Isolation of culturable mycobiota from agricultural soils and determination of tolerance to glyphosate of nontoxigenic Aspergillus section Flavi strains

Glyphosate-based herbicides are extensively used in Argentina's agricultural system to control undesirable weeds. This study was conducted to evaluate the culturable mycobiota [colony forming units (CFU) g^?1 and frequency of fungal genera or species] from an agricultural field exposed to pesticides. In addition, we evaluated the tolerance of A. oryzae and nontoxigenic A. flavus strains to high concentrations (100 to 500 mM – 17,000 to 84,500 ppm) of a glyphosate commercial formulation. The analysis of the mycobiota showed that the frequency of the main fungal genera varied according to the analyzed sampling period. Aspergillus spp. or Aspergillus section Flavi strains were isolated from 20 to 100% of the soil samples. Sterilia spp. were also observed throughout the sampling (50 to 100%). Aspergillus section Flavi tolerance assays showed that all of the tested strains were able to develop at the highest glyphosate concentration tested regardless of the water availability conditions. In general, significant reductions in growth rates were observed with increasing concentrations of the herbicide. However, a complete inhibition of fungal growth was not observed with the concentrations assayed. This study contributes to the knowledge of culturable mycobiota from agricultural soils exposed to pesticides and provides evidence on the effective growth ability of A. oryzae and nontoxigenic A. flavus strains exposed to high glyphosate concentrations in vitro.     

Prenatal magnetic resonance imaging detection of temporal lobes and hippocampal anomalies in hypochondroplasia

Hypochondroplasia (HCH) is a genetic skeletal dysplasia, inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion. About 50–70% of HCH patients have a mutation in FGFR3 gene and in the majority of cases it is a de novo mutation. Recent magnetic resonance imaging studies on relative large cohorts of HCH patients have showed a central nervous system involvement with a high incidence of characteristic temporal lobe and hippocampal abnormalities. To the best of our knowledge, this report shows the first magnetic resonance imaging prenatal detection of characteristic brain anomalies in a case of HCH, molecularly confirmed through postnatal FGFR3 analysis. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

State-wide increase in prenatal diagnosis of klinefelter syndrome on amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling: Impact of non-invasive prenatal testing for sex chromosome conditions

Background

To analyze population-based trends in the prenatal diagnosis of sex chromosome aneuploidy (SCA) since the availability of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT).

Methods

Retrospective state-wide data for all prenatal diagnoses performed <25 weeks gestation from 2005 to 2020 in Victoria, Australia. Non-invasive prenatal testing became locally available from 2012. The prenatal diagnosis rates of SCA as proportions of all prenatal diagnostic tests and all births were calculated. Statistical significance was assessed with the χ² test for trend, with p < 0.05 considered significant.

Results

46,518 amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling were performed during the study period, detecting 617 SCAs. There was a significant increase in the rate of prenatal SCAs from 5.8 per 10,000 births in 2005 to 8.7 per 10,000 births in 2020 (p < 0.0001). This increase was predominantly due to 47,XXY cases, 91% of which were ascertained via positive NIPT for this condition in 2020. The prenatal diagnosis rate of 47,XXY significantly increased from 0.8 per 10,000 births in 2005 to 4.3 per 10,000 births in 2020 (p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Screening for SCAs using NIPT has directly led to an increase in their prenatal diagnosis on a population-wide basis, especially 47,XXY. This has implications for clinician education, genetic counselling, and pediatric services.     

