Preserving biodiversity over time is a pressing challenge for conservation science. A key goal of marine protected areas (MPAs) is to maintain stability in species composition, via reduced turnover, ...to support ecosystem function. Yet, this stability is rarely measured directly under different levels of protection. Rather, evaluations of MPA efficacy generally consist of static measures of abundance, species richness, and biomass, and rare measures of turnover are limited to short‐term studies involving pairwise (beta diversity) comparisons. Zeta diversity is a recently developed metric of turnover that allows for measurement of compositional similarity across multiple assemblages and thus provides more comprehensive estimates of turnover. We evaluated the effectiveness of MPAs at preserving fish zeta diversity across a network of marine reserves over 10 years in Batemans Marine Park, Australia. Snorkel transect surveys were conducted across multiple replicated and spatially interspersed sites to record fish species occurrence through time. Protection provided by MPAs conferred greater stability in fish species turnover. Marine protected areas had significantly shallower decline in zeta diversity compared with partially protected and unprotected areas. The retention of harvested species was four to six times greater in MPAs compared with partially protected and unprotected areas, and the stabilizing effects of protection were observable within 4 years of park implementation. Conversely, partial protection offered little to no improvement in stability, compared with unprotected areas. These findings support the efficacy of MPAs for preserving temporal fish diversity stability. The implementation of MPAs helps stabilize fish diversity and may, therefore, support biodiversity resilience under ongoing environmental change.
Impactos de las Áreas Protegidas Marinas sobre la Estabilidad Temporal de la Diversidad de Especies de Peces
Resumen
A medida que avanza el tiempo, la conservación de la biodiversidad es un reto apremiante para las ciencias de la conservación. Un objetivo importante de las áreas marinas protegidas (AMP) es mantener la estabilidad de la composición de especies, por medio de rotaciones reducidas, para así ayudar a la función del ecosistema. Sin embargo, esta estabilidad casi no se mide directamente bajo diferentes niveles de protección. En su lugar, las evaluaciones de eficiencia de las AMP generalmente consisten en medidas estáticas de abundancia, riqueza de especies y biomasa, y las pocas medidas de la rotación están limitadas a los estudios a corto plazo que involucran comparaciones por pares (diversidad beta). La diversidad zeta es una medida recientemente desarrollada de la rotación, la cual permite la medición de las similitudes en la composición en múltiples ensamblajes, proporcionando así estimaciones más completas de la rotación. Evaluamos la efectividad que tienen las AMP en la conservación de la diversidad zeta de los peces en una red de reservas marinas durante diez años en el Parque Marino Bateman, Australia. Se realizaron censos en transecto con snorkel en varios sitios replicados e intercalados espacialmente para registrar la presencia de especies de peces a lo largo del tiempo. La protección proporcionada por las AMP otorgó una mayor estabilidad en la rotación de especies de peces. Las áreas marinas protegidas tuvieron una declinación significativamente más baja de la diversidad zeta que las áreas parcialmente protegidas o desprotegidas. La retención de especies pescadas fue 4–6 veces mayor en las AMP que en las áreas desprotegidas o parcialmente protegidas, y los efectos estabilizadores de la protección fueron observables a partir de cuatro años de la implementación del parque. De manera opuesta, la protección parcial ofreció poca o ninguna estabilidad, comparada con las áreas desprotegidas. Estos descubrimientos respaldan la eficiencia que tienen las AMP en la conservación de la estabilidad temporal de la diversidad de especies de peces. La implementación de las AMP ayuda a estabilizar la diversidad de peces y por lo tanto puede fomentar la resiliencia de la biodiversidad frente al cambio ambiental en curso.
