Hemiptera, the largest non-holometabolous order of insects, represents approximately 7% of metazoan diversity. With extraordinary life histories and highly specialized morphological adaptations, ...hemipterans have exploited diverse habitats and food sources through approximately 300 Myr of evolution. To elucidate the phylogeny and evolutionary history of Hemiptera, we carried out the most comprehensive mitogenomics analysis on the richest taxon sampling to date covering all the suborders and infraorders, including 34 newly sequenced and 94 published mitogenomes. With optimized branch length and sequence heterogeneity, Bayesian analyses using a site-heterogeneous mixture model resolved the higher-level hemipteran phylogeny as (Sternorrhyncha, (Auchenorrhyncha, (Coleorrhyncha, Heteroptera))). Ancestral character state reconstruction and divergence time estimation suggest that the success of true bugs (Heteroptera) is probably due to angiosperm coevolution, but key adaptive innovations (e.g. prognathous mouthpart, predatory behaviour, and haemelytron) facilitated multiple independent shifts among diverse feeding habits and multiple independent colonizations of aquatic habitats.
To compare regulatory and economic aspects of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in developed countries.
Comparative policy and economic analysis.
Couples undergoing ART treatment in the United ...States, Canada, United Kingdom, Scandinavia, Japan, and Australia.
Description of regulatory and financing arrangements, cycle costs, cost-effectiveness ratios, total expenditure, utilization, and price elasticity.
Regulation and financing of ART share few general characteristics in developed countries. The cost of treatment reflects the costliness of the underlying healthcare system rather than the regulatory or funding environment. The cost (in 2006 United States dollars) of a standard IVF cycle ranged from $12,513 in the United States to $3,956 in Japan. The cost per live birth was highest in the United States and United Kingdom ($41,132 and $40,364, respectively) and lowest in Scandinavia and Japan ($24,485 and $24,329, respectively). The cost of an IVF cycle after government subsidization ranged from 50% of annual disposable income in the United States to 6% in Australia. The cost of ART treatment did not exceed 0.25% of total healthcare expenditure in any country. Australia and Scandinavia were the only country/region to reach levels of utilization approximating demand, with North America meeting only 24% of estimated demand. Demand displayed variable price elasticity.
Assisted reproductive technology is expensive from a patient perspective but not from a societal perspective. Only countries with funding arrangements that minimize out-of-pocket expenses met expected demand. Funding mechanisms should maximize efficiency and equity of access while minimizing the potential harm from multiple births.
State-of-the-art metal 3D printers promise to revolutionize manufacturing, yet they have not reached optimal operational reliability. The challenge is to control complex laser-powder-melt pool ...interdependency (dependent upon each other) dynamics. We used high-fidelity simulations, coupled with synchrotron experiments, to capture fast multitransient dynamics at the meso-nanosecond scale and discovered new spatter-induced defect formation mechanisms that depend on the scan strategy and a competition between laser shadowing and expulsion. We derived criteria to stabilize the melt pool dynamics and minimize defects. This will help improve build reliability.
To systematically quantify the impact of consumer cost on assisted reproduction technology (ART) utilization and numbers of embryos transferred.
Ordinary least squared (OLS) regression models were ...constructed to measure the independent impact of ART affordability-measured as consumer cost relative to average disposable income-on ART utilization and embryo transfer practices.
Not applicable.
Women undergoing ART treatment.
None.
OLS regression coefficient for ART affordability, which estimates the independent effect of consumer cost relative to income on utilization and number of embryos transferred.
ART affordability was independently and positively associated with ART utilization with a mean OLS coefficient of 0.032. This indicates that, on average, a decrease in the cost of a cycle of 1 percentage point of disposable income predicts a 3.2% increase in utilization. ART affordability was independently and negatively associated with the number of embryos transferred, indicating that a decrease in the cost of a cycle of 10 percentage points of disposable income predicts a 5.1% increase in single-embryo transfer cycles.
The relative cost that consumers pay for ART treatment predicts the level of access and number of embryos transferred. Policies that affect ART funding should be informed by these findings to ensure equitable access to treatment and clinically responsible embryo transfer practices.
Urbanization replaces natural shorelines with built infrastructure, seriously impacting species living on these “new” shores. Understanding the ecology of developed shorelines and reducing the ...consequences of urban development to fauna and flora cannot advance by simply documenting changes to diversity. It needs a robust experimental programme to develop ways in which biodiversity can be sustained in urbanized environments. There have, however, been few such experiments despite wholesale changes to shorelines in urbanized areas. Seawalls--the most extensive artificial infrastructure--are generally featureless, vertical habitats that support reduced levels of local biodiversity. Here, a mimic of an important habitat on natural rocky shores (rock-pools) was experimentally added to a seawall and its impact on diversity assessed. The mimics created shaded vertical substratum and pools that retained water during low tide. These novel habitats increased diversity of foliose algae and sessile and mobile animals, especially higher on the shore. Many species that are generally confined to lowshore levels, expanded their distribution over a greater tidal range. In fact, there were more species in the constructed pools than in natural pools of similar size on nearby shores. There was less effect on the abundances of mobile animals, which may be due to the limited time available for recruitment, or because these structures did not provide appropriate habitat. With increasing anthropogenic intrusion into natural areas and concomitant loss of species, it is essential to learn how to build urban infrastructure that can maintain or enhance biodiversity while meeting societal and engineering criteria. Success requires melding engineering skills and ecological understanding. This paper demonstrates one cost-effective way of addressing this important issue for urban infrastructure affecting nearshore habitats.
