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Dietary LC-PUFA and environmental salinity modulate the fatty acid biosynthesis capacity of the euryhaline teleost thicklip grey mullet (Chelon labrosus)
Get PDFThe capacity to biosynthesise long-chain (≥C20) polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) depends upon the complement and function of key enzymes commonly known as fatty acyl desaturases and elongases. The presence of a Δ5/Δ6 desaturase enabling the biosynthesis of docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3, DHA) through the “Sprecher pathway” has been reported in Chelon labrosus. Research in other teleosts have demonstrated that LC-PUFA biosynthesis can be modulated by diet and ambient salinity. The present study aimed to assess the combined effects of partial dietary replacement of fish oil (FO) by vegetable oil (VO) and reduced ambient salinity (35 ppt vs 20 ppt) on the fatty acid composition of muscle, enterocytes and hepatocytes of C. labrosus juveniles. Moreover, the enzymatic activity over radiolabelled [1-14C] 18:3n-3 (α-linolenic acid, ALA) and [1-14C] 20:5n-3 (eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA) to biosynthesise n-3 LC-PUFA in hepatocytes and enterocytes, and the gene regulation of the C. labrosus fatty acid desaturase-2 (fads2) and elongation of very long chain fatty acids protein 5 (elovl5) in liver and intestine was also investigated. Recovery of radiolabelled products including stearidonic acid (18:4n-3, SDA), 20:5n-3, tetracosahexaenoic acid (24:6n-3, THA) and 22:6n-3 in all treatments except FO35-fish, provided compelling evidence that a complete pathway enabling the biosynthesis of EPA and DHA from ALA is present and active in C. labrosus. Low salinity conditions upregulated fads2 in hepatocytes and elovl5 in both cell types, regardless of dietary composition. Interestingly, FO20-fish showed the highest amount of n-3 LC-PUFA in muscle, while no differences in VO-fish reared at both salinities were found. These results demonstrate a compensatory capacity of C. labrosus to biosynthesise n-3 LC-PUFA under reduced dietary supply, and emphasise the potential of low salinity conditions to stimulate this pathway in euryhaline fish
When is the best time to screen for perinatal anxiety? A longitudinal cohort study
Get PDFBackground: For screening for anxiety during pregnancy and after birth to be efficient and effective it is important to know the optimal time to screen in order to identify women who might benefit from treatment. Aims: To determine the optimal time to screen for perinatal anxiety to identify women with anxiety disorders and those who want treatment. A secondary aim was to examine the stability and course of perinatal anxiety over time. Methods: Prospective longitudinal cohort study of 2243 women who completed five screening questionnaires of anxiety and mental health symptoms in early pregnancy (11 weeks), mid-pregnancy (23 weeks), late pregnancy (32 weeks) and postnatally (8 weeks). Anxiety and mental health questionnaires were the GAD7, GAD2, SAAS, CORE-10 and Whooley questions. To establish presence of anxiety disorders diagnostic interviews were con ducted with a subsample of 403 participants. Results: Early pregnancy was the optimal time to screen for anxiety to identify women with anxiety disorders and women wanting treatment at any time during pregnancy or postnatally. These findings were consistent across all five questionnaires of anxiety and mental health. Receiving treatment for perinatal mental health problems was most strongly associated with late pregnancy and/or postnatal assessments. Anxiety symptoms were highest in early pregnancy and decreased over time. Conclusion: Findings show that screening in early pregnancy is optimal for identifying women who have, or develop, anxiety disorders and who want treatment. This has clear implications for practice and policy for anxiety screening during the perinatal period
Tropical field stations yield high conservation return on investment
Get PDFConservation funding is currently limited; cost-effective conservation solutions are essential. We suggest that the thousands of field stations worldwide can play key roles at the frontline of biodiversity conservation and have high intrinsic value. We assessed field stations’ conservation return on investment and explored the impact of COVID-19. We surveyed leaders of field stations across tropical regions that host primate research; 157 field stations in 56 countries responded. Respondents reported improved habitat quality and reduced hunting rates at over 80% of field stations and lower operational costs per km2 than protected areas, yet half of those surveyed have less funding now than in 2019. Spatial analyses support field station presence as reducing deforestation. These “earth observatories” provide a high return on investment; we advocate for increased support of field station programs and for governments to support their vital conservation efforts by investing accordingly.Additional co-authors: Ekwoge