Clinical and epidemiologic aspects of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Special emphasis on cardiovascular outcome and risk factors

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic disease, with an increased risk of co-morbidity from cardiovascular disease (CVD), in particular among those with severe disease. Environmental risk factors are of potential interest for both prevention and treatment of RA. Our aim was to examine changes in the occurrence of CVD over time and, using immunohistochemistry, study markers of inflammation in vascular endothelial cells during treatment with a TNF-inhibitor. We also investigated predictors of RA. Two community based of RA cohorts were established in 1978 and 1995 and compared to the corresponding background population regarding CVD. Patients were followed for 8 years, and fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular first events were identified. To investigate markers of endothelial activation, we used fourteen patients with active RA who started anti-TNF treatment. Muscle biopsies were taken at baseline and 3 months after start of treatment. To identify incident cases of RA for evaluation of predictors of RA, we used two large surveys, the Malmö Preventive Medicine Program and the Malmö Diet Cancer Study. Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the two community based RA cohorts was increased compared to the background population. Treatment with adalimumab was associated with decreased expression of endothelial markers previously associated with severe systemic inflammation in RA. Smoking and a low level of formal education were independent risk factors for RA. Moderate alcohol consumption was associated with a reduced risk of RA. Reduced pulmonary function was not associated with future RA, but smoking and low socioeconomic status were independent predictors of RA

Future fisheries

Fish stocks in Europe have been in decline for a number of decades. Ulf Bergström outlines the current situation – and the role European policy can play in reversing this

Ecological connectivity of the marine protected area network in the Baltic Sea, Kattegat and Skagerrak: Current knowledge and management needs

Marine protected areas (MPAs) have become a key component of conservation and fisheries management to alleviate anthropogenic pressures. For MPA networks to efficiently promote persistence and recovery of populations, ecological connectivity, i.e. dispersal and movement of organisms and material across ecosystems, needs to be taken into account. To improve the ecological coherence of MPA networks, there is hence a need to evaluate the connectivity of species spreading through active migration and passive dispersal. We reviewed knowledge on ecological connectivity in the Baltic Sea, Kattegat and Skagerrak in the northeast Atlantic and present available information on species-specific dispersal and migration distances. Studies on genetic connectivity are summarised and discussed in relation to dispersal-based analyses. Threats to ecological connectivity, limiting dispersal of populations and lowering the resilience to environmental change, were examined. Additionally, a review of studies evaluating the ecological coherence of MPA networks in the Baltic Sea, Kattegat and Skagerrak was performed, and suggestions for future evaluations to meet management needs are presented

Ecological connectivity in marine protected areas in Swedish Baltic coastal waters - A coherence assessment

