Inshore and offshore marine migration pathways of Atlantic salmon post-smolts from multiple rivers in Scotland, England, Northern Ireland, and Ireland.

The migratory behavior of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) post-smolts in coastal waters is poorly understood. In this collaborative study, 1914 smolts, from 25 rivers, in four countries were tagged with acoustic transmitters during a single seasonal migration. In total, 1105 post-smolts entered the marine study areas and 438 (39.6%) were detected on a network of 414 marine acoustic receivers and an autonomous underwater vehicle. Migration pathways (defined as the shortest distance between two detections) of up to 575 km and over 100 days at sea were described for all 25 populations. Post-smolts from different rivers, as well as individuals from the same river, used different pathways in coastal waters. Although difficult to generalize to all rivers, at least during the year of this study, no tagged post-smolts from rivers draining into the Irish Sea were detected entering the areas of sea between the Hebrides and mainland Scotland, which is associated with a high density of finfish aquaculture. An important outcome of this study is that a high proportion of post-smolts crossed through multiple legislative jurisdictions and boundaries during their migration. This study provides the basis for spatially explicit assessment of the impact risk of coastal pressures on salmon during their first migration to sea.

Migration patterns and navigation cues of Atlantic salmon post-smolts migrating from 12 rivers through the coastal zones around the Irish Sea.

The freshwater phase of the first seaward migration of juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is relatively well understood when compared with our understanding of the marine phase of their migration. In 2021, 1008 wild and 60 ranched Atlantic salmon smolts were tagged with acoustic transmitters in 12 rivers in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland. Large marine receiver arrays were deployed in the Irish Sea at two locations: at the transition of the Irish Sea into the North Atlantic between Ireland and Scotland, and between southern Scotland and Northern Ireland, to examine the early phase of the marine migration of Atlantic salmon smolts. After leaving their natal rivers' post-smolt migration through the Irish Sea was rapid with minimum speeds ranging from 14.03 to 38.56 km.day-1 for Atlantic salmon smolts that entered the Irish Sea directly from their natal river, to 9.69-39.94 km.day-1 for Atlantic salmon smolts that entered the Irish Sea directly from their natal estuary. Population minimum migration success through the study area was strongly correlated with the distance of travel, populations further away from the point of entry to the open North Atlantic exhibited lower migration success. Post-smolts from different populations experienced different water temperatures on entering the North Atlantic. This was largely driven by the timing of their migration and may have significant consequences for feeding and ultimately survivorship. The influence of water currents on post-smolt movement was investigated using data from previously constructed numerical hydrodynamic models. Modeled water current data in the northern Irish Sea showed that post-smolts had a strong preference for migrating when the current direction was at around 283° (west-north-west) but did not migrate when exposed to strong currents in other directions. This is the most favorable direction for onward passage from the Irish Sea to the continental shelf edge current, a known accumulation point for migrating post-smolts. These results strongly indicate that post-smolts migrating through the coastal marine environment are: (1) not simply migrating by current following (2) engage in active directional swimming (3) have an intrinsic sense of their migration direction and (4) can use cues other than water current direction to orientate during this part of their migration.

A holistic and comprehensive data approach validates the distribution of the critically endangered flapper skate (Dipturus intermedius).

Morphological similarities between skates of the genus Dipturus in the north-eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean have resulted in longstanding confusion, misidentification and misreporting. Current evidence indicates that the common skate is best explained as two species, the flapper skate (Dipturus intermedius) and the common blue skate (D. batis). However, some management and conservation initiatives developed prior to the separation continue to refer to common skate (as 'D. batis'). This taxonomic uncertainty can lead to errors in estimating population viability, distribution range, and impact on fisheries management and conservation status. Here, we demonstrate how a concerted taxonomic approach, using molecular data and a combination of survey, angler and fisheries data, in addition to expert witness statements, can be used to build a higher resolution picture of the current distribution of D. intermedius. Collated data indicate that flapper skate has a more constrained distribution compared to the perceived distribution of the 'common skate', with most observations recorded from Norway and the western and northern seaboards of Ireland and Scotland, with occasional specimens from Portugal and the Azores. Overall, the revised spatial distribution of D. intermedius has significantly reduced the extant range of the species, indicating a possibly fragmented distribution range.

A review of elasmobranch catch-and-release science: synthesis of current knowledge, implications for best practice and future research directions.

