6,691 research outputs found
Towards integration of environmental and health impact assessments for wild capture fishing and farmed fish with particular reference to public health and occupational health dimensions
No full textThe paper offers a review and commentary, with particular reference to the production of fish from wild capture fisheries and aquaculture, on neglected aspects of health impact assessments which are viewed by a range of international and national health bodies and development agencies as valuable and necessary project tools. Assessments sometimes include environmental health impact assessments but rarely include specific occupational health and safety impact assessments especially integrated into a wider public health assessment. This is in contrast to the extensive application of environmental impact assessments to fishing and the comparatively large body of research now generated on the public health effects of eating fish. The value of expanding and applying the broader assessments would be considerable because in 2004 the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reports there were 41,408,000 people in the total ‘fishing’ sector including 11,289,000 in aquaculture. The paper explores some of the complex interactions that occur with regard to fishing activities and proposes the wider adoption of health impact assessment tools in these neglected sectors through an integrated public health impact assessment tool
Fatty liver, insulin resistance and obesity: relationships with increase in coronary artery calcium over time
No full textBackground: Non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), insulin resistance (IR) and obesity frequently co-exist with type 2 diabetes but it is uncertain whether these risk factors for vascular disease contribute to a change in at herosclerosis over time, independently of diabetes status. We tested whether the combination of fatty liver, IR and obesity was associated with an increase in coronary artery calcium (CAC) score over time, independently of diabetes status, other cardiovascular risk factors and medications. Methods: Data were analysed from a South Korean occupational cohort of 2175 people. The outcome was increase in cardiac computed tomography (CT) CAC score between baseline and follow up. IR was defined by HOMA-IR?75th centile and fatty liver by ultrasound. Hazard ratios (HR) [95% confidence intervals (CIs)] were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression. Results: There were 592 (27.2%) participants in whom CAC score increased from baseline (mean±SD age at baseline 44.8±5.5 years) and 1583 subjects in whom CAC did not change or improved during follow up (mean±SD age 41.6± 5.6 years). Diabetes, HOMA-IR, fatty liver and obesity prevalence were all higher (all p<0.001), in participants in whom CAC score increased from baseline. Adjusting for diabetes and potential confounders, the combination of IR, obesity and fatty liver was independently associated with increase in CAC score over time [(HR 2.46, (95%CIs 1.50,4.03)]. Conclusions: The combination of fatty liver, IR and obesity is associated with progression of atherosclerosis over time independently of diabetes, cardiovascular risk factors, and all medications for cardiovascular disease and diabete
Wellesly Sh. W. to Mr. James Meredith (2 October 1962)
No full textSigned by Wellesly Sh. W.https://egrove.olemiss.edu/mercorr_pro/1531/thumbnail.jp
Association between sea lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) infestation on Atlantic salmon farms and wild Pacific salmon in Muchalat Inlet, Canada
No full textGrowth in salmon aquaculture over the past two decades has raised concerns regarding the potential impacts of the industry on neighboring ecosystems and wild fish productivity. Despite limited evidence, sea lice have been identified as a major cause for the decline in some wild Pacific salmon populations on the west coast of Canada. We used sea lice count and management data from farmed and wild salmon, collected over 10 years (2007-2016) in the Muchalat Inlet region of Canada, to evaluate the association between sea lice recorded on salmon farms with the infestation levels on wild out-migrating Chum salmon. Our analyses indicated a significant positive association between the sea lice abundance on farms and the likelihood that wild fish would be infested. However, increased abundance of lice on farms was not significantly associated with the levels of infestation observed on the wild salmon. Our results suggest that Atlantic salmon farms may be an important source for the introduction of sea lice to wild Pacific salmon populations, but that the absence of a dose response relationship indicates that any estimate of farm impact requires more careful evaluation of causal inference than is typically seen in the extant scientific literature
The surveillance and risk assessment of wild birds in northern Australia for highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus
No full textHighly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), caused by infection with H5N1 virus, is a transboundary disease which has had a significant socio-economic impact on the poultry production systems of Eurasia, and spillover events with mortality in humans and wild birds. In northern Australia, prior to the current study there was poor understanding of the ecology of avian influenza viruses (AIV) and the risks of H5N1 transmission by wild birds. In this study, the biological pathways of risk for HPAI H5N1 by migratory birds were estimated as a negligible to very low risk to the wild birds of northern Australia. Following stochastic modelling the highest mean frequency of outbreaks was 1 year in 36 years (range 1 in 25-53 years; annual incidence of 0.028) for the Little Curlew (Numenius minutus), followed by the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata) (1 in 56 years, range 36 to 91 years).
