Operation Crayweed: Ecological and sociocultural aspects of restoring Sydney’s underwater forests

Operation Crayweed focuses on the restoration of underwater forests that disappeared from the coastline of Sydney, Australia’s largest city, 40 years previously. We show how a combination of science, hands‐on restoration, community engagement and art has helped the project to reach its goals as well as raise awareness about the importance of underwater kelp forests that are experiencing global decline.     

Genetic deciphering of the antagonistic activities of the melanin-concentrating hormone and melanocortin pathways in skin pigmentation

The genetic origin of human skin pigmentation remains an open question in biology. Several skin disorders and diseases originate from mutations in conserved pigmentation genes, including albinism, vitiligo, and melanoma. Teleosts possess the capacity to modify their pigmentation to adapt to their environmental background to avoid predators. This background adaptation occurs through melanosome aggregation (white background) or dispersion (black background) in melanocytes. These mechanisms are largely regulated by melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) and α-melanocyte–stimulating hormone (α-MSH), two hypothalamic neuropeptides also involved in mammalian skin pigmentation. Despite evidence that the exogenous application of MCH peptides induces melanosome aggregation, it is not known if the MCH system is physiologically responsible for background adaptation. In zebrafish, we identify that MCH neurons target the pituitary gland-blood vessel portal and that endogenous MCH peptide expression regulates melanin concentration for background adaptation. We demonstrate that this effect is mediated by MCH receptor 2 (Mchr2) but not Mchr1a/b. mchr2 knock-out fish cannot adapt to a white background, providing the first genetic demonstration that MCH signaling is physiologically required to control skin pigmentation. mchr2 phenotype can be rescued in adult fish by knocking-out pomc, the gene coding for the precursor of α-MSH, demonstrating the relevance of the antagonistic activity between MCH and α-MSH in the control of melanosome organization. Interestingly, MCH receptor is also expressed in human melanocytes, thus a similar antagonistic activity regulating skin pigmentation may be conserved during evolution, and the dysregulation of these pathways is significant to our understanding of human skin disorders and cancers.     

Clozapine-Induced Mitochondria Alterations and Inflammation in Brain and Insulin-Responsive Cells

Background

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a constellation of factors including abdominal obesity, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemias, and hypertension that increase morbidity and mortality from diabetes and cardiovascular diseases and affects more than a third of the population in the US. Clozapine, an atypical antipsychotic used for the treatment of schizophrenia, has been found to cause drug-induced metabolic syndrome (DIMS) and may be a useful tool for studying cellular and molecular changes associated with MetS and DIMS. Mitochondria dysfunction, oxidative stress and inflammation are mechanisms proposed for the development of clozapine-related DIMS. In this study, the effects of clozapine on mitochondrial function and inflammation in insulin responsive and obesity-associated cultured cell lines were examined.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Cultured mouse myoblasts (C2C12), adipocytes (3T3-L1), hepatocytes (FL-83B), and monocytes (RAW 264.7) were treated with 0, 25, 50 and 75 µM clozapine for 24 hours. The mitochondrial selective probe TMRM was used to assess membrane potential and morphology. ATP levels from cell lysates were determined by bioluminescence assay. Cytokine levels in cell supernatants were assessed using a multiplex array. Clozapine was found to alter mitochondria morphology, membrane potential, and volume, and reduce ATP levels in all cell lines. Clozapine also significantly induced the production of proinflammatory cytokines IL-6, GM-CSF and IL12-p70, and this response was particularly robust in the monocyte cell line.

Conclusions/Significance

Clozapine damages mitochondria and promotes inflammation in insulin responsive cells and obesity-associated cell types. These phenomena are closely associated with changes observed in human and animal studies of MetS, obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes. Therefore, the use of clozapine in DIMS may be an important and relevant tool for investigating cellular and molecular changes associated with the development of these diseases in the general population.     

Plasmid and Host Strain Characteristics of Escherichia coli Resistant to Extended-Spectrum Cephalosporins in the Norwegian Broiler Production

Escherichia coli resistant to extended-spectrum cephalosporins have been detected in the Norwegian broiler production, despite the fact that antimicrobial agents are rarely used. The genetic mechanism responsible for cephalosporin resistance is mainly attributed to the presence of the bla_CMY-2 gene encoding a plasmid-mediated AmpC-beta-lactamase (pAmpC). The aim of this study was to characterize and compare bla_CMY-2 containing Escherichia coli isolated from the intestinal flora of broilers and retail chicken meat (fillets) to identify possible successful clones and/or resistance plasmids widespread in the Norwegian broiler production. Methods used included PCR based phylotyping, conjugation experiments, plasmid replicon typing, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, multiple locus variable-number tandem-repeats analysis and whole genome sequencing. The nucleotide sequence of an IncK plasmid carrying bla_CMY-2 was determined. Intestinal isolates displayed a higher degree of genetic diversity than meat isolates. A cluster of genetically related isolates belonging to ST38, phylogroup D, carrying bla_CMY-2 containing IncK plasmids was identified. Furthermore, genes encoding plasmid stability systems (relBE/stbDE and pndAC) were identified on the IncK plasmid. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis of a subset of isolates confirmed a close genetic relationship within the two most prevalent STs. The IncK plasmids within these two STs also shared a high degree of similarity. Cephalosporin-resistant E. coli with the same genetic characteristics have been identified in the broiler production in other European countries, and the IncK plasmid characterized in this study showed close homology to a plasmid isolated from retail chicken meat in the Netherlands. The results indicate that both clonal expansion and horizontal transfer of bla_CMY-2 containing plasmids contribute to dissemination of cephalosporin resistant E. coli in the broiler production. The presence of plasmid stability systems may explain why the IncK plasmid containing bla_CMY-2 is maintained and disseminated in the Norwegian broiler production in absence of selection pressure from the use of antimicrobial agents.     

