Fe, Zn, Mn and N transfer between size classes in a coastal phytoplankton community: Trace metal and major nutrient recycling compared

Experiments were performed to investigate transfer of 59Fe, 65Zn, 54Mn, and 15N from labeled cyanobacteria to the large (\u3e8 μm or \u3e5 μm) phytoplankton size class from Monterey Bay, California. Transfer of metal isotope activity was measured from and into total (for all isotopes) and intracellular (59Fe only) pools. Results demonstrated rapid and efficient transfer of nitrogen to the large phytoplankton size class; intracellular 59Fe was transferred into the intracellular and total pools of the \u3e8 μm phytoplankton size class 70% and 130% as efficiently as nitrogen, respectively. 65Zn and 54Mn were transferred between size classes 48% and 23% as efficiently as N. Extracellular 59Fe and 65Zn from the added cyanobacteria also appeared quickly in the large size fraction, although most of the Fe transfer appeared to be the result of surface adsorption rather than biological uptake. These data are discussed in relation to the biological recycling efficiencies of the four elements and the resulting implications for biogeochemical cycling of trace and major nutrient elements

The importance of cancer patients' functional recollections to explore the acceptability of an isometric-resistance exercise intervention: A qualitative study

Background and Aims: Although it has been widely recognized the potential of physical activity to help cancer patients' preparation for and recovery from surgery, there is little consideration of patient reflections and recovery experiences to help shape adherence to exercise programs. The aim was to explore the acceptability of our newly proposed isometric exercise program in a large general hospital trust in England providing specialist cancer care by using patient recollections of illness and therapy prior to undertaking a randomized controlled trial. Methods: Four Focus groups (FGs) were conducted with cancer survivors with an explicit focus on patient identity, functional capacity, physical strength, exercise advice, types of activities as well as the timing of our exercise program and its suitability. Thematic framework analysis was used with NVivo 11. Results: FG data was collected in January 2016. A total of 13 patients were participated, 10 were male and 3 were female with participants' ages ranging from 39 to 77. Data saturation was achieved when no new information had been generated reaching “information redundancy.” Participants reflected upon their post-surgery recovery experiences on the appropriateness and suitability of the proposed intervention, what they thought about its delivery and format, and with hindsight what the psychological enablers and barriers would be to participation. Conclusion: Based upon the subjective recollections and recovery experiences of cancer survivors, isometric-resistance exercise interventions tailored to individuals with abdominal cancer has the potential to be acceptable for perioperative patients to help increase their physical activity and can also help with emotional and psychological recovery

Advancing integrative “one-health” approaches to global health through multidisciplinary, faculty-led global health field courses

AbstractBackgroundSince 2003, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Global Health Institute, together with collaborating campus and in-country partners, has offered immersive, multidisciplinary, faculty-led, global health field courses in Ecuador and Thailand. These courses aim to help students to develop a working understanding of integrative one-health approaches and acquire the skills to work effectively across disciplines. That is, we aim to foster an appreciation of the role of culture in perceptions of health, disease, and health care; the complex interactions of animal-human-ecosystem health and disease; and the value of integrating cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural perspectives and skills to solve complex public health problems.MethodsStudents from various University of Wisconsin-Madison health faculties travelled, lived (accommodation included homestays in indigenous or rural communities), learnt, and engaged in community-health assessments or service-learning projects as a multidisciplinary team. We recruited students through annual presentations in each University of Wisconsin school or college and through recommendations from past participants. We recorded student reflections during the course, at course completion, and after graduation.FindingsBetween 2003 and 2014: 215 students from the University of Wisconsin have taken part in the global health field courses. Students came from the fields of human medicine (53 [25%]), veterinary medicine (35 [16%]), nursing (40 [19%]), pharmacy (41 [19%]), and other degree programs (46 [21%]). Results of the in-course and post course assessments consistently show strong student satisfaction with many aspects of the programme, including safety, faculty mentorship, the value of the multidisciplinary approach, depth of learning, and programme cost. Former participants also report use of cross-cultural skills in their professional practice, work with populations from cultures other than their own, positive effects on their decisions for career activities, and the belief that immersive cross-cultural experiences should be a required part of professional training for all health professional students. Finally, the courses undergo independent programme evaluations (including in-country observation and interviews with participants and stakeholders) approximately every 5 years.InterpretationProgramme directors continue to seek improvements related to: sustainable faculty engagement from various disciplines; development of increasingly specific course group learning objectives, competencies, and assessment tools; sustainability of impacts on community-level health and wellbeing; continuity between University of Wisconsin-Madison and in-country university and community partners; and scholarship support and other approaches so that cost does not exclude interested students from participating.FundingThe GHI is supported through a combination of university, grants, and philanthropic funding; these field courses do not have specific, separate funding. Students self-fund participation in the courses