Three species of wild birds were challenged with a H6N2 low pathogenicity AIV (LPAIV). There was poor viral replication in the Ruddy Turnstones (Arenaria interpres) and Silver Gulls (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae) with mostly low titre oropharyngeal (OP) excretion [median titre at 4 days post inoculation (DPI) of 101.43 and 102.09 50% embryo infectious dose (EID50)/0.1 mL respectively], with the exception of an OP sample from one Silver Gull (104.26 EID50/0.1 mL at 2 DPI), and one cloacal sample from a Ruddy Turnstone (103.14 EID50/0.1 mL at 10 DPI). In the Wandering Whistling Ducks (Dendrocygna arcuata), there was gastro-intestinal tropism with moderately high titre viral excretion to 6 DPI (highest median titre of 104.58 EID50/0.1 mL in cloacal swabs at 4 DPI). The anti-haemagglutinin (HA) antibody response was poor in the ducks and declined from 19-56 DPI [highest haemagglutination inhibition (HI) test reciprocal geometric mean titre (GMT) of 16.1 at 19 DPI to a GMT of 3.7 at 56 DPI]. In the ducks after 42 DPI, nucleoprotein (NP) c-ELISA antibodies waned slowly from a median of 81% inhibition, and were long-lived to at least 8 months with a 57% median inhibition value.
The evaluation of a commercial NP c-ELISA, HI test, Taqman Type A RRT-PCR and embryonating chicken egg (ECE) virus isolation methods suggests high validity of these tests in wild birds, comparable to that reported in poultry. The NP c-ELISA in high AIV prevalence situations had a 100% diagnostic sensitivity (95% CI 81.5, 100) and in controls had 91% diagnostic specificity (95% CI 70.8, 98.9). In low AIV prevalence situations using a ≥60% inhibition threshold for positivity relative to the HI test, c-ELISA performed with 90.5% diagnostic sensitivity (95% CI 86.2, 93.8) and 41.2% diagnostic specificity (95% CI 38.1, 44.5). Assessment of the HI test suggests that a titre of ≥8 is a significant result in wild birds, and using this titre the HI test had 83.3% diagnostic sensitivity (95% CI 58.6, 96.4) in the challenged birds. The Type A RRT-PCR test performance for cloacal swabs had high diagnostic sensitivity that varied between 83.3-100% and diagnostic specificity that varied between 94.1-100% over 2-6 DPI when evaluated against ECE virus isolation, with substantial to outstanding agreement (Kappa statistic=0.8) and significant positive correlation (rs=0.82). The recommended thresholds for the Type A RRT-PCR at the Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) in poultry of CT <37 for positivity with an intermediate threshold (CT 37-40) were found to be valid in wild birds. The ECE virus isolation method performed well with 89% of virus positive birds positive on the first passage
Sea lice infestation dataset for wild and farmed salmon populations on the Pacific coast of Canada (2001–2023)
No full textMonitoring sea lice infestation levels on populations of farmed and wild salmonids is critical to the development of evidence-based policy designed to mitigate the risk these ectoparasites represent to wild juvenile salmon and the on-going sustainability of salmon aquaculture. The data described relate to sea lice monitoring along the coast of British Columbia (BC), Canada from all areas where Atlantic salmon farms are present, spanning over two decades of observations from these farms and adjacent wild Pacific salmonid populations. Around 10,000 mean monthly sea lice estimates are included from almost 100 salmon farms spread across seven ‘fish health’ zones along the BC coast. Sea lice infestation data from over 365,000 wild hosts, observed as part of almost 17,000 sampling events in these zones, are also reported. While observations were made in the same broad geographical area, temporal coverage varies by zone. These data provide valuable insights into long-term trends, including spatial variability and demographic patterns within the sea lice populations observed on various host species along the BC coast
Estimating quantitative genetic parameters in wild populations:A comparison of pedigree and genomic approaches
