Transport and retention of the mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) in a Mid-Atlantic estuary: Predictions from a larval transport model

Invasive species cause extensive ecological damage in freshwater and marine habitats and are a threat to biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems world-wide. One such species, the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis, has invasive populations in northern Europe and San Francisco Bay, and there are confirmed reports of breeding female crabs in both the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays. Despite their threat to these ecosystems, there are still large gaps in the current understanding of this species\u27 larval biology that are critical to predicting the potential for large populations to establish in East Coast bays and estuaries. We addressed these issues by using a physical circulation model of Delaware Bay and the adjacent coastal ocean coupled to a modified particle advection scheme. We used this model to examine the effects of different physical mechanisms and larval behavior on transport, retention, and settlement of larvae in the bay. The circulation model produced flow fields using observed winds and river discharge for 2006 as well as systematic variations of river discharge and wind direction. Since little is known regarding mitten crab larval behavior, the larval component was purposefully general and incorporated a suite of behaviors such as tidal, diel, and ontogenetic vertical migration; however, results of this study showed that vertical migration affects the magnitude, but not locations of larval settlement. Simulations revealed that changes in the time and location of spawning can result in large variations in retention and settlement of larvae in Delaware Bay and the coastal ocean, due to seasonal variations of the physical flow field. Overall results of our study showed that the estuarine and coastal circulation typically found along the Middle Atlantic coast of the United States can result in significant retention of new and established E. sinensis populations in large estuaries as well as transport of larvae to new coastal locations

Multiple system atrophy is distinguished from idiopathic Parkinson's disease bythe arginine growth hormone stimulation test

Objective: Multiple system atrophy (MSA) may be difficult to distinguish from idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (PD). Our aim was to evaluate the accuracy of the arginine growth hormone (GH) stimulation test in distinguishing between MSA and PD in large populations of patients. Methods: We measured the GH response to arginine in 69 MSA (43 MSAp [parkinsonism as the main motor feature] and 26 MSAc [cerebellar features predominated]) patients, 35 PD patients, and 90 healthy control subjects. We used receiver-operating curve analysis to establish the arginine cutoff value that best differentiated between MSA and PD. Results: The GH response to arginine was significantly lower (p 0.01) in MSA than in either PD patients or control subjects. At a cutoff level of 4g/L, arginine distinguished MSAp from PD with a sensitivity and specificity of 91% and MSAc from PD with a sensitivity of 96% and specificity of 91%. The arginine test had a positive predictive value for MSA of 95%. The GH response to arginine was not affected by disease duration or severity, MSA motor subtype, pyramidal signs, response to dopaminergic therapy, or magnetic resonance imaging findings. Interpretation: The GH response to arginine differentiates MSA from PD with a high diagnostic accuracy. The results suggest an impairment of cholinergic central systems modulating GH release in MSA

Työvoiman ikääntyminen ja ikäjohtaminen Suomen kunnissa asiakirja-analyysi kuntien strategioista

In response to a sharp decline in recreational fishing participation in Queensland, Australia, I sought to identify constraints experienced by fishers in Queensland and understand how demographic variables, fishing participation variables, and fishing motivations influence the amount and type of constraints experienced. In a survey of Queensland recreational fishers, 70% reported experiencing constraints-predominantly lack of time, crowding, unavailability of facilities, and costs associated with fishing. Fishers with higher incomes, fishers with higher centrality of fishing to lifestyle, fishers who placed higher importance on motivations related to catching fish and relaxation, and fishers who were male were more likely to experience constraints. With the exception of gender, variables found to have a significant effect on the presence of constraints also had a significant influence on the types of constraints experienced. Results provide insight into factors affecting recreational fishing participation in Queensland; however, additional research-particularly with recent fishing drop-outs-is needed to fully understand recent declines in fishing participation

Late Post-traumatic Epilepsy in Children and Young Adults : Impropriety of Long-Term Antiepileptic Prophylaxis and Risks in Tapering

