Climate drives the geography of marine consumption by changing predator communities

Este artículo contiene 7 páginas, 3 figuras, 1 tabla.The global distribution of primary production and consumption by humans (fisheries) is well-documented, but we have no map linking the central ecological process of consumption within food webs to temperature and other ecological drivers. Using standardized assays that span 105° of latitude on four continents, we show that rates of bait consumption by generalist predators in shallow marine ecosystems are tightly linked to both temperature and the composition of consumer assemblages. Unexpectedly, rates of consumption peaked at midlatitudes (25 to 35°) in both Northern and Southern Hemispheres across both seagrass and unvegetated sediment habitats. This pattern contrasts with terrestrial systems, where biotic interactions reportedly weaken away from the equator, but it parallels an emerging pattern of a subtropical peak in marine biodiversity. The higher consumption at midlatitudes was closely related to the type of consumers present, which explained rates of consumption better than consumer density, biomass, species diversity, or habitat. Indeed, the apparent effect of temperature on consumption was mostly driven by temperature-associated turnover in consumer community composition. Our findings reinforce the key influence of climate warming on altered species composition and highlight its implications for the functioning of Earth’s ecosystems.We acknowledge funding from the Smithsonian Institution and the Tula Foundation.Peer reviewe

Identification of Novel Genetic Loci Associated with Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies and Clinical Thyroid Disease

Peer reviewe

Fire at Eden's gate : Tom McCall & the Oregon story

1 p. Review produced for HC 441: Science Colloquium: Willamette River Environmental Health, Robert D. Clark Honors College, University of Oregon, Spring term, 2004.Print copies of the reviewed book are available through the UO Libraries under the call numbers: KNIGHT F881.35.M33 W35 1994; and: SCA OrColl F881.35.M33 W35 199

Issues and options for the safe destruction and disposal of used injection materials

It has long been known that the re-use of syringes can cause the spread of infections such as HIV and hepatitis. The production of disposable syringes was undertaken as a solution to the infection problem. In developing countries, however, there has been an unwanted result: the re-use and recycling of disposable syringes. One response has been ‘auto-disable’ syringes that lock the plug and piston in place after a single use. These types of approaches, however, have resulted in greatly increased volumes of used injection materials. This is a particular problem in developing countries where contaminated medical wastes find their way into municipal garbage where people are known to scavenge and recycle. This poses obvious health risks, both in terms of direct exposure and environmental contamination. This study of issues and options for the safe destruction and disposal of used injection materials was undertaken using document analysis was to bring together and summarise approaches to the inter-related issues of ‘syringe re-use’ and ‘clinical waste disposal’. The authors suggest that holistic approaches to syringe use and clinical waste disposal need to be utilized in addressing the situation outlined. The focus is on technology and procedures that may be adaptable to rural areas in developing countries

Erratum to " Left ventricular structure and function in children with and without developmental coordination disorder" [Res. Dev. Disabil. 32 (1) (2011) 115-123]

Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease risk factors such as obesity and reduced cardio-respiratory fitness. However, there is limited data using laboratory measures for assessing the risk of cardiovascular disease associated with DCD. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in left ventricular structure and function between children with DCD and healthy controls. The study involved 126 children (aged 12-13 years) with significant motor impairment (n=63) and healthy controls (n=63) matched for age, sex, and school. The Movement ABC test (M-ABC2) was used to classify children as probable DCD (p-DCD). Cardiac dimensions were measured using ultrasound echocardiography. Left ventricular mass (LVM) was elevated in children with p-DCD (89±17g) compared to controls (87±21g), however, this difference was not significant. When LVM was normalized to height, no difference was evident between groups (26g and 26g for the p-DCD and controls, respectively). However, the p-DCD group demonstrated significantly elevated stroke volume (p=0.02), cardiac output (

Metabolic syndrome in children with and without developmental coordination disorder

Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) have higher rates of obesity compared to children with typical motor development, and, as a result may be at increased risk for developing metabolic syndrome (MetS). The purpose of this study was to determine the presence of MetS and its components among children with and without DCD. This nested case-control study classified 63 children scoring below the 16th percentile on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC-2) as probable DCD (pDCD), and 63 controls, all of whom scored above the 16th percentile. Metabolic syndrome was defined using the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. Eleven children met the criteria for MetS; 8 (72.3%) with pDCD and 3 (27.3%) controls (p= 0.115). Abdominal obesity was found in 39 (30.9%) of children, 29 (46.0%) with pDCD and 10 (15.9%) controls (p< 0.01). Serum triglycerides were higher in pDCD compared to controls, 91.9. mg/dl (63.1) vs. 67.7. mg/dl (33.3) in the control group, p= 0.001. Blood pressure was also significantly higher in the pDCD group, mean systolic BP (110 vs. 105. mmHg, p= 0.01) and mean diastolic BP (69 vs. 65. mmHg, p= 0.01). There were no statistically significant differences between the groups for other components of MetS. The higher prevalence of abdominal obesity and elevated triglycerides and blood pressure in children with pDCD may put them at risk of meeting all criteria of MetS earlier then their peers