The discovery of protein biomarkers in pre-eclampsia: the promising role of mass spectrometry

Abstract

Context: Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a common hypertensive disorder of pregnancy that substantially affects maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. The aetiology of the disease remains poorly understood with lack of reliable diagnostic tests. PE is a multisystem disorder so it is very unlikely that a single or a small group of biomarkers will accurately predict the disease. Mass spectrometry (MS) is indispensable analytical tool in protein analysis studies. MS-based proteomics have the ability to detect the entire protein complement to provide a useful window into a range of biological processes and allow the identification of differentially expressed proteins between samples.

Objective: The aim of this review is to summarise, discuss and evaluate the current predominant MS-based approaches applied for protein biomarker discovery. The paper also seeks to evaluate the current potential PE biomarkers described in the literature and identify issues that can guide future research.

Conclusion: MS-based proteomics studies are promising alternatives to classical hypothesis-driven approaches to discover novel biomarkers and provide new insights into the underlying phathophysiological mechanisms of PE. This should aid in the early diagnosis of PE and the understanding of the aetiology of the disease.     

Evaluating reasons for biased sex ratios in Crustacea

ABSTRACT

While equal ratios of males and females are normal, crustacean sex ratios are frequently biased. Here I review potential reasons for sex ratio biases in animals, and evaluate how likely they apply to crustaceans. I introduce crustacean examples and highlight promising crustacean taxa for future studies where examples are lacking. I conclude that ecological differences between the sexes appear to be the dominant reason for sex ratio bias in crustaceans. Major life history patterns limit the importance of evolutionary drivers to sedentary taxa with limited dispersal. Still largely unresolved is the question whether females can bias their offspring sex ratio, and given the diversity of sex determining systems, answers will vary from case to case.

Abbreviations: LMC: local mate competition; LSC: local sperm competition.     

Challenges of organizational LCA: lessons learned from road testing the guidance on organizational life cycle assessment

Purpose

The novelty of the O-LCA method and the existing differences with the established product LCA practice, as well as the unique structure each organization, pose a broad range of methodological and application challenges, in addition to the general methodological gaps in LCA. In order to provide practitioners with lessons learned for future applications and boost future method development efforts, the paper discusses those challenges.

Methods

The challenges included in this paper were mainly identified from a survey administered to the road testers and from experiences during the piloting process. These are complemented with case studies from literature. The focus of the paper is on challenges exclusive to the organizational approach, although some additional issues common to product LCA but intensified in organizational LCA are also included. Each issue is characterized and exemplified, recommendations of reference standards are analyzed, and possible solutions discussed.

Results and discussion

With the goal and scope of O-LCA, some challenging issues were to select part of an organization as the reporting organization, and the operability of the reporting flow. Regarding the system boundary, the challenges were which parts of the supply chain should be included in the study, problems when setting the system boundary for the service sector, how to include supporting activities, and how to prepare the right system boundary diagrams. Regarding the inventory stage, the discussion starts with alternatives to the categorization of the inventory into activities and the aggregation of those activities into groups. It includes an equivalence table for an easier transfer from other organizational frameworks (ISO 14069 and the GHG Protocol). Some challenges during impact assessment and interpretation were the assessment of local impacts, scoping performance tracking, and the use of O-LCA results for an organization’s strategy.

Conclusions

The review of challenges is not meant as a complete overview of all possible challenges—new challenges may arise in future case studies. Further application testing is needed, along with research to support a future revision of the O-LCA Guidance, in line with the issues highlighted in this paper and new challenges may arise in future case studies. O-LCA has the potential to contribute in the future implementation of the life cycle concept in environmental management systems, in the development of organizational footprint metrics for region-specific impacts, and in the social dimension of life cycle assessment.

     

American Media Coverage of Animal Protection

ABSTRACT

This is the first in a series of papers that will explore the role of the American media in animal protection. This paper tracks the history of media coverage of animal issues from the early American humane movement of the last century to the animal rights movement of today. In addition, research conducted on trends in print media coverage is presented and reviewed. Future papers will evaluate the media's involvement in social movements, the use of advertising to promote animal protection, and the impact of media coverage on the outcome of public policy decisions concerning animals.     

