A trust approach for sharing research reagents

The core feature of trusts-holding property for the benefit of others-is well suited to constructing a research community that treats reagents as public goods

Social and Ecological Connectivity in Kelp Forest Ecosystems

Connectivity between and among ecosystems is a key feature of the marine environment, taking many forms, and affecting populations, food webs, and a wide range of ecosystem processes. In the kelp forest ecosystem, connectivity with adjacent habitats and with interacting human systems shapes communities and influences ecosystem functioning. However, the identity and strength of these important connections, and their key features and consequences are not well understood. One approach for incorporating various forms of connectivity into marine ecology is through the social-ecological systems framework. By characterizing a system as having both ecological and social components, both of which are affected by external forces and entities such as adjacent ecosystems, the presence and consequences of these connections become more clear. The purpose of this dissertation was to expand our knowledge of kelp forests by characterizing and quantifying two distinct forms of kelp forest connectivity. In Chapter 1, I explore kelp forest food webs through the lens of ecosystem connectivity with adjacent coastal pelagic habitats. I synthesize existing knowledge about relevant kelp forest consumers, data on the dynamics of open ocean organisms, and information on community responses to trophic subsidies to better understand kelp forest food webs. I then further assess the role of trophic subsidies from open ocean habitats by looking specifically at five species of kelp forest fishes in central California (Chapter 2). I use stable isotopes and traditional diet content analyses to evaluate the importance of pelagic-based energy for nearshore rockfishes, and to provide a better understanding of how the kelp forest fish assemblage accesses and uses energy sources from the open ocean. In Chapter 3, I turn to the connectivity between kelp forest ecosystems and associated social systems. The nearshore fishery is the primary commercial fishery operating in central California’s kelp forests. I use a social-ecological systems framework to characterize the nearshore fishery and create a social baseline from which to better understand the connections among fishermen, fishing operations, markets, and kelp forests where the target species reside. I use fishery-dependent landings data, archival sources, information gained from interviews, and long-term ecological monitoring data to inform the research. In Chapter 4, I dig more deeply into one component of social-ecological connectivity in the nearshore fishery, combining ecological and social data sources to shed light on factors influencing the species composition of fisheries landings, a key component of the nearshore fishery and kelp forest dynamics. The study of ecosystem connectivity and social-ecological relationships is an interdisciplinary endeavor. In this dissertation, I use a mixed methods approach to add to our understanding of kelp forest trophic connectivity and the connections between humans and kelp forests. I draw on theory and literature from both the ecological and the social sciences, integrating ideas related to ecosystem connectivity and the human dimensions of natural resources management. I show that new and useful insights can be gained through interdisciplinary approaches that incorporate connectivity among marine habitats and with people into our concept of marine ecosystems

Social and Ecological Connectivity in Kelp Forest Ecosystems

Connectivity between and among ecosystems is a key feature of the marine environment, taking many forms, and affecting populations, food webs, and a wide range of ecosystem processes. In the kelp forest ecosystem, connectivity with adjacent habitats and with interacting human systems shapes communities and influences ecosystem functioning. However, the identity and strength of these important connections, and their key features and consequences are not well understood. One approach for incorporating various forms of connectivity into marine ecology is through the social-ecological systems framework. By characterizing a system as having both ecological and social components, both of which are affected by external forces and entities such as adjacent ecosystems, the presence and consequences of these connections become more clear. The purpose of this dissertation was to expand our knowledge of kelp forests by characterizing and quantifying two distinct forms of kelp forest connectivity. In Chapter 1, I explore kelp forest food webs through the lens of ecosystem connectivity with adjacent coastal pelagic habitats. I synthesize existing knowledge about relevant kelp forest consumers, data on the dynamics of open ocean organisms, and information on community responses to trophic subsidies to better understand kelp forest food webs. I then further assess the role of trophic subsidies from open ocean habitats by looking specifically at five species of kelp forest fishes in central California (Chapter 2). I use stable isotopes and traditional diet content analyses to evaluate the importance of pelagic-based energy for nearshore rockfishes, and to provide a better understanding of how the kelp forest fish assemblage accesses and uses energy sources from the open ocean. In Chapter 3, I turn to the connectivity between kelp forest ecosystems and associated social systems. The nearshore fishery is the primary commercial fishery operating in central California’s kelp forests. I use a social-ecological systems framework to characterize the nearshore fishery and create a social baseline from which to better understand the connections among fishermen, fishing operations, markets, and kelp forests where the target species reside. I use fishery-dependent landings data, archival sources, information gained from interviews, and long-term ecological monitoring data to inform the research. In Chapter 4, I dig more deeply into one component of social-ecological connectivity in the nearshore fishery, combining ecological and social data sources to shed light on factors influencing the species composition of fisheries landings, a key component of the nearshore fishery and kelp forest dynamics. The study of ecosystem connectivity and social-ecological relationships is an interdisciplinary endeavor. In this dissertation, I use a mixed methods approach to add to our understanding of kelp forest trophic connectivity and the connections between humans and kelp forests. I draw on theory and literature from both the ecological and the social sciences, integrating ideas related to ecosystem connectivity and the human dimensions of natural resources management. I show that new and useful insights can be gained through interdisciplinary approaches that incorporate connectivity among marine habitats and with people into our concept of marine ecosystems

