Timing anthropogenic stressors to mitigate their impact on marine ecosystem resilience

© 2017 The Author(s). Better mitigation of anthropogenic stressors on marine ecosystems is urgently needed to address increasing biodiversity losses worldwide. We explore opportunities for stressor mitigation using whole-of-systems modelling of ecological resilience, accounting for complex interactions between stressors, their timing and duration, background environmental conditions and biological processes. We then search for ecological windows, times when stressors minimally impact ecological resilience, defined here as risk, recovery and resistance. We show for 28 globally distributed seagrass meadows that stressor scheduling that exploits ecological windows for dredging campaigns can achieve up to a fourfold reduction in recovery time and 35% reduction in extinction risk. Although the timing and length of windows vary among sites to some degree, global trends indicate favourable windows in autumn and winter. Our results demonstrate that resilience is dynamic with respect to space, time and stressors, varying most strongly with: (i) the life history of the seagrass genus and (ii) the duration and timing of the impacting stress

Elevated virulence of an emerging viral genotype as a driver of honeybee loss.

PublishedJournal ArticleEmerging infectious diseases (EIDs) have contributed significantly to the current biodiversity crisis, leading to widespread epidemics and population loss. Owing to genetic variation in pathogen virulence, a complete understanding of species decline requires the accurate identification and characterization of EIDs. We explore this issue in the Western honeybee, where increasing mortality of populations in the Northern Hemisphere has caused major concern. Specifically, we investigate the importance of genetic identity of the main suspect in mortality, deformed wing virus (DWV), in driving honeybee loss. Using laboratory experiments and a systematic field survey, we demonstrate that an emerging DWV genotype (DWV-B) is more virulent than the established DWV genotype (DWV-A) and is widespread in the landscape. Furthermore, we show in a simple model that colonies infected with DWV-B collapse sooner than colonies infected with DWV-A. We also identify potential for rapid DWV evolution by revealing extensive genome-wide recombination in vivo The emergence of DWV-B in naive honeybee populations, including via recombination with DWV-A, could be of significant ecological and economic importance. Our findings emphasize that knowledge of pathogen genetic identity and diversity is critical to understanding drivers of species decline.This work was supported by the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (Germany): Fit Bee project (grant 511-06.01-28-1-71.007-10), the EU: BeeDoc (grant 244956), iDiv (2013 NGS-Fast Track grant W47004118) and the Insect Pollinators Initiative (IPI grant BB/I000100/1 and BB/I000151/1). The IPI is funded jointly by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Natural Environment Research Council, the Scottish Government and the Wellcome Trust, under the Living with Environmental Change Partnership

Directed Evolution of Protein-Based Neurotransmitter Sensors for MRI

The production of contrast agents sensitive to neuronal signaling events is a rate-limiting step in the development of molecular-level functional magnetic resonance imaging (molecular fMRI) approaches for studying the brain. High-throughput generation and evaluation of potential probes are possible using techniques for macromolecular engineering of protein-based contrast agents. In an initial exploration of this strategy, we used the method of directed evolution to identify mutants of a bacterial heme protein that allowed detection of the neurotransmitter dopamine in vitro and in living animals. The directed evolution method involves successive cycles of mutagenesis and screening that could be generalized to produce contrast agents sensitive to a variety of molecular targets in the nervous system

A companion to a quasar at redshift 4.7

There is a growing consensus that the emergence of quasars at high redshifts is related to the onset of galaxy formation, suggesting that the detection of concentrations of gas accompanying such quasars should provide clues about the early history of galaxies. Quasar companions have been recently identified at redshifts up to $z \approx 3$. Here we report observations of Lyman-$\alpha$ emission (a tracer of ionised hydrogen) from the companion to a quasar at $z$=4.702, corresponding to a time when the Universe was less than ten per cent of its present age. We argue that most of the emission arises in a gaseous nebula that has been photoionised by the quasar, but an additional component of continuum light -perhaps quasar light scattered from dust in the companion body, or emission from young stars within the nebula- appears necessary to explain the observations. These observations may be indicative of the first stages in the assembly of galaxy-sized structures.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, plain LaTeX. Accepted for publication in Natur