No full textThe estimation of quantitative genetic parameters in wild populations is generally limited by the accuracy and completeness of the available pedigree information. Using relatedness at genome-wide markers can potentially remove this limitation and lead to less biased and more precise estimates. We estimated heritability, maternal genetic effects and genetic correlations for body size traits in an unmanaged long-term study population of Soay sheep on St Kilda using three increasingly complete and accurate estimates of relatedness: (1) Pedigree 1, using observation-derived maternal links and microsatellite-derived paternal links; (2) Pedigree 2, using SNP-derived assignment of both maternity and paternity; and (3) whole-genome relatedness at 37,037 autosomal SNPs. In initial analyses, heritability estimates were strikingly similar for all three methods while standard errors were systematically lower in analyses based on Pedigree 2 and genomic relatedness. Genetic correlations were generally strong, differed little between the three estimates of relatedness and the standard errors declined only very slightly with improved relatedness information. When partitioning maternal effects into separate genetic and environmental components, maternal genetic effects found in juvenile traits increased substantially across the three relatedness estimates. Heritability declined compared to parallel models where only a maternal environment effect was fitted, suggesting that maternal genetic effects are confounded with direct genetic effects and that more accurate estimates of relatedness were better able to separate maternal genetic effects from direct genetic effects. We found that the heritability captured by SNP markers asymptoted at about half the SNPs available, suggesting that denser marker panels are not necessarily required for precise and unbiased heritability estimates. Finally, we present guidelines for the use of genomic relatedness in future quantitative genetics studies in natural populations.</p
ATP-induced focal adhesion kinase activity is negatively modulated by phospholipase D2 in PC12 cells
No full textExtracellular ATP has been known to modulate various cellular responses including mitogenesis, secretion and morphogenic activity in neuronal cells. In the ATP-incluced morphogenic activity, focal adhesion kinase(s) such as Fak have been suggested to play a critical role. Binding of ATP to its specific cell surface receptor in PC12 cells induces phospholipase D (PLO) activity. However, the role of PLD on ATP-induced Fak activation in PC12 cells remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of PLD on the ATP-induced Fak activation and paxillin phosphorylation using two established cell lines: wild type PLD2- and lipase-inactive mutant PLD2-inducible PC12 cells. Stimulation of cells with ATP caused PLD2 activation via classical protein kinase C activation. ATP also induced Fak activation, and paxillin phosphorylation, and were dramatically reduced by wild type PLD2 overexpression but not by lipase-inactive mutant PLD2 overexpression. When the PC12 cells were pretreated with propranolol, a specific inhibitor for phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase resulting in the accumulation of PA, ATP-induced Fak-activation and paxillin phosphorylation were also reduced. We found that inhibition of tyrosine phosphatases by pervanadate completely blocked PLD2-dependent Fak and paxillin dephosphorylation. Taken together, we suggest that PLD2 activity might play a negative role in ATP-induced Fak and paxillin phosphorylation possibly through tyrosine phosphatases.open116sciescopuskc
Temporal and spatial variations in lice numbers on salmon farms in the Hardanger fjord 2004-06
No full textThe long and narrow Hardanger fjord in western Norway has a high density of salmon farms and has had severe salmon lice, Lepeophtheirus salmonis, problems. In the years 2004-06, salmon lice numbers were recorded in selected salmon farms in the fjord as part of a larger research project. Most farm sites participated in a strategic control programme and were deloused between November and January in each year. The aim of the programme was to achieve a mean abundance of <0.3 adult female lice at this time and to minimize the infection pressure on wild smolts in the spring. Dedicated teams carried out detailed counting of lice on farmed fish in April-September each year. Temperature conditions were fairly similar throughout the fjord and amongst years, but wide variations in salinities were observed. The two innermost zones, B and C, had the lowest lice mean abundances, whereas the outermost zones, D and E, consistently had more lice. General linear model analyses showed that differences in adult female lice abundance between the zones were associated with differing levels of salinity and emamectin benzoate treatments strategically administered. Mean fish weight was significantly positively correlated with mean abundance of adult female lice
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