Background: After traumatic brain injury, epilepsy affects up to 20\uc2 % of children. It is a risk factor, for both clinical recovery and cognitive performance; therefore pharmacological therapy is advisable. Current guidelines recommend prophylaxis to be initiated as soon as possible and tapered 1\uc2 week after trauma. However, no guideline exists for paediatric patients and the clinical practice is heterogeneous. Objective: In our institute, prophylaxis was routinely tapered 6\uc2 months after trauma. Therefore we investigated whether this prophylaxis or its tapering influenced the development of post-traumatic epilepsy, together with several clinical-demographic factors. Methods: The study population comprised all patients with post-traumatic brain injury referred to this institute between 2002 and 2009 who consented to participate. Clinical, epileptological and pharmacological data were collected. The role of prophylaxis and several other predictors on occurrence of post-traumatic epilepsy was analysed through logistic regressions. Results: Two hundred and three patients (145 paediatric) were followed for 57\uc2 months on average. Risk factors for epilepsy were past neurosurgery [odds ratio (OR)\uc2 =\uc2 2.61, 95\uc2 % confidence interval (CI) 1.15\u20135.96], presence of epileptiform anomalies (OR\uc2 =\uc2 6.92, 95\uc2 % CI 3.02\u201315.86) and the presence of prophylaxis (OR\uc2 =\uc2 2.49, 95\uc2 % CI 1.12\u20135.52), while higher intelligence quotient (IQ) was protective (OR\uc2 =\uc2 0.96, 95\uc2 % CI 0.95\u20130.98). While evaluating possible different effects within and after 6\uc2 months (tapering, for those under prophylaxis), we found that epileptiform anomalies (OR\uc2 =\uc2 7.61, 95\uc2 % CI 2.33\u201324.93, and OR\uc2 =\uc2 8.21, 95\uc2 % CI 3.00\u201322.44) and IQ (OR\uc2 =\uc2 0.96, 95\uc2 % CI 0.94\u20130.98, and OR\uc2 =\uc2 0.97, 95\uc2 % CI 0.95\u20130.98) were always significant predictors of epilepsy, while neurosurgery (OR\uc2 =\uc2 4.38, 95\uc2 % CI 1.10\u201317.45) was significant only within 6\uc2 months from trauma, and prophylaxis (OR\uc2 =\uc2 3.98, 95\uc2 % CI 1.62\u20139.75) only afterwards. Conclusions: These results suggest that prophylaxis was irrelevant when present; furthermore its tapering increased the risk of epilepsy. Since the presence of epileptiform anomalies was the main predictor of post-traumatic epilepsy, such anomalies may be useful to better direct the choice of prophylaxis

Fish Species Distribution in Seagrass Habitats of Chesapeake Bay are Structured by Abiotic and Biotic Factors

Seagrass habitats have long been known to serve as nursery habitats for juvenile fish by providing refuges from predation and areas of high forage abundance. However, comparatively less is known about other factors structuring fish communities that make extensive use of seagrass as nursery habitat. We examined both physical and biological factors that may structure the juvenile seagrass-associated fish communities across a synoptic-scale multiyear study in lower Chesapeake Bay. Across 3years of sampling, we collected 21,153 fish from 31 species. Silver Perch Bairdiella chrysoura made up over 86% of all individuals collected. Nine additional species made up at least 1% of the fish community in the bay but were at very different abundances than historical estimates of the fish community from the early 1980s. Eight species, including Silver Perch, showed a relationship with measured gradients of temperature or salinity and Spot Leiostomus xanthurus showed a negative relationship with the presence of macroalgae. Climate change, particularly increased precipitation and runoff from frequent and intense events, has the potential to alter fish-habitat relationships in seagrass beds and other habitats and may have already altered the fish community composition. Comparisons of fish species to historical data from the 1970s, our data, and recent contemporary data in the late 2000s suggests this has occurred

Expanding Phenotype of Poirier\u2013Bienvenu Syndrome: New Evidence from an Italian Multicentrical Cohort of Patients

Background: Poirier\u2013Bienvenu Neurodevelopmental Syndrome (POBINDS) is a rare disease linked to mutations of the CSNK2B gene, which encodes for a subunit of caseinkinase CK2 involved in neuronal growth and synaptic transmission. Its main features include early-onset epilepsy and intellectual disability. Despite the lack of cases described, it appears that POBINDS could manifest with a wide range of phenotypes, possibly related to the different mutations of CSNK2B. Methods: Our multicentric, retrospective study recruited nine patients with POBINDS, detected using next-generation sequencing panels and whole-exome sequencing. Clinical, laboratory, and neuroimaging data were reported for each patient in order to assess the severity of phenotype, and eventually, a correlation with the type of CSNK2B mutation. Results: We reported nine unrelated patients with heterozygous de novo mutations of the CSNK2B gene. All cases presented epilepsy, and eight patients were associated with a different degree of intellectual disability. Other features detected included endocrinological and vascular abnormalities and dysmorphisms. Genetic analysis revealed six new variants of CSNK2B that have not been reported previously. Conclusion: Although it was not possible to assess a genotype\u2013phenotype correlation in our patients, our research further expands the phenotype spectrum of POBINDS patients, identifying new mutations occurring in the CSNK2B gene

