Use of high-intensity data to define large river management units: A case study on the lower Waikato River, New Zealand

The importance of environmental heterogeneity in lotic ecosystems is well recognised in river management, and continues to underpin studies of hierarchical patch dynamics, geomorphology and landscape ecology. We evaluated how physical characteristics and water chemistry measurements at high spatiotemporal resolution define channel units of potential ecological importance along 134 km of the lower Waikato River in North Island, New Zealand. We used multivariate hierarchical clustering to classify river reaches in an a priori unstructured manner based on (i) high-frequency, along-river water quality measurements collected in four seasons and (ii) river channel morphology data resolved from aerial photos for 1-km long reaches. Patterns of channel character were shaped by the depth and lateral complexity of constituent river reaches, while water quality patterns were represented by differences in clarity, chlorophyll fluorescence and specific conductance driven by tributary inflows in the mid-section of the river and tidal cycles in the lower section. Management units defined by physical characteristics or water quality did not necessarily align with boundaries typically reflecting clinal processes (e.g. tidal influence) or geomorphic, network or anthropogenic discontinuities. The results highlight the dynamic spatial and temporal properties of large rivers and the need to define clear objectives when deriving spatial units for management and research. Given that actions and targets for physical channel and water quality management may differ, the spatial extent identified for each of these does not necessarily need to directly coincide, although both should be considered in decision making and experimental design

The influence of dietary fatty acid and fasting on the hepatic lipid metabolism of barramundi (Lates calcarifer)

For many fish species, dietary fish oil (FO) has been substituted with other oils such as poultry oil (PO) without affecting growth performance. However, in barramundi, the mechanisms by which fatty acid metabolism is regulated are poorly understood, and the effects of FO substitution are unknown. This study defined changes in the expression of genes controlling the metabolism of fatty acids in barramundi over a 24-h time period after a single meal. From one to 12h after a single feeding event, the expression of fatty acid synthesis genes in the liver was upregulated, while genes involved in the β-oxidation showed minimal alteration. However, the expression of β-oxidation genes was significantly correlated with the expression of genes regulating fatty acid synthesis. In a second experiment, the changes in liver fatty acid composition and gene expression were defined after FO was substituted with PO. Liver fatty acid profile reflected the diet composition, with some subtle exceptions supporting the enrichment of certain long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in the liver. The fish from all experimental groups preferentially retained more docosahexaenoic acid than eicosapentaenoic acid in the liver, suggesting a bioconversion of this fatty acid to intermediate fatty acids. Replacement of FO with PO significantly regulated genes controlling both fatty acid synthesis and catabolism pathways, potentially related to a higher percentage of monounsaturated fatty acids, in the livers of fish fed these diets. The results demonstrated that diet composition significantly altered the lipid metabolism in barramundi and that there was a balance between direct dietary effects and endogenous synthetic capacity

Production and photoactivity spectrum of Ni/TiO2 core shell nanoparticles

In this work, Ni nanoparticles were obtained by laser ablation of a Nickel target with femtosecond pulses from a Ti-Sapphire laser in an aqueous media. Subsequently, these nanoparticles were isolated and covered with TiO2.FCT, FEDER, COMPETE/QREN/EU for financial support to CFUM (Strategic Project PEst-C/FIS/UI0607/2011

A Breast Cancer Stem Cell-Selective, Mammospheres-Potent Osmium(VI) Nitrido Complex

The effect of a newly developed osmium(VI) nitrido complex, 1, on breast cancer stem cells (CSCs) is reported. The complex displays selective toxicity for HMLER breast cancer cells enriched with CD44-positive, CSC-like cells over the same cells having reduced CSC character. Remarkably, 1 also reduces the proportion of CSCs within a heterogeneous breast cancer cell population and irreversibly inhibits the formation of free-floating mammospheres to an extent similar to that of salinomycin, a natural product that targets CSCs. Detailed mechanistic studies reveal that in breast cancer cells 1 induces DNA damage and endoplasmic reticulum stress, the latter being responsible for the CSC selectivity. The anti-CSC properties of 1 provide a strong impetus for the development of new metal-based compounds to target CSCs and to treat chemotherapy-resistant and relapsed tumors.National Cancer Institute (U.S.) (Grant CA034992)Misrock Foundation (Fellowship

