Continental threat: How many common carp (Cyprinus carpio) are there in Australia?

Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) are one of the world's most destructive vertebrate pests. In Australia, they dominate many aquatic ecosystems causing a severe threat to aquatic plants, invertebrates, water quality, native fish and social amenity. The Australian Government is considering release of cyprinid herpesvirus-3 (CyHV-3) as a control measure and consequently a robust, continental-scale estimate of the carp population and biomass is essential to inform planning and risk management. Here, we pioneer a novel model-based approach to provide the first estimate of carp density (no/ha) and biomass density (kg/ha) at river reach/waterbody, basin and continental scales. We built a spatial layer of rivers and waterbodies, classified aquatic habitats and calculated the area of each throughout the range of carp in Australia. We then developed a database of fishery-independent electrofishing catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) for habitat types, containing catch information for 574,145 carp caught at 4831 sites. Eastern Australia accounted for 96% of carp biomass and 92% of the total available wetted habitat area (16,686 km2) was occupied. To correct these data for variable detection efficiencies, we used existing electrofishing data and undertook additional field experiments to establish relationships between relative and absolute abundances. We then scaled-up site-based estimates to habitat types to generate continental estimates. The number of carp was estimated at 199.2 M (95%Crl: 106 M to 357.6 M) for an ‘average’ hydrological scenario and 357.5 M (95%Crl: 178.9 M to 685.1 M) for a ‘wet’ hydrological scenario. In eastern Australia, these numbers correspond with biomasses of 205,774 t (95%Crl: 117,532–356,482 t) (average scenario) and 368,357 t (95%Crl: 184,234–705,630 t) (wet scenario). At a continental scale the total biomass was estimated at 215,456 t for an ‘average’ hydrological scenario. Perennial lowland rivers had the highest CPUE and greatest biomass density (up to 826 kg/ha) and the modelled biomass exceeded a density-impact threshold of 80–100 kg/ha in 54% of wetlands and 97% of stream area in large lowland rivers. The continental-scale biomass estimates provide a baseline for focusing national conservation strategies to reduce carp populations below thresholds needed to restore aquatic ecosystems at a range of spatial scales

Pathways to diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer : a descriptive cohort study

Little has been published on the diagnostic and referral pathway for lung cancer in Australia. This study set out to quantify general practitioner (GP) and lung specialist attendance and diagnostic imaging in the lead-up to a diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and identify common pathways to diagnosis in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. We used linked health data for participants of the 45 and Up Study (a NSW population-based cohort study) diagnosed with NSCLC between 2006 and 2012. Our main outcome measures were GP and specialist attendances, X-rays and computed tomography (CT) scans of the chest and lung cancer-related hospital admissions. Among our study cohort (N = 894), 60% (n = 536) had ≥4 GP attendances in the 3 months prior to diagnosis of NSCLC, 56% (n = 505) had GP-ordered imaging (chest X-ray or CT scan), 39% (N = 349) attended a respiratory physician and 11% (N = 102) attended a cardiothoracic surgeon. The two most common pathways to diagnosis, accounting for one in three people, included GP and lung specialist (respiratory physician or cardiothoracic surgeon) involvement. Overall, 25% of people (n = 223) had an emergency hospital admission. For 14% of people (N = 129), an emergency hospital admission was the only event identified on the pathway to diagnosis. We found little effect of remoteness of residence on access to services. This study identified a substantial proportion of people with NSCLC being diagnosed in an emergency setting. Further research is needed to establish whether there were barriers to the timely diagnosis of these cases

A compendium of ecological knowledge for restoration of freshwater fishes in Australia’s Murray–Darling Basin

Many freshwater fishes are imperilled globally, and there is a need for easily accessible, contemporary ecological knowledge to guide management. This compendium contains knowledge collated from over 600 publications and 27 expert workshops to support the restoration of 9 priority native freshwater fish species, representative of the range of life-history strategies and values in south-eastern Australia’s Murray–Darling Basin. To help prioritise future research investment and restoration actions, ecological knowledge and threats were assessed for each species and life stage. There is considerable new knowledge (80% of publications used were from the past 20 years), but this varied among species and life stages, with most known about adults, then egg, juvenile and larval stages (in that order). The biggest knowledge gaps concerned early life stage requirements, survival, recruitment, growth rates, condition and movements. Key threats include reduced longitudinal and lateral connectivity, altered flows, loss of refugia, reductions in both flowing (lotic) and slackwater riverine habitats, degradation of wetland habitats, alien species interactions and loss of aquatic vegetation. Examples and case studies illustrating the application of this knowledge to underpin effective restoration management are provided. This extensive ecological evidence base for multiple species is presented in a tabular format to assist a range of readers

