Search

1. Wind turbines and power lines can cause bird mortality due to collision or electrocution. The biodiversity impacts of energy infrastructure (EI) can be minimised through effective landscape-scale planning and mitigation. The identification of high-vulnerability areas is urgently needed to assess potential cumulative impacts of EI while supporting the transition to zero carbon energy.2. We collected GPS location data from 1,454 birds from 27 species susceptible to collision within Europe and North Africa and identified areas where tracked birds are most at risk of colliding with existing EI. Sensitivity to EI development was estimated for wind turbines and power lines by calculating the proportion of GPS flight locations at heights where birds were at risk of collision and accounting for species' specific susceptibility to collision. We mapped the maximum collision sensitivity value obtained across all species, in each 5 × 5 km grid cell, across Europe and North Africa. Vulnerability to collision was obtained by overlaying the sensitivity surfaces with density of wind turbines and transmission power lines.3. Results: Exposure to risk varied across the 27 species, with some species flying consistently at heights where they risk collision. For areas with sufficient tracking data within Europe and North Africa, 13.6% of the area was classified as high sensitivity to wind turbines and 9.4% was classified as high sensitivity to transmission power lines. Sensitive areas were concentrated within important migratory corridors and along coastlines. Hotspots of vulnerability to collision with wind turbines and transmission power lines (2018 data) were scattered across the study region with highest concentrations occurring in central Europe, near the strait of Gibraltar and the Bosporus in Turkey.4. Synthesis and applications. We identify the areas of Europe and North Africa that are most sensitive for the specific populations of birds for which sufficient GPS tracking data at high spatial resolution were available. We also map vulnerability hotspots where mitigation at existing EI should be prioritised to reduce collision risks. As tracking data availability improves our method could be applied to more species and areas to help reduce bird-EI conflicts. published

Complex organ development depends on single lumen formation and its expansion during tubulogenesis. This can be achieved by correct mitotic spindle orientation during cell division, combined with luminal fluid filling that generates hydrostatic pressure. Using a human 3D cell culture model, we have identified two regulators of these processes. We find that pleckstrin homology leucine-rich repeat protein phosphatase (PHLPP) 2 regulates mitotic spindle orientation, and thereby midbody positioning and maintenance of a single lumen. Silencing the sole PHLPP family phosphatase in Drosophila melanogaster, phlpp, resulted in defective spindle orientation in Drosophila neuroblasts. Importantly, cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is the main channel regulating fluid transport in this system, stimulated by phosphorylation by protein kinase A and inhibited by the AMP-activated protein kinase AMPK. During lumen expansion, CFTR remains open through the action of PHLPP1, which stops activated AMPK from inhibiting ion transport through CFTR. In the absence of PHLPP1, the restraint on AMPK activity is lost and this tips the balance in the favour of channel closing, resulting in the lack of lumen expansion and accumulation of mucus.

Objective: The present study was designed to evaluate the toxic effect of sublethal concentration of mercuric chloride (0.3 mg/L HgCl2) on histopathological lesions in the kidney of Nile tilapia (O. niloticus) and the protective effect of microalgae, Nannochloropsis oculata (N. oculata) against the induced tissue alterations for 3 weeks. Design: Randomized controlled study Animals: Nile tilapia Procedures: Fish were randomly assigned to 4 groups, group1: control (basal diet), group 2 (Hg/ exposed to HgCl2 at a dose of 0.3 mg/L (1/4 of LC50), and fed basal diet), group 3: (Hg+N5, similar to group2, but fed diet supplemented with N. oculata 5% and group 4 (Hg+N10, similar to group2, but fed diet supplemented with N. oculata 10 %. Two fish from each aquarium tank (6 fish/group) were sampled at weeks 1, 2, and 3 of the experiment. The posterior kidney was dried out in a graded ethanol series and then embedded in paraffin. Each block of tissue was cut into serial sections (5 μm thick) and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E). Results: Histopathological alterations were induced following mercuric exposure in a time-dependent manner. The kidney showed congestion, hemosiderosis, and hemorrhage with vacuolated tubular epithelium, hyaline droplet degeneration, and necrosis of the tubular epithelium. Supplementation with N. oculata, particularly at 10 %, succeeded in alleviating the histopathological induced lesions in the kidney. Conclusion and clinical relevance: Our findings demonstrate that HgCl2 has nephrotoxic properties that led to severe histopathological alterations in the kidney of Nile tilapia, while dietary supplementation with N. oculata was able to alleviate the induced kidney alterations.

