Connectivity in Heterogeneous Landscapes: Analyzing the Effect of Topography     

Guy Pe’er  Simone K. Heinz  Karin Frank 《Landscape Ecology》2006,21(1):47-61

Animal response to landscape heterogeneity directs dispersal and affects connectivity between populations. Topographical heterogeneity is a major source of landscape heterogeneity, which is rarely studied in the contexts of movement, dispersal, or connectivity. The current study aims at characterizing and quantifying the impacts of topography on landscape connectivity. We focus on ‘hilltopping’ behavior in butterflies, a dispersal-like behavior where males and virgin females ascend to mountain summits and mate there. Our approach integrates three elements: an individual-based model for simulating animal movements across topographically heterogeneous landscapes; a formula for the accessibility of patches in homogenous landscapes; and a graphical analysis of the plots of the simulation-based vs. the formula-based accessibility values. We characterize the functional relationship between accessibility values and landscape structure (referred to as ‘accessibility patterns’) and analyze the influence of two factors: the intensity of the individuals’ response to topography, and the level of topographical noise. We show that, despite the diversity of topographical landscapes, animal response to topography results in the formation of two, quantifiable accessibility patterns. We term them ‘effectively homogeneous’ and ‘effectively channeled’. The latter, in which individuals move toward a single summit, prevails over a wide range of behavioral and spatial parameters. Therefore, ‘channeled’ accessibilities may occur in a variety of landscapes and contexts. Our work provides novel tools for understanding and predicting accessibility patterns in heterogeneous landscapes. These tools are essential for linking movement behavior, movement patterns and connectivity. We also present new insights into the practical value of ecologically scaled landscape indices.  相似文献   

Causes of lymphadenopathy in the dog and cat     

Ruiz de Gopegui R  Peñalba B  Espada Y 《The Veterinary record》2004,155(1):23-24

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Ocular and periocular manifestations of leishmaniasis in dogs: 105 cases (1993-1998)     

Peña MT  Roura X  Davidson MG 《Veterinary ophthalmology》2000,3(1):35-41

The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine the prevalence, type, and prognosis of ocular lesions associated with leishmaniasis in dogs. One hundred and five dogs (24.4% of all cases of leishmaniasis diagnosed during the study period) had ocular or periocular leishmaniasis, and 16 dogs (15.2% of ocular cases) had only ocular lesions and systemic signs were not apparent. Anterior uveitis was the most common manifestation and other prevalent findings included blepharitis and keratoconjunctivitis. Several distinct variations of eyelid lesions were seen including a dry dermatitis with alopecia, diffuse blepharedema, cutaneous ulceration, and discrete nodular granuloma formation. In some cases with keratoconjunctivitis, corneal lesions clinically resembled nodular granulomatous episclerokeratitis. Twenty-seven of the 34 cases with ocular lesions had improvement in signs following systemic antiprotozoal and topical anti-inflammatory therapy, although many cases with anterior uveitis required long-term topical therapy. Response of ocular signs correlated highly with overall, systemic response to therapy. Ophthalmic manifestations of systemic leishmaniasis are common in the dog, and this disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis of most adnexal and anterior segment ocular inflammatory lesions in dogs in endemic areas.  相似文献   

Intrauterine infusion of PGF(2alpha) at insemination enhances reproductive performance of sows during the low fertility season     

Peña FJ  Domínguez JC  Peláez J  Alegre B 《Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)》2000,159(3):259-261

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Attempts to control haemonchosis in grazing ewes by vaccination with gut membrane proteins of the parasite   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Kabagambe EK  Barras SR  Li Y  Peña MT  Smith WD  Miller JE 《Veterinary parasitology》2000,92(1):15-23