Проектирование автоматизированной системы дожимной насосной станции

Целью данной выпускной квалификационной работы является разработка автоматизированной системы управления ДНС с использованием современного оборудования для увеличения производительности и надежности станции, а также снижения затрат на обслуживание. В ходе работы будет выполнено исследование и проектирование автоматизированной системы дожимной насосной станции.The purpose of this final qualifying work is the development of an automated control system for CSN using modern equipment to increase plant performance and reliability, as well as reduce maintenance costs. In the course of work, research and design of an automated system of a booster pumping station will be performed

Mechanisms for CO2 Leakage Prevention – A Global Dataset of Natural Analogues

AbstractNatural CO2 reservoirs have similar geological trapping mechanisms as required for CO2 storage sites and often have held CO2 for a geological period of time without any indication of leakage. Yet, migration of CO2 from reservoirs to the surface is also common. 49 natural CO2 reservoirs have been analysed to provide an overview of factors that are important for (1) retention of CO2 in the subsurface and (2) leakage of CO2 from the reservoir. Results indicate that overpressure of the overburden and the state of CO2 in the reservoir influence the likelihood of migration and hence the performance of reservoirs

Bringing 'place' back in: regional clusters, project governance, and new product outcomes

We examine new product outcomes in the context of regional clusters. Based on past research on marketing relationships, clusters, and social networks, we propose that the overall configuration of a cluster helps promote particular governance practices among its members. These practices have distinct value-creating properties, and when they are brought to bear on a specific new product development project within a cluster, they promote performance outcomes like product novelty and speed to market. Ultimately, these performance effects are reinforced by the configuration of the cluster itself. In general, we propose that new product outcomes follow from complex interactions between a cluster's macro-level configuration and its micro-level governance processes. More broadly, our framework points to the importance of geographical variables and to the role of “place” in marketing decision-making

Genetic Variants Associated With Cancer Therapy-Induced Cardiomyopathy

BACKGROUND: Cancer therapy-induced cardiomyopathy (CCM) is associated with cumulative drug exposures and preexisting cardiovascular disorders. These parameters incompletely account for substantial interindividual susceptibility to CCM. We hypothesized that rare variants in cardiomyopathy genes contribute to CCM. METHODS: We studied 213 patients with CCM from 3 cohorts: retrospectively recruited adults with diverse cancers (n=99), prospectively phenotyped adults with breast cancer (n=73), and prospectively phenotyped children with acute myeloid leukemia (n=41). Cardiomyopathy genes, including 9 prespecified genes, were sequenced. The prevalence of rare variants was compared between CCM cohorts and The Cancer Genome Atlas participants (n=2053), healthy volunteers (n=445), and an ancestry-matched reference population. Clinical characteristics and outcomes were assessed and stratified by genotypes. A prevalent CCM genotype was modeled in anthracycline-treated mice. RESULTS: CCM was diagnosed 0.4 to 9 years after chemotherapy; 90% of these patients received anthracyclines. Adult patients with CCM had cardiovascular risk factors similar to the US population. Among 9 prioritized genes, patients with CCM had more rare protein-altering variants than comparative cohorts ( P≤1.98e-04). Titin-truncating variants (TTNtvs) predominated, occurring in 7.5% of patients with CCM versus 1.1% of The Cancer Genome Atlas participants ( P=7.36e-08), 0.7% of healthy volunteers ( P=3.42e-06), and 0.6% of the reference population ( P=5.87e-14). Adult patients who had CCM with TTNtvs experienced more heart failure and atrial fibrillation ( P=0.003) and impaired myocardial recovery ( P=0.03) than those without. Consistent with human data, anthracycline-treated TTNtv mice and isolated TTNtv cardiomyocytes showed sustained contractile dysfunction unlike wild-type ( P=0.0004 and P<0.002, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Unrecognized rare variants in cardiomyopathy-associated genes, particularly TTNtvs, increased the risk for CCM in children and adults, and adverse cardiac events in adults. Genotype, along with cumulative chemotherapy dosage and traditional cardiovascular risk factors, improves the identification of patients who have cancer at highest risk for CCM. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifiers: NCT01173341; AAML1031; NCT01371981.This work was supported in part by grants from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) (PI15/01551, PI17/01941 and CB16/11/00432 to P.G-P. and L.A-P.), the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (SAF2015-71863-REDT to P.G-P.), the John S. LaDue Memorial Fellowship at Harvard Medical School (Y.K.), Wellcome Trust (107469/Z/15/Z to J.S.W.), Medical Research Council (intramural awards to S.A.C. and J.S.W; MR/M003191/1 to U.T), National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Unit at the Royal Brompton and Harefield National Health Service Foundation Trust and Imperial College London (P.J.B., S.A.C., J.S.W.), National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre at Imperial College London Healthcare National Health Service Trust and Imperial College London (D.O.R., S.A.C., S.P., J.S.W.), Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowship (C.N.T.), Rosetrees and Stoneygate Imperial College Research Fellowship (N.W.), Fondation Leducq (S.A.C., C.E.S., J.G.S.), Health Innovation Challenge Fund award from the Wellcome Trust and Department of Health (UK; HICF-R6-373; S.A.C., P.J.B., J.S. W.), the British Heart Foundation (NH/17/1/32725 to D.O.R.; SP/10/10/28431 to S.A.C), Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (K.G.), National Institutes of Health (R.A.: U01CA097452, R01CA133881, and U01CA097452; Z.A.: R01 HL126797; B.K.: R01 HL118018 and K23-HL095661; J.G.S. and C.E.S.: 5R01HL080494, R01HL084553), and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (C.E.S.). The Universitario Puerta de Hierro and Virgen de la Arrixaca Hospitals are members of the European Reference Network on Rare and Complex Diseases of the Heart (Guard-Heart; http://guard-heart.ern-net.eu). This publication includes independent research commissioned by the Health Innovation Challenge Fund (HICF), a parallel funding partnership between the Department of Health and Wellcome Trust. The Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) is supported by the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness and the Pro CNIC Foundation, and is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (SEV-2015-0505). Grants from ISCIII and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness are supported by the Plan Estatal de I+D+I 2013-2016 – European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) “A way of making Europe”.S

