Publications by authors named "Cuthbert R"

Non-native species can be major drivers of ecosystem alteration, especially through changes in trophic interactions. Successful non-native species have been predicted to have greater resource use efficiency relative to trophically analogous native species (the Resource Consumption Hypothesis), but rigorous evidence remains equivocal. Here, we tested this proposition quantitatively in a global meta-analysis of comparative functional response studies.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Riverine physical and chemical characteristics significantly impact ecosystem integrity, species richness, and diversity, with potential effects on community structure through competition and predation.
  • The study assessed water and sediment quality at eight sites in Nelspruit, South Africa, using macroinvertebrates as bioindicators, revealing significant seasonal and site-based differences in water and sediment chemistry.
  • A total of 4470 macroinvertebrate taxa were identified, with dominant groups being Crustacea and Diptera, indicating variations in community structure and the importance of monitoring aquatic ecosystems amidst increasing pollution pressures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Iatrogenic suprascapular nerve injury secondary to posterior drilling or screw penetration is a recognized complication of bone block or coracoid process transfers for anterior glenohumeral instability. We present the first cadaveric study that assesses the safety of posteroanterior reference guides and quantifies the relationship of the suprascapular nerve to posterior glenoid fixation with suture buttons.

Methods: Anterior glenoid bone block reconstruction with suture buttons utilizing a posteroanterior reference guide was performed in 10 fresh frozen cadavers via a posterior portal.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The audit aimed to assess and improve the completeness and accuracy of the National Joint Registry (NJR) dataset specifically for elbow arthroplasty surgeries.
  • In a two-phase approach, Phase 1 compared NJR data with NHS England Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), identifying thousands of unmatched and inaccurate records, particularly for radial head arthroplasties (RHAs).
  • Phase 2 involved collaboration among 142 NHS hospitals to correct and update records, resulting in an improved completeness of the NJR dataset from 63% to 93% and accuracy from 94% to 98%.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Pseudoachondroplasia is a rare skeletal dysplasia caused by a mutation in the COMP gene. Infants with pseudoachondroplasia present with rhizomelic dwarfism. Pseudoachondroplasia can resemble achondroplasia, which also presents with a phenotype of rhizomelic dwarfism.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Ambient thermal conditions mediate insect growth, development, reproduction, survival, and distribution. With increasingly frequent and severe cold spells, it is critical to determine low-temperature performance and cold tolerances of ecologically and economically essential insect groups to predict their responses to global environmental change. This review covers the cold tolerance strategies of 49 species of Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies), focusing on species that are known as crop pests and crop storage facilities.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Biological invasions pose a major threat to biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and human well-being. Non-native species can have severe ecological impacts that are transformative, affecting ecosystems across both short-term and long-term timescales. However, few studies have determined the temporal dynamics of impact between these scales, impeding future predictions as invasion rates continue to rise.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aquatic ecosystem conservation is imperative to reaching global biodiversity and sustainability targets. However, the ecological status of waters has been continuously eroded through mismanagement in the face of existing and emerging anthropogenic stressors, such as pollutants. There has been an emerging trend towards the use of dyes to manage algae and plants as well as to alter aesthetics within various aquatic environments.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In the current anthropogenic era characterised by human-induced environmental changes, long-term biomonitoring has become a crucial component for understanding ecological patterns and detecting shifts in biodiversity. However, spatiotemporal inconsistencies in biomonitoring efforts hinder transboundary progress in understanding and mitigating global environmental change effectively. The International Long-Term Ecosystem Research (ILTER) network is one of the largest standardised biomonitoring initiatives worldwide, encompassing 44 countries globally, including 26 European countries that are part of the European Long-Term Ecosystem Research network (eLTER).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are a group of chronic disorders of the bone marrow characterised by the overproduction of clonal myeloid stem cells. The most common driver mutation found in MPNs is a point mutation on exon 14 of the JAK2 gene, JAK2. Various studies have suggested that measuring the variable allele frequency (VAF) of JAK2 may provide useful insight regarding diagnosis, treatment, risks and outcomes in MPN patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Protected areas are crucial for biodiversity conservation, but they face significant threats from biological invasions, which disrupt ecological balance and conservation efforts.
  • A quantitative analysis of 300 documented effects from 44 invasive species reveals that these invasions have consistently negative impacts on both living organisms and environmental conditions within protected areas worldwide.
