An Intensive Cultural Resources Survey of the 13.0-Acre Manadas Wastewater Treatment Plant Project in Laredo, Webb County, Texas

On 29 November 2017, Horizon Environmental Services, Inc. (Horizon) conducted an intensive cultural resources survey of the City of Laredo’s (City) proposed 13.0-acre Manadas Wastewater Treatment Plant Project in Laredo, Webb County, Texas (Project Area). To facilitate its construction, the City is pursuing federal funding through the Texas Water Development Board’s (TWDB) Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). As these funds are ultimately federal monies issued by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the undertaking falls under the regulations of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966, as amended. Additionally, the Project Area will be located on property owned by the City of Laredo. Because the City is a political subdivision of the state, the Project Area also falls under the regulations of the Antiquities Code of Texas (ACT). At the request of Zephyr Environmental Corporation (Zephyr), Horizon conducted the cultural resources survey of the Project Area on behalf of the City in compliance with Section 106 of the NHPA and the ACT. The purpose of the survey was to determine if any archeological sites were located within the Project Area and, if any existed, to determine if the undertaking had the potential to have any adverse impacts on sites eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or for formal designation as State Antiquities Landmarks (SALs). The investigations were conducted under Texas Antiquities Committee (TAC) permit number 8230. The cultural resources survey of the Project Area resulted in the documentation of 1 newly recorded prehistoric archeological site. Site 41WB842 was recorded as a prehistoric open campsite covering the entirety of the 13.0-acre Project Area. Hundreds of chert flakes, fire-cracked rock (FCR) specimens, multiple bifaces, and 2 dart point fragments were observed on the site, suggesting that it may have served as a long-term campsite. Artifacts were observed scattered on the surface of the site, as well as subsurface in shovel tests to a depth of 31.4 inches (80.0 cm). The site was only recorded within the current Project Area, and undocumented portions of the site undoubtedly extend beyond the current Project Area. Considering the high artifact density on the site, along with the presence of temporally diagnostic tools and deeply buried deposits, it is Horizon’s opinion that the portion of site 41WB842 within the current Project Area could be a contributing element to the overall NRHP/SAP eligibility of the site. Based on the limited information about site 41WB842 gathered during the survey phase of activities, insufficient data are currently available to determine whether or not the site meets the eligibility criteria for inclusion in the NRHP and/or for designation as an SAL. As such, the site is currently considered to be of undetermined NRHP and/or SAL eligibility. Horizon recommends avoidance of all ground-disturbing activities within the documented site boundaries in order to avoid any adverse effects to archeological deposits that may meet the criteria of significance. If avoidance is not feasible, then a supplemental phase of archeological significance testing investigations may be required to fully assess the eligibility of the site for inclusion in the NRHP and/or for designation as a SAL

Author Correction: The Aurora B specificity switch is required to protect from non-disjunction at the metaphase/anaphase transition.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper

Intracranial injection of AAV expressing NEP but not IDE reduces amyloid pathology in APP+PS1 transgenic mice

The accumulation of β-amyloid peptides in the brain has been recognized as an essential factor in Alzheimer\u27s disease pathology. Several proteases, including Neprilysin (NEP), endothelin converting enzyme (ECE), and insulin degrading enzyme (IDE), have been shown to cleave β-amyloid peptides (Aβ). We have previously reported reductions in amyloid in APP+PS1 mice with increased expression of ECE. In this study we compared the vector-induced increased expression of NEP and IDE. We used recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors expressing either native forms of NEP (NEP-n) or IDE (IDE-n), or engineered secreted forms of NEP (NEP-s) or IDE (IDE-s). In a six-week study, immunohistochemistry staining for total Aβ was significantly decreased in animals receiving the NEP-n and NEP-s but not for IDE-n or IDE-s in either the hippocampus or cortex. Congo red staining followed a similar trend revealing significant decreases in the hippocampus and the cortex for NEP-n and NEP-s treatment groups. Our results indicate that while rAAV-IDE does not have the same therapeutic potential as rAAV-NEP, rAAV-NEP-s and NEP-n are effective at reducing amyloid loads, and both of these vectors continue to have significant effects nine months post-injection. As such, they may be considered reasonable candidates for gene therapy trials in AD

Mixing of porpoise ecotypes in southwestern UK waters revealed by genetic profiling

Contact zones between ecotypes are windows for understanding how species may react to climate changes. Here, we analysed the fine-scale genetic and morphological variation in harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) around the UK by genotyping 591 stranded animals at nine microsatellite loci. The data were integrated with a prior study to map at high resolution the contact zone between two previously identified ecotypes meeting in the northern Bay of Biscay. Clustering and spatial analyses revealed that UK porpoises are derived from two genetic pools with porpoises from the southwestern UK being genetically differentiated, and having larger body sizes compared to those of other UK areas. Southwestern UK porpoises showed admixed ancestry between southern and northern ecotypes with a contact zone extending from the northern Bay of Biscay to the Celtic Sea and Channel. Around the UK, ancestry blends from one genetic group to the other along a southwest--northeast axis, correlating with body size variation, consistent with previously reported morphological differences between the two ecotypes. We also detected isolation by distance among juveniles but not in adults, suggesting that stranded juveniles display reduced intergenerational dispersal. The fine-scale structure of this admixture zone raises the question of how it will respond to future climate change and provides a reference point for further study

