bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Getting a grip at the edge: recolonization and introgression in eastern PacificPoritescorals
Authors: Hellberg Michael E. , Prada Carlos , Tan Maxine H. , Forsman Zac H. , Baums Iliana B.
Published: August 2016

Aim

To infer species identity, population isolation, and geographical variation in inter‐specific hybridization among corals of the genusPoritesfrom the central and eastern tropical Pacific, with a focus on the timing of separation between populations ofP. evermanniandP. lobatadivided by the Eastern Pacific Barrier.

Location

Hawaii, American Samoa, Panama and the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador.

Methods

Maximum likelihood gene trees were obtained for mitochondrialDNA(COI), the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), and 5 single‐copy nuclear (scn) gene regions. Allelic networks were used to group multi‐locus scn data into species clusters despite some allele sharing. Coalescent analyses (IMa2) of the 5 scn markers were used to estimate the time of population divergence and test for introgression betweenP. evermanniandP. lobata.

Results

Allelic networks based on scn gene sequences agreed with mtCOIandITSdesignations. Divergence times between Hawaiian and eastern Pacific populations are consistent with an early Pleistocene recolonization of the eastern Pacific byP. evermannifollowed by a more recent arrival ofP. lobata. The two species were fully isolated in Hawaii/American Samoa populations, but introgression fromP. evermanniintoP. lobatawas evident in the eastern Pacific.

Main conclusions

These results are consistent with a scenario where a bout of introgression withP. evermanni,an early‐arriving colonizer of the eastern Pacific suited to marginal environmental conditions, facilitated the later colonization of the more sensitiveP. lobata.
Adenosine‐Guided Pulmonary Vein Antral Isolation for Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation: A Randomized Study
Authors: EFREMIDIS MICHAEL , LETSAS KONSTANTINOS P. , LIONI LOUIZA , VLACHOS KONSTANTINOS , GEORGOPOULOS STAMATIS , SAPLAOURAS ATHANASIOS , GELADARI ELENI , GIANNOPOULOS GEORGE , LIU TONG , DEFTEREOS SPYRIDON , SIDERIS ANTONIOS
Published: August 2016

Adenosine‐Guided Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation

Objectives

The prognostic significance of adenosine‐mediated pulmonary vein (PV) dormant conduction and whether such conduction should be eliminated still remain controversial. This randomized study aimed to investigate whether adenosine‐guided ablation of the reconnection gaps improves the long‐term outcomes of pulmonary vein antral isolation (PVAI) for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods and Results

Consecutive patients with paroxysmal AF were randomly assigned to undergo (n = 80, group 1) or not (n = 81, group 2) adenosine testing following PVAI. Adenosine‐mediated PV dormant conduction was unmasked in 26 patients (32.5%) of group 1. Successful elimination of the reconnection gaps was subsequently performed in all patients. During a mean follow‐up period of 11.39 ± 5.10 months, 30 patients of group 1 (37.5%), and 27 patients of group 2 (33.3%) experienced arrhythmia recurrence. The Kaplan–Meier arrhythmia free survival curves failed to demonstrate any significant differences between study groups (log rank 0.217, P = 0.642). Fourteen of 26 (53.8%) patients with adenosine‐mediated dormant conduction and subsequent elimination of reconnection gaps experienced AF recurrence during follow‐up. On the contrary, only 16 of 54 patients without dormant conduction (29.6%) displayed arrhythmia recurrence (P = 0.049). Logistic regression analysis showed that adenosine‐mediated PV reconnection (hazard ratio 0.292, 95% confidence interval 0.122–0.483; P = 0.01) was an independent predictor of AF recurrence.

Conclusion

In this patients’ cohort, adenosine‐mediated PV reconnection is predictive of future arrhythmic events. Elimination of dormant conduction with additional ablation lesions does not improve the long‐term outcome of the procedure compared to the standard PVAI.
Response of CDA5 in Hyphantria cunea to Bt toxin ingestion and Knockdown in transfected Sf9 cells
Authors: Shaoya L. , Dan Z. , Jing L. , Xiaotong S. , Wei G. , Xiujun L.
Published: August 2016

Chitin deacetylases (CDAs) are critical enzymes required for chitin degradation, which play an important role in modifying the physical properties of insect cuticles and peritrophic matrices. A novel chitin deacetylase gene (hccda5) was identified from Hyphantria cunea. The recombinant expressed HcCDA5 protein, containing a chitin deacetylase domain (CDAD), did not show chitin deacetylase activity, but instead showed a strong chitin‐binding activity. Transcriptional analysis using qRT‐PCR indicated that hccda5 was mainly expressed in the midgut of H. cunea larvae. Feeding H. cunea larvae with Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) Cry1A protein induced its downregulation. The gene of hccda5 was successfully silenced by different dsRNAs in insect cell line (Spodoptera frugiperda line, Sf9), which provided a tool to study the function of an expressed gene in insect cell line and laid a foundation for RNAi of hccda5 in H. cunea larvae.
Accuracy of radiographic measurements for implant planning using cone‐beam and helical computer tomography
Authors: Leung Carl K.K. , Pow Edmond H.N. , Li Thomas K.L. , Lo Edward C.M. , Chow Tak W.
Published: August 2016

Aim

The aim of the present study was to compare the accuracy of radiographic measurements for dental implants planning using cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) and helical computed tomography (HCT).

