Showing papers by "University of Western Australia published in 2013"
National University of Cordoba1, SupAgro2, Joseph Fourier University3, University of Alaska Fairbanks4, VU University Amsterdam5, Kansas State University6, University of Western Australia7, University of Minnesota8, Wageningen University and Research Centre9, Macquarie University10, Stanford University11, Spanish National Research Council12, ETH Zurich13, University of Sheffield14, Utrecht University15, University of California, Los Angeles16, University of Arizona17, University of Regensburg18, Princeton University19, Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza20
TL;DR: This new handbook has a better balance between whole-plant traits, leaf traits, root and stem traits and regenerative traits, and puts particular emphasis on traits important for predicting species’ effects on key ecosystem properties.
Abstract: Plant functional traits are the features (morphological, physiological, phenological) that represent ecological strategies and determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels and influence ecosystem properties. Variation in plant functional traits, and trait syndromes, has proven useful for tackling many important ecological questions at a range of scales, giving rise to a demand for standardised ways to measure ecologically meaningful plant traits. This line of research has been among the most fruitful avenues for understanding ecological and evolutionary patterns and processes. It also has the potential both to build a predictive set of local, regional and global relationships between plants and environment and to quantify a wide range of natural and human-driven processes, including changes in biodiversity, the impacts of species invasions, alterations in biogeochemical processes and vegetation–atmosphere interactions. The importance of these topics dictates the urgent need for more and better data, and increases the value of standardised protocols for quantifying trait variation of different species, in particular for traits with power to predict plant- and ecosystem-level processes, and for traits that can be measured relatively easily. Updated and expanded from the widely used previous version, this handbook retains the focus on clearly presented, widely applicable, step-by-step recipes, with a minimum of text on theory, and not only includes updated methods for the traits previously covered, but also introduces many new protocols for further traits. This new handbook has a better balance between whole-plant traits, leaf traits, root and stem traits and regenerative traits, and puts particular emphasis on traits important for predicting species’ effects on key ecosystem properties. We hope this new handbook becomes a standard companion in local and global efforts to learn about the responses and impacts of different plant species with respect to environmental changes in the present, past and future.
2,744 citations
TL;DR: This study provides the first comparison of the prevalence of peripheral artery disease between high-income countries (HIC) and low-income or middle- income countries (LMIC), establishes the primary risk factors for peripheral artery diseases in these settings, and estimates the number of people living with peripheral artery Disease regionally and globally.
2,529 citations
Copenhagen University Hospital1, French Institute of Health and Medical Research2, University College London3, Columbia University4, University of Gothenburg5, University of Western Ontario6, University of the Witwatersrand7, University of Amsterdam8, University of São Paulo9, University of Western Australia10, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich11, University of Palermo12, University of Milan13, University of Groningen14, University Medical Center15, University of California, Los Angeles16, University of London17, Radboud University Nijmegen18, University of Helsinki19, University of Copenhagen20
TL;DR: There is an urgent worldwide need for diagnostic screening together with early and aggressive treatment of this extremely high-risk condition, familial hypercholesterolaemia.
Abstract: Aims The first aim was to critically evaluate the extent to which familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is underdiagnosed and undertreated. The second aim was to provide guidance for screening and treatment of FH, in order to prevent coronary heart disease (CHD).
Methods and results Of the theoretical estimated prevalence of 1/500 for heterozygous FH, <1% are diagnosed in most countries. Recently, direct screening in a Northern European general population diagnosed approximately 1/200 with heterozygous FH. All reported studies document failure to achieve recommended LDL cholesterol targets in a large proportion of individuals with FH, and up to 13-fold increased risk of CHD. Based on prevalences between 1/500 and 1/200, between 14 and 34 million individuals worldwide have FH. We recommend that children, adults, and families should be screened for FH if a person or family member presents with FH, a plasma cholesterol level in an adult ≥8 mmol/L(≥310 mg/dL) or a child ≥6 mmol/L(≥230 mg/dL), premature CHD, tendon xanthomas, or sudden premature cardiac death. In FH, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol targets are <3.5 mmol/L(<135 mg/dL) for children, <2.5 mmol/L(<100 mg/dL) for adults, and <1.8 mmol/L(<70 mg/dL) for adults with known CHD or diabetes. In addition to lifestyle and dietary counselling, treatment priorities are (i) in children, statins, ezetimibe, and bile acid binding resins, and (ii) in adults, maximal potent statin dose, ezetimibe, and bile acid binding resins. Lipoprotein apheresis can be offered in homozygotes and in treatment-resistant heterozygotes with CHD.
Conclusion Owing to severe underdiagnosis and undertreatment of FH, there is an urgent worldwide need for diagnostic screening together with early and aggressive treatment of this extremely high-risk condition.
