Vitamin Bullets. Microencapsulated Feeds to Fortify Shellfish and Tackle Human Nutrient Deficiencies

Over two billion people worldwide are micronutrient deficient, with regionally specific deficiencies. Fortification of food with micronutrients has become an industry standard for enhancing public health. Bivalve shellfish (e.g., oysters, clams, and mussels) provide the most sustainable source of animal protein on the planet, and the market is rapidly growing—with production in China increasing 1,000-fold since 1980 to an annual 36 kg capita−1 consumption level. Bivalves are also unique in that micronutrients consumed at their end-life stage will be digested by humans, as humans consume the entire organism including the gut. We have developed a novel microencapsulated vehicle for delivering micronutrients to bivalves, tailored for optimal size, shape, buoyancy, and palatability, demonstrating the potential of fortified bivalves to tackle human nutrient deficiencies. Oysters fed vitamin A and D microcapsules at a 3% initial dosage for just 8 h had elevated tissue vitamin content. A serving of just two such bivalves provides enough vitamin A and D to meet human dietary RDAs. Scale-up of this technology and application to other bivalve species including clams and mussels could provide a low-cost and highly sustainable mechanism to contribute toward tackling nutrient deficiencies globally

Observation and Modeling of Source Effects in Coda Wave Interferometry at Pavlof Volcano

We examine seismic records of repeating explosions from Pavlof volcano, Alaska, during its 2007 eruption. Repetitive explosions are typical of Strombolian-style eruptions and allow measurement of relative time shifts between similar late-arriving phases using the technique called coda wave interferometry (Snieder et al., 2002). The measurements enable the detection of small changes in the volcanic interior of Pavlof. We are able to resolve an increase in the relative traveltime change of late-arriving seismic waves on the order of 0.3% over the course of two weeks. Based on the spectra of the explosions, their location inside the magma conduit, previous studies of Pavlof volcano, and 3D seismic modeling, we argue the most likely scenario is one in which the velocity and/or the geometry of the conduit changes. This demonstrates the sensitivity of coda wave interferometry to source effects, in addition to path effects, at volcanoes

Microencapsulated algal feeds as a sustainable replacement diet for broodstock in commercial bivalve aquaculture

Funder: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research CouncilAbstract: The global bivalve shellfish industry makes up 25% of aquaculture, is worth USD $17.2 billion year−1, and relies upon a supply of juvenile bivalves produced by adult broodstock in hatcheries. Today large quantities of live algae are grown to feed broodstock at$220 kg−1, driving highly unsustainable energy and resource use. New advances in algal and microencapsulation technology provide solutions. We developed microencapsulated Schizochytrium algae diets, which can be produced sustainably at < $2 kg−1 from organic side-streams, and are shelf-stable to minimise waste. Physiological, histological, and cutting-edge metabolomic analyses demonstrate that in commercial settings sustainable microencapsulated diets facilitate improved sexual development and 12 × greater omega-3 levels in oysters relative to conventional live algal diets. Every tonne bivalve protein produced instead of fish spares 9 ha, 67 tonnes CO2, and 40,000 L freshwater. Further research into microencapsulated diets could support bivalve industry expansion, and contribute towards a step-change in sustainable global food production through improved aquaculture practices

Ambient temperature CO oxidation using palladium-platinum bimetallic catalysts supported on tin oxide/alumina

A series of Pt-based catalysts were synthesised and investigated for ambient temperature CO oxidation with the aim to increase catalytic activity and improve moisture resistance through support modification. Initially, bimetallic PtPd catalysts supported on alumina were found to exhibit superior catalytic activity compared with their monometallic counterparts for the reaction. Following an investigation into the effect of Pt/Pd ratio, a composition of 0.1% Pt/0.4% Pd was selected for further studies. Following this, SnO2/Al2O3 supports were synthesised from a variety of tin oxide sources. Catalytic activity was improved using sodium stannate and tin oxalate precursors compared with a traditional tin oxide slurry. Catalytic activity versus tin concentration was found to vary significantly across the three precursors, which was subsequently investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX)

Not a Second Time? John Lennon’s Aeolian Cadence Reconsidered

In 1963 William Mann coined the term “aeolian cadence” to describe a harmonic progression in the song “Not a Second Time” by the Beatles. This term has caused confusion ever since. In this article, I discuss why Mann might have used this confusing phrase and how it relates to this song by John Lennon. I will argue that, in the debate that ensued from Mann’s observations, his commentators were primarily preoccupied with terminology and definitions but forgot to listen to Lennon. More specifically, I argue that, if the interplay between the music and lyrics is considered, the famous cadence in “Not a Second Time” can best be interpreted as “deceptive.

Measuring student attitude and knowledge in technology-rich biology classrooms

The use of technology in schools is now ubiquitous, but the effectiveness on the learning environment has mixed results. This paper describes the development and validation of an instrument to measure students’ attitudes toward and knowledge of technology with the aim of investigating any differences based on gender after a course where the science department made use of technology as an integral part of teaching biology. In this study, conducted in one school in the state of New York, in the United States of America, the Students’ Attitudes Toward and Knowledge of Technology Questionnaire was administered to nearly 700 high school science students. A principal component and principal factor analysis resulted in new scales from the validation of the instrument that demonstrated high reliabilities. There were statistically significant gender differences in all the scales of the questionnaire in favor of males

Variable responses of individual species to tropical forest degradation

The functional stability of ecosystems depends greatly on interspecific differences in responses to environmental perturbation. However, responses to perturbation are not necessarily invariant among populations of the same species, so intraspecific variation in responses might also contribute. Such inter-population response diversity has recently been shown to occur spatially across species ranges, but we lack estimates of the extent to which individual populations across an entire community might have perturbation responses that vary through time. We assess this using 524 taxa that have been repeatedly surveyed for the effects of tropical forest logging at a focal landscape in Sabah, Malaysia. Just 39 % of taxa – all with non-significant responses to forest degradation – had invariant responses. All other taxa (61 %) showed significantly different responses to the same forest degradation gradient across surveys, with 6 % of taxa responding to forest degradation in opposite directions across multiple surveys. Individual surveys had low power (< 80 %) to determine the correct direction of response to forest degradation for one-fifth of all taxa. Recurrent rounds of logging disturbance increased the prevalence of intra-population response diversity, while uncontrollable environmental variation and/or turnover of intraspecific phenotypes generated variable responses in at least 44 % of taxa. Our results show that the responses of individual species to local environmental perturbations are remarkably flexible, likely providing an unrealised boost to the stability of disturbed habitats such as logged tropical forests