Ecological viability assessment: A fuzzy multiple-attribute analysis with respect to three classes of ordering techniques

Assessment of ecosystem viability is an important requirement for conservation planning. Valuable ecosystems, which are less viable against external non-natural pressures, deserve more protection. Such an assessment is a multiple attribute analysis process due to involvement of several decision criteria. The problem in such a process is the fact that the required information is not always precisely defined. In addition, the interactions of an ecosystem with the other surrounding ecosystems and with the external non-natural disturbance cannot be effectively expressed via simple quantified indicators. In this sense, assessment of viability by qualitative terms provides an opportunity to utilize experts’ judgments to comprehensively address the viability attributes, and in particular, interactions of ecosystems with each other and with the external disturbance and pressure factors. In doing so, in this study, a methodology for viability assessment of ecosystems is proposed based on joint consideration of theory of multiple attribute analysis and fuzzy set theory to deal with qualitative and imprecise information. A novel approach on the basis of conjunction implication method is constructed capable of considering fuzziness in both partial scores and weights. The method will be examined using three classes of ordering approaches proposed in literature. To illustrate the usefulness and the applicability of the proposed approach, it will be employed in a case study for viability assessment of ecosystems within the reach area of an oil–sand mining project.     

Comment on "The first description of an archaeal hemicellulase: the xylanase from Thermococcus zilligii strain AN1": evidence that the unique N-terminal sequence proposed comes from a maltodextrin phosphorylase

Uhl and Daniel reported in this journal in 1999 (Extremophiles 3:263-267) the characterization of the first archaeal hemicellulase with a unique N-terminal sequence showing no homology with any xylanase or other protein from the databases. A genomic library of the chromosomal DNA of Thermococcus zilligii strain AN1 was screened by using a degenerate probe deduced from the N-terminal sequence. A positive clone was identified, and an amino acid sequence analysis revealed that the N-terminal sequence from this protein and the N-terminal sequence from the putative xylanase of T. zilligii were identical. However, the comparison of the amino acid sequence of the protein with sequences in the main protein databases revealed significant similarities with maltodextrin phosphorylases. In conclusion, it is likely that the N-terminal sequence proposed by Uhl and Daniel is not that of the T. zilligii xylanase, but corresponds to an archaeal T. zilligii maltodextrin phosphorylase.     

Withholding cardiopulmonary resuscitation: proposals for formal guidelines.

Working with members of the Royal London Trust and its medical council, Len Doyal and Daniel Wilsher have composed a set of guidelines governing the making of decisions to withhold resuscitation from patients. The guidelines describe the procedures that should be followed when giving orders for non-resuscitation and the clinical, legal, and moral criteria that should be satisfied before such orders are issued. The authors hope that these guidelines will be of help to those responsible for the creation of hospitals'' policies for non-resuscitation.     

Évaluation de la réponse thérapeutique par tomographie par émission de positons (TEP) au fluoro-désoxyglucose (FDG) en oncologie-hématologie

¹⁸Fluoro-deoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) is an imaging technique which studies the cellular glucidic metabolism. It is particularly indicated in oncology, especially for cancer diagnosis (with a potential prognosis interest) or detection of recurrence. Because of its functional approach to the tissues, its use has logically evolved into the evaluation of cancer treatments, both for the individual care of patients for clinical trials of new therapies. Also, it tends to displace conventional imaging in this indication, whose main limitation is not to assess the viability of residual masses, potentially necrotic or fibrous after treatment. However, the use of FDG-PET requires a rigorous methodology for both the exams achievement but also for the quality of their interpretation, including the choice of the comparison tool. Based on an increasing literature on the subject, were published and updated interpretation criteria for both lymphoma and solid cancers. For lymphoma, standardized assessment criteria were proposed in 2007 during an International Harmonize Project (IHP). For solid cancers, Positron Emission tomography Response Criteria In Solid Tumors (PERCIST) recommendations version 1.0 were recently proposed by an American workshop in 2009 in order to clarify and standardize practices.     

Stability and viability of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in various solutions and buffers.

