Decadal stability in coral cover could mask hidden changes on reefs in the East Asian Seas.

Coral reefs in the Central Indo-Pacific region comprise some of the most diverse and yet threatened marine habitats. While reef monitoring has grown throughout the region in recent years, studies of coral reef benthic cover remain limited in spatial and temporal scales. Here, we analysed 24,365 reef surveys performed over 37 years at 1972 sites throughout East Asia by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network using Bayesian approaches. Our results show that overall coral cover at surveyed reefs has not declined as suggested in previous studies and compared to reef regions like the Caribbean. Concurrently, macroalgal cover has not increased, with no indications of phase shifts from coral to macroalgal dominance on reefs. Yet, models incorporating socio-economic and environmental variables reveal negative associations of coral cover with coastal urbanisation and sea surface temperature. The diversity of reef assemblages may have mitigated cover declines thus far, but climate change could threaten reef resilience. We recommend prioritisation of regionally coordinated, locally collaborative long-term studies for better contextualisation of monitoring data and analyses, which are essential for achieving reef conservation goals.

Bone marrow transplant cure for beta-thalassaemia major: initial experience from a developing country.

Between July 2001 and June 2007, 48 consecutive patients with beta-thalassaemia major received allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplants (allo HSCT) from human-leukocyte-antigen-matched siblings at the Armed Forces Bone Marrow Transplant Centre, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, using standard conditioning regimens. The median age of the patient cohort was 4 years (range, 1-14 years). Thirty-one patients were in risk class I, 11 in class II and six patients were in class III. Engraftment was achieved in all patients. Survival was calculated from the date of transplant to death or last follow-up. Major post-transplant complications encountered were acute graft versus host disease (Ac GvHD) (grades II-IV), 35.4%; chronic GvHD, 8.3%; haemorrhagic cystitis, 12.5%; veno-occlusive disease (VOD) of the liver, 6.2%; bacterial infections, 37.5%; fungal infections, 19%; cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, 6.2%; herpes infection, 6.2%; and tuberculosis in 2% of patients. Graft rejection was observed in five patients. Three patients received second transplants. Mortality was observed in 20.8% of patients. Major fatal complications included GvHD, VOD, intracranial haemorrhage, septicaema, CMV disease and disseminated tuberculosis. Overall survival and disease-free survival were 79% and 75%, respectively, at 6 years post-HSCT.