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Social opposition to coal seam gas development in Queensland, Australia, reflects a broad and complex array of value-based issues, many of which are poorly represented in the regulatory decision-making process. The Queensland Government's adaptive policy framework for managing coal seam gas development has targeted risks identified through conventional risk management methodologies based solely on technical assessment. This study presents a novel approach to identifying risks during policy development. Socially perceived risks and policy gaps identified in news media are compared against existing policy using a three-phase mixed methodology. Three leverage points for strengthening the current management framework are proposed: (1) integration of policies to address cumulative and overlapping risks; (2) adoption of a prescribed development plan, allowing proactive data collection and impact assessment; and (3) establishment of a detailed, systematic approach for formulating and implementing adaptive policy measures.

AbstractDung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae (Aphodiinae, Scarabaeinae) and some Geotrupidae) provide important ecosystem services on pastures by disrupting and burying deposits of cattle dung. The extent of these services is influenced by the number of individuals and species present, which may differ with habitat type. In the present study, we compared dung beetle assemblages in a mosaic of open grassland and wooded habitats on native fescue pastures in the Cypress Hills of southern Alberta, Canada. Using pitfall traps baited with cattle dung and operated from spring through autumn for two years at each of the two sites, we collected 4944 individuals representing 14 dung beetle species. More individuals and species were recovered in grassland habitat, which was dominated by nonnative species associated with cattle dung. Wooded habitat was dominated by a native species associated with deer dung. Dwellers (species that develop within the dung deposit) comprised 93% of the beetles recovered during the study. Significant variation in annual beetle counts in the two habitats highlights the value of studies conducted over multiple years. These results emphasise the importance of habitat diversity and interspecific habitat preference in structuring dung beetle assemblages on fescue grasslands, which are among the most threatened ecosystems in Canada.

Riparian or streamside woodlands include obligate riparian trees and shrubs (obligates) that are restricted to streamside zones, and facultative riparian species that are abundant in, but not restricted to the riparian areas. Due to their distinctive life history requirements, it may be predicted that the ecological specialist obligates would be more vulnerable than the facultative generalists to impacts from river damming and flow regulation. We tested this along the Snake River through Hells Canyon, USA, where two native riparian shrubs dominate: the obligate sandbar willow (Salix exigua), and the facultative, netleaf hackberry (Celtis reticulata). We assessed riparian conditions over the past century by comparing ground‐level and aerial photographs taken after 1907 and in the 1950s in advance of three dams, versus recent conditions. These comparisons revealed three changes downstream from the dams: (1) the depletion of surface sands and sandbars and (2) reductions in sandbar willow versus (3) the proliferation of hackberry in dense bands above the typical high‐water line. The willow decline probably resulted from the depletion of sand following sediment trapping by the reservoirs, combined with changes in the seasonal water flow pattern. The increase in hackberry may have resulted from a beneficial ‘irrigation effect’ of daily water releases for power generation during the summer. The opposing responses reflect the plants' differing life histories and may partially resolve impacts of river regulation on alluvial sediments versus the instream flow pattern. We consider other riparian studies that suggest that obligates such as cottonwoods (Populus angustifolia, P. deltoidesand P. fremontii) are highly vulnerable to river regulation, while facultative trees and shrubs such as trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides), wolf‐willow (Elaeagnus commutata) and velvet mesquite (Prosopis velutina) are more resilient. These results suggest that conservation of riparian woodlands should emphasize the ecological specialist obligates, while facultative species may be less vulnerable to river regulation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

AbstractSeveral species of trout have been introduced into most wetlands within the mountain and foothill regions of southwestern Alberta, Canada. In this study, we used standard survey methods to evaluate the distribution of long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum) larvae relative to introduced trout within 27 low-elevation wetlands and 30 high-elevation wetlands in Waterton Lakes National Park and the adjacent Castle Special Management Area. Results provided indirect evidence of salamander displacement by trout. At high elevations, salamander larvae were not detected in any of the sites that contained trout. The complete allotopy between trout and long-toed salamanders within high-elevation sites supports previous studies completed within the core of this species' range, further documenting the widespread negative impacts of introduced trout on native amphibians in upper basins. Similarly, salamander larvae were present in each of the low-elevation wetlands that lacked trout; they co-occurred in only 4 of 27 low-elevation wetlands. Allotopy within lower elevation sites is particularly important from a conservation perspective because, relative to populations in high-elevation wetlands, these populations tend to contain individuals with rapid growth and high dispersal rates.

