Integrating adverse effect analysis into environmental risk assessment for exotic generalist arthropod biological control agents: a three-tiered framework

Environmental risk assessments (ERAs) are required before utilizing exotic arthropods for biological control (BC). Present ERAs focus on exposure analysis (host/prey range) and have resulted in approval of many specialist exotic biological control agents (BCA). In comparison to specialists, generalist arthropod BCAs (GABCAs) have been considered inherently risky and less used in classical biological control. To safely consider exotic GABCAs, an ERA must include methods for the analysis of potential effects. A panel of 47 experts from 14 countries discussed, in six online forums over 12 months, scientific criteria for an ERA for exotic GABCAs. Using four case studies, a three-tiered ERA comprising Scoping, Screening and Definitive Assessments was developed. The ERA is primarily based on expert consultation, with decision processes in each tier that lead to the approval of the petition or the subsequent tier. In the Scoping Assessment, likelihood of establishment (for augmentative BC), and potential effect(s) are qualitatively assessed. If risks are identified, the Screening Assessment is conducted, in which 19 categories of effects (adverse and beneficial) are quantified. If a risk exceeds the proposed risk threshold in any of these categories, the analysis moves to the Definitive Assessment to identify potential non-target species in the respective category(ies). When at least one potential non-target species is at significant risk, long-term and indirect ecosystem risks must be quantified with actual data or the petition for release can be dismissed or withdrawn. The proposed ERA should contribute to the development of safe pathways for the use of low risk GABCAs

Variation in The Vitamin D Receptor Gene is Associated With Multiple Sclerosis in an Australian Population

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) resulting in accumulating neurological disability. The disorder is more prevalent at higher latitudes. To investigate VDR gene variation using three intragenic restriction fragment length polymorphisms (Apa I, Taq I and Fok I) in an Australian MS case-control population, one hundred and four Australian MS patients were studied with patients classified clinically as Relapsing Remitting MS (RR-MS), Secondary Progressive MS (SP-MS) or Primary Progressive MS (PP-MS). Also, 104 age-, sex-, and ethnicity-matched controls were investigated as a comparative group. Our results show a significant difference of genotype distribution frequency between the case and control groups for the functional exon 9 VDR marker Taq I (p_Gen = 0.016) and interestingly, a stronger difference for the allelic frequency (p_All = 0.0072). The Apa I alleles were also found to be associated with MS (p_All = 0.04) but genotype frequencies were not significantly different from controls (p_Gen = 0.1). The Taq and Apa variants are in very strong and significant linkage disequilibrium (D' = 0.96, P < 0.0001). The genotypic associations are strongest for the progressive forms of MS (SP-MS and PP-MS). Our results support a role for the VDR gene increasing

Energy In/Out of Place

This book, and the online workshop that preceded it, are attempts to intensify the sense of place within our scholarship and in our scholarly practices. They are formed from the efforts of five research teams examining energy cultures in five different locations around the world. Team members weren’t necessarily experts on their given places, but many were bound to these sites through time, kith, and kin

Potentials of sago fibre hydrolysate (SFH) as a sole fermentation media for bioethanol production

Sago wastewater which contains starchy fibres from sago starch processing mills is commonly discharged directly to nearby stream thus contribute to serious environmental pollution. Sago fibre which is known to be a local agricultural waste mainly contains residual starch of about (50 – 60 %) together with cellulosic component. These contribute to high carbohydrate contents which suitable to be used as substrate for ethanol production. Initially, sago fibre (SF) was converted into sago fibre hydrolysate (SFH) via enzymatic hydrolysis using commercial enzymes; Liquozyme SC DS and Spirizyme Fuel HS. This study emphasized on batch ethanol fermentation by commercial baker’s yeast utilizing 50 g/L and 80 g/L glucose of SFH as the sole fermentation medium. The results indicate that 50 g/L glucose from SFH media is capable of generating maximum ethanol concentration at 20.33 ± 0.15 g/L, with highest glucose consumption efficiency (97.78 %) during 24 hours of fermentation. Similar concentration of bioethanol was obtained in 50 g/L glucose of commercial glucose (CG) media which is at 20.04 ± 0.06 g/L. However, lower ethanol concentration was obtained in both 80 g/L glucose from SFH (13.32 ± 0.12 g/L) and CG (12.98 ± 0. 04 g/L media), respectively. Addition of yeast extract at 3 g/L into 80 g/L SFH as well as CG significantly improve ethanol fermentability (SFH: 41.04 ± 0.04 g/L and CG: 33.96 ± 0.04 g/L). Based on statistical analyses, 50 g/L glucose of SFH media exhibit the highest ethanol yield (0.42 ± 0.003 g/g) and highest fermentation efficiency (81.35 ± 0.572 %) compared to 80 g/L glucose (0.24 ± 0.008 g/g; 46.65 ± 1.50 %). Conclusively, this study demonstrated that glucose in SFH was metabolized efficiently by commercial baker’s yeast during ethanol fermentation, thus suggesting the capability of SFH to be a feasible and alternative substrate with less expensive nitrogen source for the renewable bioethanol production

Mathematical models of human mobility of relevance to malaria transmission in Africa

As Africa-wide malaria prevalence declines, an understanding of human movement patterns is essential to inform how best to target interventions. We fitted movement models to trip data from surveys conducted at 3-5 sites throughout each of Mali, Burkina Faso, Zambia and Tanzania. Two models were compared in terms of their ability to predict the observed movement patterns - a gravity model, in which movement rates between pairs of locations increase with population size and decrease with distance, and a radiation model, in which travelers are cumulatively "absorbed" as they move outwards from their origin of travel. The gravity model provided a better fit to the data overall and for travel to large populations, while the radiation model provided a better fit for nearby populations. One strength of the data set was that trips could be categorized according to traveler group - namely, women traveling with children in all survey countries and youth workers in Mali. For gravity models fitted to data specific to these groups, youth workers were found to have a higher travel frequency to large population centers, and women traveling with children a lower frequency. These models may help predict the spatial transmission of malaria parasites and inform strategies to control their spread

A qualitative study investigating the meaning of participation to improve the measurement of this construct

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to improve the measurement of participation. Research questions were as follows: (1) What constitutes participation according to adults? (2) Do they mention participation subdomains that are not covered in the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) item bank “Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities”? Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 46 adults from the general population. Interviews were thematically analysed using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as conceptual framework. Thereafter, assigned codes were compared to PROMIS item bank. Results: Participants mentioned a variety of participation subdomains that were meaningful to them, such as socializing and employment. All subdomains could be classified into the ICF. The following subdomains were not covered by the PROMIS item bank: acquisition of necessities, education life, economic life, community life, and religion and spirituality. Also a distinction between remunerative (i.e. paid) and non-remunerative (i.e. unpaid) employment, and domestic life was missing. Several ICF sub-codes were not mentioned, such as ceremonies. Conclusions: Many participation subdomains were mentioned to be meaningful. As several of these subdomains are not covered in the PROMIS item bank, it may benefit from extension with new (patient-)reported subdomains of participation