Objective: To study the incidence and seasonal dynamics of different fungi affected freshwater fishes in Lake Manzala with molecular identification of the isolated fungi. Animals: 300 Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and 300 catfish (Clarias gariepinus). Design: Descriptive study. Procedures: Random samples of Oreochromis niloticus (O. niloticus) and Clarias gariepinus (C. gariepinus) were collected from Manzala fish farms. Clinical and postmortem examination of fish was applied. Isolation and identification of different fungi were performed by conventional methods. Furthermore, the molecular characterization of isolated fungi was carried out. Results: C. gariepinus had a higher rate of infection with different fungal species than O. niloticus. Aspergillus spp. (Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus) were the most fungal isolated from the examined fishes, followed by Penicillium spp. and Candida albicans. Aspergillus spp were detected in all seasons with a higher rate in summer and spring. A. flavus, A. niger, Penicillium spp. and C.albicans isolates were amplified from both C. gariepinus and O. niloticus at the specified molecular weight using PCR. Conclusion and clinical relevance: Fungal infection affected the fish showing different external and internal lesions, all species of Aspergillus were found in all seasons with a high rate in, hot seasons, summer and spring. The Prevalence of Penicillium and C. albicans were also reported. All fungal isolates were identified on the phenotypic and molecular bases.

BackgroundThere is an emerging understanding that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with increased incidence of pneumomediastinum (PTM). We aimed to determine its incidence among patients hospitalised with COVID-19 in the UK and describe factors associated with outcome.MethodsA structured survey of PTM and its incidence was conducted from September 2020 to February 2021. UK-wide participation was solicitedviarespiratory research networks. Identified patients had severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and radiologically proven PTM. The primary outcomes were to determine incidence of PTM in COVID-19 and to investigate risk factors associated with patient mortality.Results377 cases of PTM in COVID-19 were identified from 58 484 inpatients with COVID-19 at 53 hospitals during the study period, giving an incidence of 0.64%. Overall 120-day mortality in COVID-19 PTM was 195 out of 377 (51.7%). PTM in COVID-19 was associated with high rates of mechanical ventilation. 172 out of 377 patients (45.6%) were mechanically ventilated at the point of diagnosis. Mechanical ventilation was the most important predictor of mortality in COVID-19 PTM at the time of diagnosis and thereafter (pConclusionsPTM appears to be a marker of severe COVID-19 pneumonitis. The majority of patients in whom PTM was identified had not been mechanically ventilated at the point of diagnosis.

Objectives. To describe methods employed to track infants enrolled in the New York State Zika Pregnancy and Infant Registry (NYSZPIR) and demonstrate the benefits of population databases to improve the process. Methods. We used patient medical records and provider outreach, New York State Immunization Information System (NYSIIS), and New York State Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Information System (NYEHDI-IS) to gather medical information. We used descriptive statistics to summarize variables and the McNemar test to determine statistical significance (P Results. We identified 109 live births from NYSZPIR mothers. Provider information was documented for 106 (97.2%) infants in NYSIIS compared with 72 (66.1%) through chart review. Collected results of newborn hearing screening increased from 82 (75.2%) to 106 (97.2%) using NYEHDI-IS. The amount of data obtained was significantly higher (P Conclusions. Public health surveillance systems can be used to track infants using data sources such as NYSIIS and NYEHDI-IS in addition to traditional methods. Using medical records alone is inadequate for locating and tracking infants and may result in high lost to follow-up rates.