The stability and viability of Neisseria gonorrhoeae WP (T4) was tested in a variety of buffers and solutions, many of which are commonly used in gonococcal research. Each solution was tested at room temperature for its ability to maintain stability and viability of gonococci in concentrated suspensions and to maintain viability of gonococci in dilute suspensions. The 14 buffers and solutions tested could be divided into four groups based upon these criteria. Only a few solutions satisfied all three criteria. Of those tested, Gey salt solution and bovine serum albumin (0.01%) and proteose peptone (1%) in saline were the only two in which the gonococci retained viability in dilute suspensions for 25 min. Most of the solutions were not able to maintain viability of gonococci in dilute suspensions, even when the same solution was capable of maintaining stability and viability in concentrated suspensions.     

Stability and viability of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in various solutions and buffers.

The stability and viability of Neisseria gonorrhoeae WP (T4) was tested in a variety of buffers and solutions, many of which are commonly used in gonococcal research. Each solution was tested at room temperature for its ability to maintain stability and viability of gonococci in concentrated suspensions and to maintain viability of gonococci in dilute suspensions. The 14 buffers and solutions tested could be divided into four groups based upon these criteria. Only a few solutions satisfied all three criteria. Of those tested, Gey salt solution and bovine serum albumin (0.01%) and proteose peptone (1%) in saline were the only two in which the gonococci retained viability in dilute suspensions for 25 min. Most of the solutions were not able to maintain viability of gonococci in dilute suspensions, even when the same solution was capable of maintaining stability and viability in concentrated suspensions.     

Ex situ breeding programs benefit from science-based cooperative management

Science-based management confers a variety of benefits to wildlife populations that are cooperatively managed by zoos and aquariums, including those managed through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Briefly, when management strategies are successful, they result in reproductively robust populations that better retain genetic diversity and limit inbreeding than unmanaged populations. Although the benefits of demographic and genetic management have been well documented throughout both the scientific and popular literature, it has also been established that the majority of managed populations in zoos and aquariums are not meeting the minimum criteria believed to convey long-term biological viability. For most of these populations, an inability to meet viability criteria is not an inherent failure of how cooperative management is implemented. Furthermore, in recent years, we have perceived that the need to meet specific viability goals sometimes has obscured the benefits that these populations receive from rigorous, science-based management. To better clarify the conversation surrounding population viability in zoos and aquariums, we seek to decouple viability measures and how they predict population persistence from the benefits conferred to populations through science-based management. A primary goal of population management is to facilitate the persistence of priority species for longer than would be expected if no such management were implemented. Although current viability measures and future projections of viability are important tools for assessing the likelihood of population persistence, they are not indicators of which populations may most benefit from science-based management. Here, we review the history and purpose of applying science-based management to zoo and aquarium populations, describe measures of population viability and caution against confusing those measures of viability with population management goals or long-term population sustainability, and clearly articulate the benefits conferred to zoo and aquarium populations by science-based management.     

Criteria of viability of isolated liver cells.

36.4 +/Various cellular parameters were measured with regard to their usefulness as criteria of viability of isolated cells. Stainability by trypan blue and release of lactate dehydrogenase indicate only severe irreversible damage of cells. Neither endogenous respiration nor even the ATP/ADP ratio is a sensitive criterion of viability. On aging of cells, the ATP/ADP ratio remains high, even though the membrane potential, the intracellular K concentration and the content of adenine nucleotides decrease considerably. A sensitive, easily performed test is the stimulation of cellular respiration by 1mM succinate. Only a damaged plasma membrane allows succinate permeation of a rate sufficient to stimulate respiration. The membrane potential and the intracellular Na and K concentrations are the most sensitive criteria of viability, since they indicate the earliest changes on aging. (For freshly isolated cells, we found a membrane potential of 36.4 "/- 3.4 mv [n = 5], an intracellular K concentration of 109.0 +/- 9.1 mM, and an intracellular Na concentration of 47.0 +/- 13.4mM.) The incorporation of [14C]uridine also sensitively reflects cellular damage.     

Review

Book reviews in this article: What do you get if you cross a cladist with a behavioral ecologist? Phylogeny, ecology and behavior —Daniel R. Brooks and Deborah A. McLennan. Incidit in scyllam qui vult vitare charybdim Phylogeny, ecology and behavior Daniel R. Brooks and Deborah A. McLennan.     

