Perspectives of ammunition users on the use of lead ammunition and its potential impacts on wildlife and humans

This is the final version. Available on open access from Wiley via the DOI in this recordData availability statement: All data supporting the results in this paper are available from Zenodo (digital repository): https://zenodo.org/record/2653514#.XMbMXKbsZD8 (Newth et al., 2019).1. Recent national and international policy initiatives have aimed to reduce the exposure of humans and wildlife to lead from ammunition. Despite restrictions, in the UK, lead ammunition remains the most widespread source of environmental lead contamination to which wildlife may be exposed. 2. The risks arising from the use of lead ammunition and the measures taken to mitigate these have prompted intense and sometimes acrimonious discussion between stakeholder groups, including those advancing the interests of shooting, wildlife conservation, public health and animal welfare. 3. However, relatively little is known of the perspectives of individual ammunition users, despite their role in adding lead to the environment and their pivotal place in any potential changes to practice. Using Q‐methodology, we identified the perspectives of ammunition users in the UK on lead ammunition in an effort to bring forward evidence from these key stakeholders. 4. Views were characterised by two statistically and qualitatively distinct perspectives: (a) Open to change—comprised ammunition users that refuted the view that lead ammunition is not a major source of poisoning in wild birds, believed that solutions to reduce the risks of poisoning are needed, were happy to use non‐lead alternatives and did not feel that the phasing out of lead shot would lead to the demise of shooting; and (b) Status quo—comprised ammunition users who did not regard lead poisoning as a major welfare problem for wild birds, were ambivalent about the need for solutions and felt that lead shot is better than steel at killing and not wounding an animal. They believed opposition to lead ammunition was driven more by a dislike of shooting than evidence of any harm. 5. Adherents to both perspectives agreed that lead is a toxic substance. There was consensus that involvement of stakeholders from all sides of the debate was desirable and that to be taken seriously by shooters, information about lead poisoning should come from the shooting community

Conservation implications of misidentification and killing of protected species

This is the final version. Available on open access from Wiley via the DOI in this recordData availability: All data supporting the results in this paper are available from Zenodo (digital repository).Killing protected species mistaken for morphologically similar quarry species, or species with weaker protection, can hinder their conservation. Despite policy aims to reduce threats from illegal killing, information is lacking on susceptible species, conservation impacts and the identification accuracy of hunters. We examined the ability of hunters (n = 232) in Arctic Russia to identify the endangered Northwest European Bewick's swan Cygnus columbianus bewickii using photographs. Only 14% (n = 33) identified this species correctly and distinguished it from sympatric and congeneric whooper swans C. cygnus and mute swans C. olor , with 15% of individuals admitting to accidentally hunting a Bewick's swan in the previous 3 years. We conclude that there is a risk of Bewick's swans being shot accidentally when mistaken for similar species with less legal protection. Improving hunters' skills in discerning protected from legitimate quarry species is likely to be an effective tool for conservation of morphologically similar species.Peter Smith Charitable Trust for NatureOlive Herbert Charitable Trus

Characterization of MgtC, a Virulence Factor of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhi

The MgtC is a virulence factor in Salmonella Typhimurium that is required for growth at low-Mg2+ concentrations and intramacrophage survival. This gene is codified in a conserved region of the Salmonella pathogenicity island 3 (SPI-3), and is also present in the chromosome of other Salmonella serovars. In this study we characterized the MgtC factor in S. Typhi, a human specific pathogen, by using mgtC and SPI-3 mutant strains. We found that MgtC is the most important factor codified in the SPI-3 of S. Typhi for growth in low-Mg2+ media and survival within human cells. In addition, by using reporter genes we determined that the low-Mg2+ concentration, acidic media and PhoP regulator induce mgtC expression in S. Typhi. We suggest that MgtC is the most important virulence factor codified in the SPI-3 of S. Typhi

Dynamic Energy Landscapes of Riboswitches Help Interpret Conformational Rearrangements and Function

