Temperature stress and disease drives the extirpation of the threatened pillar coral, Dendrogyra cylindrus, in southeast Florida

Rare species population dynamics can elucidate the resilience of an ecosystem. On coral reefs, climate change and local anthropogenic stressors are threatening stony coral persistence, increasing the need to assess vulnerable species locally. Here, we monitored the threatened pillar coral, Dendrogyra cylindrus, population in southeast Florida, USA, in relation to consecutive heat stress events in 2014 and 2015. In the fall of each year, D. cylindrus colonies bleached following intense thermal stress and by June 2020 all monitored colonies died from a white-syndrome type disease. This resulted in the ecological extinction of D. cylindrus in the Southeast Florida Coral Reef Ecosystem Conservation Area (ECA). White-syndrome type disease was first seen in February 2014 on four colonies (19% prevalence) near the major international port, Port Everglades and disease prevalence peaked in fall 2015 (58%). Disease prevalence increased with maximum water temperature, while disease related mortality increased with mean water temperature. Our findings suggest that thermal stress exacerbated underlying stony coral disease, resulting in an outbreak contributing to the ecological extirpation of D. cylindrus in the ECA. We suggest that stony coral resilience is severely compromised by chronic environmental disturbance which hinders community recovery

Burned-out testis tumour that metastasized to retroperitoneal lymph nodes: a case report

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Dialetheism in Action: A New Strategy for Solving the Equal Validity Paradox

This paper starts from the Equal Validity Paradox, a paradoxical argument connected to the so-called phenomenon of faultless disagreement. It is argued that there are at least six strategies for solving the paradox. After presenting the first five strategies and their main problems, the paper focuses on the sixth strategy which rejects the assumption that every proposition cannot be both true a false. Dialetheism is the natural candidate for developing strategy six. After presenting strategy six in detail, we formulate a normative problem for the dialetheist and offer a tentative solution to it. We then elaborate further considerations connecting strategy six to pluralism about truth and logic. Even if strategy six is a hard path to take, its scrutiny highlights some important points on truth, logic and the norms for acceptance and rejection

Therapeutic effects of pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate on acute lung injury in rabbits

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is an early characteristic of multiple organ dysfunction, responsible for high mortality and poor prognosis in patients. The present study aims to evaluate therapeutic effects and mechanisms of pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) on ALI.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Alveolar-arterial oxygen difference, lung tissue edema and compromise, NF-κB activation in polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN), and systemic levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFa) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in rabbits induced by the intravenous administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and treated with PDTC. Production of TNFa and IL-8, activation of Cathepsin G, and PMNs adhesion were also measured.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The intravenous administration of PDTC had partial therapeutic effects on endotoxemia-induced lung tissue edema and damage, neutrophil influx to the lung, alveolar-capillary barrier dysfunction, and high systemic levels of TNFa and ICAM-1 as well as over-activation of NF-κB. PDTC could directly and partially inhibit LPS-induced TNFa hyper-production and over-activities of Cathepsin G. Such inhibitory effects of PDTC were related to the various stimuli and enhanced through combination with PI3K inhibitor.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>NF-κB signal pathway could be one of targeting molecules and the combination with other signal pathway inhibitors may be an alternative of therapeutic strategies for ALI/ARDS.</p

Removal of Boron and Arsenic from Geothermal Water in Kyushu Island, Japan, by Using Selective Ion Exchange Resins

WOS: 000291269100010Batch and column mode tests were carried out to evaluate the efficiency of boron and arsenic removal from geothermal water in Kyushu Island, Japan by an ion exchange method. The geothermal water contained 34.0 mg-B/L and 3.23 mg-As/L. The sorption tests were performed using boron selective ion exchange resins (Lewatit MK 51 and Diaion CRB 03) and arsenic selective ion exchange resins (Lewatit FO 36, ArsenXnp). The optimum concentration of resin for boron removal from geothermal water was determined as 5.0 g/L-geothermal water for both Lewatit MK 51 and Diaion CRB 03 resins. On the other hand, Diaion CRB 03 performed better than Lewatit MK 51 during the column-mode study. For arsenic removal, the optimum resin amount was found as 6.0 g/L-geothermal water for both Lewatit FO 36 and ArsenXnp resins. It was observed that Lewatit FO 36 was more effective than ArsenXnp for the removal of As from geothermal water.BORENMinistry of Energy & Natural Resources - Turkey [2008-G-0192]; Ege University Research FoundationEge University [2009-FEN-039]; University of Kitakyushu, JapanThis study was financially supported by BOREN (Project Number: 2008-G-0192) and Ege University Research Foundation (Project Number: 2009-FEN-039). N. Kabay and P. Koseoglu would like to thank Prof. Dr. K. Yoshizuka, the University of Kitakyushu, Japan for his valuable guidance and financial support for the studies carried out in his laboratory. We also wish to thank LanXess, Germany, Mitsubishi Co., Japan, and Purolite International-Italy for sending us ion exchange resin samples as a gift

Antithrombin III attenuates pulmonary tissue injury caused by mesenteric ischemia-reperfusion.

BACKGROUND: Mesenteric ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) is a well-known event causing both local and remote organ injuries, including the lungs. Recently, several studies indicated that activated leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions play an important role in the mechanisms of these injuries. As a natural inhibitor of serine proteases, antithrombin was shown previously to attenuate the tissue damage after local I/R in several organ systems. Here, we examined the effects of antithrombin on pulmonary injury after mesenteric I/R. METHODS: Wistar albino rats underwent median laparotomy and were randomized into 3 groups: (1) sham-operated control (n = 12), (2) 60 minutes of mesenteric ischemia and 3 hours of reperfusion (n = 12), and (3) antithrombin-pretreated (250 U/kg) group before the I/R (n = 12). At the end of reperfusion, animals were killed and neutrophil sequestration, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and Evans blue dye extravasation in the lung parenchyma were assessed and compared. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant increase in the quantity of Evans blue dye concentration, leukocyte sequestration, and MPO activity in the I/R group when compared with the control group. The pretreatment of animals with antithrombin significantly decreased the pulmonary injury characterized by increased Evans blue dye extravasation, leukocyte sequestration, and MPO activity. CONCLUSION: The data of the present study suggest that mesenteric ischemia and reperfusion induces pulmonary injury characterized by activated neutrophil sequestration and increased microvascular leakage in the lungs. A significant attenuation of intestinal I/R-related lung injury with the use of antithrombin concentrate warrants further studies to elucidate the potential role of this natural serine protease inhibitor in clinical settings