Microbial biosurfactant production: The effect of the Bacillus strain JF-2 biosurfactant on anaerobic hydrocarbon degradation, and the presence of indigenous biosurfactant-producing bacteria in soils.

A series of experiments was designed utilizing the biosurfactant produced by Bacillus JF2. Specifically, these experiments were designed to determine if the presence of various levels of pre-purified JF2 biosurfactant would affect the degradation of a range of hydrocarbons under a variety of anaerobic conditions. A second goal of these experiments was to discern if in situ production of the JF2 biosurfactant would increase the degradation of these hydrocarbons to a greater degree than if the biosurfactant was added in its pre-purified form. These experiments have indicated how future work should proceed. This work also suggests that it may be more practical to stimulate indigenous biosurfactant producing bacteria within a soil than to add either pre-purified compound or to attempt in situ production.This manuscript includes a review of information regarding biosurfactants. A detailed description of the Bacillus species JF2 biosurfactant, including the genetics and physiology of biosurfactant production, is provided. Additionally, a comprehensive review of the literature regarding the use of biosurfactants in hydrocarbon degradation studies is included.The second portion of this dissertation investigates the presence of biosurfactant producing bacteria in uncontaminated and hydrocarbon contaminated soils. Prior research indicated that the number of bacterial biosurfactant producers in soil may be influenced by the presence of hydrocarbon contamination as well as levels of organic matter and fungi. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between soil organic matter levels, hydrocarbon contamination, numbers of fungi, and numbers of indigenous biosurfactant producers. Six soils were used: two hydrocarbon impacted soils, each paired with uncontaminated soil, and two pristine soils with different levels of organic matter. Gross numbers of fungi were higher in soils with higher levels of organic matter. Soils containing higher numbers of fungi contained a greater percentage of biosurfactant-producing aerobic heterotrophs, but only in the absence of a hydrocarbon. The percentage of biosurfactant producers was greater when hydrocarbon contamination was present. Additionally, the presence of the Bacillus subtilis srfA gene, which encodes a highly conserved region of the surfactant synthetase complex, was monitored directly in soils for the first time by PCR amplification and Southern hybridization

Identifying the role of environmental drivers in organic carbon export from a forested peat catchment

Carbon export in streams draining peat catchments represents a potential loss of carbon from long-term stores to downstream aquatic systems and ultimately, through mineralisation, to the atmosphere. There is now a large body of evidence that dissolved organic carbon (DOC) export has increased significantly in recent decades at many sites, although there is still debate about the drivers of this increase. In this study, DOC export and particulate organic carbon (POC) export were quantified from a forested peatland catchment in the west of Ireland over two years at a fine temporal resolution. The principle drivers of change in stream DOC and POC concentrations were investigated using a general additive modelling (GAM) approach. The study period included drought conditions in the early summer of 2010 and clearfelling of some commercial forestry in early 2011. The results indicated that annual loads of 9.5 t DOC km2 year− 1 and 6.2 t POC km2 year− 1 were exported from the catchment in 2010. This combined annual load of 15.7 t C km2 year− 1 would represent between 0.01% and 0.02% of typical estimates for peat soil carbon storage in the region. Soil temperature, river discharge and drought explained 59.7% the deviance in DOC concentrations, while soil temperature, river discharge, and rainfall were the significant drivers of variation in POC concentrations, explaining 58.3% of deviance. Although clearfelling was not a significant factor in either model, large spikes in POC export occurred in 2011 after the first forestry clearance. The results illustrate the complexity of the interactions between climate and land management in driving stream water carbon export. They also highlight the sensitivity of peatland carbon stores to changes in temperature and precipitation, which are projected to be more extreme and variable under future climate scenarios.Marine Institute, Dundalk Institute of Technolog

Temperature quenching of CDOM fluorescence sensors: temporal and spatial variability in the temperature response and a recommended temperature correction equation

Field-based instruments measuring chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) fluorescence are often used as a proxy for dissolved organic carbon concentrations in lakes and streams. CDOM fluorescence yield is, however, affected by water temperature at the time of measurement, a factor which varies on both diel and seasonal timescales. A temperature correction must therefore be applied to these data. We present data on temporal and site-specific variability in temperature quenching of CDOM fluorescence for water from a humic lake and one of its main inflows in the west of Ireland. In addition, we present a temperature compensation equation and show that this equation is an improvement on methods previously proposed.Marine Institute and Dundalk Institute of Technolog