GPS telemetry is improving our understanding of the way animals interact with their environment. Recent research has used this technology to assess the impact of offshore wind farms (OWFs) on seabirds, but few studies have collected fine-scale data from birds flying within OWFs. We use GPS telemetry to investigate movements of lesser black-backed gulls Larus fuscus in relation to OWFs from a protected site with an active breeding colony. Individual birds varied considerably in their use of OWFs; 15 out of 24 birds visited them, and time spent in these areas was 1.3% of time budgets across all birds. Two birds, for which the most data was collected, frequently entered OWFs and flew at turbine blade height; however, their overlap with the spherical 3-dimensional rotor swept volume was significantly lower than a random distribution. Although preliminary, these tracking data suggest a lack of a macro-scale (wind farm-scale) avoidance for L. fuscus but a potential meso-scale (within wind farm-scale) avoidance of turbines. Such data are therefore important in improving our understanding of the implications of OWFs for seabirds.

Using microalgae to alleviate the adverse effects of aquaculture pollutants, including metals, has recently gained much attention. In this context, bioaccumulation, hematological indices, oxidative and antioxidant responses, and histopathological alterations were investigated in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fed with either a control diet or diets containing Nannochloropsis oculata (N. oculata) after exposure to mercuric chloride in order to evaluate the role of this microalgae in protecting against mercury-induced toxicity. Fish exposed to HgCl2 at a dose of ¼ LC50 (0.3 mg/L) (Hg group) for 7-21 days exhibited a significant increase in total mercury concentration with a bioaccumulation pattern of liver>gills>muscle, and a significant decrease in all blood indices except mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), monocyte counts, and neutrophil counts. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were significantly increased in the Hg group at all time points relative to the control. Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity was significantly increased at days 14 and 21, while catalase (CAT) and GPx activities increased and decreased, respectively, at day 7 compared to the control. Additionally, lysozyme activity and immunoglobulin M (IgM) were significantly decreased in the Hg-exposed group. Severe histopathological alterations were evident in the liver, kidneys, and gills. However, supplementation with N. oculata at a low (5%, 50 g/kg feed) or high (10%, 100 g/kg feed) dose stabilized all parameters and reduced the severity of the histopathological alterations with the high N. oculata diet showing more prominent effects. These results suggest that feeding N. oculata protects Nile tilapia against mercuric chloride-induced toxicity.

Conflicts in resource use between humans and wildlife populations are increasingly determined through quantitative approaches. To better understand interactions between birds and human activities in the marine environment, telemetry is routinely used to characterize the area use of species, but evaluations are often based on a small number of individuals taken as representative of a local population studied. Furthermore, the relative importance of the number of animals required and for what duration they should be tracked has received little attention. We examined the central-place foraging movements of 24 lesser black-backed gulls (Larus fuscus) from a protected population from 1 March to 31 August during 2010–2013. Using bootstrapping and non-linear modeling, we investigated whether sample sizes were sufficient to characterize offshore area use by considering the cumulative area use for an increasing number of birds and duration of tracking. Box-and-whisker analysis suggested a minimum of 13 birds and a precautionary upper maximum of 41 birds were needed to describe 95% of the estimated area use of the population (defined by 100% occupancy). Tracking fewer birds for longer was more important than tracking more birds for less time. A period of 145 days was required to characterize area use for 13–41 birds; however, offshore areas were used primarily after May, meaning that a 97-day tracking period from May onwards was also representative. Predicted and observed areas were strongly correlated, and the predicted area of 15 birds for 151 days was 91% of the total estimated for the population. These findings suggest that the data were suitable for determining interaction with offshore developments, and were characteristic of the population. This study has revealed the power of a long-term tracking dataset, and has uncovered further complexities surrounding study design and analysis that may shape conclusions drawn. The method and considerations raised have wider applicability for other datasets where human-wildlife resource use conflicts need to be assessed. © 2017 The Wildlife Society.

