Fine‐scale bird monitoring from light unmanned aircraft systems

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are remote‐controlled devices capable of collecting information from difficult‐to‐access places while minimizing disturbance. Although UAS are increasingly used in many research disciplines, their application to wildlife research remains to be explored in depth. Here, we report on the use of a small UAS to monitor temporal changes in breeding population size in a Black‐headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus colony. This method makes it possible to obtain georeferenced data on nest locations without causing colony disturbance, which would not otherwise be possible via direct ground observations.     

Hydroxyurea-Increased Fetal Hemoglobin Is Associated with Less Organ Damage and Longer Survival in Adults with Sickle Cell Anemia

Background

Adults with sickle cell anemia (HbSS) are inconsistently treated with hydroxyurea.

Objectives

We retrospectively evaluated the effects of elevating fetal hemoglobin with hydroxyurea on organ damage and survival in patients enrolled in our screening study between 2001 and 2010.

Methods

An electronic medical record facilitated development of a database for comparison of study parameters based on hydroxyurea exposure and dose. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00011648.

Results

Three hundred eighty-three adults with homozygous sickle cell disease were analyzed with 59 deaths during study follow-up. Cox regression analysis revealed deceased subjects had more hepatic dysfunction (elevated alkaline phosphatase, Hazard Ratio = 1.005, 95% CI 1.003–1.006, p<0.0.0001), kidney dysfunction (elevated creatinine, Hazard Ratio = 1.13, 95% CI 1.00–1.27, p = 0.043), and cardiopulmonary dysfunction (elevated tricuspid jet velocity on echocardiogram, Hazard Ratio = 2.22, 1.23–4.02, p = 0.0082). Sixty-six percent of subjects were treated with hydroxyurea, although only 66% of those received a dose within the recommended therapeutic range. Hydroxyurea use was associated with improved survival (Hazard Ratio = 0.58, 95% CI 0.34–0.97, p = 0.040). This effect was most pronounced in those taking the recommended dose of 15–35 mg/kg/day (Hazard Ratio 0.36, 95% CI 0.17–0.73, p = 0.0050). Hydroxyurea use was not associated with changes in organ function over time. Further, subjects with higher fetal hemoglobin responses to hydroxyurea were more likely to survive (p = 0.0004). While alkaline phosphatase was lowest in patients with the best fetal hemoglobin response (95.4 versus 123.6, p = 0.0065 and 96.1 versus 113.6U/L, p = 0.041 at first and last visits, respectively), other markers of organ damage were not consistently improved over time in patients with the highest fetal hemoglobin levels.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that adults should be treated with the maximum tolerated hydroxyurea dose, ideally before organ damage occurs. Prospective studies are indicated to validate these findings.     

Haptoglobin and CCR2 receptor expression in ovarian cancer cells that were exposed to ascitic fluid: Exploring a new role of haptoglobin in the tumoral microenvironment

Haptoglobin (Hp) is an acute-phase protein that is produced by the liver to capture the iron that is present in the blood circulation, thus avoiding its accumulation in the blood. Moreover, Hp has been detected in a wide variety of tissues, in which it performs various functions. In addition, this protein is considered a potential biomarker in many diseases, such as cancer, including ovarian carcinoma; however, its participation in the cancerous processes has not yet been determined. The objective of this work was to demonstrate the expression of Hp and its receptor CCR2 in the ovarian cancer cells and its possible involvement in the process of cell migration through changes in the rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton using western blot and wound-healing assays and confirming by confocal microscopy. Ovarian cancer cells express both Hp and its receptor CCR2 but only after exposure to ascitic fluid, inducing moderated cell migration. However, when the cells are exposed to exogenous Hp, the expression of CCR2 is induced together with drastic changes in the actin cytoskeleton rearrangement. At the same time, Hp induced cell migration in a much more efficient manner than did ascitic fluid. These effects were blocked when the CCR2 synthetic antagonist RS102895 was used to pretreat the cells. These results suggest that Hp-induced changes in the cell morphology, actin cytoskeleton structure, and migration ability of tumor cells, is possibly “preparing” these cells for the potential induction of the metastatic phenotype.     

First Philippine record of the parasitoid,Comperiella sp. (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae): a potential biocontrol agent against Aspidiotus rigidus (Hemiptera: Diaspididae)

The encyrtid genus Comperiella Howard has so far not been reported in the Philippines, where there is currently an outbreak of the coconut scale insect Aspidiotus rigidus Reyne particularly in the southern parts of the island of Luzon and in some areas in Mindanao. Among Comperiella species, only C. unifasciata Ishii has been reported as a parasitoid of A. rigidus. We report not only new sightings of this parasitoid genus in the Philippines from surveys conducted in parts of the provinces of Laguna and Batangas, but also the discovery of a possibly new species that, like C. unifasciata, has been found to parasitize A. rigidus at a high rate. These findings have presented a potential of biological control against the coconut scale insect problem that has threatened the coconut industry in the country.     

Early effect of sodium pentachlorophenate on photosynthetic activity of the alga <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chlorella pyrenoidosa</Emphasis> Chick. S-39

Early effects of 0.0001–10 mM sodium pentachlorophenate (PCP-Na) on the green alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa Chick. S-39 involves a rapid (within 1–2 min) decrease in the light-induced oxygen evolution by algal cells. The suppressed relative yield of variable chlorophyll fluorescence in C. pyrenoidosa in the presence of high PCP-Na concentrations and its dynamics provide evidence for rapid inactivation of photosystem 2, which is not observed at low concentrations of the toxicant. An analysis of the induction curve of delayed chlorophyll fluorescence in algal cells suggests that PCP-Na at low concentrations disturbs the coupling of electron transport and phosphorylation, whereas at high concentrations it inhibits electron transport and decreases the energy potential of photosynthetic membranes. The early toxic effect of PCP-Na is responsible for subsequent impairment of C. pyrenoidosa productivity.     

Heat shock proteins of freshwater protists and their involvement in adaptation to changes in the environmental salinity

Changes in the level of heat shock proteins (HSP) in cells of freshwater protists, amoebae Amoeba proteus and ciliates Paramecium jenningsi, in response to changes in the environmental salinity were investigated. Changes in salinity levels were considered as a stress factor. The immunoblotting method revealed a polypeptide antigen cross-reacting with antibodies against bovine HSP70 in total protein extracts of both intact cells and cells subjected to salinity stress. The same polypeptide antigen was revealed in A. proteus cells subjected to heat shock. Therefore, it may be supposed that the polypeptide revealed after salinity shock is a heat shock protein related to the vertebrate HSP70. Under the impact of stress factor, well acclimated protists mostly spend their own previously accumulated HSP70. A conclusion is made that freshwater protists, living under conditions of increased salinity, appear to be preadapted to changes in environmental factors.     

Influence of pyrocatechol on characteristics of photosynthesis in an algae culture

Reduced intensity of delayed fluorescence of chlorophyll and suppressed growth recorded in an experimental population of Scenedesmus quadricauda under the influence of pyrocatechol demonstrate reduction in efficiency of light reactions of photosynthesis, which, in turn, determines deterioration of algae productivity.