Vertebrate Hosts as Islands: Dynamics of Selection, Immigration, Loss, Persistence, and Potential Function of Bacteria on Salamander Skin.

Skin bacterial communities can protect amphibians from a fungal pathogen; however, little is known about how these communities are maintained. We used a neutral model of community ecology to identify bacteria that are maintained on salamanders by selection or by dispersal from a bacterial reservoir (soil) and ecological drift. We found that 75% (9/12) of bacteria that were consistent with positive selection, <1% of bacteria that were consistent with random dispersal and none of the bacteria that were consistent under negative selection had a 97% or greater match to antifungal isolates. Additionally we performed an experiment where salamanders were either provided or denied a bacterial reservoir and estimated immigration and loss (emigration and local extinction) rates of bacteria on salamanders in both treatments. Loss was strongly related to bacterial richness, suggesting competition is important for structuring the community. Bacteria closely related to antifungal isolates were more likely to persist on salamanders with or without a bacterial reservoir, suggesting they had a competitive advantage. Furthermore, over-represented and under-represented operational taxonomic units (OTUs) had similar persistence on salamanders when a bacterial reservoir was present. However, under-represented OTUs were less likely to persist in the absence of a bacterial reservoir, suggesting that the over-represented and under-represented bacteria were selected against or for on salamanders through time. Our findings from the neutral model, migration and persistence analyses show that bacteria that exhibit a high similarity to antifungal isolates persist on salamanders, which likely protect hosts against pathogens and improve fitness. This research is one of the first to apply ecological theory to investigate assembly of host associated-bacterial communities, which can provide insights for probiotic bioaugmentation as a conservation strategy against disease

Isolation and Characterization of Adhesive Secretion from Cuvierian Tubules of Sea Cucumber Holothuria forskåli (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)

The sea cucumber Holothuria forskåli possesses a specialized system called Cuvierian tubules. During mechanical stimulation white filaments (tubules) are expelled and become sticky upon contact with any object. We isolated a protein with adhesive properties from protein extracts of Cuvierian tubules from H. forskåli. This protein was identified by antibodies against recombinant precollagen D which is located in the byssal threads of the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. To find out the optimal procedure for extraction and purification, the identified protein was isolated by several methods, including electroelution, binding to glass beads, immunoprecipitation, and gel filtration. Antibodies raised against the isolated protein were used for localization of the adhesive protein in Cuvierian tubules. Immunostaining and immunogold electron microscopical studies revealed the strongest immunoreactivity in the mesothelium; this tissue layer is involved in adhesion. Adhesion of Cuvierian tubule extracts was measured on the surface of various materials. The extracted protein showed the strongest adhesion to Teflon surface. Increased adhesion was observed in the presence of potassium and EDTA, while cadmium caused a decrease in adhesion. Addition of antibodies and trypsin abolished the adhesive properties of the extract

Isolated deep earthquakes beneath the North Island of New Zealand

Seismicity shallows towards the south along the Tonga-Kermadec-Hikurangi margin, deep and intermediate seismicity being absent altogether in the South Island of New Zealand. Beneath the Taranaki region of the North Island the maximum depth of the main seismicity is 250 km, but very rare events occur directly below at 600 km. These could be associated with a detached slab or a vertical, aseismic continuation of the subducted Pacific Plate. Six small events that occurred in the 1990s were recorded extensively by digital instruments of the New Zealand National Network (NZNN) and temporary deployments. We relocate these events by a joint hypocentre determination (JHD) method and find their focal mechanisms using first motions and relative amplitudes of P and S arrivals. The earthquakes relocate to a remarkably uniform depth of 603 +/- 3 kmrelative error (+/- 10 km absolute error) in a line 30- km long orientated 40 NE, roughly parallel to the strike of the intermediate- depth seismicity. The only consistent component of the focal mechanisms is the tension axis: all lie close to horizontal and tend to align with the line of hypocentres. We interpret this deep seismic zone as a detached sliver of plate lying horizontally with the same orientation as the main subducted plate above. Volume change caused by a phase change controlled by the pressure at 600 km and temperature in the sliver produces a pattern of strain that places the sliver under tension along its lengt

Isostatic equilibrium in spherical coordinates and implications for crustal thickness on the Moon, Mars, Enceladus, and elsewhere

Isostatic equilibrium is commonly defined as the state achieved when there are no lateral gradients in hydrostatic pressure, and thus no lateral flow, at depth within the lower viscosity mantle that underlies a planetary body's outer crust. In a constant-gravity Cartesian framework, this definition is equivalent to the requirement that columns of equal width contain equal masses. Here we show, however, that this equivalence breaks down when the spherical geometry of the problem is taken into account. Imposing the "equal masses" requirement in a spherical geometry, as is commonly done in the literature, leads to significant lateral pressure gradients along internal equipotential surfaces, and thus corresponds to a state of disequilibrium. Compared with the "equal pressures" model we present here, the "equal masses" model always overestimates the compensation depth--by ~27% in the case of the lunar highlands and by nearly a factor of two in the case of Enceladus.Comment: 23 pages of text; 3 figures; accepted for publication in GR

Improving warfarin therapy through implementation of a hospital-based pharmacist managed clinic in Jamaica.

