Mitochondrial control region sequence analyses indicate dispersal from the US East Coast as the source of the invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish Pterois volitans in the Bahamas

Lionfish are popular aquarium fish from the Indo-Pacific that have invaded the western Atlantic. Two species, Pterois volitans and P. miles, were well established along the United States east coast before the first lionfish were reported from the Bahamas in 2004, where they quickly dispersed throughout the archipelago by 2007. The source of the Bahamian lionfish invasion has been in question because of the hypothesized low connectivity between Florida and Bahamas reef species as well as the temporal lag in their arrival in the Bahamas. Mitochondrial control region haplotypes (680 bp) were determined and analyzed for lionfish specimens from the Bahamas, North Carolina, and two sites within their native range (Indonesia and the Philippines). Exact tests, pairwise F _st and AMOVA analyses all showed no significant differentiation between the Bahamas and North Carolina specimens. The similarity between the Bahamas and North Carolina lionfish was also reflected in a minimum spanning network and neighbor-joining distance tree generated from the data. Sequence analyses also revealed the presence of only Pterois volitans, as no P. miles were detected in the Bahamian sample. These results indicate that the source of the Bahamian lionfish is egg and larval dispersal from the United States east coast population, and support previous models of reef fish dispersal that suggest a low level of connectivity between the Bahamas and east coast of Florida.     

Lip-reading in remote subjects: an attempt to quantify and separate ingestion, breathing and vocalisation in free-living animals using penguins as a model

A new mandibular sensor is presented here based on the use of a Hall sensor, attached to one mandible, opposite a magnet, attached to the other mandible. Changes in sensor voltage, proportional to magnetic field strength, and thus inter-mandibular angle, are recorded in a logger. This system was tested on seven captive Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) and three gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) during: (1) feeding trials on land, where birds were given known quantities and types of food; and (2) trials in water where birds were allowed to swim and dive freely. In addition, six free-living Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) were equipped with the system for single foraging trips. Angular signatures were looked for in instances when both captive and free-living birds might open their beaks, and it was discovered that five major behaviours could be identified: ingestion, breathing, calling, head shaking and preening. Captive feeding trials showed that prey mass could be determined with reasonable accuracy (r²=0.92), and there was some indication that prey type could be resolved if recording frequency were high enough. Vocalisations in Adélie penguins (arc calls) took <0.7 s for mean maximum beak angles of 4.2° (SD 1.3), and were distinguished by their relatively gradual change in beak angle and by their high degree of symmetry. Beak shakings were distinguishable by their short duration (multiple peaks of <0.5 s) and minimal maximum angle (<0.5°). Preening behaviour was apparent due to multiple decreasing peaks (angles <8°). Breathing could be subdivided into that during porpoising, where a characteristic double peak in beak angle was recorded, and that during normal surface rests between dives. During porpoising, only the primary peak (mean maximum beak angle 25.1°, SD 4.7) occurred when the bird was out of the water (mean maximum for second peak 5.9°, SD 4.1). During normal surface rests in free-living birds, breaths could be distinguished as a series of beak openings and closures, showing variation in amplitude and frequency according to an apparent recovery from the previous dive and preparation for the subsequent dive to come. The mandibular measuring system presented shows considerable promise for elucidating many hitherto intractable aspects of the behaviour of free-living animals.     

A Multiple Lines of Evidence Framework to Evaluate Intrinsic Biodegradation of 1,4‐Dioxane

Development of a multiple lines of evidence (MLOE) framework to evaluate the intrinsic biodegradation potential of 1,4‐dioxane is vital to implementing management strategies at groundwater sites impacted by 1,4‐dioxane. A comprehensive MLOE approach was formed to provide significant evidence of natural degradation of 1,4‐dioxane comingled with tetrahydrofuran (THF) within a large, diffuse plume. State‐of‐the art molecular biological analyses and compound‐specific isotope analysis (CSIA) were employed to support more traditional approaches for data analysis (concentration trend analyses, spatial distribution, temporal changes, geochemical biodegradation attenuation indicators, plume mass estimates, and fate and transport modeling). The molecular analyses demonstrated that microorganisms capable of both metabolic and cometabolic degradation of 1,4‐dioxane were present throughout the groundwater plume, whereas the CSIA data provided supporting evidence of biodegradation. 1,4‐Dioxane biomarkers were present and abundant throughout the 1,4‐dioxane plume, and our biomarkers tracked the plume with reasonable accuracy. Evidence also suggests that THF‐driven cometabolic biodegradation as well as catabolic 1,4‐dioxane biodegradation were active at this site. These data supplemented the traditional lines of evidence approaches, which demonstrated that 1,4‐dioxane attenuation was occurring across the groundwater plume and that nondestructive physical processes alone did not account for the observed 1,4‐dioxane attenuation. This MLOE framework combining new and traditional analyses demonstrates that this site has a significant capacity for intrinsic biodegradation of 1,4‐dioxane. ©2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The on-road experiences and awareness of sleepiness in a sample of Australian highway drivers: A roadside driver sleepiness study

Objective: Driver sleepiness contributes substantially to road crash incidents. Simulator and on-road studies clearly reveal an impairing effect from sleepiness on driving ability. However, the degree to which drivers appreciate the dangerousness of driving while sleepy is somewhat unclear. This study sought to determine drivers' on-road experiences of sleepiness, their prior sleep habits, and personal awareness of the signs of sleepiness.

Methods: Participants were a random selection of 92 drivers traveling on a major highway in the state of Queensland, Australia, who were stopped by police as part of routine drink driving operations. Participants completed a brief questionnaire that included demographic information, sleepy driving experiences (signs of sleepiness and on-road experiences of sleepiness), and prior sleep habits. A modified version of the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) was used to assess subjective sleepiness in the 15 min prior to being stopped by police.

Results: Participants' ratings of subjective sleepiness were quite low, with 90% reporting being alert to extremely alert on the KSS. Participants were reasonably aware of the signs of sleepiness, with many signs of sleepiness associated with on-road experiences of sleepiness. Additionally, the number of hours spent driving was positively correlated with the drivers' level of sleep debt.

Conclusions: The results suggest that participants had moderate experiences of driving while sleepy and many were aware of the signs of sleepiness. The relationship between driving long distances and increased sleep debt is a concern for road safety. Increased education regarding the dangers of sleepy driving seems warranted.     

Accelerating Adaptation of Natural Resource Management to Address Climate Change

Natural resource managers are seeking tools to help them address current and future effects of climate change. We present a model for collaborative planning aimed at identifying ways to adapt management actions to address the effects of climate change in landscapes that cross public and private jurisdictional boundaries. The Southwest Climate Change Initiative (SWCCI) piloted the Adaptation for Conservation Targets (ACT) planning approach at workshops in 4 southwestern U.S. landscapes. This planning approach successfully increased participants’ self‐reported capacity to address climate change by providing them with a better understanding of potential effects and guiding the identification of solutions. The workshops fostered cross‐jurisdictional and multidisciplinary dialogue on climate change through active participation of scientists and managers in assessing climate change effects, discussing the implications of those effects for determining management goals and activities, and cultivating opportunities for regional coordination on adaptation of management plans. Facilitated application of the ACT framework advanced group discussions beyond assessing effects to devising options to mitigate the effects of climate change on specific species, ecological functions, and ecosystems. Participants addressed uncertainty about future conditions by considering more than one climate‐change scenario. They outlined opportunities and identified next steps for implementing several actions, and local partnerships have begun implementing actions and conducting additional planning. Continued investment in adaptation of management plans and actions to address the effects of climate change in the southwestern United States and extension of the approaches used in this project to additional landscapes are needed if biological diversity and ecosystem services are to be maintained in a rapidly changing world. Acelerando la Adaptación del Manejo de Recursos Naturales para Atender el Cambio Climático     

Prenatal and postnatal management of omphalocele

Omphalocele is one of the most common abdominal wall defects seen in the prenatal period. Once this diagnosis is confirmed, it is important to check the fetal karyotype and thoroughly assess the fetus for other malformations. Prenatal management involves serial assessment of fetal growth and prenatal testing to ensure fetal well-being. Closure of the abdominal wall and replacement of organs into the abdominal cavity can be done directly if the omphalocele is small or in a staged manner if the omphalocele is large. Successful outcomes for these neonates can be optimized with a multidisciplinary team approach to prenatal and postnatal management. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preliminary Evaluation of the Use of Phosphogypsum for Reef Substrate. Ii. A Study of the Effects of Phosphogypsum Exposure On Diversity and Biomass of Aquatic Organisms

The effects of cement consolidated phosphogypsum (PG) on marine organisms was investigated under natural conditions in four 1000 m² estuarine ponds. Two ponds were seeded with 160 kg of PG arranged in aggregations of blocks and two ponds received similar mass of sand/cement blocks. Meiofauna were sampled quarterly and PG did not affect total meiofauna or major taxa (nematodes and copepods) density. Abundant species of copepods either were slightly increased in ponds with PG or were inconsistently affected.

All ponds were drained after one year. Three species of macroinvertebrates and 15 species of fishes were collected. Diversity indices showed modest but inconsistent variation among ponds. Only Pond 1 (control) and Pond 4 (experimental) had similar species abundances and all ponds showed unique distributions of biomasses among species. Thus, no differences in community structure attributable to the presence of PG could be detected among benthic invertebrates, natant invertebrates, or fishes.     

Community participation in international projects: an analytical perspective from the Russian Far East

International projects frequently struggle with the dilemmas of community participation, whether the community in question is the object of a development or aid intervention, or is to be persuaded to cooperate on a conservation project. This paper discusses the challenges facing interventionists and the obstacles and opportunities that local people encounter as they come into contact with exogenous conservation and development projects. The key issues presented can be summarized as legacy, legitimacy, agency and communication. We argue that project planners need to understand the history of past interventions in order to respond appropriately to local expectations. At the same time, the complexity of community leadership and representation complicates the sometimes conflicting agendas of project developers and communities. Much depends on personal relations, individual agency, and initiative. Finally, the physical means of communication—language, print and broadcast media, transport and telecommunications—are important aspects to consider when assessing the limitations to community participation. Although there have been valuable successes in international projects in Russia, as in other regions of the world, a better understanding of community participation is needed to ensure more effective and sustainable means for engaging communities in project development and implementation. This paper explores these questions through a locally-grounded analysis based on the academic research and practitioner experience of the two authors in the remote home of a World Heritage site—the Kamchatka Peninsula, in the Russian Far East.     

In utero therapy for fetal thoracic abnormalities

Fetal thoracic lung anomalies are rare. The specific diagnosis can be made by utilizing ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and Doppler studies. Perinatal surveillance is required for large lesions and mediastinal shift regardless of the pathological diagnosis. These can cause physiological changes in the cardiovascular system with resulting hydrops. In utero therapies are variable but with no large randomized trials to compare risks and benefits. In most cases of fetal lung lesions, continued observation with postnatal therapy is the outcome. When fetal hydrops is present or impending, in utero fetal therapy is required to try to reverse that pathological course associated with fetal or neonatal death. Maternal morbidity is increased with the development of MIRROR syndrome following the presence of long-standing fetal hydrops and possible surgical procedures. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.