Reply to a comment by Watras et al. (2014) on temperature compensation method for field measurements of CDOM fluorescence Submitted as a Comment to Limnology and Oceanography: Methods

Abstract The recent comment by clarifies the calculation of the temperature correction coefficient (q) in Comment In our recently published paper ( We regret that there was misinterpretation in our understanding of the text i

Warming winters threaten peripheral Arctic charr populations of Europe

As the global climate warms, the fate of lacustrine fish is of huge concern, especially given their sensitivity as ectotherms to changes in water temperature. The Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus L.) is a salmonid with a Holarctic distribution, with peripheral populations persisting at temperate latitudes, where it is found only in sufficiently cold, deep lakes. Thus, warmer temperatures in these habitats particularly during early life stages could have catastrophic consequences on population dynamics. Here, we combined lake temperature observations, a 1-D hydrodynamic model, and a multi-decadal climate reanalysis to show coherence in warming winter water temperatures in four European charr lakes near the southernmost limit of the species’ distribution. Current maximum and mean winter temperatures are on average ~ 1 °C warmer compared to early the 1980s, and temperatures of 8.5 °C, adverse for high charr egg survival, have frequently been exceeded in recent winters. Simulations of winter lake temperatures toward century-end showed that these warming trends will continue, with further increases of 3–4 °C projected. An additional 324 total accumulated degree-days during winter is projected on average across lakes, which could impair egg quality and viability. We suggest that the perpetuating winter warming trends shown here will imperil the future status of these lakes as charr refugia and generally do not augur well for the fate of coldwater-adapted lake fish in a warming climate

RESCALE: Review and Simulate Climate and Catchment Responses at Burrishoole : Marine Research Sub-Programme (NDP 2007-’13) Series. ISSN 2009-3195

Abstract included in text

Franchises lost and gained: post-coloniality and the development of women’s rights in Canada

The Canadian constitution is to some extent characterised by its focus on equality, and in particular gender equality. This development of women’s rights in Canada and the greater engagement of women as political actors is often presented as a steady linear process, moving forwards from post-enlightenment modernity. This article seeks to disturb this ‘discourse of the continuous,’ by using an analysis of the pre-confederation history of suffrage in Canada to both refute a simplistic linear view of women’s rights development and to argue for recognition of the Indigenous contribution to the history of women’s rights in Canada. The gain of franchise and suffrage movements in Canada in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century are, rightly, the focus of considerable study (Pauker 2015), This article takes an alternative perspective. Instead, it examines the exercise of earlier franchises in pre-confederation Canada. In particular it analyses why franchise was exercised more widely in Lower Canada and relates this to the context of the removal of franchises from women prior to confederation

Duration of androgen deprivation therapy with postoperative radiotherapy for prostate cancer: a comparison of long-course versus short-course androgen deprivation therapy in the RADICALS-HD randomised trial

