Reservoir provides cool-water refuge for adult Chinook salmon in a trap-and-haul reintroduction program

Trap-and-haul is a mitigation strategy at many hydropower dams lacking upstream fish passage facilities, and protocols are needed to maximize its effectiveness. We used biotelemetry to assess the potential benefits of releasing transported adult Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) into a cold-water reservoir versus a relatively warm-water tributary before spawning. Warm river temperatures in the study region have been linked to high prespawn mortality in Chinook salmon, and so reservoirs provides a potential thermal refuge where salmon can select preferred water temperatures to regulate maturation processes and reduce disease risks. Over five years, we released 160 salmon into Foster Reservoir (Oregon, USA) and another 102 into the South Santiam River near historic salmon spawning areas further upstream. In total, 70% of reservoir-released salmon entered an upriver tributary after spending a median of 3-95 d annually in the reservoir. Data recovered from 61 archival temperature loggers indicated that salmon were ~3-6 °C cooler per day in the reservoir than in the river. We estimated that cumulative exposure of reservoir-released fish was reduced by 64 degree days (DD), on average (range = -129 to 392 DD), relative to river-released fish. The results demonstrate that adult trap and transport to reservoirs may reduce thermal exposure for some temperature-sensitive populations, and therefore may be an effective strategy to help reduce prespawn mortality. However, reservoir releases were not risk-free: 14% of all reservoir-released fish fell back downstream past the dam versus 1% of river-released fish; the fallback may have been related to homing behaviors, but natal origins were unknown for all fish. We conclude that reduced transport distance, reduced thermal exposure, and potential survival benefits of releasing salmon into reservoirs should be weighed against fallback risks

Characterisation of cytotoxicity and immunomodulatory effects of glycolipid biosurfactants on human keratinocytes

ABSTRACT: Skin irritation and allergic reactions associated with the use of skincare products formulated with synthetically derived surfactants such as sodium lauryl ether sulphate (SLES) have encouraged the search for naturally derived and biocompatible alternatives. Glycolipid biosurfactants such as sophorolipids (SL) and rhamnolipids (RL) offer a potential alternative to SLES. However, most studies on the bioactive properties of microbial glycolipids were determined using their mixed congeners, resulting in significant inter-study variations. This study aims to compare the effects of highly purified SL (acidic and lactonic) and RL (mono-RL and di-RL) congeners and SLES on a spontaneously transformed human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT cells) to assess glycolipids’ safety for potential skincare applications. Preparations of acidic SL congeners were 100% pure, lactonic SL were 100% pure, mono-RL were 96% pure, and di-RL were 97% pure. Cell viability using XTT assays, cell morphological analyses, and immunoassays revealed that microbial glycolipids have differing effects on HaCaT cells dependent on chemical structure. Compared with SLES, acidic SL and mono-RL have negligible effects on cell viability, cell morphology, and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, at non-inhibitory concentrations, di-RL significantly attenuated IL-8 production and CXCL8 expression while increasing IL-1RA production and IL1RN expression in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated HaCaT cells. Although further studies would be required, these results demonstrate that as potential innocuous and bioactive compounds, microbial glycolipids could provide a substitute to synthetic surfactants in skincare formulations and perform immunopharmacological roles in topical skin infections such as psoriasis. KEY POINTS: • Purified glycolipid congeners have differing effects on human keratinocytes. • Compared with SLES, acidic sophorolipids and mono-rhamnolipids have innocuous effects on keratinocytes. • Di-rhamnolipids and mono-rhamnolipids modulate cytokine production in lipopolysaccharide stimulated human keratinocytes. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00253-022-12302-5

Purified Acidic Sophorolipid Biosurfactants in Skincare Applications: An Assessment of Cytotoxic Effects in Comparison with Synthetic Surfactants Using a 3D In Vitro Human Skin Model