The Department of Aquatic Resources at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU Aqua) was commissioned by the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management to assess the ecological coherence of the marine protected area (MPA) network along the Swedish Baltic Sea coast, focusing on ecological connectivity and representativity, and species performing active migrations. The study also aimed to test the influence of anthropogenic pressures on connectivity and identify areas for expansion of the existing MPA network to maximise connectivity in the region. This report is the first to assess large-scale connectivity and ecological coherence of the MPA network in the Baltic Sea with a focus on coastal habitat-forming vegetation and fish species with active dispersal. Information on dispersal/migration distances was combined with species distribution models to produce connectivity maps. To align the coherence analyses with the conservation targets specified by responsible authorities, we included the nested targets for specific species ("preciserade bevarandevärden” in Swedish) listed within the Swedish framework for MPAs. Fish species like eel, salmon and trout, as well as birds and seals, which are also listed as nested targets, were not included in our analyses, since connectivity models of these long-distance migrants would be redundant as they do not affect the more small-scale connectivity patterns that are in focus in this study. Hotspot areas for connectivity were identified, and these were generally concentrated in a few, relatively small areas. These hotspot areas are, however, highly susceptible to coastal development and human activities, as they are often situated in bays, inlets and topographically complex archipelagos. Anthropogenic pressures, in this case physical disturbance, had a relatively large predicted impact on connectivity, particularly on certain species. The majority of these species are of freshwater origin and have shorter migration distances (e.g. crucian carp, roach, common rudd, common bream/silver bream, and common bleak) than marine species like cod, flounder and herring, which perform long-distance migrations between open sea and coastal areas as part of their life cycle. Also large predatory fish like pike, pike-perch and perch, as well as habitat-forming submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), showed a pronounced decrease in connectivity when incorporating physical disturbance into the models. This may be explained by most human pressures being concentrated along the coastline, often in shallow sheltered bays and inlets where human development coincides with sensitive vegetated habitats and important breeding, spawning, nursery and feeding grounds for fish. Connectivity is reduced when habitats become fragmented or diminished and populations become smaller and more isolated. This may in turn have consequences on genetic diversity, viability of populations and ultimately ecosystem functioning. Representativity of habitats; i.e. amount of habitat protected, was below what is generally scientifically recommended and the new target of 30% protection by 2030 in the EU Biodiversity Strategy for all but three species (of 30 in total). Representativity was very poor regarding strict MPAs, an average of 2% across species. The target according to the EU Biodiversity Strategy is 10% strict protection. Similar results were found for connectivity where the amount connected habitat within MPAs was low. MPAs in the study area were sufficiently spaced (distance apart), but dominated by MPAs of small size. Priority areas with high connectivity (identified by the spatial prioritization software prioritizr) were insufficiently protected and the connectivity of the network could be greatly improved with targeted protection in just a few important locations. Areas that are well connected locally, but are isolated from other priority areas, are especially important to protect as they are critical to connectivity of the network. Regulations within the MPA network in Swedish Baltic Sea coastal waters are generally weak, particularly in the priority areas. Applying an ecosystem-based management approach and including stronger regulations of fisheries and of activities causing local physical disturbance in parts of the MPA network is encouraged in order to reach conservation goals. The results from this study can be used to improve planning and management of the Baltic Sea MPA network, marine spatial planning in the region and improving the green infrastructure, securing important ecosystem services for future generations

Predation and spatial connectivity interact to shape ecosystem resilience to an ongoing regime shift

Ecosystem regime shifts can have severe ecological and economic consequences, making it a top priority to understand how to make systems more resilient. Theory predicts that spatial connectivity and the local environment interact to shape resilience, but empirical studies are scarce. Here, we use >7000 fish samplings from the Baltic Sea coast to test this prediction in an ongoing, spatially propagating shift in dominance from predatory fish to an opportunistic mesopredator, with cascading effects throughout the food web. After controlling for the influence of other drivers (including increasing mesopredator densities), we find that predatory fish habitat connectivity increases resilience to the shift, but only when densities of fish-eating top predators (seals, cormorants) are low. Resilience also increases with temperature, likely through boosted predatory fish growth and recruitment. These findings confirm theoretical predictions that spatial connectivity and the local environment can together shape resilience to regime shifts

