The recent collapse of a rapid phase-shift reversal on a Jamaican north coast coral reef after the 2005 bleaching event

Abstract: The community structure of most Caribbean reefs has changed dramatically since the 1980s. Invoking a chemistry analogy, in 1994 Hughes termed the change a "phase shift" to describe the change from a coral dominated habitat to one dominated by macroalga on the north coast of Jamaica over a period of 17 years. The loss of live coral cover is exemplified by the demise of Acropora spp. in Discovery Bay, Jamaica. Dense, monospecific high relief thickets of Acropora palmata (elkhorn coral) and A. cervicorni

Invertebrate recruitment patterns inside and outside Discovery Bay, Jamaica

Coral recruitment was recorded on tiles deployed at Columbus Park reef (CPR) within Discovery Bay, Jamaica and at the CARICOMP site on the West Fore Reef Slope (WFR) outside Discovery Bay. Spiny lobster pueruli and motile invertebrates were recorded using Witham collectors deployed at approximately the same sites as well as two additional sites: the Blue Hole (BH) (within Discovery Bay) and Dairy Bull Reef (DBR) (outside Discovery Bay). Prior to the early 1980's CPR, WFR and DBR had high scleractinian coral cover. Today CPR is characterized by coral rubble, zooanthids and Millepora, WFR is characterized by high algal cover and low percent coral cover, and DBR still has high coral cover. The rate of coral recruitment on the WFR was higher (203 spat m-2) than on the CPR (136 spat m-2). Acroporid recruitment was low, with only 3 spat m-2 (<1% of total recruitment) on the WFR and no acroporid spat on tiles at CPR. Agariciids and poritids were the dominant taxa recruiting to tiles at CPR and the WFR, respectively. While protected inshore waters are the preferred settlement habitat for spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) pueruli in other Caribbean studies, this was not true for Discovery Bay. No pueruli settled on Witham collectors deployed at CPR and BH. The numbers of other invertebrate species and individuals settling on collectors at the CPR and BH were much lower than on the WFR and DBR. It is hypothesized that anthropogenic activities are adversely affecting the water quality in Discovery Bay, and this, in turn, is adversely affecting the recruitment of scleractinian corals and motile invertebrates.Originally published at: http://www.reefbase.org/download/download.aspx?type=1&docid=1230

Linkage analysis of Norrie disease with an X-chromosomal ornithine aminotransferase locus.

Norrie disease is a rare disease of newborn males caused by prenatal or perinatal retinal detachment, which may be associated with mental retardation, psychosis, and/or hearing loss. DXS7 (L1.28) and MAO A and B loci have been linked to the ND locus on the short arm of the X chromosome. Sequences homologous to OAT also have been mapped to the short arm of the X chromosome. We performed linkage analyses between the ND locus and one of the OAT-like clusters of sequences on the X chromosome (OATL1), using a ScaI RFLP in a ND family, and increased the previously calculated lod score (z) to over 3 (3.38; theta = 0.05). Similarly, we calculated a lod score of 4.06 (theta = 0.01) between the OATL1 and DXS7 loci. Alone, the OATL1 ScaI RFLP system is expected to be informative in 48% of females. If this system were used in combination with the DXS7 TaqI polymorphism, 71% of females would be informative for at least one of the markers and 21% would be informative for both. Because the OATL1 ScaI RFLP is a relatively common polymorphism, this system should be useful for the identification of ND carriers and affected male fetuses and newborns

Validation of Stroke Network of Wisconsin scale at Aurora Health Care System

Background: The Stroke Network of Wisconsin (SNOW) scale, previously called the Pomona scale, was developed to predict large-vessel occlusions (LVOs) in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The original study showed a high accuracy of this scale. We sought to externally validate the SNOW scale in an independent cohort. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed and calculated the SNOW scale, the Vision Aphasia and Neglect Scale (VAN), the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Severity (CPSS), the Los Angeles Motor Scale (LAMS), and the Prehospital Acute Stroke Severity Scale (PASS) for all patients who were presented within 24 hours after onset at AHCS (14 hospitals) between January 2015 and December 2016. The predictive performance of all scales and several National Institute of Health Stroke Scale cutoffs (≥6) were determined and compared. LVO was defined by total occlusions involving the intracranial internal carotid artery, middle cerebral artery (MCA; M1), or basilar arteries. Results: Among 2183 AIS patients, 1381 had vascular imaging and were included in the analysis. LVO was detected in 169 (12%). A positive SNOW scale had comparable accuracy to predict LVO and showed a sensitivity of 0.80, specificity of 0.76, the positive predictive value (PPV) of 0.31, and negative predictive value of 0.96 for the detection of LVO versus CPSS ≥ 2 of 0.64, 0.87, 0.41, and 0.95. A positive SNOW scale had higher accuracy than VAN, LAMS, and PASS. Conclusion: In our large stroke network cohort, the SNOW scale has promising sensitivity, specificity and accuracy to predict LVO. Future prospective studies in both prehospital and emergency room settings are warranted