Freshwater invertebrate responses to fine sediment stress: A multi-continent perspective.

Excessive fine sediment (particles <2 mm) deposition in freshwater systems is a pervasive stressor worldwide. However, understanding of ecological response to excess fine sediment in river systems at the global scale is limited. Here, we aim to address whether there is a consistent response to increasing levels of deposited fine sediment by freshwater invertebrates across multiple geographic regions (Australia, Brazil, New Zealand and the UK). Results indicate ecological responses are not globally consistent and are instead dependent on both the region and the facet of invertebrate diversity considered, that is, taxonomic or functional trait structure. Invertebrate communities of Australia were most sensitive to deposited fine sediment, with the greatest rate of change in communities occurring when fine sediment cover was low (below 25% of the reach). Communities in the UK displayed a greater tolerance with most compositional change occurring between 30% and 60% cover. In both New Zealand and Brazil, which included the most heavily sedimented sampled streams, the communities were more tolerant or demonstrated ambiguous responses, likely due to historic environmental filtering of invertebrate communities. We conclude that ecological responses to fine sediment are not generalisable globally and are dependent on landscape filters with regional context and historic land management playing important roles.

The preterm infant-parent programme for attachment-PIPPA Study: a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing recognition of adverse mental health consequences of preterm birth and the impact on social-emotional development. However, the quality of the developing parent-infant relationship may be protective, with enhanced maternal sensitivity to infants' cues associated with improved outcomes. METHODS: Eighty mothers and their preterm infants born <32 weeks gestation were randomised to intervention and standard care groups. Intervention comprised reflective interview, observation of infant cues and video interaction guidance (VIG). The primary outcome, maternal sensitivity during play, was measured by the Child Adult Relationship Evaluation-Index. Secondary outcomes were infant social-emotional problems measured by the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-Social-Emotional version. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between the intervention and standard care groups in maternal sensitivity during play at 9 months corrected age (CA). In the secondary outcome analysis at 12 months CA, infants in the intervention group had fewer self-regulation problems than infants whose mothers received standard care. Per-protocol analysis revealed that infants whose mothers completed VIG had significantly fewer communication problems. CONCLUSIONS: This early attachment-focussed intervention integrating VIG for mothers and their preterm infants did not enhance maternal sensitivity; however, there were effects on infant social-emotional problems at 12 months CA. IMPACT: Preterm birth can adversely affect infant and parent mental health and the quality of the parent-infant relationship. Early intervention to support parent-infant interaction can have positive effects on infant social-emotional development. There was no statistically significant difference in maternal sensitivity during play at 9 months CA. However, there were fewer infant self-regulation and communication problems reported by mothers at 12 months CA following intervention. Further evaluations of attachment-focussed interventions in the neonatal intensive care unit are needed.

Trait-based ecology at large scales: Assessing functional trait correlations, phylogenetic constraints and spatial variability using open data.

The growing use of functional traits in ecological research has brought new insights into biodiversity responses to global environmental change. However, further progress depends on overcoming three major challenges involving (a) statistical correlations between traits, (b) phylogenetic constraints on the combination of traits possessed by any single species, and (c) spatial effects on trait structure and trait-environment relationships. Here, we introduce a new framework for quantifying trait correlations, phylogenetic constraints and spatial variability at large scales by combining openly available species' trait, occurrence and phylogenetic data with gridded, high-resolution environmental layers and computational modelling. Our approach is suitable for use among a wide range of taxonomic groups inhabiting terrestrial, marine and freshwater habitats. We demonstrate its application using freshwater macroinvertebrate data from 35 countries in Europe. We identified a subset of available macroinvertebrate traits, corresponding to a life-history model with axes of resistance, resilience and resource use, as relatively unaffected by correlations and phylogenetic constraints. Trait structure responded more consistently to environmental variation than taxonomic structure, regardless of location. A re-analysis of existing data on macroinvertebrate communities of European alpine streams supported this conclusion, and demonstrated that occurrence-based functional diversity indices are highly sensitive to the traits included in their calculation. Overall, our findings suggest that the search for quantitative trait-environment relationships using single traits or simple combinations of multiple traits is unlikely to be productive. Instead, there is a need to embrace the value of conceptual frameworks linking community responses to environmental change via traits which correspond to the axes of life-history models. Through a novel integration of tools and databases, our flexible framework can address this need.

The Impact of Metal-Rich Sediments Derived from Mining on Freshwater Stream Life.

Metal-rich sediments have the potential to impair life in freshwater streams and rivers and, thereby, to inhibit recovery of ecological conditions after any remediation of mine water discharges. Sediments remain metal-rich over long time periods and have long-term potential ecotoxicological interactions with local biota, unless the sediments themselves are physically removed or replaced by less metal-rich sediment. Laboratory-derived environmental quality standards are difficult to apply to the field situation, as many complicating factors exist in the real world. Therefore, there is a strong case to consider other, field-relevant, measures of toxic effects as alternatives to laboratory-derived standards and to seek better biological tools to detect, diagnose and ideally predict community-level ecotoxicological impairment. Hence, this review concentrated on field measures of toxic effects of metal-rich sediment in freshwater streams, with less emphasis on laboratory-based toxicity testing approaches. To this end, this review provides an overview of the impact of metal-rich sediments on freshwater stream life, focusing on biological impacts linked to metal contamination.

Troponin T correlates with MRI results in neonatal encephalopathy.

AIM: Troponin is a sensitive marker of asphyxia in term infants mirroring the myocardial injury sustained in global hypoxia-ischaemia. In addition, troponin is a sensitive marker of severity of stroke in adults and neonatal encephalopathy (NE). We aimed to examine the relationship between troponin T in infants with perinatal asphyxia and brain injury on MRI and correlate with neurodevelopmental outcome. METHODS: Serum troponin was sampled in infants requiring resuscitation at birth and/or neonatal encephalopathy in a tertiary referral neonatal centre. Birth history, clinical parameters, neuroimaging and developmental outcome (Bayley Scores of Infant Development [BSID] III) were evaluated. RESULTS: Infants with perinatal asphyxia (n = 54) had serum troponin T measured and 27 required therapeutic hypothermia. Troponin T levels on days 1 and 2 were predictive of need for TH, development of seizures and grade II/III NE (AUC = 0.7; P-values < .001), troponin T levels on days 1, 2 and 3 were highly significant predictors of mortality (AUC = 0.99, P-values .005). The cut-off values of troponin T for best prediction of mortality were 0.84, 0.63 and 0.58 ng/mL on days 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Troponin T on day 3 of life was predictive of injury in the combined area of basal ganglia/watershed on MRI (AUC 0.70; P-value = .045). CONCLUSION: Infants with brain injury on neuroimaging following perinatal asphyxia had significantly elevated serum troponin, and troponin also correlated with developmental scores at 2 years. Further studies combining troponin and MRI may assist in the classification of neonatal brain injury to define aetiology, prognosis and response to treatment.

Histological chorioamnionitis is predicted by early infant C-reactive protein in preterm infants and correlates with neonatal outcomes.

AIM: Histological chorioamnionitis (HCA) is associated with preterm birth and adverse neonatal outcomes. We evaluated the rise in C-reactive protein (CRP) in preterm infants as a predictor of HCA severity and outcomes. METHODS: Consecutive preterm infants, born January 2009 to January 2014 in the National Maternity Hospital, Dublin, under 32 weeks' gestation or <1.5 kg birthweight, were included. Histological chorioamnionitis was staged as maternal inflammatory response, foetal inflammatory response and non-HCA. RESULTS: Preterm infants (n = 518) were included with a mean gestational age 28.5 ± 2.8 weeks, birthweight 1.1 ± 0.3 kg, and 53.5% were male. Histological chorioamnionitis was found in 25.4%. Histological chorioamnionitis was present in 93.7% when CRP > 5 mg/L, 65.2% when CRP 1-5 mg/L and in 19.4% when CRP < 1 mg/L. When both the immature to total neutrophil (IT) ratio was >0.2 and the CRP > 1 mg/L the positive predictive value and negative predictive value for HCA were 92.5% and 84.9%, respectively. Histological chorioamnionitis was associated with more resuscitation and respiratory distress syndrome (both P < .001). A CRP > 10 mg/L was associated with a foetal inflammatory response and increased early-onset sepsis. CONCLUSION: Higher early CRP was a surrogate predictor of HCA and correlated with the severity of HCA. Higher CRP and HCA were associated with adverse early outcomes.

Laryngoscope burn risk in neonatal intubation.

LARYNGOSCOPE BURNS IN NEONATAL INTUBATION: Following burns during neonatal intubation, we mounted an in vitro study of laryngoscopes to determine the temperatures reached during clinical use. The temperature of 10 different bulb laryngoscopes heads and two fibre optic heads were measured with a thermocouple, once opened, and upon closing. Within 60 s, all ten laryngoscopes, with light-bulb sources, had gained significant heat to cause thermal injury to neonatal skin. Laryngoscopes with LED light source and fibre optic heads did not. CONCLUSION: We recommend that the bulb laryngoscope blade, if used, is not left open prior to intubation and that it is closed between intubation attempts. What is Known: • The preterm epidermis is particularly vulnerable to injury. What is New: • Bulb laryngoscope light bulbs consistently reach temperatures sufficient to burn neonatal skin in less than 100 s in an in vitro study. • Bulb light safety advice should be incorporated into intubation guidelines.

