Low genetic diversity in captive populations of the critically endangered Blue-crowned Laughingthrush (Garrulax courtoisi) revealed by a panel of novel microsatellites

Background Captive populations permit research and conservation of endangered species in which these efforts are hardly implemented in wild populations. Thus, analysing genetic diversity and structure of captive populations offers unique opportunities. One example is the critically endangered Blue-crowned Laughingthrush, Garrulax courtoisi, which has only two known wild populations in Wuyuan, Jiangxi and Simao, Yunnan, China. We carried out the first conservation genetic study, in order to provide useful implications that allow for successful ex situ conservation and management of the Blue-crowned Laughingthrush. Methods Using the novel microsatellite markers developed by whole-genome sequencing, we genotyped two captive populations, from the Ocean Park Hong Kong, which are of unknown origin, and the Nanchang Zoo, which were introduced from the Wuyuan wild population since the year 2010–2011, respectively. The genetic diversity of captive Blue-crowned Laughingthrush populations was estimated based on genetic polymorphisms revealed by a new microsatellite data set and mitochondrial sequences. Then, we characterised the population structure using STRUCTURE, principal coordinates analysis, population assignment test using the microsatellite data, and haplotype analysis of mitochondrial data. Additionally, we quantified genetic relatedness based on the microsatellite data with ML-Relate. Results Our results showed equally low levels of genetic diversity of the two captive Blue-crowned Laughingthrush populations. The population structure analysis, population assignment test using the microsatellite data, and haplotype analysis of the mitochondrial data showed weak population structuring between these two populations. The average pairwise relatedness coefficient was not significant, and their genetic relatedness was quantified. Discussion This study offers a genetic tool and consequently reveals a low level of genetic diversity within populations of a critically endangered bird species. Furthermore, our results indicate that we cannot exclude the probability that the origin of the Hong Kong captive population was the wild population from Wuyuan. These results provide valuable knowledge that can help improve conservation management and planning for both captive and wild Blue-crowned Laughingthrush populations

The central role of natural killer cells in mediating acute myocarditis after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination

BACKGROUND: Vaccine-related acute myocarditis is recognized as a rare and specific vaccine complication following mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccinations. The precise mechanisms remain unclear. We hypothesized that natural killer (NK) cells play a central role in its pathogenesis. METHODS: Samples from 60 adolescents with vaccine-related myocarditis were analyzed, including pro-inflammatory cytokines, cardiac troponin T, genotyping, and immunophenotyping of the corresponding activation subsets of NK cells, monocytes, and T cells. Results were compared with samples from 10 vaccinated individuals without myocarditis and 10 healthy controls. FINDINGS: Phenotypically, high levels of serum cytokines pivotal for NK cells, including interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interferon α2 (IFN-α2), IL-12, and IFN-γ, were observed in post-vaccination patients with myocarditis, who also had high percentage of CD57 NK cells in blood, which in turn correlated positively with elevated levels of cardiac troponin T. Abundance of the CD57 NK subset was particularly prominent in males and in those after the second dose of vaccination. Genotypically, killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) KIR2DL5B(-)/KIR2DS3(+)/KIR2DS5(-)/KIR2DS4del(+) was a risk haplotype, in addition to single-nucleotide polymorphisms related to the NK cell-specific expression quantitative trait loci DNAM-1 and FuT11, which also correlated with cardiac troponin T levels in post-vaccination patients with myocarditis. CONCLUSION: Collectively, these data suggest that NK cell activation by mRNA COVID-19 vaccine contributed to the pathogenesis of acute myocarditis in genetically and epidemiologically vulnerable subjects

Diurnal variations of surface seawater pCO(2) in contrasting coastal environments

We examined diurnal variations of surface seawater pCO(2) (partial pressure of CO2) in a suite of coastal marine environmental systems in the vicinity of the South China Sea (SCS) from inshore and nearshore settings in Xiamen Bay, Shenhu Bay, and the southwestern Taiwan Strait, to offshore sites in the basin and on the slope of the northern South China Sea as well as in a coral reef system at Xisha Islands in the middle of the SCS. There were significant diurnal changes of surface pCO(2), ranging from 1.0 Pa to 1.6 Pa (10-16 mu atm) in the offshore and oligotrophic sites similar to 4.1 Pa in the Taiwan Strait, 5.1-15.2 Pa in Xiamen Bay and Shenhu Bay, to as high as 60.8 Pa in the coral reef system at Xisha Islands. Processes that modulate these pCO(2) diurnal variations were temperature, tide or current, and biological controls. Temperature was a major driver of the pCO(2) diurnal variability in the oligotrophic regions, while tidal effects were important in the nearshore. In the coral reef system, biological metabolism dominated variability. Diurnal variability could have a potentially important implication on the estimate of air-sea CO2 fluxes, which may result in an uncertainty of +/- 0.48-0.77 mmol C m(-2) d(-1) for the offshore sites in the SCS. Such uncertainties were larger in nearshore settings.National Science Foundation of China [90211002, 40490264, 40521003