  • To combat the challenges posed by invasive species, it is essential to invest in research on ecological dynamics, implement strong monitoring and prevention strategies, and increase global awareness about these threats.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Pollution of the natural environment by microplastics has become a global issue in ecosystems as it poses a potential long-term threat to biota. Microplastics can accrue in high abundances in sediments of aquatic ecosystems while also contaminating pelagic filter feeders, which could transfer pollutants up trophic webs. We assess the abundance and distribution of microplastics in benthic sediments and Cladocera taxa in a subtropical Austral reservoir using a combination of geospatial techniques, physicochemical analyses, diversity indices, and multivariate statistics between two seasons (i.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Durum wheat () is threatened by the appearance of new virulent races of leaf rust, caused by , in recent years. This study was conducted to determine the leaf rust resistance in a modern Canadian durum cultivar, Strongfield. Six populations derived from crosses of Strongfield with six tetraploid wheat lines, respectively, were tested at the seedling plant stage with different races.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Optimum moisture in straw and grain at maturity is important for timely harvesting of wheat. Grain harvested at the right time has reduced chance of being affected by adverse weather conditions which is important to maintain grain quality and end use functionality. Wheat varieties with a short dry down period could help in timely harvest of the crop.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A 73-year-old woman was referred to a National Centre for Peripheral Nerve Injury with a post-operative left radial nerve degenerative lesion following open reduction and internal fixation of a proximal third humerus fracture using radiolucent Arthrex FiberTape® Cerclage as an adjunct to plating to improve stability. Intra-operative photographs illustrate compression of the radial nerve under the cerclage construct. Use of radiolucent cerclage for humerus fractures is increasing with modern systems capable of withstanding an ultimate load of 4300 N.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Biological invasions pose a rapidly expanding threat to the persistence, functioning and service provisioning of ecosystems globally, and to socio-economic interests. The stages of successful invasions are driven by the same mechanism that underlies adaptive changes across species in general-via natural selection on intraspecific variation in traits that influence survival and reproductive performance (i.e.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - Biological invasions are a big problem for ecosystems and economies, and Türkiye is especially at risk due to its trade connections and location between Europe and Asia.
  • - Researchers analyzed the economic costs of invasive species in Türkiye and found it added up to about $4.1 billion from 1960 to 2022, mostly affecting agriculture and fisheries.
  • - The yearly costs of these invasive species are increasing and could reach $504 million a year soon, highlighting the need for better tracking of these costs and better management strategies to deal with them.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Microplastics are widespread pollutants, but few studies have linked field prevalence in organisms to laboratory uptakes. Aquatic filter feeders may be particularly susceptible to microplastic uptake, with the potential for trophic transfer to higher levels, including humans. Here, we surveyed microplastics from a model freshwater shrimp, common caraidina () inhabiting the Crocodile River in South Africa to better understand microplastic uptake rates per individual.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Standardised terminology in science is important for clarity of interpretation and communication. In invasion science - a dynamic and rapidly evolving discipline - the proliferation of technical terminology has lacked a standardised framework for its development. The result is a convoluted and inconsistent usage of terminology, with various discrepancies in descriptions of damage and interventions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - Fusarium head blight (FHB) negatively impacts durum wheat quality by causing Fusarium damaged kernels (FDK) and deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination, with the DT696 line showing less susceptibility compared to other cultivars.
  • - The study utilized a SNP high-density genetic map from a DT707/DT696 population to identify QTL (quantitative trait loci) responsible for resistance against DON and FDK, discovering four DON resistance QTL and two FDK resistance QTL across varying years.
  • - Breeder-friendly KASP markers were developed for diagnosing resistance QTL on specific chromosomes, aiding in future durum wheat breeding to enhance disease resistance by utilizing favorable alleles from the DT696 line.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on periprosthetic fractures (PPFs) around the knee, examining patient demographics, fracture types, and treatment methods to assess their effect on in-hospital mortality.
  • A total of 420 patients from a larger database were analyzed, revealing a 6.4% mortality rate; key risk factors included higher ASA grades, peripheral vascular disease, rheumatic disease, and fractures associated with loose implants.
  • Management type did not significantly affect mortality, but surgical interventions led to longer hospital stays and increased likelihood of further surgeries compared to non-operative treatments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Plastic pollution is a ubiquitous problem that poses a threat to society and the environment. The issue is especially pervasive in the aquatic environment, where large amounts of plastic debris accumulate from numerous anthropogenic pathways. Relatively little is known about the extent of macroplastics in African subtropical Austral rivers, where management strategies are lacking.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A dominant syndrome of the Anthropocene is the rapid worldwide spread of invasive species with devastating environmental and socio-economic impacts. However, the dynamics underlying the impacts of biological invasions remain contested. A hypothesis posits that the richness of impactful invasive species increases proportionally with the richness of non-native species more generally.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Invasive non-native species, particularly feral domesticated animals, have caused significant economic harm globally, with total costs reaching $141.95 billion from just 18 species.
  • Feral livestock alone accounted for $90.03 billion in damages, with agriculture being the most affected sector ($80.79 billion), while regions like Oceania, North America, and Europe experienced the largest financial burdens.
  • Effective management strategies, including better regulations and public awareness, are essential to mitigate the socioeconomic and environmental impacts of these invasive feral populations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF