Implications of the prevalence and magnitude of sustained declines for determining a minimum threshold for favourable population size.

We propose a new approach to quantifying a minimum threshold value for the size of an animal population, below which that population might be categorised as having unfavourable status. Under European Union law, the concept of Favourable Conservation Status requires assessment of populations as having favourable or unfavourable status, but quantitative methods for such assessments have not yet been developed. One population threshold that is well established in conservation biology is the minimum viable population (MVP) defined as the size of a small but stable population with an acceptably low risk of extinction within a specified period. Our approach combines this small-population paradigm MVP concept with a multiplier, which is a factor by which the MVP is multiplied to allow for the risk of a sustained future decline. We demonstrate this approach using data on UK breeding bird population sizes. We used 43-year time-series data for 189 species and a qualitative assessment of population trends over almost 200 years for 229 species to examine the prevalence, duration and magnitude of sustained population declines. Our study addressed the problem of underestimation of the duration and magnitude of declines caused by short runs of monitoring data by allowing for the truncation of time series. The multiplier was derived from probability distributions of decline magnitudes within a given period, adjusted for truncation. Over a surveillance period of 100 years, we estimated that there was a 10% risk across species that a sustained population decline of at least sixteen-fold would begin. We therefore suggest that, in this case, a factor of 16 could be used as the multiplier of small-population MVPs to obtain minimum threshold population sizes for favourable status. We propose this 'MVP Multiplier' method as a new and robust approach to obtaining minimum threshold population sizes which integrates the concepts of small-population and declining-population paradigms. The minimum threshold value we propose is intended for use alongside a range of other measures to enable overall assessments of favourable conservation status

Adverse effects of routine bovine health treatments containing triclabendazole and synthetic pyrethroids on the abundance of dipteran larvae in bovine faeces

Macrocyclic lactone treatments for livestock can have detrimental effects on the arthropod populations in livestock faeces. For the last twenty years, avoidance of these products has been a standard recommendation on livestock farms that are managed for wildlife by the Royal Society for Protection of Birds (RSPB). However, the continued decline in the populations of birds (in particular the red-billed chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) that are dependent on dung invertebrates on islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland prompted us to investigate the effects of livestock treatments that are commonly used on these islands. We conducted a replicated field plot study over two years to quantify the effects of livestock treatments containing copper, deltamethrin and triclabendazole on invertebrate density in pooled, artificial faecal pats on the island of Islay. We found that the density of arthropod larvae was significantly reduced by the triclabendazole and deltamethrin treatments in both years and by as much as 86% when the treatments were combined. Copper-containing boluses did not consistently affect abundance of arthropod larvae. These results suggest that veterinary treatment of livestock might contribute to a reduction in the food supply of chough

Monstrous Domesticity – Home as a Site of Oppression in Crimson Peak

This paper begins by offering a brief overview of the popular culture narrative Crimson Peak (2015), directed by Guillermo del Toro. The analysis focuses on the most compelling Gothic trope del Toro reintroduces, the proverbial mansion, simultaneously displaying Freud’s heimlich and unheimlich elements, oppressing and liberating its inhabitants. Since the narrative revolves around two female protagonists, Lucille Sharpe and Edith Cushing, the paper also refers to feminist socio-cultural perspectives on space, primarily Gillian Rose’s and Shelley Mallett’s, in order to understand the position of the two protagonists within the decidedly Gothic space. This paper aims to emphasize that Lucille’s liberation as the mistress of the house is illusory regardless of the fact that she is represented as the embodiment of domestic corruption. It is precisely because she is a sexually active woman and a disruptor of the patriarchal order that she must ultimately be punished. Even though del Toro subverts the traditional image of the madwoman in the attic by positioning her at the center of the narrative, Allerdale Hall does not reveal itself as a space of female empowerment

Livestock management in red-billed chough feeding habitat in Great Britain and the Isle of Man

In Great Britain, red-billed chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) breed in discrete populations along the west coast: on Islay and Colonsay, in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland; on the Isle of Man; in Wales; and in Cornwall. Chough are dependent on pastures grazed by sheep or cattle, and their survival therefore depends on sympathetic management of grassland. The Scottish population is in decline, and all other populations are growing or stable. Sixty-three farmers in these regions whose farms were known to support feeding chough were asked questions about their farm management using a structured, questionnaire-based personal interview. Islay farms were significantly larger and had more grazing area, with the lowest stocking densities. Welsh farms had the least cropping area and the smallest number of cattle. Cornwall had the smallest number of sheep per farm. Welsh farms were more likely to not house cattle during winter. Liver fluke in sheep and ticks and tick-borne disease were a higher concern on Islay than other regions, and abortion in sheep was of highest concern on the Isle of Man. Islay farmers applied between 4× and 13× as many synthetic pyrethroid (SP) treatments to cattle per year than farmers at other regions, and the application rate of triclabendazole (TCBZ) to sheep was higher on Islay than other regions. The rate of application of other products, including macrocyclic lactones, did not differ among regions. The study described here shows clear differences in the farm grazing management, in the priority given to animal health problems and in the frequency of application of veterinary parasiticides among four regions that provide feeding habitat for chough in the United Kingdom. These differences suggest that the viability of chough populations might be favored by higher-intensity grazing and low rates of application of veterinary parasiticides of either the TCBZ or SP, or both classes of parasiticides

In vitro production and immunogenicity of a Clostridium difficile spore-specific BclA3 glycopeptide conjugate vaccine

