State of knowledge regarding the potential of macroalgae cultivation in providing climate-related and other ecosystem services

Macroalgae (or seaweed) aquaculture can potentially provide many ecosystem services, including climate change mitigation, coastal protection, preservation of biodiversity and improvement of water quality. Nevertheless, there are still many constraints and knowledge gaps that need to be overcome, as well as potential negative impacts or scale-dependent effects that need to be considered, before macroalgae cultivation in Europe can be scaled up successfully and sustainably. To investigate these uncertainties, the Expert Working Group (EWG) on Macroalgae was established. Its role was to determine the state of knowledge regarding the potential of macroalgae culture in providing climate-related and other ecosystem services (ES) and to identify specific knowledge gaps that must be addressed before harvesting this potential. The methodological framework combined a multiple expert consultation with Delphi process and a Quick Scoping Review (QSR). To analyse the outcome of both approaches, the EWG classified the findings under the categories Political, Environmental, Social, Technical, Economic and Legal (PESTEL approach) and categorised the ES based on the CICES 5.1 classification. Although representative stakeholders from many different disciplines were contacted, the majority of responses to the Delphi process were from representatives of academia or research. While the results of each method differed in many ways, both methods identified the following top six ecosystem services provided by seaweed cultivation: i) provisioning food, ii) provisioning hydrocolloids and feed, iii) regulating water quality, iv) provisioning habitats, v) provisioning of nurseries and vi) regulating climate. Diverse technological knowledge gaps were identified by both methods at all scales of the macroalgae cultivation process, followed by economic and environmental knowledge gaps depending on the method used. Based on suggestions from the expert respondents in the Delphi process, there is a clear need for an European-wide strategy for reducing risks for seaweed producers, providing clear standards and guidelines for obtaining permits, and providing financial support to improve technological innovation, that will ensure consistent quality. Legal (e.g., safety regulations), economic (e.g., lack of demand for seaweeds in many countries) and technological (e.g., production at large scale) constraints represented almost 70% of the total responses in the Delphi process, whereas environmental and technical constraints were more dominant in the literature. The most commonly identified potential negative impacts of macroalgae cultivation both among the expert responses and the reviewed articles were unknown environmental impacts, e.g. to deep sea, benthic and pelagic ecosystems. The present study provides an assessment of the state of knowledge regarding ES provided by seaweed cultivation and identifies the associated knowledge gaps, constraints and potential negative impacts. One of the main hurdles recognised by the EWG was the understanding of ES themselves by the different stakeholders, as well as the issue of scale. Studies providing clear evidence of ES provided by seaweed cultivation and/or valorisation of these services were lacking in the literature, and some aspects, like cultural impact etc. were missing in the responses to the questionnaires during the Delphi process. The issue of scale and scaling-up was omnipresent both in assessing the ES provided by seaweed cultivation and in identifying knowledge gaps, constraints and potential negative impacts. For example, the ES provided will depend on the scale of cultivation, the main technological knowledge gaps were often related to scale of cultivation. Likewise at a large scale of operations, there could be multiple associated potential side effects, which need to be further investigated. Based on the outcomes of this investigation, we provide an outlook with open questions that need to be answered to support the sustainable scaling-up of seaweed cultivation in Europe

Classification of current anticancer immunotherapies

During the past decades, anticancer immunotherapy has evolved from a promising therapeutic option to a robust clinical reality. Many immunotherapeutic regimens are now approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency for use in cancer patients, and many others are being investigated as standalone therapeutic interventions or combined with conventional treatments in clinical studies. Immunotherapies may be subdivided into “passive” and “active” based on their ability to engage the host immune system against cancer. Since the anticancer activity of most passive immunotherapeutics (including tumor-targeting monoclonal antibodies) also relies on the host immune system, this classification does not properly reflect the complexity of the drug-host-tumor interaction. Alternatively, anticancer immunotherapeutics can be classified according to their antigen specificity. While some immunotherapies specifically target one (or a few) defined tumor-associated antigen(s), others operate in a relatively non-specific manner and boost natural or therapy-elicited anticancer immune responses of unknown and often broad specificity. Here, we propose a critical, integrated classification of anticancer immunotherapies and discuss the clinical relevance of these approaches