Relationship between aggressiveness and zoosporangia viability in Plasmopara halstedii (sunflower downy mildew)

Relationship between aggressiveness and zoosporangia viability was studied in seven Plasmopara halstedii (sunflower downy mildew) isolates of races 100, 300, 304, 314, 710, 704 and 714. Aggressiveness criteria including latent period and sporulation density were analysed on sunflower inbred line showing a high level of quantitative resistance. There were significant differences between pathogen isolates for the two aggressiveness criteria. Viability analyses were performed on oval and spheric zoosporangia. The number of zoospores released from oval zoosporangia was significantly higher than those released from spheric ones. The oval zoosporangia for more aggressive isolates of races 100 and 3xx produced more zoospores than the oval ones for less aggressive isolates of races 7xx. There was a significant correlation between aggressiveness criteria and the number of zoospores released from oval zoosporangia and vice versa for zoospores released from spheric ones. It is concluded that the relationship between aggressiveness and oval zoosporangia viability may be established in P. halstedii.     

Rapid assessment of physiological status in Escherichia coli using fluorescent probes

Rapid and direct viability assessment of Escherichia coli in filtered, sterile lake water was possible using multiparameter flow cytometry. Fluorescent dyes were used as probes for different cellular functions (membrane potential, membrane integrity and intracellular enzyme activity), which were correlated with the ability of the cells to respond to nutrient addition while in a stressed state. Measurement of several criteria circumvented limitations imposed by other methods, and provided extensive evidence for the validity of the methods for monitoring cell viability during adoption of a viable-but-non-culturable state in starved E, coli. Macromolecular staining was concomitantly used to monitor changes in cellular protein, RNA and DNA as additional indicators of physiological status during starvation/stress.     

Effect of Carbohydrate Composition of the Cytosol of Aspergillus niger Conidia on Their Viability During Storage

It is shown that the rate of sporogenesis, the appearance of low-molecular-weight thiols, and the activation of carbohydrate synthesis in spores adversely affected the viability of Aspergillus niger conidia during storage. Conversely the prevalence of trehalose over mannitol and the absence of glycerol, erythritol, and glucose in the carbohydrate composition facilitated the viability of conidia. The data obtained are discussed with regard to the biochemical criteria that may be used to characterize the quiescent state of fungi and retaining the viability of the inoculum.     

Development of a software tool and criteria evaluation for efficient design of small interfering RNA

RNA interference can be used as a tool for gene silencing mediated by small interfering RNAs (siRNA). The critical step in effective and specific RNAi processing is the selection of suitable constructs. Major design criteria, i.e., Reynolds’s design rules, thermodynamic stability, internal repeats, immunostimulatory motifs were emphasized and implemented in the siRNA design tool. The tool provides thermodynamic stability score, GC content and a total score based on other design criteria in the output. The viability of the tool was established with different datasets. In general, the siRNA constructs produced by the tool had better thermodynamic score and positional properties. Comparable thermodynamic scores and better total scores were observed with the existing tools. Moreover, the results generated had comparable off-target silencing effect. Criteria evaluations with additional criteria were achieved in WEKA.     

Optimisation and comparison of liquid and dry formulations of the biocontrol yeast <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pichia anomala</Emphasis> J121

The biocontrol yeast Pichia anomala J121 can effectively reduce mould growth on moist cereal grains during airtight storage. Practical use of microorganisms requires formulated products that meet a number of criteria. In this study we compared different formulations of P. anomala. The best way to formulate P. anomala was freeze-drying. The initial viability was as high as 80%, with trehalose previously added to the yeast. Freeze-dried products could be stored at temperatures as high as 30 °C for a year, with only a minor decrease in viability. Vacuum-drying also resulted in products with high storage potential, but the products were not as easily rehydrated as freeze-dried samples. Upon desiccating the cells using fluidised-bed drying or as liquid formulations, a storage temperature of 10 °C was required to maintain viability. Dependent on the type of formulation, harvesting of cells at different nutritional stresses affected the initial viabilities, e.g. the initial viability for fluidised-bed-dried cells was higher when the culture was fed with excess glucose, but for freeze-drying it was superior when cells were harvested after depletion of carbon. Using micro-silos we found that the biocontrol activity remained intact after drying, storage and rehydration for all formulations.     