Methods

Six pig ribs were wrapped by putty impression material, with radiographic markers placed. Two CBCT and an HCT were taken following the standard protocols. Twenty‐five locations were selected, with vertical and horizontal dimensions measured using the default software, as well as on the processed HCT films by a digital caliper. The actual dimensions of the ribs measured by the digital caliper served as the control. Differences between radiographic dimensions and the actual dimensions were tested by two‐way analysis of variance.

Results

No differences were found between measurements made by CBCT and HCT images using the default software (P > 0.05). However, both measurements were statistically‐significantly lower than the control (P < 0.001), and the mean difference was 0.3 mm. Measurements made on HCT films were statistically‐significantly greater than the control (P < 0.001), and the mean difference was 0.5 mm.

Conclusion

The accuracy of CBCT and HCT are similar, and both are reliable tools for implant planning. It is preferable to perform the planning using default software, rather than making direct measurements on films.
On the Attractiveness of Product Recovery: The Forces that Shape Reverse Markets
Authors: Stindt Dennis , Quariguasi Frota Neto Joao , Nuss Christian , Dirr Martin , Jakowczyk Marta , Gibson Andrew , Tuma Axel
Published: August 2016

Product recovery is a major contributor for implementing sustainable business practices. Within such operations, which are either driven by legislation or economic rationales, practitioners face strategic issues concerning reverse market entry and positioning. Although the complexity of acting on reverse markets is widely acknowledged, a comprehensive framework to facilitate decision making in this area is lacking. In an attempt to fill that gap, we develop a model that supports original equipment manufacturers’ (OEMs’) assessment of the attractiveness of reverse markets. We identify, from a comprehensive literature analysis, in‐depth interviews, and engagement with a dozen companies from different countries, factors that influence key characteristics of reverse markets, and consolidate this lengthy list into a comprehensive model intuitively applicable to business practice. The model combines five forces that drive reverse markets: access to recoverable products; threat of independent recovery companies’ (IRCs’) market entry; rivalry for recoverable products; adverse effects on core business; and remarketing opportunities. We propose for each a set of attributes that influences its power and direction. To demonstrate the efficacy of the model, we apply it in two industry settings: recovery of white goods in the United Kingdom and paper recycling in Germany. The present research enables OEMs to understand the structure and forces that drive reverse markets, identify levers to influence those markets, anticipate market developments, and formulate resilient strategies for product recovery.
Intact attentional orienting towards inverted faces revealed by both manual responses and eye‐movement measurement in individuals with Williams syndrome
Authors: Hirai M. , Muramatsu Y. , Mizuno S. , Kurahashi N. , Kurahashi H. , Nakamura M.
Published: August 2016

Background

Individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) exhibit atypical attentional characteristics when viewing faces. Although atypical configural processing of faces has been reported in WS, the relative strengths of configural and local feature information to capture visual attention in WS remains unclear. We previously demonstrated that attentional capture by target‐unrelated upright faces differs depending on what response is measured. Whereas eye movements reflected subtle atypical attentional properties at the late stage of visual search, manual responses could not capture the atypical attentional profiles towards target‐unrelated upright faces in individuals with WS. Here we used the same experimental paradigm to assess whether sensitivity to configural facial information is necessary for capturing attention in WS.

Methods

We measured both eye movements and manual responses from 17 individuals with WS and 34 typically developing children and adults while they were actively involved in a visual search task with an inverted face distractor. Task measures (reaction time and performance accuracy) and gaze behaviour (initial direction of attention and fixation duration) were analysed for each stimulus.

Results

When the target and the inverted face were displayed in the same search array, reaction times and accuracies in individuals with WS showed similar tendencies as typical controls. Analysis of task and gaze measures revealed that attentional orienting towards inverted faces was not atypical.

Conclusion

Although individuals with WS exhibited atypical gaze behaviour towards upright faces in our previous study, this unusual behaviour disappears if the faces are upside down. These findings suggest that local feature information alone (e.g. eyes) does not contribute to the heightened attention to faces, but configural information appears necessary for drawing attention to faces in individuals with WS, at least in the current experimental paradigm.
Psychometric validation of the Chinese version of the Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool for older Chinese inpatients
Authors: Zhang Junhong , Wang Min , Liu Yu
Published: August 2016

Aims and objectives

To culturally adapt and evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool among older inpatients in the mainland of China.

Background

Patient falls are an important safety consideration within hospitals among older inpatients. Nurses need specific risk assessment tools for older inpatients to reliably identify at‐risk populations and guide interventions that highlight fixable risk factors for falls and consequent injuries. In China, a few tools have been developed to measure fall risk. However, they lack the solid psychometric development necessary to establish their validity and reliability, and they are not widely used for elderly inpatients.

Design

A cross‐sectional study.

Methods

A convenient sampling was used to recruit 201 older inpatients from two tertiary‐level hospitals in Beijing and Xiamen, China. The Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool was translated using forward and backward translation procedures and was administered to these 201 older inpatients. Reliability of the tool was calculated by inter‐rater reliability and Cronbach's alpha. Validity was analysed through content validity index and construct validity.