Extended maritime jurisdiction and its impact on South Asia

Abstract

Extension of zones of national jurisdiction under UNCLOS III has increased maritime contiguity among Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. It raises possibilities of conflict on boundary delimitation, transnational stocks and pollution and also presents opportunities for joint efforts in the exploration and exploitation of marine resources.     

Radiopotentiation of enzalutamide over human prostate cancer cells as assessed by real-time cell monitoring

AimTo evaluate the radiopotentiation of enzalutamide in human prostate cancer cells.BackgroundWhile radiotherapy is the first line of treatment for prostate cancer, androgen blockade therapies are demonstrating significant survival benefit as monotherapies. As androgen blockade can cause cell death by apoptosis, it is likely that androgen blockade will potentiate the cytotoxic activities of radiotherapy.Materials and methodsHere, we tested the potential synergistic effects of these two treatments over two human metastatic prostate cancer cells by real-time cell analysis (RTCA), androgen-sensitive LNCaP cells (Lymph Node Carcinoma of the Prostate) and androgen-independent PC-3. Both cell lines were highly resistant to high doses of radiotherapy.ResultsA pre-treatment of LNCaP cells with IC50 concentrations of enzalutamide significantly sensitized them to radiotherapy through enhanced apoptosis. In contrast, enzalutamide resistant PC-3 cells were not sensitized to radiotherapy by androgen blockade.ConclusionsThese results provide evidence that the enzalutamide/radiotherapy combination could maximize therapeutic responses in patients with enzalutamide-sensitive prostate cancer.     

Elk Responses to Management Hunting and Hazing

Human-wildlife conflicts are widespread around the world and result in property damage, disease spillover, financial loss, and decreased tolerance of wildlife. Increasing elk (Cervus canadensis) populations and land-use changes in the western United States are challenging resource managers tasked with managing conflict. Lethal and non-lethal management actions are commonly used to remove elk from conflict zones where they are not desired. We used radio-collar location data collected from female elk in 2 study areas in Montana, USA, from 2017–2020 to evaluate population- and individual-level responses to management actions (i.e., hunting, hazing) and environmental factors (i.e., weather, season, time of day). First, we used a generalized linear model with a logit link to evaluate the effects of hunting, hazing, time period, seasonality, and weather on the proportion of collared elk that used a conflict zone. Second, we used an ordinary linear model to assess the influence of hunting, hazing, seasonality, and weather on the duration of time that individual elk remained away from conflict zones. The proportion of elk using conflict zones was reduced by hunting, modestly reduced by hazing and increasing snowpack for 1 study area, increased at night, and decreased by a seasonal trend across months. The time individual elk remained away from conflict zones increased with the number of hazing events that occurred during an event and showed a modest seasonal trend increasing across months. For 1 study area, time away increased with the number of hunting days during an event and increasing snowpack, but the increase was biologically trivial. Our results indicate mixed responses of elk to hunting and hazing actions and provide evidence that management actions can influence elk use of conflict areas. Agencies trying to reduce conflicts may want to consider a combination of hunting and hazing, while accounting for site-specific characteristics to keep elk away from conflict zones. © 2021 The Wildlife Society.     

Attitudes Toward Resolution of Human–Wildlife Conflict Among Forest-Dependent Agriculturalists Near Rajaji National Park,India

Understanding local attitudes towards human–wildlife conflict (HWC) is key to developing successful conflict mitigation strategies. In this paper, in-depth interview and questionnaire data about resolution of HWC in Uttarakhand, India are examined from both qualitative and quantitative approaches (n = 70). Responses are differentiated between and within three subgroups: gender, literacy status, and relative wealth. Overall, the plurality of respondents said that fencing is the best solution, that the Forest Department should take leadership, and that villagers would be willing to participate in a cooperative management institution. However, cooperative action was only actively supported by 27.4% of respondents, suggesting that comanagement of this protected area will require significant capacity building and trust building activities. Intragroup differences show that all three factors are significant, and underscore the importance of addressing gender differences in attitudes about HWC in particular. Women were less likely than men to support compensation, more likely to prefer that the village take leadership, and less willing to participate in a cooperative management institution. The study illustrates the value of mixed-method research, and suggests a number of specific entry points for action.