A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experiences in a school field trip in Belize, Central America.

Populations of hosts vary extensively in the types and numbers of parasites that the average individual contains. Understanding the factors that lead to this variation is an important goal for parasite ecologists. We characterized patterns of helminth component community structure in whitefish collected from a cluster of 7 lakes located on an isolated plateau in northern Alberta, Canada. Component communities were species rich (5–6 species per lake), high in mean helminth intensity (approximately 80–500 individuals/host), and high in between-lake similarity (50–100%), a pattern consistent with results from studies on whitefish sampled from other localities in Northern Canada and Europe. Multivariate analyses indicated that the structure of the component communities was associated with 2 opposing environmental gradients. One was defined primarily by water colour, the second by phosphorous concentration. Thus, 4 lakes were characterized by a combination of high colour, low productivity, low parasite intensities, and the absence of larval acanthocephalans. Habitat/species associations were less clear as intensities increased, but the 3 remaining lakes tended to have the opposite characteristics. These results provide evidence that variation in helminth component community structure in fish is associated with variation in physicochemical characteristics that are linked to aquatic productivity.

We monitored temporal changes in the magnitude of altered host behaviour in minnows (Pimephales promelas) experimentally infected with metacercariae of a brain-encysting trematode (Ornithodiplostomum ptychocheilus). This parasite develops and then encysts in a region of the brain that mediates the optomotor response (OMR), an innate behaviour that links visual stimuli with motor performance. The OMR of infected and uninfected minnows was evaluated between 0 and 10 weeks post-infection (p.i.), an interval spanning the development period of metacercariae to infectivity in birds. Trials involved monitoring the time an individual minnow spent following a spinning drum that had been painted with alternating black and white stripes. At 2 and 4 weeks p.i., infected minnows followed the drum 40% less often than controls. Differences between controls and infected fish declined thereafter, and were undetectable by 10 weeks p.i. Both control and infected fish habituated equally rapidly to the spinning drum. However, the difference in performance between controls and infected fish was 29% for experienced fish and 48% for fish that had never experienced the drum. Because maximum parasite-induced reduction in OMR coincided with the period of maximum parasite development, the behavioural effects are most likely due to unavoidable pathology in the brain associated with developing larvae.

Osteoprotegerin (OPG), a natural negative regulator of osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption, may be a potential therapeutic agent for treatment of osteolysis-associated prosthetic joint loosening. Using an in vivo adeno-associated virus (AAV)–mediated gene transfer technique, this study was designed to evaluate the protective effects of OPG transgene against orthopedic wear debris–induced bone loss in a murine model of osteolysis. Bone tissue was implanted into established pouches on BALB/c mice, followed by the introduction of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) particles to provoke inflammation and osteolysis. The viruses encoding human OPG gene (rAAV-hOPG) or β-galactosidase marker gene (rAAV-LacZ) were injected into the air pouches, and the tissue was harvested 7 days after viral infection for histologic and molecular analyses. Successful transgene expression was confirmed by the detection of OPG by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and positive X-Gal staining of pouch tissue (LacZ). Real-time polymerase chain reaction indicated significant diminishment of messenger RNA expression of osteoclast markers in OPG-transduced pouches compared with rAAV-LacZ–transduced pouches. The transduction and expression of OPG also markedly decreased the gene copies of the biologic receptor activator of nuclear factor κB. The expression of OPG in the bone-implanted pouch reduced bone calcium release by a mean of 39% compared with the calcium release in the other 2 groups. Computerized image analysis revealed that expression of OPG significantly protected against bone collagen loss. OPG gene transfer mediated by rAAV effectively protects against particulate polyethylene–induced bone resorption in this experimental model. Data suggest that gene transfer using rAAV-OPG may be a feasible and effective therapeutic candidate to treat or prevent wear debris–associated osteolysis and aseptic loosening.