Aging and the Early Visual Pathways

The role of aging on cognitive decline has been looked at with a great deal of interest over the past few decades. To a large extent, the aging literature has focused heavily on the impact of aging on memory and cognitive resources, and one area of literature that remains underdeveloped has been the role on how aging affects the cognitive processes of vision. More specifically â does aging change the activity and mutually inhibitory processes of the magnocellular (M) and parvocellular (P) pathways? In order to test how aging affects these two visual pathways, I implemented techniques known to hinder or bolster the M-pathway in younger adults with older adults. In Experiment 1, I tested if the inhibition of the M-pathway with a pulsed pedestal design also occurs with older adults. In this task, I had younger and older adults perceive low and high spatial frequency Gabors with either a pulsed or steady visual pedestal. In Experiment 2, I examined if the connection between the M-pathway and action processing found in younger adults changes with age. In Experiment 3, I examined the connection between object-based attention and the two visual pathways. Across the first three experiments, older adults showed a greater deficit to the M-pathway in the pulsed pedestal condition than younger adults. In Experiment 4, I examined if placing the hands proximal to visual images, which facilitates M-pathway processing in younger adults, also occurs in older adults. Here I found that older adults showed the opposite effect; greater advantage for low spatial frequency Gabors compared to younger adults when the hands were proximal. The data across all four experiments suggest that older adults may have noisier visual pathways, with larger deficits when the M-pathway is inhibited and larger benefits when the M-pathway is bolstered.Ph.D

Numerical analysis in rock engineering 1

Scarcity of useable land space in Singapore has always been a concern. In search for new and innovative ways to create space, government agencies are looking towards underground, creating large caverns for industrial purposes in the near future. In particular, the Jurong Rock Cavern that is expected to be completed in 2014, had been in the spotlight. For a large subterranean cavern, rock reinforcement and support systems have to be adequate and sustainable. Rockbolts have been widely used around the world as part of the rock reinforcement system for underground caverns and mines. With the advent of stronger computing power and better understanding of underground caverns in recent years, numerical analysis has become more popular and reliable which allowed researchers and designers to have a better understanding of the ground underneath. Consequently, more efficient and accurate blueprints can be designed and constructed with higher degree of safety. This report aimed to identify the plausible effects of rockbolts in different rock mass condition, with close reference to Jurong Rock Cavern’s parameters, adopting a discontinuous deformation analysis program to conduct the simulations.Bachelor of Engineering (Civil

Ecology of the black-faced spoonbill Platalea minor in the non-breeding period

published_or_final_versionEcology and BiodiversityMasterMaster of Philosoph

Policing and the media in Hong Kong

published_or_final_versionPolitics and Public AdministrationMasterMaster of Public Administratio

Effective authentication of Placenta Hominis

Abstract Background Human placenta is used to make the medicinal product Placenta Hominis in Asian countries. With its therapeutic benefits and limited supply, intentional or inadvertent adulteration is found in the market. In order to enforce the implementation of product description laws and protect customer rights, we established a hierarchical protocol involving morphological, chemical, biochemical and molecular diagnosis to authenticate this medicinal product. Methods Ten samples claimed as Placenta Hominis were collected from herbal shops in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Species-specific diagnostic primers for human, cow, deer and sheep were designed for PCR amplification and subsequent DNA sequencing for species identification. Commercially available pregnancy test strip was used to detect human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), and progesterone competitive ELISA kit was used to detect the presence of progesterone in samples. The presence of starch in samples was tested by adding small amount of iodine solution onto the samples. Results Among the ten samples studied, results showed that no cow, deer and sheep DNA sequence was found in all samples. Five samples were genuine with the presence of human DNA, hCG and progesterone accompanied with the absence of starch fillers. On the other hand, four samples were adulterants which may be made from starch products. In addition, a sample was found as a mixture of Placenta Hominis and starch fillers, and it did not conform to the product requirement of Placenta Hominis. Conclusions The comprehensive protocol developed involving morphological, chemical, biochemical and molecular diagnosis provides an accurate method to regulatory bodies and testing laboratories for the quality control of Placenta Hominis

Legislative Documents

Also, variously referred to as: Senate bills; Senate documents; Senate legislative documents; legislative documents; and General Court documents

Reversing the Decline in a Threatened Species: The Black-Faced Spoonbill <i>Platalea minor</i>

The black-faced spoonbill Platalea minor is a species endemic to the coastal fringes and archipelagos of East Asia. The global population was fewer than 300 individuals in the late 1980s. Since then, two international action plans (1995 and 2010–2020) have been implemented, and the global population has increased to more than 6000 individuals in 2021–2022; the species was downlisted from “Critically Endangered (CR)” to “Endangered (EN)” in 2000. To examine the basis for this success, we reviewed the implementation of the action plans in light of the IUCN Species Conservation Cycle (Assess–Plan–Act–Network–Communicate) framework, using publicly available information documenting the planned activity or policy outcome. Additionally, we used the IUCN Green Status of Species framework to assess the impact of this conservation effort on the black-faced spoonbill’s recovery to date and recovery potential. We found that the action plans for the black-faced spoonbill contain activities across all SCC framework components, though the number of activities implemented differed among countries. Our preliminary Green Status assessment indicates that the black-faced spoonbill is currently Largely Depleted, with a Species Recovery Score of 35%; however, without past conservation actions, we estimate that its score would be only 15% today (Critically Depleted), and that it is biologically possible for the species to fully recover (100%) in the next 100 years, if ambitious actions are taken. This provides further evidence that premeditated, evidence-based conservation interventions can reverse biodiversity loss