Two methods to assess vulnerability to climate change in the Mexican agricultural sector

We applied two methods to assess vulnerability to climate change in Mexico’s agricultural sector. The first one was a principal component analysis (PCA) that weighted each variable separately. For the second one, we integrated the variables in a linear array in which all variables were weighted equally, and then, we used the arithmetic sum of the sub-indices of exposure and sensitivity minus the adaptive capacity to obtain the vulnerability index. We discuss the similarities and differences between two methods with respect to municipal-level maps as the outputs. The application of the method for the agricultural sector in Mexico gave us the spatial distribution of the high- and very-high vulnerability categories, which we propose as a tool for policy. The methods agreed that the very-high vulnerability category is present in 39 municipalities. Also we found that 16 % of the total population in the country is located in high-exposure areas. In addition, 41 % lives in municipalities identified as highly-sensitive. In terms of adaptive capacity, 20 % of the population lives in 1273 municipalities with low-adaptive capacity. Finally, we discuss the need for information regarding vulnerability at the national level to guide policies aimed at reducing exposure and sensitivity and increasing adaptive capacity.     

Effects of Fish Stocking on Ecosystem Services: An Overview and Case Study Using the Stockholm Archipelago

In this article, we focus on documented and possible effects of fish stocking in terms of ecosystem services. The increasing use of fish stocking between 1970 and 2000 in the semiurban setting of Stockholm archipelago, Sweden, is used as case study. The objective is to analyze this management practice from an ecosystem perspective, accounting for both the ecological and social context of releasing fish. The results show that enhancements of four native species (Salmo S. trutta, Salmo salar, Stizostedion lucioperca, and Anguilla anguilla) have dominated over new introductions of one nonnative species. (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The major objective has been to increase fish catches for local resource users. Involved stakeholders include three management agencies, one hydropower company, and several local sport fishing associations. Documented effects focus on recapture and production rates. However, our analysis suggests that additional positive or negative effects on biodiversity, food web dynamics, mobile links, or ecological information may also result, with possible consequences for the long-term provision of food, game, and aesthetic values. We conclude that a more adaptive and cooperative management approach could benefit from a deeper analysis of where, when, and what species is released, by whom, which stakeholders that use the fish and those ecosystem services the fish generate, and of the role of formal and informal institutions for monitoring and evaluating the success of releasing fish.     

Remediation of drinking water contaminated with arsenic by the electro-removal process using different metal electrodes

The purification of water by the electro-removal process using different metal electrodes is widely used in different spheres of science and industry. The comparative characteristics under galvanostatic conditions of zinc (Zn), brass (Cu-Zn), copper (Cu) and iron (Fe) anodes for arsenic (As) removal from water by the electro-removal process in laboratory scale experiments were determined at current densities of 1.5, 3 and 12 mA cm(-2) for 60 min, from a solution containing different concentrations of As(v) (from 70 to 130 microg L(-1)). The results at these different current densities indicated that rapid arsenic removal was achieved at higher current densities (12 mA cm(-2)), with the chemical precipitation of arsenate complexes. The removal of As was relatively efficient, with the following tendency (at 1.5 mA cm(-2)): Fe (>93%) congruent with Zn (>93%) > Cu-Zn (>73%) >Cu (>67%), these efficiencies were relatively independent of the removal rate for all the initial arsenic concentrations investigated. This behaviour is attributed to the electrochemical intrinsic properties of the most active metals, and to the chemical precipitation reactions following the electrochemical process, iron being the most attractive metal for arsenic removal for practical applications.     

Polychlorinated biphenyls in polysulfide sealants--occurrence and emission from a landfill station

Approximately 80,000 kg polysulfide sealant containing 10,000-18,000 kg polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) was deposited at a Swedish municipal landfill station during 1965-1973. Investigations during 1994 showed that soil layers underneath the landfill had concentration of PCB not alarmingly high. The concentration of PCB congeners in ground water samples was elevated 4-750 times compared to a reference sample. Based on samples of ground water, leachate water, and flux chambers measuring evaporation of PCB from the landfill surface, the emission of PCB was estimated to be 1 g sigmaPCB/yr. This very low rate was attributed to the high sorptive capacity of the sealant. Compared to a reference site, the evaporation flux was elevated for the most volatile congeners, but factors 20-1400 lower than from another landfill which was contaminated with PCB in paper-pulp fibres.     

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.     

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.