Effects of potential mining activities on migration corridors of Chiru (Pantholops hodgsonii) in the Altun National Nature Reserve,China

The Altun National Nature Reserve (ANNR) on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP) of China plays a key role in protecting the endemic, endangered Chiru (Pantholops hodgsonii). However, increasing mining activities in the ANNR pose a threat its habitats and migration corridors. This study aims to clearly understand potential effects of mining activities on habitats and migration corridors of Chiru. Using a linkage mapper corridor simulation tool in combination with the planned mining zones and roads distribution, we estimated the potential effects of these activities on migration corridors in eight scenarios (I: no mining activities; II: eastern mining zones exploited; III: central zones exploited; IV: western zones exploited; V: western and central zones exploited; VI: eastern and central zones exploited; VII: western and eastern zones exploited; VIII: all zones exploited). The results indicated that locations and length of potential Chiru migration corridors were different in 8 scenarios, thereby influencing the distribution and migration of Chiru in the ANNR; the protection importance value index (NIVI) of each core habitat changed in 8 scenarios. The western and central mining activities (in scenario V) would affect the Chiru migration most strongly, as the total length of all corridors was the longest with a length of 991.1 km and the total number of corridors was 25 which was the highest among the 8 scenarios. In scenario V, all migration corridors were greatly altered and the corridor length sharply increased. Also, the total length (942.8 km) of migration corridor was the second longest in scenario VI, and the third in scenario III. The central mining activities will significantly affect the seasonal migration routes for Chiru. Our results suggested that exploration of the central mining zones should be forbidden and central zones need to be strictly protected. Also, the northwestern region of the ANNR where most of migration corridors are located should also be strictly protected.     

A slide down a slippery slope – alpine ecosystem responses to nitrogen deposition

Background: Nitrogen (N) deposition in the Front Range of the southern Rocky Mountains has been increasing for several decades, and has exceeded the critical load for several ecological metrics.

Aims: Our objective was to predict potential future ecological changes in alpine zones in response to anthropogenic N deposition based on a review of research from Niwot Ridge, Colorado.

Results: Empirical observations and experimental studies indicate that plant, algal and soil microbe species compositions are changing in response to N deposition, with nitrophilic species increasing in abundance. Biotic sequestration of N deposition is insufficient to compensate for greater nitrate production, leading to the potential for acidification and base cation loss.

Conclusions: Changes in biotic composition in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems have important impacts on ecosystem functioning, including a lower capacity to take up and neutralise the acidifying effect of anthropogenic N, increasing phosphorus limitation of production in terrestrial and aquatic systems, and shifts in rates of N and carbon cycling. Continued elevated N deposition rates coupled with ongoing climate change, including warmer summer temperatures and lower snow cover of shorter duration, will influence the ecological thresholds for biotic and functional changes. We suggest that these thresholds will occur at lower inputs of N deposition under future climate change, meriting reconsideration of current N critical loads to protect sensitive alpine ecosystems.     

Conflict violence reduction and pregnancy outcomes: A regression discontinuity design in Colombia

BackgroundThe relationship between exposure to conflict violence during pregnancy and the risks of miscarriage, stillbirth, and perinatal mortality has not been studied empirically using rigorous methods and appropriate data. We investigated the association between reduced exposure to conflict violence during pregnancy and the risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes in Colombia.Methods and findingsWe adopted a regression discontinuity (RD) design using the July 20, 2015 cease-fire declared during the Colombian peace process as an exogenous discontinuous change in exposure to conflict events during pregnancy, comparing women with conception dates before and after the cease-fire date. We constructed the cohorts of all pregnant women in Colombia for each day between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2017 using birth and death certificates. A total of 3,254,696 women were followed until the end of pregnancy. We measured conflict exposure as the total number of conflict events that occurred in the municipality where a pregnant woman lived during her pregnancy. We first assessed whether the cease-fire did induce a discontinuous fall in conflict exposure for women with conception dates after the cease-fire to then estimate the association of this reduced exposure with the risks of miscarriage, stillbirth, and perinatal mortality. We found that the July 20, 2015 cease-fire was associated with a reduction of the average number of conflict events (from 2.64 to 2.40) to which women were exposed during pregnancy in their municipalities of residence (mean differences −0.24; 95% confidence interval [CI] −0.35 to −0.13; p < 0.001). This association was greater in municipalities where Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) had a greater presence historically. The reduction in average exposure to conflict violence was, in turn, associated with a decrease of 9.53 stillbirths per 1,000 pregnancies (95% CI −16.13 to −2.93; p = 0.005) for municipalities with total number of FARC-related violent events above the 90th percentile of the distribution of FARC-related conflict events and a decrease of 7.57 stillbirths per 1,000 pregnancies (95% CI −13.14 to −2.00; p = 0.01) for municipalities with total number of FARC-related violent events above the 75th percentile of FARC-related events. For perinatal mortality, we found associated reductions of 10.69 (95% CI −18.32 to −3.05; p = 0.01) and 6.86 (95% CI −13.24 to −0.48; p = 0.04) deaths per 1,000 pregnancies for the 2 types of municipalities, respectively. We found no association with miscarriages. Formal tests support the validity of the key RD assumptions in our data, while a battery of sensitivity analyses and falsification tests confirm the robustness of our empirical results. The main limitations of the study are the retrospective nature of the information sources and the potential for conflict exposure misclassification.ConclusionsOur study offers evidence that reduced exposure to conflict violence during pregnancy is associated with important (previously unmeasured) benefits in terms of reducing the risk of stillbirth and perinatal deaths. The findings are consistent with such beneficial associations manifesting themselves mainly through reduced violence exposure during the early stages of pregnancy. Beyond the relevance of this evidence for other countries beset by chronic armed conflicts, our results suggest that the fledgling Colombian peace process may be already contributing to better population health.