Background Previous evidence supports androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with primary radiotherapy as initial treatment for intermediate-risk and high-risk localised prostate cancer. However, the use and optimal duration of ADT with postoperative radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy remains uncertain. Methods RADICALS-HD was a randomised controlled trial of ADT duration within the RADICALS protocol. Here, we report on the comparison of short-course versus long-course ADT. Key eligibility criteria were indication for radiotherapy after previous radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer, prostate-specific antigen less than 5 ng/mL, absence of metastatic disease, and written consent. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to add 6 months of ADT (short-course ADT) or 24 months of ADT (long-course ADT) to radiotherapy, using subcutaneous gonadotrophin-releasing hormone analogue (monthly in the short-course ADT group and 3-monthly in the long-course ADT group), daily oral bicalutamide monotherapy 150 mg, or monthly subcutaneous degarelix. Randomisation was done centrally through minimisation with a random element, stratified by Gleason score, positive margins, radiotherapy timing, planned radiotherapy schedule, and planned type of ADT, in a computerised system. The allocated treatment was not masked. The primary outcome measure was metastasis-free survival, defined as metastasis arising from prostate cancer or death from any cause. The comparison had more than 80% power with two-sided α of 5% to detect an absolute increase in 10-year metastasis-free survival from 75% to 81% (hazard ratio [HR] 0·72). Standard time-to-event analyses were used. Analyses followed intention-to-treat principle. The trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN40814031, and ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT00541047 . Findings Between Jan 30, 2008, and July 7, 2015, 1523 patients (median age 65 years, IQR 60–69) were randomly assigned to receive short-course ADT (n=761) or long-course ADT (n=762) in addition to postoperative radiotherapy at 138 centres in Canada, Denmark, Ireland, and the UK. With a median follow-up of 8·9 years (7·0–10·0), 313 metastasis-free survival events were reported overall (174 in the short-course ADT group and 139 in the long-course ADT group; HR 0·773 [95% CI 0·612–0·975]; p=0·029). 10-year metastasis-free survival was 71·9% (95% CI 67·6–75·7) in the short-course ADT group and 78·1% (74·2–81·5) in the long-course ADT group. Toxicity of grade 3 or higher was reported for 105 (14%) of 753 participants in the short-course ADT group and 142 (19%) of 757 participants in the long-course ADT group (p=0·025), with no treatment-related deaths. Interpretation Compared with adding 6 months of ADT, adding 24 months of ADT improved metastasis-free survival in people receiving postoperative radiotherapy. For individuals who can accept the additional duration of adverse effects, long-course ADT should be offered with postoperative radiotherapy. Funding Cancer Research UK, UK Research and Innovation (formerly Medical Research Council), and Canadian Cancer Society

Adding 6 months of androgen deprivation therapy to postoperative radiotherapy for prostate cancer: a comparison of short-course versus no androgen deprivation therapy in the RADICALS-HD randomised controlled trial

Background Previous evidence indicates that adjuvant, short-course androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) improves metastasis-free survival when given with primary radiotherapy for intermediate-risk and high-risk localised prostate cancer. However, the value of ADT with postoperative radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy is unclear. Methods RADICALS-HD was an international randomised controlled trial to test the efficacy of ADT used in combination with postoperative radiotherapy for prostate cancer. Key eligibility criteria were indication for radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer, prostate-specific antigen less than 5 ng/mL, absence of metastatic disease, and written consent. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to radiotherapy alone (no ADT) or radiotherapy with 6 months of ADT (short-course ADT), using monthly subcutaneous gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue injections, daily oral bicalutamide monotherapy 150 mg, or monthly subcutaneous degarelix. Randomisation was done centrally through minimisation with a random element, stratified by Gleason score, positive margins, radiotherapy timing, planned radiotherapy schedule, and planned type of ADT, in a computerised system. The allocated treatment was not masked. The primary outcome measure was metastasis-free survival, defined as distant metastasis arising from prostate cancer or death from any cause. Standard survival analysis methods were used, accounting for randomisation stratification factors. The trial had 80% power with two-sided α of 5% to detect an absolute increase in 10-year metastasis-free survival from 80% to 86% (hazard ratio [HR] 0·67). Analyses followed the intention-to-treat principle. The trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN40814031, and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00541047. Findings Between Nov 22, 2007, and June 29, 2015, 1480 patients (median age 66 years [IQR 61–69]) were randomly assigned to receive no ADT (n=737) or short-course ADT (n=743) in addition to postoperative radiotherapy at 121 centres in Canada, Denmark, Ireland, and the UK. With a median follow-up of 9·0 years (IQR 7·1–10·1), metastasis-free survival events were reported for 268 participants (142 in the no ADT group and 126 in the short-course ADT group; HR 0·886 [95% CI 0·688–1·140], p=0·35). 10-year metastasis-free survival was 79·2% (95% CI 75·4–82·5) in the no ADT group and 80·4% (76·6–83·6) in the short-course ADT group. Toxicity of grade 3 or higher was reported for 121 (17%) of 737 participants in the no ADT group and 100 (14%) of 743 in the short-course ADT group (p=0·15), with no treatment-related deaths. Interpretation Metastatic disease is uncommon following postoperative bed radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy. Adding 6 months of ADT to this radiotherapy did not improve metastasis-free survival compared with no ADT. These findings do not support the use of short-course ADT with postoperative radiotherapy in this patient population