2,039 citations
TL;DR: The most comprehensive meta-analysis to date by synthesizing the results of 228 studies examining biological responses to ocean acidification reveals decreased survival, calcification, growth, development and abundance in response to acidification, and suggests that other factors, such as nutritional status or source population, could cause substantial variation in organisms' responses.
Abstract: Ocean acidification represents a threat to marine species worldwide, and forecasting the ecological impacts of acidification is a high priority for science, management, and policy. As research on the topic expands at an exponential rate, a comprehensive understanding of the variability in organisms' responses and corresponding levels of certainty is necessary to forecast the ecological effects. Here, we perform the most comprehensive meta-analysis to date by synthesizing the results of 228 studies examining biological responses to ocean acidification. The results reveal decreased survival, calcification, growth, development and abundance in response to acidification when the broad range of marine organisms is pooled together. However, the magnitude of these responses varies among taxonomic groups, suggesting there is some predictable trait-based variation in sensitivity, despite the investigation of approximately 100 new species in recent research. The results also reveal an enhanced sensitivity of mollusk larvae, but suggest that an enhanced sensitivity of early life history stages is not universal across all taxonomic groups. In addition, the variability in species' responses is enhanced when they are exposed to acidification in multi-species assemblages, suggesting that it is important to consider indirect effects and exercise caution when forecasting abundance patterns from single-species laboratory experiments. Furthermore, the results suggest that other factors, such as nutritional status or source population, could cause substantial variation in organisms' responses. Last, the results highlight a trend towards enhanced sensitivity to acidification when taxa are concurrently exposed to elevated seawater temperature.
1,787 citations
TL;DR: The results extend the knowledge of the unique role of DNA methylation in brain development and function, and offer a new framework for testing the role of the epigenome in healthy function and in pathological disruptions of neural circuits.
Abstract: DNA methylation is implicated in mammalian brain development and plasticity underlying learning and memory. We report the genome-wide composition, patterning, cell specificity, and dynamics of DNA methylation at single-base resolution in human and mouse frontal cortex throughout their lifespan. Widespread methylome reconfiguration occurs during fetal to young adult development, coincident with synaptogenesis. During this period, highly conserved non-CG methylation (mCH) accumulates in neurons, but not glia, to become the dominant form of methylation in the human neuronal genome. Moreover, we found an mCH signature that identifies genes escaping X-chromosome inactivation. Last, whole-genome single-base resolution 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (hmC) maps revealed that hmC marks fetal brain cell genomes at putative regulatory regions that are CG-demethylated and activated in the adult brain and that CG demethylation at these hmC-poised loci depends on Tet2 activity.
1,629 citations
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation1, University of Queensland2, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg3, Museum für Naturkunde4, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University5, University of the Sunshine Coast6, Edith Cowan University7, Aberystwyth University8, Technical University of Denmark9, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill10, University of Western Australia11, Spanish National Research Council12, University of California, Santa Barbara13, University of British Columbia14, University of Texas at Austin15, University of Plymouth16, National Marine Fisheries Service17
TL;DR: This article synthesized all available studies of the consistency of marine ecological observations with expectations under climate change This yielded a meta-database of 1,735 marine biological responses for which either regional or global climate change was considered as a driver.
Abstract: Research that combines all available studies of biological responses to regional and global climate change shows that 81–83% of all observations were consistent with the expected impacts of climate change These findings were replicated across taxa and oceanic basins Past meta-analyses of the response of marine organisms to climate change have examined a limited range of locations1,2, taxonomic groups2,3,4 and/or biological responses5,6 This has precluded a robust overview of the effect of climate change in the global ocean Here, we synthesized all available studies of the consistency of marine ecological observations with expectations under climate change This yielded a meta-database of 1,735 marine biological responses for which either regional or global climate change was considered as a driver Included were instances of marine taxa responding as expected, in a manner inconsistent with expectations, and taxa demonstrating no response From this database, 81–83% of all observations for distribution, phenology, community composition, abundance, demography and calcification across taxa and ocean basins were consistent with the expected impacts of climate change Of the species responding to climate change, rates of distribution shifts were, on average, consistent with those required to track ocean surface temperature changes Conversely, we did not find a relationship between regional shifts in spring phenology and the seasonality of temperature Rates of observed shifts in species’ distributions and phenology are comparable to, or greater, than those for terrestrial systems
1,504 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the potential benefits of conservation, restoration and use of marine vegetated habitats for coastal protection and climate change mitigation are assessed, and the potential benefit of using these habitats in eco-engineering solutions for coast protection is discussed.