Acidic sophorolipids (Acidic SL), congeners of sophorolipid biosurfactants, offer a potential alternative to synthetic sodium lauryl ether sulphate (SLES) in skincare applications. However, major challenges associated with the laboratory-based investigations of the cytotoxic effects of Acidic SL have been the utilisation of impure and/or poorly characterised congeners as well as the use of monolayers of skin cells in in vitro assays. While the former limitation makes glycolipids less attractive for use in academic research and skincare applications, the latter does not provide an accurate representation of the in vivo human skin. The present study, therefore, for the first time, assessed the cytotoxic effects of 96% pure Acidic SL on a 3D in vitro skin model in comparison with SLES, with the aim of investigating a natural alternative to synthetic surfactants for potential use in skincare applications. The 3D in vitro skin model was colonised with Staphylococcus epidermidis for 12 h, and afterwards treated with either Acidic SL or SLES at 100 μg mL−1 for a further 12 h. Subsequently, the cytotoxic effects of Acidic SL in comparison with SLES were assessed using a combination of microbiology, molecular biology techniques, immunoassays, and histological analyses. It was demonstrated that Acidic SL had no deleterious effects on the viability of S. epidermidis, tissue morphology, filaggrin expression, and the production of inflammatory cytokines in comparison to SLES. These findings, in conjunction with the possibility to produce Acidic SL from cheaper renewable natural resources, demonstrate that Acidic SL could offer a potential sustainable alternative to synthetic surfactants

The Demands of the Extra-Time Period of Soccer: A Systematic Review

Objective: Soccer match-play is typically contested over 90 min; however, in some cup and tournament scenarios, when matches are tied, they proceed to an additional 30 min, which is termed “extra-time” (ET). This systematic review sought to appraise the literature available on 120-min of soccer-specific exercise, with a view to identifying practical recommendations and future research opportunities. Methods: The review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. Independent researchers performed a systematic search of PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO in May 2019, with the following keywords entered in various combinations: “soccer”, “football”, “extra-time”, “extra time”, “extratime”, “120 minutes”, “120 min”, “additional 30 minutes”, and “additional 30 min”. Results: The search yielded an initial 73 articles. Following the screening process, 11 articles were accepted for analyses. Articles were subsequently organized into the following 5 categories: movement demands of ET, performance responses to ET, physiological and neuromuscular response during ET, nutritional interventions, and recovery and ET. The results highlighted that during competitive match-play, players cover 5%–12% less distance relative to match duration (i.e., meters per minute) during ET compared to the preceding 90 min. Reductions in technical performance (i.e., shot speed, number of passes and dribbles) were also observed during ET. Additionally, carbohydrate provision may attenuate and improve dribbling performance during ET. Moreover, objective and subjective measures of recovery may be further compromised following ET when compared to 90 min. Conclusion: Additional investigations are warranted to further substantiate these findings and identify interventions to improve performance during ET

Real-world uptake of a tailored, text message pregnancy smoking cessation programme (MiQuit) when offered online

Background: Prenatal smoking is a major public health concern and uptake of NHS cessation support is low in this group. Text message-based self-help is a promising intervention for this population but little is known about its likely real-world uptake, an essential parameter for estimating public health impact. Aims were to explore uptake (including cost) of a tailored, theory-guided, text message intervention for pregnant smokers (‘MiQuit’) when offered online. Methods: Links to a website providing MiQuit activation information (texting a shortcode) were advertised online on a cost-per-click basis for two commercial websites (Google AdWords, Facebook Ads) and free of charge for two smoking in pregnancy webpages (National Childbirth Trust, NHS Choices). Activations per advert click, per advert exposure and cost per activation were calculated. Findings: Low-visibility links on free-of-charge webpages generated few activations. For the commercial websites, cost per click was lower with Facebook but a higher proportion of Google advert clickers activated support (5.2% of 812 Google, 2.2% of 1889 Facebook), making their cost per activation very similar (£23.86 Google, £23.81 Facebook). Compared to participants of a prior MiQuit trial, those activating support online appeared more motivated (intended to quit smoking sooner) and those activating support via Google were earlier in pregnancy, with a sharp peak at 4-5 weeks gestation. Incremental costs per quitter were £746.19 (95% CI -£1,886.654 to £4,595.08) at the end of pregnancy and -£76.22 (-£2,790.33 to £3,844.02) when extended to mother’s lifetime. Discussion: Online advertisements are a feasible, potentially cost-saving method for engaging pregnant smokers in cessation support