How Do Pain, Fatigue, Depressive, and Cognitive Symptoms Relate to Well-Being and Social and Physical Functioning in the Daily Lives of Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis?

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relative association between daily change in pain, fatigue, depressed mood, and cognitive function and 4 outcomes-positive affect and well-being, ability to participate in social roles and activities, upper extremity (UE) functioning, and lower extremity (LE) functioning. DESIGN: Data analysis, multilevel mixed modeling. SETTING: General community. PARTICIPANTS: Ambulatory adults (N=102) with multiple sclerosis. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Customized short-forms of the Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders positive affect and well-being, UE functioning, and LE functioning item banks and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System ability to participate in social roles and activities item bank adapted for daily use and administered as end-of-day diaries. RESULTS: Above and beyond the effects of demographic and clinical covariates, daily pain was associated with 3 of the 4 outcomes; days of higher than usual pain were related to lower same-day social participation (unstandardized ß, B=-1.00; P=.002), UE functioning (B=-1.04; P=.01), and LE functioning (B=-.71; P=.04). Daily fatigue and depressed mood were independently related to daily positive affect and well-being; days of worse fatigue (B=-.54; P=.006) and depressed mood (B=-1.17; P<.0001) were related to lower same-day well-being. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate the role of fluctuations in symptoms in daily functioning and quality of life of individuals with multiple sclerosis. Daily increases in pain intensity are related to social and physical functioning, whereas increases in fatigue and depressed mood are related to lower daily well-being. Findings implicate a person-centered approach to monitoring and treating symptoms.

Comparative Evaluation of Disease Induced by Three Strains of Tobacco etch virus in Capsicum annuum L.

Tobacco etch virus (TEV; genus Potyvirus) strains HAT, Mex21, and N were evaluated comparatively for their pathogenicity and effects on growth of Capsicum annuum L. 'Calwonder'. Each TEV strain induced an initial systemic symptom of vein-clearing but subsequent disease symptoms ranged from mild (HAT) to moderate (Mex21) to severe (N). Effects on plant growth parameters closely reflected disease symptoms induced by each TEV strain. HAT-infected Calwonder plants did not differ from the healthy control for plant height, internode lengths, and aboveground fresh weight of shoots. Root dry weight, however, was less for HAT-infected plants than for the healthy control. Mex21 affected plants more severely, with significantly shorter plant height (at 20, 30, and 40 days postinoculation), reduced root dry weight, and shortened internodes compared with HAT and healthy control treatments. Aboveground fresh weight of Mex21-infected plants was significantly less than for the healthy control. N induced significant negative effects relative to each of the other treatments for plant height, aboveground shoot fresh weight, root dry weight, and internode lengths. The effects on Calwonder fruit production mimicked disease severity and effects on plant growth for the respective TEV strains.

Renal function and novel urinary biomarkers in infants with neonatal encephalopathy.

AIM: Perinatal asphyxia is associated with multi-organ injury including acute kidney injury (AKI). New urinary biomarkers may detect more subtle renal injury. METHODS: Urinary biomarkers (albumin, beta-2 microglobulin, cystatin-C, epidermal growth factor, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, osteopontin, uromodulin) were serially measured from days 1 to 7 in term infants with perinatal asphyxia and controls and compared to 'Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcome' scoring of renal injury and to encephalopathy grade. RESULTS: A total of 255 urine samples were taken from infants exposed to perinatal asphyxia (n = 82) and term controls (n = 10). Thirty-nine infants underwent therapeutic hypothermia, four died and 30 infants had acute kidney injury. Infants with acute kidney injury had significantly higher levels of urinary albumin (day 2), cystatin-C (days 1, 2, 3 and 7), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (days 2, 3 and 7) and osteopontin (days 2, 3 and 7) and lower epidermal growth factor and uromodulin (day 1) compared to those without AKI. Day 2 cystatin-C predicted AKI with an area under receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.89, p < 0.001, cut-off 9.8 × 104  pg/mL. NE grade II/III infants had significantly elevated levels of urinary cystatin-C, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and decreased EGF compared to grade 0/I infants. CONCLUSION: Asphyxiated infants who develop acute kidney injury have significantly altered urinary biomarkers postnatally. Validation of neonatal AKI urinary biomarkers in a large prospective study is required. Long-term follow-up of infants post-asphyxial insult for chronic renal injury is advised.