Additional file 1: Tables S1 and S2. of Morphometric analysis of inflammation in bronchial biopsies following exposure to inhaled diesel exhaust and allergen challenge in atopic subjects

Pearson correlation coefficients matrix for inflammatory biomarkers’ expression in the lung submucosa after single or co-exposure to diesel exhaust and allergen. (PDF 213 kb

Additional file 2: Figure S1. of Morphometric analysis of inflammation in bronchial biopsies following exposure to inhaled diesel exhaust and allergen challenge in atopic subjects

Immunohistochemical staining of positive and negative controls. A) Representative 40X image of positive staining using mAb AA1 for tryptase in human tonsil tissue; B) Representative 40X image of positive staining using mAb EG2 for ECP in human tonsil tissue; C) Representative 40X image of positive staining using mAb NP57 for neutrophil elastase in human tonsil tissue; D) Representative 40X image of positive staining using mAb B-A38 for CD138 in human lung tissue; E) Representative 40X image of positive staining using mAb 4B12 for CD4 in human tonsil tissue; F) Representative 40X image of positive staining using mAb 4D9 for IL-4 in human tonsil tissue; G) Representative 40X image of isotype control using mAb mouse IgG1 (0.07 μg.mL−1) in human lung tissue; H) Representative 40X image of isotype control staining using mAb mouse IgG1 (20.0 μg.mL−1) in human lung tissue. (PDF 482 kb

Collapse of a Marine Mammal Species Driven by Human Impacts

<div><p>Understanding historical roles of species in ecosystems can be crucial for assessing long term human impacts on environments, providing context for management or restoration objectives, and making conservation evaluations of species status. In most cases limited historical abundance data impedes quantitative investigations, but harvested species may have long-term data accessible from hunting records. Here we make use of annual hunting records for Caspian seals (<em>Pusa caspica</em>) dating back to the mid-19^th century, and current census data from aerial surveys, to reconstruct historical abundance using a hind-casting model. We estimate the minimum numbers of seals in 1867 to have been 1–1.6 million, but the population declined by at least 90% to around 100,000 individuals by 2005, primarily due to unsustainable hunting throughout the 20^th century. This collapse is part of a broader picture of catastrophic ecological change in the Caspian over the 20^th Century. Our results combined with fisheries data show that the current biomass of top predators in the Caspian is much reduced compared to historical conditions. The potential for the Caspian and other similar perturbed ecosystems to sustain natural resources of much greater biological and economic value than at present depends on the extent to which a number of anthropogenic impacts can be harnessed.</p> </div

The population growth rate of the Caspian seal population from 1867 to 2006 has fluctuated significantly because of the variable hunting pressure.

<p>The population growth rate of the Caspian seal population from 1867 to 2006 has fluctuated significantly because of the variable hunting pressure.</p

Estimated minimum total female population size (solid line) and the number adult females (dashed line) in the Caspian for the period 1867–2005 as based on historical hunting records (<b>Fig. 1</b>).

<p>The hunt during the 1960s led to a rapid decline in population size.</p

Vital rates for Caspian seals during the periods 1930–1964 and 1965–2005.

<p>Three pup survival rates, i.e. 0.8<i>p</i>_p, <i>p</i>_p, or 1.2<i>p</i>_p, are used to attain a realistic span for population size in 1867.</p

Total registered harvest of Caspian seals (solid line) and the number of pups (dashed line) for the period 1867–2005.

<p>Based on published hunting records <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0043130#pone.0043130-Sklabinskij1" target="_blank">[14]</a>, <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0043130#pone.0043130-Dorofeev1" target="_blank">[15]</a>, <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0043130#pone.0043130-Badamshin1" target="_blank">[16]</a>. Data for recent years are derived from Russian Federal Fisheries Agency reports <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0043130#pone.0043130-Russian1" target="_blank">[29]</a>, <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0043130#pone.0043130-Russian2" target="_blank">[30]</a>.</p

Comparison of by-catch rates (seals/boat/season) among seasons.

<p>N – number of reports with quantitative data; Winter-Spring: February-April; Autumn: September-November; Mean, Median and SD (standard deviation), refer to seals/boat/season; Range refers to reported minimum by-catch in the sample.</p

Map of northern Caspian showing settlements in which interviews were conducted (triangles), by-catch sectors.

<p>(UR - Ural; KU - Kulaly; KA – Kalmykia; DA – Dagestan; delimited by lines).</p

Breakdown of minimum reported by-catch in 2008–2009 by area and season.

<p>N – number of reports with quantitative data; Winter-Spring: February-April; Autumn: September-November; autumn-spring: fishing in either September-November, or after ice melt, but exact period not given; Not specified: no season information given by interviewee.</p