Microbes and the groundwater amphipod Crangonyx islandicus in spring sources in Iceland

Crangonyx islandicus is a groundwater amphipod endemic to Iceland. Genetic analysis suggests that the species has been diverging in Iceland for at least 4.8 Myrs indicating it has survived in a subglacial refugia as Iceland was repeatedly covered by glaciers during that time period. The species has probably been inhabiting Iceland since before the island was formed, when the land bridge to Greenland collapsed into the ocean approximately 15 Mys ago. Currently, their habitat is in the subsurface of spring sources within the lava fields along the tectonic plate boundary. These spring sources act as a window into the groundwater, but they are also a complex ecotone where groundwater mixes with surface water and the terrestrial ecosystem. In this thesis, the microbial community composition associated with the amphipods and their habitat was examined both to inspect if more taxa could be found in this unique habitat and to elucidate which processes are likely to shape the community composition of microbial species in the habitat. The results showed that the amphipods are accompanied by a few ciliate and bacteria taxa that are unique to these amphipods but can only be marginally detected in the spring source. Both stochastic and deterministic processes were found to shape the bacteria and ciliate communities in the spring source. Variables such as pH, temperature, presence of fish and geographical location were found to shape the bacterial community while temperature and dispersal was shaping the ciliate communities. The bacterial community in the water from spring sources and in the biofilms harbored chemolithoautotrophic taxa, indicating primary production in the groundwater system, thus, providing a possible explanation for the subglacial survival of the amphipods during Ice age.Icelandic Research Council [grant number: 130244–051,141863–051], by the doctoral fund at the University of Iceland and Landsvirkjun (grant NÝR-29–2020]Peer Reviewe

Bacterial diversity in Icelandic cold spring sources and in relation to the groundwater amphipod Crangonyx islandicus

Publisher's version (útgefin grein)Crangonyx islandicus is a groundwater amphipod endemic to Iceland, considered to have survived the Ice Ages in subglacial refugia. Currently the species is found in spring sources in lava fields along the tectonic plate boundary of the country. The discovery of a groundwater species in this inaccessible habitat indicates a hidden ecosystem possibly based on chemoautotrophic microorganisms as primary producers. To explore this spring ecosystem, we assessed its microbial diversity and analysed whether and how the diversity varied between the amphipods and the spring water, and if was dependent on environmental factors and geological settings. Isolated DNA from spring water and from amphipods was analysed using metabarcoding methods, targeting the 16S rRNA gene. Two genera of bacteria, Halomonas and Shewanella were dominating in the amphipod samples in terms of relative abundance, but not in the groundwater samples where Flavobacterium, Pseudomonas and Alkanindiges among others were dominating. The richness of the bacteria taxa in the microbial community of the groundwater spring sources was shaped by pH level and the beta diversity was shaped by geographic locations.This work was supported by the Icelandic Research Council [grant number: 130244-051 to SP and 141863-051 to BKK] and by the doctoral fund at the University of Iceland. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Peer Reviewe

Pseudocalanus in Svalbard waters : identification and distribution patterns of two sibling copepod species

Marine copepods of the genus Pseudocalanus (Calanoida) are common in Svalbard waters as well as throughout the northern hemisphere. They contribute considerably to plankton biomass in addition to Calanus spp. and play an important role in the marine food web as a link between planktivores, such as fish larvae, and microalgae. Pseudocalanus consists of several sibling species, and two of them, Pseudocalanus minutus and P. acuspes, are known to inhabit the Svalbard area. A third species, P. major, is listed as potentially present in this area, but has rarely been reported. As for the other members of the genus, discrimination between these species is time consuming and requires detailed microscopy. Most studies thus lump them into Pseudocalanus spp., ignoring differences in life history strategies and behaviour. In the current master’s project, a molecular species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was developed, using the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase subunit I (mtCOI) to aid morphological and morphometrical discrimination. The DNA sequence variation confirmed the presence of both species in Svalbard waters. The statistical comparison of morphological identification with the PCR results gave ambiguous results: a Chi-square test yielded a significant difference between the groups, but with low power due to a low sample size. However, this indicates that microscopic species determination may be wrong. Moreover, morphometrical analysis revealed deviations from expected length ratios in both species, and the PCR sometimes failed to produce results. This may suggest the presence of a third species, presumably P. major, for which no molecular information is available

Effects of yoga practice on stress-related symptoms in the aftermath of an earthquake: A community-based controlled trial.

