Gastric adenocarcinoma in a patient re-infected with H. pylori after regression of MALT lymphoma with successful anti-H. pylori therapy and gastric resection: a case report

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) has been etiologically linked with primary gastric lymphoma (PGL) and gastric carcinoma (GC). There are a few reports of occurrence of both diseases in the same patient with H. pylori infection. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a patient with PGL in whom the tumor regressed after surgical resection combined with eradication of H. pylori infection. However, he developed GC on follow up; this was temporally associated with recrudescence / re-infection of H. pylori. This is perhaps first report of such occurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Possible cause and effect relationship between H. pylori infection and both PGL and GC is discussed. This case also documents a unique problem in management of PGL in tropical countries where re-infection with H. pylori is supposed to be high

Contribution of saltmarsh to temperate estuarine fish in southeast Australia

Saltmarsh is an important coastal habitat located in the littoral zone of estuaries. Australian saltmarsh area is decreasing due to agricultural and urban development and invasion by mangrove. The aim of the study was to assess the contribution made by saltmarsh as a habitat and a source of food items for fish. Three saltmarsh sites were studied, with Towra Point chosen as a site for detailed ecological study. When corrected for water volume, fish densities were found to be higher within the saltmarsh compared to the adjacent mangrove. Although the fish assemblages in saltmarshes differed significantly from mangroves the overall ratio between commercially and ecologically valuable species in these habitats are similar, a result suggesting the importance of temperate saltmarsh as habitat for economically important fish. Significant export of crab larva from saltmarsh (average crab larval abundance 2124.63 m-3 outgoing water) is a positive contribution to the estuarine food chain supplementing the nutritional requirements of estuarine fish. While the diet of the crabs producing this larvae seems dependant on the saltmarsh environment (given the contrasting isotopic signatures of Sesarma erythrodactyla in saltmarsh and mangrove, and the similarity of isotopic signatures in the saltmarsh for Sesarma erythrodactyla and Helograpsus haswellianus), the crabs do not seem to be dependent on any of the common species of saltmarsh plant, but rather depend on particulate organic matter (POM) derived from local and other sources. Crab larva are a prey item for many estuarine fish, including commercially important species, as evidenced by gut content analysis of fish visiting the saltmarsh flats during spring tides. The results strongly suggest that emphasis be given to ecosystembased management for an estuary rather than component (e.g., vegetation) based managed as defined by the Fisheries Management Act (1994) and the State Environmental Planning Policy 14

Correction: Diet type influences the gut microbiome and nutrient assimilation of Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237775.]

Mangrove dynamics and blue carbon sequestration

We monitored coastal wetland vertical accretion, elevation gain and surface carbon (C) at Homebush Bay, Australia over 18 years (2000-2017) in three settings initially characterized by saltmarsh, mixed saltmarsh-mangrove ecotone and mangrove-dominated zones. During this time, the saltmarsh transitioned to mixed saltmarsh-mangrove ecotone, and the mixed saltmarsh-mangrove ecotone transitioned to mangrove, consistent with vegetation transitions observed across the east Australian continent in recent decades. In spite of mangrove recruitment and thickening in the former saltmarsh zone, and the dominance of mangrove root material as a contributing C source, the rate of C accumulation in the former saltmarsh zone did not change over the study period, and there was no significant increase in surface elevation. This contrasted with the response of sites with a longer history of mangrove colonization, which showed strong accretion and C accumulation over the period. The result suggests that the C accumulation and surface elevation gains made as a result of mangrove colonization may not be observable over initial decades, but will be significant in the longer term as forests reach maturity

Inputs of anthropogenic nitrogen influence isotopic composition and trophic structure in SE Australian estuaries

Urban development in coastal settings has increased the input of nitrogen into estuaries globally, in many cases changing the composition of estuarine ecosystems. By focussing on three adjacent estuaries with a gradient of anthropogenic N loadings, we used stable isotopes of N and C to test for changes due to increased anthropogenic N input on the structure of some key trophic linkages in estuaries. We found a consistent enrichment in δ¹⁵N corresponding to increased anthropogenic N at the three ecosystem levels studied: fine benthic organic matter, grazing invertebrate, and planktivorous fish. The degree of enrichment in δ¹⁵N between fine benthic organic matter and the grapsid crab Parasesarma erythrodactyla was identical across the three sites. The glassfish Ambassis jacksoniensis showed lower levels of enrichment compared to basal food sources at the higher N-loaded sites, suggesting a possible effect of anthropogenic N in decreasing food-chain length in these estuaries.7 page(s

Temperate coastal wetland near-surface carbon storage: Spatial patterns and variability

2020 Elsevier Ltd Carbon mitigation services provided by coastal wetlands are not spatially homogeneous, nevertheless are commonly described on the basis of vegetation distribution within the intertidal zone. Distribution of mangrove and saltmarsh varies in response to frequency of tidal inundation, resulting in environmental gradients in edaphic factors that influence vegetation structure, and subsequently affect sedimentary carbon additions by vegetation and carbon losses by decomposition. Current sampling approaches and reporting do not adequately account for variability of carbon storage within a wetland, and assessments need to capture spatial variation associated with carbon storage to improve estimates of potential carbon mitigation services by natural ecosystems. This study quantifies the variation in near-surface carbon storage (i.e. upper 30 cm) across an intertidal gradient using a stratified sampling approach that recognises vegetation structure. Vegetation distribution and structure, as well as sedimentary controls on carbon content, explained variation in carbon storage. Saltmarsh near-surface carbon storage varied considerably between structural form. This was less evident for mangrove structural forms (i.e. tall, shrub, dwarf), which may be due to mangrove roots extending to depths beyond 30 cm. Sedimentary characteristics correlated with carbon content, demonstrating considerable influence on near-surface carbon storage within a wetland. The principal finding of this study was that variation within a wetland corresponds to the variation between sites. Stable carbon isotopes offer a means to identify previous vegetation contributions to sediment, associated with an earlier stage of wetland development, likely reflecting previous environmental conditions. A stratified sampling approach that recognises vegetation structure provides the capacity to account for variability of carbon within a wetland that is inadequately described by current sampling protocols