Aviation turbulence: dynamics, forecasting, and response to climate change

Atmospheric turbulence is a major hazard in the aviation industry and can cause injuries to passengers and crew. Understanding the physical and dynamical generation mechanisms of turbulence aids with the development of new forecasting algorithms and, therefore, reduces the impact that it has on the aviation industry. The scope of this paper is to review the dynamics of aviation turbulence, its response to climate change, and current forecasting methods at the cruising altitude of aircraft. Aviation-affecting turbulence comes from three main sources: vertical wind shear instabilities, convection, and mountain waves. Understanding these features helps researchers to develop better turbulence diagnostics. Recent research suggests that turbulence will increase in frequency and strength with climate change, and therefore, turbulence forecasting may become more important in the future. The current methods of forecasting are unable to predict every turbulence event, and research is ongoing to find the best solution to this problem by combining turbulence predictors and using ensemble forecasts to increase skill. The skill of operational turbulence forecasts has increased steadily over recent decades, mirroring improvements in our understanding. However, more work is needed—ideally in collaboration with the aviation industry—to improve observations and increase forecast skill, to help maintain and enhance aviation safety standards in the future

Evaluation of high-dose rifampin in patients with new, smear-positive tuberculosis (HIRIF): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Evidence has existed for decades that higher doses of rifampin may be more effective, but potentially more toxic, than standard doses used in tuberculosis treatment. Whether increased doses of rifampin could safely shorten treatment remains an open question. METHODS/DESIGN: The HIRIF study is a phase II randomized trial comparing rifampin doses of 20 and 15 mg/kg/day to the standard 10 mg/kg/day for the first 2 months of tuberculosis treatment. All participants receive standard doses of companion drugs and a standard continuation-phase treatment (4 months, 2 drugs). They are followed for 6 months post treatment. Study participants are adults with newly diagnosed, previously untreated, smear positive (≥2+) pulmonary tuberculosis. The primary outcome is rifampin area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC0-24) after at least 14 days of study treatment/minimum inhibitory concentration. 180 randomized participants affords 90 % statistical power to detect a difference of at least 14 mcg/mL*hr between the 20 mg/kg group and the 10 mg/kg group, assuming a loss to follow-up of up to 17 %. DISCUSSION: Extant evidence suggests the potential for increased doses of rifampin to shorten tuberculosis treatment duration. Early studies that explored this potential using intermittent, higher dosing were derailed by toxicity. Given the continued large, global burden of tuberculosis with nearly 10 million new cases annually, shortened regimens with existing drugs would offer an important advantage to patients and health systems. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was registered with clinicaltrials.gov (registration number: NCT01408914 ) on 2 August 2011

Phenotype and genotype of 87 patients with Mowat-Wilson syndrome and recommendations for care

Mowat-Wilson syndrome (MWS) is a rare intellectual disability/multiple congenital anomalies syndrome caused by heterozygous mutation of the ZEB2 gene. It is generally underestimated because its rarity and phenotypic variability sometimes make it difficult to recognize. Here, we aimed to better delineate the phenotype, natural history, and genotype-phenotype correlations of MWS.MethodsIn a collaborative study, we analyzed clinical data for 87 patients with molecularly confirmed diagnosis. We described the prevalence of all clinical aspects, including attainment of neurodevelopmental milestones, and compared the data with the various types of underlying ZEB2 pathogenic variations.ResultsAll anthropometric, somatic, and behavioral features reported here outline a variable but highly consistent phenotype. By presenting the most comprehensive evaluation of MWS to date, we define its clinical evolution occurring with age and derive suggestions for patient management. Furthermore, we observe that its severity correlates with the kind of ZEB2 variation involved, ranging from ZEB2 locus deletions, associated with severe phenotypes, to rare nonmissense intragenic mutations predicted to preserve some ZEB2 protein functionality, accompanying milder clinical presentations.ConclusionKnowledge of the phenotypic spectrum of MWS and its correlation with the genotype will improve its detection rate and the prediction of its features, thus improving patient care.GENETICS in MEDICINE advance online publication, 4 January 2018; doi:10.1038/gim.2017.221