Application of a direct fluorescence-based live/dead staining combined with fluorescence in situ hybridization for assessment of survival rate of Bacteroides spp. in drinking water

To evaluate the viability and survival ability of fecal Bacteroides spp. in environmental waters, a fluorescence-based live/dead staining method using ViaGram Red+ Bacterial gram stain and viability kit was combined with fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) with 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probe (referred as LDS-FISH). The proposed LDS-FISH was a direct and reliable method to detect fecal Bacteroides cells and their viability at single-cell level in complex microbial communities. The pure culture of Bacteroides fragilis and whole human feces were dispersed in aerobic drinking water and incubated at different water temperatures (4 degrees C, 13 degrees C, 18 degrees C, and 24 degrees C), and then the viability of B. fragilis and fecal Bacteroides spp. were determined by applying the LDS-FISH. The results revealed that temperature and the presence of oxygen have significant effects on the survival ability. Increasing the temperature resulted in a rapid decrease in the viability of both pure cultured B. fragilis cells and fecal Bacteroides spp. The live pure cultured B. fragilis cells could be found at the level of detection in drinking water for 48 h of incubation at 24 degrees C, whereas live fecal Bacteroides spp. could be detected for only 4 h of incubation at 24 degrees C. The proposed LDS-FISH method should provide useful quantitative information on the presence and viability of Bacteroides spp., a potential alternative fecal indicator, in environmental waters.     

Effect of carbohydrate composition of the cytosol of Aspergillus niger conidia on their viability during storage

It is shown that the rate of sporogenesis, the appearance of low-molecular-weight thiols, and the activation of carbohydrate synthesis in spores adversely affected the viability of Aspergillus niger conidia during storage. Conversely, the prevalence of trehalose over mannitol and the absence of glycerol, erythritol, and glucose in carbohydrate composition facilitated viability of conidia. The data obtained are discussed in regard to the biochemical criteria that may be used to characterize quiescent state of fungi and retaining the viability of the inoculum.     

中国爵床科一新组合——尾叶爵床(英文)

尾叶纤穗爵床(Leptostachya caudatiflora H. S.Lo D.Fang)的花药下方一室基部具距,应为爵床属植物,提出1个新组合——尾叶爵床(Justicia caudatifolia (H.S.Lo D.Fang) Z.P.Hao,Y.F.Deng T.Daniel),而纤穗爵床属仍为单种属。     

Notes nomenclaturales et taxinomiques sur deux espèces françaises de Cantharellus (basidiomycotina)

Cantharellus pseudominimus nom. nov. is proposed as a replacement for C. minimus L. L. Daniel, 1912 (non C. minimus Vaill. ex Roussel, 1795–1796). C. cibarius var. tenuis Romagn. is described and illustrated after revision of the type specimen. As this taxon can not be considered a mere variety of C. cibarius, C. romagnesianus nom. nov. is proposed.     

Prospective inference of bioprocess cell viability through chemometric modeling of fluorescence multiway data

In this investigation, the fermentation step of a standard mammalian cell-based industrial bioprocess for the production of a therapeutic protein was studied, with particular emphasis on the evolution of cell viability. This parameter constitutes one of the critical variables for bioprocess monitoring since it can affect downstream operations and the quality of the final product. In addition, when the cells experiment an unpredictable drop in viability, the assessment of this variable through classic off-line methods may not provide information sufficiently in advance to take corrective actions. In this context, Process Analytical Technology (PAT) framework aims to develop novel strategies for more efficient monitoring of critical variables, in order to improve the bioprocess performance. Thus, in this work, a set of chemometric tools were integrated to establish a PAT strategy to monitor cell viability, based on fluorescence multiway data obtained from fermentation samples of a particular bioprocess, in two different scales of operation. The spectral information, together with data regarding process variables, was integrated through chemometric exploratory tools to characterize the bioprocess and stablish novel criteria for the monitoring of cell viability. These findings motivated the development of a multivariate classification model, aiming to obtain predictive tools for the monitoring of future lots of the same bioprocess. The model could be satisfactorily fitted, showing the non-error rate of prediction of 100%.     

Alterations in hypertensive arteries

Mentoring in academia is often carried out in an informal way depending on individuals and circumstances. I was quite fortunate to make the acquaintance of Professor E.E. Daniel when I was making a transition from my research in entomology to biomedical sciences. Here I recount some of that experience, and describe some of the lessons I have learned from this experience, as my tribute to Dr. Daniel on the occasion of his 80th birthday.