D-4F, an apoA-1 mimetic, decreases airway hyperresponsiveness, inflammation, and oxidative stress in a murine model of asthma

Asthma is characterized by oxidative stress and inflammation of the airways. Although proinflammatory lipids are involved in asthma, therapies targeting them remain lacking. Ac-DWFKAFYDKVAEKFKEAFNH2 (4F) is an apolipoprotein (apo)A-I mimetic that has been shown to preferentially bind oxidized lipids and improve HDL function. The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of 4F on oxidative stress, inflammation, and airway resistance in an established murine model of asthma. We show here that ovalbumin (OVA) -sensitization increased airway hyperresponsiveness, eosinophil recruitment, and collagen deposition in lungs of C57BL/6J mice by a mechanism that could be reduced by 4F. OVA sensitization induced marked increases in transforming growth factor (TGF)β-1, fibroblast specific protein (FSP)-1, anti-T15 autoantibody staining, and modest increases in 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) Michael\u27s adducts in lungs of OVA-sensitized mice. 4F decreased TGFβ-1, FSP-1, anti-T15 autoantibody, and 4-HNE adducts in the lungs of the OVA-sensitized mice. Eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) activity in bronchial alveolar lavage fluid (BALF), peripheral eosinophil counts, total IgE, and proinflammatory HDL (p-HDL) were all increased in OVA-sensitized mice. 4F decreased BALF EPO activity, eosinophil counts, total IgE, and p-HDL in these mice. These data indicate that 4F reduces pulmonary inflammation and airway resistance in an experimental murine model of asthma by decreasing oxidative stress

Physiological and biochemical responses of <i>Emiliania huxleyi</i> to ocean acidification and warming are modulated by UV radiation

Marine phytoplankton such as bloom-forming, calcite-producing coccolithophores, are naturally exposed to solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR, 280–400&thinsp;nm) in the ocean's upper mixed layers. Nevertheless, the effects of increasing carbon dioxide (CO2)-induced ocean acidification and warming have rarely been investigated in the presence of UVR. We examined calcification and photosynthetic carbon fixation performance in the most cosmopolitan coccolithophorid, Emiliania huxleyi, grown under high (1000&thinsp;µatm, HC; pHT: 7.70) and low (400&thinsp;µatm, LC; pHT: 8.02) CO2 levels, at 15&thinsp;∘C, 20&thinsp;∘C and 24&thinsp;∘C with or without UVR. The HC treatment did not affect photosynthetic carbon fixation at 15&thinsp;∘C, but significantly enhanced it with increasing temperature. Exposure to UVR inhibited photosynthesis, with higher inhibition by UVA (320–395&thinsp;nm) than UVB (295–320&thinsp;nm), except in the HC and 24&thinsp;∘C-grown cells, in which UVB caused more inhibition than UVA. A reduced thickness of the coccolith layer in the HC-grown cells appeared to be responsible for the UV-induced inhibition, and an increased repair rate of UVA-derived damage in the HC–high-temperature grown cells could be responsible for lowered UVA-induced inhibition. While calcification was reduced with elevated CO2 concentration, exposure to UVB or UVA affected the process differentially, with the former inhibiting it and the latter enhancing it. UVA-induced stimulation of calcification was higher in the HC-grown cells at 15 and 20&thinsp;∘C, whereas at 24&thinsp;∘C observed enhancement was not significant. The calcification to photosynthesis ratio (Cal&thinsp;∕&thinsp;Pho ratio) was lower in the HC treatment, and increasing temperature also lowered the value. However, at 20 and 24&thinsp;∘C, exposure to UVR significantly increased the Cal&thinsp;∕&thinsp;Pho ratio, especially in HC-grown cells, by up to 100&thinsp;%. This implies that UVR can counteract the negative effects of the “greenhouse” treatment on the Cal&thinsp;∕&thinsp;Pho ratio; hence, UVR may be a key stressor when considering the impacts of future greenhouse conditions on E. huxleyi.</p

A Framework to Manage the Complex Organisation of Collaborating: Its Application to Autonomous Systems

In this paper we present an analysis of the complexities of large group collaboration and its application to develop detailed requirements for collaboration schema for Autonomous Systems (AS). These requirements flow from our development of a framework for collaboration that provides a basis for designing, supporting and managing complex collaborative systems that can be applied and tested in various real world settings. We present the concepts of "collaborative flow" and "working as one" as descriptive expressions of what good collaborative teamwork can be in such scenarios. The paper considers the application of the framework within different scenarios and discuses the utility of the framework in modelling and supporting collaboration in complex organisational structures

Student perspectives on creating a positive classroom dynamic: science education in prison