Abwe, Tanvir Ahmed, Marc Ancrenaz, Raphali R. Andriantsimanarilafy, Andie Ang, Filippo Aureli, Louise Barrett, Jacinta C. Beehner, Marcela E. Benítez, Bruna M. Bezerra, Júlio César Bicca-Marques, Dominique Bikaba, Robert Bitariho, Christophe Boesch, Laura M. Bolt, Ramesh Boonratana, Thomas M. Butynski, Gustavo R. Canale, Susana Carvalho, Colin A. Chapman, Dilip Chetry, Susan M. Cheyne, Marina Cords, Fanny M. Cornejo, Liliana Cortés-Ortiz, Camille N. Z. Coudrat, Margaret C. Crofoot, Drew T. Cronin, Alvine Dadjo, S. Chrystelle Dakpogan, Emmanuel Danquah, Tim R. B. Davenport, Yvonne A. de Jong, Stella de la Torre, Andrea Dempsey, Judeline C. Dimalibot, Rainer Dolch, Giuseppe Donati, Alejandro Estrada, Rassina A. Farassi, Peter J. Fashing, Eduardo Fernandez-Duque, Maria J. Ferreira da Silva, Julia Fischer, César F. Flores-Negrón, Barbara Fruth, Terence Fuh Neba, Lief Erikson Gamalo, Jörg U. Ganzhorn, Paul A. Garber, Smitha D. Gnanaolivu, Mary Katherine Gonder, Sery Ernest Gonedelé Bi, Benoit Goossens, Marcelo Gordo, Juan M. Guayasamin, Diana C. Guzmán-Caro, Andrew R. Halloran, Jessica A. Hartel, Eckhard W. Heymann, Russell A. Hill, Kimberley J. Hockings, Gottfried Hohmann, Naven Hon, Mariano G. Houngbédji, Michael A. Huffman, Rachel A. Ikemeh, Inaoyom Imong, Mitchell T. Irwin, Patrícia Izar, Leandro Jerusalinsky, Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, Beth A. Kaplin, Peter M. Kappeler, Stanislaus M. Kivai, Cheryl D. Knott, Intanon Kolasartsanee, Kathelijne Koops, Martin M. Kowalewski, Deo Kujirakwinja, Ajith Kumar, Quyet K. Le, Rebecca J. Lewis, Aung Ko Lin, Andrés Link, Luz I. Loría, Menladi M. Lormie, Edward E. Louis Jr., Ngwe Lwin, Suchinda Malaivijitnond, Lesley Marisa, Gráinne M. McCabe, W. Scott McGraw, Addisu Mekonnen, Pedro G. Méndez-Carvajal, Tânia Minhós, David M. Montgomery, Citlalli Morelos-Juárez, David Morgan, Amancio Motove Etingüe, Papa Ibnou Ndiaye, K. Anne-Isola Nekaris, Nga Nguyen, Vincent Nijman, Radar Nishuli, Marilyn A. Norconk, Luciana I. Oklander, Rahayu Oktaviani, Julia Ostner, Emily Otali, Susan E. Perry, Eduardo J. Pinel Ramos, Leila M. Porter, Jill D. Pruetz, Anne E. Pusey, Helder L. Queiroz, Mónica A. Ramírez, Guy Hermas Randriatahina, Hoby Rasoanaivo, Jonah Ratsimbazafy, Joelisoa Ratsirarson, Josia Razafindramanana, Onja H. Razafindratsima, Vernon Reynolds, Rizaldi Rizaldi, Martha M. Robbins, Melissa E. Rodríguez, Marleny Rosales-Meda, Crickette M. Sanz, Dipto Sarkar, Anne Savage, Amy L. Schreier, Oliver Schülke, Gabriel H. Segniagbeto, Juan Carlos Serio-Silva, Arif Setiawan, John Seyjagat, Felipe E. Silva, Elizabeth M. Sinclair, Rebecca L. Smith, Denise Spaan, Fiona A. Stewart, Shirley C. Strum, Martin Surbeck, Magdalena S. Svensson, Mauricio Talebi, Luc Roscelin Tédonzong, Bernardo Urbani, João Valsecchi, Natalie Vasey, Erin R. Vogel, Robert B. Wallace, Janette Wallis, Siân Waters, Roman M. Wittig, Richard W. Wrangham, Patricia C. Wright, Russell A. Mittermeie
Heavy metal contamination of the sea cucumber Holothuria poli cultured in integrated multi-trophic aquaculture in a multi-use coastal area
Get PDFThe accumulation of heavy metals in the edible tissue of the white spot sea cucumber, Holothuria poli, revealed the transfer of metal contaminants to sea cucumbers when produced below fish cages in a Mediterranean port area. Sea cucumbers were cultured on the seafloor directly below a fish cage at 0 m, then at 10 m and at 25 m away from the cage, as part of an open-water integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) system, and then at a reference site over 1 km from the fish farm, over a one-year period. At the end of the study, sea cucumbers and seafloor sediments were sampled from the IMTA sites near the fish cages, except at 0 m due to mass sea cucumber mortalities within the first month of the study, and again at the reference site. The concentrations of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn) were significantly higher in sediments near fish cages than the reference site. Localised enrichment from marine aquaculture could explain the significant concentration of metals in sediments below fish cages that are typically ascribed to their use in aquaculture. Arsenic (As), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg), which are not associated with commercial fish diets, did not vary between sites. Concentrations of iron (Fe), which is available in commercial diets, were similar near fish cages and at the reference site. The body wall/muscle tissue of the sea cucumber. H. poli revealed high concentrations of the essential metals Fe and Zn near fish cages and in natural sediments at the reference site. H. poli can regulate these essential metals that characterised the edible tissue of the sea cucumbers. Non-essential metals like Hg and Cd had the lowest concentrations of all analysed metals in the sea cucumber tissue. However, the bioaccumulation of toxic metals, Hg and As, reveal the bioavailability of these contaminants in sediments and the propensity of bottom-dwelling sea cucumbers to bioconcentrate these metals, when cultured under a commercial fish cage in IMTA and elsewhere in natural sediments in this industrial environment. Holothuria poli did not exhibit bioaccumulation of Cu, Cr, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn in its body wall/muscle tissue. The bioaccumulation of Hg and As reveal the need to account for the potential effects of farm-level variability throughout longer production cycles and bay-wide dynamics on sediment contamination and bioaccumulation in sea cucumbers until harvest. Site-specific dynamics in ports, whether natural or anthropogenic, can be expected to influence bioaccumulation of metal contaminants and therefore require long-term and fine resolution monitoring for better representation in open-water IMTA production
