Groundwater dependent ecosystems: Classification, identification techniques and threats

© The Author(s) 2016. This chapter begins by briefly discussing the three major classes of groundwater dependent ecosystems (GDEs), namely: (I) GDEs that reside within groundwater (e.g. karsts; stygofauna); (II) GDEs requiring the surface expression of groundwater (e.g. springs; wetlands); and (III) GDEs dependent upon sub-surface availability of groundwater within the rooting depth of vegetation (e.g. woodlands; riparian forests). We then discuss a range of techniques available for identifying the location of GDEs in a landscape, with a primary focus of class III GDEs and a secondary focus of class II GDEs. These techniques include inferential methodologies, using hydrological, geochemical and geomorphological indicators, biotic assemblages, historical documentation, and remote sensing methodologies. Techniques available to quantify groundwater use by GDEs are briefly described, including application of simple modelling tools, remote sensing methods and complex modelling applications. This chapter also outlines the contemporary threats to the persistence of GDEs across the world. This involves a description of the “natural” hydrological attributes relevant to GDEs and theprocesses that lead to disturbances to natural hydrological attributes as a result of human activities (e.g. groundwater extraction). Two cases studies, (1) Class III: terrestrial vegetation and (2) Class II: springs, are discussed in relation to these issues

A Weakly Supervised Approach for Estimating Spatial Density Functions from High-Resolution Satellite Imagery

We propose a neural network component, the regional aggregation layer, that makes it possible to train a pixel-level density estimator using only coarse-grained density aggregates, which reflect the number of objects in an image region. Our approach is simple to use and does not require domain-specific assumptions about the nature of the density function. We evaluate our approach on several synthetic datasets. In addition, we use this approach to learn to estimate high-resolution population and housing density from satellite imagery. In all cases, we find that our approach results in better density estimates than a commonly used baseline. We also show how our housing density estimator can be used to classify buildings as residential or non-residential.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures. ACM SIGSPATIAL 2018, Seattle, US

Phenotype-environment matching in sand fleas

This is the final version of the article. Available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.Camouflage is perhaps the most widespread anti-predator strategy in nature, found in numerous animal groups. A long-standing prediction is that individuals should have camouflage tuned to the visual backgrounds where they live. However, while several studies have demonstrated phenotype-environment associations, few have directly shown that this confers an improvement in camouflage, particularly with respect to predator vision. Here, we show that an intertidal crustacean, the sand flea (Hippa testudinaria), has coloration tuned to the different substrates on which it occurs when viewed by potential avian predators. Individual sand fleas from a small, oceanic island (Ascension) matched the colour and luminance of their own beaches more closely than neighbouring beaches to a model of avian vision. Based on past work, this phenotype-environment matching is likely to be driven through ontogenetic changes rather than genetic adaptation. Our work provides some of the first direct evidence that animal coloration is tuned to provide camouflage to prospective predators against a range of visual backgrounds, in a population of animals occurring over a small geographical range.M.S., A.E.L. and J.T.: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/G022887/1). Fieldwork was funded by the Darwin Initiative (Project no. 19-026)

Generalist camouflage can be more successful than microhabitat specialisation in natural environments

This is the final version. Available from BMC via the DOI in this record. The data and code supporting this publication are openly available on the Open Science Framework repository at: https://osf.io/6p2fw/Background: Crypsis by background-matching is a critical form of anti-predator defence for animals exposed to visual predators, but achieving effective camouflage in patchy and variable natural environments is not straightforward. To cope with heterogeneous backgrounds, animals could either specialise on particular microhabitat patches, appearing cryptic in some areas but mismatching others, or adopt a compromise strategy, providing partial matching across different patch types. Existing studies have tested the effectiveness of compromise strategies in only a limited set of circumstances, primarily with small targets varying in pattern, and usually in screen-based tasks. Here, we measured the detection risk associated with different background-matching strategies for relatively large targets, with human observers searching for them in natural scenes, and focusing on colour. Model prey were designed to either ‘specialise’ on the colour of common microhabitat patches, or ‘generalise’ by matching the average colour of the whole visual scenes. Results: In both the field and an equivalent online computer-based search task, targets adopting the generalist strategy were more successful in evading detection than those matching microhabitat patches. This advantage occurred because, across all possible locations in these experiments, targets were typically viewed against a patchwork of different microhabitat areas; the putatively generalist targets were thus more similar on average to their various immediate surroundings than were the specialists. Conclusions: Demonstrating close agreement between the results of field and online search experiments provides useful validation of online citizen science methods commonly used to test principles of camouflage, at least for human observers. In finding a survival benefit to matching the average colour of the visual scenes in our chosen environment, our results highlight the importance of relative scales in determining optimal camouflage strategies, and suggest how compromise coloration can succeed in nature.Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research CouncilQineti

Investigation into Adaptation in Genes Associated with Response to Estrogenic Pollution in Populations of Roach (Rutilus rutilus) Living in English Rivers

UK Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC; NE/K004263/1); NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility for funding (NBAF866); Medical Research Council Clinical Infrastructure award (MR/M008924/1); Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund (WT097835MF); Wellcome Trust Multi User Equipment Award (WT101650MA); BBSRC LOLA award (BB/ K003240/1)

Global Blood Pressure Screening During and After Pregnancy: May Measurement Month 2019.

