Phosphorus dynamics in the swale - Ouse River system

A study was made of the phosphorus ecology of the Swale - Ouse river in northern England. It ranges from a stream draining a peat moorland to a mature river influenced by urbanisation (estimated population 250 000) and intensive agriculture. The aims were to assess the concentration and variability of aqueous N and P on spatial and temporal scales, and the response of two common mosses, Fontinalis antipyretica and Rhynchostegium riparioides, to those changes. Key aspects included analysis of water chemistry, internal nutrient contents of mosses, and 'surface' phosphatase activity. The rate of activity of m situ plants was measured over an annual period, in conjunction with short-term studies of transplanted populations. Studies of phosphatase activity in the water also were carried out to assess the biological cycling of phosphorus. Aqueous total phosphorus and total dissolved nitrogen concentration increased on passing down the river. In the upper reaches, total phosphorus comprised equal contributions of dissolved organic and inorganic phosphorus, which were almost certainly derived from diffuse sources. Further downstream, total phosphorus was almost entirely comprised of inorganic phosphorus from point source inputs. The nitrogen and phosphorus content of Fontinalis antipyretica and Rhynchostegium riparioides increased on passing downstream, consistent with the water chemistry. The rate of phosphomonoesterase activity of both mosses was high in the upper reaches of the river, and was inversely related to nutrient content. Fontinalis antipyretica sampled from streams draining peat moorland was shown to have a high phosphodiesterase : phosphomonoesterase ratio. A possible explanation for this is that peat is a potentially rich source of phosphodiester substrate, although increased phosphodiesterase activity may be a response to extreme phosphorus limitation. Transplantation of F. antipyretica showed that internal nutrient content and phosphatase activity respond to changes in ambient nutrients. Aqueous phosphomonoesterase activity was studied over a 12-month period. Laboratory and field studies suggest it plays an important role in the. phosphorus dynamics of the Swale - Ouse river system

Annual time-series analysis of aqueous eDNA reveals ecologically relevant dynamics of lake ecosystem biodiversity

The use of environmental DNA (eDNA) in biodiversity assessments offers a step-change in sensitivity, throughput and simultaneous measures of ecosystem diversity and function. There remains, however, a need to examine eDNA persistence in the wild through simultaneous temporal measures of eDNA and biota. Here, we use metabarcoding of two markers of different lengths, derived from an annual time series of aqueous lake eDNA to examine temporal shifts in ecosystem biodiversity and in an ecologically important group of macroinvertebrates (Diptera: Chironomidae). The analyses allow different levels of detection and validation of taxon richness and community composition (β-diversity) through time, with shorter eDNA fragments dominating the eDNA community. Comparisons between eDNA, community DNA, taxonomy and UK species abundance data further show significant relationships between diversity estimates derived across the disparate methodologies. Our results reveal the temporal dynamics of eDNA and validate the utility of eDNA metabarcoding for tracking seasonal diversity at the ecosystem scale

Religion as practices of attachment and materiality: the making of Buddhism in contemporary London

This article aims to explore Buddhism’s often-overlooked presence on London’s urban landscape, showing how its quietness and subtlety of approach has allowed the faith to grow largely beneath the radar. It argues that Buddhism makes claims to urban space in much the same way as it produces its faith, being as much about the practices performed and the spaces where they are enacted as it is about faith or beliefs. The research across a number of Buddhist sites in London reveals that number of people declaring themselves as Buddhists has indeed risen in recent years, following the rise of other non-traditional religions in the UK; however, this research suggests that Buddhism differs from these in several ways. Drawing on Baumann’s (2002) distinction between traditionalist and modernist approaches to Buddhism, our research reveals a growth in each of these. Nevertheless, Buddhism remains largely invisible in the urban and suburban landscape of London, adapting buildings that are already in place, with little material impact on the built environment, and has thus been less subject to contestation than other religious movements and traditions. This research contributes to a growing literature which foregrounds the importance of religion in making contemporary urban and social worlds

Bilateral macular hole formation secondary to sclopetaria caused by shockwaves transmitted by a posterior vector: case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Sclopetaria is a rare ophthalmic finding in trauma</p> <p>Case Presentation</p> <p>This is a report of a patient who developed macular holes from sclopetaria induced by indirect trauma. A 22-year-old male, suffered a gunshot wound that passed behind his eyes, resulting in bilateral macular hole formation</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>To our knowledge, this is the first reported case in which trauma posterior to the globes caused bilateral macular hole formation</p

Endoscopic sinus surgery for maxillary sinus mucoceles

BACKGROUND: Maxillary sinus mucoceles are relatively rare among all paranasal sinus mucoceles. With the introduction of endoscopic sinus surgical techniques, rhinologic surgeons prefer transnasal endoscopic management of sinus mucoceles. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical presentation of maxillary sinus mucoceles and to establish the efficacy of endoscopic management of sinus mucoceles. METHODS: Between 2003 and 2005, 14 patients underwent endoscopic sinus surgery for maxillary sinus mucocele. The presenting sign and symptoms, radiological findings, surgical management and need for revision surgery were reviewed. RESULTS: There were eight males and six females with an age range of 14 to 65. Ten patients complained of nasal obstruction, five of nasal drainage, five of cheek pressure or pain and one of proptosis of the eye and cheek swelling. The maxillary sinus and ipsilateral ethmoid sinus involvement on computed tomographic studies was seen in 4 patients. Four patients had history of endoscopic ethmoidectomy surgery for ethmoid sinusitis and one had Caldwell-Luc operation in the past. Ethmoidectomy with middle meatal antrostomy and marsupialization of the mucocele was performed in all patients. Postoperative follow-up ranged between 8 to 48 months. All patients had a patent middle meatal antrostomy and healthy maxillary sinus mucosa. No patients need revision surgery. CONCLUSION: The most common causes of mucoceles are chronic infection, allergic sinonasal disease, trauma and previous surgery. In 64% of the patients of our study cause remains uncertain. Endoscopic sinus surgery is an effective treatment for maxillary sinus mucoceles with a favorable long-term outcome

