Identification and characterization of nursery areas of red mullet Mullus barbatus in the Central Tyrrhenian Sea

Red Mullet Mullus barbatus is an important target of fishing activities in the central Tyrrhenian Sea, so it is essential to identify its critical habitats in order to manage this resource efficiently. Our research specifically focused on the identification and characterization of nursery areas. The use of spatial interpolation techniques enabled us to identify five nurseries that were highly persistent through time. Moreover, the estimate of juvenile density confirmed the strong aggregation effect of these nursery grounds, as a great portion of young individuals were concentrated in a relatively small surface of the study area. The environmental characterization of these areas showed that juveniles were mainly distributed on bottoms with a relatively high percentage of sand (>70%; P <0.05). Shannon biodiversity index analysis indicated that the southern nurseries reached the highest values of habitat quality (P < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis showed that nursery grounds were divided into three main groups, and analysis of spatial dynamics showed that two different strategies characterized Red Mullet juveniles when density changes over time. In particular, in some areas young individuals selected habitats in a density-dependent way following the basin model scheme, while in other zones they selected habitats in a density-independent way according to the proportional density model. Results also showed that juveniles followed the proportional density model strategy into nursery areas with the highest Shannon biodiversity index values

Behavioral Phenomena and Population Estimation of White-Tailed Deer Based on Camera Trap Data

When shaping management actions and conservation programs, it is essential to understand the population dynamics of a species. One species that sees extensive management and research effort is the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), as it is both ecologically and recreationally important in many places. Although there are a multitude of ways to study and estimate the population dynamics of white-tailed deer, one method in particular comes with significant advantages: camera trapping. For this study, nine camera traps were set up at deer scrapes across a private ranch in south Texas. After collecting images during the fall/winter rut of 2015, the cameras’ photos were amassed, and photographed bucks were identified based on unique antler formations. The photo data were then analyzed for a variety of purposes: (a) to determine whether bucks visit scrapes non- randomly; (b) to examine patterns in the ranges of dominant individuals; (c) to assess whether diversity indexes identify fundamental differences in the collections of bucks visiting scrapes. Finally, a novel population estimation technique was applied by adapting and applying the program EstimateS. There were a total of 129 bucks identified over the study region. I determined that bucks did indeed visit camera sites non-randomly and that they visited certain scrapes preferentially. This might have to do with the resources available in specific areas. Additionally, I observed that particular dominant individuals have home ranges that overlap, while others are much more solitary. This suggests that the sites themselves are differentially defensible, and that whether a location is dominated has to do with both the resources it offers and its ability to be monopolized. Results of the population estimation technique suggested that there were a number of bucks that remained undetected by the cameras. Future research could work to ascertain the accuracy of the population estimations made by EstimateS.Integrative Biolog

Towards age/rotation/magnetic activity relation with seismology

The knowledge of stellar ages directly impacts the characterization of a planetary system as it puts strong constraints on the moment when the system was born. Unfortunately, the determination of precise stellar ages is a very difficult task. Different methods can be used to do so (based on isochrones or chemical element abundances) but they usually provide large uncertainties. During its evolution a star goes through processes leading to loss of angular momentum but also changes in its magnetic activity. Building rotation, magnetic, age relations would be an asset to infer stellar ages model independently. Several attempts to build empirical relations between rotation and age (namely gyrochronology) were made with a focus on cluster stars where the age determination is easier and for young stars on the main sequence. For field stars, we can now take advantage of high-precision photometric observations where we can perform asteroseismic analyses to improve the accuracy of stellar ages. Furthermore, the variability in the light curves allow us to put strong constraints on the stellar rotation and magnetic activity. By combining these precise measurements, we are on the way of understanding and improving relations between magnetic activity, rotation, and age, in particular at different stages of stellar evolution. I will review the status on gyrochronology relationships based on observations of young cluster stars. Then I will focus on solar-like stars and describe the inferences on stellar ages, rotation, and magnetism that can be provided by high-quality photometric observations such as the ones of the Kepler mission, in particular through asteroseismic analyses.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures. Proceedings of the CoRoT3-KASC7 conference: The Space Photometry Revolutio

Midgut microbiota of the malaria mosquito vector Anopheles gambiae and Interactions with plasmodium falciparum Infection

