fimA-folD genes linkage in Salmonella identifies a putative junctional site of chromosomal rearrangement in the enterobacterial genome

Abstract Analysis of the Salmonella chromosomal region located upstream of the fimA gene (coding for the major type 1 fimbrial subunit) showed a close linkage of this gene to the folD gene (coding for the enzyme 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase/5, 10-methenyltetrahydrofolate cyclohydrolase), indicating that the fim gene cluster of Salmonella , unlike that of Escherichia coli , has no regulatory genes located upstream of fimA and apparently terminates with this gene. The respective locations of the fim and folD genes in the E. coli and Salmonella genetic maps suggests that the fimA-folD intergenic region of Salmonella encompasses a junctional site of a genetic rearrangement that probably originated from the different chromosomal location of the fim genes in these species.     

Engineering genetic circuits: advancements in genetic design automation tools and standards for synthetic biology

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The RAINFOR database: monitoring forest biomass and dynamics

Problem: Data from over 100 permanent sample plots which have been studied for 10–20 years need a suitable system for storage which allows simple data manipulation and retrieval for analysis. Methods: A relational database linking tree records, taxonomic nomenclature and corresponding environmental data has been built in MS Access as part of the RAINFOR project. Conclusion: The database allows flexible and long‐term use of a large amount of data: more than 100 tree plots across Amazonia, incorporating over 80 000 records of individual trees and over 300 000 total records of tree diameter measurements from successive censuses. The database is designed to enable linkages to existing soil, floristic or plant‐trait databases. This database will be a useful tool for exploring the impact of environmental factors on forest structure and dynamics at local to continental scales, and long term changes in forest ecology. As an early example of its potential, we explore the impact of different methodological assumptions on estimates of tropical forest biomass and carbon storage.     

Exclosure fences around nests of imperiled Florida Grasshopper Sparrows reduce rates of predation by mammals

Increasing nest survival by excluding predators is a goal of many bird conservation programs. However, new exclosure projects should be carefully evaluated to assess the potential risks of disturbance. We tested the effectiveness of predator exclosure fences (hereafter, fences) for nests of critically endangered Florida Grasshopper Sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum floridanus) at a dry prairie site (Three Lakes; 2015–2018) and a pasture site (the Ranch; 2015–2016) in Osceola County, Florida, USA. We installed fences at nests an average of 8 days after the start of incubation, and nest abandonment after fence installation was rare (2 of 149 installations). Predation was the leading cause of failure for unfenced nests at both sites (48–73%). At Three Lakes, nest cameras revealed that mammals and snakes were responsible for 61.5% and 38.5% of predation events, respectively, at unfenced nests. Fences reduced the daily probability of predation (0.016 for fenced nests vs. 0.074 for unfenced nests). The probability that a fenced nest would survive from discovery to fledging was more than double that of unfenced nests (60.4% vs. 27.7%). However, we found no difference in daily nest survival at the Ranch between the year before nests were fenced (2015; 0.874) and the year when all but one nest were fenced (2016; 0.867) because red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) were responsible for 86% of predation events at fenced nests at the Ranch. The use of cameras at fenced nests revealed that site‐specific differences in nest predators explained variation in fence efficiency between sites. Our fence design may be useful for other species of grassland birds, but site‐specific predator communities and species‐specific response of target bird species to fences should be assessed before installing fences at other sites.     

Levels of genetic diversity at different stages of the domestication cycle of interior spruce in British Columbia

Concerns over the reductionist nature of the domestication of forest-tree species focus on the possibility of potential genetic erosion during this process. To address these concerns, genetic diversity assessments in a breeding zone the Province of British Columbia “interior” spruce (Picea glauca×engelmanni) program was conducted using allozyme markers. Genetic-variation comparisons were made between natural and production (seed orchard) populations as well as seed and seedling crops produced from the same breeding zone’s seed orchard. The natural population sample consisted of a total of 360 trees representing three stands within each of three watersheds present in the Shuswap-Adams low-elevation zone of interior British Columbia. Small amounts of genetic differentiation were observed among the nine natural populations (4%) and this was attributable to extensive gene flow Consequently, the sum of these nine populations was considered as a baseline for the genetic variation present in the breeding zone. The comparisons between the seed orchard and the breeding zone produced a similar percentage of polymorphic loci while the expected hetrozygosity (0.207 vs 0.210) and the average number of alleles per locus (2.7 vs 2.4) were slightly lower in the seed orchard. A total of seven natural populations’ rare alleles were not present in the orchard population, while one allele was unique to the orchard. The %P increased to 70.6% in the seedlot, but dropped to the natural populations level (64.7%) in the plantation. The observed increase in %P was a result of pollen contamination in the orchard. It is suspected that the reduction in the plantation was caused by an unintentional selection in the nursery. Simulated roguing in the orchard did not drastically reduce even if up to 50% of the orchard’s clones were rogued. However, roguing was associated with a reduction in the average number of alleles per locus (i.e., sampling effect). Received: 2 January 1996 / Accepted: 24 May 1996     