摘要海洋保护区对鱼类物种多样性时间稳定性的影响
【摘要】对生物多样性的长期保护是保护科学面临的一项紧迫挑战。海洋保护区 (MPAs) 的一个关键目标是通过降低周转率来维持物种组成稳定, 以支持生态系统功能。然而, 很少有研究直接测量不同保护级别的海洋中的物种稳定性。相反, 海洋保护区的有效性评估则通常包括对丰度、物种丰富度和生物量的静态测量, 少有的周转率量度也仅限于涉及成对 (beta 多样性) 比较的短期研究。 Zeta 多样性是近期发展起来的周转率指标, 它可以测量多个群集的物种组成相似性, 从而提供更全面的周转率估计。本研究利用澳大利亚贝特曼海岸公园超过十年的海洋保护区网络, 估计了海洋保护区在保护鱼类 zeta 多样性方面的有效性。我们通过在空间上分散的多个位点进行重复的浮潜样带调查, 记录了不同时期鱼类物种的出现情况。结果发现, 海洋保护区提供的保护使鱼类物种周转更加稳定。相比于部分保护区和未保护位点, 海洋保护区 zeta 多样性下降明显更为缓和, 且对渔获物种的保留率高出 4‐6 倍, 这种保护带来的稳定性成效可以在建立海岸公园的四年内观测到。相反, 部分保护区与未受保护位点相比, 在稳定性方面几乎没有改善。这些发现支持了海洋保护区在保护鱼类多样性时间稳定性方面的有效性。海洋保护区的建立有助于稳定鱼类多样性, 因此可以支持持续环境变化背景下的生物多样性恢复力。【翻译: 胡怡思; 审校: 聂永刚】
Purpose: To conduct a literature review of candidate protein biomarkers for individual radiation biodosimetry of exposure to ionizing radiation.
Materials and methods: Reviewed ∼300 publications ...(1973 - April 2006) that reported protein effects in mammalian systems after either in vivo or in vitro radiation exposure.
Results: We found 261 radiation-responsive proteins including 173 human proteins. Most of the studies used high doses of ionizing radiation (>4 Gy) and had no information on dose- or time-responses. The majority of the proteins showed increased amounts or changes in phosphorylation states within 24 h after exposure (range: 1.5- to 10-fold). Of the 47 proteins that are responsive at doses of 1 Gy and below, 6 showed phosphorylation changes at doses below 10 cGy. Proteins were assigned to 9 groups based on consistency of response across species, dose- and time-response information and known role in the radiation damage response.
Conclusions: ATM (Ataxia telengiectasia mutated), H2AX (histone 2AX), CDKN1A (Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A), and TP53 (tumor protein 53) are top candidate radiation protein biomarkers. Furthermore, we recommend a panel of protein biomarkers, each with different dose and time optima, to improve individual radiation biodosimetry for discriminating between low-, moderate-, and high-dose exposures. Our findings have applications for early triage and follow-up medical assessments.
To compare the long-term intraocular pressure (IOP) outcomes of Ahmed Glaucoma Valve (AGV) implantation to trabeculectomy with mitomycin C (MMC) in open-angle glaucoma (OAG).
78 OAG patients who ...underwent AGV implantation were matched with respect to age, preoperative surgery, preoperative IOP and preoperative medicines to 88 OAG patients who underwent trabeculectomy with MMC with a minimum of 3 years' follow-up. The cumulative probability of success between the two groups with different criteria was analysed: (1) an IOP < or =21 mm Hg and a reduction of IOP>/=15% from baseline; and (2) an IOP < or =18 mm Hg and a reduction of IOP > or =20% from baseline. No loss of light perception, no additional glaucoma surgery and no hypotony were also required.
The 5-year cumulative probability of success was not statistically significant between eyes that had an AGV or trabeculectomy with MMC when success was defined as criteria A (p = 0.094). However, when success was defined according to criteria B, eyes undergoing trabeculectomy with MMC had a higher rate of success (p = 0.024).
Trabeculectomy with MMC has a significantly higher 5-year cumulative probability of success compared with AGV implants when greater reduction IOP is necessary.
Outlet infrastructure and hypersaline discharge from large-scale desalination operations have the potential to impact marine environments. Here, we present the results of a six-year M-BACI assessment ...of the impacts of desalination discharge outlet construction and hypersaline effluent on the cover of habitat-forming species on temperate reefs. The construction of the desalination outlet caused a decrease in the cover of Ecklonia radiata (kelp) and an increase in the cover of algal turfs up to 55 m from the outlet. Following the commencement of discharging of hypersaline brine, the impact to E. radiata and algal turfs persisted, but decreased in spatial extent to be less than 25 m from the outlet. Hypersaline discharge was also associated with a significant decline in the cover of sponges in outlet compared to reference sites. Overall, our results demonstrate that the water security benefits from large-scale desalination may sometimes be appropriately balanced against the associated ecological consequences.
•We completed a six-year M-BACI assessment of the impacts of a desalination outlet on habitat-forming reef species.•The construction of the desalination discharge outlet caused a decrease in kelp and an increase in algal turf cover.•The spatial extent of the impacts to kelp and algal turf decreased during the period when hypersaline brine was discharged.•Hypersaline discharge caused a significant decline in the cover of sponges around the outlet compared to reference sites.•The water security benefits of large-scale desalination may sometimes be balanced against the ecological consequences.
Understanding how preferences for public policy instruments shape policy support helps policymakers to design policies that begin to tackle large‐scale and complex problems, such as climate change. ...Climate change policies generate both local and global costs and benefits, which affect the public's policy preferences. In this article we investigate the role of perceived conditional cooperation and distributive concerns on climate policy attitude formation. We identify a range of climate policies and test public opinion for adoption of these policies at different scales of government. The important theoretical distinction is the scale‐driven distributional nature of policy costs and benefits as well as concerns regarding the cooperation of other actors. We use data from Sweden and a conjoint experimental design where we vary level of government, type of policy, and the targeted group. We find evidence that people support policies when costs are shared broadly. We also find that support for climate policy is conditional on expected policy adoption by other units of government at various scales. This implies that unpopular climate policies might be more popular if the funding structure of the policy allows for binding policy and that the cost‐sharing is taking place at higher levels of government.
摘要
了解公共政策工具偏好如何影响政策支持一事有助于决策者设计一系列开始解决大规模和复杂问题(如气候变化)的政策。气候变化政策在地方和全球层面产生成本和收益，从而影响公众的政策偏好。本文中，我们调查了感知条件合作和分配关注对“气候政策态度形成”产生的作用。我们确定了一系列气候政策，并测试了有关“不同规模的政府对这些政策的采纳”的公众舆论。重要的理论区别是政策成本和收益的分配性质(由规模所驱动)，以及有关其他行动者合作的顾虑。我们使用来自瑞典的数据和一项联合实验设计，在实验设计中对政府级别、政策类型和目标群体加以改变。我们发现，当成本被广泛分担时，人们会支持政策。我们还发现，对气候政策的支持取决于其他政府部门在不同规模上的预期政策采纳情况。这暗示，如果政策的资金结构允许具有约束力的政策，并且成本分担发生在更高级别的政府，那么不受欢迎的气候政策可能会更受欢迎。
Resumen
Comprender cómo las preferencias por los instrumentos de política pública dan forma al apoyo a las políticas ayuda a los formuladores de políticas a diseñar políticas que comiencen a abordar problemas complejos y de gran escala, como el cambio climático. Las políticas de cambio climático generan costos y beneficios tanto locales como globales, que afectan las preferencias políticas del público. En este artículo investigamos el papel de la cooperación condicional percibida y las preocupaciones distributivas en la formación de actitudes hacia la política climática. Identificamos una gama de políticas climáticas y evaluamos la opinión pública para la adopción de estas políticas en diferentes escalas de gobierno. La distinción teórica importante es la naturaleza distributiva basada en la escala de los costos y beneficios de las políticas, así como las preocupaciones con respecto a la cooperación de otros actores. Utilizamos datos de Suecia y un diseño experimental conjunto en el que variamos el nivel de gobierno, el tipo de política y el grupo objetivo. Encontramos evidencia de que las personas apoyan las políticas cuando los costos se comparten ampliamente. También encontramos que el apoyo a la política climática está condicionado a la adopción esperada de políticas por parte de otras unidades de gobierno en varias escalas. Esto implica que las políticas climáticas impopulares podrían ser más populares si la estructura de financiamiento de la política permite una política vinculante y si los costos compartidos se llevan a cabo en los niveles más altos del gobierno.
