POPULATION AND BREEDING OF THE GENTOO PENGUIN PYGOSCELIS PAPUA AT MARION ISLAND, 1994/95–2002/03

The numbers of gentoo penguins Pygoscelis papua breeding at subantarctic Marion Island fell by 40&#37 from 1994/95 to 2002/03, from 1 352 pairs to 806 pairs. Apart from a slight increase in 1998/99, there was a steady decrease in numbers breeding between 1995/96 and 2000/01, when the population stabilized. There is indication that in some years not all breeders nested and that some birds relocated to another colony after disturbance. From first clutches, pairs on average fledged between 0.01 chicks in 1997/98 and 0.58 chicks in 2002/03 (mean 0.38 &#177 0.21). In 1994/95, replacement clutches increased the overall production of fledged chicks by 11&#37. Based on demographic parameters measured at other localities, the production of chicks at Marion Island was inadequate to maintain the population during the period 1995/96–2000/01. Consistency in trends in breeding success at five colonies suggests that factors operating at a mesoscale, rather than those specific to particular colonies, often influenced breeding success. Laying was later than normal in 1997/98, when there was almost total breeding failure with large losses of eggs and small chicks to returning Subantarctic skuas Catharacta antarctica. Future research on this Near Threatened species at Marion Island must take full account of its susceptibility to human disturbance.Afr. J. mar. Sci. 25: 463–47

Genetic responsiveness of African buffalo to environmental stressors : a role for epigenetics in balancing autosomal and sex chromosome interactions?

In the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) population of the Kruger National Park (South Africa) a primary sex-ratio distorter and a primary sex-ratio suppressor have been shown to occur on the Y chromosome. A subsequent autosomal microsatellite study indicated that two types of deleterious alleles with a negative effect on male body condition, but a positive effect on relative fitness when averaged across sexes and generations, occur genome-wide and at high frequencies in the same population. One type negatively affects body condition of both sexes, while the other acts antagonistically: it negatively affects male but positively affects female body condition. Here we show that high frequencies of male-deleterious alleles are attributable to Y-chromosomal distorter-suppressor pair activity and that these alleles are suppressed in individuals born after three dry pre-birth years, likely through epigenetic modification. Epigenetic suppression was indicated by statistical interactions between pre-birth rainfall, a proxy for parental body condition, and the phenotypic effect of homozygosity/heterozygosity status of microsatellites linked to male-deleterious alleles, while a role for the Y-chromosomal distortersuppressor pair was indicated by between-sex genetic differences among pre-dispersal calves. We argue that suppression of male-deleterious alleles results in negative frequencydependent selection of the Y distorter and suppressor; a prerequisite for a stable polymorphism of the Y distorter-suppressor pair. The Y distorter seems to be responsible for positive selection of male-deleterious alleles during resource-rich periods and the Y suppressor for positive selection of these alleles during resource-poor periods. Male-deleterious alleles were also associated with susceptibility to bovine tuberculosis, indicating that Kruger buffalo are sensitive to stressors such as diseases and droughts. We anticipate that future genetic studies on African buffalo will provide important new insights into gene fitness and epigenetic modification in the context of sex-ratio distortion and infectious disease dynamics.S1 Fig. Map with locations of the rainfall stations and the sampled herds.S2 Fig. Regression between fraction HBC among BTB-negative females and BTB prevalence per herd.S1 Table. Logistic regression southern females with body condition status as dependent variable (highest ranking model).S2 Table. Logistic regression southern males with body condition status as dependent variable (highest ranking model).S3 Table. Logistic regression southern females with BTB status as dependent variable (highest ranking model).S4 Table. Logistic regression southern males with BTB status as dependent variable (highest ranking model).S5 Table. Logistic regression northern females with body condition status as dependent variable (highest ranking model).S6 Table. Logistic regression southern males with BTB status as dependent variable (Evidence Ratio = 1.9).S7 Table. Logistic regression northern males with body condition status as dependent variable (Evidence Ratio = 2.1).S8 Table. Significance of the genetic-measure by annual-rainfall interaction per single year.S9 Table. Logistic regression northern females with body condition status as dependent variable (Evidence Ratio = 1.8).S10 Table. Results Hedges' g analyses (group differences with respect to MDLmale and MDLfemale).S1 Text. Consistency of the model outcomes.Laboratory analyses were supported by US NIH/NSF Ecology of Infectious Disease Grant GM83863 awarded to WMG.http://www.plosone.orgam2018Mammal Research InstituteZoology and Entomolog