The International Atomic Energy Agency action plan on radiation protection of patients and staff in interventional procedures: Achieving change in practice

IntroductionThe International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) organized the 3rd international conference on radiation protection (RP) of patients in December 2017. This paper presents the conclusions on the interventional procedures (IP) session.Material and methodsThe IAEA conference was conducted as a series of plenary sessions followed by various thematic sessions. “Radiation protection of patients and staff in interventional procedures” session keynote speakers presented information on: 1) Risk management of skin injuries, 2) Occupational radiation risks and 3) RP for paediatric patients. Then, a summary of the session-related papers was presented by a rapporteur, followed by an open question-and-answer discussion.ResultsSixty-seven percent (67%) of papers came from Europe. Forty-four percent (44%) were patient studies, 44% were occupational and 12% were combined studies. Occupational studies were mostly on eye lens dosimetry. The rest were on scattered radiation measurements and dose tracking. The majority of patient studies related to patient exposure with only one study on paediatric patients. Automatic patient dose reporting is considered as a first step for dose optimization. Despite efforts, paediatric IP radiation dose data are still scarce. The keynote speakers outlined recent achievements but also challenges in the field. Forecasting technology, task-specific targeted education from educators familiar with the clinical situation, more accurate estimation of lens doses and improved identification of high-risk professional groups are some of the areas they focused on.ConclusionsManufacturers play an important role in making patients safer. Low dose technologies are still expensive and manufacturers should make these affordable in less resourced countries. Automatic patient dose reporting and real-time skin dose map are important for dose optimization. Clinical audit and better QA processes together with more studies on the impact of lens opacities in clinical practice and on paediatric patients are needed.     

How does the cumulative impacts approach support Maritime Spatial Planning?

Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) needs to incorporate spatial information on human impacts. As human activities and uses increase in marine and coastal waters around the world, pressures in ecosystems are also increasing, leading to multiple adverse effects on different species and habitats. The European Directive on MSP aims to achieve an integrated approach to marine governance, whilst securing and maintaining the healthy status of marine and coastal waters, in accordance with the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. The latter requires Member States to develop assessments not only on pressures and impacts, but also on the state of the marine environment and then take measures towards reaching a Good Environmental Status by 2020.The Portuguese Maritime Spatial Plan – Plano de Ordenamento do Espaço Marítimo (POEM) was developed between 2009 and 2012. In 2014 a law establishing the Basis for the Spatial Planning and Management of the National Maritime Space was enacted and in 2015 the framework for the elaboration of a new national Maritime Spatial Plan, named Situation Plan, was established. Portugal will face, in the next five years, the challenge of planning and managing its marine space, whilst promoting its sustainable use and protection.This study adapted a cumulative effects assessment model to understand how the impacts from multiple threats affect the marine and coastal ecosystems and, how this information can be used to improve the management process. Information was gathered on intensity and distribution of activities and uses for the Portuguese continental subdivision marine area, quantified and mapped their cumulative impacts in marine ecosystems, and overlapped with the POEM. Results show that impacts are spreading from the coast up to the Contiguous Zone. Higher scores appear in Transitional and Coastal Waters in the north (Viana do Castelo/Figueira da Foz), centre (Peniche/Setúbal) and south (Lagos/Faro). In some areas with higher ranks, statutes of nature conservation are already in place, but potential activities may still occur on top of existing ones. This study shows that the adapted model is a helpful tool to clarify ocean planning, identify areas of potential conflicts among users and support the decision making process.     

Principles for linking fish habitat to fisheries management and conservation

A set of eight simple ecological and social principles is proposed that could enhance the understanding of what constitutes fish 'habitat' and, if implemented, could contribute to improved management and conservation strategies. The habitat principles are a small, interrelated sub‐set that may be coupled with additional ones to formulate comprehensive guidelines for management and conservation strategies. It is proposed that: 1) habitat can be created by keystone species and interactions among species; 2) the productivity of aquatic and riparian habitat is interlinked by reciprocal exchanges of material; 3) the riparian zone is fish habitat; 4) fishless headwater streams are inseparable from fish‐bearing rivers downstream; 5) habitats can be coupled – in rivers, lakes, estuaries and oceans, and in time; 6) habitats change over hours to centuries; 7) fish production is dynamic due to biocomplexity, in species and in habitats; 8) management and conservation strategies must evolve in response to present conditions, but especially to the anticipated future. It is contended that the long‐term resilience of native fish communities in catchments shared by humans depends on incorporating these principles into management and conservation strategies. Further, traditional strategies poorly reflect the dynamic nature of habitat, the true extent of habitat, or the intrinsic complexity in societal perspectives. Forward‐thinking fish management and conservation plans view habitat as more than water. They are multilayered, ranging from pools to catchments to ecoregions, and from hours to seasons to centuries. They embrace, as a fundamental premise, that habitat evolves through both natural and anthropogenic processes, and that patterns of change may be as important as other habitat attributes.