Detailed student perspectives on their involvement in prison education are limited in published literature, yet such contributions are invaluable to education practitioners wanting to create inclusive learning environments. This article focuses on the student experience of taking part in a science outreach programme teaching science in prison in England, which was designed to build confidence in students who face challenges in accessing education pathways. Here, former students share their experiences of the programme, as well as other education courses in prison, and offer guidance on best practices for those engaging in outreach or research with the prison population. In particular, their reflections highlight that by creating and maintaining an environment that is accessible, inclusive and relatable, students from all backgrounds are able to engage in course content, and overcome hidden barriers to accessing education. Furthermore, based on their lived experience, the students offer practical advice with regard to improving future access to education in prison. The aim of this article is to give a voice to students in prison about their education experience, highlighting which aspects of this outreach programme (and other education courses) were impactful for them

Physicality and Cooperative Design

CSCW researchers have increasingly come to realize that material work setting and its population of artefacts play a crucial part in coordination of distributed or co-located work. This paper uses the notion of physicality as a basis to understand cooperative work. Using examples from an ongoing fieldwork on cooperative design practices, it provides a conceptual understanding of physicality and shows that material settings and co-worker’s working practices play an important role in understanding physicality of cooperative design

Development of a Novel Magnetic Resonance Imaging Acquisition and Analysis Workflow for the Quantification of Shock Wave Lithotripsy-Induced Renal Hemorrhagic Injury

Introduction The current accepted standard for quantifying shock wave lithotripsy (SWL)-induced tissue damage is based on morphometric detection of renal hemorrhage in serial tissue sections from fixed kidneys. This methodology is time and labor intensive and is tissue destructive. We have developed a non-destructive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method that permits rapid assessment of SWL-induced hemorrhagic lesion volumes in post-mortem kidneys using native tissue contrast to reduce cycle time. Methods Kidneys of anesthetized pigs were targeted with shock waves using the Dornier Compact S lithotripter. Harvested kidneys were then prepared for tissue injury quantification. T1 weighted (T1W) and T2 weighted (T2W) images were acquired on a Siemens 3T Tim Trio MRI scanner. Images were co-registered, normalized, difference (T1W–T2W) images generated, and volumes classified and segmented using a Multi-Spectral Neural Network (MSNN) classifier. Kidneys were then subjected to standard morphometric analysis for measurement of lesion volumes. Results Classifications of T1W, T2W and difference image volumes were correlated with morphometric measurements of whole kidney and parenchymal lesion volumes. From these relationships, a mathematical model was developed that allowed predictions of the morphological parenchymal lesion volume from MRI whole kidney lesion volumes. Predictions and morphology were highly correlated (R=0.9691, n=20) and described by the relationship y=0.84x+0.09, and highly accurate with a sum of squares difference error of 0.79%. Conclusions MRI and the MSNN classifier provide a semi-automated segmentation approach, which provide a rapid and reliable means to quantify renal injury lesion volumes due to SWL

CO2 Control of Trichodesmium N-2 Fixation, Photosynthesis, Growth rates, and Elemental Ratios: Implications for Past, Present, and Future Ocean Biogeochemistry

Diazotrophic marine cyanobacteria in the genus Trichodesmium contribute a large fraction of the new nitrogen entering the oligotrophic oceans, but little is known about how they respond to shifts in global change variables such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and temperature. We compared Trichodesmium dinitrogen (N2) and CO2 fixation rates during steady-state growth under past, current, and future CO2 scenarios, and at two relevant temperatures. At projected CO2 levels of year 2100 (76 Pa, 750 ppm), N2 fixation rates of Pacific and Atlantic isolates increased 35-100%, and CO2 fixation rates increased 15-128% relative to present day CO2 conditions (39 Pa, 380 ppm). CO2 mediated rate increases were of similar relative magnitude in both phosphorus (P)-replete and P-limited cultures, suggesting that this effect may be independent of resource limitation. Neither isolate could grow at 15 Pa (150 ppm) CO2, but N2 and CO2 fixation rates, growth rates, and nitrogen : phosophorus (N : P) ratios all increased significantly between 39 Pa and 152 Pa (1500 ppm). In contrast, these parameters were affected only minimally or not at all by a 4°C temperature change. Photosynthesis versus irradiance parameters, however, responded to both CO2 and temperature but in different ways for each isolate. These results suggest that by the end of this century, elevated CO2 could substantially increase global Trichodesmium N2 and CO2 fixation, fundamentally altering the current marine N and C cycles and potentially driving some oceanic regimes towards P limitation. CO2 limitation of Trichodesmium diazotrophy during past glacial periods could also have contributed to setting minimum atmospheric CO2 levels through downregulation of the biological pump. The relationship between marine N2 fixation and atmospheric CO2 concentration appears to be more complex than previously realized and needs to be considered in the context of the rapidly changing oligotrophic oceans