The susceptibility of Anopheles mosquitoes to Plasmodium infections relies on complex interactions between the insect vector and the malaria parasite. A number of studies have shown that the mosquito innate immune responses play an important role in controlling the malaria infection and that the strength of parasite clearance is under genetic control, but little is known about the influence of environmental factors on the transmission success. We present here evidence that the composition of the vector gut microbiota is one of the major components that determine the outcome of mosquito infections. A. gambiae mosquitoes collected in natural breeding sites from Cameroon were experimentally challenged with a wild P. falciparum isolate, and their gut bacterial content was submitted for pyrosequencing analysis. The meta-taxogenomic approach revealed a broader richness of the midgut bacterial flora than previously described. Unexpectedly, the majority of bacterial species were found in only a small proportion of mosquitoes, and only 20 genera were shared by 80% of individuals. We show that observed differences in gut bacterial flora of adult mosquitoes is a result of breeding in distinct sites, suggesting that the native aquatic source where larvae were grown determines the composition of the midgut microbiota. Importantly, the abundance of Enterobacteriaceae in the mosquito midgut correlates significantly with the Plasmodium infection status. This striking relationship highlights the role of natural gut environment in parasite transmission. Deciphering microbe-pathogen interactions offers new perspectives to control disease transmission.Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement (IRD); French Agence Nationale pour la Recherche [ANR-11-BSV7-009-01]; European Community [242095, 223601]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Top Ten solar analogs in the ELODIE library

Several solar analogs have been identified in the library of high resolution stellar spectra taken with the echelle spectrograph ELODIE. A purely differential method has been used, based on the chi2 comparison of a large number of G dwarf spectra to 8 spectra of the Sun, taken on the Moon and Ceres. HD 146233 keeps its status of closest ever solar twin (Porto de Mello & da Silva 1997). Some other spectroscopic analogs have never been studied before, while the two planet-host stars HD095128 and HD186427 are also part of the selection. The fundamental parameters found in the literature for these stars show a surprising dispersion, partly due to the uncertainties which affect them. We discuss the advantages and drawbacks of photometric and spectroscopic methods to search for solar analogs and conclude that they have to be used jointly to find real solar twins.Comment: 12 pages, accepted in A&

Bedding control on landslides: A methodological approach for computer-aided mapping analysis

Litho-structural control on the spatial and temporal evolution of landslides is one of the major typical aspects on slopes constituted of structurally complex sequences. Mainly focused on instabilities of the earth flow type, a semi-quantitative analysis has been developed with the purpose of identifying and characterizing litho-structural control exerted by bedding on slopes and its effects on landsliding. In quantitative terms, a technique for azimuth data interpolation, Non-continuous Azimuth Distribution Methodological Approach (NADIA), is presented by means of a GIS software application. In addition, processed by NADIA, two indexes have been determined: (i) Δ, aimed at defining the relationship between the orientation of geological bedding planes and slope aspect, and (ii) C, which recognizes localized slope sectors in which the stony component of structurally complex formations is abundant and therefore operates an evolutive control of landslide masses. Furthermore, some Litho-Structural Models (LSMs) of slopes are proposed aiming at characterizing recurrent forms of structural control in the source, channel and deposition areas of gravitational movements. In order to elaborate evolutive models controlling landslide scenarios, LSMs were qualitatively related and compared with Δ and C; quantitative indexes. The methodological procedure has been applied to a lithostructurally complex area of Southern Italy where data about azimuth measurements and landslide mapping were known. It was found that the proposed methodology enables the recognition of typical control conditions on landslides in relation to the LSMs. Different control patterns on landslide shape and on style and distribution of the activity resulted for each LSM. This provides the possibility for first-order identification to be made of the spatial evolution of landslide bodies. © Author(s) 2011

Interkingdom interactions on the denture surface: implications for oral hygiene

Background: Evidence to support the role of Candida species in oral disease is limited. Often considered a commensal, this opportunistic yeast has been shown to play a role in denture related disease, though whether it is an active participant or innocent bystander remains to be determined. This study sought to understand the role of Candida species alongside the bacterial microbiome in a denture patient cohort, exploring how the microbiology of the denture was affected by oral hygiene practices. Materials and methods: In vitro denture cleansing studies were performed on a complex 9-species interkingdom denture biofilm model, with quantitative assessment of retained bacterial and fungal viable bioburdens. Patient hygiene measures were also collected from 131 patients, including OHIP, frequency of denture cleansing, oral hygiene measure and patient demographics. The bacterial microbiome was analysed from each patient, alongside quantitative PCR assessment of ITS (fungal) and 16S (bacterial) bioburden from denture, mucosa and intact dentition. Results: It was shown that following in vitro denture cleansing C. albicans were unresponsive to treatment, whereas bacterial biofilms could repopulate 100-fold, but were susceptible to subsequent treatment. Within the patient cohort, oral hygiene did not impact candidal or bacterial composition, nor diversity. The levels of Candida did not significantly influence the bacterial microbiome, though an observed gradient was suggestive of a microbial composition change in response to Candida load, indicating interkingdom interaction rather than an oral hygiene effect. Indeed, correlation analysis was able to show significant correlations between Candida species and key genera (Lactobacillus, Scardovia, Fusobacterium). Conclusions: Overall, this study has shown that the denture microbiome/mycobiome is relatively resilient to oral hygiene challenges, but that Candida species have potential interactions with key oral genera. These interactions may have a bearing on shaping community structure and a shift from health to disease when the opportunity arises