Results

The Inter‐rater reliability of Chinese version of Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool was 97·14% agreement with Cohen's Kappa of 0·903. Cronbach's α was 0·703. Content of Validity Index was 0·833. Two factors represented intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors were explored that together explained 58·89% of the variance.

Conclusion

This study provided evidence that Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool is an acceptable, valid and reliable tool to identify older inpatients at risk of falls and falls with injury. Further psychometric testing on criterion validity and evaluation of its advanced utility in geriatric clinical settings are warranted.

Relevance to clinical practice

The Chinese version of Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool may be useful for health care personnel to identify older Chinese inpatients at risk of falls and falls with injury.
Do composition and richness of woody plants vary between gaps and closed canopy patches in subtropical forests?
Authors: Sharma Lila N. , Grytnes John‐Arvid , Måren Inger E. , Vetaas Ole R.
Published: August 2016

Questions

Do composition and richness of woody plants differ between gaps and closed canopy in subtropical forests, and does this difference vary across life stages of tree species? Is tree species richness in gaps a function of regeneration density?

Location

Subtropical Shorea robusta Gaertn (Sal) forest, central Nepal.

Methods

We collected vegetation data from two old‐growth S. robusta forest stands. We sampled 128 plots of 100 m2 equally spread between the two habitats: gap and closed canopy. In each plot, we recorded the total number of woody species, number of individuals of seedlings and saplings of tree species and measured the DBH of all saplings. We compared species richness and composition of total woody species, seedlings and saplings between the two habitats. We used ordination to analyse species composition, and an individual‐based species accumulation curves to illustrate the effect of density on species richness.

Results

The species composition of total woody species and seedlings was similar in both habitats, but species composition of saplings differed between habitats. Total woody and seedling richness were similar between habitats at one site, but were richer under closed canopy at the other site. Sapling richness was higher in gaps at both sites and was a function of stem density at one site, but not at the other site.

Conclusions

Gaps are not always areas of higher woody species richness and therefore may be less important than expected for the overall species richness of woody plants. Instead, they are potentially important for enhancing local tree richness by increasing sapling richness. Gap disturbance is the primary driver of structural heterogeneity in forests where topographic and edaphic gradients are negligible.
Subsurface deformation in hypervelocity cratering experiments into high‐porosity tuffs
Authors: Winkler Rebecca , Poelchau Michael H. , Moser Stefan , Kenkmann Thomas
Published: August 2016

Hypervelocity impact experiments on porous tuff targets were carried out to determine the effect of porosity on deformation mechanisms in the crater's subsurface. Blocks of Weibern Tuff with about 43% porosity were impacted by 2.5 mm and 12.0 mm diameter steel spheres with velocities between 4.8 km s−1 and 5.6 km s−1. The postimpact subsurface damage was quantified with computer tomography as well as with meso‐ and microscale analyses of the bisected crater subsurface. The intensity and style of deformation in mineral clasts and the tuff matrix were mapped and their decay with subsurface depth was determined. Subsurface deformation styles include pore space compaction, clast rotation, as well as microfracture formation. Evaluation of the deformation indicates near‐surface energy coupling at a calculated depth of burial of ~2 projectile diameters (dp), which is in conflict with the crater shape, which displays a deep, central penetration tube. Subsurface damage extends to ~2 dp beneath the crater floor in the experiments with 2.5 mm projectiles and increases to ~3 dp for 12 mm projectiles. Based on overprinting relationships and the geometrical orientation of deformation features, a sequence of subsurface deformation events was derived (1) matrix compaction, (2) intragranular crack formation in clasts, (3) deformation band formation in the compacted matrix, (4) tensile fracturing.
Strain diversity and host specificity in a specialized gut symbiont of honeybees and bumblebees
Authors: Powell Elijah , Ratnayeke Nalin , Moran Nancy A.
Published: August 2016

Host‐restricted lineages of gut bacteria often include many closely related strains, but this fine‐scale diversity is rarely investigated. The specialized gut symbiont Snodgrassella alvi has codiversified with honeybees (Apis mellifera) and bumblebees (Bombus) for millions of years. Snodgrassella alvi strains are nearly identical for 16S rRNA gene sequences but have distinct gene repertoires potentially affecting host biology and community interactions. We examined S. alvi strain diversity within and between hosts using deep sequencing both of a single‐copy coding gene (minD) and of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. We sampled workers from domestic and feral A. mellifera colonies and wild‐caught Bombus representing 14 species. Conventional analyses of community profiles, based on the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene, failed to expose most strain variation. In contrast, the minD analysis revealed extensive strain variation within and between host species and individuals. Snodgrassella alvi strain diversity is significantly higher in A. mellifera than in Bombus, supporting the hypothesis that colony founding by swarms of workers enables retention of more diversity than colony founding by a single queen. Most Bombus individuals (72%) are dominated by a single S. alvi strain, whereas most A. mellifera (86%) possess multiple strains. No S. alvi strains are shared between A. mellifera and Bombus, indicating some host specificity. Among Bombus‐restricted strains, some are restricted to a single host species or subgenus, while others occur in multiple subgenera. Findings demonstrate that strains diversify both within and between host species and can be highly specific or relatively generalized in their host associations.
Niche shifts and range expansions along cordilleras drove diversification in a high‐elevation endemic plant genus in the tropical Andes
Authors: Kolář Filip , Dušková Eva , Sklenář Petr
Published: August 2016

