Unraveling the genomic mosaic of a ubiquitous genus of marine cyanobacteria

Background: The picocyanobacterial genus Synechococcus occurs over wide oceanic expanses, having colonized most available niches in the photic zone. Large scale distribution patterns of the different Synechococcus clades (based on 16S rRNA gene markers) suggest the occurrence of two major lifestyles ('opportunists'/'specialists'), corresponding to two distinct broad habitats ('coastal'/'open ocean'). Yet, the genetic basis of niche partitioning is still poorly understood in this ecologically important group. Results: Here, we compare the genomes of 11 marine Synechococcus isolates, representing 10 distinct lineages. Phylogenies inferred from the core genome allowed us to refine the taxonomic relationships between clades by revealing a clear dichotomy within the main subcluster, reminiscent of the two aforementioned lifestyles. Genome size is strongly correlated with the cumulative lengths of hypervariable regions (or 'islands'). One of these, encompassing most genes encoding the light-harvesting phycobilisome rod complexes, is involved in adaptation to changes in light quality and has clearly been transferred between members of different Synechococcus lineages. Furthermore, we observed that two strains (RS9917 and WH5701) that have similar pigmentation and physiology have an unusually high number of genes in common, given their phylogenetic distance. Conclusion: We propose that while members of a given marine Synechococcus lineage may have the same broad geographical distribution, local niche occupancy is facilitated by lateral gene transfers, a process in which genomic islands play a key role as a repository for transferred genes. Our work also highlights the need for developing picocyanobacterial systematics based on genome-derived parameters combined with ecological and physiological data

An Initial Application of a Biopsychosocial Framework to Predict Posttraumatic Stress Following Pediatric Injury

Objectives—Each year millions of children suffer from unintentional injuries that result in poor emotional and physical health. This study examined selected biopsychosocial factors (i.e., child heart rate, peritrauma appraisals, early coping, trauma history) to elucidate their roles in promoting emotional recovery following injury. The study evaluated specific hypotheses that threat appraisals (global and trauma-specific) and coping would predict subsequent posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), that coping would mediate the association between early and later PTSS, and that heart rate would predict PTSS and appraisals would mediate this association. Method—Participants were 96 children hospitalized for injury and assessed at 3 time points: T1 (within 2 weeks of injury), T2 (6-week follow-up), and T3 (12-week follow-up). Participants completed measures of trauma history and appraisals at T1, coping at T2, and PTSS at T1, T2, and T3. Heart rate was abstracted from medical records. Structural equation modeling was employed to evaluate study hypotheses. Results—Heart rate was not associated with PTSS or appraisals. Models including trauma history, appraisals, coping, and PTSS were constructed to test other study hypotheses and fit the data well. T1 global and trauma-specific threat appraisals were associated with T1 PTSS; T2 avoidant coping was a significant mediator of the relation between T1 and T3 PTSS. Conclusions—Findings confirm a role for appraisals and coping in the development of PTSS over the weeks following pediatric injury. Early appraisals and avoidant coping may be appropriate targets for prevention and early intervention. Future researchers should further explicate the utility of a biopsychosocial framework in predicting PTSS

Accounting for fishing days without a fishing set in the CPUE standardization of yellowfin tuna in free schools for the EU purse seine fleet operating in the eastern Atlantic Ocean during the 1993-2018 period

The time series of EU purse seine fleet catches per unit effort (CPUE) of yellowfin tuna (YFT) from the Atlantic Ocean were standardized using an extension of the Delta-lognormal GLMM to three components. The aim was to depict the trend in abundance for adult YFT observed in free schools (FSC). The originality of this work relied on the inclusion of i) null sets, considered as presence of YFT FSC, ii) fishing days without set, considered as absence of FSC, iii) EU fishing agreement in the exclusive economic zones driving EU purse seine fleet presence in these areas, and iv) time spent by centroid cell by boat by day to constrain detectability. Standardized CPUE for FSC was thus defined as the product of the number of set (positive and null) by spatio-temporal strata, the proportion of sets with large YFT (>10 kg) and the catch per large YFT set. To detect strata without sets, all activities recorded in captain logbooks were used for the period 1993-2018. This new standardization approach, therefore, represents a significant advance over previous efforts, though there are a number of avenues for future progress.Versión del edito

