Impact of ocean acidification on marine organisms-unifying principles and new paradigms

This special issue combines original research with seminal reviews of the biological impact of ocean acidification. The ten contributions cover a wide range of topics from chemical and biological responses to increased CO2 and decreased pH to socio-economical sensitivities and adaptation options. Overall, this special issue also highlights the key knowledge gaps and future challenges. These include the need to develop research strategy and experiments that factor in evolution, incorporate natural variability in physical conditions (e.g.; pH, temperature, oxygen, food quality and quantity) and ecological interactions. The research presented in this special issue demonstrates the need to study more habitats (e.g.; coastal, deep sea) and prioritize species of ecological or economic significance

Enhancement of Gap Junction Function During Acute Myocardial Infarction Modifies Healing and Reduces Late Ventricular Arrhythmia Susceptibility

Objectives: To investigate the effects of enhancing gap junction (GJ) coupling during acute myocardial infarction (MI) on the healed infarct scar morphology and late post-MI arrhythmia susceptibility. Background: Increased heterogeneity of myocardial scarring after MI is associated with greater arrhythmia susceptibility. We hypothesized that short-term enhancement of GJ coupling during acute MI can produce more homogeneous infarct scars, reducing late susceptibility to post-MI arrhythmias. Methods: Following arrhythmic characterisation of the rat 4-week post-MI model (n=24), a further 27 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomised to receive rotigaptide to enhance GJ coupling (n=13) or saline control (n=14) by osmotic minipump immediately prior to, and for the first 7 days following surgical MI. At 4 weeks post-MI, hearts were explanted for ex vivo programmed electrical stimulation (PES) and optical mapping. Heterogeneity of infarct border zone (IBZ) scarring was quantified by histomorphometry. Results: Despite no detectable difference in infarct size at 4 weeks post-MI, rotigaptide-treated hearts had reduced arrhythmia susceptibility during PES (Inducibility score: rotigaptide 2.40.8, control 5.00.6, p=0.02) and less heterogeneous IBZ scarring (standard deviation of IBZ Complexity Score: rotigaptide 1.10.1, control 1.40.1, p=0.04), associated with an improvement in IBZ conduction velocity (rotigaptide 43.13.4 cm/s, control 34.82.0 cm/s, p=0.04). Conclusions: Enhancement of GJ coupling for only 7 days at the time of acute MI produced more homogeneous IBZ scarring and reduced arrhythmia susceptibility at 4 weeks post-MI. Short-term GJ modulation at the time of MI may represent a novel treatment strategy to modify the healed infarct scar morphology and reduce late post-MI arrhythmic risk

Quantitative genetics of growth traits in the edible snail, Helix aspersa Müller

Genetic parameters of adult weight, age at maturity (adult age), weight after hibernation and relative loss of weight during hibernation were estimated in a population of edible snails (Helix aspersa Müller). Eight thousand four hundred and eighthy three animals were sampled from 143 pairs for adult weight, 4 333 from 87 pairs for adult age and 2 256 from 123 pairs for traits after hibernation. An animal model taking into account all the relationships was used to estimate genetic parameters. Estimates were also computed from the covariances between full-sibs and parent offspring regressions to assess possible non-additive genetic effects. Heritabilities were high except for relative loss of weight during hibernation. Estimates from the animal model were 0.48 ± 0.04 for adult weight, 0.40 ± 0.05 for adult age, 0.40 ± 0.05 for weight after hibernation and 0.12 ± 0.03 for relative loss of weight during hibernation. Adult weight and adult age were neither phenotypically nor genetically correlated (0.05 and 0.003 ± 0.07, respectively). A substantial maternal effect, especially on adult weight was found.Les paramètres génétiques de plusieurs caractères de croissance ont été estimés dans une population d’escargots Petit-Gris (Helix aspersa Müller). Il s’agit du poids adulte, de l’âge à maturité (âge adulte), du poids après hibernation et de la perte relative de poids lors de l’hibernation. Le nombre d’observations collectées se répartit ainsi : 8 483 animaux issus de 143 couples pour le poids adulte, 4 333 issus de 87 couples pour l’âge adulte et 2 256 issus de 123 couples pour les caractères mesurés après hibernation. Afin de tenir compte de toutes les relations de parenté, nous avons utilisé un modèle animal pour estimer les paramètres génétiques. Ils ont également été estimés à partir des covariances entre plein-frères et de la régression parents-descendants. Cela nous a permis de discuter des effets génétiques non additifs. Tous les caractères sauf la perte de poids relative lors de l’hibernation révèlent des héritabilités élevées. Les estimations issues du modèle animal sont de 0,48 ± 0,04 pour le poids adulte, 0,40 ± 0,05 pour l’âge adulte, 0,40 ± 0,05 pour le poids après hibernation et 0, 12 ± 0 03 pour la perte relative de poids lors de l’hibernation. Il n’y a pas de corrélation (ni phénotypique, ni génétique) significative entre le poids et l’âge adultes (0,05 et 0,003 ± 0,07, respectivement). Nous avons également mis en évidence un effet maternel important, en particulier sur le poids adulte

Towards improved socio-economic assessments of ocean acidification’s impacts

Ocean acidification is increasingly recognized as a component of global change that could have a wide range of impacts on marine organisms, the ecosystems they live in, and the goods and services they provide humankind. Assessment of these potential socio-economic impacts requires integrated efforts between biologists, chemists, oceanographers, economists and social scientists. But because ocean acidification is a new research area, significant knowledge gaps are preventing economists from estimating its welfare impacts. For instance, economic data on the impact of ocean acidification on significant markets such as fisheries, aquaculture and tourism are very limited (if not non-existent), and non-market valuation studies on this topic are not yet available. Our paper summarizes the current understanding of future OA impacts and sets out what further information is required for economists to assess socio-economic impacts of ocean acidification. Our aim is to provide clear directions for multidisciplinary collaborative research

Thermodynamics of hydrogen production from urea by steam reforming with and without in situ carbon dioxide sorption

The thermodynamic effects of molar steam to carbon ratio (S:C), of pressure, and of having CaO present on the H2 yield and enthalpy balance of urea steam reforming were investigated. At a S:C of 3 the presence of CaO increased the H2 yield from 2.6 mol H2/mol urea feed at 940 K to 2.9 at 890 K, and decreased the enthalpy of bringing the system to equilibrium. A minimum enthalpy of 180.4 kJ was required to produce 1 mol of H2 at 880 K. This decreased to 94.0 kJ at 660 K with CaO-based CO2 sorption and, when including a regeneration step of the CaCO3 at 1170 K, to 173 kJ at 720 K. The presence of CaO allowed widening the range of viable operation at lower temperature and significantly inhibited carbon formation. The feasibility of producing H2 from renewable urea in a low carbon future is discussed

Micro-fading spectrometry: investigating the wavelength specificity of fading

A modified microfading spectrometer incorporating a linear variable filter is used to investigate the wavelength dependence of fading of traditional watercolour pigments, dosimeters and fading standards at a higher spectral resolution and/or sampling than had previously been attempted. While the wavelength dependence of photochemical damage was largely found to correlate well with the absorption spectra of each material, exceptions were found in the case of Prussian blue and Prussian green pigments (the latter includes Prussian blue), for which an anti-correlation between the spectral colour change and the absorption spectrum was found

Estimation of transient increases in bleeding risk associated with physical activity in children with haemophilia