Riboswitches are RNAs that modulate gene expression by ligand-induced conformational changes. However, the way in which sequence dictates alternative folding pathways of gene regulation remains unclear. In this study, we compute energy landscapes, which describe the accessible secondary structures for a range of sequence lengths, to analyze the transcriptional process as a given sequence elongates to full length. In line with experimental evidence, we find that most riboswitch landscapes can be characterized by three broad classes as a function of sequence length in terms of the distribution and barrier type of the conformational clusters: low-barrier landscape with an ensemble of different conformations in equilibrium before encountering a substrate; barrier-free landscape in which a direct, dominant “downhill” pathway to the minimum free energy structure is apparent; and a barrier-dominated landscape with two isolated conformational states, each associated with a different biological function. Sharing concepts with the “new view” of protein folding energy landscapes, we term the three sequence ranges above as the sensing, downhill folding, and functional windows, respectively. We find that these energy landscape patterns are conserved in various riboswitch classes, though the order of the windows may vary. In fact, the order of the three windows suggests either kinetic or thermodynamic control of ligand binding. These findings help understand riboswitch structure/function relationships and open new avenues to riboswitch design

Predicted impact of extending the screening interval for diabetic retinopathy:the Scottish Diabetic Retinopathy Screening programme

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Purification of duck immunoglobulins: An evaluation of protein A and protein G affinity chromatography

Duck serum proteins binding to protein A Sepharose CL-4B and protein G Sepharose 4 Fast Flow and eluted at pH 2.8 or 11.5 were characterized by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, radial/immunodiffusion against defined anti-immunoglobulin (Ig) reagents, and by the reactivity in immunoelectrophoresis of antisera raised in rabbits inoculated with the eluates. The results indicated that IgY (previous nomenclature 7.8S IgG) and IgY (ΔFc) (previously 5.75 IgG) bound to protein A efficiently and to protein G weakly, while IgM bound to protein A and protein G weakly. Some binding of non-Ig proteins also occurred. Attempts to separate the non-Ig proteins from the Igs by elution at different pHs (5.0, 4.0, 3.0 and 2.5) were unsuccessful, but it was found that precipitation of Igs in day-old duck serum with Na 2SO 4, followed by chromatography on protein A Sepharose, yielded relatively pure IgY. The efficient binding of the duck IgYs to protein A resembles high affinity binding of mammalian Igs but cannot be attributed to the Fc, as it is in mammals, since the IgY (ΔFc) does not have an Fc region. Instead, binding probably occurs through unique histidine residues occurring predominantly in the CH I domain.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

An examination of the immune system of the duck (Anas platyrhynchos) for factors resembling some defined mammalian cytokines

Duck lymphoblasts generated by phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) did not respond to recombinant or Jurkat cell line human interleukin (IL)-2 or possess surface antigens resembling mammalian IL-2 receptors or IL-1β. Supernatant fluids from normal and PHA-stimulated duck lymphocyte cultures, and normal and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated monocytes, gave negative results in a range of assays for biological activity and immunochemical presence of factors resembling mammalian IL-1 and IL-2. However, supernatant fluids from LPS-stimulated duck monocytes contained IL-6-like activity (up to 35 units/mL) assessed on the 7TD-1 murine cell line. We were unable to demonstrate mRNA that would hybridize to cDNA probes for human IL-1β, IL-6, and tumour necrosis factor (TNF) in extracts of blood and lymphoid organs from normal and antigen-stimulated ducks. Because homologous serum or plasma is essential for duck lymphocytes and macrophages to respond to mitogens in vitro, we asked whether this growth-factor-like activity might be caused by substances resembling mammalian cytokines. Serum and plasma were examined for activity consistent with IL-1 and IL-6 on mammalian target cells. None was detected. Instead, both serum and plasma contained inhibitors of human IL-1β and IL-6, detected at dilutions up to 1:100. Inhibition by serum was heat (56°C, 30 min) labile but inhibition by plasma was heat stable. The identities and biological functions of these inhibitors remain to be defined.link_to_subscribed_fulltex