Comparison of Diatoms and Dinoflagellates from Different Habitats as Sources of PUFAs

Recent studies have clearly shown the importance of omega-3 (ω-3) and omega-6 (ω-6) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) for human and animal health. The long-chain eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5ω-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6ω-3) are especially recognized for their nutritional value, and ability to alleviate many diseases in humans. So far, fish oil has been the main human source of EPA and DHA, but alternative sources are needed to satisfy the growing need for them. Therefore, we compared a fatty acid profile and content of 10 diatoms and seven dinoflagellates originating from marine, brackish and freshwater habitats. These two phytoplankton groups were chosen since they are excellent producers of EPA and DHA in aquatic food webs. Multivariate analysis revealed that, whereas the phytoplankton group (46%) explained most of the differences in the fatty acid profiles, habitat (31%) together with phytoplankton group (24%) explained differences in the fatty acid contents. In both diatoms and dinoflagellates, the total fatty acid concentrations and the ω-3 and ω-6 PUFAs were markedly higher in freshwater than in brackish or marine strains. Our results show that, even though the fatty acid profiles are genetically ordered, the fatty acid contents may vary greatly by habitat and affect the ω-3 and ω-6 availability in food webs

A Consultation Phone Service for Patients With Total Joint Arthroplasty May Reduce Unnecessary Emergency Department Visits

Background: Different measures for reducing costs after total joint arthroplasty (TJA) have gained attention lately. At our institution, a free-of-charge consultation phone service was initiated that targeted patients with TJA. This service aimed at reducing unnecessary emergency department (ED) visits and, thus, potentially improving the cost-effectiveness of TJAs. To our knowledge, a similar consultation service had not been described previously. We aimed at examining the rates and reasons for early postdischarge phone calls and evaluating the efficacy of this consultation service. Methods: During a 2-month period, we gathered information on every call received by the consultation phone service from patients with TJAs within 90 days of the index TJA procedure. Patients were followed for 2weeks aftermaking a call to detectmajor complications and self-initiated EDvisits. Datawere collected fromelectronic medical charts regarding age, gender, type of surgery, date of discharge, and length of hospital stay. Results: We analyzed 288 phone calls. Calls were mostly related to medication (41%), wound complications (17%), and mobilization issues (15%). Most calls were resolved in the phone consultation. Few patients (13%) required further evaluation in the ED. The consultation service failed to detect the need for an ED visit in 2 cases (0.7%) that required further care. Conclusion: The consultation phone service clearly benefitted patients with TJAs. The service reduced the number of unnecessary ED visits and functioned well in detecting patients who required further care. Most postoperative concernswere related to prescribed medications, wound complications, and mobilization issues. (c) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Status of Biodiversity in the Baltic Sea

The brackish Baltic Sea hosts species of various origins and environmental tolerances. These immigrated to the sea 10,000 to 15,000 years ago or have been introduced to the area over the relatively recent history of the system. The Baltic Sea has only one known endemic species. While information on some abiotic parameters extends back as long as five centuries and first quantitative snapshot data on biota (on exploited fish populations) originate generally from the same time, international coordination of research began in the early twentieth century. Continuous, annual Baltic Sea-wide long-term datasets on several organism groups (plankton, benthos, fish) are generally available since the mid-1950s. Based on a variety of available data sources (published papers, reports, grey literature, unpublished data), the Baltic Sea, incl. Kattegat, hosts altogether at least 6,065 species, including at least 1,700 phytoplankton, 442 phytobenthos, at least 1,199 zooplankton, at least 569 meiozoobenthos, 1,476 macrozoobenthos, at least 380 vertebrate parasites, about 200 fish, 3 seal, and 83 bird species. In general, but not in all organism groups, high sub-regional total species richness is associated with elevated salinity. Although in comparison with fully marine areas the Baltic Sea supports fewer species, several facets of the system's diversity remain underexplored to this day, such as micro-organisms, foraminiferans, meiobenthos and parasites. In the future, climate change and its interactions with multiple anthropogenic forcings are likely to have major impacts on the Baltic biodiversity

KLB is associated with alcohol drinking, and its gene product β-Klotho is necessary for FGF21 regulation of alcohol preference

Excessive alcohol consumption is a major public health problem worldwide. Although drinking habits are known to be inherited, few genes have been identified that are robustly linked to alcohol drinking. We conducted a genome-wide association metaanalysis and replication study among >105,000 individuals of European ancestry and identified β-Klotho (KLB) as a locus associated with alcohol consumption (rs11940694; P = 9.2 × 10−12). β-Klotho is an obligate coreceptor for the hormone FGF21, which is secreted from the liver and implicated in macronutrient preference in humans. We show that brain-specific β-Klotho KO mice have an increased alcohol preference and that FGF21 inhibits alcohol drinking by acting on the brain. These data suggest that a liver–brain endocrine axis may play an important role in the regulation of alcohol drinking behavior and provide a unique pharmacologic target for reducing alcohol consumption.</p

KLB is associated with alcohol drinking, and its gene product β-Klotho is necessary for FGF21 regulation of alcohol preference.

Excessive alcohol consumption is a major public health problem worldwide. Although drinking habits are known to be inherited, few genes have been identified that are robustly linked to alcohol drinking. We conducted a genome-wide association metaanalysis and replication study among >105,000 individuals of European ancestry and identified β-Klotho (KLB) as a locus associated with alcohol consumption (rs11940694; P = 9.2 × 10(-12)). β-Klotho is an obligate coreceptor for the hormone FGF21, which is secreted from the liver and implicated in macronutrient preference in humans. We show that brain-specific β-Klotho KO mice have an increased alcohol preference and that FGF21 inhibits alcohol drinking by acting on the brain. These data suggest that a liver-brain endocrine axis may play an important role in the regulation of alcohol drinking behavior and provide a unique pharmacologic target for reducing alcohol consumption

Kansanjohdannaisia

Kielenaineksetarmaskoukku (kieli: suomi, sivulla: 87)armeliaat (kieli: suomi, sivulla: 87)Inko(o) (kieli: suomi, sivulla: 87)säily (kieli: suomi, sivulla: 87)säilyke (kieli: suomi, sivulla: 87)säilyte (kieli: suomi, sivulla: 87

Climate and land-use change drive population decline in a red-listed plant species

Land-use change is a perennial driver of biodiversity decline. However, climate change may pose novel pressures on species populations, adding to the mixture of anthropogenic threats. Determining the main causes for species decline is important for effective allocation of conservation efforts and for understanding the linkages between biodiversity decline and climate change. Here, we study the impacts of forest management, urbanization, and changes in spring climatic conditions on the presence of a threatened plant species, Pulsatilla patens. In addition, we examine if topographic heterogeneity has supported the persistence of species populations under climatic change starting from 1961. We modelled the effect of land-use and climate change both separately and jointly, finding that both drivers have individual and potentially direct impacts on the persistence of P. patens. This is in agreement with the historic standpoint of land-use change being the main threat for the species, as well as recent findings of the potentially harmful effects of altered climatic conditions in spring, e.g., through late frost damage following earlier emergence of flowers. However, we found no indication that topographic heterogeneity would offer a buffering effect, suggesting that changes in spring climatic conditions form a tangible threat to this species that is not alleviated in the current landscape. As climate change continues, it is likely that the number and intensity of stressors increases for a variety of species, which warrants further attention to the role of climate change and appropriate conservation action