Using a regression discontinuity design, Giancarlo Buitrago and co-authors investigate the impact of conflict violence reduction on pregnancy outcomes in Colombia from 2013-2017.     

Japan and deep seabed mining

Abstract

Japan holds a unique position among potential deep seabed mining states. This paper describes this uniqueness and identifies four possible factors that the author believes have influenced the shaping of Japan's policy. These factors are: the importance of the use of oceans and a stable legal order, the near‐total dependence on imports of the four mineral resources which are contained in manganese nodules, the need to cooperate with Western industrialized countries, and the traditional close ties between the government and private industry. The paper then examines the past and current developments regarding Japan's involvement in deep seabed affairs from the perspectives provided by these four salient facts. The author concludes by expressing the hope that current differences in the positions of potential mining states will be reconciled as actual deep seabed exploitation becomes more of a reality.     

National legislation on ocean authority zones and the contemporary law of the sea

Abstract

Unilateral claims to 200‐nautical‐mile zones of varying forms of national jurisdiction continue to proliferate as the LOS negotiations continue. Legislation from thirty‐nine nations establishing exclusive economic zones is examined. Discussion and comparison include the scope of authority claimed, the range in activities affected, the exclusiveness of authority asserted, the extent of recognition of the interests and rights of other states, and the geographic extent of individual claims. The primary focus is upon comparing provisions that concern or directly relate to navigation in the zone. After brief discussion of the draft LOS treaty provisions concerning access to the zone for transportation and communication, the disparity between these provisions and some national measures is noted.     

The politics of Caribbean Straits

Abstract

For a variety of reasons the Caribbean basin has emerged as a particularly volatile region of the Third World with many potential sources of conflict. The expansion of some local navies and intensified competition between the Soviet Union and the United States further complicate a conflict‐prone situation. Many weak states with token navies, including most Caribbean straits states, are highly unstable, being vulnerable both to domestic strife and to international rivalry.

Superpower strategies toward Caribbean straits states have nonetheless remained fairly restrained, although U.S.‐U.S.S.R. competition in this area is intensifying. For example, the Reagan Administration has identified and reacted to alleged global implications of a Soviet bloc threat to Caribbean straits and sea lanes. It will not be easy to wind down this rhetoric, but evidence to the contrary may dissipate public anxiety and lead to cooperative measures to assist in the emergence of a more stable and mutually acceptable regional order, including the Caribbean straits. Constructive cooperation between Caribbean basin states, including their naval and maritime affairs, also could be increasingly important for limiting politicization and militarization of straits.     

