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Environmental enrichment (EE) is widely used in the life sciences to study effects of environment on the brain. In pigs, despite lack of EE being a key welfare issue there is little understanding of brain effects of EE in pigs. This project aimed to study the effects of exposure to an EE arena on piglet behaviours and on brain gene expression levels with a focus on IGF-1 and related genes. Eight litters of large white × landrace × Hampshire piglets were farrowed and raised in a free farrowing system (PigSAFE). At 42 days of age, 6 piglets per litter were given access to an enriched arena with plentiful peat, straw and space, (in groups of 4 made up of stable pairs) for 15 min per day on 5 consecutive days to allow them to habituate to the apparatus. Piglet behaviours were recorded in the arena for 15 min periods on 3 consecutive days. On the final day only one pair of test piglets per litter was given access to the arena. Brain tissue was collected within 45 min of the test from piglets exposed to the arena on the day and their non-exposed littermate controls. RNA was extracted from the frontal cortex and QRT-PCR for selected genes run on a Stratgene MX3005P. In both the home pen and the EE arena litters spent the largest proportion of time engaging in foraging behaviour which was significantly increased in the enriched arena ( t 7 = 5.35, df = 6, p = 0.001). There were decreases in non-running play ( t 7 = 4.82, p = 0.002) and inactivity ( t 7 = 4.6, p = 0.002) in the arena. A significant fold change increase (FC = 1.07, t = 4.42, p = 0.002) was observed in IGF-1 gene expression in the frontal cortex of piglets exposed to the enriched arena compared to those not exposed on the day of culling. No change in expression was observed in CSF1 , the IGF-1 receptor gene nor in any of the binding proteins tested ( IGFBP1-6 ). There was a weak tendency for increased expression of the neurotrophic factor BDNF1 (fold change: 1.03; t 7 = 1.54, p = 0.1). We believe this work is the first to explore effects of EE on pig brain physiology and development, and also points to a potential role for IGF-1 in brain effects of EE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Fertilized mummichog eggs retrieved from 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) exposed adult fish were raised in concentrations of EE2 ranging from 0 to 100ng/L (100ng/L EE2 estimated to have actual average exposure concentrations of 30% of nominal; 0.1–10ng/L were below detect throughout 24-h exposure period) for 61weeks post-hatch. Eggs exposed at 100ng/L hatched sooner, the larvae were longer, and survival of juvenile fish from hatch to study termination was greater than all other treatments, though fewer hatched at this treatment. Sex ratios were skewed (>80% female phenotype) at 100ng/L EE2, and some gonadal male fish displayed female secondary sex characteristics. Condition factor, gonadosomatic index (GSI), and liver somatic index (LSI) were found to decrease in both sexes between 52 and 61weeks post-hatch. Female fish had increased hepatic vitellogenin (VTG) at 52weeks post-hatch. When exposed to 1, 10 and 100ng/L EE2, female fish had a higher proportion of vitellogenic follicles in the ovarian tissue. Males exposed at 100ng/L may have had disruption at some endpoints (GSI, VTG) that is masked due to reduced sample size compared to other treatments. Fish exposed to concentrations of EE2 at or below 10ng/L showed inconsistent effects on development and reproductive potential. This study indicates the potential for population-level effects at the high range of environmental EE2 at concentrations equivalent to those at which consistent effects in fecundity in the adult mummichog reproductive test have been measured. This work demonstrates that chronic EE2 exposure causes developmental effects at concentrations similar to those which cause effects in the shorter-term adult mummichog reproductive test. Effects are at higher concentrations than have been noted for freshwater model species. Whether this is because of species sensitivity or due to differences between freshwater and saltwater availability of EE2 or its uptake requires further study. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Implementation integrity is a potentially critical issue for problem-solving teams (PST) and most response-to-intervention models. The current study hypothesized that providing performance feedback, which has consistently been shown to increase implementation integrity, to PSTs would enhance the procedural integrity of the process. The PSTs for three elementary schools were provided performance feedback with a 20-item checklist created from the literature. A multiple-baseline design across schools revealed an immediate change in level after providing performance feedback. The resulting percentages of non-overlapping data were 90.9%, 90.0%, and 100%. However, PSTs still did not monitor student progress, assess the effectiveness of the intervention, or measure the integrity with which the intervention was implemented even after receiving feedback. Thus, providing performance feedback could be a method to increase the fidelity with which critical components of data-based problem-solving are implemented, but these data suggest the need for additional research. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A short-term reproductive bioassay with the mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) was developed to link changes in endocrine status to reproductive potential subsequent to endocrine disrupting substance (EDS) exposure. Sexually mature mummichog were separated by sex and exposed to the synthetic estrogen 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) at nominal concentrations of 0–100ng/L for 21 days using a static daily renewal protocol. Half of the fish were sampled on Day 21. At 100ng/L, male fish had induction of vitellogenin (VTG), increased gonadosomatic index (GSI), decreased testosterone production and decreased circulating 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT). Female fish had decreased circulating estradiol (E2) and testosterone (T) at 100ng/L. There were some impacts at lower concentrations of EE2 in both sexes, though the results were not consistent. On Day 21, the remaining male and female fish were combined at each treatment and exposed for an additional 7 days during which spawning and fertilization success were also assessed. Males exposed to 100ng/L EE2 exhibited VTG induction, increased GSI, and decreased T production on Day 28. Female fish had increased E2 and T production at 1 and/or 10ng/L and circulating E2 levels remained depressed above 10ng/L. Female fish exposed to 100ng/L spawned fewer eggs; fertilization was also impaired. In a parallel exposure, measured EE2 water concentrations were approximately 10–20% of nominal for the 100ng/L EE2 treatment over a 24-h static exposure; levels in the other treatments were below detectable levels. Fish exposed to nominal concentrations of EE2 below environmentally relevant levels (i.e., <10ng/L) showed minimal effects while both the endocrine system and reproductive potential were affected at 100ng/L EE2 (nominal). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

River water quality in rapidly urbanising Asian cities threatens to damage the resource base on which human health, economic growth and poverty reduction all depend. Dhaka reflects the challenges and opportunities for balancing these dynamic and complex trade-offs which goals can be achieved through effective policy interventions. There is a serious problem of water pollution in central Dhaka, in the Turag-Tongi-Balu River system in Bangladesh with the river system being one of the most polluted in the world at the moment. A baseline survey of water chemistry and total coliforms has been undertaken and shows dissolved oxygen close to zero in the dry season, high organic loading together with extreme levels of Ammonium-N and total coliform in the water. Models have been applied to assess hydrochemical processes in the river and evaluate alternative strategies for policy and the management of the pollution issues. In particular models of flow, Nitrate-N, Ammonium-N and indicator bacteria (total coliforms) are applied to simulate water quality in the river system. Various scenarios are explored to clean up the river system, including flow augmentation and improved effluent treatment. The model results indicate that improved effluent treatment is likely to have a more significant impact on reducing Ammonium-N and total coliforms than flow augmentation, but a combined strategy would greatly reduce the pollution problems in the Turag-Tongi-Balu River System. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background aims. The Quantum® Cell Expansion System (Quantum; Terumo BCT, mc, Lakewood, CO. USA) is a novel hollow fiber-based device that automates and closes the cell culture process, reducing labor intensive tasks such as manual cell culture feeding and harvesting. The manual cell selection and expansion processes for the production of clinical-scale quantities of bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-hMSCs) have been successfully translated onto the Quantum platform previously. The formerly static, manual, in vitro process performed primarily on tissue culture polystyrene substrates may raise the question of whether BM-hMSCs cultured on a hollow fiber platform yields comparable cell quality. Methods. A rigorous battery of assays was used to determine the genetic stability of BM-hMSCs selected and produced with the Quantum. In this study, genetic stability was determined by assessing spectral karyotype, micronucleus formation and tumorigenicity to resolve chromosomal aberrations in the stem cell population. Cell phenotype, adherent growth kinetics and tri-lineage differentiation were also evaluated. HMSC bone marrow aspirates, obtained from three approved donors, were expanded in parallel using T225 culture flasks and the Quantum. Results. BM-hMSCs harvested from the Quantum demonstrated immunophenotype, morphology and tn-lineage differentiation capacity characteristics consis- tent with the International Society of Cell Therapy standard for hMSCs. Cell populations showed no malignant neoplastic formation in athymic mice 60 days post-transplant, no clonal chromosomal aberrations were observed and no DNA damage was found as measured by micronucleus formation. Conclusions. Quantum-produced BM-hMSCs are of comparable quality and demonstrate analogous genetic stability to BM-hMSCs cultured on tissue culture polystyrene substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal ecosystems provide important ecosystem services for millions of people. Climate change is modifying coastal ecosystem food web structure and function and threatens these essential ecosystem services. We used a combination of two new and one existing ecosystem food web models and altered scenarios that are possible with climate change to quantify the impacts of climate change on ecosystem stability in three coastal bays in Maine, United States. We also examined the impact of climate change on bivalve fisheries and aquaculture. Our modeled scenarios explicitly considered the predicted effects of future climatic change and human intervention and included: 1) the influence of increased terrestrial dissolved organic carbon loading on phytoplankton biomass; 2) benthic community change driven by synergisms between climate change, historical overfishing, and increased species invasion; and 3) altered trophic level energy transfer driven by ocean warming and acidification. The effects of climate change strongly negatively influenced ecosystem energy flow and ecosystem stability and negatively affected modeled bivalve carrying capacity in each of our models along the Maine coast of the eastern United States. Our results suggest that the interconnected nature of ecosystem food webs make them extremely vulnerable to synergistic effects of climate change. To better inform fisheries and aquaculture management, the effects of climate change must be explicitly incorporated. • Food web models and scenarios were used to forecast effects of climate change. • Modeled bays were vulnerable to the effects of climate change. • In two of three study bays the ability to support bivalve aquaculture disappeared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]