The tropical Andes represent one of the world's biodiversity hot spots, but the evolutionary drivers generating their striking species diversity still remain poorly understood. In the treeless high‐elevation Andean environments, Pleistocene glacial oscillations and niche differentiation are frequently hypothesized diversification mechanisms; however, sufficiently densely sampled population genetic data supporting this are still lacking. Here, we reconstruct the evolutionary history ofLoricaria(Asteraceae), a plant genus endemic to the Andean treeless alpine zone, based on comprehensive population‐level sampling of 289 individuals from 67 populations across the entire distribution ranges of its northern Andean species. Partly incongruent AFLP and plastid DNA markers reveal that the distinct genetic structure was shaped by a complex interplay of biogeography (spread along and across the cordilleras), history (Pleistocene glacial oscillations) and local ecological conditions. While plastid variation documents an early split or colonization of the northern Andes by at least two lineages, one of which further diversified, a major split in the AFLP data correlate with altitudinal ecological differentiation. This suggests that niche shifts may be important drivers of Andean diversification not only in forest–alpine transitions, but also within the treeless alpine zone itself. The patterns of genetic differentiation at the intraspecific level reject the hypothesized separation in spatially isolated cordilleras and instead suggest extensive gene flow among populations from distinct mountain chains. Our study highlights that leveraging highly variable markers against extensive population‐level sampling is a promising approach to address mechanisms of rapid species diversifications.
Mechanisms of mast seeding: resources, weather, cues, and selection
Authors: Pearse Ian S. , Koenig Walter D. , Kelly Dave
Published: August 2016

Mast seeding is a widespread and widely studied phenomenon. However, the physiological mechanisms that mediate masting events and link them to weather and plant resources are still debated. Here, we explore how masting is affected by plant resource budgets, fruit maturation success, and hormonal coordination of cues including weather and resources. There is little empirical support for the commonly stated hypothesis that plants store carbohydrates over several years to expend in a high‐seed year. Plants can switch carbohydrates away from growth in high‐seed years, and seed crops are more probably limited by nitrogen or phosphorus. Resources are clearly involved in the proximate mechanisms driving masting, but resource budget (RB) models cannot create masting in the absence of selection because some underlying selective benefit is required to set the level of a ‘full’ seed crop at greater than the annual resource increment. Economies of scale (EOSs) provide the ultimate factor selecting for masting, but EOSs probably always interact with resources, which modify the relationship between weather cues and reproduction. Thus, RB and EOS models are not alternative explanations for masting – both are required. Experiments manipulating processes that affect mast seeding will help clarify the physiological mechanisms that underlie mast seeding.

Contents

Summary
546

I.
Introduction
546

II.
Ultimate and proximate hypotheses for masting behaviour
547

III.
The role of plant resources in masting
548

IV.
Which resources limit seed set?
552

V.
Pollination, fruit development, and masting
554

VI.
Hormonal control of seed set and masting
556

VII.
Evolutionary perspectives on masting behaviour
558

VIII.
Unifying resource budget and economy of scale models of masting
558

IX.
Conclusions
559

Acknowledgements
559

References
559
Deletion of FtsH11 protease has impact on chloroplast structure and function in Arabidopsis thaliana when grown under continuous light
Authors: Wagner Raik , von Sydow Lotta , Aigner Harald , Netotea Sergiu , Brugière Sabine , Sjögren Lars , Ferro Myriam , Clarke Adrian , Funk Christiane
Published: August 2016

The membrane‐integrated metalloprotease FtsH11 of Arabidopsis thaliana is proposed to be dual‐targeted to mitochondria and chloroplasts. A bleached phenotype was observed in ftsh11 grown at long days or continuous light, pointing to disturbances in the chloroplast. Within the chloroplast, FtsH11 was found to be located exclusively in the envelope. Two chloroplast‐located proteins of unknown function (Tic22‐like protein and YGGT‐A) showed significantly higher abundance in envelope membranes and intact chloroplasts of ftsh11 and therefore qualify as potential substrates for the FtsH11 protease. No proteomic changes were observed in the mitochondria of 6‐week‐old ftsh11 compared with wild type, and FtsH11 was not immunodetected in these organelles. The abundance of plastidic proteins, especially of photosynthetic proteins, was altered even during standard growth conditions in total leaves of ftsh11. At continuous light, the amount of photosystem I decreased relative to photosystem II, accompanied by a drastic change of the chloroplast morphology and a drop of non‐photochemical quenching. FtsH11 is crucial for chloroplast structure and function during growth in prolonged photoperiod.
Function of Sitka spruce stone cells as a physical defence against white pine weevil
Authors: Whitehill Justin G. A. , Henderson Hannah , Strong Ward , Jaquish Barry , Bohlmann Jörg
Published: August 2016