Until relatively recently commercial fisheries have been considered the main driving factor for elasmobranch population declines. However, this belief has begun to shift with the realization that recreational elasmobranch catches may equal or exceed commercial catches in some regions. Many recreational angling fisheries for elasmobranchs involve high participation in catch-and-release angling practices. However, high release rates may not necessarily equate to high survival rates. Therefore, to assist accurate assessment of the potential impact of recreational angling on elasmobranchs, we attempted to summarize and integrate currently available information on specific risk factors associated with recreational angling, alongside associated mortality rates, as well as information on angler behaviour as it relates to identified risk factors. We categorized the major angling-related effects into two groups: injury-induced effects; and biochemical disruption-induced effects; providing a summary of each group and outlining the main lethal and sub-lethal outcomes stemming from these. These outcomes include immediate and delayed post-release mortality, behavioural recovery periods (which may in-turn confer increased predation risks), chronic health impacts and capture-induced parturition and abortion. Additionally, we detailed a range of angling practices and equipment, including hook-type, hook removal and emersion (i.e. air exposure), as well as inter- and intra-specific factors, including aerobic scope, respiratory mode, body size and species-specific behaviours, which are likely to influence injury and/or mortality rates and should therefore be considered when assessing angling-related impacts. We then utilized these data to provide a range of actionable recommendations for both anglers and policymakers which would serve to reduce the population-level impact of recreational angling on these enigmatic animals.

In-river behaviour and freshwater return rates of sea trout, Salmo trutta L., from two coastal river populations.

The effective management of anadromous Salmo trutta resources is challenging because long-term data on life history, phenology and survival are sparse and most stocks across the range are highly diverse and data-limited. The current study employed acoustic telemetry to tag 448 sea trout across three life stages, to describe the phenology, spawning behaviour and return rates of smolts, finnock (0+ sea age) and adult (≥1+ sea age) sea trout in two Irish river systems during 2018-2021. Tagged smolts (n = 206) exhibited river to sea transition rates of 78%-92% and a number of surviving smolts returned to their natal river as 0+ sea age finnock, exhibiting overall smolt to finnock return rates of between 6% and 17%. Short-term vagrancy occurred among smolts, and 14 individuals were detected in adjacent non-natal rivers. Finnock tagged during the late summer (n = 205) exhibited a range of behaviours with a minority (<30%) ascending upstream to spawning areas. Tagged adult sea trout (n = 37) ascended upstream to the spawning grounds and between 50% and 80% successfully returned to sea as kelts after spawning. Subsequent return rates of kelts back to the river in the following year ranged from 9% to 40%. The current study indicated that body size was an influential predictor of behaviour and survival across all three life stages. Increased body size was positively associated with marine transition success in smolts, long-term marine survival in kelts and spawning behaviour in finnock. This work further demonstrates the complexity of sea trout life-history dynamics and provides a comparative perspective across different age classes. An understanding of life-history variation, behaviour and survival is fundamental for the successful management and conservation of sea trout stocks.

The Prognostic Value of Quantitative EEG in Patients Undergoing Mechanical Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke.

PURPOSE: Previous work has shown that quantitative EEG measures correlate with the severity of ischemic stroke. This has not been systematically validated in patients with acute ischemic stroke who have undergone mechanical thrombectomy. METHODS: Data were collected from 73 patients who underwent mechanical thrombectomy and had a standard head set EEG performed during their hospital admission. For each patient, the global delta-alpha ratio (DAR) and its difference between the two hemispheres were calculated. Associations between the global and interhemispheric DAR difference with the patients' National Institutes of Health Stroke and Modified Rankin Scale scores at discharge and 3 months after thrombectomy were assessed. RESULTS: The interhemispheric DAR difference correlated with the National Institutes of Health Stroke scores at discharge (Spearman R = 0.41, P = 0.0008), National Institutes of Health Stroke scores at 3 months (Spearman R = 0.60, P = 0.02) and Modified Rankin Scale scores at 3 months (Spearman R = 0.27, P = 0.01). In contrast, the global DAR did not correlate significantly with any of these clinical outcomes when evaluated as continuous variables. In a multivariate logistic regression model, both the interhemispheric DAR difference (ß = 0.25, P = 0.03) and the infarct volume (ß = 0.02, P = 0.03) were independently predictive of good versus poor functional outcome (Modified Rankin Scale score ≤2 vs. >2) at 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: The quantitative EEG measure of interhemispheric slow relative to fast frequencies power asymmetry correlated with the discharge and 3-month National Institutes of Health Stroke and Modified Rankin Scale scores and provided added value to infarct volume in predicting functional outcome at 3 months. These data support the prognostic value of quantitative EEG in ischemic stroke patients who have undergone mechanical thrombectomy.

