An Arctic Intertidal Population of Macoma balthica (Mollusca, Pelecypoda): Genotypic and Phenotypic Components of Population Structure

1983 ◽  
Vol 40 (9) ◽  
pp. 1360-1371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger H. Green ◽  
Shiva M. Singh ◽  
Beverly Hicks ◽  
Janet M. McCuaig

In July 1980 we collected live Macoma balthica from populations at two tide levels near Fort Churchill, Man., Canada. Upper lethal temperature tolerances were determined for clams from the mean low water (MLW) tidal level and from 1.1 m above MLW tidal level, after which all specimens were hard frozen for later electrophoretic analysis. Of 22 loci evaluated, the following were polymorphic: AKP, ACP, EST, LAP, MDH, and ME. Genotypes at these loci were related to tide level, growth rate, tolerance to high temperature, and age. Analysis of shell annual rings verified an earlier report of much faster growth in the higher tide level population. Growth rate and degree of heterozygosity are both higher at 1.1 m than at MLW. Degree of heterozygosity increases with age, suggesting selection against homozygotes. At 1.1 m, but not at MLW, individuals with higher growth rates have lower tolerance to high temperatures and a higher degree of heterozygosity. Similar patterns are described for the six individual loci.

1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (8) ◽  
pp. 2202-2208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shirley S. L. Lim ◽  
Roger H. Green

At ebb tide Macoma balthica makes crawling tracks on the intertidal sand flats near Churchill, Manitoba, on Hudson Bay. Clams from two tidal levels, mean low water and 1.0 m above mean low water, were sampled to compare the parasite load and growth rate of crawling versus buried Macoma. For each clam the number of trematode metacercariae present were counted and the growth rate was determined by the measurement of annual growth rings. Clams were infected by more metacercariae at the higher than at the lower tidal level, larger clams more than smaller ones and crawling clams more than buried ones. Increased exposure of the clams at the higher tidal level to shorebirds, the final host of the trematodes, is proposed as the reason for the difference in parasite load between the tide levels. High-tide clams (more parasitized) grew faster than low-tide ones (less parasitized), and crawlers (more parasitized) grew faster than the buried (less parasitized) clams. Enhanced somatic growth as a result of parasitic castration is proposed to be the most logical explanation to account for the faster growth of the parasitized clams.


1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (8) ◽  
pp. 1906-1916 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Vincent ◽  
Claude Brassard ◽  
Michel Harvey

Greater annual shell growth rate and increased mortality are observed in Macoma balthica (L.) with an increase of immersion time in the intertidal zone of the St. Lawrence estuary. There is also a greater annual growth rate in tidal pools, and sediment temperature alone may explain spatial variations in spring and annual growth. Reciprocal transfers of specimens between upper (0.8 m above mean water level) and lower (1.2 m below mean water level) tidal level result in enhanced shell growth for individuals of the upper level transferred to the lower level. There is no corresponding change of shell growth rate for individuals of the lower level. This genotypic difference in short-term physiological responses to environmental changes may be the result of different selective pressures associated with habitat temporal heterogeneity. An opportunistic strategy is associated with the more terrestrial and unpredictable environment (upper tidal level) and a more specialized strategy accompanied by low phenotypic variability is associated with the more marine and stable environment (lower tidal level).


1973 ◽  
Vol 30 (9) ◽  
pp. 1345-1348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger H. Green

In an arctic intertidal environment on Hudson Bay, Macoma balthica have a higher growth rate at a tidal level of 1.1 m above mean low water than at the mean low water level, in terms of both length and dry weight. Temperature, rather than food, appears to be the primary proximate factor involved, and summer air temperatures play a major role. The estimated growth rates are comparable to reported growth rates for intertidal Macoma populations in Scotland and the Netherlands. A partial life table calculated from the death assemblage indicates that Macoma at 1.1 m above mean low water have an annual mortality which increases from about 20% at age 2 to about 50% at age 7 years.


2020 ◽  
pp. 30-33
Author(s):  
D. R. Аgliullin ◽  
G. R. Khasanova ◽  
E. A. Abdulaeva ◽  
S. T. Agliullina ◽  
A. N. Amirov ◽  
...  

