The Common Shrew (Sorex araneus): A neglected host of tick-borne infections?

Although the importance of rodents as reservoirs for a number of tick-borne infections is well established, comparatively little is known about the potential role of shrews, despite them occupying similar habitats. To address this, blood and tick samples were collected from common shrews (Sorex araneus) and field voles (Microtus agrestis), a known reservoir of various tick-borne infections, from sites located within a plantation forest in northern England over a 2-year period. Of 647 blood samples collected from shrews, 121 (18.7%) showed evidence of infection with Anaplasma phagocytophilum and 196 (30.3%) with Babesia microti. By comparison, of 1505 blood samples from field voles, 96 (6.4%) were positive for A. phagocytophilum and 458 (30.4%) for Ba. microti. Both species were infested with the ticks Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes trianguliceps, although they had different burdens: on average, shrews carried almost six times as many I. trianguliceps larvae, more than twice as many I. ricinus larvae, and over twice as many nymphs (both tick species combined). The finding that the nymphs collected from shrews were almost exclusively I. trianguliceps highlights that this species is the key vector of these infections in this small mammal community. These findings suggest that common shrews are a reservoir of tick-borne infections and that the role of shrews in the ecology and epidemiology of tick-borne infections elsewhere needs to be comprehensively investigated

An offset in TEX86 values between interbedded lithologies: Implications for sea-surface temperature reconstructions

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via the DOI in this record.The TEX86 (TetraEther indeX of tetraethers consisting of 86 carbon atoms) sea-surface temperature (SST) proxy is based on the distribution of isoprenoid glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT) membrane lipids of pelagic Thaumarchaeota that are preserved in marine sediments. It is a valuable tool for reconstructing past SSTs from sedimentary archives; however there are still major uncertainties as to the effects of variables other than temperature on the proxy. Here we present the first study of GDGT variability across early Cretaceous interbedded pelagic and shelf-sourced turbiditic sediments from two Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) sites in the western North Atlantic. The results indicate that a small, but consistent, offset in TEX86 ratios, equivalent to ~ 1–2 °C of temperature difference, occurs between interbedded lithologies of a similar age. The offset can be attributed to spatial differences in sea-surface temperatures or thaumarchaeotal populations between the shelf and the open ocean, or to secondary diagenetic effects related to oxic degradation of the GDGTs. Of these, a difference in either thaumarchaeotal taxa or ecology between those living in the shelf and ocean areas seems most plausible. Regardless of the root cause of the offset, these findings highlight the necessity of careful sample selection prior to TEX86 analysis, to ensure robust interpretation of palaeotemperature trends.Thanks to Alexandra Nederbragt for her assistance with TEX86 analysis, and to Richard Pancost and Jennifer Biddle for their helpful discussions which greatly improved this manuscript. Thanks to Annette Bolton for her assistance with PCA in SPSS. We are grateful to the two anonymous reviewers for their thoughtful and detailed comments. Thanks to Alex Wülbers and Walter Hale at the Bremen Core Repository for their core-sampling assistance. This research was funded by a NERC studentship (K.L.) and a Royal Society University Research Fellowship (S.A.R.). Samples were provided by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP)

Acquisition effects in private banking: avoiding client losses

The credit crunch of 2009 has had significant impact on financial services, and the effects on customer service are only now becoming apparent. Private banks offer a custom-made and individual financial service with a close personal relationship between customer and bank. During a process of acquisition a significant percentage of an acquired private bank's client base is lost and, therefore, client retention is important in this context. This paper takes notice of this circumstance during the credit crunch when unplanned acquisitions were occurring. It uses a qualitative content analysis and interview data. Although the owners of the bank have changed, the bank is urgently advised to design sustainable client relationships based on the knowledge of their clients' perceptions. The paper proposes a new model of private banking consumer perception that identifies determinants of client migration. This model will be of use for researchers and practitioners in this area of management

Co-management and adaptive co-management: Two modes of governance in a Honduran marine protected area

Selecting the best mode of governance for marine protected areas (MPAs) especially in developing countries has generated considerable controversy in the academic and policy literature during the last 20 years. In this article, two modes - co-management (CM) and adaptive co-management (ACM) - are analysed in detail, and an examination is made of an attempt to put these modes sequentially into practice in the first (2003-2009) and second (2008-2013) management plans, respectively, of the Cayos Cochinos MPA (CCMPA) in Honduras. Extensive fieldwork was carried out during 2006-2010 in three communities dependent on the CCMPA (Rio Esteban, Nueva Armenia, and Chachahuate) including key informant interviews, focus group meetings, household surveys, and participant observation. The paper's findings are (1) that while the first plan implemented some CM principles (such as sharing responsibility between government, stakeholders and NGOs) it failed to deliver other CM principles (such as transparency and accountability); and (2) that while the second plan increased participation and transparency, and used a more adaptive approach, it still left many stakeholders out of the decision-making process, and its processes of experimentation, monitoring and social learning were very limited. The fact is that CM and ACM are laudable objectives, but very difficult to implement in full

Syracosphaera azureaplaneta sp. nov. and revision of Syracosphaera corolla Lecal, 1966

Here we show that the extant coccolithophore Syracosphaera corolla Lecal, 1966 comprises two consistently different non-intergrading morphotypes characterised respectively by exothecal coccoliths with wide and narrow central-areas. These are interpreted as separate species and so a new species is described, S. azureaplaneta, and a revised description is given for S. corolla

Investigating the persistence of tick-borne pathogens via the R0 model

In the epidemiology of infectious diseases, the basic reproduction number,R0, has a number of important applications, most notably it can be used to predict whether a pathogen is likely to become established, or persist, in a given area. We used the R0 model to investigate the persistence of 3 tick-borne pathogens; Babesia microti, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in an Apodemus sylvaticus-Ixodes ricinus system. The persistence of these pathogens was also determined empirically by screening questing ticks and wood mice by PCR. All 3 pathogens behaved differently in response to changes in the proportion of transmission hosts on which I. ricinus fed, the efficiency of transmission between the host and ticks and the abundance of larval and nymphal ticks found on small mammals. Empirical data supported theoretical predictions of the R0 model. The transmission pathway employed and the duration of systemic infection were also identified as important factors responsible for establishment or persistence of tick-borne pathogens in a given tick-host system. The current study demonstrates how the R0 model can be put to practical use to investigate factors affecting tick-borne pathogen persistence, which has important implications for animal and human health worldwide

Host-parasite biology in the real world: the field voles of Kielder

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Survival following Treatment of Aortoesophageal Fistula with Dual Esophageal and Aortic Intervention

Aortoesophageal fistulas are a rare but commonly fatal complication of esophageal cancer. Reports of successfully managed cases are few, with high mortality and morbidity usually resulting from failure to control the initial massive haemodynamic insult. We report the case of a 47-year-old Caucasian man with recently diagnosed advanced esophageal cancer who suffered an episode of massive haematemesis. Emergency gastroscopy revealed an arterial bleeding point in the proximal esophagus. A self-expanding metal esophageal stent was placed to achieve initial partial haemostasis. CT angiography confirmed an aortoesophageal fistula. An endoluminal stent device was thus inserted within the thoracic aorta stabilising the bleeding point. The patient subsequently made an uneventful recovery and was discharged on long-term antibiotics for palliative care. He survived for 2 months at home before dying of disseminated malignancy. The successful use of esophageal stenting as a means of achieving haemostasis, allowing time for endovascular intervention, is as yet a relatively unexplored area of management of this rare condition