Yersinia ruckeri isolates recovered from diseased Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) in Scotland are more diverse than those from Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and represent distinct subpopulations

Yersinia ruckeri is the etiological agent of enteric redmouth (ERM) disease of farmed salmonids. Enteric redmouth disease is traditionally associated with rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, Walbaum), but its incidence in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is increasing. Yersinia ruckeri isolates recovered from diseased Atlantic salmon have been poorly characterized, and very little is known about the relationship of the isolates associated with these two species. Phenotypic approaches were used to characterize 109 Y. ruckeri isolates recovered over a 14-year period from infected Atlantic salmon in Scotland; 26 isolates from infected rainbow trout were also characterized. Biotyping, serotyping, and comparison of outer membrane protein profiles identified 19 Y. ruckeri clones associated with Atlantic salmon but only five associated with rainbow trout; none of the Atlantic salmon clones occurred in rainbow trout and vice versa. These findings suggest that distinct subpopulations of Y. ruckeri are associated with each species. A new O serotype (designated O8) was identified in 56 biotype 1 Atlantic salmon isolates and was the most common serotype identified from 2006 to 2011 and in 2014, suggesting an increased prevalence during the time period sampled. Rainbow trout isolates were represented almost exclusively by the same biotype 2, serotype O1 clone that has been responsible for the majority of ERM outbreaks in this species within the United Kingdom since the 1980s. However, the identification of two biotype 2, serotype O8 isolates in rainbow trout suggests that vaccines containing serotypes O1 and O8 should be evaluated in both rainbow trout and Atlantic salmon for application in Scotland

Impact of declining interest rates on European primary bond market

The aim of this paper is to examine the growing popularity of debt financing in European based subjects. The development of issued volume was examined on the sample of 9,293 public debt offerings denominated in EUR issued between 30th November 2007 and 30th November 2016 and the impact of declining market interest rates on primary bond market was explored. More than 7.666 trillion EUR of debt were analyzed and the results indicate that despite low interest rates, the volume of issued bonds does not increase over time. Decline of interest rates only compensates slow economic growth as well as increasing global market and political risks

Bond yields and stock returns comparison using wavelet semblance analysis

Various measures of resemblance are increasingly applied in confrontation of data samples obtained by different sources. Semblance analysis aims at comparison of two sets of data based on their phase and frequency. Conventional semblance analysis following the Fourier transform has several deficiencies resulting from the transform. To overcome these obstacles, another type of semblance analysis was developed applying the wavelet transform. This paper focuses on semblance analysis of stock prices and government bond yields of two major global economies using continuous wavelet transform regarding both scale and time

Motivation and coping with the stress of assessment: Gender differences in outcomes for university students

The main objectives of the present research were to test a conceptual model linking motivational processes involved in coping with the stress of university assessment, and to examine gender differences in these processes. Self-determined motivation was hypothesized to predict coping strategies and the response to assessment-related stress, and coping was hypothesized to play a considerable role in short- and long-term outcomes of assessment. We examined this model using multiple group path analysis. In Study 1 (N = 265), music students’ use of engagement-coping strategies led to stronger musical career intentions, while disengagement-coping strategies led to weaker intentions. In Study 2 (N = 340), students’ increased use of engagement coping, and decreased use of disengagement coping strategies led to higher grades, higher positive affect and lower negative affect. In both studies, engagement and disengagement-coping were predicted by autonomous and controlled motivation, respectively. Motivation also indirectly predicted academic outcomes through stress appraisal and coping. While women experienced higher levels of stress, men were more negatively affected by the use of disengagement-oriented coping. Gender differences were also found on the links between engagement-oriented coping and outcomes. These results fill an important gap in the literature regarding gender differences in the outcomes coping in education, as well as contributing to a better understanding of the processes linking motivation, coping and academic outcomes

Obsessive passion: a compensatory response to unsatisfied needs

The present research investigated the role of two sources of psychological need satisfaction (inside and outside a passionate activity) as determinants of harmonious (HP) and obsessive (OP) passion. Four studies were carried out with different samples of young and middle-aged adults (e.g., athletes, musicians; total N=648). Different research designs (cross-sectional, mixed, longitudinal) were also used. Results showed that only a rigid engagement in a passionate activity (OP) was predicted by low levels of need satisfaction outside the passionate activity (in an important life context or in life in general), whereas both OP and a more favorable and balanced type of passion, HP were positively predicted by need satisfaction inside the passionate activity. Further, OP led to negative outcomes, and HP predicted positive outcomes. These results suggest that OP may represent a form of compensatory striving for psychological need satisfaction. It appears important to consider two distinct sources of need satisfaction, inside and outside the passionate activity, when investigating determinants of optimal and less optimal forms of activity engagemen

Planet Hunters: New Kepler planet candidates from analysis of quarter 2

We present new planet candidates identified in NASA Kepler quarter two public release data by volunteers engaged in the Planet Hunters citizen science project. The two candidates presented here survive checks for false-positives, including examination of the pixel offset to constrain the possibility of a background eclipsing binary. The orbital periods of the planet candidates are 97.46 days (KIC 4552729) and 284.03 (KIC 10005758) days and the modeled planet radii are 5.3 and 3.8 R_Earth. The latter star has an additional known planet candidate with a radius of 5.05 R_Earth and a period of 134.49 which was detected by the Kepler pipeline. The discovery of these candidates illustrates the value of massively distributed volunteer review of the Kepler database to recover candidates which were otherwise uncatalogued.Comment: Accepted to A

Planet Hunters: Assessing the Kepler Inventory of Short Period Planets

We present the results from a search of data from the first 33.5 days of the Kepler science mission (Quarter 1) for exoplanet transits by the Planet Hunters citizen science project. Planet Hunters enlists members of the general public to visually identify transits in the publicly released Kepler light curves via the World Wide Web. Over 24,000 volunteers reviewed the Kepler Quarter 1 data set. We examine the abundance of \geq 2 R\oplus planets on short period (< 15 days) orbits based on Planet Hunters detections. We present these results along with an analysis of the detection efficiency of human classifiers to identify planetary transits including a comparison to the Kepler inventory of planet candidates. Although performance drops rapidly for smaller radii, \geq 4 R\oplus Planet Hunters \geq 85% efficient at identifying transit signals for planets with periods less than 15 days for the Kepler sample of target stars. Our high efficiency rate for simulated transits along with recovery of the majority of Kepler \geq 4 R\oplus planets suggest suggests the Kepler inventory of \geq 4 R\oplus short period planets is nearly complete.Comment: 41 pages,13 figures, 8 tables, accepted to Ap

Is malaria immunity a possible protection against severe symptoms and outcomes of COVID-19?

Malaria-endemic areas of the world are noted for high morbidity and mortality from malaria. Also noted in these areas is the majority of persons in the population having acquired malaria immunity. Though this acquired malaria immunity does not prevent infection, it resists the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites, restricting disease to merely uncomplicated cases or asymptomatic infections. Does this acquired malaria immunity in endemic areas protect against other diseases, especially outbreak diseases like COVID-19? Does malaria activation of innate immunity resulting in trained or tolerance immunity contribute to protection against COVID-19? In an attempt to answer these questions, this review highlights the components of malaria and viral immunity and explores possible links with immunity against COVID-19. With malaria-endemic areas of the world having a fair share of cases of COVID-19, it is important to direct research in this area to evaluate and harness any benefits of acquired malaria immunity to help mitigate the effects of COVID-19 and any possible future outbreaks. FUNDING: None declared