The complete mitochondrial genome of the critically endangered Lesser Antillean iguana (Iguana delicatissima; Squamata: Iguanidae)

The Lesser Antillean iguana, Iguana delicatissima Laurenti 1768, is one of the most endangered vertebrate taxa in the West Indies. This species faces significant threats, including introgressive hybridization with the introduced congener Iguana iguana. We deploy a combination of off-target sequence capture obtained from Illumina reads and targeted Sanger reads to assemble the mitochondrial genome of I. delicatissima. The mitogenome is 16,616 bp in length and is comprised of 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal subunits (rRNAs), 22 transfer RNAs, and a control region. Gene order is identical to that of congener I. iguana and other closely related taxa, absent of any tandem repeat regions. We show the phylogenetic utility of the mitogenome with a maximum-likelihood analysis, which yields a topology concordant with previous studies of iguanine taxa. We are hopeful that this genomic resource will be useful in further informing applied conservation and management for this critically endangered species.This work was supported by the John G. Shedd Aquarium, the University of North Carolina Asheville, and Mississippi State University

The complete mitochondrial genome of the critically endangered Lesser Antillean iguana (Iguana delicatissima; Squamata: Iguanidae)

The Lesser Antillean iguana, Iguana delicatissima Laurenti 1768, is one of the most endangered vertebrate taxa in the West Indies. This species faces significant threats, including introgressive hybridization with the introduced congener Iguana iguana. We deploy a combination of off-target sequence capture obtained from Illumina® reads and targeted Sanger reads to assemble the mitochondrial genome of I. delicatissima. The mitogenome is 16,616 bp in length and is comprised of 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal subunits (rRNAs), 22 transfer RNAs, and a control region. Gene order is identical to that of congener I. iguana and other closely related taxa, absent of any tandem repeat regions. We show the phylogenetic utility of the mitogenome with a maximum-likelihood analysis, which yields a topology concordant with previous studies of iguanine taxa. We are hopeful that this genomic resource will be useful in further informing applied conservation and management for this critically endangered species

The Use of Cone Beam Computed Tomography in Assessing the Insertion of Bone Conduction Hearing Implants

ObjectiveThis study aimed to compare postoperative cone beam CT (CBCT) imaging to implant stability quotient (ISQ) measurement and direct caliper measurements as a suitable technique to assess bone conduction hearing implant (BCHI) seating and insertion depth.MethodsIn vitro, BCHIs were completely (n = 9) and partially inserted (n = 9) in bone blocks of different densities and subsequently scanned. Scans were processed using 3DSlicer 4.3.1 and Mathematica 10.3. ISQ measurements were obtained for all BCHIs mounted with different abutment lengths (9, 12, and 14 mm). CBCT imaging was performed for patients with a clinical indication.ResultsIn vitro, 95% prediction intervals for partially inserted and completely inserted BCHIs were determined. ISQ values significantly decreased with partial insertion, low-density artificial bone, and longer abutment lengths. Evaluation of in vitro and in vivo 3D models allowed for assessment of insertion depth and inclination.ConclusionCBCT imaging allows to study implant seating and insertion depth after BCHI surgery. This can be useful when visual confirmation is limited. It is possible to distinguish a partial BCHI insertion from a complete insertion in artificial bone blocks. This technique could prove to be a valuable research tool. In vitro, ISQ values for Ponto BCHIs relate to abutment length, insertion depth, and artificial bone density

State of knowledge regarding the potential of macroalgae cultivation in providing climate-related and other ecosystem services : a report of the Eklipse Expert Working Group on Macroalgae cultivation and Ecosystem Services

Macroalgae (or seaweed) aquaculture can potentially provide many ecosystem services, including climate change mitigation, coastal protection, preservation of biodiversity and improvement of water quality. Nevertheless, there are still many constraints and knowledge gaps that need to be overcome, as well as potential negative impacts or scale-dependent effects that need to be considered, before macroalgae cultivation in Europe can be scaled up successfully and sustainably. To investigate these uncertainties, the Expert Working Group (EWG) on Macroalgae was established. Its role was to determine the state of knowledge regarding the potential of macroalgae culture in providing climate-related and other ecosystem services (ES) and to identify specific knowledge gaps that must be addressed before harvesting this potential