Probiotics mitigate thermal stress- and pathogen-driven impacts on coral skeleton

Threats leading to a reduction in coral populations are apparent worldwide. Several different approaches have been tested to accelerate the adaptation of corals to a changing climate. Here, we evaluated the skeleton structure, crystal habit, and chemical changes of the coral Pocillopora damicornis in response to the pathogen (Vibrio coralliilyticus) and probiotic (Beneficial Microorganisms for Corals, BMCs) inoculation under ambient conditions (26 °C) and thermal stress (30 °C) during a 50-day mesocosm experiment. The skeletons were analyzed using microtomography, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX/SEM), and densitometry to investigate the skeleto-physico-chemical micro-morphological changes in porosity, median pore-size diameter, crystal habit, Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca, the skeleton mineral density (g/cm2) and skeleton mineral content (g–2). The results indicate considerable changes in the coral skeleton caused by both temperature and microbial inoculation. Most importantly, lower density (to ∼ x̄ 0.5 g/cm2) and higher porosity (up to ∼ x̄ 47%) were correlated with inoculation of V. coralliilyticus and mitigated by probiotics. BMCs also substantially increased calcification, as evidenced by Mg/Ca in the skeleton of thermally stressed corals. At the micron scale, aragonite crystal fibbers precipitated during the experiments showed an acicular habit in thermally stressed and pathogen-inoculated corals kept at 30 °C. In contrast, a spherulitic habit, characteristic of high growth rates, was observed in corals inoculated with both BMCs and V. coralliilyticus. Our findings reveal that pathogen inoculation and thermal stress had notable impacts on coral skeleton properties, including porosity, density, and crystal morphology, in a short period of time, which highlights the potential impacts of shifts in climate warming and environmental quality. Interestingly, BMCs played a role in maintaining the properties of skeleton calcification

A basic matheatical skills test as predictor of performance at tertiary level

No Abstract. South African Journal of Higher Education Vol. 21(1) 2007: pp.38-4

3MA-Verfahrensansätze zur zerstörungsfreien Klassierung von Stählen

Auf der Basis einer Palette verschieden legierter und waermebehandelter Staehle werden Moeglichkeiten diskutiert, durch die Nutzung und Verknuepfung unterschiedlicher makro- und mikromagnetischer Messgroessen, eine Sortierung nach Werkstoffen und Gefuegevarianten durchzufuehren. Zur Anwendung kommen die Pruefverfahren magnetisches Barkhausenrauschen und Ueberlagerungspermeabilitaet unter Variation der Pruefparameter, wobei zum Erhalt einer eindeutigen Aussage meist die Verknuepfung mehrer Messgroessen notwendig ist. Am Beispiel von Probensaetzen mit unterschiedlichen Einhaertungstiefen und Anlassreihen werden die praktische Einsatzfaehigkeit von 3MA-Verfahrensansaetzen aufgezeigt und die entsprechenden Grenzen diskutiert. (3MA-Mikromagnetische Multiparameter Mikrostruktur und Spannungsanalyse). (IZFP

Nordhaus-Gaddum Results for Restrained Domination and Total Restrained Domination in Graphs

Let G = (V, E) be a graph. A set S ⊆ V is a total restrained dominating set if every vertex is adjacent to a vertex in S and every vertex of V − S is adjacent to a vertex in V − S. A set S ⊆ V is a restrained dominating set if every vertex in V − S is adjacent to a vertex in S and to a vertex in V − S. The total restrained domination number of G (restrained domination number of G, respectively), denoted by γtr(G) (γr(G), respectively), is the smallest cardinality of a total restrained dominating set (restrained dominating set, respectively) of G. We bound the sum of the total restrained domination numbers of a graph and its complement, and provide characterizations of the extremal graphs achieving these bounds. It is known (see [3]) that if G is a graph of order n ≥ 2 such that both G and G are not isomorphic to P3, then 4 ≤ γr(G) + γr(G) ≤ n + 2. We also provide characterizations of the extremal graphs G of order n achieving these bounds.

Panel-Based Nuclear and Mitochondrial Next-Generation Sequencing Outcomes of an Ethnically Diverse Pediatric Patient Cohort with Mitochondrial Disease

Contains fulltext : 204158.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)Mitochondrial disease (MD) is a group of rare inherited disorders with clinical heterogeneous phenotypes. Recent advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) allow for rapid genetic diagnostics in patients who experience MD, resulting in significant strides in determining its etiology. This, however, has not been the case in many patient populations. We report on a molecular diagnostic study using mitochondrial DNA and targeted nuclear DNA (nDNA) NGS of an extensive cohort of predominantly sub-Saharan African pediatric patients with clinical and biochemically defined MD. Patients in this novel cohort presented mostly with muscle involvement (73%). Of the original 212 patients, a muscle respiratory chain deficiency was identified in 127 cases. Genetic analyses were conducted for these 127 cases based on biochemical deficiencies, for both mitochondrial (n = 123) and nDNA using panel-based NGS (n = 86). As a pilot investigation, whole-exome sequencing was performed in a subset of African patients (n = 8). These analyses resulted in the identification of a previously reported pathogenic mitochondrial DNA variant and seven pathogenic or likely pathogenic nDNA variants (ETFDH, SURF1, COQ6, RYR1, STAC3, ALAS2, and TRIOBP), most of which were identified via whole-exome sequencing. This study contributes to knowledge of MD etiology in an understudied, ethnically diverse population; highlights inconsistencies in genotype-phenotype correlations; and proposes future directions for diagnostic approaches in such patient populations

Conductive adhesives versus lead based solders A comparison of performance

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:6029.28073(297) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo