Relative costs of conserving threatened species across taxonomic groups

Bias toward legally protecting and prioritizing charismatic taxonomic groups, such as mammals and birds, and against others, such as insects and plants, is well documented. However, the relative costs of conserving various taxonomic groups and the potential of these costs to interact with existing biases have been much less explored. We analyzed conservation programs across more than 2,000 species in 3 countries to investigate the costs of conserving species within taxonomic groups and how these costs might affect conservation planning. For each data set, we tested for differences in mean annual cost among taxonomic groups. For the data set from the United States, recovery plans differed in duration, so we also tested for differences in total costs among taxonomic groups. Although the costs for individual species varied widely, there were strong international consistencies. For example, mammals cost 8–26 times more on average to conserve than plants and 13–19 times more to conserve than aquatic invertebrates. On average, bird species cost 5–30 times more to conserve than plants and 6–14 times more to conserve than aquatic invertebrates. These cost differences could exacerbate unequal resource allocation among taxonomic groups such that more charismatic groups both receive more attention and require more resources, leading to neglect of other taxonomic groups.     

Removal of antimony from model solutions,mine effluent,and textile industry wastewater with Mg-rich mineral adsorbents

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Naturally occurring layered double hydroxide mineral, brucite (BRU), was compared with hydromagnesite (HYD) and a commercial Mg-rich mineral adsorbent...     

Experimental Evaluation of the Importance of the Pulmonary Surfactant for Oxygen Transfer Rate in Human Lungs

The rate of oxygen transport from atmospheric air into water and perfluorocarbon compound (PFC) was investigated. Static and dynamic systems with and without the presence of the lung surfactant monolayer were considered. For the case of water used as an oxygen absorbent, the monolayer activity allowed a simulation of the gas uptake into the lung hypophase. In the second case, a two-phase liquid system with water as a hypophase and PFC as the blood substitute simulated oxygen transport in the alveolus-blood system. Original experimental measurement devices gave the opportunity of determining the gas transport rate with the possibilities of indicating the role of the lung surfactant in the process and evaluating the influence of environmental conditions on the transport phenomena. Results of that work suggest a possible enhancing role of the lung surfactant in the oxygen transfer rate.     

The degradation of the cyanobacterial hepatotoxin nodularin (NOD) by UV radiation

This study investigates the decomposition of NOD by UV irradiation. Water solutions of pure NOD and NOD-containing Nodularia extract as well as Nodularia filaments collected on filters were exposed to UV-A, UV-B, and white fluorescent light (VIS) during 48 h experiments. In VIS, the toxin was fairly stable and only 3.8-4.6% of the original degraded. UV-B had the most pronounced effect on the NOD degradation rate. In the experiment, the overall loss of NOD was 0.27 and 0.77 micro g ml(-1)day(-1) for the solution of pure toxin and Nodularia extract and 0.28 micro g day(-1) for Nodularia filaments. Comparison of UV-B degradation rate in water and methanol extracts revealed higher stability of NOD in methanol. This might suggest that some hydrophobic components of Nodularia cell play a protective role against UV radiation. Additionally, chemical (LC-MS/MS) and biochemical (ELISA and PPIA) assays were employed to characterize the UV degradation products. LC-MS/MS analyses showed that in UV-B exposed sample, apart from NOD, there were three other compounds with molecular ion at m/z at 825.4. The fragmentation pattern of the ion was the same for all four compounds suggesting that they are geometrical isomers of NOD. The major degradation product, with a local absorption maximum at 242 nm, was active in both biochemical assays.     

A prospective study on rapid exome sequencing as a diagnostic test for multiple congenital anomalies on fetal ultrasound

Objective

Conventional genetic tests (quantitative fluorescent-PCR [QF-PCR] and single nucleotide polymorphism-array) only diagnose ~40% of fetuses showing ultrasound abnormalities. Rapid exome sequencing (rES) may improve this diagnostic yield, but includes challenges such as uncertainties in fetal phenotyping, variant interpretation, incidental unsolicited findings, and rapid turnaround times. In this study, we implemented rES in prenatal care to increase diagnostic yield.

Methods

We prospectively studied 55 fetuses. Inclusion criteria were: (a) two or more independent major fetal anomalies, (b) hydrops fetalis or bilateral renal cysts alone, or (c) one major fetal anomaly and a first-degree relative with the same anomaly. In addition to conventional genetic tests, we performed trio rES analysis using a custom virtual gene panel of ~3850 Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) genes.

Results

We established a genetic rES-based diagnosis in 8 out of 23 fetuses (35%) without QF-PCR or array abnormalities. Diagnoses included MIRAGE (SAMD9), Zellweger (PEX1), Walker-Warburg (POMGNT1), Noonan (PTNP11), Kabuki (KMT2D), and CHARGE (CHD7) syndrome and two cases of Osteogenesis Imperfecta type 2 (COL1A1). In six cases, rES diagnosis aided perinatal management. The median turnaround time was 14 (range 8-20) days.

Conclusion

Implementing rES as a routine test in the prenatal setting is challenging but technically feasible, with a promising diagnostic yield and significant clinical relevance.     

Networking emergency teams in Jerusalem

With the recent upsurge in terrorism, more and more attention is being directed at examining the effectiveness and efficiency of emergency teams. These teams tend to focus on their areas of expertise without necessarily communicating, cooperating or coordinating their operations. Research suggests that improved interpersonal communication and coordination enhances the overall work of each emergency team, and that their combined effort is far in excess of the sum of their individual endeavours. This paper outlines attempts made in Jerusalem to improve the performance of emergency teams and to help the helpers by holding training workshops, setting up a forum of co‐workers and encouraging dialogue among various emergency teams in the city. A planned intervention programme was designed to enable informal networking between team leaders. The programme had an impact on team workers and resulted in a more coordinated and effective service delivery during emergencies.