Extreme pCO2 Variability in a Macrotidal Eelgrass Meadow Mediated by Tidal and Diurnal Cycles

It has been suggested that photosynthetic activity of macrophytes in coastal areas can decrease pCO2 and may provide areas of refuge for organisms sensitive to ocean acidification. To assess the effect of a large eel grass meadow on water chemistry, discreet samples were collected hourly over several 24 hour cycles in Padilla Bay, WA. Calculated pCO2 ranged from less than 100 ppm to greater than 700 ppm, often over the course of only a few hours. Aragonite saturation, DIC and pH were also highly variable. These data, weather station data and in-situ sensors(Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve) were used to develop a model that estimates pCO2 for the summer season. Tidal height and photosynthetically active radiation were the most significant predictors of pH and pCO2, with Salinity and DO. Model estimates suggest that an even wider range of pCO2 values are common in this estuary, especially in the early summer. Data from a mooring in 20 meters of water over a kilometer from the intertidal eel grass environment, provide some hints of the spatial extent of influence

Zostera japonica and Z. marina: Do seasonal growth patterns of this native and non-native eelgrass differ when growing in an intermixed meadow in the Salish Sea?

The non-native eelgrass, Zostera japonica, is expanding its range in the Salish Sea and Willapa Bay and is increasingly found intermixed with the native eelgrass, Z. marina. We investigated the seasonal pattern of growth of these two species in intermixed and mono-specific stands in Padilla Bay, Washington. The native eelgrass, Z. marina, grows on extensive intertidal and subtidal flats in Padilla Bay, Washington covering more than 3000 hectares, about 63% of the intertidal area of the bay. The non-native eelgrass, Z. japonica, was unintentionally introduced to the Pacific Northwest in the early- to mid-1900’s. Z. japonica initially became established in Padilla Bay on high intertidal flats that had been bare of macro-vegetation. Mapping of submerged aquatic vegetation over the last 20 years, indicates that Z. japonica has expanded its range in Padilla Bay and is increasingly found intermixed with Z. marina. We measured vegetative characteristics monthly in more than 50 permanent plots—divided into predetermined vegetation cover zones—along a 4.3 km transect from shore to -2.6 m below MLLW. We found the two eelgrass species growing intermingled for more than 1 km along the transect. In the intermingled zones, density of Z. japonica was generally greater than Z. marina and height of Z. marina was greater than Z. japonica. Over the calendar year density of Z. marina was highest in January and decreased through the year while canopy height increased to a maximum in September/October. Density and canopy height of Z. japonica peaked in August. Biomass of both species peaked in July/August in all zones along the transect. Both species grew perennially with above and below ground biomass present throughout the year

Long-term safety and efficacy of patisiran for hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis with polyneuropathy: 12-month results of an open-label extension study

© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Background: Hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis is a rare, inherited, progressive disease caused by mutations in the transthyretin (TTR) gene. We assessed the safety and efficacy of long-term treatment with patisiran, an RNA interference therapeutic that inhibits TTR production, in patients with hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis with polyneuropathy. Methods: This multicentre, open-label extension (OLE) trial enrolled patients at 43 hospitals or clinical centres in 19 countries as of Sept 24, 2018. Patients were eligible if they had completed the phase 3 APOLLO or phase 2 OLE parent studies and tolerated the study drug. Eligible patients from APOLLO (patisiran and placebo groups) and the phase 2 OLE (patisiran group) studies enrolled in this global OLE trial and received patisiran 0·3 mg/kg by intravenous infusion every 3 weeks with plans to continue to do so for up to 5 years. Efficacy assessments included measures of polyneuropathy (modified Neuropathy Impairment Score +7 [mNIS+7]), quality of life, autonomic symptoms, nutritional status, disability, ambulation status, motor function, and cardiac stress, with analysis by study groups (APOLLO-placebo, APOLLO-patisiran, phase 2 OLE patisiran) based on allocation in the parent trial. The global OLE is ongoing with no new enrolment, and current findings are based on the interim analysis of the patients who had completed 12-month efficacy assessments as of the data cutoff. Safety analyses included all patients who received one or more dose of patisiran up to the data cutoff. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02510261. Findings: Between July 13, 2015, and Aug 21, 2017, of 212 eligible patients, 211 were enrolled: 137 patients from the APOLLO-patisiran group, 49 from the APOLLO-placebo group, and 25 from the phase 2 OLE patisiran group. At the data cutoff on Sept 24, 2018, 126 (92%) of 137 patients from the APOLLO-patisiran group, 38 (78%) of 49 from the APOLLO-placebo group, and 25 (100%) of 25 from the phase 2 OLE patisiran group had completed 12-month assessments. At 12 months, improvements in mNIS+7 with patisiran were sustained from parent study baseline with treatment in the global OLE (APOLLO-patisiran mean change -4·0, 95 % CI -7·7 to -0·3; phase 2 OLE patisiran -4·7, -11·9 to 2·4). Mean mNIS+7 score improved from global OLE enrolment in the APOLLO-placebo group (mean change from global OLE enrolment -1·4, 95% CI -6·2 to 3·5). Overall, 204 (97%) of 211 patients reported adverse events, 82 (39%) reported serious adverse events, and there were 23 (11%) deaths. Serious adverse events were more frequent in the APOLLO-placebo group (28 [57%] of 49) than in the APOLLO-patisiran (48 [35%] of 137) or phase 2 OLE patisiran (six [24%] of 25) groups. The most common treatment-related adverse event was mild or moderate infusion-related reactions. The frequency of deaths in the global OLE was higher in the APOLLO-placebo group (13 [27%] of 49), who had a higher disease burden than the APOLLO-patisiran (ten [7%] of 137) and phase 2 OLE patisiran (0 of 25) groups. Interpretation: In this interim 12-month analysis of the ongoing global OLE study, patisiran appeared to maintain efficacy with an acceptable safety profile in patients with hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis with polyneuropathy. Continued long-term follow-up will be important for the overall assessment of safety and efficacy with patisiran.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio