Food web structure and community composition : a comparison across space and time in the North Sea

Ecological communities are constantly changing as a response to environmental and anthropogenic pressures. Yet, how changes in community composition influence the structure of food webs over time and space remains elusive. Using ecological network analysis, we assessed how food web structure changed across six distinct areas of the North Sea over a sixteen-year time-period. We used multivariate analyses to disentangle and compare spatio-temporal dynamics in community composition (i.e. changes in species abundances) and food web structure (i.e. changes in network properties). Specifically, we assessed how changes in community composition were reflected in food web structure. Our results revealed a strong spatial coupling between community composition and food web structure along a south-north gradient. However, the temporal covariation between community composition and food web structure depended on the spatial scale. We observed a temporal mismatch at regional scale, but a strong coupling at local scale. In particular, we found that community composition can be influenced by hydro-climatic events over large areas, with diverse effects manifesting in local food web structure. Our proposed methodological framework quantified and compared spatio-temporal changes in community composition and food web structure, providing key information to support effective management strategies aimed at conserving the structure and functioning of ecological communities in times of environmental change.Peer reviewe

Transgenerational Developmental Effects of Immune Priming in the Red Flour Beetle Tribolium castaneum

Immune priming, the increased chance to survive a secondary encounter with a pathogen, has been described for many invertebrate species, which lack the classical adaptive immune system of vertebrates. Priming can be specific even for closely related bacterial strains, last up to the entire lifespan of an individual, and in some species, it can also be transferred to the offspring and is then called transgenerational immune priming (TGIP). In the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, a pest of stored grains, TGIP has even been shown to be transferred paternally after injection of adult beetles with heat-killed Bacillus thuringiensis. Here we studied whether TGIP in T. castaneum is also transferred to the second filial generation, whether it can also occur after oral and injection priming of larvae and whether it has effects on offspring development. We found that paternal priming with B. thuringiensis does not only protect the first but also the second offspring generation. Also, fitness costs of the immune priming became apparent, when the first filial generation produced fewer offspring. Furthermore, we used two different routes of exposure to prime larvae, either by injecting them with heat-killed bacteria or orally feeding them B. thuringiensis spore culture supernatant. Neither of the parental larval priming methods led to any direct benefits regarding offspring resistance. However, the injections slowed down development of the injected individuals, while oral priming with both a pathogenic and a non-pathogenic strain of B. thuringiensis delayed offspring development. The long-lasting transgenerational nature of immune priming and its impact on offspring development indicate that potentially underlying epigenetic modifications might be stable over several generations. Therefore, this form of phenotypic plasticity might impact pest control and should be considered when using products of bacterial origin against insects

Hydrostatic pressure in combination with topographical cues affects the fate of bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stem cells for bone tissue regeneration

Topographical and mechanical cues are vital for cell fate, tissue development in vivo, and to mimic the native cell growth environment in vitro. To date, the combinatory effect of mechanical and topographical cues as not been thoroughly investigated. This study investigates the effect of PCL nanofiber alignment and hydrostatic pressure on stem cell differentiation for bone tissue regeneration. Bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stem cells were seeded onto standard tissue culture plastic and electrospun random and aligned nanofibers. These substrates were either cultured statically or subjected to intermittent hydrostatic pressure at 270 kPa, 1 Hz for 60 min daily over 21 days in osteogenic medium. Data revealed higher cell metabolic activities for all mechanically stimulated cell culture formats compared with non-stimulated controls; and random fibers compared with aligned fibers. Fiber orientation influenced cell morphology and patterns of calcium deposition. Significant up-regulation of Collagen-I, ALP, and Runx-2 were observed for random and aligned fibers following mechanical stimulation; highest levels of osteogenic markers were expressed when hydrostatic pressure was applied to random fibers. These results indicate that fiber alignment and hydrostatic pressure direct stem cell fate and are important stimulus for tissue regeneration

Mono- versus polydrug abuse patterns among publicly funded clients

To examine patterns of mono- versus polydrug abuse, data were obtained from intake records of 69,891 admissions to publicly funded treatment programs in Tennessee between 1998 and 2004. While descriptive statistics were employed to report frequency and patterns of mono- and polydrug abuse by demographic variables and by study years, bivariate logistic regression was applied to assess the probability of being a mono- or polydrug abuser for a number of demographic variables. The researchers found that during the study period 51.3% of admissions reported monodrug abuse and 48.7% reported polydrug abuse. Alcohol, cocaine, and marijuana were the most commonly abused substances, both alone and in combination. Odds ratio favored polydrug abuse for all but one drug category–other drugs. Gender did not affect drug abuse patterns; however, admissions for African Americans and those living in urban areas exhibited higher probabilities of polydrug abuse. Age group also appeared to affect drug abuse patterns, with higher odds of monodrug abuse among minors and adults over 45 years old. The discernable prevalence of polydrug abuse suggests a need for developing effective prevention strategies and treatment plans specific to polydrug abuse

Effects on musculoskeletal pain, work ability and sickness absence in a 1-year randomised controlled trial among cleaners

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Only a few workplace initiatives among cleaners have been reported, even though they constitute a job group in great need of health promotion. The purpose of this trial was to evaluate the effect of either physical coordination training or cognitive behavioural training on musculoskeletal pain, work ability and sickness absence among cleaners.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cluster-randomised controlled trial was conducted among 294 female cleaners allocated to either physical coordination training (PCT), cognitive behavioural training (CBTr) or a reference group (REF). Questionnaires about musculoskeletal pain and work ability were completed at baseline and after one year's intervention. Sickness absence data were obtained from the managers' records. Analyses were performed according to the intention-to-treat-principle (ITT).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>No overall reduction in musculoskeletal pain, work ability or sickness absence from either PCT or CBTr compared with REF was found in conservative ITT analyses. However, explorative analyses revealed a treatment effect for musculoskeletal pain of the PCT. People with chronic neck/shoulder pain at baseline were more frequently non-chronic at follow-up after PCT compared with REF (p = 0.05).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The PCT intervention appeared effective for reducing chronic neck/shoulder pain among the female cleaners. It is recommended that future interventions among similar high-risk job groups focus on the implementation aspects of the interventions to maximise outcomes more distal from the intervention such as work ability and sickness absence.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>ISRCTN: <a href="http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN96241850">ISRCTN96241850</a></p

Search for copy number variants in chromosomes 15q11-q13 and 22q11.2 in obsessive compulsive disorder

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a clinically and etiologically heterogeneous syndrome. The high frequency of obsessive-compulsive symptoms reported in subjects with the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (DiGeorge/velocardiofacial syndrome) or Prader-Willi syndrome (15q11-13 deletion of the paternally derived chromosome), suggests that gene dosage effects in these chromosomal regions could increase risk for OCD. Therefore, the aim of this study was to search for microrearrangements in these two regions in OCD patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We screened the 15q11-13 and 22q11.2 chromosomal regions for genomic imbalances in 236 patients with OCD using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>No deletions or duplications involving 15q11-13 or 22q11.2 were identified in our patients.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results suggest that deletions/duplications of chromosomes 15q11-13 and 22q11.2 are rare in OCD. Despite the negative findings in these two regions, the search for copy number variants in OCD using genome-wide array-based methods is a highly promising approach to identify genes of etiologic importance in the development of OCD.</p

Genetic mechanisms of critical illness in COVID-19.

Host-mediated lung inflammation is present1, and drives mortality2, in the critical illness caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Host genetic variants associated with critical illness may identify mechanistic targets for therapeutic development3. Here we report the results of the GenOMICC (Genetics Of Mortality In Critical Care) genome-wide association study in 2,244 critically ill patients with COVID-19 from 208 UK intensive care units. We have identified and replicated the following new genome-wide significant associations: on chromosome 12q24.13 (rs10735079, P = 1.65 × 10-8) in a gene cluster that encodes antiviral restriction enzyme activators (OAS1, OAS2 and OAS3); on chromosome 19p13.2 (rs74956615, P = 2.3 × 10-8) near the gene that encodes tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2); on chromosome 19p13.3 (rs2109069, P = 3.98 ×  10-12) within the gene that encodes dipeptidyl peptidase 9 (DPP9); and on chromosome 21q22.1 (rs2236757, P = 4.99 × 10-8) in the interferon receptor gene IFNAR2. We identified potential targets for repurposing of licensed medications: using Mendelian randomization, we found evidence that low expression of IFNAR2, or high expression of TYK2, are associated with life-threatening disease; and transcriptome-wide association in lung tissue revealed that high expression of the monocyte-macrophage chemotactic receptor CCR2 is associated with severe COVID-19. Our results identify robust genetic signals relating to key host antiviral defence mechanisms and mediators of inflammatory organ damage in COVID-19. Both mechanisms may be amenable to targeted treatment with existing drugs. However, large-scale randomized clinical trials will be essential before any change to clinical practice

Bemötande av och god kommunikation med traumatiserade flyktingbarn : En bemötande- och kommunikationsmodell för studerande och professionella inom social- och hälsovården