Objective: To assess the incidence of central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) through the example of a large industrial Russian city.Methods: A retrospective analysis of CSC of Kazan population for 2009–2018 has been done.Results: From 2019 to 2018, 831 new cases of CSC were registered in Kazan. A statistically significant upward trend with growth rate 105.2% and accession rate 5.2% was typical for the annual track record. The mean age of patients was 50 years, the minimum age was 14 years, the maximum age was 87 years. A statistically significant upward trend was detected in track record of incidence in groups of 30–39-year-old and 40–49-year-old. Seasonal increase of the incidence was recorded in February, March, April, October, and November.Conclusions: The upward trend and seasonal prevalence are typical for longterm morbidity of CSC in Kazan. The highest morbidity rate of CSC and statistically significant upward trend of its incidence in track record were recorded in the age of 30–39. 


1994 ◽  
Vol 59 (7) ◽  
pp. 1503-1510
Author(s):  
Stanislav Žáček ◽  
Jaroslav Nývlt

Lead iodide was precipitated from aqueous solutions of 0.015 - 0.1 M Pb(NO3)2 and 0.03 - 0.2 M KI in the equimolar ratio using a laboratory model of a stirred continuous crystallizer at 22 °C. After reaching the steady state, the PbI2 crystal size distribution was measured sedimentometrically and the crystallization kinetics was evaluated based on the mean particle size. Both the linear crystal growth rate and the nucleation rate depend on the specific output of the crystallizer. The system crystallization constant either points to a significant effect of secondary nucleation by the mechanism of contact of the crystals with the stirrer blade, or depends on the concentrations of the components added due to the micromixing mechanism.


Author(s):  
G. Tita ◽  
M. Vincx ◽  
G. Desrosiers

Nematode species from three intertidal assemblages (St Lawrence Estuary, Quebec, Canada) were studied in order to form an ecological interpretation of three allometric attributes: body width, size spectra, and morphotypes. The three assemblages were characterized by a very similar sediment grain median (Md) but different silt–clay proportions: A1 (upper-tidal level; Md=122 μm; silt=34.8%), A3 (mid-tidal level; Md=182 μm; silt=12.8%), and A5 (lower-tidal level; Md=122 μm; silt=6.8%). Silt–clay proportions were an influential factor in determining the mean nematode body width, used as a morphological discriminant between burrowing and interstitial organisms. A plot of the number of species vs the body width-classes showed two peaks: between 19.3 and 22.6 μm (interstitial), and between 32.0 and 45.5 μm (burrowers). As for the size spectra, in sandy sediments the mean nematode individual biomass was smaller than in muddy sediments. As a consequence, the estimated mean individual respiration rate was greater in muddy (A1=2.26 nl O2 h−1) than sandy sediments (A3=1.25 nl O2 h−1; A5=1.12 nl O2 h−1). In contrast, estimated metabolic ratios were lower in A1 (2.78 nl O2 h−1 μg−1 dry weight, DW) than in A3 (2.95 nl O2 h−1 μg−1 DW) and A5 (3.01 nl O2 h−1 μg−1 DW) suggesting different productivity and/or physiological adaptations to different lifestyles (burrowing vs interstitial) between species inhabiting muddy or sandy sediments. Morphotypes (body width/body length ratio=w/l ratio) were found to be associated with feeding groups. Small w/l ratios were typical of microvores, while greater ratios were typical of epigrowth feeders and predators. Ciliate-feeders, deposit-feeders and facultative predators had intermediate ratios. A morphotype food-related hypothesis is proposed: the species morphotype reflects the quality of exploited food; a small w/l ratio (i.e. long gut) would favour digestive efficiency and would be an adaptation to low quality food (microvores); inversely, a greater w/l ratio (i.e. short gut) would be an adaptation to high quality food (epigrowth-feeders and predators).


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 217-222
Author(s):  
Premwadee Chueachat ◽  
Woraporn Tarangkoon ◽  
Suwat Tanyaros

Abstract A comparative study on the nursery culture of the spat of the tropical oyster, Crassostrea iredalei, in an earthen pond and a mangrove canal was conducted over two months. The results revealed no differences in the absolute growth rate determined by shell width between the two culture sites (P < 0.05). Sub-adult oysters cultured in the mangrove canal showed a higher absolute growth rate in shell length and a higher daily growth rate than the oysters cultured in the earthen pond (P < 0.05). The mean survival rate of sub-adult oysters cultured in the earthen pond (99.8 ± 0.2%) was significantly higher than for those cultured in the mangrove canal (66.7 ± 31.4%). Decreased density from the loss of sub-adult oyster nursery culture in the mangrove canal led to higher growth performance than in the earthen pond. However, no difference was found for the fraction of oysters larger or smaller than 5 cm for the two culture sites (P < 0.05). A significant difference was noted in the Condition Index (CI) between the two culture sites (P < 0.05). The high primary productivity in mangroves is a major supporter of higher CI in sub-adult oysters cultured in mangrove canals versus in earthen ponds. Water exchange in the earthen pond to maintain calcium and magnesium concentrations resulted in no differences in the shell compressibility of sub-adult oysters compared with those cultured in the mangrove canal.


