nonredundancy of elephants in a disturbed tropical forest

Conservation efforts are often motivated by the threat of global extinction. Yet if conservationists had more information suggesting that extirpation of individual species could lead to undesirable ecological effects, they might more frequently attempt to protect or restore such species across their ranges even if they were not globally endangered. Scientists have seldom measured or quantitatively predicted the functional consequences of species loss, even for large, extinction‐prone species that theory suggests should be functionally unique. We measured the contribution of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) to the dispersal of 3 large‐fruited species in a disturbed tropical moist forest and predicted the extent to which alternative dispersers could compensate for elephants in their absence. We created an empirical probability model with data on frugivory and seed dispersal from Buxa Tiger Reserve, India. These data were used to estimate the proportion of seeds consumed by elephants and other frugivores that survive handling and density‐dependent processes (Janzen‐Connell effects and conspecific intradung competition) and germinate. Without compensation, the number of seeds dispersed and surviving density‐dependent effects decreased 26% (Artocarpus chaplasha), 42% (Careya arborea), and 72% (Dillenia indica) when elephants were absent from the ecosystem. Compensatory fruit removal by other animals substantially ameliorated these losses. For instance, reductions in successful dispersal of D. indica were as low as 23% when gaur (Bos gaurus) persisted, but median dispersal distance still declined from 30% (C. arborea) to 90% (A. chaplasha) without elephants. Our results support the theory that the largest animal species in an ecosystem have nonredundant ecological functionality and that their extirpation is likely to lead to the deterioration of ecosystem processes such as seed dispersal. This effect is likely accentuated by the overall defaunation of many tropical systems.     

Single umbilical artery stenosis associated with intrauterine fetal death post-transfusion

Single umbilical artery is among the most common funicular vascular anomalies. In contrast, umbilical artery stenosis is rare, and has only been reported in three-vessel cords. We describe a case of single umbilical artery stenosis in a fetus with no associated malformations. Intrauterine fetal death occurred at 28weeks' gestation following cordocentesis and intravascular transfusion for Rhesus alloimmunization. Single umbilical artery stenosis may place the fetus at increased risk, particularly in cases requiring interventions involving cord manipulation. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.