Relationships between speed, change of direction and jump performance with cricket specific speed tests in male academy cricketers

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between general speed and change of direction speed and‘cricket specific’ speed tests and the relationships between jump performance and speed and change of direction ability in male academy cricketers. Design and Methods: Sixteen academy male cricketers (age: 17 ± 0.7 years; height: 176.9 ± 6.2 cm; mass: 72.2 ± 13.2 kg) performed tests of 20 m sprint, 505 change of direction (COD) on both left and right legs, “quick single” with bat (WB) (17.68m), running-a-two WB, running-a-three WB, countermovement jump (CMJ), and drop jump (DJ). Results: Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC’s) revealed high within-session reliability for all tests (ICC ≥ 0.92; p ≤ 0.001),except 0-5 m (ICC = 0.642; p ≤ 0.001) and 0-10 m (ICC = 0.708; p ≤ 0.001) tests. General speed tests showed strong relationships to ‘cricket specific’ speed tests (20 m sprint - running-a-two; r = 0.951; p ≤ 0.01; 20 m sprint - running-a-three; r = 0.937; p ≤ 0.01; ‘quick single’; r = 0.951; p ≤ 0.01). Strong relationships were also observed between the 505 right foot COD times and all cricket specific tests (r = 0.909- 0.934; p ≤ 0.01). CMJ height showed the strongest correlations with: 20 m (r = -0.668;p ≤ 0.01); 505 left (r = -0.789; p ≤ 0.01); 505 right (r = -0.807; p ≤ 0.01); “quick single” WB (r = -0.739; p ≤ 0.01); running-a two WB (r = -0.742; p ≤ 0.01); running-a-three (WB) (r = -0.733; p ≤ 0.01). Conclusions: The findings suggest that general speed and COD tests are highly appropriate to assess cricket specific qualities in youth cricketers

The Development of a Set of Principles for Through-Life Management of Engineering Information

Corporate business models are shifting away from product delivery paradigms to product-service paradigms, where ongoing through-life service support is preeminent. In the UK, a Grand Challenge project (www.kimproject.org) was established to investigate and develop good practice with regard to the design and use of information, knowledge support systems, and business methods necessary for organisations to succeed and profit within this new environment. A key outcome of this work has been the development of a series of principles for through-life management of engineering information, derived from the research insights and experiences of project members in both academia and industry, and supported by detailed explanations and implementation guidance. This report is an approved version of the Principles and their development.This work was undertaken through the “Immortal Information and Through-Life Knowledge Management: Strategies and Tools for the Emerging Product-Service Paradigm” (KIM) project, funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), under grant number EP/C534220/1

Spontaneous Splenic Rupture: A Rare Complication of Acute Pancreatitis in a Patient with Crohn's Disease

Crohn's disease (CD) is an idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease which can involve any part of the gastrointestinal tract. It frequently involves the ileum, colon and the anorectum. Although rare, acute pancreatitis as a complication of CD involving the duodenum has been described in the literature. We describe a 37-year-old male with CD presenting with acute pancreatitis and spontaneous splenic rupture. The potential mechanisms associated with acute pancreatitis along with spontaneous rupture of the spleen in this patient population and its treatment will be discussed. Common complaints such as upper abdominal pain in a patient with CD should undergo workup to exclude less commonly involved sites such as the pancreas and spleen. Close monitoring in the critical care setting is recommended in carefully selected and hemodynamically stable patients with splenic rupture. Surgical treatment is considered as the standard of care in hemodynamically unstable patients

Sensory Neurons and Schwann Cells Respond to Oxidative Stress by Increasing Antioxidant Defense Mechanisms