Stone cells are a physical defence of conifers against stem feeding insects such as weevils and bark beetles. In Sitka spruce, abundance of stone cells in the cortex of apical shoot tips is associated with resistance to white pine weevil. However, the mode of action by which stone cells interfere with growth and development of weevil larvae is unknown. We developed a bioassay system for testing potential effects of stone cells, which were isolated from resistant trees, on weevil larvae. Bioassays using artificial diet and controlled amounts of stone cells focused on physical defence. We evaluated the effects of stone cells on establishment of neonate larvae, mandible wear and changes in relative growth rates of third instar larvae. Establishment of neonates and relative growth rates of third instars were significantly reduced by stone cells. Stone cells appeared to be indigestible by weevil larvae. Our results suggest that stone cells affect weevil establishment and development by forming a physical feeding barrier against neonate larvae at the site of oviposition, and by reducing access to nutrients in the cortex of resistant trees, which contain an abundance of stone cells in place of a more nutrient rich tissue in susceptible trees.
Does intrinsic motivation enhance motor cortex excitability?
Authors: Radel Rémi , Pjevac Dusan , Davranche Karen , d'Arripe‐Longueville Fabienne , Colson Serge S. , Lapole Thomas , Gruet Mathieu
Published: August 2016

Intrinsic motivation (IM) is often viewed as a spontaneous tendency for action. Recent behavioral and neuroimaging evidence indicate that IM, in comparison to extrinsic motivation (EM), solicits the motor system. Accordingly, we tested whether IM leads to greater excitability of the motor cortex than EM. To test this hypothesis, we used two different tasks to induce the motivational orientation using either words representing each motivational orientation or pictures previously linked to each motivational orientation through associative learning. Single‐pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation over the motor cortex was applied when viewing the stimuli. Electromyographic activity was recorded on the contracted first dorsal interosseous muscle. Two indexes of corticospinal excitability (the amplitude of motor‐evoked potential and the length of cortical silent period) were obtained through unbiased automatic detection and analyzed using a mixed model that provided both statistical power and a high level of control over all important individual, task, and stimuli characteristics. Across the two tasks and the two indices of corticospinal excitability, the exposure to IM‐related stimuli did not lead to a greater corticospinal excitability than EM‐related stimuli or than stimuli with no motivational valence (ps > .20). While these results tend to dismiss the advantage of IM at activating the motor cortex, we suggest alternative hypotheses to explain this lack of effect, which deserves further research.
Toward the influence of temporal attention on the selection of targets in a visual search task: An ERP study
Authors: Rolke Bettina , Festl Freya , Seibold Verena C.
Published: August 2016

We used ERPs to investigate whether temporal attention interacts with spatial attention and feature‐based attention to enhance visual processing. We presented a visual search display containing one singleton stimulus among a set of homogenous distractors. Participants were asked to respond only to target singletons of a particular color and shape that were presented in an attended spatial position. We manipulated temporal attention by presenting a warning signal before each search display and varying the foreperiod (FP) between the warning signal and the search display in a blocked manner. We observed distinctive ERP effects of both spatial and temporal attention. The amplitudes for the N2pc, SPCN, and P3 were enhanced by spatial attention indicating a processing benefit of relevant stimulus features at the attended side. Temporal attention accelerated stimulus processing; this was indexed by an earlier onset of the N2pc component and a reduction in reaction times to targets. Most importantly, temporal attention did not interact with spatial attention or stimulus features to influence visual processing. Taken together, the results suggest that temporal attention fosters visual perceptual processing in a visual search task independently from spatial attention and feature‐based attention; this provides support for the nonspecific enhancement hypothesis of temporal attention.
Aquaculture of marine non‐food organisms: what, why and how?
Authors: Leal Miguel Costa , Rocha Rui Jorge Miranda , Rosa Rui , Calado Ricardo
Published: August 2016

Aquaculture is among the fastest growing industries in the world and the fastest in the food production sector. However, not all aquaculture organisms are produced for human consumption. Indeed, an important fraction of aquaculture products target a wide variety of applications, from pharmaceutical, cosmeceutical, ornamental and nutraceutical applications, as well as biofuel production, conservation efforts and academic purposes, among others. Despite the increasing importance of aquaculture for non‐food purposes, a comprehensive review covering the state of the art of this topic, its latest developments and future trends is missing. Here, we review what marine organisms are produced for non‐food purposes, as well as why and how they are produced. Instead of providing a thorough methodological review, production protocols are briefly summarized and an updated guide to the most relevant literature is provided. We overview current developments driving the aquaculture of non‐food organisms, underpin their most significant applications and highlight future prospects for non‐food aquaculture.
The experiences of working carers of older people regarding access to a web‐based family care support network offered by a municipality
Authors: Andersson Stefan , Erlingsson Christen , Magnusson Lennart , Hanson Elizabeth
Published: August 2016