Body condition of returning Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. correlates with scale δ13 C and δ15 N content deposited at the last marine foraging location.

Patterns of feeding and growth of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. in the marine environment are critical to understanding how observed declines in recruitment may reflect warming or other oceanic drivers. The isotopic composition of scales can provide insight into differences in marine feeding location and possibly temperature regime. The authors used archived scale samples to measure δ13 C and δ15 N deposited in the scales of one sea-winter (1SW) salmon during their last season of growth at sea before they returned to five Irish rivers. δ13 C values were related statistically to observed salmon body condition (Fulton's K), and fish with higher δ13 C values tended to show significantly better condition. In contrast, δ15 N values were negatively related to body condition. There was no important effect on condition of length at smolt migration, and the effect of duration of marine residence varied among rivers. It is likely that δ13 C values partly reflected ambient ocean temperature and recent marine feeding environment before return migration, such that the observed relationship between higher δ13 C values and increased body condition may express an advantage for adult fish feeding in warmer, potentially closer, waters. If greater body condition influences fitness, then a changing temperature regime in the Northeast Atlantic may drive shifts in salmon survival and reproduction. This study provides evidence that there is spatial and trophic variation at sea between salmon from rivers of origin that are located relatively close to each other, with potential consequences for body condition and, consequently, fitness and life history; this suggests that salmon populations from geographically proximate rivers within regions may exhibit differential responses to ocean-scale climatic changes across the Northeast Atlantic.

Proposal to optimize evaluation and treatment of Febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome (FIRES): A Report from FIRES workshop.

Febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome (FIRES) is a rare catastrophic epileptic encephalopathy that presents suddenly in otherwise normal children and young adults causing significant neurological disability, chronic epilepsy, and high rates of mortality. To suggest a therapy protocol to improve outcome of FIRES, workshops were held in conjunction with American Epilepsy Society annual meeting between 2017 and 2019. An international group of pediatric epileptologists, pediatric neurointensivists, rheumatologists and basic scientists with interest and expertise in FIRES convened to propose an algorithm for a standardized approach to the diagnosis and treatment of FIRES. The broad differential for refractory status epilepticus (RSE) should include FIRES, to allow empiric therapies to be started early in the clinical course. FIRES should be considered in all previously healthy patients older than two years of age who present with explosive onset of seizures rapidly progressing to RSE, following a febrile illness in the preceding two weeks. Once FIRES is suspected, early administrations of ketogenic diet and anakinra (the IL-1 receptor antagonist that blocks biologic activity of IL-1ß) are recommended.

Unprecedented widespread occurrence of Pink Salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha in Ireland in 2017.

The occurrence of non-native pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha in multiple river systems in Ireland in 2017 was unprecedented and reflected similar concurrent events observed in other countries in the North Atlantic region. Thirty-six fish were captured in a total of 11 river systems located in the south-west, west and north-west of Ireland in the period June to September 2017. The biological characteristics of sampled specimens are described and the potential for establishment in Ireland are considered.

Mast cell chymase impairs bronchial epithelium integrity by degrading cell junction molecules of epithelial cells.