1998 ◽  
Vol 1998 ◽  
pp. 63-63
Author(s):  
C. Rymer ◽  
D.I. Givens

The gas production (GP) technique has been developed to assess dynamics of ruminant digestion. Relationships have been observed between a feed's GP profile and in vivo parameters such as digestibility (Khazaal et al., 1993), feed intake and growth rate (Blümmel and Ørskov, 1993), and in situ degradability (Sileshi et al., 1997). However, there are few studies which relate GP data to the in vivo pattern of rumen fermentation (in terms of the rate of pH decline 2 h post-feeding and the mean rumen pH, concentration of total VFA and molar proportion of individual VFA). The object of this experiment was to determine whether such a relationship existed between a feed's GP profile and the pattern of rumen fermentation observed in animals fed that feed.


2008 ◽  
Vol 90 (6) ◽  
pp. 477-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Devaraj ◽  
SR Dodds

INTRODUCTION Some studies have considered abdominal aortas of 2.6–2.9 cm diameter (ectatic aortas) at age 65 years as being abnormal and have recommended surveillance, whereas others have considered these normal and surveillance unnecessary. It is, therefore, not clear how to manage patients with an initial aortic diameter between 2.6–2.9 cm detected at screening. The aim of this study was to evaluate growth rates of ectatic aortas detected on initial ultrasound screening to determine if any developed into clinically significant abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs; > 5.0 cm) and clarify the appropriate surveillance intervals for these patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS Data were obtained from a prospective AAA screening programme which commenced in 1992. The group of patients with initial aortic diameters of 2.6–2.9 cm with a minimum of 1-year follow-up were included in this study (Group 2). This was further divided into two subgroups (Groups 3a and 3b) based on a minimum follow-up interval obtained from outcome analysis. Mean growth rate was calculated as change in aortic diameter with time. The comparison of growth rates in Groups 3a and 3b was performed using the t-test. The number and proportion of AAAs that expanded to ≥ 3.0 cm and ≥ 5.0 cm in diameter were also calculated. RESULTS Out of 999 patients with AAA ≥ 2.6 cm with minimum 1-year follow-up, 358 (36%) were classified as ectatic aortas (2.6–2.9 cm) at initial ultrasound screening with the mean growth rate of 1.69 mm/year (95% CI, 1.56–1.82 mm/year) with a mean follow-up of 5.4 years. Of these 358 ectatic aortas, 314 (88%) expanded into ≥ 3.0 cm, 45 (13%) expanded to ≥ 5.0 cm and only 8 (2%) expanded to ≥ 5.5 cm over a mean follow-up of 5.4 years (range, 1–14 years). No ectatic aortas expanded to ≥ 5.0 cm within the first 4 years of surveillance. Therefore, the minimum follow-up interval was set at 4 years and this threshold was then used for further analysis. The mean growth rate in Group 3a (< 5.0 cm at last scan) was 1.33 mm/year (95% CI, 1.23–1.44 mm/year) with a mean follow-up of 7 years compared to Group 3b (≥ 5.0 cm at last scan) with the mean growth rate of 3.33 mm/year (95% CI 3.05–3.61 mm/year) and a mean follow-up of 8 years. The comparison of mean growth rates between Groups 3a and 3b is statistically significant (t-test; T = 13.00; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS One-third of patients undergoing AAA screening will have ectatic aortas (2.6–2.9 cm) and at least 13% of these will expand to a size of ≥ 5.0 cm over a follow-up of 4–14 years. A threshold diameter of 2.6 cm for defining AAAs in a screening programme is recommended and ectatic aortas detected at age 65 years can be re-screened at 4 years after the initial scan. A statistically significant difference was found in the growth rates of ectatic aortas with minimum 4 years follow-up, expanding to ≥ 5.0 cm compared to those less than 5.0 cm at last surveillance scan. Further studies are required to test the hypothesis of whether growth rate over the first 4 years of surveillance will identify those who are most likely to expand to a clinically significant size (> 5.0 cm).


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