Policy makers in Sweden and other European Member States pay increasing attention as to how best support working carers; carers juggling providing unpaid family care for older family members while performing paid work. Exploring perceived benefits and challenges with web‐based information and communication technologies as a means of supporting working carers' in their caregiving role, this paper draws on findings from a qualitative study. The study aimed to describe working carers' experiences of having access to the web‐based family care support network ‘A good place' (AGP) provided by the municipality to support those caring for an older family member. Content analysis of interviews with nine working carers revealed three themes: A support hub, connections to peers, personnel and knowledge; Experiencing ICT support as relevant in changing life circumstances; and Upholding one's personal firewall. Findings indicate that the web‐based family care support network AGP is an accessible, complementary means of support. Utilising support while balancing caregiving, work obligations and responsibilities was made easier with access to AGP; enabling working carers to access information, psychosocial support and learning opportunities. In particular, it provided channels for carers to share experiences with others, to be informed, and to gain insights into medical and care issues. This reinforced working carers' sense of competence, helping them meet caregiving demands and see positive aspects in their situation. Carers' low levels of digital skills and anxieties about using computer‐based support were barriers to utilising web‐based support and could lead to deprioritising of this support. However, to help carers overcome these barriers and to better match web‐based support to working carers' preferences and situations, web‐based support must be introduced in a timely manner and must more accurately meet each working carer's unique caregiving needs.
Readiness to accept Western standard of beauty and body satisfaction among Muslim girls with and without hijab
Authors: Đurović Dušanka , Tiosavljević Marija , Šabanović Harisa
Published: August 2016

The purpose of this paper was to determine whether there is a difference in the readiness to accept Western standards of beauty in which thinness is an ideal of beauty and attractiveness, as well in body and appearance satisfaction between Muslim adolescent girls attending madrassa and dressing in accordance with tradition, that is to say wearing hijab, and Muslim adolescent girls who do not wear hijab and who follow contemporary Western‐influenced fashion trends. Both of these groups were also compared to a non‐Muslim group of adolescent girls. The sample consisted of 75 Muslim adolescent girls with hijab, 75 Muslim adolescent girls without hijab and 75 Orthodox adolescent girls. The following instruments were used: the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT‐26), the Sociocultural Attitudes towards Appearance Questionnaire (SATAQ‐3) and the Contour Drawing Rating Scale (CDRS). The highest level of body satisfaction (despite this group having the highest body weight in the sample) was evident among Muslim adolescent girls attending madrassa and wearing hijab. They also showed significantly less pressure to attain the Western thin‐ideal standards of beauty than adolescent girls who accept Western way of dressing. Research results indicate a significant role of socio‐cultural factors in one's attitude towards the body image, but also opens the question of the role of religion as a protective factor when it comes to the body and appearance attitude among Muslim women who wear hijab.
Poly-
N
-Acetylglucosamine Production by Staphylococcus epidermidis Cells Increases Their
In Vivo
Proinflammatory Effect
Authors: Ferreirinha Pedro , Pérez-Cabezas Begoña , Correia Alexandra , Miyazawa Bruna , França Angela , Carvalhais Virgínia , Faustino Augusto , Cordeiro-da-Silva Anabela , Teixeira Luzia , Pier Gerald B. , Cerca Nuno , Vilanova Manuel
Published: August 2016

Poly-
N
-acetylglucosamine (PNAG) is a major component of the
Staphylococcus epidermidis
biofilm extracellular matrix. However, it is not yet clear how this polysaccharide impacts the host immune response and infection-associated pathology. Faster neutrophil recruitment and bacterial clearance were observed in mice challenged intraperitoneally with
S. epidermidis
biofilm cells of the PNAG-producing 9142 strain than in mice similarly challenged with the isogenic PNAG-defective M10 mutant. Moreover, intraperitoneal priming with 9142 cells exacerbated liver inflammatory pathology induced by a subsequent intravenous
S. epidermidis
challenge, compared to priming with M10 cells. The 9142-primed mice had elevated splenic CD4
+
T cells producing gamma interferon and interleukin-17A, indicating that PNAG promoted cell-mediated immunity. Curiously, despite having more marked liver tissue pathology, 9142-primed mice also had splenic T regulatory cells with greater suppressive activity than those of their M10-primed counterparts. By showing that PNAG production by
S. epidermidis
biofilm cells exacerbates host inflammatory pathology, these results together suggest that this polysaccharide contributes to the clinical features associated with biofilm-derived infections.
Experimental Evidence of Bacterial Colonization of Human Coronary Microvasculature and Myocardial Tissue during Meningococcemia
Authors: Bergounioux Jean , Coureuil Mathieu , Belli Emre , Ly Mohamed , Cambillau Michelle , Goudin Nicolas , Nassif Xavier , Join-Lambert Olivier
Published: August 2016

Meningococcal septic shock is associated with profound vasoplegia, early and severe myocardial dysfunction, and extended skin necrosis responsible for a specific clinical entity designated purpura fulminans (PF). PF represents 90% of fatal meningococcal infections. One characteristic of meningococcal PF is the myocardial dysfunction that occurs in the early phase of sepsis. Furthermore, hemodynamic studies have shown that the prognosis of meningococcal sepsis is directly related to the degree of impairment of cardiac contractility during the initial phase of the disease. To gain insight into a potential interaction of
Neisseria meningitidis
with the myocardial microvasculature, we modified a previously described humanized mouse model by grafting human myocardial tissue to SCID mice. We then infected the grafted mice with
N. meningitides
. Using the humanized SCID mouse model, we demonstrated that
N. meningitidis
targets the human myocardial tissue vasculature, leading to the formation of blood thrombi, infectious vasculitis, and vascular leakage. These results suggest a novel mechanism of myocardial injury in the course of severe
N. meningitidis
sepsis that is likely to participate in primary myocardial dysfunction.
Z-DNA Binding Protein Mediates Host Control of Toxoplasma gondii Infection
Authors: Pittman Kelly J. , Cervantes Patrick W. , Knoll Laura J.
Published: August 2016