To access publisher's full text version of this article click on the hyperlink at the bottom of the pageTo evaluate the effect of an integrated hatha yoga practice on perceived stress and stress-related symptoms in the aftermath of an earthquake.Inhabitants, aged 20-67 years, from highly exposed earthquake areas of two villages in South Iceland were offered to participate in a yoga program subsequent to an earthquake. Sixty-six individuals were self-selected into the study and divided by residential convenience into an experimental group (n=31) and a waiting list control group (n=35).The yoga program was conducted twice a week for six weeks, in normal situations among the inhabitants in the community.Several validated questionnaires assessing stress and stress-related symptoms, posttraumatic symptoms, depression, anxiety and health related quality of life were administered at pre- and post-intervention.Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed differences between the experimental group and waiting list control group on sleep quality (p=.03) and social relations (p=.04). These differences did not prevail at Bonferroni correction for multiple testing (at alpha level of .005). Participants in both groups showed significant improvements in stress and some stress-related symptoms such as sleep, concentration, well-being, quality of life, depression and anxiety from pre- to post-intervention.The data from this small study show no statistically significant improvement of an integrated hatha yoga program above and beyond waiting list control, following exposure to an earthquake. However, the observed trend toward improved sleep quality and social relations deserve further exploration in larger effectiveness studies on the impact of Hatha yoga on recovery after natural disaster.Icelandic Nurse's Associatio

Increased attendance rates and altered characteristics of sexual violence.

To access publisher full text version of this article. Please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field.OBJECTIVE: To study the attendance rates and characteristics of sexual violence presented at emergency services for rape victims, over a 10-year period. DESIGN: Incidence study. SETTING: Rape Trauma Service, within an emergency department at a tertiary referral university hospital. POPULATION. The total female population in Iceland. METHODS: Medical records on visits were reviewed and systematically coded. Annual attendance rates were calculated over time as number of visits per 10 000 female inhabitants aged 13-49 years. Characteristics of sexual violence, perpetrators and victims were compared between 1998-2002 and 2003-2007. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Annual attendance rates and characteristics of sexual violence. RESULTS: Of 1153 visits, 828 (71.8%) were due to severe sexual violence (penetration). Annual attendance rates of all sexual violence increased from 12.5 to 16.9 per 10 000 women aged 13-49 (p<0.01). Attendance rates due to severe sexual violence increased specifically among women aged 18-25 (p<0.01). The proportion of assaults involving multiple perpetrators increased from 13.9% in 1998-2002 to 18.9% in 2003-2007 (p=0.05). With time, a higher proportion of victims had seriously impaired consciousness due to alcohol consumption (p<0.01) and had used illegal drugs prior to assault (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The findings point towards an increase in women's visits to specialized emergency services for rape victims, particularly in the age group 18-25 years. The increased role of multiple perpetrators, alcohol and illicit drugs in sexual violence calls for further attention.Landspitali University Hospital, Mar Kristjansson Science Project Fund, University of Iceland, Icelandic Nurses Association

Survival of patients with alcohol use disorders discharged from an emergency department: a population-based cohort study.

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked Files. This article is open access.The aim was to study the cause-specific mortality of users of the emergency department (ED) who received a diagnosis of alcohol use disorder (AUD) in comparison with mortality of other users of the department.A population-based prospective cohort study.All patients aged 18 years and above who were subsequently discharged home from the ED during the years 2002-2008. A total of 107,237 patients were followed by record linkage to a nationwide cause-of-death registry: 1210 patients with AUD as the main discharge diagnosis and 106,027 patients in the comparison group. HR and 95% CIs were calculated.ED at Landspitali-the National University Hospital of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland. The hospital offers tertiary care and is the number one trauma centre and community hospital for the greater Reykjavik area. According to the population registry, 78% of the inhabitants of the area attended the ED during the study period.72 patients died in the AUD group and 4807 in the comparison group. The adjusted HR for all causes of death was 1.91 (95% CI 1.51 to 2.42). The HR for AUDs was 47.68 (95% CI 11.56 to 196.59) while for alcohol liver disease the HR was 19.06 (95% CI 6.07 to 59.87). The HR was also elevated for diseases of the circulatory system: HR 2.52 (95% CI 1.73 to 3.68); accidental poisoning: HR=13.64, (95% CI 3.98 to 46.73); suicide: HR=2.72 (95% CI 1.08 to 6.83); and event of undetermined intent: HR=10.89 (95% CI 4.53 to 26.16).AUD as the discharge diagnosis at the ED, among patients who were not admitted to a hospital ward but discharged home, predicts increased mortality. As the results conclusively show the vulnerability of these patients, one can question whether their needs are adequately met at the ED.Landspitali—the National University Hospital Research Fund, Icelandic Nurse’s Association Research Fund/311055-2249; e University of Iceland Research Fund/1238-123368

Environs de Samboangan, Iles Mandanao [picture] /

Plate no. 145 of: Voyage au pole sud et dans l'Oceanie. Atlas pittoresque, tome second / J. Dumont d'Urville.; Title from item.; Condition: good, some discolouring due to acid damage