Spiggens påverkan på rekryteringsområden för abborre och gädda i Östersjön

Storspigg har visat sig ha en negativ påverkan på rekryteringen av rovfiskar längs Östersjökusten, framför allt gädda och abborre, genom predation på ägg och larver. Detta leder till minskade rovfiskbestånd i kustzonen och en förlust av viktiga ekosystemfunktioner. I den här studien har vi kvantifierat omfattningen av denna störning med hjälp av rumslig och statistisk modellering där vi undersöker hur utbredning och abundans av rovfiskens reproduktionsområden förändrats över tid. I analyserna nyttjar vi data från de omfattande undersökningar av kustfiskens reproduktion längs ostkusten som gjorts med hjälp av tryckvåg från slutet av 1970-talet och framåt. Vi har tillämpat tre olika analysmetoder för att skatta förändringen i reproduktionsområden, i syfte att få en uppfattning om spannet i uppskattningarna. Vi har nyttjat två modeller från redan publicerade vetenskapliga artiklar, och även utvecklat en ny modell. Den ena av de två publicerade modellerna beskriver utvecklingen i täthet abborre och spigg över tid (Eriksson m fl 2021), medan den andra beskriver utvecklingen av ytor med rovfiskdominans (Eklöf m fl 2020). Den nyutvecklade modellen beskriver i sin tur förändringar i ytan lämpliga reproduktionsområden för abborre och gädda. De olika analyserna har i någon mån varierande geografisk täckning, som mest omfattande kuststräckan från norra Skåne län till södra Gävleborgs län. Sammantaget visar analyserna på betydande nedgångar i reproduktionen av abborre och gädda längs centrala Östersjökusten de senaste 30-40 åren. Resultaten visar att ytan fungerande reproduktionsområden för abborre och gädda minskat med i storleksordningen 40-65%, medan tätheten abborryngel kan ha minskat med så mycket som 80 %. Det är framför allt tidigare mycket produktiva rekryteringsområden för abborre och gädda längs öppna kuststräckor och i mellan- och ytterskärgårdar som gått förlorade. De tydliga sambanden mellan spigg och rekrytering av abborre och gädda indikerar att spiggen har varit en starkt bidragande orsak till nedgången, och framför allt att spiggen sannolikt blockerar en återkomst av abborre och gädda till områden där reproduktionen slagits ut. Förlusten av lokala rovfiskbestånd i skärgårdarna har en negativ påverkan inte bara på fisket, utan minskar även kustekosystemets förmåga att motstå de negativa effekterna av övergödning. En angelägen fråga för kommande forskning är att förstå mekanismerna bakom den dramatiska spiggökningen, och att identifiera metoder för att stärka reproduktionen och återetablera bestånd av abborre och gädda i de störda områdena

Genome-wide analysis of chimpanzee genes with premature termination codons

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Premature termination codons (PTCs) cause mRNA degradation or a truncated protein and thereby contribute to the transcriptome and proteome divergence between species. Here we present the first genome-wide study of PTCs in the chimpanzee. By comparing the human and chimpanzee genome sequences we identify and characterize genes with PTCs, in order to understand the contribution of these mutations to the transcriptome diversity between the species.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We have studied a total of 13,487 human-chimpanzee gene pairs and found that ~8% were affected by PTCs in the chimpanzee. A majority (764/1,109) of PTCs were caused by insertions or deletions and the remaining part was caused by substitutions. The distribution of PTC genes varied between chromosomes, with Y having the highest proportion. Furthermore, the density of PTC genes varied on a megabasepair scale within chromosomes and we found the density to be correlated both with indel divergence and proximity to the telomere. Within genes, PTCs were more common close to the 5' and 3' ends of the amino acid sequence. Gene Ontology classification revealed that olfactory receptor genes were over represented among the PTC genes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results showed that the density of PTC genes fluctuated across the genome depending on the local genomic context. PTCs were preferentially located in the terminal parts of the transcript, which generally have a lower frequency of functional domains, indicating that selection was operating against PTCs at sites central to protein function. The enrichment of GO terms associated with olfaction suggests that PTCs may have influenced the difference in the repertoire of olfactory genes between humans and chimpanzees. In summary, 8% of the chimpanzee genes were affected by PTCs and this type of variation is likely to have an important effect on the transcript and proteomic divergence between humans and chimpanzees.</p

Long-term changes in spatial overlap between interacting cod and flounder in the Baltic Sea

The strength of interspecific competition and predator-prey interactions depends on the area of co-occurrence of the interacting species. Therefore, it is necessary to quantify the changes in the spatial overlap of trophically connected species to understand the outcomes of species interactions. In the Baltic Sea, the interplay between cod and flounder has previously been neglected. In this study, we use four decades of data on cod and flounder distributions covering the southern and central Baltic Sea to: (1) model and map the changes in the distributions of the two species using generalized additive models; (2) quantify the temporal changes in the potential competitive and predator-prey interactions between them using spatial overlap indices; (3) relate these changes in overlap to the known dynamics of the different cod and flounder populations in the Baltic Sea. Competition overlap has continuously increased for cod, from the beginning of the time-series. This is a possible cause of the observed decline in feeding levels and body condition of small and intermediate sized cod. Flounder overlap with large cod instead has decreased substantially, suggesting a predation release of flounder, potentially triggering its increase in abundance and distribution range observed in the last decades