Abstract Elevated blood glucose is a key initiator of mechanisms leading to diabetic neuropathy. Increases in glucose induce acute mitochondrial oxidative stress in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, the sensory neurons normally affected in diabetic neuropathy, whereas Schwann cells are largely unaffected. We propose that activation of an antioxidant response in DRG neurons would prevent glucose-induced injury. In this study, mild oxidative stress (1 μM H2O2) leads to the activation of the transcription factor Nrf2 and expression of antioxidant (phase II) enzymes. DRG neurons are thus protected from subsequent hyperglycemia-induced injury, as determined by activation of caspase 3 and the TUNEL assay. Schwann cells display high basal antioxidant enzyme expression and respond to hyperglycemia and mild oxidative stress via further increases in these enzymes. The botanical compounds resveratrol and sulforaphane activate the antioxidant response in DRG neurons. Other drugs that protect DRG neurons and block mitochondrial superoxide, identified in a compound screen, have differential ability to activate the antioxidant response. Multiple cellular targets exist for the prevention of hyperglycemic oxidative stress in DRG neurons, and these form the basis for new therapeutic strategies against diabetic neuropathy. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 11, 425-438.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78129/1/ars.2008.2235.pd

Scintigraphic assessment of bone status at one year following hip resurfacing : comparison of two surgical approaches using SPECT-CT scan

Objectives: To study the vascularity and bone metabolism of the femoral head/neck following hip resurfacing arthroplasty, and to use these results to compare the posterior and the trochanteric-flip approaches. Methods: In our previous work, we reported changes to intra-operative blood flow during hip resurfacing arthroplasty comparing two surgical approaches. In this study, we report the vascularity and the metabolic bone function in the proximal femur in these same patients at one year after the surgery. Vascularity and bone function was assessed using scintigraphic techniques. Of the 13 patients who agreed to take part, eight had their arthroplasty through a posterior approach and five through a trochanteric-flip approach. Results: One year after surgery, we found no difference in the vascularity (vascular phase) and metabolic bone function (delayed phase) at the junction of the femoral head/neck between the two groups of patients. Higher radiopharmaceutical uptake was found in the region of the greater trochanter in the trochanteric-flip group, related to the healing osteotomy. Conclusions: Our findings using scintigraphic techniques suggest that the greater intra-operative reduction in blood flow to the junction of the femoral head/neck, which is seen with the posterior approach compared with trochanteric flip, does not result in any difference in vascularity or metabolic bone function one year after surgery

A recessive homozygous p.Asp92Gly SDHD mutation causes prenatal cardiomyopathy and a severe mitochondrial complex II deficiency

Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) is a crucial metabolic enzyme complex that is involved in ATP production, playing roles in both the tricarboxylic cycle and the mitochondrial respiratory chain (complex II). Isolated complex II deficiency is one of the rarest oxidative phosphorylation disorders with mutations described in three structural subunits and one of the assembly factors; just one case is attributed to recessively inherited SDHD mutations. We report the pathological, biochemical, histochemical and molecular genetic investigations of a male neonate who had left ventricular hypertrophy detected on antenatal scan and died on day one of life. Subsequent postmortem examination confirmed hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with left ventricular non-compaction. Biochemical analysis of his skeletal muscle biopsy revealed evidence of a severe isolated complex II deficiency and candidate gene sequencing revealed a novel homozygous c.275A>G, p.(Asp92Gly) SDHD mutation which was shown to be recessively inherited through segregation studies. The affected amino acid has been reported as a Dutch founder mutation p.(Asp92Tyr) in families with hereditary head and neck paraganglioma. By introducing both mutations into Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we were able to confirm that the p.(Asp92Gly) mutation causes a more severe oxidative growth phenotype than the p.(Asp92Tyr) mutant, and provides functional evidence to support the pathogenicity of the patient’s SDHD mutation. This is only the second case of mitochondrial complex II deficiency due to inherited SDHD mutations and highlights the importance of sequencing all SDH genes in patients with biochemical and histochemical evidence of isolated mitochondrial complex II deficiency