Modelled effects of rising CO2 concentration and climate change on native perennial grass and sown grass-legume pastures

Native perennial grass and sown grass-legume pastures are an important agricultural and environmental resource. We investigated the impact of rising carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2]) and projected climate changes on these pasture ecosystems in southeastern Tasmania, Australia, using a biophysical simulation model, EcoMod. The model consists of interdependent modules that describe soil physicochemical and hydrological characteristics, and pasture growth and senescence, with fluxes described by empirical and mechanistic equations. Our simulations showed that in native pastures, projected climate change increased the biomass of C-4 grasses, with limited impact upon C-3 grasses, a trend reversed by rising [CO2]. In sown pastures, projected climate change decreased the biomass of perennial rye grass Lolium perenne and total biomass markedly by 2070, whilst subterranean clover Trifolium subterraneum biomass increased. Subterranean clover biomass changed little with increased [CO2] alone, whereas perennial rye grass biomass increased. Responses across pastures reflected species' tolerances to environmental factors, with projected climate change generally having more of an impact on biomass than rising [CO2]. Changes in both [CO2] and climate led to a reduction in protein content and digestibility. Soil inorganic nutrient concentrations decreased with increasing [CO2] and increased with projected climate change. Further simulations should investigate whether these patterns are robust for different sites and alternative environmental futures. Our results reinforce the need to pursue adaptation strategies in response to environmental change in order to maintain productive pasture ecosystems

Communities` attitudes towards conservation in Gashakagumti National Park Nigeria

This study assessed the attitudes of communities around GashakaGumti National Park towards conservation. It also investigated factors that influence these conservation attitudes. Data were obtained through structured questionnaire which covered demographic characteristics, perceived benefits and  challenges derived from the park and responses to attitudinal statements. Data were subjected to  descriptive and inferential analysis. The result indicated that 79.3% of the respondents had a positive  attitude towards conservation on GashakaGumti National Park. Perceived benefits derived from the Park  included construction of classrooms, roads, medical centre, employment opportunity, improved  economy through tourist inflow while perceived challenges included destruction of farm produce by wild  animals and lack of access to fodder for livestock. 78.9% of the respondents were willing to be involved in community based projects planning and execution. 94.7% accepted and supported community  development projects. 100% supported the continued existence of the park. The positive conservation  attitude of the respondents might be attributed to the perceived economic benefits derived from the park and the communities` willingness to be involved in  community based projects. Result of the chi square and correlation analysis indicated gender, occupation, level of education, perceived benefits and distance from the park had significant relationship with attitude towards conservation in GashakaGumti National Park. The authorities of the park should not relent in their effort in maintaining their peaceful co existence with the surrounding communities but ensure consolidation of this feat. The park management should look into the issues  considered as challenges by communities to avert conflict, animosity and breeding of negative conservation attitudes. It is also recommended that attitudinal  studies should be conducted periodically and incorporated into National Park Service Management Plan.Key words: Attitudes, Conservation, Benefits, GashakaGumti National Par

Aminophylline and progesterone prevent inflammation-induced preterm parturition in the mouse

Although progesterone (P4) supplementation is the most widely used therapy for the prevention of preterm labor (PTL), reports of its clinical efficacy have been conflicting. We have previously shown that the anti-inflammatory effects of P4 can be enhanced by increasing intracellular cAMP levels in primary human myometrial cells. Here we have examined whether adding aminophylline (Am), a non-specific phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor that increases intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels, to P4 might improve its efficacy using in vivo and in vitro models of PTL. In a mouse model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced PTL, we found that the combination of P4 and Am delayed the onset of LPS-induced PTL, while the same dose of P4 and Am alone had no effect. Pup survival was not improved by either agent alone or in combination. Myometrial prolabor and inflammatory cytokine gene expression was reduced, but the reduction was similar in P4 and P4/Am treated mice. There was no effect of the combination of P4 and Am on an ex vivo assessment of myometrial contractility. In human myometrial cells and myometrial tissue explants, we found that the combination had marked anti-inflammatory effects, reducing cytokine and COX-2 mRNA and protein levels to a greater extent than either agent alone. These data suggest that the combination of P4 and Am has a more potent anti-inflammatory effect than either agent alone and may be an effective combination in women at high-risk of PTL

