Immunocytes of the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris): Morphologic characterizations and correlations between healthy and disease states under free-ranging and captive conditions

Interest in the health of marine mammals has increased due, in part, to the attention given to human impact on the marine environment. Recent mass strandings of the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and rising mortalities of the endangered Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) have raised questions on the extent to which pollution, infectious disease, "stress," and captivity influence the immune system of these animals. This study has provided the first in-depth characterization of immunocytes in the peripheral blood of dolphins (n = 190) and manatees (n = 56). Immunocyte morphology and baseline values were determined in clinically normal animals under free-ranging, stranded and captive living conditions as well as by age and sex. Additionally, immunocyte population dynamics were characterized in sick animals. This was accomplished with traditional cytochemical techniques and new lymphocyte phenotyping methodology which was validated in this study. Traditional cytochemical techniques demonstrated that blood immunocyte morphology and cell numbers are similar to terrestrial mammals with some notable exceptions. The manatee heterophilic granulocyte is a morphologically unique cell and probably functions similarly to the typical mammalian neutrophil. Eosinophils were rarely found in manatees but were uncommonly high in healthy and sick dolphins. Basophils were not identified. Manatees had higher total lymphocyte numbers compared to dolphins and most terrestrial mammals. Lymphocyte subsets identified in healthy animals included T$\rm\sb{h}$, T$\rm\sb{c/s}$, B and NK cells. Dolphin and manatee T and B cell values were higher than those reported in man and most terrestrial mammals. The manatee has extraordinarily high absolute numbers of circulating T$\rm\sb{h}$ cells which suggests an enhanced immunological response capability. With few exceptions, immunocyte types and absolute numbers were not significantly different between free-ranging, stranded and captive categories or between sex and age categories. The evaluation of immunocyte dynamics in various disease states demonstrated a wide variation in cellular responses which provided new insights into innate, humoral and cell-mediated immunity in these species. Additionally, this study demonstrated that lymphocyte phenotyping has diagnostic significance and could be developed into a potential indicator of immunocompetence in both free-ranging and captive dolphin and manatee populations.

Immunocytes of the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) : morphologic characterizations and correlations between healthy and disease states under free-ranging and captive conditions

Interest in the health of marine mammals has increased due, in part, to the attention given to human impact on the marine environment. Recent mass strandings of the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and rising mortalities of the endangered Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) have raised questions on the extent to which pollution, infectious disease, "stress," and captivity influence the immune system of these animals. This study has provided the first in-depth characterization of immunocytes in the peripheral blood of dolphins (n=180) and manatees (n=56). Immunocyte morphology and baseline values were determined in clinically normal animals under free-ranging, stranded and captive living conditions as well as by age and sex. Additionally, immuocyte population dynamics were characterized in sick animals. This was accomplished with traditional cytochemical techniques and new lymphocyte phenotyping methodology which was validated in this study. Traditional cytochemical techniques demonstrated that blood immunocyte morphology and cell numbers are similar to terrestrial mammals with some notable exceptions. The manatee heterophilic granulocyte is a morphologically unique cell and probably functions similarly to the typical mammalian neutrophil. Eosinophils were rarely found in manatees but were uncommonly high in healthy and sick dolphins. Basophils were not identified. Manatees had higher total lymphocyte numbers compared to dolphins and most terrestrial mammals. Lymphocyte subsets identified in healthy animals included Th, Tes, B and NK cells. Dolphin and manatee T and B cell values were higher than those reported in man and most terrestrial mammals. The manatee has extraordinarily high absolute numbers of circulating Th cells which suggests an enhanced immunological response capability. With few exceptions, immunocyte types and absolute numbers were not significantly different between free-ranging, stranded and captive categories or between sex and age categories. The evaluation of immunocyte dynamics in various disease states demonstrated a wide variation in cellular responses which provided new insights into innate, humoral and cell-mediated immunity in these species. Additionally, this study demonstrated that lymphocyte phenotyping has diagnostic significance and could be developed into a potential indicator of immunocompetence in both free-ranging and captive dolphin and manatee populations.

Heritability and genetic correlations of personality traits in a wild population of yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris)

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Acknowledgments We thank all the marmoteers that helped collect data over the years, and specifically Amanda Lea for help with the pedigree and Leon Chong for help in the field. The comments of two anonymous reviewers helped us improve our original MS. M.B.P. was funded by two U.S. Department of Education GAANN Fellowships, an NSF GK-12 Fellowship, and the UCLA Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. J.G.A.M. was supported by a Marie-Curie Fellowship. D.T.B was supported by the National Geographic Society, UCLA (Faculty Senate and the Division of Life Sciences), a Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory research fellowship and by the NSF (IDBR-0754247 and DEB-1119660 to D.T.B., as well as DBI 0242960 and 0731346 to the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory).