Intrinsic to
Toxoplasma gondii
infection is the parasite-induced modulation of the host immune response, which ensures establishment of a chronic lifelong infection. This manipulation of the host immune response allows
T. gondii
to not only dampen the ability of the host to eliminate the parasite but also trigger parasite differentiation to the slow-growing, encysted bradyzoite form. We previously used RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to profile the transcriptomes of mice and
T. gondii
during acute and chronic stages of infection. One of the most abundant host transcripts during acute and chronic infection was Z-DNA binding protein 1 (ZBP1). In this study, we determined that ZBP1 functions to control
T. gondii
growth. In activated macrophages isolated from ZBP1 deletion (ZBP1
−/−
) mice,
T. gondii
has an increased rate of replication and a decreased rate of degradation. We also identified a novel function for ZBP1 as a regulator of nitric oxide (NO) production in activated macrophages, even in the absence of
T. gondii
infection. Upon stimulation,
T. gondii
-infected ZBP1
−/−
macrophages display increased proinflammatory cytokines compared to wild-type macrophages under the same conditions. These
in vitro
phenotypes were recapitulated
in vivo
, with ZBP1
−/−
mice having increased susceptibility to oral challenge, higher cyst burdens during chronic infection, and elevated inflammatory cytokine responses. Taken together, these results highlight a role for ZBP1 in assisting host control of
T. gondii
infection.
Unexpected Diversity of Escherichia coli Sialate
O
-Acetyl Esterase NanS
Authors: Rangel Ariel , Steenbergen Susan M. , Vimr Eric R.
Published: August 2016

The sialic acids (
N
-acylneuraminates) are a group of nine-carbon keto-sugars existing mainly as terminal residues on animal glycoprotein and glycolipid carbohydrate chains. Bacterial commensals and pathogens exploit host sialic acids for nutrition, adhesion, or antirecognition, where
N
-acetyl- or
N
-glycolylneuraminic acids are the two predominant chemical forms of sialic acids. Each form may be modified by acetyl esters at carbon position 4, 7, 8, or 9 and by a variety of less-common modifications. Modified sialic acids produce challenges for colonizing bacteria, because the chemical alterations to
N
-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) confer increased resistance to sialidase and aldolase activities essential for the catabolism of host sialic acids. Bacteria with
O
-acetyl sialate esterase(s) utilize acetylated sialic acids for growth, thereby gaining a presumed metabolic advantage over competitors lacking this activity. Here, we demonstrate the esterase activity of
Escherichia coli
NanS after purifying it as a C-terminal HaloTag fusion. Using a similar approach, we show that
E. coli
strain O157:H7 Stx prophage or prophage remnants invariably include paralogs of
nanS
often located downstream of the Shiga-like toxin genes. These paralogs may include sequences encoding N- or C-terminal domains of unknown function where the NanS domains can act as sialate
O
-acetyl esterases, as shown by complementation of an
E. coli
strain K-12
nanS
mutant and the unimpaired growth of an
E. coli
O157
nanS
mutant on
O
-acetylated sialic acid. We further demonstrate that
nanS
homologs in
Streptococcus
spp. also encode active esterase, demonstrating an unexpected diversity of bacterial sialate
O
-acetyl esterase.

IMPORTANCE
The sialic acids are a family of over 40 naturally occurring 9-carbon keto-sugars that function in a variety of host-bacterium interactions. These sugars occur primarily as terminal carbohydrate residues on host glycoproteins and glycolipids. Available evidence indicates that diverse bacterial species use host sialic acids for adhesion or as sources of carbon and nitrogen. Our results show that the catabolism of the diacetylated form of host sialic acid requires a specialized esterase, NanS. Our results further show that
nanS
homologs exist in bacteria other than
Escherichia coli
, as well as part of toxigenic
E. coli
prophage. The unexpected diversity of these enzymes suggests new avenues for investigating host-bacterium interactions. Therefore, these original results extend our previous studies of
nanS
to include mucosal pathogens, prophage, and prophage remnants. This expansion of the
nanS
superfamily suggests important, although as-yet-unknown, functions in host-microbe interactions.
Large Sequence Diversity within the Biosynthesis Locus and Common Biochemical Features of Campylobacter coli Lipooligosaccharides
Authors: Culebro Alejandra , Revez Joana , Pascoe Ben , Friedmann Yasmin , Hitchings Matthew D. , Stupak Jacek , Sheppard Samuel K. , Li Jianjun , Rossi Mirko
Published: August 2016