Top marine predators track Lagrangian coherent structures

Meso- and submesoscales (fronts, eddies, filaments) in surface ocean flow have a crucial influence on marine ecosystems. Their dynamics partly control the foraging behaviour and the displacement of marine top predators (tuna, birds, turtles, and cetaceans). In this work we focus on the role of submesoscale structures in the Mozambique Channel on the distribution of a marine predator, the Great Frigatebird. Using a newly developed dynamical concept, namely the Finite-Size Lyapunov Exponent (FSLE), we have identified Lagrangian coherent structures (LCSs) present in the surface flow in the Channel over a 2-month observation period (August and September 2003). By comparing seabirds' satellite positions with LCSs locations, we demonstrate that frigatebirds track precisely these structures in the Mozambique Channel, providing the first evidence that a top predator is able to track these FSLE ridges to locate food patches. After comparing bird positions during long and short trips, and different parts of these trips, we propose several hypotheses to understand how frigatebirds can follow these LCSs. The birds might use visual and/or olfactory cues and/or atmospheric current changes over the structures to move along these biological corridors. The birds being often associated to tuna schools around foraging areas, a thorough comprehension of their foraging behaviour and movement during the breeding season is crucial not only to seabirds' ecology but also to an appropriate ecosystemic approach of fisheries in the Channel

Adsorption of dissolved aluminum on sapphire-c and kaolinite: Implications for points of zero charge of clay minerals

We have studied the impact of dissolved aluminum on interfacial properties of two aluminum bearing minerals, corundum and kaolinite. The effect of intentionally adding dissolved aluminum on electrokinetic potential of basal plane surfaces of sapphire was studied by streaming potential measurements as a function of pH and was complemented by a second harmonic generation (SHG) study at pH 6. The electrokinetic data show a similar trend as the SHG data, suggesting that the SHG electric field correlates to zeta-potential. A comparable study was carried out on kaolinite particles. In this case electrophoretic mobility was measured as a function of pH. In both systems the addition of dissolved aluminum caused significant changes in the charging behavior. The isoelectric point consistently shifted to higher pH values, the extent of the shift depending on the amount of aluminum present or added. The experimental results imply that published isoelectric points of clay minerals may have been affected by this phenomenon. The presence of dissolved aluminum in experimental studies may be caused by particular pre-treatment methods (such as washing in acids and subsequent adsorption of dissolved aluminum) or even simply by starting a series of measurements from extreme pH (causing dissolution), and subsequently varying the pH in the very same batch. This results in interactions of dissolved aluminum with the target surface. A possible interpretation of the experimental results could be that at low aluminum concentrations adatoms of aluminum (we will refer to adsorbed mineral constituents as adatoms) can form at the sapphire basal plane, which can be rather easily removed. Simultaneously, once the surface has been exposed to sufficiently high aluminum concentration, a visible change of the surface is seen by AFM which is attributed to a surface precipitate that cannot be removed under the conditions employed in the current study. In conclusion, whenever pre-treatment or the starting point of an experiment favor the dissolution of aluminum, dissolved Al may remain in the experimental system and interact with the target surfaces. The systems are then no longer pristine and points of zero charge or sorption data are those of aluminum-bearing systems

Using historical fisheries data to predict tuna distribution within the British Indian Ocean Territory marine protected area, and implications for its management

1. Recently, several large marine protected areas (MPAs) have been established globally and it is hoped that they will aid the recovery of populations of highly-mobile, large pelagic species. Understanding the distribution of these species within MPAs is key to delivering effective management but monitoring can be challenging over such vast areas of open ocean. 2. Historical fisheries data, collected prior to reserve establishment, can provide an insight into the past distributions of target species. We investigated the 10spatial and temporal distribution of yellowfin (Thunnus albacares) and skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis) tuna catch using logbook data from the purse seine fishery in British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) from 1996 to 2010, before it was established as an MPA in April 2010. 3. Generalized additive models (GAMs) were used to predict tuna presence and relative abundance from fishing records in relation to temporal and environmental variables. Significant variables included sea salinity, temperature and water velocity. 4. Predictions from the models identified a distinct hotspot for large yellowfin tuna within the MPA, and areas of high predicted relative abundance of skipjack tuna. We recommend that these areas are used as focal points from which populations can be monitored and investigations into tuna residency time can occur, so that the effectiveness of the MPA in conserving highly-mobile pelagic fish can be determined

Influence of chromophores on quarternary structure of phycobiliproteins from the cyanobacterium, Mastigocladus laminosus