Abstract: Marine vegetated habitats occupy a small fraction of the ocean surface, but contribute about 50% of the carbon that is buried in marine sediments. In this Review the potential benefits of conservation, restoration and use of these habitats for coastal protection and climate change mitigation are assessed. Marine vegetated habitats (seagrasses, salt-marshes, macroalgae and mangroves) occupy 0.2% of the ocean surface, but contribute 50% of carbon burial in marine sediments. Their canopies dissipate wave energy and high burial rates raise the seafloor, buffering the impacts of rising sea level and wave action that are associated with climate change. The loss of a third of the global cover of these ecosystems involves a loss of CO2 sinks and the emission of 1 Pg CO2 annually. The conservation, restoration and use of vegetated coastal habitats in eco-engineering solutions for coastal protection provide a promising strategy, delivering significant capacity for climate change mitigation and adaption.
1,239 citations
Ashley Beecham1, Nikolaos A. Patsopoulos2, Nikolaos A. Patsopoulos3, Dionysia K. Xifara4 +203 more•Institutions (73)
TL;DR: This study enhances the catalog of multiple sclerosis risk variants and illustrates the value of fine mapping in the resolution of GWAS signals.
Abstract: Using the ImmunoChip custom genotyping array, we analyzed 14,498 subjects with multiple sclerosis and 24,091 healthy controls for 161,311 autosomal variants and identified 135 potentially associated regions (P < 10 × 10(-4)) In a replication phase, we combined these data with previous genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from an independent 14,802 subjects with multiple sclerosis and 26,703 healthy controls In these 80,094 individuals of European ancestry, we identified 48 new susceptibility variants (P < 50 × 10(-8)), 3 of which we found after conditioning on previously identified variants Thus, there are now 110 established multiple sclerosis risk variants at 103 discrete loci outside of the major histocompatibility complex With high-resolution Bayesian fine mapping, we identified five regions where one variant accounted for more than 50% of the posterior probability of association This study enhances the catalog of multiple sclerosis risk variants and illustrates the value of fine mapping in the resolution of GWAS signals
1,197 citations
25 Aug 2013
TL;DR: The datasets and ground truth specification are described, the performance evaluation protocols used are details, and the final results are presented along with a brief summary of the participating methods.
Abstract: This report presents the final results of the ICDAR 2013 Robust Reading Competition. The competition is structured in three Challenges addressing text extraction in different application domains, namely born-digital images, real scene images and real-scene videos. The Challenges are organised around specific tasks covering text localisation, text segmentation and word recognition. The competition took place in the first quarter of 2013, and received a total of 42 submissions over the different tasks offered. This report describes the datasets and ground truth specification, details the performance evaluation protocols used and presents the final results along with a brief summary of the participating methods.
1,191 citations
Curtin University1, Massachusetts Institute of Technology2, Arizona State University3, University of Washington4, University of Western Australia5, Monash University6, Harvard University7, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation8, Raman Research Institute9, Victoria University of Wellington10, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee11, National Centre for Radio Astrophysics12, National Radio Astronomy Observatory13, University of Melbourne14
TL;DR: The Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) as discussed by the authors is one of three Square Kilometre Array Precursor telescopes and is located at the MUR-astronomy Observatory in Western Australia, a location chosen for its extremely low levels of radio frequency interference.
Abstract: The Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) is one of three Square Kilometre Array Precursor telescopes and is located at the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory in the Murchison Shire of the mid-west of Western Australia, a location chosen for its extremely low levels of radio frequency interference. The MWA operates at low radio frequencies, 80-300 MHz, with a processed bandwidth of 30.72 MHz for both linear polarisations, and consists of 128 aperture arrays (known as tiles) distributed over a ∼3-km diameter area. Novel hybrid hardware/software correlation and a real-time imaging and calibration systems comprise the MWA signal processing backend. In this paper, the as-built MWA is described both at a system and sub-system level, the expected performance of the array is presented, and the science goals of the instrument are summarised. © 2013 Astronomical Society of Australia.
1,144 citations
University of Sydney1, University of Western Australia2, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation3, James Cook University4, Rothamsted Research5, Argonne National Laboratory6, Ohio State University7, Cornell University8, Colorado State University9, Landcare Research10, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna11
TL;DR: In this article, a review highlights knowledge of the amount of carbon stored in soils globally, and the potential for carbon sequestration in soil, and discusses successful methods and models used to determine and estimate carbon pools and fluxes.
Foothills Medical Centre1, University of Calgary2, Ghent University Hospital3, McMaster University4, Fremantle Hospital5, Tulane University6, Uppsala University7, University of Helsinki8, Loma Linda University9, University College Hospital10, Orlando Regional Medical Center11, VCU Medical Center12, University of Tartu13, University of Notre Dame14, University of Western Australia15, John Hunter Hospital16, Liverpool Hospital17, Albert Einstein Medical Center18, University of Utah19, Universidad Anáhuac México Norte20
TL;DR: The overall quality of evidence available to guide development of RECOMMENDATIONS was generally low and Appropriately designed intervention trials are urgently needed for patients with IAH and ACS.