To evaluate the effects of ultraviolet (UV) light as an adjuvant for recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) transduction in human articular chondrocytes. Primary articular chondrocytes and immortalized chondrocytes (tsT/AC62) were exposed to various doses of UV light (0–1,000 J/m²) and infected at various multiplicities of infection (MOIs) with rAAV containing the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene. Cells were analyzed for viability and EGFP expression by fluorescence-activated cell sorting on days 2, 4, and 8 following infection. To evaluate the transduction efficiency in intact articular cartilage, full-thickness explants were exposed to UV light (0–200 J/m²), infected with rAAV-eGFP, and analyzed for transduction via immunohistochemistry. Toxicity from UV exposure was observed at doses ≥500 J/m² and ≥200 J/m² in primary and immortalized chondrocyte cultures, respectively. Transduction efficiency was dependent on the UV dose, MOI, and time. In the cell line, the adjuvant effect of UV on the percentage of cells transduced was modest, but 100 J/m² increased the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of the transduced cells 4-fold. In contrast, UV treatment had a profound effect on the transduction efficiency of primary chondrocytes, which reached ~100% after exposure to 100 J/m² of UV light and 10³ MOIs for 8 days. Under the same conditions, 200 J/m² of UV light enhanced the MFI 7-fold. In cartilage explants, there was no difference in the number of transduced chondrocytes at the edge of the explants in the superficial, intermediate, or basal zones; however, 200 J/m² of UV light increased the transduction efficiency 2-fold at a low MOI. In the center of the explants, the superficial chondrocytes were efficiently transduced; those in the intermediate and basal zones could not be efficiently transduced under any condition. In the superficial chondrocytes, a low MOI and 200 J/m² of UV light increased the transduction efficiency 3-fold (to 100%). UV light at doses of up to 200 J/m² (which do not significantly affect cell viability) significantly enhances the transduction efficiency and expression of the transduced gene in cultures of rAAV-infected primary chondrocytes and in chondrocytes in the superficial zone of intact articular cartilage. These findings support the concept that UV-activated gene transduction could be used as an adjuvant for in vivo rAAV articular cartilage gene therapy with low viral titers to prevent and/or treat arthritis.

A major limitation of total joint arthroplasty is that up to 20% of patients require revision surgery to correct prosthetic loosening. Aseptic loosening is believed to result from the phagocytosis of wear debris particles by macrophages, which secrete proinflammatory cytokines that stimulate osteolysis. Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α) has been shown to be one of the prominent cytokines in this cascade and to be involved critically in the generation of particle‐induced osteolysis. Etanercept is a soluble inhibitor of TNF‐α, which is widely used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Here, we show this agent's ability to prevent wear debris‐induced osteolysis. In vitro we show that Etanercept can inhibit directly osteoclastic bone resorption in a bone wafer pit assay, as well as cytokine production from titanium (Ti)‐stimulated macrophages. Using a quantitative in vivo model of wear debris‐induced osteolysis, we show that Etanercept prevents bone resorption and osteoclastogenesis. In mice treated with Etanercept at the time of osteolysis induction, bone resorption and osteoclast numbers were reduced to background levels in both normal and human TNF‐α (hTNF‐α) transgenic mice. In an effort to evaluate its effect on established osteolysis, Etanercept was administered 5 days after Ti implantation, and we observed that further osteolysis was prevented. These data support the concept that TNF‐α is involved critically in osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption during periprosthetic osteolysis and suggest that soluble TNF‐α inhibitors may be useful as therapeutic agents for the treatment of prosthetic loosening in humans.