Chromophores of C-phycocyanin and phycoerythrο-cyanin have been chemically modified by reduction to rubins , bleaching , photoisomerization , or perturbation with bulky substituents. Pigments containing modified chromophores, or hybrids containing modified and unmodified chromophores in individual protomers have been prepared. All modifications inhibit the association of the (aß)-protomers of these pigments to higher aggregates. The results demonstrate a pronounced effect of the state of the chromophores on biliprotein quaternary structure. It may be important in phycobi1isome assembly , and also in the dual function of biliproteins as (i) antenna pigments for photosynthesis and (ii) reaction centers for photomor-phogenesis

Evaluation of bio-materials’ rejuvenating effect on binders for high-reclaimed asphalt content mixtures

The interest in using bio-materials in pavement engineering has grown significantly over the last decades due to environmental concerns about the use of non-recoverable natural resources. In this paper, bio-materials are used together with Reclaimed Asphalt (RA) to restore some of the properties of the aged bitumen present in mixtures with high RA content. For this purpose, two bio-materials are studied and compared to conventional and polymer modified bitumens. Blends of these materials with RA bitumen were produced and studied to simulate a 50% RA mixture. The rejuvenating effect of the two bio-materials on RA has been assessed and compared with the effect of the conventional binders. Apparent Molecular Weight Distribution of the samples (obtained by the ?-method) and different rheological parameters were used for this purpose. Results revealed the power of bio-materials to rejuvenate RA bitumen, showing their capability to be used as fresh binders in high-RA content mixtures

Knowledge and training in paediatric medical traumatic stress and trauma-informed care among emergency medical professionals in low- and middle-income countries

© 2018, © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Background: Provision of psychosocial care, in particular trauma-informed care, in the immediate aftermath of paediatric injury is a recommended strategy to minimize the risk of paediatric medical traumatic stress. Objective: To examine the knowledge of paediatric medical traumatic stress and perspectives on providing trauma-informed care among emergency staff working in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Method: Training status, knowledge of paediatric medical traumatic stress, attitudes towards incorporating psychosocial care and barriers experienced were assessed using an online self-report questionnaire. Respondents included 320 emergency staff from 58 LMICs. Data analyses included descriptive statistics, t-tests and multiple regression. Results: Participating emergency staff working in LMICs had a low level of knowledge of paediatric medical traumatic stress. Ninety-one percent of respondents had not received any training or education in paediatric medical traumatic stress, or trauma-informed care for injured children, while 94% of respondents indicated they wanted training in this area. Conclusions: There appears to be a need for training and education of emergency staff in LMICs regarding paediatric medical traumatic stress and trauma-informed care, in particular among staff working in comparatively lower income countries

Cirene : air-sea iInteractions in the Seychelles-Chagos thermocline ridge region

Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2009. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 90 (2009): 1337-1350, doi:10.1175/2008BAMS2499.1.The Vasco—Cirene program ex-plores how strong air—sea inter-actions promoted by the shallow thermocline and high sea surface temperature in the Seychelles—Chagos thermocline ridge results in marked variability at synoptic, intraseasonal, and interannual time scales. The Cirene oceano-graphic cruise collected oceanic, atmospheric, and air—sea flux observations in this region in Jan-uary—February 2007. The contem-poraneous Vasco field experiment complemented these measure-ments with balloon deployments from the Seychelles. Cirene also contributed to the development of the Indian Ocean observing system via deployment of a moor-ing and 12 Argo profilers. Unusual conditions prevailed in the Indian Ocean during Janu-ary and February 2007, following the Indian Ocean dipole climate anomaly of late 2006. Cirene measurements show that the Seychelles—Chagos thermocline ridge had higher-than-usual heat content with subsurface anomalies up to 7°C. The ocean surface was warmer and fresher than average, and unusual eastward currents prevailed down to 800 m. These anomalous conditions had a major impact on tuna fishing in early 2007. Our dataset also sampled the genesis and maturation of Tropical Cyclone Dora, including high surface temperatures and a strong diurnal cycle before the cyclone, followed by a 1.5°C cool-ing over 10 days. Balloonborne instruments sampled the surface and boundary layer dynamics of Dora. We observed small-scale structures like dry-air layers in the atmosphere and diurnal warm layers in the near-surface ocean. The Cirene data will quantify the impact of these finescale features on the upper-ocean heat budget and atmospheric deep convection.CNES funded the Vasco part of the experiment; INSU funded the Cirene part. R/V Suroît is an Ifremer ship. The contributions from ODU, WHOI, and FOI (Sweden) are supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number 0525657. The participation of the University of Miami group was funded though NASA (NNG04HZ33C). PMEL participation was supported through NOAA’s Office of Climate Observation