Ecosystem engineers enhance the multifunctionality of an urban novel ecosystem: Population persistence and ecosystem resilience since the 1980s.

In degraded urban habitats, nature-based solutions aim to enhance ecosystem functioning and service provision. Bivalves are increasingly reintroduced to urban environments to enhance water quality through biofiltration, yet their long-term sustainability remains uncertain. Following the restoration of the disused South Docks in Liverpool in the 1980s, natural colonization of mussels rapidly improved dock-basin water quality and supported diverse taxa, including other filter feeders.

The gut microbiome of farmed Arctic char () is shaped by feeding stage and nutrient presence.

The gut microbiome plays an important role in maintaining health and productivity of farmed fish. However, the functional role of most gut microorganisms remains unknown. Identifying the stable members of the gut microbiota and understanding their functional roles could aid in the selection of positive traits or act as a proxy for fish health in aquaculture.

Enhancement of Soybean Meal Alters Gut Microbiome and Influences Behavior of Farmed Atlantic Salmon ().

Atlantic salmon () is one of the worlds most domesticated fish. As production volumes increase, access to high quality and sustainable protein sources for formulated feeds of this carnivorous fish is required. Soybean meal (SBM) and soy-derived proteins are the dominant protein sources in commercial aquafeeds due to their low-cost, availability and favorable amino acid profile.

Impact of Putative Probiotics on Growth, Behavior, and the Gut Microbiome of Farmed Arctic Char ().

Beneficial bacteria promise to promote the health and productivity of farmed fish species. However, the impact on host physiology is largely strain-dependent, and studies on Arctic char (), a commercially farmed salmonid species, are lacking. In this study, 10 candidate probiotic strains were subjected to assays, small-scale growth trials, and behavioral analysis with juvenile Arctic char to examine the impact of probiotic supplementation on fish growth, behavior and the gut microbiome.

MASTREE+: Time-series of plant reproductive effort from six continents.

Significant gaps remain in understanding the response of plant reproduction to environmental change. This is partly because measuring reproduction in long-lived plants requires direct observation over many years and such datasets have rarely been made publicly available. Here we introduce MASTREE+, a data set that collates reproductive time-series data from across the globe and makes these data freely available to the community.

Torula yeast in the diet of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar and the impact on growth performance and gut microbiome.

Atlantic salmon aquaculture is expanding, and with it, the need to find suitable replacements for conventional protein sources used in formulated feeds. Torula yeast (Cyberlindnera jadinii), has been identified as a promising alternative protein for feed and can be sustainably cultivated on lignocellulosic biomasses. The present study investigated the impact of torula yeast on the growth performance and gut microbiome of freshwater Atlantic salmon.

Plant-available soil nutrients have a limited influence on cone production patterns of individual white spruce trees.

The resource budget model for mast seeding hypothesizes that soil nutrients proximately influence reproduction. Plants in high soil nutrient (particularly N) areas are predicted to have lower reproductive variability over time and higher mean reproduction. While often examined theoretically, there are relatively few empirical tests of this hypothesis.

A randomised controlled trial of sodium citrate spray for non-conductive olfactory disorders.

Objectives: Previous research has suggested that sodium citrate improves hyposmia by decreasing mucus calcium levels in the nose. This study aimed to confirm or refute this effect in a single application and assess potential side-effects.

Design: Study design was a randomised double-blind controlled trial of sodium citrate nasal spray (intervention) vs sterile water (control).

Age-related periodontitis and alveolar bone loss in rice rats.

Objective: To characterize in rice rats: (a) periodontitis (PD) progress with feeding of standard laboratory rat chow (STD) during ages 4-80 weeks; and (b) PD progress with feeding of a high sucrose-casein (H-SC) diet during young adulthood.

Methods: One group (N=12) was euthanized at age 4 weeks (Baseline). Four groups (N=8-16) consumed a STD diet from baseline and were necropsied at ages 22, 30, 52, and 80 weeks.

Influence of aromatase inhibition on the bone-protective effects of testosterone.

The influence of the aromatase enzyme in androgen-induced bone maintenance after skeletal maturity remains somewhat unclear. Our purpose was to determine whether aromatase activity is essential to androgen-induced bone maintenance. Ten-month-old male Fisher 344 rats (n = 73) were randomly assigned to receive Sham surgery, orchiectomy (ORX), ORX + anastrozole (AN; aromatase inhibitor), ORX + testosterone-enanthate (TE, 7.

Fascia iliaca compartment block reduces morphine requirement pre-operatively for patients with fractured neck of femur.

Introduction: Fascia iliaca compartment block, performed in the emergency department (A&E) in patients presenting with femoral neck fracture, has gained increasing recognition as an adjunctive analgesic. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether fascia iliaca block (FIB) significantly reduced the requirement for systemic opiates in the pre-operative setting.

Materials And Methods: Analgesia requirements for all patients admitted with fractured neck of femur to one unit over a 9-month period were gathered prospectively.

Early response of bone marrow osteoprogenitors to skeletal unloading and sclerostin antibody.

Sclerostin functions as an antagonist to Wnt signaling and inhibits bone-forming activity. We studied the effects of skeletal unloading and treatment with sclerostin antibody (Scl-Ab) on mesenchymal stem cell, osteoprogenitor and osteoclast precursor pools, and their relationship to bone formation and resorption. Male C57BL/6 mice (5-months-old) were hind limb unloaded for 1 week or allowed normal ambulation and treated with Scl-Ab (25 mg/kg, s.

Determining tamoxifen sensitivity using primary breast cancer tissue in collagen-based three-dimensional culture.

We developed a three-dimensional assay prepared from primary breast cancer tissue and quantified tumor response to tamoxifen therapy. Freshly harvested breast cancer biopsies obtained at the time of curative surgical resection were fragmented and embedded into collagen I cushions. Changes in proliferation, apoptosis and tumor volume in response to tamoxifen treatment were quantified using image analysis software and optical projection tomography.

Long-term culture of human breast cancer specimens and their analysis using optical projection tomography.

Breast cancer is a leading cause of mortality in the Western world. It is well established that the spread of breast cancer, first locally and later distally, is a major factor in patient prognosis. Experimental systems of breast cancer rely on cell lines usually derived from primary tumours or pleural effusions.

Impact of acceleration on blood lactate values derived from high-speed resistance exercise.

Acceleration, or an increase in the rate of movement, is integral to success in many sports. Improvements in acceleration often entail workouts done at intensities that elicit higher blood lactate concentrations (BLa). The purpose of the study is to assess the impact of acceleration on BLa.

Performance evaluation of a high-speed inertial exercise trainer.

A high-speed, low-resistance inertial exercise trainer (IET, Impulse Training Systems, Newnan, Ga) is increasingly employed in rehabilitative and athletic performance settings. Repetitions on an IET are done through a large range of motion because multijoint movements occur over more than one plane of motion, with no limitation on velocities or accelerations attained. The current study purpose is to assess data reproducibility from an instrumented IET through multiple test-retest measures.