AbstractMany populations of fathead minnows (Pimephales promelasRafinesque) in northern Alberta, Canada, contain individuals with hundreds of trematode (Ornithodiplostomum ptychocheilusFaust) cysts on the surface of their brains. Most cysts are located on the optic tecta, a region known to play a role in integrating visual and motor stimuli, especially in schooling fish. We determined the effect of infection on visually-mediated behaviours of fathead minnows by evaluating host performance in an optomotor swimming task. Monitoring this task involved recording the time minnows spent following a spinning drum, onto which alternating black and white stripes had been painted. After controlling for host activity and host size, minnows containing an average of 18 (low-intensity) or 98 larvae (high-intensity) reduced their time spent following the spinning drum by 42% and 26%, respectively, compared to uninfected controls. Low-intensity minnows also took longer than controls to respond to a change in the direction of the spinning drum. Reduced optomotor performance has the potential to affect a host’s ability to detect and respond to prey, predators and conspecifics.

Individuals who suffer from severe joint destruction caused by the various arthritidies often undergo total joint arthroplasty. A major limitation of this treatment is the development of aseptic loosening of the prosthesis in as many as 20% of patients. The current paradigm to explain aseptic loosening proposes that wear debris generated from the prosthesis initiates a macrophage‐mediated inflammatory response by resident macrophages, leading to osteoclast activation and bone resorption at the implant interface. No therapeutic interventions have been proved to prevent or inhibit aseptic loosening. The development of therapeutic strategies is limited due to the absence of a quantitative surrogate in which drugs can be screened rapidly in large numbers of animals. We have previously described a model in which titanium particles implanted on mouse calvaria induce an inflammatory response with osteolysis similar to that observed in clinical aseptic loosening. Here, we present new methods by which the osteolysis in this model can be quantified. We determined that 6–8‐week‐old mice in normal health have a sagittal suture area of 50 (±6) μm2, which contains approximately five osteoclasts. As a result of the titanium‐induced inflammation and osteolysis, the sagittal suture area increases to 197 (±27) μm2, with approximately 30 osteoclasts, after 10 days of treatment. The sagittal suture area and the number of osteoclasts in the calvaria of sham‐treated mice remained unchanged during the 10 days. We also determined the effects of pentoxifylline, a drug that blocks the responses of tumor necrosis factor‐α to wear debris, and the osteoclast inhibitor alendronate. We found that both drugs effectively block wear debris‐induced osteolysis but not osteoclastogenesis. In conclusion, we found the measurements made with this model to be reproducible and to permit quantitative analysis of agents that are to be screened for their potential to prevent aseptic loosening.