Competition and parasitism in the native White Clawed Crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes and the invasive Signal Crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus in the UK

Many crayfish species have been introduced to novel habitats worldwide, often threatening extinction of native species. Here we investigate competitive interactions and parasite infections in the native Austropotamobius pallipes and the invasive Pacifastacus leniusculus from single and mixed species populations in theUK. We found A. pallipes individuals to be significantly smaller in mixed compared to single species populations; conversely P. leniusculus individuals were larger in mixed than in single species populations. Our data provide no support for reproductive interference as a mechanism of competitive displacement and instead suggest competitive exclusion of A. pallipes from refuges by P. leniusculus leading to differential predation. We screened 52 P. leniusculus and 12 A. pallipes for microsporidian infection using PCR. We present the first molecular confirmation of Thelohania contejeani in the native A. pallipes; in addition, we provide the first evidence for T. contejeani in the invasive P. leniusculus. Three novel parasite sequenceswere also isolated fromP. leniusculus with an overall prevalence of microsporidian infection of 38% within this species; we discuss the identity of and the similarity between these three novel sequences. We also screened a subset of fifteen P. leniusculus and three A. pallipes for Aphanomyces astaci, the causative agent of crayfish plague and for the protistan crayfish parasite Psorospermium haeckeli. We found no evidence for infection by either agent in any of the crayfish screened. The high prevalence of microsporidian parasites and occurrence of shared T. contejeani infection lead us to propose that future studies should consider the impact of these parasites on native and invasive host fitness and their potential effects upon the dynamics of native-invader systems

Calcitriol modulates the CD46 pathway in T cells

The complement regulator CD46 is a costimulatory molecule for human T cells that induces a regulatory Tr1 phenotype, characterized by large amounts of IL-10 secretion. Secretion of IL-10 upon CD46 costimulation is largely impaired in T cells from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Vitamin D can exert a direct effect on T cells, and may be beneficial in several pathologies, including MS. In this pilot study, we examined whether active vitamin D (1,25(OH)2D3 or calcitriol) could modulate the CD46 pathway and restore IL-10 production by CD46-costimulated CD4+ T cells from patients with MS. In healthy T cells, calcitriol profoundly affects the phenotype of CD46-costimulated CD4+ T cells, by increasing the expression of CD28, CD25, CTLA-4 and Foxp3 while it concomitantly decreased CD46 expression. Similar trends were observed in MS CD4+ T cells except for CD25 for which a striking opposite effect was observed: while CD25 was normally induced on MS T cells by CD46 costimulation, addition of calcitriol consistently inhibited its induction. Despite the aberrant effect on CD25 expression, calcitriol increased the IL-10:IFNc ratio, characteristic of the CD46-induced Tr1 phenotype, in both T cells from healthy donors and patients with MS. Hence, we show that calcitriol affects the CD46 pathway, and that it promotes anti-inflammatory responses mediated by CD46. Moreover, it might be beneficial for T cell responses in MS

Advances in intravesical drug delivery systems to treat bladder cancer

Chemotherapeutic agents administered intravesically to treat bladder cancer have limited efficacy due to periodic dilution and wash-out during urine formation and elimination. This review describes the pathophysiology, prevalence and staging of bladder cancer, and discusses several formulation strategies used to improve drug residence within the bladder. These include the use of amphiphilic copolymers, mucoadhesive formulations, hydrogels, floating systems, and liposomes. Various in vitro and in vivo models recently employed for intravesical drug delivery studies are discussed. Some of the challenges that have prevented the clinical use of some promising formulations are identified

Bioclimatic transect networks: Powerful observatories of ecological change

Transects that traverse substantial climate gradients are important tools for climate change research and allow questions on the extent to which phenotypic variation associates with climate, the link between climate and species distributions, and variation in sensitivity to climate change among biomes to be addressed. However, the potential limitations of individual transect studies have recently been highlighted. Here, we argue that replicating and networking transects, along with the introduction of experimental treatments, addresses these concerns. Transect networks provide cost-effective and robust insights into ecological and evolutionary adaptation and improve forecasting of ecosystem change. We draw on the experience and research facilitated by the Australian Transect Network to demonstrate our case, with examples, to clarify how population- and community-level studies can be integrated with observations from multiple transects, manipulative experiments, genomics, and ecological modeling to gain novel insights into how species and systems respond to climate change. This integration can provide a spatiotemporal understanding of past and future climate-induced changes, which will inform effective management actions for promoting biodiversity resilience

Vocal learning-associated convergent evolution in mammalian proteins and regulatory elements.

Vocal production learning (vocal learning) is a convergently evolved trait in vertebrates. To identify brain genomic elements associated with mammalian vocal learning, we integrated genomic, anatomical, and neurophysiological data from the Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) with analyses of the genomes of 215 placental mammals. First, we identified a set of proteins evolving more slowly in vocal learners. Then, we discovered a vocal motor cortical region in the Egyptian fruit bat, an emergent vocal learner, and leveraged that knowledge to identify active cis-regulatory elements in the motor cortex of vocal learners. Machine learning methods applied to motor cortex open chromatin revealed 50 enhancers robustly associated with vocal learning whose activity tended to be lower in vocal learners. Our research implicates convergent losses of motor cortex regulatory elements in mammalian vocal learning evolution