Methylation of KvDMR1 involved in regulating the imprinting of CDKN1C gene in cattle

The CDKN1C gene encodes a cyclin‐dependent kinase inhibitor and is one of the key genes involved in the development of Beckwith–Wiedemann syndrome and cancer. In this study, using a direct sequencing approach based on a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at genomic DNA and cDNA levels, we show that CDKN1C exhibits monoallelic expression in all seven studied organs (heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, muscle and subcutaneous fat) in cattle. To investigate how methylation regulates imprinting of CDKN1C in cattle, allele‐specific methylation patterns in two putative differential methylation regions (DMRs), the CDKN1C DMR and KvDMR1, were analyzed in three tissues (liver, spleen and lung) using bisulfite sequencing PCR. Our results show that in the CDKN1C DMR both parental alleles were unmethylated in all three analyzed tissues. In contrast, KvDMR1 was differentially methylated between the two parental alleles in the same tissues. Statistical analysis showed that there is a significant difference in the methylation level between the two parental alleles (P < 0.01), confirming that this region is the DMR of KvDMR1 and that it may be correlated with CDKN1C imprinting.     

Diversity measures in macroinvertebrate and zooplankton communities related to the trophic status of subtropical reservoirs: Contradictory or complementary responses?

Macroinvertebrate communities have been widely used as a tool for assessing the environmental quality of freshwater ecosystems, whereas zooplankton communities have been to some extent neglected. However, the importance of using different indicators to achieve a more comprehensive framework of assessment regarding water quality has been recognized. This study compared estimates of species richness (number of species) and the Shannon–Wiener index for data on macroinvertebrate and zooplankton communities in tropical reservoirs and related them to their trophic state. The trop+hic classification was obtained by applying the Carlson index (1977) modified by Toledo et al. (1983), and the index of the Brazilian Society of the Environmental Technology Agency. The comparative response of the different indicators was analyzed using a series of bivariate correlations (Draftsman’s plot). The results illustrate that diversity measures, namely species richness, responded differently when related to the trophic classification of reservoirs, depending on the community considered. The species richness of zooplankton was positively related to hypereutrophic conditions, due to the higher number of rotifer species, including tolerant generalist species and at the same time, as a result of the exclusion of species from other groups, whereas for macroinvertebrates, species richness was negatively related to hypereutrophic conditions. Melanoides tuberculatus, which exhibits a high tolerance and competitive ability under such conditions, was the dominant species in macroinvertebrate communities, which excluded endemic species and reduced local richness and diversity. The same indicators applied to the zooplankton and macroinvertebrate communities might therefore provide contradictory responses regarding ecological quality assessment in tropical reservoirs, which suggest that zooplankton should be taken into account among the biological quality elements considered in the ecological quality assessment, management, and restoration of water bodies.     

Planktonic indices in the evaluation of the ecological status and the trophic state of the longest lake in Poland

Due to the intensive mixing polymictic lakes should be homogenous. However, morphometric diversity and high water dynamics contribute to the differentiation of many parameters in various areas of the lakes. This study analyzes both phytoplankton and zooplankton to assess differences in water quality along the north–south axis of the longest lake in Poland. New phytoplankton indicators were applied for determining the lake's ecological status: the Q index based on functional groups and the PMPL (Phytoplankton Metric for Polish Lakes) index based on phytoplankton biomass. TSI_ROT index (Rotifer Trophic State Index), which comprises the percentage of species indicating a high trophic state in the indicatory group and the percentage of bacteriovorus in the Rotifera population, was used for zooplankton analysis.TP content was different at different sites – we observed its gradual increase from the south to the north. Spatial variation of phosphorus did not considerably affect plankton diversity. The phytoplankton was dominated by Oscillatoriales, typical of shallow, well-mixed eutrophic lakes. The ecological status of the lake based on the EQR (Ecological Quality Ratio) was poor or moderate. The zooplankton was dominated by rotifers (at almost all sites), which indicates a eutrophic state of the lake. The values of phytoplankton indices at the studied sites did not differ considerably; the differences resulted more from local conditions such as the contaminant inflow and the macrophyte development than water dynamics.We have demonstrated that in the lake dominated by filamentous Cyanobacteria the ecological status should be determined according to the PMPL index or other indices dependent on the dominant Cyanobacteria species. Since the Q index does not include the functional group S1, the results can lead to the false conclusion that water quality improves with an increased amount of phytoplankton. The high abundance of Cyanobacteria in the lake may have contributed to the poor growth of rotifers.     

