Factors controlling variation in the seasonal spawning pattern of Lytechinus variegatus

A population of the regular sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus was sampled, and the gonad volume and test diameter recorded at monthly intervals for 10 years. Parameters abstracted from the data included the size and date when the gonads were full and when they were spent, the spawning pattern, and the spawn output. Environmental parameters available were sea temperature and rainfall. Correlations were determined among these. A correlation was also found between the appearance in successive years of a brood of young urchins on the shore and the temperature and rainfall.Contribution No. 1490 from Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, 10 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, Florida 33149, USA. We are indebted to the Federal Water Quality Administration for supporting this work under Grant No. DI WP-01433.     

Spatial analysis of extreme precipitation in Sweden 1961-2000

Extreme daily precipitation in Sweden for the years 1961-2000 is analyzed with respect to spatial scale, regional variations and associated weather types. Correlograms based on a lag distance of 30 km estimated the spatial scale of variation of the annual mean precipitation, the 99th percentile of daily precipitation and the average of annual maximum daily precipitation to 100 km, 60-100 km and 40-70 km, respectively. Regions of correlation with respect to precipitation at 82 stations during days of extreme events are identified through Maximum-Likelihood Factor Analysis. Eleven factors are found to provide the optimum factor solution. Weather types for the days of extreme events are determined by an objective classification scheme, based on daily sea level pressure, which is modified by subjective inclusion of fronts. In total, 63% of the extreme events occurred during cyclonic weather types, 32% during frontal, 3% during directional and 2% during anticyclonic types. The frequency of the weather types during extreme events varied between the regions however.     

Change in spring arrival of migratory birds under an era of climate change,Swedish data from the last 140 years

Many migratory bird species have advanced their spring arrival during the latest decades, most probably due to climate change. However, studies on migratory phenology in the period before recent global warming are scarce. We have analyzed a historical dataset (1873–1917) of spring arrival to southern and central Sweden of 14 migratory bird species. In addition, we have used relative differences between historical and present-day observations (1984–2013) to evaluate the effect of latitude and migratory strategy on day of arrival over time. There was a larger change in spring phenology in short-distance migrants than in long-distance migrants. Interestingly, the results further suggest that climate change has affected the phenology of short-distance migrants more in southern than in central Sweden. The results suggest that the much earlier calculated arrival to southern Sweden among short-distance migrants mirrors a change in location of wintering areas, hence, connecting migration phenology and wintering range shifts.     

Water use in arid rural systems and the integration of water and agricultural policies in Europe: the case of Andarax river basin

Water is a precious resource in arid rural areas with irrigated agriculture. Nonetheless, water and agricultural policies in Europe show different management scopes and objectives, usually translated in divergent drivers of rural change. This paper has a double aim: to propose a specific method for quantitative biophysical analysis of water use in rural systems with the multi-scale integrated analysis of societal and ecosystem metabolism approach and to show the usefulness of this method for the assessment of the integration of water and agricultural policies. The river basin scale is chosen, since it is the socioecological unit for water management established in the water framework directive 2000/60/CE. A multi-scale water use accounting is provided for a Mediterranean river basin in Andalusia, integrating water cycle, ecosystems and social levels. Particularly focusing on agricultural production, a relevant set of indicators is proposed in order to analyze and compare different metabolic patterns. Finally, the integration of water and agricultural planning is assessed in terms of external (biophysical) and internal (economic, institutional) constraints of the new water-use patterns generated by the scenarios posed in these policies. While on a European level water policy is ambitious in terms of ecological conservation, the lack of integration within the common agricultural policy and the entanglement of multiple scales of political and economic organization of local ruralities blur its priority in a rather slow transition to a new water culture.     

Distribution and human health risk assessment of PAHs in four fish species from a SW Atlantic estuary

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The aim of this study is to assess—for the first time—the concentration of the 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the muscle...     

Perinatal outcomes and genomic characteristics of fetal copy number variants: An individual record linkage study of 713 pregnancies

Objective

To determine the perinatal outcomes of fetuses diagnosed with a pathogenic copy number variant (CNV) or variant of uncertain significance (VUS); and to characterize these variants in terms of testing indication, genomic location, size, and inheritance.

Methods

Retrospective study of singleton pregnancies with a pathogenic CNV or VUS from a single laboratory during 2012–2018. Probabilistic record linkage between the prenatal diagnosis dataset and perinatal outcome data for births from 20 weeks gestation was performed. If no birth record was found, this implied a pregnancy loss <20 weeks.

Results

We included 6945 prenatal microarray results; a pathogenic CNV was detected in 230 (3.3%, 95% CI: 2.9%–3.8%) and a VUS in 483 (7.0%, 95% CI: 6.4%–7.6%). Of pregnancies with a pathogenic CNV, 20.0% (95% CI: 15.3%–25.6%) had a live birth, 3.0% (95% CI: 1.5%–6.2%) had a perinatal death (stillbirth or neonatal death), and 77% (95% CI: 71.1%–81.9%) had no birth record. Of those with a VUS, 64.4% (95% CI: 60.0%–68.5%) had a live birth, 1.8% (95% CI: 1.0%–3.5%) had a perinatal death, and no birth record was found for 33.7% (95% CI: 29.7%–38.1%). Most pathogenic CNVs (61.1%) were <7 Mb in size. The most common microdeletion syndromes were DiGeorge, Wolf-Hirschhorn, and Cri-du-chat syndromes.

Conclusion

This study provides an overview of perinatal outcomes and frequency of recurrent CNVs observed in the prenatal microarray era.     

Water hyacinths as a resource in agriculture and energy production: a literature review

Water hyacinths are becoming a problem in lakes, ponds and waterways in many parts of the world. This paper contains a literature study of different ways to use water hyacinths, mainly in agricultural or alternative energy systems. The literature review indicated that water hyacinths can be rich in nitrogen, up to 3.2% of DM and have a C/N ratio around 15. The water hyacinth can be used as a substrate for compost or biogas production. The sludge from the biogas process contains almost all of the nutrients of the substrate and can be used as a fertiliser. The use of water hyacinth compost on different crops has resulted in improved yields. The high protein content makes the water hyacinth possible to use as fodder for cows, goats, sheep and chickens. Water hyacinth, due to its abundant growth and high concentrations of nutrients, has a great potential as fertiliser for the nutrient deficient soils of Africa and as feed for livestock. Applying the water hyacinths directly without any other processing than sun drying, seems to be the best alternative in small-scale use due to the relatively small losses of nutrients and workload required. To meet the ever-growing energy demand, biogas production could be one option but it requires investments and technological skills that would impose great problems in developing countries where the water hyacinth is often found. Composting as an alternative treatment has the advantage of a product that is easy to work into the soil compared with dried water hyacinths, because of the decomposed structure. Harvesting and transport of water hyacinths can be conducted manually on a small scale and does not require a new harvesting technique to be introduced. Transporting of fresh water hyacinths means, if used as fertiliser in amounts large enough to enhance or effect crop growth, an unreasonably large labour requirement. Based on the labour need and the limited access to technology, using dried water hyacinths, as green manure is a feasible alternative in many developing countries.     

Nuchal translucency thickness and outcome in chromosome translocation diagnosed in the first trimester

In order to determine the significance of nuchal translucency thickness on the subsequent natural history of first-trimester fetuses with a chromosome translocation, seven consecutive cases diagnosed between 11 and 13 weeks of gestation were reviewed. Nuchal translucency measurements were successfully obtained before chorionic villus sampling (CVS) in all cases. Three fetuses had an unbalanced translocation and all were associated with increased nuchal translucency and multiple anomalies at the detailed second-trimester scan. There were no survivors in this group. The remaining four fetuses had a balanced translocation; all had normal nuchal translucency thickness and no structural anomalies were detected in the second trimester. Three of these fetuses were born at ≥35 weeks of gestation and were phenotypically normal. However, an unexpected single fetal demise occurred in a dichorionic twin pregnancy at 28 weeks of gestation. It is concluded that nuchal translucency measurements provide important prognostic information on pregnancy outcome in first-trimester fetuses with a chromosome translocation. In parents with a known balanced translocation, the detection of increased nuchal translucency at 11–14 weeks of gestation is associated with unbalanced translocations, structural anomalies and poor pregnancy outcome. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.