Temporal Changes in the Macroinvertebrate Fauna of Two Glacial Lakes, Cootapatamba and Albina, Snowy Mountains, New South Wales

Before 2003, unique assemblages of aquatic invertebrates in Lake Cootapatamba and Lake Albina lived in a fishless environment. A sequence of events in 2003 following a large-scale bushfire in the area allowed the native Mountain Galaxias Galaxias olidus to enter Lake Cootapatamba. This study determines the extent of any temporal changes in the invertebrate assemblages of each lake and whether the introduction of fish into Lake Cootapatamba affected these assemblages. The littoral and benthic fauna of both lakes were found to have changed since the earliest studies of these lakes in 1997/1998 and 1976, respectively. In particular, there has been a large decrease in the abundance of the isopod Metaphreatoicus australis and planarians, and the gastropod Glacidorbis hedleyi and amphipod Neoniphargus sp. have apparently disappeared. The effect is greatest in the benthos and in Lake Cootapatamba, so while fish seemed to have affected some invertebrates in some habitats, other factors may be acting. Sometime since 1976, the exotic worm Lumbriculus variegatus arrived into Lake Albina. Shifts in the representation of other taxa, such as ephemeropterans, plecopterans, tricopterans, dipterans and coleopterans, are thought to reflect natural year-to-year fluctuations but more data are needed

Temporal Changes in the Macroinvertebrate Fauna of Two Glacial Lakes, Cootapatamba and Albina, Snowy Mountains, New South Wales

Before 2003, unique assemblages of aquatic invertebrates in Lake Cootapatamba and Lake Albina lived in a fishless environment. A sequence of events in 2003 following a large-scale bushfire in the area allowed the native Mountain Galaxias Galaxias olidus to enter Lake Cootapatamba. This study determines the extent of any temporal changes in the invertebrate assemblages of each lake and whether the introduction of fish into Lake Cootapatamba affected these assemblages. The littoral and benthic fauna of both lakes were found to have changed since the earliest studies of these lakes in 1997/1998 and 1976, respectively. In particular, there has been a large decrease in the abundance of the isopod Metaphreatoicus australis and planarians, and the gastropod Glacidorbis hedleyi and amphipod Neoniphargus sp. have apparently disappeared. The effect is greatest in the benthos and in Lake Cootapatamba, so while fish seemed to have affected some invertebrates in some habitats, other factors may be acting. Sometime since 1976, the exotic worm Lumbriculus variegatus arrived into Lake Albina. Shifts in the representation of other taxa, such as ephemeropterans, plecopterans, tricopterans, dipterans and coleopterans, are thought to reflect natural year-to-year fluctuations but more data are needed

Ariel - Volume 6 Number 4

Editors Mark Dembert J.D. Kanofsky Frank Chervenak John Lammie Curt Cummings Entertainment Robert Breckenridge Joe Conti Gary Kaskey Photographer Larry Glazerman Overseas Editor Mike Sinason Humorist Jim McCann Staff Ken Jaffe Bob Sklaroff Halley Faust Jim Burk

Ariel - Volume 6 Number 4 (Alternate Version)

Editors Mark Dembert J.D. Kanofsky Frank Chervenak John Lammie Curt Cummings Entertainment Robert Breckenridge Joe Conti Gary Kaskey Photographer Larry Glazerman Overseas Editor Mike Sinason Humorist Jim McCann Staff Kenn Jaffe Bob Sklaroff Halley Faust Jim Burke Jay Amsterdam Morton A. Klein Nancy Redfer

The locus for an inherited cataract in sheep maps to ovine chromosome 6

Purpose: Cataracts are an important cause of blindness in humans but there are few large animal models available. One of these animal models is Ovine Heritable Cataract, a bilateral cortical cataract which develops after birth. This cataract has been used as a model for human cataracts in drug trials, but the gene responsible for the cataract trait is unknown. A genetic test for cataract would improve the efficiency of the model by predicting which animals would develop cataracts. Identifying the genetic basis of the cataract would indicate its relevance to human cataract. Methods: A genome scan was performed on 20 sheep chromosomes, representing 86% of the genome, to determine the position of the cataract locus. Additional microsatellite markers were tested on chromosome 6 using a larger pedigree. Fine mapping was performed using a breakpoint panel of 36 animals and novel microsatellite markers taken from the bovine genome assembly. All exons of the candidate gene nudix (nucleoside diphosphate linked moiety X)-type motif 9 (NUDT9) were sequenced in normal and affected sheep. Results: Significant linkage was found between cataract status and markers on chromosome 6. Linkage analysis on the larger pedigree showed the most likely position of the cataract locus was between 112.3 and 132.9 cM from the centromere. During fine mapping, NUDT9 was considered as a positional candidate for the cataract gene because it was located within the linked interval and is expressed in the lens. The gene was ruled out as the cataract gene after extensive genotype analysis, but a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) inside it provided a useful restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) marker for further fine mapping. Twelve new markers were found and used to map the cataract locus to between 131.1 and 131.8 cM from the centromere. Conclusions: A region of ovine chromosome 6 strongly linked to cataract has been identified, and a genetic test for cataract based on a SNP within this region has been developed. The best candidate gene within this region is AF4/FMR2 family, member 1 (AFF1), the mouse equivalent of which is associated with an inherited cataract.This research was supported by the New Zealand Foundation for Research, Science, and Technology, grant number LINX0205