Land Use and Water Quality Correlations in Miami-Dade, Florida

South Florida continues to become increasingly developed and urbanized. My exploratory study examines connections between land use and water quality. The main objectives of the project were to develop an understanding of how land use has affected water quality in Miami-Dade canals, and an economic optimization model to estimate the costs of best management practices necessary to improve water quality. Results indicate Miami-Dade County land use and water quality are correlated. Through statistical factor and cluster analysis, it is apparent that agricultural areas are associated with higher concentrations of nitrogen, while urban areas commonly have higher levels of phosphorous than agricultural areas. The economic optimization model shows that urban areas can improve water quality by lowering fertilizer inputs. Agricultural areas can also implement methods to improve water quality although it may be more expensive than urban areas. It is important to keep solutions in mind when looking towards future water quality improvements in South Florida.

Measuring, Modeling, and Forecasting Volatility and Correlations from High-Frequency Data

This dissertation contains four essays that all share a common purpose: developing new methodologies to exploit the potential of high-frequency data for the measurement, modeling and forecasting of financial assets volatility and correlations. The first two chapters provide useful tools for univariate applications while the last two chapters develop multivariate methodologies. In chapter 1, we introduce a new class of univariate volatility models named FloGARCH models. FloGARCH models provide a parsimonious joint model for low frequency returns and realized measures, and are sufficiently flexible to capture long memory as well as asymmetries related to leverage effects. We analyze the performances of the models in a realistic numerical study and on the basis of a data set composed of 65 equities. Using more than 10 years of high-frequency transactions, we document significant statistical gains related to the FloGARCH models in terms of in-sample fit, out-of-sample fit and forecasting accuracy compared to classical and Realized GARCH models. In chapter 2, using 12 years of high-frequency transactions for 55 U.S. stocks, we argue that combining low-frequency exogenous economic indicators with high-frequency financial data improves the ability of conditionally heteroskedastic models to forecast the volatility of returns, their full multi-step ahead conditional distribution and the multi-period Value-at-Risk. Using a refined version of the Realized LGARCH model allowing for time-varying intercept and implemented with realized kernels, we document that nominal corporate profits and term spreads have strong long-run predictive ability and generate accurate risk measures forecasts over long-horizon. The results are based on several loss functions and tests, including the Model Confidence Set. Chapter 3 is a joint work with David Veredas. We study the class of disentangled realized estimators for the integrated covariance matrix of Brownian semimartingales with finite activity jumps. These estimators separate correlations and volatilities. We analyze different combinations of quantile- and median-based realized volatilities, and four estimators of realized correlations with three synchronization schemes. Their finite sample properties are studied under four data generating processes, in presence, or not, of microstructure noise, and under synchronous and asynchronous trading. The main finding is that the pre-averaged version of disentangled estimators based on Gaussian ranks (for the correlations) and median deviations (for the volatilities) provide a precise, computationally efficient, and easy alternative to measure integrated covariances on the basis of noisy and asynchronous prices. Along these lines, a minimum variance portfolio application shows the superiority of this disentangled realized estimator in terms of numerous performance metrics. Chapter 4 is co-authored with Niels S. Hansen, Asger Lunde and Kasper V. Olesen, all affiliated with CREATES at Aarhus University. We propose to use the Realized Beta GARCH model to exploit the potential of high-frequency data in commodity markets. The model produces high quality forecasts of pairwise correlations between commodities which can be used to construct a composite covariance matrix. We evaluate the quality of this matrix in a portfolio context and compare it to models used in the industry. We demonstrate significant economic gains in a realistic setting including short selling constraints and transaction costs.

Green's function retrieval through cross-correlations in a two -dimensional complex reverberating medium

International audience

Correlations between thermal environment and egg quality of two layer commercial strains

Heat stress limits the productivity of laying hens, as reflected by egg production and egg quality. The present study aimed at showing the correlations between egg quality parameters and environmental variables recorded on the day eggs were laid and on the previous days. Birds were housed in battery cages in a commercial poultry house. Main component analyses were used to verify associations between environmental and production variables, and Pearson's linear correlation tests were used to further investigate those associations. Analyses were carried out separately for to layer strains, Dekalb® White and Hy-Line® w36, and the variables egg weight (g), eggshell weight (g), specific gravity (g/cm³) and eggshell percentage (%) were compared with the environmental variables of the same day of the production, and one, two, three, and four days before egg production. Sound intensity measured inside the houses was positively associated with the quality parameters of eggs produced on the next day. Thermal environmental variables affected the egg quality differently in each strain, particularly air temperature, internal roof tile temperature, relative humidity, and air velocity. Ammonia concentration measured inside the houses was lower than 1ppm, and did not affect production performance.

Correlations among behavior, performance and environment in broiler breeders using multivariate analysis

Animal welfare issues have received much attention not only to supply farmed animal requirements, but also to ethical and cultural public concerns. Daily collected information, as well as the systematic follow-up of production stages, produces important statistical data for production assessment and control, as well as for improvement possibilities. In this scenario, this research study analyzed behavioral, production, and environmental data using Main Component Multivariable Analysis, which correlated observed behaviors, recorded using video cameras and electronic identification, with performance parameters of female broiler breeders. The aim was to start building a system to support decision-making in broiler breeder housing, based on bird behavioral parameters. Birds were housed in an environmental chamber, with three pens with different controlled environments. Bird sensitivity to environmental conditions were indicated by their behaviors, stressing the importance of behavioral observations for modern poultry management. A strong association between performance parameters and the behavior at the nest, suggesting that this behavior may be used to predict productivity. The behaviors of ruffling feathers, opening wings, preening, and at the drinker were negatively correlated with environmental temperature, suggesting that the increase of in the frequency of these behaviors indicate improvement of thermal welfare.

Structure-properties correlations in divalent metal phosphonates

Crystalline metal phosphonates may offer acidic sites, structural flexibility and guest molecules (H2O, heterocyclics, etc.) which can act as proton carriers. In addition, some frameworks are also amenable for post‐synthesis modifications in order to enhance desired properties [1,2]. In this work, we present the synthesis and structural characterization of two hydroxyphosphonoacetates hybrids based on magnesium, [Mg5(O3PCHOHCOO)2(HO3PCHOHCOO)2·8H2O] [Mg5(HPAA)2(H1HPAA)2·8H2O], and zinc, [Zn6K(O3PCHOHCOO)4(OH)·6.5H2O] [Zn6K(HPAA)4(OH)·6.5H2O]. Both solids present three-dimensional frameworks and their crystal structures were solved ab initio from X-ray powder diffraction. The proton conductivity of [Zn6K(HPAA)4(OH)·6.5H2O] as well as ammonia derivatives of M(II)(HO3PCHOHCOO)·2H2O [M(II)=Zn, Mg] will be reported and discussed.

Juvenile-mature genetic correlations in Pinus taeda clones propagated via somatic embryogenesis.

Objetivou-se com o presente trabalho, estimar a correlação genética entre idades de seleção (juvenil-adulta) e eficiência da seleção precoce para as características altura, diâmetro e volume de indivíduos de famílias de Pinus taeda propagados via embriogênese somática. O estudo foi realizado por meio de análise genético-estatística pelo procedimento de estimação de componentes de variância (Reml) e de predição de valores genéticos (Blup), usando-se o software Selegen-Reml/Blup. As correlações genéticas entre idades juvenis e idade de rotação foram realizadas aplicando o modelo linear desenvolvido por Lambeth (1980). Segundo os resultados do modelo estabelecido, a seleção precoce pode ser realizada em clones de Pinus taeda com alta eficiência de seleção. As idades de 4 a 6 anos são suficientes para selecionar clones de Pinus taeda propagados via embriogênese somática para colheita aos 8 e 12 anos e, as idades de 6 a 10 anos são suficientes para selecionar para colheita aos 20 anos. De acordo com as estimativas de correlação genotípicaa partir dos ambientes, a seleção de clones de Pinus taeda propagados via embriogênese somática deve ser praticada de forma específica para cada ambiente. Pode-se realizar a seleção de clones considerando o diâmetro, visto a alta correlação observada entre volume e diâmetro.

Correlations among Coping Skills and Life Satisfaction in Ethnic Older Caregivers

The purpose of the present study is to extend our current understanding of the effects of caregiver burden on life satisfaction by examining whether or not there are ethnic differences in coping strategies used to manage caregiving. Several specific hypotheses were tested in order to determine the linkages among age, gender, ethnicity (i.e., familism, filial piety), caregiver burden, coping with caregiving, and life satisfaction. A total of 103 Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White participants ages 60 and older were included in this study (mean age was 67.42; 16.5% male; 83.5 % female; 52.4% Hispanic; 47.6% Non-Hispanic White). The results suggest that demographics and certain coping skills can influence levels of life satisfaction and burden experienced by caregivers. The findings from this study shed light on how to structure effective psychoeducational interventions, facilitate adaptive coping, reduce burden, and improve life satisfaction for older adult caregivers.

Species-people correlations and the need to account for survey effort in biodiversity analyses

Aim Positive regional correlations between biodiversity and human population have been detected for several taxonomic groups and geographical regions. Such correlations could have important conservation implications and have been mainly attributed to ecological factors, with little testing for an artefactual explanation: more populated regions may show higher biodiversity because they are more thoroughly surveyed. We tested the hypothesis that the correlation between people and herptile diversity in Europe is influenced by survey effort