Due to irreversible joint destruction caused by the various arthritides, more than 400,000 total joint arthroplasties are performed each year in the United States. As many as 20% of these require revision surgery because of aseptic loosening. The current paradigm to explain aseptic loosening is that wear debris generated from the prosthesis stimulates the release of proinflammatory cytokines (i.e., tumor necrosis factor‐α and interleukins 1 and 6) following phagocytosis by resident macrophages. These cytokines, in turn, initiate an inflammatory response, with the development of an erosive pannus that stimulates bone resorption by osteoclasts. In support of this model, we have previously shown that human monocytes produce large quantities of tumor necrosis factor‐α in response to titanium particles in vitro.In the current study, we characterized the role of tumor necrosis factor‐α/nuclear transcription factor‐κB signaling in the proinflammatory response to titanium particles in vitroand in vivo.Using the mouse macrophage cell line J774, we showed that these cells produce an amount of tumor necrosis factor‐α in response to titanium particles similar to that produced by human peripheral blood monocytes. The production of tumor necrosis factor‐α was preceded by a drop in cellular levels of inhibitory factor‐κBα protein and translocation of p50/p65 nuclear transcription factor‐κB to the nucleus 30 minutes after stimulation. Levels of tumor necrosis factor‐α and inhibitory factor‐κBα mRNA increased 30 minutes after stimulation, consistent with the activation of nuclear transcription factor‐κB. Interleukin‐6 mRNA was first seen 4 hours after the addition of the titanium particles, indicating that the production of this cytokine is secondary to the immediate nuclear transcription factor‐κB response. To test the relevance of tumor necrosis factor‐α/nuclear transcription factor‐κB signaling in response to titanium particles in vivo, we adopted an animal model in which the particles were surgically implanted on the calvaria of mice. The animals displayed a dramatic histological response to the debris, with the formation of fibrous tissue and extensive bone resorption after only 1 week. With use of immunohistochemistry and tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase staining, tumor necrosis factor‐α and osteoclasts were readily detected at the site of inflammation and bone resorption in the calvaria of the treated mice. By testing mice that genetically over‐produce tumor necrosis factor‐α (hTNFα‐Tg), those defective in tumor necrosis factor‐α signaling (TNF‐RI‐/‐), and those that are nuclear transcription factor‐κB1‐deficient (NFκB1‐/‐), we evaluated the importance of tumor necrosis factor‐α/nuclear transcription factor‐κB signaling in the biological processes responsible for aseptic loosening. The hTNFα‐Tg mice had a grossly exaggerated response, the TNF‐RI(‐/‐) mice showed little evidence of inflammation or bone resorption, and the nuclear transcription factor‐κB1(‐/‐) mice had an inflammatory response without bone resorption. On the basis of these results, we propose a model for periprosthetic osteolysis in which wear debris particles are phagocytosed by macrophages, resulting in the activation of nuclear transcription factor‐κB and the production of tumor necrosis factor‐α. Tumor necrosis factor‐α directly induces fibroblast proliferation and tissue fibrosis and recruits or activates, or both, osteoclasts to resorb adjacent bone.

Using microelectrode structures, various forms of electric fields, such as non-uniform, rotating and travelling wave, can be imposed on particles of sizes ranging from proteins and viruses to micro-organisms and cells. Each type of particle responds to the forces exerted on them in a unique way, allowing for their controlled and selective manipulation as well as their characterization. Moreover, particles of the same type but of different viability can be distinguished in a simple, reliable manner. This review outlines the principles that govern the way in which bioparticles respond to these various field types, and how they can be exploited. Examples of current and potential biotechnological and biomedical applications are given, along with a critical comparison of current techniques.

This article discusses the extent to which Piaget's general theories of thinking and mental development might have relevance for the production of educational television programmes. Joan Bliss summarises and discusses the main points of Piaget's theories, and Michael Goater and Christopher Jones provide their own critical analysis of the implication of those theories for television production. Tony Bates concludes that, while there are some major difficulties in making the jump from Piaget's more general theories to specific television practice, the exercise does raise some fundamental questions about the relationship between television and the development of thinking.

Snails of the genusLymnaeaare morphologically variable and their taxonomy is unclear. In particular, the formsperegraandovata, distinguished by shell shape, are often considered variants of the same species,L. peregra. We studied a rare situation in a Swiss mountain lake where both forms are sympatric. First, we found that the forms shows complete separation for a number of allozymes. Second, we examined the response of the two snail forms to infection by the trematodeDiplostomum phoxini. For the ovata form, there was a transitory, 10% increase in the growth of infected snails compared to uninfected controls. Theperegraform showed no gigantism and had higher parasite-induced mortality. Third, we assessed differences between the forms in reproduction under different environmental conditions. Density negatively influenced egg production to the same degree in both forms. However, decreasing water levels, characteristic of part of the lake studied, led to a 30% decrease in egg production for theovataform, but only a 10% decrease for theperegraform. These differences are discussed in relation to the microdistributions of the snails in the lake and we conclude that the two forms are almost certainly separate species.