The Aurora B specificity switch is required to protect from non-disjunction at the metaphase/anaphase transition

The Aurora B abscission checkpoint delays cytokinesis until resolution of DNA trapped in the cleavage furrow. This process involves PKCε phosphorylation of Aurora B S227. Assessing if this PKCε-Aurora B module provides a more widely exploited genome-protective control for the cell cycle, we show Aurora B phosphorylation at S227 by PKCε also occurs during mitosis. Expression of Aurora B S227A phenocopies inhibition of PKCε in by-passing the delay and resolution at anaphase entry that is associated with non-disjunction and catenation of sister chromatids. Implementation of this anaphase delay is reflected in PKCε activation following cell cycle dependent cleavage by caspase 7; knock-down of caspase 7 phenocopies PKCε loss, in a manner rescued by ectopically expressing/generating a free PKCε catalytic domain. Molecular dynamics indicates that Aurora B S227 phosphorylation induces conformational changes and this manifests in a profound switch in specificity towards S29 TopoIIα phosphorylation, a response necessary for catenation resolution during mitosis.This work was supported by the Francis Crick Institute, which receives its core funding from Cancer Research UK (FC001130), the UK Medical Research Council (FC001130) and the Wellcome Trust (FC001130).Peer reviewe

Polychlorinated biphenyls are associated with reduced testes weights in harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena)

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are highly toxic and persistent aquatic pollutants that are known to bioaccumulate in a variety of marine mammals. They have been associated with reduced recruitment rates and population declines in multiple species. Evidence to date documents effects of PCB exposures on female reproduction, but few studies have investigated whether PCB exposure impacts male fertility. Using blubber tissue samples of 99 adult and 168 juvenile UK-stranded harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) collected between 1991 and 2017, here we show that PCBs exposures are associated with reduced testes weights in adults with good body condition. In animals with poor body condition, however, the impact of PCBs on testes weights was reduced, conceivably due to testes weights being limited by nutritional stress. This is the first study to investigate the relationship between PCB contaminant burden and testes weights in cetaceans and represents a substantial advance in our understanding of the relationship between PCB exposures and male reproductive biology in cetaceans. As testes weight is a strong indicator of male fertility in seasonally breeding mammals, we suggest the inclusion of such effects in population level impact assessments involving PCB exposures. Given the re-emergent PCB threat our findings are globally significant, with potentially serious implications for long-lived mammals. We show that more effective PCB controls could have a substantial impact on the reproductive health of coastal cetacean species and that management actions may need to be escalated to ensure adequate protection of the most vulnerable cetacean populations.Defra; Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) grant NE/L002485/1; Bertarelli Foundation through the Bertarelli Programme in Marine Science; partially funded by NERC grant NE/S000100/1 supporting the ChemPop project

Fine-scale population structure and connectivity of bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, in European waters and implications for conservation

Funding: Fyssen post-doctoral fellowship, Fondation Total, a bridge funding from the School of Biology of the University of St Andrews and People’s Trust for Endangered Species (ML).1. Protecting species often involves the designation of protected areas, wherein suitable management strategies are applied either at the taxon or ecosystem level. Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) have been created in European waters under the Habitats Directive to protect bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, which forms two ecotypes, pelagic and coastal. 2. The SACs have been designated in coastal waters based on photo‐identification studies that have indicated that bottlenose dolphins have relatively high site fidelity. However, individuals can carry out long‐distance movements, which suggests potential for demographic connectivity between the SACs as well as with other areas. 3. Connectivity can be studied using genetic markers. Previous studies on the species in this area used different sets of genetic markers and therefore inference on the fine‐scale population structure and demographic connectivity has not yet been made at a large scale. A common set of microsatellite markers was used in this study to provide the first comprehensive estimate of genetic structure of bottlenose dolphins in European Atlantic waters. 4. As in previous studies, a high level of genetic differentiation was found between coastal and pelagic populations. Genetic structure was defined at an unprecedented fine‐scale level for coastal dolphins, leading to identification of five distinct coastal populations inhabiting the following areas: Shannon estuary, west coast of Ireland, English Channel, coastal Galicia, east coast of Scotland and Wales/west Scotland. Demographic connectivity was very low among most populations with <10% migration rate, suggesting no demographic coupling among them. Each local population should therefore be monitored separately. 5. The results of this study have the potential to be used to identify management units for bottlenose dolphins in this region and thus offer a significant contribution to the conservation of the species in European Atlantic waters. Future studies should prioritize obtaining biopsies from free‐living dolphins from areas where only samples from stranded animals were available, i.e. Wales, west Scotland and Galicia, in order to reduce uncertainty caused by sample origin doubt, as well as from areas not included in this study (e.g. Iroise Sea, France). Furthermore, future management strategies should include monitoring local population dynamics and could also consider other options, such as population viability analysis or the incorporation of genetic data with ecological data (e.g. stable isotope analysis) in the designation of management units.PostprintPeer reviewe