* Wind energy generation is increasing globally, and associated environmental impacts must be considered. The risk of seabirds colliding with offshore wind turbines is influenced by flight height, and flight height data usually come from observers on boats, making estimates in daylight in fine weather. GPS tracking provides an alternative and generates flight height information in a range of conditions, but the raw data have associated error. * Here, we present a novel analytical solution for accommodating GPS error. We use Bayesian state-space models to describe the flight height distributions and the error in altitude measured by GPS for lesser black-backed gulls and great skuas, tracked throughout the breeding season. We also examine how location and light levels influence flight height. * Lesser black-backed gulls flew lower by night than by day, indicating that this species would be less likely to encounter turbine blades at night, when birds’ ability to detect and avoid them might be reduced. Gulls flew highest over land and lowest near the coast. For great skuas, no significant relationships were found between flight height, time of day and location. * We consider four ‘collision risk windows’, corresponding to the airspace swept by rotor blades for different offshore wind turbine designs. We found the highest proportion of birds at risk for a 22–250 m turbine (up to 9% for great skuas and 34% for lesser black-backed gulls) and the lowest for a 30–258 m turbine. Our results suggest lesser black-backed gulls are at greater risk of collision than great skuas, especially by day. * Synthesis and applications. Our novel modelling approach is an effective way of resolving the error associated with GPS tracking data. We demonstrate its use on GPS measurements of altitude, generating important information on how breeding seabirds use their environment. This approach and the associated data also provide information to improve avian collision risk assessments for offshore wind farms. Our modelling approach could be applied to other GPS data sets to help manage the ecological needs of seabirds and other species at a time when the pressures on the marine environment are growing.

This study was carried out on 150 Oreochromis niloticus at Dakhalia governorate within winter and summer seasons of the year 2015. The clinicohistopathological picture and biochemical investigations of the diseased fish were recorded. Sixty fish were infected with various types of bacterial species, of which, (49) fish were infected with Gram-negative bacteria while (11) fish were infected with Gram-positive one. The most common bacterial infection were Aeromonas hydrophila (33%), Pseudomonas fluorescens (20.5%), Streptococcus agalactiae (17.8 %), Aeromonas sobria (12.3 %), Vibrio anguillarum (9.5%) andVibrio alginolyticus (6.8%). The highest total prevalence of bacterial infections was recorded in summer season (39%) compared to 21 % in winter. Isolates varied in their antibiotic sensitivity pattern. Inflammatory changes associated with these bacterial diseases were obvious in histopathological sections. Disease conditions were affected by various environmental stressors especially temperature, pH, salinity, ammonia and some heavy metals.

The marine environment is increasingly pressured from human activities, such as offshore renewable energy developments. Offshore wind farms may pose direct risks to seabirds at protected breeding sites. However, changes in food availability may influence foraging behaviour and habitat use during the breeding season or between years. Consequently, seabird–wind farm interactions, and risks posed to populations, may vary over longer time scales, but this has seldom been quantified. We used GPS-telemetry to study the movements of 25 lesser black-backed gulls from the Alde–Ore Special Protection Area (SPA), UK between 2010 and 2012, while birds were associated with their breeding colony. Variation in movements away from the colony, offshore, and in operational, consented and proposed Offshore Wind Farm Areas (“OWFAs”) was investigated: (1) between years and (2) across the breeding season, addressing: (3) sex-specific, (4) individual and (5) diurnal/nocturnal differences. The extent of overlaps with OWFAs varied between years, being greatest in 2010 (7/10 birds showing connectivity; area overlap: 6.2 ± 7.1%; time budget overlap: 4.6 ± 6.2%) and least in 2012. Marine habitats close to the colony were used before breeding. Birds spent little time offshore as incubation commenced, but offshore usage again peaked during the early chick-rearing period, corresponding with use of OWFAs. Individuals differed in their seasonal interactions with OWFAs between years, and males used OWFAs significantly more than females later in the breeding season. This study demonstrates the importance of tracking animals over longer periods, without which impact assessments may incorrectly estimate the magnitude of risks posed to protected populations.