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF ALIEN INVASIVE VEGETATION ON THE GEOMORPHOLOGY OF RIVER CHANNELS IN SOUTH AFRICA

Summary

Invasion of the riparian zone by alien vegetation is recognised as a serious problem in many areas of South Africa. Vegetation is a dynamic component of river channels. It is an important control variable affecting channel form whereas the flow and sediment regime influences vegetation growth. Wherever alien vegetation invades the riparian zone it can be expected that there will be some impact on the physical structure of the riparian habitat. This paper reviews the effect of riparian vegetation on channel processes and channel form and discusses the implications of the invasion of riparian zones by alien vegetation. Woody species in particular are seen as having a significant potential for inducing channel modification, whilst their removal could lead to significant channel instability and mobilisation of sediment. The need for further research into the impact of alien vegetation on the geomorphology of South African river channels is stressed.     

两种盐生植物内生真菌多样性及其功能预测

【背景】植物内生菌是微生物群落中一类非常重要的组成部分,是重要的微生物资源库,在植物促生、抗逆等多个领域有重要的研究和应用价值。【目的】进一步了解干旱荒漠区盐生植物内生真菌的多样性、群落结构和潜在功能特征。【方法】对生长在乌兹别克斯坦西咸海岸边的两种盐生植物毛足假木贼(Anabasis eriopoda abbreviated as AE)和展枝假木贼(A. truncata abbreviated as AT)的内生真菌群落进行扩增子测序分析。【结果】共获得166个ampliconsequencingvariants(ASVs),涉及4门49属,其中Neocamarosporium、Botryosphaeria和Alternaria及其所属高级分类单元是优势类群。多样性和群落组成分析显示两种盐生植物的内生真菌存在较为明显的差异,并包含一些潜在的新分类单元。基于PICRUSt2和FUNGuild的功能预测结果表明这两种盐生植物内生真菌的潜在功能和营养方式多样且表现出宿主差异性。【结论】盐生植物内生真菌具有较高的多样性和潜在的资源价值,有待进一步挖掘和研究。     

Genetic governance: The risks,oversight and regulation of genetic databases in the UK

Increasing scientific and commercial interest is being paid to the creation of large population-based genetic databases to study the relationship between genes and disease. This paper will use ideas from the sociology of technology to look at the network of actors involved in the production, use and commercial exploitation of human genetic data, the social and ethical issues posed by genetic databases and the development of new governance arrangements in this domain. It will be argued that we are witnessing the creation of a new type of research system in the field of human genetics, which also forms the centre of an emerging market for personal and population-based genetic information. Some proposals for improving the governance of human genetic data in the UK will be offered in conclusion.     

SHIFTWORK,WORK-FAMILY CONFLICT AMONG ITALIAN NURSES,AND PREVENTION EFFICACY

Shiftwork may be a demanding situation because it raises problems for reconciling work and nonwork activities; as such, this conflict may be mitigated by designing and implementing effective preventative actions at the workplace. There is a paucity of research directly examining the impact of work schedules and preventative measures at work on work-family conflict. Hence, the authors posed the following questions in their study: What is the impact of different work schedules on work-family conflict? Is a preventative culture associated with less work-family conflict? Is work-family conflict associated with specific health and well-being indicators and if so, how does work-family conflict affect well-being as compared with other potential determinants? A subset of 750 nurses (≈10% of total workforce) were randomly selected from a larger sample. Nurses completed the Italian version of the NEXT questionnaire plus newly developed items to create an index on occupational safety and health prevention at work. Data were explored using two data mining techniques, Random Forests and Bayesian Networks, and modeled using hierarchical linear regression models. In all, 664 (88.5% of sample) nurses answered the questionnaire. The authors found that different work schedules had a differential impact on work-family conflict. In addition, effective risk communication between workers and people in charge of safety and health, and participation in preventative activities, quantitative workload, performing tasks not belonging to the nursing profession, and the number of weekends/month spent at work were all strongly associated with work-family conflict. The variable “time schedules” also acted as an effect modifier in the relationship between effective communication and participation in preventative activities and work-family conflict. In addition, quantitative demands played a role as a mediator (30% of total effect) in the relationship between effective communication and participation in preventative activities and work-family conflict. Work-family conflict was significantly associated with burnout, sleep, and presenteeism; its association with burnout was higher than other precursors. Shift schedules that involved night work implied different workload demands, less effective communication, and participation in preventative activities than the other work schedules considered. The presence of a preventative culture directly reduced work-family conflict and indirectly via reduction of work demands. The authors conclude that the development of a preventative culture among irregular and night shiftworkers can be effective in reducing work-family conflict, while positively increasing well-being and job performance. (Author correspondence: donatella.camerino@unimi.it)