BACKGROUND: An increased degree of mast cell (MC) degranulation and damage to the epithelial lining are prominent features of bronchial asthma. In asthmatic airways, it seems likely that epithelial cells will be exposed to increased concentrations of proteases from MC, though their actions on the epithelium are still not very clear. METHODS: Bronchial rings from human lung tissue or 16HBE cell monolayer were incubated with MC chymase in different doses or various inhibitors. The sections of paraffin-embedded tissue were haematoxylin-eosin stained and computerized by image analysis for epithelial damage-scale-evaluation; the cell viability, proliferation, adhesion and lactate dehydrogenase activity release were assayed; the expressions of gelatinases, cell junction molecules and structure proteins of 16HBE were examined. RESULTS: Mast cell chymase was found to provoke profound changes in the morphology of bronchi epithelial layer. Following incubation with chymase, there was 40% reduction in the length of epithelium that was intact, with detachment of columnar epithelial cells and basal cells. Chymase reduced epithelial cell proliferation and induced cell detachment, which were associated with the changes in secretion and activation of matrix metalloproteinase-2/9. In intact epithelial cell layers, immunocytochemistry study revealed that chymase reduced the expressions of occludin, claudin-4, ZO-1, E-cadherin, focal adhesion kinase and cytokeratin. Overall data of this study indicated that MC chymase can influence tissue remodelling, disrupt epithelial cell junctions, inhibit wound healing and impair the barrier function of epithelium, resulting in dysfunction of airway wall and ECM remodelling in pathogenesis of asthma. CONCLUSION: Mast cell chymase plays a key role in inducing the damage to bronchial epithelium in asthma.

Predictability and parafoveal preview effects in the developing reader: Evidence from eye movements.

The current study utilized the gaze-contingent boundary paradigm (Rayner, 1975) to examine the effects of predictability and parafoveal preview on reading behavior of developing readers. Participants ranging in age from 6- to 12-years-old read target words placed in a predictable or neutral context. Target words were manipulated to give either a valid identity preview, a visually similar preview that provided partial letter identity information, or a visually dissimilar preview where all of the letters were substituted. Developing readers fixated for a shorter duration on words in a predictable context. Furthermore, they showed significant preview effects and gained the most preview benefit from a full valid preview of the target word, especially within a predictable context. More skilled readers received more parafoveal information and relied less on context than less skilled readers. Implications for models of eye-movement control are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

A species-to-be? The genetic status and colonization history of the critically endangered Killarney shad.

Typically anadromous, the twaite shad (Alosa fallax) can become landlocked and adapt to a fully freshwater life. The only landlocked shad population in Northwestern Europe is found in a lake in Ireland, Lough Leane. The Killarney shad, Alosa killarnensis (or Alosa fallax killarnensis, as it is mostly referred to) displays a level of morphological divergence that indicates a long-term isolation in the lake. Microsatellites and mtDNA control region sequences were used within a coalescent framework (BEAST and Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC)) to investigate its colonization history and to clarify its taxonomic status. Results indicate that the lake was likely colonized in two independent events, the first coinciding with the retreat of the ice sheet from the area after the Last Glacial Maximum and the second after the Younger Dryas. Microsatellite data has shown that these two landlocked lineages have completely admixed within the lake, and have started diverging significantly from their closest ancestor, the twaite shad. We argue that our molecular results (together with the life-history and physiological divergence between Killarney and twaite shad) are conspicuous enough to view the landlocked population as a new species, and one whose future existence would certainly not be insured by its sister taxon.

Expression of calretinin by breast carcinoma and the potential for misdiagnosis of mesothelioma.

AIMS: Calretinin and cytokeratin (CK)5/6 are frequently used to differentiate between metastatic breast cancer and primary malignant mesothelioma in pleural biopsies, but both tumours may express these markers. This study was aimed at evaluating the frequency of calretinin expression in primary breast carcinomas, and assessing the characteristics of the calretinin-positive tumours. METHODS AND RESULTS: Fifty-three primary breast adenocarcinomas were analysed for immunohistochemical expression of calretinin. CK5/6 and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) immunostaining were performed on the calretinin-positive subset. Tumours were classified as basal-like if they met standard morphological and immunohistochemical criteria. Fifteen per cent (8/53) of the breast tumours were positive for calretinin. Eighty-eight per cent (7/8) of the calretinin-positive tumours were grade 3, as compared with 20% (9/45) of the calretinin-negative tumours (P<0.001). Only 13% (1/8) of the calretinin-positive tumours were also oestrogen receptor (ER)-positive, as compared with 87% (39/45) of the calretinin-negative tumours (P<0.001). Eleven per cent (6/53) of the tumours were classified as basal-like. Of these, four were positive for calretinin and two were negative (P=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Fifteen per cent of breast carcinomas stain with calretinin. These tumours are more likely to be high-grade, ER-negative, and display a basal-like phenotype. These tumours may be misdiagnosed as malignant mesothelioma when they metastasize to the pleura.