The BclA3 glycoprotein is a major component of the exosporangial layer of Clostridium difficile spores and in this study we demonstrate that this glycoprotein is a major spore surface associated antigen. Here, we confirm the role of SgtA glycosyltransferase (SgtA GT) in BclA3 glycosylation and recapitulate this process by expressing and purifying SgtA GT fused to MalE, the maltose binding protein from Escherichia coli. In vitro assays using the recombinant enzyme and BclA3 synthetic peptides demonstrated that SgtA GT was responsible for the addition of β-O-linked GlcNAc to threonine residues of each synthetic peptide. These peptide sequences were selected from the central, collagen repeat region of the BclA3 protein. Following optimization of SgtA GT activity, we generated sufficient glycopeptide (10 mg) to allow conjugation to KLH (keyhole limpet hemocyanin) protein. Glycosylated and unglycosylated versions of these conjugates were then used as antigens to immunize rabbits and mice. Immune responses to each of the conjugates were examined by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ELISA. Additionally, the BclA3 conjugated peptide and glycopeptide were used as antigens in an ELISA assay with serum raised against formalin-killed spores. Only the glycopeptide was recognized by anti-spore polyclonal immune serum demonstrating that the glycan moiety is a predominant spore-associated surface antigen. To determine whether antibodies to these peptides could modify persistence of spores within the gut, animals immunized intranasally with either the KLH-glycopeptide or KLH-peptide conjugate in the presence of cholera toxin, were challenged with R20291 spores. Although specific antibodies were raised to both antigens, immunization did not provide any protection against acute or recurrent disease

Kernel Lot Distribution Assessment (KeLDA): a Comparative Study of Protein and DNA-Based Detection Methods for GMO Testing

Monitoring of market products for detection of genetically modified organisms (GMO) is needed to comply with legislation in force in many regions of the world, to enforce traceability and to allow official control along the production and the distribution chains. This objective can be more easily achieved if reliable, time and cost-effective analytical methods are available. A GMO can be detected using either DNA-based or protein-based methods; both present advantages and disadvantages. The objective of this work was to assess the performance of a protein-based (lateral flow strips—LFT) and of a DNA-based (polymerase chain reaction—PCR) detection method for GMO analysis. One thousand five hundred samples of soybean, deriving from the sampling of 15 independent bulk lots in large shipments, were analysed to assess and compare the performance of the analytical methods and evaluate their suitability for GMO testing. Several indicators were used to compare the performance of the methods, including the percentage correlation between the PCR and LFT results. The GMO content of the samples ranged from 0 up to 100 %, allowing a full assessment of both analytical approaches with respect to all possible GMO content scenarios. The study revealed a very similar performance of the two methodologies, with low false-negative and false-positive results, and a very satisfactory capacity of both methods in detecting low amounts of target. While determining the fitness for purpose of both analytical approaches, this study also underlines the importance of alternative method characteristics, like costs and time.JRC.I.3-Molecular Biology and Genomic

Kernel Lot Distribution Assessment (KeLDA): a Comparative Study of Protein and DNA-Based Detection Methods for GMO Testing

Monitoring of market products for detection of genetically modified organisms (GMO) is needed to comply with legislation in force in many regions of the world, to enforce traceability and to allow official control along the production and the distribution chains. This objective can be more easily achieved if reliable, time and cost-effective analytical methods are available. A GMO can be detected using either DNA-based or protein-based methods; both present advantages and disadvantages. The objective of this work was to assess the performance of a protein-based (lateral flow strips—LFT) and of a DNA-based (polymerase chain reaction—PCR) detection method for GMO analysis. One thousand five hundred samples of soybean, deriving from the sampling of 15 independent bulk lots in large shipments, were analysed to assess and compare the performance of the analytical methods and evaluate their suitability for GMO testing. Several indicators were used to compare the performance of the methods, including the percentage correlation between the PCR and LFT results. The GMO content of the samples ranged from 0 up to 100 %, allowing a full assessment of both analytical approaches with respect to all possible GMO content scenarios. The study revealed a very similar performance of the two methodologies, with low false-negative and false-positive results, and a very satisfactory capacity of both methods in detecting low amounts of target. While determining the fitness for purpose of both analytical approaches, this study also underlines the importance of alternative method characteristics, like costs and time

Individual common variants exert weak effects on the risk for autism spectrum disorders.

While it is apparent that rare variation can play an important role in the genetic architecture of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), the contribution of common variation to the risk of developing ASD is less clear. To produce a more comprehensive picture, we report Stage 2 of the Autism Genome Project genome-wide association study, adding 1301 ASD families and bringing the total to 2705 families analysed (Stages 1 and 2). In addition to evaluating the association of individual single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we also sought evidence that common variants, en masse, might affect the risk. Despite genotyping over a million SNPs covering the genome, no single SNP shows significant association with ASD or selected phenotypes at a genome-wide level. The SNP that achieves the smallest P-value from secondary analyses is rs1718101. It falls in CNTNAP2, a gene previously implicated in susceptibility for ASD. This SNP also shows modest association with age of word/phrase acquisition in ASD subjects, of interest because features of language development are also associated with other variation in CNTNAP2. In contrast, allele scores derived from the transmission of common alleles to Stage 1 cases significantly predict case status in the independent Stage 2 sample. Despite being significant, the variance explained by these allele scores was small (Vm< 1%). Based on results from individual SNPs and their en masse effect on risk, as inferred from the allele score results, it is reasonable to conclude that common variants affect the risk for ASD but their individual effects are modest