Background: Pharmacist managed warfarin clinics can improve the anticoagulation status of non-valvular patients. The first of such services was implemented at the Cornwall Regional Hospital in Jamaica in 2013. Objectives: To assess the anticoagulation control of patients on warfarin therapy over six months in the pharmacist managed warfarin clinic at Cornwall Regional Hospital. Methods: Retrospective docket review for the period January 2014 to December 2016 was done to include data of patients attending routine clinic appointments for at least six months. Age, gender, date of visit, indication for warfarin therapy, warfarin dose and International Normalized Ratio readings were extracted. Percentage time spent in therapeutic range (TTR) was calculated by month for six months using the Rosendaal linear interpolation method. Patient anticoagulation status was categorized as poor (TTR<40%), moderate (TTR=40-64%) or good (TTR≥65%) and anticoagulation status at three months and six months was compared. Results: For the period of assessment, 52 patients were identified; the median age was 58 years and 36 patients were males. Deep vein thrombosis was the main indication for therapy (22 of 52) and median warfarin weekly dose ranged was 15.0-130 mg. At time of recruitment most of the patients were outside the target INR range (43 of 52). Within one month, the median TTR attained was 31% [IQR 62-10]. This significantly improved by second month to 60% [IQR 82-23] (p=0.001). By month three, the proportion of patients in good, moderate and poor anticoagulant status was 19/51, 15/51 and 17/51 respectively, which at six months changed to 23/51, 12/51. 16/51 respectively; thus, although coagulation status improved from month one to three, there was no significant improvement from month three to month six (p=0.31). Conclusions: The pharmacist managed warfarin clinic monitoring services were successful in attaining TTRs >40% and sustaining these values over six months. The services should therefore be encouraged

The Ammount of Interstellar Carbon Locked in Solid Hydrogenated Amorphous Carbon

We review the literature and present new experimental data to determine the amount of carbon likely to be locked in form of solid hydrogenated amorphous carbon (HAC) grains. We conclude on the basis of a thorough analysis of the intrinsic strength of the C-H stretching band at 3.4 micron that between 10 and 80 ppM H of carbon is in the form of HAC grains. We show that it is necessary to know the level of hydrogenation (H/C) of the interstellar HAC to determine more precisely the amount of carbon it ties up. We present optical constants, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and IR absorption spectroscopy for a particular HAC sample that is shown to have a 3.4 micron absorption feature that is quantatively consistent with that observed in the diffuse interstellar medium.Comment: This paper is 14 pages long with 5 figures and will appear in the 1 December 1999 issue of Ap

Can partial reduction of shoot biomass during early vegetative phase of chickpea save subsoil water for reproductive and pod filling?

The present study investigated if partial reduction of shoot dry matter during early vegetative growth phase of chickpea crop (cv. PBA Seamer) saves sub-soil water for reproductive growth and grain filling of the crop grown at 9 diverse environments. The environments were created by a combination of 3 sites (Emerald, Hermitage and Kingaroy), 3 planting windows (environments 1, 2, 3 at each site) with and without supplementary irrigation. The effects of environments on canopy management (partial reduction in shoot dry matter vs control) and irrigation treatments on the water uptake by roots, crop growth and yield performance and yield components were investigated. Crops in the planting windows (EN 1, 2, 3) experienced variable environments at each site. Days to 50% flowering and crop maturity reduced progressively from EN 1 to EN 3 at the three sites. The environment had significant effect on shoot biomass, yield and HI at the three sites (P  0.5 in EN 2 at Emerald. There was a trend for an increase in HI from EN 1 to EN 3 at all sites. The response to Irr, computed as the difference in peak shoot biomass and yield between the Irr and RF treatments, was the highest at Hermitage and the least at Emerald site. Vapour pressure deficit during reproductive phase accounted for the majority of variation in shoot biomass response to irrigation (r2 =0.66, P < 0.001) for total dry matter and (r2 =0.46, P < 0.01) for yield. The environments had a significant effect on radiation use efficiency and water use efficiency and the yield components including hundred seed weight

Plasmodium vivax Recurrence Following Falciparum and Mixed Species Malaria: Risk Factors and Effect of Antimalarial Kinetics

On the Thai-Myanmar border, Plasmodium vivax is the most common cause of parasitological failure following treatment for acute falciparum malaria. Slowly eliminated antimalarials significantly reduce the risk of early recurrence

Human ecological perspectives within a residential treatment setting for children

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44272/1/10566_2005_Article_BF01554427.pd

Consumption caught in the cash nexus.

During the last thirty years, ‘consumption’ has become a major topic in the study of contemporary culture within anthropology, psychology and sociology. For many authors it has become central to understanding the nature of material culture in the modern world but this paper argues that the concept is, in British writing at least, too concerned with its economic origins in the selling and buying of consumer goods or commodities. It is argued that to understand material culture as determined through the monetary exchange for things - the cash nexus - leads to an inadequate sociological understanding of the social relations with objects. The work of Jean Baudrillard is used both to critique the concept of consumption as it leads to a focus on advertising, choice, money and shopping and to point to a more sociologically adequate approach to material culture that explores objects in a system of models and series, ‘atmosphere’, functionality, biography, interaction and mediation