Distribution and behaviour of Common Scoter Melanitta nigra relative to prey resources and environmental parameters

Offshore wind farms are proposed around the coast of the UK and elsewhere in Europe. These sites tend to be located in shallow coastal waters that often coincide with areas used by over-wintering Common Scoter Melanitta nigra . A large-scale study was undertaken to ascertain the relationship of the spatial distribution of Common Scoter in Liverpool Bay with prey abundance and environmental and anthropogenic variables that may affect foraging efficiency. The highest numbers of Common Scoter coincided with sites that had a high abundance and biomass of bivalve prey species. There was strong evidence that the maximum observed biomass of bivalves occurred at a mean depth of c. 14 m off the Lancashire coast and at c. 8 m off the north Wales coast. This coincided well with the distribution of Common Scoter at Shell Flat, but less well with the distribution of birds off North Wales. Common Scoters were observed in lowest numbers or were absent from areas in which anthropogenic disturbance (shipping activity) was relatively intense, even when these areas held a high prey biomass. Commercial fishing activities did not appear to contribute to this disturbance.     

Priority effects among young‐of‐the‐year fish: reduced growth of bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) caused by yellow perch (Perca flavescens)?

1. When available, Daphnia spp. are often preferred by age‐0 yellow perch and bluegill sunfish because of energetic profitability. We hypothesised that predation by age‐0 yellow perch could lead to a midsummer decline (MSD) of Daphnia spp. and that priority effects may favour yellow perch because they hatch before bluegill, allowing them to capitalise on Daphnia spp. prior to bluegill emergence. 2. Data were collected from 2004 to 2010 in Pelican Lake, Nebraska, U.S.A. The lake experienced a prolonged MSD in all but 1 year (2005), generally occurring within the first 2 weeks of June except in 2008 and 2010 when it occurred at the end of June. MSD timing is not solely related to seasonal patterns of age‐0 yellow perch consumption. Nevertheless, when Daphnia spp. biomass was low during 2004 and 2006–2010 (<4 mg wet weight L^?1), predation by age‐0 yellow perch seems to have suppressed Daphnia spp. biomass (i.e. <1.0 mg wet weight L^?1). The exception was 2005 when age‐0 yellow perch were absent. 3. Growth of age‐0 bluegill was significantly faster in 2005, when Daphnia spp. were available in greater densities (>4 mg wet weight L^?1) compared with the other years (<0.2 mg wet weight L^?1). 4. We conclude that age‐0 yellow perch are capable of reducing Daphnia biomass prior to the arrival of age‐0 bluegill, ultimately slowing bluegill growth. Thus, priority effects favour age‐0 yellow perch when competing with age‐0 bluegill for Daphnia. However, these effects may be minimised if there is a shorter time between hatching of the two species, higher Daphnia spp. densities or lower age‐0 yellow perch densities.     

Treatment of impetigo with sulfonamide-urea powder

Sulfonamides can be used in the treatment of impetigo with vastly increased safety and with more effectiveness in powder rather than ointment form when combined with urea powder in a ratio of approximately three parts of sulfonamide to one of urea. Of 701 patients treated with such a mixture, 95.6 per cent were cured within a week. The only complication was local dermatitis which occurred in 0.57 per cent of patients. This compares favorably with results obtained with newer and expensive drugs which usually have the disadvantage of being used in a greasy vehicle. The low incidence of sensitivity reaction to the sulfonamide-urea powder is perhaps ascribable in part to the avoidance of a greasy vehicle.