Abstract: Purpose
To update the World Society of the Abdominal Compartment Syndrome (WSACS) consensus definitions and management statements relating to intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) and the abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS).
CGIAR1, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics2, Beijing Genomics Institute3, National Research Council4, Iowa State University5, University of California, Davis6, University of Saskatchewan7, University of Córdoba (Spain)8, University of Georgia9, University of Arizona10, National Center for Genome Resources11, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation12, Indian Council of Agricultural Research13, Curtin University14, University of Queensland15, Goethe University Frankfurt16, University of Western Australia17, University of Copenhagen18
TL;DR: This work reports the ∼738-Mb draft whole genome shotgun sequence of CDC Frontier, a kabuli chickpea variety, which contains an estimated 28,269 genes, and identifies targets of both breeding-associated genetic sweeps and breeding- associated balancing selection.
Abstract: Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is the second most widely grown legume crop after soybean, accounting for a substantial proportion of human dietary nitrogen intake and playing a crucial role in food security in developing countries. We report the ~738-Mb draft whole genome shotgun sequence of CDC Frontier, a kabuli chickpea variety, which contains an estimated 28,269 genes. Resequencing and analysis of 90 cultivated and wild genotypes from ten countries identifies targets of both breeding-associated genetic sweeps and breeding-associated balancing selection. Candidate genes for disease resistance and agronomic traits are highlighted, including traits that distinguish the two main market classes of cultivated chickpea—desi and kabuli. These data comprise a resource for chickpea improvement through molecular breeding and provide insights into both genome diversity and domestication.
TL;DR: In 2011, the waters along the west coast of Australia experienced an unprecedented (in recorded times) warming event with warming anomalies of 2-4°C that persisted for more than ten weeks.
Abstract: In 2011 the waters along the west coast of Australia—a global hotspot of biodiversity—experienced an unprecedented (in recorded times) warming event with warming anomalies of 2–4 °C that persisted for more than ten weeks. Now research shows that biodiversity patterns of temperate seaweeds, invertebrates and fishes were significantly different following the warming event.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors inject squeezed states to improve the performance of one of the detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) beyond the quantum noise limit, most notably in the frequency region down to 150 Hz.
Abstract: Nearly a century after Einstein first predicted the existence of gravitational waves, a global network of Earth-based gravitational wave observatories1, 2, 3, 4 is seeking to directly detect this faint radiation using precision laser interferometry. Photon shot noise, due to the quantum nature of light, imposes a fundamental limit on the attometre-level sensitivity of the kilometre-scale Michelson interferometers deployed for this task. Here, we inject squeezed states to improve the performance of one of the detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) beyond the quantum noise limit, most notably in the frequency region down to 150 Hz, critically important for several astrophysical sources, with no deterioration of performance observed at any frequency. With the injection of squeezed states, this LIGO detector demonstrated the best broadband sensitivity to gravitational waves ever achieved, with important implications for observing the gravitational-wave Universe with unprecedented sensitivity.
TL;DR: A collaborative genome-wide association study, including >17,100 advanced AMD cases and >60,000 controls of European and Asian ancestry, identifies 19 loci associated at P < 5 × 10−8, which show enrichment for genes involved in the regulation of complement activity, lipid metabolism, extracellular matrix remodeling and angiogenesis.
Abstract: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common cause of blindness in older individuals To accelerate the understanding of AMD biology and help design new therapies, we executed a collaborative genome-wide association study, including >17,100 advanced AMD cases and >60,000 controls of European and Asian ancestry We identified 19 loci associated at P < 5 × 10(-8) These loci show enrichment for genes involved in the regulation of complement activity, lipid metabolism, extracellular matrix remodeling and angiogenesis Our results include seven loci with associations reaching P < 5 × 10(-8) for the first time, near the genes COL8A1-FILIP1L, IER3-DDR1, SLC16A8, TGFBR1, RAD51B, ADAMTS9 and B3GALTL A genetic risk score combining SNP genotypes from all loci showed similar ability to distinguish cases and controls in all samples examined Our findings provide new directions for biological, genetic and therapeutic studies of AMD
TL;DR: The results provide the first analysis of the global conservation status and distribution patterns of reptiles and the threats affecting them, highlighting conservation priorities and knowledge gaps which need to be addressed urgently to ensure the continued survival of the world’s reptiles.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors suggest that the three major magmatic-mineralization episodes are the result of distinct geodynamic regimes, based on mineral assemblage, age, and space-time distribution of these mineral systems, integrated with regional geological data and field observations.