High-throughput screening with the Eimeria tenella CDC2-related kinase2/cyclin complex EtCRK2/EtCYC3a

The poultry disease coccidiosis, caused by infection with Eimeria spp. apicomplexan parasites, is responsible for enormous economic losses to the global poultry industry. The rapid increase of resistance to therapeutic agents, as well as the expense of vaccination with live attenuated vaccines, requires the development of new effective treatments for coccidiosis. Because of their key regulatory function in the eukaryotic cell cycle, cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are prominent drug targets. The Eimeria tenella CDC2-related kinase 2 (EtCRK2) is a validated drug target that can be activated in vitro by the CDK activator XlRINGO (Xenopus laevis rapid inducer of G2/M progression in oocytes). Bioinformatics analyses revealed four putative E. tenella cyclins (EtCYCs) that are closely related to cyclins found in the human apicomplexan parasite Plasmodium falciparum. EtCYC3a was cloned, expressed in Escherichia coli and purified in a complex with EtCRK2. Using the non-radioactive time-resolved fluorescence energy transfer (TR-FRET) assay, we demonstrated the ability of EtCYC3a to activate EtCRK2 as shown previously for XlRINGO. The EtCRK2/EtCYC3a complex was used for a combined in vitro and in silico high-throughput screening approach, which resulted in three lead structures, a naphthoquinone, an 8-hydroxyquinoline and a 2-pyrimidinyl-aminopiperidine-propane-2-ol. This constitutes a promising starting point for the subsequent lead optimization phase and the development of novel anticoccidial drugs

Study of internal stresses in a TWIP steel analyzing transient and permanent softening during reverse shear tests.

Recent Bauschinger-type tests conducted on a twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) steel highlights the important contribution of internal stresses to work hardening [1]. Along this line we present Bauschinger experiments in a Fe-22Mn wt.%-0.6C wt.% TWIP steel. The mechanical behaviour upon load reversal shows transient and permanent softening effects. Determination of the internal stress from the magnitude of the permanent softening yields a contribution to work hardening of the order of 20%. Analysis of the transient softening, during strain reversal, indicates that internal stress are consistent with reported data on high carbon spheroidized steels.Acknowledgements The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support by the German Research Foundation within the framework of the SFB 761 ‘‘steel ab initio’’ and the CICYT grant MAT2009-14452 awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.Peer reviewe

A Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate if Computerized Cognitive Rehabilitation Improves Neurocognition in Ugandan Children with HIV

Objectives: Clinically stable children with HIV can have neuromotor, attention, memory, visual?spatial, and executive function impairments. We evaluated neuropsychological and behavioral benefits of computerized cognitive rehabilitation training (CCRT) in Ugandan HIV children. Design: One hundred fifty-nine rural Ugandan children with WHO Stage I or II HIV disease (6 to 12 years; 77 boys, 82 girls; M?=?8.9, SD?=?1.86 years) were randomized to one of three treatment arms over a 2-month period. Methods: The CCRT arm received 24 one-hour sessions over 2 months, using Captain's Log (BrainTrain Corporation) programmed for games targeting working memory, attention, and visual?spatial analysis. These games progressed in difficulty as the child's performance improved. The second arm was a ?limited CCRT? with the same games rotated randomly from simple to moderate levels of training. The third arm was a passive control group receiving no training. All children were assessed at enrollment, 2 months (immediately following CCRT), and 3 months after CCRT completion. Results: The CCRT group had significantly greater gains through 3 months of follow-up compared to passive controls on overall Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children?second edition (KABC-II) mental processing index (p?Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140132/1/aid.2016.0026.pd