A vaccination trial was conducted to evaluate the potential benefit of Haemonchus contortus gut membrane proteins as vaccine antigens under field conditions in Louisiana. The trial was conducted in the summer of 1996 in a flock of ewes grazing pasture naturally infected with H. contortus. Ewes were randomly assigned to three treatment groups (vaccine, adjuvant only, and saline) and fecal egg counts (FEC, measured as eggs per gram of feces), packed cell volumes (PCV), and antibody levels were monitored fortnightly for 12 weeks. It was shown by FEC that there were large individual variations in susceptibility to H. contortus in both vaccinated and non-vaccinated sheep, a finding which could have masked differences between treatments when analyzed by conventional statistical methods. Based on their egg counts before the period when the vaccination could have had an effect, all ewes were categorized as 'susceptible' or 'relatively resistant'. The significance of differences between FEC, PCV and antibody responses of vaccinated and control sheep were tested separately for the 'susceptible' and 'relatively resistant' category. The 'susceptible' vaccinates shed 65% fewer worm eggs during the period when the vaccine could have had an effect, but the difference was only significant on Week 6 post-vaccination. In these experiments, it was difficult to completely exclude the confounding effect of having 'relatively resistant' sheep in the control group. More studies are needed to further evaluate H11 and H-gal-GP antigens under field conditions.  相似文献   

Effects of Ethylene diurea as a protective antiozonant on beans (Phaseolus vulgaris cv Lit) exposed to different tropospheric ozone doses in Catalonia (NE Spain)     

Ribas  A.  Peñuelas  J. 《Water, air, and soil pollution》2000,117(1-4):263-271

A study to evaluate the effects of ethylene diurea (EDU) as a protective antiozonant for beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) submitted to different ambient ozone concentrations was performed in three stations of the rural Network for Air Quality Monitoring (Catalonia, NE Spain). The highest ozone concentrations were accompanied by significant reductions in fruit yield, number of fruits and shoot biomass. These reductions were lower in plants treated with EDU. The results showed toxic ozone effects on sensitive species such as beans and a protective antiozonant effect of EDU. The intensity of the EDU protective effect differed among the different stations characterised by different meteorological conditions and O₃ concentrations.  相似文献   

Identification of Apoptotic Bodies in Equine Semen     

AB Caselles  A Miro‐Moran  A Morillo Rodriguez  JM Gallardo Bolaños  C Ortega‐Ferrusola  GM Salido  FJ Peña  JA Tapia  IM Aparicio 《Reproduction in domestic animals》2014,49(2):254-262

Apoptosis in the testis is required to ensure an efficient spermatogenesis. However, sometimes, defective germ cells that are marked for elimination during this process escape elimination in the testes, giving rise to ejaculates with increased percentages of abnormal and apoptotic spermatozoa and a high percentage of apoptotic bodies. Apoptosis markers in the ejaculate have been associated with low fertility, either in animals or humans. Therefore, the goal of this study was to investigate whether fresh equine semen contains apoptotic bodies [initially named Merocyanine 540 (M540) bodies] and to study the relationship between the quantity of these bodies and cell concentration, the volume of ejaculate, viability and motility. Moreover, we also studied whether the presence apoptotic bodies in fresh semen was related to the resistance of the stallion spermatozoa to being incubated at 37°C or being frozen and thawed. Fresh equine semen was stained with fluorescent dyes such as M540 and Annexin‐V. Active Caspase 3 was studied in fresh semen through Western blotting and immunofluorescence with a specific antibody. Sperm kinematics was assessed in fresh, incubated and thawed samples using computer‐assisted semen analysis, and viability was evaluated with the LIVE/DEAD Sperm Viability Kit. Overall, our results demonstrate for the first time the presence of apoptotic bodies in equine semen. The quantity of apoptotic bodies was highly variable among stallions and was positively correlated with Caspase 3 activity in fresh samples and negatively correlated with the viability and motility of stallion spermatozoa after the cryopreservation process.  相似文献   

The Effects of Isoflavones on Androgens and Glucocorticoids During Puberty on Male Wistar Rats     