Managing the symptom burden associated with maintenance dialysis: conclusions from a Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Controversies Conference

Individuals with kidney failure undergoing maintenance dialysis frequently report a high symptom burden that can interfere with functioning and diminish life satisfaction. Until recently, the focus of nephrology care for dialysis patients has been related primarily to numerical targets for laboratory measures, and outcomes such as cardiovascular disease and mortality. Routine symptom assessment is not universal or standardized in dialysis care. Even when symptoms are identified, treatment options are limited and are initiated infrequently, in part because of a paucity of evidence in the dialysis population and the complexities of medication interactions in kidney failure. In May of 2022, Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) held a Controversies Conference-Symptom-Based Complications in Dialysis-to identify the optimal means for diagnosing and managing symptom-based complications in patients undergoing maintenance dialysis. Participants included patients, physicians, behavioral therapists, nurses, pharmacists, and clinical researchers. They outlined foundational principles and consensus points related to identifying and addressing symptoms experienced by patients undergoing dialysis and described gaps in the knowledge base and priorities for research. Healthcare delivery and education systems have a responsibility to provide individualized symptom assessment and management. Nephrology teams should take the lead in symptom management, although this does not necessarily mean taking ownership of all aspects of care. Even when options for clinical response are limited, clinicians should focus on acknowledging, prioritizing, and managing symptoms that are most important to individual patients. A recognized factor in the initiation and implementation of improvements in symptom assessment and management is that they will be based on locally existing needs and resources

Scaling hemodialysis target dose to reflect body surface area, metabolic activity, and protein catabolic rate: A prospective, cross-sectional study

Background:Women and small men treated by haemodialysis (HD) have reduced survival. This may be due to the practice of using total body water (V) as the normalising factor for dialysis dosing. Our aim in this study was to explore the use of alternate parameters for scaling dialysis dose. Study Design: Prospective, cross-sectional study. Setting and Participants: 1500 HD patients on thrice weekly schedule were recruited across five different centres. Predictors: Age, sex, weight, ethnicity, comorbidity level and employment status. Outcomes: Kt was estimated by multiplying V by 1.2. Kt/BSA, Kt/REE and Kt/TEE equivalent to a target Kt/V of 1.2 were then estimated by dividing Kt by the respective parameters. Measurements: Anthropometric and HD adequacy details were obtained from direct measurements and medical records of patients. Body surface area (BSA) was estimated using Haycock formula. Resting energy expenditure (REE) was estimated using a novel validated equation. Total energy expenditure (TEE) was calculated from physical activity data obtained using Recent Physical Activity Questionnaire. Results: Mean BSA was 1.87 m2, mean REE 1545 kcal/day and mean TEE 1841 kcal/day. For Kt/V of 1.2, there was a wide range of equivalent doses expressed as Kt/BSA, Kt/REE and Kt/TEE. The mean equivalent dose was lower in women for all 3 parameters (p<0.001). Small men would also receive lower doses compared to larger men. Younger patients, those with low comorbidity, those employed and those of South Asian ethnicity would receive significantly lower dialysis doses with current practice. Limitations: Cross-sectional study and the physical activity data has been collected by an activity questionnaire. Conclusion:Our data suggest that current dosing practices risk under-dialysis in women and men of lower body size and in specific subgroups of patients. Using BSA, REE or TEE based dialysis prescription would result in higher dose delivery in these patients

Is the High-resolution Coronal Imager Resolving Coronal Strands? Results from AR 12712

Following the success of the first mission, the High-Resolution Coronal Imager (Hi-C) was launched for a third time (Hi-C 2.1) on 2018 May 29 from the White Sands Missile Range, NM, USA. On this occasion, 329 s of 17.2 nm data of target active region AR 12712 were captured with a cadence of ≈4 s, and a plate scale of 0farcs129 pixel−1. Using data captured by Hi-C 2.1 and co-aligned observations from SDO/AIA 17.1 nm, we investigate the widths of 49 coronal strands. We search for evidence of substructure within the strands that is not detected by AIA, and further consider whether these strands are fully resolved by Hi-C 2.1. With the aid of multi-scale Gaussian normalization, strands from a region of low emission that can only be visualized against the contrast of the darker, underlying moss are studied. A comparison is made between these low-emission strands and those from regions of higher emission within the target active region. It is found that Hi-C 2.1 can resolve individual strands as small as ≈202 km, though the more typical strand widths seen are ≈513 km. For coronal strands within the region of low emission, the most likely width is significantly narrower than the high-emission strands at ≈388 km. This places the low-emission coronal strands beneath the resolving capabilities of SDO/AIA, highlighting the need for a permanent solar observatory with the resolving power of Hi-C