Field testing a novel high residence positioning system for monitoring the fine‐scale movements of aquatic organisms

1. Acoustic telemetry is an important tool for studying the behaviour of aquatic organisms in the wild. 2. VEMCO high residence (HR) tags and receivers are a recent introduction in the field of acoustic telemetry and can be paired with existing algorithms (e.g. VEMCO positioning system [VPS]) to obtain high‐resolution two‐dimensional positioning data. 3. Here, we present results of the first documented field test of a VPS composed of HR receivers (hereafter, HR‐VPS). We performed a series of stationary and moving trials with HR tags (mean HR transmission period = 1.5 s) to evaluate the precision, accuracy and temporal capabilities of this positioning technology. In addition, we present a sample of data obtained for five European perch Perca fluviatilis implanted with HR tags (mean HR transmission period = 4 s) to illustrate how this technology can estimate the fine‐scale behaviour of aquatic animals. 4. Accuracy and precision estimates (median [5th–95th percentile]) of HR‐VPS positions for all stationary trials were 5.6 m (4.2–10.8 m) and 0.1 m (0.02–0.07 m), respectively, and depended on the location of tags within the receiver array. In moving tests, tracks generated by HR‐VPS closely mimicked those produced by a handheld GPS held over the tag, but these differed in location by an average of ≈9 m. 5. We found that estimates of animal speed and distance travelled for perch declined when positional data for acoustically tagged perch were thinned to mimic longer transmission periods. These data also revealed a trade‐off between capturing real nonlinear animal movements and the inclusion of positioning error. 6. Our results suggested that HR‐VPS can provide more representative estimates of movement metrics and offer an advancement for studying fine‐scale movements of aquatic organisms, but high‐precision survey techniques may be needed to test these systems

Epidermal growth factor receptors in intracranial and breast tumours: their clinical significance.

A method to determine the binding of epidermal growth factor (EGF) to the particulate fraction of the cell has been established and evaluated using rat liver, human placenta, and tumours of human breast and brain. Little EGF receptor (EGFR) activity was detected in normal or benign tumour tissues except for meningioma (positive in 95% samples), but EGFR were present in 43% of 131 breast tumours and 75% of 55 primary cerebral tumours. Despite the strong inverse correlation between EGFR activity and oestrogen receptors in breast tumours and a tendency for high levels of EGFR activity to be associated with glioblastoma multiforme, analysis showed that EGFR was of little prognostic significance in patients with tumours of either breast or brain

Does thermal plasticity affect susceptibility to capture in fish? Insights from a simulated trap and trawl fishery

In fishes, physiological and behavioural traits can correlate with vulnerability to capture with fishing gears, highlighting the capacity of fisheries selection to drive phenotypic change in exploited populations. There remains a paucity of information regarding how different fishing gears may select on phenotypic traits and how relationships between individual traits and capture vulnerability change across environmental gradients. By simulating the capture process in a trawl and trap using wild minnows acclimated to different temperatures, we investigated how contrasting fishing gears select on behavioural and physiological traits, and how this selection is modulated by temperature. Despite similar risk of capture in each gear, selection differed between traps and trawls. Fish exhibiting low spontaneous activity were at greater capture risk in the trawl across all temperatures, while traps showed no selection except at 24°C. No relationships between physiological traits and capture vulnerability were found, except between swim performance and trap capture vulnerability at 24°C. This study demonstrates that fisheries selection on individual traits is likely context-specific, depending on both fishing gear type, and environment

A physiological perspective on fisheries-induced evolution

There is increasing evidence that intense fishing pressure is not only depleting fish stocks but also causing evolutionary changes to fish populations. In particular, body size and fecundity in wild fish populations may be altered in response to the high and often size-selective mortality exerted by fisheries. While these effects can have serious consequences for the viability of fish populations, there are also a range of traits not directly related to body size which could also affect susceptibility to capture by fishing gears – and therefore fisheries-induced evolution (FIE) – but which have to date been ignored. For example, overlooked within the context of FIE is the likelihood that variation in physiological traits could make some individuals within species more vulnerable to capture. Specifically, traits related to energy balance (e.g. metabolic rate), swimming performance (e.g. aerobic scope), neuroendocrinology (e.g. stress responsiveness), and sensory physiology (e.g., visual acuity) are especially likely to influence vulnerability to capture through a variety of mechanisms. Selection on these traits could produce major shifts in the physiological traits within populations in response to fishing pressure that are yet to be considered but which could influence population resource requirements, resilience, species’ distributions, and responses to environmental change

Prospective evaluation of prognostic factors in operable breast cancer.