The stress-induced kinase, c-Jun-N-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1) has previously been implicated in the pathogenesis of lung fibrosis. However, the exact cell type(s) wherein JNK1 exerts its pro-fibrotic ...role(s) remained enigmatic. Herein we demonstrate prominent activation of JNK in bronchial epithelia using the mouse models of bleomycin- or AdTGFβ1-induced fibrosis. Furthermore, in lung tissues of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), active JNK was observed in various regions including type I and type II pneumocytes and fibroblasts. No JNK activity was observed in adjacent normal tissue or in normal control tissue. To address the role of epithelial JNK1, we ablated Jnk1 form bronchiolar and alveolar type II epithelial cells using CCSP-directed Cre recombinase-mediated ablation of LoxP-flanked Jnk1 alleles. Our results demonstrate that ablation of Jnk1 from airway epithelia resulted in a strong protection from bleomycin- or adenovirus expressing active transforming growth factor beta-1 (AdTGFβ1)-induced fibrosis. Ablation of the Jnk1 allele at a time when collagen increases were already present showed a reversal of existing increases in collagen content. Epithelial Jnk1 ablation resulted in attenuation of mesenchymal genes and proteins in lung tissue and preserved expression of epithelial genes. Collectively, these data suggest that epithelial JNK1 contributes to the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis. Given the presence of active JNK in lungs from patients with IPF, targeting JNK1 in airway epithelia may represent a potential treatment strategy to combat this devastating disease.
Intertidal seawalls are increasingly being built in urban estuaries, fragmenting and replacing natural intertidal shores. Many species of animals and plants live on seawalls. Previous work in Sydney ...Harbour has shown that common species live on seawalls and rocky shores, but vary in their relative abundances according to height on the shore and location. The potential value of seawalls to provide viable intertidal habitat will depend on their ability to support the full diversity of intertidal species, including those that are relatively rare. This study examines the diversity of animals and plants at 2 heights on rocky shore and seawalls, at 4 locations in Sydney Harbour, using presence/absence measures in an intensive sampling schedule in each habitat. The total number and types of taxa found were very variable within and among locations, but clear patterns arose when the data were combined (800 quadrats in each habitat). With few exceptions, algae and sessile animals were similarly distributed across habitats, but approximately 50% of the mobile animals were not found on seawalls. In addition, rocky shores had a greater proportion of rare taxa (only found in 1 or very few quadrats). Of the shared taxa, patterns of occurrence were similar on the 2 structures. Potential reasons for these patterns are discussed and ways to improve seawalls as a habitat for mobile animals are proposed.
Over 80% of the money allocated to protect coastlines from climatic change is spent building new seawalls or increasing the stability, height and length of existing seawalls. Although this protects ...important infrastructure, it has serious consequences for intertidal biodiversity, because walls are built and maintained according to engineering and financial criteria, despite the fact that they are known to adversely affect intertidal biodiversity. We tested the predictability and reliability of adding pots, designed to simulate rockpools, to seawalls as an artificial habitat to mitigate against loss of intertidal species. Two sizes of concrete pots were attached at mid- and highshore tidal levels to sandstone seawalls at 2 locations in Sydney Harbour, Australia. After 7 mo, pots increased intertidal biodiversity on the seawalls by adding additional species. They also supported greater covers and densities of algae and many invertebrates compared with established assemblages on the seawalls. The size of the pot, its height on the wall and its location affected the assemblages that developed, with greater abundances and diversity of organisms in shallower pots and those at midshore levels. Although there were slight differences between locations for some taxa, these results show an easy cost-effective method that authorities can use to try to mitigate the adverse effects on intertidal assemblages of armouring shorelines with featureless, vertical walls.
Background
Placental anomalies (placenta praevia, placental abruption, morbidly adherent placenta and cord insertion anomalies) are associated with maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. It has ...been suggested these might be more prevalent in pregnancies after assisted reproduction technology (ART).
Objectives
To determine whether ART singleton pregnancies are associated with an increased risk of placental anomalies compared with non‐ART singleton pregnancies.
Search strategy
MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, Web of Science and Scopus (January 2018).
Selection criteria
Cohort studies reporting placental anomalies in ART and non‐ART singleton pregnancies.
Data collection and analysis
We report pooled odds ratios (OR) for the comparisons: (1) ART versus SC (spontaneously conceived), (2) ART versus non‐ART (unspecified), (3) FET‐ART (frozen‐embryo transfer) versus SC, (4) ART versus non‐ART (subfertile patients). Study quality was assessed using a modified Newcastle –Ottawa scale.
Main results
33 low/moderate quality studies evaluated 124 215 ART and 6 054 729 non‐ART singleton pregnancies. Risk of placenta praevia, placental abruption and morbidly adherent placenta was higher in ART than SC pregnancies: odds ratio (OR) (OR 3.76, 95% CI 3.09‐4.59); (OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.70‐2.06) and (OR 2.27, 95% CI 1.79‐2.87) respectively. Risk of placenta praevia and placental abruption was higher in ART than in non‐ART (subfertile patients): (OR 2.51, 95% CI 2.12‐2.98) and (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.33‐1.95) respectively. Results were similar when comparing ART with unspecified non‐ART pregnancies. Risk of placenta praevia was higher, but not significantly so, in FET‐ART than in SC pregnancies (OR 2.42, 95% CI 0.63–9.30).
Conclusions
Singleton ART pregnancies are associated with an increased risk of placental anomalies compared with non‐ART singleton pregnancies.
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A review of over 6 million singleton pregnancies finds increased risk of placental anomalies after ART.
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A review of over 6 million singleton pregnancies finds increased risk of placental anomalies after ART.
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