The prevalence of Aphanomyces astaci in invasive signal crayfish from the UK and implications for native crayfish conservation

The crayfish plague agent, Aphanomyces astaci, has spread throughout Europe, causing a significant decline in native European crayfish. The introduction and dissemination of this pathogen is attributed to the spread of invasive North American crayfish, which can act as carriers for A. astaci. As native European crayfish often succumb to infection with A. astaci, determining the prevalence of this pathogen in non-native crayfish is vital to prioritize native crayfish populations for managed translocation. In the current study, 23 populations of invasive signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) from the UK were tested for A. astaci presence using quantitative PCR. Altogether, 13 out of 23 (56·5%) populations were found to be infected, and pathogen prevalence within infected sites varied from 3 to 80%. Microsatellite pathogen genotyping revealed that at least one UK signal crayfish population was infected with the A. astaci genotype group B, known to include virulent strains. Based on recent crayfish distribution records and the average rate of signal crayfish population dispersal, we identified one native white-clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) population predicted to come into contact with infected signal crayfish within 5 years. This population should be considered as a priority for translocation

Recombination-mediated remodelling of host-pathogen interactions during Staphylococcus aureus niche adaptation

Large-scale recombination events have led to the emergence of epidemic clones of several major bacterial pathogens. However, the functional impact of the recombination on clonal success is not understood. Here, we identified a novel widespread hybrid clone (ST71) of livestock-associated Staphylococcus aureus that evolved from an ancestor belonging to the major bovine lineage CC97, through multiple large-scale recombination events with other S. aureus lineages occupying the same ruminant niche. The recombination events, affecting a 329 kb region of the chromosome spanning the origin of replication, resulted in allele replacement and loss or gain of an array of genes influencing host–pathogen interactions. Of note, molecular functional analyses revealed that the ST71 hybrid clone has acquired multiple novel pathogenic traits associated with acquired and innate immune evasion and bovine extracellular matrix adherence. These findings provide a paradigm for the impact of large-scale recombination events on the rapid evolution of bacterial pathogens within defined ecological niches

Survey of the crayfisch plague pathogen presence in the Netherlands reveals a new Aphanomyces astaci carrier.

North American crayfish species as hosts for the crayfish plague pathogen Aphanomyces astaci contribute to the decline of native European crayfish populations. At least six American crayfish species have been reported in the Netherlands but the presence of this pathogenic oomycete with substantial conservational impact has not yet been confirmed in the country. We evaluated A. astaci prevalence in Dutch populations of six alien crustaceans using species-specific quantitative PCR. These included three confirmed crayfish carriers (Orconectes limosus, Pacifastacus leniusculus, Procambarus clarkii), two recently introduced but yet unstudied crayfish (Orconectes cf. virilis, Procambarus cf. acutus), and a catadromous crab Eriocheir sinensis. Moderate levels of infection were observed in some populations of O. limosus and P. leniusculus. Positive results were also obtained for E. sinensis and two Dutch populations of O. cf. virilis. English population of the latter species was also found infected, confirming this taxon as another A. astaci carrier in European waters. In contrast, Dutch P. clarkii seem only sporadically infected, and the pathogen was not yet detected in P. cf. acutus. Our study is the first confirmation of crayfish plague infections in the Netherlands and demonstrates substantial variation in A. astaci prevalence among potential hosts within a single region, a pattern possibly linked to their introduction history and coexistence

Case studies in a contextual archaeology of burial practice in Roman Britain

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:DXN026374 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

GEANT4 simulation of a scintillating-fibre tracker for the cosmic-ray muon tomography of legacy nuclear waste containers

Cosmic-ray muons are highly penetrative charged particles that are observed at the sea level with a flux of approximately one per square centimetre per minute. They interact with matter primarily through Coulomb scattering, which is exploited in the field of muon tomography to image shielded objects in a wide range of applications. In this paper, simulation studies are presented that assess the feasibility of a scintillating-fibre tracker system for use in the identification and characterisation of nuclear materials stored within industrial legacy waste containers. A system consisting of a pair of tracking modules above and a pair below the volume to be assayed is simulated within the GEANT4 framework using a range of potential fibre pitches and module separations. Each module comprises two orthogonal planes of fibres that allow the reconstruction of the initial and Coulomb-scattered muon trajectories. A likelihood-based image reconstruction algorithm has been developed that allows the container content to be determined with respect to the scattering density λ, a parameter which is related to the atomic number Z of the scattering material. Images reconstructed from this simulation are presented for a range of anticipated scenarios that highlight the expected image resolution and the potential of this system for the identification of high-Z materials within a shielded, concrete-filled container. First results from a constructed prototype system are presented in comparison with those from a detailed simulation. Excellent agreement between experimental data and simulation is observed showing clear discrimination between the different materials assayed throughout

Recombination-mediated remodelling of host–pathogen interactions during staphylococcus aureus niche adaptation

Large-scale recombination events have led to the emergence of epidemic clones of several major bacterial pathogens. However, the functional impact of the recombination on clonal success is not understood. Here, we identified a novel widespread hybrid clone (ST71) of livestock-associated Staphylococcus aureus that evolved from an ancestor belonging to the major bovine lineage CC97, through multiple large-scale recombination events with other S. aureus lineages occupying the same ruminant niche. The recombination events, affecting a 329 kb region of the chromosome spanning the origin of replication, resulted in allele replacement and loss or gain of an array of genes influencing host-pathogen interactions. Of note, molecular functional analyses revealed that the ST71 hybrid clone has acquired multiple novel pathogenic traits associated with acquired and innate immune evasion and bovine extracellular matrix adherence. These findings provide a paradigm for the impact of large-scale recombination events on the rapid evolution of bacterial pathogens within defined ecological niches

A Prototype Scintillating-Fibre Tracker for the Cosmic-Ray Muon Tomography of Legacy Nuclear Waste Containers

Cosmic-ray muons are highly penetrative charged particles observed at sea level with a flux of approximately 1 cm−2 min−1. They interact with matter primarily through Coulomb scattering which can be exploited in muon tomography to image objects within industrial nuclear waste containers. A prototype scintillating-fibre detector has been developed for this application, consisting of two tracking modules above and below the volume to be assayed. Each module comprises two orthogonal planes of 2 mm fibres. The modular configuration allows the reconstruction of the initial and scattered muon trajectories which enable the container content, with respect to atomic number Z, to be determined. Fibre signals are read out by Hamamatsu H8500 MAPMTs with two fibres coupled to each pixel via dedicated pairing schemes developed to avoid space point ambiguities and retain the high spatial resolution of the fibres. A likelihood-based image reconstruction algorithm was developed and tested using a GEANT4 simulation of the prototype system. Images reconstructed from this simulation are presented in comparison with experimental results taken with test objects. These results verify the simulation and show discrimination between the low, medium and high-Z materials imaged