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The San Clemente cold seep lies within 100-200 km of other reducing habitats in the NE Pacific, offering an opportunity to compare diversity and species overlap among reducing habitats ( i.e. whale-, kelp-, and wood-falls) at similar depths within a single region. Video observations from the research submersible Alvin at the San Clemente seep (1800 m depth) indicated clumps ('thickets') of vestimentiferans distributed as meter-scale patches interspersed with vesicomyid clam beds and black sediments. Sediment-core samples were collected at distances of 0 to 80-200 m along randomly oriented transects radiating outward from vestimentiferan thickets to evaluate changes in macrofaunal community structure from thickets into the background community. Macrofaunal abundance was elevated at distances of 0-1 m compared to 80-200 m ( i.e. the 'background' community). The tube-building frenulate worms Siboglinum spp., along with peracarid crustaceans, dominated sediments within 1 m of vestimentiferan thickets. Species diversity was depressed within 1 m of thickets but with high rates of species accumulation, suggesting that seep sites greatly increase sediment heterogeneity and facilitate colonization by non-background macrofaunal species. Stable isotope data indicate chemosynthetic nutrition for some dominant macrofaunal species within 1 m of tubeworm thickets. The macrofaunal community near vestimentiferan thickets in San Clemente seep contains intermediate levels of species richness and diversity compared to other deep-sea seep areas in the northeast Pacific. There was low species overlap between the San Clemente seep macrofauna and communities in reducing habitats near wood-, whale-, and kelp-falls at similar depths within the region, suggesting that seeps harbor a distinct infaunal community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the study on the microbial degradation process, which includes sulfate reduction and methanogenesis, and biogeochemical gradients in a whale-fall habitat created by a 30 ton whale carcass deployed at 1,675 meter depth for six to seven year on the California margin. It states that photomosaicking, microsensor measurements, radiotracer incubations and geochemical analyses were conducted. It found that a sedimentary reducing habitat similar to deep-sea cold seeps in terms of sulfide production was created by the whale fall.

An abstract on regional variation in myocardial blood flow in patients with left bundle branch block evaluated with quantitative perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is presented.

Information about the Society for Theriogenology (SFT)/American College of Theriogenologists (ACT) annual conference held in Monterey, California from August 9-10, 2007 is presented. Doctor Gregory S. Hammer told the students about the need for the veterinary industry to support educational programs. The benefits of the Senior Vet Student Survival Program were explored. Doctor Root Kustritz reviewed the techniques for obtaining vaginal cells from bitches.

The demand for renal transplantation continues to increase. Combined organ transplantation currently accounts for approximately 10% of the kidney transplants at UCLA. As the demand for renal transplantation has increased, living kidney donation has become more common and achieves excellent results. Thirty-five percent of the 1,307 renal transplants at UCLA during the past 5 years were from living donors. The donor morbidity has been reduced with improvements in postoperative analgesia and laparoscopic nephrectomy techniques. Management of the patients waiting for cadaveric renal transplantation is becoming increasingly complex, since this population now exceeds 1,000 patients and the median waiting time is approaching 5 years. Improved immunosuppressive, antibiotic, and antiviral medications have significantly reduced the rate of acute rejection and serious infections. As long-term graft survival improves, the side effect profiles of newer medications are increasingly important. The one- and 3-year graft survival rates during the past 5 years were 98% and 90% for adult recipients of living donor kidneys and were 91% and 82% for recipients of cadaveric grafts, respectively. The results for pediatric transplants were 100% and 97% for living donor kidneys and 97% and 85% for cadaveric grafts at one and 3 years, respectively. We are pleased with our excellent results and the manner in which our program has responded to changes in the organ transplant environment.