Snails of the genus Lymnaeaare morphologically variable and their taxonomy is unclear. In particular, the forms peregraand ovata, distinguished by shell shape, are often considered variants of the same species, L. peregra. We studied a rare situation in a Swiss mountain lake where both forms are sympatric. First, we found that the forms shows complete separation for a number of allozymes. Second, we examined the response of the two snail forms to infection by the trematode Diplostomum phoxini. For the ovata form, there was a transitory, 10% increase in the growth of infected snails compared to uninfected controls. The peregra form showed no gigantism and had higher parasite‐induced mortality. Third, we assessed differences between the forms in reproduction under different environmental conditions. Density negatively influenced egg production to the same degree in both forms. However, decreasing water levels, characteristic of part of the lake studied, led to a 30% decrease in egg production for the ovataform, but only a 10% decrease for the peregraform. These differences are discussed in relation to the microdistributions of the snails in the lake and we conclude that the two forms are almost certainly separate species.

•Postoperative ileus (POI) and Anastomotic leakage (AL) after colorectal surgery are independently linked.•In enhanced recovery programs, the risk factors for POI are well known while they literature is not powerful for AL.•The present study suggests that POI is the first stage leading to AL.•POI should be prevented and searched in order to prevent and early diagnose AL.

Le premier centre français de proton thérapie permettant le traitement de tumeurs chez l’enfant sous anesthésie générale a ouvert en 2005. L’objectif de cette étude est d’évaluer la faisabilité et la sécurité du protocole retenu pour ces anesthésies quotidiennes ambulatoires extra-hospitalières : induction et entretien par sévorane, masque laryngé, abord veineux central présent mais non perfusé.

In 2004 I was working on a busy acute medical and gastrointestinal ward and was given the opportunity to become a nutrition link nurse with my first task of assisting with introducing the Nutrition Screening Tool. The NICE (2006) guidance supported this process and 6 years on it feels like a lifetime involved and managing nutritional care. I seized the opportunity with both hands because I had always been passionate about the importance of my patients receiving adequate nutrition working very closely alongside the dietitians and speech and language therapy team at ward level.

ABSTRACTThe implementation of routine whole-genome sequencing (WGS) promises to transform our ability to monitor the emergence and spread of bacterial pathogens. Here we combined WGS data from 308 invasive Staphylococcus aureusisolates corresponding to a pan-European population snapshot, with epidemiological and resistance data. Geospatial visualization of the data is made possible by a generic software tool designed for public health purposes that is available at the project URL (http://www.microreact.org/project/EkUvg9uY?tt=rc). Our analysis demonstrates that high-risk clones can be identified on the basis of population level properties such as clonal relatedness, abundance, and spatial structuring and by inferring virulence and resistance properties on the basis of gene content. We also show that in silicopredictions of antibiotic resistance profiles are at least as reliable as phenotypic testing. We argue that this work provides a comprehensive road map illustrating the three vital components for future molecular epidemiological surveillance: (i) large-scale structured surveys, (ii) WGS, and (iii) community-oriented database infrastructure and analysis tools.IMPORTANCEThe spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a public health emergency of global concern, threatening medical intervention at every level of health care delivery. Several recent studies have demonstrated the promise of routine whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of bacterial pathogens for epidemiological surveillance, outbreak detection, and infection control. However, as this technology becomes more widely adopted, the key challenges of generating representative national and international data sets and the development of bioinformatic tools to manage and interpret the data become increasingly pertinent. This study provides a road map for the integration of WGS data into routine pathogen surveillance. We emphasize the importance of large-scale routine surveys to provide the population context for more targeted or localized investigation and the development of open-access bioinformatic tools to provide the means to combine and compare independently generated data with publicly available data sets.

Les principales tumeurs malignes chez l’adulte sont le mélanome de la choroïde (MC) et les tumeurs conjonctivo-palpébrales (TCP). Notre but a été d’évaluer la faisabilité de cette chirurgie en ambulatoire selon la douleur postopératoire (DPO), NVPO, le lieu de résidence.