Kelp forests are in decline globally and large-scale intervention could be required to halt the loss of these valuable ecosystems. To date kelp forest restoration has had limited success and been ...expensive and unable to address the increasing scale of ecosystem deterioration. Here we developed and tested a new approach: "green gravel". Small rocks were seeded with kelp and reared in the laboratory until 2-3 cm, before out-planting to the field. The out-planted kelp had high survival and growth over 9 months, even when dropped from the surface. This technique is cheap, simple, and does not require scuba diving or highly trained field workers. It can be up-scaled to treat large areas or even used to introduce genes from more resilient kelp populations onto vulnerable reefs. Green gravel thus overcomes some of the current major limitations of kelp restoration and provides a promising new defense against kelp forest decline.
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•Autism spectrum disorders ASD have a major adverse impact on social interactions.•Male dominance in ASD, with females receiving late diagnosis or remain undiagnosed.•There is a link ...between ASD and the “female brain” or “male brain”•Very recently, mutations in micro RNA (miRNA) have become apparent in ASD.•fMRI sheds light on the details of neural connectivity, important in ASD.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social deficits, repetitive behaviours and lack of empathy. Its significant genetic heritability and potential comorbidities often lead to diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. This review addresses the biological basis of ASD, focusing on the sex differences in gene expression and hormonal influences. ASD is more commonly diagnosed in males at a ratio of 4:1, indicating a potential oversight in female-specific ASD research and a risk of underdiagnosis in females. We consider how ASD manifests differently across sexes by exploring differential gene expression in female and male brains and consider how variations in steroid hormones influence ASD characteristics. Synaptic function, including excitation/inhibition ratio imbalance, is influenced by gene mutations and this is explored as a key factor in the cognitive and behavioural manifestations of ASD. We also discuss the role of micro RNAs (miRNAs) and highlight a novel mutation in miRNA-873, which affects a suite of key synaptic genes, neurexin, neuroligin, SHANK and post-synaptic density proteins, implicated in the pathology of ASD. Our review suggests that genetic predisposition, sex differences in brain gene expression, and hormonal factors significantly contribute to the presentation, identification and severity of ASD, necessitating sex-specific considerations in diagnosis and treatments. These findings advocate for personalized interventions to improve the outcomes for individuals with ASD.
Orientation in a keystone grazer Fraser, Clarissa M. L.; Coleman, Ross A.; Seebacher, Frank
Marine ecology. Progress series (Halstenbek),
03/2015, Letnik:
522
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Quantification of factors that modulate small-scale, individual patterns of location and behaviour is fundamental for ecology, as the behaviour of animals within habitats affects many components of ...fitness. At the smallest scale, animals show variations in orientation, which can interact with small-scale habitat variability and is probably modified by individual identity. Limpets on steeply-sloped substrata have a population-level downwards bias in orientation. We tested the hypotheses that (1) patterns of orientation are maintained by limpets orientating in the same direction when located within the same resting site, and (2) that the strength of this relationship depends on the identity of an individual. We showed that microhabitat level variation contributed strongly to orientation patterns. Different limpets occupying the same resting site orientated in the same direction, and this pattern was consistent at multiple temporal scales. In resting sites occupied by the same limpet, the strength of the association between habitat and orientation increased. The assumption that environmental factors drive patterns of orientation is widespread, but we have demonstrated that habitat properties may be equally as important. Ecologists must be conscious of habitat properties and individual identity when trying to understand the distribution and alignment of individuals.
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