Ray and wave chaos in asymmetric resonant optical cavities

Optical resonators are essential components of lasers and other wavelength-sensitive optical devices. A resonator is characterized by a set of modes, each with a resonant frequency omega and resonance width Delta omega=1/tau, where tau is the lifetime of a photon in the mode. In a cylindrical or spherical dielectric resonator, extremely long-lived resonances are due to `whispering gallery' modes in which light circulates around the perimeter trapped by total internal reflection. These resonators emit light isotropically. Recently, a new category of asymmetric resonant cavities (ARCs) has been proposed in which substantial shape deformation leads to partially chaotic ray dynamics. This has been predicted to give rise to a universal, frequency-independent broadening of the whispering-gallery resonances, and highly anisotropic emission. Here we present solutions of the wave equation for ARCs which confirm many aspects of the earlier ray-optics model, but also reveal interesting frequency-dependent effects characteristic of quantum chaos. For small deformations the lifetime is controlled by evanescent leakage, the optical analogue of quantum tunneling. We find that the lifetime is much shortened by a process known as `chaos-assisted tunneling'. In contrast, for large deformations (~10%) some resonances are found to have longer lifetimes than predicted by the ray chaos model due to `dynamical localization'.Comment: 4 pages RevTeX with 7 Postscript figure

Identification of liver metastases with probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy at two excitation wavelengths.

BACKGROUND: Metastasis of colorectal cancer to the liver is the most common indication for hepatic resection in a western population. Incomplete excision of malignancy due to residual microscopic disease normally results in worse patient outcome. Therefore, a method aiding in the real time discrimination of normal and malignant tissue on a microscopic level would be of benefit. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The ability of fluorescent probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE) to identify normal and malignant liver tissue was evaluated in an orthotopic murine model of colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRLM). To maximise information yield, two clinical fluorophores, fluorescein and indocyanine green (ICG) were injected and imaged in a dual wavelength approach (488 and 660 nm, respectively). Visual tissue characteristics on pCLE examination were compared with histological features. Fluorescence intensity in both tissues was statistically analysed to elucidate if this can be used to differentiate between normal and malignant tissue. RESULTS: Fluorescein (488 nm) enabled good visualisation of normal and CRLM tissue, whereas ICG (660 nm) visualisation was limited to normal liver tissue only. Fluorescence intensity in areas of CRLM was typically 53-100% lower than normal hepatic parenchyma. Using general linear mixed modelling and receiver operating characteristic analysis, high fluorescence intensity was found to be statistically more likely in normal hepatic tissue. CONCLUSION: Real time discrimination between normal liver parenchyma and metastatic tissue with pCLE examination of fluorescein and ICG is feasible. Employing two (rather than a single) fluorophores allows a combination of qualitative and quantitative characteristics to be used to distinguish between hepatic parenchyma and CRLM. Lasers Surg. Med. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

The local and systemic immune response to intrauterine LPS in the prepartum mouse

Inflammation plays a key role in human term and preterm labor (PTL). Intrauterine LPS has been widely used to model inflammation-induced complications of pregnancy, including PTL. It has been shown to induce an intense myometrial inflammatory cell infiltration, but the role of LPS-induced inflammatory cell activation in labor onset and fetal demise is unclear. We investigated this using a mouse model of PTL, where an intrauterine injection of 10 μg of LPS (serotype 0111:B4) was given at E16 of CD1 mouse pregnancy. This dose induced PTL at an average of 12.7 h postinjection in association with 85% fetal demise. Flow cytometry showed that LPS induced a dramatic systemic inflammatory response provoking a rapid and marked leucocyte infiltration into the maternal lung and liver in association with increased cytokine levels. Although there was acute placental inflammatory gene expression, there was no corresponding increase in fetal brain inflammatory gene expression until after fetal demise. There was marked myometrial activation of NFκB and MAPK/AP-1 systems in association with increased chemokine and cytokine levels, both of which peaked with the onset of parturition. Myometrial macrophage and neutrophil numbers were greater in the LPS-injected mice with labor onset only; prior to labor, myometrial neutrophils and monocytes numbers were greater in PBS-injected mice, but this was not associated with an earlier onset of labor. These data suggest that intrauterine LPS induces parturition directly, independent of myometrial inflammatory cell infiltration, and that fetal demise occurs without fetal inflammation. Intrauterine LPS provokes a marked local and systemic inflammatory response but with limited inflammatory cell infiltration into the myometrium or placenta