What are the autism research priorities of autistic adults in Scotland?
Get PDFStudies investigating autistic community research priorities indicate a mismatch between what autism research focuses on and what autistic people want to see researched. Further, there has not been a research priority-setting exercise specifically with autistic people in Scotland, where there are unique cultural, political, and social contexts. Using a community-based participatory design, we aimed to identify the research priorities of autistic adults living in Scotland. Autistic and non-autistic researchers designed and conducted a survey where 225 autistic adults rated and ranked research topics in order of importance and provided qualitative feedback on issues and questions important to them. The top five research priorities were: mental health/wellbeing, identification and diagnosis of autistic people, support services, knowledge and attitudes towards autistic people, and issues impacting autistic women. There were differences in priorities according to different intersections of identity, and qualitative responses indicated a desire for research to focus on support and understanding. The bottom three priorities concerned genetics, treatments and interventions, and causes. These findings emphasise the need to address the gap between what autism research focuses on and the everyday lives of autistic people.Output Status: Forthcoming/Available Onlin
Identifying barriers and facilitators to increase fibre intakes in UK Primary school children and exploring the acceptability of intervention components: a UK qualitative study
Get PDFObjective: Within the UK, dietary fibre intakes are well below recommended intakes and associated with increased risk of obesity. This study aimed to explore the views of parents and children on barriers and facilitators to increasing fibre intakes and improving diets, alongside investigating the appropriateness of intervention components to overcome modifiable barriers. Design: Qualitative study including semi-structured interviews and focus groups informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and the Capability-Opportunity-Motivation-Behaviour (COM-B) model. Participants: Year 5 children (aged 9–10-years) and parents, recruited through London primary schools Results: A total of twenty-four participants (eleven parents and thirteen children) took part. Five key themes were identified as barriers and facilitators, namely lack of (and improving) knowledge, social factors (including parent–child conflicts, limited time for food preparation, influence of peer and family members), current eating habits, influence of the school, community and home environment in shaping eating behaviours, and the importance of choice and variety in finding foods that are healthy and tasty. Parents strongly supported school-based dietary interventions to enable consistent messaging at home and school and help support dietary behaviour change. Practical sessions (such as workshops to strengthen knowledge, taste tests and food swap ideas) were supported by parents and children. Conclusions: By using a theory-driven approach to explore the barriers and facilitators to increasing fibre intake, this research identified important themes and modifiable barriers to behaviour change and identifies acceptable intervention components to overcome barriers and bring about sustained dietary behaviour change in primary school children
Effectiveness of web-based personalised feedback interventions for reducing alcohol consumption among university students: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Get PDFIssues: Meta-analysis was conducted to examine standalone web-based persona-lised feedback interventions (PFI) delivered in non-structured settings for reducing university students' alcohol consumption. Subgroup analyses by gender-focus, type-of-content and accessibility were conducted. Characteristics of the sample, the intervention and study quality were examined as moderators. Approach: Ten databases were searched from 2000 to 2023. Eligible articles involved only randomised controlled trials. Random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to calculate the effect size on weekly alcohol consumption comparing web-PFIs and non-active controls. Meta-regressions were applied to explore effect moderators. Key Findings: Thirty-one studies were included in the narrative synthesis, 25 of which were meta-analysed. Results found significant effect size differences on weekly alcohol consumption in favour of the intervention group in the short-(SMD = 0.