BACKGROUND: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are associated with high maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. There are limited global data on the characteristics of women during and after pregnancy hypertension. METHODS: May Measurement Month is a global campaign to raise awareness of the importance of blood pressure. Adults (≥18 years) recruited through opportunistic sampling during May 2019 had blood pressure measured and comorbidities and lifestyle data collected. This secondary analysis included 16 519 pregnant women and 529 172 nonpregnant women (16 457 with previous raised blood pressure in pregnancy) from 64 countries. RESULTS: Almost half of the pregnant women (56.7%) reported not having had their blood pressure measured in the past year, and 14.3% (95% CI, 12.1-16.6) had hypertension (blood pressure ≥140/90 mm Hg or taking antihypertensive medication). Diabetes was self-reported in 7.6% (5.9-9.3) of pregnant women with hypertension and 2.8% (1.9-3.6) of pregnant women without hypertension. In nonpregnant women with and without a history of pregnancy hypertension, age-standardized proportions with current hypertension were 53.2% (50.8-55.7) versus 33.3% (29.3-37.3); with diabetes were 14.4% (11.8-17.0) versus 8.5% (6.3-10.9); and with body mass index ≥30 kg/m2 were 28.4% (23.5-33.3) versus 16.6% (13.0-20.2). CONCLUSIONS: Hypertension in pregnancy was common in this global sample but many cases had not previously been identified. There was a clustering of cardiovascular risk factors in both pregnant women with current hypertension and previously raised blood pressure in pregnancy. This work highlights the importance of screening pregnant women for hypertension, which remains a challenge in large parts of the world

The Human Fungal Pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans Escapes Macrophages by a Phagosome Emptying Mechanism That Is Inhibited by Arp2/3 Complex-Mediated Actin Polymerisation

The lysis of infected cells by disease-causing microorganisms is an efficient but risky strategy for disseminated infection, as it exposes the pathogen to the full repertoire of the host's immune system. Cryptococcus neoformans is a widespread fungal pathogen that causes a fatal meningitis in HIV and other immunocompromised patients. Following intracellular growth, cryptococci are able to escape their host cells by a non-lytic expulsive mechanism that may contribute to the invasion of the central nervous system. Non-lytic escape is also exhibited by some bacterial pathogens and is likely to facilitate long-term avoidance of the host immune system during latency. Here we show that phagosomes containing intracellular cryptococci undergo repeated cycles of actin polymerisation. These actin ‘flashes’ occur in both murine and human macrophages and are dependent on classical WASP-Arp2/3 complex mediated actin filament nucleation. Three dimensional confocal imaging time lapse revealed that such flashes are highly dynamic actin cages that form around the phagosome. Using fluorescent dextran as a phagosome membrane integrity probe, we find that the non-lytic expulsion of Cryptococcus occurs through fusion of the phagosome and plasma membranes and that, prior to expulsion, 95% of phagosomes become permeabilised, an event that is immediately followed by an actin flash. By using pharmacological agents to modulate both actin dynamics and upstream signalling events, we show that flash occurrence is inversely related to cryptococcal expulsion, suggesting that flashes may act to temporarily inhibit expulsion from infected phagocytes. In conclusion, our data reveal the existence of a novel actin-dependent process on phagosomes containing cryptococci that acts as a potential block to expulsion of Cryptococcus and may have significant implications for the dissemination of, and CNS invasion by, this organism.\ud \u

Evaluating 'Prefer not to say' Around Sensitive Disclosures

As people's offline and online lives become increasingly entwined, the sensitivity of personal information disclosed online is increasing. Disclosures often occur through structured disclosure fields (e.g., drop-down lists). Prior research suggests these fields may limit privacy, with non-disclosing users being presumed to be hiding undesirable information. We investigated this around HIV status disclosure in online dating apps used by men who have sex with men. Our online study asked participants (N=183) to rate profiles where HIV status was either disclosed or undisclosed. We tested three designs for displaying undisclosed fields. Visibility of undisclosed fields had a significant effect on the way profiles were rated, and other profile information (e.g., ethnicity) could affect inferences that develop around undisclosed information. Our research highlights complexities around designing for non-disclosure and questions the voluntary nature of these fields. Further work is outlined to ensure disclosure control is appropriately implemented around online sensitive information disclosures