This study investigated the effect of a visual memory training program on Chinese handwriting performance among primary school students with dyslexia in Hong Kong. Eight students of Grade 2 to 3 who were diagnosed with dyslexia were recruited. All participants received six sessions of training, which composed of 30-minute computerized game-based visual memory training and 30-minute Chinese character segmentation training. Visual perceptual skills and Chinese handwriting performance were assessed before and after the training, as well as three weeks after training using the Test of Visual Perceptual Skills (3rd edition) (TVPS-3) and the Chinese Handwriting Analysis System (CHAS). In comparing the pre- and post-training results, paired t-tests revealed significant improvements in visual memory skills, as well as handwriting speed, pause time and pen pressure after the training. There was no significant improvement in handwriting accuracy or legibility. The improved visual memory and handwriting performance did not show a significant drop at the follow-up assessments. This study showed promising results on a structured program to improve the Chinese handwriting performance, mainly in speed, of primary school children. The improvements appeared to be well-sustained after the training program. There is a need to further study the long-term effect of the program through a randomized controlled trial study.

In a world of growing anthropogenic pressures on biodiversity, effective indicators need to be specific and sensitive to the pressures in the ecosystem concerned, yet be simple enough to be interpreted by non-experts and straightforward enough to facilitate routine monitoring. Globally, seabirds are under increasing pressure as a result of anthropogenic activities and environmental variation. Traditionally, seabird indicators have been based on abundance at breeding colonies. However, as many species do not reach sexual maturity for several years, and may not attend the colony over this time period, such indicators may fail to capture the ecological complexity of the system concerned. We constructed two indicators of the state of nine seabird species that breed along the UK coast of the North Sea: (i) abundance of seabirds at breeding colonies, and (ii) probability of seabird breeding failure. The indicators were significantly and strongly correlated with each other for eight out of nine species, but the abundance indicator typically lagged the indicator on seabird breeding failure by two to three years. We then considered a third indicator which compared kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) breeding success to the levels expected given the underlying environmental conditions; changes in the abundance indicator also lagged this by three years. We investigate how sensitive each of these indicators was to the impacts of fishing. We found that the species which had seen the greatest increases in breeding failure rate over the study period were those species which were most sensitive to fisheries pressure. By focussing on demographic parameters, and correcting for the underlying environmental conditions, we can detect potentially important population level changes at an earlier stage than by focussing on abundance alone. These indicators are able to more accurately capture the complexity of the ecosystem concerned and can be readily interpreted by policy-makers.

Recent developments in GPS tracking technology allow the movements of bird species to be followed in ever-greater detail. Seabird research is benefiting greatly, due to the challenges of tracking species that often roam widely out at sea. Amongst the gulls, one of the pressing issues is to understand the ecology of the relatively recent urban colonists and how they differ from their counterparts in traditional rural colonies. Here, we present what we believe are the first GPS results from roof-nesting gulls. Four adult Herring Gulls (two males, two females) were fitted with GPS tags in May 2014 in the seaside town of St Ives, Cornwall (breeding colony c 250 pairs), and tracked for c 100 days during the 2014 breeding season. We estimated the home ranges of the four individuals and how their movement behaviour varied through the 24-h period and across the breeding season. The results highlight how variable movement behaviour was among individuals: whilst one bird roamed widely (90% range estimate = 560 km2), heading >50 km offshore and often active at night or roosting at sea, two birds had small ranges (2), always attended the colony at night and rarely headed more than a few hundred metres offshore, with the fourth displaying intermediate behaviour. All of the birds regularly utilised a few key sites within the agricultural landscape south of St Ives. Whilst this study was too small to allow general conclusions to be drawn about urban Herring Gulls, it reinforces how variable individual behaviour can be amongst the large gulls and will be particularly interesting when applied to a larger sample of birds, especially in big urban gull colonies further inland.