The MSP Index: A tool to guide and assess marine spatial planning

Marine spatial planning (MSP) has the potential to balance demands for ocean space with environmental protection and is increasingly considered crucial for achieving global ocean goals. In theory, MSP should adhere to six principles, being: (1) ecosystem-based, (2) integrated, (3) place-based, (4) adaptive, (5) strategic, and (6) participatory. Despite nearly two decades of practice, MSP continues to face critical challenges to fully realize these principles, hindering its ability to deliver positive outcomes for people and nature. Here, we present the MSP Index, a tool for assessing progress in MSP processes based on MSP principles that can guide practitioners in operationalizing these principles. Using qualitative analysis of fundamental MSP guides, complemented with a literature review, we identified key features of MSP principles and developed these features into a scoring guide that assesses progress relative to each principle. We trialed and validated the MSP Index on six case studies from distinct regions. We found that the MSP Index allows for high-level comparison across diverse marine spatial plans, highlighting the extent to which MSP principles have permeated practice. Our results reveal successes, especially for the place-based principle, and failures to fully adhere to the adaptive and participatory principles of MSP. The Index serves as a guidance tool that would be best employed by practitioners and can inform science on the evolution of MSP. It is the first tool of its kind to translate MSP principles into practice, allowing for assessment of individual initiatives and comparison of diverse initiatives across ocean regions and nations

Možnosti získávání biopaliv

This work deals with the use of biofuels as transport fuels. The first part is devoted to the basic distribution of biofuels division and biomass division for their production. The main part focuses on particular biofuels and the ways of obtaining these fuels. The work describes in detail the technological processes and trends in the production of biofuels, such as MTBE, ETBE, bioethanol, biodiesel, butanol, further global use of biofuels for transport, their properties in motor vehicles, their production and consumer prices. The paper gives the basic statistics of some major countries and Czech Republic about total biomass production, covering area of growing crops for the production of bioethanol and biodiesel, their prices. At the end the attention is paid to assessment of the positive and negative characteristics of biofuels and their effect on nowadays

Structure-Bioactivity Relationship for Benzimidazole Thiophene Inhibitors of Polo-Like Kinase 1 (PLK1), a Potential Drug Target in Schistosoma mansoni.

BackgroundSchistosoma flatworm parasites cause schistosomiasis, a chronic and debilitating disease of poverty in developing countries. Praziquantel is employed for treatment and disease control. However, its efficacy spectrum is incomplete (less active or inactive against immature stages of the parasite) and there is a concern of drug resistance. Thus, there is a need to identify new drugs and drug targets.Methodology/principal findingsWe show that RNA interference (RNAi) of the Schistosoma mansoni ortholog of human polo-like kinase (huPLK)1 elicits a deleterious phenotypic alteration in post-infective larvae (schistosomula or somules). Phenotypic screening and analysis of schistosomula and adult S. mansoni with small molecule inhibitors of huPLK1 identified a number of potent anti-schistosomals. Among these was a GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) benzimidazole thiophene inhibitor that has completed Phase I clinical trials for treatment of solid tumor malignancies. We then obtained GSKs Published Kinase Inhibitor Sets (PKIS) 1 and 2, and phenotypically screened an expanded series of 38 benzimidazole thiophene PLK1 inhibitors. Computational analysis of controls and PLK1 inhibitor-treated populations of somules demonstrated a distinctive phenotype distribution. Using principal component analysis (PCA), the phenotypes exhibited by these populations were mapped, visualized and analyzed through projection to a low-dimensional space. The phenotype distribution was found to have a distinct shape and topology, which could be elicited using cluster analysis. A structure-activity relationship (SAR) was identified for the benzimidazole thiophenes that held for both somules and adult parasites. The most potent inhibitors produced marked phenotypic alterations at 1-2 μM within 1 h. Among these were compounds previously characterized as potent inhibitors of huPLK1 in cell assays.Conclusions/significanceThe reverse genetic and chemical SAR data support a continued investigation of SmPLK1 as a possible drug target and/or the prosecution of the benzimidazole thiophene chemotype as a source of novel anti-schistosomals