S Caceres  G Silvan  L Martinez‐Fernandez  MJ Illera  P Millan  B Monsalve  L Peña  JC Illera 《Reproduction in domestic animals》2014,49(4):611-617

Isoflavones are the most common phytoestrogens found in human diets. However, it is still not clear whether isoflavones have effects on the reproductive and the endocrine systems under normal dietary intake and overdose. The aim of this study was to determine how the most important isoflavones, genistein and daidzein, affect androgen and glucorticoid levels on male prepuberal rats. A hundred and seventy‐five 30‐day‐old male Wistar rats were dosed orally by stomach tube every day for 35 days, with saline solution, low and high doses of genistein, daidzein and a mixture of both. Serum samples were analysed by an enzyme immunoassay for hormone determinations. In control group, there was a peak of testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone levels associated to the onset of puberty, at the third week. However, in low‐dose groups, the same peak was found at the fourth week (p < 0.05), indicating a delay in the onset of puberty in these groups. Moreover, high doses groups serum androgen levels were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than the control group from the first week until fifth week. This fact was supported by a epididymal histological analysis that indicate in low doses there were several content of spermatozoa at fourth week and in high doses there were few content of spermatozoa. Besides, corticosterone levels followed the same pattern of androgens in all groups. We can conclude that oral administration of isoflavones in male rats decreased the secretion of androgens and glucocorticoids causing a delay in the onset of puberty and may cause physiological and developmental problems.  相似文献   

Effect of Overnight Staining on the Quality of Flow Cytometric Sorted Stallion Sperm: Comparison with Tradtitional Protocols     

CM Balao da Silva  C Ortega Ferrusola  JM Gallardo Bolaños  M Plaza Dávila  P Martín‐Muñoz  JM Morrell  H Rodriguez Martínez  FJ Peña 《Reproduction in domestic animals》2014,49(6):1021-1027

Flow cytometry is considered the only reliable method for the separation of X and Y chromosome bearing spermatozoa in equines. The MoFlo SX DP sorter is highly efficient, allowing the production of foals of the desired sex. However, to achieve acceptable pregnancy rates the currently used protocol requires working with fresh semen obtained close to, or at, the sorting facility. An alternative protocol was tested during two consecutive breeding seasons. Fresh stallion semen was cooled for 20 h, during which staining with Hoechst 33342 took place. On the following day, this sample was flow sorted and compared with spermatozoa from the same ejaculate that had been sexed on the previous day. All sperm parameters evaluated remained unchanged when fresh sorted and refrigerated sorted semen were compared. Pre‐sorting storage at 5°C did not alter sperm velocities nor kinetics, viability or membrane permeability, production of reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial membrane potential or DNA fragmentation index of the sorted sample. The findings open for the possibility of using semen from stallions housed far from the sorting facilities. Processed and stained sperm could be shipped refrigerated on the previous day, sorted and inseminated on the next day.  相似文献   

Standing Laparoscopic Peritoneal Flap Hernioplasty of the Vaginal Rings does not Modify the Sperm Production and Motility Characteristics in Intact Male Horses     

LA Gracia‐Calvo  LJ Ezquerra  M Martín‐Cuervo  ME Durán  H Tapio  JM Gallardo  FJ Peña  C Ortega‐Ferrusola 《Reproduction in domestic animals》2014,49(6):1043-1048

Laparoscopic hernioplasty techniques have been developed in the recent years to avoid the recurrence of inguinal hernias and to spare the testicles for breeding purposes in stallions. However, there have been no previous comprehensive and systematic studies of the reproductive outcomes and prognoses for stallions after inguinal hernioplasty. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the possible effects of one of these techniques (standing laparoscopic peritoneal flap hernioplasty) on the sperm production and motility characteristics of six healthy stallions that received this procedure based on 1‐year follow‐ups. There were no significant differences in the measured sperm variables (assessments based on the DSO, MOT, PMOT, VSL, VCL and VAP) during 1‐year follow‐ups.  相似文献