A major difference between the divergence patterns within the lines-1 families in mice and voles

L1 retroposons are represented in mice by subfamilies of interspersed sequences of varied abundance. Previous analyses have indicated that subfamilies are generated by duplicative transposition of a small number of members of the L1 family, the progeny of which then become a major component of the murine L1 population, and are not due to any active processes generating homology within preexisting groups of elements in a particular species. In mice, more than a third of the L1 elements belong to a clade that became active approximately 5 Mya and whose elements are > or = 95% identical. We have collected sequence information from 13 L1 elements isolated from two species of voles (Rodentia: Microtinae: Microtus and Arvicola) and have found that divergence within the vole L1 population is quite different from that in mice, in that there is no abundant subfamily of homologous elements. Individual L1 elements from voles are very divergent from one another and belong to a clade that began a period of elevated duplicative transposition approximately 13 Mya. Sequence analyses of portions of these divergent L1 elements (approximately 250 bp each) gave no evidence for concerted evolution having acted on the vole L1 elements since the split of the two vole lineages approximately 3.5 Mya; that is, the observed interspecific divergence (6.7%-24.7%) is not larger than the intraspecific divergence (7.9%-27.2%), and phylogenetic analyses showed no clustering into Arvicola and Microtus clades.      

Endogenous cardiac activity rhythms of continental slope Nephrops norvegicus (decapoda: nephropidae)

The endogenous cardiac activity rhythm of the Norway lobster Nephrops norvegicus was studied under constant conditions of darkness by means of a computer-aided monitoring system (CAPMON). Time series recordings of the heart rate (beats min^?1) were obtained from 47 adult males freshly collected from the continental slope (400–430?m) in the western Mediterranean. Periodogram analysis revealed the occurrence of circadian periodicity (of around 24?h) in most cases. A large percentage of animals showed significant ultradian periods (of around 12 and 18?h). The analysis of the circadian time series revealed the occurrence of peaks of heart rate activity during the expected night phase of the cycle. These results are discussed in relation to the emergence and locomotor activity rhythms of the species.     

Changing Views of the Interconnections Between the Oceans and Human Health in Europe

Early steps in the emergence of the discipline of “Oceans and Human Health” are charted in the USA and discussed in relation to past and present marine environment and human health research activities in Europe. Differences in terminology are considered, as well as differences in circumstances related to the various seas of Europe and the intensity of human coastal activity and impact. Opportunities to progress interdisciplinary research are described, and the value of horizon scanning for the early identification of emerging issues is highlighted. The challenges facing researchers and policymakers addressing oceans and human health issues are outlined and some suggestions offered regarding how further progress in research and training into both the risks and benefits of Oceans and Human Health might be made on both sides of the Atlantic.     

Multifactorial diversity sustains microbial community stability

Maintenance of a high degree of biodiversity in homogeneous environments is poorly understood. A complex cheese starter culture with a long history of use was characterized as a model system to study simple microbial communities. Eight distinct genetic lineages were identified, encompassing two species: Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides. The genetic lineages were found to be collections of strains with variable plasmid content and phage sensitivities. Kill-the-winner hypothesis explaining the suppression of the fittest strains by density-dependent phage predation was operational at the strain level. This prevents the eradication of entire genetic lineages from the community during propagation regimes (back-slopping), stabilizing the genetic heterogeneity in the starter culture against environmental uncertainty.     

Immunohistochemical localization of irisin in skin,eye, and thyroid and pineal glands of the crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata)

Irisin was first identified in muscle cells. We detected irisin immunoreactivity in various organs of the crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata). In the epidermis, irisin immunoreactivity was localized mainly in stratum basale, stratum spinosum and stratum granulosum layers; immunoreactivity was not observed in the stratum corneum. In the dermis, irisin was found in the external and internal root sheath, cortex and medulla of hair follicles, and in sebaceous glands. Irisin immunoreactivity was found in the neural retina and skeletal muscle fibers associated with the eye. The pineal and thyroid glands also exhibited irisin immunoreactivity.     

An integrated biomarker-based strategy for ecotoxicological evaluation of risk in environmental management

Environmental impacts by both natural events and man-made interventions are a fact of life; and developing the capacity to minimise these impacts and their harmful consequences for biological resources, ecosystems and human health is a daunting task for environmental legislators and regulators. A major challenge in impact and risk assessment, as part of integrated environmental management (IEM), is to link harmful effects of pollution (including toxic chemicals) in individual sentinel animals to their ecological consequences. This obstacle has resulted in a knowledge-gap for those seeking to develop effective policies for sustainable use of resources and environmental protection. Part of the solution to this problem may lie with the use of diagnostic clinical-type laboratory-based ecotoxicological tests or biomarkers, utilising sentinel animals as integrators of pollution, coupled with direct immunochemical tests for contaminants. These rapid and cost-effective ecotoxicological tools can provide information on the health status of individuals and populations based on relatively small samples of individuals. In the context of ecosystem status or health of the environment, biomarkers are also being used to link processes of molecular and cellular damage through to higher levels (i.e., prognostic capability), where they can result in pathology with reduced physiological performance and reproductive success. Complex issues are involved in evaluating environmental risk, such as the effects of the physico-chemical environment on the speciation and uptake of pollutant chemicals and inherent inter-individual and inter-species differences in vulnerability to toxicity; and the toxicity of complex mixtures. Effectively linking the impact of pollutants through the various hierarchical levels of biological organisation to ecosystem and human health requires a pragmatic integrated approach based on existing information that either links or correlates processes of pollutant uptake, detoxication and pathology with each other and higher level effects. It is further proposed here that this process will be facilitated by pursuing a holistic or whole systems approach with the development of computational simulation models of cells, organs and animals in tandem with empirical data (i.e., the middle-out approach). In conclusion, an effective integrated environmental management strategy to secure resource sustainability requires an integrated capability for risk assessment and prediction. Furthermore, if such a strategy is to influence and help in the formulation of environmental policy decisions, then it is crucial to demonstrate scientific robustness of predictions concerning the long-term consequences of pollution to politicians, industrialists and environmental managers; and also increase stakeholder awareness of environmental problems.     

A horizon scan of global conservation issues for 2012

Our aim in conducting annual horizon scans is to identify issues that, although currently receiving little attention, may be of increasing importance to the conservation of biological diversity in the future. The 15 issues presented here were identified by a diverse team of 22 experts in horizon scanning, and conservation science and its application. Methods for identifying and refining issues were the same as in two previous annual scans and are widely transferable to other disciplines. The issues highlight potential changes in climate, technology and human behaviour. Examples include warming of the deep sea, increased cultivation of perennial grains, burning of Arctic tundra, and the development of nuclear batteries and hydrokinetic in-stream turbines.