Activity disengagement: Understanding challenges and opportunities for reengagement

Although maintaining engagement in activities has a positive influence on our health and wellbeing as we age, many programs that serve older adults struggle with getting participation in the programs they offer. This study sought to explore activity disengagement among older adults in a senior housing community and identify the challenges and opportunities for reengagement with the aim of informing future intervention development and testing. Fifty-one adults over the age of 60 participated in structured interviews. Findings highlighted that many older adults have activities patterns that are not optimal for health. Many reasons given for disengaging in activities (e.g., no opportunity) were surprising given that participants lived in a setting where a variety of programs were offered. Programs need to more purposively address social challenges to participating in activities and consider a more person-centered approach when developing interventions for the older adults they serve

Individual migration patterns of Eurasian golden ploversPluvialis apricariabreeding in Swedish Lapland; examples of cold spell-induced winter movements

Tracking studies normally focus on long-distance migrants, meaning that our understanding about short-distance migration remains limited. In this study, we present the first individual tracks of the Eurasian golden plover Pluvialis apricaria, a short-distance migrant, which were tracked from a Scandinavian breeding population using geolocators. In addition, golden plovers are known for their cold spell-induced winter movements, and this study provides some first individual tracking data on this type of movements. In three cases the plovers spent the winter in NW Europe and in four cases they departed during winter from NW Europe to spend the rest of the winter in Iberia or Morocco (one bird that was tracked during two subsequent migration cycles moved to Iberia in the first winter but remained in NW Europe during the second winter). The four winter departures were associated with a cold spell in NW Europe during which maximum temperatures dropped to freezing. Cold spell-induced winter movements were notably long and fast. The birds that remained at their NW European wintering site did not experience such cold spell. Interestingly, the individual that was tracked for a second season did experience four cold spells at its wintering site in NW France, but it never left this area, indicating that plovers not always move on in response to cold. Little information was obtained about spring migration, but one bird had a prominent counter-clockwise loop migration pattern through E Europe. Due to their cold spell winter movements, golden plovers exhibit great flexibility in migration patterns, resulting in a notably large spread in final wintering areas

Eutrophication and macroalgal blooms in temperate and tropical coastal waters: Nutrient enrichment experiments with Ulva spp.

Receiving coastal waters and estuaries are among the most nutrient-enriched environments on earth, and one of the symptoms of the resulting eutrophication is the proliferation of opportunistic, fast-growing marine seaweeds. Here, we used a widespread macroalga often involved in blooms, Ulva spp., to investigate how supply of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), the two main potential growth-limiting nutrients, influence macroalgal growth in temperate and tropical coastal waters ranging from low- to high-nutrient supplies. We carried out N and P enrichment field experiments on Ulva spp. in seven coastal systems, with one of these systems represented by three different subestuaries, for a total of nine sites. We showed that rate of growth of Ulva spp. was directly correlated to annual dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentrations, where growth increased with increasing DIN concentration. Internal N pools of macroalgal fronds were also linked to increased DIN supply, and algal growth rates were tightly coupled to these internal N pools. The increases in DIN appeared to be related to greater inputs of wastewater to these coastal waters as indicated by high δ15N signatures of the algae as DIN increased. N and P enrichment experiments showed that rate of macroalgal growth was controlled by supply of DIN where ambient DIN concentrations were low, and by P where DIN concentrations were higher, regardless of latitude or geographic setting. These results suggest that understanding the basis for macroalgal blooms, and management of these harmful phenomena, will require information as to nutrient sources, and actions to reduce supply of N and P in coastal waters concerned.Fil: Teichberg, Mirta. Leibniz Center For Tropical Marine Research; AlemaniaFil: Fox, Sophia E.. Marine Biological Laboratory; Estados UnidosFil: Olsen, Ylva S.. Bangor University; Reino UnidoFil: Valiela, Ivan. Marine Biological Laboratory; Estados UnidosFil: Martinetto, Paulina Maria del Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Iribarne, Oscar Osvaldo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Muto, Elizabeti Yuriko. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Petti, Monica A.V.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Corbisier, Thaïs N.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Soto-Jiménez, Martín. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Páez-Osuna, Federico. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Castro, Paula. University Of Coimbra; BrasilFil: Freitas, Helena. University Of Coimbra; BrasilFil: Zitelli, Andreina. Università Iuav Di Venezia; ItaliaFil: Cardinaletti, Massimo. Gruppo Veritas; ItaliaFil: Tagliapietra, Davide. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche; Itali

Virulence Attenuation of Candida albicans Genetic Variants Isolated from a Patient with a Recurrent Bloodstream Infection

The incidence of Candida albicans infections and the relapse episodes after antifungal treatment have increased in recent decades. Recurrences are mainly due to the persistence of the original infecting strain that may present genetic and genomic rearrangements during interaction with the host, reflecting strain adaptation. In this study, four isolates recovered from a patient during recurrent candidemia episodes were genotyped by microsatellite length polymorphism (MLP) and by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and found to be genetic variants of the same strain. Using experimental mouse infections, a progressive reduction in the virulence of the four isolates was observed, with the first two isolates more virulent than the third and fourth. Additionally, in the mouse model, the first isolate resisted host control more efficiently, resulting in higher kidney fungal burdens and necrosis as compared to the third isolate. The resolution of inflammation was delayed in mice challenged with the first isolate and the message for IFN-γ and TNF-α in the spleen was lower within the first few hours post-infection. Original and recurrent isolates also displayed different phenotypes regarding activity of secreted enzymes and response to stress agents. Overall, the comparative analysis indicated that the virulence decrease of these isolates was related to a lower ability to resist to the host anticandida effector mechanisms. We showed for the first time that C. albicans genetic variants of the same strain, sequentially isolated from an immunocompromised patient, underwent adaptations in the human host that resulted in virulence attenuation when tested in mice

Commercial weight loss diets meet nutrient requirements in free living adults over 8 weeks: A randomised controlled weight loss trial

Objective: To investigate the effect of commercial weight loss programmes on macronutrient composition and micronutrient adequacy over a 2 month period

Structure and Function of a Mycobacterial NHEJ DNA Repair Polymerase

Non homologous end-joining (NHEJ)-mediated repair of DNA double-strand breaks in prokaryotes requires Ku and a specific multidomain DNA ligase (LigD). We present crystal structures of the primase/polymerisation domain (PolDom) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis LigD, alone and complexed with nucleotides. The PolDom structure combines the general fold of the archaeo-eukaryotic primase (AEP) superfamily with additional loops and domains that together form a deep cleft on the surface, likely used for DNA binding. Enzymatic analysis indicates that the PolDom of LigD, even in the absence of accessory domains and Ku proteins, has the potential to recognise DNA end-joining intermediates. Strikingly, one of the main signals for the specific and efficient binding of PolDom to DNA is the presence of a 5'-phosphate group, located at the single/double-stranded junction at both gapped and 3'-protruding DNA molecules. Although structurally unrelated, Pol lambda and Pol mu, the two eukaryotic DNA polymerases involved in NHEJ, are endowed with a similar capacity to bind a 5'-phosphate group. Other properties that are beneficial for NHEJ, such as the ability to generate template distortions and realignments of the primer, displayed by Pol lambda and Pol mu, are shared by the PolDom of bacterial LigD. In addition, PolDom can perform non-mutagenic translesion synthesis on termini containing modified bases. Significantly, ribonucleotide insertion appears to be a recurrent theme associated with NHEJ, maximised in this case by the deployment of a dedicated primase, although its in vivo relevance is unknown