The UK postmortem organ retention crisis: a qualitative study of its impact on parents.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the impact of postmortem organ retention on parents who made enquiries about their babies and children when the retention of hearts and other organs removed at postmortem and stored without explicit knowledge or consent of the next-of-kin came to public attention in the UK during 1999-2004. DESIGN: Qualitative study conducted 2003-2004. Data were collected via semi-structured, qualitative interviews and focus groups. PARTICIPANTS: 39 parents who had been affected by organ retention. SETTING: Participants were recruited via three parental peer support groups and two NHS Hospital Trusts. RESULTS: Transcripts of the interviews and focus groups were analysed using a thematic approach that sought patterns within the data and highlighted important similarities and differences between participants' accounts. Participants reported the distressing impact organ retention had on their lives; their need for information about the retention of their babies' or children's organs; and the difficulties in their decision making about disposal of retained body parts and tissue blocks and slides. Analysis indicated that organ retention had evoked unresolved bereavement issues and a renewal of grief as well as an opportunity for some parents to resolve ongoing bereavement concerns. CONCLUSIONS: Parents in this study wanted NHS teams to appreciate the difficulties organ retention had caused them, deal with their enquiries proactively with openness and honesty, and facilitate an environment where they felt supported and could gain the answers to their questions and concerns that were provoked by postmortem organ retention. Such issues may also have implications for the care of other parents and relatives of deceased children.

Preliminary investigation of swallowing apnea duration and swallow/respiratory phase relationships in individuals with cerebral vascular accident.

Swallowing apnea duration (SAD) and swallow-respiratory phase relationships were examined in individuals with cerebral vascular accident (CVA) and dysphagia who aspirated (n=11) and did not aspirate (n=15). Simultaneous videofluoroscopic and respiratory measures were recorded across 5-, 10-, 15-, and 20-ml thin and thick liquid bolus trials. These data were also compared with that previously acquired with healthy older adults (n=20). A moderate amount of systematic missing data was evidenced in the individuals who were dysphagic and especially those who aspirated subsequently limiting inferential analyses. Only 1 of the 11 participants who aspirated and 7 of the 15 who did not aspirate completed all 16 conditions. Six of the remaining ten who aspirated had missing data subsequent to termination of trials due to aspiration risk. The remaining four and seven of the eight who did not aspirate had missing data due to poor respiratory waveforms. From the remaining data, it was found that SAD and respiratory phase relationships differed among individuals with dysphagia and CVA (i.e., those who aspirate vs. those who do not aspirate) and healthy older adults. SAD was found to be longer for those who aspirated versus those who did not for all bolus viscosities and volumes with the exception of thick-liquid 10-ml boluses. In addition, SAD from those that aspirated was twice as long as that found in healthy older adults for all conditions. Regarding respiratory phase relationships, there was a difference between the proportions of respiratory patterns in those who aspirated versus those who did not. Those who aspirated demonstrated a markedly greater percentage of swallows that interrupted inhalation. In addition, the inhale-swallow-inhale pattern occurred with a greater frequency as swallowing severity increased. Healthy older adults, those who did not aspirate, and those who aspirated used the inhale-swallow-inhale pattern 0.1%, 3.0%, and 9.0%, respectively.

Does remodelling of the airway wall precede asthma?

Bronchial asthma is very common in childhood but the occurrence of wheeze with viral infections makes asthma difficult to diagnose in the pre-school child. Longitudinal studies suggest that there is a loss of airway function associated with early childhood asthma. Extrapolating from adult disease and the few tissue-based studies of children, this would appear to be related to abnormal postnatal development or remodelling of the airway walls. This appears to be associated with persistent airway inflammation without clinical evidence of airways obstruction. Abnormally thickened airways may be the mechanism underlying both bronchial hyper-responsiveness and fixed loss of respiratory function. The challenges for the future are to identify those children among the pre-school wheezers who will become asthmatic and to construct trials of therapies that may potentially prevent the development of clinical asthma or ameliorate the associated loss of airway function.

Bronchial artery dissection and fatal hemothorax following pneumonectomy.

A 59-year-old man died suddenly and unexpectedly two days after an uncomplicated pneumonectomy for bronchogenic adenocarcinoma. In addition to a distal pulmonary thromboembolism found at postmortem, there was significant hemorrhaging into the pneumonectomy space, which was associated with rupture of a dissecting aneurysm in the calcified bronchial artery stump. The pathology and surgical implications of bronchial artery disease are discussed.