BACKGROUND: Although it is widely appreciated that vigorous physical activity can increase the risk of bleeding episodes in children with haemophilia, the magnitude of the increase in risk is not known. Accurate risk estimates could inform decisions made by children with haemophilia and their parents about participation in physical activity and aid the development of optimal prophylactic schedules. The aim of this study is to provide an accurate estimate of the risks of bleeding associated with vigorous physical activity in children with haemophilia. METHODS/DESIGN: The study will be a case-crossover study nested within a prospective cohort study. Children with moderate or severe haemophilia A or B, recruited from two paediatric haematology departments in Australia, will participate in the study. The child, or the child's parent or guardian, will report bleeding episodes experienced over a 12-month period. Following a bleeding episode, the participant will be interviewed by telephone about exposures to physical activity in the case period (8 hours before the bleed) and 2 control periods (an 8 hour period at the same time on the day preceding the bleed and an 8 hour period two days preceding the bleed). Conditional logistic regression will be used to estimate the risk of participating in vigorous physical activity from measures of exposure to physical activity in the case and control periods. DISCUSSION: This case-control study will provide estimates of the risk of participation in vigorous physical activity in children with haemophilia

Pluses and minuses of ammonium and nitrate uptake and assimilation by phytoplankton and implications for productivity and community composition, with emphasis on nitrogen-enriched conditions

© 2016 Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography. Anthropogenic activities are altering total nutrient loads to many estuaries and freshwaters, resulting in high loads not only of total nitrogen (N), but in some cases, of chemically reduced forms, notably NH4+. Long thought to be the preferred form of N for phytoplankton uptake, NH4+ may actually suppress overall growth when concentrations are sufficiently high. NH4+ has been well known to be inhibitory or repressive for NO3- uptake and assimilation, but the concentrations of NH4+ that promote vs. repress NO3- uptake, assimilation, and growth in different phytoplankton groups and under different growth conditions are not well understood. Here, we review N metabolism first in a "generic" eukaryotic cell, and the contrasting metabolic pathways and regulation of NH4+ and NO3- when these substrates are provided individually under equivalent growth conditions. Then the metabolic interactions of these substrates are described when both are provided together, emphasizing the cellular challenge of balancing nutrient acquisition with photosynthetic energy balance in dynamic environments. Conditions under which dissipatory pathways such as dissimilatory NO3-/ NO2- reduction to NH4+ and photorespiration that may lead to growth suppression are highlighted. While more is known about diatoms, taxon-specific differences in NH4+ and NO3- metabolism that may contribute to changes in phytoplankton community composition when the composition of the N pool changes are presented. These relationships have important implications for harmful algal blooms, development of nutrient criteria for management, and modeling of nutrient uptake by phytoplankton, particularly in conditions where eutrophication is increasing and the redox state of N loads is changing

Bird pollination of Canary Island endemic plants

The Canary Islands are home to a guild of endemic, threatened bird pollinated plants. Previous work has suggested that these plants evolved floral traits as adaptations to pollination by flower specialist sunbirds, but subsequently they appear to be have co-opted passerine birds as sub-optimal pollinators. To test this idea we carried out a quantitative study of the pollination biology of three of the bird pollinated plants, Canarina canariensis (Campanulaceae), Isoplexis canariensis (Veronicaceae) and Lotus berthelotii (Fabaceae), on the island of Tenerife. Using colour vision models, we predicted the detectability of flowers to bird and bee pollinators. We measured pollinator visitation rates, nectar standing crops, as well as seed set and pollen removal and deposition. These data showed that the plants are effectively pollinated by non-flower specialist passerine birds that only occasionally visit flowers. The large nectar standing crops and extended flower longevities (>10days) of Canarina and Isoplexis suggests that they have evolved bird pollination system that effectively exploits these low frequency non-specialist pollen vectors and is in no way suboptimal. Seed set in two of the three species was high, and was significantly reduced or zero in flowers where pollinator access was restricted. In L. berthelotii, however, no fruit set was observed, probably because the plants were self incompatible horticultural clones of a single genet. We also show that, while all three species are easily detectable for birds, the orange Canarina and the red Lotus (but less so the yellow-orange Isoplexis) should be difficult to detect for insect pollinators without specialised red receptors, such as bumblebees. Contrary to expectations if we accept that the flowers are primarily adapted to sunbird pollination, the chiffchaff (Phylloscopus canariensis) was an effective pollinator of these species