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.06, 0.15) and long-term period (SMD = 0.09, 95% CI 0.02, 0.15). Subgroup analyses identified that interventions which were gender-specific, multicomponent and had unlimited access had higher and significant effect sizes, although they were very similar with respect to comparative groups. Moderator analyses showed that times feedback was accessed significantly contributed to the effectiveness of the intervention. Effects diminished over time, although they remained significant. Implications: The meta-analysis evidences the effectiveness of web-PFI for addressing university students' alcohol use, decreasing by 1.65 and 1.54 drinks consumed per week in the short-and long-term, respectively. Conclusions: The results offer empirical evidence that supports the significant, although small, effect of web-PFI delivered remotely in universities. Futur
'We Can’t Afford to be a Branch Office’: The Territorial Dynamics of the British Labour Party
Get PDFDespite having delivered devolution, the British Labour Party has faced significant challenges in adapting to, and competing effectively in, a multi-level political space. This article explores this dynamic in the context of a pivotal period of change (2015–2019), in which the party was led by Jeremy Corbyn, a political outsider, and when British politics was riven by Brexit. In this article we highlight the operation of a key strategic duality underlying the territorial politics pursued by both Scottish and Welsh Labour parties: an endemic and unresolved desire to seek greater autonomy from the UK party, on the one hand: and the preference to retain or gain influence at the centre of British politics, on the other. How these goals were pursued, and tensions between them managed by the territorial parties and their leaders, are central to an understanding of how the party handled the challenges created by devolution more broadly
Plastic pollution and human pathogens: Towards a conceptual shift in risk management at bathing water and beach environments
Get PDFEmerging evidence indicates that micro- and macro-plastics present in water can support a diverse microbial community, including potential human pathogens (e.g., bacteria, viruses). This interaction raises important concerns surrounding the role and suitability of current bathing water regulations and associated pathogen exposure risk within beach environments. In response to this, we critically evaluated the available evidence on plastic-pathogen interactions and identified major gaps in knowledge. This review highlighted the need for a conceptual shift in risk management at public beaches recognising: (i) interconnected environmental risks, e.g., associations between microbial compliance parameters, potential pathogens and both contemporary and legacy plastic pollution; and (ii) an appreciation of risk of exposure to plastic co-pollutants for both water and waterside users. We present a decision-making framework to identify options to manage plastic-associated pathogen risks alongside short- and longer-term research priorities. This advance will help deliver improvements in managing plastic-associated pathogen risk, acknowledging that human exposure potential is not limited to only those who engage in water-based activity. We argue that adopting these recommendations will help create an integrated approach to managing and reducing human exposure to pathogens at bathing, recreational water and beach environments
Debridement for surgical wounds
No full textBackground Surgical wounds that become infected are often debrided because clinicians believe that removal of this necrotic or infected tissue may expedite wound healing. There are numerous methods of debridement available, but no consensus on which one is most effective for surgical wounds. Objectives To assess the effects of different methods of debridement on the rate of debridement and healing of surgical wounds. Search methods In October 2021, we searched the Cochrane Wounds Specialised Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL. To identify additional studies, we searched clinical trials registries for ongoing and unpublished studies, and scanned reference lists of relevant included studies, reviews, meta‐analyses, and health technology reports. There were no restrictions on language, date of publication, or study setting. Selection criteria We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that enrolled people with a surgical wound that required debridement, and reported time to complete wound debridement or time to wound healing, or both. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently performed study selection, risk of bias assessment using the RoB 1 tool, data extraction, and GRADE assessment of the certainty of evidence. Main results In this fourth update, we identified one additional study for inclusion. The review now includes six studies, with 265 participants, aged three to 91 years. Five studies were published between 1979 and 1990 and one published in 2014. The studies were carried out in hospital settings in China, Denmark, Belgium, and the UK. Six studies provided six comparisons. Due to the heterogeneity of studies, it was not appropriate to conduct meta‐analyses. Four studies evaluated the effectiveness of dextranomer beads/paste; however, each study used a different comparator (Eusol‐soaked dressings, 10% aqueous polyvinylpyrrolidone, 0.1% chloramine‐soaked packs, and silicone foam elastomer dressing). One study compared streptokinase/streptodornase with saline‐soaked dressings, and one compared endoscopic surgical debridement with conventional 'open' surgical debridement. Five studies reported time to complete debridement (reported as time to a clean wound bed) and three reported time to complete healing. One study reported effect estimates (surgical debridement via endoscopy versus surgical debridement) for time to a clean wound bed and time to complete wound healing, and it was possible to calculate effect estimates for one other study (dextranomer paste versus silicone foam elastomer) for time to complete wound healing. For the other four studies that did not report effect estimates, it was not possible to calculate time to a clean wound bed or time to complete wound healing due to missing variance and participant exclusions. None of the included studies reported outcomes pertaining to proportion of wounds completely healed, rate of reduction in wound size, rate of infection, or quality of life. All studies had unclear or high risk of bias for at least one key domain. Dextranomer paste/beads (autolytic debridement) compared with four different comparators Four studies compared dextranomer paste or beads with Eusol‐soaked gauze (20 participants), 10% aqueous polyvinylpyrrolidone (40 participants), 0.1% chloramine‐soaked dressings (28 participants), or silicone foam elastomer (50 participants). There is very low‐certainty evidence that there may be no clear difference in time to a clean wound bed between dextranomer beads and Eusol gauze. The study did not report adverse events. There is very low‐certainty evidence that there may be no difference in time to a clean wound bed between dextranomer paste and 10% aqueous polyvinylpyrrolidone gauze. There was low‐certainty evidence that there may be no difference in deaths and serious adverse events. There may be a difference in time until the wounds were clinically clean and time to complete wound healing between dextranomer paste and 0.1% chloramine favouring 0.1% chloramine, but we are very uncertain. There is low‐certainty evidence that there may be no difference in deaths and serious adverse events. There is very low‐certainty evidence that there may be no difference in time to complete healing between dextranomer beads and silicone foam elastomer. The study did not report adverse events. Streptokinase/streptodornase solution (enzymatic) compared with saline‐soaked dressings One study (21 participants) compared enzymatic debridement with saline‐soaked dressings. There is low‐certainty evidence that there may be no difference in time to a clean wound bed or secondary suture between streptokinase/streptodornase and saline‐soaked dressings. There is very low‐certainty evidence that there may be no difference in deaths and serious adverse events. Surgical debridement via endoscopic ('keyhole') surgery compared with surgical debridement by 'open' surgery (the wound is opened using a scalpel) One study (106 participants) reported time to complete wound healing and time to a clean wound bed. There is low‐certainty evidence that there may be a reduction in time to complete wound healing and very low‐certainty evidence that there may be no difference in time to a clean wound bed with surgical debridement via endoscopy compared to 'open' surgical debridement. The study did not report adverse events. Overall, the evidence was low to very low‐certainty for all outcomes. Five included studies were published before 1991 and investigated treatments that are no longer available. Worldwide production of dextranomer products has been discontinued, except for dextranomer paste, which is currently only available in South Africa. Furthermore, Eusol, used in one study as the comparator to dextranomer, is rarely used due to risk of harmful effects on healthy tissue and the enzymatic agent streptokinase/streptodornase is no longer available worldwide. Authors' conclusions Evidence for the effects of different methods of debridement on complete wound debridement and healing of surgical wounds remains unclear. Adequately powered, methodologically robust RCTs evaluating contemporary debridement interventions for surgical wounds are needed to guide clinical decision‐making
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