Abstract: The ore deposits of the Mesozoic age in South China can be divided into three groups, each with different metal associations and spatial distributions and each related to major magmatic events. The first event occurred in the Late Triassic (230–210 Ma), the second in the Mid–Late Jurassic (170–150 Ma), and the third in the Early–Mid Cretaceous (120–80 Ma). The Late Triassic magmatic event and associated mineralization is characterized by peraluminous granite-related W–Sn–Nb–Ta mineral deposits. The Triassic ore deposits are considerably disturbed or overprinted by the later Jurassic and Cretaceous tectono-thermal episodes. The Mid–Late Jurassic magmatic and mineralization events consist of 170–160 Ma porphyry–skarn Cu and Pb–Zn–Ag vein deposits associated with I-type granites and 160–150 Ma metaluminous granite-related polymetallic W–Sn deposits. The Late Jurassic metaluminous granite-related W–Sn deposits occur in a NE-trending cluster in the interior of South China, such as in the Nanling area. In the Early–Mid Cretaceous, from about 120 to 80 Ma, but peaking at 100–90 Ma, subvolcanic-related Fe deposits developed and I-type calc-alkaline granitic intrusions formed porphyry Cu–Mo and porphyry-epithermal Cu–Au–Ag mineral systems, whereas S-type peraluminous and/or metaluminous granitic intrusions formed polymetallic Sn deposits. These Cretaceous mineral deposits cluster in distinct areas and are controlled by pull-apart basins along the South China continental margin. Based on mineral assemblage, age, and space–time distribution of these mineral systems, integrated with regional geological data and field observations, we suggest that the three magmatic–mineralization episodes are the result of distinct geodynamic regimes. The Triassic peraluminous granites and associated W–Sn–Nb–Ta mineralization formed during post-collisional processes involving the South China Block, the North China Craton, and the Indo-China Block, mostly along the Dabie-Sulu and Songma sutures. Jurassic events were initially related to the shallow oblique subduction of the Izanagi plate beneath the Eurasian continent at about 175 Ma, but I-type granitoids with porphyry Cu and vein-type Pb–Zn–Ag deposits only began to form as a result of the breakup of the subducted plate at 170–160 Ma, along the NNE-trending Qinzhou-Hangzhou belt (also referred to as Qin-Hang or Shi-Hang belt), which is the Neoproterozoic suture that amalgamates the Yangtze Craton and Cathaysia Block. A large subduction slab window is assumed to have formed in the Nanling and adjacent areas in the interior of South China, triggering the uprise of asthenospheric mantle into the upper crust and leading to the emplacement of metaluminous granitic magma and associated polymetallic W–Sn mineralization. A relatively tectonically quiet period followed between 150 and 135 Ma in South China. From 135 Ma onward, the angle of convergence of the Izanagi plate changed from oblique to parallel to the coastline, resulting in continental extensional tectonics and reactivation of regional-scale NE-trending faults, such as the Tan-Lu fault. This widespread extension also promoted the development of NE-trending pull-apart basins and metamorphic core complexes, accompanied by volcanism and the formation of epithermal Cu–Au deposits, granite-related polymetallic Sn–(W) deposits and hydrothermal U deposits between 120 and 80 Ma (with a peak activity at 100–90 Ma).
TL;DR: Colchicine 0.5 mg/day administered in addition to statins and other standard secondary prevention therapies appeared effective for the prevention of cardiovascular events in patients with stable coronary disease.
TL;DR: The spiral biochip identifies and addresses key challenges of the next generation CTCs isolation assay including antibody independent isolation, high sensitivity and throughput (3 mL/hr); and single-step retrieval of viable C TCs.
Abstract: Presence and frequency of rare circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in bloodstreams of cancer patients are pivotal to early cancer detection and treatment monitoring. Here, we use a spiral microchannel with inherent centrifugal forces for continuous, size-based separation of CTCs from blood (Dean Flow Fractionation (DFF)) which facilitates easy coupling with conventional downstream biological assays. Device performance was optimized using cancer cell lines (> 85% recovery), followed by clinical validation with positive CTCs enumeration in all samples from patients with metastatic lung cancer (n = 20; 5–88 CTCs per mL). The presence of CD133+ cells, a phenotypic marker characteristic of stem-like behavior in lung cancer cells was also identified in the isolated subpopulation of CTCs. The spiral biochip identifies and addresses key challenges of the next generation CTCs isolation assay including antibody independent isolation, high sensitivity and throughput (3 mL/hr); and single-step retrieval of viable CTCs.
Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute1, University of Liverpool2, University of London3, Imperial College Healthcare4, Imperial College London5, Cardiff University6, Yonsei University7, Singapore General Hospital8, National Institutes of Health9, University of Calgary10, University of Exeter11, Health Protection Agency12, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust13, University of Western Australia14, Iowa State University15, University of Leeds16, Leiden University17, University of Birmingham18
TL;DR: This analysis identifies key genetic changes linked to the rapid transcontinental dissemination of epidemic C. difficile 027/BI/NAP1 and highlights the routes by which it spreads through the global healthcare system.
Abstract: Epidemic C. difficile (027/BI/NAP1) has rapidly emerged in the past decade as the leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea worldwide. However, the key events in evolutionary history leading to its emergence and the subsequent patterns of global spread remain unknown. Here, we define the global population structure of C. difficile 027/BI/NAP1 using whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. We show that two distinct epidemic lineages, FQR1 and FQR2, not one as previously thought, emerged in North America within a relatively short period after acquiring the same fluoroquinolone resistance-conferring mutation and a highly related conjugative transposon. The two epidemic lineages showed distinct patterns of global spread, and the FQR2 lineage spread more widely, leading to healthcare-associated outbreaks in the UK, continental Europe and Australia. Our analysis identifies key genetic changes linked to the rapid transcontinental dissemination of epidemic C. difficile 027/BI/NAP1 and highlights the routes by which it spreads through the global healthcare system.
Brigham and Women's Hospital1, Johns Hopkins University2, University of London3, World Health Organization4, University of Western Australia5, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill6, Aga Khan University7, Imperial College London8, Harvard University9, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile10, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp11, Ghent University12, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention13, Mahidol University14, University of KwaZulu-Natal15, University College London16, University of Los Andes17, Universidade Federal de Pelotas18, George Washington University19, Save the Children20
TL;DR: The burden of small-for-gestational-age births is very high in countries of low and middle income and is concentrated in south Asia.
TL;DR: A genome-wide search for loci associated with the upper versus the lower 5th percentiles of body mass index, height and waist-to-hip ratio as well as clinical classes of obesity, including up to 263,407 individuals of European ancestry finds a large overlap in genetic structure and the distribution of variants between traits based on extremes and the general population and little etiological heterogeneity between obesity subgroups.
Abstract: Approaches exploiting trait distribution extremes may be used to identify loci associated with common traits, but it is unknown whether these loci are generalizable to the broader population. In a genome-wide search for loci associated with the upper versus the lower 5th percentiles of body mass index, height and waist-to-hip ratio, as well as clinical classes of obesity, including up to 263,407 individuals of European ancestry, we identified 4 new loci (IGFBP4, H6PD, RSRC1 and PPP2R2A) influencing height detected in the distribution tails and 7 new loci (HNF4G, RPTOR, GNAT2, MRPS33P4, ADCY9, HS6ST3 and ZZZ3) for clinical classes of obesity. Further, we find a large overlap in genetic structure and the distribution of variants between traits based on extremes and the general population and little etiological heterogeneity between obesity subgroups.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that ocean acidification from anthropogenic CO2 emissions is largely an open ocean syndrome and that a concept of anthro- pogenic impacts on marine pH, which is applicable across the entire ocean, from coastal to open-ocean environments, provides a superior framework to consider the multiple components of the anthropogenic perturbation of marine pH trajectories.
Abstract: Ocean acidification due to anthropogenic CO2 emissions is a dominant driver of long-term changes in pH in the open ocean, raising concern for the future of calcifying organisms, many of which are present in coastal habitats. However, changes in pH in coastal ecosystems result from a multitude of drivers, including impacts from watershed pro- cesses, nutrient inputs, and changes in ecosystem structure and metabolism. Interaction between ocean acidification due to anthropogenic CO2 emissions and the dynamic regional to local drivers of coastal ecosystems have resulted in complex regulation of pH in coastal waters. Changes in the watershed can, for example, lead to changes in alkalinity and CO2 fluxes that, together with metabolic processes and oceanic dynamics, yield high-magnitude decadal changes of up to 0.5 units in coastal pH. Metabolism results in strong diel to seasonal fluctuations in pH, with characteristic ranges of 0.3 pH units, with metabolically intense habitats exceeding this range on a daily basis. The intense variability and multiple, complex controls on pH implies that the concept of ocean acidification due to anthropogenic CO2 emissions cannot be transposed to coastal ecosystems directly. Furthermore, in coastal ecosys- tems, the detection of trends towards acidification is not trivial and the attribution of these changes to anthropogenic CO2 emissions is even more problematic. Coastal ecosystems may show acidification or basification, depending on the balance betweenthe invasionof coastal waters byanthropogenic CO2, watershed export of alkalinity, organic matter and CO2 ,a nd changes in the balance between primary production, respira- tion and calcification rates in response to changes in nutrient inputs and losses of ecosystem components. Hence, we contend that ocean acidification from anthropogenic CO2 is largely an open-ocean syndrome and that a concept of anthro- pogenic impacts on marine pH, which is applicable across the entire ocean, from coastal to open-ocean environments, provides a superior framework to consider the multiple components of the anthropogenic perturbation of marine pH trajectories. The concept of anthropogenic impacts on seawater pH acknowledges that a regional focus is neces- sary to predict future trajectories in the pH of coastal waters and points at opportunities to manage these trajec- tories locally to conserve coastal organisms vulnerable to ocean acidification.
TL;DR: Basic features of the osteochondral junction, which comprises subchondral bone and articular cartilage, are summarized and a hypothetical model for the pathogenesis of OA is proposed.
Abstract: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a major cause of disability in the adult population. As a progressive degenerative joint disorder, OA is characterized by cartilage damage, changes in the subchondral bone, osteophyte formation, muscle weakness, and inflammation of the synovium tissue and tendon. Although OA has long been viewed as a primary disorder of articular cartilage, subchondral bone is attracting increasing attention. It is commonly reported to play a vital role in the pathogenesis of OA. Subchondral bone sclerosis, together with progressive cartilage degradation, is widely considered as a hallmark of OA. Despite the increase in bone volume fraction, subchondral bone is hypomineralized, due to abnormal bone remodeling. Some histopathological changes in the subchondral bone have also been detected, including microdamage, bone marrow edema-like lesions and bone cysts. This review summarizes basic features of the osteochondral junction, which comprises subchondral bone and articular cartilage. Importantly, we discuss risk factors influencing subchondral bone integrity. We also focus on the microarchitectural and histopathological changes of subchondral bone in OA, and provide an overview of their potential contribution to the progression of OA. A hypothetical model for the pathogenesis of OA is proposed.
University of Bologna1, Wilfrid Laurier University2, Delft University of Technology3, Rhodes University4, University of Bristol5, Hohai University6, National Technical University of Athens7, Agrocampus Ouest8, Tuscia University9, Vienna University of Technology10, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign11, Uppsala University12, Lancaster University13, University of Arizona14, University of Western Australia15, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne16, École nationale de l'aviation civile17, Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute18, Roskilde University19, UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education20, Griffith University21, Pierre-and-Marie-Curie University22, Ruhr University Bochum23, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation24, Johns Hopkins University25, University of California, Berkeley26, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research27, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill28, Chinese Academy of Sciences29, University of the West Indies30, Moscow State University31
TL;DR: The Panta Rhei Everything Flows project as mentioned in this paper is dedicated to research activities on change in hydrology and society, which aims to reach an improved interpretation of the processes governing the water cycle by focusing on their changing dynamics in connection with rapidly changing human systems.
Abstract: The new Scientific Decade 2013-2022 of IAHS, entitled Panta RheiEverything Flows, is dedicated to research activities on change in hydrology and society. The purpose of Panta Rhei is to reach an improved interpretation of the processes governing the water cycle by focusing on their changing dynamics in connection with rapidly changing human systems. The practical aim is to improve our capability to make predictions of water resources dynamics to support sustainable societal development in a changing environment. The concept implies a focus on hydrological systems as a changing interface between environment and society, whose dynamics are essential to determine water security, human safety and development, and to set priorities for environmental management. The Scientific Decade 2013-2022 will devise innovative theoretical blueprints for the representation of processes including change and will focus on advanced monitoring and data analysis techniques. Interdisciplinarity will be sought by increased efforts to connect with the socio-economic sciences and geosciences in general. This paper presents a summary of the Science Plan of Panta Rhei, its targets, research questions and expected outcomes.
TL;DR: This study is the outcome, wherein the classification of Glomeromycota is revised by rejecting some new names on the grounds that they are founded in error and by synonymizing others that, while validly published, are not evidence-based.
Abstract: The publication of a large number of taxon names at all levels within the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomeromycota) has resulted in conflicting systematic schemes and generated considerable confusion among biologists working with these important plant symbionts. A group of biologists with more than a century of collective experience in the systematics of Glomeromycota examined all available molecular–phylogenetic evidence within the framework of phylogenetic hypotheses, incorporating morphological characters when they were congruent. This study is the outcome, wherein the classification of Glomeromycota is revised by rejecting some new names on the grounds that they are founded in error and by synonymizing others that, while validly published, are not evidence-based. The proposed “consensus” will provide a framework for additional original research aimed at clarifying the evolutionary history of this important group of symbiotic fungi.
TL;DR: In this paper, detrital zircons have been used to estimate that at least 60% to 70% of the present volume of the continental crust had been generated by 3 Ga, which may have been linked to the onset of signifi cant crustal recycling through subduction at convergent plate margins.
Abstract: Continental crust is the archive of Earth history. The spatial and temporal distribution of Earth’s record of rock units and events is heterogeneous; for example, ages of igneous crystallization, metamorphism, continental margins, mineralization, and sea water and atmospheric proxies are distributed about a series of peaks and troughs. This distribution refl ects the different preservation potential of rocks generated in different tectonic settings, rather than fundamental pulses of activity, and the peaks of ages are linked to the timing of supercontinent assembly. The physiochemical resilience of zircons and their derivation largely from felsic igneous rocks means that they are important indicators of the crustal record. Furthermore, detrital zircons, which sample a range of source rocks, provide a more representative record than direct analysis of grains in igneous rocks. Analysis of detrital zircons suggests that at least ~60%–70% of the present volume of the continental crust had been generated by 3 Ga. Such estimates seek to take account of the extent to which the old crustal material is underrepresented in the sedimentary record , and they imply that there were greater volumes of continental crust in the Archean than might be inferred from the compositions of detrital zircons and sediments. The growth of continental crust was a continuous rather than an episodic process, but there was a marked decrease in the rate of crustal growth at ca. 3 Ga, which may have been linked to the onset of signifi cant crustal recycling, probably through subduction at convergent plate margins. The Hadean and Early Archean continental record is poorly preserved and characterized by a bimodal TTG (tonalites, trondhjemites, and granodiorites) and greenstone association that differs from the younger record that can be more directly related to a plate-tectonic regime. The paucity of this early record has led to competing and equivocal models invoking plate-tectonic– and mantle-plume–dominated processes. The 60%–70% of the present volume of the continental crust estimated to have been present at 3 Ga contrasts markedly with the <10% of crust of that age apparently still preserved and requires on going destruction (recycling) of crust and subconti nental mantle lithosphere back into the mantle through processes such as subduction and delamination.
TL;DR: Higher odds of adverse outcomes are also seen among parity ≥3 / age ≥35 mothers, suggesting that reproductive health interventions need to address the entirety of a woman’s reproductive period.
Abstract: Previous studies have reported on adverse neonatal outcomes associated with parity and maternal age. Many of these studies have relied on cross-sectional data, from which drawing causal inference is complex. We explore the associations between parity/maternal age and adverse neonatal outcomes using data from cohort studies conducted in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Data from 14 cohort studies were included. Parity (nulliparous, parity 1-2, parity ≥3) and maternal age (<18 years, 18-<35 years, ≥35 years) categories were matched with each other to create exposure categories, with those who are parity 1-2 and age 18-<35 years as the reference. Outcomes included small-for-gestational-age (SGA), preterm, neonatal and infant mortality. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) were calculated per study and meta-analyzed. Nulliparous, age <18 year women, compared with women who were parity 1-2 and age 18-<35 years had the highest odds of SGA (pooled adjusted OR: 1.80), preterm (pooled aOR: 1.52), neonatal mortality (pooled aOR: 2.07), and infant mortality (pooled aOR: 1.49). Increased odds were also noted for SGA and neonatal mortality for nulliparous/age 18-<35 years, preterm, neonatal, and infant mortality for parity ≥3/age 18-<35 years, and preterm and neonatal mortality for parity ≥3/≥35 years. Nulliparous women <18 years of age have the highest odds of adverse neonatal outcomes. Family planning has traditionally been the least successful in addressing young age as a risk factor; a renewed focus must be placed on finding effective interventions that delay age at first birth. Higher odds of adverse outcomes are also seen among parity ≥3 / age ≥35 mothers, suggesting that reproductive health interventions need to address the entirety of a woman’s reproductive period. Funding was provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (810-2054) by a grant to the US Fund for UNICEF to support the activities of the Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group.
TL;DR: The South China craton was formed at the end of the Mesoproterozoic by Rodinia and occupied a position adjacent to Western Australia and northern India in the early NeoproTERozoic as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: From the formation of Rodinia at the end of the Mesoproterozoic to the commencement of Pangea breakup at the end of the Paleozoic, the South China craton fi rst formed and then occupied a position adjacent to Western Australia and northern India. Early Neoproterozoic suprasubduction zone magmatic arc-backarc assemblages in the craton range in age from ca. 1000 Ma to 820 Ma and display a sequential northwest decrease in age. These relations suggest formation and closure of arc systems through southeast-directed subduction, resulting in progressive northwestward accretion onto the periphery of an already assembled Rodinia. Siliciclastic units within an early Paleozoic succession that transgresses across the craton were derived from the southeast and include detritus from beyond the current limits of the craton. Detrital zircon age spectra require an East Gondwana source and are very similar to the Tethyan Himalaya and younger Paleozoic successions from Western Australia, suggesting derivation from a common source and by inference accumulation in linked basins along the northern margin of Gondwana, a situation that continued until rifting and breakup of the craton in the late Paleozoic.