Alternative rib bone biopsy measurements to estimate changes in skeletal mineral reserves in cattle

Rib bone biopsy samples are often used to estimate changes in skeletal mineral reserves in cattle but differences in sampling procedures and the bone measurements reported often make interpretation and comparisons among experiments difficult. ‘Full-core’ rib bone biopsy samples, which included the external cortical bone, internal cortical bone and trabecular bone (CB_ext, CB_int and Trab, respectively), were obtained from cattle known to be in phosphorus (P) adequate (P_adeq) or severely P-deficient (P_defic) status. Experiments 1 and 2 examined growing steers and Experiment 3 mature breeder cows. The thickness of cortical bone, specific gravity (SG), and the amount and concentration of ash and P per unit fresh bone volume, differed among CB_ext, CB_int and Trab bone. P concentration (mg/cc) was closely correlated with both SG and ash concentrations (pooled data, r=0.99). Thickness of external cortical bone (CBT_ext) was correlated with full-core P concentration (FC-P_conc) (pooled data, r=0.87). However, an index, the amount of P in CB_ext per unit surface area of CB_ext (PSACB; mg P/mm²), was more closely correlated with the FC-P_conc (pooled data, FC-P_conc=37.0+146×PSACB; n=42, r=0.94, RSD=7.7). Results for measured or estimated FC-P_conc in 10 published studies with cattle in various physiological states and expected to be P_adeq or in various degrees of P_defic status were collated and the ranges of FC-P_conc indicative of P adequacy and P deficiency for various classes of cattle were evaluated. FC-P_conc was generally in the range 130 to 170 and 100 to 120 mg/cc fresh bone in P_adeq mature cows and young growing cattle, respectively. In conclusion, the FC-P_conc could be estimated accurately from biopsy samples of CB_ext. This allows comparisons between studies where full-core or only CB_ext biopsy samples of rib bone have been obtained to estimate changes in the skeletal P status of cattle and facilitates evaluation of the P status of cattle.     

Assessment of sustainable development: A case study of Wuhan as a pilot city in China

Building resource-conserving and environmental-friendly society (referred to as “two-oriented society”, TOS) is an important way proposed by the Chinese government to achieve sustainable development. In this paper, a pilot city of constructing TOS in China-Wuhan is taken as a case to evaluate the performance of TOS from 2005 to 2012. Treating the indicators of TOS as multi-dimensional vectors, this paper proposes a methodological framework by integrating the methods of vector angle and Euclidean distance to measure the angle and distance between the vector of annual status of TOS and the vector of planning target of TOS. Based on this, the paper employs coordination (the angle between the two vectors) and effectiveness (the distance between the two vectors) to describe the performance of TOS and its subsystems, including economic development (ED), social and people's well-being (SW), resource consumption (RC), resource recycling (RR), environmental quality (EQ) and pollution control (PC). Moreover, grey relational analysis approach is used to analyse the core factors influencing TOS construction. Results reveal that the performance of TOS in Wuhan is continually improved in the study period while the performance of its subsystems shows several differences: (1) both coordination and effectiveness of TOS, ED and SW keep on improving, while those of EQ fluctuate; (2) the effectiveness of both RR and PC shows a downward trend while the coordination of them fluctuates; (3) the actual value of RC indicators reaches the planning targets. Based on the analysis of determinants, we suggest that strengthening technological ability and adding investment are extremely important to improve the performance of RC and PC. For the sake of improving RR, it is critical to provide more government public expenditure and encourage financial institutions to provide more loans to stimulate and support the businesses. Moreover, increasing the amount of R&D funding and maintaining steady external economic environment are proved to be effective to improve all subsystems of TOS.     

Use of the water-level fluctuation analysis tool (Regcel) in hydrological status assessment of Finnish lakes

Regulation of water flow constitutes the most important hydromorphological burden to Finnish lakes. The total area of regulated lakes is nearly 11,000 km², equalling one-third of the total area of Finnish inland waters. Extensive research projects have been carried out since the end of the 1980s to find out opportunities to mitigate harmful effects of the regulation of watercourses. A water-level fluctuation analysis tool, known as Regcel, has been developed to study water level data and to identify the most significant impacts. Results of the Regcel analysis give an overall picture of the impact of lake regulation in northern climate. The model is based on relationships between the water-level fluctuation and factors related to environmental, social and economical effects. Regcel has been used in 12 Lake Regulation Development Projects in Finland. In this article, we show how the Regcel model was applied in two cases. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Guest editors: K. M. Wantzen, K.-O. Rothhaupt, M. M?rtl, M. Cantonati, L. G.-Tóth & P. Fischer Ecological Effects of Water-Level Fluctuations in Lakes     

The potential for and constraints on the evolution of compensatory ability in Asclepias syriaca

To investigate the potential for and constraints on the evolution of compensatory ability, we performed a greenhouse experiment using Asclepias syriaca in which foliar damage and soil nutrient concentration were manipulated. Under low nutrient conditions, significant genetic variation was detected for allocation patterns and for compensatory ability. Furthermore, resource allocation to storage was positively, genetically correlated both with compensatory ability and biomass when damaged, the last two being positively, genetically correlated with each other. Thus, in the low nutrient environment, compensatory ability via resource allocation to storage provided greater biomass when damaged. A negative genetic correlation between compensatory ability and plant biomass when undamaged suggests that this mechanism entailed an allocation cost, which would constrain the evolution of greater compensatory ability when nutrients are limited. Under high nutrient conditions, neither compensatory ability nor allocation patterns predicted biomass when damaged, even though genetic variation in compensatory ability existed. Instead, plant biomass when undamaged predicted biomass when damaged. The differences in outcomes between the two nutrient treatments highlight the importance of considering the possible range of environmental conditions that a genotype may experience. Furthermore, traits that conferred compensatory ability did not necessarily contribute to biomass when damaged, demonstrating that it is critical to examine both compensatory ability and biomass when damaged to determine whether selection by herbivores can favor the evolution of increased compensation. Received: 2 April 1999 / Accepted: 21 September 1999