Movement, Space Use, and the Responses of Coral Reef Fish to Climate Change.

Anthropogenic climate change and other localized stressors have led to the widespread degradation of coral reefs, characterized by losses of live coral, reduced structural complexity, and shifts in benthic community composition. These changes have altered the composition of reef fish assemblages with important consequences for ecosystem function. Animal movement and space use are critically important to population dynamics, community assembly, and species coexistence. In this perspective, I discuss how studies of reef fish movement and space use could help us to elucidate the effects of climate change on reef fish assemblages and the functions they provide. In addition to describing how reef fish space use relates to resource abundance and the intrinsic characteristics of reef fish (e.g., body size), we should begin to take a mechanistic approach to understanding movement in reef fish and to investigate the role of movement in mediating species interactions on coral reefs. Technological advances in animal tracking and biotelemetry, as well as methodological advances in the analysis of movement, will aid in this endeavor. Baseline studies of reef fish movement and space use and their effect on community assembly and species coexistence will provide us with important information for predicting how climate change will influence reef fish assemblages.

Decision-making and future planning for children with life-limiting conditions: a qualitative systematic review and thematic synthesis.

BACKGROUND: In the last decade, the number of children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions in England has almost doubled, and it is estimated that worldwide, there are 1.2 million children with palliative care needs. Families and professionals caring for children with life-limiting conditions are likely to face a number of difficult treatment decisions and develop plans for future care over the course of the child's life, but little is known about the process by which these decisions and plans are made. METHODS: The purpose of this review is to synthesize findings from qualitative research that has investigated decision-making and future planning for children with life-limiting conditions. A systematic search of six online databases was conducted and identified 887 papers for review; five papers were selected for inclusion, using predefined criteria. Reference list searching and contacting authors identified a further four papers for inclusion. RESULTS: Results sections of the papers were coded and synthesized into themes. Nineteen descriptive themes were identified, and these were further synthesized into four analytical themes. Analytical themes were 'decision factors', 'family factors', 'relational factors' and 'system factors'. CONCLUSIONS: Review findings indicate that decision-making and future planning is difficult and needs to be individualized for each family. However, deficits in understanding the dynamic, relational and contextual aspects of decision-making remain and require further research.

Sweet complementarity: the functional pairing of glycans with lectins.

Carbohydrates establish the third alphabet of life. As part of cellular glycoconjugates, the glycans generate a multitude of signals in a minimum of space. The presence of distinct glycotopes and the glycome diversity are mapped by sugar receptors (antibodies and lectins). Endogenous (tissue) lectins can read the sugar-encoded information and translate it into functional aspects of cell sociology. Illustrated by instructive examples, each glycan has its own ligand properties. Lectins with different folds can converge to target the same epitope, while intrafamily diversification enables functional cooperation and antagonism. The emerging evidence for the concept of a network calls for a detailed fingerprinting. Due to the high degree of plasticity and dynamics of the display of genes for lectins the validity of extrapolations between different organisms of the phylogenetic tree yet is inevitably limited.

Human galectin-2: nuclear presence in vitro and its modulation by quiescence/stress factors.

Galectins have the particular capacity to interact with distinct proteins, in addition to the typical reactivity of lectins with glycans. Therefore, they can be functionally active when residing at places other than the membrane or extracellular matrix. In fact, nuclear presence of galectins-1 and -3 is solidly documented but it is an open question whether these two cases are exceptional within this lectin family. Thus, galectin-2, which shares 43% sequence identity on the protein level with galectin-1, warrants study in this respect. Based on initial immunohistochemical evidence we herein address the issue as to whether this galectin can join the category of nuclear lectins. To do so we studied different types of cell in vitro using an antibody preparation free of cross-reactivity against other tested galectins. The immunocytochemical experiments revealed that galectin-2 was present in nuclei of murine 3T3 fibroblasts and also genetically engineered human colon carcinoma cells with stable ectopic expression. Transport of galectin-2 to the nucleus could be enhanced by physical (UV light), chemical (mitomycin C, serum withdrawal) or cell biological (coculture with stromal cells) treatment modalities. As a means of further characterizing the staining profile cytochemically, a series of markers with well-defined site of residency within the nuclear compartment was tested in parallel. Importantly, no colocalization with galectins-1 and -3 and the splicing factor SC35 was detectable, the former cases also serving as inherent specificity control. In contrast, a similarity was uncovered in the case of the promyelocytic leukemia (PML) protein as marker of PML nuclear bodies. In aggregate, nuclear localization is documented for galectin-2. This attribute should thus not be considered as an exceptional finding confined to galectins-1 and -3. That even closely related family members, here galectins-1 and -2, exhibit distinct intranuclear localization patterns gives ensuing research a clear direction.

Human galectin-2: expression profiling by RT-PCR/immunohistochemistry and its introduction as a histochemical tool for ligand localization.

Sugar-encoded information of glyco-conjugates is translated into cellular responses by endogenous lectins. Galectins stand out against other lectin families due to their wide range of functions including cell adhesion, tissue invasion or growth regulation exerted at extracellular, membrane, cytoplasmic and nuclear sites. This remarkable versatility warrants close scrutiny of their emerging network, in this study with focus on homodimeric human galectin-2. We first detected presence of specific mRNA in various tissue types by processing post mortem and surgical specimens by RT-PCR protocols. Overlap of gene expression was noted with proto-type galectins-1 and -7 and also family members from the other two subgroups. To monitor expression on the level of protein a polyclonal anti-galectin-2 antibody was raised. Immunopositivity was semi-quantitatively assessed in sections of 209 human samples establishing an array both of normal tissues and samples with inflammation or benign/malignant growth. In general, positivity was predominantly epithelial without restriction of staining to certain tissue types, as fittingly indicated by our RT-PCR analysis. Staining was not limited to the cytoplasm but also included nuclear sites. To examine the suitability of the labeled lectin as a histochemical probe we biotinylated galectin-2 under activity-preserving conditions and introduced it to tissue profiling. Specific cytoplasmic staining proved the validity of the concept. Our results encourage systematic histopathologic studies by immuno- and lectin histochemistry, especially by adding galectin-2 as study object to galectin fingerprinting which has already yielded prognostic information on galectins-1, -3, -4 and -8 and hereby contributed to define functional overlap/divergence in this lectin family.

Glycomic profiling of developmental changes in bovine testis by lectin histochemistry and further analysis of the most prominent alteration on the level of the glycoproteome by lectin blotting and lectin affinity chromatography.

The emerging concept of the sugar code attributes functional significance to oligosaccharides of cellular glycoconjugates by protein (lectin)-carbohydrate interactions. Hence it follows that monitoring of glycan expression (glycomic profiling) is not only valuable to delineate characteristic (phenomenological) changes in the cell's glycosylation but will also come up with the localization of epitopes with potential in biorecognition. It is for this purpose that we have set up a panel of 16 markers (plant lectins and a carbohydrate-specific antibody). The selection met two criteria: a) to be able to detect the common constituents of natural glycans; and b) to place emphasis on detection of neutral carbohydrate units at the spatially accessible branch ends of glycan chains, which are known to be active as ligands for endogenous lectins in situ. Next, we incorporated recent insights into the importance of epitope clustering to turn less abundant oligosaccharides into potent ligands into our study design. To be able to focus on such high-affinity sites, we performed systematic titration studies aimed at defining the probe concentration at which carbohydrate-independent background staining is minimal while still yielding a clear signal. These requirements were met by marker concentrations of 1.25-2.5 microg/ml. Under these conditions, we defined cell-type- and differentiation-dependent changes in bovine testis. Sertoli cells lacked reactivity, whereas gonocytes were differentially reactive with the tested markers. The extent of staining intensity was subject to developmental changes, preferentially for Gal/GalNAc presentation and in this group most prominently with the galactoside-specific lectin from Viscum album L. (mistletoe). Of interest in this context, this lectin is known as a potent mitogen and signal inductor as well as haemagglutinin. The Gal/GalNAc-dependent signals decreased markedly in the course of development and staining was completely lost in the case of mistletoe lectin 12 weeks after gestation. Spermatids of adult testis presented respective glycan epitopes. In contrast to this developmental course of staining, endothelial cells either maintained a constant signal intensity or revealed a signal increase during development for Gal/GalNAc-specific lectins. Their binding of concanavalin A and the two phyto-haemagglutinins (PHA-E/L), which were not or only weakly reactive for gonocytes, served as inherent activity control. Based on lectin blot analysis with the mistletoe lectin as the marker which detected the most prominent change, the glycoprotein patterns from fetal and adult tissue specimens were qualitatively different, rendering changes in expression of the protein part of glycoproteins more likely than remodeling a glycoprotein's glycan chains. Methodologically, results of this procedure were compared to data obtained with lectin affinity chromatography and the combination of the two procedures. Differences in the profiles were discovered that can be assigned to the disparate ways to process the detergent extracts. When access to sample quantity is limited, as is possible in the case of fetal tissue, direct lectin blotting is recommended.

Desiccation as the active principle in heat-stimulated seed germination of Leucospermum R. Br. (Proteaceae) in fynbos.

A new seed biological phenomenon in the myrmecochorous, fire-recruiting fynbos species Leucospermum cordifolium (Salisb. ex Knight) Fourcade is reported. This is the extensive breaking, following desiccation treatment, of the seed testa which in intact, soil-stored seeds imposes dormancy on the embryo by means of oxygen exclusion. In this study the pericarps of L. cordifolium seeds were removed and seeds with intact exotestas were selected stereomicroscopically. Samples of seeds were placed in nylon bags and suspended over (cone.) H2 SO4 or dried silica gel. A third series of seeds were exposed for varying periods to 40 °C, cooled and immersed in water before performing breakage tests on both the exo- and endotesta. All treatments resulted in extensive breaking of the exo- as well as the endotesta of seeds. The two 'cool' desiccating treatments both caused more effective breaking than heat treatments. This indicates strongly that the breakage phenomena are desiccation effects and not caused directly by heat intensity. Rehydration in air before wetting seeds completely prevented breakage effects in all treatments in the endotesta, but not in the exotesta. This further supports the conclusion that endotesta breakage is a function of desiccation plus wetting and not of heat per se. The results suggest that in nature desiccation by fire could break the exotesta and the endotesta as well, if fire is followed soon by rain. These effects amount to effective scarification of the seed and thus suggest a positive correlation, in nature, between heat intensity of fire and emergent seedling numbers.

CLADISTIC ANALYSIS OF PATTERNS OF ENDOTHECIAL THICKENINGS IN THE POALES/RESTIONALES.

The three-dimensional structure of the endothecial thickenings in the anthers was investigated in 87 species from 70 genera, chosen to provide representative coverage of the families Cyperaceae, Restionaceae, Anarthriaceae, Ecdeiocoleaceae, Centrolepidaceae, Joinvilleaceae, Flagellariaceae, Poaceae, Xyridaceae, and Eriocaulaceae. There is complex variation in the patterns of endothecial thickening: the Eriocaulaceae, Flagellariaceae, and most Poaceae have thickenings with a complete baseplate; the Cyperaceae and most of the Restionaceae are characterized by helical thickenings; some genera in the Bambusoideae have annular thickenings; and U-shaped thickenings occur in the Xyridaceae and Eriocaulaceae and in some Poaceae and Restionaceae. Joinvillea and Ecdeiocolea have unique thickening types. Endothecial characters were subjected to cladistic analysis. Including endothecial characters in an existing cladogram of the group indicates that there is no single, well-corroborated cladogram available for the Poales/Restionales.

Anesthesia in intraoperative radiotherapy patients.

Intraoperative radiotherapy (IOR) is a relatively new modality for the treatment of carcinoma. This modality necessitates a multidisciplinary approach among the surgeon, anesthesiologist, radiotherapist, pathologist, and other members of the surgical support team. In addition to appropriate IOR and surgical techniques, the role of the anesthesiologist is crucial in determining patient outcome. Specifically, the degree of preoperative preparation has a direct correlation with a successful postoperative course. Patients considered for surgery are grouped in terms of: (1) primary tumor with no metastasis and/or unresectable loco-regional disease; (2) clinical and investigational evidence of tumor with no proven malignancy; and (3) those with known metastasis but in otherwise good general condition.The primary surgical goal is to localize the tumor, obtain a frozen-section biopsy, and evaluate for resectability at the same time as the radiotherapist evaluates whether IOR is indicated. Thus many facets come together to make the IOR procedures feasible and safe. The 148 patients treated at Howard University Hospital, uneventfully, should serve to justify intraoperative radiotherapy as both a practical and safe tool in the treatment of malignancy.