Parasites of an Arctic scavenger; the wolverine (Gulo gulo)

Parasites are fundamental components within all ecosystems, shaping interaction webs, host population dynamics and behaviour. Despite this, baseline data is lacking to understand the parasite ecology of many Arctic species, including the wolverine (Gulo gulo), a top Arctic predator and scavenger. Here, we combined traditional count methods (i.e. adult helminth recovery, where taxonomy was confirmed by molecular identification) with 18S rRNA high-throughput sequencing to document the wolverine parasite community. Further, we investigated whether the abundance of parasites detected using traditional methods were associated with host metadata, latitude, and longitude (ranging from the northern limit of the boreal forest to the low Arctic and Arctic tundra in Nunavut, Canada). Adult parasites in intestinal contents were identified as Baylisascaris devosi in 72% (n = 39) of wolverines and Taenia spp. in 22% (n = 12), of which specimens from 2 wolverines were identified as T. twitchelli based on COX1 sequence. 18S rRNA high-throughput sequencing on DNA extracted from faeces detected additional parasites, including a pseudophyllid cestode (Diplogonoporus spp. or Diphyllobothrium spp.), two metastrongyloid lungworms (Angiostrongylus spp. or Aelurostrongylus spp., and Crenosoma spp.), an ascarid nematode (Ascaris spp. or Toxocara spp.), a Trichinella spp. nematode, and the protozoan Sarcocystis spp., though each at a prevalence less than 13% (n = 7). The abundance of B. devosi significantly decreased with latitude (slope = -0.68; R2 = 0.17; P = 0.004), suggesting a northerly limit in distribution. We describe B. devosi and T. twitchelli in Canadian wolverines for the first time since 1978, and extend the recorded geographic distribution of these parasites ca 2000 km to the East and into the tundra ecosystem. Our findings illustrate the value of molecular methods in support of traditional methods, encouraging additional work to improve the advancement of molecular screening for parasites

Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): Panchromatic data release (far-UV–far-IR) and the low-z energy budget

We present the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) Panchromatic Data Release (PDR) constituting over 230 deg2 of imaging with photometry in 21 bands extending from the farUV to the far-IR. These data complement our spectroscopic campaign of over 300k galaxies, and are compiled from observations with a variety of facilities including: GALaxy Evolution eXplorer, Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Visible and Infrared Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA), Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, and Herschel, with the GAMA regions currently being surveyedbyVLTSurveyTelescope(VST)andscheduledforobservationsbyAustralianSquare Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP). These data are processed to a common astrometric solution, from which photometry is derived for ∼221373 galaxies with r < 19.8 mag. Online tools are provided to access and download data cutouts, or the full mosaics of the GAMA regions in each band. We focus, in particular, on the reduction and analysis of the VISTA VIsta Kilo-degree INfrared Galaxy data, and compare to earlier data sets (i.e. 2MASS and UKIDSS) before combining the data and examining its integrity. Having derived the 21-band photometric catalogue, we proceed to fit the data using the energy balance code MAGPHYS. These measurements are then used to obtain the first fully empirical measurement of the 0.1–500 μm energy output of the Universe. Exploring the cosmic spectral energy distribution across three time-intervals (0.3–1.1, 1.1–1.8, and 1.8–2.4 Gyr), we find that the Universe is currently generating (1.5 ± 0.3) × 1035 h70 W Mpc−3, down from (2.5 ± 0.2) × 1035 h70 W Mpc−3 2.3 Gyr ago. More importantly, we identify significant and smooth evolution in the integrated photon escape fraction at all wavelengths, with the UV escape fraction increasing from 27(18) per cent at z= 0.18 in NUV(FUV) to 34(23) per cent at z= 0.06. The GAMA PDR can be found at: http://gama-psi.icrar.org/

Co-producing principles to guide health research: an illustrative case study from an eating disorder research clinic

There is significant value in co-produced health research, however power-imbalances within research teams can pose a barrier to people with lived experience of an illness determining the direction of research in that area. This is especially true in eating disorder research, where the inclusion of co-production approaches lags other research areas. Appealing to principles or values can serve to ground collaborative working. Despite this, there has not been any prior attempt to co-produce principles to guide the work of a research group and serve as a basis for developing future projects. The aim of this piece of work was to co-produce a set of principles to guide the conduct of research within our lived experience led research clinic, and to offer an illustrative case for the value of this as a novel co-production methodology. A lived experience panel were recruited to our eating disorder research group. Through an iterative series of workshops with the members of our research clinic (composed of a lived experience panel, clinicians, and researchers) we developed a set of principles which we agreed were important in ensuring both the direction of our research, and the way in which we wanted to work together. Six key principles were developed using this process. They were that research should aim to be: 1) real world—offering a clear and concrete benefit to people with eating disorders, 2) tailored—suitable for marginalised groups and people with atypical diagnoses, 3) hopeful—ensuring that hope for recovery was centred in treatment, 4) experiential—privileging the ‘voice’ of people with eating disorders, 5) broad—encompassing non-standard therapeutic treatments and 6) democratic—co-produced by people with lived experience of eating disorders. We reflect on some of the positives as well as limitations of the process, highlighting the importance of adequate funding for longer-term co-production approaches to be taken, and issues around ensuring representation of minority groups. We hope that other health research groups will see the value in co-producing principles to guide research in their own fields, and will adapt, develop, and refine this novel methodology

Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): the stellar mass budget of galaxy spheroids and discs

We build on a recent photometric decomposition analysis of 7506 Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey galaxies to derive stellar mass function fits to individual spheroid and disc component populations down to a lower mass limit of log(M*/M⊙) = 8. We find that the spheroid/disc mass distributions for individual galaxy morphological types are well described by single Schechter function forms. We derive estimates of the total stellar mass densities in spheroids (ρspheroid = 1.24 ± 0.49 × 108 M⊙ Mpc -3h0.7) and discs (ρdisc = 1.20 ± 0.45 × 108 M⊙ Mpc -3h0.7), which translates to approximately 50 per cent of the local stellar mass density in spheroids and 48 per cent in discs. The remaining stellar mass is found in the dwarf 'little blue spheroid' class, which is not obviously similar in structure to either classical spheroid or disc populations. We also examine the variation of component mass ratios across galaxy mass and group halo mass regimes, finding the transition from spheroid to disc mass dominance occurs near galaxy stellar mass ~1011 M⊙ and group halo mass ~1012.5 M⊙h-1. We further quantify the variation in spheroid-to-total mass ratio with group halo mass for central and satellite populations as well as the radial variation of this ratio within groups.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Self-medication and non-doctor prescription practices in Pokhara valley, Western Nepal: a questionnaire-based study

BACKGROUND: Self-medication and non-doctor prescribing of drugs is common in developing countries. Complementary and alternative medications, especially herbs, are also commonly used. There are few studies on the use of these medications in Pokhara Valley, Western Nepal. METHODS: Previously briefed seventh semester medical students, using a semi-structured questionnaire, carried out the study on 142 respondents. Demographic information and information on drugs used for self-medication or prescribed by a non-allopathic doctor were collected. RESULTS: Seventy-six respondents (54%) were aged between 20 to 39 years. The majority of the respondents (72 %) stayed within 30 minutes walking distance of a health post/medical store. 59% of these respondents had taken some form of self-medication in the 6-month period preceding the study. The common reasons given for self-medication were mild illness, previous experience of treating a similar illness, and non-availability of health personnel. 70% of respondents were prescribed allopathic drugs by a non-allopathic doctor. The compounder and health assistant were common sources of medicines. Paracetamol and antimicrobials were the drugs most commonly prescribed. A significantly higher proportion of young (<40 years) male respondents had used self-medication than other groups. CONCLUSIONS: Self-medication and non-doctor prescribing are common in the Pokhara valley. In addition to allopathic drugs, herbal remedies were also commonly used for self-medication. Drugs, especially antimicrobials, were not taken for the proper duration. Education to help patients decide on the appropriateness of self-medication is required

Galaxy And Mass Assembly: the evolution of the cosmic spectral energy distribution from z = 1 to z = 0

We present the evolution of the cosmic spectral energy distribution (CSED) from z = 1 to 0. Our CSEDs originate from stacking individual spectral energy distribution (SED) fits based on panchromatic photometry from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) and COSMOS data sets in 10 redshift intervals with completeness corrections applied. Below z = 0.45, we have credible SED fits from 100 nm to 1 mm. Due to the relatively low sensitivity of the far-infrared data, our far-infrared CSEDs contain a mix of predicted and measured fluxes above z = 0.45. Our results include appropriate errors to highlight the impact of these corrections. We show that the bolometric energy output of the Universe has declined by a factor of roughly 4 – from 5.1 ± 1.0 at z ∼ 1 to 1.3 ± 0.3 × 1035 h70 W Mpc−3 at the current epoch. We show that this decrease is robust to cosmic sample variance, the SED modelling and other various types of error. Our CSEDs are also consistent with an increase in the mean age of stellar populations. We also show that dust attenuation has decreased over the same period, with the photon escape fraction at 150 nm increasing from 16 ± 3 at z ∼ 1 to 24 ± 5 per cent at the current epoch, equivalent to a decrease in AFUV of 0.4 mag. Our CSEDs account for 68 ± 12 and 61 ± 13 per cent of the cosmic optical and infrared backgrounds, respectively, as defined from integrated galaxy counts and are consistent with previous estimates of the cosmic infrared background with redshift

Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): the galaxy stellar mass function to z = 0.1 from the r-band selected equatorial regions

We derive the low-redshift galaxy stellar mass function (GSMF), inclusive of dust corrections, for the equatorial Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) data set covering 180 deg2. We construct the mass function using a density-corrected maximum volume method, using masses corrected for the impact of optically thick and thin dust. We explore the galactic bivariate brightness plane (M⋆–μ), demonstrating that surface brightness effects do not systematically bias our mass function measurement above 107.5 M⊙. The galaxy distribution in the M–μ plane appears well bounded, indicating that no substantial population of massive but diffuse or highly compact galaxies are systematically missed due to the GAMA selection criteria. The GSMF is fitted with a double Schechter function, with M⋆=1010.78±0.01±0.20M⊙ M⋆=1010.78±0.01±0.20M⊙ , ϕ⋆1=(2.93±0.40)×10−3h370 ϕ1⋆=(2.93±0.40)×10−3h703 Mpc−3, α1 = −0.62 ± 0.03 ± 0.15, ϕ⋆2=(0.63±0.10)×10−3h370 ϕ2⋆=(0.63±0.10)×10−3h703 Mpc−3 and α2 = −1.50 ± 0.01 ± 0.15. We find the equivalent faint end slope as previously estimated using the GAMA-I sample, although we find a higher value of M⋆ M⋆ . Using the full GAMA-II sample, we are able to fit the mass function to masses as low as 107.5  M⊙, and assess limits to 106.5  M⊙. Combining GAMA-II with data from G10-COSMOS, we are able to comment qualitatively on the shape of the GSMF down to masses as low as 106 M⊙. Beyond the well-known upturn seen in the GSMF at 109.5, the distribution appears to maintain a single power-law slope from 109 to 106.5. We calculate the stellar mass density parameter given our best-estimate GSMF, finding Ω⋆=1.66+0.24−0.23±0.97h−170×10−3 Ω⋆=1.66−0.23+0.24±0.97h70−1×10−3 , inclusive of random and systematic uncertainties

Removing Algebraic Data Types from Constrained Horn Clauses Using Difference Predicates

We address the problem of proving the satisfiability of Constrained Horn Clauses (CHCs) with Algebraic Data Types (ADTs), such as lists and trees. We propose a new technique for transforming CHCs with ADTs into CHCs where predicates are defined over basic types, such as integers and booleans, only. Thus, our technique avoids the explicit use of inductive proof rules during satisfiability proofs. The main extension over previous techniques for ADT removal is a new transformation rule, called differential replacement, which allows us to introduce auxiliary predicates corresponding to the lemmas that are often needed when making inductive proofs. We present an algorithm that uses the new rule, together with the traditional folding/unfolding transformation rules, for the automatic removal of ADTs. We prove that if the set of the transformed clauses is satisfiable, then so is the set of the original clauses. By an experimental evaluation, we show that the use of the differential replacement rule significantly improves the effectiveness of ADT removal, and we show that our transformation-based approach is competitive with respect to a well-established technique that extends the CVC4 solver with induction.Comment: 10th International Joint Conference on Automated Reasoning (IJCAR 2020) - version with appendix; added DOI of the final authenticated Springer publication; minor correction

Multiple and Consecutive Genome Editing Using i-GONAD and Breeding Enrichment Facilitates the Production of Genetically Modified Mice

Genetically modified (GM) mice are essential tools in biomedical research. Traditional methods for generating GM mice are expensive and require specialized personnel and equipment. The use of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) coupled with improved-Genome editing via Oviductal Nucleic Acids Delivery (i-GONAD) has highly increased the feasibility of producing GM mice in research laboratories. However, genetic modification in inbred mouse strains of interest such as C57BL/6 (B6) is still challenging because of their low fertility and embryo fragility. We have successfully generated multiple novel GM mouse strains in the B6 background while attempting to optimize i-GONAD. We found that i-GONAD reduced the litter size in superovulated pregnant females but did not impact pregnancy rates. Natural mating or low-hormone dose did not increase the low fertility rate observed in superovulated B6 females. However, diet enrichment had a positive effect on pregnancy success. We also optimized breeding conditions to increase the survival of small litters by co-housing i-GONAD-treated pregnant B6 females with synchronized pregnant FVB/NJ companion mothers. Thus, GM mice generation was increased by an enriched diet and shared pup rearing with highly fertile females such as FVB/NJ. In the present study, we generated 16 GM mice using a CRISPR/Cas system to target individual and multiple loci simultaneously or consecutively. We also compared homology-directed repair efficiency using different methods for LoxP insertion for conditional knockout mouse production. We found that a two-step serial LoxP insertion, in which each LoxP sequence was inserted individually in different i-GONAD procedures, was a low-risk high-efficiency method for generating floxed mice