Implementation of the safe system approach in South Africa : overview of the Limpopo road safety programme

Papers presented virtually at the 41st International Southern African Transport Conference on 10-13 July 2044In line with the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 road safety has been prioritized as a key public health priority. Aligned with South African national development goals (NDP 2030) and the fact that the South Africa Government recognizes road safety and the consequences of the road safety scourge as public health and socio-economic development challenge across South Africa, and across communities. In 2018 a South African mining community and health assessment determined that road safety needs to be a key health and safety priority. In support a baseline Limpopo Province road safety analysis conducted in 2021 indicted the need to cater for the most vulnerable in society (and with that broader than the usual vulnerable road user, but also aimed at socioeconomic vulnerability) which puts road safety in the mainstream of development activities and the road safety agenda will need to aspire to achieving more. In response to address the road safety problems in the province, a targeted programme was developed. The Limpopo Road Safety Programme is premised on the Safe Systems Approach which at the heart of both the First and the Second United Nations Decade of Action and Global Road Safety Plans, as well as the National Road Safety Strategy 2030. The Limpopo Road Safety Programme aim to implement road safety actions and interventions in a targeted manner. The Limpopo Road Safety programme is a three-year initiative developed and implemented by the Impact Catalyst and is set to through public and private partnerships support communities in reducing the number of deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents (Sustainable Development Goal 3.6). This commitment is deliberately ambitious and aligned to improve people’s lives. The programme is rooted in successful public and private partnerships and the coordination of targeted interventions and actions aimed at reducing the carnage on Limpopo roads. This research paper provides an overview of the the Limpopo Road Safety programme which through the execution of thirteen targeted Safe System projects aims to improve road safety in the Limpopo Province by strengthening the various pillars of the Safe System Approach in support of road safety improvements

Effect on nursery and field performance of Pinus patula seedlings after inoculation with Fusarium circinatum

Fusarium circinatum is an important fungal pathogen of Pinus species. In South Africa, it is the most significant pathogen of Pinus patula seedlings in forestry nurseries where it presents a substantial constraint to productivity and can continue to cause mortality in-field for up to two years after establishment. This study describes the results from two trials where P. patula seedlings were inoculated with F. circinatum to determine the impact of the pathogen on nursery and field performance. Seedlings were also subjected to water stress treatments to ascertain whether this would trigger the onset of disease symptoms. Inoculum load and timing of inoculation had significant effects on seedling survival in both the nursery and field. High inoculum concentrations caused greater levels of mortality and, where seedlings were inoculated at a young age, they showed higher levels of susceptibility to F. circinatum. Temporary water-stress in the nursery produced smaller plants and improved in-field survival, but this treatment did not trigger higher mortality in inoculated treatments. On the other hand, transplant stress was a major contributor to the higher levels of mortality observed in inoculated treatments. Overall, these studies confirmed that infection in the nursery leads to the disease problems observed during early plant establishment in the field.Forestry South Africa provided funding via the South African Pitch Canker Control Programmehttp://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tsfs202015-05-30hb201