Despite the importance of lipooligosaccharides (LOSs) in the pathogenicity of campylobacteriosis, little is known about the genetic and phenotypic diversity of LOS in
Campylobacter coli
. In this study, we investigated the distribution of LOS locus classes among a large collection of unrelated
C. coli
isolates sampled from several different host species. Furthermore, we paired
C. coli
genomic information and LOS chemical composition for the first time to investigate possible associations between LOS locus class sequence diversity and biochemical heterogeneity. After identifying three new LOS locus classes, only 85% of the 144 isolates tested were assigned to a class, suggesting higher genetic diversity than previously thought. This genetic diversity is at the basis of a completely unexplored LOS structural heterogeneity. Mass spectrometry analysis of the LOSs of nine isolates, representing four different LOS classes, identified two features distinguishing
C. coli
LOS from that of
Campylobacter jejuni
. 2-Amino-2-deoxy-
d
-glucose (GlcN)–GlcN disaccharides were present in the lipid A backbone, in contrast to the β-1′-6-linked 3-diamino-2,3-dideoxy-
d
-glucopyranose (GlcN3N)–GlcN backbone observed in
C. jejuni
. Moreover, despite the fact that many of the genes putatively involved in 3-acylamino-3,6-dideoxy-
d
-glucose (Qui
p
3NAcyl) were apparently absent from the genomes of various isolates, this rare sugar was found in the outer core of all
C. coli
isolates. Therefore, regardless of the high genetic diversity of the LOS biosynthesis locus in
C. coli
, we identified species-specific phenotypic features of
C. coli
LOS that might explain differences between
C. jejuni
and
C. coli
in terms of population dynamics and host adaptation.

IMPORTANCE
Despite the importance of
C. coli
to human health and its controversial role as a causative agent of Guillain-Barré syndrome, little is known about the genetic and phenotypic diversity of
C. coli
LOSs. Therefore, we paired
C. coli
genomic information and LOS chemical composition for the first time to address this paucity of information. We identified two species-specific phenotypic features of
C. coli
LOS, which might contribute to elucidating the reasons behind the differences between
C. jejuni
and
C. coli
in terms of population dynamics and host adaptation.
Groundwater controls on episodic soil erosion and dust emissions in a desert ecosystem
Authors: Kaste J.M. , Elmore A.J. , Vest K.R. , Okin G.S.
Published: August 2016

Feedbacks between vegetation, soils, and sediment transport processes maintain arid landscapes in geomorphically active degraded states or in more biologically productive and geomorphically stable states. Landscape evolution models and resource management strategies require a detailed understanding of thresholds that limit sediment transport in deserts, but it can be difficult to quantify geomorphic responses to abrupt environmental change. Here we use measurements of fallout radionuclides and salt content in soils, horizontal sediment fluxes, vegetation cover, and saturated zone depth in Owens Valley, California (USA), to quantify the geomorphic response of a desert landscape to changes in groundwater availability. Owens Valley has a well-documented history of surface-water diversions and pumping during the A.D. 1987–1992 drought, and we studied 11 sites having a gradient of ∼0.5 m to 8 m of groundwater decline during this time. We show that short-length-scale (<50 m) sediment redistribution is active in areas with a range of environmental histories, but centimeter-scale net soil loss occurred when photosynthetic vegetation cover declined to <20% where local groundwater remained shallow enough to produce evaporite salts. Erosion and dust emissions are most severe in central Owens Valley when groundwater falls below the 2 m effective rooting depth of native meadow vegetation but remains shallow enough (<6 m) so that capillary action maintains loose erodible sediment at the surface.
Relationship link between landward vergence in accretionary prisms and tsunami generation
Authors: Cubas Nadaya , Souloumiac Pauline , Singh Satish C.
Published: August 2016

The very large slip up to the subduction front of the 2011 Tohoku-Oki (Japan) earthquake has challenged our classic view of the megathrust undergoing only aseismic slip at shallow depth. Furthermore, the enhancement of tsunamis during frontal rupturing has increased concern about tsunami risks. Recent seismic reflection images from the Sumatra subduction zone show frontal landward-vergent thrusts in the accretionary prism in the area of supposed shallow ruptures and enhanced tsunamis. Using mechanical analysis, we here show that sudden and successive decreases of the effective friction along the megathrust are required to form landward-vergent frontal thrusts. These decreases are most likely caused by dynamic weakening mechanisms, such as thermal pressurization of the pore fluids related to the propagation of earthquakes to the seafloor. Therefore, landward vergence in accretionary prisms is indicative of past seafloor frontal ruptures and consequent tsunamis. The presence of landward-verging structures in the Cascadia and Sumatra accretionary prisms might indicate future frontal rupture of the shallowest portion of the megathrust, resulting in large tsunamis.
Recurrent SDSE bacteraemia resulting in streptococcal toxic shock syndrome in a patient with Noonan syndrome
Authors: Suzuki Kei , Nakamura Akiko , Ishikura Ken , Imai Hiroshi
Published: August 2016

A 19-year-old man with chronic lymphoedema due to Noonan syndrome presented at our hospital with septic shock and pain in his lower leg. Blood cultures were positive forStreptococcus dysgalactiaesubspequisimilis(SDSE), resulting in a diagnosis of cellulitis with toxic involvement. He was treated with ampicillin for 3 weeks. Although he did well for 6 weeks, septic shock recurred. Blood culture again revealed SDSE, with the strain being identical to the first episode, suggesting that this infection had relapsed. He was treated with ampicillin for 6 weeks and prophylactically with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for 12 months. Although SDSE bacteraemia occurs commonly in elderly patients, findings in this patient showed that it can also develop in younger persons with predisposing factors. This case also indicates that SDSE has the potential to recur, despite generally sufficient antibiotic administration, and that patients who experience recurrent episodes may require prolonged treatment with antibiotics, including prophylaxis.