Requirements for Receptor Engagement during Infection by Adenovirus Complexed with Blood Coagulation Factor X

Human adenoviruses from multiple species bind to coagulation factor X (FX), yet the importance of this interaction in adenovirus dissemination is unknown. Upon contact with blood, vectors based on adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) binds to FX via the hexon protein with nanomolar affinity, leading to selective uptake of the complex into the liver and spleen. The Ad5:FX complex putatively targets heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs). The aim of this study was to elucidate the specific requirements for Ad5:FX-mediated cellular uptake in this high-affinity pathway, specifically the HSPG receptor requirements as well as the role of penton base-mediated integrin engagement in subsequent internalisation. Removal of HS sidechains by enzymatic digestion or competition with highly-sulfated heparins/heparan sulfates significantly decreased FX-mediated Ad5 cell binding in vitro and ex vivo. Removal of N-linked and, in particular, O-linked sulfate groups significantly attenuated the inhibitory capabilities of heparin, while the chemical inhibition of endogenous HSPG sulfation dose-dependently reduced FX-mediated Ad5 cellular uptake. Unlike native heparin, modified heparins lacking O- or N-linked sulfate groups were unable to inhibit Ad5 accumulation in the liver 1h after intravascular administration of adenovirus. Similar results were observed in vitro using Ad5 vectors possessing mutations ablating CAR- and/or αv integrin binding, demonstrating that attachment of the Ad5:FX complex to the cell surface involves HSPG sulfation. Interestingly, Ad5 vectors ablated for αv integrin binding showed markedly delayed cell entry, highlighting the need for an efficient post-attachment internalisation signal for optimal Ad5 uptake and transport following surface binding mediated through FX. This study therefore integrates the established model of αv integrin-dependent adenoviral infection with the high-affinity FX-mediated pathway. This has important implications for mechanisms that define organ targeting following contact of human adenoviruses with blood

Bacterial Surface Appendages Strongly Impact Nanomechanical and Electrokinetic Properties of Escherichia coli Cells Subjected to Osmotic Stress

The physicochemical properties and dynamics of bacterial envelope, play a major role in bacterial activity. In this study, the morphological, nanomechanical and electrohydrodynamic properties of Escherichia coli K-12 mutant cells were thoroughly investigated as a function of bulk medium ionic strength using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and electrokinetics (electrophoresis). Bacteria were differing according to genetic alterations controlling the production of different surface appendages (short and rigid Ag43 adhesins, longer and more flexible type 1 fimbriae and F pilus). From the analysis of the spatially resolved force curves, it is shown that cells elasticity and turgor pressure are not only depending on bulk salt concentration but also on the presence/absence and nature of surface appendage. In 1 mM KNO3, cells without appendages or cells surrounded by Ag43 exhibit large Young moduli and turgor pressures (∼700–900 kPa and ∼100–300 kPa respectively). Under similar ionic strength condition, a dramatic ∼50% to ∼70% decrease of these nanomechanical parameters was evidenced for cells with appendages. Qualitatively, such dependence of nanomechanical behavior on surface organization remains when increasing medium salt content to 100 mM, even though, quantitatively, differences are marked to a much smaller extent. Additionally, for a given surface appendage, the magnitude of the nanomechanical parameters decreases significantly when increasing bulk salt concentration. This effect is ascribed to a bacterial exoosmotic water loss resulting in a combined contraction of bacterial cytoplasm together with an electrostatically-driven shrinkage of the surface appendages. The former process is demonstrated upon AFM analysis, while the latter, inaccessible upon AFM imaging, is inferred from electrophoretic data interpreted according to advanced soft particle electrokinetic theory. Altogether, AFM and electrokinetic results clearly demonstrate the intimate relationship between structure/flexibility and charge of bacterial envelope and propensity of bacterium and surface appendages to contract under hypertonic conditions