Spatial effects, sampling errors, and task specialization in the honey bee

Task allocation patterns should depend on the spatial distribution of work within the nest, variation in task demand, and the movement patterns of workers, however, relatively little research has focused on these topics. This study uses a spatially explicit agent based model to determine whether such factors alone can generate biases in task performance at the individual level in the honey bees, Apis mellifera. Specialization (bias in task performance) is shown to result from strong sampling error due to localized task demand, relatively slow moving workers relative to nest size, and strong spatial variation in task demand. To date, specialization has been primarily interpreted with the response threshold concept, which is focused on intrinsic (typically genotypic) differences between workers. Response threshold variation and sampling error due to spatial effects are not mutually exclusive, however, and this study suggests that both contribute to patterns of task bias at the individual level. While spatial effects are strong enough to explain some documented cases of specialization; they are relatively short term and not explanatory for long term cases of specialization. In general, this study suggests that the spatial layout of tasks and fluctuations in their demand must be explicitly controlled for in studies focused on identifying genotypic specialists

Development and evaluation of a patient decision aid for young people and parents considering fixed orthodontic appliances

OBJECTIVES: To develop and evaluate a child-centred patient decision aid for young people, and their parents, supporting shared decision making about fixed orthodontic appliance treatment with dental health professionals, namely the Fixed Appliance Decision Aid (FADA). METHODS: The studies were undertaken in a UK teaching dental hospital orthodontic department in 2013-2014. The development phase involved an interview study with: (a) 10 patients (12-16 years old), and their parents, receiving orthodontic care to investigate treatment decision making and inform the content of the FADA and (b) 23 stakeholders critiquing the draft decision aid's content, structure and utility. The evaluation phase employed a pre-/post-test study design, with 30 patients (12-16 years old) and 30 parents. Outcomes included the Decisional Conflict Scale; measures of orthodontic treatment expectations and knowledge. RESULTS: Qualitative analysis identified two informational needs: effectiveness of treatment on orthodontic outcomes and treatment consequences for patients' lives. Quantitative analysis found decisional conflict reduced in both patients (mean difference -12.3, SD 15.3, 95% CI 6.6-17.9; p < 0.001) and parents (mean difference - 8.6, SD 16.6, 95% CI 2.5-14.8; p = 0.002); knowledge about duration and frequency of orthodontic treatment increased; expectations about care were unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: Using the FADA may enable dental professionals to support patients and their parents, decisions about fixed appliance treatments more effectively, ensuring young people's preferences are integrated into care planning

Specific Lipopolysaccharide Serotypes Induce Differential Maternal and Neonatal Inflammatory Responses in a Murine Model of Preterm Labor.

Intrauterine inflammation is recognized as a key mediator of both normal and preterm birth but is also associated with neonatal neurological injury. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is often used to stimulate inflammatory pathways in animal models of infection/inflammation-induced preterm labor; however, inconsistencies in maternal and neonatal responses to LPS are frequently reported. We hypothesized that LPS serotype-specific responses may account for a portion of these inconsistencies. Four different Escherichia coli LPS serotypes (O111:B4, O55:B5, O127:B8, and O128:B12) were administered to CD1 mice via intrauterine injection at gestational day 16. Although control animals delivered at term 60 ± 15 hours postinjection (p.i.), those administered with O111:B4 delivered 7 ± 2 hours p.i., O55:B5 delivered 10 ± 3 hours p.i., O127:B8 delivered 16 ± 10 hours p.i., and O128:B12 delivered 17 ± 2 hours p.i. (means ± SD). A correlation between the onset of preterm labor and myometrial activation of the inflammatory transcription factor, activator protein 1, but not NF-κB was observed. Specific LPS serotypes induced differential activation of downstream contractile and inflammatory pathways in myometrium and neonatal pup brain. Our findings demonstrate functional disparity in inflammatory pathway activation in response to differing LPS serotypes. Selective use of LPS serotypes may represent a useful tool for targeting specific inflammatory response mechanisms in these models