Associative learning in immature lacewings (Ceraeochrysa cubana)

It is known that many social insects and arthropod predators and parasitoids can learn the association between a resource and volatile cues. Although there are various studies on the effect of experience in immature arthropods on behavior later in adult life, not much is known about the effects of such experiences on immature behavior. This was investigated here in the lacewing Ceraeochrysa cubana (Hagen) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae). Whereas adults of this lacewing feed on plant‐provided food and honeydew, larvae are voracious polyphagous predators of several insect pests, and therefore important for biological control. Hence, studying the foraging behavior and the effects of learning in immatures of this species is important. We exposed immatures to the volatile methyl salicylate (MeSA), which was either associated with food or with the absence of food. Subsequently, their response to this volatile was tested in an olfactometer. Immatures that had experienced the association of MeSA with food were attracted to it and immatures that were exposed to MeSA during food deprivation were repelled. Subsequently, predator immatures that had experienced the association between MeSA and food were released on a plant without food and were found to use this volatile in locating patches with food. In contrast, larvae without such experience were found equally on food patches with and without the volatile. We conclude that these immature predators are capable of learning the association between volatiles and food, or the absence of food, and use this during foraging.     

Improvement in multiple dimensions of fatigue in patients with fibromyalgia treated with duloxetine: secondary analysis of a randomized,placebo-controlled trial

Introduction  

Fatigue is one of the most disabling symptoms associated with fibromyalgia that greatly impacts quality of life. Fatigue was assessed as a secondary objective in a 2-phase, 24-week study in outpatients with American College of Rheumatology-defined fibromyalgia.     

Geographical Information System (GIS) as a Tool in Surveillance and Monitoring of Animal Diseases

In the veterinary epidemiology, the advantage of mapping the locations of farms and other facilities with animals is obvious. In an outbreak of a disease it could make the management of the situation easier, and it could also provide a tool to evaluate different strategies to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. This paper aims to describe and give an overview of the possibilities and potential uses of a Geographical Information System (GIS) in the field of surveillance and monitoring of animal diseases. The following areas in which GIS and special GIS-functions could be incorporated are presented: recording and reporting information, epidemic emergency, cluster analysis, modelling disease spread, and planning control strategies. Different sources of data; geographical data, farm locations and disease information, used in the development of the GIS at the National Veterinary Institute in Norway are thoroughly described in the paper. Further, it presents a few examples where the GIS has been applied to studies of epidemiology and surveillance of animal diseases in Norway, which shows the significant value of GIS in these areas. At the same time, the incorporation of GIS in this field shows the scarcity of the data available, which should encourage improvement in the data recording and the quality of the registries.     

Ectothermic vertebrates (Actinopterygii,Allocaudata, Urodela,Anura, Crocodylia,Squamata) from the Miocene of Sandelzhausen (Germany,Bavaria) and their implications for environment reconstruction and palaeoclimate

The Early to Middle Miocene fossil locality Sandelzhausen has yielded 48 species of ectothermic vertebrates and thus represents one of the most diverse ectotherm faunas of Miocene age. Thirty-five taxa of fishes, amphibians and reptiles, including three new species: Pelobates fahlbuschi nov. sp. (Pelobatidae, the most abundant vertebrate), Tropidophorus bavaricus nov. sp. (Lygosominae) and Bavaricordylus molassicus nov. sp. (Cordylidae), are described. Three additional species are new, but are not named yet: Ranidae indet. nov. gen. et sp., Anguidae gen. indet. sp. nov. and Palaeoblanus sp. nov. (Amphisbaenidae). In order to reconstruct the palaeoenvironment and past hydrologic conditions, a new methodology (the tooth replacement method, TRM) is introduced, which allows for the detection of autochthonous components within freshwater fish taphocoenose. TRM is tested on 45 localities from the Upper Freshwater Molasse and gives reasonable results in agreement with other analytical approaches. It is therefore viewed as a reliable method to distinguish perennial from seasonal water conditions at the Sandelzhausen locality. Using the TRM it was demonstrated that the palaeohydrology of Sandelzhausen is characterized by a change from temporary water to permanent water conditions. During the period of temporary water conditions (units B to D1, lower part) the ecosystem was driven by seasonal inundations, and the remaining riparian pools have yielded no autochthonous fish population, but acted as spawning places for amphibians (amphibian pool). A mostly open habitat in the close vicinity, with sandy and non-groundwater-affected soils during the dry season, is suggested based on the absolute dominance of the spadefoot Pelobates fahlbuschi nov. sp. This ecosystem changed up-section (late part of unit D1 and during D2 and E) due to the establishment of permanent water conditions of riparian pond type, preserving an autochthonous Palaeocarassius/Channa fish population (fish pond). The reconstructed precipitation values suggest that the observed change in hydrologic conditions was probably driven by climate. The lower part of the section gives semi-arid/sub-humid values, with 571 mm mean annual precipitation (MAP), whereas the upper part yields sub-humid/humid values of 847 mm MAP. The increase in precipitation by about 280 mm was perhaps caused by a less seasonal precipitation regime with concomitant higher regional groundwater tables during units D2 and E. Based on the occurrence of several thermophilous reptile species, and in agreement with palaeobotanical and oxygen isotope data, the climate of Sandelzhausen is interpreted as subtropical with mean annual temperatures from 18°C to 20.8°C, mean cold month temperatures from 12.6°C to 13.3°C and mean warm month temperatures from 25.1°C to 28.1°C.