Under flyktingströmmen 2015-2016 kom barn och vuxna till Finland för att söka skydd från krig, våld och svält. Barn som genomgått traumatiska upplevelser har tendens att utveckla psykiska trauman, t.ex. posttraumatisk stresstörning och depression. Arbetet fokuserar på psykiskt trauma eftersom det är någonting professionella inom social- och hälsovården kan räkna med i mötet med flyktingbarn. Det är viktigt att traumatiserade flyktingbarns behov tas på allvar. Etiskt förhållningssätt, människosyn och människovärde är av stor vikt i möten och kommunikationen med traumatiserade flyktingbarn. Examensarbetet ingår i projektet Resursstarka barn – mångkulturell vård och omsorg bland barn och familjer. Arbetets syfte är att beskriva vad psykiskt trauma hos flyktingbarn innebär och att utreda vad som hos professionella bör beaktas i bemötande och kommunikation i arbetet med traumatiserade flyktingbarn. Målet är att sammanställa en modell för bemötande och kommunikation, för både studerande och professionella inom vård- och sociala yrken. Frågeställningarna är: Hur tar sig psykiskt trauma uttryck hos flyktingbarn? Vad bör professionella inom social- och hälsovården tänka på i bemötandet och kommunikationen med flyktingbarn? Metoder i arbetet är litteraturöversikt. I genomgång av evidensbaserat material, så som artiklar och forskningar, var målet att hitta relevant litteratur som stöder syftet och frågeställningarna i arbetet. Det insamlade materialet stöder utvecklingen av slutprodukten; en modell för bemötande och kommunikation. Modellen arbetas fram utifrån den information som samlas in under examensarbetsprocessen. Den framställda modellen laddas upp på en hemsida sammankopplat med projektet. Resultat av forskningar och annan litteratur påvisar att det finns viktiga faktorer som man bör tänka på i bemötande av och kommunikation med traumatiserade flyktingbarn.Vuosina 2015-2016 Suomeen tuli pakolaisvirta koostuen lapsista ja aikuisista, jotka hakivat suojaa sodalta, väkivallalta ja nälänhädältä. Traumaattisia kokemuksia kokenut lapsi saa usein pysyviä vammoja, niin sanottuja psyykkisiä traumoja, kuten esim. post-traumaattinen stressihäiriö ja masennus. Opinnäytetyö keskittyy psyykkiseen traumaan, koska se on yleinen ongelma pakolaislapsilla, johon ammattilaisten sosiaali- ja terveydenhuollonalalla on syytä varautua tapaamisissaan heidän kanssaan. On tärkeää ottaa lasten tarpeet vakavasti, erityisesti traumatisoituneiden lasten tarpeet. Eettisellä asenteella, inhimillisyydellä ja ihmisarvolla on suuri merkitys hoidossa sekä viestinnässä traumatisoituneiden pakolaislasten kanssa. Opinnäytetyö on osa Resursstarka barn – mångkulturell vård och omsorg bland barn och familjer – projektia. Tutkielman tarkoitus on kuvata mitä psyykkinen trauma pakolaislapsilla tarkoittaa ja tutkia mitä se viestinnässä ja hoidossa merkitsee. Lisäksi tarkoitus on koota hoidon- ja viestinnän malli sekä opiskelijoille että ammattilaisille sosiaali- ja terveydenhuollonalalle. Tutkimuskysymykset ovat seuraavat: Miten psyykkinen trauma ilmenee pakolaislapsilla? Mitä ammattilaisten sosiaali- ja terveysalalla pitää huomioida työssämme pakolaislasten kanssa viestinnässä ja hoidossa? Opinnäytetyön menetelmiksi on valittu kirjallisuustutkimus ja sisällön analyysi. Katsauksessa näyttöön perustuvaan materiaaliin, kuten artikkeleihin ja tutkimuksiin, tavoitteena on löytää relevanttia kirjallisuutta, mikä tukee tavoitteenasettelua ja kysymyksiä, sekä tukee lopputuotetta, hoidon- ja viestinnän mallia. Tarkoituksena on edistää viestintää ja hoitoa ammattilaisen keskuudessa, jotka työssään kohtaavat traumatisoituneita pakolaislapsia. Tutkimusten ja muun kirjallisuuden perusteella löytyy tärkeitä tekijöitä, joita tulee ajatella viestinnässä ja hoidossa traumatisoituneiden pakolaislasten kanssa.During the refugee stream in 2015-2016 both children and adults came to Finland to seek safety from war, violence and starvation. Children who have undergone traumatic experiences tend to develop psychological traumas, such as posttraumatic stress disorder and depression. In this thesis the focus lies on psychological traumas, since they are something professionals within health- and social care should consider when meeting refugee children. The needs of traumatized children need to be taken seriously. Encountering and communication need to be done in a humanely and ethically correct manner. This thesis is part of the project Resursstarka barn – mångkulturell vård och omsorg bland barn och familjer. The purpose of the thesis is to describe what psychological trauma for refugee children is and to investigate what professionals within health- and social sectors, need to consider when encountering and communicating with traumatized refugee children. Our aim is to answer the following questions: How do psychological traumas manifest themselves in refugee children? What aspects should professionals in healthcare and social sectors consider when encountering and communicating with refugee children? Research methods in this process are literature review and content analysis. The aim of the review of evidence-based material, such as articles and researches, was to find relevant literature supporting the purpose and research questions in order to develop the final product; a model for encountering and communication. The findings are presented on a website connected to the project. Research and other literature show that there are important factors that should be considered when encountering and communicating with traumatized refugee children