POPULATIONS OF SURFACE-NESTING SEABIRDS AT MARION ISLAND, 1994/95–2002/03

During the 1990s and early 2000s, populations of surface-nesting seabirds at Marion Island showed different trends, but for the majority of species numbers decreased. Reduced numbers of gentoo penguins Pygoscelis papua, eastern rockhopper penguins Eudyptes chrysocome filholi, Crozet shags Phalacrocorax [atriceps] melanogenis and probably macaroni penguins E. chrysolophus are most plausibly attributed to an altered availability of food. Decreases in numbers of dark-mantled sooty albatrosses Phoebetria fusca, light-mantled sooty albatrosses P. palpebrata, southern giant petrels Macronectes giganteus and possibly northern giant petrels M. halli may have resulted from mortality of birds in longline fisheries. However, populations of wandering Diomedea exulans and grey-headed Thalassarche chrysostoma albatrosses fluctuated around a stable level. Numbers of Subantarctic skuas Catharacta antarctica and kelp gulls Larus dominicanus breeding at Marion Island also decreased. Kerguelen Sterna virgata and Antarctic S. vittata terns remain scarce at the island. Trends for king penguins Aptenodytes patagonicus were not reliably gauged, but numbers probably remained stable or increased. There were large fluctuations in numbers of king penguin chicks surviving to the end of winter.Afr. J. mar. Sci. 25: 427–44

Mitochondrial-Nuclear DNA Interactions Contribute to the Regulation of Nuclear Transcript Levels as Part of the Inter-Organelle Communication System

Nuclear and mitochondrial organelles must maintain a communication system. Loci on the mitochondrial genome were recently reported to interact with nuclear loci. To determine whether this is part of a DNA based communication system we used genome conformation capture to map the global network of DNA-DNA interactions between the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes (Mito-nDNA) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells grown under three different metabolic conditions. The interactions that form between mitochondrial and nuclear loci are dependent on the metabolic state of the yeast. Moreover, the frequency of specific mitochondrial - nuclear interactions (i.e. COX1-MSY1 and Q0182-RSM7) showed significant reductions in the absence of mitochondrial encoded reverse transcriptase machinery. Furthermore, these reductions correlated with increases in the transcript levels of the nuclear loci (MSY1 and RSM7). We propose that these interactions represent an inter-organelle DNA mediated communication system and that reverse transcription of mitochondrial RNA plays a role in this process

Why Are Outcomes Different for Registry Patients Enrolled Prospectively and Retrospectively? Insights from the Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF).

Background: Retrospective and prospective observational studies are designed to reflect real-world evidence on clinical practice, but can yield conflicting results. The GARFIELD-AF Registry includes both methods of enrolment and allows analysis of differences in patient characteristics and outcomes that may result. Methods and Results: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and ≥1 risk factor for stroke at diagnosis of AF were recruited either retrospectively (n = 5069) or prospectively (n = 5501) from 19 countries and then followed prospectively. The retrospectively enrolled cohort comprised patients with established AF (for a least 6, and up to 24 months before enrolment), who were identified retrospectively (and baseline and partial follow-up data were collected from the emedical records) and then followed prospectively between 0-18 months (such that the total time of follow-up was 24 months; data collection Dec-2009 and Oct-2010). In the prospectively enrolled cohort, patients with newly diagnosed AF (≤6 weeks after diagnosis) were recruited between Mar-2010 and Oct-2011 and were followed for 24 months after enrolment. Differences between the cohorts were observed in clinical characteristics, including type of AF, stroke prevention strategies, and event rates. More patients in the retrospectively identified cohort received vitamin K antagonists (62.1% vs. 53.2%) and fewer received non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (1.8% vs . 4.2%). All-cause mortality rates per 100 person-years during the prospective follow-up (starting the first study visit up to 1 year) were significantly lower in the retrospective than prospectively identified cohort (3.04 [95% CI 2.51 to 3.67] vs . 4.05 [95% CI 3.53 to 4.63]; p = 0.016). Conclusions: Interpretations of data from registries that aim to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of patients with AF must take account of differences in registry design and the impact of recall bias and survivorship bias that is incurred with retrospective enrolment. Clinical Trial Registration: - URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier for GARFIELD-AF (NCT01090362)