In 215 patients with operable breast cancer (T1-T3, N0-1, M0) and no other or previous cancer, presenting to a single breast unit, sufficient tumour was available for the prospective determination of four putative biochemical markers of prognosis: oestrogen receptor (ER) activity, cathepsin D (cath D), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activity and cyclic AMP-binding proteins (c-AMP-b). There were significant inter-relationships between ER and EGFR (r = -0.26), c-AMP-b and cath D (r = +0.32) and ER and c-AMP-b (r = +0.14). After follow-up (median 36.2 months), a total of 55 recurrences (18 locoregional only) and 35 deaths were recorded. By univariate analysis, up to 10 of 18 biochemical, clinical and histopathological variables of potential prognostic value were significantly related to disease-free interval or death, but by multivariate analysis only oestrogen receptor concentration and node status contributed significantly to risk of both distant recurrence/death; in addition, tumour size made a small contribution to the risk for a distant recurrence only. Only two parameters, tumour grade and ER concentration, were significantly related to risk of locoregional recurrence by univariate analysis, but by multivariate analysis, only tumour grade was important. It is concluded that tumour ER concentration, axillary nodal status and tumour grade remain as the most important prognostic factors in the early years after presentation of operable breast cancer, with a minor influence of tumour size. At this time, the prognostic significance of quantitative measurements of ER concentration, carefully controlled for the quality of both assay and tumour specimen, is probably greater than is generally appreciated. We have yet to identify other factors, which add significantly to the short-term prognostic value of these key features

The impact of personality, morphotype and shore height on temperature-mediated behavioural responses in the beadlet anemone<i>Actinia equina</i>

Between-individual variation in behavioural phenotype, termed personality, is an important determinant of how populations cope with acute environmental fluctuation related to climate change. Personality in the beadlet sea anemone Actinia equina is linked to genetically distinct morphotypes, which are associated with different heights on the shore. In the intertidal zone, high-shore environments experience more environmental fluctuation due to longer periods of exposure, and animals adapted to live in these environments are predicted to deal more effectively with environmental perturbation than their low-shore counterparts. We collected beadlet anemones of two different morphotypes from three different shore heights. We investigated variation in two behaviours at three different temperatures and in a temporal control treatment where the temperature was not changed: startle response time, the time it took an anemone to re-extend its tentacles after a threatening stimulus, and immersion response time, the time to re-extend tentacles after simulated tidal immersion. These behaviours reflect risk-taking and allow individuals to be categorized as bold, shy or intermediate based upon response times. Both behaviours showed significant changes as the temperature increased. For immersion response, the morphotype associated with the low-shore-lengthened response times at high temperatures. For startle response, all animals lengthened their response times at high temperatures but animals collected from the low-shore lengthened theirs to the greatest degree. At the individual level, although control individuals exhibited temporal changes in their response times, a clear effect of temperature was present in both behaviours. Shy and bold individuals became more intermediate at higher temperatures in immersion response (this effect was present to a lesser degree in control individuals), while intermediate individuals raised their response times at higher temperatures for startle response. Given that prolonged tentacle retraction reduces foraging opportunities and can negatively impact respiratory efficiency, our data suggest that some individuals within a single population of A. equina, particularly those associated with the lower shore, may exhibit less effective behavioural responses to temperature shifts than others. These findings demonstrate that acute temperature changes influence risk-taking, and could have profound short and long-term implications for survival in the face of climate change

Outcome after extended follow-up in a prospective study of operable breast cancer: key factors and a prognostic index

In 1990, 215 patients with operable breast cancer were entered into a prospective study of the prognostic significance of five biochemical markers and 15 other factors (pathological/chronological/patient). After a median follow-up of 6.6 years, there were 77 recurrences and 77 deaths (59 breast cancer-related). By univariate analysis, patient outcome related significantly to 13 factors. By multivariate analysis, the most important of nine independent factors were: number of nodes involved, steroid receptors (for oestrogen or progestogen), age, clinical or pathological tumour size and grade. Receptors and grade exerted their influence only in the first 3 years. Progestogen receptors (immunohistochemical) and oestrogen receptors (biochemical) were of similar prognostic significance. The two receptors were correlated (r=+0.50, P=0.001) and displaced each other from the analytical model but some evidence for the additivity of their prognostic values was seen when their levels were discordant

Safety and efficacy of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (AZD1222) against SARS-CoV-2: an interim analysis of four randomised controlled trials in Brazil, South Africa, and the UK.

BACKGROUND: A safe and efficacious vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), if deployed with high coverage, could contribute to the control of the COVID-19 pandemic. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine in a pooled interim analysis of four trials. METHODS: This analysis includes data from four ongoing blinded, randomised, controlled trials done across the UK, Brazil, and South Africa. Participants aged 18 years and older were randomly assigned (1:1) to ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine or control (meningococcal group A, C, W, and Y conjugate vaccine or saline). Participants in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group received two doses containing 5 × 1010 viral particles (standard dose; SD/SD cohort); a subset in the UK trial received a half dose as their first dose (low dose) and a standard dose as their second dose (LD/SD cohort). The primary efficacy analysis included symptomatic COVID-19 in seronegative participants with a nucleic acid amplification test-positive swab more than 14 days after a second dose of vaccine. Participants were analysed according to treatment received, with data cutoff on Nov 4, 2020. Vaccine efficacy was calculated as 1 - relative risk derived from a robust Poisson regression model adjusted for age. Studies are registered at ISRCTN89951424 and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04324606, NCT04400838, and NCT04444674. FINDINGS: Between April 23 and Nov 4, 2020, 23 848 participants were enrolled and 11 636 participants (7548 in the UK, 4088 in Brazil) were included in the interim primary efficacy analysis. In participants who received two standard doses, vaccine efficacy was 62·1% (95% CI 41·0-75·7; 27 [0·6%] of 4440 in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group vs71 [1·6%] of 4455 in the control group) and in participants who received a low dose followed by a standard dose, efficacy was 90·0% (67·4-97·0; three [0·2%] of 1367 vs 30 [2·2%] of 1374; pinteraction=0·010). Overall vaccine efficacy across both groups was 70·4% (95·8% CI 54·8-80·6; 30 [0·5%] of 5807 vs 101 [1·7%] of 5829). From 21 days after the first dose, there were ten cases hospitalised for COVID-19, all in the control arm; two were classified as severe COVID-19, including one death. There were 74 341 person-months of safety follow-up (median 3·4 months, IQR 1·3-4·8): 175 severe adverse events occurred in 168 participants, 84 events in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group and 91 in the control group. Three events were classified as possibly related to a vaccine: one in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group, one in the control group, and one in a participant who remains masked to group allocation. INTERPRETATION: ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 has an acceptable safety profile and has been found to be efficacious against symptomatic COVID-19 in this interim analysis of ongoing clinical trials. FUNDING: UK Research and Innovation, National Institutes for Health Research (NIHR), Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Lemann Foundation, Rede D'Or, Brava and Telles Foundation, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Thames Valley and South Midland's NIHR Clinical Research Network, and AstraZeneca

Safety and efficacy of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (AZD1222) against SARS-CoV-2: an interim analysis of four randomised controlled trials in Brazil, South Africa, and the UK

Background A safe and efficacious vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), if deployed with high coverage, could contribute to the control of the COVID-19 pandemic. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine in a pooled interim analysis of four trials. Methods This analysis includes data from four ongoing blinded, randomised, controlled trials done across the UK, Brazil, and South Africa. Participants aged 18 years and older were randomly assigned (1:1) to ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine or control (meningococcal group A, C, W, and Y conjugate vaccine or saline). Participants in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group received two doses containing 5 × 1010 viral particles (standard dose; SD/SD cohort); a subset in the UK trial received a half dose as their first dose (low dose) and a standard dose as their second dose (LD/SD cohort). The primary efficacy analysis included symptomatic COVID-19 in seronegative participants with a nucleic acid amplification test-positive swab more than 14 days after a second dose of vaccine. Participants were analysed according to treatment received, with data cutoff on Nov 4, 2020. Vaccine efficacy was calculated as 1 - relative risk derived from a robust Poisson regression model adjusted for age. Studies are registered at ISRCTN89951424 and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04324606, NCT04400838, and NCT04444674. Findings Between April 23 and Nov 4, 2020, 23 848 participants were enrolled and 11 636 participants (7548 in the UK, 4088 in Brazil) were included in the interim primary efficacy analysis. In participants who received two standard doses, vaccine efficacy was 62·1% (95% CI 41·0–75·7; 27 [0·6%] of 4440 in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group vs71 [1·6%] of 4455 in the control group) and in participants who received a low dose followed by a standard dose, efficacy was 90·0% (67·4–97·0; three [0·2%] of 1367 vs 30 [2·2%] of 1374; pinteraction=0·010). Overall vaccine efficacy across both groups was 70·4% (95·8% CI 54·8–80·6; 30 [0·5%] of 5807 vs 101 [1·7%] of 5829). From 21 days after the first dose, there were ten cases hospitalised for COVID-19, all in the control arm; two were classified as severe COVID-19, including one death. There were 74 341 person-months of safety follow-up (median 3·4 months, IQR 1·3–4·8): 175 severe adverse events occurred in 168 participants, 84 events in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group and 91 in the control group. Three events were classified as possibly related to a vaccine: one in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group, one in the control group, and one in a participant who remains masked to group allocation. Interpretation ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 has an acceptable safety profile and has been found to be efficacious against symptomatic COVID-19 in this interim analysis of ongoing clinical trials